Every stage in Splatoon 3, ranked
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch | 0 comments
As Splatoon 3’s content cycle comes to an end, we figured it’d be a good time to take a look at everything the game has to offer with a stages tier list.
At the time of writing, there are currently 23 stages in the game, and Sizzle Season 2024 is confirmed to be adding Lemuria Hub. In terms of quality, Splatoon 3 has had it kind of rough. In Splatoon 2, a good chunk of stages had several different routes to take. On stages like Kelp Dome and Skipper Pavillon, there was plenty of open space to hide away and claim turf. That’s not the case in Splatoon 3, however; for the most part, its stages are smaller and much more constrained, which winds up favoring long-rangers. This, in turn, makes it difficult for casual players to participate without being picked off by chargers and Splatlings. That’s not a very healthy trait for a game to have, and stages that exacerbate this issue will be reflected as such in our ranking.
More: highlight, Splatoon 3, top
[Rapid Review] Animal Well
Posted on 2 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 9, 2024
Developer: Billy Basso
Publisher: Big Mode
Writing a review for a game like Animal Well is difficult, because with each new piece of information you’re given it lessens the experience: it’s one less discovery that you can make for yourself, one less light-bulb moment of pure satisfaction you’ll get from correctly interpreting what the game is subtly guiding you towards doing without you even realizing it until after you try something and, miraculously, it works. My experience with the game was made up of these moments, one after another, in almost every room I entered. It’s a highly rewarding experience, and I don’t want to ruin any of it for those who are even remotely curious about picking this game up. But I’ll try and give you a brief overview and reason enough to give into that curiosity, because it might just be one of the best gaming choices that you make this year.
More: Animal Well, Big Mode
10 of the best Shiny Pokemon of all time
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Features, General Nintendo, Switch | 0 comments
We’ve compiled a list outlining ten of the best Shiny Pokemon of all time. Before we begin, do keep in mind that this isn’t an objective list. There are far more than ten out there there, so we won’t be able to cover all of the great shinies on this list alone.
Shiny Pokemon were first introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver, and since then they’ve been sort of hit-or-miss. For every great-looking Shiny coloration, there’s another one out there that’s incredibly disappointing (we’re looking at you, Ceruledge). That being said, there are plenty of Shiny Pokemon worth hunting – and that’s what we’re here for today.
[Rapid Review] CorpoNation: The Sorting Process
Posted on 2 months ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 9, 2024
Developer: Canteen
Publisher: Playtonic Friends
In CorpoNation: The Sorting Process, you’re an employee of Ringo CorpoNation. You toil away the hours sorting genetic samples only to get back home, maybe play a video game, eat, and then sleep. There is no real joy. This is the daily process. You start to wonder if there’s more to it. Oh, there’s more to it.
[Rapid Review] Biomutant
Posted on 2 months ago by Edan(@@Virtualboi92) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 14, 2024
Developer: Experiment 101
Publisher: THQ Nordic
THQ Nordic’s Biomutant had a rocky upbringing. Much like the pint sized, furry denizens of the game’s open world, the origins of this troubled title are mired in mystery, and drawn out over what feels like eons. Back when the game was originally announced, it showed a level of promise and originality that genuinely raised eyebrows. Much ado was made about how the game’s developer, Experiment 101, had a level of creative liberty that – in this day and age – was uncommon. If anything, Biomutant exuded that “Double A” feeling – a game that was allowed to be what its creators wanted to be, unconstrained by the expectations of executive decision makers. Fast forward to the game’s launch in 2021 for PS4, Xbox One and PC – and then again to 2024, and we’ve been graced with a port of Biomutant for the Switch. Should THQ Nordic have bothered?
More: Biomutant, Experiment 101, highlight, THQ Nordic, top
Fixing Pokemon Sword and Shield’s story with hidden details
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch | 0 comments
Today, we’re talking about Pokemon Sword and Shield’s story and how it can be improved using details that were included in the anime adaptation, but were for some reason not included in the games.
Ever since (and even before) its initial release in 2019, Pokemon Sword and Shield have been the subject of much controversy and criticism from fans. While most of this criticism revolved around the now (perhaps begrudgingly) somewhat-accepted removal of the National Dex, a good chunk of the criticism Pokemon Sword and Shield receives in the modern day revolves around its story. Mainly, the fact that it doesn’t make much sense.
More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon Sword, top
List of all stages not in Splatoon 3 and which ones we might see in updates
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch, Wii U | 0 comments
Though all three Splatoon games are rather similar in terms of graphics and gameplay, the first two entries in the series are home to several exclusive stages that haven’t made it back to Splatoon 3 (at least, not at the time of writing). Among fans of the game, Splatoon 3’s map design is often considered one of its greatest weaknesses – mainly, the stages’ lack of alternate routes to take. Splatoon 1 and 2’s exclusive stages generally have lots of alternate routes, so we aren’t sure what happened. Regardless, today we’re looking at a list of stages not in Splatoon 3 and which ones we might see in updates.
More: highlight, Splatoon, Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3, top
[Rapid Review] El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster
Posted on 2 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 28, 2024
Developer: Crim
Publisher: Crim
The seventh generation of video games was an interesting time, and gave us an abundance of action titles, with many becoming critically-acclaimed, genre-defining hits. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, released in 2011, never managed to make that kind of impact, although it did receive a particularly interesting continuation in The Lost Child six years later. Now thirteen years following its launch, the game has finally made its way to Switch in the form of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster, largely due to fan demand. While it may still be destined to remain overlooked in the face of its far more successful contemporaries, it remains the unique and unforgettable experience it was when it first debuted, both for better and for worse.
10 Switch 2 features we’d like to see
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch 2 | 0 comments
At this point, the code name “Switch 2” is pretty much burned into all of our minds. Rumors have been swirling around for some time now, and we’ve only recently received official confirmation from Nintendo that the new system exists at all. In fact, it’s being announced during this fiscal year, which means we’ll at the very least know its name before March 2025. In the meantime, we figured it’d be a good time to think about Nintendo’s next console and some of the features we’d most like to see on it.
[Review] Endless Ocean Luminous
Posted on 2 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 2, 2024
Developer: Akira
Publisher: Nintendo
As thoroughly as humanity has managed to explore the surface of our planet up through the present day, it’s a well-known fact that the vast majority of Earth’s oceans remain unexplored. And while plenty of games have sought to make tangible the feeling of exploring an underwater realm, Nintendo’s Endless Ocean series remains one of only a handful that focuses on our planet’s biology first and foremost. It’s been over a decade since the last game in the series, Endless Ocean: Blue World, released on the Wii; that game has held a special place in my heart ever since, so I was excited to see Endless Ocean Luminous announced for the Switch. In some ways, it manages to bring the series forward in exactly the ways I had hoped – its expanded focus on multiplayer helps the sprawling seas feel a little more lively and dynamic, and enhanced controls and visuals make the act of exploring more pleasant than ever. Unfortunately, as an overall experience, Endless Ocean Luminous is a significant step backward from its predecessor in many ways, resulting in a package that feels significantly shallower than I had hoped.
