Price Alert! Goblin Sword is just $1.99 on the Switch eShop!

I purchased this game a year or two ago and didn't think much of it, as it doesn't make a strong first impression. However, if you really dig into it, and get past the ninja werewolf (!?) that caps off the first level, you start to see the hidden brilliance of Goblin Sword.

Put simply, this game is the epitome of "no can dunk, but good fundamentals." Goblin Sword looks fine and sounds okay, but the control is incredibly tight, and the level design borders on sublime, with treasures and crystals devilishly hidden in the game's nooks and crannies. Think that treasure is just out of reach? Maybe it is right now, but thoroughly exploring every stage, particularly the most dangerous parts, will reveal alternate paths to your prize.

Fans of old-school, grid-based action platformers will get more than their money's worth (all two dollars of it!) out of Goblin Sword. Just try not to hold the merely competent presentation and the unremarkable first level against it.