About three weeks ago we already review Monster Truck Championship and gave it a positive review. The Xbox One version performed optimally to make it an awesome experience. I wondered how it would fair on the Nintendo Switch and if it would actually be playable. Today we got the chance to test it out.
Enjoyable
First up, Monster Truck Championship on the Nintendo Switch didn’t cut corners and supplies the buyers with exactly the same game I reviewed earlier. Every game mode, from races to destruction events are present in this version. For that reason, Monster Truck Championship on the Nintendo Switch is again a very enjoyable game. The many options to tweak your monster truck and the diversity of game modes throughout the main campaign still had me enjoying every minute of my time spent with the game. For those interested in how the game works, you can read all about it in my original review here.
Still loading
The first thing I noticed right from the start was the time it took to start the game. On my Xbox One, this wasn’t that obvious but it’s blatantly noticeable on the Nintendo Switch. In this day and age, loading times are almost non-existing but cramming a game like Monster Truck Championship on a less powerful system like the Nintendo Switch meant having to make compromises. Not only the start took a bit longer, the loading times when starting races took a bit longer too. Heck, even the menuing had some small hiccups. Of course, I have to point out that the longer loading times were only noticeable because I had other benchmarks to compare it to. It’s not like these loading times take a ridiculously long time and thus make the game unenjoyable – far of it in fact. It’s only a small nuisance I noticed.
Frames race away
I did however notice a downside to owning this game on the Nintendo Switch when trying out the different modes. While freestyle, destruction, and even drag race performed pretty much as I experienced it before, there was a difference while racing. While the first modes take place in smaller confined spaces, the races have a lot more to generate because of the bigger courses. The fact that a race also has AI-controlled opponents didn’t help either. I noticed some frames dropping and some subpar textures loading when looking close enough.
Conclusion
Monster Truck Championship on the Nintendo Switch is still enjoyable despite some compromises made to make the game run smoothly. The gameplay is still strong and the fact you can play the game handheld in a decent way is a huge plus. If you’re a purist and you have options, buy this title on a different console. On the other hand, if you’re a Nintendo Switch “only” owner and want a nice over the top race experience with Monster Trucks… Monster Truck Championship is recommended.
