This week, Nintendo announced that Kirby and the Amazing Mirror will be heading to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on September 29th. We're going to dedicate a full episode to not only covering that release, but all of the Kirby games we've missed in the run of this series. That's happening next Friday, but first we're going hit three Jaleco beat ‘em ups that have yet to be covered in the Review Crew, including The Peace Keepers, Tuff E Nuff and Brawl Brothers. Those games may have hit Nintendo's service years ago, but the question remains: Are any of them worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Die Hard Game Fan and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, get ready to punch a mutant and eat directly out of a garbage can, because it's time for another eye-gouging episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


With designs from iconic developer Keiji Inafune and an epic fantasy story, you would think that Breath of Fire would be a slam dunk on the Super NES. Capcom wasn't so sure, opting to let Square Soft take over publishing duties in the United States. Perhaps that was a wise decision, as Square's name likely added a level of credibility to the game, what with this coming hot on the heels of the critically-acclaimed release of Final Fantasy VI (known at the time as Final Fantasy III). The gamble paid off, leading to four more installments released over the next decade, as well as a much-maligned sixth game released in 2016. But instead of talking about that game, let's see what the critics thought of the O.G. Breath of Fire from 1994.

Of all the magazines on the market, it was Die Hard Game Fan who was the most excited to review Breath of Fire. Skid raved that “it's been a long time since I played an American RPG of this quality. From the story to the graphics to the music, this is a first-rate RPG that competes on the highest level. This this game, plus Final Fantasy III in their '94 line-up, Square is giving players one of the best RPG years in gaming history.” The Enquirer also liked the game, concluding that “RPGs don't get much better than this on 16-bit. Breath of Fire has beautiful artwork, a great story, very good fight scenes, and some of the most amazing music I have ever heard from Square. The adventure is 50+ hours long. So, park it, take your time and have fun.” Die Hard Game Fan gave Breath of Fire an average score of 91%.

That's a bit higher than the general consensus. For example, you saw Game Players magazine going as high as an 87%, while Super Play could only muster an 80%. That's right in line with the 8 out of 10 average you saw over at Electronic Gaming Monthly, who gave the game this capsule review: “The folks at Square know a good game when they see it. They did RPG fans a great favor by buying this game from Capcom of Japan and bringing it to the States. Even if you're not a big fan of these kinds of more deliberately-paced strategy games, you'll still get hooked on this one. Excellent graphics and sound make this a winner.”

Nintendo Power wasn't quite as impressed by Breath of Fire, giving it a slightly lower 3.8 out of 5. However, if you're looking for the lowest score, then you'll find it from a very unlikely place. That's right, the usually hyperbolic GamePro gave this RPG classic a score of 3 out of 5. After describing the game, they concluded that “if all this sounds somewhat bland, it's because you've seen such elements on these pages before. Even the story line is nondescript and average. If Breath of Fire wanted to make a name for itself, it should have tried for more interesting enemies, different battle screens, and butt-kicking graphics. Instead, we get something vaguely familiar, a forgettable game with barely enough Breath to last.”

GamePro was the odd one out on this game, but don't worry, they'll have plenty of time to redeem themselves later this episode. Without any of the Final Fantasy games on the Nintendo Switch Online service, this is your next best bet, so definitely give Breath of Fire a try. I promise, you won't get burned.

Having already wrapped up the Yuko trilogy with Valis III, what do you do next? If you're Telenet Japan, you simply invent a bunch of new characters and keep the series going, no matter if there was a natural conclusion or not. Valis IV was originally released on the PC Engine back in 1991, but it would take the game another two years to come to America and earn the “Super” in its title. Much like the Genesis ports of the original trilogy, this Super NES game kept a lot of the cinemas, but had to go without the dramatic voice acting. That's disappointing, but is it the game's biggest problem? Not according to these reviews.

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Super Valis IV an average score of 7 out of 10, which involved every single critic giving the game the same so-so score. Steve argued that “the latest in the Valis series does a decent job of carrying the theme over to the Super NES. Although the graphics are pretty good and the sound support well done, the action is very slow in the early rounds with next to no challenge except for the bosses. Once the game gets going, however, the payoff is pretty good.” Resident fake ninja Sushi-X also gave the game a 7, but was much more down on this sequel: “Super Valis is not my idea of a smooth Super NES title. The overall choppiness of the game really disappointed me, but I suppose the next sequel will have this problem ironed out. The still graphics are cool, with very little break up between frames. I'd like to see this on the Super NES CD, if it ever shows up.”

