Board 8 > Icehawk (FORMER NINTENDO HATER) Ranks all the Switch games he has played

(+) Yeah! (+)

yeah I loved the fast travel in dark souls 2. probably the most convenient of the entire series.
---

I agree with fool about fast travel hiding bad level design. Using Metroid Prime as an example, which has a ton of backtracking, each room had tons of secrets, led to new areas, or had new ways of traversing them each time the game had you going through them again. For me it never felt like a hassel because it always felt slightly different or maybe there was an artifact hiding in plain sight I missed. Too many games lack that attention to detail when designing rooms.
---

What about the many various times there WERENT new ways of traversing/new area paths or you don't give a crap about the 'secrets'
---

Sounds like you entered and exited the same room over and over excessively and the game isn't for you.
---

foolm0r0n posted...

Fast travel is a crutch for bad level design. None of the good Metroids ever needed it.

Ori has great level design and fast travel and is arguably the best Metroid.
---

I loved SteamWorld Dig 2. They just released the first on Switch. I need to try Heist too.

You should play Cat Quest.
---

original Ori actually didn't have fast travel. that was an addition to the definitive edition.
---

I am tagging this topic because coencides with my interests.
---

Tag
---

Peridiam posted...

You should play Cat Quest.

I just bought this today. It's so easy to just keep playing and playing and playing.
---

am i really going to have to be the first one to make an "icehawk project doesn't finish" joke
---

Been out of town this weekend. Will be home tonight!
---

transcience posted...

original Ori actually didn't have fast travel. that was an addition to the definitive edition.

Yeah was about to say I didn't remember fast travel. Not that the game needed it. But also Ori is amazing but it doesn't hold a candle to SM or ZM level design or even Fusion.

Metroid Prime I don't think has great level design either, but they solve it in a good way, like Fusion. Magmoor caverns is basically like Fusion's elevator hallway, giving a quick way to get to any level. But it does mean you end up running through Magmoor over and over which is annoying. But movement in that game is fun so it's okay. And Magmoor is also a level so you can find new things.
---

12. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
So glad someone decided that there was too much 16 bit nostalgia these days, and decided to change it up and go with 8 BIT NOSTALGIA. HELL YEAH. The game actually does a good job with the art style though, with a nice array of settings that keeps things from getting stale.

Gameplay wise, Shovel Knight is a solid action platformer. It is challenging without getting frustratingly so, outside of maybe 1 or 2 bosses, with a good mix of fighting and platforming. There are some decent exploration elements as well, with the motivation that you can acquire a few upgrades for your knight.

Each stage also ends up with a boss fight, which are mostly enjoyable, though it seemed like every fight required you to do the same downward bouncy slash to win, which gets a little silly, and occasionally feels cheap. The bosses are certainly pretty different in terms of learning all their patterns to dodge, but that move is clearly the kingslayer every time, and I wish things were mixed up a little more.

Overall, it's a polished game, that is not groundbreaking, but certainly solid to play.

With treasure trove, you also get 2 other games, with 2 unique characters, and then a lot of re-used areas and bosses. Honestly, I couldn't get into either. While I enjoyed Shovel Knight, I didn't enjoy it enough to clamor for more when I was done. Plague of Shadows has some really awkward movement mechanics, which I didn't enjoy at all. Specter of Torment has more unique content, and a more fun to play character, but it still felt stale to me immediately after playing Shovel Knight. That might be a more fun one to go back to a while down the road.

Either way, I think this will likely scratch a nostalgic itch for some people, and I think it is definitely worth a purchase on the switch even if you don't care about 8 bit games. I would avoid picking up the other games right after finishing Shovel Knight though, and personally, I'd probably skip Plague of Shadows all together.
---

mnkboy907 posted...

Peridiam posted...

You should play Cat Quest.

I just bought this today. It's so easy to just keep playing and playing and playing.

