E3 has come and gone, and sadly not many Nintendo fans feel like they came out the other side in victory. Yes, we got Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but it felt a little bit off, didn’t it? Simeon and Scott discuss what could have been done better.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 3 Things to be Excited About
After this year’s E3 video presentation, the consensus among the Crew here at TBC is that, as a whole, it was a little disappointing. There were very few “surprises”, and, though we were excited to see Smash Bros., we felt like the amount of time they spent showing us what they showed us was not wisely used. You can see our in-depth E3 reactions here.
Even so, Nintendo can’t present a game for a half-hour at E3 and not show anything to get excited about (don’t. Just… Don’t). In the spirit of contented mess, I wanted to draw attention to three things about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that should get us excited.
#1: Port-Like Qualities
This may sound like something to gripe about, but I see so many advantages to all of the similarities between Sm4sh and Ultimate. First, some minute balance issues aside, Sm4sh was a fantastic fighting game. My hopes for the upcoming title were that it was either a totally new direction for the series (ala Marvel Vs. Capcom) or a tweaked port, and it looked like the Big N granted my latter wish. Do we really need major “improvements” when what we have is already great? I do not think so.
Second, porting a game with slight changes should take less time and cause fewer problems at the game’s release. For Sakurai’s sake, I hope this is the case. The man’s tireless dedication to his work is legendary, and he needs some sleep.
#2: Attention to Audience
Super Smash Bros. has evolved a lot over time. It started out as a fun new foray into the crossover fighting genre. Melee made the game more competitive. Brawl fleshed out the single player experience as well as made the game more accessible to newcomers. Smash for 3DS and Wii U fleshed out previous imperfections, making it clear that, though party elements are still very much present, it had grown into a well-balanced fighting game.
With the last entry, especially, we saw a shift in the developers listening more to the competitive fans. Even in the simple gesture of placing the stage select before the character select, we see that Ultimate will continue this tradition. They are piecing elements of what made each of the previous entries great and unique together to make happy a crowd that has wanted to see this series taken seriously. Sakurai shaking his head at imbalances, roll staling, ”easy” character unlocking, and more keep me excited for release.
#3: Everybody’s here!
So what if “Echo Fighter” is just an attempt to avoid calling characters “clones”? The fact that every fighter from all previous games is playable right out of the box has me stoked! The fact that Sakurai stated that there will be few new characters does not have me concerned for a number of reasons. First, the amount of free characters is more than any previous game in its final state, and we do not have to pay extra to have that. Second, Sm4sh had a large enough roster as it was. Throwing in more characters makes the game more and more difficult to balance. Lastly, I think Sakurai is not quite being honest with us. The DLC support for the previous game was extensive, and, though the initial bundle might not be teeming with new characters, I am sure we will see more newcomers after first release.
Nintendo’s Direct this year might not have been knock-your-socks-off great, I think there are plenty of things for which to be grateful. I think ultimately (see what I did there?) what I am trying to say is that people who are complaining about the lack of Animal Crossing need to grow up and realize they got a game every year for the past three.
Snorlax’s Design was Inspired by a Person
Did you know that Snorlax was modeled after one of Pokemon’s developers? Yeah, embarrassing.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
A Robot Named Fight: Your New Favorite Game
The latest greatest Switch game is here, and Simeon and Scott have a demonstration of the co-op mode for you!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Pre-E3 Nerves
It’s that time of the year again! E3 2018 is just a couple days away, and the excitement around the gaming community is quickly escalating. Every year when I get out of bed on the day of Nintendo’s E3 press conference (Direct, as of late), I’m essentially a kid waking up on Christmas morning. The anticipation is high, and I can’t wait for the flurry of announcements that Nintendo has been holding from the public for months. The reason why I have what I refer to as “E3 Jitters”, is because Nintendo is known for taking their fans on an emotional roller coaster during E3. Whenever I expect to hear something, they announce something completely different and unexpected. I understand from a marketing and competitive standpoint that this puts them at an advantage, but it usually drives me and a lot of the fan base crazy. However, I would argue this spontaneity just adds to the anticipation. Nintendo really is like a box of chocolates. The games are usually sweet, but you NEVER know what you are going to get.
