Right from the get go, players of the 3D Mario titles will be at home here. You can run, dive, triple jump, and side flip with relative ease. Though the moves may be similar, your character has access to a parachute that lets them glide through the air, and this gives you a great sense of freedom as you soar from airship to airship in the game’s overworld. Whether you decide to play as either the boy or girl adventurer (You can switch characters at any time), movement feels pretty smooth and makes navigating the stages a lot of fun.

Visually, Poi is a very colorful game with simple textures. This cartoony look lends itself well to the world you’re exploring, but at times you may be finding yourself wishing for more detail. The music is rendered nicely as well, but it serves as more of a backdrop to the action, and you’d be hard-pressed to remember some of the tunes after playing. The story revolves around two runaway orphans who dream of becoming adventurers. After stumbling upon an old man who had wrecked his airship in a terrible storm, you embark on a journey to collect his missing explorer’s medallions. Much like everything in the presentation department, the story does its job well enough, but it certainly won’t blow you away.

Level design is heavily inspired by Super Mario Sunshine with the stages requiring lots of vertical platforming. With giant windmills and tightrope walking, the love for Sunshine is strong, but the game still does a decent job of finding its own identity. Some of the locales you’ll visit include a volcano, a gem mine, and a desert town to name just a few. Upon entering each world, you’ll select which medallion to search for, but like in Mario 64, you can grab the medals in any order you wish. Some medallions repeat themselves with the same task across worlds such as collecting 100 coins, or finding a set of keys. This repetition can be forgiven though, as there are a variety of ways to collect the medals you need.

While most of your medallion gathering will be done by steering your airship and exploring new worlds that you uncover, there is a fair amount for you to do in the overworld. You can purchase additional items such as a shovel or camera to help you on your journey, and there are challenge stages that will reward you for mastering certain items. In addition to this, there are unlockable bonus stages wherein you must make it to the end of an obstacle course, and these are definitely inspired by the F.L.U.D.D.‘less stages in Mario Sunshine. There are even leaderboards, so you can compete for the fastest times if you wish.

Overall, Poi: Explorer’s Edition is a fun little romp for your Nintendo Switch. The visuals may not be the most enticing, but the Mario Sunshine-esque gameplay and charm more than make up for it. With a ‘New Game +’, plenty of medallions to find, and unlockable artwork, there is a decent number of things for you to do if you wish to 100% the game. Clocking in at around 15-20 hours of gameplay for completionists, Poi sticks around long enough without dragging on. If you’re of fan of 3D platformers, there is plenty of fun to be had here.

(Thanks to  Alliance Digital Media for the code)

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Visuals are done in a 16-bit aesthetic, with hand-drawn portraits for characters when there is dialogue. This definitely serves the game well, as it’s certainly not hard on the eyes, though the occasional spelling or grammatical error that pops up in conversations can take you out of the experience. The music also does its job well, but there weren’t any particular tracks that will stick with you.

Combat is turn-based, with each character having a special ability that can be unleashed once your trust gauge is full. Similar to a limit break from some other well-known JRPG, Giving and receiving damage slowly fills up your gauge. Once full, you can unleash deadly attacks and spells, or even healing magic. There is also a weapon customization option where you can combine similar weapons into stronger ones, and this adds a little bit of spice to your standard gameplay experience.

Asdivine Cross may not break any new ground in the RPG genre, but this doesn’t stop the game from being enjoyable. For those looking for an RPG to whet their appetite, this humble RPG has fun battle mechanics, and some post-game content to keep you engaged. It may lack the polish of an AAA RPG title, but for $9.99 on the eShop, there is still fun to be had here.

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Combat is mostly done in first person mode, and is very similar to the “all range mode” in Star Fox 64. When engaging an enemy in space, you’ll have a large arena to fight them in. If the enemy makes it to the edge of the arena map, they escape and you must pursue them once again on the Lylat system map. The faster you blow them up, however, the higher a score you’ll obtain. Fighting can be tricky at first, but getting used to the map will help you navigate much easier.

