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While I’m happy gaming has become more accessible, I also miss its more obtuse era where games were willing to let players sink to learn how to swim. The depths of Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal are immense and it took me quite a while to find my footing, but the game design is so strong I’d say this is worth taking a look at some point. It has already hooked me on this kind of game, and I’d be very interested to see if more of the classic titles ever make their way over to Nintendo Switch.
As a kid, I used to adore the likes of Where’s Wally? and Hidden Through Time 2: Myths and Magic fills me with those same warm and cosy feelings I had all those years ago scanning busy scenes and gleefully checking off another tough find. A perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch and a perfect game for those looking for something far more chill.
Even 20 years on, Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s ingenuity in its puzzle design shines through – its Toy Box delightfully crammed with surprising gameplay elements that I haven’t seen in the puzzle genre since. Now that Mini-Marios are a hot ticket product once more, we can only hope that we won’t have to wait so long for another fun-packed puzzling adventure for the whole family.
I think some of the hardest games to review are ones that speak for themselves, but those are so often the easiest to play and enjoy. I wouldn’t say the original Star Ocean 2 falls in that category, but it is a game so massive in scope for a PS1 RPG that I couldn’t help but respect it despite my disinterest. Star Ocean: The Second Story R attempts to smooth out the experience in so many subtle ways that it turns it into a modern classic. I don’t think remakes need to follow any particular rules, but for faithful ones this is a new standard. It encourages players to indulge in side content by signposting it all so well, which is great. I think the story is a bit predictable and the cast is far from my favorites, but the gameplay itself is so engaging that it smooths over these issues. This is perhaps the best rerelease I’ve seen from Square Enix, and even if I don’t think it makes the original a perfect game it is so full of love for the source material that it’s beyond commendable.
I’m not sure I’d be able to recommend Another Code: Recollection to people who prefer a higher ratio of puzzle to story in their adventure games, but if you’re fond of visual novels I think this is a solid recommendation. If you have a younger relative looking for something unlike anything currently on the market, I think this would make for an incredible gift. It might just change the way they see the world, and speak to them in a way no other games are capable of.
As the first major video game release of 2024, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sets the bar high. Very high in fact. Not just an excellent Metroidvania but also a brilliantly refreshing new direction for Prince of Persia, one that surprises throughout its 15-plus hour adventure whilst remaining true to the series’ core elements.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder left me spellbound. Nintendo remains at the top of its game, and the Flower Kingdom is the perfect playground for its sprightly reinvention of what we have come to expect from setting out on a 2D side-scrolling adventure with Mario and his pals. This world of wonder comes crammed with the most whizz-popping surprises, making for a kaleidoscopic trip to the Flower Kingdom that is simply unmissable.
Where the series goes next from here is anyone’s guess, but, when I didn’t think that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could be surpassed, it’s clear that Nintendo is more than capable of achieving the impossible.
Despite faltering in its plot delivery and the absence of meaningful decision-making, Fire Emblem Engage once again allows Intelligent Systems to demonstrate its unparalleled strategic brilliance and unquestionable dominance in the genre. It isn’t a game that is lacking in heroic ambition, in many ways evolving its own formula triumphantly beyond what was achieved with Fire Emblem: Three Houses but otherwise disappointingly falling short in others.
If you can look past this, you are rewarded with one of ATLUS’ most impactful works of art in the most accessible way possible. The art is not lost, even if I wish there was a version where we could have had the best of all worlds. Persona 3 Portable, as a game, is incredible and this revisit has made me realize how much it means to me. I get the disappointment, I do, but as a modern version, I think it holds up alright. This game deserves better, and I think if the backgrounds weren’t sticking out like a sore thumb this would be a glowing recommendation. As of now I can really just say that if you play this on Nintendo Switch you’re in for a good time.
Long stretching RPGs are exactly the type of game I try to steer away from, opting instead to spend my time with shorter more compact adventures. My rule is shorter games means more games. Persona 5 Royal may well be the longest RPG I’ve experienced but that journey with the Phantom Thieves was one filled with so many countless highs it left me questioning if I should change that rule. It may have taken its sweet time but Persona 5 has finally made its way over to Switch and there’s little denying it was well worth the wait.
What Monolith Soft has achieved with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 went far beyond my expectations. The developer’s masterful approach to character development and world-building results in an unforgettable adventure that is set in a world that is just as remarkable to explore. It is the emotional storytelling that makes it an unmissable journey that’s worth undertaking, elevating the experience to not only be considered as a Game of the Year contender but an all-time classic that will be remembered for decades to come.
There are those times you just know you’re onto something truly special, a game that when you aren’t playing, you’re thinking about playing. Wondering where your next session may lead or what the story might reveal. Neon White is one of said games, an experience that’s always exciting, often amusing and never a dull moment. Easily one of the best and most electrifying releases of 2022.
Make no mistake; Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a good game. With a great variety in themes, inventive bosses, and some really cool small ideas that break up the main gameplay elements.
What CD Projekt Red and Saber Interactive have done to make the Nintendo Switch version possible is a stunning achievement in its own right.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is just as magical as it ever was, and, in being remade, has lost none of the charm that made the original so special in the first place.
Astral Chain is yet another addition to the Nintendo Switch library that will be fondly remembered for decades to come.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is unrivaled in its scope and execution on Nintendo Switch to resoundingly deliver strategic perfection, whether at home or on the move. With a memorable cast of characters each with their own motivations – complemented with remarkable voice acting – it is the meticulous worldbuilding that elevates it to become one of the best games available on the portable home console. More than that, it's Fire Emblem at its very best.
It’s funny every time I try to finalize this review I remember an exciting feature I’d forgotten to mention and have to go back. That’s the kind of game Super Mario Maker 2 is though. It’s a game that builds on the original in a number of smart ways introducing a wealth of new features, entertaining modes and appreciated improvements.
There’s a need for extra content to fill out what’s currently on offer, as My Friend Pedro could easily benefit from a much-needed encore with a bag full of boomsticks and a few more bullets to the head.