ZTGD's Reviews
If anyone comes into these remasters expecting Metroid Prime or Skyward Sword levels of work, be prepared to be disappointed because these releases are more akin to the Super Mario Sunshine reissue included with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I see the primary audience from Nintendo’s point of view being those who have never played Pikmin who are interested in Pikmin 4, however not having all the options from Pikmin 3 Deluxe (also on Switch) limits the enjoyment for those introduced to the series from that release as the other main Pikmin games were released on systems that don’t have official support anymore and a very small percentage of people actually had a Wii U. Also, the fact that buying the two games separately is $10 more than buying both together is just an odd business strategy. Overall, I would say these games are worth playing, but are unfortunately not definitive versions that wholly replace previous releases or bring changes that future releases would make to the previous titles.
If anyone comes into these remasters expecting Metroid Prime or Skyward Sword levels of work, be prepared to be disappointed because these releases are more akin to the Super Mario Sunshine reissue included with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I see the primary audience from Nintendo’s point of view being those who have never played Pikmin who are interested in Pikmin 4, however not having all the options from Pikmin 3 Deluxe (also on Switch) limits the enjoyment for those introduced to the series from that release as the other main Pikmin games were released on systems that don’t have official support anymore and a very small percentage of people actually had a Wii U. Also, the fact that buying the two games separately is $10 more than buying both together is just an odd business strategy. Overall, I would say these games are worth playing, but are unfortunately not definitive versions that wholly replace previous releases or bring changes that future releases would make to the previous titles.
This collection is more than worth the time even if the digital version feels incomplete. It was great revisiting these classic shooters all in one place. They are not as in-depth as other shooters, but are still a ton of fun. Definitely worth checking out for anyone that still clings to that classic genre.
As a huge fan of the AEW product, it’s hard for me not to be disappointed in Fight Forever. The gameplay on offer here is certainly a solid, if flawed, base to build off for future updates. There just isn’t very much to do at present. The game does succeed in capturing the overall fun-loving spirit of the promotion, and If the developers stick to their plans to add modes, wrestlers, and additional creation suite options (as well as putting time and effort in to squash the clipping and AI issues) they could have something good here in 6-8 months. As it stands now, there is no doubt that Fight Forever is fun to play but if you’re someone who favors the creative side of wrestling gaming or if you intend to spend nearly all your time playing the game on your own, you’re going to run out of things to do pretty quickly. It may be helpful in that case to wait for some future updates before jumping in.
I also don’t know what to expect if this game does well as this is a story that has an ending but maybe we will see these mechanics come back? It’s a really unique game that I think plays best in this release, particularly because of how good it looks. If puzzle games with good stories and colorful art styles sound interesting, then this is probably a game you should pick up.
Crime Boss Rockay City deserved better, from the inexcusable number of bugs and glitches that players will come across while played the games narrative or the multiplayer missions to the just laughable performances of some actors who I used to hold in such high regard. In a different timeline this game would have just leaned 100% into the jank and made this a successful parody. But instead, it falls flat by trying to tell a serious story about an ambitious crime boss who wanted more, a story as old as time and one that’s been told a million times better before.
While personally I think the future looks grim for this one only because multiplayer audiences are so fickle, Crash Team Rumble is a blast and if you have some fond memories of the old games, you’ll enjoy this one quite a bit…while it lasts.
It feels weird to go backwards with these releases. Raiden III is by far the simplest I have checked out so far. Evolution in reverse is a bold choice. Still the simplicity of the combat makes for an addictive nature. I was coming back over and over to unlock new tunes to listen to and the visuals are still excellent. I love a good shooter and the Raiden series is always a good time. The price tag is also low enough that I don’t have a lot to knock. If you love shooters this is a great addition to your collection.
While not quite living up to the “Advance” moniker in its title, Advance Wars provides a satisfying SRPG experience with its solid strategic combat and a wealth of content- making it a worthwhile addition to the library of any die-hard SRPG fan.
Trinity Trigger has some really good ideas that sadly never get fleshed out. The story is quite unique and really could have been something if handled with a bit more care. What begins as a Legend of Mana-esque journey, soon delves into a mess of broken combat, poor directions for the player, and lackluster graphics. Which is really a shame, because with some more time in the oven Trinity Trigger might’ve been able to help differentiate itself from the sea of other RPGs out right now.
