Evan Norris's Reviews
It's a punishing game with lots of stops and starts, but its production design, world-building, platform-puzzle mechanics, and replay value make it worth playing.
Say No! More is one of a kind. It's imaginative, inspiring, and very, very funny. It's also a short, mechanically shallow experience.
If you're looking only for the original Republic Commando campaign, in all its glory, with some enhanced visuals, then go for it... if you're looking for a true remaster or something that might justify double dipping on Switch, you may wish to pass.
If you like peaceful, low-stakes simulation gameplay and have a few months to spare, consider relocating to Olive Town.
The moment-to-moment gameplay is a bit too chaotic and Adventure mode suffers from some repetition, but in general this is an island getaway worth taking — particularly if you're a fan of kart racers.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is an essential platforming experience.
Sometimes, due to overlong dungeons or unduly difficult encounters, it can be too much of a good thing, but more often than not it hits the mark.
If you've long been turned away by the opaque nature of shoot 'em ups, Natsuki Chronicles might just be the game for you.
Fan service can only carry a game so far.
The second half of the game suffers from some pacing and structural issues, but doesn't erase the outstanding first half's heady mix of dangerous exploration and dungeon diving.
It's not a complete collection — it's missing bonus features and a mainline installment in Super Turrican 2 — but it's a solid investment nonetheless, due to the inclusion of four classic games, several modern quality-of-life features, and some fun display options.
Its characters are fun, its puzzles are mostly fair, and its production value is extraordinary. At the same time, it embraces a handful of tedious trial-and-error problems and its narrative fails to deliver a satisfying payoff.
If you're fond of cinematic platformers, mysterious settings, and swashbuckling adventure, you've washed up in the right place.
An outstanding action-platformer that's inspired by the classics but not beholden to them.
Like its 2010 predecessor, Super Meat Boy, it will chew you up and spit you out. Unlike Super Meat Boy, it embraces auto-run gameplay and randomly-assembled levels, two changes that open up new opportunities but also create new problems.
Phogs! isn't a great game — or even a good game — but it's impossible not to like.
Cake Bash is a visually-enchanting game with a great premise and charming characters but it's regrettably short on content and variety.
There are some opportunities for local multiplayer score-chasing, thanks to multiple modes, characters, and online leaderboards, but the core action is insufficient to keep players hooked.
Sakuna is eye-opening, not only because it shines a light on the nourishing, temperamental, and soulful qualities of rice but also because it demonstrates how a small team of two people can produce greatness by combining two seemingly incompatible genres.
A decent replacement for a 3D Zelda game, thanks to some interesting if unpolished ideas.