The Unpopular Opinion 7: Games SPC Liked That Many Did Not

There are some things that a lot of us can agree on. For instance, "Tom Hanks is a national treasure." (Love you, Tom!) Some opinions, though, are less popular, less prominent, and ones that we might find ourselves in the minority on. That's how "The Unpopular Opinion" series of articles came to fruition on SuperPhillip Central--talking about the games that the site championed or enjoyed while others trashed and disparaged them. From a popular series where players are encouraged to "catch 'em all", to a certain franchise featuring a familiar blue hedgehog, these six games are the ones that SPC found treats to play while others screamed with fright.

After you've read SPC's most recent picks, which poorly (or relatively poorly) received games did you end up enjoying?

All past installments of The Unpopular Opinion are available for view here:

The Unpopular Opinion
The Unpopular Opinion 2
The Unpopular Opinion 3
The Unpopular Opinion 4
The Unpopular Opinion 5
The Unpopular Opinion 6

Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! (NSW)

At least among the Pokemon fan community, and the most ardent of those at that, a sizable portion of folks simply loathed the simplified mechanics of Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! Bringing in a much more streamlined and much more basic Pokemon catching mechanic as a means to entice Pokemon GO players, the motion-controlled means to capture Pokemon was considered a blight to the series. My enjoyment of the capturing mechanic notwithstanding, both Pokemon: Let's Go games brought more than their fair share of welcomed additions to the series that I wish were featured in the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield. For instance, the ability to avoid wild Pokemon entirely instead of contending with dealing with random encounters in tall grass and in "dungeon" areas. It makes me a bit forlorn and disappointed that there are currently no plans to continue the Let's Go series of Pokemon games, but someday, I hope that decision is overturned.

Team Sonic Racing (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

While Team Sonic Racing doesn't hit the same highs as past Sumo Digital racers, particularly the Sonic and Sega-related ones, this all-Sonic character racing game definitely delighted this reviewer. The absence of Sega's all-stars and the impending release of the more polished and content-rich Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled certainly put plenty of potential players off from playing the game. That said, I found the titular team mechanic used in Team Sonic Racing to be a creative and smart addition to this type of racer--if not a bit imperfectly implemented. Regardless, between the terrifically designed tracks, fair but challenging difficulty, the stellar soundtrack and bright, vivid cartoon visuals, Team Sonic Racing delivered a high-octane arcade racer worthy of Sumo Digital's name and worthy of a play by more of an audience than it received.

Yooka-Laylee (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

While I won't even utter a semblance of dispute to the idea that the recently released Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is the far better product to come out of Playtonic Games (heck, my review found me infatuated with the game), the original Yooka-Laylee was a worthwhile effort all the same, just affected by "biting off more than the developer could chew" syndrome. Yes, the Banjo-Kazooie-inspired game had worlds that were way too big for their own good, the mechanic to expand worlds to become larger was pointless (as players had no real reason to keep levels small), and the arcade games were less than desirable. However, despite that relatively lengthy list of problems with the game, Yooka-Laylee, for me, captured a similar level of charm and wonder that I experienced with the original Banjo-Kazooie. While it didn't reach the same highs (but unfortunately hit completely different new lows), Yooka-Laylee remains an enjoyable platformer that I find myself wanting to come back to someday.

Knack 2 (PS4)

So many gamers make fun of the character of Knack and the game itself. That's fine and dandy, but the sequel to the game, appropriately titled Knack 2, managed to bring forth a compelling and engaging game that I not only enjoyed playing from beginning to end, but achieving the Platinum trophy for, which is something I could not believe. Perhaps my amazement stems from my expecting Knack 2 to be a terrible game--a joke--something only meme-worthy and nothing more. To put it simply, my expectations may have been so low that anything resembling competence was met with delight. Nay! Nay, I say! I will argue to the death (or at least until I get bored of the debate) that Knack 2 is a great game without any asterisks needed, and one that I feel got an incredibly raw deal by being judged by the gaming populace for the sins its predecessor made when the original Knack launched with the PlayStation 4. Go ahead--give Knack 2 a try and you'll see an adventure that is action-packed and remarkably solid.