I could go on and on about this game. It has consumed my gaming time for the last two months and I have not wanted to play much else. I delayed doing the final mission for the longest time as I didn’t want it to end. There is still a ton for me to discover and unlock and I think I am going to keep going back for a long while. Rarely does a game that spans hundreds of hours keep me invested for even close to that long. Nintendo continues to keep this series fresh and while I do love what these new entries are doing, I would be remiss if I didn’t say I do kind of miss the classic design. Still Tears of the Kingdom is by far one of the best games of this generation and if you somehow haven’t played it yet, there is no excuse.
I may seem a little overzealous when I say this, but We Love Katamari is one of the best games ever made. Sure, the concept isn’t for everyone, but it does everything this concept has going for it perfectly. I think the series lost focus after this title which isn’t a surprise because this is the last Katamari game that the creator Keita Takahashi worked on. The other Katamari games are great do not get me wrong and I hope those get remastered too, but future games lacked the same innovation We Love Katamari had for the concept of rolling up junk. This is the top of the clump spirit folks, and I would suggest not missing it.
I said this above, but I feel like it bears repeating; Ravenlok feels like the culmination of all the work this team has done using voxel tech. It is a beautiful game, one that evokes images of various Disney/Pixer type worlds and just as vivid. Each of the worlds offer side quests and various characters to interact with that was all enjoyable. Aside from the easy combat I enjoyed my time with Ravenlok and if you are looking for a quick fantasy adventure, I can’t recommend it enough.
SFVI’s launch marks an impressive effort by Capcom, having learned from previous failings and while the lackluster World Tour mode and gross battle pass stains an otherwise spotless package, it still shines brightly as the new standard for fighters to come.
I’m sorry, I am just so frustrated by this game’s decisions. On the one hand I am all for a gaming studio taking a big swing at trying to shake up a formula; it just sucks when it turns out poorly because it just means that other developers will stick with the status quo to find success. The combat in Stray Blade for instance is trying something new but due to the overall clunkiness of the controls and the timing of the enemies’ attacks it makes it all but impossible to find success with the system in place. Stray Blade has its ups with the colorful graphics and likeable protagonist but it’s a combat heavy game where the combat just isn’t fun which makes this one hard to recommend.
There are lots of survival systems at play in Beyond Contact, but due to the poor functionality of the UI a lot of those systems aren’t fun. While I did enjoy the actually base building, and research systems for upgrading gear and tools my constant fight with the UI and bugs just marred each of my play sessions with the game. If players can deal with the controls, the developers are promising more planets to explore. Those that prefer the mouse and keyboard might have a better time with this one than I did with the controller.
Terminal Velocity is a nice trip down memory lane. I enjoyed revisiting this as much as I did Forsaken when Night Dive Studios remastered it a few years back. These types of games are not as common today and I sometimes forget how much I enjoy them. If you grew up with the likes of Descent this is a must purchase. It holds up surprisingly well in the game play department as long as you can deal with the pixelated polygons plastered all over your fancy high-definition screen.
Even though I enjoyed the actual racing and especially the story campaign in Lego 2K Drive, but for me a player who loves to play online this game gives me pause. I don’t get a lot of time to spend on games between reviewing them, my kids and just life overall. So, sitting down to play and seeing my opponents all have super tricked out rides; I just know I am in for a loss. I don’t have an issue with microtransactions in games, but I do have an issue when players can just purchase power making it unfair for those who can’t or just won’t. If you plan on strictly playing Lego 2K Drive single player, there is a lot to enjoy here…. Even with the wonky drifting system.
The base game mechanics in Starship Troopers: Extermination is a blast to play, and the game loop itself is satisfying. Sure, I’m a sucker for the ‘horde shooter’ type games and mashing it with one of my favorite science fiction B movies was a sure-fire way to get me hyped. But more than that, Extermination is a great game, the models for the bugs look exactly like they did back in 97. Overall, the graphics in this early access game are quite good. In fact, my biggest issue with this game is that it IS an early access game. So many video games are releasing this way and I understand the invaluable contribution to the games overall success that having real players interact with it in this early stage. But the issue is the game is not feature complete, sure its fun for now but with the promise of that complete game later, I will just wait for the 1.0 release instead of playing the EA version in the run up to it. Starship Troopers: Extermination is an enjoyable game, but unless you plan on truly playing to follow its progress, id wait for the full release which hopefully also includes consoles.
Super Mega Baseball 4 is an outstanding entry in the series and the best to date. I have enjoyed each entry and spend more time playing these than the licensed Show games. I really love customizing my team and taking them through a franchise season. The updates and additions here really flesh out the series and I am excited for the future. I wonder if they will ever tackle another sport. Would love to see some Super Mega Football in the future.