Neal Ronaghan
Even when it's safe, Swap Force is still a wildly entertaining game and another satisfying entry in a genre that rarely gets this much love and care. It might lack the innovative magic of Spyro's Adventure or the daring ingenuity of Giants, but it's still a formula that works, even if the routine is starting to show.
Since it follows the roadmap so closely, it’s not quite as fresh as the SNES classic was in 1992, but that doesn’t make it any less of an amazing experience. A Link Between Worlds is a delightful adventure that hits every high note a 2D Zelda game has ever produced while creating many new hallmarks of its own. In a year filled with quality 3DS games, A Link Between Worlds is another fantastic entry on a system that is quickly becoming home to a number of instant classics.
Mario Golf: World Tour succeeds in crafting a stellar golfing experience, one that will likely become a mainstay in multiplayer circles for a long time. The single-player portion doesn't seem fully realized, but the golf gameplay in World Tour is top notch and the stellar online tournaments have the potential to keep the experience fresh for a long time. With a nice variety of courses and lots to unlock, this is another fine entry in the long line of Mario sports games.
I like playing Mario Kart 8. I think it's a satisfactory entry in the series, but nothing more. The final package ends up feeling like someone who covers themselves in makeup to hide the fact that they are 10 years older than they are pretending to be.
Pushmo World is another stellar entry in one of Nintendo's premier downloadable franchises. While it's a bummer that the quirks of Crashmo didn't make a return, no one really loses when Pushmo World is so wonderfully crafted, with awesome puzzles and excellent new twists. Let's just hope that Crashmo World is up next on Mallo's quest.
Hyrule Warriors wasn't a game I expected to fall in love with, but thanks to its oodles of Zelda fan service and shockingly engrossing gameplay, upgrades, and modes, it turned into something very special that lives up to the Zelda legacy. It's easy to dive into and has enough variety that it doesn't really get old over the dozen or more hours you can spend with it. If Nintendo crossovers are always this polished and fun, I welcome many more of them.
The second version of Disney Infinity has refined half of the experience into something even better than before. The Toy Box mode is more fun in this second edition, layered with more gameplay elements while making it easier to create fun worlds. As for the other half, the Play Sets are a little underwhelming after last year's more interesting options. It's fun to be Star-Lord, Iron Man, and Spidey, but sometimes their own stories aren't engaging. You're much better off making your own awesome Disney Infinity environments (or scouring the Internet for others) in Toy Box instead.
Skylanders Trap Team is a fantastic, well-made game. The lengthy story mode is filled with excellent gameplay set in gorgeous environments with top-shelf graphics and sound. The bonus modes, while focused mostly on combat, are a lot of fun. Outside of the over-powered and integral nature of the new Trap Master figures, Trap Team is close to being the best Skylanders game yet.
The heart of Sportsball is in local multiplayer, so if you can't wrangle together a few friends, it's not a game I'd recommend getting. But even if you have the sliver of a chance of having the people needed to play, Sportsball is well worth diving into. It's an incredible multiplayer game that takes a simple concept and transforms it into a deep, competitive experience.
As one of the first eShop releases of 2015, Chariot is a fine adventure to kick off the year. It's a unique take on the physics-based platformer that feels fresh and inspired. While the overt focus on co-op might make it less appealing to the solo gamer, it's still a worthy adventure to embark on even if you're all alone. After all, you still have the ghost of the king, even if he won't return your high fives.
Gunman Clive 2 doesn't last long, as the initial playthrough takes less than two hours, but it's such a consistent, entertaining ride that length isn't a major issue. It feels like a full experience and the end only left me wanting more. Gunman Clive 2 is a fantastic 2D platformer that improves upon the original in just about every single way.
If you're looking for a Mario Party game to play, you're likely better off trying to find Mario Party 9, as that 2012 release features more boards and mini-games than Mario Party 10. The Wii U debut of the series is a big disappointment, with little reason to throw too many celebratory Mario parties to play it.
This is a tremendous game that, if you have any affinity for aspects of Zelda II and Metroid games, is something you should be getting as soon as possible.
But everything is something you might want to do in this game, as it is all so much fun to discover. Combat manages to stay fresh over the 50-60 minimum hours required to finish the story, and the story is great at carrying you through any lulls. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D might not be the best version of this modern-day classic, but it's a satisfactory way to play one of the boldest, biggest games in recent memory.
The only real downside to Boxboy is that there are so many ideas that I wish some of them were expanded upon more. Each new mechanic really only gets about a half-dozen levels to shine, and each one is so rich that they might even be able to support their own game. Because of that onslaught of fresh ideas, Boxboy never gets boring, which makes it a fun experience for your 3DS.
Overall, Splatoon makes for an amazing online game, likely the most engaging online experience Nintendo has ever made. The multiplayer, regardless of its lack of voice chat or randomized parties, is sublime, successfully making a shooter that is easy to hop into but tough to master. The single-player might be short and linear, but it's a wonderful change of pace from the frenzy of online play.
There is potential in Roving Rogue with its unique narrative presentation and teleporting platforming ideas, but it's squandered by a middling execution. With a glut of superior platformers out there, this is a Wii U eShop game worth passing over.
Runbow is a top-shelf Wii U eShop game, bringing a wide selection of modes and options that can all be played with a stupid amount of players at once. It's frantic and insane, but in the best way possible. It works best as a party game, but even those just looking for a fun, difficult platformer should get ready to Runbow.
The limitations might be bothersome, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter because crafting your very own Mario levels makes for an incredible feeling, especially with how easy-to-use the interface is. Super Mario Maker is a supreme early leap into the world of game-making software for Nintendo, and I want to see them make more fascinating games like this, even if I can't place a Charging Chuck on screen.
Skylanders: SuperChargers is just bursting with content, and fortunately, all of it is great fun. If you're invested in the series, SuperChargers is on par, if not better, than the best the series has offered in the past. If you're a newcomer, SuperChargers is a fantastic jumping-on point, as it has the lowest barrier of entry to see the majority of the content. As opposed to past games, which were filled with eight different elemental gates, the only gated story content is with sea and air vehicles. Even factoring out the sea and air segments, SuperChargers is still stellar. The Skylanders series is now into year five and as long as they keep being this entertaining, varied, and lively, then each one should still be worth playing, whether you're 7 or 27 years old.