The Crew 2 (PS4, XB1, PC)

Part of my excitement and enjoyment of Ubisoft's The Crew 2 was that I had never played an open world racer before this one. Perhaps that's all the explanation you need to understand why I liked the game so much, but another factor that contributed to my love of The Crew 2 was exploring the abridged version of the continental United States that developer Ivory Towers created. The way that roads weaved through mountainsides, cities lit up with their gigantic skyscrapers, and discoveries were sprinkled all throughout the game world. The ability to switch between my favorite vehicles on the fly--whether by land, air, or sea--was a terrific quality of life idea that worked wonderfully, making my virtual trip through the United States a glorious one. Of course, when I wasn't venturing my way across the map, having my curiosity piqued at various sights and sounds in the environment, I was engaging in some heart-pounding, adrenaline-boosting races. The Crew 2 kept my need for speed going, my thirst for exploration flowing, and my desire to get more cred continuing.

Trials Rising (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

It says something about a game where it can be immensely entertaining to me despite not being the most technically competent or capable game out there. Trials Rising still suffers from various glitches and issues, such as having a player's custom gear become reset or having loot boxes gained after reaching certain experience levels suddenly stop appearing. However, that didn't stop my enjoyment of Trials Rising, coming equipped with the series's best arsenal of tracks--platforming playgrounds of both peril and pleasure for both my bike and its rider to enjoy racing on. Like any Trials game worth checking out, Trials Rising is incredibly challenging, and will have your butt bailing across every inch of its more difficult tracks. That said, the constant improvement that I personally got from the game from improving my course completion times, crashing less and less, having to restart less and less, and going from barely achieving bronze medals to easily clearing platinum, gave me a sense of accomplishment that I haven't felt in a game in a long time.

Review Round-Up - November 2018 - January 2019

SuperPhillip Central smashed in style with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,
a game in the running for the site's Game of the Year 2018.

This Review Round-Up spreads out across three months--well, actually just two, because the site was a bender in December. That said, six reviews were posted between the month of November 2018 and this past month, having three reviews each. Let's get a refresher on the games and how they reviewed!

Starting out the day after Halloween was Luigi's Mansion, the Nintendo 3DS version--that is--which received a C grade. We then grew to gigantic proportions with the excellent Knack 2, a game that greatly improved on its predecessor, earning a B+ grade. Crayola Scoot--for lack of a better term--"scooted" onto SuperPhillip Central and pulled off some kid-friendly gameplay to get a C+.

Then, the site had its aforementioned bender...

Coming back strong in the new year, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gave the site a much needed shot in the arm, and it was a terrific title to come back on, earning an A. Following that was a different type of Bros. offering, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, running and jumping its way to a B+. Finally, this Review Round-Up ends on a weak note with the less than stellar Nickelodeon Kart Racers, which you can definitely sit this race out, as the game scored a mediocre D grade.

Check out every review ever posted on SuperPhillip Central with the SPC Review Archive!

Luigi's Mansion (3DS) - C
Knack 2 (PS4) - B+
Crayola Scoot (PS4, NSW, XB1, PC) - C+
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW) - A
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (NSW) - B+
Nickelodeon Kart Racers (NSW, PS4, XB1) - D

A different kind of Bros. also has a spotlight for this Review Round-Up,
but it's of the New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe variety.

Knack 2 (PS4) Review

Though the game's over a year old now, I returned to Knack 2 after a long hiatus. I must say--I did not expect to like Knack 2 as much as I did. Dare I say, I loved it? Let's see what's so enjoyable about Knack 2 with my review.

Knack - Take 2

Oh, Knack. You whiffed your debut with a less than spectacular launch title for the PlayStation 4. Though you sold well (again, since you were a launch title and all), enough people got burned by you that they didn't bother checking out your much improved sequel. It's a darn shame, too, because Knack 2 improves on the original Knack in every way. And, just to make it clear since being better than the first Knack might not be a huge bar to clear for most PS4 owners out there, I can safely and unequivocally say that Knack 2 on its own is a terrific game worthy of playing.

Knack 2 begins in media res with a city being overrun and invaded by a nasty onslaught of robots. Who or what is behind it is uncertain, but just as things begin to look seriously bad for our hero, we get a flashback to show off the events leading up to the city's invasion. Knack 2 features the story of Lucas and his companion, the size-shifting hero of the first game, Knack. Surrounded by several supporting characters--many from the original game--the two tangle with a whole host of villains, high goblin mythology, robots, and much more. Knack 2's story interested me enough that I looked forward to see how each chapter would play out, but the humor didn't do much for me. I imagine it would be more welcomed by a younger audience than I, but I'd be lying if I said if I didn't chuckle or smile here and there.

Knack, Lucas, and friends will explore ancient ruins, snowy mountains, chaotic
city streets, and dense jungles alike throughout the enjoyable journey that is Knack 2.

Knack himself has the special ability to accumulate relic shards sprinkled throughout the game in order to grow to a larger size. Many levels in Knack 2 will require our protagonist to get to a certain weight or a specific height by nabbing enough of these shards in order to progress. The game features multiple puzzles where Knack must switch between his larger form and his small form voluntarily. Whether it's to fit inside a hole that only small Knack can fit through, walk along an incredibly narrow beam or ledge, or make his way through an otherwise claustrophobic crevasse, Knack needs his smaller self as well as his larger, much more brawny form to survive the perilous adventure.

For some reason, I don't think a 16-foot Knack would fit inside this passage here.

Additionally, some particularly clever platforming moments in Knack 2 require Knack to switch between sizes on the fly, and you'll be doing that a lot throughout the game's 10 hour time span. Such an example early in the game had me using Knack to leap on a moving platform and quickly needing to shrink down to small size to avoid getting Knack smashed to death by a spinning row of spikes as the platform passes below them. Not below enough for big Knack to pass by unscathed, but perfect for small Knack to get by.

Platforming is well integrated into levels, making for some truly fun and occasionally tricky challenges.

In Knack's journey he'll come across different materials to attach to his body at specific points during the game. For instance, coming in contact with ice shards will make our hero Ice Knack, able to freeze enemies with breath, as well as freeze gears and switches solid to hold open doors and platforms. Metal Knack can weigh down switches in addition to linking electric floor panels together to turn on machinery in levels. Finally, Stealth Knack can leisurely stroll through otherwise deadly lasers to reach otherwise impossible to visit areas.

"Ice is nice," says Ice Knack. "Oh, God..." groans Phil.

While these forms of Knack never show up in conjunction with one another, they do split up the standard platforming gameplay and combat (which I'll focus on soon), and make for some of the smartest puzzles within the game. A handful of times I sat confused at what to do with a particular puzzle, but once the solution presented itself to me (by my own intuition or the optional "hint" system included), I smiled at how clever the puzzle and level design I just saw was.

Would you say it's "time" to traverse up this clock tower?
"Oh, God..." groans all of you.

Meanwhile, Knack 2's combat serves its game well, allowing an "easy to pick up" fighting system that revolves around punches, kicks, guards, dodges, and parries in unison with one another against everything from solo encounters to group engagements--usually the latter. As you move forward during the game, you'll come across steadily more challenging enemies with different means to dispatch them, such as holding down the punch button to smash through an enemy's block, or chucking a boomerang to temporarily shut off electrified enemies for safe beat-downs.

For the most part, although what you'll be taking on in Knack 2 amounts to mainly two types of enemies: robots and goblins--there are such a multitude of varieties and fighting styles and tactics for each that combating these foes seldom gets tiring or repetitive. It also helps that just mashing buttons didn't do me much good even on the easiest difficulty. I had to learn when to attack, when to dodge, when to parry, and when all else failed, when to hightail it and retreat for a few moments while my damaged Knack eventually replenished his size.

And a third type of enemy revealed early enough in the game: living relics just like Knack.

You see, as Knack takes damage, the relic shards attached to him break apart. When Knack is at his smallest size, one hit from an enemy will result in death. When it came to the harder difficulty settings, I had to pick my shots, time my guards and evasions well, and sometimes just get a little lucky to survive. Ample amounts of checkpoints throughout Knack 2 made it, however, that I never had to redo sizable sections of the game at all.

Knack is about to teach this attacking foe that turnabout is fair play.

Knack earns experience for defeating foes as well from discovering treasure chests strewn about the Knack 2's levels that can be used on a skill tree of sorts. Each point on the skill tree filled unlocks new moves as well as a new combat bonuses, such as faster cooldown times per moves, higher attack or defense, and wider fields of attack for attacks. There are four sections of the skill tree total, and these unlock as previous trees are completed. It's really worthwhile to explore each level for treasure chests and to defeat enemies, as upgrading Knack with these aforementioned truly helpful moves and stat bonuses make Knack 2 much more manageable to beat. Plus, the treasures are hidden so cleverly and the level design is so well done that it's simply a joy to explore.

