Right then, let’s get the ball rolling, folks. Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition is Wayforward Productions’ first release on the Wii U, and essentially a HD version of the game so many people enjoyed on the 3DS eShop. For the sake of this review, we’re going to assume that you’re one of the folks who didn’t play the 3DS version, and if so this is a very good investment for a tenner.

The premise is pretty straightforward, and it’s not going to win any awards for a riveting story. You play cyborg police officer Patricia Wagon who, after a mishap on the road, is chasing down a bunch of escaped convicts. Looking at them – your standard, borderline Ecchi anime tank-top girls – you wouldn’t expect much trouble, but in addition to the game world, which comprises of towering blocks and spike pits, these girls have managed to summon an army of weird enemies to stop you in your tracks.

The game’s name comes from the switching mechanic – the levels are filled with blocks which, at the touch of either shoulder trigger, can be made to appear and disappear to help you on your way – and as you progress, you’ll see other types of block; for example, the purple launchers which will fire you across the stage at lightning speed. Be careful though – switch the blocks while you’re standing in the path of one and you can expect pain.

The levels follow the same basic premise of rounding up the 5 girls, after which you head to your trusty robot to finish the level. The platforming aspect is solid, with nice, tight controls and the switch mechanic is well-implemented, often being used creatively to keep the game feeling fresh throughout. However, the 16 main levels and 5 bonus levels will fly by quickly if played through consecutively, and you’re left wondering if Wayforward could have put more into giving gamers a longer basic experience.

Where the game excels is in it’s replay value, particularly if you consider yourself an old-school perfectionist. The challenge of beating the “par” time set for each stage is a tempting prospect, which you’ll soon regret as you find yourself swearing and hitting the restart button every time you make one wrong move. If played casually, the game is forgiving. If played for speed-running, it’s positively brutal.

Then there are the remixed, “Hyper” editions of each level, which feel fresh and unforgiving in equal measure, essentially giving you an extra impetus to play through the game again, especially if you consider yourself a masochist.

Finally, the graphics in this game are lovely. Some may bemoan the loss of the stylish pixel artwork of the 3DS version, but the sight of the game running in it’s sweet, pseudo-anime, 2D HD glory is a reminder of why endless mountains of poly gons will never beat the sheer joy of a classic sidescroller. Take one look at the tiny little dog that marks your checkpoints. There’s something mind-bendingly hilarious and cute about that character model that just didn’t come across on the handheld version.

So is this game worth getting? If you have the 3DS version, the new features probably aren’t enough for me to reccomend it. You’re essentially getting the same game with a pretty new look a nd remixed levels. But if you haven’t played Mighty Switch Force before, I couldn’t reccomend it enough – it looks great, it has plenty of replay value and it plays like a dream.

Just expect to be pulling your hair out old school style if you try to beat the level pars!

VERDICT – An excellent sidescroller for old-school gaming fans, though not worth the investment if you own the 3DS version.