SmashPad's Reviews
This is a fantastic Splatoon game, and that’s exactly what me and millions of other fans were looking for. If you’ve been wanting to experience this series but wanted a single-player focused experience, this is where you’ll want to start.
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind randomly playing a video game with a friend, family member, or loved one present, they probably already know that you’re someone into the medium and will likely not bother you for the rest of the session. Every once in a while, though, there’s a game that’ll get the attention of such people, likely to a point where they’ll want to join you or at least ask, “What are you playing?” That’s one of the best feelings in the world, and it’s a feat that I think Rhythm Heaven Groove accomplishes whenever it’s played around people. It’s a big part of what makes the series great.
In all, it’s a worthwhile trip back to the original Halo installation. Halo Studios captured the vibes for this one, reminding us why this was so successful in the first place.
Despite its missed opportunities, Truxton Extreme is still a good game at its core. The story mode can provide a challenge for the most hardened shmup vets, the heartstopper mode can offer a casual entry point into the genre for new players, and the arcade mode is there for players who want to experience a little more.
Kusan: City of Wolves is kinetic, deliberate, bloody, and fun. There are many ways to play it, which is commendable for individual expression and replayability. I hope it finds an audience and a tight community to show us how the game can really be played.
While it can be on the shorter side if you’re not aiming to crack open every treasure chest, Fading Echo is a fantastic action-adventure game with some simple RPG mechanics for upgrading your combat and traversal skills.
I can't help but recommend Avatar Legends pretty highly because of its charm and uncompromising grit in an increasingly crowded AA fighting game lane. Here's to more updates and additions from the devs to keep it alive and thriving!
I would highly recommend OPUS: Prism Peak, but not the Switch 2 version, at least not until they iron out the bugs with more patches. Get it on PC instead.
So if a Zelda-like game from Team Asano interests you, I'd absolutely recommend The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. I'd also advise that going the extra mile and sweating out the repetition for that true final ending is absolutely worth your time, and I think you're doing a disservice to yourself if you stop at any of the initial two endings.
Monopoly Star Wars: Heroes and Villains, as Anakin may put it, isn’t “rough and irritating” like sand, but it isn’t particularly playing “soft and smooth” like Naboo either. It’s somewhere in the middle.
I’m very disappointed in Disgaea Mayhem. I do very much enjoy the combat and the item worlds can be fun since they’re one of the only ways to fight actual hordes, but the game is far too short, the levels are far too simple, and the devs have simply added in a bunch of dull grinding in lieu of anything substantial.
Denshattack! is fun, fresh, vibrant, stylish, bold, joyous, and effortlessly cool; an adrenaline-fueled adventure of defiance and friendship, brimming with hope and heart. What a great game. This is a masterclass of design and mechanics, inspired by its differences and uniqueness.
This was a short but sweet game about finding your place in the world, pushing boundaries, and making sure people around you felt comfortable being who they are and, most importantly, happy.
If you are looking for an interesting story, unique puzzle mechanics, and enjoyable exploration, Moss: The Forgotten Relic is hard to beat, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more adorable protagonist in gaming this year.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is a great remake of the classic pirate adventure, with some small additions and adjustments. It’s the perfect entry for newcomers looking to finally sail the seas with Edward and crew. For returning fans, it’s the same swashbuckling good time, just refreshed. It doesn’t go above and beyond, but it does enough to justify its existence.
College Football 27 has been the hardest sports game to review in my time in the industry because so much of my time playing it has been spent feeling frustrated by the many stupid bugs and errors that waste my time. Everything in this version of the game puts enough barriers to the fun parts of Road to Glory and Dynasty to make me hope they get it fixed in future updates, or even a Day 1 patch, which would make this review functionally useless. Even then, these are the experiences I’ve had playing the game since the seven days before launch, and it’s been such a surprise that it’s hard to really describe it that well here. I’d recommend waiting to see how things go with the updates in the future, and hopefully those updates address all our problems.
Casual players should think twice (or thrice) about committing to a purchase, but for the diehards who have been finding new ways to turn Relink on its head and smash into its boundaries for the last two years, this expansion hands you the keys to nigh-boundless adventure, as expansive as the skydom itself. Enjoy responsibly, and I won't think any less of you for wanting to tap out.
Despite issues like an unnecessary maze and out-of-place sci-fi premise, Deer & Boy is an adorable narrative adventure that I would recommend. Some of the puzzles are a bit confusing due to a lack of visual cues, but the puzzle gameplay is rewarding for the most part.
At the end of the day, Star Fox’s biggest strength and most fatal flaw are one in the same: It’s just Star Fox 64 again. On hand, that’s why it’s so much fun to play. It is a pretty good remake of a borderline perfect video game. But it also has to measure up to a borderline perfect video game, which it simply doesn’t in some important regards. I’m satisfied with what I’ve played, but also beyond ready for an actual new Star Fox game.
As a Filipino-American, one of my biggest issues with Afterimages was that it didn’t feel Filipino. Aside from actually mentioning the Philippines and using Tagalog words (and having the UI immediately translate them), I just felt like the game’s setting was generic, and while I can understand making a game that’ll appeal to more people, Until Then isn’t that kind of game.