Tom-Massey

@Satan Is there news of a superior PS5 version? This runs at full resolution 60fps on Switch and seems features plenty of content. I’m not sure how it could be improved upon.

@WatsonWatson
You’re correct in your assessment because you’re approaching this discussion from the perspective of journalistic freedom. If I had to consider responses in the comments section while deliberating whether to assign a score, or worry about review aggregators or future historical references, it would end up defining the work to some degree. I’m writing independently, but with certain values: in this case, highlighting practices that exploit the gaming community. I mean, I know many of the responses are chastising the angle, but believe it or not, I’m firmly on your side, and that fact played a significant role in informing the review.

@Azuris It’s a mini-review limited to 500 words meant to provide an overview. This has been noted in the comments section already. Refer to the previous Wonder Boy Collection (full review) for a detailed account of four of the titles on-board and a deeper history of the series.

@Moroboshi876 You’re probably right. If it does happen to have them though, that would be a win for a physical copy for cheaper. $50 is over the odds in my opinion.

@Bunz You’re very welcome. Thank you for reading!

@Moroboshi876 Ah I see, that’s only the Japanese release? I wasn’t sure if it was being handled by a western publisher or not. The western release also includes all the Japanese releases too, are you sure the English versions won’t be on there.

@Axelay71
Please don’t let that put you off. It does take a little thought and practice to get to grips with, but provides a genuinely interesting dimension to the game.

@BowtieShyGuy There’s nothing wrong with this release in and of itself. There’s plenty of content in the review and comments section to explain the issues surrounding it though.

@PlagueWitch You need to understand, my job is on behalf of the customer, and invariably how money is spent. I do not, and never will factor in Metacritic or any other aggregator when covering something, because that’s plainly bad practice. The work involves creating a context in the body of the review, and an explanation. If people want to skip all that and head right for the score (and you’re right, they very often do) I can’t take that into account either. Scoring is a fairly arbitrary system anyway and I agree that in cases like this, it might not be necessary at all. But I don’t have any say in the format, only that I need to make an assessment that includes all factors and then deliver a conclusion based on those factors.

@KingMike
It isn’t poor form to dock points for the release if there’s a valid reason for doing so. In this case, it’s more difficult to praise the release when the prior circumstances leading up to it include poor marketing decisions that will leave previous buyers feeling duly burnt. Let’s face facts: all the publishers involved knew that this would be an issue down the line, and this is the result.

@PlagueWitch Let’s hope they actually read the review in full then to find out why the scoreline is the way it is! It’s only a mini-review, doesn’t take two minutes.

@gojiguy
You’ll love the breezy play through, it gives you time to learn the weapons upgrades system, and then dive into arcade which will be right up your street.

@rockodoodle
It’s perfect for those who prefer their shmups at a more leisurely pace and no less spectacular for it. You’ll love it!

@PlagueWitch Yes that’s right. It’s actually been released three times in three different ways in eight months space, all at full price and identical in every way except for content purposely held back in the first digital release.

And no need for apologies! I’m more than happy to clarify if needs be 👍🏻

@PlagueWitch That’s incorrect. The original digital release in May 22 was released at the same time the SLG release was announced. It’s mentioned in the original review, linked on this page, that two games and console variants weren’t included because they were reserved for SLG buyers.

There’s no salt here. The review highlights the pros and cons sufficiently. This is (as mentioned numerous times by both myself and others in this comments section) an appraisal of both the game and a marketing structure that has been very exploitative in nature, and first adopters who spent full price money on a product eight months ago who are right to feel hard done by. The score is reflective of these circumstances, and the fact that this second digital release features no upgrade option for them and is retailing at $50.

Just to add a quick addendum to this, as I didn’t quite have space to expand the word count much more. Arcade Mode is truly superb, and it’s something of a shame it’s not presented as a default option rather than being locked behind a clear. It’s still on the easy side perhaps for those really well-versed in shmups, but it offers a sterner challenge with more bullets to dodge, upgrades that can only be applied at set points, gets rid of all the story cutscenes, and even wraps the whole thing with an Insert Coin dynamic and name entry screens. It has three difficulty options, two of which demand far more actual dodging (something not really required too much in the default game), and it has a new scoring aspect where a timer appears on certain enemies and boss appendages that reaps higher scores for faster kills.

It’s a really great mode that will satisfy a lot of arcade-geared players and well worth unlocking.

@FantasiaWHT
Comments are about 50/50 split currently. I will in future continue to review how I see fit, and it certainly wasn’t a rant. Reasons are provided. The pros were clearly highlighted and recommendations were made accordingly.

@Moroboshi876
check Play-Asia’s listings.

