Steve Schardein's Reviews
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is a hardcore dungeon crawler flaunting an old-school difficulty, yet imbued with modern sensibilities and accessibility. It's a terrific addition to a beloved series, and it's truly probably also the best entry to date.
Though surely there's plenty of room for additional features and improvement, Super Mario Maker is a user-generated content experience assembled with the wisdom and mature philosophy of gaming's finest.
Fire Emblem: Fates offers an unprecedented amount of content without falling victim to the temptation quantity over quality. Each of the three total games here features its own vivid branch of the story, and everything from the gameplay to the presentation shifts with it. This is a massive and highly enjoyable addition to the epic franchise that really does stand as one of the most prolific and memorable amongst its contemporaries.
Fire Emblem: Fates offers an unprecedented amount of content without falling victim to the temptation quantity over quality. Each of the three total games here features its own vivid branch of the story, and everything from the gameplay to the presentation shifts with it. This is a massive and highly enjoyable addition to the epic franchise that really does stand as one of the most prolific and memorable amongst its contemporaries.
Super Mario 3D World isn't Super Mario Galaxy or New Super Mario Bros.; it's a little bit of both. Under a thick layer of polish and charm, you'll find yet another top-notch platforming adventure, chocked full of secrets and clever twists and about as challenging as anything Mario has thrown our way thus far. It isn't groundbreaking or approaching the level of perfection that the Galaxy games did, but if nothing else, it's a must-have title for Wii U owners, and probably enough to push you over the edge if you're waiting to buy a system and harbor an appreciation for Nintendo's platforming contributions.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is absolutely the best game currently available for the Nintendo Switch apart from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For players who have never had the pleasure of experiencing the original Wii U title, this is a must-own and could be qualified as yet another killer app (even though it technically is a port). On the other hand, even if you own the original, this is the definitive Mario Kart 8 experience; in fact, it is the best Mario Kart game to date period.
The beta is over, and it was 15 million strong; now, we have the product of its revelations. With a thankfully redefined purpose and a much more enticing endgame, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is probably the game you were hoping for years ago. It's not about competition, but cooperation. It's not about methodically stressing over your loot, it's about the thrill of the hunt. It's not about rushing to the top, it's about the sheer enjoyment of the journey itself. It embraces its core competencies and brashly ignores all other complicating factors—and, with few exceptions, it's a much better game for it.
It's 2001 all over again. Some thirteen years after Melee's release, Nintendo has finally formulated an experience which compares appreciably to the masterpiece that we all love (and many of us still play). Whether for fun or for glory, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the follow-up Smash fans have been anticipating since.
This is it, folks. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo's Magnum Opus. It's not only the best Zelda game ever created, it's also one of the very best videogames in the history of the art. Games like this are so rare that it would be impossible to classify it as anything other than a masterpiece. Experience it at all costs.