Floor Kids

The Switch’s library of games goes from strength to strength, but Floor Kids stands out for all the right reasons. There’s nothing else quite like it on Switch – in terms of presentation nor gameplay. If you’re a fan of music rhythm games, Floor Kids sits alongside the likes of Voez and Superbeat Xonic EX as being a ‘must have’. In fact, scratch that, if you’re simply a fan of games you need to have Floor Kids in your life. It may require a bit of digging to get the most out of it, but once you’ve cracked it, it’ll warm your soul.

Floor Kids oozes style above all and that’s immediately apparent with its infectious and simple hand-drawn graphics by artist and creator JonJon. Coupled with some truly mesmerizing animation, Floor Kids is a game you’ll want to show off to friends and family. It sounds fantastic as well, boasting an original hip-hop soundtrack from DJ/producer Kid Koala that will be stuck in your head for days. But while its presentation is certainly a talking piece, its Floor Kids’ addictive breakdance battles that really elevate it above other music games.

An inventive and fun rhythm action game that keeps the genre alive through the unlikely medium of breakdancing.

Floor Kids brings freeform fun to the dance rhythm action genre, successfully delivering on a unique gameplay system that provides the player with freedom and the opportunity to improvise. The restrictive chorus sections disappoint and the game is all over rather quickly, but whilst it lasts Floor Kids is definitely a ninja floating nut cracker.

Ultimately, what we’re left with is a somewhat flawed, yet enjoyable experience. It may lack in the variety and depth departments, but it manages to make up for its faults by offering up an absurdly stylish, good time. It may not be perfect, but it’s a very well executed idea. It’s boldly different, and it left me excited for what might come next.

Floor Kids for Nintendo Switch is not without its faults, thanks to gameplay that puts a little too much faith into in-game exploration. However, it shouldn't be lost in everything else that Floor Kids has to offer, namely a distinguished art style, a fresh take on a genre, and beats to mash it up. If you are a fan of passion projects, Floor Kids is going to be right up your alley.

When you think about gaming's history with breakdancing, only one game of note comes to mind -- B-Boy, a 12-year-old PS2 game. It's a bit of a shame, really, as this expressive form of dance slots rather nicely into the framework of a rhythm game. Floor Kids is the latest attempt to marry breaking with gaming, and it does so with some degree of success. However, despite the varied nature of the dance, the title quite quickly becomes repetitive.

Floor Kids is an original concept in the world of rhythmic gaming. The brain child of Montreal-based animator and former bboy JonJon, Floor Kids first started as a series of short animated films featuring the original music of Kid Koala. These animated shorts were shown online and also incorporated in many of Kid Koala’s live concerts. From there it progressed faster than the beat could drop, JonJon and Kid Koala joined together with Envision and Hololabs in 2014 to create the Floor Kids ...

In the rhythm genre, how developers interact with the soundtrack can vary almost as much as the music itself. Floor Kids enables players to improvise dance moves alongside catchy DJ tracks to connect with the songs in unique ways. Players chart their own approaches to each song, performing routines on the fly like real breakdancers. Unfortunately, with each song consisting of the same basic formula, the experience becomes rote long before you reach the final venue - hardly the experience you want from a game about this exciting form of artistic expression.