Skylanders Imaginators (Nintendo Switch) Preview

The majority of the demo being shown off at the recent Nintendo Switch Premiere put emphasis on the character creation element, and praising how the NFC technology of the Switch meant this was unique compared to previous outings. Sadly, the attendant clearly had not played Imaginators before, or else she would have known this creation mode was the whole driving force behind the original release… but anyway, it is still a great addition worthy of the attention of those that missed out first time round.

The idea behind Imaginators is that it comes with a Creation Crystal that allows gamers to not only craft a new Skylander, but also transport it to other consoles at any time (one character saved to each crystal, coming in different element types). For Switch, there is no need for a cumbersome Portal of Power now, thanks to a digital library that allows players to easily load and store their 300+ toys from the Skylanders franchise (with the exception of Traps and vehicles) directly to Nintendo's system using the controllers' NFC capabilities. This allows players to take their Skylanders Imaginators adventure on-the-go whenever and however they want with less ties.

Plenty of time was taken explaining how to create, and then actually building up, exactly the sort of creature desired before bringing it into the gaming world. These were not just generic settings meaning that lots of fantastical creatures can be crafted from your very own imagination… as has been the case since its initial 2016 release. After focusing on getting every tiny detail perfect, choosing special powers, and even catchphrases, it was time to dive into what was a very enjoyable 3D adventure with a great variety of missions and mini-games. Believe the hype - this has all the makings of a highly engaging platform romp. For the in-depth review of how the full game plays out, since nothing has changed here, be sure to check out Cubed3's glowing report right here.

This is certainly not going to be for those that already bought Skylanders Imaginators on various other platforms, but considering sales were apparently far lower than past entries, Activision will be banking on luring those that hesitated in the run-up to Christmas, perhaps preferring to stick with the strongly supported LEGO Dimensions, into the fold. Since there is no LEGO title for Switch yet, and Disney has dropped its Infinity line, Skylanders has a clear run on the new hardware, and being at launch will certainly help bring in plenty of extra sales.