A well timed parry will launch this foe's laser right back at it.

When Knack 2 isn't have you take on some platforming, puzzle-solving, and fighting gameplay, the game mixes things up nicely with some alternate ways of play. One section has you aiming a turret at enemies (rest easy, forlorn Dead Space players--it's not as hard as that game), controlling a tank through an outdoor fortress, and even entering the cockpit of a gigantic robot. Furthermore, quick time events lend themselves nicely to game levels when they appear and readily telegraph themselves to not sneak up on unassuming players.

Knack 2 doesn't have to end after the initial campaign is beaten once. Almost every level in the game has well hidden treasures to find, and these special chests unlock beneficial gadgets for use in game. These range from a gadget that teleports Knack to safety if he falls into a pit, to new skins for Knack to wear (which also have bonus abilities).

Moreover, each level has three stars to earn for completing specific objectives. These can range from beating a level within a specific time limit, opening all treasure chests in a given level, defeating a set number of enemies as small Knack, and so forth. Levels can be selected from the world map at any time--even if you've not beaten the game yet.

Co-op is also a feature in Knack 2. Two players can team up together, and I do mean it quite literally. One player can charge up while the other player punches their back to let loose a barrage of spiky shards at enemies in front. Two Knacks are indeed better than one, and co-op is a perfect mode for those less experienced with Knack 2 or gaming in general to partner with a more skilled player. The latter player can take the lead while the second player is free to help. If they get too far behind, they will automatically warp close to the player who's up front.

These teeny, tiny goblins defeating Knack will definitely be a "tall" order.

Knack 2 is--without any semblance of irony--a very good game. It routinely introduces new enemy types, platforming challenges, and story scenarios to make for an engaging game from beginning to end. While the story and characters won't win over everyone--and definitely not folks in my bitter age bracket--Knack 2's tale kept me interested and continuing to play. And even if it didn't--certainly the well done level design, platforming, puzzles, and combat did the trick regardless. After a rough debut, Knack is back and he stars in one excellent action-platforming adventure.

[SPC Says: B+]

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards - Top Five Biggest Surprises

This is always a fun category to do for the SuperPhillip Central Best Of yearly awards. So many hyped games can end up being disappointing, but what about those that folks didn't give much attention to that turned out awesome? Let's continue being positive here at the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards with the nominees for the Biggest Surprises of the year. These are games that astonished me with their quality, almost coming out of nowhere to excite and fascinate. Some were more interesting than I originally gave them credit for, but after playing these games, my attitude shifting drastically. As always with the awards on SuperPhillip Central, I unfortunately can't play every game released in a given year, so don't be too hard on the award show for missing any of your picks. I might have simply not played them. Now, onto the Top Five Biggest Surprises of 2017!

5) Knack II (PS4)

We begin with a sequel to a successful launch game for the PlayStation 4. The original Knack may have sold well, but its critical reception from both fans and reviewers alike wasn't as notable as the game's sales. That notwithstanding, Knack II released and had the opposite outcome: the game was much improved and of a really good quality while the sales were less than spectacular, perhaps because the original Knack burned so many players by how repetitive it was. Adding more platforming, more worthwhile and varied combat, and lots more exploration allowing players to constantly go off the beaten path, Knack II was a delight to play and really did surprise those who tried out it (including yours truly) who didn't see it being a noteworthy game in the PS4's robust roster of software.

4) Ever Oasis (3DS)

This next game, Ever Oasis, was the winner of this year's Most Overlooked / Underrated Game here at the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards. Developed in tandem by the mind behind the Secret of Mana as well Grezzo, the team who worked on both Legend of Zelda 3DS remakes, Ever Oasis was an action-RPG set in an expansive desert filled with a dark blight that has sucked every last bit of flora and water from oases around the land. Only one oasis was left, and that was of course yours. Through completing missions, conquering dungeons, solving puzzles, and battling enemies, your oasis would grow more and more prosperous, expanding and receiving newcomers to set up helpful shops. Materials from downed enemies could be used to upgrade the shops in order to make more money to craft new goods. Throughout my 30 hour playtime with the game, Ever Oasis brought me a feverish desire to keep playing, even when my 3DS's battery was running low. That's the mark of a compelling game. One that like an oasis in the desert was truly refreshing.

