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[Disclosure: The author of this article was sent a press mailer. This did not affect the review in any way.]
When you set aside the little performance issues on Nintendo Switch and the lack of some quality-of-life additions, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is still an excellent dungeon crawler with tons of demons to experiment with and several different endings for hardcore players to find. The game feels like it's dragging on sometimes by so heavily emphasizing gameplay over story, but when the gameplay is this solid and with the world renewed in HD, it's not much of a complaint. This is quite the appetizer from Atlus as the wait for Shin Megami Tensei V continues.
Despite its limitations, SnowRunner on Switch can rightfully be declared as a "late but great" kind of port. This is a rare occasion where Switch owners will feel their patience has been respected. Considering the complexity of SnowRunner's simulation, foliage-dense open maps, and high-quality exterior and interior models, the fact that this is all somehow running on a 7-inch tablet with 2015 hardware is simply amazing to me. This is a feature-for-feature port, so there's nothing that Switch owners are missing out on compared to on the other platforms. Rather, there's only the key addition of portable play. So, is it worth it? By all means!
New Pokémon Snap confidently demonstrates why the wait for a sequel was long past due. At every turn, it goes beyond the scope of the original game to provide an experience that's both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. On-rails photography journeys are enjoyable thanks to a plethora of secrets, fun items to use, and consistently interesting changes to each level. Modern quality-of-life features minimize any potential frustrations with not understanding how to best plan out your runs, while a slew of side quests, online functionality, and postgame bonuses add some meaningful replayability. Though it remains technically imperfect and may not justify its price tag for all players, it provides enough attention to detail to remind us of why we fell in love with Pokémon to begin with. New Pokémon Snap is a welcome return for the spin-off series and one that Pokémon fans shouldn't skip.
A code for There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension review was provided by the publisher.
World Splitter is a great puzzle platformer with a unique gameplay mechanic for solving perplexing challenges. With 60 unique levels to play, the game's difficulty is quite diverse as a result, offering the player a ton of replayablity through extra challenges. My only criticism is that the multiplayer mode could have been more realized, as the dimension rift mechanic is used extremely well in both modes. If you're a fan of puzzle games and have been wanting something to scratch that itch, World Splitter is a game for you.
With enjoyable sim gameplay, an engaging element combat system, and excellent boss fights, Smelter is a game with a lot of good pieces across 12-15 hours of play. Unfortunately, it never becomes more than the whole of its parts. The platforming level design feels a bit unremarkable, and the Trials ruin the pacing. Still, if you love ActRaiser or Mega Man X, there's enough to make Smelter worth recommending.
Overall, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a fun ride, albeit a short one. You can get through the whole main campaign within a few hours. However, it's worth it for the fun dialogue, interesting story, adorable characters, and ability to tear up financial documents. There's a lot of surreal Gen Z humor here in all the best ways. While there are issues with the controls, a lack of polish, and a decent helping of padding, I ultimately had a good time with Turnip Boy. It also reminded me to file my own taxes, preventing my greenhouse from being seized by the government for another year.
Pac-Man 99 is destined to become your latest addiction. Whether it's one match or ten matches in the same session, this is a pure pick-up-and-play title. The legendary Pac-Man gameplay is presented with a modern twist that is sure to leave fans happy. While the gameplay mechanics could have been explained better and the offline modes shouldn't have been locked behind a paywall, Pac-Man 99 is a fantastic reason to keep booting up your Switch. It's only been two weeks, and I can't imagine my Switch without Pac-Man 99 installed.
Rain on Your Parade is an excellent little game and is well worth anyone's time. It's cute, it's funny, and I've not played anything quite like it before. For me as a speedrunner, I'm always looking for new games to throw in my arsenal, so it says a lot to me about the quality of a game when I find one I seriously want to dedicate countless hours to. But I've certainly found such a game here. I believe just about everyone would be able to get some enjoyment out of Rain on Your Parade, and I might even go so far as to say it's my favorite indie I've played thus far this year.
Ultimately, Say No! More is short, vapid, and stupid… but it kind of works. Gameplay is basic almost to the point of meaningless, but when combined with its striking art style and funny writing and voice acting, it adds up to an experience unlike any other. Frankly, full price is too much to ask for a game this simple, but definitely consider it during sales.
If you like interesting experiences, beautiful stories, and powerful messages all wrapped up in a hot jazz soundtrack, you'll love Genesis Noir. However, be aware that it will not be without frustration, especially until the developers release a performance patch for Switch.
I Saw Black Clouds has some bold ideas, but the execution on a structural and technical level is a total failure. Even if the writing, acting, and scene editing were immaculate - which they are not - it would not forgive how all of the decisions the player makes carry no weight. Decisions only have consequences in vague, indirect, unpredictable ways, and it's extremely unsatisfying to have so little control over a story that isn't overly engaging in the first place. The best decision you can make is to just not play I Saw Black Clouds.
Overall, Rip Them Off is a pretty unique take on the tower defense genre. While there aren't a ton of maps, there's plenty of room to revisit them to try to improve your scores. Further, the later maps are incredibly difficult, so you'll probably be playing them for a while. Thankfully, the game accounts for these factors and provides an effective way to tinker with your setups. If you want a game that's easy to pick up, yet hard to master, Rip Them Off is well worth your time.
Ultimately, MazM: The Phantom of the Opera is worth playing, but not on Nintendo Switch. It would be a pleasant way to experience a classic novel, but unfortunately it's couched in an experience that does not translate well to the platform.
There is something here that can turn into a great series. If a sequel gets made for Kaze and the Wild Masks that leans more into its own ideas and tightens up its platforming, there isn't a doubt in my mind it can eventually become one of the greats.
Monster Hunter Rise respects your time with tons of content, ample upgrades and rewards for those wanting to get stronger. The game also understands that some players want to take their time with it, with no real sense of urgency to rush to the top of the ranks. I'm excited for the official launch of the game, as I'll be able to enjoy going out on hunts with my friends. Monster Hunter Rise is a game that I'll continue to play for a long time, as Capcom has promised additional content, with the first round arriving sometime in April.
If you're in the mood for a mobile-like puzzle experience, I highly recommend Sokodice on Nintendo Switch. Conceptually, it's easy to pick up, new mechanics are regularly added to increase puzzle variety and difficulty, and it's practically designed to fit perfectly in those little gaps in your day when you only have a few minutes to spare. A hint system would've been a nice addition, though it works well enough without it. One thing's for sure though - I'll definitely be coming back to this one off and on as I try to clean up them missing gold medals.
I understand that many people only have a Nintendo Switch as a primary console, and I'm saddened that this version of the game will be their first introduction to what is hands down one of my favorites to play. The poor performance and visuals make it almost unplayable and detract from its overall quality. It almost spoils the essence that is Apex Legends. It's a buggy mess of a shooter that I'm surprised was ported given its current condition on Nintendo Switch.
It's still nice that Nacon and its studios are supporting Nintendo Switch with the likes of WRC 9, but I hope future entries can try even harder to maximize the hardware's potential.