Disco Dodgeball Remix (Nintendo Switch) Review

The concept of Disco Dodgeball Remix is as easy to understand as it is to play. Employing an idiosyncratic disco visual flair and accompanying catchy beat, the game puts players in control of a robot from a first-person perspective as they join a team of up to three others, and take on a rival group in a multitude of possible play modes. The main method of attack is to simply pick up scattered balls in the number of selectable arenas and lob them at the opponents to destroy them, but power-ups littered about the environments and the boost function, together with jumping for evasion options, add a great deal of variety. Ball shots can be blocked by the opponent's own held weapon, and thrown spheres can be caught with the right button timing, making for very tense matches in both timing and positioning. Most modes of play involve simply destroying foes, but some adopt a more race-like aesthetic and also goal-like structures to defend or assault in point-based options.

The control options for Disco Dodgeball Remix have been kept relatively simple, with a considerable amount of customisation available in the options. One key feature that is quickly becoming a vital part of any shooter on Switch is gyro-control, and this makes great use of it together with its solid 60fps output in either docked or handheld modes. HD Rumble is also here, with a more subtle yet still potent effect. Getting the hang of the control setup is simple through the training mode that gradually introduces the mechanics and rules.

Disco Dodgeball Remix's biggest strength is its online multiplayer focus, and it is here that the game truly shines. Quick Play instantly boots players into a random match-set, either with other players or AI bots filling in the blanks. The Create option allows for a vast number of potential match-up types to be created, with many modifier options, including Deathmatches, Score Battles, Elimination, Grand Prix, and even Hoop Defence that acts more like football with goalposts. Almost every parameter can be tweaked, too, like number of AI foes and their difficulty, server location for less lag, power-up items toggle and availability, and numerous others. Finally, the Search option allows for a way to look for a preferred match type and set-up lobby, and is the best way for friends to join up and play together. With a solid connection of play acting as seamless as the offline modes, Disco Dodgeball Remix truly shines in the digital space.

Unfortunately, there isn't currently a strong online scene for the game on Switch, an issue that could be mitigated with the addition of Cross Platform play. As it stands the game is highly enjoyable online, and bots filling in the blanks is a good substitute, but the scarcity of human opponents is quite evident. Disco Dodgeball Remix can also be enjoyed with two players on the same system with split Joy-Con, but two separate systems are required for local online muliplayer options.

Outside of online play, the game offers a fair bit of content for the solo player to enjoy. The Arcade Mode is a basic but fun structure of levels, with waves of opponents to defeat and money to earn in order to buy power-up perks for taking out later more difficult opponents. Challenge offers specific tasks and scenarios to conquer, such as Horde, which is a high score attack against infinitely spawning bots, Time Trials that incorporate checkpoints and laps, and the ricochet-rewarding pinball.

Making up the structure of the game's progression systems is the Player Profile, which rewards experience points depending on performance, and unlocks personalised robot parts and accessories from levelling up; thankfully, a feature free from micro-transactional temptation. Mission Badges, similar to trophies and achievements on other systems, offer incentivised ways to play differently to earn more experience. Online leaderboards for levels and scores are essentially the cherry on top for what is already a substantial offering of content, in one of the most fun and engaging online offerings on Switch.