Welcome to our review of Bingo for Nintendo Switch, one of the most classic games that everyone knows!
We all know what Bingo is, you get the number, you tick off the number on your random playsheet and hope to be the first to score a row. Whether they are horizontal, vertical or diagonal, that is the base game.
This iteration on Nintendo Switch offers us 4 variations of the classic game. Which I will be reviewing today, but not in the proper order, this is because the classic version of the game is the final one. So let us start with the fourth game. Aptly called Classic mode, this is the most basic version of the game, you play against three other players or three computer players. It all comes down to the very core of the game, you get numbers, you win when you score a full row.
The first game is called Buzzer Bingo, where you basically scramble to get the number as soon as possible in order to make the desired full line. As all games are between 4 players, there is a scoring mechanism in use to reward good choices and punish bad choices. Basically, if the computer messes up too often, you end of with the highest score after all, makes perfect sense, right?
Next up are games two and three, which are in my humble opinion the only reason why you should even consider this game. Game 1 and 4 are horrible in gameplay and not at any point do you feel anything but helpless. I am still to encounter a single “comeback victory” once I get behind and losing with only 3 numbers filled in is not a fun experience when it is one of your first games.
Game two, the slide bingo, has basically nothing to do with bingo aside from the fact that you need to score a row in order to win. The entire premise here, move the rows or columns in order to get a bingo. Every time you move, so do the playfields of the other players. Every time adding 1 number at a time! Every time having the other players move the field as well. This game is all about skills and planning, but sadly also the feeling of helplessness when the other players often get the best possible numbers. I know this is all part of what bingo represents, but again, no miraculous comebacks at all in this one either.
Game three is the final one, Bingo Poker, this is by far the only one really worth playing in this collection. In this game, you are again trying to get to Bingo, but each time you get a number, you also need to take one out. This is the only one where you finally shake a bit of that annoying helplessness you encounter in the others because there are some tactics that can at least make you lose less obviously. I say that with the necessary sarcasm. This game did amuse me a little but in the end, even at the price point this game is at, it is still not something I could recommend, despite costing a mere 5…
The game also looks really basic. I am certain that I could have made a game with similar graphics back in 1999, it just doesn’t appeal. I know there is little to do with graphics for a game like this, but seriously, nicer screens when you win instead of screens that look like a toddler made em in paint, ….
In conclusion, this game is a must avoid. It reminded me of my gameplay of Vroom in the Sky, Vaccine, … Games that should also be avoided… I never gave a zero before in a single of my 100+ reviews, but this is the one. The entire feeling of “why am I even playing this game?” was so present during my gaming session that I just can not look past all the bad parts. My rating is my very first zero. The few nice parts that I encountered can not pull it up out of the trenches and yeah, this happened…
