NExT Studios and META have finally released their tiny robot co-op game Biped on Nintendo Switch and you can now experience their brilliant adventure on Nintendo’s flagship console. Since we have already reviewed the PS4 version of Biped in detail, this review is more focused on how the game differs from the PS4 version in terms of performance and content and whether the game performs similar to the PS4 version or not. This is our comparative review of the Nintendo Switch version of Biped in which we try out the portable version of the game and see how it compares to the previous releases.
Much similar to the PS4 release, the Nintendo Switch version comes with the same two campaign modes. You have the solo campaign and then you have the co-op campaign which only works with a local player. After a brief tutorial level where you are thought the basics of the game, you are sent on your journey to light up all of the beacons in different regions. If you have a friend or family member over, you can try out the co-op campaign otherwise the solo campaign is your only option. Both campaigns offer a unique way to experience the game so you should definitely try to play both campaigns.
Aku and Sila have returned on Nintendo Switch as they try to save the planet from going dark. You will go through some of the most colorful and challenging levels which take place in diverse places. The levels in the game range from snowy mountains to dry and dusty deserts to rainforests where automated lumber equipment is busy at work. You traverse through these levels using the signature moving style of Biped where you use each JoyStick to control one leg of your robot at one time. This time around, you are using both the joysticks of your Nintendo Switch JoyCons for moving around the game.
Biped may be playable in solo but the real fun comes from playing the game in co-op mode. This carries on for Nintendo Switch as well and since Nintendo Switch is more famous for co-op games, Biped is the perfect game to be played on it. While the locations and your mission remain the same in both the solo and the co-op campaign, the co-op campaign introduces some new mechanics that are entirely focused on the co-op involvement of both players. This makes the game extremely fun to play and some of the best mistakes follow the gameplay as you both try to achieve different objectives at different levels.
While you may be wondering that since Nintendo Switch offers some unique methods to play games, Biped sadly does not utilize any of these advanced mechanics. You are stuck with the normal controllers and play the game similarly as you do on a PS4. The advances controls which could have been handy such as the gyro controls and touchscreen are not used in the game at all. Coming to the dependency of movement controls on two joysticks, the touchscreen could have played a role here allowing two players to jump in the game with the same pair of JoyCons with the console. So the developers skipped on this part of the port.
My only concern with the multiplayer of Biped is that you will need an extra pair of JoyCons with you if you need someone to play the game with you optimally. While the game can be played on a single JoyCon, lacking a separate joystick really annoys you as you move your thumb around over the buttons. It is not only annoying but is also not very accurate in the game. With the game requiring two Joysticks for gameplay, you cannot just use a single JoyCon and hand over the other one to a friend or family member and play the game on the same console. Playing the game with another friend or family member would mean that you have four JoyCons connected to the same console with each player using two JoyCons each. This mechanic makes coop story mode only possible for people who actually own an extra pair of JoyCons. You can try playing the game with the same set of JoyCons but you will only end up ruining your co-op experience with the game because it is not very convenient or accurate.
Apart from this little hiccup, Biped ran extremely well on both the normal version of Nintendo Switch and the Lite version for us. There were no performance hiccups or visual dips in the frames in open-spaces. The performance was on point in both docked mode and handheld mode for the normal Switch. Since the joysticks of JoyCons are much smaller to the PS4, sometimes while playing the game, I did notice that one of the legs would go back to normal meaning I would lose input for it. It was pretty easy on the PS4 Dualshock for our PS4 review since the joysticks are much bigger but on the JoyCon, I did sometimes lose the control as even a slight movement causes the foot to return back to normal. It could be only just me but this is more related to the hardware than software.
Final Verdict:
Biped plays really well on Nintendo Switch however its requirement of separate JoyCons for multiplayer might be a little off-putting for most players. We have seen that most of the multiplayer and co-op games on Nintendo Switch can be played easily on the same console with its two JoyCons but since the gameplay of Biped requires both Joysticks for optimal gameplay, this is not the case with the game. The game is best experienced with two separate sets of JoyCons for co-op. Apart from this little problem, Biped on Switch does not lack in any way when compared to its Steam and PS4 versions. The portability factor of the console allows you to take the game to anywhere you go and have some fun with your Bipeds. It is still a great addition to your Nintendo Switch library however if you already own the game on any other platform, I will say that you stick to that version of the game. However, if you only have Nintendo Switch as your gaming console, then you must opt for the Nintendo Switch version of Biped because it is a great addition to your co-op library.
Final Score: 8.0/10
