The Tuesday 10s - Nintendo Switch Platformers

Whether 2D or 3D, Nintendo systems are generally the home to the highest number of platformers. With this in mind, the Nintendo Switch continues this trend, which makes choosing ten platformers for one "best of" list--again, whether 2D or 3D--that much more of a difficult task to do! Even when it's on an unordered list such as this, selecting ten out of the countless excellent platformers on the Switch proved to be quite the herculean task. For this edition of The Tuesday 10s, SuperPhillip Central lists just a sampling of the greatest platformers on the Nintendo Switch with only one real caveat: a limit of one game per series on this list. Otherwise, our main man Mario would hog a lot of the spots here.

Super Mario Odyssey

Speaking of, let's begin with who else but gaming's most famous mascot in one of his biggest, boldest and best platforming adventures yet with Mario and Super Mario Odyssey. I've gone into great detail multiple times in the past already about how fantastic Odyssey truly is, so bear with me as I go through the whole production again. Between Mario's marvelous and humongous move set that allows players to tackle the huge, sprawling worlds in myriad ways, and the ability to capture various enemies and objects via Mario's traveling companion Cappy, Super Mario Odyssey delivered a globetrotting adventure that shouldn't be missed. With literally hundreds of Power Moons to collect (though one can easily just find the bare minimum to make progress--perfect for those less skilled at platformers), the fun doesn't end for a long, long time.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

From one 3D platformer to the next, Spyro Reignited Trilogy encompasses not just one of Spyro's adventures, but all three of his original PlayStation platformers and puts them through the remake ringer for a remarkably done trilogy of games. The games--Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon--were lovingly restored and given a new lease on life. They've never looked or played better, offering gorgeous visuals, heightened personality and charm, and just a grander sense of wonder. 100% each game will definitely give players a run for their money--or gems in this case--as well, as these titles hide secrets well and require good sleuthing to uncover and accomplish all that they have to offer.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

We move from 3D to 2D now with a relic from the Wii U era of Nintendo consoles that saw new life breathed into it with its arrival on the Switch. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was initially bombarded with boos from a certain section of Nintendo fans for being Retro Studios' next project over a new Metroid Prime game. Those boos quickly turned to cheers when gamers finally got their hands on the game, as it is one of the finest, well crafted 2D platformers ever made. Levels are expertly designed, offering myriad set pieces, platforming challenges, and clever gimmicks, making players eager to see what's next. Secrets are smartly placed, as well, and the challenge is just right. You won't breeze through this game. Retro Studios made a magnificent game with Tropical Freeze, and it stands with the absolute best in both Rare's original trilogy and 2D platformers in general.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

A 2D platformer that shares a lot with Donkey Kong Country in its design is Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. Similar in mechanics to Rare's trilogy with how Yooka and Laylee move and handle, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is more than just Playtonic's ode to DKC. It is its own beast, and a mightily impressive one at that. Everything from the creative and ultra clever 3D world map where puzzles are solved to make progress and reach new levels, to the eponymous Impossible Lair, which can be tackled at any time in the adventure (though your chances are better the more levels you complete), Playtonic showed un-bee-lievable mastery with their game. Levels, like Donkey Kong Country, showcase one major idea or theme and both implement and build upon brilliantly. It's my hope that more players jump in on Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, especially now that the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, we have Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a game that is available not just on that service, but also on the Nintendo Switch as well. It receives a physical retail release on Nintendo's hybrid system later this month alongside Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. Will of the Wisps improves upon its already stellar predecessor with a meatier, more marvelous game. The addition of side quests, a town-rebuilding mechanics, combat trials, speed runs, and quality of life improvements make for a better experience overall. While I still found issue with the chase sequences still being a bit too trial and error for my tastes, other than that, I adored my time with Ori and the Will of the Wisps and can't recommend it enough--regardless of what platform you can play it on.

Hollow Knight

We go from one gorgeous Metroidvania to another with the hand-drawn, animated delight that is Hollow Knight. Despite its beauty on the outside, on the inside is one challenging game that will put players in their place if they aren't prepared. Hollow Knight can be quite difficult, for certain! What I especially appreciate about Hollow Knight is the openness of the world map. You aren't limited to a linear path that the designers want you to go on. There's multiple points and areas where you can explore, some more difficult than others, but you're essentially given a great deal of freedom. I didn't appreciate this at first because it meant that I got lost rather quickly in my first attempt at playing the game, but on my second, I found a fresh, challenging, and mysterious world to explore and an overall terrific Metroidvania to play. It's one in Hollow Knight that is a great title in its genre.

