Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U was one of my favorite entries in the Mario Kart franchise and the best in the series, in my opinion, since Mario Kart DS was released. So, to see it re-released on the Switch, with all DLC already included on the game card, and to be able to play it on the go (or on the ol’ ceramic throne) made me quite happy. I was happy to not just have it all in one package, but to have it all physically on the game card. It was a joy to play through this again, and it'll be fun playing it on my next plane trip...It might even make anti-social me invite the passenger next to me to a two-player game. Look at that! Mario Kart has the potential to make me a social butterfly! Who knew? But anyway, if you’re a fan of the Mario Kart games, this is one of the bigger, better games in the series with more playable characters and tracks to race on than any other game in the series. And with even more content that came out after its release on the Switch, if you enjoyed this game on the Wii U, there’s plenty of reasons to revisit it again on this console. With the added ability to play it away from a television, this truly is the “Deluxe” version of Mario Kart 8.

Review added: 07/04/2019

Metroid Dread

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Nintendo

Super Metroid is one of my favorite games of all-time. It is flawless, in my opinion. Ever since that 16-bit Samus adventure, I’ve been wanting another 2D Metroid that could match the quality of that game. Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance was good, but it wasn’t near as good as Super Metroid...So when Dread was announced, I was hoping that it could come close to the quality of the SNES classic. Now that I’ve played through to the end, I can say that I think it’s a better game than Metroid Fusion was, but it still fails to reach the lofty heights of Super Metroid. I compare it to both games because, essentially, it IS both games in the same package. The world itself very much feels like Super Metroid, with the path forward not always obvious and requiring the player to sometimes search for it in order to advance. Within the world are various robots that you can’t destroy with normal means, so you’re stuck playing hide and seek in some areas, kind of like Metroid Fusion. I feel like the hide and seek portions take away from the game as a whole, but not enough to hurt it too much. Overall, this is a fantastic game and well worth checking out for fans of the 2D Metroid games - it’s not as great as Super Metroid, but I feel like it’s got a nice, comfy place as the second-best 2D Metroid game ever created.

Review added: 11/07/2021

Mr. Driller: Drill Land

Also known as: Mr. Driller: Encore (Japan)

Developer: Infinity

I've always been a fan of Mr. Driller, but many of the games in the series, aside from the original game, kinda feel like they're just more of the same. I don't mind that, honestly. When you love a game, getting more of that game is usually a nice thing, but sometimes you want something new to go with the familiar. That's where Mr. Driller: Drill Land comes into play. Drill Land takes place in an amusement park, and you've got five gameplay modes labeled as "attractions." Completing each attraction gets you a stamp. Collecting a stamp from each attraction results in a boss battle against Dr. Manhole in the center of the amusement park. After defeating him, you'll unlock longer, more difficult variations of each attraction. The five modes are various takes on Mr. Driller gameplay. Drill Land World Tour offers classic Mr. Driller gameplay. Star Driller is similar to classic Mr. Driller gameplay, but with power-ups. Drindy Adventure is classic Mr. Driller, but with traps as you dig, for extra peril. Horror Night House requires you to find holy water as you dig and use it to purify ghosts out of blocks. Lastly, The Tower of Druaga offers a completely new spin on the Mr. Driller formula - exploring a dungeon and defeating the monster within. While some of the modes are fun (I especially enjoyed the Tower of Druaga attraction) none of them can really compete with the original, tried-and-true Mr. Driller gameplay…at least, not in my opinion. Still, it's nice to see Namco try to spice the formula up with new mechanics. Anyway, if you like Mr. Driller, then you'll probably love Drill Land. It's important to note that this is a port of the Gamecube game of the same name, which never made it out of Japan…and it's just as fun today as it was when it released in the land of the rising sun over 20 years ago.

Review added: 07/14/2025