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OlliOlli World Switch

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Roll7’s Jemima Tyssen Smith about OlliOlli World, including the new art style, the Switch version, and more. This comes ahead of the game’s release next week.

Below is our full discussion:

mario 64 banjo kazooie 3d platformers

Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64 are both at this moment available to play on Switch via Nintendo’s online service. It’s great to see those two together considering how important they were for early 3D gaming. I decided to revisit them recently and I was impressed by how well they still hold up.

In today’s video, I talk about the different ideas that Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64 brought to the industry, how they understood the best ways to bring the full potential of 3D environments, and also how they failed in some aspects due to how early ideas and the technology were at the time. You can check the video down below.

We only just received a major Pokemon release on Switch with Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl back in November, but another major title has now arrived with Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This is the latest project from Game Freak, the developer of the mainline Pokemon titles. The company has been tinkering away on Arceus while ILCA made Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

While the launch of Pokemon Legends: Arceus only took place yesterday, it’s likely that a number of you picked up the game and have played a number of hours already. If you’ve played it at all, what are your thoughts thus far? Let us know in the comments below.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth review

System: Switch
Release date: January 28, 2022
Developer: Team Ladybug
Publisher: Playism


Record of Lodoss War is one of the oldest still-running Japanese series a lot of people have probably never heard about. With media that includes not only video games but novels, manga, and anime, the franchise’s history dates back over three decades to 1986. While Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is the newest installment in the series, it’s also nostalgic in a lot of ways, from its beautiful 2D pixel art style to its story.

Nintendo acquisition

In the context of the recent news regarding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, I decided to look back at Monolith Soft’s trajectory inside Nintendo. The studio was acquired in 2007 and it’s interesting to see how it grew to be almost essential for Nintendo’s biggest franchises. 

If you’ve been following Nintendo in recent years, you are probably familiar with the name “Monolith Soft”. The studio garnered a lot of respect for its work on the Xenoblade series and supporting some other Nintendo franchises, such as Zelda.

You can check the video down below for our thoughts on Nintendo’s acquisition of Monolith Soft.

olliolli world preview

We recently had the opportunity to play an early demo of OlliOlli World, the new entry in the series that mixes 2D platforming and skateboarding. While we specifically went hands-on with the PC version, the game will also come to Switch for its launch on February 8.

Based on my time with OlliOlli World, I was really impressed by how much fun I had playing it. The gameplay is a bit different compared to the typical titles out there, but it works really well, with each mechanic complementing the other. Be sure to check my full impressions in the video down below.

arcadia fallen review

System: Switch
Release date: January 5, 2022
Developer: Galdra Studios
Publisher: Galdra Studios


It’s hard not to respect a game that tries to punch above its weight and bring fresh ideas into a crowded genre; that alone was enough to get Arcadia Fallen on my radar. Developed by a small team and originally funded on Kickstarter, the game appears at first glance to be just another visual novel about magical beings trying to save the world, but Galdra Studios created something special by adding layers of decision-making and puzzle mechanics to what otherwise would have been a by-the-books experience. And while the individual elements of Arcadia Fallen’s presentation and systems lack the polish and nuance to match its ambitions, its heartfelt narrative and lovable cast of characters elevate the experience to something greater than the sum of its parts.

We’re doing a giveaway! See the YouTube description for additional information and the relevant details.

Now, about the video, we are less than two weeks away from the launch of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The expectations for the game have been all over the place – some people excited, some people disappointed, and others trying to balance a bit of both.

It’s undeniable that the game’s proposal of a structurally different Pokemon experience is exciting. Even though the series has evolved a lot during the years, the core formula stayed the same and with the mixed reception of recent games, right now seems like the perfect moment to shake things up. You can check my full thoughts on the game and the Pokemon series as a whole in the video below.

2022 is no doubt a big year for Kirby. The series is turning 30 years old, and Nintendo and HAL Laboratory will be celebrating the milestone. One thing that we know is happening this year is Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which launches for Switch on March 25.

For this week’s Let’s Talk topic, we want to hear about your favorite Kirby game. The character has been around since the Game Boy days back back in 1992 and there have been a truckload of releases since then across Nintendo’s various systems. Share your Kirby memories with us in the comments below.

In recent years, Nintendo developed a number of games under the 2.5D concept. These are titles that are completely modeled in 3D, but the gameplay functions primarily in two dimensions. That’s not the only definition of the term, though let’s stick to that.

The 2.5D style is a great way to bring back a lot of classic games from Nintendo’s huge catalog of hits. Personally speaking, there are two games in specific that I consider the best 2.5D creations from Nintendo: Metroid Dread and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Both are amazing in a lot of aspects, and in today’s video, I discuss how well they explore the many possibilities provided by 2.5D. You can check out the video down below.


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