Alex Santa Maria's Reviews
Considering how few nostalgic throwbacks exist for Taito's back catalog, it's a shame that the Space Invaders Invincible Collection isn't a home run. Without the inclusion of Space Invaders Extreme, the whole thing would be a hard sell. This selection is by no means definitive, and several of the included games are mere variants with differences that even some hardcore fans may not recognize right off the bat. Anchoring the entire set, Extreme is certainly worth the time of anyone who enjoys a good arcade challenge, but the rest of the offering is only going to appeal to diehard fans of the arcade classic.
While there is definitely room for improvement, Jupiter Hell is one of those Early Access projects that really used its time well. Two years of development make this finished product feel like a polished and definitive roguelike experience. Imminently approachable and nostalgically fulfilling, Jupiter Hell slays all expectations and provides a potent combination of action and strategy that shouldn't be missed. Everyone from veteran rogues to boomer shooter diehards will find something to appreciate in these bloodstained halls.
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle isn't going to be remembered as a game of the year candidate, and fans of the original game will likely have more fun continuing to play on phones rather than giving this a shot. However, for fans of the anime and those who enjoy a good family-friendly JRPG, Cygames has put together a well-rounded experience that shouldn't be ignored. It's fun to spend a few dozen hours remembering how engrossing an absurd story about a group of friends saving the world with card games can be, and Shadowverse: Champion's Battle does that better than most.
Samurai Warriors 5 won't shock anyone who's played one of Omega Force's Warriors games before, but it does present a great new style and enough over-the-top action to keep you coming back.
From the moment that Boomerang X's demo hit Steam, it was possible that DANG! and Devlover had a hit brewing, and the full experience delivers on that promise. No occasional difficulty spikes can get in the way of this exciting mixture of retro FPS movement and stylish action, and Boomerang X will likely remain a contender for one of 2021's best indie titles throughout the rest of the calendar year.
This one small change from anonymity to recognizability makes Watch Dogs: Legion - Bloodline a vital addition. It's the best story content in the series since Watch Dogs 2's main campaign, and it effectively redeems the story of the original game by acknowledging the cognitive dissonance of Aiden Pearce's rampage through Chicago. Anyone who jumped on with the second game likely won't get a lot out of these revelations, and it's still probably not a great idea to spend 40 hours with 2014's vision of a hacker just to play this DLC, but anyone who's been with Watch Dogs since the beginning will find a lot to like here.
In a genre where many feel that they've seen it all, Curved Space succeeds in providing something new. The titular curves may not be a huge innovation, but the game borrows enough from its procedural cousins to make its shooting feel refreshing. Curved Space likely isn't going to win over anyone who prefers something more than a high score chase, but anyone cruising a list of ROMs more than a digital storefront will probably want to give this one a look.
That's really the biggest failing of Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - it can't stand up to its own Mario-themed competition. It's difficult to see why anyone with a Nintendo Switch would lean towards this official game over its mascot-filled counterpart. Both games accomplish their goals as fun party games featuring arcade-y recreations of a handful of sports. Outside of loading it up with friends, the biggest fun in this particular game comes in exploring the character creator and seeing someone's uncle win the Gold in the hammer throw. It's a toss-up whether that's more enjoyable than watching Mario and his frenemy Wario's perfect equestrian jumps on a real horse, but there's definitely something here for people who fall into the former camp.
Melee mastery with a side of screaming.
In spite of these flaws, the chaotic level of excess is also why it's still worth giving Necromunda: Hired Gun a chance at some point if the bugs and crashing end up fixed. Firing off giant green energy spheres and grenades before teleporting into a huge enemy and making them explode is fun even if it's not challenging. This is the type of design that's overflowing with ideas, mixing and matching concepts from other titles just to see what sticks. Even if the game doesn't come together as a cohesive whole, there's enough fun here to keep fans of FPS and 40K happy. Combine all that with the beautifully realized environments of Warhammer's darkest underground city and Necromunda: Hired Gun gives off a great vibe and ends up enjoyable despite itself.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World earned its reputation decades ago as a fun action platformer, but this new remake does nothing to hide how much this classic has degraded with age.
Retro to a fault, just like the duo.
The biggest problem for Hood: Outlaws & Legends is its meager content offering. There's a solid proof of concept here, but not much else. Whether it be the character roster, the lineup of maps, or gameplay options throughout each round, there's not enough here to capture the imagination. As it is, Hood feels like a forgotten multiplayer mode bolted onto a memorable single-player campaign. People remember Bioshock 2 and Dead Space 2 to this day, but few remember the included deathmatch suites. Without a big upgrade in the very near future, players will forget about Hood's similar offerings just as quickly.
The main takeaway from Star Wars: Republic Commando's rerelease is that this game is a great addition to Switch in spite of its flaws. Even players who don't consider themselves Star Wars fans will find a lot to like in this sci-fi war story. The squad gameplay was ahead of its time and still excels today alongside the excellent AI. The most obvious element that's aged about this game is its graphics, and that annoyance fades quickly once the lasers start flying. Republic Commando was one of the best Star Wars games of its time when it arrived in 2005, and despite over 16 years passing since then, it remains a captivating and engaging title in 2021.
For what it is, Quantum League is a solid novelty that provides quick but demanding sessions that test conventional thoughts on multiplayer shooters. Nimble Giant's unique ideas make it worth the attention of anyone interested in seeing the boundaries of the multiplayer FPS pushed past its limits, but the difficulty curve and lack of content will likely cause many to bounce off an otherwise compelling new concept.
Ultimately, Pac-Man 99 doesn't stand up to the instant fun of Tetris 99, but it's better than Super Mario 35 and serves as a worthy addition to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The paid modes will be great when the game inevitably goes offline, but feel superfluous in the now. Those looking to expand their game will likely find more use out of grabbing a few skins individually than grabbing the whole bundle, but the free-to-play option will be the best deal for most players.
Doomguy deserves his beauty sleep after this one.
Take up roots with the latest Plants vs. Zombies.
SamSho just got smoother.
Stubbs shambles into 2021 as a decrepit mess.