Eliwood8

I found I've become increasingly sensitive to/annoyed by game design that just wastes time and leaves the player disengaged with the gameplay, which can manifest in a lot of ways: Long loading times is definitely one. I know sometimes it's just the size of the game but other times it just feels like poor optimization on the developers' part. Slow character speed is another aspect that may not seem like a big deal but there are games where I'm playing and I realize it's just plain taking too long to walk across the screen, like there's nothing else to really look at or engage with and you're just slowly walking which can take you out of the experience. A big one is mindless fetch quests/generally collecting junk, which happens a lot in open world games. I started playing Witcher 3 a few weeks ago and I was immediately bored by the idea of collecting dozens of herbs, crafting items, monster drops, etc. At the very least it should be faster to pick up junk than individually clicking on every box/bush/monster corpse in an area. And then there's sorting/selling this inventory…bleh. RNG is another design element that is solely designed to waste the player's time. I give the Monster Hunter franchise somewhat of a pass on this one since the whole point of the game is fighting monsters over and over, though even in that series there needs to be a balance between engaging gameplay and actual rewards.

Anyone notice that Nintendo has essentially repeated the year 2014 with Switch releases this year? Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors…there's even going to be another Super Smash Bros. game later this year! I suppose we can cut them some slack though, since all of those were excellent games on the Wii U and they're still fantastic on the Switch. Hyrule Warriors in particular benefits from a number of improvements introduced in the 3DS version of the game, and Switch owners don't even have to pay extra for the extensive amount of content that was originally paid DLC. The subtitle here is no exaggeration—if you want the full Hyrule Warriors experience, look no further than Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition. This is literally the third time I've written a review for Hyrule Warriors so let's just quickly run through the essential details: it's a Musou game meaning you cut through thousands of enemies on each map and battle powerful bosses big and small. Each level throws dozens of key targets and objectives at you and you'll have to work quickly to complete everything with the time and characters you're given. Hyrule Warriors draws upon some of the most memorable characters from the Zelda franchise (as well as a few oddball choices) and makes them playable in this hack 'n' slash adventure. The entire game is a trip down memory lane, including remixed/reimagined locations and music from past Zelda titles. This game definitely leverages your nostalgia for the Zelda series but at its core it's also a really fun, frantic, and addictive action game. As the Definitive Edition this includes all of the DLC on the cartridge as well as all of the features that the 3DS version added, including Linkle's Tale, the Wind Waker content, all of the adventure maps, etc. When you look at it all it almost feels like an endless supply of content: 32 levels in story mode (each of which can be pretty long) plus 9 adventure maps which are made up of dozens of short challenges. Although all of the DLC characters are present here you still need to unlock them, as well as unlock new weapons, costumes, fairies—there really is a ridiculous amount of content here if you choose to play it all, and in this version you can play it on the TV or in handheld mode, solo or with a friend. Much like the Switch itself this Definitive Edition takes the best of both worlds from the Wii U and 3DS versions. One of the few new features is the ability to buy item cards on adventure maps after you've unlocked that item at least once. In order to unlock everything on an adventure map you sometimes need to use items to uncover secrets: burn a bush, bomb a wall, push a statue—all standard Zelda adventurer's fare. You earn items by completing adventure map stages but previously you'd have to replay stages to have enough items to cover all of the secrets on a map (especially if you make mistakes and waste items). Now you can just spend a few rupees, so the process is much less repetitive. On the downside, some aspects of Hyrule Warriors are definitely beginning to show their age. After last year's Fire Emblem Warriors some features feel outdated, or just don't work as smoothly as you might like. Specifically, giving your ally characters orders is less robust than in FEW. The AI allies have never been particularly powerful in these games but at least in FEW you could specify actions better. Also, if you tell an ally to move to an area, they never "forget" that command. If you take control of them and move them somewhere else, they'll still follow the previous command and return to that point. It's just inconvenient to have to babysit ally commands so much. Hyrule Warriors looks great on the TV, which shouldn't be any surprise, but it also runs pretty well in handheld mode. There are definitely some dips in frame rate while undocked, which is most noticeable during the intro/outro animations of characters and stages, but rarely do the frame rate dips interfere with the gameplay. Otherwise this Definitive Edition retains the stylish art design and infectious, remixed soundtrack of the original game, both of which can be a treat for longtime Zelda fans. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is mostly the same game we saw in 2014 and in 2016, but the combination of features offers everything you could want from the game in one handy, portable Switch title. If you've only played the Wii U version, you're getting the benefit of all of the DLC and Legends add-ons. If you've played the 3DS version, you're getting the benefit of a higher quality resolution plus features like co-op. If you've played both you're probably a huge Zelda fan and will want to buy this one anyway. Regardless of your familiarity with Hyrule Warriors, the Definitive Edition is a wonderfully addictive action game and remains a delightful love letter to Zelda's storied history. Rating: 8 out of 10 Rupees

