Bryan Rose
The collection overall is probably best for those that are nostalgic for the PlayStation 1 and 2 era Mega Man games; otherwise, there are much better platformers around on the Switch with better variety.
The first Mega Man X Collection is a nice set of titles that comes with some pretty nice extras. All four games are too similar to one another to stand out, but the platforming is strong enough that it can provide a fun challenge for platformer enthusiasts.
Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a fun collection of titles filled with nostalgia value, presented in a wonderful looking HD package. It runs well and overall is a perfectly competent platformer. If you can forgive that some aspects of these games haven't aged well in the last 20 years, then this can be a pretty fun throwback experience.
I enjoyed the humor for what it was, and it doesn't take an overly long amount to time to clear. It's one of those games you can spend a day playing and not feel like you're being cheated out of anything if you never play it again. Shaq Fu's return won't earn the horrible reputation of its predecessor, but will probably be easily forgotten before the year is over.
The hectic gameplay, cool visuals and robust offline and online experiences make it one of the better fighters out on the Switch right now. It's easy to get lost if you're diving headfirst into the series, and to be really good probably takes a lot of practice. But it captures everything that makes tag battle games fun and delivers in one visually striking package.
Saturday Morning RPG has a lot to like. The presentation is top notch, the gameplay is excellent, and the vast amount of ‘80s references sprinkled throughout the episodes are fun, promoting a positive vibe. I wish the world had a bit more depth, and the difficulty spikes get annoying fast. But with Saturday Morning RPG, the positives end up outweighing the negatives.
It can be tough at times, but it's the good kind of tough, a challenge that feels rewarding once you complete it. It also requires perfection in some levels, which can be a bit frustrating, but no level is ever too tough and there are ways to help alleviate frustration. With its clever puzzles and fun aesthetic, Toki Tori is definitely worth the challenge.
Detective Pikachu is a solid, unique spinoff in the Pokemon series that stands out from other spinoffs. It's a relatively easy point-and-click adventure game that won't take much to complete in a few sittings. But some aspects of the gameplay do get clever, and the story does resonate. It's nothing revolutionary, but I can always appreciate a fun with a fun feel and colorful aesthetic.
I like some aspects of The Trail, such as the calm setting and the sense of fulfillment when finally crafting that recipe that you had been working on forever. But the negatives -- the framerate, controls, and uninteresting story -- do hamper the experience. They are manageable, and The Trail isn't necessarily a bad game. It has its moments, but technical limitations do put a damper on things.
Puzzle Puppers is a good, solid game that shouldn't take too much time to get value out of. It's one of those games that won't keep you busy for days on end, but is nice to pick up and play for some pretty clever brain teasers. It does good on providing a warm, loveable aesthetic while providing quick and easy gameplay.
Mercenaries Saga Chronicles will itch a scratch if you're looking for a solid strategy RPG experience.
I rather like the idea of a Kirby mini game collection where you can play using various Kirby copy abilities and battle it out amongst friends. While Battle Royale lets you do just that, it feels like a concept or an idea as opposed to a full-fledged game. This is fun to play over a weekend, but not much beyond that.
It's a real shame that WWE's return to Nintendo systems is such a poor port of a game that already had problems. Alongside the glitches and bugs known in the other releases, we have a bevy of issues here, not limited to the terrible frame rate (especially in multi-man matches), the graphics downgrade, and tedious gameplay. Fans of both Nintendo and WWE deserved better than what we got here in this port.
Romancing SaGa 2 has a certain old school charm that invites any old school RPG fan to give it a shot. I don't think it's as polished as Square Enix's other titles that came out during this '90s era, but it's something worth investing in if you want a different take on the standard RPG formula. It's not for everybody, but Romancing SaGa has enough good qualities to give it a go if you've never played it before.
This Is the Police is a pretty interesting management simulator with an engaging plot and tackles issues that feel all too relevant in today's society, despite it taking place thirty years ago. It gets kind of repetitive at times and the issues brought up don't go that deep, but I still found it to be a competent management simulator with a unique aesthetic and gripping plot.
Yo-Kai differs in a number of ways that makes the experience a bit more drab. There isn't much strategy when it comes to battling, and I wish encountering and befriending Yo-Kai were a little more intuitive. Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Spectres is a solid title that overall was a pretty fun experience, but it does have its flaws.
undefined.Thimbleweed Park is a wonderful love letter about everything that made 1980s games great. The Switch probably has the best console version due to the touch screen controls, as the physical controls can be a chore if you're playing on the TV. With such a focus maintained on nostalgia I'm not really sure someone who likes Telltale's adventure games are going to appreciate Thimbleweed Park. Regardless, there's enough humor and witty writing to keep gamers of all ages entertained.
undefined.Lack of new content notwithstanding, Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition is, at least for this moment in time, one of the best 2D platformers on the Switch. The level design and varied gameplay are top notch, the graphics and music are beautiful and I'm really amazed by just how much there is to unlock and accomplish in the game -- we're talking dozens of hours of content. Unless you really like Legends, there isn't much here for those that have played this on other systems But if you've missed out on Rayman's resurgence on modern consoles, there's no reason not to pick up this brilliant platformer .
Other titles are probably best left as distant memories. The presentation of the collection is great, however, and the inclusion of save states, game settings, and online leaderboards make it feel like a fresh, modern day compilation. I think better games could have been included in a collection such as this, but for now, Namco Museum suffices as a decent, but flawed collection of titles.
The game doesn't last too long for JRPG standards (around 30-35 hours) but this feels like a fun 15 hour game stretched out with long periods of boring grind. You eventually do get everyone back, making the last part of the game a better experience towards the end. But while Miitopia makes up for a lot of things with its charming appeal, its faults are still pretty evident.