Nidhogg II
Nintendo Switch

Developed By : Messhof
Published By : Messhof
Category : Fighting, Arcade, Action
Release Date : Nov 22, 2018

Nidhogg 2 for the Nintendo Switch brings a very unique mixture of elements, and smashes them into one single game. It’s a head-to-head battle that’s part platformer, part combat, part tug-of-war, and all insanity. You’ll find yourself in any of the games almost dozen levels, battling it out head-to-head against either an AI controlled computer, a friend on your couch, or a complete stranger online. And what does the victor of this tug-of-war earn? Why, you get to be devoured by the titular monster, the Nidhogg!

Things start off with you selecting which mode you would like to play in : Arcade, Local, or Online. At the time I played this, I didn’t have Nintendo’s online service, so for the sake of this review I’ll be reflecting entirely on Arcade mode. Although it is my impression that all three modes are the same with the exception of things I mentioned above, playing against a computer, someone next to you, or someone online.

After you’ve selected which mode you’ll be playing, the game gives you a bit of freedom in customizing your character. First, you can choose from one of seven different colors. Then, you’ll get to swap out the characters head, torso, legs, and even an accessory like a hat or some bling. Of course, Nidhogg II comes with the almighty randomizer as well, so slap the Y button and see what you’re given.

Now, it’s time to drop into the game and this is where things start to get really wild. Nidhogg II plays out like a hack-and-slash version of tug-of-war. You’ll start off on a screen that is part of a bigger level, extending past both edges of the screen, and there are seven of these levels in total that make up each map. Each character has a direction they need to head in, hitting the extreme of the map in that direction to reach the end and “win” (remember…giant wurm…gobble gobble).

To take control of the camera and make it follow you, you’ll need to kill your foe. You can shoot, slash, or stomp them into oblivion, and you can even hurl your sword at them if you so choose. Once you kill them, you’ll have a small window of opportunity before they respawn to scramble forward, pushing towards the end of the current level as much as possible. Rinse and repeat for all the screens and you’ll find yourself getting gobbled down, just like the earliest picture in this review.

When I started playing this game, I really didn’t know what to expect. Seeing a multiplayer option and not being able to make use of it, I thought my enjoyment of Nidhogg II would be fairly short-lived. Surprisingly (and thankfully!) that was not the case. I got hooked on this game right away, and I’m proud to admit I lost plenty of sleep the first night I started playing. I absolutely love the concept of the game, and I think the way it’s executed is absolutely brilliant. Whether you play solo or with friends, this is a really fun title that is incredibly hard to put down. Don’t hesitate to snatch this one from the eShop and start slashing away at your opponents!

4/5