Atelier Yumia review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 2 days ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 6 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 25, 2025
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
For over 25 years, the Atelier series has carved out a unique space in the RPG genre, blending alchemy-driven crafting, character-driven narratives, and a laid-back sense of adventure. Since its debut in 1997, the franchise has evolved through multiple generations, refining its various beloved systems while maintaining the core charm that maintains its long-lived fan base. Unlike the high-stakes, world-ending plots of traditional RPGs, Atelier games often focus on personal growth, discovery, and the joy of creation – where gathering ingredients and crafting the perfect item can be just as satisfying as toppling a powerful foe. At times you may do both in quick succession, even.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 3 days ago by Ethan in Reviews, Switch | 6 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 20, 2025
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
The Xenoblade Chronicles series has had a fantastic resurgence on Nintendo Switch. What was once a singular underrated JRPG on Wii is now a complete trilogy with critical acclaim and even Super Smash Bros. representatives. Xenoblade Chronicles X is the only game in the series that isn’t part of the numbered trilogy, so it’s often seen as the odd one out. For the longest time, fans weren’t sure if we’d ever see the game again – but Monolith Soft has cooked up an excellent remaster and it’s one absolutely packed to the brim with content. If you’ve never played a Xenoblade Chronicles game and are looking to get into the series for the first time, this is a good place to start – for the most part, Xenoblade Chronicles X is unconnected to the other games in the series.
Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 3 weeks ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 5 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 6, 2025
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Konami’s Suikoden series is not only much-lauded for players of turn-based RPGs, but boastfully comprises a total of eleven games, with five of those being mainline titles and the rest being considered spin-offs. With the original Suikoden hitting the PlayStation back in December of 1996 here in the west, it was a time where RPGs could sometimes be hard to find, with pre-orders being a common way for gamers to assure they’d get to have their own copy rather than being a dirty rental peasant like myself. This resulted in the title being mostly overlooked at the time, but having gathered a bit of a cult following since gaining more traction as subsequent titles joined the roster. Teased originally for a 2023 release, after a delay the first two mainline entries in the series will be available for players on modern consoles with Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars – so if you slept on Suikoden before, or haven’t heard of the series this is a very good time for you to see an example of the golden ages of turn-based RPGs.
Ravenswatch review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 1 month ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 2 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 23, 2025
Developer: Passtech Games
Publisher: Nacon
“Once upon a time” is an almost universally recognised phrase, beginning tales that many of us will have heard before, and will almost certainly follow a familiar pattern. There will be a hero, a villain, and in the end the former will defeat the latter, and the tale will have a happy ending. In modern interpretations of these classic tales at least, it’s rare that you’ll find one that doesn’t have a happy ending, unless it has been deliberately contrived for the sake of provoking shock in the audience, which it typically fails to do, being so exaggerated as to feel more cliche than original. Ravenswatch, the second game to be developed by Passtech Games, is an extremely rare example of this inversion of fairy tales done right, with some solid roguelike gameplay to back it up.
More: highlight, Nacon, Passtech Games, Ravenswatch, top
Hello Kitty Island Adventure review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 1 month ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 30, 2025
Developer: Sunblink
Publisher: Sunblink
What exactly makes a “cozy game” these days? In many cases it seems to be a bit of a misnomer: for every one that transports you into a relaxed world with a gameplay loop that you can take at your own pace, you’ll find two more that will thrust you into a hellscape of seasonal crops, timed events, and needy NPCs that all require more time management and organizational skills than your actual life does. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is thankfully not one of these latter titles, but it hasn’t quite escaped unscathed from its time trapped on Apple Arcade, and this holds it back from being the experience that it feels like it should be on Nintendo Switch.
More: Hello Kitty Island Adventure, highlight, Sunblink, top
Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 1 month ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 5 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 28, 2025
Developer: Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory
Pick up any JRPG and the chances are good that one of the first enemies you’ll encounter on your adventure will be some kind of slime. The gelatinous mass of vaguely sentient ooze has been an unspoken staple of the genre since its foundation, but it is still often little more than a stepping stone on our heroes’ journey to greatness. The Neptunia series variation of this creature is the Dogoo, and it has usually served much the same role as an early game encounter that you quickly forget about. Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos puts the questionably adorable canine-based blobs in a more active role, and unfortunately the result is about what you would expect if you ran over a small blob with a motorcycle.
Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 1 month ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 23, 2025
Developer: Aspyr
Publisher: Aspyr
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, many of the long-standing franchises that now dominate the industry were either still in their infancy, or hadn’t even been conceived yet. Consequently, there was significantly less choice for the young gamer when compared to modern times. But one thing we did not suffer from a lack of, and which filled that empty void, was movie tie-ins. With the release of The Phantom Menace, there were few franchises as ripe for exploitation on this front as Star Wars, and over the course of the mid-to-late-2000s we were bombarded with video game adaptations and spin-offs of the still highly divisive prequel trilogy. Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is an unfortunate example of the less civilized part of that age.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 2 months ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 1 Comment
System: Switch
Release date: January 30, 2025
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Few games have left a lasting impression quite like Phantom Brave, the tactical JRPG developed by Nippon Ichi Software. Released over twenty years ago, the original title earned a devoted following for its unique blend of free-range combat, touching storytelling, and unforgettable characters. Now, after years of anticipation, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is set to deliver the next chapter in this beloved series. With a modern twist on the classic formula, this sequel aims to honor its predecessor while introducing a new generation of fans to the enchanting world of Ivoire.
Tales of Graces f Remastered review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 2 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 12 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 17, 2025
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
As a long-time fan of the Tales series I was excited when Bandai Namco announced the Tales of Series 30th Anniversary Remastered Project, which promised to bring the older titles to modern systems and, hopefully, finally make it a more accessible series. As the games have hopped between platforms over the years, and either haven’t been released outside of North America or in some cases been localized at all, there are still several I haven’t had the opportunity to play. Tales of Graces was originally released on the Wii, but didn’t make its way to western audiences until the PS3 re-release, Tales of Graces f, which added a new epilogue chapter to the story and various quality-of-life improvements. Tales of Graces f Remastered brings this version to the Nintendo Switch and, barring a single glaring flaw, does so with (dare I say it) style and grace.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review for Nintendo Switch
Posted on 2 months ago by Ethan in Reviews, Switch | 16 Comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 16, 2025
Developer: Forever Entertainment / Retro Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
With all the buzz around the new Nintendo Switch 2, it’s easy to forget that Donkey Kong Country Returns HD released on the same day of the big reveal. The original game released on Wii way back in 2010 and was praised for bringing the series back into the limelight for the first time in over ten years. Three years later, the game was ported to Nintendo 3DS where it received additional content in the form of brand new post-game levels. Now it’s 2025, and Donkey Kong has returned for a third time – and at full price to boot. Is Donkey Kong Country Returns HD a worthy Nintendo Switch remaster, and how does it stack up to its original release and 3DS port? And perhaps more importantly, how does it hold up against its sequel, which is also available on the console?
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