amphibious_ReViews

  Pilotwings brought impressive flight simulations to the SNES , with realistic physics assisted by pseudo-3D graphics that pulled the whole experience together. Unfortunately, it just wasn't very fun. Nintendo incorporated bonus rounds that were far more fantastical than the main gameplay, but it all still ended up feeling like I was performing a simulation instead of playing a game. The variety in challenges was nice, and it was an interesting experience when piloting each vehicle/character, but I often felt like I had to force myself to play this over other games. The gameplay loop of Pilotwings revolves around completing different challenges in order to achieve higher levels of your in-game pilot license. You'll have to demonstrate your skills with a plane, a jetpack, a hanglider, and a parachute in the main stages, which make up most of the experience. If you achieve a secret goal while completing one of the regular challenges, you'll have the opportunity to earn ad

As the first Picross game to make it to the west, this title didn't do nearly as well as Nintendo was hoping, leading us to be without a new Picross game until the DS . Although the franchise was doing well in Japan, westerners just weren't ready for these clever logic games. I think part of the issue was that this was advertised as a Mario title, but that aspect of the game boiled down to his face in the corner of the screen and a small number of related puzzles. Despite the poor reaction upon release, I found this to be a really enjoyable title. Some of the rules implemented in future entries, such as the inability to fill in a space that you've marked with an X, are sorely missed here. However, complaints like those don't really undermine the fact that this game is loaded with solid puzzles and is a delight to play. If you're familiar with other Picross  titles, you'll be right at home here. If not, the game does a great job of easing you into the nonogra

  As the first premium game in the Rusty Lake meta-series, I was a little hesitant to spend my hard-earned money on this. However, the Cube Escape games had seriously hooked me, and I couldn't just skip ahead, so I eventually gave in. Right at the start of the game, I knew this was unmissable. Presented as a prequel of sorts, Rusty Lake Hotel stars some familiar faces, but also introduces new characters that are poised to become more important in future games. Although it doesn't answer every question I've stored up from the previous games, I didn't really expect it to. However, it did provide a couple important reveals, and it gave me a few more things to be curious about. All of that makes for a pretty solid Rusty Lake experience. As an employee of the Rusty Lake Hotel , you are responsible for both keeping the guests comfortable and collecting the ingredients for each dinner. That all seems pretty dull and straightforward, until you figure out that the guests and

  While franchises born on the NES , like Mario , Zelda , and Metroid , continued on to have highly successful careers, Kid Icarus only got a sequel on the Gameboy before being abandoned for decades. If you just play the first ten minutes of each original game, that decision seems to make sense. Kid Icarus starts slower than it's peers, and begins at a higher difficulty, so it doesn't quite hook you in the same way. However, playing through the whole game reveals that it actually combines some of the best aspects of Nintendo's NES -era lineup and deserves far more recognition. In Kid Icarus , you'll find character growth and platforming reminiscent of Metroid , an adventure and menacing enemies that rival The Legend of Zelda , and linearity directed by clever variety similar to the likes of Super Mario Bros. Playing as Pit, an angel with wings too weak to fly and a bow that can't shoot very far, you attempt to climb out of the depths of the underworld, cross the

  In the same vein as the genre-bending battle royale, Tetris 99 , Super Mario Bros. 35 takes an already well-established title and turns it into an exciting competitive multiplayer experience. Other than the Mario theme, this title mirrors Tetris 99 in almost every other way. Your opponents are all visible on either side of the screen, your successes in-game effectively sabotage whoever you're targeting, and the last player standing is the winner. Plus, the game is entirely free for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers! However, there is one glaring difference. While Tetris 99 was allowed to thrive and grow over the years, adding DLC with new game modes and running events with special rewards, Mario 35 is scheduled to be shut down before that can happen. Because this title was created to celebrate Mario's 35th anniversary, Nintendo thinks it's wise to make it unplayable after the festivities end (just six months after the game's release). However, in the meantime,

