Arms has been no stranger to skepticism. As a 3D arena fighter with motion controls isn’t exactly what you would want or expect from Nintendo. Nightmares of Wii Boxing came rushing back when I first saw this, leaving me scratching my head as to why Nintendo would want to go back to this concept.
Having now played Arms as part of the Global Testpunch, I now see that this isn’t another motion controlled waggle fest. Arms is the real deal.
Following the success of Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows. It was a free downloadable campaign that allowed you to play through the existing levels as Plague Knight. While I appreciate the level of effort that went into making the Plague Knight experience differ, it came at the cost of Plague Knight not being as fun of a character to play as.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment seems to have learned from the mistakes of the past. This time, you play as a new character that moves with a fluidity that Plague Knight sorely lacked. You also get to use this new character in heavily revised levels that are tuned to match their play style. One could even argue that the end result might be better than the original game.
[NOTE: This reviews the current version of the game that does not have online play. It was not available at this point in time and based on recent comments from the developer, it’s not coming in a timely manner. As such, I’ve chosen to publish the review without online play.]
Coming out just as my beloved Toronto Raptors get bounced from the playoffs yet again, NBA Playgrounds arrives just in time to ease the pain of another failed attempt at the championship. Unlike the simulation-based NBA 2K series, NBA Playgrounds is a throwback to the arcade insanity of NBA Jam. Is this new take on a classic play stile a somersault slam dunk?
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows is the first piece of downloadable content for Shovel Knight. This time, you take on the Enchantress and the Order of No Quarter as Plague Knight, one of the bosses from the original game. While it uses the same levels, the experience of playing as Plague Knight gives the game a different, more challenging, and arguably not as fun game.
When Nintendo first revealed the Switch, they did so by showing off a myriad of different scenarios for when the product would be useful. From showing how quickly the game could transfer from your screen to the unit, to showing off a woman bringing her Switch to a rooftop party to play with friends, Nintendo pitched this as providing a quality gaming experience everywhere you go.
At first, I didn’t buy it. Sure, the novelty was neat, but I didn’t see the ability to play the same games at home or on the go as a revelation. Now that I’ve had the console for a few months, I realize that its selling point is the real deal.
For the last few days, I’ve been playing NBA Playgrounds on the Nintendo Switch. I’ve been working on a review, but I don’t feel comfortable publishing it until online play is activated on the Switch. When that goes live, I’ll give it a go and finish the review.
What I can say for the time being is that it’s fun, but highly flawed. The game’s shooting mechanics make shooting 3s too easy and 2s too difficult. The AI is unbalanced, as it will steal the ball from you every two seconds, but can’t stop a long range shot to save its life. Unless you’re a fan of the sport with an unshakeable urge to play a modern NBA Jam, you can probably pass on this one. Full review coming soon!
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With its impending release less than a month away, Nintendo pulled back the curtain even further on Arms. In this 20-minute presentation, they unveiled new characters, a number of new modes, a commitment to free post-launch DLC and the announcement of an upcoming beta. Despite my skepticism of the game, Nintendo might have me on the brink of caving in.
Defenders of the Triforce takes the Legend of Zelda universe into the real world with an escape challenge game. Touring across North America this summer, my family and I gave it a shot when it came to our city. Should you carve some time out of your busy schedule to try out this limited run challenge?
As a gift from my brother, I received a pair of Neon Red Nintendo Switch Joycon controllers. Besides serving the functional benefit of now having enough controllers for four-player Mario Kart, they give the Switch a very different vibe. The default grey controllers make the unit look like a slick piece of professional technology. By swapping them out with the Neon controllers, the console looks more distinctly Nintendo.
Thank you to my brother for the controllers!
On May 16th, 2017, Injustice 2 smashes its way onto store shelves. While I adore that first game, my excitement for the title has been muted for quite some time.
In Third Person 