And yet if there was a way to make the Nintendo graphics just a tick better, would you try it out? Marseille is hoping so, as that’s exactly what they’re providing with the mClassic game console graphics processor.

The mClassic is meant to be the console equivalent of an upgraded graphics card, but it comes without the fuss of having to open anything up. Well, other than that port cabinet behind your Switch dock. It can work with anything that passes video through an HDMI cable, so you can also use the mClassic with your Wii U, Blu-ray player, PS4, Xbox One, and numerous other systems. This being Pure Nintendo in 2020, our review will focus on use with the Nintendo Switch—although you’re certainly welcome to connect it to your Wii U or even the GameCube with the right adapters.

In fact, let’s start with adapters. The mClassic itself looks like an oversized USB flash drive. And although it doesn’t take up too much space, it doesn’t fit in the cable compartment of the Switch dock. Thankfully, Marseille includes an HDMI adapter that’s perfectly sized to fit in that compartment and allow you to connect the mClassic just outside of it (bottom cable, below).

You then run your own HDMI cable from the mClassic to your TV. The final step involves connecting the mClassic to USB with another provided cable to power it up. This can be any powered USB port, but will likely be one on your Switch. The whole setup is pretty clunky, possibly forcing you to rearrange your hardware setup.

But do you know what? Deal with it, because it’s a very easy system. You’ll just want to make sure you have easy access to the mClassic hardware because it contains a toggle switch to enable and disable processing. It’s also used to switch between optimized settings for modern and retro games. An LED light indicates which setting you’re on (see the green indicator in the image above).

Once it’s all up and running, you may not notice a difference without searching for it. The mClassic isn’t a miracle worker that turns your Switch into a PS5, it simply smooths things out. It provides post-processing that can upscale 1080p content to 4K (at 30hz or lower). More importantly for Switch owners, it improves anti-aliasing, which removes jagged edges and provides crisper images. Indeed, if there’s a system that could really benefit from the mClassic’s capabilities, it’s the Nintendo Switch, where games often run at 720p or 1080p with no anti-aliasing. Of course, you only see the benefit in docked mode, but that goes without saying.

On smaller TVs, poor or no anti-aliasing isn’t much of an issue because the picture is too small for the jagged edges to stand out. But I have a 55″ Samsung OLED TV that can really highlight those jagged edges. The benefit was noticeable in games such as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, helping the forefront elements in those beautiful landscapes blend in better with the environment. Conversely, background elements can become blurrier, causing some detail to get lost.

It’s surprisingly more noticeable in games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons where the action is slower and the lines are more clearly defined. Edges of the characters and landscape elements just feel more natural.

I’ll describe the difference by saying the game’s scenery looks like it’s a single illustration as opposed to a bunch of separate items cropped out and pasted into one larger image. This slider at the Marseille site helps to highlight.

I think where I saw the greatest benefit, however, was when I went back to the Witcher III: Wild Hunt. The mClassic was able to effectively upscale the 720p resolution to 1080p and smooth out the complex graphics in a way that made the game feel much less muddy. We’re still not at native 1080p, but the forefront elements looked decidedly better with no noticeable lag.

That’s just on the Switch on my 4K TV. I was also able to test it on the Wii U with a 42″ 1080p Samsung, and the results actually felt a bit more natural here since the TV hardware was more in line with the mClassic’s capabilities. I was especially impressed with its effect on games in Wii mode. Flip the mClassic to retro mode, and all those old 480p Wii games are smoothed over. This does make them look blurrier on larger TVs, much like they used to on the old CRT TVs and screens when many of these games were originally released. Playing Shinobi, for example, in Wii mode felt much more like it did at the old arcades. And games such as The Last Story and even Wii Bowling get a nice visual upgrade that makes them easier to return to after gaming two generations ahead.

The mClassic did present two problems that are worth mentioning. First, I already covered the cable clutter it creates around your Switch. This is understandable considering the device is built to be compatible with multiple devices, but it’s still an issue. Second, with the mClassic plugged in, there were times when the Switch would display on my TV with a distinct purple tint. Turning off the Switch, TV, and receiver then turning them back on resolved the issue, but that’s something I never had to do with the Switch connected directly to the receiver.

Now, whether this is all worth it depends upon your specific setup. Your TV may already provide suitable upscaling, for example. There’s also the fact that many of us Nintendo gamers simply don’t care about jagged edges; Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey are amazing game experiences with or without advanced anti-aliasing. But if your setup is right, and if you’re willing to pay for that extra graphical push, the mClassic is up to the task.