  Despite all of my love for Galaga , Namco can't seem to release it on mobile for me. The closest thing we have available right now is a disappointing micro-transaction-heavy spinoff. However, there used to be two amazing upgraded releases available for people like me that yearn to blow up aliens every once in a while. One of those was actually used to celebrate the anniversary of Namco's signature fighting game series, Tekken . It was odd that they wouldn't release something that was actually related to Tekken , beyond just a sprite-swap, but I was there for the Galaga , so I didn't mind. The gameplay here is straightforward, especially for those familiar with the original. The controls were streamlined for mobile, allowing you to shoot without pressing an additional button, which is very convenient if accuracy isn't a big deal to you. The actual biggest upgrade here is the ability to choose from six different characters to play as. Each character has their own

  Tempest is a unique alien-fighting arcade game due to the fact that the enemies are actually in front of you, rather than floating on the top of the screen. When other companies were having you fight invaders with 2D sprites, Atari used 3D vector graphics that allowed you to face your opponents head on. Because of it's unique design, and the enjoyable variety in level structure and enemies, this game had a lot going for it when it came out. Unfortunately, what made it good then causes it to suffer now. Thanks to it's use of unconventional controls, Tempest is fantastic on the original arcade cabinets, and rather disappointing in it's rereleases. The arcade machine is designed with an analog dial for movement, allowing players to navigate with extreme precision. Needless to say, modern consoles don't really have dials, so ports of this game have to settle for d-pads or joysticks. Unfortunately, neither of those options offer the kind of precision that this game was

Donkey Kong Country is one of the most memorable games from my childhood. I have vivid memories of passing a GBA back and forth with my brothers as we worked on our quest to defeat the evil King K. Rool. Back then, I was hugely impressed by the crisp platforming and the variety in level design mechanics. Revisiting the game today, those opinions still stand strong. There's a reason why this franchise grew how it did, and the entry title demonstrates that wonderfully. DKC is full of clever design choices that make it feel unique and ensure that it's a joy to play all the way though. The backbone of the gameplay comes in the form of the titular character and his bud Diddy. Throughout the game, you'll play as both Kongs, switching between their different abilities as you progress. If given the choice, I probably would have played as Donkey Kong the whole time, as he has the power to defeat larger enemies that just laugh at Diddy, plus, a bit v he has the destructive ground

I'll spare you the often-repeated history of The Lost Levels , as I've heard it myself at least three dozen times. Diving right in, I feel like this game acts more as an expansion to the original , rather than a full new game. The difficulty of the first world in this game picks up right after the eighth world of it's predecessor, and it just grows from there. The only thing that really makes this feel like a full new entry in the series is the updated background sprites and the addition of new mechanics, like the poison mushroom and wind. As they share an engine, The Lost Levels is identical to the original in terms of gameplay. Thus, it can easily be assumed that the platforming is pristine. Unfortunately, the developers seemed to be grasping for new ways to increase the difficulty, and leaned a bit too much on tactics that people like myself consider "unfair." When my jump needs to be timed to the fraction of a second in order to cross a pit, or hidden blocks

  Following in the footsteps of Case 23 , Cube Escape: The Mill does a fantastic job of developing the Rusty Lake universe by fleshing out a recurring character and connecting itself to events from previous titles. Like each game in the series, you walk through an eerie supernatural world by way of puzzle solving. Unlike the previous titles, the protagonist is someone who fully understands Rusty Lake , so instead of trying to solve a mystery, they are just doing their job. This was interesting, as it provides the unique opportunity to learn about the world naturally. I found the puzzles in The Mill to be more streamlined than some of the previous games, which I thought made the progression feel even more natural. It felt more believable that I was living a day in the life of Mr. Crow, rather than being an omniscient puzzle-solving onlooker. This made the story more exciting, and helped me to better recognize the connections to the parts of Rusty Lake that I already understood.  Bui