#switch gamers

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

We're on the eve of release and those big names have dropped their breathlessly good scores out into the wild!

The sequel we've all been waiting for is almost here and if these reviews are anything to go by, it could well be game of the year! A little early in May, we hear you say... Okay that's enough rhyming. Lets GO!

IGN - 10/10

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made, somehow improving upon it in nearly every way – be that with simple quality-of-life improvements, a genuinely exciting story, or wildly creative new building mechanics that make you rethink what is possible."

Read the full review here.

Gamespot - 10/10

"Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a canvas for your own creativity, a book to write your own stories, a world to create your own legends. It gives you back as much as you put into it, and beckons you to soar, burrow, engineer, solve, adventure, and explore."

Read the full review here.

Eurogamer - 4/5

"All told, Tears of the Kingdom is an astonishing, quite literally top-to-bottom sequel, adding complexity and splendor to the Breath of the Wild formula without sacrificing its enchantment."

Read the full review here.

NintendoLife - 10/10

"Much like its predecessor, this is your playground for the next however many years to come, with a little sprinkling of that older Zelda fairy dust mixed into Breath of the Wild’s formula. It’s a glorious, triumphant sequel to one of the best video games of all time; absolute unfiltered bliss to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours. We can’t wait to see what the world will do with the game."

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 4.5/5

"Tears of the Kingdom manages to keep focus and provide a rich, robust experience that builds on what came before. I've basically done nothing but play the game for two weeks, and even now I have no intention of stopping any time soon. What better recommendation could a person give?"

Read the full review here.

GAMINGbible - 10/10

"I don’t know how, but Nintendo managed to follow a straight-up masterpiece with something bigger, better, and smarter. I genuinely feel bad for every other video game that has to be released in 2023."

Read the full review here.

Mainly full marks from the big guys suggests this is another Zelda title that is simply NOT to be missed!

Grab your copy on Nintendo Switch right here at The Game Collection!

Honestly, wholesome and fun simulation games are exactly what I need right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still really enjoying Horizon:Zero Dawn and the last of us BUT I love how SV and ACNH just relaxes me and is so soothing.

If you play Animal Crossing New Horizons, the summer update is live! This is my dream code if you'd like to come by to visit. My island is pretty ordinary. It's completely accessible on foot without tools. Dreamsuite was one of my favorite things about New Leaf. I had to participate in New Horizons as well.

‘THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM’ - GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE!

Whilst we knew it was coming, this is still a glorious day. We’ve just finished watching the dedicated Zelda presentation linked above where we saw around 10 minutes of TotK gameplay! I know, right?! AT LAST.

Shall we get the worst thing out of the way? Okay. Weapons still break. Yep. BUT! And there is a but... With Link’s new Fuse ability (one of a few new tricks up his sleeve) he can now craft weapons by fusing items together and in turn, make them more durable! More powerful too. This does seem like a cool way to turn down the volume on the negativity that has been expressed around weak weaponry ever since Breath of the Wild launched!

Now on to the good stuff and of that, there is a lot. We saw a number of other abilities that Link can perform! Our favourite being Recall, where you can reverse and recreate an item’s path after it has moved. Shown in the footage with a large rock falling to the surface before returning to the sky commandeered by the man himself, it confirms how we get up to those rather large and mysterious floating sky islands shown in the trailers!

Next up was Ultrahand, an ability that allows link to move objects, attach/detach them and create all kinds of cool modes of makeshift, if you like, transport. Case in point being the raft that Link builds to travel across water in the gameplay shown, but the car and flying machine shown in the trailers were also confirmed as being crafted with this ability. Basically, Tears of the Kingdom is a crafting game and that’s just fine by us.

The abilities information ended on what the game calls Ascension. Fed up of climbing ALL the way up the side of that cliff? Well the good news is that if a room/cavern/etc has a ceiling, you can go straight through it and appear on top. Granted it won’t cure the climbing grind in every area but it will definitely save you some time in your playthrough. Not to mention that seeing Link just go through a ceiling like a ghost is pretty satisfying.

There was a lot to digest here and while I could continue typing, if you’ve not done so already then kick back, hit play and be taken away to Hyrule for 10 minutes ahead of launch on 12th May!

