Now if only I could catch more frogs...
undefined.The usual bells and whistles are here, including a digitized manual, different NGPC skins, and a rewind feature. As in the previous games, there's a distinct lack of a moves list, so you'll have to resort to repeatedly opening the manual, writing things down, or going to GameFAQs. Being able to play with a friend on a single system is nice, though, although The Last Blade won't give you the multiplayer mileage than Smash Bros. does. The Last Blade is fun, and another good NGPC game to add to your list.
Risky's Revenge is very much the Australopithecus of the Shantae series-something of a transitional form between the GBC game and Pirate's Curse. It's fun to play if you're a fan of the series, but I'll say that the next three games easily eclipse it.
Once I got the hang of drifting, I really started enjoying Hotshot Racing, but it will not sustain me as a solo player for long. Its utility (for me) will be multiplayer shenanigans, which is just fine.
Adventures of Pip is still enjoyable and inventive, but I'm less forgiving of its quirks now than I was in 2015. I still recommend it, though--the gameplay hook is lovely and the writing is charming.
I'll include a list of the topics this game delves into in the Talkback thread, as I suspect it may be upsetting to some folks.
I enjoyed King of Fighters R-2, mostly for historical purposes. It's interesting to see KOF gameplay shrunken down and still very playable, and the Chibi aesthetic works, somehow. Samurai Shodown isn't for me, but I sure hope that this series continues.
The story is typical Neptunia fluff, and if you liked previous adventures in this series, it’s enjoyable. It’s just a shame you can’t skip the gameplay parts and watch the story sequences by themselves.
Overall, though, Panzer Paladin is a charming, satisfying platformer that I enjoyed immensely. It even manages to do the impossible: make at least one aspect of Zelda II enjoyable.
Overall, though? Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is a great game that pays loving homage to the classic old-school Castlevania games. Here's hoping this does well enough so Inti Creates can go even bigger with a third entry.
Today, however, is not that day. If you're itching for a Metroid-like, I did review an excellent one just recently. Without Outbuddies, I feel like the skeleton is there, but the meat needs some more time in the oven.
There are better games out there, folks. I appreciate Liberated's attempt to blend comic storytelling with action sequences, but hopefully somebody will take this baton and do it better.
SNK Gals’ Fighter is a fantastic little game.
The more you know.gif.
Stela feels like a golem, crafted from the bones and sinew of better titles. Sometimes, this can be a successful experiment: Darksiders, for example, may not contain a single unique gameplay concept but manages to forge its own path through its worldbuilding, characters, and art direction. Stela accomplishes no such feat, and so I spent most of my playtime wishing I was playing its inspirations instead.
I like 3000th Duel overall. The combat is fun and strategic, the hero has a good weight to him/her and control is responsive and fluid. It’s not perfect but it’s enjoyable.
All three of these tables are enjoyable, so I can heartily recommend this collection if you're a fan of real pinball tables or previous Williams Collections.
All three of these tables are enjoyable, so I can heartily recommend this collection if you're a fan of real pinball tables or previous Williams Collections.
Neal: It's absolutely jam-packed with features and if you're someone who already has Shovel Knight, it's a heck of a free addition. As a solitary game, it's a much harder sell. Like you said, it's more of a curio or bonus than something that could stand solely on its own.
Despite my misgivings with our royal protagonist’s moveset, King of Cards is an excellent cap on what’s become a downright amazing collection of games.