From Reggie officially being classified as overweight, to Cammie Dunaway awkwardly throwing virtual Frisbees at dogs, to Iwata announcing the vitality sensor, to Ravidrums and the entire Wii Music catastrophe, we’ve seen it all. Of course, they’ve had their high notes as well, such as when Miyamoto came on stage for the Twilight Princess announcement. From the lows to the highs, I can say it has always been a ride that I anticipate greatly, despite often leaving disappointed. Nonetheless, E3 has provided some fantastic entertainment value, and Nintendo certainly isn’t the only company to have E3 blunders. Just look up Ubisoft’s Mr. Caffeine. He managed to singlehandedly make every single person in the audience uncomfortable just in a matter of seconds. That’s almost impressive.
This year the usual suspects are of course Smash Bros. for the Switch and Metroid Prime 4. Though I’m excited for both of these games and this may put me in the minority, I hope there is minimal coverage on both. We haven’t seen any gameplay for either, so a pair of 5 minute gameplay videos would be just enough to get me excited, and then they can move on to the next announcement. When Nintendo bogs down their E3 showcase with announcements that gamers already know, to me, that is filler. Let’s just have a video or small demonstration of what we already know is coming and move on. Nintendo, among other competitors, have been known to spend way too much time talking about sales numbers, though this has been less of a problem lately.
Besides the obvious heavy hitters, I’m sure there will be at least some coverage on Pokémon Let’s Go!, Mario Tennis Aces, and Go Vacation for Switch. I wouldn’t mind some actual Super Mario Odyssey DLC (come on Isle Delfino), or possibly even expansions for Breath of the Wild, but these might be stretching it a bit. There may be some coverage on their new online service and downloadable games. I don’t mind Indie games either, as long as this section is short and sweet. Of course, as I mentioned above, Nintendo always rides the wave of the unexpected, so we’ll just have to wait with anticipation.
I do want to point out that Nintendo is not only selling to gamers, but investors. Companies selling to this odd mix can create some of the best, and most awkward moments in gaming history. Whatever be the case for 2018, I’m sure we’re in for a ride. When I wake up on E3 morning, I’m going to be hoping for an Animal Crossing Switch or Pikmin 4 announcement under my theoretical E3 Tree. What are you most anticipating this year?
My body is ready.
Star Fox Grand Prix Rumors – Real or Fake?
Is Retro Studios REALLY making a Star Fox racing game for the Switch? It sounds crazy, but all manner of sources around the Internet are reporting it as true. Simeon and Scott share their take on the rumors currently circulating ahead of E3.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
How Definitive is Hyrule Warriors (Switch)?
Hyrule Warriors originally launched in 2014 on Wii U, got a second lease on life in 2016 for 3DS, and with another two years comes another version of the game. 2018’s Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition brings all the DLC together and all the modes into one stellar package! Simeon and Scott will show you the ropes.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
A Robot Named Fight Review (Switch)
A Robot Named Fight wins an award for the weirdest video game title. Beyond that, it’s also a really good game!
This is a pixel-art, roguelike, Metroidvania. A Metroguevania, if you will.
You would think that these genres are incompatible, with Metroid’s weapon-based progression and roguelike titles’ procedural generation and permadeath. Well, I’m pleased to say that developer Matt Bitner Games pulled it off!
You play as the titular robot, Fight, and are immediately thrown into a scary world where Tutorial Smith (or Tutorial Joe, or some other name depending on your run) gets to impart a small piece of wisdom before he dies. My favorite was “Press B to shoot, pres—Argh—I’m dying—press buttons!” From there, you’re on your own as you traverse through corridors swarming with violent, sentient meat monsters.
Yeah, the game gets a little bit gruesome as you blast baddies apart, with pixelated splatters and surprisingly rolly meat physics. You can turn these effects down in the settings, but it honestly doesn’t help too much… And everything is depicted in roughly 16 bit, so if you can handle the action, there’s plenty of exciting puzzles and hidden weapons to discover.
I love how A Robot Named Fight is smart about the levels it generates. There is a constant sense of purpose and direction, without much emphasis on backtracking, which is nice. Somehow, the game perfectly balances the placement of necessary items, while giving the player an opportunity to feel a little bit lost. The result is a sense of accomplishment as you successfully route yourself through the minimap.
If you’ve played a roguelike, you know what you’re getting into. Death sets you back to square one, although your disparate attempts will unlock hidden items for future runs. This game encourages a more cautious approach to Metroidvania exploration, and it makes every earned energy tank feel like a reward that brings a boost of confidence.