3) ARMS (NSW)

Like Splatoon for the Wii U, Nintendo introduced a heavy hitter as a new IP for its Switch console. This time around it was none other than the atypical fighting game ARMS. Players fought within arenas of varying sizes with different stage gimmicks inside to spice things up. Rather than attack with all extremities, ARMS, as you might expect from the name, was centered on its characters' upper limbs to unleash attacks of all directions, whether straight, curved, sliced, or what have you. While the goal in ARMS was similar to traditional fighting games, the gameplay was exponentially different when it came to strategy. Do you make the first advance with a punch? Which arm do you use? Do you dodge to left or evade to the right? Do you jump over a punch or send one of your own, careening around it to take your opponent out? Fights demanded the player to come up with these answers within milliseconds or else they'd be at the end of a vicious combo, or worse, be on the receiving end of a health bar-draining special attack. While ARMS didn't have the same level of popularity as Splatoon, ARMS did quite well for its freshman effort. Well enough to receive new, free updates as well as easily passing a million sales worldwide. Not bad for a first try!

2) Sonic Mania (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Some games surprise and astonish from their quality. Some games do it because you didn't expect them to appear at all. Sonic Mania was a combination of both of these reasons with a classic-style Sonic game that was as good (and in many cases, better) as the games loved during the Genesis / Mega Drive era and was revealed from out of nowhere. Added to those facts was Christian Whitehead and company, makers of past Sonic fan-games and later assisted with the HD remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, and CD, who also had a full hand in creating a new 2D Sonic game which culminated exquisitely in Sonic Mania. You had a team of die-hard classic Sonic fans who knew what was good about the old games, something that even Sonic Team now clearly doesn't get, and with Whitehead and his team behind the game, Sonic Mania arrived with much hype, sales, and critical acclaim. A new 2D Sonic game in 2017 that sometimes surpasses the likes of the Genesis era? That is indeed a surprising opinion of mine and is all the reason why Sonic Mania is #2 on this countdown of this past year's biggest surprises.

1) Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (NSW)

It was a crow buffet for all those folks who downplayed or worse, made fun of, the idea of Nintendo providing the Mario license to Ubisoft to make its own merging of the world of the Mushroom Kingdom with the insane antics of Rayman's Rabbids series with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Some asked, "How would that even work?" Others didn't even believe it or could conceive how an idea was anything but ridiculous. When assets were leaked, the gaming community had a field day, hardly able to suppress their ire and "LMAOs" towards what they saw. But when E3 last year rolled around and Mario + Rabbids was properly unveiled, the entire gaming world (or at least those who were downplaying the game, which was many of us) was amazed and delighted by what they saw. Taking the gameplay of XCOM and throwing in Mario and Rabbids characters with high-powered weapons made for a game that was strategic, smart, and hilarious. The moment at E3 2017 where the creative director of Kingdom Battle, Davide Soliani broke down into tears at the warm regards, cheers, and applause for the game that he and his team worked so hard on, which was scrutinized for months before being given a fair chance... Well, it's an E3 moment I'll always treasure, much like the final product and biggest surprise of 2017, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards - Top Five Most Overlooked/Underrated Games

Routinely on SuperPhillip Central I write about the games that didn't quite get as much attention as I personally thought they should have, whether through sales or through word of mouth. Obviously your Call of Duty games, Star Wars Battlefronts, and Assassin's Creeds get a lot of attention, but so many other games fall through the cracks. These five games of 2017 are the ones that I played that I believe deserved more mentions from folks in the industry and game players in general.

