For anybody else, Captain Toad's weird little experiment would be an afterthought. But Nintendo's exercise in digging has found something pretty special - an action puzzle game that succeeds on charm and smarts, rather than reflexes and spectacle.
Tallying its original content on its own, Dimensions offers a very replayable, highly varied take on a too-long dormant modern classic.
Unity falls short of the fresh start Assassin's Creed needs
Ultimately, these issues are small nicks in an otherwise intimidating facade. Halo: The Master Chief Collection sets a bar that other remasters and collections will have difficulty reaching, much less topping. For players new to Halo, who have missed any of the included games, it is a stunning introduction to one of the most beloved series in video games. For Halo fans, it's a package that shows almost as much respect and affection for the Master Chief as they do.
Advanced Warfare shows what the series needed most was risk
Sunset Overdrive is contagiously enthusiastic
Low gravity makes The Pre-Sequel more than a simple rehash of the Borderlands formula
Bayonetta 2's blatant over-sexualization puts a big dent in an otherwise great game
Isolation isn't the worst Alien game, but it is the most disappointing
Forza Horizon 2's foundation is stronger than the underwhelming tracks built on top of it
Rise of the Dark Spark is a colossal failure
EA Sports UFC feels barely held together, a collection of parts that are often as frustrating as they are poorly explained. Somewhere, in all of the complication and opacity, is a game unlike anything else out there, that finds the unpredictability and wildness that set MMA apart from other combat sports. But there's an awful lot of bad to dig through to find it.
WATCH DOGS OPEN WORLD IS TRUMPED BY ITS SMART, LAYERED MECHANICS
The New Order's got all the workings of a classic shooter. But in their trip back to the well, Machine Games has brought all of its talents to bear. The New Order is held together, even rocketed beyond the basic sum of its smart levels and effective mechanics by its characters. That humanity takes what would be a good shooter and makes it something truly memorable.
Child of Light seems content to only scratch its own surface
Reaper of Souls reinvigorates an already great game
Luftrausers has a strong pull
Titanfall has all the makings of the next big thing
Plants vs. Zombies is an elevating factor in a tired genre
The elements of a better game never come together in Thief