Is Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 more of the same? Yes, and no matter how much I sing its praises, there’ll be those grumbling away at what’s admittedly little more than a reskin. Yet while points might be docked off for a lack of originality, I’m compelled to ask: why fix what ain’t broke? Timeless and engaging in its approachable genius, the puzzle game of the generation remains unmatched in its pliable depth.
As opposed to the cynical anti-player nonsense smothering the last two games, there’s a real heart beating in this installment that I can’t ignore: I adore this cast, I like exploring this world, and I enjoy the tale they left behind. But my contempt lies more within my response to 2007’s Super Paper Mario: wherein a genuinely well-meaning iteration is, once again, suffocated by a gameplay system that does it no favors.
Animal Crossing‘s original vision had humble goals in facilitating local communication with friends and family; now, New Horizons confidently stars on the global stage by readily shattering virus-devised boundaries for the sake of vital human interaction.
While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild might not change games as we know it, that it echoes so much of the “I can do that” philosophy found in Nintendo cousins Super Mario Bros./Super Mario 64 in a modern age is nothing less than Nintendo magic at work. The Legend of Zelda is back.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is yet another worthy Ace Attorney successor. It’s ultimately not the series at its highest peak, but it’s hardly the nadir, and that it continues to feel this fresh in light of its flaws already has me hungry for the next turnabout. No objections here, Your Honor.