Who would win in a fight between Astro Boy and Quote from Cave Story? Not exactly a match-up most folks would have considered, but if that fight needs to take place on a color-matching puzzle battleground, we'll have the answer in Crystal Crisis for Nintendo Switch. 20 characters from across Nicalis games plus various other properties get together for a color matching puzzle game with several twists, proving once and for all who among them is the puzzle master.
Nicalis characters duke it out
What do you get when you put the main heroes of Nicalis' games together with a few other goofy friends for a matching puzzle battle? Crystal Crisis, apparently. With favorite characters from a wide variety of games including Cave Story, Binding of Isaac, and others, this is a must-have for any Nicalis fan.
Curious about who's here, and who will win? Here's what you need to know before picking up Crystal Crisis:
What is Crystal Crisis?
Crystal Crisis is a color-matching puzzle game that will be familiar to anyone who has played any Tetris-style or color matching block game. But it isn't just that - it features a number of familiar characters from across numerous Nicalis games and other manga properties, as well as a handful of hidden characters from games that haven't been announced just yet.
These characters go up against one another in competitive puzzle battles, with modes available allowing both single-player (against the computer) and competitive local and online play.
How do I play?
In Crystal Crisis, your job is to match colored blocks together into groups, then clear them with a similarly-colored crystal. Like Tetris, blocks and crystals will drop from the top of the screen, and you can line them up and arrange them to fall where you want them to so you can clear the board. You can't clear a set of colored blocks if you don't have the correct crystal in position.
But sometimes, the characters you've selected will come into play. Each character has a unique Burst Move that can be activated when a certain gauge fills, which can have different effects either on clearing your own board or harassing your opponent's. Use these moves wisely!
What game modes are available?
Crystal Crisis includes several other special modes aside from its basic story mode, including a Memory Mode where blocks that are dropped turn black and require you to memorize their color placement to clear lines, as well as Online Play and Tag Battles to bring more friends into the game.
What characters are included?
- Aban Hawkins (1001 Spikes)
- Atom (Astro Boy)
- Black Jack (Black Jack)
- Curly Brace (Cave Story)
- Isaac (The Binding of Isaac)
- Johnny Turbo (Turbo Technologies)
- Quote (Cave Story)
- Solange Blanchefleur de Luxe (Code of Princess)
- Umihara Kawase (Umihara Kawase)
- Ballos (Cave Story)
- Tina Hawkins (1001 Spikes)
- Jim Hawkins (1001 Spikes)
- Thompson (The Tempura of the Dead)
- Zombie (The Tempura of the Dead)
- Akuji (Akuji the Demon)
- Knight (Hydra Castle Labyrinth)
- Hunter
- Ninja
- Elise
- Helen
When can I get it?
Crystal Crisis is out now on Nintendo Switch. It costs $40 for a physical edition on Amazon, and $30 for a digital edition via the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Nicalis characters duke it out
What do you get when you put the main heroes of Nicalis' games together with a few other goofy friends for a matching puzzle battle? Crystal Crisis, apparently. With favorite characters from a wide variety of games including Cave Story, Binding of Isaac, and others, this is a must-have for any Nicalis fan.
