From coins to rocks to toys, people have enjoyed collecting things for hundreds of years. It only makes sense that such a time-honored hobby would make its way into video games in the form of collectathons. In these games, the player must typically collect a certain amount of objects in order to progress. Collectathons are great for almost everyone because of their easy-to-understand goals and fun, explorable worlds. If you’re looking to dive into the genre for the first time, or you're a completionist looking for your next fix, here are nine games, both retro and modern, that are sure to satisfy your inner collectaholic.

Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario 64 was arguably the first great collectathon, and 3D Mario games have continued that legacy. The latest installment in the franchise, Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic collectathon. While you only need a fraction of the available power moons to finish the game, there are 999 moons for players to collect if they want to go all out. This title is a masterpiece with addictive gameplay and innovative level design, and it's sure to delight just about anybody.

Snake Pass

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a snake? Me neither, but that shouldn't stop you from trying out Snake Pass! Most collectathons are straightforward 3D platformers, but the platforming in Snake Pass is what makes it stand out. You'll have to learn how to slither like a proper snake if you want to gather the gate gems necessary to progress further.

Assassin's Creed: Origins

I said most collectathons are 3D platformers, but the Assassin's Creed franchise doesn't exactly fit that definition. That doesn't stop Ubisoft from cramming as many collectibles as possible into these games. While the games are notorious for the sheer number of locations, treasure chests, and materials to collect, Assassins Creed: Origins did a good job filling out the huge world with collectibles without making it feel overwhelming and unachievable. I also recommend checking out Assassin's Creed: Black Flag if you want to challenge yourself and collect some delightful sea shanties.

Banjo-Kazooie

If you're a collectaholic, then you must have played Banjo-Kazooie. It's a classic for a reason and worth revisiting for nostalgia if nothing else. For those of you who don't want to break out the ole N64, you're in luck! You can get Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts as part of Rare Replay for Xbox One. You'll definitely be able to get your fill of Jiggies, Jinjos, and musical notes!

Yooka-Laylee

A spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee brings the same gameplay from the '90s into the world of today. Developed by Playtonic Games (former Rare employees and key developers of the Banjo series), Yooka-Laylee doesn't miss a beat when it comes to replicating the Banjo-Kazooie feeling. If you want to share some of your favorite childhood experiences with your kids, or if you want to feel nostalgia from a newer game, then this is the game for you.

Ratchet & Clank

Insomniac Games revived this well-regarded series in 2016 to go along with the movie that came out at the same time. While the movie flopped, the game is a ton of fun, and there are plenty of Gold Bolts, Holocards, and Raritanium to gather while you progress through the game with all of your crazy weapons. Ratchet & Clank also has fantastic gameplay and a wonderful aesthetic.

A Hat in Time

A Hat in Time doubled its Kickstarter goal in two days and was highly anticipated when it released on PC in October 2017 and on console in December of 2017. The collecting in this indie game is highly rewarding, as different collectibles offer new abilities, new levels, and new cosmetics to the player.

Stardew Valley

Now I know what you're thinking about this: "How the heck is a farming sim/rpg/sandbox game inspired by Harvest Moon a collectathon?" Stick with me here, this charming little game has a ton of stuff you can "collect." The community center in Stardew Valley offers multiples "bundles" which require the player to collect specific items for rewards. In addition to those bundles, the player can try to catch every fish, grow every crop, cook every recipe, become friends with everyone in town, and collect tons of monster drops. There's even an achievement/trophy that challenges players to ship one of every single item in the game. There is plenty to do in this indie darling that will satisfy the collectors out there.

Donkey Kong 64

The big kahuna. When this game came out, it was one of the biggest collectathons ever made. Today, Donkey Kong 64 is blamed as the game that ruined the genre, but I cannot disagree more. While the collecting nature of the game may be a little repetitive for modern gamers, DK64 accomplished what it set out to do. If you want a game where you collect things, then this is the game to do it. Whether it's bananas or colored coins, you'll enjoy silly characters and decent platforming puzzles to keep you occupied. I'd also be remiss not to mention the fantastically cheesy DK Rap.

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Are you a collectaholic? What kind of collectibles are your favorite? Did your favorite collectathon not make the list? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to stick around GameSkinny for other great gaming articles like 10 Pokemon That Should Have Never Existed or Top 12 Greatest Cats of Video Games. 

2016 was no slouch as far as gaming went, but 2017 was absolutely spectacular. From new systems, rebirths of old genres, and reimaginings of some of the best-known IPs, it'd be difficult for anyone to choose just one favorite game from this year. But that's what we did anyway. We asked our community writers what their top AAA, mid-tier (or AA, if you prefer), indie, and mobile games were this year, and here's what they had to say.

Thomas Wilde

As you'd expect after seeing his usual monthly catalog, freelancer Thomas Wilde chose from a broad range of games for his best-of-year picks.

SpecialEffect

You might not have heard about SpecialEffect, a charity focused on providing ways for disabled people to enjoy video games as if they had no impediments. It's been around for ten years, yet as Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz discusses, 2017 was SpecialEffect's best year so far.

In addition to being in contact with more people than ever before about how the charity can help, this year's One Special Day fundraiser was the biggest on record. One Special Day is where developers and companies, including Sega, pledge to donate the full day's revenue to SpecialEffect, and many of this year's partners have already signed up for next year's event as well. It's a good reminder that aside from the competition, profits, and backlogs, video games are really about making people happy. And that, in this writer's opinion, is probably the coolest thing of all for this year.

