Daan Koopman
The game flows well as a result, encouraging you to go back and improve your performance in certain stages. The level design and gameplay mechanics make for a very sharp 8.5 hours.
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ may take just a little time to explore, but I found it super engaging. This music game requires you to think about every decision you make, and teaches you how you can play the virtual crowd.
Death Come True is a great FMV game from a creative mind. The characters and choices you make are really interesting, and everything is wrapped up quite nicely. I don't think players will have anything to return to in the long term, but the experience is enjoyable while it lasts. Hop into a strange hotel and let the journey take care of you.
There are a few things that New Horizons could have explained better, but they are also part of the more free flowing future that the franchise wants. Even after all these years, there is a daily routine that I hold dear and makes me adore the various elements that glue this game together. It has been sharply dialed up to eleven, without disagrading any newcomers.
Another World remains an utterly brilliant game. No matter if you use the classic or modern visuals, the game has a true alien feel to it. In addition, the trial and error gameplay is as addicting as it was those many years ago. While the game is extremely short, I did find myself continuously loving how the production value stayed intact. That is something worth celebrating.
Ultratron is a perfectly fine twin stick shooter and it is certainly worth playing. Sadly, it is too flashy for its own good and this creates problems that are uniquely its own. If these problems weren't there, this could have been my favorite shoot'em up in a while. It is still really good, but when it becomes jarring, Ultratron just really needs to calm down a bit.
Tengami is a game that you need to experience. The lush environments, interesting gameplay and the clever uses of the pop-up book world deserve recognition. It is a short game, no doubt about that, but that grin on my face never faded for a moment. I could wish for the main character to walk faster, but I would miss the world that Nyamyam has built. I am happy that I didn't miss it and really hoping that many will feel the same.
I had a surprisingly fun time with Underground. The title oozes intrigue and brings a unique control setup to the Wii U eShop. Some minor setbacks detract from the experience, but the interesting gameplay and controls triumph over the issues. After you learn the controls, this is a puzzle game worth spending some serious time with on your Wii U.
Affordable Space Adventures is a brilliant ride from beginning to end. However, the game can understandably be overwhelming for the solo player and it can cause a lot of stress while playing through the game. With a team, though, you can remain calm and discuss your options on what to do next.
The adventure is relaxing to play, but when you really want to get the full 100%, your brain will have some rough hours ahead. That is when the craft of Tetrobot and Co. truly shines through!
Cosmophony is not a perfect game, but a very entertaining one at the very least. The gameplay and presentation are really smooth and get you in the mood for a go. The difficulty ramps up a bit too fast for my liking though and not everyone will see the end of what the developers have prepared because of it.
The original Bayonetta remains the crazy, unique action title from a few years ago. There are newly added controls and some Nintendo related costumes, but the same content is still here in full force. That in turn makes the presentation somewhat dated and there are framerate drops throughout the game. Also the game can be relentless when it wants to be and outrageous when the plot allows it to. That chaos will not serve all players well, but those who stick with it will have a brilliant time.
Knytt Underground is quite a spectacle with great looking environments and solid gameplay mechanics. The game has its share of faults, but with that being said, it is worth your time if you only to see the large world that Nifflas has created. That is enough to keep you playing for the ten hours that it lasts.
The biggest issue of this game remains what it is as a game. There isn't a ton of variety, but the puzzles themselves are quite clever and keep you entertained for quite while. If you ever wanted to be a programmer in a strange abstract world, your craziest wish has been granted.
The weird control scheme may screw with your head for a bit, but ultimately, this is so brilliantly done. It walks the fine line of intensity and joy, which will make you scream for one more go. With tons of upgrades and rough challenges to endure, the classic shooter fanatic will be pleased with this surprise.
While I had a good deal of fun with Pokemon Moon, I couldn't shake the feeling that not everything was sound about it. The story didn't keep my attention as much as I would have hoped, the journey was easy to get through and some of the battles had slowdown.
With the ability to play this alone or co-op, plenty of ways are out there to create chaos. That doesn't mean it is all well and dandy, as holding on to objects can be a bit wonky and playing solo shouldn't be done in long play sessions. That being said, I still really enjoyed what this crazy game tried to do.
Dragon Quest Builders as a package is all kinds of fun.
The veteran will, however, more than likely skim over this one as the new stuff doesn't entice a secondary purchase. Next to that, the developers didn't exactly fix many problems, outside of making Mellow Mode more useful. Personally, I also slightly prefer to play it with a Wii Remote. The attention is on the ''slightly'' part of that sentence, because I still found the same enjoyment as before. If you are up for a meaty platformer, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World will keep you entertained throughout February.
I found myself constantly in good spirits exploring new routes, accepting or rejecting reports and cleaning up quests quickly. While some elements are keen to repeat a bit too much, there was something calming about every go I had. From what I could tell, each playthrough can be completely different and this will likely keep me coming back for more later down the line.