I've been interested in Yoku's Island Express since it was first announced so I'm definitely getting that. I'm working on a review for Punch Club which I'll probably post early next week. I also want to start Runner3 and I've only just started Battle Chasers: Nightwar. Basically I have too much to play right now.

Man, seeing this stuff just reminds me how great Mario + Rabbids is (and how weird it is). I wasn't planning on getting the DLC when it was originally announced but now I might be tempted.

I don't have it but the friend I went with to see Deadpool 2 last night does and she seems to like it a lot. The cost and minor inconvenience of using it (I guess she has to upload a picture of her ticket stub to verify it?) seem to be well worth the value of seeing so many movies. Hell, the monthly price is actually less than the cost of one evening show ticket around here. Also when we went last night apparently since she has Moviepass it gave me a discount on my ticket; neither of us knew that was even a thing, in fact I don't even know if it was just a limited time bonus or something but if it always works like that it's another perk. I really don't see how Moviepass can be sustainable on its current business model though. And I don't know if that means you should just take advantage of it now while you can or if you're better off ignoring it before it radically changes or folds completely.

Hm, all very believable additions, or is that just what the rumor creators want us to think? E3 is only a few weeks away at this point, I'm expect we'll get plenty of info then.

I don't think I trust my internet connection enough to play a game entirely via streaming, at the very least not unless I got a LAN adapter for my Switch. Now if it was just a digital rental I might be on board, but the uncertainty of streaming makes me hesitant. And it's especially ironic that they would do this on the Switch, where the whole point of the console is that you can carry it around with you and play anywhere.

Maybe there'll be a Yoshi saddle so you can act like you're riding him around.

Color me shocked, especially by the popularity vote since I had several mirror matches on team Donnie. Overall that puts my win rate for this Splatfest tournament at 2 wins and 1 loss. I think three weekends of Splatfests in a row kind of burned me out though. If they do a tournament like this again I'd probably pace myself to only play in one or two rounds.

Deadpool 2 was a lot of fun. Felt like it was even more meta than the first movie but it's been a while since I saw that one. Almost feels like it'd be worth watching again just to catch all of the references and whatnot.

I was crossing my fingers all weekend that this would turn out to be a false rumor, but yeah it seems to be ending, which is really disappointing. I have until January next year when my subscription ends. Between this ending and the Best Buy closest to me closing I'll probably buy games somewhere else from now on. I guess there's still the points you can get from My Best Buy but that hasn't been as valuable anymore since they reduced the dollar/point rate. To be honest the deal always seemed too good to be true; I wouldn't be surprised at all of it really wasn't profitable for them. Still a shame for us consumers though.

Incidentally, CoD is now imitating Fortnite/PUBG/other Battle Royale games to get its own slice of that pie.

