DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power (Nintendo Switch) Review

DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power follows the lives of students-and-heroes as they go about their daily business attending lessons, dealing with bullies (who are secretly super-villains), and rebuilding a city using charity funding and events - you know, the usual stuff. For an adult it seems like a bizarre concept, but in a way, it works. Secret identity issues in comic books have always been a vital part of the superhero journey, and translating these to a school setting is a perfect, relatable jumping off point for young players starting to find their way in the world.

One of the principle mechanics involves pleasing fellow students and public alike through a social media app. Perhaps a comment on youth cultures obsession with the world of social media themselves? - it's not… probably. By roaming the areas available and completing various tasks such as photographing logos, helping local citizens, and rescuing animals, social media influence and popularity rises, allowing for progress and the all-important purchase of new gear and items. These accessories won't help in any way, but a lot are neat little references to the DC Universe.

Speaking of references, for older players this is where the bulk of the enjoyment is likely to come from. Not once did it get old seeing 'Hal' comment on a well framed picture or 'Harleen' reply on how much it sucks. Its clear that developers at DC took a lot of time to fill DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power with enough references to keep all parties entertained. The main characters themselves are all recognisable and popular enough to hold interest, regardless of some of the deeper cuts perhaps being lost.

There's a nice mix of heroes to play, all controlling differently as you'd expect from their characters. Batgirl favours the more athletic approach, leaping from building to building, while Supergirl flies around town firing deadly lasers from her eyes (only at Lex Luthor-approved robots of course). Difficulty is pitched low, although not low enough where there is no feeling of reward for a successful mission, even for your stereotypical comic book guy in his mid-30s. Objectives are also short and sweet, and aren't going to overwhelm younger players, as well being a refreshing change for the rest of us. Combat is basic and at times the flight mechanic seems to be utterly confusing when trying to look on and attack at the same time, but overall, it's satisfactory enough that its not going to get in the way of any enjoyment.