@PlagueWitch
I certainly didn’t buy the SLG release personally, so no salt. You seem to have misunderstood a lot of what’s happened here. They didn’t “fix” anything, they held back content so the first wave of purchasers bought an inferior product and then threw it back in 8 months later to encourage repeat sales and double-dips. The full content was always available, but restricted to a Strictly Limited Games physical release of 4000.

@RainbowGazelle @TromaDogg

There seems to be some misunderstanding regarding the relationship of the review to these circumstances. We do get a press release containing information regarding the title. Yes, one aspect I failed to include in May’s review was the mention of a purported digital release, and I’m fine to be accountable for that. Writing and focusing on the game and trying to impart detailed coverage and opinion occasionally sees things left out.

However, we need to consider these factors. The mention of a digital release was a brief ending footnote in a message designed to promote the SLG release. It had no date, no evidence of publishing schedule, and it was unsure whether or not this mention, tacked on quickly to the end of a broader information packet, would ever actually transpire. Equally, if you are not in SLG’s mailing list or don’t go to seek information on their website, where would the broader gaming community find this information if it’s not present on Nintendo’s official release schedule? The knowledge of it has no concrete evidence or information sans that that reaches a small, select group.

If I were to ask you what was the purpose of the digital collection, two games short, that was released in May, what would you say?

It’s quite clear that this series of releases, 3 in total across 8 months, was designed in both content and release information, to mine arguably more than it was worth. Obscuring information for the purpose of squeezing additional sales, regardless of whether or not one particular purchasing group gets burned, is an exploitative practice. So in the end, all roads lead to the same place, and this review was an opportunity to highlight this.

I do hope that makes sense folks.

@Stormcloudlive Unfortunately, it is often the case where the content of the actual review is skipped. Here it’s more direct umbrage with the final score, which is related to the content of the review. And yes, Capcom are another example of a company releasing the same content across several collections and I noted that issue in all the reviews that covered them.

@Slain Sure, I understand. Your specific feelings about your purchases may not be the same for all, though, especially in struggling economies and amid out of control inflation. I do get that the scoring doesn’t sit well with you, but as I mentioned, providing glowing praise in light of this collection’s historical marketing would have felt disingenuous.

@Slain Yes, and this wasn’t a stab at Strictly Limited or anyone individually, it was more the entire practice surrounding this particular series of releases, which are identical bar nixed and then reinstated content. You, as a SLG early adopter who paid a pretty penny for a limited number release, in my opinion, should probably be entitled to the content you purchased on the basis it was sold. Meaning only you get the full package. But with this digital release that’s not even the case for you and diminishes its exclusivity. On a number of fronts, from time between releases, the previous digital collection being released at all, the price points on all of them, and the content therein (which, while well presented, is still a compilation of Westone’s historical work) I believed it was fair to publicly highlight this as an example of negative exploitation of the consumer base.

And again, having to provide a score with all of this in mind was very difficult, hence the caveat in the closing paragraphs recommending it to people to whom none of these issues matter.

@Slain It’s all noted in the full review posted 8 months ago. As I said: it’s not that the information wasn’t noted, it was how it was noted, in a way that allowed for promotion and sale of a physical release and a neutered full-price digital release, designed to require genuine fans to double-dip when the physical sold out.

In my mind this is bad faith practice, and it’s precisely because I’m a fan of the series that I took umbrage with the way the marketing has been handled and the way it’s negatively impacted other fans in the gaming community.

@Sam_TSM I appreciate that Sam! I’m glad you found it informative for the right reasons, and that you took the time to read it in its entirety. Thank you 🙏

@Jumping_Dead Thank you for recognising that. I like to think that there’s an element of actual journalism in my work. Personally I don’t particularly like scoring at all because of the system’s ambiguity, but it’s the format of the site and I acknowledge most readers prefer them. In cases like this, it would be preferable to just allow the context to guide.

Commenting on the nature of the marketing practice here was something I couldn’t overlook, even if I had a very limited word count to explain it all.

@Slain

Although we were aware of talk of a digital version of the strictly limited release, it was marketed ambiguously enough and far enough apart to ensure SL sold through their stock. Many Wonder Boy fans got the impression that the SL physical release was their only avenue to the complete collection. Many people who couldn’t get a preorder for the SL release before it sold out, who didn’t get the memo about a digital release (because it was, for obvious reasons from their point of view, a literal footnote) instead bought the 4 game digital “collection” last May, assuming it the only option they had. It was certainly not outlined clearly to all, otherwise why would you sell an inferior 4 game collection at all? You could just tell people, “don’t worry, the SL physical has sold out. Wait 8 months and we will release it digitally.” Not, “It’s sold out, but you can buy this one at full price minus two games right now! Jump in!”

