Nick "Shpeshal Nick" Baker
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XboxEraLatest Reviews
Thanks to the kerfuffle caused by Xbox fans after the Mavel vs Capcom Fighting Collection initially skipped Xbox, the Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is launching day one with other platforms! But unlike the former, this Collection is a far more niche suite of classic fighters mostly based on Sega’s Naomi hardware aka the Dreamcast, so it’s somewhat disappointing to see the missed opportunity to call this the Capcom Dreamcast Fighting Collection.But that’s just the inner Sega fanboy in me ...
Overall, I’d say Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is worth your time if you’re a fan of the genre and especially if you’re a Power Rangers fan. The presentation is excellent, from the character select screen to the in-game speech scenes, everything feels like the Power Rangers TV show. I particularly loved the little nods Digital Eclipse included to other classics in the genre. Be it the little baby turtles wading in radioactive goo in the background of one level, to the giant enemies dressed like Hugo Andore from Final Fight. There’s a loving care placed into the finer details of the game that’s really worthy of acknowledgement and appreciation.While there are some oddities or frustrations like the less than tight control, or the baffling inability to change your character during the game outside of completely quitting, there’s a lot to like and love here.Yeah, Rita’s Rewind doesn’t quite stand toe to toe with the greats of the genre, even the modern ones, but it’s still a very worthy entrant into this classic genre still in the midst of a high quality revival.
Visually I wasn’t sure how I felt about the game. Again, it felt like Modus was trying to strike a balance between modernising the look while not straying too far from the look of the original games. While I have no issue with pixel art being used in the genre, the pixel art here felt a little too simplistic for my taste? They strayed a little too far towards “NES” territory for my liking in terms of pixel detail. Having said that, the animation quality is surprisingly high given the simplicity of the pixel art.The environments are bright, colourful, and quite interactive. They want you to try and break everything you can see in order to get as much money as possible to get upgrades or revive yourself if you die. There’s some really nice variety in the missions with unique little touches accompanying each. As an example, the junkyard pyramid has sequences where you’re essentially fighting “in the dark” while your character is visible only under a spotlight so you need to stay on the move to try and get your enemies visible within your light. Again, it keeps things a little fresher and helps alleviate the repetitiveness these...
It’s pretty hard to argue Street Fighter 6 isn’t the best iteration of Street Fighter as an overall package. Yes, debates will take place for years over which version has the best fighting mechanics, best visuals, music, roster etc.But no Street Fighter game has been the complete package 6 is. As mentioned off the top, Capcom heard the content criticisms hurled at V and clearly learned from it and delivered in spades with 6. Even if you manage to burn through the more traditional modes Street Fighter 6 has to offer and getting pummelled online isn’t your jam, the World Tour mode will keep you busy for absolute ages and the level of customisation in the avatar creator is hilariously ridiculous and you could probably spend weeks and months just fine turning that.The roster is pretty varied with a nice blend of classic and new characters, but honestly not much in between outside Juri and Luke as the only “recent” options. Everyone else is either an old favourite or brand new. Am I a pretty boring old man who mostly stuck to Ken and Ryu? You bet.Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come...
Put simply, SIFU is a fantastic game. It’s everything I wish more modern video games were. Short (the game can be beaten in just a handful of hours if you’re good enough) but with an absolute stack of replay value. Be it via the brand new Arenas mode or through the games collectibles, modifiers and high score chasing. There’s even a surprisingly in depth and creatively open photo mode and replay editor that allows you to take some beautiful artistic shots or create awesome clips of your action. Virtual Photographers and Video Editors should have a blast with this. Unfortunately I lack the creative spark to fully exploit the tools available here, but even a dullard like myself could appreciate the power of the tools at the player’s disposal here. It’s quite impressive.PC, Switch and PlayStation players should definitely jump back in to try out the new Arenas mode and Xbox players should definitely give SIFU a go. If you can find a way to break through the difficulty barrier, there’s a fantastic brawler on offer here that I definitely think is the template going forward to bring the 2D scrolling beat ’em ups into the 3D world. Where previous...
While local co-op has been a staple of the series since the first game released in the arcades (as it naturally would be), Shredder’s Revenge cranks it up by allowing up to 6 players locally as well as online, which as you can imagine, gets as hectic as it sounds but in the best possible way. I didn’t get a chance to try co-op online, but traditionally, these games tend to have lag issues.Overall, Shredder’s Revenge is an exquisitely executed example of modernising a classic genre and making you feel like this is how you remember the older games looking and feeling, despite being so much better. Between the co-op, collectibles, challenges, achievements and upgrades, there’s more reasons to keep going back to Shredder’s Revenge than probably any other game in the genre has ever provided. This is all on top of fun and fantastic combat and a nostalgia overload that most should love. But even those who weren’t necessarily fans of the Ninja Turtles, still have a great scrolling beat ’em up to make their way through.If you have a Game Pass subscription, it’s a part of your sub so there’s no excuse not to check it out!
The Artful Escape takes its focus on identity even further by letting you choose the rock persona you want Francis to take on. There’s a point in the story where you’re given the opportunity to use a character editor to completely customise Francis into the rock god that suits your personal style and even name your new persona. You will then take this look through the rest of the game which further helps immerse you in the story.I know I sound like a broken record here, but I can’t say enough how refreshing The Artful Escape is. In a sea of third-person open-world collect-a-thons, first-person shooters, and free-to-play action games, it’s nice to be able to just rock out and chill to something that doesn’t require lightning reflexes or demand intense attention from you. But at the same time, it immerses you and draws your attention anyway through a perfect mix of art, music, and narrative.It doesn’t ask for an unreasonable amount of your time or your money but is also on Game Pass so there’s no reason not to try it out. Even if only to create some incredible wallpapers for your Xbox or PC. Oh, and something that...
There’s not much else that needs to be said. Tetris Effect: Connected is to this point the best version of Tetris that exists. I adore Tetris99 and up until now, Tetris DS was probably my all-time favourite, but Connected just blows right past both. Outside very very minor quibbles with the slight lag in multiplayer and my disappointment at the missed opportunity for Achievement art, there’s nothing actually wrong with this game. It’s mandatory for Tetris and puzzle game fans, a must for music lovers and anyone who appreciates good visual artistry. But most importantly, it’s just so damn fun. Xbox owners have no excuse not to dive in as Tetris Effect: Connected launched straight into Game Pass and I implore everyone to give it a try.
Streets of Rage 4 is everything I could have wanted in a sequel to such a venerable series that I’ve always held in such high regard. It’s clear that both Lizardcube and Guard Crush get it. They managed to create a sequel that belongs right alongside its predecessors despite having to manage fan expectations and the ever present nostalgia that can inflate people’s memories of the old games, particularly after some three decades and change.It’s a prime example of how to modernise a bygone genre without abandoning the spirit of it, all while capturing the feeling of what made it so special and fun all those years ago.This is an absolutely mandatory play for any Streets of Rage or scrolling beat ’em up fan. I also recommend anyone with a penchant for old school gaming sensibilities to definitely give this a go.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is everything any Blind Forest fan would have wanted, or possibly hoped for from a sequel. Moon have created a game that has every right to be in the ‘AAA’ conversation with its 3D counterparts, with a level of care and polish normally reserved for much larger studios and far bigger budgets.Ultimately, it can’t be said enough how incredible Ori and the Will of the Wisps is. Blind Forest was already my personal favourite metroidvania of all time and Will of the Wisps has managed to raise the bar even further.