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2017 certainly wasn't short on major developments, events, and game releases. Naturally, we've only touched on a few of them here, so feel free to chime in with your coolest things from this year down in the comments!

Back from the Beyond

It's not only 3D platformers that experienced a long-awaited resurgence, though. Sonic Mania marks the first well-received and well-constructed outing for Sonic in a long time -- too long, many fans would say. It manages to capture what made Sonic so popular back in the '90s without feeling stale, and one can only hope that it is a sign of things to come (especially if we forget about Sonic Forces).

But there's more! Capcom's recent Mega Man 11 reveal was meant to show that the company is still dedicated to its rock-solid IP, intending to give the series a true resurrection, and not a halfhearted Mighty No. 9 attempt at it.

The Resurrection of 3D Platformers

After Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, lighthearted, charming 3D platformers essentially fell off the face of the Earth, replaced by the gritty realism and edginess inspired by Grand Theft Auto. But that changed this year. The excellent, though initially-not-well-received, Yooka-Laylee saw the rebirth of classic collect-a-thon, 3D platform gaming, but that was just the start of things to come. There were a number of others this year, some not quite so notable (*cough* Ginger *cough cough*) but many that were, including Poi. Oh, and there was that Super Mario Odyssey thing that a few people talked about when it first came out. If you count that as big.

E3 2017

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo was the first to finally be open to the general public -- if one was lucky enough to get in. Apart from being a good means of marketing and generating profit, opening E3 to the public is a recognition of the fact that gaming is much more mainstream than it has been in ages past.

And this year's expo was certainly one worth attending. For the first time in far too long, there was actual competition between the so-called Big Three, each of which showed off some fine titles and made us realize just how good it is to be gamers.

The Loot Box Controversy

Loot boxes themselves aren't cool, even though they have the potential to be. Many see them as representing everything wrong with the gaming industry. That's why this year's developments are especially noteworthy. On the political side of things, the EU and UK Parliament actually conducted separate investigations into whether the boxes constitute gambling, accompanied by a slew of complaints from gamers and parents pushing for greater regulation.

Then there was the EA incident, where fan protests influenced the developer's decision to alter its plans, changing the Battlefront II situation into something slightly more palatable. Sure, the fact that it's a Star Wars game and thus has a huge fan base probably helped, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

The Game Awards 2017

"What's so special about an award ceremony held every year?" you might be asking. This year was pretty extraordinary, though: Nintendo won Game of the Year for the first time. Of course, Nintendo fans will find that more interesting and exciting than anyone else. But, Horizon: Zero Dawn fans (and others) should still dry their eyes and clean their hankies.

Even though Sony and Microsoft execs have been quoted as saying Nintendo invigorates the market so much that it's almost become trite, there's truth in those words. Nintendo won with a complete reimagining of one of its foundational franchises. Even if you aren't a Nintendo fan yourself, it still shows that the gaming industry is alive and thriving, unpredictable and dynamic. And that's something to be excited about.

Xbox One X

Nintendo wasn't alone in putting out a new console this year, and even though Microsoft's latest box isn't necessarily brand-new, it promises quite a bit of innovation. It's the most powerful system available and the only one that can deliver a true 4K experience.

Granted, some believe you'd have to have a TV the size of your living room wall to really experience the difference between 4K and HD, but that's not the point. What matters for most is that it's a brand-new step that can only drive the industry forward in terms of visuals and technology in general, offering a different vision from Nintendo as far as what gaming can and should be.

PUBG

Despite not being the first of its kind, Brendan Greene's runaway hit PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (popularly known as PUBG) certainly set the standard for battle royale-style gaming and popular games in general.

A couple of things in particular stand out about PUBG's success, one of them being the fact that the game wasn't even officially released before it started taking the world by storm. The other would have to be Greene's story itself, a modern-day rags-to-riches story that saw a father struggling to make ends meet suddenly become one of the best-known figures in the gaming industry.

Nintendo Switch

Of course, it'd be impossible to talk about 2017 without mentioning the launch and success of Nintendo's latest system. Not only does it combine console with handheld, but it actually manages to do a good job of it too, boasting an impressive first-year library of games to boot (and it's not even the end of its first year yet).

However, it isn't just the system itself that should catch your attention. It's the fact that Nintendo managed to turn around four years of failure, learning from its many mistakes with the Wii U and re-entering the industry with a bang, demonstrating how important the relationship between a company and its consumers is. Not that there aren't still issues in that particular area, but it's a mighty fine start nonetheless.

2017 was a fantastic year for gamers. There are the obvious things, like Nintendo's massive success with the Switch and the rebirth of several franchises and genres, and then some not so obvious, including the success of a charity dedicated to helping disabled people. From Microsoft's most powerful console ever to the loot box controversy and everything in between, it's been a year full of companies and organizations actually responding to consumer desires, sometimes effectively -- as with Nintendo -- and sometimes not so much (that one's directed at you, EA). But in the end, amid the controversies and kerfuffle, it's really all about having fun. So with that in mind, here are our top picks for this year's coolest events, in no particular order.

Playtonic just recently announced what many Switch-owning retro fans have been waiting several months for: Yooka-Laylee will release on the Nintendo Switch December 14th. It'll be available for pre-order on the Switch eShop starting December 7th and is digital-only for now. In addition to the game itself, Switch owners get a host of updates and additional features.

Playtonic is a team composed of former Rare staffers, the minds behind several well-loved platformers from the 90s like Banjo-Kazooie. Yooka-Laylee takes direct inspiration from those games, inspiration which divided some reviewers for its refusal to adapt to modern gameplay mechanics (although we quite liked it in our review). It sees you control animal duo Yooka (the chameleon) and Laylee (the bat) as you try to stop the corporate greed of Capital B and collect a host of Pagies and other items across five expansive worlds.