The weapon variety is huge. A Robot Named Fight’s developers were very clever about creating unique items that enhance progression and combat in different ways.
I played a lot of this game with Simeon. It’s primarily a solo affair, although “girlfriend mode” co-op is available. He was particularly fond of the flamethrower, which used a small amount of energy but could blast through terrain, set enemies on fire and burn down obstructions in front of doors.
We had a blast taking turns and seeing how far we could get. A successful run might last you 45 minutes to an hour, but the game is easy to pick up, play, save, and come back to later. A welcome feature was the ability to retry a run you particularly liked by saving the “seed.”
A Robot Named Fight is one of the few games that held our attention so much at Two Button Crew that we just had to keep talking about it and playing it over and over. It kept us from other games we needed to play and we’ve been really excited to recommend it!
A few shortcomings you need to be aware of: the user interface is sadly sub-par. Sometimes randomly generated enemies are concealed by HUD elements. Also, it’s clear that not much time was spent on quality-of-life improvements within menus. For example, you can pause the game with the Plus button but you’ll have to move your thumb over to “A” to continue. Start doesn’t unpause.
Then, there’s the common roguelike issue where things aren’t explained well, which can be frustrating. You’ll find shrines with NPCs that ask you for sacrifices, but it never seems to make them happy and you end up with a curse. This kind of gameplay mechanic discourages players from experimentation, and in a game where health is precious and every stat counts, you can’t afford to throw away resources and downgrade your character.
You quickly learn to avoid these minor issues, and overall, this is an awesome game to have with you on Nintendo Switch. It can be propped up and played with one Joy-Con, thanks to the game’s controls being mapped expertly to the limited amount of buttons. It’s also great to dock and experience on the big screen, with speakers pumping some extremely Samus-y tunes. You almost can’t go wrong with A Robot Named Fight. Two Button Crew gives the game a 9 out of 10.
Scott Ranks his 35 Game Switch Collection Scott's Thoughts
1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Rocket League
3. Thumper
4. A Robot Named Fight
5. Celeste
6. SteamWorld Dig 2
7. Super Mario Odyssey
8. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
9. Bombslinger
10. Splatoon 2
11. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
12. Super Meat Boy
13. Flinthook
14. Snipperclips Plus
15. Cave Story +
16. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
17. Mega Man Legacy Collection
18. SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition
19. Runner3
20. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
21. Rayman Legends – Definitive Edition
22. Graceful Explosion Machine
23. SteamWorld Dig
24. Mutant Mudds Collection
25. Xeodrifter
26. TumbleSeed
27. Pokken Tournament DX
28. Sonic Mania
29. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
30. Picross S
31. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap
32. 1-2-Switch
33. Alteric
34. Energy Invasion
35. Energy Balance
Honorable Mentions (have not yet played)
• Axiom Verge
• Cat Quest
• Skyrim
• Stardew Valley
Runner3 Impressions + Review In Progress
I’ve been so excited about Runner3 coming to Nintendo Switch. As a long-time fan of the Bit.Trip series (especially the Runner games), I welcome CommanderVideo to new console/portable hybrid with open arms.
As you have surely noticed, the Switch isn’t hurting for indie titles, so the Commander might be met with some stiff competition, but it’s always good for another developer with as rich a portfolio as Choice Provisions to throw their hat in the ring.
I’m really thankful to be given the opportunity of reviewing Runner3. I excitedly played through the main game and prepared my thoughts thus far, though I am still reserving final judgment. By the end of this write-up, I think you’ll agree with my reasoning.
Scope
Runner3 is ambitious. After essentially introducing the auto-running genre, then perfecting it, the team is now expanding the genre and has included branching paths, vehicles, multiple objectives, non-playable characters, and more. I never expected to have quests or interact with NPCs midlevel in a game like this.
Gameplay
Moment to moment, you know exactly what to expect from a game like this. The core “Runner” gameplay is here and as compelling as ever. You know what you are signing up for, and it’s good.
Music
It wouldn’t be a Choice Provisions game without the pounding soundtrack. I can confidently say that the music is good, though I won’t claim it surpasses the heights of the original Bit.Trip Runner.
Presentation
The creators behind Runner3 sure know how to dress up a game! From entertaining (and fake) advertisements, puppet shows, incredible narration from Charles Martinet, more puns than you can shake a stick at, and clever level names, Runner3 is dripping with personality.
Runner3 is dripping with personality.
