Jack of All Controllers

About the game:

• Developer: SMG Studios
• Publisher: SMG Studios
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
• Release Date: May 22nd, 2014 (iOS), August 6th, 2014 (PC), May 6th, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
• Price: $7.99
• Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
• Review code provided: Yes

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers for the game OTTTD, or Over The Top Tower Defense.

Surprise! SMG Studios’ first and highest rated game, OTTTD, is coming to the Nintendo Switch! SMG Studios has hinted that they have had a surprise game coming to the Nintendo Switch, and this is it! A game originally released in 2014, this game fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch, and is perfect for playing at home or on the go. OTTTD, or Over The Top Tower Defense, is a RTS with RPG elements mixed in. It adds a lot of fun and variety to the gameplay, which allows for a lot more content than a normal tower defense game. I had a blast playing through the extremely fun campaign, and I will be coming back to a harder difficulty in the future.

This tower defense game is unlike any other I have played from the genre. Over The Top Tower Defense has you following a fantastic campaign, but you have many RPG elements incorporated into the game. There’s also lots of fun and interesting enemies that you and your heroes will have to face. You might even have to face a giant shark that’s flying above and zombified! The game has 25 amazing story levels, which are all extremely fun to play through. Each mission is different from the others, and they all provide lots of fun in a unique different way. There are two dimensions which you will travel to in the campaign. The first dimension is called Steamcrust, and the second dimension is called Nightmare. SMG Studios also offers three difficulties to choose from! These include easy, normal, and hardcore. Playing through all of them would be the end goal, meaning you’ve fully completed the game. There are also three save slots, which comes in extremely handy if you want to put one difficulty per save slot. These small features implemented by SMG Studios add to the many features that improve the quality of the game in general.

Over The Top Tower Defense has heroes that you command, and they have skills you can unlock to help them while in battle. There are 7 different hero classes you can pick from, and all of them are unique and different from the rest. These include the Engineer, Bombardier, Saboteur, Assault, Scientist, Rocketeer, and Recon classes. Each of these classes have core attributes. Your squad consists of 3 different heroes, and you get the choice of picking which 3 will defend your base. The more enemies they kill, the more XP you earn. To level up your heroes, you need this XP. Placement of your heroes along the enemy path during battle is essential. I found myself constantly changing my lineup for the heroes in my party, as I felt that some could help me win easier than others. Speaking of defending your base, you also have to place towers down to help defend it! There are a grand total of twelve different tower types that can be used to help defend your base from incoming invasions. Each tower is different, and has a unique way of defense compared to the others. The RPG elements present in Over The Top Tower Defense run deep throughout the entirety of the game, as they are present in many unique ways. There are 30 active abilities in the game, as well as 40 passive skills. Also, there are a grand total of 40 unique weapons that can be acquired in the game. Not to mention the epic boss battles. These are some of the most enjoyable parts of the game, as they’re filled with challenge and fun. All of the bosses are unique and humorous in a way. You could fight a zombie shark in one boss battle, or fight a humongous war tortoise in another. SMG Studios has filled humor into Over The Top Tower Defense in a great way. There is a ton of content in this game, and it’s all in a fantastic package.

The game itself is set in the year 2136, where a company called HEROCORP is the firm you work for. Your job is to defend the planet from intergalactic threats from alien dimensions. The art style in this game is fantastic as well. The somewhat cartoonish look adds a great aesthetic to the game, and is really enjoyable to look at. The game also contains an original soundtrack by the Sydney based band BATTERIE. The game has a fantastic tutorial with humorous narration helping the player know how to control their hero. It also has a fantastic fluid menu, which is an extremely nice thing to have when browsing through it. The controls for the game are extremely well done for the Nintendo Switch. Everything feels right and is super quick to understand. The graphics look phenomenal in handheld mode and in docked mode. There are no frame dips or anything similar to it here, just a super solid port. SMG Studios did a fantastic job with this port, and it is shown everywhere in this game.

On another note, SMG Studios is combining all their icons on the Nintendo Switch to make one giant continuous artwork! It’s only visible when all the icons are side by side, but it’s a really cool easter egg of sorts that looks great on the home menu. SMG Studios said that they plan to continue the artwork for all of their released games on the Nintendo Switch.

Overall, OTTTD or Over The Top Tower Defense is an exceptional game. The tower defense genre is perfectly merged with RPG elements in a unique and fun way. With different difficulty levels and 40 weapons to unlock, Over The Top Tower Defense is sure to keep you occupied. The campaign has a solid 25 levels, and there are lots of heroes and towers to master throughout it. Over The Top Tower Defense has exceptional value for its price, and I would recommend this game to lots of people I know.

9/10