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In Regina & Mac, you play the role of Regina the macaw, who finds herself trapped in a laboratory. She also happens to be standing on a small tyrannosaurus named Mac. The obedient Mac follows her lead as she ushers him around à la Banjo Kazooie, and they work together to escape the lab. 

The gameplay has a strong Super Mario 64 feel. It’s set in a polygonal world full of rotating blocks, moving platforms, and tricky jumps. There’s also a lot to collect in the form of floppy discs. These unlock new sections as you make your way through nine discrete worlds.

The best part of Regina & Mac is the platforming. The mechanics are spot on, with some excellent physics-based trickery to master. Whether it’s a thin platform to tiptoe across or a delicate jump between spinning blocks, the difficulty level is perfectly balanced. Nothing is impossible, even though some areas will have you repeatedly trying to get to that elusive floppy disc. This gameplay is addictive; you want to keep trying.

Another aspect that adds to this desire to continue playing is the dialogue. I admire the script, which presents a witty and well-written story. It’s quick and engaging, sprinkled with humor, and helps to create a more interesting game overall. There’s some creative dialogue between Regina and the computer interface that’s blocking her from exiting the lab. 

Other features include unlockable abilities and moves to master, like ground pounding or triple jumps. There are neat puzzles scattered about that require some brainpower to solve, like switching patterns on or off. You’ll find Picross-like puzzles here, too. It all adds to the variety and longevity of the game.

Regina & Mac’s one letdown is its graphics. It’s not that they’re bad – I assume the developer was aiming for a particular retro-3D style – it’s just that they may turn potential players away based on first impressions. If you choose not to judge this game by its flat colors and simple shapes, you’ll find a deep experience that will have you hooked. The audio is suitably simple, with bouncy, poppy tunes that tend to get stuck inside your head, adding to the surreal world you’re exploring.

Overall, Regina & Mac is a quirky platformer with some great physics set in an engaging world. I don’t know why it’s on the Wii U, but if you’re a platforming fan – particularly of games like Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie – you’ll find enjoyment in this love letter to those titles. Just look past the very simple and dated graphics.

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Aqua Moto Racing Utopia’s controls are fairly simplistic, with ‘ZR’ being used to drive forward and the joystick used for turning. The ‘ZL’ button is incredibly useful on sharp turns, especially when going around buoys, as you often do. ‘A’ is used to do most of the tricks for points and to fill up a bar that will give you turbo – you then press ‘B’ to boost with the turbo. These controls are used throughout three different game modes: Championship, Single Event, and Split Screen. I found them fairly easy to get used to. However, it’s hard to drive around the buoys not only because of the constrained controls, but the waves you drive over can be erratically choppy at times.

In Championship, you compete against the computers in two different types of races. One type of race is Roundabout Division, where you zip around the designated side of the buoy and Ski Division is the same but you also do tricks to earn points to beat the other racers. Another game under Championship is Free Style, which is basically going around a little pool spot doing tricks until the time runs out. I wish there was more variety between the races.

Single Event also features Free Style as well as two races and a casual run around mode called Leisure. One of the races is Custom Race, which is similar to both Ski Division and Roundabout Division except you have the option to customize certain features, like how many laps you race. Time Trial is a way to set records by racing around the course and buoys as fast as you can. I like Custom Race the most out of the race options in Single Event simply because of its customizable.

The multiplayer feature is Split Screen, which also has Custom Race, Free Style, and Leisure, but also includes a fun mini-game type of mode called Party Games. Under Party Games is Aqua Moto Hockey, Keep the Flag and King of the Hill, which are self-explanatory. Party Games also includes a game called Duckling Mama, which is about you racing to collect rubber ducks and having a trail follow behind you while avoiding having them stolen by others – this one is my personal favorite of the Party Games.

Aqua Moto Racing Utopia’s graphics are pretty average, but that does not mean they were terrible by any means. The Jet Ski may throw your player off when you have a particularly nasty crash, which adds a bit of realism to the game. I personally really liked the ability to design my player.

Overall, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia is your average, forgettable racing game, other than the fact that water racing games aren’t all that common among the racing genre. Nothing, in particular, makes it stand out from the crowd.  It’s priced at $9.99, which is kind of fair since there are many jet skis and locations to unlock in the game over time.

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I think it’s quite cool to see Aperion Cyberstorm release on the Wii U. Having said that, I recognize how the game will find a bigger audience on the Switch. To see some different (and more in-depth) coverage of that version, you can check out Dillan’s review. I’ll mainly be touching on what I feel is a possible advantage that this Wii U version offers.

