Release Date: January 11th, 2019

Developer: Graphite Lab

Platforms: PC, Wii U, Switch (Reviewed), Xbox One

Price: $10-$20

Hive Jump was one of the first games The Gamers Lounge really got behind. Originally released in 2017, members of The Gamers Lounge backed it on Kickstarter in 2014 after hearing a lot of good things about the game. Most recently, after seeing success on the Steam and the Wii U, it has been brought to the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The big question is how is it and why haven’t you gone out and bought it yet?

The Gamers Lounge has a soft spot for Indie games, especially action games. On the crowded Switch’s Indie library this game stands out, near the top. All gamers can get behind the idea of shooting bugs in a wonderful 16-bit colored worlds! Personally, I heard about Hive Jump from another member of the podcast. He knew the creators of the game on a personal level. I was advised to swing by and say hi at PAX East 2014. I was hooked after a few mins. The guys were excited to show off their game and talk about it. I knew right away the game was going to special. We even had one of the creators on one of our earlier podcast episodes.

So here we are in 2018, The Gamers Lounge got a chance to review Hive Jump on Switch and it translates great to the Switch. This is the kind of game that the Switch is perfect for. I was even thinking this could have been a good Vita game as well. Hive Jump is a fantastic game to play on screen or in handheld mode. The controls are tight, players will be jetpacking around, throwing grenades and shooting bugs in no time. Anyone can pick up and play, but it will take a little time to master the game.

Think of Hive Jump as a twin stick shooter at heart. The action can get very intense very quick as players are jumping, boosting and shooting their way through caverns packed with bugs. The best way to handle this is to play the arcade or campaign with multiple people. The Switch supports up to 4 players locally. Fire up your joycons and the pro controller and grab some friends. There is some nice customization as players can pick different colors and different emblems to represent themselves in game.

Players can upgrade their weapons and abilities as the game goes on. They can spend the currency they earn on each level. Personally I tried the missiles, but I found the tesla orbs to be a better option as the orbs bounce around the screen. I also really liked the sticky grenades despite killing myself with them a few times. Even if players die, they have the opportunity to move the transponder backpack around and keep it safe before respawning. This is a unique way to avoid perm-a-death for a bit. This, with the ability to do damage when players teleport in after dying, makes for a great combination.

The music and sound effects will keep gamers interested. The fast paced action is more than enough to hook fans of all ages. My only gripe was using the Switch in handheld mode, my hands started to cramp. Problem solved with a pro controller.

If you haven't played Hive Jump, there are plenty of options to play it, either on the PC, the Switch, Wii U, or Xbox One. It looks like it's $20 on Steam and $10 on the other systems. Although the version on Xbox One and Switch only support couch co-op, I still recommend the game hands down. Nintendolife on Twitter was asking about people’s favorite couch co-op games and several users responded with Hive Jump. Now that’s a great endorsement, link to the tweet here

Big thanks to the guys behind Hive Jump for letting us review their game.

Pros:

Great looking game

Fun to play

Cons:

Use a pro controller

No online co-op on Switch and Xbox One

Hive Jump Review Switch