Our Slime-san Switch Review

slime-san switch

Slime-san by The Fabraz Company and HeadUp Games presents gamers with an existential crisis.  This is our Slime-san Switch review.

That crisis goes a little something like this: “Do I REALLY like video games? I mean, I want to throw my controller across the room right now, but I can’t quit this… How much do I really hate my life right now in this moment? I can do this… can’t I? Can I even make it one more level?”

But then you keep playing, beat a few more levels, and that rush of happy chemicals from your reward center floods your brain reminding you that it’s ok, you’re not having a meltdown… you’re just insane.

In a good way, of course. This is what it’s like to play Slime-san.

slime-san switch

Similar to classic platformers like Super Meat Boy and I Wanna Be The Guy, Slime-san throw you from obstacle to obstacle, collecting apples and coins (this world’s currency), while punishing your lack of precision or slow timing with death… so much death… but I don’t mind.

In this game, you play as the titular hero, Slime-san: an agile, gelatinous, pile of green goop with aan amazing skillset. Slime-san slide down or jump off of walls, dash in the air, pass through green objects, and even slow down time (which I used about 90% of the time)! But this little slime isn’t all powerful, Slime-san is highly allergic to anything red – be it platforms, critters, or stomach acid. It’s a good thing for Slime-san that the Switch’s controls are very tight!

In between levels, you have the option to break up the pace of level grinding to check out Slumptown: a hangout of high-rises inhabited by other creatures who have setup shops in the belly of the beast you’re trying to escape. Did I mention that all of the wall jumping, trap dodging, and apple collecting is taking place inside the stomach of a worm-like critter?

Makes sense.

Despite it’s high level of difficultly, Slime-san is light-hearted and goofy romp. With references to gaming and pop culture, as well as lampooning cultural stereotypes, this game gives you some hearty laughs along the way to ease your bruised ego. While it’s 5-bit textures are a odd, combining this aesthetic with ear-wormy chiptunes and rapid pacing and this game is a nostalgic throw-back. However, nostalgia is where we find one of this game’s biggest drawbacks.

slime-san switch

Let me explain:

Nostalgia is a funny thing. It makes things either must better or much worse than they actually were. With many indie titles leaning on minimalist graphics, in our nostalgia, we tend to equate low-res/LoFi with classic. It can be done very well, but, sadly, this isn’t the case for Slime-san.

The art team for Slime-san have some beautifully charming sketches that you can find in the game’s art shop. These can be seen in the game’s promotional material as well, but in the game, the art direction was found lacking… even distracting from the gameplay. This direction also impacted some of the game’s animations. There was a lack of cohesive between the character animations and the cosmetic upgrades. Slime-san just wants to be charming…

With over 100 different levels to play through – including boss battles, skills challenges, hidden passages, an in-game arcade, and a variety of extras to unlock (cosmetics, arts, headgear, and characters), Slime-san boasts hours of gameplay for the hardcore completionist. If you like platformers with a high level of difficulty, have a high threshold for failure (spoilers: you’re going to do a lot of it) or are a sucker for catchy chiptunes, Slime-san is the game for you.

Score: 6/10

Pros:
  • Catchy Soundtrack
  • Light-hearted Humor
  • Easy to Pick Up and Play
  • Whimsical Story
Cons:
  • Forced 5-Bit Art Style
  • Messy Animation
  • So…Much…. Death…

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