You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/a-fold-apart.1356/

Rarely does a game captivate me the way A Fold Apart did. From so much as watching its launch trailer, I was drawn in. Between its luscious visuals and bold blue and orange colour scheme, there was something more to be uncovered; there was a narrative to be explored, to be experienced. I dived in unknowing of quite what to expect.

Opening with a cutscene of unity and togetherness, the scene is set for a close and very much in love couple. Told through several pieces of paper sliding across the screen, all seems well until, as these stories often go, it isn’t. The relationship between our unnamed couple, who I’ll refer to as Orange and Blue from here, is put to the test as Blue accepts a job forcing them to relocate in a distant city. Separate but connected in these modern times, the two smile and struggle as they attempt to make a long distance relationship work for them.

Really it’s quite a simple setup, and it’s a story that’s been told a thousand times across a thousand formats. A Fold Apart presents what I would call a basic narrative in an incredibly novel way. On paper, if you’ll pardon the pun, you have exactly what I’ve described: a couple coping and not coping with the ins and outs of being in a long distance relationship. It’s in the portrayal of this where it truly comes into its own. It’s raw, beautifully so. The gameplay can be divided into two categories: conversation and thought. The first of these is where you’ll see Orange and Blue talking to one another via text messages. You’ll occasionally get to pick a reply, and the conversations are a joy to witness. Both characters feel human; in their interactions, their quips, and in their sudden shifts in mood. During these conversations, one message in particular will stand out. One will hit home in a way the sender never intended, and it’s here the receiver will fall into thought.

The message bursts out of its neat enclosure and falls from the screen, a few choice words highlighted. Their world appearing to crumble around them, they walk through their emotions, breaking down the message, its impact–their internal monologue. The world shifts and slides as you move from one scrap of paper to the next, the dialogue revealing itself around you. To break up this monologue, you’re presented with a series of puzzles.

Though largely easy to grasp, the puzzles remain satisfying to solve. The game takes a simple idea in folding paper, and takes it far enough for each new problem to feel like a unique challenge, but not so far as to shift the focus from the evolving narrative. The puzzles seem secondary, replaceable even. It’s not to say they fail as puzzles, or are even dissatisfying; frankly they’re not. Closer to the truth is that in their nature, slow and methodical, you’re given time to catch up. You have the time to brood in each thought, to analyse and overthink it as each character does. The puzzles are, in essence, a brilliantly engineered roadblock. A pace setter to give each message the time it needs to sink in.

Empathy plays a significant part in how you experience the game. The ability to connect with the characters and ultimately walk their path alongside them is what made A Fold Apart special to me, and it’s the reason I’m still left thinking about it. It is a great game if you’re willing to give it a chance, and though only lasting around three hours, puts across what it tries to in a brilliantly memorable way. 

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/kiwi-switch-lite-cases.1369/

The Switch Lite is a console I adore. Presenting all the home console-level goodness of a flagship Switch in a bitesized package still bewilders me to a certain degree, but it is by no means perfect. Lacking the iconic clamshell design of its portable predecessors, it’s notably unprotected against the elements, and it’s here KIWI step up to the table with not one, but four unique designs. How do they fare in keeping the console safe, and how do they fare against Nintendo’s premium Flip Cover case? Let’s dive in and find out!

With four cases to review, I’ll start with the simplest design and move to the more extravagant ones as we go on. This most basic silicone case surrounds both the face and back of the console really quite cleanly. There’s no frills, no bells, and no whistles here; holes are cut out for the screen and buttons on the front, and for the various buttons, ports, and fans around the rim of the system. It can still breathe nicely, and my system didn’t seem to run any hotter for being wrapped in this case. The cutouts are clean and give you easy access to everything you’d need, with the notable exception of the Micro SD slot. I’m incredibly fond of the overall feel of the case, providing a reasonable grip, and the case itself does great in protecting the system from scratches. The only real criticism I’d pull against it is that the power and volume buttons aren’t cut out as the rest are. Instead, KIWI opted for a mushy overlaid design. It’s not to say they aren’t placed well, but I don’t like how they feel to press at all. It’s something you’ll either love or you won’t. This one is available in turqoise and grey for just £8.99, so it’s hard to complain. If that isn’t for you though, there’s plenty more to look at.

A slight variation on the first design, the yellow case sports an anti-slip moniker, largely describing the raised dots on the back of the case. As well as this, the front of the system is far more exposed, this case opting to avoid button cutouts by just leaving the full front of the system open. The case still stays on fine and is notably easier to slide into place, but does offer less protection against scratches in the long run. A more subtle difference, this case does, in fact, have a cut-out hole for the volume and power buttons. With the anti-slip bumps feeling nice to hold, and the only major issue I had with the first case fixed, this would be my case of choice for those on the tightest of budgets. Coming in at the same £8.99, and available in colours to match all three launch units, it’ll get the job done.

On the more premium end of KIWI’s offerings, and by premium I mean a grand increase in price of £2, we have your more fanciful designs. Sticking with our silicone brothers above, the grey cover here aims to deliver on ergonomics. Featuring two firm bulges on the back much resembling the feel of a classic controller, there’s more to grip, making the console as a whole a little easier to play for extended periods. From the front, we have the same coverings as our first case, complete with the overlaid rubber buttons on the power and volume I’m not overly fond of. One notable difference however comes in the form of an extra cutout for the Micro SD slot. It’s not something I take out often, so I don’t feel it too much an issue to leave it covered, but for those snapping screenshots who don’t want to upload them to a social network, this could be a deal breaker. It feels nice to hold and all in all for £10.99 I again struggle to complain.

