While I had fun with the single-player, NBA Playgrounds is mostly a mess otherwise.
Gonner presents a stiff challenge that might not be for everyone, but if the potential oddities of this disquieting adventure seem up your alley, it's well worth trying to figure out; just be prepared to maybe look up a few things for clarification. It's not quite the tops of this take on the roguelike genre, but Gonner definitely earns its spot at the table.
Comparing Arms to Mario Kart 8 with regards to the online experience comes out favorably, though, as Arms' fresher gameplay style and highly polished online lobbies and infrastructure makes it a more active and engaging online affair. Even with the Grand Prix drawbacks, Arms is a fantastic start to a new franchise. Time will tell if Arms truly has legs, but it's definitely firmly planted at launch.
I might still carry a torch for quality single-player content and progression in Mario Kart, but there's no denying that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a step in the right direction for just about every other element.
But through all those old-school problems, The Dragon's Trap is still a strong and engaging Metroid-esque platformer that features a pleasant interconnected world filled with areas packed with secrets and grand old-fashioned platforming. It's well worth overcoming the outmoded aspects to experience a fresher take on a great game.
Shifty is a straightforward, focused caper with little fluff that will last you a few hours as you climb through 18 stages. What it lacks in length its makes up for with a dynamite gameplay hook. Teleporting is incredibly neat and opens up a lot of daring and rewarding circumstances where you can mow down foes. As long as you can overlook the handful of moments where the combat isn't the focus, Mr. Shifty is a great addition to the young Switch eShop.
No matter how you cut it, Snipperclips is a gem of the Switch eShop, presenting a fresh puzzle experience that is daring and delightfully peculiar. If we’re all lucky, Snipperclips will take off and become the next Pushmo or BoxBoy from Nintendo, showing up every year or so with new puzzles and wrinkles. If you’re looking for a game to compliment Breath of the Wild, this is a grand one.
All in all, 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.
This is an amazing, standout entry in a series with a history dotted with masterpieces. It absolutely reinvents the Zelda style while still staying true to what makes past games work so well. This is a hell of a way to kick off a new console (or close one out if you play it on Wii U), as Breath of the Wild is one of the most impressive games I’ve played in years.
Shift DX is a no-nonsense platformer with simplistic graphics, single-screen puzzles, and straightforward progression. The focus on shifting shows the depth of that concept, as the levels rarely feel stagnant and regularly add new twists as you go deeper. This is a fun platformer that’s easy to get lost in.
Pirate Pop Plus is an arcade game that could be on par with something like a Geometry Wars in my eyes, but it feels like it’s the Geometry Wars that was a throwaway bonus in Project Gotham Racing 2, not the Geometry Wars that is arguably one of the best game on the Xbox 360. If you’re hankering for a bite-sized arcade experience that is heavy on fun and light on content, Pirate Pop Plus is fantastic. And hey - maybe they’ll make Pirate Pop Plus: Retro Evolved or something and it’ll be incredible.
It's all up to the developers from here."). This bite-sized visual novel noir is a pleasant surprise, but miserable puzzles and a so-so localization drag down the experience.
Using the new Creation Crystal figures, you can make your own Skylander using a deep set of customization options. Making characters is a joyous, hysterical experience, as the charm and levity of the series is nestled into every element of the creation tool. You can pick out all sorts of body parts, fine-tune their powers, pick out a catchphrase and a voice, and even add theme music. It’s a character creator that basically takes all of the best parts of creator tools over the years and puts them all into one. I generally don’t care much for in-depth character creation, but I loved making Skylanders here. Unfortunately, the creator often runs slow, hampering the neat experience.
This is a perfect off-TV experience. While the gameplay premise wears thin over the short adventure, when the slashing combat works and the exploration feels organic, it’s incredible. Just be prepared for a bit of repetition as the story reaches its conclusion.
Then again, sometimes that third game is the best of all of them, and that’s certainly the case here. Despite some feelings of deja vu while traversing this end-of-days version of Tokyo, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is an excellent game and a fantastic addition to the 3DS library. The year of the RPG is still red hot.
Much like its predecessor, Picross 3D: Round 2 comes late in the system’s life to provide dozens upon dozens of hours of glorious puzzle goodness. It’s a charming experience from the moment you first crack a block, and the additions and changes in Round 2 make this even better than what came before.
Between solo and multiplayer content, Tumblestone is filled to the brim with content. If the concept hooks you, the amount to do is near endless. The single-player campaign can get very demanding, but even if the challenge halts your progress, the endless modes and multiplayer modes offer fun no matter what your skill level is. This is the strongest new puzzle game concept in a very long time.
While the story is a little linear and straightforward, the bonus missions make up for it with untold tales and new voicework. Like with seemingly every Lego game, if you're not into the source material, buyer beware. But if you're into Star Wars and want to relive the thrill of The Force Awakens, this is the best way to do so.
The level design is all different and unique, but the locations and the story are nearly identical. Zero is a great start for a new Star Fox series, but it's also a start that features a lot of stuff we've seen before. I enjoyed saving the Lylat System once again, but give me a year and this experience might just blend in with Star Fox 64 since it shares so much DNA with that classic.
Playing through this 2006 Zelda game, though, made me rekindle my love for it. This is a fantastic game, even with the lame side quests and overworld. If you missed out back in the day or only have fuzzy decade-old memories, this Wii U remake is, no doubt, the new and best way to experience Twilight Princess.