Ryan Craddock


95 games reviewed
70.2 average score
70 median score
43.2% of games recommended
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Nov 14, 2017

Taking the original games and bombarding them with a whole host of crazy ideas, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have easily achieved their goal of becoming the definitive versions of the series' final generation on the 3DS. Combining all of this with the fact that a small handful of new, non-mythical Pokémon have been added mid-generation for the first time in the series, and that the Pokédex has been expanded to natively include over 400 Pokémon catchable in the games without trading, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have managed to make the region of Alola feel even more alive that it did before – and that's quite the achievement.In some ways, it feels like these games have come too soon; Pokémon Sun and Moon are still so fresh in our minds and we can't help but feel that the Ultra versions would have felt more special – and therefore easier to justify purchasing – if a little more time has passed. You'd be forgiven for not wanting to jump back into the same world again so soon but, in their own right, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are truly incredible entries to the series that deserve to be sitting amongst the elite Pokémon titles. If you're ready for another trip around Alola's beautiful islands, this is the way to do it.

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9 / 10 - Gorogoa
Dec 18, 2017

The Switch's eShop is starting to become saturated with bucket loads of high-quality content. This is great in one way, of course, but stumbling across hidden gems within it will get tougher as time goes on. Gorogoa is one such gem; a game quite unlike any other that deserves your attention. It is a little on the short side, but the creativity that has been put into its design, and the effect it will have on you during your time exploring its gorgeous world, is something that you'll want to experience. If you're looking for something new to try, this would be an excellent choice.

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Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime caught us by surprise; we were expecting a great multiplayer party experience but ended up with something much more than that. If you have a great bunch of friends and the necessary controllers, be sure to gather everyone round for some challenging but hilarious teamwork. If you don't, or if you prefer playing alone, load the game up anyway and enjoy an intense, strategically-minded campaign with a warm and welcoming exterior. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime deserves to be played and should most definitely be on your eShop wishlist – we're in love, for sure.

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Oct 7, 2017

Stardew Valley offers its players a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don't all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn't necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren't, there is a decent chance this game might just surprise you. For the asking price the risk couldn't be more worth it.

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9 / 10 - Owlboy
Feb 12, 2018

Owlboy is a three-pronged attack of success: the gameplay is tight, satisfying, and remains fresh throughout; the game's world is visually stunning thanks to some truly masterful pixel art; and you'll find yourself really caring about the cast of characters and the world surrounding them thanks to a compelling storyline and background lore. The game could be improved with the inclusion of map to aid exploration, but when that is the only real thing we can pick at as a negative point it is clear that we're on to a winner.This is a game that is absolutely worth your time; if anything we've mentioned above has you even remotely intrigued by this game, we urge you to consider giving it a go.

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Feb 21, 2018

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a wonderful sequel to the already impressive SteamWorld Dig, and this 3DS port of last year's Switch release does not disappoint. Taking everything that was great from the original, and improving it even further, SWD2 can stand proudly near the top of the list of 'must play' titles on the Nintendo eShop.

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9 / 10 - Tetris 99
Feb 15, 2019

The complete oddball of the family, Tetris 99 offers a truly unique way to play the tried-and-tested classic, even if the overall package feels a little lightweight. Playing live against 98 others is chaotic, and the action feels fast, precise, and wonderfully addictive. It's seriously difficult, too – we'd fancy our chances in Fortnite over this any day – and we're impressed with the fact that it's forced us to play the game with a completely different approach to our usual slow-and-steady ways. Signing up for Nintendo Switch Online just to play this game might be a bit of a stretch, but if you're already a member, what are you waiting for? It's free, and it might just become your next favourite time sink.

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8 / 10 - Teslagrad
Dec 4, 2017

If you've never played the game before but you like the sound of what it has to offer, we heartily recommend giving it a go and, to be completely truthful, we wouldn't be surprised to see players who already own the game wanting to 'double-dip' for a portable version, too.

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Feb 1, 2018

SteamWorld Dig can proudly sit amongst those top-tier eShop titles that can describe themselves as a 'must-play'. There is a small desert's worth of charm packed into this game, with a beautifully high level of polish and sheen just oozing from its very core.

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Dec 27, 2017

Max: Curse of the Brotherhood uses a wonderfully implemented drawing mechanic to solve puzzles that can often feel familiar, but are usually just about different enough to remain fun and fresh. The platforming, chase sequences, and even the final boss won't put up too much of a fight against you in the seven-or-so hour campaign, but you may find yourself occasionally stumped by the odd puzzle that strays from the norm.It isn't quite perfect, and there are several small areas where we feel the game could be improved, but ultimately we had a great time playing through the adventure and enjoyed the core mechanic. It can't quite compete with the true elites of its genres but it is definitely a welcome addition to the eShop - if you love the puzzle-platform genre and want to add another game to your collection, this wouldn't be a bad place to start.