Other Good Things
The game definitely sports some fun cameos, like playable Shovel Knight and Charles Martinet—that’s AWESOME!
Play Value
I don’t envy the developers’ task of making a follow-up to games like Runner and Runner2, which are each incredibly difficult and rewarding to master. So where should the threequel pick up as far as difficulty? How long should you spend onboarding newcomers to the series, versus serving experienced fans?
I found myself breezing through the first two worlds somewhat unremarkably. Upon reaching world 3, I felt a noticeable difference where the challenge seemed to hit a sweetspot and the level design felt more inspired. World 3 was really cool… but it was the last world.
Roughly half the levels in Runner3 are “Retro” stages, which you aren’t told how to unlock… but the loading screens start giving you hints about what to do IN them from the start of the game. I found this frustrating, and I’m still trying to locate the VHS which will get me into Retro world 1. I tried reaching out to other reviewers, but they were unable to help. Perhaps I could have pinged the developers, but I felt the need to form my own opinions about how this game does (or doesn’t) guide you through the discovery process.
Crunching a few numbers, you find that the game overall has fewer levels than Runner2, and only a couple more levels than the original Runner.
Replay Value
But just beating the game once from point A to point B doesn’t put a cap on your time with Runner3. Not even close. The replay value in this title is nothing if not dense. I saw credits roll but came nowhere close to conquering the game’s available challenges.
There are lots of attainable achievements for completionists (especially the “not-actually impossible” impossible levels).
Which are pretty much impossible.
… The game stops counting your deaths after 99, by the way.
#NoShame
User Experience
The degree to which you have completed a level isn’t always clear. I can think of many things that MIGHT increase your “grade,” but they would be guesses:
There is gold to collect as well as gems, checkpoints that could be skipped instead of used, collectible items, a score counter that can be boosted by setting off optional rockets along the way, and a bullseye target at the end. It’s not communicated which of these feats correspond to which color of ring on the level select, or color of + icon, or position of said colored + icon. You can go into Stats and it literally records your amount of Perfect, Perfect+, Special, Special+, Special Perfect, Special Perfect+ and “Special Perfect Double+” levels without telling you what the differences are or how to achieve them, so I’m a bit fuzzy on what it takes to 100% this game. I know it’s cute to have those ambiguous ranks, but I felt lost.
Hiccups and Hang-Ups
I wanted to love every moment of this game, but I feel that it is my duty to report back honestly about some snags I experienced along the way.
– There are so many long loading screens in this game. If you want to back out from the level select to the menu, you’re going to sit through a lot of these back-to-back.
– Sometimes you can’t switch tracks, and other times they seem to switch for you. Sometimes you die because one track is lower than the other (but you’re supposed to be able to switch at any time).
– Accomplishments aren’t very celebrated. Levels end with some calm, anticlimactic elevator music (even if you had an outstanding run or defeated a boss). After an intense feat and narrowly winning, it feels like a crescendo is in order rather than things fading out with a wet fizzle.
– CommanderVideo is missing some of his moves from previous titles, like holding forward to reflect beats with a shield—that was an awesome mechanic! There is also no loop-de-loops or dancing. [Update: Dancing IS included in this game! Immediately after stumbling upon this action with a shoulder button, I was given a loading screen that informed me about the mechanic.]
– The art style is definitely unique, but can be disappointing in places—like looseness in certain animations, background elements being big and weird but not always nice to look at graphically, etc. I feel like a measure of precision was sacrificed when moving this series from sprite graphics to 3D. This is the kind of game where precision is paramount (yes, their proclivity for alliterations is rubbing off on me).
Value Proposition
This game is more expensive (at $30 digital, $40 physical) than any of the others in the series. Runner 2 is available right now on Wii U for $3. Buy that.
But don’t write off Runner3 for charging more, either. You know it costs a lot of benjamins to get such an acclaimed voice actor to lend his talent. And if you’re willing to grit your teeth, crack your knuckles and rise to the “post-game” challenges, you’re going to have a nice, long stay in this wonderfully wacky world.
And after knocking out those impossible levels and completing your collection of Super Duper Triple Plus Perfects (or whatever), you’ll have plenty of in-game currency to spend on capes, clothes, and other goodies. There are no in-app purchases to be found, which is reassuring in this day and age.
There are no in-app purchases to be found!
In Summary
I had a great time with Runner3. My wife even enjoyed watching me play, and loved the music. (How many games can you say that about in your house?)
