The Geek to Geek podcast had our finale a few weeks ago. We wrapped it up after about 7 years of episodes. We covered everything in the episode and I can't do it justice here but it feels like I should acknowledge it on the blog.
So, if you want more information, the link to the episode is here.
Also, I've embedded it below:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is extremely fun for what it is. It's a brawler in the old 90s arcade style of beat em up games.
Don't get me wrong, it has some modern conveniences and additions as well. You can mix and match local co-op play, online co-op play, and online matchmaking. It makes it super easy to get a lot of co-op players on screen quickly. You can go all the way up to six players instead of just four. There's a whole story mode with some meta-progression and unlockables. There are difficulty modes and minor differences in character stats.
But all of that is secondary to the fact that this is a TMNT beat em up at its core. If you liked the old TMNT games in this style (like I do) then you'll probably like this one too.
My son and I played through the entire main game the first night we checked it out on Game Pass. Most of that time was with a full crew of six co-op players. We had an amazing time and it only took about 2 hours all-in. Since then, my kids and I have been randomly picking up the game and playing a few levels at a time just for fun.
This is one of the more enjoyable multiplayer experiences I've had this year so it lands surprisingly high in my rankings coming in just below the top five:
I love easily accessible multiplayer games with some depth to them that my kids and I can play together. This one definitely hit the mark for my family.
Mario Strikers: Battle League was a mixed bag of a game for me. The single player experience leaves a lot to be desired but the multiplayer experience was a lot more fun.
The single player modes and options are very shallow. There's not much in terms of progression, direction, or really much to do outside of the core gameplay loop. It's like the made the gameplay and then forgot to build everything else around it. There are a few cups you can participate in but, beyond that, not much else. It honestly reminds me of Mario Kart in that way, except even more shallow.
Where the game actually comes to life is the multiplayer. I've now played this game with two, three, and four players locally and every player we added only added to the fun. Compared to how lifeless and dull the CPU controlled teammates are in single player modes, having everyone on your team independently controlled by a human player was so much more fun. We played through a couple of the cups this way and had a great time!
But after experiencing both sides of it, I think this is a game I would only pick up in situations with 3+ players. It will stay on my Switch but essentially just slot into the same play space as games like Mario Kart and Mario Party. Something to break out when you have the right people around but not something you pour hours into on your own.
Mario Strikers: Battle League ends up in the bottom third on my running list but not all the way at the bottom:
It's possible games could come in under it, but I honestly think most games worth writing about between here and the end of the year will come in above it and push it down further.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has a wild and non-descriptive name that you almost instantly forget as soon as you here it. Which is kind of fitting for a series with spin offs that are extremely hit or miss.
This one is no exception. In a lot of ways, this game is extremely rough around the edges. So many things aren't up to modern standards including the graphics, voice acting, story, script, level design, and more. But, despite all that, there's something here that hooked me and kept me playing until the end.
The core of what kept me interested was a combination of the story and the job system. The story isn't well told but it does function as a true prequel to Final Fantasy I. There are almost no spin-off games that tie directly into mainline games. Because I'm so invested in the mainline Final Fantasy games, just knowing that this tied into the very first one of the series had me intrigued.
The other piece that held my interest in the moment to moment of gameplay was the job system. This game has a ton of jobs and they all pull from series history. At any point you can have two different jobs equipped and swap between them with a push of a button. It encouraged me to change things up and experiment with different jobs while always working on leveling into new, more advanced, jobs as well. It scratched the same kind of itch that previous Final Fantasy job systems did.
With Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin being such a mixed bag, it ends up in the middle of the pack for me, slotting in right underneath Vampire Survivors and above Cyberpunk 2077.