Pre-order with us and receive a FREE Poster right here at The Game Collection!

POKEMON LEGENDS ARCEUS - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

With launch just a day away, lets take a look at what the big names have been saying about Nintendo’s latest (and maybe earliest) entry into the world of Pokemon, shall we? We shall.

Got a cuppa and sitting comfortably? Even on a bed of nails... This will make for pretty hot reading for both longstanding fans of the franchise, and the new generation of ambitious trainers!

NintendoLife - 9/10

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the result of Game Freak learning lessons for 25 years, refining the formula, and finally taking the franchise in a new, incredible, exciting direction. With its emphasis on extremely rewarding exploration, addictive catching mechanics, a fine roster of Pokémon and a genuine sense of scale that’s unlike anything in the series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is quite simply one of the greatest Pokémon games ever made.”

Read the full review here.

Eurogamer - Recommended

“There's an overpowering sense of novelty to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This is something new, and it's also Pokémon, a decades-old series, in its purest essence. [...] Either way, this is a game crafted by subtractive sculpture. And how weirdly refreshing that is, compared to our artform's current, insatiable appetite for only adding more and more. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is either this series' bare minimum, or its purest form. I think it's both at once.”

Read the full review here.

GodIsAGeek - 9.5/10

“To say Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a surprise would be an understatement. It engaged me in a way few games do, so much so that when it was over, I went straight back in, attempting to see everything it had to offer. I honestly wondered if Game Freak had it in the tank to make a game like this. If this is the future of the series, I’ll be incredibly happy, because this just might be the best Pokemon game ever made, and frankly, I just want to get back to it and uncover those last few secrets of Hisui.”

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 4.5/5

“Problems with the performance are the one thing holding Pokemon Legends: Arceus back from perfection. But when you're having such a great time with the actual gameplay, it's not enough to hold back this otherwise impressive swing into a new Pokemon generation, building on the foundations of the past with exciting new mechanics, a more open structure, and efforts made to address each of the elements that were becoming stale. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a must-play game for any would-be trainers who prefer to spend their time appreciating Pokemon rather than putting them to battle.”

Read the full review here.

Gamespot - 8/10

“Some of the new ideas in Arceus have rough edges, and it's slow to start before you get access to many environments and mounts. This is an awkward first step, and it was a big adjustment for me, a longtime fan of the series, to make. Once Pokemon Legends: Arceus finds its stride, though, it's the most daring and inventive the series has been in years, breaking apart the staid core and creating something new and exciting from its pieces.”

Read the full review here.

GameInformer - 8.75/10

“Catching as many Pokémon as you can, learning more about them, and training them to be stronger in battle are the very foundations of Game Freak’s iconic RPG series, but few titles exemplify those core concepts as powerfully as this latest outing. Pokémon Legends: Arceus tasks you with exploring a bygone era of the Sinnoh region, then known as Hisui, and gives you more ways than ever to complete your Pokédex. While some elements don’t feel like their final forms, I love where this new direction takes the Pokémon series.”

Read the full review here.

All things considered, this new direction for the franchise seems to have paid off massively! And the best bit? There’s still time to secure your copy with a FREE Steelbook & Sticker Sheet!

Choose us right here at The Game Collection!

RIDING BACK UP TO STARDOM!

With 2022 marking the 30th anniversary of this little pink ball of, uhh, Kirby... Nintendo are celebrating in style by giving us this brand new adventure on Switch! Recently announced at the tail end of 2021, we now have a release date for Kirby and the Forgotten Land!

Arriving with us all on 25th March, it’s safe to say our diaries are already marked! 30 years of gaming and I’ve spent roughly 26 of them wondering exactly what Kirby is. Ever since I had Kirby’s Dream Land on Game Boy as a kid, the confusion has been real. One thing that’s always been clear however, is that Nintendo rarely misses when it comes to the Kirbster! And this time around, he’s going 3D.

From the trailer and screenshots so far, this gives me serious Mario Odyssey/ Mario 3D World vibes. With the exploration of a setting filled with abandoned structures from a past civilisation, it all looks playfully stunning. Let’s not forget Kirby’s copy abilities... We’re definitely excited at the prospect of what Nintendo have up their sleeves for his new (and old) ways to attack!

