Smash TV for the 21st Century? Should You Buy Relic Hunters Zero Remix for the Nintendo Switch

In this video, we test out Relic Hunters Zero: Remix for the Nintendo Switch from Akupara Games.

One of my favorite Twitter accounts to follow is the staff over at Akupara Games. Their humor permeates everything that they send out, and quite honestly, they make terrific games. Their sense of humor also flows through and into all of their games. Their latest release, Relic Hunters Zero: Remix, is an action shooter that definitely feels like it has roots in the 8 and 16-bit era.

The version of the game you see me testing here is a pre-release build. There are final optimizations the team is working to make live by the time the game itself launches. Akupara Games provided us with a game code for us to be able to download and test the game at no charge. However, they are not reviewing content before our video goes live.

Prior to launch, there were two versions of the game that I was able to test out, the Adventure Mode, and Storm Mode. In adventure mode, your goal is to kill the enemies on each level, collect different relics, and progress to the next level. As you fight enemies, you can unlock different weapons and attacks. You also unlock new enemies to face. Storm Mode is similar to a survival mode, where hordes of enemies attack you from seemingly every corner trying to take you out. You start the game with one of two different characters to play as, but the further you progress the more characters you can unlock.

The sprite work on the game is pretty well done. It almost has a Fairly OddParents look to the characters to me, and that's a compliment. The music has a good chiptune feel to it as well, and the controls are very tight.

There are aspects to both the Story Mode and Storm Mode that I appreciate separately. Storm Mode is good for if I want to just spend 15 or 20 minutes killing hordes of enemies, where Adventure Mode allows me to really get in and roll up my sleeves when I have time to dedicate towards gameplay. There are additional gameplay modes that should be available at launch that I'm looking forward to spending time with as well.

Let's talk about the weapons for a minute, because there are a ton of them and they are amazing. You start off with a basic pistol, but as you progress through each level you can pick up other pistols, shotguns, machine guns, a microwave, and even a keytar. That's right, I said keytar. Each weapon has its own strength and weakness and you will find ammunition strewn about every level. I love using the submachine gun and seeing the bullet casings strewn around you as you shoot oh, it's just a cool little detail.

Why it RoX:
- Blowing enemies to bits is just fun
- Tons on weapons
- Great Soundtrack
- Challenging without being impossible
- Excellent details like bullet shells strewn about
- Multiple gameplay modes
- Looks great in handheld mode or in my TV
- Unlockable Characters

What could be improved?
- No physical release
- Only 2 player
- Gameplay can get a little repetitive at times

Should you buy it?
If you like classic games like smash TV, I think you will absolutely love Relic Hunters zero remix. Blowing stuff up, whether it be enemies or your environment, is just plain fun. I do wish there was the option to play 4 players online, but that's simply not in the cards at this time. Akupara Games continues to deliver quality content, and this is another example of how they have mastered the formula to fun games.

#NintendoSwitch #RelicHuntersZeroRemix #eShop

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

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