Worth Playing
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In the end, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a perfectly adequate collection of three very good games. Even if Sunshine isn't to your taste, Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy are two of the finest platformers ever made, and they absolutely make the collection worthwhile. The only disappointment is that not enough was done to adjust and touch up the games for the Switch. Despite that shortcoming, there's hardly a better bang for your buck on the Switch than Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and it is a must-have for any Switch owner. Just remember that for some reason, it's only available for purchase through March 2021.
Spelunky 2 is more of Spelunky, and that is all it needs to be. It is still ridiculously enjoyable, packed with content, and the right mix of challenging and engaging. It's still going to kill you a half-dozen times, too. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it revitalizes an experience that risked going stale after a decade. The only downside is that the online experience isn't the best, but the rest of the game holds up great. If you liked Spelunky, then you'll like Spelunky 2, and if you never played the original, then Spelunky 2 is a great place to start. Just remember to always look before you leap.
Hades is Supergiant's best game yet, and that is high praise. While it lacks some of the emotional punch of Bastion, that is basically the only area where it lags behind. The characters are likeable, the gameplay is phenomenally fun, the soundtrack is amazing, and the entire game is a joy. Even if you're not a fan of roguelikes, it's worth giving Hades a shot because it is the embodiment of a roguelike done right. It's easily one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, and it's a solid port. Hades is a must-play and easily one of the best games of the year.
In a few months, Necronator: Dead Wrong could be a solid addition to the Slay the Spire-inspired card builder roguelike genre. As it stands now, it doesn't have the polish or content to stand out. The visuals are nice, the humor is amusing, and there's a lot of potential here, but the game is still obviously in production. Considering the glut of similar games on the market, Necronator isn't worth picking up until it has all of its playable characters. I'd like to be more positive about it, but I can only judge the game as it is, not as it will be. In a few months, I hope that most of my complaints will be addressed, but until then, I'd recommend finding a more complete game to play.
It's very easy to see Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions being a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game. It's a fun representation of the insane, over-the-top action of a sports anime, but it's not a very good soccer game. Despite having multiplayer modes, it's unlikely to hold your attention unless you're deep into building up perfect teams of talented misfits. Still, fans of the anime should enjoy it, and newcomers wondering about Tsubasa will probably find it to be a fine introduction to the franchise.
Huntdown has been out for a while, but it's a good, silly tonic for players looking for a nice distraction from all of the heavy and involved open-world adventuring out there. It'll scratch most of your action itches and, if you're a certain age like me, it'll bring back a few memories of a bygone era. It's not the worst thing to think about.
Mr. Driller: DrillLand is an excellent game for puzzle fans of all types. Longtime series fans will find that this is the pinnacle of the series, with almost endless replayability due to formula variations and online leaderboards. New fans will find this to be the perfect entry point given the variety and available difficulty settings. Unless you absolutely dislike puzzle titles, DrillLand is worth a spin.
In sum, Skater XL tries to fill a void in the world of skateboarding video games by offering a valiant blend of the familiar and innovative. The music and aesthetic are warm and welcoming to build a carefree experience for the player. The settings are bright, crisp, and appealing, but the controls and game layout that Easy Day Studios decided to embrace seems misguided. The freedom to explore and create your own lines may be liberating for some, but the lack of direction can leave players cold. Most sandbox games offer something tangible to work toward, to build, to interact with, etc. This same sort of goal isn't in Skater XL, which makes the experience feel blasé. While the game's website touts that there are no specific inputs for tricks as a selling point, this sort of freedom is a nasty combination of overwhelming and undefined. Games generally work when the player is either presented with goals to reach or a world to explore, but Skater XL doesn't provide enough of either to be a fulfilling experience.
As stated in the beginning of the review, Infini rewards those who can accept its oddities. The story and presentation aren't going to be accepted by the masses, but if you're up for something that you likely haven't seen before and want to try out some atypical puzzles, give Infini a shot.
Windbound looked to be a great many things, but it turned out to be a standard survival-roguelike crossover with some promising areas that never reached their full potential. An overly cruel death mechanic and repeating vistas are what ultimately drag down an otherwise solid and partially fun survival game. With the right expectations, Windbound is a solid offering that doesn't stray too far from its survival core.