For the most part, the critics at the time agreed with EGM. Die Hard Game Fan's critics were disappointed after Valis III, giving the Super NES sequel an average of 70%. That's basically where Video Games & Computer Entertainment landed, as they gave it a 7.2. However, if you're looking for the absolute highest score anybody could possibly give Super Valis IV, then we need to check in with GamePro, who gave it a perfect score of 5 out of 5. They liked the crisp gameplay and smooth handling, concluding that “the heroine's name changed, but the game remains essentially the same. There's never a dull moment in this cart. Super Valis IV is sharp.”

For as much as I enjoy the Valis series, I have always felt that Super Valis IV was a bit unnecessary after they wrapped up the Yuko trilogy. What this series needed was a big overhaul, but instead they went the erotic visual novel route, pretty much destroying any hope for Valis to make a comeback. Super Valis IV is fun, but there are definitely better action games on the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Having already conquered both the Game Boy and the Nintendo Entertainment System, it only makes sense that Firebrand's next stop would be the Super NES. Demon's Crest is the much-hyped (yet criminally forgotten) spin-off of the Ghouls ‘N Ghosts series. This gave Capcom the ability to create an even bigger, better looking and more ambitious action game, filled with scary locations and even spookier bosses. To this day, Demon's Crest remains one of my favorite Super NES games, but you're not here for my opinion. Here is what the critics said back in 1994.

If we're going to talk about Demon's Crest, we should probably start with the game's biggest fan – Die Hard Game Fan. They gave the sequel a near-perfect average of 97%, with Skid arguing that “not since Ghouls ‘N Ghosts have I played a Capcom action game this good. Demon's Crest takes my all-time favorite Game Boy game and kicks butt with it ... SNES style. I'm SO HAPPY Nintendo let Capcom keep it gory.” Mr. Goo agreed, giving it an even higher score: “OH YES. Thank God for Play It Loud! Here's a game that simply would not have happened a year ago. What gore! What violence ... what rotting bodies. On top of this you have frighteningly awesome control, perfect graphics and music, and all-round Capcom quality.”

While Game Fan may have been the most enthusiastic, they were far from the only outlet giving the game high scores. You saw it snag a phenomenal 4.5 out of 5 from GamePro, as well as an impressive 89% over at Game Players. Electronic Gaming Monthly also loved the game, but Ed had a big question on his mind: “Capcom's not hyping this one. What's up with that? Demon's Crest will prove to be a good game for Capcom for many reasons. It has some of the most detailed graphics seen in any action game, plus Demon's Crest has a bit of an RPG/quest flair for those looking for more than a boring old side-scroller. The mysterious nature of the game really draws you closer to the action. Those bosses are HUGE!” Martin liked the game even more, giving it a 9 and raving that “Capcom has delivered the goods with Demon's Crest. I don't think I have to go over how great the graphics are and how the background music and sound effects are super cool! And what about the awesome gameplay? We've come to expect all that from Capcom. What I didn't expect was how big the game is. I love the fact that there are multiple endings.” EGM gave Demon's Crest an average score of 8.25 out of 10.

That score lines up with a lot of other magazines. Super Play gave the action game an 80% in their 27th issue, while VideoGames magazine gave it an 8 out of 10. You did see Nintendo Power go a little lower, giving it a 3.7 out of 5, but the lowest score came from the notoriously grumpy Next Generation. “The action in Demon's Crest is much the same as it was in the earlier games, with lots more hidden rooms, items and weapons to find. The new map mode is also a nice touch, giving you a demon's-eye view of the countryside. Unfortunately, the game is way too short. You don't even need most of the hidden stuff to beat it.”

Once again, we have some critics saying that it's surprisingly long, while others complain that it's too short. It was hard to be a 16-bit side-scroller in 1995. Either way, Demon's Crest is worth playing. EGM and Game Fan weren't lying when they raved about the stylish graphics, and I would argue that they hold up remarkably well. This is easily one of my favorite games on the Nintendo Switch Online service, and you don't even need the Expansion Pack to play it.