Justin Sharp's Reviews
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a delight to play. I recommend the game especially for couples. Katelyn and I have had a blast playing through the game for the second time on the Switch (we first played through on the Wii U four years ago). If you're looking for a well-polished, incredibly fun game with some couch co-op to boot, you need to pick up Tropical Freeze on the Switch. I can't think of a thing I would change about the game–it's simply a masterpiece.
For longtime fans, there are a few new Pokemon added exclusively in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon and there are more catchable, wild Pokemon than previous games. Unfortunately, for people who played Sun and Moon extensively, you will have to go through quite a bit of old content before you get to the newer content towards the end. That said, Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon are the definitive versions of the 4 games. If you haven't played Sun or Moon, by all means pick up Ultra Sun and/or Ultra Moon as they are an excellent departure from the old series formula of past games. For Sun/Moon veterans, the games are worth it, but they will feel like deja vu more often than not.
Hyper Light Drifter is simply a must-play title. The Nintendo Switch version features a few exclusive features so in my mind, it's the ‘definitive version' at this point. While I initially had some frame-rate issues (some in single-player mode, while most were in the co-op mode), the 1.2.0 patch on the Nintendo Switch helped out tremendously. I didn't recall any issues after the patch. If you're looking for a great Zelda-like game with amazing atmosphere and music, you owe it to yourself to check out Hyper Light Drifter.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Luigi's latest adventure. The Nintendo Switch is already home to plenty of great games, but Luigi's Mansion 3 falls under the "absolutely essential" category. If you own a Switch, you simply have to give this game a whirl.
The pitching mechanics have improved, the base-stealing is light-years better than before (it actually takes good timing and skill to execute), and the game's performance is excellent. There were only a couple hiccups I experienced, but that was in online play which could've just been connection related. If you've been looking for a great baseball game to play on the Switch, Super Mega Baseball 3 should be your first choice. They're also offering a free demo that allows you to play the online Pennant Race mode, play the Exhibition games, and access to player customizations. Hope to see you in-game sometime soon!
Overall though, Metroid Dread is excellent. MercurySteam has more than proven themselves to be a worthy steward of the 2D Metroid games. They understand the genre and what fans are looking for from Nintendo’s bounty hunter extraordinaire. Metroid Dread is simply a must-play title for newcomers and fans alike.
Super Mega Baseball 4 has a bit more competition on the Nintendo Switch than it used to with the likes of MLB The Show 22 and MLB The Show 23 but it's still the king of arcade style baseball games. Since MLB has moved beyond the R.B.I. Baseball series, there's really not much else in this genre. If you're looking for a fast, fun, easy to pick up and play baseball game, Super Mega Baseball 4 is gonna be right up your alley!
Controls are really my biggest complaint but, overall, the game is still fantastic and worth playing. The worlds are vibrantly-colored, the courses are fun, and there is plenty of challenge in store for every type of player. If you've been looking for a relaxing puzzle-platformer to play in between your other Switch titles, you won't find a better one than this.
Cadence of Hyrule didn't click with me at first but the Fixed Beat Mode really helped. Without that mode, I don't think this game would have as much appeal but the developers were wise to include it. With such a great visual presentation and an excellent soundtrack, players need to check out Cadence of Hyrule even if they're just a little curious. The gameplay may trip you up as it did for me, but check out the Fixed Beat Mode–you'll be glad you did!
GRID Autosport is almost in a class of its own on the Nintendo Switch. The game is one of the best looking Switch games and is the best racing simulator experience available on the console. While games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Crash Team Racing lead the system's kart racing options–GRID Autosport has shot to the top of the list if you want to race in real-world environments. The level of care that Feral has put into the Switch version is apparent with even more options to come. If you're in the market for a racing sim to take on-the-go, you can't do any better than GRID Autosport.
I really can't recommend Boomerang Fu enough. At $14.99, it packs a lot of replay value and is one of the stand-out multiplayer games on the Switch. I'd put it up there with other great indie multiplayer co-op games like the Overcooked series and Moving Out (Check out our Overcooked review). If you're looking for a great, local multiplayer title to play with some friends/family, definitely check out Boomerang Fu.
Overall, Furi does a lot of things very well and those who like a good challenge could enjoy it if the combat doesn't trip them up too often. There is a Practice mode for each boss, which helps, but again, it felt like the game should do a little bit more to aid the player in mastering the combat. For $19.99, you'll get a decent amount of content, but there isn't a lot of replayability in my opinion.
I felt like the enemy variety and the boss battles/design could have been improved, but other than that, Xenoraid is a really solid shoot'em up. If you're looking for a great multiplayer shoot'em up game to play with friends, Xenoraid offers a lot of customization and fun!
Fans of story-driven games or fans of the Pokémon series, in general, will enjoy Detective Pikachu. It's a fun adventure filled with some great Pokémon and interesting cases to solve. The thing I really loved about it was how they incorporated them into various jobs in each of the game's environments. They really made it feel like this world relied on the Pokémon and the humans coexisted with them in a meaningful way. I hope to see more of those types of details in future games. If you like mystery games and Pokémon, you'll be in for a treat with Detective Pikachu.
Overall, Super Mega Baseball 2 is a great package–there is a ton of depth, plenty of customization options for players, teams, and leagues, and online multiplayer. If you can get around the art-style, the poor soundtrack and umpire sound effects, the game is really a ton of fun. If you're a baseball fan, it's definitely worth checking out and being able to play on-the-go makes this the definitive version of the game.
Overall, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee achieve what they set out to in the beginning. They bring series' veterans back into the fold while also making it easy for newcomers to see what the ‘core' RPG games have been about all these years. The catching mechanic turned out to be a welcome change and it turns out I actually want more to change with the formula as a result. Here's to more Pokémon in 2019 and hopefully there's some fresh new ideas in store.
All this being said, I’ve had an immense amount of fun with R.B.I. Baseball 19 — something I couldn’t say of the previous entry.
I certainly don't regret my time spent with Cuphead, but also I don't know when I'll pick up the game again. There's too much rinse and repeat and rote memorization of bosses to be fun for me after a while. That being said, if you're looking for a steep challenge, Cuphead will certainly satisfy. The game is definitely a huge accomplishment–I just wish it was more universally accessible and fun for everyone.
For $9.99, Mini Metro provides a great deal of content and some decent, relaxing fun. I'm not a huge puzzle game fan for the most part but I did have some relaxing play sessions. If you're looking for something to play on the subway or the plane for that matter, Mini Metro might just be the perfect fit for you.
I'm not a huge fan of the series in general, but Just Dance 2018 is really a nice package. There is a plethora of songs, there are tons of categories like songs for kids and even songs suited for fitness purposes. If you are looking for a great party game with a lot of value, Just Dance 2018 for Switch is a solid option. Who knows, maybe you can get the whole family dancing to ‘Sexy and I Know It' for the Holidays :)