Even with those shortcomings for the new addition, I’d still recommend Danganronpa Decadence just on the strength of the series itself. If you’ve ever been curious and passed on their PS Vita debuts outside of Japan, I’d encourage grabbing at least one of the main entries to see what makes them so beloved by their fans. Hopefully whenever the next school year begins, the Switch will remain another home for all this delightful despair.
Though pieces of its are familiar and taken from long standing genres, in uniting them with the series’ panache and pixels we get something unique to pick up and play again and again. Though I might be content to set it aside for now, that fine tuned gameplay and infectious soundtrack have made sure I won’t be gone for long.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fantastic get for Switch owners. It’s one of my favorites from Arc System Works’ library thanks to its roster and sprite work, and has Atlus’ dedication to these characters and their stories’ just as much a part of the full experience. This isn’t the best way to meet Yu Narukami, but I’d encourage anyone that already reached out to the truth not to miss out on P4AU during this comeback.
I’d recommend this one mostly to arcade aficionados or those curious about the characters they’ve seen in the Vs. series or other Capcom crossovers. The modern conveniences are nice and the museum is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of these games, but these are still arcade ports through and through. Just like the Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, not every entry is equal here. More power to fans of older iterations and obscurities, and here’s hoping once again that Darkstalkers isn’t dead.
River City Girls might not have the surest footing, but it still hits hard and looks cute doing it.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix makes for one of the most unique Switch experiences by its very nature. Best played in handheld with touch inputs, it shows the versatility of the system and brings back a fan favorite franchise with a fresh layer of HD paint.
With its gorgeous visual aesthetic and downtempo pace, it’s the kind of game you want to play wrapped up in your blankets with the lights low. This bedtime story doesn’t shy away from darker subjects and star-crossed developments — it wears them proudly, making the game stand out amongst its contemporaries.
There may be some faults with its modes and options, but that doesn’t make the meter-based tennis any less fun for local and online matches. It’s the perfect step forward for the series, even if it doesn’t manage to overtake all of its predecessors.
This is a lovely game with a dedicated button for blowing kisses. It may not be the best it’s ever been here, but A Hat in Time on Switch is most definitely still cute as heck and worth taking notice of.
Nintendo’s new IP and foray into fighting games manages to craft its own identity and earns its place within the existing lineup.
Pac-Man 99, as a fun and free download, manages to live up to its predecessors while standing as one of the better Pac-Man releases of recent memory. It’s addictive and perfect for quick sessions, though it’s easy to see all it has to offer just as fast.
If you’re new to this rainbow-blood-soaked world you’ll be missing some context on certain characters (even Travis Strikes Again is essential for full comprehension), but this also manages to be one of the best examples of a creator putting themself into their work despite some frustrations along the way. When that creator is Suda51, you can’t afford to miss it.
Your enjoyment with Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! is going to come down to two main factors: how well you can adhere to its motion controls and how much you enjoy its soundtrack.
This series was long overdue for a console return, and in that way the game succeeds.
No matter what, just be prepared for repetition by design. If not for the hardware limitations, based on content and gameplay I’d go so far as to call Legends the definitive edition of Hyrule Warriors. As it stands, it’s a fine handheld Warriors game for Zelda devotees, all at once a remake, alternative, and companion to its console predecessor.
At the end of the day, Kirby Fighters 2 gave me a fun time and a slice of Dream Land that I’d been starving for.
I’d sooner point you to the ACA NeoGeo offerings from the series, that’d be like writing off Link’s Awakening completely just because A Link to the Past exists. That analogy can be applied to the whole collection, in fact, particularly since SNK has made so much of its backlog available. You may be able to pick up a bigger, prettier game but don’t let that deter you from celebrating this unique handheld and its library.
Like any promising golfer, it has the makings of greatness and just needs to work on its personal bests to come up under par next time.
My highest praise goes to the overall aesthetic. Fantastic Night Dreams is at once vibrant and somewhat gothic in its presentation, with the colorful sprites and characters flying freely through starlit nights and haunted caverns. These already looked nice in the original Cotton, helping it stand out even among other cute ‘em ups, but are even more pronounced in the arranged version. Paired with the excellent soundtrack for stages (which has also gotten completely rearranged, with the originals still available) the whole of a playthrough is a trick-or-treat for the eyes and ears.
Full of trademark style and promising concepts, it doesn’t manage to live up to its own potential, let alone expectations, due to repetitive gameplay and gimmicks that don’t pan out.