REVIEW: Tip Top: Don't Fall! - Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

I was asked to check out Tip Top: Don't Fall! on Nintendo Switch.

Tip Top is a simple climbing game, with procedurally generated routes, the idea is simple, climb from the bottom to the top, and once you reach the flag, you have completed the level. Sounds easy right? WRONG.

The game starts out with some surprisingly nice animation to set up the game. You will start off with the tutorial which should get you up to speed on how the controls work. Basically, you control each arm of the character, and using the bumper buttons one hand or the other will hold on to a surface, if that is available. You then need to position the character to reach the next ledge, switching between hands, and positioning the character in the best way is the key here. Before you know it, you will have to make strategically timed jumps, with just one mistake meaning death. You also have limited stamina in each arm, stamina runs out and you will fall, you can regain stamina by moving one hand over your chalk bag.

Luckily if you choose it in the settings, you can restart after a fall, if you clip on to conveniently placed hooks, that way if you do fall, you restart from what is the equivalent of a checkpoint, a massive help as you figure out the best route up these cliff faces.

There are of course various obstacles to overcome, as well as clouds that will get in the way, so you either have to guess, and risk falling, or wait for the cloud to pass, but waste valuable stamina.

This is an interesting game, but a very tough one, the controls will take a while to get used to, but the hardest thing to master of all is the jump, it feels very awkward to do successfully, especially as you are trying to remember which hands to hold on with, when to let go and so on. I understand that they want to make the game hard, but sometimes I feel like it is unnecessarily hard.

The Good

When you do get it right, climb to the top of a level and get past a trick spot, there is a great feeling of accomplishment, and that is a very important element in a game like this. I also liked the animations which set up the locations.

The Bad

I do not like the control system, as much as I played, I just couldn't get over the fact they could have simplified it without taking away the challenge.

Overall

A challenging and fun game, and if you like something a bit different then this is a game to check out.

I score Tip Top: Don't Fall! - Nintendo Switch a fair 7/10

Out on the 28^th September at https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Tip-Top-Don-t-fall--2269168.html