Review: Star Overdrive (Nintendo Switch)

Star Overdrive is an action-adventure game for the Nintendo Switch. We first caught a glimpse of this speedy indie title during a Nintendo Partner Showcase in 2024. Now that it’s here, how does this hoverboarding sci-fi fare? Turns out it fares pretty well.

You play the role of a young adventurer traveling through space. A distress signal compels our hero to land on an alien planet to find a missing girl. Wielding a keyboard guitar and a hoverboard, it sets the scene for exploration as the player follows the clues to the girl’s whereabouts.

This sci-fi intro is neat and fast, providing just enough information to guide you into the proceedings without being overbearing. Details emerge via further messages discovered as you progress, unfolding the story piece by piece. It keeps the pace of narrative flowing nicely.

Your initial goal is to power up several sites dotted around the map. These create a simple puzzle mechanic as you ascertain the source for each cable. Once activated, you dive into an underground area that’s strongly reminiscent of those numerous Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. Each presents some simple 3D platforms to navigate, enemies to defeat, and puzzles to solve. 

There are more Zelda vibes on offer. One of the first powerups discovered is a magnetic grabber, which feels a lot like Ultrahand. It even sports the same eerie green glow as Link’s power. In a way, this makes it easy to use since it feels so familiar. Thankfully, Star Overdrive adds enough of its own in other ways to keep it feeling fresh while still paying homage to outings like The Legend of Zelda.

The main mechanic that sets Star Overdrive apart is the hoverboard, acquired early in the game. This contraption serves as a fun and fast way to travel across terrain. It seems so obvious, it’s a wonder we haven’t seen something like this before. A simple tap of the R button sets you up for surfing the sand dunes of this desolate planet in style. It can be cumbersome to control at first, but the fluidity and jump tricks make it an enjoyable experience. You can soar over cliffs and rotate your board Tony-Hawk-style before you land to gain a boost. What’s more, your board is completely customizable thanks to a robust crafting mechanic. 

Wherever you go, you’ll find items to pick up. Collecting these is vital to upgrading your board, performed at various crafting stations. Throw in a mix of ingredients and you’ll enhance your board across five areas: speed, boost, gravity, power, and bond. You can even target certain physical parts of your board, like the engine or wings. Plus, you can customize the look to make it truly unique with colors and prints. These are terrific elements that further help bring this game to life.

The audio is a treat, particularly if you enjoy guitars. There’s a rocking soundtrack to accompany your surfing. You can also discover cassette tapes (how old school!) and play those whenever you like to switch things up. 

The combat is a little lacklustre. Enemies—even early on—present a difficult scenario. It’s hard to put a finger on, but fighting in general feels a little hit and miss. It’s not terrible, it’s just not Star Overdrive’s strength. Once you unlock more abilities, things do become easier. I’d rather just avoid the enemies, but they keep at you until you dispose of them. Plus, it’s worth the dispatch to earn those upgrades. 

Graphically, Star Overdrive is impressive. Given the fast-paced nature of this title, there’s always the question of performance on the humble Switch. Thankfully, things move along rapidly and smoothly with no noticeable slow down or stutter. The environment also looks lovely, with excellent use of texturing that creates a smooth effect without losing too much detail. Overall, color me impressed with this indie dev’s prowess of the Switch’s capabilities.

Overall, Star Overdrive is a fun adventure with some cool mechanics. Despite some obvious homages to other titles, there’s enough on offer here to make this one stand out. The fast-paced action and puzzle elements make this an adventure worth playing.