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Reviews

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water review

System: Switch
Release date: October 28, 2021
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Publisher: Koei Tecmo


Perhaps the only thing scarier than Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water – the 2014 entry in Koei Tecmo’s long-running series of horror games about photographing ghosts – is how much time it took for this game to come to modern platforms. Quickly falling out of the spotlight upon the rapid decline of the Wii U, I was cynical about its prospects of being ported to the Switch and thus was pleasantly surprised to see it announced for current consoles earlier this year. But despite possessing a setting and tone that feels special compared to modern day ghost stories, Maiden of Black Water’s deep reliance on the versatility of the Wii U GamePad left me curious to see how it would fair without its second screen. Fortunately, Maiden of Black Water remains a darkly compelling experience that all horror fans owe it to themselves to experience – even if it feels rougher around the edges than it did originally.

Astria Ascending review Nintendo Switch

System: Switch
Release date: September 30, 2021
Developer: Artisan Studios
Publisher: Dear Villagers


Nostalgia will always give that sort of feeling of coming back home to something familiar. That same nostalgia, however, can also be driven back not only with the things of the past, but with new experiences that pay homage to the greats of a particular medium. Astria Ascending feels like this in a lot of ways for those that have played JRPGs for a long time, and having been helmed by a collaboration of minds from veterans of some of the genres most illustrious titles and franchises, it’s no wonder why its turn-based gameplay feels both familiar and refreshing. Unfortunately, this same nostalgia can also become a bit of a disservice when relied upon too much and hurts the game in the long run, and while the systems in place for combat are great, it’s the rest of the experience that feels at most times mediocre due to quality of life issues and grindy gameplay.

Metroid Dread review

Note: we’ve updated this post with a video version of our Metroid Dread review – check it out below.


System: Switch
Release date: October 8, 2021
Developer: MercurySteam / Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo


Metroid Dread still feels a little surreal. The shock of a new, original 2D Metroid was palpable when Dread was announced, but the more one thinks about it, the more amazing it seems. It’s the realization of a 15 year old concept that has gone through multiple cycles of early development and dormancy. It’s the first original 2D Metroid in almost two decades, a span of time in which an entire genre named after the series has sprung up and seen thousands of games following in its footsteps. It’s a game that has expectations to live up to that seem almost unfair but somehow manages to exceed them. Metroid Dread is real, and it’s a masterpiece.

The Caligula Effect 2 review

System: Switch
Release date: October 19, 2021
Developer: FuRyu
Publisher: NIS America


When The Caligula Effect first released in 2017 before receiving an enhanced port in the form of The Caligula Effect: Overdose in 2019 for Switch, one of the most exciting aspects about it was the fact that not only did it have this stunning art style, but also how it was being helmed by Persona writer Tadoshi Satomi. The game initially had a lot of appeal thanks to its vibrant color usage and idol-inspired dystopia that gave it a unique look by giving darkness and corruption bright colors – a palette that is typically used as an indicator for things that are heroic, harmless, or good. However, despite a respectable foundation, it suffered from repetitiveness, performance issues, and a lot of quality of life mechanics that simply were not there. Thankfully, The Caligula Effect 2 improves upon the original game’s problems and adds a lot of enhancements with a beautiful UI that’s intuitive. It also focuses more on putting actual gameplay in reasonably sized dungeons disguised as various Japanese districts and virtual landscapes without the egregiously poor pacing and constant stop-go nature of its predecessor.

[Review] Monster Crown

Posted on 3 years ago by in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

Monster Crown review

System: Switch
Release date: October 12, 2021
Developer: Studio Aurum
Publisher: SOEDESCO


There’s something to be said for a good battling experience. Monster taming games have dominated the handheld gaming scene for decades now, and looking back through their history, some of the best gems were games with less-than-stellar graphics that boasted a huge roster of monsters, breeding mechanics, and a simple-to-pick-up battle system that promotes changing up your teams on the regular in order to take on foes of various types. As a result, we’ve seen no shortage of developers vying for a slice of the monster-taming pie, but are all monster catching adventures created equal?

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania review

System: Switch
Release date: October 5, 2021
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: SEGA


I experienced a wide range of conflicting emotions while playing Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. I often caught myself laughing, usually after successfully guiding my expressive, energetic monkey across a particularly gauntlet-esque stage with only seconds to spare. Just as often I found myself sighing or yelling “nonononoooo,” typically as my encapsulated simian plummeted off a platform to its doom… again. But no matter how well I was doing (or not) at playing Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, I was almost always having a wonderful time – and considering that this remaster contains stages and minigames from three of what may be the best games in the franchise, I expect I’ll be doing so for a long time.

Hot Wheels Unleashed Switch review

System: Switch
Release date: September 30, 2021
Developer: Milestone
Publisher: Milestone


There was a time when games based on popular toys were a dime a dozen; it used to be impossible to walk into the video games section of your local supercenter without seeing shelves filled with licensed games, many of middling quality. That’s not really the case today, as many of the smaller studios that previously produced those types of games have since shut down, been absorbed, or are now producing mobile games instead. So, I was pleasantly surprised not only that Milestone announced Hot Wheels Unleashed in 2021 as a major new release for the franchise, but also that the game had potential to be of higher quality and creativity than previous games. In fact, Hot Wheels Unleashed feels like a game built primarily for today’s adults who grew up with Hot Wheels years (decades?) ago rather than kids – a bold choice. But does Hot Wheels Unleashed manage to be a good game underneath its many layers of die-cast nostalgia?

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set Switch review

System: Switch
Release date: September 24, 2021
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco


Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot again has Goku and co.’s adventures and sagas represented, but this time in a much different format that hasn’t felt this fresh and exciting in a long while. Having put almost 100 hours when it initially released at the beginning of 2020, the semi open-world take felt like a modern day Legacy of Goku mixed with the design philosophy of One Piece: World Seeker, but done so in a way that still retained the essence of the IP and left no shortage of fights for the player to enjoy and reach higher power levels with. The Switch version undoubtedly sees a few technical downgrades compared to other platforms, and it was a bit jarring at first, but after having settled with the game for quite some time now, it’s arguably Bandai Namco’s most competent Dragon Ball port yet, making for a really great DBZ experience that can now be played at home or on the go.

WarioWare: Get It Together! review

System: Switch
Release date: September 10, 2021
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo


WarioWare games are a collection of simple “microgames” that are fast and often frantic. Debuting back in 2003 on the Game Boy Advance with WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, the series has seen many entries over the years with new characters joining the fray. In our latest entry, our cast is back again, this time on Switch with more microgame mayhem and yet another twist on gameplay. While the franchise has been known to take advantage of Nintendo’s hardware in the past, the changes here are more on the core of play. How does this new WarioWare experience fit Nintendo’s hit hybrid console?

Cruis'n Blast review

System: Switch
Release date: September 14, 2021
Developer: Raw Thrills
Publisher: Raw Thrills


It’s genuinely challenging for me to recall the last time I experienced a game that’s as comprehensively absurd – and so confident in embracing said absurdity – as Cruis’n Blast. While delivering arcade-style racing in what’s perhaps its purest, most straightforward form, Cruis’n Blast simultaneously feels like what would happen if an energy drink company hired a group of obnoxious teenage boys to design a video game. It’s ridiculous, over-the-top fun that never takes itself even remotely seriously, and I loved every minute of it.


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