As someone that often waits for a sale before taking the plunge on a game, the titles played more often than not span releases from the past rather than those from present. This behaviour remained much the same this year, with my Nintendo Switch Year in Review proving just that, offering up a healthy dollop once again of gaming statistics to sink my teeth into and question whether I should try to cut down on my screen-time come the New Year… Nah!
If you’re a Pokémon fan like myself, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware of the extreme controversy surrounding the recent generation of the Pokémon series. Setting out to be the first fully open world Pokémon games, Scarlet and Violet are vast departures from previous entries. Coupled with many new mechanics, the ambition is high yet, sadly, on a technical level the games don’t quite cut the mustard. Despite receiving the game for Christmas, I had delayed starting Scarlet in hope of a promised patch which never came, so jumping in at long last, would the games align with everything I’d read and heard?
Rounding out another year, besides Spotify Wrapped, it is the play statistics from Nintendo that I anticipate most. Charting which games I played most and when causes memories from across the year to come flooding back as I connect each gaming experience with a time and place. Let’s dive in!
Launching this Friday worldwide, the ninth generation of Pokémon games arrives on the Nintendo Switch, Scarlet and Violet. To coincide with this and acting as a celebration of all previous games, as well as a display of how they have evolved over the past twenty-six years, The Pokémon Company have put together an interactive online gallery filled with nuggets of information, screenshots and 3D models – the only issue? It’s all in Japanese.
Recently on September 9th, Nintendo released the third game in their territorial shooter series Splatoon on the Switch, aptly named Splatoon 3. To celebrate said game, and the series as a whole, Google have once again worked their magic and created a fun interactive experience that can be triggered when any of the games are searched for. Cue lots of ink-redible fun…
For a good hree years now, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 has been on my wish list. As a Nintendo Switch exclusive, it rarely sees a price drop and with Marvel being such a hot property, you can understand why. Finally last month though I was able to snag it in an eShop sale and, after some initial reservations about the game, it’s fair to say I am now well and truly hooked.
I never buy games on launch day, especially Pokémon games, but after seeing it discounted to £34.99 I just had to bite. Marking a huge departure from the traditional style of the series, Pokemon Legends Arceus was a risky move, but one I feel has 100% paid off. This game is great and frighteningly addictive.
Following on from my previous Spotify Wrapped blog post, Nintendo have now revealed my play statistics in a similar fashion for my Switch. Unlike with the 3DS, these statistics are no longer readily available on the console itself so receiving this information at the end of the year really does feel like a gift, even if it does reveal things best not shared with others…
So after three years, the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is complete, with the addition of Kingdom Hearts’ Sora on the 19th. Am I happy with this final fighter? Despite never playing a game in the series, I am. Would I have preferred Crash Bandicoot or Lara Croft? Possibly, but having now played as Sora for a bit, I can fairly say he is a great conclusion to what has been an epic ride.
Given my frequent posting about Nintendo games, you may be forgiven for thinking I have always been a die-hard fan. In fact, my first two consoles were the PlayStation 1 and 2, and as such I have a greater affinity towards Crash Bandicoot than I do Mario. As kids, me and my sister spent hours battling it out in Crash Team Racing, so you can imagine my elation when hearing about the remake coming to all consoles, my beloved Switch included.
Brandon King Design 