Mega Man 11

As we leap closer towards the end of our look at fantastic platformers on the Nintendo Switch, we survey a series that has a grand old history on Nintendo platformers dating back to the NES and the series' birth. I'm talking, of course, about Mega Man. For a long time there, not too long ago, Capcom pretty much stopped making Mega Man games, and it wasn't until some new collections of old games came out followed by their sales success that Capcom finally opted to create a new entry in the series. That new entry was Mega Man 11, and it boldly added a brand-new mechanic to make the Blue Bomber's latest far from just a rote sequel. The Double Gear mechanic allows Mega Man to temporarily slow down time or power up his shots as long as he has gear energy. Run out of energy, and Mega Man overheats, making him more vulnerable to damage. It's a stupendously creative and well executed mechanic that takes what was a somewhat stale series and injects it with new life. Mega Man 11 is a splendid entry in the series, and I couldn't be happier that the Blue Bomber is back.

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition

Although our next platforming star didn't first appear on a Nintendo platform with his debut game, the limbless wonder Rayman has been a big part of Nintendo consoles and handhelds afterwards. Rayman Legends was meant to be a Wii U exclusive, but the early failure of the system sales-wise may have spooked Ubisoft in to bringing it to more platforms. Since then, Rayman Legends has sort of become the new Rayman 2--i.e. the Rayman game ported to every platform Ubisoft can possibly port to--but like Rayman 2, when Legends if this good, who can really complain? Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition arrived on the Nintendo Switch with easy-to-setup co-op thanks to the split Joy-Cons, touch or controller support for the smartly made Murfy sections, and has all of the content and fun of the original game, only now on the Switch. Sure, Rayman Legends isn't too drastically different from other platforms, but a great platformer is a great platformer, and it still remains one of the Switch's bests.

Sonic Mania Plus

This platforming mascot didn't just not debut on a Nintendo platform, he was an actual rival to both Nintendo and Mario. Sonic the Hedgehog sped onto the scene in 1991, and celebrates his 30th anniversary next year. I would personally love to see a sequel to this particular platforming pick on the Nintendo Switch, Sonic Mania and its Plus edition, for the 30th anniversary, but when has SEGA or Sonic Team ever done anything I have wanted? Rhetorical questions aside, Sonic Mania saw the return of Sonic the Hedgehog in his 2D splendor, and it rivals his best outings ever. The attention to detail to physics, to the creative level designs with multiple paths and mixture of moments of speed and slowness, all adds up to a brilliant 2D Sonic that I continue to return to, much like the classics seen on the Genesis (or Mega Drive, depending on your region).

Yoshi's Crafted World

We've gone through some difficult platformers, some super speedy platformers, but now let's slow down the pace and relax a little with Yoshi's Crafted World. That isn't to say that Yoshi's latest is some overly simple, easy, breezy game. That would be folly. Instead, what players get with Yoshi's Crafted World is a sharply designed (or should I say... "crafted"?) platformer with genius and creative level design housing an abundance of secrets, lots to uncover AND discover, a beautiful art style where everything in the world is made of crafts, and some rather tough late and post-game challenges for those who wish to take them on. It may not be everyone's cup of tea or ball of yarn, but Yoshi's Crafted World overflows with creativity, personality, and charm, making it a terrific and pleasurable platformer to play.

Review Round-Up - October 2018

Mega Man 11 got... a good score... and Game of the Month accolades!

We're rather deep into the month to do one of these Review Round-Ups, but we're going to get it done anyway! October 2018 saw three new reviews posted on SuperPhillip Central, and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood led the way, drawing on the original Max and the Magic Marker for a higher budgeted and more improved experience. It earned a C+ score. Then, our Game of the Month saw the return of the Blue Bomber with Mega Man 11, powering up with a B+ score. Finally, we partied until the end of October with Super Mario Party, deservedly celebrating its B score.

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

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC, 360) - C+
Mega Man 11 (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) - B+
Super Mario Party (NSW) - B

Sure, there were plenty of Halloween parties going on at the end of October,
 but at SuperPhillip Central there was no party like a Mario Party!

