A fresh single-player Nintendo Switch title with an exciting premise: pilot your space beetle through a “hellish void [to] confront a maniacal giant head from the future.” What’s not to love? I really wanted to love Thumper. I don’t, and I think I know why.
The first time I played Thumper I became one with the game — travelling by speed train at almost 200mph, head down, headphones on, volume up — the detailed sci-fi graphics consumed me, the beat had me enthralled. But I struggled to stay alive. I’d slowly progress through a level after dying. And dying. And dying. It began to feel all wrong. I was distracted, trying to navigate a strange world without being fully invested in it.
After I arrived home I settled into bed, eliminated the distractions, and barreled through level after level. The problem was being mobile. Taking Thumper on the go simply isn’t an option for me.
Thumper runs gorgeously well on the Nintendo Switch. Locked at a solid 60fps in both handheld and docked modes, you can’t really ask for better performance. That said, if you have access to a Playstation 4, Xbox One, or PC I fully recommend you snag Thumper on one of those systems.
Thumper is available now on the Nintendo eShop
Andrew has been a nerd his whole life. He built his first computer when he was 8, started working in the IT industry at 15, and played competitive Counter-Strike at 16. His interest in amiibo started before their release but didn’t really take off until after the new year. He doesn’t like to admit it but Little Mac and WFT are among the amiibo that he had pre-ordered from Amazon but cancelled before their release. Little did he know a few months later he’d help start Amiibo Alerts. Gaming has always been his passion. He grew up with an NES, Sega Genesis, and PS2 before realizing that PCs truly are better than consoles.
The urge to be a little better, brought on by being a gamer, is what pushes him to help make Amiibo Alerts and Nintendeal amazing communities. Together with the team he has built, he is realizing a life-long dream: bringing something helpful and fun to a large group of people. Andrew’s role at Amiibo Alerts and Nintendeal as Founder and Editor in Chief allows him to create and build contacts within the community, review and present products, and stay on top of all things Nintendo.
Plays: Switch, PC, Xbox One, PS4, WiiU, 3DS, Vita, and board games.