"Superbeat: Xonic" Review

Originally released two years ago on the PS4 and Vita, Nurijoy's anime-influenced DJ sim makes its debut on the Switch. Like so many indies that have made the move, it feels like a natural fit on Nintendo's tablet, which is a credit to the vision and design of the handheld/home console hybrid.

You manage a series of circular-edge tracks -- the number of which is determined by your chosen difficulty level -- and tap the segment related to the track as beast flow to the edge of the rim of your circle. The only way to rack up impressive combos and high scores is to feel the flow of the J-Pop grooves, losing yourself in the rhythm and letting your fingers tap the screen automatically.

The tactile feel of using the touch screen rather than the button sto play enhances the DJ-style feel of the game, and the screen's larger size than the Vita -- especially if you're playing on TV -- makes it easily the definitive version of "Superbeat: Xonic," somewhat justifying its eyebrow-raising $40 price. The one drawback isn't a design flaw but a rhythm game reality. It doesn't work as well while on the go. You best enjoy the game by locking yourself down, putting on some headphones and focusing on the game and nothing more. It pays off in direct correlation to the amount of focus you channel into it.
Publisher provided review code.