Donald Theriault


124 games reviewed
72.8 average score
75 median score
52.5% of games recommended
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Sep 20, 2017

Soldam is a fun concept, but out of the box there's some issues that hopefully will be addressed in the future. The online is barely playable, and there's a major accessibility failure present. Still, it's fun for a quick round or two if you're looking for a break from the hardcore Puyo Puyo Tetris marathon.

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Unscored - Culdcept Revolt
Sep 26, 2017

Although Nintendo originally published Culdcept Revolt in Japan, their 2017 dance card was full enough that NIS America was able to pick this up for the rest of the world. And I'm glad that they did, as it feels like a game that'll be a cult hit, but won't be a breakout hit.

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There'ssome extra value with having it portable as well as being able to break into co-op anywhere. But for whatever reason, One Piece just doesn't click with me in general, the games included. It's mildly recommendable for action on the Switch, but if you have an appreciation for pirate politics and Devil Fruit this is right up your alley.

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Oct 22, 2017

I have a soft spot in my heart for Warriors titles because after a long day of work it's fun to take out my various frustrations on thousands upon thousands of units. The fact that it's in a universe that I've become a huge fan of and that I can take it wherever I go is huge pluses. There's a few holes in the game that the season pass might alleviate somewhat, but the core package of Fire Emblem Warriors is still worth diving into.

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Oct 30, 2017

Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle originally started out as a PlayStation Vita game, and would have released there a few months ago but for NIS America's desire to do a simultaneous multiplatform release. A game of this quality wouldn't have been acceptable on the Vita, and being on the Switch is only serving to expose its myriad flaws to more people. If you need to see girls beat the snot out of each other on the Switch, there's already plenty of better options.

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7 / 10.0 - Superbeat: XONiC
Nov 24, 2017

Superbeat XONiC is stepping into a growing genre on the Switch, but its musical variety and ability to play on the TV will help it stand out even if it did cause me to look up if the Wii U's Pro Controller can work on Switch. The included soundtrack in the physical copies is a steal on its own, but this is a solid game even if you're eShopping it.

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Feb 6, 2018

Given the Switch's propensity for roguelikes and exceedingly long, story-driven games, this is a minor miracle. Not every game has to be a seven-course meal; sometimes you just want a light snack. On that front, Longest Five Minutes delivers.

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Mar 9, 2018

Although Magical Drop III isn't at the top of the Switch's tier list of puzzle games - Puyo Puyo Tetris and Ironcast are fighting for that spot - it's still a high-tier product. Even if you'll want to punch that stupid raven after losing for the 35th time, you'll want to try again. The Neo Geo wasn't really known for puzzle games, but this is the best that system had to offer.

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Mar 9, 2018

Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo is a good first attempt at a loot mech game from Arc. I think some of the issues could be worked out in a sequel, which coincidentally - or not - launched just after the Switch release of Operation Tokyo. It plays well on a handheld with the short missions, just pop the volume down a bit and move the headphones over to something else.

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7 / 10.0 - Clustertruck
Mar 20, 2018

My personal frustration with Clustertruck shouldn't take away from the game. Landfall and tinyBuild made a good game, even if there were times that I thought they'd owe me either a Switch or a TV. And I had plenty of occasions in which I nailed a tricky series of jumps or managed to overcome a tough level and felt amazing. The run eventually comes, and if you can tolerate not knowing when that is, Clustertruck could be for you.

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8 / 10.0 - Rogue Aces
Apr 25, 2018

Rogue Aces does a fine job of balancing randomness and giving agency over the flights, and it definitely doesn't deserve to be buried by the wave of eShop releases every week.

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May 17, 2018

I suspect I'm not in the audience that Cast of the Seven Godsends is targeting. I think speedrunners will get a lot of mileage out of this game, and if you somehow managed to enjoy Super Ghouls and Ghosts back in the day take the Cast out for a spin. As for me, I'm moving on to less painful pursuits, like sorting out E3 rumors.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Lumines Remastered
Jun 26, 2018

The demand for puzzle games on a system that can be played anywhere is always high, and Lumines Remastered is a shining example of what the Switch can do with them.

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8 / 10.0 - Hand of Fate 2
Jul 19, 2018

The original Hand of Fate was a game I had heard a lot about, but never got around to. The Switch is encouraging me to go back and pick up a lot of these titles, and this is one worth grabbing a hold of. Just be sure to watch the cards and choose your battles wisely, and you'll have a tale that will live on through the ages.

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Sep 10, 2018

Valkyria Chronicles has had a rough go of it since its initial release. Although the remastered version of the original sold well, the second game was divisive and the third was never localized. Don't even get me started on the Revolution side game. But with Valkyria Chronicles 4, the series is back and everyone needs to enlist.

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On paper, The World Ends With You would have been perfect for a Switch adaptation, and it still could be. There hasn't been any indication of post-launch updates to fix the controls, but in a less cynical view we can be glad they're not selling Another 7 Days as a separate expansion. But Final Remix is something rare: the Switch port of a classic game that would have been better served happening on 3DS if they wanted to replicate the original experience.

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Oct 23, 2018

Since Into the Breach hit at the end of August, there has been a barrage of quality strategy games on the Switch, so it can be tempting to skip Valkyria Chronicles. But don't do it. It's a brisk game, and there are some things like the graveyard for fallen troops that I wish were carried into future titles. War may be hell, but Valkyria Chronicles is a little slice of heaven.

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” I had several of the PS3 entries, including the remake of Symphonia, but they all ran together, so I tended to float away from them after 5-7 hours. Tales of Vesperia is the first Tales game that I've put significant time into since the original PlayStation, and frankly the Switch has made it so I can't finish super-long RPGs without some sort of portability. If you're looking for a jumping-in point for the series, Vesperia is the way to go.

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Feb 18, 2019

Steins;Gate is already one of the most dynamic visual novels, and the added anime cutscenes of the Elite version makes it worth exploring. If you can handle a main character who is extremely delusional and doesn't have a filter… you're probably comfortable dealing with me. Either way, Steins;Gate Elite is the best pure visual novel we've got right now.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Fate/Extella Link
Mar 19, 2019

With the big Nintendo-related hack and slash franchises (Fire Emblem and Hyrule Warriors) already present on Switch, the Fate/EXTELLA titles don't usually get a lot of attention. But the Fate series is sneakily popular, largely due to the popularity of the Grand Order mobile game, and fans of Fate will find a good time here. For everyone else, your enjoyment of Fate/EXTELLA: LINK will largely depend on your tolerance for anime stereotypes.

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