I had a second of realisation whereas flipping my Swap 2 round in my hand and tapping on the display in an effort to resolve yet one more clever-but-abstract puzzle. I realised that the Simogo Legacy Assortment was one of the crucial unabashedly authentic units of experiences I had encountered in a very long time.
The humorous factor was that I had already performed each sport on this assortment years earlier than. It had been so lengthy that the zenith of cell gaming had slipped into the realm of half-forgotten recollections.
Simogo Video games is maybe higher identified for 2 stylised and mechanically distinctive titles from latest years: Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019) and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (2024). It might shock some that it’s really a storied studio with 15 years of historical past, recognised for fiercely authentic titles constructed for cell units. These are the video games that the Simogo Legacy Assortment brings collectively. It options seven titles that each exemplify the early heyday of cell video games and handle to transcend that format.
That is as lovingly curated a group as you’re more likely to get, rivalling Digital Eclipse’s Gold Grasp Sequence for presentation and extra extras. The fashionable menu is original as a cell phone display, with tiles that take you to video games, settings, and a wealth of bonus materials. You’re free to cycle between an unlimited assortment of music as you wander the digital halls of this studio’s archives.
The video games themselves vary from enjoyable time sinks to wealthy inventive endeavours. All of them want equal consideration, so it’s best to deal with them one after the other.
First up is Kosmo Spin, which is maybe essentially the most mobile-game-like expertise right here and an indication of a studio taking its first steps within the business. It’s a cute collectathon that performs with perspective by having you rotate the display to information a robotic round a planetoid. You rescue robotic buddies and keep away from an enemy UFO that hurls projectiles and tries to vacuum you up.
Subsequent is Bumpy Street, a deceptively easy train in hand-eye coordination. Your job is to information a automobile throughout the display, though the hook is that you simply transfer the automobile by deforming the highway beneath it along with your finger. I had numerous enjoyable with this one, principally failing.
Beat Sneak Bandit is an odd however addictive mixture of stealth and rhythm motion. You management a thief who sneaks by Donkey Kong-style multi-level areas, and you’ll solely transfer by tapping the display to the beat.
12 months Stroll is maybe the developer’s most beloved cell title and way more of a purely inventive expertise than the earlier three. Beforehand obtainable on the Wii U eShop till Nintendo shut up store in March 2023, it explores Scandinavian folklore with an atmospheric strolling (swiping?) simulator of kinds, wherein you transition by screens, work together with the atmosphere and uncover mysteries. It stays richly atmospheric to at the present time.
Machine 6 and The Sailor’s Dream are mechanically comparable puzzle mysteries that depend on your exploration abilities. Machine 6 has you traverse prose and work together with photographs in a ebook to assist protagonist Anna work out the place she is. The Sailor’s Dream expands the idea of exploration by having you sail throughout the ocean and go to experiential areas.
Lastly, there’s SPL-T, an ostensibly easy puzzle sport the place you faucet on a wireframe grid to create ever smaller divisions. This one is a compulsive expertise that hides neat little easter eggs tied to display interplay.
All of those video games are sharply up to date to look nice on the Swap show. Since they have been developed for small touchscreens, they really feel most comfy when performed undocked. Simogo has added all types of quality-of-life options to make the video games extra playable on each screens, together with open orientation switching and simultaneous contact and stick controls.
The one caveat is that many of the video games really feel a bit clunky on a big show. Even with accessible controls, these titles have been made particularly for a small display. That stated, the Swap 2 model absolutely helps mouse controls, which helps a fantastic deal when taking part in docked. With the ability to transfer the display and management the sport with clean mouse motion is an actual boon.
Simogo Legacy Assortment feels just like the developer has thought-about the whole lot in translating these video games to consoles. It adapts mobile-first experiences into versatile ports that account for the participant’s wants. Outdoors of the porting work, these video games provide seven distinct and charming experiences that also really feel contemporary years after their launch. Simogo performs round with the shape and performance of well-worn templates to create one thing stunning and new.
Even 12 months Stroll, essentially the most purely narrative expertise right here, is a novel tackle the storytelling fashion of classics like Myst or The Room. SPL-T, then again, is so delicate in its execution that you simply may spend hours tapping the display earlier than realising you’re taking part in a postmodern twist on infinite arcade puzzlers.
When you get pleasure from puzzle-driven narratives and experimental design, this bundle is nothing lower than important.
Conclusion
Sharpening and repackaging its cell output, Simogo have created a vital assortment of classics, the place each sport is value your time. Regardless of their cell origins, these titles really feel tailored for Swap and the devs have absolutely embraced the console’s function set.
