WayForward Technologies is one of the most prolific indie developers out there, with hits like Shantae and Mighty Switch Force, and work on other IPs like River City and The Mummy. They have made games of multiple genres but tried something very different with Vitamin Connection. Vitamin Connection is a unique hybrid of genres. It is a shmup, a metroidvania, a minigame collection, and multiplayer experience and more all rolled into one. The game seems you taking control of Vita-Boy and Mina-Girl, who must pilot a pill-sized vessel that resembles a Joy-Con through the bodies of a family and clean up the issues within. You will then find yourself fighting off viruses and infections via a laser, and carefully maneuvering the ship to get through obstacles in a way that starts out easy and gets difficult soon.
The game seems simple but quickly reinvents itself as the levels go on. Some obstacles must be carefully navigating for instance, by rotating the ship to match obstacle rotations. The speed also picks up quickly and creates more intense moments for you. But this is not the only part of the game however, as two or three sections of each level contain a mini game section, presumably in place of a boss fight. These minigames take various forms, and reference many other games, including Kuru Kururin. These can be fun, but then you have games like that truly test your patience and make you want to rip your hair out.
I should note that Vitamin Connection is a very different game if you play this in co-op. Instead of feeling like a gimmicky shmup where you must navigate the ship carefully, 2 player mode sees one player control the ships movement and firing, while the other will maneuver the ship by twisting it in different directions and aiming as well. The former is done with the left Joy Con, and the latter with the right. The control scheme is never the easiest to get a hang of, and some of the minigames are horrendous in either control scheme, but somewhat more manageable in 2 Player mode. if you can co-ordinate with your friend well, but this will of course take time to learn to do.
The controls are the biggest enemy here, and that is more apparent with the Claw mechanic. This mechanic requires you to move the controller carefully while using the controller, pressing the buttons under the left stick and using the right stick to aim and grab items. It is a nightmare in 1 player more, and impossible in 2 player mode. I tried both ways and grew frustrated no matter how much we tried.
This is not to say the game is all bad, as the game does have good visuals, and very good music that is catchy, in addition to a funny story and well written dialogue. The shmup elements can be fun, but are held back by the minigames, and the control scheme. WayForward is a great developer, but they simply created a game that is a little too bizarre for their own good. It costs a bit more than I feel it warrants, and overall is just lacking as a game. I cannot in good conscience recommend this game.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided