Street Fighter II is back! Again! For the last time! Yeah, probably not the last time, but whatever.
After a countless number of iterations over the last few decades (!), Capcom rolls out the latest version of its signature fighting game franchise with Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers on the Nintendo Switch. Is this a worthwhile addition to the franchise and to your collection?
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.
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.
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?
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With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe out now on the Nintendo Switch, players are zipping through the Mushroom Kingdom yet again for a chance at asserting themselves as the best behind a kart or motorcycle. Now that the series is decades old with over 10 titles in its lineup, let’s rank them worst to best!
Note: Mario Kart GP and GP 2 are not here. I have played both, but not nearly enough to rank them fairly.
Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U almost became the definitive title in the franchise. While it stunned players with gorgeous visuals and racing that has been fine-tuned over the course of decades of innovation, its half-hearted battle mode that didn’t feature battle-mode-specific tracks was the worst in the series.
Years later, Nintendo addresses this flaw in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch with an all-new battle mode. For good measure, the game also features all of the DLC from the Wii U, a handful of new characters and a few minor gameplay updates as well. Better late than never, as this is the new pinnacle for the franchise and the genre.
The default Joy-Con controllers on the Nintendo Switch provide an unprecedented level of versatility, from acting as the controllers on a portable unit, to working as a standalone controller when attached to a Joy-Con Grip, or even as two separate controllers when split in half. This versatility, however, comes at a cost. In particular, when used with a Joy-Con Grip, it works okay, but it’s certainly no substitute for a more traditional controller.
To address this issue, you could buy a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It definitely looks the part, though its steep price point may give you pause. Is this control alternative worth it?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is about as sure of a thing as any. Take a hot new Nintendo console and pair it with an updated port of quite possibly the best Mario Kart of all-time and everyone wins. Despite that, I’m having a hard time getting jazzed for this one.
In Third Person 