Craig Majaski's Reviews
Penny-Punching Princess won’t appeal to everyone. It has a unique story, some wacky gameplay mechanics, and difficulty spikes that some will enjoy and others (like me) will find annoying. The brawler aspect of the action really calls out for co-op, but sadly it’s a single player affair.
With stiff competition from a variety of shooters already on the Switch, Aperion Cyberstorm doesn’t bring anything new to the console. It does deliver some fun 5-player competitive action, but the game’s audio-visuals fall short of what’s expected on the system. If you’re all out of couch multiplayer games to play, this one’s worth considering.
WORTH CONSIDERING - Remothered: Tormented Fathers tries hard to be a mix of Silent Hill and Clock Tower, but doesn’t quite pull it off. The presentation feels low budget and the gameplay becomes stale way too quickly. Still, fans of suspenseful hide and seek games might get a thrill out of this one.
I really wanted to like Death Road To Canada more than I did. It features decent combat, rewarding exploration, and a funny story. The roguelike elements frustrated me and the two-player co-op fell flat. If you don’t mind random events ending your game, then this one’s for you!
GOOD - R-Type fans are sure to enjoy this new romp through space. Newcomers will be glad to see multiple difficulty options from the get-go. Although the audio-visual presentation is somewhat lacking, the gameplay is still addictive and fun.
GOOD - Stories Untold combines the old-school text adventure with modern day sensibilities. This one isn’t for the action fans out there – you’ll be mostly reading and solving small puzzles to progress. With four different stories and point and click interactions, fans of adventure games should consider picking this one up.
GOOD - Normally when a company goes through the trouble of converting a game to HD they choose the best in the series, but Sega has decided to bring Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD to current video game consoles. While not a bad game by any means, I think most would consider the first two GameCube games the best in the series. This one is still just as zany and does deliver in the fun department, but sensitive controls, needless boss battles, and ho-hum multiplayer mini-games hold it back from true greatness.
Great ports, awesome extras, and both arcade and NES versions make this a good game that many will enjoy.
Bad North is a fun game with light RTS and tower defense mechanics. The levels are short enough to be played in small bursts, which do lend themselves well to the handheld mode. However, the lack of meaningful tactics and strategies left me wanting more.
Super Daryl Deluxe is a really funny game that features outstanding visual presentation and unique and creative areas to traverse. Unfortunately it falls short in the gameplay department, with repetitive and boring combat. Still, the game is worth a shot if you like mysteries, comedy, and want something completely strange on your Switch.
Pic-a-Pix Deluxe is a fun puzzle game in the vein of Picross. It adds a dash of color, which creates a new layer of strategy. A slightly confusing UI doesn’t get in the way of some seriously enjoyable and challenging puzzle solving.
Subsurface Circular is a unique storytelling device and one that gives the illusion of player choice, when in reality the narrative is rather linear in nature. The gameplay is purely dialog tree choices consisting of various questions and answers. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s great to see a deviation from typical game design.
GOOD - Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a fun puzzle game that I can heartily recommend to newcomers as it features bright and colorful graphics, happy music, and a plethora of game modes to enjoy. However, it does very little to improve upon the original game, which can now be purchased for half the price of this one, which gives owners of Puyo Puyo Tetris very little incentive to plop down another $40 for such a similar experience.
GOOD - If you like puzzle games like Sudoku, you’ll probably find a lot to enjoy with Tens! It’s a bit simpler than some puzzlers, which should appeal to a wider audience. With appealing audio visuals and a somewhat lengthy adventure mode, this is a fun puzzle game to whittle away the time.
GOOD - Inmost is a dark and emotional 2D puzzle adventure featuring three playable characters via an intertwining story. Detailed pixel art and a moving soundtrack help sell the story and the puzzle solving is rewarding. Some of the action segments fall a bit short and the last half hour or so of the game seems rushed, but overall it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.
GOOD - La-Mulana 1 & 2: Hidden Treasures Edition should appeal to those gamers who enjoy difficult gameplay and cryptic hints set in a Metroidvania style universe. Those that grew up during the ‘80s and liked adventure games on the NES are the target market for this one. Just be prepared for obscure puzzles, tons of death traps, and challenging enemies!
GOOD - Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo includes six classic games of varying quality. My personal favorite was the side-scrolling shmup Samurai Aces II: Tengai, with Gunbird 1 & 2 also high up on my list. I was surprised and delighted to spend time with Gunbarich, a brick breaking Arkanoid clone. With limited lasting value this collection is still a fun time…while it lasts.
GOOD - Odallus does a good job replicating old-school 8-bit NES adventure games of yore. The lack of button mapping and the inability to remove the scanlines dampened my experience with the game, but it’s still a fun and challenging title that should appeal to veteran gamers.
GOOD - Double Cross is a fun action game that allows your character to gain upgrades by finding secret crystals. Some of the stage designs are really great and traversal of the world is fun. Combat becomes rather boring very quickly and the story really isn’t all that compelling. Luckily you can button mash your way through the not so great parts and still have a good time with the rest of the game!
GOOD - Yoshi’s Crafted World is creative in its set designs, but could have used some fresh ideas in the gameplay department. The game is still really fun to play, although it seems a little on the short side, unless you’re OK with playing the levels three times through to find all of the collectibles. A solid effort from Good-Feel and Nintendo, but I was hoping for more.