I watched a trailer for this and read some reviews. I am considering it! Seems up my alley, but is it too easy since it seems to be pretty kid friendly?
---

I love Shovel Knight, but I loved Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment more. Plague of Shadows is probably my favorite. I love experimenting with the bombs and whizzing through the air with slowfall decimating everything below me with explode on impact. Specter of Torment is awesome as well. I need to go back and play Shovel Knight's campaign. I played the DLC as it was released and couldn't really tell if the room layouts were the same or different due to how different each character plays. I love how each of the DLC is pretty much a new game as opposed to a character with a different moveset that doesn't really change things up too much.
---

OliviaTremor posted...

I love Shovel Knight, but I loved Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment more. Plague of Shadows is probably my favorite. I love experimenting with the bombs and whizzing through the air with slowfall decimating everything below me with explode on impact. Specter of Torment is awesome as well. I need to go back and play Shovel Knight's campaign. I played the DLC as it was released and couldn't really tell if the room layouts were the same or different due to how different each character plays. I love how each of the DLC is pretty much a new game as opposed to a character with a different moveset that doesn't really change things up too much.

Yeah, I think playing it all together hurt it the most for me. Plague of Shadows is unique as heck, but honestly felt sooo awkward the whole way. I could never adjust. Spector of Torment has pretty damn cool movement though imo.
---

What about the one about king knight or whoever? Is that one not out yet?
---

11. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
So, some backstory. The only Mario Kart game I have ever owned was the SNES one. I have played Mario Kart 64 a few times at peoples houses, but thats it. So I'm practically going into the game fresh when I got this, and I questioned whether I should get it at all.

In the end, I'm glad I did. There are so few games outside of Nintendo systems that almost anyone can just enjoy on the same TV, and this is obviously one of them. My wife will even jump in and play when a friends comes over. It's fun to have a drink and play a round or 2 before going out. So for that aspect alone, the game certainly has value to me.

The main appeal of Mario Kart is that it has pick up and play appeal when you first start. My very first time, in part thanks to items, I was able to at least not get embarrassed when I played my brother, who has put a lot of time into the game. From there, as you learn the maps and drifting, you get way better. This game is the epitome of easy to play, hard to master. As you master it, those same items that gave you life early on, start to feel really annoying, though I'd say despite this, the best players still tend to win, but it's not as clear cut.

Once I beat the game on 150cc, I haven't really picked it up since though. I tried to play online with my brother, but the features are suuuuper lacking. It is annoying to join someone's game, and I don't believe you can play against randoms when you are playing with a friend (maybe you can, my brother was lobby host and couldn't seem to figure it out). The lack of a party system and real voice chat is the main thing that just kills the experience though. While this is a fine game, I don't love it though to just play, the social element is a big part of the appeal. Until Nintendo has that down, I just can't get into it anymore.

Summary: Perfectly fun game, even if you aren't a big racing game guy, nice for local multiplayer, but dear god I hope the new online roll out features fix things.

We are now moving on to the 2nd to last tier, REALLY GOOD GAMES
---

Icehawk posted...

mnkboy907 posted...

Peridiam posted...

You should play Cat Quest.

I just bought this today. It's so easy to just keep playing and playing and playing.

I watched a trailer for this and read some reviews. I am considering it! Seems up my alley, but is it too easy since it seems to be pretty kid friendly?

It is on the easy side (well, I guess it depends on your reaction times), but at the same time you do have to always be paying attention in battle otherwise you'll die pretty quickly.

It's not a very long game, but it's set up in a way that it's just constantly going from one thing to another, running around the map, going into dungeons, doing quests. Quests and dungeons are all fairly short, so when you complete them it has that "just one more" feeling, which is why I said it's so easy to just keep playing and playing. It's fun. I will also say I didn't find myself feeling frustrated by any particular aspect either, so it's just a generally pleasant experience the whole way.
---

My experience with Mario Kart 8 was short lived for the most part, but I thoroughly enjoyed what little I played of it; easily the best in the series since 64. Most of my experience was playing with friends on the Wii U version during my stay at AIT, and playing a couple rounds on my friend's Switch when he got it.
---

NEW TIER! "Really Good Games"
The games I have only a few complaints with. Would recommend almost anyone get any of these.