Hope that makes sense 👍🏻

@Herna I appreciate your brutal honesty. This is a Mini-Review limited to 500 words. These reviews are meant to be overviews as there’s not space to detail in-depth each segment of a 6 game collection. Additionally there were messages regarding the marketing practices surrounding the release to highlight and discuss.

In my original Wonder Boy Collection review (full length) each game (four of which are present here) are detailed in-depth, including the history and lineage of Westone’s series. You can find it here:

https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/wonder-boy-collection

@boatie Ha ha!

@RainbowGazelle Thank you for noticing! Much appreciated. It’s my responsibility to prioritise the gamer/consumer/community above developers and publishers.

@electrolite77 That’ll be the day! :/

@Nancyboy
Really appreciate you recognising that. I wouldn’t have thought standing on behalf of the gamers would be so irksome to some people.

@WatsonWatson
Absolutely correct. And yes, price is part of the overall package, as is releasing a title 8 months apart at a higher price that punishes early adopters. All these factors influenced our scoring on this one, although the review does still highlight the quality of the game.

@DashKappei
If you feel the review argues on your behalf, and you’re satisfied with that, then we consider it a job well done. 👍🏻

@EarthboundBenjy
Although we were aware of talk of a digital version of the strictly limited release, it was marketed ambiguously enough and far enough apart to ensure they sold through their stock. Many Wonder Boy fans got the impression that the SL release was their only avenue to the complete collection.

@RobotReptile
Yes, for some people it’s a primary factor. Seeing as some will reluctantly end up buying the collection twice for an additional two titles, money is certainly a hot-button topic here.

@Doctor-Moo
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you appreciated it.

@Yosher
Thank you for recognising that, and for the kind words. Being called an idiot, however, is why I come to the Nintendolife comments section. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
It seems people assume NL is beholden to review aggregators - it isn’t. We score based on many criteria, including marketing, pricing and general bad faith gouging. As an independent publication our service is to the consumer first.

@GrailUK
Sorry you got burned. This review is for you, really. I gave the original release a 7, but that’s because it had four great games and was handled well enough. I did criticise the holding back of two titles then, too, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I understand your frustration.

@FatWormBlowsASparky
Hopefully this review took some of the sting out of that slap for you. 👍🏻 I am sorry you feel burned by this one, I don’t think they should have handled the releases this way at all.

@Bobb Thank you. Almost nobody reads the review in its entirety, sadly, and instead rush to the scoreline/pros&cons, and comments section, usually in that order. We outlined clearly that the quality of the game is deserved of an 8 if you didn’t buy the previous release and don’t care about the overpriced nature of it.

The mishandling of these releases and the exploitative squeezing of the gaming community has been particularly bad with the Wonder Boy collections. It’s left a lot of previous buyers out in the cold, and this should have been the only standard release from the get-go.

Folks may disagree with our taking a stand against these types of practices, but when you’re selling a package that contains decades old releases of somebody else’s work and taking advantage of the customer by hacking it up, we feel an obligation to do so.

@Sveakungen I think that’s a tough call. Rumble Fish 2 is really good too, but Breakers has that pure old-school 2D tactility to it. Honed to be unbelievably precise.

@MontyCircus Not a bad list, although personally I’d place Breaker’s overall quality higher than several on it.

@MontyCircus Then the list is stone cold wrong. Have someone correct it.

@LEGEND_MARIOID Always welcome, and yes, if you like fighting games and you've never played Breakers, you're in for a treat!

@Jumping_Dead Why would you say that? It takes an hour before it starts getting interesting. You haven’t assembled all your team until around that point, which means to don’t have certain skills, and when the challenge increases you need to call on all of your helpers regularly and utilise their skills to win boss battles. There’s no technical issues as it’s well-optimised for Switch, and while it’s not a particularly deep game I’m not sure why you would call it “abysmal”. That’s a word I’d reserve for far poorer products.

@Samalik What's Evenicle? Never heard of it. I think you're confusing me with someone else.

The "personalities" are paper-thin cliche, there's more emotional connection with a morning cup of tea and slice of toast. The game is fun, though.

@BenoitRen Highly preferable in my opinion. I find the typical American anime voice acting very irritating.

@Tobiaku Didn’t notice any “black voids”. Pantsu everywhere during gameplay.

@LikelySatan “ I am glad you know what a Dreamcast is. I am glad you are acting like you know what fighting games are.”

I do hope you’re not serious.

The reference was CVS2’s backgrounds, and you got that. It’s preference but they don’t bother me anywhere near as much as you, even if I prefer hand painted too. Rumble Fish 2’s background art is fine IMO, but you don’t have to like it/buy it/play it.

