Jason Hidalgo's Reviews
Just Cause 4 introduces some new interesting features like strike missions and an immersive frontline but does so at the cost of doing away with the familiar liberation system that fans of the series know and love. The result is a Just Cause game that doesn't quite feel like a Just Cause game, which might not sit well with some folks. Hopefully, the next game in the series finds a way to merge both as the game's base mechanics continue to be a hoot for players with creative minds.
Don't let Mario and Luigi's top billing fool you. This game is as much about Bowser and his spunky son as it is about Nintendo's popular plumbers. Bowser's Inside Story is a great remake of the DS classic, boasting JRPG gameplay that still feels fresh and fun a decade later. The addition of Bowser Jr.'s Adventure, meanwhile, gives the young Koopa prince a much-deserved turn in the spotlight along with the Koopalings. Battles in the main game can be a bit too long while Bowser Jr.'s skirmishes could be a bit more fleshed out. Overall, however, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey is a must-have for your 3DS library.
Part shmup with a light sprinkling of Puyo Puyo hijinks on the side, Rival Megagun is a competitive shoot-em-up that has two players battling on opposite sides to make life miserable for each other. The story and stage design could be improved and the lack of a large online community makes it tough to find folks to play with. Nice shooting mechanics combined with an interesting and unique take on the shmup genre, however, make Rival Megagun worth pulling the trigger on for shmup fans looking for something different.
Masahiro Sakurai certainly deserves a well-earned break after this one. With a roster spanning every character in the series plus some new additions as well as the return of a new adventure mode, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is easily the most comprehensive and feature-packed entry in the series to date. Online is, sadly, an uneven experience and could use its fair share of improvements. Overall, though, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is arguably the new standard-bearer of the franchise.
Like its predecessor, Darksiders III shakes up the series' formula once again by doing something totally different — this time by dropping the familiar hack-and-slash combat of the first two games and switching to something less forgiving a la Dark Souls. Some fans of the classic gameplay might be turned off by the difficulty and stingy checkpoints. It also doesn't feel as grand as Darksiders II. If you like the story of the previous games, however, and don't mind the higher challenge, this is one horse you'll want to get onto.
Persona 5 fans get a last surprise as their favorite characters return to hit the dance floor in “Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight.” It could use more content and it also doesn’t have a full-fledged story mode like “Persona 4: Dancing All Night.” At the same time, the mechanics are solid and the soundtrack sounds great as ever. Even if you saw this one coming, it’s still a fun romp for Persona fans who enjoy rhythm games and want to see their favorite Phantom Thieves hanging out with each other again.
Pokemon: Lets Go! Pikachu and Lets Go! Eevee represents a yummy appetizer for one of the Nintendo Switch's reasons for existing — a full-fledged Pokemon game with console quality graphics that can be played on the go to boot. It's not quite the mainline game fans have been waiting for and is lacking features that hardcore purists expect from a Pokemon game. Its newcomer-friendly features, however, potentially expand the Pokemon audience while also adds some quality-of-life changes to boot. All in all, Pokemon: Lets Go! kicks off the franchise on the Switch in style while making you hungry for the next full-fledged installment.
Lego DC Super-Villains oozes with the trademark charm and zaniness of past games in the franchise with a fresh twist that lets you indulge your inner Legion of Doom. The gameplay still largely hews to the traditional Lego gaming formula, which can feel repetitive for folks who have grown tired of the franchise's mechanics. A delightfully villainous cast, however, adds some much-needed freshness to a series that has started to feel a bit stale outside of Lego City Undercover.
Part No Man's Sky with a heavy helping of toys to life, Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an interesting addition to the planetary and space exploration genre. Admittedly, it can get repetitive and the implementation of toy functionality between digital and physical copies is a bit imbalanced. At the same time, it does a good job of layering in some fun combat and diverse weapon customization on top of its exploration, resulting in a more well-rounded game. It's basically what No Man's Sky should have been at launch — a complete gaming experience.
SoulCalibur VI revisits the early years of the franchise with a wholly new re-imagining of the original SoulCalibur game for current-gen systems. The result is an excellent 3D fighter with a nice mix of modern gameplay as well as a good dose of nostalgia for longtime fans of the fighting series. Smarter AI and more offline modes would have been nice. Fluid gameplay and rock-solid mechanics, however, make this a great addition to the fighting game genre.