Perhaps the biggest draw of Star Fox 2 was the introduction of the “walker” mode to the Arwing. While taking back planets from the enemy, you’ll have to enter their base of operations. This is where the walker mode of the Arwing comes into play, as it allows you to transform into a bipedal mech so you can traverse inside of the base easier. Segments with the walker are a great time, as dodging enemy fire is much more intense in the walker, and adds a new layer of fun to the traditional Star Fox formula.

With new characters and new ways to play the game, Star Fox 2 was an incredibly ambitious title for its time. While the graphics look impressive for the era it would have released in, they did push the SNES to its limits, and due to this the game suffers from lag frequently. Despite the slow down, defending Corneria as you systematically take out the forces of Andross is a great time, and it makes an excellent addition to the SNES Classic.

(If you’re interested in seeing some original game design documents of Star Fox 2, check out the link HERE.)

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At a glance, the 20 titles available to you certainly warrant the $79.99 price tag. Most of the major Nintendo characters are represented, with fan favorites such as A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, and Super Metroid that have mass appeal. RPG fans are covered too, as Mario RPG, Final Fantasy III (actually it’s VI, if you want to get technical), and the cult classic Earthbound will provide lengthy playthroughs. The bundled second controller doesn’t go to waste either, as Mario Kart, Street Fighter 2, and Kirby’s Dream Course offer some great multiplayer fun. Indeed, the selection of games is quite good, however, the exclusion of Chrono Trigger and the two Donkey Kong Country sequels seems like an oversight.

There are three display modes you can run the games under. CRT Mode does its best to mimic the scan lines of older TVs, and gives the entire game you play a fuzzy look to it. While it’s a silly novelty, it’s not worth playing in for any length of time. In 4:3 Mode, your favorite SNES titles appear in the same aspect ratio you remember as a young tyke. For those who want a sharper picture, Pixel-Perfect Mode displays each pixel as a perfect square, providing you with a much sharper image that looks great on HDTVs. You can switch between display modes on the fly, which is rather convenient.

As for looks, the SNES Classic unit itself faithfully represents the console itself, complete with functioning power and reset buttons. The new controller ports are hidden behind a tab of plastic meant to disguise them as the original controller plugins, but unless you’re displaying your SNES on a shelf, this is more of an inconvenience. Despite having a rather poorly rendered Super Nintendo logo plastered on the U.I., the main menu does have some charm. Wait long enough, and Mario will jump out and randomly select a game to demo for you. If you’ve played the game already, your Classic will demo your gameplay instead, and if you changed the display setting to something other than 4:3, Luigi will be sure to select the mode you were playing in before Mario runs the game demo. It’s a nice little touch that put a smile on my face.

During gameplay, pressing the reset button at any time will pause the action and bring you back to the main menu. From here you can save your progress with a Suspend Point, or use the rewind function to pour over the last 40 seconds of your gameplay. The rewind feature is great if there is a particularly tricky section of a game you’d like to retry, but of course it’s completely optional for the purists out there.

When all’s said and done though, the SNES Classic is a fun little device with a decent collection of games. If you already own a majority of these SNES titles on the original console, however, Star Fox 2 is probably the only real draw to owning this machine. It’s also worth noting that our team noticed a very brief stutter in emulation while in pixel-perfect mode in Super Mario World. If you don’t have a majority of these games in your collection already, the SNES Classic is worth camping out on retailer websites, waiting for their eventual restock. The hype for the SNES Classic may still be very real, but don’t let that coerce you into paying scalper prices, as this will just lead to buyer’s remorse. With units being produced into 2018, you still have a chance to grab one of these little nostalgia machines.

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During today’s Nintendo Direct Mobile presentation, it was finally revealed that the Animal Crossing app is to be officially named Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. It will be releasing in late November 2017. In this spin-off title, players will assume the role of campground manager as they design and construct their very own grounds.

Much like a traditional Animal Crossing game, users will be able to collect bugs, fish, and fruit, as well as do favors for their local animals. In order to build up your campsite, building materials will need to be gathered by doing missions or trading goods.