10. Steamworld Heist
This was a pretty shocking turn for the Steamworld series, but damn, it was pretty fun! Steamworld Heist is a 2D turn based strategy game in the Steamworld universe. While that is kind of interesting in and of itself, the game still retains a light action element, as you have to aim each shot you take, and everyone's aim is a little shaky. So rather than simply selecting "attack", there is a bit of tension before each shot, which probably adds more to the game than anything else.

You have several different characters to choose from, that have a few different abilities, and you also can customize a few accessories and their weapon of choice as well. So I was able to outfit one of my weaker characters with a laser sight, which made long range aiming waaay easier. I was able to equip my up close and personal character with health upgrades too. None of this is particularly deep, the level up system is super shallow, and also makes it hard to go away from characters you start off with, but it does enough to give you a few decisions to make, and to keep you motivated to get a perfect rating on all the levels to get more money and loot.

I thought the game was very well balanced as well, it is difficult at times, but never overly so. I think either a decent story or a bit more depth outside of battle would have made the game tougher to put down, I tended to just play a few battles at a time, but I still was pretty entertained throughout. It's simple enough, and the light action element means that even if you aren't huge on strategy games, I think you can likely have fun with this one.
---

Can vouch.

Am not a strategy game guy. Still loved Steamworld Heist. Something about its basic formula is absurdly addicting and aiming your shots to try and hit as many people as possible was just great.
---

Steamworld Heist was pretty fun. I didn't actually play through the entire game but this is more about my attention span than the game itself. I did enjoy it while I was playing.
---

9. Bleed 2
A game I just bought thanks to the gaming topic. I ended up really enjoying the hell out of it.

Bleed 2 is a sidescrolling action game. The pace is fast, and the boss fights are plentiful. You mainly shoot some automatic pistol type weapons, but you also have 3 air dodges you can use in a row, a slow-mo mode, and an ability to reflect certain shots back at enemies. So basically, every move you have at your disposal is really freaking cool. It took me a few levels to really get the hang of the controls, but once I did, it was crazy how effortlessly I could pull off some action movie worthy sequences.

The game can be finished in probably around an hour, which seems kind of lame, but it is truly very replayable. And I say this as someone who can almost never replay a game. The game gives you good motivation to replay, as it is pretty difficult to get a perfect grade on any level (right now I'm just gunning to get B's on every level on normal), and then you also have a hard and very hard mode to get through and get high grades on.

The game as a whole is pretty easy, as respawns are generous and refill your health, but the grading system does a great job of keeping you going. I generally am pretty indifferent to achievements and trophies these days, because of not enjoying going back and replaying stuff, but this is one game where the lack of that system does kind of hurt the game on the switch. The upside obviously being that this is a freaking great mobile game to play in spurts.

Really, the only serious flaw in the game for what it is, is that it could use at least a few more levels. But I did have a great time with it, and will continue to do so.
---

Things will soon get SO CONTROVERSIAL
---

Ruh roh
---

aka it's botw and/or smo next
---

The Switch library is small but I'm sure there are 7 games better than botw and odyssey
---

foolm0r0n posted...

The Switch library is small but I'm sure there are 7 games better than botw and odyssey

Theres like 500 games on the eshop
---

smallllll
---

foolm0r0n posted...

The Switch library is small but I'm sure there are 7 games better than botw and odyssey

Not really.
---

Waluigi1 posted...

What about the one about king knight or whoever? Is that one not out yet?

I think thats coming out this spring? Maybe well hear more about it in the Nindie Direct later today.
---

Tag.

It's been a long time, Icehawk! Glad all is well.

I have played only a few of these, but it's nice to read about the rest of the games as recommendations even if I won't find time to play them probably.
---

Wait

Icehawk has a wife????
---

NowItsAngeTime posted...

