While it may be easy to disregard Blossom Tales as a simple Zelda clone, the amount of charm and effort put into making it wholly unique, while honouring its inspiration, is both admirable and deserving of attention.
Abstract and downright mesmerising, Embers Of Mirrim is one of the most impressive platformers this generation.
Witty, charming, and full of personality, Chaos on Deponia is an incredibly endearing point and click adventure that will make audiences forget they have been playing with a controller the entire time. Moving with the analogue stick is incredibly fluid and cycling through hotspots with either the shoulder buttons or the right analogue is an inspired decision that completely negates the need for a mouse. Puzzle solving still feels natural and the new control scheme never gets in the way of the action. With a hilarious script, beautiful animation, and fantastic voice direction, Chaos on Deponia is as enjoyable in 2017 as it was in 2012.
Odysseus Kosmos and his Robot Quest isn't the best it could be, but it lays down the foundation for a point and click adventure with a lot of heart and soul.
UNO for the Nintendo Switch is a mixed deck. On one hand, it offers online play and a new cooperative mode which are more than enough to add a modern spin to the classic card game. On the other hand, there's no way to play a regular match of UNO with just one Switch and buying a deck at any corner store would be more affordable.
Unlike UNO, there really is no reason to pick Monopoly for Nintendo Switch over its physical counterpart. The multiple boards, pieces, and unlockables are nice in theory, but they're plagued by inadequate load times, a choppy frame rate, and a surprisingly unfriendly UI. The inclusion of online is a good bonus for anyone desperate to play Monopoly on the go, but that's only in the hypothetical situation where someone happens to be online and is willing to throw a few hours into a laggy match. Monopoly should have been an easy adaptation over to the Switch, but it simply isn't worth purchasing when the actual board game can't be bogged down by technical issues and bizarre direction.
Beat the Game is the living embodiment of style over substance. A colourful sandbox with wacky characters and quirky music can only take a game so far when it lacks in every other regard. Gameplay consists entirely of finding sounds for a live concert with little payoff due in large part to the static premise and short play time. Cutscenes are well presented when they occur, but the absurdist approach to storytelling is pure nonsense, devoid of any actual meaning. Beat the Game fails as a video game, as a work of art, and as a demonstration of what can be done in the medium. It's little more than a glorified tech demo for a far better game.
While Batman: The Telltale Series pulls off a novel retelling of the titular Bat's origin, it still falls into the same traps that plague much of Telltale's catalogue of games. Low stakes choices, inconsistent storytelling, and short episodes all culminate in a season that squanders all its potential by the finale. This is especially disappointing since there are genuine high points. The relationship between Bruce and Selina is handled excellently, and the concept behind Harvey Dent's downfall is arguably more iconic than ever thanks to the intimate nature of the game. Unfortunately, these moments aren't enough to save the story from unearned twists and a lacklustre conclusion. Batman: The Telltale Series is worthwhile enough for Batman fans looking for an original story sporting a fresh-faced Bruce Wayne, but this is one series that will struggle to win over any Telltale detractors.
As is, this is an okay way of killing a few hours, but it might be worth holding off until at least Volume 2 is out to get a fuller experience.
To simply label Nioh as "Souls-like" would be to imply that it is in any way derivative of the Dark Souls formula. It shares its similarities, yes, but Team Ninja has crafted a different beast entirely. William's journey to recover Saoirse runs brilliantly parallel to Japan's journey to recover order. Combat is fluid and variable thanks to quick weapon switching and an emphasis on recovering stamina mid-action instead of simply exhausting it in bursts. The overall presentation and aesthetic of Japan is breath-taking and unforgettable. The enemy variety is lacking, but that's easily overlooked by just how engrossing each boss is. With all the DLC present, Nioh: Complete Edition is an excellent way of experiencing Team Ninja's masterpiece for the first time, or just revisiting William Adams for another trek through Japan.
With the exception of Fibbage 3, each game in The Jackbox Party Pack 4 requires a minimum of three people but, the pack's potential isn't fully realised without a substantially larger group. This is a party pack that is sincerely meant for a party. Smaller groups will be able to get enjoyment out of Civic Doodle or Fibbage, but Survive the Internet, Monster Seeking Monster, and Bracketeering, especially, are designed with larger get-togethers in mind. Despite an emphasis on playing with a big group, The Jackbox Party Pack 4 stands out as one of the strongest entries in the series with no discernible weak links in the pack's line-up. Along with continuing the trend of swapping out traditional controllers for smart phones, it's entirely possible to host a game over a stream, negating the need to find 8-16 friends for some local Jackbox shenanigans.
The scariest thing about Don't Knock Twice is how poorly it plays on the Nintendo Switch.
Light on story, heavy on gameplay, and more than enough content to wade through, this is one of the finest RPGs available on the 3DS.
Despite falling on the shorter side of indie titles, Expand manages to stand out as a fascinating take on puzzles and mazes. By relying on a mix of patient gameplay and non-stop movement, each puzzle requires as much thought as it does technical skill. Not every puzzle is a hit, with a few standing out as little more than frustrating, but the majority of the experience is very well done thanks in large part to the colour scheme and soundtrack.
Mushroom Wars 2 isn't a groundbreaking RTS, and it won't be changing the genre in any major ways, but it does stand out as a particularly strong title that's more than worth investing a few hours into.
Destination Ares settles the age-old argument of whether it's worse to be shallow or overpriced by adopting both banes as a core part of its identity. What praise can be given to the premise of managing a crew and ship to their destination is better directed at the far superior FTL, which Ares lifts most of its ideas from. Even with an excellent base to build off of, however, just about every feature and gameplay element fails to capture the fun of managing a spaceship. The flavour text is mostly bland, making a dynamic choice is always accompanied by a grating minigame, and all sense of progression is surface level at best. In no way whatsoever is Destination Ares worth the price of admission. Price accordingly, or don't price at all.
Even though Pokkén Tournament DX might not offer much in the way of new content, the added longevity it'll gain by simply being on the Switch more than justifies the port.
Necrosphere is as brutally hard as it is satisfying. From its design to its pacing, there's little not to be appreciated. Platforming requires an equal amount of skill and thought, but never to the point where frustration becomes the norm. Overcoming an obstacle is genuinely rewarding because it requires mastery of the mechanics. With light Metroidvania elements at play, there are also secret screens that can be found, which serve as additional challenges. Necrosphere may not be the longest title out there, but this is one platformer that should not go unnoticed.
Figuring out how to drive properly is all a part of the simulation, but it ends up feeling more tedious than anything. It might satisfy someone looking for a deeper challenge and added realism within the genre, but newcomers and less hardcore fans are better off sticking with Gran Turismo or Forza.
What Semispheres lacks in quantity it more than makes up for it with quality. It's entirely possible to get through every puzzle in just a few short hours, but a reasonably high skill threshold and thought-provoking design ensure the experience remains memorable from start to finish. By having each Joy-Con correspond with each sphere, multiplayer is incredibly natural and comfortable. For that alone, the Switch port comes off as the definitive version. With a truly meditative ambience and stellar puzzle design, Semispheres can be enjoyed in blissful solitude just as much as in the company of a good friend.