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My highest praise goes to the overall aesthetic. Fantastic Night Dreams is at once vibrant and somewhat gothic in its presentation, with the colorful sprites and characters flying freely through starlit nights and haunted caverns. These already looked nice in the original Cotton, helping it stand out even among other cute ‘em ups, but are even more pronounced in the arranged version. Paired with the excellent soundtrack for stages (which has also gotten completely rearranged, with the originals still available) the whole of a playthrough is a trick-or-treat for the eyes and ears.
Like any promising golfer, it has the makings of greatness and just needs to work on its personal bests to come up under par next time.
Legend of Mana isn’t just as good as the previous Mana games. It’s better. In fact, it’s not just one of the best JRPGs from the Playstation era, it’s one of the best I’ve ever played. And nobody told me, so I’m here to tell you.
I fell in love with the first Monster Hunter Stories, and that led to a renewed interest in the Monster Hunter series as a whole. I never dreamed we’d be getting a sequel, let alone one that would improve on the original as much as Wings of Ruin did.
In many ways Ys IX: Monstrum Nox feels like a game that confidently builds on its immediate predecessor while addressing its key weaknesses, namely traversal. As a result you have a game that feels like a concept shined to near-perfection, and I can’t wait to see what Falcom does next.
What it never stops being, though, is interesting. A blend of unapologetic and bittersweet were the lasting flavors, and even if I didn’t savor every moment that brought me to the end it was a refreshingly unique break from reality.
As far as remakes go, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 absolutely hits the mark with what it was trying to accomplish. The controls are tight and a great evolution of past games, and it plays incredibly smoothly thanks to some sacrifices made on the visual front. Sure, it’ll look better on other consoles, but the Switch is the only console you’ll be able to actually bring to the skatepark with you. The soundtrack still bangs, even with the new additions, and the roster’s attention to inclusivity with its additions is a welcome change
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a beautifully faithful remaster of one of Sega’s first landmark console titles, and it’s a very solid way of experiencing that slice of gaming history.
Whether you’re an old fan of Ninja Gaiden or if you’ve never played the games, this is a solid collection that any action fan should look to add to their library.
The new Mii customization options and the horse editor are both whimsical strokes of genius, and they feel right at home in what was already a very enjoyable outing.
But even if a couple aspects are off, it’s frankly remarkable how well this murder mystery holds up over two decades later.
For the core Shin Megami Tensei games, Nocturne is still the finest the series has to offer.
Subnautica: Below Zero’s adventure is equal parts survival sim and sci-fi thriller, and should you decide to take the plunge into its icy depths, you’re sure to find one of the most robust and satisfying survival titles on the eShop.
Pac-Man 99, as a fun and free download, manages to live up to its predecessors while standing as one of the better Pac-Man releases of recent memory. It’s addictive and perfect for quick sessions, though it’s easy to see all it has to offer just as fast.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is one of the most fun and chaotic co-op experiences available on any platform. Should you have at least one other person to play with, the value proposition for this game is astronomical.
Outside of its design, I struggle to find anything praiseworthy about Wonderworld. It is an unfortunate example of inspiration exceeding innovation, and is borderline unplayable on Switch.
My time with Cozy Grove has been very enjoyable despite some performance issues. Play sessions are short, sweet, and slightly structured, which really helps me feel like I’m allowed to enjoy the game at my own pace. Other games are hard to get back into if you let them sit for a while, but Cozy Grove will be waiting there to let you pick up right where you left off. The aesthetic of the entire game is right up my alley too, being slightly spooky with a dash of charm and humor, and I’m very glad it is releasing on Nintendo Switch.
I’d sooner point you to the ACA NeoGeo offerings from the series, that’d be like writing off Link’s Awakening completely just because A Link to the Past exists. That analogy can be applied to the whole collection, in fact, particularly since SNK has made so much of its backlog available. You may be able to pick up a bigger, prettier game but don’t let that deter you from celebrating this unique handheld and its library.
With promises from the game’s producer to support the game by patching more issues and DLC releases being staggered throughout the year, Pioneers of Olive Town will become a bountiful entry in the series. For now, despite its flaws, it’ll woo a sizeable portion of the series’ fanbase and hopefully blossom into a polished game before these farmers move to greener pastures.
I’ll be blunt: the Switch version of Apex Legends isn’t good. It’s mediocre at best, and with no system for cross-progression, it’s an absolutely useless port for an Apex Legends PC player like myself. It runs like hot garbage with blurry textures, noticeable pop-ins, stuttering, lag, and frame rate dips. Underneath all that is a barely serviceable version of the game, which is — at its core — an outstanding battle royale experience with cool characters and great combat. It’s just a shame Switch players will have to suffer through its many shortcomings to get to that.