WRC 8 (Switch) Review

Title: WRC 8
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Kylotonn
Publisher: Bigben Interactive
Release Date: November 19th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 13.6GB

Review copy provided by Bigben Interactive

Here’s my first review of the new year. This is the latest in the WRC (World Rally Championship) series and the second on a Nintendo platform (at least in recent gens?), with the first being a WRC title on 3DS. The 3DS game was a… really iffy game by Firebrand Games (a dev famous for their DS racing games) that likely didn’t get the time or money it needed to be what it could’ve been. There was also a WRC-like game called V-Rally 4 on Switch early last year, also by Bigben and Kylotonn which fared alright but looking at Metacritic, it wasn’t super well rated on any system. WRC 8 on the other hand was highly rated on the other platforms… but not so on Switch. This is my first rally game so I’ll be looking at it with fresh eyes. How does it fare? Let’s find out!

AlphaDream’s mystery Switch game was Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020

A bit of background here. As some may know, it was reported before that AlphaDream, the creators of the Mario & Luigi RPG franchise had tragically declared bankruptcy and have possibly shut their doors. Their website also is seemingly no longer active.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix (Switch) let’s you use PlayStation and arrow symbols in Arcade Mode

A potential megaton for veteran fans. This was spotted by P.Scoop at ResetEra, who shared that a user on twitter tweeted an image that was shown at the Magical Mirai event where the game was shown back on Aug 31st. The image showed that Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix on Switch will actually support the PlayStation button layout, as well as directional arrows in Arcade Mode:

Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers (Switch) Review

Title: Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nippon-Ichi Software/SYUPRO-DX
Publisher: NIS America
Release Date: October 22nd, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 4.9GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

Yep, another NIS game! This time the game is by NIS and SYUPRO-DX, who helped out on The Longest 5 Minutes. This is a very unique game from NIS because unlike nearly all of their other games, this one is actually a full 3D title, AND it even runs in Unreal Engine 4! How does this game fare? Will it make you tick or tock (what does that even mean?)? Let’s find out!

Little Town Hero (Switch eShop) Review

Title: Little Town Hero
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Game Freak
Release Date: October 16th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 1.9GB

Review copy provided by Rainy Frog

Yeah, Rainy Frog decided to step in and provide the review copies for Game Freak. How about that? 😛 Anyway…

Little Town Hero is a JRPG by Game Freak… WAIT WHAT!? Yep, from the creators of Pokémon comes I believe to be their first all-new original JRPG, possibly since the SNES? Whenever Game Freak does a non-Pokémon thing, it’s usually in a different genre. Examples include HarmoKnight (3DS), a platform/rhythm game, Pocket Card Jockey (3DS), a solitaire/horse-racing game, and Drill Dozer (GBA), a 2D platform digging game. Actually the director of Little Town Hero is the same person who directed Pocket Card Jockey; Masao Taya. So how does this game fare? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Let’s find out!

The Alliance Alive HD Remastered (Switch) Review

Title: The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Cattle Call (3DS original and HD remaster)/Grezzo (design assistance on the 3DS original)
Publisher: FuRyu (JP)/NIS America (NA and EU)
Release Date: October 8th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 5GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

Hey look at that another NIS America game review! This time we’re looking at The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, an HD version of the 3DS game by Cattle Call and FuRyu released back in 2017. The 3DS original even had close Nintendo ally Grezzo help out on design! Cattle Call seemingly did the remaster on their own (makes sense as Grezzo seems strictly Nintendo-exclusive and just put out Link’s Awakening on Switch). Actually, all parties involved in Japan actually worked on an earlier game for 3DS; The Legend of Legacy back in 2015.

Literally the same director, character designer, composer, Grezzo, the works came back for this game. But they actually got a big name to write the story; Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of Suikoden! So with that out of the way, how’s the game? Does it make you feel alive or as dead as Chunky Kong? Let’s find out!

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Switch eShop) Review

Title: Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Moon Studios
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios (formerly Microsoft Studios)
Release Date: September 27th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 3.5GB

Review copy provided by Microsoft

I CANNOT believe what I’m typing here! We’re in a truly bizarro world folks! Hell’s frozen over, cats and dogs, living together, mass hysteria! Indeed, it’s not April Fool’s Day, I’m reviewing a 100% Microsoft (owned AND published) game… on a NINTENDO system! This move may not surprise some if you recall that Microsoft did allow their IPs to be released on the GBA and the DS, most notably of course stuff by old buddy Rare. Examples include Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge on GBA (originally a pre-MS era game), and even Blue Dragon Plus on DS (co-developed by Nintendo’s Brownie Brown (now 1UP Studio)… WHAT).

So Microsoft is no stranger to Nintendo hardware, even post Xbox. But this is the first true Microsoft-original franchise (meaning not Minecraft, which Microsoft only bought in 2014), that Microsoft are full-fledged publishing on a Nintendo system. Minecraft is published through their subsidiary Mojang and is only by Microsoft themselves in Japan. So yeah. Hi welcome to my first ever Xbox Switch review, please enjoy! 😛 So after you let this set in for the next half hour, how does this game actually fare? Lets find out of course!

Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Switch) Review

Title: Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Toys For Bob (remake and the Switch port)/Sanzaru Games (assisted with Spyro 3)
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: September 3rd, 2018 (NA)
File Size: 15GB

Review copy provided by Activision

Yes! Just like Crash before him, the recently Sony-bought developer Insomniac Games’ creation has also made the jump to Switch with his original trilogy on PS1, with the trilogy also making their Nintendo debut! Spyro of course is no stranger to Nintendo systems. He debuted on the GameCube with Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (a sadly pretty bad game by Check Six Studios and Equinox) and on the GBA with Spyro: Season of Ice by the western emulation wizards at Digital Eclipse.

I already reviewed not just Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, but I also just recently reviewed Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, both on Switch of course, click their names for their reviews! Spyro Reignited Trilogy certainly will be a nice welcome addition to this little review series won’t he? 😛 So how did this turn out and specifically on Switch? Does the trilogy fly or will it leave you feeling burned? Read on and find out of course. 🙂

Pix the Cat (Switch eShop) Review

Title: Pix the Cat
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Pastagames/Playdigious (Switch port)
Publisher: Playdigious
Release Date: August 8th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 716MB

Review copy provided by Playdigious

You may have noticed that I just recently put up a review for PictoQuest on Switch. That was developed by a new team called NanoPiko Games. Well the funny thing is, the game we’re talking about today wasn’t just released on the same day, but was developed by some of the same folks years ago originally at Pastagames! How does this game fare? is it the cat’s meow or is it a c-c-c-c-combo breaker? Let’s find out!

PictoQuest: The Cursed Grids (Switch eShop) Review

Title: PictoQuest: The Cursed Grids
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: NanoPiko Games
Publisher: Plug In Digital
Release Date: August 8th, 2019 (NA)
File Size: 417MB

Review copy provided by NanoPiko Games

This is quite the interesting game. The reason is, is because the 3-person team behind the game all worked together at both Arkedo and Pastagames, on games like the Arkedo Series and Pix the Cat, among others.

PictoQuest had an unusual marketing cycle… if you can technically call it marketing. See, the team at NanoPiko deliberately kept the game a secret until the day it released, so as to not risk over-hyping people and such. Did they make the right call? Does it live up to its hype? Wait, that was the point! 😛 Anyway, let’s find out how the game even is!