The new trailer released this week and linked at the top of this blog gives more gameplay footage, and for me, cements my purchase in March. I’m a sucker for this kinda adventure.

If you feel the same and wish to fight back against the Beast Pack to save the Waddle Dees, then you can pre-order with us right here at The Game Collection!

Don’t forget, checkout with ZIP and the price gets split...

NINTENDO E3 2021 RECAP!

It’s us again, back with yet another recap of E3 proportions and chatty notions - this time covering our highlights from Nintendo’s Direct! After the previous presentation’s (very) underwhelming nature (that’s our opinion... Don’t shoot), we felt Nintendo were due an absolutely huge performance - and we weren’t far wrong! (That’s also our opinion... Start the shooting).

Whilst it was confirmed there would be 40 minutes of software shown, we still held out hope of confirmation on the consistently rumoured ‘Switch Pro’. This of course never came, because they told us it wouldn’t. Crazy how disappointed you can get, even when you’ve been told NOT to expect something, huh.

Let’s instead talk about the titles that well and truly got our attention and our fingers itching for launch dates across 2021/22.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Rolling up first is a collection of games that needs no introduction! Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania does what it always does... Makes us want to play it at the very sight of it. I absolutely rinsed Super Monkey Ball Deluxe on the GameCube back in the day. Hang on, “back in the day”... I am OLD. One of the most frustratingly addictive series of games for sure! It launches on 5th October.

This release will include the three original mainline games in one 20th Anniversary Edition! It’s coming on PS4, PS5, Xbox One/X, and Switch!

Pre-order with us right here.

Mario Party Superstars

A blast from parties past... And we’re all invited! Fond memories arise once again as I remember getting Super Mario Party on Nintendo 64 for my 9th birthday! A game series that’s nothing but fun, be it playing against mates or pitting your party skills against the computer!

Mario Party Superstars launches on 29th October and will boast 5 boards from the Nintendo 64 era as well as 100 mini-games from the series catalogue! Return to play the memorable ‘Peach’s Birthday Cake’ and ‘Space Land’ boards, and rekindle the flame that’s burnt for mini-game mayhem since childhood! That may just be me... But I am OLD.

All game modes work with online play to bring these old courses to life in 2021 for more than just couch co-op, and in true Mario Party style - it promises to be heaps of fun.

You can pre-order with us right here!

Metroid Dread

We have arrived at not just my favourite game from the presentation, but of the entire catalogue of new releases announced at E3 2021. If you’ve read our blogs for a while then you’ll know that this guy right here is a fanboy of Super Metroid.

Did I expect something on Metroid Prime 4 in this presentation... Yes. So when I saw ‘Metroid 5′ on my screen it threw me completely. Metroid Dread takes place in the events following Metroid Fusion (another MUST PLAY) on Planet ZDR, an environment completely overrun with alien lifeforms and a mechanical robot menace named EMMI. We’ll say no more if you’ve not seen it, just watch the trailer, man. Watch the trailer and then watch it again.

In what’s the first 2D Metroid entry in a longggg time, we’re finally getting the sequel to Fusion that we always wanted. Metroid 4 does also get a mention, but only to state that its still in development.

Launching on 8th October, you can pre-order Dread right here!

WarioWare: Get It Together!

IT’S A ME, WAAAARIO! Yes this fan-favourite series of comedic micro-game fun is getting its first instalment on Switch! Releasing on 10th September - there’s plenty to look forward to when mayhem comes back around!

For the first time, we’ll control Wario and his colorful crew in either solo or 2-player coop across 200+ madcap micro games! From assembling a robot to pulling out a statue’s armpit hair... Nothing should surprise you when it comes to this guy!

WAHAHAHA!

You can pre-order with us right here!

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2

Two years since its announcement... We FINALLY get to see something on Breath Of The Wild 2. Not a lot we might add, but more than enough to remind us that when Nintendo keeps us waiting, it’s always worth it. 

We’ll be returning to Hyrule - and the skies above in 2022! That’s all we know. However, we’d expect it’ll be Holiday season? Unless it’ll perhaps coincide with a Switch Pro launch... This is pure conjecture and we’re getting carried away.

