Publisher: Noodlecake
Developer: FaceIT
Switch Review
*Disclaimer: I was sent the code for this game in return for a review, all opinions are mine and mine alone.
Summer Catchers caught my eye when I saw the style of game it was, as someone who has recently got into Stardew Valley I knew I had to try it due to how similar the style of art was. The premises of the game is easy to grasp but a little harder to get used to, you player as a racing car driver called Chu, she would love some sun but is unfortunately stuck in the cold and makes the choice to find where summer is with the help of a character called Bear who is actually a wolf. Chu uses her little wooden car made by Bear for her to collect mushrooms which are used as currency, with these she can buy what she needs to get past certain obstacles she faces throughout her journey.
There are three main tools I started out with that helped me at the very start of my journey you will get more as you delve deeper into the game, one was to shield yourself from anything that was in my way, another to jump over objects and lastly a booster which helps getting up steep hills and escaping any enemies chasing Chu. You would need to buy a number of each tools to use and press them in the sequence that would work best for your situation, this is where it would get frustrating, if you ran out of a certain tool or was unable to quickly swap tools you would be met with failure which made me even more determined to get past that area. After 3 different run ins with any of the obstacles you will be pushed back to the garage where your car is and have to repair it as well as buy more tools with that ever amount of mushrooms you managed to collect.
Being pushed back so frequently made me disappointed yet determination pushed me to keep trying although I have bad hand eye coordination which made it even harder for me as a player, I could change the difficulty of the game which for some will make it simple enough for those who have a similar issue to me. I understand that timing the buttons you press and in the correct order is part of the game and pushes the player to want to progress further but it's a big wall for some players to get past. I found it easier to press the screen on switch when playing instead of using the joy-cons, I guess I'm used to playing these kind of games on mobile (Summer Catchers is available on mobile too).
I upgraded my car straight away, I knew it would be an added benefit if I did, you can change Chu's outfits, complete tasks, play in local co-op mode where you can play as Chu's little brother, I've not tried this yet but from talking to a friend of mine who plays it she said it's worth trying out at some point. The music pulled me in hook line and sinker due to how calming it was at times and the retro arcade style to go with the game, I love anything that transports me back to the 80s. Summer Catchers has some clever perks such as keeping everything you have collected or bought when you crash or move on to the next part of the game or are still trying to get to the next level, instead of punishing players they encourage us. We also eventually get access to being able to have pets in game which is such an adorable feature! On top of this you will face boses, they will be different from each other and leave you feeling annoyed at times but this adds to the quirkiness of the game and Chu's character determination to find summer.
There is a photograph mode, but didn't see the necessity for it when I could just use the screenshot button on my switch, but it's an added feature some can make use of I suppose! A cute feature I liked were the mail boxes, you could send and receive mail to characters you come across in the game, it shows how Chu has developed friendships just buy wanting to find the summer. Yes, there is some kind of story within the game as well as being an endless runner game, so if you're a fan of those kind of game Summer Catchers may be something you should check out. Chu has a sassy attitude whether you fail or complete what you're doing she has something to say about it, her no failure stance is obvious and you can't help but like her. Whether you get this on Nintendo Switch, Steam or your phone this is a great game to waste time on, the scenery is beautiful and Chu's journey to find summer takes you on an unexpected journey full of new friends and monsters! Why not check out the trailer below:
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