The game released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam this past April, but it was delayed for the Switch due to optimization issues. However, Playtonic says those issues have all been resolved with hard work from their developers, Nintendo and Unity, and promises that the game will run smoothly in docked and handheld modes. The Switch version comes with all the updates and tweaks already rolled out for PS4, XB1, and Steam in addition to some extras, including a custom achievement system and single-control options for the game's eight mini-games.

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Are you planning on picking this one up, or have you already played it? Let us know down in the comments!

Yonder: The Cloud Chaser Chronicles

Everywhere I've been on the internet while looking for great kids games of 2017, I've repeatedly seen Yonder: The Cloud Chaser Chronicles mentioned, and if you are familiar with the game, then you will know why.

This beautiful adventure game focuses on exploration and crafting as its staple theme. There is no combat in the game, which makes it ideal for younger children and makes the game very relaxing and easy going. As you explore the island of Gemea, you befriend and train animals, gather fruit and resources, and then build your own farm to help generate food and resources for the inhabitants of the island.

Yonder is out on Steam now for PC and also available on the PS4.

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Do your children play any of the games on this list? Maybe they play something else? If so, please let us know which games your children play so that we can check it out as well! 

Ben 10

Even though Ben 10 has just been released, it would be hard not to include it on a list of games for kids. From its humble beginnings as a kids cartoon, the Ben 10 franchise just keeps on growing! 

This latest addition is an action-adventure game, and once again you play as Ben as you try to save the world from some of the series' most famous villains, including Queen Bee, Zombozo, and the Weatherheads. As usual, there are 10 alien creatures to transform into, so kids are going to enjoy exploring new abilities and the looks of these new forms.

Ben 10 is currently available on Steam for PC and also available on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Portal Knights

So far, this list has been missing an RPG, so here comes Portal Knights to fill that spot. This sandbox action-RPG is fantastic for teaching kids about teamwork and team dynamics.

In Portal Knights, you take on the role of a Warrior, Mage, or Ranger who must travel to different worlds to lots of different islands to combat the effects of the great Fracture. Each island is randomly generated and offers a variety of unique environments, creatures, and resources for crafting. The crafting and gathering side of things is a nod to Minecraft, while the look of some of the land and characters themselves are quite reminiscent of LEGO.

This game caters very well to two types of players -- the first being younger players who will enjoy mining and crafting items as well as the farming aspect of the game; the second being older kids, who may enjoy a more in-depth combat system.

Portal Knights is currently available on Steam for PC, but it is also available on PS4 and Xbox One.

A Hat in Time

Since its release in October, A Hat in Time has done incredibly well, gaining an overwhelmingly positive reception on Steam. Just from looking at the animation and storyline, you can see that this is a good game for kids! Plus, a game that has a kid as its main character is a nice way of getting kids interested in the game. If it weren't for a couple of cases of bad language, this game would have a universal rating.

The game follows the adventures of a space-traveling little girl who has a love of hats. As she explores new worlds in order to retrieve some missing items, she gets to craft new hats with different abilities to help her out such as a witch's hat that allows her to cook potions.

A Hat in Time is currently available on Steam for PC and Mac.

Sonic Forces

There have a number of Sonic releases this year, but for this list, we are recommending the most recent, Sonic Forces. The titular character has long been one of the characters associated with games, and kids love him! In this new game, you and Sonic have to save the world from Dr Eggman and a new villain called Infinite by bringing together an army to defeat them.

Sonic Forces brings back the much-loved platforms mechanics from previous games as well as adding some 3D action in for good measure. One of the big drawing points of the game is the fact that players get to create their own character to join Sonic on his missions.

The game is currently available on Steam for PC but is also available on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Brawlout

This little gem of an indie fighting game is a fun way of bringing the genre to kids. While consoles have had a cartoon-type fighter for many years, there don't seem to be many out on PC, so Brawlout is a welcomed addition. 

The concept of a fighting game is pretty self-explanatory, but this game adds platforms to the mix, making the gameplay a bit more dynamic and fast-paced. Each character has its own unique playstyle such as a Nordic-looking Walrus-type character who uses ice attacks to freeze people in place or a  Porcupine character who uses electric shocks to stun.

Brawlout is currently available on Steam for PC.

Yooka Laylee

As the cover slide suggested, Yooka Laylee was going to appear on this list somewhere. It was one of the most anticipated games of the year -- how could it not be?! All the beautiful animation and quirky characters make this very much suitable for kids.

Of course, today's kids probably won't know about the game's predecessor, Banjo-Kazooie, so they will be going into it with no expectations or thinking that it has anything to live up to. Whether they just want to explore or go straight into collecting, this will keep kids occupied for ages. Younger players might have a little bit of trouble getting the hang of all the controls, but once they've mastered them, they will love playing this game!

Yooka Laylee is available on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux and also available on PS4 and Xbox One.

Cuphead

What do you mean I can't include Cuphead on a list for kids? Alright, it isn't really suitable for younger kids, but I still think it is OK for older ones. I agree that it isn't an easy game. Having put in numerous hours and still not really gotten anywhere, I can attest to its difficulty, but as with anything, practice makes perfect and, yes, I think older kids can get to grips with it.

The animation in the game is amusing and very well done, and if kids watch retro cartoons on certain kid's TV channels, there is nothing really that they haven't seen before.

Cuphead is currently available on Steam for PC and also available on Xbox One.

