Introduction

Imagine your favorite superheroes at the retirement home, swapping stories about their glory days over lukewarm cups of coffee. Welcome to *Has-Been Heroes*, where aging champions must save the day while trying to remember where they left their glasses. Released on the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, you would think a game featuring this premise could at least summon some laughs. Spoiler: it doesn't.

Gameplay

Picture a roguelike game that has decided it wants to be a turn-based strategy title. Now imagine that instead of having the charm or design worth bothering about, it's filled with repetitive mechanics that would make even the most dedicated masochist consider a career change. You control a trio of heroes as they navigate levels, battle against rogueish enemies, and try to deliver two princesses to their destination. That's right, two princesses, because one is apparently not enough to complicate the plot. You finesse your way through fights using a systems of turn-based real-time strategy that has all the complexity of making toast-except sometimes, for reasons known only to the universe, the toast catches fire. The joy of tactical maneuvering quickly fizzles into remembering when you go to the bathroom or fall into another light coma of boredom. Add roguelike elements, and *Has-Been Heroes* provides the perfect opportunity to repeatedly lose to underwhelming enemies who could be outdone by a sneeze. At least you can blame a lack of sleep for engaging with this.

Graphics

Graphically, *Has-Been Heroes* looks like it was made by a junior art student during a caffeine-induced frenzy. Characters are cartoony and bright, which feels odd, considering the absurd levels of failure they are going through. While they might grab your attention, you might be too busy rolling your eyes at the sight of yet another uninspired sprite animation that looks like it could have been approximated with a few slides of poorly drawn stick figures. Not exactly the superhero aesthetics we crave. The environments are as inspired as a hastily scribbled note on a napkin, and don't even get me started on the sound design-if you don't consider elevator music a mood setter, you might want to turn down the sound and listen to something more appealing, like your neighbor's cat meowing loudly.

Conclusion

In closing, if you ever feel a need to experience a game where Nintendo Switch meets dust-covered retirement homes, *Has-Been Heroes* might be the right choice. Just be prepared: you're not in for a party. Critics are aptly split on their opinions, but most seem to agree that the fun wears off quicker than a toddler's attention span in a boring lecture. A score of 5/10 summarizes it best: *Has-Been Heroes* has some engaging mechanics, but they're buried under an avalanche of repetition and tedium that drives even the most dedicated player to the brink of sanity. It's like watching your grandparents fight over a game of bingo-awkward, tedious, and vaguely amusing but ultimately something you'd rather avoid instead of core gaming enjoyment.

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