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Having played both Gato Roboto and Gunbrella, I'd say that the former is the stronger overall experience, edging out the latter because of its progress-halting bugs (which may be mostly hammered out during the game's launch). The atmosphere and movement abilities of Gunbrella are excellent, but the lack of enemies and opportunities to use the titular weapon are a bit disappointing. If you prefer more of an adventure-game bent to your action-platformer, then Gunbrella is definitely worth a look, even if its rain-shielding, double-barreled frame could use a little more polish and a lot more target practice.
The co-op, whether local or online is an absolute must and improves the experience by a mile. While you won't get too much out of the story and characters, the additional level packs add on top of the good serving of puzzles you'll encounter. I have to admit that after my time with Escape Academy, some actual escape rooms will have a hard time living up to this experience.
The soundtrack is also great, composed by series regular Takeshi Abo, and it especially shines during particularly action heavy scenes. The localization is overall solid though there were a few typos here and there as well as a line or two that felt a little stilted or awkward, but again these do not occur very often. I am not sure if I would put it at the same level as its most successful predecessor (Steins;Gate), but Anonymous;Code is a very worthy addition to the Science Adventure series and a game that anybody interested in visual novels should definitely take a look at.
However, this story ends up being undercut by uneven gameplay, glitches, and subpar performance. If you can approach it with patience, you might appreciate the mesmerizing set pieces and a story that will surely tug at your heartstrings. But after my experience with Maquette, and encountering one too many shoddy 3D puzzles, I'm inclined to just swipe left.
Rune Factory 3 Special isn't going to be for every farming game fan and won't dethrone Stardew Valley as the most popular farming game, but its charming characters and setting make for a very enjoyable experience. I was surprisingly pleased at the quality of the writing and the depth of some of the crafting systems, and those propelled Rune Factory 3 Special forward to make it both relaxing and engaging. This is a worthy addition to the Switch library, and one I might return to in the future, if only to spend some time with some of my new favorite characters.
Should you possess a particular affinity for Taito's arcade past and the shooters, platformers, and fighters from their heyday, then a second Milestones collection is probably right up your alley. The online leaderboards offered by the Arcade Archives versions here add to the replay value, but it's again a little disappointing to see a noticeable lack of bonus features, extra content, or presentation elements. The two Taito Milestones compilations are fairly barebones compared to some of the offerings from Capcom and Konami, but I can still appreciate having the opportunity to revisit–or experience for the first time–a back catalog of offerings from a historic developer.
At times it wears its SNES inspirations on its sleeves (and proudly), but it evolves the combat to a level of perfection. Every aspect of the game is fun, or emotional, or tantalizingly brain-teasing, and I haven't been able to put it down even after rolling credits a dozen hours of playtime earlier. You'll smile, laugh, and maybe even cry as you help Valere and Zale complete their mission, but there's one thing for certain: you'll never forget it.
I can recall nearly half a dozen instances of me starting Jet Set Radio with the hope that it would finally click, that I could finally enjoy moving in that world as much as I enjoyed being in it, only to never make it past the second level. In a year chock full of landmark releases, I'm booting up Bomb Rush Cyberfunk again to make up for all the lost time, to play the game that I always hoped existed. Now that I have it, I simply just can't get enough.
That said, runs are generally quite short, under 20 minutes in most cases, and so it's easy enough to start right back up again after a loss. The presentation is quite clean and straightforward, but there's a strong flash of light that accompanies the defeat of the enemy king–not something that normally affects me, but I did turn it off in the settings menu. It might not be a certain checkmate, but Shotgun King kept me in check more often than not, and it's a pleasant and worthwhile distraction that deserves a spot among the higher tiers of run-based Switch games.
The customization is substantial and the story brings even more rich lore to this world. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cvstodia and plan on going back to 100% it, after I've had a bit of a break. Thank the miracle, this game rules.
A podcast that I listen to once described the game as "my favorite slot machine", and it's a moniker I think is very apt for how good Vampire Survivors is at giving a satisfying rush of dopamine with its overwhelmingly flashy effects, absurd power curve, and snappy pace of upgrading. There are no hidden depths lurking under the surface and I truly don't know what more I could say about the game than I already have, but it doesn't need to be anything more than it is. Sometimes I just want to see big explosions, flashing colors, and numbers going up, and Vampire Survivors gives me all of that in great quantities with pretty much no friction along the way.
It seems as though the Zeboyd partnership is going on hiatus for a bit to recharge the batteries, but This Way Madness Lies is a nice game to go on break with. It's more of a sonnet than a full-on Shakespeare play, and the Switch definitely needs something short in this realm after some of the absolute marathons I've had to deal with recently.
While the multiplayer might not be something that stays populated, the leaderboards do a great job of extending the experience beyond the campaign. And also the terse challenge of the bonus chapters and weekly challenges adds to the fun. It's a (marble) blast to see this come together as well as it does.
It is simultaneously a return to form with a heavy focus on Dandori and also a leap forward with entirely new mechanics and big improvements to returning mechanics. There are some flaws-nighttime missions are a drag and the early tutorials are dreadfully slow-but those warts don't outweigh everything Pikmin 4 manages to achieve. This is a new standard for Pikmin; all we can do now is hope it doesn't take another ten years for Pikmin 5.
I certainly enjoyed my time with it but there were a number of frustrations that made it hard to be an instant recommendation. It doesn't add anything particularly new to the genre while also not being polished enough to perfect the genre. That said, it's a solid game that makes me want to see more from this studio, and one I would recommend to fans of these shooters who want that welcome satisfaction of triumphing over a stiff challenge.
You could wind up with a losing first season but end up with a first-ballot Hall of Famer when their career is over. Or this could turn out to be a bust and get the head coach fired. Only time will tell because there is a lotta ballgame left.
These kinds of instances do more to point out the games' limitations instead of highlight them. Still, those fiending for a new throwback challenge have got your work cut out for you. I really enjoyed my time with the 30 some odd levels of Tiny Thor, but more so in spite of itself than because of it.
The underlying switching mechanic is strong and most of the platforming is solid in theory. It feels like this one needed more time in the oven, but a more refined version–or a sequel left to gestate–would probably provide a great time. As it stands, Chronicles of 2 Heroes is a mildly frustrating experience that I had to convince myself to keep playing for this review.
Teslagrad Remastered is an accomplished 2D platformer with a unique magnetic-based ability that shines while traversing the tower and being a puzzle-solving tool. Though the boss battles sometimes feel a little less tight an experience, that's a small blemish on an otherwise fantastic gameplay experience. With a fresh coat of paint and sharing the same price point as the original, this is an easy recommendation for those who enjoy older feeling indie platforms or as a primer to Teslagrad 2.
There's more to this narrative and this family that deserves to be included in the experience, and while the cooking segments definitely sing, I'm ultimately left feeling like I've been served an appetizer rather than a main course. It's beautiful in its colorful but minimalistic presentation and has a fitting musical score. I'm just longing to spend more time in Venba's charming kitchen and to be invited to share in more of the moments in her life.