Neal Ronaghan
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Writing For
Nintendo World Report
IGNLatest Reviews
Old School Musical operates in a weird space. I find the rhythm gameplay to be really good and dependable, but it’s almost like empty calories. If anything, it makes me wish Nintendo or Capcom or Konami would just take their old music and put them into rhythm experiences like this...
NBA 2K19
That’s the triumph of NBA 2K19. You can do pretty much whatever you want, whether it’s play every game with your favorite team, sim seasons and be a manager, invent your own team, bring in legends to the modern NBA, or play through cinematic stories. It’s a lot to take...
My time with Broforce followed an arc of first loving the concept, then being exhausted by it before coming back around and loving the blend of nonsense bro jokes and amusing gunplay and levels. This all works best with a bros playing locally, but even if you’re playing solo (brolo?),...
While the difficulty and lack of hand holding might hold it back for some, Hyper Light Drifter is an alluring and contemplative 2D Zelda-esque experience. It’s so easy to get lost in this world and stumble upon new paths and items to make your exploration justified. Putting in the time...
I’m almost at a loss for wrapping up this review of The Messenger. This is just a immensely well-made game that has a rock-solid foundation with the hero’s movements and controls. On top of that, it layers on an onslaught of laudatory elements, whether it’s a winning, humorous tone, the...
Bad North is, broadly speaking, a hard game to recommend even if I came out the other side enjoying it. The style and thoughtful minimalist reworking of the real-time strategy game is exemplary, but the unrelenting back half of the roguelike adventure can sour a good time. I can wholeheartedly...
Kero Blaster is lighter fare, but the well-thought-out weapon balancing and fine-tuned platforming make it an amusing little journey. If you crave more gameplay and challenge, harder modes await, but even if you were to just play through the short initial story, Kero Blaster is still a game worth checking...
Minit
Minit might not last that long, but it is a memorable experience that cuts out fluff and just delivers clever puzzles and concepts. You might not spend a lot of time with it, but playing through it once is as insightful a meditation on 2D Zelda-style gameplay as any game...
But even in spite of a few, mostly minor, dated problems, the raw beauty of the world made me happy to be revisiting this game. This is something to check out, especially if you missed out on it in the past. Okami is as polished as a Zelda-like experience as...
Dead Cells
In the lineage of the indie roguelite revival, Dead Cells might be the new zenith. Not since Spelunky have I been so completely taken by the play and craftsmanship of this style of game. Every run is engrossing and fun and when I die, the only thought rushing through my...
That all comes back around to how, at its core, Salt and Sanctuary is 2D Dark Souls. I say that not as any indictment but more of a very adept comparison. Ska Studios smartly transformed the core concepts of a Souls game and turned it into a side-scrolling action game...
While the camera and a few other nagging issues can make things vexing at times, Pool Panic shines past the mild blemishes as it’s a dazzling display of artistic buffoonery. It’s hard to recommend for people that have to get the high score or complete every optional challenge, but if...
