LEGO Brawls was initially designed as a mobile game and can be an enjoyable way to kill some time playing online matches. As a console game that doesn’t add anything new to the gameplay, it’s just a generic platform fighter with little to no excitement. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if the game was cheap or just free, but it’s shockingly priced at $60 AUD which makes it impossible to justify. There are tons of indie games out there that offer so much more at a cheaper price. Even with some interesting ideas, LEGO Brawls offers very little and is probably more fun to watch than play, but the novelty wears off really quickly. The biggest letdown overall is its generic gameplay that just isn’t much fun at all. Non-fighting game players often describe the genre as button mashers, and this game accurately fits that description and is a poor representation of the genre. Even stepping on a LEGO piece is more entertaining than this.
Truck Driver: The American Dream makes some minor improvements to the original game from 4 years ago and is a small step in the right direction, but the series still has a long road ahead before it can be taken seriously as a truck driving simulator. Players seeking the ideal trucking video game experience will have to look elsewhere.
It’s clear to see the potential that Police Shootout could’ve had, but it does injustice in just about every single aspect. For a game that should make you feel like a fine policeman working to protect and serve, you end up just feeling like an average mall cop on minimum wage.
Moons of Darsalon has a lot of creative ideas but has too much going against it. The game can be fun, but constantly losing can be discouraging rather than urging you to keep trying. The controls need a lot of refining as they can dampen the experience.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has all the ingredients to make a fantastic game. However, following the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film will likely put it into the same pile with all the other underwhelming titles.
Even if the graphics couldn’t match what the PC can achieve, there were still plenty of opportunities to capitalise on the Switch’s unique control features, but instead feels like a lazy port and pale imitation of a fun PC game. Car Detailing Simulator on Nintendo Switch can be fun for a little while, but there are far better alternatives on PC and even mobile devices.
The most fun part is serving customers and preparing their orders and could have done without anything else. The game is riddled with glitches, preparing food comes with a lot of inconvenience, and the graphics are severely out of date. Food Truck Simulator serves up a lot of potential but falls short on the order.
The Karate Kid franchise has all the elements required to make a fun game, but The Karate Kid: Street Rumble falls short of the fun factor. It looks fantastic, but is an average beat ‘em up game, at best, it takes around 2 to 3 hours to complete, so it severely lacks substance. The genre is filled with better alternatives, particularly with beat ’em ups being increasing in popularity over the last few years. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble aims to land the perfect crane kick, but it’s taken out by a cheap leg sweep.
The Looney Tunes franchise has everything it needs to be a fun and entertaining sports game. Longtime fans will appreciate the current voice cast reprising their roles, but the lasting appeal for the game just isn’t there. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and more have appeared in various sports-themed games in almost every console generation, but Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports is not one of the better examples. That’s all folks!
They each have their own ‘Turtle Power’ which players can initiate anytime the meter is full to clear out the enemies on screen or deliver extra damage to the bosses. Leonardo creates a tornado, Raphael punches the ground causing an earthquake, Donatello channels his inner Thor and shoots lightning from his staff and Michelangelo throws pizza everywhere. Even though three of those make absolutely no sense with the character’s personalities and backgrounds, the Turtle Power is still a really handy tool for when things get tough.
Both the French and English voice cast from the show reprise their iconic roles in the game, meaning fans can choose to listen to their favourite characters in either language, and everyone sounds just like they do in the show. A lot of work was clearly put into the dialogue during the cutscenes and character conversations, and every character stays true to how they are in the show. Unfortunately, this only applied to the cutscenes, and any conversations during the game are text-based, leaving this feeling like a missed opportunity.
What Diamond Hands: To The Moon aims to do, it does really well. It is addictive rage inducing fun that will keep you busy and frustrated, but feel accomplished if you can make it all the way to that damn Moon.
Running a pet hotel would be a dream job for many, and this does an okay job of recreating that experience, but there are better alternatives out there. Pets Hotel is a solid effort but has too much going against it.
Her first appearance in a “proper” videogame may not have lived up to its full potential, but loyal fans, especially the kids, will appreciate what this game has to offer, and this is only the beginning.
Not in a million years would anyone have ever expected to see Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties on modern consoles, but here we are. It may be a remaster that nobody asked for, but we certainly are glad that Limited Run Games made it happen.
The latest Carmen Sandiego game features just enough for longtime fans and fans of the Netflix show to keep their thinking hats on to explore each location, collect clues, and capture international criminals. Playing as the Scarlet Super Thief for the first time in the series is a big and welcomed change, utilising her highly skilled thief experience to catch other world-class thieves worldwide. The overall game keeps things simple, engaging, educational, and fun. Even after 40 years, Carmen Sandiego is still stealing our hearts.
It feels like an inferior version of the Wii game with its slower speed and doesn’t do much to improve in other areas, but its target players are children, and they will find plenty to enjoy. Stunt Flyer is a fun, simple, kid-friendly flying simulation game that keeps kids busy and entertained.
There isn’t really anything new in the latest entry of Let’s Sing, it’s mainly the same game with different songs, and the 30 new tracks by the various popular artists definitely give the game plenty of variety, but it would be more convenient if the new songs came as a DLC pack rather than be in their own game. Overall, Let’s Sing 2023 is another fun and enjoyable karaoke game to sing your heart out as a solo or with friends and family.
Fans of epic Kung Fu, fantasy, and drama films will find plenty to enjoy in Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 which includes plenty of story, action, and more. Players outside of Asia now have the opportunity to experience this 31-year-old hidden gem and hopefully, the next instalment in the series isn’t too far away.
Even though all 13 included games can be played via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition provides a whole new way to play all these games.