But there were undeniably several niggling aspects of the game’s design that kept me out of the flow, whether they were apparent glitches, omissions from past games, or a general sense of not knowing how to do more than advance through the basic levels.
I would have loved to publish a full review on embargo day, but I have yet to access any of the Retro levels.
I think it would be negligent to offer a score on this game after playing only half the content.
You might struggle a lot less than me once Runner3 is available for purchase, with help from a printed manual or online guide. I think those would have come in handy during my play-through (and still will as I continue to explore).
One more note:
Gaming’s landscape has changed a lot since CommanderVideo first graced consoles. On Nintendo Switch, Runner3 is faced with competitors like the incredibly tight and exciting musical levels in Rayman Legends, or the superbly atmospheric rhythym-horror title Thumper. $30 is a tough sell when Runner3 struggles to stack up to the impressive accomplishments of its earlier installments. But if you’re a fan of the series, and/or someone who 100%s their games no matter how difficult, you could hardly go wrong here.
I will definitely report back once I have a better understanding of the game’s full offering. I’d also like to extend a huge thanks to Choice Provisions, and Dant over there, for giving us the hook-ups. I hope this early look at Runner3 helps inform your buying decisions ahead of launch day, May 22nd! And set a reminder for our live steam!
Adventures of Bertram Fiddle #1 Review (Switch)
I used to believe that graphic adventure games were bimodal when it came to quality. Either they were good or they were bad, with the line between the two so fine that there wasn’t room for any middle ground. Now that I’ve played The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1, I may need to rethink my hypothesis.
The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle is a point-and-click styled adventure game starring the eponymous Mr. Fiddle and his one-eyed man-servant, Gavin. Mechanically, the game is quite sound, sticking to the tried and true formula of exploring environments, grabbing everything that isn’t nailed-down, and then using said items to advance further. That said, it doesn’t add much of its own to the mix. Normally, this would be a problem, but this style of adventure game has always banked more on plot and puzzles than unique mechanics, so I’m willing to give it a pass.
Speaking of which, the game thankfully avoids the typical pitfall of “moon logic” puzzles that is all too common in the genre: every puzzle has a creative but entirely logical solution. Moreover, the game is quite good at dropping hints without ever feeling like it’s spoon-feeding you the answer.
Visually, the game is a mixed bag. The art style has a nice mid-90’s Nickelodeon vibe to it and does a good job of setting the tone. Unfortunately, between the muted palette for backgrounds and every other environment being the dull and lifeless streets of Victorian London, the environments quickly start to feel repetitive.
Of course, the main draw of these sorts of games is the story. Our adventure begins with a suspicious letter asking our protagonist to assist with a personal matter for a shady, but wealthy, individual. Mrs. Fiddle, however, doesn’t approve and instead tasks our heroes with taking her dog to the groomer, but then they get their bag mixed up with that of a stranger on the street, and somehow the whole thing spirals into a hunt for a serial killer…
If that attempt at a summary didn’t tip you off, the story is a tad unfocused. Several plot threads are introduced very early on and then immediately shunted off to the side to make room for the next one. Now, this can actually work quite well with a mystery plot, as what originally seemed like completely unrelated occurrences are slowly woven together into a tapestry of intrigue. Unfortunately, that’s not what happens here. Instead, Bertram and Gavin wander the streets of London, happen across an item on their to-do list (entirely by accident), decide they really have nothing better to do, and then move on to the next scene to repeat the process with little rhyme or reason.
Unfortunately, pacing isn’t even the writing’s biggest weakness. The concept of an English gentleman and his stalwart man-servant going on an adventure in London immediately evoked the image of one of my all-time favorite literary works, P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster series. The thought of a similar duo starring in a point-and-click adventure game sounded like a smashing idea.
Unfortunately, Jeeves and Wooster they are not. Simply put, neither the protagonist or his sidekick are particularly interesting. There’s little in terms of discernible characterization for either of them and what little is there is just plain uninspired. Bertram is a globe-trotting explorer, and an amateur sleuth, and an inventor. In short, he’s not just a gentleman adventurer, he’s every gentleman adventurer…and that’s it. He’s not particularly smart or stupid, he’s not a lovable loser a la Guybrush Threepwood, he’s not a likable jerk, he’s just a gentleman adventurer. His sidekick, Gavin, is even less interesting, only offering advice in the form of proverbs from his homeland.