LEGO Worlds

We couldn't have a list of great PC games for kids without having a building game on the list somewhere. Since the obvious one has been out for many years now, it couldn't be included, so we turn to the ultimate building franchise for this slide.

LEGO Worlds was released at the beginning of the year and brings everything you'd expect from a LEGO building game. The game features an open world with procedurally generated environments that you can fully manipulate. Kids can build whatever they can imagine by either moving things brick by brick or by using a prefabricated building and then customizing it. 

LEGO Worlds is currently available on Steam for PC as well as on PS4 and Xbox One.

Snake Pass

Released early in 2017 was beautiful physics-based puzzle-platformer Snake Pass from British developer Sumo Digital. In Snake Pass, you play as a snake called Noodle, and with the help of his hummingbird friend, Doodle, you need to move around various locations collecting gate gems to progress to the next level. That's it. The premise of the game is to collect items to move on.

There are no enemies, no fighting, no dialogue, and no other characters to interact with. This makes it an ideal game for kids because they just get to complete the puzzles and get instant gratification in doing so. Yes, the movements might be a bit taxing for younger players, but once they start thinking like a slithering snake, it makes it easier to move.

In addition to being available on PC via Steam, Snake Pass is also available on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

2017 has been an amazing year for video games across all platforms, but with the likes of Destiny 2 and Assassins Creed: Origins being big hits with all the attention, it is sometimes hard to see which games released this year are suitable for children. 

Kids this year have been spoilt for choice, both from AAA developers as well as indies. Whether it is platformers or puzzlers, there have been some great titles released this year for younger gamers. 

Being a parent of young children, I know what kinds of games my kids and their friends like, so based on this, I have selected 10 PC games that I think your kids will love as well. These are games that will test and excite younger and older kids alike, so there is something for everyone!

That wraps up our list! As much as we tried, we couldn't fit in every indie darling that we wanted to. But hopefully you've found at least one game that you can enjoy on your Nintendo Switch console. 

Don't see an indie gem that you think deserves a spot on this list? Let us know down in the comments! 

Fe

TBA 2018

Fe is an oddly titled platform adventure game where you play as a small wolf-cub-like creature and sing to interact with a "living, breathing ecosystem".

It has a bright, cool color palette that's reminiscent of games like CreaVures or Ori and the Blind Forest, and appears to be based heavily in exploration. We don't know much about it yet -- but if the trailer is anything to go by, it looks as though it will be an interesting take on the adventure genre, and provide players with a new fantasy world to really fall in love with.

This game is definitely worth keeping an eye on if you're looking for more adventures to experience on your Nintendo Switch.

Battle Chef Brigade

TBD

I've already written a lot about the upcoming Battle Chef Brigade, so I'll do my best to not repeat myself. Battle Chef Brigade combines elements of Monster Hunter, Odin Sphere, and Bejeweled into one game, then frames it all with gorgeous hand-drawn animation that depicts a fantasy world cooking competition akin to Iron Chef. 

The player is expected to go out into the field and slay beasts to collect magical plants and forage the best and freshest of ingredients. They must then cook them into a delicious meal by playing a match-two puzzle game, all while taking into account the judge's tastes and the time limit.

The game promises four different playable characters -- all of whom have different storylines that intersect with each other, as well as their own special abilities to utilize on the field. Battle Chef Brigade has one of the most appealing premises I've heard for a game in years. And based on what we've seen so far, it looks as thought it'll turn out to be quite the treat. 

Thimbleweed Park

September 2017

Thimbleweed Park is the most recent adventure game from veteran game developer Ron Gilbert, best known for his involvement in LucasArts adventure games (including the first two games in the Monkey Island series and Maniac Mansion). Thimbleweed Park is a sort of spiritual successor to those games, sporting a pixelated retro-computer artstyle, the same user interface as most classic LucasArts point-and-click games, and several playable characters.  

The gameplay is traditional point-and-click fare -- examine the environment, find an item, read the humorous text description, and then try and figure out what goes where as you follow the storylines of each individual character. You also have the ability to switch between the five playable characters at will during gameplay, which grants the player a lot of expedience in how they want to proceed with the story. Each character is vastly different in personality, which makes each of their stories entertaining for different reasons.

Thimbleweed Park is a high quality classic adventure game that will feel right at home on the Switch. 

Hollow Knight

TBD 2017

Hollow Knight is a 2D Metroidvania-style platformer that tells the tale of the titular Hollow Knight, who must traverse an ancient series of all-but abandoned ruins of a once mighty civilization. It's among the more slowly paced Metroidvania games out there, but in the end this works in its favor, creating an expertly crafted gaming experience that owes a great deal of its inspiration to Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

The cutesy hand-drawn art-style and the insect-centric aesthetic help to emphasize a grand sense of scale and curious awe that the game's exploration sets up from the start. The average Metroidvania game will start you off with little and gradually reward your hard work with more tools and abilities -- but among games like these, Hollow Knight is an exemplary title.

Every single room feels like progress and every boss defeated is a triumph as you slowly but surely grow more and more powerful and unravel the story behind the crumbled kingdom around you. It's a game of many emotions as well -- often conveying much while saying very little, and manipulating the player's sense of security and tugging their heart-strings through its limited dialogue, music, and visuals.

Yooka-Laylee

TBD 2017

The familiar yet fresh spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie that is Yooka-Laylee will be coming to Switch in the near future -- and it could not be on a more appropriate platform. Considering the classic Rareware Nintendo 64 roots that this game has, as well as the many dedicated platforming fans that exist among the Switch's audience, it's hard not to see Yooka-Laylee arriving on the Switch as a homecoming of sorts.

