Hori Compact Play Stand for Nintendo Switch Review

The Nintendo Switch is a cool piece of hardware with a number of unfortunate quirks. One of which is the flimsy piece of plastic that acts as a stand. Besides the seemingly inevitable reality that it’s going to break off sooner rather than later, it only extends out to one angle, making it less than ideal in most tabletop gaming situations. Furthermore, in the event where the battery runs low, there’s no way to charge it while playing in tabletop mode, as the power port on the bottom is obstructed by the table.

If tabletop gaming with the Switch is something you plan on doing more than once in a blue moon, there are a number of solutions out there. The Hori Compact Play Stand for Nintendo Switch is one such product that I personally bought to address this issue.

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stands in sharp contrast compared to almost every game in the series since A Link to the Past. Throwing away the aspects of linearity and hand-holding, the game is built from the ground up to be an open-ended adventure that allows players to experience as much (or as little) as they want.

Regardless of how you approach it, you’ll be getting into a beautiful, challenging and wonderous journey through Hyrule that could be considered one of the best in the series.
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Splatoon 2 Global Testfire Impressions

The first global testfire for Splatoon on the Wii U was a watershed moment for that game. Many were skeptical about the game, as Nintendo was stepping into unfamiliar territory with this team-based shooter. Within one weekend, it silenced the skeptics and became a smash hit upon release.

If it worked the first time, why not try again? Over the weekend, Nintendo gave players access to a beta build of Splatoon 2 on the Nintendo Switch. Was this beta enough excite existing fans and potential new players alike?

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Initial Impressions

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will forever be one of the best Zelda games of all-time and one of the overall greatest of all-time. But it also had some unforeseeable side-effects to the series going forward. Primarily, the rigid dungeon structure of A Link to the Past became the formula for the franchise for decades to come. A great formula, but one that has gotten stale over time and one that strayed away from the open-ended nature of the original.

Nintendo sort of took a stab at breaking the cycle with A Link Between Worlds, where weapons and items could be rented out or bought at any time. This time, they’ve gone even further, crafting an experience that’s almost entirely open-ended. How did they do it? And does it make for a better game?

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Snorlax Bean Bag Chair Review

Snorlax Bean Bag ChairAt the height of Pokemon Go mania, ThinkGeek put up pre-orders on an exclusive Snorlax bean bag chair. In a moment of weakness/genius, Steff and I committed to bringing one home. Months later, it now sits in the corner of our living room. If you’re thinking about spicing up your decor with a Snorlax bean bag chair of your own, read my review!

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Puyo Puyo Tetris Impressions

Coming soon to North America for the Nintendo Switch, Puyo Puyo Tetris has actually been available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Japan for a few years. Figuring that this one would never make it to the west, I bought an Japanese copy of it on PlayStation 4 from a vendor at Fan Expo. What can you expect when it finally makes its way here? Well, I can’t read Japanese, so I can’t assess everything in the game. However, I think I’ve played enough of it to give you the scoop on what to expect.

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Fire Emblem: Heroes Impressions

Many years ago, I played a game on iOS called War of Eustrath. It was in essence, Fire Emblem with mechs. While I had fun with it for what it was, it ultimately just made me long for the day when a true Fire Emblem experience would appear on iOS. It only took seven years, but better late than ever, right?

Nintendo’s marquee tactical RPG finally makes its debut on mobile phones with Fire Emblem: Heroes. Unlike Pokemon Go and Super Mario Run, this one is built on a very traditional mobile game monetization model. Is this worth the grind or your hard earned money?

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For Honor Beta Impressions

Generally, games in the vein of Dark Souls are not my cup of tea. However, the one thing I admire about games of that ilk are its combat systems. After decades of twitch action, Demon Souls slowed things down in a way that made every move, dodge and parry matter. As a fighting game fan, I can appreciate the nuance to combat in those games, though I can do w ithout the insane difficulty and lack of checkpoints.

For Honor takes that core combat style out of its dungeon crawl roots and puts it in a Call of Duty style multiplayer experience. Does the shift in format frame up the combat in a game that is more palatable to my sensibilities?

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Titanfall 2 Review

The original Titanfall did not get its due upon its release. While its core multiplayer gameplay was stellar, I feel like it got overlooked due to it not being available on the PlayStation 4. Also, its single player campaign is one of the saddest excuses I’ve ever seen. Okay, so maybe the first was a bit more flawed than I’d like to remember it, but I won’t forget the dozens of hours I spent with the multiplayer aspect of it.

With the franchise now available on Sony’s platform, it’s time for the franchise to put its best foot forward. Titanfall 2 does that marvelously.

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Wits & Wagers Family Edition Review

Wits & Wagers Family Edition is a “family friendly” spin-off of the hit trivia game. While I wouldn’t necessarily classify classic Wits & Wagers as being unfriendly to families, there are some changes to the core formula that further widen the game’s appeal. Is this revision worthy of your family’s next game night?

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