Nintendo Enthusiast

Cattails is a game that totally charmed my jaded heart. It’s kind of like a feline Stardew Valley crossed with the board game Risk. Even these comparisons demean the game, though, as it tries to strike its own path and pretty much succeeds. There were a few lulls during my time with the game, but that just helped to highlight the times where I absolutely loved it.

Overall, despite the framerate and low resolution in handheld mode, I still consider this to be a great port. It would be nice if a performance mode is added, however. Nevertheless, I’m very happy with the work Saber Interactive has done here, and am thankful for the opportunity to play Spintires on the go.

Despite those limitations, Battery Jam is still a very enjoyable game. It can be really hard to put down, especially if you have some competitive friends over. Not too many games these days can boast having a fun couch multiplayer experience like this. Even if you don’t have three friends, bots can be set with 5 different levels of difficulty to choose from. Otherwise, jam out with your friends and play this.

Rewinding back to 2013: Guacamelee! had me hooked from the second I started playing. The comedy in the game is genius-level and the platforming is damn near perfect. It’s the definition of what a great Metroidvania/platformer is. Fast forward to 2018 and Guacamelee! easily sits among some of the best offerings on Nintendo Switch.

Collidalot is fast, easy to pick up, and hard to put down. The Switch’s local multiplayer catalog is growing rapidly, but Collidalot’s take on bumper-cars-in-the-sky sticks out. Collidalot is cemented as a great complement for games like Towerfall, Ultimate Chicken Horse, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Grunka Munka has done a great job here, creating another unique, memorable Switch multiplayer title.

Battlezone was considered revolutionary when it hit arcades in 1980. Thirty-eight years later and the newest version is a wonderful addition to the Switch library. Rebellion’s take on the franchise is not without its faults, but the overall experience is enjoyable. Despite the difficulty, the customization, intense action, and infinite replayability make Battlezone Gold Edition worth getting.

In Road Redemption, you’ll find plenty levels of challenging combat and races. The upgrade system is forgiving enough to bring you back into the game for multiple playthroughs. It’s a shame that there isn’t an online community for matches as this would have carried the experience that much farther. But as it stands, there’s enough here to warrant a purchase if you’re looking for an ass-kicking good time on the couch.

Deathmatches are a lot of fun, dodging to just barely avoid a shot is exhilarating, and bouncing a laser off the wall to knock your friend out takes a satisfying degree of precision. While it is hard to recommend Varion over the rest of the Switch’s fastly-improving local multiplayer catalog, you could certainly do much, much worse.

With all this said, hidden behind these massive control issues is a great game. Battling other trainers, gym leaders, and eventually the elite 4 is more fun than ever, as is exploring the vast, weird Kanto region. Game Freak clearly paid great attention to detail when designing the title, and it shows. The Pokemon die-hards, especially those infatuated with generation one, will find a lot to love in Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee.

It really does feel more than just a gimmick. Some of the campaign challenges are a little unbalanced — one in particular — but they do help you figure out how to race as a team player. There is cross-platform multiplayer, but I was unable to find any matches at the time of writing this review. Overall, Trailblazers is a great little racer and one I aim to come back to in the near future.