Wait

Icehawk has a wife????

Yeah, I settled down LIKE A COWARD.
---

8. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Man, when I first got the switch, I literally had no idea what this was, but certainly didn't think it was anything I'd be interested in. But I was wrong, this game is pretty cool.

It is basically X-COM lite. It has the fun strategy gameplay without some of the stress of permadeath and base building taken away. This does have the downside of giving the game a little less depth, it's yet another Nintendo game I found myself preferring in short bursts.

The turn based battles generally end up pretty fun and decently involved. They switch between simple killing everyone objectives, boss fights, and some escort objectives that mix it up. The most clever part of the gameplay is that there are several ways to move around and fight. You have a "dash" move, which allows you to slide into an enemy, and serves as a free attack outside of just shooting. You can also move around areas by jumping off one of your allies, to get to higher ground, move farther ahead, or get over an obstacle like a little river. You also have to think about cover (there is full and half cover spots), and high ground. Not to mention, you have 2 vastly different weapons equipped at any one time, so deciding which is best to use matters too. So there is a lot of consideration that can go into any given battle, and any given move.

The enemy AI can be pretty relentless too. They have a lot of the same abiltiies as you, and while I didn't get many game overs, it takes a 2nd try, or coming back after leveling up more to get a perfect score on a lot of maps. They make you work for it.

There is also some light exploration to find more "skill points" that upgrade your character, as well as new weapons and collectibles. When I went through each map the first time, I enjoyed the exploration and puzzles. Going back through a 2nd time can get annoying, as it is super easy to get lost once it is all opened up, and there is no good way to track where you are.

The skill trees that you do have to upgrade your characters are actually pretty well done and deep. You have a lot of decisions to make, and it was never an easy choice. There are also challenge maps which I found pretty cool, that you can do after you beat each world (only downside is you can't just do them, you have to find them, which goes back to the exploration thing I talked about earlier).

I guess the biggest compliment or criticism I can give this game (depending on how you look at it) is that it makes me want to go play X-COM 1 or 2. I've always been super interested in those games, but was always concerned that I would end up hating them, since they aren't typical games I play. After playing this, I wanted to make the leap onto the "real deal". I think it speaks well to the execution of the core gameplay at the very least.

While permadeath and basebuilding can be intimidating, I imagine they give X-COM an intensity and depth that this game kind of lacks. But no doubt, I had a lot of fun with it, and it delivers on a combination I could have never imagined working.
---

ctesjbuvf posted...

Tag.

It's been a long time, Icehawk! Glad all is well.

I have played only a few of these, but it's nice to read about the rest of the games as recommendations even if I won't find time to play them probably.

ctes MY DUDE.
---

Yeah, I just beat that game over the weekend, I enjoyed it a lot and pretty much agree with all your points. Very solid game. I was pretty underwhelmed with the last few playable characters it gave us though. Luigi too good.
---

Cybat posted...

Yeah, I just beat that game over the weekend, I enjoyed it a lot and pretty much agree with all your points. Very solid game. I was pretty underwhelmed with the last few playable characters it gave us though. Luigi too good.

Oh yeah, I've stuck with rabbid luigi and rabbid peach literally the whole game. I use Luigi in really open maps, but I like peach's healing, and how much vamp you can do with rabbid luigi.
---

Peach + Rabbid Peach was OP for me. Tons of healing let me be a bit more risky at times and they both have huge high damage attacks. There were only two missions I didnt gold my first time.

Definitely enjoyed the game though. I even went back and played through all the co-op stuff because I just wanted a bit more. It was a tad on the easy side overall and yeah I agree it was missing a bit of the intensity at times.

Great game though.
---

Cybat posted...

Yeah, I just beat that game over the weekend, I enjoyed it a lot and pretty much agree with all your points. Very solid game. I was pretty underwhelmed with the last few playable characters it gave us though. Luigi too good.