While the game is free to play, there are micro-transactions in the form of Leaf Tickets. These items are earned through regular play, but more can be had for real world cash. Leaf Tickets may also be used to speed up the building of campground amenities, as well as earning you access to a rock quarry filled with high-valued gems, and items to efficiently gather resources.

With an RV at your disposal to decorate and a villager avatar that you can customize, you’ll be able to exchange Friend ID’s with other players to trade goods with them, as well as visit their customized campsite.

After all of this waiting, it seems Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is looking to deliver a fleshed out experience for fans of the series. With a new friendship level mechanic for villagers and seasonal events to look forward to, only time will tell how fans will receive it. Are you excited about the game? Tell us with a comment! Be sure to head to the Official Website as well to sign up to be notified when the game becomes available.

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For those in North America, the Animal Crossing Direct will be happening at 8:00pm PT, and you can watch the presentation right here. If you’re looking for broadcast times for other time-zones, be sure to check our article here to get up to date.

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Before we begin talking about the new content Psychic Specters has to offer, let’s backtrack a bit. For those not in the know, Yo-Kai Watch 2 is a monster collecting RPG very similar to Pokémon. Yo-Kai are mischievous spirits in Japanese mythology that cause trouble by inspiriting a person. Whether it be coming down with a nasty cold or having an insatiable appetite, Yo-Kai is why. You play as either Nate or Katie, and it’s your job to solve the problems of the human and spirit world alike by befriending and battling with the Yo-Kai using a special device called the Yo-Kai Watch. It’s a charming and quirky concept that has gained mass popularity in Japan for good reason.

It’s important to note that Psychic Specters features the same story as its Bony and Fleshy counterparts, and the new content comes in the post-game. For those who have played the original versions, you’re able to transfer your save data to the new game. (Luckily, Pure Nintendo has already covered Yo-Kai Watch 2, so check out that review to learn about the battle mechanics and main story.) Being able to pick up where you left off is a great feature, and it was a nice surprise to be able to jump into the new content straight away.

For the most part, Springdale and Harrisville remain largely unchanged, with the most notable exception being the game’s train stations. The newly added Hex Express rail line is a Yo-Kai owned and operated train that you’ll now have access to. Gera Gera Land, the train’s destination, is a special Yo-Kai theme park that houses a variety of post-game missions as well as serving as a new dungeon to explore. There’s a bath house that you’ll need to help open, a rollercoaster you’ll ride to reach treasure in the park, a restaurant filled with Oni, and even a “Kaibuki” theater where you’ll star in a play. Gera Gera land is a blast to explore, and as you restore the park’s functions, more training options will be available to help you max out your beloved team.

Although the Hex Express is the biggest change to the world of Yo-Kai Watch 2, there is still plenty for you to do outside the spirit world. New exclusive missions have been added to Psychic Specters, with some exploring the past of characters such as Whisper, Dame Dedtime, and Darknyan. These are presented in such a great way that it will definitely please fans wishing to immerse themselves further into the game’s world. Not only that, but the previously unobtainable wicked Yo-Kai tribe is now available for you to befriend.

Yokai Watch 2 is a huge game with tons of content to engage in long after the main storyline is complete. Psychic Specters does a fantastic job of enticing players to come back for a second playthrough with the Gera Gera Land resort, and new missions that explore the history of some popular characters. With new Yo-Kai to befriend and exclusive bosses to tackle, there is plenty to keep you occupied if you’ve played the original versions before. If you’re a fan of Yo-Kai Watch, or simply want to see what the buzz is about, Psychic Specters is easily the best version of the game. If you’re interested in Japanese mythology and enjoy RPG’s similar to Pokémon, this is definitely a game to consider.  

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The Pokemon Company has recently released a brand new trailer for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon on their YouTube channel. This time, a new area to explore was shown off along with a few new Ultra Beasts.

The new Pokemon, UB Adhesive is a pure poison type, and it looks to be owned by a trainer in the trailer. UB Burst, a Ghost/Fire type has a never before seen move called Mind Blown, and UB Assembly is a Rock/Steel type.

