Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch)

Looks familiar

Yet another game that was ported over from the Wii U, and I played it 3 years ago so maybe it was about time to replay it. It's still a nice puzzle game, looks fantastic and it's challenging enough if you want to 100 % it. I gave at chapter 3 since then I just wanted to finish it with my growing back log. Story is still that Captain Toad and Toadette is locking for power stars but a giant bird steals the one they are looking for and kidnaps one of them and the other gotta rescue the other. 

The one thing that is a bit different is how you interact with the controller. The original game had the gamepad that also had a touch screen where you could interact with enemies and the environment. This works just the same if you have the Switch out of the dock, but I think you substitute that with the motion controls, but I haven't tried it since the dock is still packed in its designated travel bag and hooking it up and all for that small detail isn't really worth it. 

They also changed the bonus stages based on Super Mario 3D World to stages based on Super Mario Odysseus. While understandable since it was just cross-promotional for a game on the same console it is a bit sad that they couldn't keep that. Now they also released a DLC pack with more stages where you are looking for crowns (which I assume is cross-promotional with the updated New Super Mario Bros. Wii U Deluxe where they introduced the crown for Toadette to turn her into Princess Peach as they released it for the Switch). Just introduction stage at the moment, but more is on the way.

Still like it, nice distraction. They also introduced a 2-player mode so that can be fun as well.

Okami HD (Switch)

Capcom apparently only got the wolf part from Twilight Princess

Okami was one of those games that you should have played on the Playstation when it was released the first time. We never got it, and I've only read about it and watched some people talk about it. I gathered it was pretty much a action-adventure akin to Zelda, but with a wolf... like Twilight Princess. So when it was released for the Switch I decided to give it a go. Not disappointed. The story is that someone have stolen the sword that kept the evil eight-headed dragon Orochi trapped in the moon cave and brought darkness all across Nippon. This awaken Okami Amaretsu, the wolf sun goddess that trapped Orochi 100 years ago with the great warrior Nagi. Weakened she sets out once again to revive her abilities and fight off Orochi and all darkness that plagues Nippon. On her quest she is followed by the sprite Issun who will be the loud-mouthed side-kick for this game. 

The game is beautiful and with a rather unique art style that evokes classic Japanese painting come to life. Together with the Japanese folk-lore inspiring the monsters and environments it reminds me of another game with pretty much the same progression, although maybe not having the serious moment Okami have at times (although Okami doesn't take itself all too serious at times either) and that game is Mystical Ninja 64. Both steeped in Japanese culture, history and folk-lore and they share even the same characters.

You look rather familiar?

Oh yeah, you're that asshole that blocked the door for Goemon!

Music is really evoking the sound of traditional Japanese music and certain things in the game feel so Japanese that is impossible to miss. A side-quest you can do is feeding the animals which give you "praise" (basically EXP that you can use to level up certain stats), but when you feed them you get this slow-moving camera shot around Amaretsu and the animal as it eats for a noticeable long period of time when everything is supposed to go fast. It really calmed me down while waiting for that clip to finish. That was rather interesting... until I realised I could skip it by pushing +, but that's besides the point. 

Anyway, is there any problems with the game? Some of the powers are not explained enough what they can do. For example powerslash can be used to open chests at the bottom of bodies of water, but nowhere is that mentioned. Also, Orochi is defeated after half (or maybe 1/3) of the game. The buildup to that point is fantastic, but after that you just aimlessly wanders the world in search for the celestial brush techniques. Not until you reach the north do you get a new main goal that feels urgent, and that is to stop Yami, the ruler of darkness behind all evil that have befallen Nippon. I get there was something like that since a dark shadow emerging from the slain corpse of a dragon isn't usually the best thing. It feels a bit like Dragon Quest-games in story structure, you have defined quest in the beginning that then spirals out to something bigger. It bothers me there too at times. 

Overall it was well worth playing, finishing it unlocked a new game +, but that might be a while until I play it again. 

Shovel Knight: Spectre of Torment (Switch)

The Phantom of Shovels

So concluding the marathon of Shovel Knights game and the wait for the fourth and last part, I played through Spectre of Torment, Spectre Knights game. This one is a prequel. While Plauge of Shadows was played during Shovel Knights quest, this one take place before and also explains where the enchantress came from. It starts with Spectre knight doing the Enchantress bidding in finding eight knights for her Order of No Quarter and finishing his task, the locket he have would grant him life again. After making a couple of knights join you get some back story. Spectre knights original name was Donovan and he was an adventurer together with Luan. As they traveled to the Tower of Fate they climbed it and found the gem that contained the soul of the Enchantress, but Shield Knight arrived and tried to stop them, but Donovan wins the battle, but the power of the gem takes Shield knight while Donovan and Luan is thrown to their deaths. The Enchantress makes a deal with Donovan and turns him into Spectre Knight. Also, the locket he gathers the powers of the knight was given to him by Luan as a keepsake and promise to protect Luan's son.