Mega Man 11 (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) Review

Our next review for the month of October is for a game in one of my favorite franchises in video games. It's Mega Man 11, and you can see why I enjoyed the Blue Bomber's latest with my full review.

Gears of War: 20XX

In the '90s and early 2000s, there were two things that were absolute: death and Mega Man games. You couldn't go a month or two without a new release in one of the Blue Bomber's many sub-series, whether in the Classic line, X line, Zero line, Battle Network line, etc. Then, poof! The series was gone from gaming for--at least in this reviewer's opinion--way too long of a time. But, perhaps this extended vacation was worthwhile after all, because with the latest in Classic series, Mega Man 11, the developers at Capcom have reinvigorated the series with a fresh new gameplay hook.

Dr. Wily is an old scientist, but he's back with some new tricks.

Yes, one of the things that got to me about Mega Man games was that they were getting a bit stale gameplay-wise. There were small incremental upgrades introduced to the series in a piecemeal basis, such as Mega Man 3's slide and Mega Man 4's Charge Shot, for instance. Meanwhile, Mega Man 11 finally adds something that fundamentally changes the gameplay with a feature that completely altered the way I took on stages and bosses: the Double Gear system.

Apart from being tied to the story of Mega Man 11, the Double Gear system allows players to use the left and right shoulder buttons to power up Mega Man's attack or slow time down respectively. When used, Mega Man can make short work of foes, and with his Power Gear, he can even super charge his special weapons taken from defeated Robot Masters. Meanwhile, the Speed Gear is perfect for a twofold reason: 1) It can give the player more time to react to oncoming obstacles, hazards and attacks, such as Torch Man stage's encroaching instant-death wall of flames that pursues Mega Man; and 2) It can grant Mega Man the ability to shoot off more shots from his Mega Buster while time is slowed down, enabling him to take out enemies and bosses in a faster fashion.

When the Power Gear is activated, special weapons like this
one of Block Man's fall down on enemies like a ton of bricks.

However, you can just spam either of the two gears making up the Double Gear system. As you use a gear, a meter builds energy. If it fills completely, Mega Man overheats--being more vulnerable to damage and shooting with less attack power. This weakened state lasts for several seconds, but in an all-out battle against one of Mega Man 11's multiple bosses, it can put you at a serious disadvantage at the exact wrong time.

Speaking of boss battles, Mega Man 11's bosses all utilize the Double Gear system in one way or another. For the Robot Masters, each of the eight bosses utilize either the Power Gear or the Speed Gear mid-fight to unleash a seriously devastating move or series of attacks--usually when their health has gone done at least halfway. For instance, while Bounce Man's... well, bounces across the screen occur at a much speedier pace with his Speed Gear activated, Block Man turns into a giant golem with his own set of attacks when he turns on his Power Gear.

Mega Man hopes to permanently pull the plug on Fuse Man.

The eight Robot Masters in Mega Man 11 themselves are some of my favorites in series history. Not just with their designs, but their attack patterns and personalities as well. The latter are represented well by both the charming voicework in the game and their aforementioned designs. As an example, Tundra Man is designed with a championship figure skater in mind, and all of his attacks implement that kind of ideology. It skates, spins, and speeds across the icy battlefield in Mega Man's encounter with the enemy, and the colorful dialog only helps accentuate the various bosses' personalities even more.

Not just the Robot Masters, but the special weapons that Mega Man obtains from defeating each and every one of them. All eight have their uses while outside of boss fights. Generally, in games like Mega Man 2 or Mega Man 9, there was really just one really great weapon to use throughout levels. In Mega Man 11, the different functions of each weapon helps in a multitude of situations, so you're never really relying on just one or two special weapons at once. Moreover, it's a godsend to be able to switch between weapons with movement from the right analog stick, and even more so by having the Rush Coil and Rush Jet assigned to two of the face buttons instead of having to select them from the pause menu.

It wouldn't be a Mega Man game without Sniper Joe dropping by for a visit.

As for the designs of levels, Mega Man 11 is relatively straightforward, offering extremely linear areas and rooms. There are no secret areas to be found, which is a bit of bummer, as I did enjoy hunting down collectibles in Mega Man 5, Mega Man 7, and of course, Mega Man 8. That said, this approach to the level design means it's less about superfluous content and more about no-nonsense, straight-up, get-to-the-boss action. Whether you're bouncing around the balloon walls, ceilings and floors of Bounce Man's stage (just remember to hold down the jump button to consistently bounce up high), or dodging spikes in the underwater currents of Acid Man's stage, each level in Mega Man 11 has its own feeling to it, and all of them I enjoyed.