Specifically, it’s how the GamePad provides a separate viewing screen. Both versions offer support for up to five players, but on Wii U I don’t need to share the Television. True, the GamePad is not High-definition, but the game’s visual presentation is still nice enough. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I like the option to play on the GamePad closer to my face when the action gets frantic. A comparable experience on the Switch would be Tabletop mode, which I’ve never actually used – that stand is so awkwardly placed.

It’s worth mentioning that Aperion Cyberstorm supports other controllers as well. If the GamePad isn’t your preference, you can use a Pro Controller, or Wiimote (with or without a nunchuck). I also appreciate options like these. If you plan on playing as a quintet, I suspect it’ll be easier on the Wii U.

Also, what the Wii U lacks in active audience size it might make up for partially due to eagerness. Few games are releasing for the console in 2018, and even fewer of the high quality of Aperion Cyberstorm. Plus, twin-stick shooters don’t dominate the lineup in quite the same fashion they have on Switch, so that’s an advantage to standing out.

With multiple modes, hundreds of maps, co-op or competitive multiplayer, and more, Aperion Cyberstorm offers a pretty good package on either Nintendo console. Wii U players are hungry for high-quality games, so this will satisfy. Kudos to aPriori Digital for supporting a wide range of Nintendo gamers. I’ll really be looking forward to their next release.

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Volgarr The Viking uses the power of a modern-day console to bring nostalgic platforming. In a generation where it seems platform titles are dying due to the ridiculous amount of FPS games comes this beautifully crafted game. Where do I start?

In the jungle, you must fight to survive! (insert movie guy’s voice). This was the game I’ve been craving for years. Unlike some of the old classic consoles that made you swear or chuck a controller across the room, Volgarr delivers smooth as silk precise controls. Games like this can have a tendency to diminish the fun factor with clunky controls especially when it comes to jumping. Not this game. I had no problems mastering the controls for fast gameplay and tight moves, reminiscent of games like Ninja Gaiden.

The visuals in this game are stunning, making great use of the Wii U’s simple and not overpowered GPU. The multi-layered scrolling backgrounds and skies deliver a great visual buffet that brings me right back to the late 80’s early 90’s consoles like the SEGA Genesis or Nintendo’s SNES with a modern twist. There are collision effects where the ground shakes on impact, and lighting effects from his powered-up blazing sword. It also has great character design, with animation of breathing while not moving.  Every time you get an upgrade there is more armor added and weapon effects such as lighting! Simply beautiful!

Audio in the game is not neglected. Everything, and I mean almost everything, has a sound effect from great background jungle noise to the crunch of your spear breaking against another spear. The music in this title kicks butt. It’s got a rocking metal title screen track and great ambient background tracks for the levels that keep you in the zone.

I’ve honestly had a lot of fun reviewing Volgarr the Viking. Sadly it comes at the close of the life of the Wii U (It’s also available on the Switch). However, in my opinion, it’s an instant classic, which coming from a homebrew developer that is excellent. I also have this for the Dreamcast which has a few extras that I didn’t see here, like an accomplishment list for completing or performing certain tasks like (my favorite) the “impale 4 or more enemies with a single spear toss!”. That being said, the absence of this feature doesn’t take anything away from the game.

So if you’re looking for a challenging game reminiscent of classics such as Rastan, Rygar, Karnov, and Ninja Gaiden Volgarr the Viking will keep you playing and coming back for more!

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The storybook setting has you out on a rescue mission to save your friends from Evil Ink. It’s not bad, it’s just drawn that way. The tale picks up some real steam the further you progress, though I’ll admit it took a while to win me over. I found my interest waning early, maybe because my creativity doesn’t really extend to the artistic realm. Of course, it’s no fault of the game that I don’t have the skills of an artist.

The “action-packed” segments contributed some to my winding down . Speed just didn’t mix so well with the controls, which are more geared towards leisurely puzzles. Given that drawing is key, only the Wii U GamePad is supported.  When I was exploring the levels, interacting with characters, and solving puzzles, that’s when Draw a Stickman: EPIC 2 shined.

I don’t want to give too much away for spoiler concerns, but one level I really enjoyed had my character basically acting out the old folk story, Stone Soup. How do I get vegetables into this pot? How do I heat it up? These questions, and more, had to be solved by helping out the individual residents of the town. Interacting with them was fun, even if the communications were limited to pictogram animations and one-word exclamations.

Besides drawing the main character, you’ll be drawing friends, tools, and parts of the level. I found the latter pretty easy. So long as I had the correct pencil selected, the game identified my scribbles as leaves on a tree or ice on the water. Tools need a bit more care. The tiny pickaxe I drew at first needed to whack boulders repeatedly before they broke. Once I drew a bigger version, that necessary task became much easier.