Yoshi was actually my fourth favorite character! His special abilities are awesome. He has one that guarantees the special effect for the entire team for one turn and it only has a one turn recharge. That plus Marios damage boost in the same turn is absurdly powerful.
---

This last game will be the last of the "REALLY GOOD GAMES" tier, the last tier will be the tier of the ELITE.

Feel free to do predix on the remaining games IF YOU DARE

Blossom Tales
Celeste
Golf Story
Owlboy
Steamworld Dig 2
Super Mario Odyssey
Zelda; Breath of the Wild
---

Icehawk posted...

HELLO FRIENDS.

After the SNES, I haven't been a big fan of Nintendo gaming systems. I think they are a decent developer, but lack of 3rd party support, weird controllers, terrible online, and gimmick motion controls have generally killed it for me. I owned a N64 but didn't love it, and never bothered to get the Gamecube, Wii, or Wii U. I own a 2DS, mostly for some of the RPGs, but also never got super into it. However, the concept of the Switch definitely intrigued me, and I also got pulled into the Zelda hype, so I finally bought my first Nintendo console in over a decade.

I am very surprised that the sky high hype for the Wii back in 2006/2007 didn't convince you to get a Wii. The hype for the Wii was so high it resulted in the highest launch day ownership for the system on GameFAQs (based on GameFAQs polls). The Wii set the hype bar so high that no future system would ever have the same level of hype as the Wii.

One system that had a chance to match the Wii's hype was the PS4, after Sony laid the hammer on Microsoft during their E3 press conference in 2013. From that press conference, gamers just claimed the biggest victory of their life when they learned the PS4 would not have any "Always-Online DRM" or restrict people from playing used games. I thought this would have generated a level of hype that would allow the PS4 to match the Wii's hype. A few months later, some GameFAQs polls suggested the hype had died off a bit since the E3 press conference. The PS4 ultimately ended up with a launch day ownership of 8.48%, well behind the Wii's launch day ownership of 23.74%.

The Switch also had a chance of matching or exceeding the hype for the Wii, but even it only had a launch day ownership of 19.54%. It really didn't help the Switch that it was preceded by the worst major console in Nintendo's history, which certainly may have contributed to the lower hype levels for the Switch. Another factor may be the changing demographics of this site, as the average age of the site's users is much higher today than it was in 2006. It could very well be the case that we're simply too old to get hyped for new systems the same way we did for the Wii back in 2006.
---

LusterSoldier posted...

Icehawk posted...

HELLO FRIENDS.

After the SNES, I haven't been a big fan of Nintendo gaming systems. I think they are a decent developer, but lack of 3rd party support, weird controllers, terrible online, and gimmick motion controls have generally killed it for me. I owned a N64 but didn't love it, and never bothered to get the Gamecube, Wii, or Wii U. I own a 2DS, mostly for some of the RPGs, but also never got super into it. However, the concept of the Switch definitely intrigued me, and I also got pulled into the Zelda hype, so I finally bought my first Nintendo console in over a decade.

I am very surprised that the sky high hype for the Wii back in 2006/2007 didn't convince you to get a Wii. The hype for the Wii was so high it resulted in the highest launch day ownership for the system on GameFAQs (based on GameFAQs polls). The Wii set the hype bar so high that no future system would ever have the same level of hype as the Wii.

One system that had a chance to match the Wii's hype was the PS4, after Sony laid the hammer on Microsoft during their E3 press conference in 2013. From that press conference, gamers just claimed the biggest victory of their life when they learned the PS4 would not have any "Always-Online DRM" or restrict people from playing used games. I thought this would have generated a level of hype that would allow the PS4 to match the Wii's hype. A few months later, some GameFAQs polls suggested the hype had died off a bit since the E3 press conference. The PS4 ultimately ended up with a launch day ownership of 8.48%, well behind the Wii's launch day ownership of 23.74%.