As an old-school gamer who's seen my fair share of classic collections that either nickel-and-dime gamers or just do the bare minimum, the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a refreshing and pleasantly surprising take on the whole retro collection trend. Yes, some of its games aren't as fun to play nowadays or don't have the cache of more popular old-school titles. A plethora of features and free additional content, however, make this a pixel-perfect example of a retro collection done right.
The World Ends With You is the kind of unique, quirky game that I enjoy and it surprisingly holds up well a little over a decade after its original release. While I liked its touchy-feely, nontraditional take on the action RPG genre, however, its finicky controls — particularly during docked mode — take away some of the fun. If you’re looking for a an action RPG that’s different from the norm, however, this one’s worth taking a swipe at.
Luigi's Mansion 3DS brings the Gamecube original to Nintendo's portable system with some nice enhancements such as improved visuals and a second screen. Admittedly, it could have benefited from even more improvements as certain aspects feel a bit dated. The controls can be an issue at times as well. That being said, it still retains a lot of that Nintendo charm, making it worth a first look for players who missed the original or Luigi's Mansion lovers who want to play it on the go.
My Hero One's Justice is a solid start for My Hero Academia's fighting game franchise that's accessible to players of all skill levels. While it leans more toward the simpler side of fighting games, it still has a good amount of tools to reward more technical players who master its timed blocks, counters and unblockable attacks. It can use some balance tweaks and online connectivity can be improved. Fun and easy-to-pick-up gameplay, however, combined with excellent character designs that capture the look and feel of the source material make this a nice fighter for Academia nuts.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 features arguably the best multiplayer and co-op experience in the series thanks to the addition of Blackout to its highly polished staple of Zombies and regular multiplayer modes. It even adds split-screen play at a time when such a feature has become rare. At the same time, the excellent online modes make the lack of a campaign mode even more regrettable. The addition of a solid campaign mode could have made this the best COD game to date. As it is now, this one’s for multiplayer lovers only.
Super Mario Party injects new life into the series' old board game formula by adding a bunch of fun extra modes such as River Survival, Sound Stage and Toad's Rec Room. Online is unfortunately limited to a few rotating games — a big missed opportunity especially with the debut of Nintendo's new online service. This means you sadly can't play a full board game with other folks away from your couch or immediate vicinity. If you're good with plotting and scheming against friends and family offline, however, this is arguably the best Mario Party game in the franchise's history.
Namco Museum Arcade Pac tries to let retro game lovers have more of their cake and eat it, too, by throwing in the more modern Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus into the mix. While it dishes out a nice serving, I wish this particular treat came with a few more slices as it's missing several old-school Namco classics. Still, it's a pretty good mouthful for fans of retro games who also want the sugar rush of Championship Edition 2 Plus.
Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker is a game that seems to have the right ingredients in place but didn't quite come out of the oven the way that you wanted to. I like the combat mechanics, the various classes, the ability to tailor your character to your needs, and the multiplayer aspect of it. Mission design, however, could be more interesting and the balance could be better. As it is now, the overall experience just feels a bit incomplete and filled with empty calories. If you're a big Naruto fan, however, this is one dish that might still be worth sampling.
After the underwhelming Valkyria Revolution spinoff, Valkyria Chronicles 4 marks a long-awaited and much welcome return of the series' classic tactical gameplay. The strategy portion still has an unrealistic emphasis on speed and the dialogue has some occasional hiccups. A fun combat system combined with that familiar Valkyria storytelling centered on camaraderie and the gray areas of war, however, make this an excellent addition to the franchise. It's a must-have game for any Valkyria Chronicles fan.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey builds on the strengths of the excellent Origins while setting you out on an excellent adventure in yet another grand, ancient setting. Bugs and glitches are a bit too commonplace for my tastes and the microtransaction reminders can be annoying, though not too in-your-face. Overall, fun combat, an interesting story and a likable and well-written protagonist (Kassandra, in my case) make Assassin's Creed Odyssey an worthy and addicting addition to the longstanding franchise.