Who is ready for an arcade puzzle game that we can play on the Nintendo Switch? Well, I sure am! Today we are diving into this great game called Crawlco Block Knockers. I must say I am surprised that developers eastasiasoft got this game on the Nintendo platform. And that’s a good thing. But let me tell you all about that a little more down below.
We played Crawlco Block Knockers for 6.5 hours on the Nintendo Switch
What we liked!
- Graphics: If we start to dive into the world of arcade-style games, then there is nothing more critical than arcade-like elements. And to my delight, there was enough of it here! Every part was as arcade as it could get. Little pushy buttons to continue, blocky enemies, arcade-style menu. About that whole arcade-style, though. Match up an Xbox controller with a Nintendo controller. You will find that the Nintendo controllers just amplify that arcade feeling. It’s hard to convey that feeling while writing, but you will definitely notice it while playing.
- Musical vibes: But what would an arcade be without its trustworthy companion: Arcade/Bit music. And to be fair, eastasiasoft did a great job here picking the right tunes for the job. It felt dynamic and added an extra bit of dimension to the gameplay. In most arcade-style games, developers try to pick a song that they loop too frequently, but I was happy to find out that this wasn’t what happened here.
- Censor mode: Here is where we come back on the “how did this game make it past Nintendo check.” If you look at the Nintendo Store, you will find many games that are so child friendly that it feels like adults don’t have a reason to buy this console (judging no one, since I own a switch myself). But Nintendo let through these exquisite lady puzzles, which you can uncover by clearing levels. But if you please so, you can censor them out! A great addition for parents and streamers alike.
- Currency: One unexpected turn that the game took is that they are not only rating you on completion. You get awarded with a star currency if you complete a full zone (silhouette). With these stars, you can skip boss battles! Hence they tend to be a considerable challenge for casual players.
- Toggle enemies: This was the most significant sign that the developers care about their casual players. If you want a more relaxed puzzle experience, you can turn enemies to focus on 100% filling zones. Since killing enemies creates an explosion. These explosions make a shape that sometimes renders you unable to complete an area. Then, you can use these stars to skip bosses! If that isn’t just the best mix of casual with hardcore, I don’t know what is.
Somewhere between
- Uncompleted zone ending: If you are playing with enemies, you create an explosion that renders you unable to fill the target area. Then you have to fill the bar on top. I find this a rather weird way to deal with that. Yes, this will allow players to get KO-d, but I would personally do it differently. Since it kinda feels clunky. So I would make it a: fill 80% of the area to advance, 100% to get the gold star. But if the game realizes you won’t fill in different spots on the zone, it just ends that level. This would be a personal change to the game. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, but only an odd twist to an otherwise perfect game.
- Control explanation: I am relatively new to the switch, and I even messed up the tutorial levels. (I skipped the text and didn’t realize I could drag kick a block. So I had no idea how I could pause or restart a level. Neither did I know how I could exit a level. So I just restarted my whole switch hoping I could redo the tutorial and get out of my current level. The answer was the + button on the top right to bring up this menu, but still, this was freaking me out. The rest of the general controls are explained perfectly, though.
What we disliked
- Nothing was actually bad enough to be considered a major downside to the game.
CONCLUSION
LifeisXbox.eu is the largest Belgian Xbox centered website, your reading time is greatly appreciated! Please consider sharing this review with your friends on social media, that means a lot for us! If you are Dutch speaking also consider joining our Dutch exclusive Facebook group Xbox Gamers Belgium.
Founder | Editor-in-chief | Social Media Manager
Gaming is a passion and I wanted to share my Xbox enthusiasm. That’s why I started LifeisXbox, to make sure gamers all around the world know what games they should buy or avoid. I would like to thank you for visiting my website. Your support is very welcome and I hope you stick around!
