Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2

Genre: Compilation / Shmup / Roguelike / Action-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local, Local Split-Screen)

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Review:

(Note: Apparently Shikhondo – Soul Eater and this bundle are both no longer available. Sorry!)

The Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2020, is a Compilation of Black Paradox (first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019), Bleed (first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018), Shikhondo – Soul Eater (first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018), and Vertical Drop Heroes HD (first released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018). Each of these games brings with it a different kind of co-op action.

Before proceeding, I should mention that Black Paradox is also included in The Pew Pew Bundle Vol. 1 along with Bleed 2 and XenoRaptor. Bleed also appears in multiple other bundles on the Nintendo Switch, including the Bleed Complete Bundle along with Bleed 2. It is also included in the Pixel Art Bundle Vol. 1 along with Slain: Back From Hell and Uncanny Valley, and it is also in the Digerati Presents: Make It Quick Bundle Vol. 1 along with Chicken Assassin and Don’t Die, Mr. Robot! DX. Shikhondo – Soul Eater also appears in the Digerati Indie Darling Bundle Vol. 3 with 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, Nefarious, and Omega Strike. And Vertical Drop Heroes HD is also included in Nerdook Bundle Vol. 1 along with Monster Slayers and Reverse Crawl.

In other words, if you’re not interested in all of the games in this bundle, you do have other bundle options that contain each of these games.

Here is what I thought of each game in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Black Paradox	Bullet Hell Shmup / Roguelike	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	C+
tl;dr Black Paradox is a Bullet Hell Shmup that has you flying a ship designed to look like a Delorean. The game has good gameplay, but the high difficulty and slow upgrade progression makes this a game only fans of the genre are likely to thoroughly enjoy.
Bleed	Action-Platformer / 2-Stick Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	B
tl;dr Bleed is an Action-Platformer and 2-Stick Shooter with a simple, cartoony presentation and a silly story about a young woman hunting down heroes to prove she’s a better hero. The gameplay here is absolutely fantastic, with some really inventive level design, great controls, a lot of variety, and excellent co-op. Unfortunately, this game is painfully short and insultingly overpriced, and as good as it is, I cannot recommend spending $15 for what amounts to about an hour of gameplay. If you can get it on sale at a good price, definitely do, but otherwise it isn’t worth the cost.
Shikhondo – Soul Eater	Bullet Hell Shmup	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	C-
tl;dr Shikhondo is a Shmup with a “heroic women vs. demons” aesthetic. The artwork here is nice, but it also makes it harder to see the gameplay, and that gameplay doesn’t do anything particularly extraordinary. Unless you’re a genre die-hard, skip this one.
Vertical Drop Heroes HD	Action-Platformer / Roguelike	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen)	C
tl;dr Vertical Drop Heroes HD is an Action-Platformer and Roguelike that has you delving into vertically-scrolling randomized levels. Unfortunately, the game does little to set itself apart within the genre, and has tedious combat and a forgettable presentation. It’s not bad, but it’s not very good either.

In summation, this is a decent variety of games that has to a lot to offer fans of Shmups, Action-Platformers, and Roguelikes, as these games are mostly mixes of these elements. In terms of quality, these games seem to generally range from slightly below average to slightly above average, with Bleed 2 being the best of the bunch. In terms of value, this collection shaves $5 off the combined prices of buying these games individually, which is okay, but not quite as much as one would hope given that a few of these games (Bleed in particular) are already a bit overpriced.

Overall, The Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2 is a decent but not spectacular package. And those looking to round out their collection of co-op compatible action games may find something they like here, but don’t go into this expecting the ultimate co-op experience.

tl;dr – The Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2 is a Compilation of Black Paradox, Bleed 2, Shikhondo – Soul Eater, and Vertical Drop Heroes HD. This is a decent selection of games with a modest discount, but there’s nothing to get super-excited about here. If you’re looking to fill out the co-op action games in your Nintendo Switch library you may want to give this bundle a shot, but don’t set your expectations too high.

Grade: C+

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