DNF Duel: Who's Next

DNF Duel is a 2D fighting game that features an extraordinarily accessible control system and move list that’s certain to put newcomers at ease while welcoming veterans as well. Its Story Mode could certainly have been more developed with such a rich lore, but the sharp, intuitive gameplay experience is going to fit like a glove on anyone who enjoys 2D fighting games.

Overall, DNF Duel was and still is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I’ve played in a long time and one of the better ports on the Nintendo Switch, taking everything there was to love about the game while still retaining its sleek gameplay and killer sense of style. Sadly, while the characters and animations still look great, and the game runs like a champ, it took a slight hit in terms of graphical fidelity to be able to run the game at its most optimal on the Switch. Nevertheless, while it may not be an entirely new game, it does a phenomenal job showing that an old dog doesn’t need new tricks to be great. So if big beautiful sprites, bone-crunching combat, and vivid visuals are your cup of tea, don’t be afraid to give DNF Duel a try.

DNF Duel is a great fighting game, and works uniquely well on Nintendo Switch, even if the characters do appear to be a tad low-res at times. Well worth your time if you want either a casual fight on the go, or a way to practice away from your setup.

I found DNF Duel to be enjoyable overall, but this cool, high-energy anime fighter with great characters and an appealing style is hampered by a lack of depth, low online playerbase, and the Switch’s hardware. That said, when it comes to a bit of brawling on the go, players could certainly do a lot worse than this. It’s not going to be the next big thing in fighting games, but it doesn’t have to be in order to still offer a fairly solid experience.

DNF Duel is a fun fighting game suitable even for players who are not fans of the genre or do not have much experience with it. But you won't enjoy the story very much and the online gameplay is quite austere. In addition, the Switch version does not support rollback netcode.

While DNF Duel Who's Next is a good fighting game, it's not the best you'll find on Nintendo Switch. If you're a fan of the franchise it's based on, or are looking for a slightly different experience to the other games in the genre available on the platform, it can be a good option. However, its somewhat poor online mode relegates competitive play to versions of the game only for other platforms.

Despite the visual cutbacks and online experience right now, DNF Duel on Nintendo Switch is a competent fighting game. This version isn't close to the best way to experience the game, but those who only play on Nintendo Switch could do a lot worse in the genre than DNF Duel.

DNF Duel: Who’s Next is an enjoyable one-on-one fighter that does its IP proud. While I wouldn’t recommend it over the likes of Dragon Ball FighterZ or Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, it serves as another solid entry in the genre on Switch. Those who have the option to play it on another platform would probably be better to do so, particularly if they mean to play online. The delay-based netcode and slightly muddy visuals are enough to make this version the clear lesser choice unless portability is a make-or-break feature for you. Still, taken on its own merits, this Switch version is not a bad game at all.

Specific to the Switch version, it plays at a fine pace, but its blurry characters can be hard on the eyes. That, and the lack of rollback netcode, make it the clearly inferior release out of all the platforms it’s on. It’s a solid release if you have no other choice, but if you DO have a choice, get it on anything but the Switch.