When the Nintendo Switch launched on March 3rd, 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild lead the charge. As many are beginning to say, including myself, it is a masterpiece and one of the best games of all time. While that may shadow some of the other launch titles, there are a few that truly deserve your attention once you finish your adventure in Hyrule or need a quick respite from facing the evils of Calamity Ganon. Snipperclips, a 2D puzzle game, is one of these titles that absolutely deserves a look.
The concept of Snipperclips is simple. You and up to three of your friends take control of colorfully shaped pieces of paper and are meant to cut your friends. Yes, you read that right, the entire premise of Snipperclips is to cut and form your friends into different shapes to solve a variety of puzzles over multiple worlds.
Imagine a pencil falling from the sky and a sharpener in a distant corner. Without explicitly telling you the objective, you must use your wit and ingenuity to come up with a solution to get that pencil into said sharpener. Where Snipperclips shines, not unlike Breath of the Wild, is that there is not only one (excuse the pun) clear-cut solution. Do you cut your friend into a small rectangle which he can then use to cut you and have the pencil fall snugly into place? Do you work together to rotate your fully formed papery-forms to trap the pencil and clumsily guide it to its home? The options are plenty and the best part is experimenting, and…let’s be honest…trolling.
I know the word trolling has a rightfully-so bad connotation online, but in Snipperclips it leads to some of the best moments. There have been many times my friend, who loves to take games more seriously than anyone has the right to, was so laser-focused on cutting another friend in to the shape of a fish, that he didn’t see me slowly creeping in ready to ruin his hard work. As the snipping begin, the screaming and freaking-out began, shortly thereafter followed by tons of laughter. The freedom, creativity, and spontaneous acts of evil it breeds is something to behold and really keeps the game fresh.
That spontaneity and hilarity, however, is supremely diminished when playing alone. Most puzzles can be solved by playing solo, and the game tasks you switching back and forth between different characters to accomplish the same goals you would in co-op. The issue is it feels a bit more like actually going to work and completing a task. The fun bicker, “a-ha!” moments, and hilarious untimely cuts of friends are lost when you control all the players. The puzzle designs are very clever, so there is definitely fun to be had, but this game is meant to be, and should be, played together, hence the title: SnipperClips: Cut It Out Together.
Alongside the vast array of puzzles, there are a few other games to enjoy with other friends, including competitive modes of Basketball, air hockey, and (my favorite) a fighting dojo where your one goal is to obliterate your friend and you only win when you cut/snip him out of existence. These are more fun pick up and play modes now-and-again, and most likely won’t have you coming back too many times after discovering them.
While Snipperclips is a fantastic game in its own right, being on the Nintendo Switch elevates it to an even greater level. Being able to bring my Switch into work or waiting for food at a favorite restaurant, and putting it on the table and booting it up for a few minutes here and there is special. My friends and I would finish a few levels when we were out and about, then head back home, put it in the dock, and continue playing on the glorious big screen, where the colors and aesthetics really shine.
The motif of paper is felt throughout Snipperclips and it is a very charming game. From the facial expressions of joy and horror on your characters faces to the beautifully drawn levels, this is a unique title that stands apart from the rest.
Snipperclips is not the longest game, unless you have some especially evil friends. The main game can be completed in a few hours, and there is some replayability, especially when new people come in and you get to knowingly see the chaos unfold. Some puzzles, namely some of the ones that ask you to cut friends into a certain shape, do get a bit tedious after a while. That being said, there are so many great ones in there, you shouldn’t be too worried about having a good time.
Snipperclips is a fantastic launch title that, more than anything, proves the portability concept of the Nintendo Switch. Having Snipperclips wherever I go led to some great times and memories I won’t soon forget. While some puzzles can get tedious, and the fact that playing solo can’t hold a candle to co-op do sting a little bit, the sheer fun and creativity Snipperclips brings to the table can’t be understated. At $19.99, Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together deserves and earns its spot next to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on your Nintendo Switch.