@cowntsikin It’s a mini-review and has a word count limit. I think it’s written fine and clearly communicates the key pros and cons.

@LikelySatan Generally speaking, I agree with you. I feel like the full pixel art backgrounds of the 90s era of arcade FTGs were far superior to the lazy, psuedo 3D rendered or poorly 3D rendered stuff in the 00’s. The difference between something like KOF ‘98 and 2002 speak volumes to that.

But RF2’s backgrounds neither look PS1 or PS2, they’re more on par with Dreamcast-era and something like Capcom vs SNK than anything else.

@LikelySatan I disagree. They might appear that way in screens, but the backgrounds are beyond PS1 era, aesthetically, and gel comfortably with the foreground sprite-work.

@LEGEND_MARIOID Always welcome, thank you for reading.

@Toasterino Perfect, thank you!

@Toasterino Thank you for that! I'll have that corrected in the review. You have to complete an entire run (every city) without losing a single life, or just complete it without losing all your available lives? Either way, that's a tough task, but I like it.

@The_Top_Loader Ha ha

@shonenjump86 Cotton is a straightforward action game, though, so while translations for the cutscenes would be nice it's still easily playable. The issue with something like Battle de Paradise is that it's quite text-heavy and requires some concerted study and reference before you can understand what's going on.

@LEGEND_MARIOID You're very welcome!

@Anti-Matter But I don’t know anything about the PS5 version and honestly, I don’t really care. This is a Nintendo site and my job was to cover the Switch version. While I agree that a massive graphical overhaul, removal of the absolute ton of bugs, glitches and freezes, and fixing the chronic frame rate drops would definitely improve the thing, it’s hard to say by how much. It could potentially reach a 6 under those circumstances.

And you’re right, you have played a lot of very mediocre games there, and I’m honestly not sure why you put yourself through it. You might reap some joy from your PS5 version of Cobra Kai 2, but the Switch version is currently plainly borked.

@Edd-O It's an experience I'm sure you're going Treasure!

@LEGEND_MARIOID You're probably right. I quite like that.
Retrospectively that probably would have been a better fit.

@Magrane As far as I'm aware, the first is a much-superior game. Not amazing, but its 2D plane of movement and beat-em-up simplicity means less margin for error I suppose. This one's beyond shoddy though. I can't speak for other platforms, but it's falling apart at the seams here.

@Daniel36 If you caught the comments that's cool. Hopefully that clears up the tonal misunderstanding.

@The_Top_Loader Catch the replies in the comments.

@Anti-Matter So to be clear, you don't like the show and haven't played the Switch version of the game. But based on PS5 footage you disagree with the score and would give the game a 6/10?
Interesting... If you want to drop $35 bucks on that rather optimistic hunch, be my guest.

The point first and foremost (and the job) is to inform people about whether or not they should consider dropping a portion of their income on a title. As long as that’s done, everything else is secondary. It’s by the by that I happen to like the show anyway.

@Severian No problem at all, I like to respond to comments that have any questions about tone or any other queries. I can see why the line landed cold with people, but I wasn’t out to offend. The game on the other hand, now that is offensive.

@countzero Well yes, that’s what I thought. But some folks said they stopped reading at that word!

@Severian That certainly wasn’t my intention at all when doing the write-up. I’m a fan, too. The show is great fun, and is probably one of the only things out there that’s actually managed to riff on 80s source material so successfully.

@Eagly Yes, it’s pop, soap opera melodrama: purposely cheesy, trashy fun. I don’t think it’s mediocre at pulling any of that off. In-fact, I’d say it succeeds with aplomb.

@JayJ Correct. Although I do appreciate the show for what it is. I just know what it is, and so do its creators.

@Westlondonmist sorry, I didn’t mean to include you in the above replies. You’re the one person who understood the sentiment totally!

@Gerudo_Guy @Severian @SpareCube @Truegamer79 @Truegamer79 @Bondi_Surfer @Ara @Arawn93 @Westlondonmist @Swirly @Wilforce

Well folks, you’re all wrong. I love the show, I’ve watched the entire thing, and yes, I’m old enough to remember the original Karate Kid (sadly).

I wasn’t attempting to be purposely inflammatory about calling a spade a spade. In terms of literary, dramatic, artistic media-making, Cobra Kai doesn’t consider itself high brow in any facet of its being. “Garbage” was more about the rung it aims for among the arts, and was meant in an endearing way.

Many of you said you stopped reading the review after the first paragraph. That’s fair enough. However, if you’re thinking of dropping $35 on the game I’d strongly urge you to reconsider. It’s by no means up to the tacky-majesty of its source material, even in a good way.