Space Dave (Switch)
Developer: Choice Provisions
Publisher: Choice Provisions
Price: $9.99
Take a dash of Galaga, a pinch of bullet hell shumps, throw in Dave Lonuts, a teaspoon of hand cramps, and finish it off with a dash of crack. That is the recipe for Space Dave, the newest game from Choice Provisions.
Space Dave is the sequel to Woah Dave!, the frantic retro arcade game from 2014. I purchased Woah Dave! on the 3DS the day it was released, and it was (and still is) a fun game to break out whenever you have a minute or two to spare. I was never able to get very far in a game, but I found it to be more fun than frustrating.
Space Dave is just as frantic, fun, and frustrating as it's predecessor, and I am totally hooked.
The premise behind the game is simple: Aliens are attacking and trying to destroy the planet. Literally. If one of the creatures touches the ground, that section is destroyed and replaced by lava. Need to get to the other side of the lava? You're going to have to jump! You can repair the ground by throwing skulls that drop from some enemies into the lava, and it takes four to repair it completely.
The enemies come in fast and furious, and the boss fights are tough. Thankfully, there are a few power ups that you can get that are very helpful. There's the classic spread shot, rapid fire, and drone shooter, but the best one is the SPACE block. When one of the other characters in the game flies overhead, they drop this item, which you then pick up and try to throw under a large group of enemies. This will allow you to capture some of them, and they surround you to become extra guns. And then you get to the boss, and they are almost always promptly destroyed.
Since the game's release, I have hardly played anything else on my Switch. I have taken it to work to play during my downtime. I have been playing it on the couch while my wife is watching TV. I've even been playing it while pacing around the house trying to keep this damned kidney stone moving.
And while I've played this game most in handheld mode, I have found that the most comfortable way to play has been with the Joy-Cons on the controller grip. My hands cramp up in handheld and with the pro controller, but not when using the Joy-Con grip.
If you're looking for a game that you can play in small doses as well as something that you can play "one more game" of until the wee hours of the morning, Space Dave is a great choice. It's an instant classic, and I can see myself returning to this game for years to come. I just want more. And more.
And more.
I may have a problem.
This game was reviewed with a copy supplied by Choice Provisions.