GeekDad First Look — ‘DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power’ for Nintendo Switch

While the ongoing global pandemic has limited my ability to get early hands-on experience with many of the latest and greatest titles coming to a console near you, it’s certainly opened up more opportunities to see virtual previews of games that may have otherwise passed me by. Case in point, earlier this week I got the skinny on DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, an upcoming action title headed to the Nintendo Switch next month.

This Nintendo-published release takes place in the same universe as the franchise’s beloved animated series and even features the official voice actors reprising their roles as the titular heroines. Gameplay is split between exploration and combat, highlighting the dual identities of the cast, with a steady parade of new playable characters and environments to discover and collectibles galore—many in the form of Metropolis High’s own mascot, Hammy the hamster.

Though the title is single-player only, you’ll still be able to assemble a trio of heroes (and, eventually, villains) to take on an army of enemies in fun, accessible combat using a battle system that should seem familiar to anyone who’s played an action game in the past. You can quickly punish enemy underlings—in the play-through I followed these were Livewire‘s Demobots—by chaining together melee and distance attacks, easily switching focus with a tap of the ZL button to lock on.

Maintain that chain long enough, and your character will not only be able to unleash a powerful smash attack, it will also yield a better drop reward. With the cannon fodder sorted, you’ll take on the mini-boss, Livewire herself in the footage I saw. Again, this was a nicely familiar multi-phase battle, forcing the player to adapt with new combat tactics, like a well-timed dodge when faced with an area attack.

At a mission’s end, you’re rewarded with stars for character upgrades and coins used to cosmetically customize everything from members of your expansive DC roster to your growing environment. An auto-save system assures that you don’t lose your hard-fought progress, but a special VR mode, accessible via local toy stores, does offer the chance to revisit previous missions for improved rewards.

Boasting a nice blend of action-heavy combat, often humorous missions and objectives, and a dash of RPG-lite elements for those of us who love to tailor our experience, DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power promises to bring adventure and fun to the Nintendo Switch later this spring. Best of all, there are plenty of nods to DC comics canon to please longtime fans combined with a softer, more family-friendly approach perfect for the younger Super Hero Girls audience.

Look for a full review soon right here at GeekDad, and, in the meantime, revisit the trailer from February’s Nintendo Direct to revel in its enchanting visual aesthetic and to get a look at Supastapost, the in-game social media network that helps power the plot.