Adam Abou-Nasr
My biggest takeaway from Ninjago was how gorgeous the clips from the movie looked on the Switch's screen, even if they're unskippable. The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game is, perhaps unsurprisingly, best enjoyed as a companion to The Lego Ninjago Movie and only by its biggest fans.
Lego Worlds feels like someone dumped a box of Legos on the floor and told you to have fun. Only you've never held a Lego in your hand or heard the word “fun.” This is less of a game and more of an experiment for Lego to figure out its place in the increasingly digital future toy space, which is fine, but I for one would much rather play with real Legos. Or sleep on a pile of Legos.
I love this game. And I think it loves me, too.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is solid, though, especially for anyone longing for a throwback 2D adventure game. The story isn't terribly long, but there's plenty to collect along the way, and the included DLC island adds just enough to push Oceanhorn to a very satisfying content level. Just remember that this is not Zelda and you'll have a good time.
From the hundreds of trinkets to the passersby's stupid comments, LEGO City has me smitten. I've finished the story and gathered a handful of collectibles, but LEGO City Undercover will stay in my Switch for a good long while.
As a co-op game with single Joy-Con support, Shock Troopers is a winner. It may be simple and silly, but I’ll probably find myself breaking this game out on plane rides for years to come. Shock Troopers was totally worth creating a European Nintendo Account for.
While Ninja Usagimaru: The Mysterious Karakugi Castle had some levels that were way too hard, the formula and presentation still work. Most of the levels left me feeling clever, with only a handful leaving me feeling dumb. I would recommend this game to anyone that beat the first one, but this is not the place to start.
I loved Octodad's premise right when I heard about it, and I'm glad to finally have the chance to play it. The Wii U version doesn't run at 100%, but It's already sold me on any projects Young Horses works on in the future. I just hope it comes to a Nintendo platform sooner.