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When you're going back-to-back-to-back with one genre of game, they can start to run together. I'm glad Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani avoided the urge to lock portions of the game behind completion, and hope this happens more in the future-though hopefully the next romance game I play will have a little more sunlight in it.
It isn't downright bad by any means, just like going back and playing the original God of War on PS2 isn't bad either. But that design is really only excusable in the context of its time. Blackwind will have some appeal to hardcore fans of early 2000's action games, but without those rose tinted glasses, there isn't much here to help it rise above mediocrity.
The boss battles that deftly mix combat and golf are tons of fun. But then you might hit a wall where you just need to grind, whether it's by pounding down enemies or golfing on loop, and the whole experience suffers. Still, I'm heartened that we live in a world where we have multiple options for retro-ish golf RPGs and they're both pretty good.
Still, I'm happy that Night Dive didn't try to fix the game for a modern audience. This is game preservation as it should be-keep the wrinkles, warts, and missteps; add cut content wherever possible (as it informs the game's original intent); let strengths of the original games speak for themselves. Shadow Man is not a great game in 2021, but in 1999, it was ambitious and inventive, and being able to experience this game as it was meant to be released and played is valuable and enjoyable.
The soundtrack is stellar and completes the package on display here. It's a game that can be enjoyed for all ages and if you decide to pursue all the sidequests, complete the decorating minigames, and find all of the collectibles, you can certainly spend a lot of time in the world of Chicory. My only gripe is a personal one-that I didn't play this game last year-because without a doubt it makes for a wonderful late addition to the best of what 2021 had to offer. I cannot wait to see what Greg, Lena, Em, Alexis and Madeline will make next, because Chicory can't be described as anything other than a piece of modern art.
Headland is a cute game with a heartwarming narrative that is just simply enjoyable. It doesn't hit high highs and the only real brushes with low lows are the dregs of the combat. I'd most recommend it if you have a younger gamer in your household looking for a charming romp with a positive message about creativity.
There's so much to dig into and explore that it's easy to lose hours upon hours without batting an eye. Despite the learning curve, I found myself putting on my headphones and zoning out to the sweet soundtrack and some mindless digging. I wish that the systems were explained a little bit better but some light reading and personal discovery help this underrated indie shine.
Bonfire Peaks is a stunning game that I feel will attract many for its aesthetic alone. A large portion of those will stay for the gameplay, but I can fully relate to players who become frustrated with the movement controls and difficulty spike later on. Aside from the gameplay grumps, the world in which Corey Martin has created tells an isolated yet beautiful tale of a man looking for closure by burning his things, and I am glad I got to experience this.
Aladdin holds up as a great platformer of the era, but Jungle Book simply does not. All of the museum extras are incredible, but might not be as worthwhile unless you're interested in the history and legacy of these games. Combine this DLC with the original content and it's an excellent historical collection that paints a cel-animated picture of a specific era of Disney video games during a time when adaptations of animated movies were much bigger events.
Such rumblings invoke a greater discussion on whether a sequel should be made with the same or different mini-games, or if this title could now act as a platform for the series. It's a tricky issue, that I don't envy the creators having to face, but the fact of the matter is that NDCube has set a bar for themselves now that they absolutely cannot afford to go under. Whether they continue to remake older, beloved experiences, or take this success as an experience to apply to new, original content, they have won me over with this Mario Party. I suspect this get-together is one for the books.
Combat wasn't bad, but I always generally wanted more of the better parts of the game, like the slick soundtrack. By the end of my time with Dungeon Munchies, I certainly wasn't full. I felt like it deserved more and could be more, maybe a little more time in the oven.
Okinawa Rush attracted me the moment I played it and dragged me in with its visceral, fast paced powerful battles. You won't find a developed story or a stellar soundtrack, but sound design in combat is top tier, with each hit feeling like it's forceful enough to crush skulls. If a dark, gruesome brawler that empowers you to be a badass is what you're itching for, then Okinawa Rush is just the right scratch for you.
After all these years, I'm still a zealot for the Picross S (and its predecessors) even if innovation and evolution is slow paced. Seeing touchscreen support added after more than four years of Switch releases is great to see, and hopefully more upgrades and updates will come to Picross S8 and more in the future. Until then, here's almost 500 new puzzles that are at the same solid level of execution as the thousands Jupiter has made in the past.
The time I spent on Jabberwock Island was well worth it, even when it killed off a character I had begun to like hanging out with. It may be dated in a lot of ways, but it also still holds up surprisingly well in a lot of other aspects. If you like a good set of murder mysteries featuring a consistent cast of characters, Danganronpa is one of the best places to get that experience, and this sequel is no different in that regard.
undefined.Sadly I am much less conflicted on the quality of the Switch port in particular. While none of the problems are significant enough to truly prevent someone from enjoying this game, the fact that such fundamental problems from a previous version have not been addressed makes it difficult to justify this version over any others. I think it's worth seeking out and trying Danganronpa for yourself, but I can't recommend doing so by playing a port of the mobile version running poorly on Switch.
RDBR locks you into a system that doesn't seem to understand what has made YGO so diverse and fun to play. If anything, I'm glad we got Rush Duels out of the way since next year will see the release of a proper YGO card simulator in the form of Master Duel. If this is all we hear of Rush Duel in the West, that will be fine by me. With this Battle Royale, everyone ends up being the loser.
Now that a third of the game isn't enough to make my inner English teacher want to have someone at the publisher see me after class, I think there's a decent effort in Cupid Parasite. There's still typos which I'm becoming more sensitive to, and the controls are a bit irritating if you're trying to do anything beyond advancing text, but it's a unique take on the legends of Cupid.
There are hidden memories to unlock in each chapter, too. Despite a few abrupt time skips and scene jumps, Alex's story is one worth hearing; it culminates in a captivating climax, even if the resolution pulls its punches a bit. Color me eager to see more Life is Strange titles come to the Switch in the coming months.
Trash Quest is far from a piece of eShop garbage. It's actually a brief but delightful and welcome addition to the Metroidvania stable on Switch. Online leaderboards that track your clear time, among other things, adds a heaping of replay value. Still, it's not much of a challenge to complete the game with a 100 percent rate, so enjoy the experience while it lasts. If you're dumpster diving for a palette cleanser in-between some larger titles this holiday season, do yourself a favor and consider helping a raccoon on its Trash Quest.
The five stages have a high score element, but if you're in it to explore the levels, beat the difficulty modes, and romp around it all with a friend, there's still not a lot to do here. I'm happy I can say I played Clockwork Aquario, but outside of supporting game preservation, I can't say it's something you need to drop everything and play. It's cute and fun, but more as a curiosity than a game to keep coming back to.