SmashPad's Reviews
Demon Tides is another example of how good tributes to older games can be, this time in the 3D action-adventure space. While the graphical fidelity is a little rough around the edges at times, the core game is a vibrant, sea-hopping adventure that I can’t get enough of. I absolutely love exploring every inch of the sea and bouncing my way through all kinds of platforming challenges. If you are someone that enjoys games like A Hat in Time or Bowser’s Fury, I can’t recommend this game enough.
It has some real issues as a whole, but I really enjoyed my time with God of War: Sons of Sparta. Black Cat Studios did an admirable job translating the God of War experience into a Metroidvania. It’s nowhere near as fast-paced as any of its AAA entries, but I thought the story they told and the game’s end was a nice mix of what we’ve seen from the series in the past and the present day. That said, slow pacing and fluff really prevent this from being a wholehearted recommendation, especially with it’s $30 asking price when far superior titles can be had for much less.
It's not every day a game has such a profound emotional effect on me, and even less so with pixel art platformers. But Love Eternal is one of the weirdest games I've ever played, and in all the most complimentary ways.
Mario Tennis Fever, at its core, is a great game of tennis. Features this time around add a lot more to the core game than previous titles, and both the online and local multiplayer modes are pretty great. Unfortunately, the lack of quality content makes this hard to recommend to everyone.
"This edition of Rayman comes with limitations that will easily be noticed by someone who has played the games on their original platforms and knows what it’s like to journey through the platformer through different accessibility options. “Old is gold” only applies to experiences that are worthy of shining, but not all that glitters is gold."
This one’s an easy recommendation for any shooter fan, but not everyone will appreciate the (wacky) humor. That tells us how, even as a twisted niche, High of Life 2 succeeds at creating a memorable experience in a market that may crave more single-player adventures.
Under the Island is presented as a cozy version of that style of action adventure game, which doesn’t really result in the sort of game that comes to mind as a cozy game. It’s more like a Zelda game that isn’t super aggressive to challenge your skills and has a lot of variety to its dungeons to subvert your expectations.
It's hard not to recommend ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard, so of course I will. The puzzles are satisfying, I felt immense satisfaction working within (and out of) its boundaries, and now I feel like I could apply to be in Mensa. The places it goes, literally and figuratively, are things I haven't seen done in a game like this before.
Escape From Ever After is a game that not only stays true to its roots, but flourishes in its pursuit to take its inspiration and run with it in its own direction. The story is as wonderful as it is scarily relevant, and is complimented by a fun cast of characters and visually interesting storybook worlds to traverse through. If you’ve been looking for a game that evokes the same enjoyment of a classic Paper Mario game, look no further than this one.
Romeo is a Dead Man doesn’t hit all the notes it hoped to hit. When the action is on high, it’s thrilling, but its heavy-handed outlandishness and muddled graphics detract from it. That’s not to say what Grasshopper Manufacture crafted is bad in any way, as it is an endearing love letter to sci-fi and one of the most out-there titles on the market. It’s more so that it feels like the studio could do more to fine tune things, but didn’t get to.
Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.
It’s unfortunate that most people reading this have already made up their minds about Highguard, some through playing it themselves, others dismissing it outright due to a number of factors, and the few that just aren’t into this kind of game and are reasonable about it. If you are reading this and there’s a spark of curiosity in you about it, dive in.
4PGP’s appeal depends on how much of a purist you are about your arcade racing, because while it gets the aesthetic elements down flawlessly, and despite the genuine credibility that comes with bringing people like Sasaki and Kawamura along, it ultimately comes off more as a solo console player’s idea of what an arcade racing game is like, rather than what an actual arcade racing game is at the core. It’s 2026 and we can’t be too choosy, and if you’re not too hung up on the arcade design elements, this is a very easy game to recommend.
Nioh 3 is an excellent entry in the series, simply because of how open it is to experimentation. The dual fighting styles between a Samurai and a Ninja highlight this aspect of its gameplay philosophy, and that’s just the beginning of what you can expect from Team Ninja’s commitment to an intricate combat and exploration system. If you’ve never played a Nioh game before, that’s okay! I believe this one can attract a lot of new fans to the series.
I enjoyed the heck out of the gameplay, and somewhat importantly, it scratches the collecting itch. I want to keep playing, but I’ll probably do it on Steam because of the Switch's performance and skip the Apple Arcade subscription.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined succeeds at taking a big swing at modernizing a gargantuan classic, and asks how much can be trimmed while still retaining its identity. For players willing to embrace a tighter, more efficient version of the game, it succeeds beautifully. For those hoping for the sprawling, slow-burning adventure of the PSX or 3DS versions, some of that magic has been sacrificed. But regardless of which camp you’re in, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a thoughtful and fascinating take on one of the most divisive games in the series and one that is worthy of your time.
Every time I got to a base on the mountain where I could walk a little and set up camp, I'd take a look back at the distance and remember what it took to get up there. The fact that a video game can make me think all that really makes it special.
Seafrog is a delightful indie gem that has fun exploration, engaging movement controls, and a decent bit of challenge when it comes to nailing the perfect balance of movement style and speed. This game puts an interesting spin on the metroidvania genre with its skating controls, prioritizing movement tech over raw exploration.
While I enjoyed my time with Big Hops, it wasn’t the must-play I was expecting it to be. But there are plenty of elements in the game that really give Luckshot’s next platforming or puzzle project a lot of potential, provided they really focus on the fun of either side.
Trails Beyond the Horizon is a game that feels like it's setting up the foundation to pay off the fandom with a conclusion that's set to surprise people, for better or for worse. Five years ago, I likened Trails of Cold Steel IV to Avengers Endgame. Trails Beyond the Horizon might as well be Avengers Doomsday, and there's no telling what to expect when the sequel comes out.