Nintendo Enthusiast

In conclusion, however, The Swords of Ditto is not an excellent game. It’s better than alright but not great. The fact that it’s good lies in its charm and writing, not its boring combat and cumbersome design. If you’re a fan of roguelites, give it a spin. Just make sure you bring a companion along for the ride.

Like its characters, Masquerada: Songs and Shadows puts on the mask of a good game. The above par voice acting and art style will certainly lead you to believe that. But the excruciatingly slow pace of its weak story, uninteresting combat mechanics, and relentless loading ultimately tell the tale. The sum of its parts just doesn’t jive together nearly as well as RPG fans will hope.

It is impressive that it runs as well as it does in handheld mode, but the docked experience is not quite cohesive. This is a 9 out of 10 game weighed down by a 7 out of 10 porting job. The good news is that a lot of those technical issues can be fixed. Even if you are discouraged by the current state of the game, keep an eye on this one, because the experience holds up very well. All these years, later, Saints Row: The Third still does chaos right.

All things considered, this is a small content update, so it doesn’t add a huge new level of depth to the game, though it’s still a pretty solid package nonetheless. As the release of MudRunner 2 later this year nears, I look forward to seeing how the new trucks handle and what the developers have in store for the new maps. In the meantime, this is a good little treat to tide us all over.

Though not a perfect game, I really enjoyed my time with Table Top Racing: World Tour – Nitro Edition. Even as an accomplished racer I found some events challenging. There are definitely a few difficulty bumps but nothing impossible. The array of events (pure race, battle race, pursuit, eliminator, overtake, checkpoint, hot lap, time trial, drift) helps to keep the action fresh. The art design is fun and really helps to sell the idea of racing toy cars.

Moto Rush GT is still capable of providing a great sense of speed while also calling for a gradual improvement in skill. If you’re a fan of fast-paced, reaction-based games, then this should be right up your alley. And if you do happen to own the motorcycle Toy-Con from the Labo Vehicle Kit, then you should enjoy this even more. It’s a simple game, but for what’s supposed to be a small experience, it’s not bad at all. If anything, the head-bopping soundtrack will probably keep you coming back to gradually tackle each level.

Giga Wrecker Alt. is a fun action platformer that represents a fresh direction for Game Freak outside of the Pokémon realm. The game lacks in combative and traversal actions for its protagonist and doesn’t have the tightest controls. But it satisfies in level design and the unique way in which Reika interacts with the environment to solve puzzles and push forward in her quest. Giga Wrecker Alt. is a worthwhile adventure for any platforming fan.

Shadows of Adam is a solid JRPG that doesn’t just cash in on SNES nostalgia. Its excellent battle system and attractive pixel art make it worth the cost of entry if you don’t mind some pacing issues. I play JRPGs very slowly and finished the game in 16 hours, which means you can likely squeeze a good 12 hours out of it. So basically, if you’d love to play an RPG but can’t dedicate hours a day to it, Shadows of Adam could be a great solution on Switch.

The opportunity for these industry veterans to be at the top of their abilities and create a magnum opus is a blessing to the creators and those that end up playing this game. This team has been breathing new life into many franchises with great attention to detail, and it’s about time that they’re able to make their first step into their own truly fresh and original franchise. As such, Dragon Marked for Death is one of the most rewarding sidescrolling games I have played ever, and it’s easily recommended due to its immense polish.

Katana Zero is super cool where it counts with very little faltering it. The action is practically flawless and begs you to learn from every small mistake you will make by throwing you back into it instantly. The story clearly has ambitions beyond this one title. While it doesn’t fully stick in a cohesive manner, I really hope we will see more of it in the near future. With action and style this good, some misgivings can be accepted. Carve some time out for this one.