Many fans wanted Splatoon to be Nintendo's answer to Halo or Call of Duty, and I don't know if that is fair. If you are expecting that, Splatoon might not be the game for you. Splatoon is to shooters what Mario Kart was to racers: it emphasizes pick up and play fun. It's a fun and lighthearted game with some great mechanics and focus on elements of the shooting genre that have never been looked at the same way before. The world is alive with color and paint and is a treat for the eyes. While the initial amount of maps and modes may be deterring, the sheer fun of the game manages to outshine any strong negative feelings I had. It's not a perfect game, but it's fun: plain and simple.
Sportsball is a game for college dorm rooms, with beer flowing throughout the night, and competition at its peak. Sportsball is a game for the family to play around the Holiday season to help bring them together. As lackluster as it is as a single player experience, it's that much more fantastic as a local multiplayer experience, and that simply cannot be denied. Gather some friends, family, neighbors, or even strangers, and give Sportsball a try.
Overall, however, The Fall was very enjoyable. For the $10 asking price, you receive a great story and solid game play in a four-hour episode. The game has a great ending that has me eagerly anticipating the next episode of the game.
Oceanhorn is an interesting game that some people will enjoy and some people will hate. The inspiration drawn from Zelda oozes all throughout the game, and that can be a bit off-putting for some. For myself however, I think Zelda-clones should end up becoming a new thing. Considering the amount of years we have to wait between Zelda entries, why not embrace games that capture the spirit of a classic franchise? Oceanhorn isn't original, it isn't perfect, and it isn't necessarily memorable, but not every game can be. It's a simple, fun Zelda-clone that will bring fans of the franchise great enjoyment in between sessions of Breath of the Wild.
That aside however, if you are a fan of either genre, there is some enjoyment to be had here. It’s not an epic RPG adventure, but more something lighthearted akin to the Fantasy Life on the 3DS. If you are looking for a decent JRPG with farming elements that blends together quite well, then Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons is a solid pick up. If you are hoping for a heavy emphasis on one side or another, you may want to wait for a price drop.
Excellent writing, impressive visuals, and great presentation save the game from the somewhat lackluster battle system and make it a solid game that will provide fun for fans of Mario games and the Paper Mario series.
All in all, I had a decent time with Slender: The Arrival. It won't go down as one of my favorite horror games, but the experience was a fun one while it lasted. It's a bit short and there's not a ton of replay value, but Slender: The Arrival offers enough scares and at a budget price, is a no brainer for horror fans.
High Strangeness was a game I wanted to love, but I ended up just liking it. The fantastic score and solid visuals can't make up for the short experience and that is quite the shame because what is there is really solid. If a sequel is ever considered, I would hope the developers would consider making a longer voyage. Fans of retro RPGs and Action-RPGs will find enjoyment here, but just don't expect it to last very long.
BOXBOY! is a solid puzzle game with touches of platforming mixed in that puzzle game fans should check out. It doesn't reinvent the wheel of the genre or leave a lasting impression, but it's a fun way to tease your brain and enjoy some clever puzzle designs. If you don't find yourself enjoying puzzle games, BOXBOY! will probably be a pass for you, but for those of us who enjoy a good challenge, BOXBOY! is a worthy addition to your 3DS eShop library.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with Reptilian Rebellion. It’s a simple, cheap, nostalgia-feeling arcade game that can be very addicting. A little more variety in the visuals and audio would have helped, but as it stands, if you are looking for a cheap and fun game, Reptilian Rebellion will give you a good bang for your buck if you enjoy high-score driven games.
Overall, Infinity Runner isn't a bad game, and it can certainly be an enjoyable experience especially if you are a fan of the genre. Those who aren't too big on the genre may be able to find some enjoyment in the title as well, as the sci-fi setting keeps things interesting. The gameplay does get repetitive and hinders the game a bit, but it's a solid, if not unsatisfying, infinite running game.
Year Walk is a game I thought I was going to love, but I just merely like it. It's not a bad game by any means, and I think some fans of both dark art and horror will enjoy this game much more than I did, but for me, I have to hark back to that abstract art analogy I used earlier. You either "get it" or you don't, and for me, Year Walk was just not the game for me.
Truth be told, I had some fun with FullBlast. The visuals are solid, the gameplay is good, and it could have been a stellar title with some more polish. The strange text issues show that this was a bit of a rushed game, along with the fact that the game actually crashed on me twice while looking at the leaderboards. If you are a fan of the classic days of shmup games, FullBlast is worth checking out, just don't expect anything revolutionary in the genre.
Mario Party: Star Rush isn’t the Mario Party game we all were hoping for and a return to form for the series, but I think it’s a step in the right direction after the questionable Mario Party 10 on the Wii U. The party isn’t as hype as it needs to be, but some will be able to find a good bit of enjoyment in this title.
Usually when I review a game, I have a good idea of the style before going into it. FACTOTUM was the first release from TACS Games on the Wii U, and it was a pretty unique and solid game, so I was excited to see what they would bring to the table with Radiantflux: Fractal. After playing the game extensively, I’m still not quite sure what it is, but I think I kind of like it.
Futuristic racers were all the rage back when I was growing up in the 90s. Games like Wipeout, F-Zero, and Forsaken were popular titles, with fast machines in futuristic locales. The genre has even had a bit of a return with the Fast Racing series on the Wii U and soon to be Switch as well. LifeSpeed was an interesting title because it was built with the New 3DS in mind, and is exclusive to this version of the console. Does the risk pay off with a quality title?
Super Bomberman R is decent for a launch title on a system that is a little lacking in retail titles, but it has it's issues.
It's not a great game, but it's solid. It looks nice, plays smooth, and the gameplay variety is solid. It's an average 3D Sonic game at a budget price, and that's not really a bad thing.
Mario Party 10 isn't a bad game, but it's not a great game that it should have been for the anniversary of the series.
At the end of the day though, Final Fantasy Explorers just feels shallow. It's not that it is a bad game, it's just painfully average in almost every respect. With some more graphical polish and more unique things to keep it in-line with the Final Fantasy universe, I think this game could have been a huge success. If you are a Monster Hunter or Final Fantasy diehard and want something new to play, this might fill the void for a little while, but at the end of the day, it just feels like a poor-man's attempt at Monster Hunter.