Game Review #201: Strikey Sisters (Nintendo Switch)

Reviewer: Chad M.

Developer: DYA Games

Publisher: DYA Games

Category: Arcade, Action, Adventure, Multiplayer

Release Date: 2.14.2019

Price (at time of review): $9.99

Buy Strikey Sisters from the Nintendo eShop here.

Standing Out In A Crowd

So many games hit the eShop and just fall into the pit of nothingness, as there are just too many titles being released each week to keep up with what’s good and bad, then even being able to play them all is an impossible task to boot. So, when I play a game, I love to try to keep an eye on that developer or a publisher that seems to just pick the best games. One of those developers is DYA Games, located out of Spain. When I heard DYA Games had a new title, I had to try it out, as the last title they released on Switch was Viviette, a beautiful Victorian horror adventure game that had a 16-bit pixel JRPG look to it. I adored that game, so I was eager to try their new game, Strikey Sisters. 

No One Gets Between These Sisters

The story behind Strikey Sisters is thin, but part of the game’s appeal is that it doesn’t take itself very seriously. You play as two sisters, Marie and Elene, who are incredibly upset, as their pet, Sachiro, has been kidnapped by Lord Vanik and his minions. You now will set out into the world, jumping from level to level, wiping out the minions until you reach the bosses, and then, finally, working your way to Lord Vanik. You have a world map that you will travel, as you can choose your own path as you journey to save Sachiro. 

Drop The Sword & Grab Your Magic Racket

Strikey Sisters is a fantasy-themed arcade action brick-breaker. Each level you start out with three hearts, and if you lose a ball or get hit, you lose a heart. If you lose all three, then you fail the level and have to start over. The only way to defeat a level is by destroying all the blocks. You knock the ball around, and when you destroy a block, coins will fall. If you collect enough coins, a chest will appear, and when you knock it open, you will be rewarded with collectible stars and other goodies.

As you play the level there are monsters trying to stop you, and you can hit them with the ball or with your racket. When you defeat a monster, they drop power-up items. There are three types of power-up items: player items and ball items that take place immediately, and spell items which are used by pressing the spell button, which allows you to choose how to unleash a lightning strike or a massive energy burst. The boss battles are different in the fact that you don’t have to destroy the blocks, but rather, defeat the boss monster. 

That’s mainly what you will be doing, and it’s so damn addictive and fun! On the world map, it keeps track of your time played as well as coins collected, major collectibles, bestiary, and the percentage of map conquered. The other way to play is in local multiplayer, and it is extremely fun, but takes so much team work. I first tried to play with my wife, and we almost killed one another, as I kept shouting out what to do and she almost bashed my head in with the pro controller. So, I waited for a friend to come by that was a tad more seasoned than my beautiful, understanding wife. He and I had a hell of a lot of fun, but I still had to turn the difficulty down, as it was pretty hard keeping up with the balls and what each of us was to do. The screen would be filled with pure chaos, which equals a lot of fun, but also requires a lot of communication. 

Also in the extras, besides checking out the Bestiary, you can watch all of the cut scenes after beating the game or as you go, and you can check out the image gallery, which has fan art and character design. As you play there are achievements you can get as well, and the check list is in the extras to keep track of things like “unlock all stages”, “beat all stages”, and “collect all green gems”. Also, when you beat the game, you unlock extra levels to play.

Audio & Visuals

The 90s upbeat-synth arcade-style music fits perfectly well, and I was tapping my foot the whole time as I battled through the stages. The sound effects are done well, with the sounds of the ball smashing into the bricks and the racket slamming into the enemies really popping nicely, but the show-stealer for audio was the over-the-top, but silly and hilariously-done voiceover work that reminds me of voiceover work I’d heard in many games from the 90s. The visual art style is like many DYA Games, as they seem to have a similar look—and that’s not a bad thing—with the beautiful 16-bit-JRPG-looking art design, from the Sisters themselves down to the monsters, of which there are a lot; and you can check them all out in the Bestiary when they’ve been collected. 

It’s A Wrap!!!

This is another no-brainer, and DYA Games has another winner on their hands with Strikey Sisters. With so much to enjoy and hours of gameplay, both single-player and co-op, the value is here at only $10, so you’ll need this one in your collection!

Score: 8.5/10

Buy Strikey Sisters from the Nintendo eShop here.

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*Review Code Provided by DYA Games