For me, the drawing proved ultimately secondary. It was a means to solve the puzzles and drive the story, but not the focal point. This probably isn’t how the developers wanted the game received. Nevertheless, it did grow on me. Although I beat it in less than four hours, I really enjoyed the ending. Optional puzzle pieces that I missed make for replay incentive.

I think kids especially will enjoy Draw a Stickman: Epic 2. Although I’m of the mind that it would have been a better release for the 3DS eShop, you could say it has something of a captive Wii U audience. In any case, I enjoyed the game. How does it fare on the Switch? Kaelyn (who has more artistic ability in her little finger than I do in my entire body) will share her opinions soon.  Hopefully, she has a capacitive touch stylus handy.

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While the first DLC pack featured some decent content, The Champions’ Ballad DLC Pack promised a ‘new dungeon’ and more story-related elements. After my initial excitement wore off from playing the main Breath of the Wild game and the first DLC Pack, I was cautiously awaiting the second DLC Pack. My core disappointment in the main game stemmed from the game’s “dungeons” which, in my opinion, are paltry in comparison to traditional Zelda dungeons. While I was expecting more of the same types of dungeons in The Champions’ Ballad, I couldn’t help myself hoping that they heard my cries and decided to do a proper dungeon to close out the Expansion Pass content. I was left disappointed once again.

The Champions Ballad starts with players back on the plateau doing a series of combat challenges with a new weapon capable of vanquishing enemies in 1 hit. The catch? Enemies can also kill you in 1 hit. While initially frustrating, I actually enjoyed the change of strategy this new weapon afforded. Once the plateau challenge ends, players will go to a number of new shrines scattered throughout the landscape. There’s actually a decent amount of content and the shrines featured some much improved depth to them. After completing three shrines near each Divine Beast, players will go into the past to view a cutscene that offers a little more character development to Zelda and each of the Champions. Following this, players will have to fight the same boss from each Divine Beast (which felt like a chore for me seeing as how the bosses were one of the low-points I mentioned from the main game). After completing this repeat boss battle, players will receive an upgrade to one of their abilities given to them by the Champions in the main game (Mipha’s Grace, Daruk’s Protection, etc.).  Basically it means each of these will recharge faster.

Once players finish all 12 new Shrines, a final ‘Divine Trial’ will open at the Shrine of Resurrection where the whole game began. This is the promised ‘dungeon’ from the early promotional material for the Expansion Pass. While not nearly as big and challenging as I had hoped for, this final dungeon offered a lot of cool puzzles. The interior of the dungeon was still the same aesthetic design from all the other Divine Beasts, but it was a decent send-off for the game. The final boss battle was finally a new boss, but as with other bosses in Breath of the Wild, can be defeated fairly easily with a number of different weapons.

The final reward players receive is the ‘Master Cycle Zero’ which is a motorcycle styled in the ancient Sheikah technology. While the motorcycle certainly looks cool, I found that once I received it, there wasn’t really anything left in the world I wanted to find. I would almost recommend new players complete enough of the Shrines and the Divine Beasts to unlock the DLC Pack 2 content. Then you can travel the world for the remaining Shrines on the Master Cycle Zero–otherwise it’s a bit of a shallow reward. Now, I should mention there are new pieces of armor to find and some new Horse gear so there will be some new things to find on your new ride even if you’ve completed everything.

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Master Mode gives players a chance to play through the entire game again with increased difficulty and more enemy locations. Basic Red Bokoblins are now blue and all enemies recharge their health over time during battle. You will have to strike swiftly and often to defeat enemies in this mode. There are also floating platforms with enemies and treasures dotted around the landscape to add more challenge. This mode was simply not fun in my experience.

Hero’s Path Mode and the Travel Medallion are two new options aimed at helping players traverse the world more effectively. Hero’s Path Mode is a simple toggle on the game’s map screen that shows a line on top of the map indicating everywhere you have traversed in the game. If you are trying to find all of the Koroks and/or Shrines, this can be a great tool to find areas you haven’t yet visited. The Travel Medallion allows players to place an arbitrary warp point at their current location so you can easily warp back to it later–this can be helpful if you are exploring an area without any Shrines. I also found it useful to put on a high peak in an area so I had a good launching point.

The Master Trials also contains new armor pieces for players to discover via journal clues in various spots in Hyrule. These quests were actually pretty fun and I wish there were more like them. It would have been great to have more in-depth quests too. Overall, The Master Trials feel very much like a ‘New Game +’ with some modest new content.