That’s not to say that there aren’t interesting characters in this game; there are several. The problem is they’re in and out of the story so quickly, they never really get much time to shine.
Most of the humor consists of [insert clip of Bertram saying “terrible puns”] and poorly-executed, pop-culture references, but the few times it does stray away out of its comfort zone, it’s actually pretty decent. Like I said before, many of the odd folk the protagonists encounter during their adventure are entertaining and I’m always a sucker for the “the solution to one problem comes back to bite you later” gag.
Oh, and this happened. [Show picture of two Bertrams] This isn’t the only graphical glitch I encountered either.
So in summary, The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1 is a mechanically solid point-and-click adventure game that features good puzzles, so-so writing, and distracting glitches. All of these factors balance out to lead to a completely average, perhaps even mediocre, game, which for a game of this genre is an odd sort of accomplishment. That said, I would say that the asking price of $5.00 is completely fair.
I give The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1 a shrug.
Reactions: Nintendo Switch Online!
Nintendo announced all of their plans for Nintendo Switch Online service, launching in September. The three main pillars were: Cloud Saves, NES games, and Pricing. Some details we already knew, and some just raise more questions. Simeon and Scott dive in deep during this episode of Two Button Crew!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Cat Quest, A Switch Nindie about Cats
It’s an action RPG all about cats! Seriously, this is cool. And there’re a lot of cat puns to enjoy. Thanks to the developers for letting us try outt his game! We’ll have a review up on our channel soon.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The Apes of Summer
While the King of Kong scandal, centered on the alleged cheater Billy Mitchel, is heating up, Donkey Kong is yet again taking center stage in a port on the Nintendo Switch, and the timing couldn’t be better for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. If you know anything about me, you probably know that I am an absolute sucker for playing games at certain times of the year and this one is a perfect game to pick up in the summer. It starts out in the tropics and the player progresses into the later levels that slowly transition into dark and wintry which feel oddly dystopian. Tropical Freeze happens to be one of my favorite Wii U games. While this statement may not seem that earth shattering (sorry, Wii U), Tropical Freeze puts on a master class of what a platformer should be. It’s a challenging game and when player gets comfortable with one thing, the game throws in something totally new and unexpected. It took everything that was right with Donkey Kong Country Returns and amped up the experience tenfold.
First off, the game is pure beauty. The tropical vistas have never looked better, and the water effects are top notch. For me, the thing that sets this game apart is the ambiance. This is something that is hard to get right, and many developers still haven’t figured it out. It’s amazing how Retro Studios captures the ominous feeling of a dark and scary storm approaching on a clear and beautiful day. This game has the player experience the environment through the use of genius shading, intricate detail of the environment, and what seems to be a real life simulation of weather changes and other natural disasters. Whether the player is swimming deep in the ocean while there is a thunderstorm looming overhead, running through a scorching wild fire, or even bracing through a tornado, there is never a dull moment. What sets this apart from recent Mario side scrollers is that nothing is blocky and linear, it all looks like natural environment and from a development perspective, there is no noticeable copy and pasting of environmental textures going on.
Of course, the ambiance wouldn’t be possible without the music. David Wise, who was the composer for the original DKC Trilogy, captures the same magical feeling through his sweeping and oddly calming scores. Playing through the game, the level that actually gave me goose bumps was Grassland Grooves in the Bright Savannah. This level starts slow and builds up to a grand climax of cheerful music and visuals. It’s not all pleasant though. Some of the music also matches the fear of a raging thunderstorm and it only adds to the intensity. If you don’t believe me that this game has intense music, go ahead and Youtube “Vikings Island Theme” and tell me that isn’t one of the most adrenaline inducing songs you have ever heard.
Like any game, however, it does have some flaws. My biggest gripe is that there isn’t really enough variety between characters. Cranky Kong’s “Duck Tales” pogo-cane technique is fun, but the game never really forced me to utilize it so I usually wound up using Dixie Kong for her twirl technique. I do want to note that it never really subtracted from the gameplay. The other issue with the Wii U version was load times. These were downright awful. Loading a level could take upwards of half a minute, and sometimes it felt even longer. Lastly, some people critique the challenge in this game. Personally, I have no issue with it, but I can see where it would be challenging for newcomers of the series. The Switch version seems to have a solution for every one of these issues. For one, Funky Kong is now a playable character and should take some of that difficulty edge off. I’m not sure how much I will use him, but it’s nonetheless a neat addition. I’m expecting load times to be better based on the new hardware, but that is to be determined.