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8 / 10 - Runbow
Jul 2, 2018

Runbow is a great example of a party game that can cater to solo and multiplayer preferences alike, and almost certainly deserves a cheeky purchase on Switch. The gameplay is great fun, the presentation is to die for, and unlocking Nindie heroes through a really nicely put together adventure mode is the icing on the cake. We felt there was a little left to be desired with some elements of the multiplayer modes, and this might just make some think a little harder before jumping in, but we absolutely recommend giving this one a go if you're interested regardless.

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Nov 9, 2015

Just Dance is the sort of title that most players will already have feelings about. For some, this game is their worst nightmare, being the centre of attention and dancing in front of a room full of people is a very different experience to sitting down for a night of snacks and shooting things. But this game isn't aimed towards that audience.It may not have ground-breaking graphics or a heart-string tugging storyline, but that doesn't matter. It achieves its purpose extremely well, allowing people to spend a night in together and have a great time. The soundtrack and the new features introduced this time around make Just Dance 2016 the definitive version of the series so far, meaning that it would be a great time for newcomers to the franchise to jump aboard, and also worth it for serious players from last year to upgrade.The Just Dance Unlimited Premium package seems a little stingy compared to other recent music releases such as FreeStyleGames' Guitar Hero Live, which doesn't force you to spend a penny, but other than that this is a very strong party game which does the job of being fun.

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8 / 10 - Bulb Boy
Jul 6, 2017

Bulb Boy won't stay in your memories forever; it is a relatively small game that shouldn't take too long to complete, but whilst it lasts it offers nicely designed puzzles and an underlying humour that offers a different experience. It is clearly lovingly put-together and refreshingly manages to make horror cute and fun, rather than taking itself seriously. Bulb Boy didn't take our breath away and isn't revolutionary, but its appeal comes in the form of its characters, craziness and toilet humour – a deadly combination that deserves to be played.

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8 / 10 - Toki Tori 2+
Feb 26, 2018

Toki Tori 2+ on Switch is still the same, cute and cuddly, yet fiendishly tricky game that we've been enjoying for the last few years, but with some notable improvements that make it the best version currently available on consoles. The difficulty of some puzzles may still be too much for some, but the levels of frustration that plagued earlier releases have been somewhat nullified thanks to new mechanics. If you're interested in what the title has to offer, or have only played it in its earliest forms, we urge you to give this version a try.

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Parascientific Escape does exactly what it is trying to do. A gripping story – albeit sometimes almost too fleshed out - a great visual appearance and a very enjoyable gameplay system all contribute towards an enjoyable visual novel. Sometimes the dialogue sections can feel quite draining, especially if you've been playing for quite some time and enter a particularly lengthy section, as it is impossible to save your progress at these points, but for the most part they work really well.A must try for fans of the story adventure and escape genres, and maybe a good place to start for anyone else who is interested.

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Letter Quest Remastered not only manages to successfully combine the wild pairing of Scrabble and RPGs, but also manages to make it incredibly fun.

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Apr 4, 2016

Bird Mania Party is essentially the same game that we saw in 2012 on 3DS, albeit with the very welcome additions of multiplayer action and with online leaderboards for those with a competitive streak. Despite this game arguably being better suited to a handheld device thanks to its time-filler nature, this Wii U title stands out as being the best of the series so far thanks to the extra content.This game does its job as some laid back fun for you to pass the time, and possibly get addicted to. With leaderboards to challenge and achievements to unlock you will find reasons to keep playing this one for some time, and considering its welcoming price it's very hard to not recommend giving this a go.

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Apr 15, 2016

Sometimes you want to go on a journey to vast, fantasy worlds, sometimes you want to fight your way through hordes of terrifying enemies and sometimes you want to just sit down with some friends and laugh for hours. Chompy Chomp Chomp Party can only offer you one of these – the latter of course – but it does a great job of it. The addition of one or two more modes would have helped to make this game even better – eventually you will start to feel like you've had enough and move on to doing something else – but there's a lot of fun that can be had in the modes that already exist.Grab some friends, grab some controllers and give this colourful, chompy craziness a try.

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8 / 10 - Tumblestone
Oct 9, 2017

Tumblestone is an excellent puzzle game that definitely deserves to be played by fans of the genre. Aside from maybe Puyo Puyo Tetris, you are unlikely to find a puzzle game that offers quite this much content and such an addictive nature. The lack of any online functionality is disappointing, though, and whilst the Switch's portability could have made this the definitive version, this odd omission takes away a nice feature unnecessarily. If you haven't played the game before, though, or aren't fussed about playing online – this is still a very solid choice.

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Aug 25, 2016

You may have noticed the intentional similarities to a certain, popular Nintendo franchise in the game's logo and appearance, which is likely to divide opinion among many. Whether this is a positive or a negative thing is unimportant, in the end, because The Legend of Kusakari can stand proudly in its own right as a highly enjoyable, nicely polished puzzle adventure. Besides, who doesn't find enjoyment in hacking down every last bit of grass in Hyrule anyway?Addictive gameplay, along with great humour and charming character make The Legend of Kusakari a very pleasant experience, and when the only downside is a want for more story and more chapters to play through, you know you're onto a winner.

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