The Switch also had a chance of matching or exceeding the hype for the Wii, but even it only had a launch day ownership of 19.54%. It really didn't help the Switch that it was preceded by the worst major console in Nintendo's history, which certainly may have contributed to the lower hype levels for the Switch. Another factor may be the changing demographics of this site, as the average age of the site's users is much higher today than it was in 2006. It could very well be the case that we're simply too old to get hyped for new systems the same way we did for the Wii back in 2006.

I was in college when the Wii came out, so as you can imagine, the system was in several of my buddies' dorm rooms. Everyone loved to drink and play, but I mostly hated it, as the snobby REAL GAMER of the crew, so I definitely had no desire to get one. I got plenty of hands on time with it to make that decision.
---

more updates coming soon.

But I'm curious if anyone can get the ranks right after seeing how my taste so far. COME ON SOMEOOONEEE.

Results to this point...

REALLY GOOD GAMES
8. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
9. Bleed 2
10. Steamworld: Heist

GOOD GAMES
11. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
12. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
13. Axiom Verge
14. Enter the Gungeon

PASSABLE
15. Battle Chef Brigade
16. Night in the Woods
17. Bayonetta

DID NOT FINISH
18. Bayonetta 2
19. Crypt of the Necrodancer
20. I am Setsuna
21. Dragon Quest Builders
22. Mutant Mudds
23. Thimbleweed Park
---

7. Super Mario Odyssey
Quick history: I haven't played any standard Mario game since Mario 64. So I wasn't totally sure what to expect, but what I got was pretty cool! The strength of this game is just a general sense of wonder and surprise. There is a very diverse array of maps, as you would expect. And being able to turn into random creatures sets the tone pretty early that there are going to be a lot of cool surprises. One of the most memorable spots in the game is when you discover you can turn into a dinosaur very early on.

That feeling constantly comes as you discover new things you can turn into. The feeling also comes everytime you enter a new map and start digging into it. It's hard not to get a little addicted to moon hunting once you get into a map. You can find a lot of moons very organically as you explore, and it feels pretty rewarding.

The constant variety kept things fresh throughout, and I found myself flying through the game for the most part. The one thing that sucks is that almost every boss fight is incredibly easy and lame. Almost laughably so. The "climax" of each level tends to be when you first get into it and start exploring. Most of the levels end with a whimper, with pretty much every boss being incredibly predictable and boring. The game as a whole is super easy too, off the top of my head, I can't remember any particular part of the game that felt super intense, which is one of my favorite feelings when playing one of these games. Honestly, I think they should have required more moons before continuing in a lot of the levels too, because once I left, I never really felt motivation to go back and continue to collect. Part of it is because after making an original run through a level, finding moons becomes less intuitive, and you kind of need hints to keep going. The hint system isn't a bad thing at all, I'm glad it is there, but once I got to the point where I really needed hints to find more moons, it definitely kills the pace, and makes exploring less fun. I also think a simple friends online leaderboard where you can compare moons easily would have added to the experience a lot for me. They have leaderboards with mini games, why not with moons?

If I were to sum up this game in one word, it would probably be "charming". There is magic and fun here, and I certainly was pretty into it as I played. I'm just disappointed that the game couldn't make me want to dig even deeper into it. If you are getting a switch though, there is no question this is one everyone can enjoy and needs to get.

That ends this tier. Now for... THE ELITE GAMES OF THE SWITCH.
---

How many moons did you end up getting?

The bonus boss fights in the Mushroom Kingdom after the first time through should satisfy your craving for more difficult bosses

Getting 100% is super challenging but still great fun
---

Icehawk posted...

Honestly, I think they should have required more moons before continuing in a lot of the levels too, because once I left, I never really felt motivation to go back and continue to collect.

Icehawk posted...

once I got to the point where I really needed hints to find more moons, it definitely kills the pace, and makes exploring less fun.

This combination of criticisms seems odd to me

You wish they made the part of the game that was less fun for you...more mandatory?
---

I gave up on Rabbids after the first act. I guess the fights werent that fun. Id rank it below Band of Bugs
---