Smoots World Cup Tennis tries to be this whacky and hilarious arcade sports game, plastered with all manner of customisation options and silly characters that parody real life people, but the bugs, the constant replays after every point, the awful visuals and voice clips, the boring gameplay, and just the obvious lack of care to optimise for Switch make this an easy pass.
A decent Super Smash Bros. clone that clearly improves on the first iteration, but Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is rife with problems on Nintendo Switch. The 30 frames per second gameplay, unbelievable load times, poor presentation, and glitches that force reboots of the game mean this isn't going to be a joyful time unless playing on one of the more powerful systems. Underneath the numerous issues, there is a fun time here, and crossplay will at least help ensure match-ups when battling online, but it is difficult to recommend this version of the game.
Given this should not be played until after experiencing the full visual novel, 8-bit ADV Steins;Gate immediately finds itself in a difficult position, as it fails to enhance the original in any shape or form. This extremely condensed version of the story adds nothing of value, and only serves as a nostalgic method of revisiting the universe in a retro format...which still doesn't capture even a part of what makes the characters and its world so special. It's just as well this is a freebie with Steins;Gate Elite orders, because it would be hard to argue a case for parting money with for it. Whatever you do, don't play this before the visual novel. No one deserves to have the real adventure spoiled by this pointless, but harmless, retro abridged version of events.
Good, fun games are good, fun games, and even with glitches and the numerous issues this trilogy brings, that's what these still are. However, seeing the state of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, there just isn't any way to let Rockstar off lightly here. This is one of the most successful video game companies in the world, with goodness knows how much raked in from GTA Online, so there can be no excuses to have loaned out these iconic games to a small team with a poor track record and showing absolutely no respect for their own creations. Fifty pounds is a big ask for such old games that have been what one might say "demastered", and even with numerous future patches, these may never be the upgrades they should have been, but Switch owners new to this trilogy can find plenty of entertainment - and not just because of the glitches. This is still a hard sell, though, with the advice being to hold off for a major sale.
It pains to criticise this remaster so harshly, because there was a great fondness for the original title that sprang to life if local multiplayer with friends was taken advantage of. Square Enix has shown little desire to give Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles the makeover it deserved, however, and its many dated issues only become more apparent next to the removal of local multiplayer and region-locked online play. There is still a case for chancing it for friends that enjoy dungeon crawlers and can deal with the limitations, but beware of the strange control schemes and tedious gameplay.
The Path Home ends Shadow of the Tomb Raider's season pass with a whimper. The tomb's main puzzle isn't as difficult as it comes across at first, and the whole act is over in a flash, wrapping up a plot point that very few will care about. Now that all is said and done, the asking price for the full lot of content just isn't worth it. Wait for a heavy discount.
Sometimes it's great to see an old classic remade and introduced to a new audience, but all these years on, Putty Squad just doesn't hold up with its less-than-perfect controls and quickly-repetitive gameplay. It isn't to say that nobody will enjoy it, though, because there are plenty of levels and challenges to tackle, and it's possible that being familiar with the original game or Super Putty on Super NES could mean this will be more appreciated by such players. For everyone else, however, it's wise to pass.
A conflicting compilation of Sonic games that does plenty right in remastering some of the blue hedgehog's classic Mega Drive hits, but lets everyone down with unnecessary money-grabbing DLC, while not offering anywhere near the amount of content that really should be here in terms of the Sonic series' vast history. Still with bugs to fix, time will tell if Sonic Origins becomes a respectable overall package, but it will suffice for the more casual fan after a bigger price drop.
Tennis fans are so limited these days, and Tennis World Tour 2 does not deliver enough to consider it a great game. Too many graphical glitches, inconsistencies across the board in terms of gameplay and the wider matchday details, copy-pasted player physiques and complete lack of personalised shots, a shoehorned mid-match card feature that only distracts - oh, and locking major tournaments and courts behind day one DLC are just some of the reasons Big Ant Studios double faults with this one. With more time, care, and no doubt a bigger budget, something decent could arise, because the makings are there, but patches might not be enough, and focus now might be better spent on a hopeful third game.
None of this is to say Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a bad game. In fact, it's a decent game for the younger audience, newcomers, and anyone that isn't expecting Shantae to evolve. Strictly from the perspective of someone that has played many games in the series and is eager for something different, though, this disappoints on many fronts. Uninspiring and rarely ever surprising, with little to make the player feel like they've earned anything, what is left is a generic Shantae game that is like any other before it, crying out for change and originality.
Nine characters and a story scenario of a couple of hours for twenty quid isn't bad by fighting game standards. As such, this may be well worth the price for anyone still heavily invested in BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle.
With another platforming and puzzle area to tackle before the main tomb itself, this could have been something that topped maybe all of the previous DLCs for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Instead, The Grand Caiman is over too quickly, despite the decent tomb embedded in the volcano.
Nothing special once again for the next in line in Shadow of the Tomb Raider's season pass. A simple battle and a different, but not overly difficult, tomb work to pass the time, with a handful of decent rewards on offer at the end. It still does nothing to light up what has been a very average set of download content, though.
Made out to be something bigger than it is, The Nightmare fails to deliver once again in what is a recurring theme for Shadow of the Tomb Raider's download content. The Croft Manor sequence could and should have been something much more than it was, and the tomb is another short and simple challenge. There are always signs of something good in each of these DLCs, but none have added up to anything great yet.
Despite starting stronger than the previous DLC, getting right into the puzzling and platforming action, The Pillar doesn't really feel like a Challenge Tomb. It's more like a challenge leading up to a tomb, which is followed by some minor combat areas. Perhaps these additional missions really are going to be much smaller than many would have anticipated.
£3.99 might not sound like much, but it's still overpriced for what is a really boring bit of content, with a Challenge Tomb that isn't on par with some of the ones from the main adventure. It is over far too quickly, but the Time and Score Attacks and ability to tackle it through online co-op add some reasons to re-run.
It is so difficult to recommend Warriors Orochi 4 right now when the series has made a name for itself through re-released games with added story content, characters and modes. Why would this title be any different? The main story is an enjoyable enough ride for hack and slash fans, but that's really all there is to it (unless you have an online subscription and want to battle with friends). Just wait for the inevitable ultimate edition in a year's time.
For some hardcore fans and for some casual players, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will do the job. The online and training modes are there for the former, whilst the arcade and accessible gameplay is there for the latter, but it doesn't make an effort to go all out and do all it can for both sets of players. Add to this the inexcusable locking out of characters as DLC, the weak overall roster, and rubbish presentation, and it is clear Capcom didn't want to put the effort into what could have been a great revival for the series. No doubt Infinite will still have appeal when it comes to the esports scene, but in the face of stiff competition, this one is likely to fall by the wayside before too long.
Outside of the campaign and options for a single race, there just isn't much here. The eight tracks get old quick, and the online portion is dead - each time this was attempted, there were never any lobbies running. Free updates that include new tracks may extend the life value, and R8 Games has shown commitment to supporting the game since the weeks following its release, but there needs to be more to entice people to stick with it. As it stands, Formula Fusion is an anti-grav racer that looks and somewhat feels like Wipeout, but doesn't have the content and appeal of it.
It seems cramming five games into one has resulted in rather stripped back versions of each main sport when compared to Mario's previous standalone offerings. Most of the charm and range of options to extend the life outside of a few multiplayer sessions is absent, so Mario Sports Superstars ironically ends up as a pretty boring affair, despite the number of events to play. Fine for a few online bouts, especially if lamenting the lack of football or baseball main series games, but don't expect this to occupy the 3DS for long.