The trailer suggests that we’ll be spending as much time in the air as we do on the ground in the sequel. Floating islands up high, the castle, once again consumed by the wrath of Calamity Ganon... Has risen up and levitates with evil imposition over the lands of Hyrule.

Look, we literally can’t wait. What else can we say? We hope and pray for more on this as soon as possible. Sit tight.

Other titles announced:

Shin Megami Tensei V - 12th November 2021

Danganronpa Decadence - 2021

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope - 2022

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - 3rd December 2021

I may be biased but I think this was the best show at E3 this year. There’s a lot that says Nintendo are finishing 2021 strongly and with even bigger plans for 2022!

There’ll be more from us on all things Nintendo as some of these titles get bigger coverage closer to launch. Until then, thanks for reading!

MONSTER HUNTER STORIES 2: WINGS OF RUIN - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

The second instalment of the turn-based RPG series set in the world of Monster Hunter, launches tomorrow on Nintendo Switch! Of course we’re more than ready to get stuck in and become a rider! However, we know there’ll be some of you who’ve waited to see what the big names are saying before committing... Well, we’ve compiled the best below to help make your mind up!

Eurogamer - Recommended

“The story may be nothing to write home about, but not everyone likes the original Monster Hunter gameplay, and those people may well find what they're looking for here - I know I did. MHS 2 is a warm and kind game with fun character design, engaging voice acting and some beautiful vistas, and even when things got grindy I wanted to keep going to meet new Monsties and visit friends old and new.”

Read the full review here.

GameInformer - 8/5/10

“Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin’s story might not light the world on fire, but it’s a fun experience that can acclimate new players to the great elements of the Monster Hunter series. Combat encounters are full of rich strategy, and Monstie collecting and gear customization kept me coming back even after the credits rolled. If you’ve been curious about Monster Hunter, but feel intimidated by the main series, Stories 2 might be just the entry point you’re looking for.”

Read the full review here.

GodIsAGeek - 9.5/10

“Despite minor issues, I’ve had so much more fun with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin than I thought I would. It’s exciting, funny, good-looking, and action packed – but it’s also full of heart. It’s not in competition with Monster Hunter: Rise. It exists as its own entity, and offers something very different for those who just don’t click with the main series. Aside a few minor issues, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a wonderful adventure.”

Read the full review here.

IGN - 8/10

“Minor oversights and frustrations certainly wore away at me over the 80+ hours I spent with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin -- during its campaign and beyond -- but the journey was well worth taking despite the frequent grains of sand in my shoe. Its mercifully free, gacha-like monster hatching loop is always exciting, and its combat and customization are both accessible but still intricate and rewarding. Its story is enjoyable if a bit cliche, but exploring this gorgeous world from the backs of my favorite monsters is an absolute delight.”

Read the full review here.

HardcoreGamer - 4.5/5

“Monster Hunter Stories was one of the most brilliant spin-off decisions in the series and this sequel does its best to improve upon what the original started and does it well. The story is wonderfully charming and manages to have tons of surprises to keep players invested in learning more as they adventure through. The characters are all wonderfully voice acted and enjoyable, save for one with the mistake of a surfer dude-bro accent, and they all feel as though they leave a genuine impact throughout the story. The gameplay improvements can not be understated and make for a much more balanced and strategic experience instead of the first title which often felt random at times. It is, as Navirou would say, Pawsitively Clawdacious in every way. For fans of the first title this one is a must-have to dive into so much more, while those interested for the very first time need not worry as nothing will be missed by picking up this sequel as the first entry. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is an absolute joy with near endless amounts of fun to sink many hours into.”

Read the full review here.

GAMINGbible - 8/10

“In short, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin is an excellent turn-based RPG for Nintendo Switch. Raising monsties is a rewarding experience thanks to a variety of ways to strengthen your creatures. Battles are always satisfying, with great rewards for when you perform well. The world is beautiful and fun to explore. Although I was unable to test the multiplayer functionality, I can honestly say Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a marvellous game and a must-have for Switch players.”

Read the full review here.

Embark on a journey which will test the bonds of friendship in a changing world, and discover the truth behind the legends of old...

Right here at The Game Collection!