Sidescroller: 3DS-a-palooza

Nintendo isn’t exactly known for its Internet acumen. “Get off my lawn” might be a good way to put its online preparedness. However, the 3DS eShop has been shaving away at that notion by quietly, and steadily, putting out good release after good release. Here are reviews of a few recent titles that you can buy in your underwear.

‘Mighty Switch Force!’
Company: WayForward Technologies
Cost: $7
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Grade: 4/5

This is WayForward’s third download-only title for a Nintendo portable. The first two, “Mighty Flip Champs!” and “Shantae: Risky’s Revenge,” set the bar incredibly high. “Mighty Switch Force!” mostly stays perched on that bar. It’s a fantastic looking puzzle game masking as a platformer. The hook? You can use the 3-D to ‘switch’ around layers of the game-world, creating new pathways. It’s fun as all get out, but can seem repetitive later on. You know, just like marriage.

‘Zen Pinball’
Company: Zen Studios
Cost: $7
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Grade: 4/5

On one hand, this is just a pinball game. It’s 2012 and long-haired dudes in Rush t-shirts aren’t exactly flooding the pinball halls. On the other hand, it’s a pretty dang good representation. The controls work flawlessly, the tables are varied and the 3-D almost tricks you into thinking you are staring at a real pinball table (for whatever that’s worth).

‘VVVVVV’
Company: Nicalis
Cost: $8
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Grade: 5/5

First of all, let’s address the difficult-to-catch elephant in the room. “VVVVVV” is unimaginably, ludicrously hard. This old-school sidescrolling adventure demands the most from those who play it. Usually this kind of mega difficulty is a turnoff, but it works here. Why? Speed. When you die, and you will often, you are right back to the challenge in about one-fourth of a second. This gives your motor skills the help they need to memorize tricky gravity shifts and jumps. This turns it from a frustrating experience to the most addictive game on the eShop.

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