SmashPad's Reviews
While Shadow Labyrinth may not end up being a part of some folks' Metroidvania Mt. Rushmores like Hollow Knight or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, it stands strong in what it's trying to do despite its issues, and the Pac-Man mechanics lend themselves well to the genre. I'm eager to see how it evolves from here.
The unlikely addition of the best version of Street Fighter in years actually landing on a Nintendo console is a great aspect of the Switch 2 launch that genuinely elevates the system’s profile. With Virtua Fighter 5 REVO waiting in the wings with a yet-unannounced release date, and Soul Calibur II sitting there on the NSO GameCube app right from launch, Street Fighter 6 is the centerpiece of the best start a Nintendo console has ever had for fighting games.
Consider Tamagotchi Plaza an easy skip unless you or someone you know is the most hardcore of fans who can tell their Memetchis from their Kuchipatchis. Even then I don’t see them playing this game for more than a couple hours.
For all the enjoyment and cool information you can get playing this game for two hours, it’s absolutely worth more than the $10 you’ll pay at Starbucks or any fast food joint for whatever you want there. Should it have been a pack-in, especially after Nintendo “took the $30 hit” with the Mario Kart World bundle? Yes, probably, but after spending considerable time with it, I wouldn’t criticize anybody for spending $10 on Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour at all.
Clair Obscur came at the wrong place at the wrong time for me, and I wish I was a part of another timeline that allowed me to enjoy it more than I actually did. So for those who come after, if you’re someone that hasn’t made time for it yet, do make sure that there are no other distractions when you begin your expedition.
For everything that Ruffy and the Riverside tries to do, especially when compared to other 3D platformers, the game’s style and gameplay really stand out to give it a nice bit of charm. It’s got a fun and catchy soundtrack to boot. At the same time, if you’re not somebody who’s into solving puzzles and don’t really like looking around for items, Ruffy might not be your cup of tea.
After it’s all said and done, to a T is an easy recommendation. With its adorable art style, catchy soundtrack, interesting but weird story with amazing themes and lessons on bullying and individuality, to a T is cozy gaming at its finest and should not be overlooked among the dearth of amazing indie games released this year already.
From an unexpectedly profound plot to its familiar yet modern take on old-school game that both borrows from other greats in addition to bringing cool ideas, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is definitely easy to recommend to anyone who wants something different from top-down games. If Pocket Trap isn’t on your list of indie studios to watch now, it definitely should be.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is a very enjoyable little game that’s easy to recommend for anybody looking for a quick and fun experience. Still, it suffers from the same issues the last game had — it could be considered too short due to the fact that there’s only one case to solve.
A lot of fans consider Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny to be the best game in the series, and while that may be the case, like Onimusha Warlords before it, it hasn’t aged well.
South of Midnight succeeds at shedding light on stories not often told and does it by offering unique perspectives, but this is also a situation where the game itself isn’t as interesting as its imposed experience.
despelote is a chill experience, and chill can mean a lot of things. It can be good, it can be bad, and it can be boring. There’ll be plenty of times in life you’ll be chilling with people you don’t know, doing things you don’t care about, but they’ll still be memorable. That’s exactly what despelote is.
What you are seeing is far more ambitious than it is letting on, so much so that I was left literally gobsmacked by what I experienced.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage just might be one of the worst games I’ve ever finished in a long time, but that might be due to the kind of person that I am. I love most of the Life is Strange games and a majority of games in the same vain that Don’t Nod is responsible for, but this was not one of them. I personally think women or just people who might relate more to Swann’s character will have a greater appreciation for what this game represents, but considering my struggles with how to shape the character, I feel like a lot of other people will have the same issues.
While I can’t say it’s Ubisoft’s savior, I can say it’s easily one of the best entries in the series yet.
If you’re looking for a short experience that’ll make you feel, or if you want something that’ll tide you over as you wait for a bigger title, Koira should resonate with a lot of people.
This is probably one of the best (if not the best) cozy games I’ve encountered, but unlike a lot of other games of this genre, the coziness is not just surface level. You can genuinely relax with this game, and honestly it’s a little depressing after it’s over.
Despite the fact that the main wrestling gameplay is getting to the point I can no longer compete, I am still finding a good deal to enjoy in WWE 2K25. I do hope the team can make an effort to listen to the feedback of those with low vision and add options in the next game to make it more playable.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii isn’t without its issues, especially with how it handles performance transitioning from a key battle back to the campaign, but it’s a B-level game that totally embraces that role with the love and care obviously put into it. The industry needs more B games, and I absolutely loved this one.
Monster Hunter Wilds improves upon World and Rise in just about every aspect, and nuances in gameplay such as the focus strikes will definitely make it more approachable to newcomers, but the best part of the game is that it remains true to the biggest fact of the series--you'll get as much fun as the time you put in.