Vitamin Connection | Review | Nintendo Switch

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Created by Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse developer WayForward, Vitamin Connection is a new and exclusive IP for the Nintendo Switch. It tasks players with saving the fictional Sable family (and by extension, the world) from an all-consuming pathogenic outbreak. Far from a sombre reflection of the present-day Coronavirus situation, Vitamin Connection and its cheery, colourful gameplay could very well prove to be the antidote for those seeking shelter.

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by Liam
Andrews

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@liam_andrews5

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Developer: WayForward
Publisher: WayForward
Platform: Switch
Players: 1 - 2

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Rather than combating microscopic germs with self-imposed quarantines and better hand washing routines, Vitamin Connection sees players take control of the Joy-Con-esque Capsule Ship. It’s piloted by two silent protagonists, Vita-Boy and Mina-Girl, as they endeavour to navigate maze-like 2D levels.

​The game’s six campaign missions - each of which takes place inside a different member of the Sable family, from the baby to the dog (and even the TV) - include a handful of infected locations that players must clean up. That gameplay loop is bookended by cartoonish cinematics through which snippets of the game’s rather bonkers plot play out.

Forward momentum through levels is handled automatically, with players only needing to move and rotate the Capsule Ship in order to avoid obstacles and battle enemies. The latter is done through a combination of the ship's Vitamin Beam (a directional attack mapped to the right stick) and an extending claw that can pinch and pull apart tougher bacteria, and also grab floating obstacles to use as makeshift shields.

Clearing out the main infected areas of any given host is achieved through the completion of challenges, titled sub-games. These usually only take a few minutes to complete, and, while some can fall a bit flat (like Escaper, which requires getting from A to B without collisions), the Dance Festival, Wire Coaster and Medicine Ball (read: air hockey) games are plenty fun. Even more so in co-op, in fact, with players able to replay favourites at any time once they’ve beaten and unlocked them.

Vitamin Connection definitely feels like it’s best experienced in co-op, and while it’s possible to see and experience all that the game has to offer solo, it’s certainly more enjoyable with a partner along for the ride. It’s a shame, then, that progression between solo and cooperative campaigns isn’t shared and there’s no drop in/drop out support for spontaneous sessions. 

​Rather than simply throwing in another Capsule Ship for a second person, Vitamin Connection’s asymmetrical co-op mode sees players splitting the duties of a single craft. With the left Joy-Con, one player controls ship movement and activation of the Vitamin Beam, while the other, using the right, deals with rotation and aiming.

The added layer of teamwork helps lift the relatively straightforward gameplay and adds a whole new level of humour to proceedings as players endeavour to coordinate attacks and evasions. Sub-games also benefit from the addition of a second player, with WayForward making good use of some of the Joy-Cons’ lesser utilised features, such as motion controls, and even the IR sensor for reflex-based challenges.

Dance Festival has players pulling off moves in time to a musical beat, and is great fun with a partner in tow.

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It’s innovative touches like these, along with a ridiculously catchy J-Pop soundtrack and a bright, cartoony aesthetic, that help Vitamin Connection, at times, feel like it could have come directly from Nintendo themselves. Unfortunately, however, the game also has more than a few frustrating quirks that spoil the fun and stop it from being something really special.

​Levels often feel samey, despite belonging to different hosts, and sub-games are repeated throughout the campaign with only slight variations to colour and design serving to set them apart. It’s also far too easy for your ship to get stuck in narrower sections of levels and end up being left behind, doomed to a slow death, as the screen, cut scenes and action all continue to move on without you.

Levels are littered with these ribbons, which are incredibly satisfying to break with the corresponding colour.

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Away from the actual gameplay, a number of technical issues also dog Vitamin Connection. Controls can become unresponsive after switching from handheld to TV mode, or vice-versa, and the Joy-Cons too easily lose calibration during co-op sessions. The latter is particularly frustrating during the Dance Festival sub-games where precision is key; since you’re unable to recalibrate until the challenge is over, the only choice is to either continue using wonky inputs or reboot the game and start over.

Medicine Ball and Wire Coaster were two of the standout sub-games.

Still, when everything’s going well, Vitamin Connection is a fun party game that’s both challenging enough to keep regular gamers hooked and intuitive enough for casuals to keep pace. With around 5 – 10 hours of content as standard and the challenging post-game Pro Campaign to boot, there’s plenty on offer for the £15 price tag. 

While it might not be an entirely sweet remedy, Vitamin Connection is certainly no bitter pill to swallow.

Pros
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• Bright, cartoon-like aesthetic
• Great in co-op
• Catchy soundtrack
• Novel use of Joy-Con features

Cons
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• Repetitive levels and challenges
• No drop in/drop out support
• Joy-Cons often lose calibration

7/10