Shannon Grixti's Reviews
Horizon Zero Dawn was the most beautiful looking console game when it released in 2017, and it's even more stunning on PC. If you've waited to play it, then you're in for an absolute treat, and if you played it on PS4, but have a capable PC, then I'd definitely recommend you play through it again before the sequel hits.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is another exceptional Nintendo game. The story is laugh out loud hilarious, the world begs you to explore it and the art style is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the battles get in the way of its successes and ultimately let it down.
An experience that will be remembered for a long time, from its early hype to the untethered lunacy of its narrative. It's an art installation of a game that filled me with rage as often as it did joy. It is sweeping in both lustre and purpose, though it wears a few warts on the pleasant, bare bones of a game about deliveries that has no right to be as memorable as it somehow is.
51 Worldwide Games is a solid mini game collection that will definitely be a fun time among family and friends. There’s some inconsistency (as well as some glaring omissions) in the mini games collection as well as some of the confusing control schemes.
AO Tennis 2 is a huge improvement on the original game and extremely close to being the perfect package. The lack of star players and unbalanced difficulty levels are the only things that hold it back from rivalling the best tennis games throughout history.
Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a fun collection of games that absolutely anybody can enjoy. The story mode is delightful, although a little bit tedious and repetitive, but doesn't detract from what is otherwise, a nice package.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is an extremely solid entry and another must-have for Switch owners. The game has a tonne of improvements that feel natural and make for great puzzles. It's also an absolute treat visually.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is another must-play Nintendo Switch game. It still stands the test of time and in no way feels outdated, which is impressive for a 20 year old game. Don't let performance issues and a high price point stop you from playing this absolute classic.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is some of the most fun I've had with the new saga of Wolfenstein games, but that came at the cost of the hallmark storytelling that MachineGames has become synonymous with. It's a gratifying cooperative experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend if you have a friend to blast through it with, but I can't provide the same sentiment if you're a solo player. It suffers from a myriad of issues that keep it from being something extraordinary, but that doesn't mean Youngblood isn't worth experiencing if someone can join you for the ride.
Super Mario Maker 2 is a breath of fresh air. The story mode is fantastic, the online multiplayer additions are more than welcome and the new items and game modes are absolutely fantastic.
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe is another great Wii U game to make its way to the Nintendo Switch. Despite the fact that it's full priced and feels a little bit later than it should have been, it's still a great game that would make a great addition to any collection.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is ultimate in every sense of the word. World of Light is fantastic, Challenge Mode is satisfying and there's so much love and detail in absolutely everything in the game.
Big Bash Boom offers an arcade take on T20 Cricket, but ultimately lacks the variety and content to keep users coming back. While its visuals and animations are the high point, an unsatisfying grind to progress through matches and unlock items, it makes it hard to recommend to anyone that isn't a die hard cricket fan.
Pokemon Let's GO ushers in a brand new era for the Pokemon brand and I couldn't think of a better way for the core franchise to makes its debut on the Nintendo Switch. The game's mechanics perfectly rides the wave of success of the Pokemon GO phenomenon. Some core fans will be disappointed and that's completely fine, but the direction of Let's GO Pokemon is clear and it succeeds in its mission to provide a simple, yet addictive Pokemon game that can be enjoyable for all gamers. It's Pokemon at its addictive best and the only option is to set out and Catch 'Em All.
Starlink: Battle For Atlas is a fun game that adults and children alike will enjoy. The planets are beautiful and the amount of customisations that can be made in the game is impressive. Ultimately, the missions get a little bit repetitive and the Nintendo Switch version leaves a little bit to be desired in the visuals department, but as far as Star Fox goes, this is better than most Star Fox games in recent times.
Super Mario Party has successfully stripped back a lot of the bloat to return it back to the simple, fun and classic game that it was intended to be. At the same time, the game cleverly uses a number of key Nintendo Switch features making it a game that almost anybody could enjoy. Unfortunately, the weirdly implemented online and lack of boards are only thing stopping it from joining the most top tier of Switch titles.
FIFA 19 is really solid overall with what feels like more changes than we've seen in the last few years combined. Ultimately, when you're making this many fundamental changes to a soccer game, you're going to have certain aspects that lack a little bit of polish, but it'll be interesting to see how EA continues to balance and improve the game over time. I also wonder at this point whether the next few years will be spent polishing this fresh feeling experience or if EA will continue to mix up the tested formula.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is another great Wii U game that is made better by the Nintendo Switch's portability. It's a fun experience that doesn't overstay its welcome, but definitely does feel repetitive in certain areas.
Paladins fills a fairly significant gap in the Switch's library, and should hopefully continue to grow as a great multiplayer shooter on the system. Some general bugs and long queue times aside, what's here is - generally - an excellent experience.
Mario Tennis Aces is without doubt the best tennis game to come out in the last five years. It's another must have game for Switch and a testament to how this console allows games to excel both in front of the TV and on the go.