Occasional Video Game Reviews

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review – Nintendo Switch

I swear I won this race! Definitely didn’t come 4th…

Right out of the gate, I have to say that I enjoyed this game. That being said, there are a few additions that could make the game truly great. Presentation wise, I have no complaints. The character models are all high quality, the music is catchy (and a lot of it has a chiptune version as well) and the game runs smoothly. There’s also variety present in the controls, as you can play using just buttons or motion controls.

The event selection is close to perfect. All of the standards are there, like 100m, Archery and Equestrian, as well as some picks that aren’t in every game in the series, including Rugby Sevens and Skateboarding. They’re all accessible and people that don’t usually play video games shouldn’t have a hard time getting used to the controls. For the first time, there are also retro-style events included. These events are even simpler to play (as you’d probably expect) but they’re a charming and welcome addition to the game. The biggest improvement that could be made to the event selection is more Dream Events. Currently there are 3 to choose from (Shooting, Racing and Karate). These events are always one of the best things about the Mario & Sonic series and a wider range, up to 10 maybe, would add a lot to the game.

Aside from jumping in and out of these events, there’s also a story mode to work your way through. The story is simple enough. Mario, Sonic, Bowser and Dr. Eggman get sucked into a game system revolving around the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and compete in the retro-style events to gather gold medals which are needed to escape. Meanwhile, in 2020, Luigi and Tails compete against the rest of the roster in various events for different tasks, such as to charge a battery so that the game system doesn’t die. It’s nothing ground-breaking, but the game as a whole is undoubtedly better for its inclusion. Throughout the story, there’s some unlockables to find as well. These include characters for certain events (as an example, you can only play as Rosalina in Surfing and only after beating her in Story Mode) and trivia about the characters, Tokyo and the Olympics which is genuinely interesting.

The Nippon Budokan received a bit of a glow up.

Probably the coolest things about the Story Mode are the minigames. There are 10 different ones that you’ll play throughout your adventure and they span multiple different genres, from stealth to shoot-em-up to beat-em-up. They’re all simplified versions of the genres they represent of course, but they are always a nice change of pace when they pop up.

Metal Gear Solid has gone in a strange new direction

Online Play is also available in the game which is great, except there doesn’t seem to be many people that play it. I tried to find a match a few times and could only play one 100m race.

Nothing but the toughest trivia questions on offer.

Two additions to the game that would have, in my opinion, made it the best in the series are remixes of Mario and Sonic songs available for selection and a mode similar to London Tour, where you run around a map of Tokyo with other players, playing minigames and events. As it is, Tokyo 2020 is my second-favourite game in the series (behind London 2012 on the Wii) but Sega are very close to creating a new peak for the series.

This optional old-school filter is pretty cool too.

Deltarune Chapter 1 Review – Nintendo Switch (SPOILERS)

Toby Fox’s follow up to Undertale, everything about that game that made it great returns here. The characters, writing, music and combat are once again top notch. Just like Undertale, you play as a silent protagonist, Kris, and are surrounded by a cast of distinct characters, most notably Susie, Ralsei and Lancer. Also like Undertale, you can choose a peaceful or violent route although, at least for now, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference to the story. Ralsei is a pacifist through and through whereas Susie develops from the school bully to a friend. Lancer is meant to be the villain but he’s ultimately too innocent for such a role, overthrowing his evil father, the King.

Personally, I decided to go the peaceful route. The game’s difficulty curve is implemented fantastically too, never feeling too easy but never cheap either. This is also true for the secret boss, Jevil, who is without a doubt the hardest battle in the game. It took multiple tries and I had to use all of my healing items but he was eventually beatable. Even when I was dying, it felt like my fault as opposed to the game being unfair.

As the first chapter in a who-knows-how-many-chapters game, Deltarune sets up future installments beautifully. From introducing the world and gameplay to characters old and new, everything points towards another unforgettable experience from Toby Fox (and that cliff-hanger…ooh exciting). I am eagerly awaiting Chapter 2 of this game.

How does the game connect to Undertale, exactly, I hear you asking. Who knows?!

Luigi’s Mansion 3 Review – Nintendo Switch

Right off the bat, I need to compliment the game on how it looks. It’s a well-known fact that Nintendo tends to drag behind their competitors in terms of graphics and resolution. However, sacrificing ‘realism’ for more stylised, cartoony graphics usually benefits them in the long run as they age brilliantly. I have no doubt that Luigi’s Mansion 3 will fall into that category. The animations are fluid, there’s great attention to detail, which is mostly apparent in close ups of Luigi, and the lighting is absolutely exceptional. The lighting alone makes it one of the best looking games on the Switch, as well as increasing the atmosphere and immersion of the game.