Luan's son is Riez, a wandering adventurer that appeared in all the other Shovel Knight games, but in this game he busts into the Tower trying to fight the evil within, but the Enchantress kills him and turn him into her slave and replaces the Dark Accolayte that she inprisons. After getting all but one knight, since the knight in the graveyard was another wandering knight that appeared in earlier games, but this time is shown as the protector of the people. Black Knight tells Spectre knight that the Enchantress is Shield Knight and for some reason he hates her (I guess since he sees her interference causing all this) so he decides to attack her, At the battle she turns Riez into a monster that he fights and defeats and triggers the eight knight, but since Spectre knight knows Riez is Luan's son, he gives Riez his life back, and takes his place as the eight knight in the Order of No Quarters. The ending shows how the Enchantress armies takes over the world and also things like Plauge knight and Mona meeting and falling in love as well as Spectre knight hiding away the locket. The locket Plauge knight steals and gives to Chester that sells it to Shovel Knight, the Phase locket. That is a cool twist. Also the Dark Accolyte turns into the herald of the Trouple King which also is interesting.

Gameplay wise there is much more new content here than Plauge of Shadows. The levels are all new since Spectre knight plays completely differently since he can crawl on the walls for a bit and wall jump. He can also skate on his scythe so I guess that the old levels where a no go. Also the overworld have disappeared and instead you choose the level from a magical mirror. Also you gather red skulls to buy relics to use and in the end get Donovans costume and special weapon. Nice touch. More music and there seems to be variations on the other themes of the original game. Overall a fun game, sad there is only one part left. Especially since I would like to know more about the other knights. For example Polar Knight seems to have a deep relationship with Black knight and Shovel knight, and a Shield Knight standalone adventure would be nice to play through. Especially since the story of how she became the Enchantress doesn't match completely in this game and the original. Still, it's a good game that I bought three times.

Shovel Knight: Plauge of Shadows (Switch)

Blasting some music

Continued my Shovel Knight-marathon and played through the Plauge Knight version again. Still as cute a story I remembered. Plauge knight on his hunt to gather the essence of the knights and enchantress in order to create the ultimate potion. For what end goal seems to shift during the play through. I gathered first it was for Magicant, the woman who gives Shovel Knight the magic upgrade. It shifts later to Mona, his assistent that also have the mini-game with Shovel Knight. Maybe it always was Mona? 

Anyway, the second time around I seemed to actually use the different combinations for the bombs that greatly helped against flying enemies and such. The jump mechanics with blasting off to get across holes and such still feels very unfamiliar. More than once I've felt that the game requiries very fine-tuned plattforming and the blast mechanic just throws me into the maws of a bottomless pit. Still, I was able to get all cipher coins and music sheet for this game. Stages are pretty much the same from the first Shovel Knight, but with some extra corridors thrown in, often harder than the original to find some special item... that you sell to get one suited for you. I like how Plauge knight is the source for Shovel Knights relic arsenal. The new music is pretty much only variations of the boss themes and nothing special. Overall, the gameplay takes some time to get used to, but the sweet story gets me playing to the end screen and watch them dance.

Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (Switch)

DA DA DA DADA DA DA DADA

So I've been replaying the Shovel knight games on the switch and it have been an interesting play. For the first time I got all the music sheets and some of them were hidden in places I never knew was possible. I think it was the first time I also discovered the button to check the status on those things. So I've learned a lot this time around. 

Story is the same. Shovel Knight gives up adventuring when Shield knight is taken by the Tower of Fate and he is unable to save her, but when the Tower appears again he sets out once more to fight the evil. Or rather She sets out. I used the body-swap function so all major characters have changed gender. Only time it actually affected the dialog was Queen Knight and the Enchanter. But I gotta say, the design of the new sprites for each knight was really good. 

I actually started the playthrough when I got the game, but didn't finish it until now. It feels like as long as everything works smoothly I have no problem playing it, but after missing one or two jumps that worked without problem before the frustration gets the better of me and I rage quit and then restarts the whole level. But we all know I'm a bad player. Then there is the music. I liked the music , but there is really a handful of tracks that are really good. The first track for the Plains stage, a killer. Proudmoore decent enough, but then music drowns out until the Tower Levels. The other tracks are just decent.