Wow, I thought Raph vs. Leo was bad but in this Splatfest I'm pretty sure I've actually had a negative win rate so far. It's only my experience but I don't think Donnie is winning this one. Oh also these colors are terrible. Purple and pink (it's way too light red) are entirely too similar.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was one of the best games on the Wii U, so it's great to see it get a new, funkier life on the Switch. Just like their previous work on Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro Studios did an absolutely amazing job of capturing the core concepts that made Donkey Kong Country such a blast on the SNES while also injecting a wealth of new content, all amidst an absolutely gorgeous setting and soundtrack. The only thing that might hold back this Switch version is the fact that there isn't a ton of new content if you already played the Wii U version, But the game is good enough that you'll likely enjoy a second playthrough regardless. Tropical Freeze on the Switch doesn't change anything about the story or core gameplay. As in the Wii U original the villainous Snowmad vikings invade Donkey Kong's home, freezing the entire island using a magic horn, completely ruining DK's birthday party. Understandably the Kongs set out for revenge, traversing multiple islands to reach the Snowmads' magic flying ship at the peak of DK island. It's pretty much the quintessential platformer setup—short, sweet, and gives a good reason to travel to multiple locations. In case you haven't played the original or have merely forgotten, Tropical Freeze is a tough platformer. It's not that there are swarms of enemies—though there are a few levels where you have to keep moving to avoid hazards—it's that the level design often requires perfect jumps, made all the more difficult by DK's unique movements. When he's not running DK is actually pretty slow and lumbersome. Build up a little momentum with a roll though, and DK will fly across gaps. The controls can be tricky at first but there's a fantastic sense of rhythm to DKC games which makes them challenging but not completely frustrating. Instead, when you complete a level, there's only a sense of satisfying accomplishment. And in the case of Tropical Freeze, there are some fantastic designs throughout the adventure. The game trades level count with level intricacy—each island only has a handful of stages but they're long and elaborate, packed with collectibles and perfect for the time attack option that opens up after you complete the level once. There is a wealth of content to enjoy here, and you can even bring a friend along for some frantic co-op fun. Now we come to the star of the show, and the main addition to Tropical Freeze on the Switch: Funky Kong! The most tubular member of the DK crew functions as an easy mode thanks to his extended health and extra-durable surfboard which protects him from hazards like spikes. He can also perform a short double jump in the air and ride his surfboard for a slow, gradual landing, making tricky jumps easy to complete. Funky is definitely easier to use in a lot of ways but if you get used to using the other Kongs Funky can feel a little hard to use in some instances. Funky's abilities make him good at everything but there are some instances where Dixie or Cranky are better—they have more specialized abilities while Funky is all-around effective, so you might not necessarily want to rely on him for everything. He's still a great addition for novice players though, especially considering Tropical Freeze's difficulty on some levels. The only downside though is that Funky is restricted to his own easy mode, so if you start a game in normal mode you can't just swap to him. It's understandable to separate him for online leaderboard/time attack purposes but it's still kind of a bummer that you have to commit to easy mode if you want to try him out. Tropical Freeze looks every bit as good as it did on the Wii U—better even, thanks to some slight boosts to the resolution. Regardless of the technical aspects though it's the bright, lively art design that makes the visuals pop, even when playing in handheld mode on the Switch's screen. The background artwork is so rich at times that it's almost worth replaying the game just to take in all of the visuals. And the soundtrack by David Wise is every bit as captivating as it was in the original game—Grassland Groove remains a personal favorite of mine. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is another worthy port to the Switch's library. Its main addition, Funky Kong, is somewhat restricted as a separate easy mode, but fans of the game will still appreciate experimenting with a new way to play the game, and the new possibilities he offers for speedrunning. The real draw for this Switch game is everything that made the Wii U game great: incredible level design, a wealth of challenging collectibles to uncover, gorgeous visuals, and a truly stellar soundtrack. Tropical Freeze may not be new for some players, but it's well worth another playthrough all the same. Rating: 9 out of 10 Bananas

Lot of good stuff on sale this week that I'd recommend: Battle Chef Brigade, The Fall: Unbound, Mulaka, Nine Parchments, Tumblestone, Mario + Rabbids, etc. And I'm hyped up for Runner3—I'm always ready for more CommanderVideo.