True to the series' heritage, Kirby Star Allies asserts its apparent simplicity through a candid, somehow heartbreaking scenario, a vibrant artistic direction, and a sweet gameplay fundamentally built for conviviality, with ennemies that can also become skillful buddies once befriended. This amicable approach creates sympathetic cooperative operations and wonderful sequences of grouped transformations, but it results in a constrained, hence linear level design. While the new powers reveal interesting and potentially overpowerful teamwork synergies, those are only exploited into the rather short additional modes. More generosity, imagination and even boldness were expected from this moving, then ultimately nostalgic adventure.
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Beyond the obvious Minecraft inspiration, Dragon Quest Builders is based on a solid, subtly ironic narrative which creates not only reason for these building tasks, but also life into this 3D rendition of Alefgard. And it gets sharper on Nintendo Switch with the Great Sabrecub that literally cuts through the potentially more pixel arted Terra Incognita mode, even if such retro nostalgic additions can't counterbalance the limited sharing options and the lack of multi player, thus consolidating this fundamentally solitary experience as a whole.
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Like an ambitious rookie, <i><b>AO Tennis</b></i> appeared promising, with alleged photo realistic looks and authenticity backed by a extensive data built AI. But Big Ant Studios' production can't live up to these expectations, at least for now, despite an interesting timing approach. The lacklustre presentation, the shallow (though large) content and the far from optimized gameplay literally smash the whole experience. Self confidence is a quality, boastfulness or even false advertising, not so much...
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On top of quantity, Mario Party : The Top 100 gathers quality minigames that were wisely chosen, nicely updated and carefully ported to the portable console, although this nostalgic selection also results from the eventual compatibility with the original controls, consequently creating a few issues. Worse, the main modes are too simplistic and almost void of content. Whether those underline a lack of inspiration or development time, such shortcomings prevent this compilation from expressing its potential further than brief multiplayer sessions.
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Through such arduous trials, the Champions' Ballad pushes Breath of the Wild's mechanics to their limits, whether combat or puzzles.
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"The sooner the better" This may apply to Pok'mon Ultra-Sun and Ultra-Moon in many ways. While fresh memories from the previous episodes help to notice the small, delicate differences, with clever twists aimed at Alola's returning vacationers, the main story transformations happen rather late. Similarly, the additions are mostly interesting, even captivating, but they often lack more development to express their full potential, and overall flaws were not really addressed, in particular tedious pace and inconsistent challenge. However, the generous amount of commemorative - not to say recycled - content suggests Game Freak tried to reach some closure there, broken rules like the introduction of new species during this generation hinting that the series might seriously evolve in the future. Better late than never...
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gets bolder in every direction, with a colorful character design backed by a caricatural tone to mask the gravity of the purpose underneath, a denser world deployed vertically, that literally breathes life through atmospheric compositions and folklore. Some ideas deserved more development, but most concepts are organically integrated, the versatile talents of the Blades sharpening the whole gameplay. A way to cut deeper into this huge adventure enriched by the variety and random nature of such symbiotic support creations, while its slight impression of d'j' vu only comes from the essential elements scavenged to forge the saga's most refined iteration. Nothing disappears, everything transforms indeed.
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Beyond an assumed classicism, Etrian Odyssey V refocuses on the Yggdrasil labyrinth, adding space and depth to exploration. Hence this episode gives more relevance to each decision, each combat, which boldly asserts its mythical role playing heritage through such refined formula.
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Carried by the Layton family's experience in mystery, Katrielle starts her detective career with modern resolutions, such as the episodic investigation proceedings. But the cases and their protagonists ultimately lack depth, while the whole plot looks like a long introduction. The puzzles and mini games also appear less inspired, or bold, since Kat solves the most relevant riddles by herself anyway. Let's hope that she's keeping more tricks in her hat for the upcoming adventures...
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Bowser's Minions were not the reinforcements expected for Mario & Luigi, but such pugnacious tactical digression strengthens the hilarious narrative as well as the whole adventure, while the astonishing amount of content and gameplay improvements make this completely overhauled Superstar Saga even more shining.
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With such fundamental narrative additions and rich locations to discover, Psychic Specters is undoubtedly the most complete, accomplished version of Yo-Kai Watch 2, underlining its role of Japanese culture's ambassador at the same time. Yet considering the substantial updates released for Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls, the decision to get this definitive edition will not only depend on what you possess, but also reveal if your are possessed by Level-5's wicked fanchise...
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Apart from unnecessary narrative and simultaneous action-oriented stray deviations, Semispheres deploys its half stealthy / half puzzling mechanics to their full extent, more easily experienced with a second player thanks to the Joy-Con.
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Thanks to a playful tone, an adaptive challenge and a wide selection of cleverly designed activities, Brain Age : Concentration Training successfully keeps the experience interesting, but also gratifying. Despite some persistent handwriting recognition issues and the rather large amount of recycled games, this devilish episode shall amuse our minds, an indubitable benefit, intellectual empowerment debates notwithstanding.
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Miitopia may seem like a simple, artificial RPG simulation with Mii, but the humoristic narrative tone underlined by such absurdly customizable protagonists suggest to take some distance from the deceptive classicism of this quest, that reveals an ironic look at the genre. The focus on the relationships between these avatars, their freedom in combat along with the randomness of the gameplay elements add life to the whole experience, creating a special position for the player, neither actor nor spectator, yet deeply involved. Whether it's considered as an introduction to RPG or a satire, Miitopia doesn't lack character, and wonderfully embodies the role.
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Like a herbarium, Hey! Pikmin is a conscientious, wonderful, tactile, yet flat transposition of the series' singular gameplay, mostly preserved along the way. While some depth, even life was lost in the process, this lateral perspective lets Captain Olimar explore the vertical dimension of this feral world rather quietly and cleverly, carrying its delicate ecogical message to new heights as well.
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By mixing proven Action-RPG recipes with inspired puzzles and a slice of good-hearted life simulation, Ever Oasis already makes a refreshing cocktail. But there is more to discover under the sand of the desert than it seems, since the powerful stream of cooperation injected through the game's strata adds depth to this captivating adventure. Despite the inexplicable lack of multiplayer, such journey can be seen as a humanistic, ecological allegory from Koichi Ishii, and surely a benevolent experience, something rather rare these days.
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Fire Emblem Gaiden had explored different approaches, which appear even bolder through this remake on 3DS thanks to an absolutely epic staging, a more developed narrative and many modern gameplay adjustments, while staying true to the original Famicom version. Despite some relics from the past and a less strategic philosophy, Echoes : Shadows of Valentia proves that these pragmatic concepts are still relevant today, indeed for the future of the franchise.
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Back to basics with new types of blocks to boot, there couldn't have been a better way to say farewell for BoxBoy!
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Through Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games not only unearthed rough conerstones of the past, but also polished them by modern standards. Then Plague of Shadows let brave alchemists experience a more elaborate, explosive formula, while Specter of Torment came back from the dead to sharpen both the gameplay and the narrative, a fantastic journey now gathered into this well-named Treasure Trove.
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New Frontier Days : Founding Pioneers doesn't venture into uncharted lands from the construction and simulation game territory, yet it's a pastoral, simple and efficient introduction to the genre, although such lack of ambition shows limitations sooner rather than later, whether because of the repetitiveness or the absence of multiplayer.
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