While the collect-a-thon style of gameplay may not be for everybody, Yooka-Laylee executes that style particularly well. While there are only five main worlds in addition to the hub-world, they are all creatively designed on top of being whimsically themed, and absolutely stuffed to the gills with different collectibles to find and tons of fun and varied ways to get them.

The Switch version also promises to be the most complete version of the game to date. The Switch version will launch with the "Spit 'n' Polish Update" already installed, which addresses a number of issues that some players took with the game. That means it's the ideal port for people who were on the fence about the game after hearing it's divided response and held off on trying it until now.

Yooka-Laylee was a good game already, but it will be better on the Switch.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Available Now

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the most recent entry in the Shantae series, as well as an excellent comedic Metroidvania-style platformer -- and it may also be best experienced on the Switch more than anywhere else.

This game is a great time no matter what platform you play it on. But of all the various options available, there are more reasons to buy the Switch port than any other. First off, it's a better portable version than the PlayStation Vita version due to the Switch's much bigger screen size, which truly becomes crucial at points when visibility is key. 

The second major bonus to the Switch version of the game is its love of utilizing the controller's HD Rumble feature. WayForward was so excited to use the feature in the game that they marketed it as a selling point.

This port really takes full advantage of the Switch's exotic features, but never in a gimmicky way that interrupts the flow of gameplay. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero on the Switch is the best way to play an already great game.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Available Now

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a remake of the original Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, but with more polished core gameplay, slightly tweaked mechanics, and the option to switch between the game's expressive hand-drawn style and the pixelated aesthetic of the original.

The Dragon's Trap shines through with its charming visuals, catchy soundtrack, and polished classic gameplay, making it a game that both fans of the original as well as newcomers can enjoy. If you enjoy a good platformer you're bound to like this one -- it's got multiple animal forms with different abilities to play around with, simple RPG elements with its different armor and weapons, and its general old-school charm.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a solid remake, a solid platformer, and an all-around good time that's easily worth the $20 price tag.

Thumper

Available Now

Thumper is unlike pretty much any other rhythm game out there, and describes itself much better than I think I ever could:

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"Thumper is rhythm violence: classic rhythm action, blistering speed, and brutal physicality. You are a space beetle. Brave the hellish void and confront a maniacal giant head from the future."

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This rhythm game has more than a dash of violence, as well as an oppressive, threatening, percussion-heavy soundtrack that goes hand-in-hand with the otherworldly and sometimes frightening visuals. It's a game that's all gameplay, while still managing to feel more like an experience of some sort than a conventional game. You should definitely look into Thumper if you'd like to play a rhythm game that breaks the mold of classic rock and energetic pop songs.

GoNNER

Available Now

GoNNER is a procedurally-generated 2D platformer where you jump around and shoot everything as the "altruistic" Ikk looking to find the perfect gift for his friend Sally the whale. It's a basic game, but executed very well -- and the gameplay is backed up by a variety of weapons, colorful and bombastic visuals, and an atmospheric yet blood-pumping soundtrack. 

It's the kind of game you can play for five minutes or five hours if you want, which makes it a perfect fit for the pick-up-and-play nature of the Switch. It's also a surprisingly lengthy experience for the low price of $10. GoNNER is a trippy, fun, action-packed game with lots of bright colors and plinky-plonky sound effects, which all make it easy to recommend.  

Snipperclips

Available Now

Odds are if you own a Switch, you've at least heard of Snipperclips. It was a launch title for the system that a lot of people bought just to have something to play -- which ultimately works out for everyone anyway, because the game is actually pretty great.

Snipperclips is a 1-4 player co-op puzzle game that involves playing as 2-4 paper characters who must work together to solve a series of logic and physics puzzles -- whether that puzzle be guiding a gerbil up a ramp, or dunking a basketball. Teamwork is key in this game, as you must literally use each other to succeed -- whether that be by using your partner as a platform, or overlapping your body with theirs and cutting them into whatever shape they need to be. 

It's a great game both for people who want to work together, as well as people who just want to grief each other. There a number of competitive modes alongside the main 2-player campaign, such as basketball and a first-to-three battle mode. You can also just endlessly cut each other to ribbons and re-spawn infinitely in the main mode, which is just fun to do.

Snipperclips is accessible, genuinely head-scratching at times, packed with charm, and just all around a great way to spend an afternoon with friends.

The Jackbox Party Pack 3 

Available Now

Let's start this list off with something anyone can enjoy. Jackbox Party Pack 3 is the third installment in the Jackbox party game series and probably the best. It's a collection of multiplayer games meant to crack up their players -- some of which can host up to 8 players with only one controller, as long as they have something else to access the internet with.

All you need to play most of these games is a phone, tablet, or laptop of some kind, an internet connection for the Switch, and some creativity. All five of the packaged games are simple, quality games that require constant player input.

Here's the rundown of all 5 games you'll get in this Party Pack: 

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• Trivia Murder Party: Answer trivia questions in a life-or-death comedy parody of horror movie sequels. 
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• Fakin' It: Lie to your friends and try to shift guilt onto your teammates in order to save your own skin -- even if you're innocent. 
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• Guesspionage: A game of governmental surveillance that questions you about how many people do certain things, then makes you guess what percentage of people do/don't do these things. 
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• Tee K.O.: A delightful mess that has you create images and slogans for t-shirts, which are then randomly handed out to all players so they can try and make the best or funniest shirts from what they're given. If there's one shirt you really love, you can have it custom-made for purchase through the Jackbox website.
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• Quiplash 2: Players are asked a variety of questions, write a punchline for each answer, and judge each other's answers to decide which is funniest. It's the perfect game for groups of friends with creative and dirty minds. 
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Jackbox Party Pack 3 is simply one of the best party games available right now, especially on the Switch. No matter what kind of audience you've got it's virtually guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

The Nintendo Switch has been garnering an excited user-base since its launch earlier this year, and for a number of good reasons. One of those reasons is how attractive the Switch is as a platform for ports, smaller games, and indie titles. But now that developers are rushing to create games for this new console, it's getting a little difficult to sort through all the current and upcoming indie titles to find the ones that are really worth your time. 