These hazards are simply wanting to give a "hand" to Mega Man.

While Mega Man 11 does lack any sort of collectibles in levels, the game does offer a great deal of replay value regardless. There are four difficulties total in Mega Man 11, and not only does this present players of all skill levels an adequate challenge, but a fair amount of in-game achievements revolve around completing these difficulties with different objectives. It could be something as simple as beating the hardest difficulty mode (the one where levels do not house health or energy-recharging items, nor do the enemies drop them), completing the game without purchasing any ability-boosting chips from Dr. Light's Lab, or beating the game in an hour or less.

Fuse Man's stage is full of these electrodes looking to bring a shock to the Blue Bomber's system.

Additionally, Mega Man 11 has a category of modes called Extra Modes. Here, you can check out completed achievements, gaze at the character gallery, or take on challenges of varying types in each of the eight Robot Master stages. These range from simple time trials to more complex challenges where you try to complete the level with as few jumps as possible, with as few enemies destroyed as possible, or as few red balloons popped as possible. These do get somewhat repetitive playing the same stages over and over again with unique challenges, but it's an option there for those who want to compete against the world on the game's leaderboards.

Of course, all of this would not be worth a bolt if Mega Man handled like he was rusted and ready for the scrapyard. Thankfully, Mega Man 11 feels great when it comes to controlling the Blue Bomber, no matter the level and no matter the surface. Perhaps the only real issue I have is how much time it takes for Mega Man to recover upon taking damage. There's a slightly longer delay for Mega Man to return from his stunned form than in other games in the series. This occasionally resulted in me taking some rather frustrating deaths from getting hit and then falling into a bottomless pit. Still, that was mostly in the early goings of my more than 10 hours of play time with Mega Man 11. (And no, it didn't take 10+ hours just to beat the game once. I played through the game more than five times on various difficulties.)

The only one having any amusement in this park is Blast Man!

Mega Man 11 looks exceptional visually, in my eyes. The backgrounds are mixed between highly detailed at times to drab and almost unnoticeable other times. The models of characters and enemies look sharp and detailed, though Mega Man's running animation does little to not make him look like a dork, as it looks just a bit off. Furthermore, and something that every Mega Man game until 11 has gotten right--the Blue Bomber in Mega Man 11 drops to the ground if you jump into a boss door instead of coolly floating in air as he passes through it. What in Rockman World is up with that!?

Mega Man deftly dodges this duo of pickaxes.

In more important gripes with Mega Man 11's presentation, while the sound effects and voicework are rather nice, the music isn't so much. It's nothing to do with the composition or the melodies--it's more to do with how the music sounds thanks to the dubious instrumental used. I vastly preferred hearing the DLC's jazzy version of the soundtrack--even though it only spanned the eight Robot Master stages. Unfortunately, the DLC with this music was only available by pre-ordering Mega Man 11 and only from select retailers. I can only hope that Capcom eventually allows those who purchased the game late to have access to this music, as it made all the difference to me. And, darn are those tracks catchy!

Mega Man 11 shows the Titanium Titan in one of his greatest adventures yet. The platforming is overall tight as ever, as is the level design that returns to a no-nonsense, no-filler philosophy, which makes for a leaner and meaner gameplay experience. The means with which you can customize your experience with the various difficulties and helpful items in the game's shop allows Mega Man 11 to be enjoy by all ages and skill levels. While I didn't care much for the base music (and even then it's not horrid by any stretch of the imagination), the rest of the presentation--from the story that explores Dr. Light and Dr. Wily's university days, to the slick graphics and voicework--more than delivers. The Blue Bomber is back, and hopefully this time it's for good. And if not that, then for everlasting peace!

[SPC Says: B+]

Mega Man 11 (NSW, PS4, XB1) Pre-order Trailer

Believe it or not, one of my most anticipated games currently announced for 2018 is none other than Mega Man 11, from a series that I've loved ever since I was a young'n. This trailer shows off some of the story elements, two new Robot Masters, and the inclusion of the all-new Double Gear system. What do you Mega Maniacs think about this trailer and Mega Man 11 in general?