The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download has a lot going for it. It’s a 2D action platformer with a gorgeous aesthetic that smoothly goes from 8 to 16-bit, it has a hilarious sense of humor, clever dialogue, and one of the absolute best retro-themed “chiptune” soundtracks out there. There was even a period of time while playing The Messenger, once I unlocked its full suite of core abilities, when I felt this might be one of the best games I’ve played all year. ROMSLAB.COM Best Switch Games

The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

But then, something happens at about the halfway point. The Messenger changes genre completely from a linear action platformer like Ninja Gaiden on the NES, to a sprawling Metroidvania. Unfortunately, it fumbles this transition, padding the back half with repetitive backtracking and boring fetch quests. Developed by Sabotage Studio, The Messenger is a tribute to NES-era action platformer games, whose influence is obvious even at a glance. There’s even a tongue-in-cheek reference to Ninja Gaiden right at the start, just to get it out of the way.

Ninja Flipping Between Two Eras

The Messenger begins as a modernized take on the NES Ninja Gaiden games: Your character runs, jumps, flips, and can only swing his sword in one horizontal direction like titular ninja Ryu. But as you unlock more skills that totally change how you approach both combat and platforming, The Messenger starts to find its own identity as a much faster paced action platformer with a heavy focus on mobility and pin-point precise timing. Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S Switch NSP

The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

A new gameplay mechanic at the core of The Messenger is an ability called “Cloud Stepping,” which replaces a traditional double jump with the ability gain a jump if you’re able to hit something with your sword. This leads to intense platforming challenges where enemies and their projectiles are simultaneously dangerous threats and potentially life saving points of contact for your sword. The mechanic is put to use brilliantly in the level design, making the fundamentals of The Messenger an absolute blast to play with.

Backtracking can be fun, but here it feels particularly boring because all of the great rewards have already been doled out.

At the aforementioned halfway point, though, that sense of discovery evaporates. Any upgrades you find or buy from that point on are minor at best, new levels and boss fights are rare, and the shopkeeper runs out of stories. You’re left to mostly backtrack through previously-explored areas completing what feels like an endless number of fetch quests. Backtracking can be fun, but here it feels particularly boring because all of the great rewards have already been doled out. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA MEGA 39s Switch

The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

At this point you’re able to time travel 500 years into the future by moving through space-time tears, changing The Messenger from an 8-bit NES throwback to a 16-bit SNES throwback. It’s a neat gimmick, especially because every music track has both an 8-bit and 16-bit version; but the levels don’t change enough to make the backtracking any less tedious. In fact, the time travelling mechanic actually adds an extra layer of tedium, because reaching a waypoint in the wrong era means schlepping back to a rift, switching eras, and then making your way back — without dying.

The Switch’s best indie yet

Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger is a visually striking game that at a quick glance you might shrug off as yet another quick grab at our nostalgia. While my nostalgia heartstrings were tugged at significantly during my playthrough, it’s safe to say this is a cut above the rest. The Messenger pulls from the legacy of Ninja Gaiden as well as the classic metroidvanias of Nintendo’s golden age, and it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had on my Switch to date.

The Messenger doesn’t waste time with too much exposition before getting you into the action. An ancient demon comes to destroy your peaceful ninja village, and as the only survivor, you’re tasked with traveling east to deliver an ancient scroll.

The Messenger Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

From that point the plot is straightforward: you travel across a few linear levels upgrading equipment and exchanging banter with a mysterious shopkeeper while fighting off some baddies who want you dead so they can take the aforementioned scroll. Heaven’s Vault Switch NSP

It isn’t until about two or three hours in (depending on how much trouble those baddies give you) that something doesn’t seem right. It looks like you’re on the final level, but it was almost too easy. It’s here The Messenger offers its big surprise. Your protagonist is sent forward in time, and the shift comes with a graphical update.

Add-ons (DLC): The Messenger Switch