But that's okay -- we've done the work for you and rounded up nearly a dozen of the best indie games that are on the system right now, along with some gems coming later down the line. It's a pretty diverse set of games that we'll be showing off here, so there's something on this list for every kind of Switch gamer. 

What made these game soundtracks stand out as much as they did was the fact that the music always felt like an extension of the game itself, rather than an accompaniment. Scores that weave into the narrative, transitioning with the fluctuating pace of the game, ultimately do a lot to stand out in our memories. What's most promising about the games of this list is their willingness to defy genre tradition to create something unlike anything we've heard before. 

Persona 5 

Persona 5 might as well have set the bar for how music should be treated in games this year. Music is the lifeblood of the game, with everything being carried by its infectious rhythm. The score isn't an accompaniment to the game, it very much is the game. The jazz-rock fusion exemplified throughout the score is a genre rarely seen in AAA games, yet its presence is crucial to the game's success. It was difficult deciding on just one track to capture Persona 5's sheer mastery, as each one expertly reflects the game's tone (pun definitely intended). 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Composer Manaka Kataoka packs an unbelievable amount of musical excellence into Breath of the Wild. What makes the soundtrack so impressive, however, is that even the smallest song is as meaningful as the most sweeping epics. Equal care was put into every aspect of the score, and it shows time and time again. Songs like "Kass' Theme" may contain only one instrument, but do a perfect job of bringing the character to life. 

NieR: Automata 

Square Enix needs practically no introduction when it comes to musical quality, but it is still worth discussing just what makes NeiR: Automata stand out. Each song perfectly reflects the general foreboding, haunting atmosphere that the narrative consistently replicates. Melancholic chords and echoic vocals do a great job creating a rich, lush atmosphere. Each track harnesses more emotion than the last, creating a truly masterful musical experience. 

Yooka-Laylee

Grant Kirkhope is one of the most influential composers from the Nintendo 64 era, and his work shines beautifully on the Yooka-Laylee soundtrack. Although many of the tracks deliberately try to capture the memorable melodies from the Banjo Kazooie games, there is plenty that makes these songs entirely unique. The music evolves as the player navigates through a level, creating a sense of mechanical and sonic progression. 

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment 

Yacht Club Games has shown time and time again how capable they are of making the Shovel Knight experience more enjoyable as time goes on, and the game's expansion, "Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment", is no different. Yacht Club Games is able to capture the essence of classic retro titles while iterating on that style, rather than emulating it. The result is a soundtrack that is effortlessly memorable and an absolute pleasure to listen to. 

Despite the year only being halfway over, 2017's game releases have been both plentiful and genuinely astonishing. However, what makes this year stand out particularly is the number of excellent soundtracks that have come out of each game release.

Regardless of genre or scope, 2017 has seen its share of breathtaking scores. While this list may cover the best music that has come out thus far, it barely scratches the surface of what the year may still have to offer. 

The collect-a-thon 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee from earlier this year was quite the divisive title -- many players loved it, but many others being unable to look past a number of flaws with the game regarding controls, camera, and sound design.

The game's developer, Playtonic Games, has taken all of the critical feedback from the last few months in stride, and plans to address a number of widely parroted issues with the the game in an upcoming update titled "Spit 'n' Polish".

The update will make tweaks to the gameplay and options of Yooka Laylee in order to add options such as the ability to skip cut-scenes, speed up dialogue text, improve controls in certain sections such as the Kartos mine-cart sections and mini-games, provide additional control of the camera, and so on. Their intention seems to be to polish the rougher bits of the game that received the most common criticism from fans.

The announcement of this update also briefly discussed the current progress Playtonic has made in porting Yooka Laylee to the Nintendo Switch. So far they have stated that they are entering the testing phase for the console, with hopes to have the port done in the near future. The dev also confirmed that all additions made in the coming update will be included in the Switch version of the game on Day One. 

Yooka-Laylee is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, with a port for the Nintendo Switch currently in the works. 

The Past Fondly Remembered

Although all of the games on this list released just this year, their inspirations and/or source material shows how much players and creators appreciate the nostalgia the past has provided.

With more remasters, new games based off of older properties, and spiritual successors to games of the past still to be announced and released, the nostalgic past won't be forgotten any time soon.

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered 

Platforms: PlayStation 4

One of the first modern rhythm games is back, and features updated HD graphics and sound.

PaRappa The Rapper is an iconic game which is commonly credited for starting the modern rhythm game genre. In the game, you play as amateur rapping dog, Parappa, as he tries to impress the girl he likes and learns to believe in himself.

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered is a great musical experience with a catchy soundtrack--although arguably not as good as the soundtrack of the sequel-- and can provide fun for any fan of late 90's PlayStation Games.

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered is available for download on PlayStation 4. The sequel to the original game, PaRappa The Rapper 2, is available for download in the PS2 for PS4 section.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap 

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a remake of the 1989 Sega Master System game, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap.