5) Fire Emblem Warriors (NSW, N3DS)

Musou games don't really review well, but the Fire Emblem franchise generally does. Since Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS, the Fire Emblem franchise has also seen higher sales than it originally did. Thank goodness for waifus, I guess. Thus, the combination of the Musou genre and the Fire Emblem franchise seemed like a match made in heaven. However, many decisions on both the developer side and the publisher side did Fire Emblem Warriors more harm than good. For one, the selection of characters for the roster was picked from a limited selection from Fire Emblem's illustrious history. Secondly, Nintendo unfortunately decided to release Warriors but a week before Super Mario Odyssey. Guess which game won out in sales. It's a shame, as while Fire Emblem Warriors does have its issues, it's still a highly competent and rewarding Musou game. Instructing units before and during battle to specific locations to strategically take care of objectives, being concerned with the paper, rock, scissors-like weapon triad, and more made for a Fire Emblem game worthy of the franchise name.

4) Monster Hunter Stories (3DS)

The Nintendo 3DS's 2017 was a good one, despite the system starting to fade out of the spotlight thanks to the release of the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch. Many 3DS games were cast to the wayside in interest compared to how they would have been welcomed when the system was in its golden years. This past fall's Monster Hunter Stories was one of these games, and not just because of the 3DS fading out, but also due to a much more important entry in the series, Monster Hunter World, getting all of the attention. That said, Monster Hunter Stories itself carried all of the greatness and features of the Monster Hunter series and reestablished them in turn-based RPG form. You still explored vast lands searching for monsters to do battle with, earning their hides and pelts from defeating them, but this time you could have them on your team through entering monster nests and stealing and hatching eggs. This Pokemon-styled collection aspect meant that not only was the forging of new weapons and armor a fun grind, but so was adding as many monster species to your arsenal as well.

3) Knack II (PS4)

The first entries of some games have then soured players on trying out future titles due to the first entry being less than fantastic to play. That was the case with the Knack, a game that saw much success in sales due to arriving as a launch title for the PlayStation 4, even being bundled with the system in Japan. However, the game itself was pretty repetitive and was more of a technological showcase for the system than a fun game. Thankfully, Knack and the dev team were given a second chance with a sequel, and while many turned up their noses at it or hyped the game up ironically through meme usage, Knack II ended up being a really good game overall. A nice mix of combat, platforming, and exploration made for a sequel that improved on the original Knack in every conceivable way. Here's hoping that somehow Sony bankrolls a third chapter in the Knack series so we can get a full trilogy, and maybe some more memes, too.

2) Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)

This next game released to little fanfare and even smaller sales. Much like its PlayStation Vita predecessor, Gravity Rush 2 failed to light the sales charts on fire and has become an overlooked, under-appreciated, but still high quality game in the PlayStation library. The gravity-bending mechanic from the original Gravity Rush returned, and it never felt better, being much more improved and comfortable to use. Main character Kat was as ever adorable and precocious with her unending optimism and positiveness, and of course, all of her gravity abilities allowing her swift travel across the game world and new combat techniques in battle. Gravity Rush 2's online services are already on the chopping block, not even a year after release, and while no trophies are affected, the superb online experience will no longer be available. Still, Gravity Rush 2 is a certifiably noteworthy game within the PS4's ever-extending library.

1) Ever Oasis (3DS)

From the mind of the man behind Secret of Mana and the developer team behind the Nintendo 3DS remakes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D, comes this wholly original game made exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. This action-RPG had plenty of personality to it, dungeons to explore, quests to complete, baddies and bosses to bash, loot to hoard, and your grand home, the oasis, to build up and replenish. Ever Oasis was part dungeon-crawler, part exploration, part action-RPG, and part simulation, and it all added up to an amazing experience. Like many Nintendo 3DS games released last year, the hardware Ever Oasis was released upon was deemed old hat by the March arrival of the Nintendo Switch. That said, if breaking out your old Nintendo 3DS doesn't churn your stomach after experience an HD portable experience with the Switch, then Ever Oasis is definitely a great pickup and game to engross yourself in.

Most Overlooked Current Gen Games - Part Five

The "Most Overlooked" series of articles on SuperPhillip Central is one of the longest running in the site's nine-year history. The series continues with our fifth look together at some more of the most overlooked PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games, the latter being the most recent console added to the current generation landscape. After you've looked at these five gaming picks, which do you agree and disagree with?

