[Review] Detective Pikachu Returns
Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: October 6, 2023
Developer: Creatures
Publisher: Nintendo
Detective Pikachu first released in Japan in 2016, although it wouldn’t be until two years later that western audiences would get their hands on the game. It might be an exaggeration to say that it was a bolt of brilliance, but it clearly left enough of a lasting impact to warrant a sequel on the Switch to tie up loose ends in the plot. The aptly named Detective Pikachu Returns is more of the same, and although for many it will be a game that has arrived a little too late (especially if you’ve seen the movie) it is a game with an abundance of charm that is an easy recommendation to make for younger players and for those looking to kick back, relax, and watch a gruff, overdramatic, coffee-loving Pikachu get himself into all manner of trouble and save the day with his deductive reasoning skills. With a little help from Tim, of course.
More: Detective Pikachu Returns, highlight, top
[Review] Fate/Samurai Remnant
Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 29, 2023
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Although Koei Tecmo has slowed down in recent years with numbered Dynasty Warriors games, one thing it has not let up on are crossover titles, which takes the familiar hack-and-slash formula and gives it a unique twist drawn from another franchise. The latest such crossover is Fate/Samurai Remnant, which takes its inspiration from Type-Moon’s Fate series, an exhaustively convoluted amalgamation of various media that started life as a visual novel in 2004. Despite a few visual hiccups on Switch, Fate/Samurai Remnant is far greater than the sum of its parts, and is a fantastic experience that is an easy recommendation for both newcomers and series veterans for both franchises.
More: Aniplex, Fate/Samurai Remnant, highlight, Koei Tecmo, top, Type-Moon
[Let’s Talk] Do you replay games?
Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
Just like it can be nice to go back to an old movie you love, replaying a game – especially one you really enjoyed – can always be a good time. But with more and more games coming out theses days, it’s sometimes tough to go back to titles you picked up previously. Some are also firmly against replaying games and would rather go for new experiences only.
With so many different opinions out there when it comes to replaying games, what side of the fence do you sit on? Do you ever return to a title you went through before? Or do you primarily stick to new games? Let us know in the comments.
[Rapid Review] Faerie Afterlight
Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 28, 2023
Developer: Clay Game Studio
Publisher: Mastiff
There is an abundance of Metroidvanias on the Switch at this point, and it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd when some of the most critically acclaimed titles in recent years are your direct competition. Clay Game Studio’s Faerie Afterlight feels like a unique and noteworthy experience thanks to its truly stunning visual design and excellent terrain-based puzzle platforming, but ultimately falls short everywhere else, making it a hit-or-miss experience at best.
More: Clay Game Studio, Faerie Afterlight, Mastiff
[Review] Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong
Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 28, 2023 (Europe) / December 5 (North America)
Developer: Big Bad Wolf
Publisher: Nacon
Vampire the Masquerade is a series that has been around for a surprisingly long time, lurking in the shadows of tabletop roleplaying games since the early 90s as part of the larger World of Darkness series. It has been adapted into video game format a few times over the years, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is the third of these games to come to Nintendo’s console. Unfortunately, it has not been worth the extremely long wait, and is something I wouldn’t recommend to even the most avid fans of the series.
The 10 rarest amiibo figures of all time, ranked
Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Features, General Nintendo | 0 comments
Over the years, Nintendo has produced and released well over 150 unique amiibo figures – and may of them are now rare. At the time of writing, less than fifteen of those are readily available from retailers. Indeed, if you’re in the market for new figurines, you’ll often have no choice but to purchase them second-hand. That being said, a small chunk of those are a cut above the rest. Several amiibo figures received region-exclusive or incredibly limited prints and were never restocked again. Today, we’re going over the ten rarest amiibo that may never return to store shelves.
[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – October 2023
Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
A new month started up this past week. Now that we’re in October, we want to know what you’ve been playing.
Have you gotten your hands on the recently-released Detective Pikachu Returns? How about other games like Borderlands 3, Wargroove 2, or Disgaea 7? No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.
[Rapid Review] A Tiny Sticker Tale
Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: October 4, 2023
Developer: Ogre Pixel
Publisher: Ogre Pixel
One of my main hobbies when I was a kid was collecting stickers. They were significantly cheaper than trading cards, and getting duplicates was slightly less frustrating because I could usually find a use for them, whether that was plastering them onto anything that had an inch of space, or swapping them with my friends. A Tiny Sticker Tale, the second game from Ogre Pixel to make its way to the Switch after a successful Kickstarter campaign, takes the idea of collecting stickers and runs wild with it, letting you change the world around you by placing and removing them with some creative environmental puzzles. Although it is over far too quickly, sometimes the most pleasant experience you can have is the one that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
More: A Tiny Sticker Tale, highlight, Ogre Pixel, top, tpo
[Review] Cocoon
Posted on 1 year ago by Nicholas Serpa in News, Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 8, 2023
Developer: Geometric Interactive
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Cocoon’s mechanical brilliance is the subtle kind, the kind that sneaks up on you. I knew going into my playthrough that this was the next project from Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of highly acclaimed side-scrollers Limbo and Inside; that type of pedigree sets high expectations, which for me were amplified further after a summer media demo left me with more questions than answers. The most important distinction to note with Cocoon is that it’s more outwardly a puzzle game than either of its forebears, and a very clever one; its trippy, entangled web of worlds is one big metapuzzle that’s true depth astonishes the deeper one dives into it. It’s also a game that somehow builds atmosphere masterfully, but frustratingly refuses to contextualize its world or provide any real stakes, narrative or even lore to engage with. Having rolled credits, I’m still unsure what exactly was the point of my little mechanical bug’s world-bending journey; this, combined with some technical issues on Switch, results in a game that somehow manages to both impress and disappoint at once.
More: COCOON, Geometric Interactive, highlight, top
[Review] The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
Posted on 1 year ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Developer: Falcom
Publisher: NIS America
In The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails, Nayuta is a young lad returning home from studying abroad. Summer vacation is to be spent back with your friends, after all. Getting back to his home of Remnant Isle, Nayuta and his best friend Cygna decide to spend their summer starting their old business back up. Sort of jacks of all trades, the two gallivant as handymen, taking on any kind of job thrown their way with glee. Eventually their work leads them to a mysterious set of ruins, and it is there that they find that they’ve perhaps stumbled upon the most daunting job yet. While Nayuta and Cygna start out hanging around for a simple summer vacation, a fateful encounter with the mysterious fairy Noi sparks a lot of questions and a lot of discovery. Exploring the ruins, Nayuta soon discovers an entire other world – Lost Heaven.
