[Review] Twin Robots : Ultimate Edition – Nintendo Switch

Twin Robots: Ultimate Edition
Nintendo Switch

Developed By : Thinice Games
Published By : Ratalaika Games
Category : Puzzle, Platformer
Release Date : Feb 23, 2018

Initially released a few years ago on the Playstation 4/Vita, Steam and the Wii U, recently Ratalaika Games upgraded and published a port of Twin Robots over to the Switch, jam packing it into an Ultimate Edition at the same time. While I never got to play an earlier version of this game, somehow I feel that the Switch version gives these robots a bit more of an at-home feeling.

You’ll be introduced to our two main characters, Watt and Volt, along with their sad back story. These two twin robots have been long abandoned in an old run-down robot factory, and they’ve been forgotten. Now, they want their own place out in the world, but it won’t be so simple as just walking out of the factory. The twins, with your assistance, will be put to a number of tests, well they’ll have to show their wits and ingenuity to properly earn their place in the world outside.

Twin Robots fully supports co-op play, but for the sake of this review I went it alone. The game is broken up into individual challenge levels, each with a short list of a few objectives you’ll need to meet in order to move on to the next one. First and foremost, only one robot starts off free, with the twin being trapped in a small prison-like area. Objective number one is to find the big red button to free your twin. Number two is to find and reach the end of the level, where your final objective comes into play : charge up the exit so you can leave.

Watt and Volt each come with their own life bar over their heads, which represents their current charge of battery. Controlling them, you’ll be able to run, jump, grab ledges, and even wall jump to navigate the levels. But, each of these things uses power. So if you get stuck too long in a single area, it could negate the ability of being able to leave once you reach the end.

All is not lost, though. Once you press the red button to free the second robot, tile sections of the floor will light up in blue, and whichever robot walks over these will have increments of battery life restored. On top of that, the two robots can share battery life as well, so if one’s full and the other is low, you’re free to send some power over to your twin. Luckily, charging up the exit door doesn’t consume a whole lot of energy. It does take quite a bit, but not so much that it requires a full battery from one robot plus more from your partner. So if you make it to the end, chances are you’ll be safe and able to exit without a problem.

For those seeking out a bit of an extra challenge in the game, rather than just simply run-jumping your way to the exit of each level, there are some collectible-like things you can do. Up on the top of the display, you’ll see a small bar with a few things listed in it. One of these is the time you’ve spent on the level, however it’s the other two items which the above-and-beyonders will be concerned with. Each level has at least one battery just hanging out somewhere. It can take a bit of tricky platforming to reach it sometimes, but if you’re looking for that 100%, you’ll want to snag it. The other thing is the blue tiles, there’s a counter that tracks how many of these you’ve walked over, as well as the total number available in that level.

Twin Robots finds its way of nestling in as just being a comfortable game. One that’s easy to throw in and chip away at when you have a few minutes available. The Switch’s portability greatly helps this as well, so if you find yourself stuck riding shotgun to the store, or waiting in a doctor’s office, pull this out and see if you can knock off that next level. A lot of fun, you can’t go wrong adding this game to your Switch library!

Playability

All play modes are great for this game, but I found myself drawn to playing in handheld mode more often than not. Nothing is lost while transitioning this game to the big screen, so go at it with whatever mode suits you