Last on the list is where things really get exotic. This is the Goliath. Taking the bumpy back of the second case, blending it with the grips of the third, replacing the silicone with TPU plastic, and adding space to store two cartridges, it ticks a lot of boxes. If you have that extra £2, it really is an extraordinary case for £10.99. It feels sturdy. Where the others provide grip and protection against scratches, I feel I could drop my Switch in this and it would be safe. Full disclosure here, I didn’t drop my Switch, because I don’t enjoy dancing with death, but it provides a certain peace of mind all the same. Looking at the negatives, the Micro SD slot is once again off-limits, this perhaps more of an issue here with the rigid nature of the case making it slightly more difficult to remove. In a similar vein, though you can store two cartridges in the back, you’ll be pressed to find a convenient way to get them out of the case. It feels like a bit of an oversight, but given the budget price and overall quality of the product, I think I can let it slide.

Of course, when looking at Switch Lite cases, it’s hard to avoid comparing to Nintendo’s own offerings, the Flip Cover case in particular. Housing the console perfectly, as well as providing a textured grip and the clamshell design of yesteryear, it is fantastic, and for those with no real ceiling on budget, it’s hard to recommend anything else. Having said that, it’s three times more expensive than even KIWI’s most expensive case, and depending on your needs, that is money you simply may not have to spend.

All in all, KIWI have put forward a brilliant range of cases, sporting a budget price without a budget feel. Though you would need to purchase a screen protector separately for total peace of mind, I do recommend you keep them in mind should you be needing a case in the near future. For what they cost, you really can’t go wrong.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/snakeybus.1335/

We all know Snake. Collect fruit, grow larger, the biggest threat being your ever-lengthening body. It’s a simple formula that, much like Pokémon, hasn’t evolved much in recent times. Some would argue, much like Pokémon, that it’s because it’s fine as it is, but I would disagree. Snake has always missed some kind of jazz, some kind of sparkle to really strike it rich in the modern days. Snakeybus brings exactly this.

While lesser games may opt for a massively multiplayer experience, or even a battle royale environment, the folks at Stovetop had a different idea⁠—a vision they would stop at nothing to see through to the end. What if we made Snake… with buses? On paper it’s simple, and really in-game it is too. Across a number of environments, you ride around in a bendy bus picking up passengers, and upon dropping them off, your bus extends. On extending, you’re able to pick up more passengers, allowing for exponential growth and absolute chaos as you find yourself rear ending your own bus from half way across the map.

At its core that really is it, but with a small selection of modes and maps to enjoy it, there’s a surprising amount to keep you coming back. First, you have Classic. Classic sees you do exactly as I described to the letter: you pick up passengers, you drop them off, the bus gets bigger, repeat until you mess up for a high score. Starting with a single stage, you quickly get a feel for the controls and how the game plays. Just as you’re getting comfortable, you’ll find yourself unlocking another stage as you cross scoring thresholds, keeping the experience fresh and keeping you hooked. You have a sense of ‘just one more round’ paired with a well-paced drip feed of new content to enjoy. It’s addicting while it lasts, but herein lies the largest issue: it doesn’t really last. Once your content has been run through, the only remaining motivation comes from trying to better your score and the score of others. The wackiness, the joy of Snake with buses, the marvel of it all only takes you so far, and if you don’t have friends to compete against I fear this isn’t a game you’ll be able to stick at. 

Outside of classic play, there are a few extra things to keep you interested. Timed Classic gives the game an interesting score attack vibe that incentivises fast play over cautious movements; it’s largely the same from a gameplay perspective, but the shift of focus does a good amount to feel fresh despite this. My largest point of contention lies in the Aerial mode and its beautiful madness. You see, the bus you control in Snakeybus has, as all good buses do, a jump button. It’s a small burst of rocket power dispersed from the underside of your carriage to get you out of the stickier situations you might find yourself in as part of the job. What Aerial mode does is make this single mechanic into a game mode. Instead of it being a last resort, you find yourself relying on an infinite jump to manoeuvre through a cave as water continues to rise. You deliver passengers to their destination, the water sinks a little. It’s a thrilling back and forth that is horrible to control and brilliant fun to play. In the end, however, you find yourself running into the same problem: there’s only one map you can play this mode on. Snakeybus is a game that throws interesting mechanics and fun modes at the player, but lacks the longevity to back it up. 

There is one thing in particular that stands out about the game that does, in fact, assist in giving you an additional layer of replayability in the form of online multiplayer. The catch is that it isn’t available on the console releases, with no plans of its addition in the near future. Reviewing the Switch version, this naturally means I’ve not had a chance to play it myself, but looking at gameplay for the PC release, it’s a terrible shame to see it missing. It’s brilliant. You compete against others on the same map trying to cut each other off, all the bizarre and wild action amplified exponentially. 

I had a great time with the game on the Switch, and its portable nature makes it ideal for the brief pick up and play sessions you’d generally want from an arcade title. It is difficult however for me to wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody wanting a complete Snakeybus experience. If you have a capable PC, I urge you to give the game a shot with a few friends online; those without need to assess what they want. For an arcade title to return to here and there, it remains well-executed in its concept and fun to play. Having played each level through and through, it’s not a game I see myself coming back to soon, but I also doubt this is the last I’ll play of it.