Due to its hybrid nature and fast and simplified user interface, the Nintendo Switch remains one of the best platforms for enjoying those ultra cheap, meant-for-mobiles, casual-friendly titles.
One can have some fun for a very short while before continuing their life… οr before starting one more playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Endless runner Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon by Revulo Games is such a bite-sized piece of software, and like many of its kind, it’s fun, but could be so much more with a little more care.
Right away, the presentation stands out. The chunky, toy-like cars and vibrant art style are undeniably adorable. While the vehicle – automatically – moves, the colourful world, trees, buildings and all, dance to the rhythm of the happy tune that plays in the background. It feels like the low budget, mobile cousin of OutRun. Racing aficionados won’t get their motor gear fix here, of course. This scratches a completely different audio-visual itch.
At its heart, the gameplay loop is simple and well-executed. The car you are in control of must dodge traffic, collect parcels, and cash them in for points. In essence, only the analogue stick is used to move left or right, with a temporary bullet-time ability being the only extra thing available. Besides avoiding damage, there’s a nice risk/reward system of not delivering your packages whenever the appropriate area is in view, which increases the score, but makes the car faster. It raises the possibility of losing the packages that have been gathered so far upon defeat.
Super Box Delivery: Beyond the Horizon is a very enjoyable, casual-friendly endless runner. The problem is that it’s only that. Progress is non-existent, and there’s not real reason to keep on playing after some time. There are some practical unlocks that raise durability, but these can be acquired in less than an hour. The cosmetics need far more time but being able to change the tires or the bumper isn’t really a big deal. Even worse? There’s nothing beyond that. No special power-ups to talk to, no different types of dangers. Nothing. Once you found your rhythm, the difficulty doesn’t even rise anymore.
There’s nothing wrong with a cheap title that isn’t filled to the brim with content, but this is probably a bit way too light. There are about four biomes here (Japan countryside, city, USA-like desert and seaside), and only one music track. There are no alternative modes besides the main one, and high scores aren’t even recorded somewhere so that an incentive is provided for the next run. The one writing this knew before his purchase that this would be a basic kind of experience. Sadly, while immensely entertaining, and usually found at very low prices, it’s hard to recommend it.
