“What”; that was the first word that came to mind when I started Chicken Assassin: Reloaded on my Nintendo Switch. As in, “What is this game?” or “What am I supposed to be doing?” The second word that came to mind was “why?” But instead of multiple questions, it was the same question over and over again. Why was this ported to Switch?

Chicken Assassin: Reloaded is a clicker. A mind numbing genre meant to entertain while you have two minutes to spare. To mindlessly tap on your mouse or screen ad nauseam. But OneShark actually does do a rather decent job with getting the other design mechanics to revolve around this base concept.

The base click concept is in the form of a Horde Mode fighter. You play as Mean Mcallister trying to rescue his love interest. You go through 20 rounds of fending off enemies by repeatedly clicking on them to land punches while you stand in the middle of the screen. For mouse or touch screen, this plays fine enough. But using the Switch’s thumbstick and A button, it removes the two best things about a click game: it being extremely easy to comprehend and easy to just pick up and play.

The use of loot and other mechanics to exploit addictive behavior and traits is where Mean Mcallister really shines in the ring. Each match lasts possibly a handful of minutes making it attractive to just put in two more minutes even if that becomes 40. Grabbing souls, the game’s currency, is easy because they’re plentiful. If not easy or plentiful enough then you can just continue to click on the menu hubs cauldron to make as many as you need. Leveling up is quick enough that each playthrough rewards you. And, of course, obtaining multiple skins that are both cosmetic and stat enhancing. Every match results in an instant and surprisingly gratifying advancement. You can unlock simple outfit changes and pick up drops or purchase gear that help augment Mean Mcallister.

Even though I had more fun with Chicken Assassin: Reloaded and may have critiqued it differently on PC or mobile, I keep coming back to “why was this ported to Switch?” The mechanics suffered using thumbstick and A. The menu size and hairs-width separation of Sell and Equip was at times a frustrating process. Releasing on Switch did nothing to enhance this game in any way.

I hope Switch does make more people aware of this 2016 game. Its humor is evident and it still holds up as one of the better click based games out there. OneShark decided that if it were going to simply make a clicker, it would at least make it fun to play and surprisingly artistic in style. Chicken Assassin: Reloaded is worth your time, but Switch may not be the arena you want to fight in.

Graphics: 6.0 Stylistic design is still top tier for a click game two years later.	Gameplay: 5.0 RPG and loot elements make click mechanic not get old as quickly, but still becomes grind.
Sound: 5.0 Sound is not why anyone plays this game. It neither detracts or adds in any value.	Fun Factor: 6.0 Surprised that even when I thought I had enough of the game, I still found myself jumping in for one more round.
Final Verdict: 5.5

Reviewed on Switch.
Chicken Assassin: Reloaded is also available now on Steam and PS4
A copy of Chicken Assassin: Reloaded was provided by the publisher.