Nintendojo's Reviews
Kingdom Two Crowns is easily one of my favorite games and keeps me coming back again and again even without updates. It’s a game where starting fresh can feel great, but progress and advancement is rewarding. It took an already engaging and memorable game, Kingdom New Lands, and developed it into a well balanced multiplayer experience. It’s three versions in one are a stellar deal and the Norse Lands DLC is so much more than a cherry on top. For fantasy, strategy, and indie fans, Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands is a must.
It’s not often that a classic like Windjammers is able to make a comeback such as this. Obscure software has a tendency to fade into the abyss over time, but Windjammers 2 has taken the fine work Dotemu did with the original game and expanded upon it both intelligently and exponentially. Windjammers 2 has bold, exceptional visuals and an expanded suite of moves and abilities that turn each match into legitimate thrill rides. Solo players won’t get quite as much from the gameplay here, but when played with others Windjammers 2 truly shines. This is the rare sequel that tops what came before it—definitely consider it the next time you head to the eShop.
Animation is the art of movement and Omno is clearly a work of art, but isn’t the masterpiece I was hoping it to be. Despite that, it is still an impressive feat. It is no surprise that the game reached three times its funding goal on Kickstarter. The game is beautiful and enjoyable. It brings new elements to the growing genre of peaceful games. I especially loved the long list of new creatures to interact with. However, minor details left me not quite falling head over heels.
Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise takes all that was innovative, fun, and satisfying from the original Happy Home Designer, fixes what made the game complete, and expands on the original game altogether creating a DLC expansion that, despite a few set backs, is well worth it for any owner of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Tetris Effect: Connected came out as an eShop exclusive. I downloaded it at midnight the night it launched and played until about six in the morning. It was so mesmerizing and fun that I couldn’t stop playing it until I’d seen and heard every stage it had to offer. That might make it sound like the game is on the short side, but assuming most players take their time with the campaign, I can see it stretching out to six or seven hours to complete. Throw in the various modes and multiplayer, and Tetris Effect: Connected will keep players coming back to it for a very long time. I can’t recommend it enough—it’s a must-have for Switch owners.
Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition is a perfect combination of adventure, management, and cuteness that is addicting in the way all the best management sims are, but still brings a lot of originality to the genre. It’s relaxing and a must-play on Switch for any wholesome gamers.
Also of great importance is that Dread seems to legitimately be pivoting Samus away from the Metroids and onto something new. What that is I can’t say, but there’s genuine cause to be excited wondering where the series goes next. Although we have yet to even see Prime 4, I have no trepidations saying that if the series sticks to 2D in the future, this is the mold—the perfect mix of classic and modern mechanics and pacing. You owe yourself the opportunity to play this game. Dread is a powerful reminder of the importance and quality of one of Nintendo’s greatest franchises.
If you’re like me and playing Diablo II: Resurrected with fresh eyes and no pretext to speak of, I give it a strong recommendation. I expect that fans who fell in love with Diablo II the first time around are also going to get quite the thrill out of this advanced version of a genuine classic.
Curved Space is a fun modern take on the twin stick shooter genre but doesn’t offer many new advances that players might expect in this day and age of video games.
Although not a perfect remaster, seeing Sonic Colors get ported to contemporary hardware was a welcome surprise. The Sonic series continues to struggle with finding a way to incorporate gameplay hooks that don’t amount to shallow, pointless gimmicks, but in Colors SEGA discovered the perfect mix. With Ultimate, that balance has been restored for a new generation of players to experience. Hopefully, SEGA takes cues from Ultimate as it works on that mysterious upcoming 3D Sonic sequel. For those who played the original Colors, there’s plenty of reason for a double-dip with Ultimate, and for those who have yet to give it a try, this is the best 3D Sonic game there is. Give it a play.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles isn’t just a reminder of why the series as a whole is beloved, but also a reaffirmation that video games can be capable of so much more as an entertainment medium. Straddling the line somewhere between book and interactive movie, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles takes players through case after case packed with wonderful characters, stories, and clever brain teasers. Although adventure games/visual novels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, if you’ve been looking to try one for the first time or give them another shot, this is the game. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a blast.
With Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, Nintendo fans finally can experience the entire contemporary Ryu Hayabusa saga. The games themselves are each grueling challenges that deliver a unique sense of accomplishment after players learn to master Ryu’s move sets and become discerning combatants. In terms of performance, Master Collection is at its best docked, but Nintendo’s version of the compilation has unmistakably had the most sacrifices made to get it running.
For those like me whose teenage years were spent returning to Tony Hawk 1 and 2 repeatedly, it was a genuine thrill to come back to both. Odd as it sounds, I found myself choked up hearing the familiar music and remembering skating on these stages in their original, far more pixelated forms. For new players, however, the experience will be equally as special, and in 20 years they’ll likely be just as enthralled to slip back onto a skateboard for another go as I was.
Skyward Sword HD might lack the freewheeling nature of Breath of the Wild, and it might also be bereft of a seamless overworld, but it does so many things right with narrative, gameplay, and visuals to make up for its shortcomings. There is a ton to see and do here. I found myself transfixed on countless sights—the enormous waterfall outside the entrance of the Ancient Cistern, the fluctuations between sand and sea in Lanayru Desert, and the final battle’s eerie, surreal battleground remain burned into my mind’s eye. Skyward Sword HD is a brilliantly designed game, full of dungeons packed with clever puzzles, numerous plot elements that serve to enrich the franchise’s lore, and a control scheme that is as refreshing now as it was in 2010. This is a must-have for Switch owners on a very long list of must-have games—don’t let that stop you from rushing out to try Skyward Sword HD today.
Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 2 provides a great way to hunt alongside favorite monsters from the franchise in a charming world with an interesting story to discover.
Super Rush is no hole-in-one, but it hits for par at the very least and will only keep getting better as it’s expanded upon with DLC in the coming months.
Unto the End does a great job at capturing the struggle of survival and returning home, but is the struggle worth it? There isn’t a huge epic within Unto the End. There is no dialogue and the story is simple. The actual game in length is fairly short, but the repeated deaths due to brutal combat significantly lengthens the experience, if you even finish it. The story’s depth comes from the player’s emotions as they struggle to master the gameplay mirroring the hero’s struggle to make it home. But not everyone plays a video game to feel that kind of frustration. I sure don’t and though there were aspects to like about Unto the End, the combat was overall what ruined the experience for me.
What sounded like the combination of a management game, Animal Crossing, and The Sims turned out to be barely influenced by all three. If you’re looking for a relaxing Switch game where you can collect clothing, decorate your home, and hang out with animals, there is already the perfect game for you: Animal Crossing New Horizons. If you’ve already played it to the point of needing new joysticks, then there are plenty of other indie alternatives to pick up before giving Calico consideration.
Though the game is pleasing visually and acoustically, it just wasn’t that compelling. There wasn’t anything outstanding about TOHU one way or the other. It is a decent point and click game, but without a driving story, I didn’t feel motivated to keep playing.
So how does Thomas Was Alone hold up today? Well, it’s excellent, thank you for asking. I recommend it to anyone interested in trying out a bit of indie gaming history, any fan of the science fiction genre, anyone who enjoys platformers, for those who enjoy short, sweet stories, and to everyone looking to see how anyone could make a bunch of rectangles a memorable part of my adolescence.