Hans Haupt's Reviews
New Pokemon Snap offers one of the most complete and complex insights into a world with living breathing Pokemon ecosystems. It is filled with magical moments to enthral and delight, and has some of the most beautifully realised Pokemon ever seen on a Nintendo system. The Lental region is varied, detailed and gorgeous; but quickly loses its magic once the repetitive nature of the title takes hold. The result is an experience with an exceptional amount of promise, side-railed by ageing gameplay mechanics that eschew from the overall experience.
Before We Leave is a great debut offering from Balancing Money Games. It takes the common post-apocalyptic tropes associated with RTS games and adds a unique mix of 4X gameplay to its fold. The result is a moderately fun and interesting title focussed more on the idyllic notion of civilisation advancement over the high stakes gameplay normally associated with titles in this genre. As such, it is a high accessibility title with fairly low stakes gameplay; which may be off putting to some RTS purists. Even so, the overall experience is enjoyable and certainly worth trying.
Despite Nintendo Switch Sports being a very average party game, it does open up more with its online mode. For the most part, it is a fun and nostalgic romp offering nicely-upgraded visuals and well-implemented motion controls, but the solo and party play leave a lot to be desired – relying on nostalgia over fun to power the game’s value. The online mode, however, does a much better job of adding value for players to enjoy. Alas, the mode lacks too many features needed to make the online portion worthy of the cost of entry. Ultimately, Nintendo Switch Sports is relegated to the realm of only being ‘sometimes relevant’ in situations of extreme boredom or when friends and family need placating. It could have been great with more content, variety, and solo options, but settles for being average in almost every sense of the word.
Admittedly, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is not a terrible game, but it is a disappointing one. It has some redeeming qualities, such as its cute characters, generous unlockables and occasional moments of fun, but they are overshadowed by numerous flaws and shortcomings. It could have been an entertainingly light multiplayer option, a title promising a dream buffet, but instead it serves as nothing more than a bland snack.