Catching up here -

I AM CHARGING UP MY GB MICRO AND PLAYING ZERO MISSION AND FUSION ASAP

Also, I was a bit shocked with Cocha's 10 for ME3. Even with the fixed ending, there were too many short cuts in that game to wrap up stuff, and things like the Xenophage became a simple wheel dialogue choice which, if you've played through 1 and 2 seems so reductive. Mechanically, it plays the best ever, but I can't get over how it did the dirty to so many things.

While we're talking about characters that run a bit funny, is the camera back a little further in ME3 as well?  Only had a look at the intro level but I don't know about Shepherd's duck arsed aiming stance and running.  Never noticed it in ME1 or 2.  Hope I'm a big enough adult to move past this, lol.

Was impressed with how much better Anderson looked, dolled up Maybelline Ashley, and seeing a new body type for the hulking Freddie Prinze Jr though.

16: Warioware (Wii U/GBA) 8/10


First time playing.  This was a lot of silly fun and was pretty much just how everyone said it was.  It does seem a bit ahead of its time, like you could see a little Steam game coming out with this premise these days, but it's not really how I remember games being at that time.  Really enjoyed the inventiveness and sense of humour throughout.  Impressive how there was only a couple of games where I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing; you generally intuit what's happening the moment the games appear.  Also at this point I really appreciate a game you can beat in an evening.  Good stuff.

Nice!  That was good shit.  Think my favourite was shaking hands with the dog, just for its face when you win.

63. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX - Switch (90mins)

It's not a great update, folks.  The original was my first home console game, after winning the head to head match up at Charlotte King's house in 1990 (Kung Fu on NES lost).  It turned me into a rabid Segaboy who didn't own a non-Sega branded console for the next seven years, so I love it to bits, but it's not quite survived the leap to modern consoles.

The updated visuals are nice.  It's no show stopper though.  The fact that it doesn't feel quite right with the modern look selected doesn't help, which meant I tackled most of the trickier sections after switching to the retro graphics.  There's a chance this was purely because I'm accustomed to that style, but the old school approach seemed more precise.  Given that the entire thing is mostly a reskin this poses a problem.  How do you judge a game that only really sets out to spruce up a classic?  There are a small handful of new stages, which are fine, and new boss patterns...which are not.  It's bizarre that the rejigged bosses felt like genuine 8-bit missteps on occasion, rather than modern additions to an 8-bit game.  

It worked for Wonderboy III but the same approach hasn't paid off here.  I guess either the foundations are creakier or the slightly less methodical gameplay of this takes more of a hit from hindsight.  The original wasn't a masterpiece but it was a terrific game.  This is a long way short of both.  Stick with the memories or buy the M2 release would be my advice.  Any fan worth their salt will probably ignore this and try it anyway, and good for you.  Maybe wait for a price drop though.  [5]

I can't decide it I was too harsh in it now. It looks a lot better on a bigger screen (I played through in handheld, just checking it out now - peticopter thunderstorm ftw). I gave Lizard Cube's Wonderboy III a [9] and Toki Remastered a [4], so it's not sitting right that I've gone low for this as it's a much better redo than the latter.

Looking forward to second opinions more than a second playthrough anyway. It's a [6] for me at best, despite the fact that the OG release is in my top 100.

17: Metroid Fusion (Wii U/GBA) 7/10

This is pretty good, but it was a mistake to play it so close to Metroid Zero.  Just a few too many little irritations over both games that added up a bit too much by the end of Fusion.  Mainly not being all that excited by how Samus moves and the fighting not being that good.  It’s another great map but uncovering it in such a similar way to Zero did drag on a bit.  

Still, it’s pretty cool.  I especially liked the Evil Samus bits - they do  a great job of being scary without it popping up every five minutes.  Just with I waited a month or so to play it.

25. Scarlet Nexus [8]
The setting, anime style and even the action reminded me a lot of Astral Chain. It's got that Platinum style combat - slick, busy and OTT - some great monsters made up of human limbs, bits of machinery and rather nice shrubberies, and a slow drip of complexity that ends up demanding some real finger gymnastics. If it just developed on that with a little more oomph in its level design it would be right up there. Instead it focuses on an overblown story, which throws in ten times the ideas and twists it needs, and some light Persona style relationship building, which is unobtrusive enough but doesn't have the characters to make it interesting. The combat and sheer silliness make it more than worthwhile regardless.

26. Legend of Mana [6]
I'd not played this before and knew it was a bit different from the normal ARPG template, but it surprised me just how original it still is. The almost complete openness and lack of a main quest are both liberating and intimidating, and its a bold structure to attempt. Unfortunately, it's let down by some confusing writing, poor tutorials and some deliberately obtuse quest design. Plus some shallow, pedestrian combat. The new graphical makeover is lovely though, and with a guide to hand it's still an intriguing curio.

27. Stonefly [6]
This is a step up from the developer's last game, Creature in the Well, but not by as much as it promised at first. It suffers from the same problem - an appealing, original idea which isn't fully capitalised on. The basics are better this time, with your little flying bug-like machine upturning insects then flinging them off the edges of giant leaves with gusts of wind. Bigger insects force you to make craft upgrades to deal with their specific threats, and on it goes. But there just isn't the variety to keep it going for 8+ hours, and too much of that ends up being resource farming to meet the demands of your new inventions. Padding, in other words, rather than smart, evolving level design. Still, it is a good idea, the music and visual style are nice, and gliding around is quite pleasantly relaxing.

8. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart - PS5 - [8]
As has been said by others, this doesn't do anything revolutionary from a gameplay perspective, but the visuals, sound, music and voice acting are top notch. Gameplay is a lot like the PS4 game, so if you like that, there's a lot to like here. I've got a few collectibles left to get, but not as much as I expected, so guessing it took me a bit longer to complete than the PS4 game. The pricing issue should be debated, as £70 (or £60) for a short game, could be seen as terrible value for money, but it's clear where the development time went, for me £45 to £50 seems the right launch price for this game. Presentation cannot be faulted though and that does bump up the score a little.

Pretty similar with regards enjoyment for both of those. Can see why people bristle at the price for either (or both) of those but in the end they both gave me enough enjoyment (Returnal especially) that I didn’t come away feeling short changed. Understandable that mileage will very though.

That’s @b0r1s.

65. Mario Golf Super Rush - Switch (5hrs)

Disclaimer: The following is predominantly was supposed to be a review of the adventure mode, rather than the overall package.  While the full game has a few problems it plays an undeniably strong game of galf if you ignore the bullshit, and imo scrapes a [7] with the potential to comfortably putt for an [8] if the free dlc comes good.  

The RPG lite adventure mode is a staple of Mario Golf games, at least in the three that I've played (this and the two previous handheld efforts).  I believe critics were underwhelmed by the equivalent mode in World Tour, given that it was pared back from what preceded it in Advance Tour, but I enjoyed it immensely.  Here it just feels cheap, lightweight and cobbled together as an afterthought.  I used the word complacent in the MG thread, but if you focus on the bigger picture it's also pretty cynical.  There seem to be two distinct versions of Nintendo in recent years and this becomes more apparent as the Switch juggernaut rolls on.  One the one hand you've got the double-polished AAA offerings that glisten under layers of varnish - proper Ambassador's Reception stuff - but then you've got the titles that feel like they're plugging gaps between major releases.  Which could be fine - who better than Nintendo to develop competent A/AA games anyway, on paper - but when these releases feel lazy you've got to wonder how much Partridge shrugging is going on behind the scenes.  I'm all for free post-launch additions but when the likes of ARMS, Mario Tennis Aces and now this arrive with what is essentially a 'roadmap' of upcoming content it all starts to feel a bit full price Early Access.

The adventure mode in this is a mess.  The whole experience feels like a game that's covertly visiting from a bygone era, like some sort of reverse Gary Sparrow.  The sparse map segments are knitted together by regular loading screens and the structure could easily pass for a resurrected Wii game.  There are characters to talk to, but the script is weak compared to most of these Nintendo spin-offs (the previous golf games, Superstar Saga etc), plus they don't seem to offer anything of useful, so why would you bother?  'Did you know if you're careful with your approach shots they might go in?', etc.  You're forced to take part in an abundance of undesirable play styles as you level up your Mii character like it's 2007.  The barebones golf is great, as mentioned above, but the variations are a tombola of tedium.  Cross country mode is an abomination, it should never have made it past the blue sky white board.  Speed golf is okay, but also a complete waste of time.  Battle golf doesn't even look like something I'd like to try.  I assume it was decided that a modern game needs extra bells and whistles to release at £49.99, but I'd wager most series stalwarts would have preferred a more focused golfing experience at Idunno a £34.99 pricepoint.  What if you take Streetfighter 2, right, but you fly the plane to the USSR?  It's a money tennis approach to golf, and that's not cricket.  I'm not saying don't mix things up ever, but I am saying don't change things if the additions are only there to pad trailers out rather than improve the experience.  If the speed golf had been binned in the early stages of development we might have had nine courses out the box, instead on a paltry (for a modern game) six.  Even the visuals lie on the wrong side of rough - first party Switch games often look smashing; for the sake of hyperbole this looks like a Bleemcast PS1 game, or whatever the equivalent would be for running high res Wii games on a Wii U.  I can't think of a worse looking first party Switch game.  The wet-look for characters in the rain is particularly hideous.      

I've shanked the review wide of the adventure mode here and I'm basically just venting now.  This was my most anticipated Switch game long before it was actually announced, and I'm disappointed.  I'll mention for a third time that the golf is good, but even so some of the later course design doesn't exactly help it sing.  As usual it struggles to make the tougher courses enjoyable, imo, but that could be down to practice.  We'll see - I still plan to play this a lot. If you eschew everything other than standard golf mode it just about drops in for a par, but everything else is a double bogey flicked in your face. [5] for the adventure mode, fuck it - the final boss was an embarrassing hangover from a time before games improved.  Tap/tap snap golf is still my gaming comfort blanket but Camelot have pissed on it a little.

Seconded, great write up.

I can spot a Play It Loud gamer a mile away.

That's a fair review. I liked it more than most, but it's nowhere near the best PS Exclusive. It's a 7 for me, upgrade to an 8 for the overall presentation quality. Thinking back, I actually think the PS4 game may have more depth to it.

b0r1s wrote:

That's a fair review. I liked it more than most, but it's nowhere near the best PS Exclusive. It's a 7 for me, upgrade to an 8 for the overall presentation quality. Thinking back, I actually think the PS4 game may have more depth to it.

Its a hard one to score really as I did enjoy it, but it just felt like it was lacking the game to support the visuals and sound. It was like a tech demo that became a game as it just looked and sounded so good.

66. Part Time UFO - Switch (2-3hrs)

Delightful knockabout lite-puzzle physics game that channels the doot doot spirit of WarioWare.  You play as Jobski the flying saucer, who is equipped with a far more trustworthy end-of-the-pier grabber claw for hoisting objects into position.  You'll be tasked with making salads, mooving cows and assembling totem poles, among other agreeably zany objectives.  Perfectly simplistic gameplay coupled with an excellent co-op mode and the least annoying main theme motif in recent memory is a recipe for success in my book.  This is how you do bitesize, loved it. [8].