In a world of whizzbang-firework display campaigns funnel us down increasingly linear paths just so developers can make sure we see every last spark of some distant explosion designed to try and make you feel something for Generic Military Man #488, Nidhogg is a breath of fresh air. By taking one of the core tenets of gaming i.e. that button-bashing sense of competition birthed in the arcades of the 80's - and giving it lightning-fast pixel-perfect controls that anyone can pick up - we have a one-on-one fighting game that's also about a third of a platformer too. As with many hidden gems that you find yourself going back to far more often than the likes of the aforementioned COD campaigns, the beauty of Nidhogg is in its simplicity, as the only control you have over your fighter is to jump and attack. There is a deeper system embedded in the way you deflect swords that are thrown your way, or just in the straight-up close-quarters duels that happen every few seconds, but on the face of it this is a pick up 'n play title for the ages. By twinning a one-hit-kill fighting system with a run-for-the-touchline mentality, it sees you attempting to fell your opponent and dart off towards the goal on the next screen only for them to respawn right next to your endpoint, creating something that shines like nothing else when you combine it with a few friends or online. Many will surely criticise Nidhogg's incredibly Microsoft Paint-esque graphics, but in motion it's utterly joyous, and you're going to want to play it for yourself just to fully understand the brilliance of such a simplistic yet incredibly enjoyable title.
