SmashPad's Reviews
Now that every episode is available, it’s clear that AdHoc Studio’s hard work and dedication made Dispatch stand out in all the best ways possible. Dispatch is the result of learning from mistakes made in the genre, while doing just enough to make it special.
With robust content like more zones than I expected, tool upgrades, and the gradually unfolding stories from your neighbors, this game promises to keep many gamers happy this winter. I know I’m going to be playing and replaying this for a while.
The quality of a multiplayer game is more fluid than ever nowadays as time goes on. But at this point in time, Battlefield 6 is a pretty enjoyable game, and I hope it stays that way. However, I also hope EA doesn’t take its broadly positive reception so far as a sign that reaching the standard is as sufficient or desirable as raising it.
Goodnight Universe does have its captivating points and the story did leave a smile on my face when I rolled credits, but that was mostly because I was finally done. There just isn’t enough here to recommend it at this point of the year at the price its being offered for, even if you played it the way it’s meant to be played–on a PC with a webcam.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A continues the progression the series has made since arriving on the Switch. It’s a pretty similar formula to what the series has been like since it debuted more than 30 years ago, but with enough quality-of-life changes and a new battle system to freshen it up. It looks gorgeous on the Switch 2, despite some off-looking textures here and there. It’s a promising vision of what’s to come with the long-running series and a great addition to any Pokémon fan’s Switch library.
Once Upon a Katamari is a good addition to the series, opting for an entertaining theme of traveling between different points in time. The tried-and-true gameplay is as smooth as ever, and the new customization options allow for a more personal experience to roll through. That said, the game unfortunately gets held back by a constant string of tutorials and telling the player where to go instead of allowing them to explore on their own terms.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Mortal Kombat, or you are just getting into the series via its modern versions, Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection is a great way to experience the series’ formative era on modern platforms. It isn’t a complete collection, but it does hit all the landmark titles of the series’ growing phase.
Maybe with a bit of post-launch updating some of this stuff could be worked on and enhanced, but as the game is now, Double Dragon Revive is only recommended if you have a Double Dragon shaped hole in your life that needs to be filled immediately. Otherwise, wait on it a bit. It’s not an outright pass, but Double Dragon Revive is a game you’re going to need to be in a very patient mood to play.
Majogami is a decent game with good ideas, but could stand to push the envelope further when it comes to level depth and exploration. The visual style is an absolute treat, and compliments the combat well, while also allowing for some fascinating character designs. However, progression feels hindered by variable difficulty spikes and a necessity for grinding currency to engage more with the variety of combat abilities in the game.
Despite some bloat, as a whole, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake did an outstanding job making the Erdrick Trilogy feel more epic and cohesive than ever, and this effort has given me a more fond appreciation for it, which to me was the goal all along.
Bounty Star has a good concept, and it has potential, but the end product as it stands now just doesn't measure up. It'll take some serious tune ups before I'm willing to ride into this desert again.
I liked Full Metal Schoolgirl overall, but its large consequences for dying during the campaign, the uselessness of many of its weapons, and general jank will deter a lot of potential players. But if lady androids demolishing hundreds of robots sounds great to you, it's still worth a look.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted has been a really fun way to play PvZ once again in a package that is a solid improvement over the original PC version in most ways, but it has enough flaws in the controls and audio that keeps it from being a perfect upgrade for old fans and new players.
I’ve tried to be as even-handed as possible with this review because I am a diehard Ninja Gaiden fan. I have played since the 8-bit days on the original Nintendo, and I also really dig Platinum Games and what they produce. If you are in one camp or the other, you’re either going to be pissed or you’re going to be happy. If you like both, you may end up confused, disappointed, or really happy, because Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t really a proper Ninja Gaiden game nor is it a pure Platinum game.
I don’t know if the game will be able to find that much of an audience, as it’s very much an artistic game and favors visuals and vibes over complex game systems and an extended playtime. But this is a game that truly feels special, as its incredible art direction, clever game design, and sublime pacing make for a very unique few hours.
Yooka-Replaylee is fun, but it lacks the sense of wonder that those old games to create. The various worlds themselves still feel kind of generic, even with the redesigns (ice level, swamp level, vague space pirate level, you get the idea), and yet somehow are also incredibly convoluted and hard to traverse (hence the map).
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is good. It's just that the story takes too long to get going, the fast travel is archaic, and there are too many menus to scroll through. You would think a game about time travel would do better getting with the times.
Little Nightmares III is a very good game and Supermassive’s first attempt is a more than valid entry to the series thanks to its timeless art style and terrifying yet riveting design that’s thankfully a tad more lengthy than its predecessors. Its problem is that it doesn’t give players completely free reign to play how they want to play, needlessly locking them into whether they started solo or with a friend. With a friend, the game is absolutely enjoyable despite its lack of dedicated voice chat. Playing solo is also fun, but it doesn’t do much different than the previous game did as a single player experience.
Baiyon has made another cool game that has just enough flaws to keep the average player at bay that isn’t bought into the concept based on the director’s pedigree alone. I would say that PixelJunk Eden is still his best work, but this may be his most interesting project of all, despite its flaws.
It’s disappointing that none of the licenses we’ve seen other in LEGO games make an appearance here, but the game more than makes up for it with the amount of fun and polish each minigame offers, and at $40, I’d definitely recommend this over most Mario Party games, and if DLC comes that does bring known IP to the mix, I just might partake.