Skullgirls: 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Skullgirls 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download It’s a wonderful thing to think of almost any genre and see how well it’s represented on Nintendo Switch. Take the ever-competitive arena of modern fighting games; as the console continues to roll through its third year we’ve got full-fat ports of the biggest names in virtual hand-throwing, including Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection and, of course, the city-sized roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And that’s not counting more obscure entries such as Blade Strangers, Brawlout and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. It’s an eclectic bunch and one that’s made all the more strong by the fashionably-late arrival of Skullgirls 2nd Encore. ROMSLAB.COM BEST SWITCH GAMES

Skullgirls 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Despite the development and legal troubles that would have sunk most other games, Skullgirls has weathered the storm since its original launch in 2012, offering a Western-made 2D fighter that manages to take just enough inspiration from its peers without feeling wholly derivative. And those inspirations and are easy to see, too. The colourful 2D character models and their cartoonish sketch aesthetic bring to mind the Darkstalkers series (and even a splash of ClayFighter); the team-based mechanic smacks of the early Capcom vs. SNK games, and the speed of combat is BlazBlue to a tee.

three characters for your team

What Skullgirls brings to Switch so well is how it combines these elements into its own chaotic form of battle. You can choose up to three characters for your team, with the sacrifice/benefit coming in the form of your health bars. More characters provide greater variety in your move set and the ability to pull off team-based assists, but the more you use, the weaker their health bar becomes. Opt for a single fighter and you’ll have less offensive tactics at your disposal, but your combatant will possess a far hardier constitution. It’s not a particularly new system (even if you ignore the fact the series is seven years old itself), but it still effectively urges you to change up your tactics depending on the DNA of your opponent. The Caligula Effect 2 Switch NSP

Skullgirls 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

The version of Skullgirls released on Switch is actually notably faster in terms of gameplay speed than original Skullgirls release (by about 2%, which might not seem like a lot, but it makes a real difference when you’re counting frames), but the developer has added in an extensive tutorial mode that breaks down each mechanic into bite-size chunks. There’s a lot to take in – such as how best to use Dramatic Tension meter (which levels up as a fight progresses, unlocking more powerful Blockbuster attacks as you land and take damage), how to preemptively and re-actively use certain types of blocks and when to chain certain strong, medium and hard attacks into an effective combo – but it leaves you completely informed how and when to utilise these elements in battle.

The level of detail developer

The level of detail developer Reverge Labs has hand-crafted into each fighter is astounding. With an art style that borrows heavily from the cartoonish end of the anime spectrum and classic American animation from the early 20th century (and a soundtrack from Michiru Yamane that splices arcadey synths with jazzy saxophone solos), Skullgirls oozes character and charisma at every turn. There’s perhaps a little too many characters practically spilling out of their undersized costumes, but if you’re going to take such heavy inspiration from Japanese animation, it’s hardly a surprising byproduct. The Colonists Switch NSP

Skullgirls 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Skullgirls’ roster is still a little thin by modern standards with only 14 fighters to choose from, especially when compared to the likes of Mortal Kombat 11, BlazBlue Centralfiction Special Edition and the latest Smash (which is so big it’s more of a population than a roster)  even when you consider this version includes the five DLC characters that were released post-launch to help bulk out an even sparser roster at the time. Thankfully, there’s enough variety in the fighters on offer to help negate this feeling somewhat, especially in regards to the new additions. Big Band  with his bio-mechanical instrument move set  is a real highlight, as is Squigly an undead opera singer with some nifty stance cancels.

Skullgirls is already ported port of an updated rerelease

Granted, Skullgirls is already ported port of an updated rerelease, but in many ways that makes it all the more of a perfect fit for the Switch. With such a sprawling library of stellar indie and AAA ports, it seems as though the Switch has endeavored to become a haven for previous and current-generation titles that players may have missed out on or let fall by the wayside. Skullgirls stands at, or very near the apex of said titles. If you are a fan of fighting games in any capacity and you somehow missed the many iterations of Skullgirls over the past seven years, your time is now. You need this game in your library immediatel. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark Switch NSP

Skullgirls 2nd Encore Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

The game runs beautifully both in portable and docked mode and controls remain fluid and responsive whether you’re using single Joy-Cons, handheld mode or a pro-controller. Multiplayer matchmaking is jaw-droppingly smooth, especially for an indie title. Online play runs smoothly whether via a WiFi or Ethernet connection, a critical feature for a fighting game, where every frame counts. As an aside to those who own the game on other platforms, it should be noted that there is NO additional or exclusive content present on the Switch version of the game.

Add-ons (DLC): Skullgirls: 2nd Encore Switch NSP