Skylanders Imaginators

Unfortunately, though Imaginators can be played in portable mode, it hasn’t been optimized as a mobile title. In short, the save points haven’t been reworked, and many of the levels run quite long, which ultimately isn’t all that conducive for successful completion during a quick bus ride. Despite this, the console can be put into sleep mode at any time, so the odds of the system dying before someone can get home or to a power source for a quick charge are pretty low. As it stands, this is the superior way to experience Imaginators on any platform, and it’s highly recommended that Switch owners give the title a whirl!

Skylanders Imaginators doesn’t push the franchise forward or make any significant strides but it remains perfectly suited for kids and it’s a rock-solid addition to the Nintendo Switch launch lineup of games.

Toys for Bob comes up with one of their most ambitious plays yet, the ability to create Skylanders from scratch.

If you are looking for a family-friendly way to play Skylanders and Superchargers racing levels aren't a big draw, then the Nintendo Switch version is most definitely the best way to go. Its mobile experience, intelligent pre-scanning of characters and lack of extraneous plastic peripherals should make it the toys-to-life game of choice for parents and children alike.

Cutting to the chase, Skylanders Imaginators on Switch offers the same creative, co-operative fun as on other platforms, minus a portal but with the added bonus of portability. It is, however, noticeably inferior to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions in its visual presentation.

Skylanders Imaginators remains the same great game on Nintendo Switch as it was on other consoles, but with a few drawbacks and additions.

Without the need for a portal this is a decent mobile version of the best Skylanders to date. Unfortunately there are certain import restrictions that devalue your collection.

Overall, Skylanders Imaginators on the Switch is a solid game and as good place to jump into the franchise as any if you haven’t to this point. That said, the only real advantage to the Switch version over say the PS4 or Xbox One version is the portability, but even that might not be that important to you. Additionally, the PS4 or Xbox One versions are cheaper than this release, and both of those offer a higher fidelity presentation. Still, if you’re looking for a fun, kid-to-adult friendly game, Skylanders is an excellent choice.

For those wanting to scratch that 3D platform itch, and think that Super Mario Odyssey is too far off into the future, Skylanders Imaginators is the perfect remedy. Activision and Toys for Bob have once more delivered a highly entertaining adventure, filled with hidden goodies galore, and an amusing script, on top of an extremely solid platforming escapade. Newcomers may grow frustrated at the amount of content locked behind 'pay walls' ('toy' walls?) but the core story has enough meat to keep early Nintendo Switch adopters satiated; as for long-term fans with a large toy collection, this is superb.

Skylanders Imaginators is yet another well-made adventure filled with charming characters and amusing gameplay. The Switch version is hampered a little bit by the system’s portability and the loss of compatibility with some previous figures is a shame, but it’s still a fine way to play, especially if you long for the days of the Skylanders 3DS games. This is a good time, even if it doesn’t match the highs of past entries in the series.

The Switch version of Imaginators has no physical portal, and instead you'll use the Switch controllers' built-in NFC reader to scan in your toys/characters. The characters will then be added to your roster, and can be accessed at any point during the game without having to rescan them in. The advantage, of course, is that it plays to the mobile nature of the Switch, allowing you to take Imaginators on the road without having to lug all your Skylander toys with you. The downside is the loss of that important, tactile feel of swapping your toys as your mood takes you.

Not having to lug around a portal to play it is incredibly convenient, on the other hand. It’s great to just tap your Skylander on the right thumbstick, like you would with an Amiibo, and have it be recognized by the hardware in a matter of seconds. This is our first chance to play Skylanders on the go, and this takes the the idea of being able to bring your Imaginators to your friends’ houses to adventure together to a whole new level.

Skylanders Imaginators might do a serviceable job at scratching that platforming itch left by the absence of games like Super Mario Odyssey, but it just feels like yet another Skylanders game. While the Switch version brings more hardware appropriate features to the table, it still feels slightly inferior to other versions, especially as it’s missing content. Issues aside, Imaginators is bound to be a hit with younger audiences, but just be warned it’s a franchise that’s truly starting to stagnate.

Skylanders: Imaginators is doing nothing the series wasn’t already doing, it’s just doing it in a more overt way. It’s bored with hiding its monetisation behind things like fun and subtlety. Instead of a focus on story and mechanics, Imaginators simply wants you to build a custom creation. When you’re done with that, they want you to make another.