So if you can’t tell by now, I’m pretty pumped to play this game again. It should be a huge success on the Switch and will give those that didn’t want to get near the Wii-U a crack at a game that was already near perfection. By nature, platformers are great “pick up and play” games, so it should adapt perfectly to the Switch. Up to this point, I haven’t used the Switch portable feature much, but I predict that should change upon release of this game. Though the price point may seem a little steep for a release of an older game, if you have never experienced the joy that is Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, do yourself a favor, pick it up, and go bananas. (Sorry!)
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (+ Controversy)
Nintendo decided to rerelase Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Nintendo Switch at a high price point… $40 higher than the Wii U Nintendo Selects version, and $10 higher than they charged for the original at launch. This game is now 4 years old… something smells fishy… Oh—nevermind, it’s just some frozen fish.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
A Crash Course on Dark Souls
Dark Souls may have slipped to Summer 2018, but that only means that we get more time to prepare for the gauntlet! Known as one of the hardest games ever made, we need to get all the information we possibly can before it hits stores in mere months.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Bombslinger Review (Switch) – 8.25/10
Bombslinger is a western-styled roguelike game, all about blowing up baddies.
If this game instantly looks like Bomberman to you, that’s because—well—this game instantly looks like Bomberman. It might be fair to call Bombslinger a clone, but it does introduce plenty of its own unique elements.
First of all, this game has an interesting setting, and fun characters. You play as a cowboy who’s looking to avenge his wife’s death. Like I said—fun. The main character used to be mixed up with the wrong crowd, and when he turns over a new leaf, the old posse wasn’t too happy about that. Now you’ve got to blast your way through 4 levels and take down 7 big bosses.
Bomblinger sports a really interesting graphic style. At first glance it looks like your run-of-the-mill 8-bit art, but from certain angles and cutscenes it looks a bit more “Minecraftian.” You also get some O.G. LoZ vibes as you leave one top-down area of the map to enter another.
There’s a healthy variety of enemies waiting to be blown to smithereens. From old men hobbling around in… underwear? Diapers? Loincloths? Anyway—there’s a handful of vicious animals, bad dudes armed with rifles or machine guns—you name it. The difficulty curve is appropriate and you gradually face more of these challenges as you progress.
Clearing rooms and levels is fun, and you’re rewarded with gold and XP that can be spent on upgrades. The typical Bomberman fare is here, like extra bombs, bigger explosions, and what I lovingly refer to as “kicky-bombs.” But there are some new tools and powers that are more unique and I won’t spoil in this review. I will say it’s not always clear what things do, so trial and error is your friend along the dirt-road to success.
The developers even include a multiplayer mode, so you can take a break from the campaign, slide off your Joy-Con, and basically pretend you’re playing classic Bomberman in ponchos.
My experience wasn’t without bugs, sadly. I found that going into the menu and hitting “restart” would work about half the time, otherwise booting me out of the game and onto my Switch home screen. Fortunately, I never lost progress since I was actively looking to restart my run, so it was only a minor inconvenience.
Speaking of progress, as you get further and accomplish different feats, you’ll unlock new items to customize your loadout with, and more slots in your inventory. The game rewards you well, and helps equip the main character with better tools to make it to the last boss. There’s even two different endings that you can pick from, not unlike Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which I reference without hesitation because of course you played that one… right? Anyone?
Overall: Bombslinger is a great time. Whoever had the idea of combining Bomberman mechanics with roguelike systems and western settings deserves a raise… or at least your $12 on the eShop. Bombslinger gets an 8.25 out of 10.
5 Ways to Fix Smash’s ONLINE for Switch
Smash Bros. has never had very good online connectivity or modes. It’s time that Nintendo stepped it up and made an experience more comparable to their competitors. Let’s do this! Smash 5 is coming out this year. Let’s get it right, Sakurai.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
How are LABO Kits Holding Up?
LABO Kits have been on the market for over a week now, but how are they holding up to the wear & tear of real life? It looks like they are faring well, and Nintendo is prepared to get replacements into the hands of consumers that need them.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
How Graceful is Graceful Explosion Machine?
Graceful Explosion Machine was one of the first Nindies to launch on Switch, and it’s still one of the best. This is an arcade schmup game that puts your skills to the test while treating you to a visual spectacle!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