Check out all four past parts of Most Overlooked Current Gen Games with these links:

Current Gen - Part One
Current Gen - Part Two
Current Gen - Part Three
Current Gen - Part Four

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (PS4, XB1, PC)

Perhaps "overlooked" isn't as much of the correct term to use here. Instead, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite may have just been intentionally ignored due to a combination of grievous errors on Capcom and Marvel's sides. I'm talking about every thing from the omission of the X-Men in the roster, the actual starting roster itself, and the disturbing downloadable content system Infinite uses to the low-budget look of the game and poor marketing leading up to Infinite's release. However, underneath all the bull comes a really worthwhile fighting game that takes some learning to play competently, but the reward for doing so is being able to perform astonishing combos on your enemies that will make onlookers gasp with surprise. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite isn't as empty of a release at launch as Street Fighter V was, but it's understandable still why so many in the gaming community (at least so far in Japan and Europe) avoided the latest edition of this famed crossover fighter all the same.

ReCore (XB1, PC)

Let's head specifically to the Microsoft corner of the gaming market with a game spearheaded by some well known minds within the industry, such as Armature Studio, devised up of many former Metroid Prime devs, as well as Keiji Inafune, whose reputation has recently been damaged, but before all that, he worked on the Mega Man franchise with Capcom. ReCore is an intriguing undertaking, and an original game that the Xbox One needs more of to strengthen its appeal. Exploring the open world surroundings of ReCore's realm, players take on the role of Joule as she wanders the world, battling enemies with heavy weaponry, entering mines and dungeons to solve puzzles and find materials, and discover what happened to the once great colony of Far Eden, her former home and what is now dangerous desert. ReCore: Definitive Edition recently released at the end of August, offering new areas and story elements. It's my hope that somehow this update on the game gets a new market for the game, as if not, it might teach Microsoft the long lesson about creating new franchises for its Xbox brand.

Knack II (PS4)

The original Knack launched with the PlayStation 4 several years ago, and even though it sold relatively well (especially in Japan, though the game was bundled with the system), the critic and fan opinion of Knack was anything but solid. In fact, it was pretty awful, resulting in ironic memes being posted on how Knack was the second coming and so forth. Despite the notoriety of Knack, a second game released, Knack II, and the opposite of the original game happened. While the critical opinion was greater, the sales were weak at best. A true shame as Knack II offers much more variety, enjoyable platforming, engaging combat, and stellar visuals to make one package that is both a pleasure to play and a joy to look at. Regardless of the sequel's poor sales, here's hoping a third game somehow gets greenlit in order to round out the series and provide context into Knack's mysterious past. (Yes, believe it or not, there are dozens of us wanting to see Knack as a series expand even further.)

Everybody's Golf (PS4)

Take to the links with Everybody's Golf, formerly known as Hot Shots Golf in North America. After several samey titles in the franchise, Everybody's Golf puts players from linear progression through tournaments and challenges to open courses to explore, play on, and enjoy. The better you perform on the courses, the quicker you can take on special AI challengers to improve your rank and reach new courses to traverse upon. Golf isn't just the only activity in town this time around, as fishing, golf cart driving, and collecting new outfit combinations for your custom golfer are here for you to partake in. Everybody's Golf took Japan by storm on its launch week, but in other regions of the world, the game failed to take off from the tee. Gamers loving arcade golf are already a niche themselves, making Everybody's Golf in Western territories a niche game, being overlooked by countless potential customers. Still, like Knack II, it only takes $40 to invest in one of the more creative and family friendly games on the PlayStation 4 this year.

Puyo Puyo Tetris (NS, PS4)

While Tetris is indeed world-renowned, the Japanese puzzler Puyo Puyo is decidedly not. Having players drop color coded Puyo blobs (each in a pair of two) to try to match four or more of the same color at once while aiming for successive combos, it's a puzzle game similar to Tetris. After all, you're clearing the board before the blobs reach the top, ending your game. Thus, it makes sense for Sega to team up with The Tetris Company to create Puyo Puyo Tetris, colorful and charming take on two popular puzzle games (one obviously more popular than the other). With a full story mode that teaches the basic of each games' rules and modes, multiplayer opportunities both local and online, and so much content outside of the story, Puyo Puyo Tetris sold admirably on the Nintendo Switch (but nothing astronomical), while the PlayStation 4 version didn't have as much success, due to so many other gaming offerings being released on the platform. Still, if you have an iota of love for Tetris, Puyo Puyo, or puzzle games, then Puyo Puyo Tetris should be on your wanted list sometime soon.