At most, some people could consider Potata: Fairy Flower to be fine. The platforming is good enough, and the game's multiple endings provide a reason for a few replays of the short journey. Even the combat is serviceable once you recognize the game's faint tells about landing hits or being hit. However, from the boring puzzles to the bad translation and the performance and graphical issues, there's enough here to drain one's enthusiasm for the title. There are worse platformers out there, but there are also loads of other better platformers to enjoy before spending time with this one.
After everything I've mentioned so far, it's not a surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed Spiritfarer. What initially looked like an eerie combination revealed itself to be a thoughtful, relaxing, and enjoyable journey that deals with loss and caring in heartwarming ways. It's not a flawless masterpiece or a crowd-pleaser, but it knows what it's good at and executes it to an incredibly satisfying degree. If you vaguely enjoy titles like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, be sure to pick up Spiritfarer.
Tell Me Why is a memorable experience that's done well. The adventure portions are a good reminder to adventure game fans that the classic experience of logical puzzle-solving is alive and well, but the narrative becomes the driving force for completing the title. From the natural reactions to the characters to the assurances that the subjects of culture and transgenderism aren't just there for show, everything is elevated to the level of some of the best television dramas. For those who want something that's still considered new in the gaming landscape, Tell Me Why is a title that's well worth checking out.
Wasteland 3 does everything you expect from the series but in a sleeker package. From the freedom in building character abilities to your approach to the missions or which ending to strive for, there's plenty that's within your control, and those variations help if you want to play through the game multiple times. The story is interesting thanks to all of the decisions you get to make, and while your created characters don't add much personality, your companions are chatty enough to make encounters worthwhile. If you can forgive the occasional bugs, you'll find Wasteland 3 to be a top-notch RPG.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is emblematic of how good the original arcade skating formula is and how excellent Vicarious Visions is at remastering jobs. Everything here feels just as tight as those original titles but with a fresh coat of paint that will impress those who still play those PlayStation and N64 originals to this day. The quick runs and easy-to-learn controls make for an addictive experience, so you'll find yourself going for just one more run. The addition of online leaderboards and created levels give this game some serious legs, so THPS1+2 is a must-have for your gaming library. The only people who wouldn't enjoy this title are those who live and die by a sim skateboarding experience.
Your enjoyment of Wavey The Rocket is going to be highly dependent on how well you adapt to the controls and sine-based movement. Get used to how things work, and you'll find the game to be challenging in a fun way with plenty of bite-sized levels to keep you entertained. Until that happens, though, prepare for some frustration because you'll experience failure over and over again, even in the early stages. If you don't mind that inherent challenge, give Wavey The Rocket a spin.
Marvel's Avengers is an enjoyable Avengers-themed brawler that's tied to an untested multiplayer mode. If all you want is to play through the video game equivalent of a Marvel movie, then it does an excellent job. If you're hoping for something you can play for infinite hours with constant updates, the truth is that it's too early to tell. What we played was fun for a few hours of co-op, but I have my doubts about its long-term viability. It's by far the best Avengers game ever made, and with the exception of Hulk (whose Hulk: Ultimate Destruction remains the pinnacle of Hulk gameplay), it features the best video game version of the superheroes to date.
If Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time had been released when the show was still popular or even alongside the 2017 release of the last season, perhaps it would be more understandable. Instead, it feels like a game without a purpose. It's stunningly average and plays exactly like the long-forgotten cheap tie-in titles that once dominated the market. It gives the simplest fan service and the least challenging take on the character, but it occasionally shows signs of greater ambition. If you're a fan looking for a chance to play a Samurai Jack game, this is probably your best choice, but for most people, it would make more sense to watch the final season of the show without adding in a playable clip show between the series' two most dramatic moments.
Overall, I found the PSVR support to be a necessary and greatly enhancing feature for Dreams VR. It works great and shows great promise, but with great promise comes great responsibility to actually fulfill what it sets out to do, and while Dreams as a whole isn't quite there yet, I'm hopeful that it will be soon.
In the end, Colt Canyon is a solid roguelike shooter. The tight mechanics and various characters give most players enough to keep their interest, while the high difficulty and adherence to restarting from scratch on each run makes it appealing to those who are more experienced in the genre.