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Hive Jump is a great idea for a game, with good production. However, the fun factor is diminished by the difficulty and constant glitches! I’ve played Hive Jump for roughly 27 hours and have yet to complete a single hive in its entirety. I know what you’re thinking, it can’t be that bad, but it is.

Enemies, even on easy, constantly come at you. Which is par for the course, but the quirky controls use both sticks to move, and the trigger buttons to shoot, jump and launch grenades. Controlling your soldier gets silly when trying to run, jump, and shoot at the ever-moving baddies. Another gripe is the ridiculous hit effect enemies have when you come into contact with them – they can, and for the most part do, literally knock you across the screen which is just frustrating. You have a life bar which is useless as most enemies, even on easy, can kill you in 2-3 hits. Or my favorite is they can trap you in a corner and juggle you to death with no escape!

Now the game isn’t horrible, even with the constant crashes. I’ve lost more boss battles due to crashes in the middle of combat then I can count! It does have some really cool features that lend to the RPG feel, like cut-scenes, and a cool weapon system that lets you unlock and upgrade weapons which are purchased from the goo monetary system.

Another great feature is the ability to upgrade in between levels so you don’t feel so underpowered on difficult levels. The fun factor kicks in along with massive irritation when you play two-player co-op mode. Like Contra, both players are on the same screen and can and will kill each other with grenades being tossed about by the enemy. The real challenge is one player carries the explosive ordnance you have to deliver to the end. The reason is if you get knocked off the screen you have a timer for either player to get back into eyesight of the other or, you guessed it, instant death to the player who can’t be seen! Pray he’s not carrying the backpack.

The visuals in the game are very cool. You can unlock and customize your soldier by using skins and visor colors. The weapon effects are also neatly done as each weapon has its own effects and colors. In two-player mode, you can choose an icon that hovers above the soldier so you can try to keep track of who’s who during the craziness.

The music is okay. It drones in the background and doesn’t really add a huge amount to the atmosphere of the game. Sound effects are lacking as well – machine guns don’t really sound like machine guns lol. This however doesn’t really add or detract from the game’s mechanics or overall feel.

While I actually like Hive Jump and its ideas, as a beta tester of multiple different homebrew games this still has the feel of an incomplete beta. The times of choppiness during gameplay and the instability issues really make this game a drag due to the time it takes to go through each hive. I seriously think however with a little more time and polish, this game could be epically fun and have huge success in its genre.  Keep up the effort Graphite Lab, it’s almost there.

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There is no tutorial mode, nor is one needed for such simplistic gameplay. You start out at the main menu and from here you can choose between Sanctum mode, Classic mode and the shop screen. In Sanctum mode, 2 players (using a Wii Remote) will defend their teams portal while trying to destroy the other teams portal; classic turf war stuff. Monsters will come at you, and you must use magical attacks to fend them off. This is supposed to be the main appeal of the game but I honestly didn’t get much out of it. There weren’t many levels to choose from so the already underwhelming look of the environments became repetitive, as well as the gameplay itself. You can’t really interact with anything besides the enemies on screen.

Classic mode isn’t that wonderful either, but some people might enjoy the arcade feel that this mode has. You take control of Tomeling and try to avoid all of the enemies and obstacles on screen. Even though all you do is walk around avoiding stuff, you can choose different levels and, at least get some replay value out of this mode. There are three levels to choose from, nothing to exciting but each level has four versions that grow in difficulty as you progress. They never really become too hard, but if Tomeling is hit just once it’s game over.

When you complete levels, you earn gold that can be used in the shop. The higher the difficulty, the more gold you will receive. You can purchase a few new levels, one for Classic mode and two for Sanctum mode. These will give you something to work towards, but it just didn’t seem like enough to keep the player interested for very long. Aesthetically speaking, Tomeling in Trouble really doesn’t look that bad. The game does run well on the Wii U, but it’s lacking in the “pizazz” department. The backgrounds and environments are forgettable and I feel like Tomeling’s adventure could have been a lot cooler if the game had a better variety of enemies and obstacles to overcome.

While Tomeling in Trouble isn’t really my cup of tea, it might appeal to a younger audience. The simplistic gameplay and lack of difficulty make this a good game for kids. But if you’re an older person looking for a serious, lengthy game to play I’d have to say skip this one. Tomeling is a charming character but he’s better off on a mobile device. If you’re interested in Tomeling in Trouble, then head over to the Wii U eShop and check it out. At $5.00 you really don’t have much to lose. 

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