SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards - Top Five Digital Downloads

There are just too many excellent digital games from last year to put on a top five list for my favorites at the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2017 Awards. That's a good problem to have in general, but when you have to just pick five out of dozens of memorable titles, you're definitely going to leave way too many out that deserve some recognition. But, name five, I must! These are SuperPhillip Central's choices for the Top Five Digital Downloads.

5) Snipperclips: Cut it out, together! (NSW)

A launch title for the Nintendo Switch, Snipperclips: Cut it out, together! is a mostly cooperative effort between up to four players. The goal is to use your character's body to cross over other players' bodies and snip a section of them off to perform an assortment of tasks. Whether it's teaming up to pack yourselves into a shape that doesn't flow over the dotted line, cutting a chunk off your partner to turn them into a hook to grab onto a high up lever, or turn each other into baskets to carefully bring a ball from one side of the screen to the other to clear the level, Snipperclips has a lot of chaotic multiplayer fun on offer. There are also single player challenges as well, but the overall game is best played in a group or party setting. From embarrassment for messing up a level at the last moment to yelling at a bud for doing the same, Snipperclips: Cut it out, together! was a tremendous start to the Nintendo Switch's online marketplace of games.

4) Blaster Master Zero (NSW, 3DS)

Taking the NES cult classic Blaster Master and reshaping and remodeling it for new, modern audiences, developer Inti Creates (Mega Man Zero, Mega Man ZX, Azure Striker Gunvolt) put forward a terrific and unique 2D platformer. Well, that's actually just part of the game. Your character gets in and out of its robotic tank and enters in to compounds where overhead action without the aid of his tank. Angry enemies, ruthless bosses, and climactic encounters punctuate the most high octane moments of Blaster Master Zero, while the pace slows down for exploration -- finding secret weapons and upgrades in a somewhat Metroid-style way. Both the 2D action-platforming and the over-the-head running and gunning make Blaster Master Zero on the whole a terrific indie charmer.

3) Mighty Gunvolt Burst (NSW, 3DS)

Inti Creates didn't just have one of my favorite digital delights from 2017 -- they had two! Despite the Mighty No. 9 franchise being a bit toxic after a turbulent (to say the least) Kickstarter campaign and subsequent handing out rewards (then there's the quality of the actual game), Inti Creates brought a much needed boost to Mighty No. 9's Beck. This time, he was starring with Gunvolt of the Azure Striker Gunvolt series in a followup to Mighty Gunvolt (a game that was available on the Nintendo 3DS and Steam). This sequel was Mighty Gunvolt Burst for the Nintendo Switch and 3DS. Similar to a Mega Man game and having the same cast of bosses as Mighty No. 9, the dev team went further, designing well crafted levels that encouraged multiple playthroughs to uncover secrets and get higher scores. An upgrade system meant you could customize Beck or Gunvolt by equipping found chips to do a number of enhancements. From air dashes, to adding elemental capabilities to weapons, to making bullets fire in different arcs and directions, the amount of customization was incredible. While we wait for Mega Man 11 later this year, why not check out Mighty Gunvolt Burst if you haven't already?

2) SteamWorld Dig 2 (PS4, NSW, Vita, PC)

We saw this game already earlier in the evening, and it's for good reason. SteamWorld Dig 2 is just a wonderful game made by an exceptionally talented team in Image & Form. Further expanding on the now-basic gameplay of the original SteamWorld Dig, the sequel brought forth expertly created level design as opposed to the randomly generated worlds seen in Image & Form's first chapter of the SteamWorld saga. This meant a more cleverly crafted world could be built, offering man-made challenges instead of leaving things up to the whims of the AI's design. It made finding treasure and completing the many challenge rooms within the game particularly rewarding and not something that felt like simple luck. The options in the player character's mobility further exemplified the lessons learned by the dev team, giving players more ways to get from point A to point B, and have lots of fun doing them. SteamWorld Dig 2 is an addicting, quality, treasure of a game that thankfully you don't have to discover miles under ground to play and enjoy.

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

Speaking of seeing games earlier this evening, it's once again time for SuperPhillip Central's pick for the top digital download of 2017, Sonic Mania! The days of me sinking a lot of time into a game, beating it multiple times, and after thinking I was exhausted with it, going back to play it some more seemed long gone. After all, usually when I beat a game nowadays I have to move on to my next for review purposes to keep a steady stream of relevant game coverage going. With Sonic Mania, I must have gone through the game with all seven Chaos Emeralds at least three times. The zones are colorful and full of interesting gimmicks and obstacles, the controls are as solid and smooth as the Genesis classics, and the overall presentation nails the '90s aesthetic from over two decades ago. As cynical and sarcastic as I often can get, games like Sonic Mania bring back the kid in me, and they remind me why I love gaming so much.

Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! (NS) Review

We're rapidly approaching SuperPhillip Central's 750th review of all time. It's a big milestone which requires a big game. That doesn't mean that these games leading up to it, #748 and #749 aren't of importance, though! Regardless, we're at #748. and here it is, the wonderful game to bring out at parties, Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! (Just leave me a comment if you don't understand the review tagline, and I'll explain it! No worries-- it's somewhat obtuse for non-Full House fans.)

A fantastic social gaming experience for the Switch; Not a game you play with Dave Coulier

Right out of the gate the Nintendo Switch is pumped and primed, ready and able, capable and competent, and whatever other pair of words you can think of to describe how strong the system is as a multiplayer device to get people playing together. No launch title best encapsulates this than a digital download, Snipperclips - Cut it out, together, a game that can, in fact, be played by one's lonesome, but it's exponentially better with a pair of players, much more a full four-player group.

The prime mechanic of Snipperclips is the ability to maneuver two or more characters, either simultaneously in multiplayer or one at a time in solo mode, rotating and using each others' bodies to cut into one another. The ability to reform is always available, making any unintended snip or clip easily remedied and quite quickly.

Most of the content in Snipperclips focuses on cooperative multiplayer, which is what makes the game truly shine. Actually, scratch that. It's the many ways that you can solve the game's multiple levels, having every play session spawn a different means of progression to the end result, which makes the game truly shine. It also makes Snipperclips immensely replayable, particularly in a group setting.

Do they let the Warriors get away with players standing on each others' heads for dunks like these two are doing?

Different puzzles and levels require different necessary methods to complete them. There are some where you have to cut one another to form shapes that fit a tracing. You need to be as close to perfect as possible in filling in the mold to be victorious in these levels. Others have you getting on your inner Lebron James and sinking a basketball into a net for a two-pointer. Sure, you won't really be dunking the ball, but you're clearing the level and that's all that matters. Pop balloons, gather fish, lead a butterfly to the goal-- there are a vast amount of objectives to the levels to overcome.

Cut your buddy up to be a prick to these balloons. No, I mean a LITERAL prick, a stabby thing. Not an insult.

I talked before about how multiple levels have various ways you can clear them. For instance, there's a level where you need to carry a pencil across the length of the level, and then somehow drop it into a sharpener to clear the stage. I did this in two ways with different players. For one, the other player and I just moved the pencil across each others' Snipperclips characters' bodies, juggling the pencil into the sharpener. Then, the next time with the next player, she had me rotate my Snipperclippers' body and made an incision, a pocket, where I could hold the pencil and walk the level's distance to T sharpener itself. Those two ways are hardly the only two solutions to solve that particular level.

And it's not just the various ways you can complete the levels either. It's the various social interactions you're having with other players. One run or attempt of a level will be different than any other. It's these ever-changing moments, whether busting into laughter and then tears after a failed attempt, chastising your partner for messing up at the last possible moment, or slapping a very hard high five after a puzzle is completed, that make Snipperclips such an uproarious good time.

This level requires scooping up the green and pink fishies and dropping them into the body of water to the left.

Outside of the levels in Snipperclips, the game also offers multiplayer mini-games in the form of basketball and hockey. Basketball is played like a 2D platformer of sorts with basketball hoops on opposing sides while hockey is played like Pong. Both bring some quick and satisfying party shenanigans, but they don't have much staying power overall. Unless your party is drunk, but doesn't every mini-game have staying power when your party is drunk?

The replayability of Snipperclips is definitely there, but really, it's only for multiple players. As a solo experience, Snipperclips is short lived. You won't really want to again pursue through the game's three worlds of a dozen or so levels each unless it's to try to solve them in alternate ways. It doesn't help that a significant amount of content is locked behind having 2-4 players, and even some puzzles requiring 3-4 players. Even small things like leaderboards, target times to beat, and so forth, would greatly up the replay value for solo players, and it would also benefit groups in the process. The point I'm trying to make here is that if you're searching for a Nintendo Switch launch title to enjoy by your lonesome, Snipperclips isn't it.

Be ready to be unable to complete instructions while being able to spout
absurdities in fun gaming sessions with friends, family, or just total strangers!

Overall, Snipperclips is a success at what it sets out to do, and its true entertaining factor comes from the experiences you have interacting with other players. Even those who seldom pick up a game controller of any type can easily get into the game, which says a lot about Snipperclips as a party game for family outings. Nintendo picked up a serious winner when they nabbed Snipperclips for the Switch, and while it offers little longevity for solo players, it's an embarrassment of riches for groups, friends, and families.

[SPC Says: B]