A pretty looking game doesn’t guarantee a good one, but thankfully Luigi’s Mansion 3 doesn’t fall short in other areas either. The game is set in a hotel and Luigi has to find Mario, Princess Peach and 3 Toads after they are captured by the hotel owner, Hellen Gravely, as she attempts to impress King Boo. Pretty soon, you’ll find and rescue Professor E. Gadd and be busting ghosts with the best of them. Your Poltergust is as robust as ever, allowing you to jump, flash, uncover hidden objects and give ghosts a satisfying slam before sucking them up. Many of the games puzzles revolve around one of E. Gadd’s newest inventions, Gooigi. This totally green replica of Luigi can’t come into contact with water but it can slip through drains and vents. There’s multiple times where you’ll have to switch between them as only one of them will be able to access certain locations. There are also a couple of boss fights where you’ll have to utilise them both.

That relatable moment when your doppelganger made of goo frees you from a jail cell.

There are 17 floors in this hotel and every time you defeat a boss you’ll receive an elevator button, allowing you to access a new floor. The setting never becomes stale either, thanks to the brilliant gimmick of each floor being based around a different theme, from pirates to Ancient Egypt. Some of my favourite floors revolved around a movie set and a dance floor. Each Boss Ghost fits its floor perfectly too. There are also various types of ordinary ghosts for you to capture and the simple act of doing so is fun.

As well as this, there are a few collectables to find, namely Gems and Boos. There are six Gems per floor and one Boo per floor (except the top floor). The Boos aren’t too hard to find as Gooigi starts vibrating the closer you get to one (each of their names is also a terrible/beautiful pun based around the theme of the floor they are found on). The Gems on the other hand will require you to search every nook and cranny of the hotel.

Topping off the story mode, which took me around 20 hours to beat, there are a couple of multiplayer modes to enjoy – ScreamPark and ScareScraper. ScareScraper consists of 2-8 players working together to complete whatever challenge is thrown at them, from capturing ghosts to collecting coins, before the time runs out. It can be played locally or online and is actually harder than it seems, especially if everyone isn’t co-ordinated in their approach. ScreamPark contains a few versus minigames, including capturing the most ghosts and hitting targets with a cannon. The collecting coins one can be especially tense as you manoeuvre around the pool.

Overall, this game is the complete Luigi’s Mansion experience. Presentation and gameplay is spot on and it’s full of character. Luigi’s Mansion 4 might have to go in a different direction to keep the series feeling fresh because the formula seems to be perfected here.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Review – Nintendo Switch (SPOILERS)

Nothing beats the feeling of chilling at the top of a mountain by a giant egg.

As someone who never got to play any of the previous versions of this game, I’m glad I finally got to play it. While not the most complex Zelda game ever made by any means, it’s a good time pure and simple. The toy-like art style makes the game look gorgeous and it runs without any issues. There are eight dungeons to complete and a secret ninth one. None of them pose much of a challenge but they’re very enjoyable to go through. Each dungeon gives you three basic items (a map, compass and stone beak) as well as a different key item. There’s at least one mini boss in every dungeon and you obtain a musical instrument after defeating each final boss. These musical instruments are used to wake the legendary Wind Fish so you can leave the island, which brings me to the story.

Admittedly, the story is fairly simple. Link is stranded on the island of Koholint and the only way to leave is to wake the Wind Fish. That being said, there’s hints of emotion laced throughout. For example, while at first you feel good each time you kill a dungeon boss, you eventually start to feel sorry for them. Their last words explain to you that Koholint can only exist while the Wind Fish sleeps and it would disappear were he to wake meaning they’re really only trying to save the island. The main character besides Link is Marin and the few scenes with her are brilliant. She clearly likes Link and keeps telling him not to ever forget her. She’s also well-liked by the talking animals (because why wouldn’t there be) that populate one of the little towns, Animal Village. They especially love her singing. The ending is bittersweet. You wake the Wind Fish after defeating the final boss and the game pans across certain locations throughout the island before fading to white each time. For a game as cute looking as this, the end has a surprisingly large impact.

The gameplay is classic 2D-Zelda. You have a sword and a shield and multiple items (I found the boomerang and Roc’s feather to be the most useful but you’ll have to use every item at one point or another). There’s a couple of minigames scattered around too, including a raft one, a claw minigame that Marin’s apparently a pro at and the most intense fishing experience you’ll ever have. While not the biggest game, it’s slightly longer than I expected giving me over 10 hours of enjoyment. This included collecting all of the heart pieces and secret seashells. The only part of the game I didn’t complete was Dampé’s Shack. In one of the few new features to this game, Dampé allows you to create your own dungeons, however you are limited to using chambers from dungeons you’ve beaten or a few others that you can unlock through various methods. While kinda cool, and more customisation options could make this a game all by itself à la Mario Maker, it can become a little tedious and I only created enough dungeons to unlock the heart containers. When my biggest complaint about a game is an optional side game however, you know it’s a good game.