Not only were Ultra Beasts shown off, but a new area, known as the Ultra Megalopolis will be explorable by trainers by travelling through an ultra wormhole. It seems there will another organization to face, and they are simply known as the Ultra Recon Squad.

With Ultra Sun and Moon releasing on November 17th, does the idea of battling and catching Ultrabeasts on their home turf sound intriguing to you? Will you be picking the game up on launch day? Let us know what you think with a comment!

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As one would expect from a dungeon crawler game, you’ll be fighting hordes of monsters and snatching up all the potions and equipment you can find to survive. These types of adventures thrive off the joy you get from acquiring and sorting through new items to make your character stronger, and Quest of Dungeons is no exception. As everything is procedurally generated, the dungeons and items you find will be different each time you play, giving you plenty of replayability. This can also work against the game, however, as it means you also have the potential to run into the extremely tough boss monsters before you’re ready to actually fight them. If you don’t react quick enough, this can result in getting killed in one hit and losing all your progress. Getting pretty far into the dungeon and meeting your untimely demise can be discouraging, but due to the game’s short length (the first labyrinth is only seven floors), it doesn’t kill your motivation to start a new run and keep playing.

Instead, Quest of Dungeons is meant to be played multiple times so you can experience all of the dungeons, complete all of the built-in achievements, and play as all of the characters. Initially you start off with four, the Warrior, who has the highest attack and HP, the Wizard, who has the strongest spells and lowest HP, and the Assassin and Shaman, who are mix of close and ranged combat. Each character’s unique play style makes every run through the dungeon a different experience, adding to the fun of trying to stay alive with the different character abilities you are able to find in tomes. Once you’ve beaten the game, you’ll have access to a different labyrinth and a new character known as the Necrodancer.  These unlockables keep you coming back to play, and the inclusion of creating a dungeon’s custom rules for you to run through is a pretty neat feature.

While running through each floor of the dungeon, searching for the stairways to take you deeper still, there is treasure to be found, traps to avoid, and quests to complete. All unneeded loot can be sold to the merchant who can be found on each floor of the maze. You’ll also be able to buy equipment from him, as well as keys to unlock doors or treasure chests. Traps are generally pretty easy to avoid, but if you’re clever you can get the monsters to damage themselves by forcing them to walk onto them. Quests are found on stone markers with jewels in their center. The quests are randomly generated, and will usually have you searching for a specific item or hunting a more powerful monster for a nice chunk of gold and experience. You never know what you will find on each play-through, making it fun to explore every nook and cranny before heading to the next floor.

Combat is turned-based, meaning every time you take a step, all of the enemies on the floor will move as well. Attacking can be done with the A-button while spells and skills use the B-button. Some characters, like the Mage and Assassin are better at taking enemies out from a distance. Others, like the Warrior, need to be up close and personal to get the job done. Every character has a strength and weakness, but it’s worth trying each character to see how far you can get.

With some catchy tunes, a pleasing, 16-bit style aesthetic, and addictive gameplay, Quest of Dungeons manages to be a pretty good time despite the frustrations of permadeath possibility lurking behind every door. For those who don’t like the idea of starting from scratch every time you die, this game might become annoying. However, at $8.99 on the eShop, if you enjoy games that let you explore and collect items and don’t mind some RNG induced difficulty, there is plenty of secrets and fun to find with this title.

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In typical Pokemon fashion, the good folks at the Pokemon Company have released a new teaser trailer to get fans excited for their return trip to the Alola region. While the Alola photo club had already been revealed as a part of Ultra Sun and Moon, a new feature was shown in the video, involving the Pokemon Mantine.

It seems that players now have the option to call upon Mantine as a ride Pokemon to get from one island to the other, and along the way you’re able to surf the waves of Alola in a mini-game similar to the surfing Pikachu game found in Pokemon Yellow. There looks to be a variety of different moves you can pull off which can net you points.

Along with Mantine, over 400 Pokemon will be available for you to catch on Alola, meaning we may finally see the national dex in this version of the game. With all of these new features being revealed, are you getting excited for Ultra Sun and Moon? Will you be picking the game up at all? Tell us what you think in the comments!

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