There is no other way to put this: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is brilliant. It is magnificent. It is marvelous, amazing, fantastic, and every other synonym for the word wonderful that can be found in the thesaurus. If The Legend of Zelda was the flint that ignited the passion I have for video gaming, Breath of the Wild is the 500lb bag of charcoal that will keep that fire burning for decades to come.
One week isn't enough to really understand everything about this game. The campaign is complete, but there is much still to do with the post-game content, trophies and what I can only assume are many more mysteries I can solve. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is not a game you should just read about or watch a Let's Play of on YouTube. It's a game that absolutely demands 40 hours or more of your time. You must experience it first-hand if you truly want to understand what Team Danganronpa is trying to tell us.
I never want to stop playing Pocket Card Jockey. This game hit me the same way Tetris hit millions around the world back in the 80s. In fact, I want this game to be the next Tetris. I want Pocket Card Jockey on every Nintendo system. I want it on the Wii U. I want it on the NX. I want it on the iPhone, Kindle Fire, Apple TV, Windows and TI-89 graphing calculator. I want it everywhere, just hook it to my veins. I'll admit it: I'm addicted to this game, and if you try to make me go to rehab I'll say neigh, neigh, neigh.
Zero Time Dilemma is nothing short of a flawed masterpiece.
Playing this game is equivalent to downing some orange soda and Cool Ranch Doritos while watching Rocko's Modern Life with the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff playing on my parents' six-CD player. With a little more variety in objectives this could be the killer co-op game to end all co-op games, but even with the same basic goal each run, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is one of the illest, dopest, most hella fly experiences I've had on my Switch. And while I know that vernacular is terribly dated, it totally works when talking about this game.
While it is short – it took me nearly an hour to reach the end – Gorogoa is worth a second and third trip not because there are new challenges to test, but because it gives me a chance to truly appreciate the clockwork-like precision of the puzzle design and the magnificent hand-drawn artwork found in every frame. It also gives me a chance to try and figure out just what the hell is happening in the story. This may be the fuzziest narrative I've ever had to tackle, open to a great many different interpretations, but that's just part of the game's elegance and brilliance. Even without understanding it, I can still safely say Gorogoa is one of the best puzzle games to ever grace my iPad.
It's a shame I almost missed out on Gotta Protectors because I absolutely fell in love with it. I love its simplicity, I love its music, and I love how well it accomplishes what it set out to do. This feels like a long-lost early NES title, right down to having to blow into a cartridge to start it up. With the map editor, I hope this becomes the type of game fans continue to support for years to come.
Wandersong is the most emotionally satisfying game I've played in 2018. It's a rollercoaster ride through the spectrum of feelings, all wrapped up in a lovingly crafted construction paper world. I didn't even know this game existed a month ago. Now, it's one I'll never forget.
There is far more I can say about how much I love this game, including the audial delight that is Ludowic and Bill Kiley's soundtrack or VHS visual tricks the game employs as the narrative grows more fractured, but at this point, I've already gushed enough. It can be frustrating at times. It made me want to break my Switch in half. But even in its most aggressively exasperating moments, Katana Zero remains bleak, beautiful, bloody, and brilliant.
The Luigi's Mansion franchise has come a long way since the original was criticized over its lack of content. With an absorbing single-player campaign and a Scarescraper that still packs a punch, Luigi's Mansion 3 is the most content-rich entry in the series, and one of the best times I've had with my Switch in 2019.
For many, If Found... will be an interesting story about LGBTQ life in early '90s Ireland. For others, it'll be a callback to the heartache of our own coming out experiences. It tells a very specific story of a very specific girl, but its examinations of families, friends, and how we sometimes need to let go of the past if we want to move forward, are universal. This is a great example of how stories about LGBTQ characters don't have to be aimed exclusively at LGBTQ audiences, and even without my personal connection to the story, it's the most brilliant game I've played this year.
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remarkable experience. It takes the classic farming formula and gives it a purpose beyond just seeing how many S-ranked tomatoes you can grow. With its focus on family, legacy, and living a good life, this is a farming sim where what you do away from the fields is as important as what you do when you’re tilling that land. It’s a game that encourages a healthy work-life balance, and there is no better lesson we need in our modern era than that.
But that's it. That's the extent of my issues with this game, and for me, the positives far, far outweigh the negatives. If you didn't like Paper Mario: Sticker Star because it wasn't like the first two games in the series, I don't think you'll be satisfied here. For everyone else willing to give it a chance, Paper Mario: Color Splash is a charming journey that will delight your senses, your funny bone, and the part of your brain that houses your nostalgic feelings towards Nintendo.
Even with those two bits absent from this entry, it's tough to knock Picross 3D Round 2 without getting nitpicky. This game doesn't really do anything wrong. Sure, it could be a bit more difficult, but the hours I spent with it were filled with fun and interesting puzzles in a stress-free setting that was just what I needed to take the edge off after a long day at work. This game is comfort food, and it's a dish I won't mind having every single day.
From beginning to end I was completely entranced by these kids' quest to escape the horrors of Heavenly Host. Corpse Party has a timeless story built around solid characters and a genuinely creepy setting that is able to buoy its sometimes outdated gameplay.
There are issues with the game, but honestly, I think Ever Oasis is a blast. Building up my little spot of heaven, running errands for the residents, and venturing out into the great sandy plains outside my garden gate provide equal thrills. The longer I play, the more I enjoy it and that is far more uncommon than it should be. If this game is to be the first of a new franchise, it's a damn good starting point.
I can't say Pokémon Ultra Sun is a must-play for fans, but it won't be leaving my 3DS anytime soon.
I once said I didn't think the Style Savvy series would continue on anything but mobile, but Nintendo proved me wrong. I'm glad I was wrong because Style Savvy: Styling Star is easily my favorite entry in the series yet. It has nearly everything I love about the franchise mixed with a heaping helping of Freeform-level drama, making for a genuinely optimistic experience that exudes charisma with every outfit I put together.
Code of Princess EX really doesn't take itself seriously, but you should. Though not all of the 50+ characters are worth maxing out, the eight heroes of the campaign and the unlockable bosses are an absolute joy to play, learn, and master. With so many modes and so many quests, this is yet another quality Switch title ready to suck up dozens of hours of your life.