In the game you play a Hu-Man, a character who has been cursed into being a half-human and half-lizard monster by the Meka-Dragon, on his journey to find the Salamander Cross so he can remove his curse.

 You can also play as Hu-Girl, Hu-Man's new co-star, Lizard-Man, Mouse-Man, Piranha-Man, Lion-Man, and Hawk-Man, who each have their own unique special abilities.

With amazing hand-drawn graphics, a re-orchestrated soundtrack, and the ability to switch from modern graphics and sound to 8-bit graphics/audio whenever you want, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap provides an enjoyable experience for both players who grew up in the 1980's and newer players today.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is available for download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game is also planned for release on PC in June 2017.

Snake Pass 

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Snake Pass, is a recently released platformer developed by Sumo Digital.

Like Yooka-Laylee, was also inspired by Nintendo 64 era platformers, although whereas Yooka-Laylee sticks to the formula created by its predecessors, Snake Pass has a unique twist which helps make it somewhat more interesting.

You can read more about the comparisons between Yooka-Laylee and Snake Pass here.

Snake Pass is available for download on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Yooka-Laylee 

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

This spiritual successor to the beloved Nintendo 64 game, Banjo-Kazooie, may not have the best reviews, but is a great purchase for fans who would like to feel like they've gone back to a simpler time.

Yooka-Laylee may not do anything new or interesting to improve the gameplay of its predecessors, but it provides a great amount of nostalgia for gamers who prefer older games.

Yooka-Laylee was also part of a short lived yet interesting controversy with a popular YouTube personality, which you can read more about here.

Yooka-Laylee is available for download on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and will be Nintendo Switch in the near future. Yooka-Laylee also has physical copies available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Cosmic Star Heroine 

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Cosmic Star Heroine is an indie RPG by Zeboyd games and is heavily inspired by beloved RPGs of the past, such as Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star.

In Cosmic Star Heroine, you play as Alyssa L'Salle, an agent of the Agency of Peace & Intelligence on the Planet Araenu, who goes rogue after uncovering a horrible conspiracy. 2D visual style straight from the height of gaming's 16-bit era! Animated cutscenes reminiscent of the Sega CD & Turbo Duo era!

Cosmic Star Heroine features the ability for players to save anywhere, no separate battle or overworld screens, a turn-based combat system that focuses on flow & strategy and multi-character combo techniques.

Cosmic Star Heroine is surely an enjoyable experience for any fan of RPGs from the 16 bit era.

The game is available to download on PC, PlayStation 4,  or PlayStation Vita.

Transformers: Forged to Fight

Platforms: Android & iOS

Transformers: Forged to Fight is a free-to-play mobile fighting game by Kablam featuring both the original G1 Transformers and Transformers from the live action movies, as well as other Transformers from the entire Transformers universe.

Transformers: Forged to Fight also has some light RPG mechanics. In this giant robot fighting mobile game you can: Fight against other players using special attacks and ranged blasting, while demolishing destructible terrain in large three-dimensional arenas; play with your friends and battle in global events; set a group of Transformers to defend your base from other players; and deploy teams to obtain loot.

Transformers: Forged to Fight is a surprisingly great fighting game for any fan of the Transformers Franchise. The game is available on Google Play and the App Store.

Saban's Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Mega Battle 

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

This nostalgic game released a few months before the new movie, which is rather odd timing. But nonetheless, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Mega Battle is a beat 'em up based on the original series, and similar in playstyle to the original Power Rangers games, which were on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.

In Mega Battle, you can play as the original six rangers, and you have the option to download three replacement rangers as DLC. The game is a pretty standard beat 'em up, but it doesn't do anything new or interesting. The graphics also make the game look like it would be something you'd play on your web browser, rather than a game you would play on a modern console.

Despite its low-res graphical style and subpar gameplay, Saban's Mighty Morphin's Power Rangers Mega Battle is still a game where you can have a lot of fun playing co-op with your friends.

The game is available for download on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The Disney Afternoon Collection 

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

This highly anticipated collection contains five games from the NES era based on different cartoons that aired on the Disney Afternoon programming block on the Disney channel in the late 80's and early 90's.

The games in the collection are: Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers, Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers 2, DarkWing Duck, DuckTales, DuckTales 2, and TaleSpin. Out of these five games, Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers 2 and DuckTales 2 are the most difficult to find the original NES cartridges of. 

The collection also features a rewind mode so players can undo past mistakes, time-attack and boss rush modes, as well as concept art to look and music to listen to from each game.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is available for download on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Video games have come a long way since their genesis in the late 70's and early 80's. In the year 2017 we have three different versions of the fourth PlayStation, the third Xbox, which confusingly sounds like it's the first one, several different virtual reality headsets, and a Nintendo handheld that can also easily connect to your TV screen.

For those overwhelmed by all this new technology and different choices, there are still new games that will help make them feel as if they never left the simpler times they remember.

Here are 8 recently released games for any fan of 80's and 90's nostalgia.

Yooka-Laylee, an old-school platformer in the vein of Banjo Kazooie, is a blast to play, for sure. But it can be even more fun if you use its Tonics. Vendi, an anthropomorphic vending machine, can be found in every world and offers these special Tonics, but at a price.

Unique potions that can only be unlocked through special means, Tonics can sometimes be difficult to unlock. Luckily, we've put this handy-dandy list together for you to do just that.

Let's take a look. 

With awesome upgrades like those, who wouldn't want to load up on those Tonics? Good luck unlocking them all, and if you figure out how to unlock the mysterious 64-Bit, let us know in the comments!

