Zachary Miller
Typoman is a gorgeous game with a lot of half-baked ideas (and physics) and, frankly, deserves better. As it exists, the game is not worth recommending.
Like its predecessor, I got enveloped in Project X Zone 2 and kind of hate myself for it. But I enjoy the hell out of it, and if hearing Chris Redfield call Leon "Future Leon" with a straight face is wrong, I don't want to be right.
While Shutshimi is obviously meant to be a party game, it's very fun for the solo gamer as well. Once you start learning what items do what, you'll be able to avoid the ones you dislike and grab the ones you dig. Shushimi is a nice surprise—I highly recommend it.
My feelings echo Zach’s full review above: if you’re someone who adored Mutant Mudds, Super Challenge might be up your alley. That’s really the only use case here, though. Newcomers should go play the original, and after that, if the original was too easy for your liking, check out Super Challenge.
Dragon Fantasy: Tome of Ice is a good game, made with heart, but I just didn’t find it very engaging. The whole thing feels kind of vanilla, with the exception of the writing. I suspect your mileage will vary based on how much of a fan you are of SNES-era RPGs. With a few exceptions, it’s not an era I yearn to relive, so I didn’t get much out of the game.
My recommendation is to play the demo. If you really like it, understand that Fashion Forward doesn’t really evolve much beyond those walls. You might be okay with that, but I’m finding that I’m not.
Axiom Verge is otherwise essentially flawless and it's one of my favorite indie games. This Wii U version is arguably the best one, too, so even if you've played it before it may very well be worth the double dip. And man, what's up with that post-credits scene?!
The Copen campaign keeps things fresh and even though the level design squanders his abilities, he’s fun to play as. For those who, like me, were hoping that Gunvolt 2 would sweeten the pot a little bit, prepare for disappointment. I think there’s a very solid core to the Gunvolt series that approaches Mega Man-like combat in a very interesting way, but everything else needs work.
What more can I say? It’s been awhile since I reviewed something so awful. Don’t play this or buy it for your kids. The only outcome will be sadness.
But it’s also true that Exile’s End is not great. It’s just mediocre and it’s not optimized for the Wii U. While I got a kick out it, I suspect many of you will become bored or frustrated. Even I started leaning on online maps to find everything (breakable walls are rarely differentiated). It’s one of those games I’m torn on recommending. Watch some videos. Your mileage may vary.
The game looks good, especially in 3D, and I like the minimalistic but electronica-inspired soundtrack. Hyperlight EX can be very hard, but it’s fun and scratches a couple itches I had. Give it a shot!
Dragon Quest VIII is a magnificent RPG that is an absolute highlight and showcase of the entire genre. It’s a long journey, but it’s one worth taking, especially if you’ve never played it before. I know that, after getting through this game, I need to reassess my personal favorite RPGs of all time. This game is that damn good.
Lifespeed is a good game that I enjoy, but I recognize its shortcomings. I would like to see what Wee Man could do with a sequel, because there’s a solid core here.
That is really my only criticism. You’ll be doing things in Specter of Torment that literally make you say “wow” out loud. It’s a smooth, expertly-crafted platformer filled with heart. Again, it’s a free update to your Wii U and 3DS versions so there’s no reason not to play it. For Switch users, it’s absolutely worth experiencing, as is the rest of the Treasure Trove.
Waku Waku 7 doesn't really stand out from the crowd in my mind, but the only other game with anywhere near as strange a character roster is probably Darkstalkers, so fighting game or SNK aficionados will probably get a kick of this oddball. For everyone else, though, there are better fighting games out there.
*Hoard Mode is the name of any game mode that pits you against wave after wave of enemies. Resident Evil calls it Mercenaries.
Cave Story+ isn't the definitive version of Cave Story—I think that crown still belongs to the WiiWare version, but then again, that version isn't portable. I do miss the ability to switch graphical styles, but it's really the only regrettable absentee. The real takeaway here, though, is Cave Story is great and you should play it.
Aside from the griffin sequence, there's not a lot holding Darksiders: Warmastered Edition down. It remains an excellent heavy metal homage to Zelda games that's satisfying and quite lengthy. I enjoy it more than its sequel, although that's also a great game. The only real downside is that this game is on the Wii U, not the Switch, so it probably won't get the attention it deserves.
Overall, Fate/Extella is a fairly simplistic Warriors-style game with a visual novel component and pretty enough graphics. I was impressed that there's never any slowdown, either in tabletop mode or on the TV. As I said, there's already a better Warriors game on the Wii U and 3DS, but so far this is the best one on Switch. If you like anime nonsense and slaughtering robots, you could do worse than Fate/Extella.
However if you, like me, only have experience with the Untold story mode, maybe consider buying and trying Etrian Odyssey IV when it's next on sale to see if the challenge is right for you. This new game also has a demo, and the save data transfers over to the full game. Etrian Odyssey V was a rude awakening for me, but I'm glad I powered through.