A minor detail that I liked was how, instead of going down one set of stairs and coming up the other automatically, you play a little side scrolling portion to get to the other side. These sections are filled with Mario enemies like goombas and bloopers too. These cameos are really fun and you even get a song for your ocarina from Wart from Super Mario Bros. 2 (so that’s where he’s been all this time). Speaking of music, the soundtrack is delightful as it usually is in Zelda games. Special mention to the Colour Dungeon’s theme.

Slight differences in tone here I think…

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is an exceptionally solid experience that any Zelda fan should love. At one point Marin tells you “Please, don’t ever forget this song… Or me…” I’m not likely to forget either anytime soon.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Review – Nintendo Switch (SPOILERS)

“In a world without gold, we might’ve been heroes.” Some of Blackbeard’s final words ring true, not just for the era of pirates but to this day. His death that soon follows is one of the two most tragic moments of the game (more on the other one later). This is a testament to the writing and story of Black Flag; you not only feel sorry for Blackbeard when he’s killed, you feel sad.

There is in fact not one but two stories simultaneously ongoing, one set in the present day that links to other Assassin’s Creed games and a self-contained story of pirates, assassins and Templars that takes place in the early 18^th Century. The present day sections take place at Abstergo Industries and mainly consist of you collecting sticky notes or hacking computers (whether you want to or not courtesy of IT guy John). Doing all of this gives you information about previous games and is full of mystery. However, it’s in the 18^th Century where you’ll be spending most of your time and which also contains the story with the most emotional punches. You play as main protagonist Edward Kenway, a pirate with morals as he targets Templars and the game warns you not to kill civilians. The supporting cast is made up of iconic pirates; Edward Thatch, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane and Mary Read to name a few.

The story revolves around Kenway searching for the fabled Observatory, helping pirates and assassins and taking down Templars along the way. He survives a series of ups and downs, his decisions and beliefs being questioned multiple times during final conversations with key characters before killing them. He wants an easy life but “No one honest has an easy life” he’s told. Remember that other tragic moment I mentioned? It’s Mary Read’s death. First introduced as James Kidd, she eventually reveals her identity as a woman to Kenway. She dies in prison after giving birth just as Kenway was going to break her out with her friend Anne Bonny and he ends up carrying her lifeless body back to the boat. It’s a moment of heart break and leads to some self-reflection by Kenway. “For years I’ve been rushing around, taking whatever I fancied, not giving a tinker’s curse for those I hurt. Yet here I am… with riches and reputation, feeling no wiser than when I left home. Yet when I turn around, and look at the course I’ve run… there’s not a man or woman that I love left standing beside me.” It’s a story full of swashbuckling action and adventure but not without its poignant moments.

Besides your main quest, there are plenty of collectables to collect such as chests, letters, buried treasure, Animus fragments and shanties. Your mode of transportation is Kenway’s ship the Jackdaw and there are multiple upgrades to buy for it, increasing its attack power and storage. There are also various swords, pistols and outfits to obtain, through buying them or completing certain sidequests. There are numerous locations to visit (the three main cities being Havana, Nassau and Kingston) and you even obtain a place for yourself, Great Inagua, which you can upgrade as well. There are also animals to hunt and skin which allow you to craft items. Overall, the game contains hours upon hours of content (I put in around 65) and there isn’t a dull moment.

All of this would mean nothing if the gameplay wasn’t up to scratch but the amount of time I put into the game should tell you that the gameplay is as good as the rest of the package. There are many ways to assassinate your enemies, from swords and pistols to hidden blades or simply your fists. There’s also a variety of darts to help you kill or stealthily move around, namely sleep, berserk and (though near the end of the game) rope. You can simply strike down some enemies but others require slightly more strategy, requiring you to break their defence first or time a counter that sometimes creates a great cinematic shot. The ship battles are no slouch either, granting you different options for attack based on what side of the ship you’re looking out from. You can choose to simply sink a ship and gain half of its loot or board the ship, take down some of its crew and gain the lot. The ship battles culminate with fights versus five ‘Legendary Ships’, which, even when fully upgraded, can prove a challenge and become very tense (that damn twin ship battle https://twitter.com/HalIoSpaceboy/status/1214650180231811072?s=20) Everything you’d want from a pirate game is included.

In conclusion, the story, characters, gameplay, amount of things to do, very nice graphics and steady frame rate all come together to create the ultimate pirate experience.