And that’s that. You have now acquired all 180 tokens in Capital Cashino, and hopefully, if you followed my guide right, you would’ve spotted and grabbed everything else you needed to get the last six Pagies.

Oh, and have fun with the Boss on this stage, because that thing is just the absolute worst.

There are only two tokens left, and we saved them for last in this guide because they’re just so obscure -- and easily forgettable. Prioritizing them here is the best way to ensure that they won’t be missed.

The first one is just under the ramp that leads into the Card House entryway, while the other will require you to transform into your copter form one last time. Snag it from the top of the flag pole that marks the Hole-in-One for the golf course.

After you finish delivering Sir Stealsalot to his stop, cancel out of the Helicopter transformation to begin the Casino Vault heist. The Vault will have a gauntlet of rooms where you have to guide the lasers in the room to their respective Lens-panels, similarly to that of the Laser guarded security room.

Be sure to hop on the descending platforms just right, and keep an eye on your power meter gauge as Camo Cloak will drain it faster than any other move within the pair’s repertoire of skills.

After you shoot all of the lasers into their arranged reticles, you’ll be able to open the final door that will lead you to five tokens floating in the air outside.

The next order of business will have you playing Morgan Freeman to the Hamalot Pigs’ Ms. Daisy as each one will one you to give them a lift to somewhere else on the map under a certain time limit. Listed below are the destinations for each swine, and directions on how to best ferry them there in order for you to earn the 20 tokens they offer for the ride.

The closest pig to you after finishing the broken slot machine quest should be Sir Leapsalot, as he’ll be on the floor that’s next to the roulette tables. Speak with him to get the request for a ride, and he’ll drop a hint to where he wants to be: "Flying here won't be hard, try your luck above the House of Card."  You’ll have a 40 second time limit, so make haste on a direct route northwest from his pad to the card house roof to nab the first five tokens.

Our next medieval porker will be Sir Shootsalot, and he’ll be stationed in the hallway in front of Dr. Puzz. The archer’s clue is “Flying me here should be a breeze if you know of all the trees,” which will start another 40 second time limit. The exact location is on the palm tree that's in front of the golf hole on the course, and upon a successful landing, the valiant pig will reward you with five tokens for his safe passage.

Sir Scoffsalot will be at the corner of the Card House and the Yooka-Laylee Pachinko Machine.

The Plump hero’s hint is “To get here you'll have to Zoom, get me to the Storage room," which is referencing the little storage room that’s behind Rextro's arcade cabinet. This one is a little bit of a challenge, as you’ll have little time to spare in your travel to the room even when flying there at top speed; just make sure to keep it tight, and you’ll be rewarded with another 5 coins for your haul.

The last pig of Hamalot will be Sir Stealsalot, and his location is a little tricky as it will be in a hidden nook next to the Laser guarded security room area that's blocked by destructible blocks.

The Rogue Pig’s clue is “Blast your way in, don't even halt, to sneak me into the Casino Vault," and the location is charted between the end of the golf course and the Yooka-Laylee Pachinko game. Drop the pig off in time to get the last five tokens for the mission.

Ok, here’s where your coin search begins to get tricky. There are a total of 11 Broken Slot Machines that’re just littering up the resort, and inside of them are some precious tokens — four to be exact, giving you a total of 44 coins in all.

Now is when we call upon the service of Dr. Puzz and her quirky mad science to transform the Lizard and Bat into a Neon green and purple helicopter, loaded with the ability to fly anywhere for an unlimited span of time, and shoot as many missiles as you could ever hope to.

This Guide is going to post the most efficient priority to track and hunt these machines down; you’ll find the first two right in front Dr. Puzz’s D.N.Ray, parallel to one another, as pictured above.

The third machine is up machine is hidden in the giant pile of red dice blocks that’re stacked in front of the guarded laser security room.

Our fourth broken slot machine is in the storage room that’s accessed by an alcove stashed away behind Rextro's arcade.

Broken Slot Machine number five is located in the area that’s on top of the security room, sitting atop some large golden dice blocks that’re next to Kartos.

Do a 180 toward the entrance of the roulette house, where you’ll find the next Out-of-Order, near the opening foyer along the right-hand wall.

The seventh machine is on the awning of the casino wall to the right, past the Drop Ball game.

Going on to the next broken heap, it’s located on the floor area of the golden dice block piles where you first competed in the hoop jump challenge.

The ninth defective one-armed bandit is to the left of the Power Grid entrance by the card house.

Heading into the double digits, the tenth Machine is on the rooftop of the golden dice block pile next to the Mini-golf course.

Our very last Out-of-Order machine is on the hieroglyphic awning that’s next to the hole-in-one of the golf course.

After the coins are collected from the Pachinko board, get back on the marble path and head in the direction that’s facing the first section of roulette tables and the Match game on the ground. When you’re in front of the ramp that leads to the dance floor, look to the left of the walkway to spot a glitzy elevator tube that’ll transport you up to a Slot Bandit, who will challenge you to a game of golf like you’ve never played before.

But before you talk to him and agree to said game of golf, there’s some housecleaning that you should do to even the odds.

Clear out all the enemies on the course first, because not doing so will make steering the huge golden golf ball much harder. Beware of the Burly that’s posted up in one the sand traps, his attack is devastating, and could take your life if it connects even a couple hits on ya. 

The trick to taking him out is to sneak up on him and  Sonar ‘Splosion the brute, staggering him until he winds up for his spinning Lariat. Prepare to perform a static Lizard Leap into the air right before he lunges at you, which if done right, will place him directly under you, and susceptible to a well-timed Buddy Slam right on top of his stupid skull.

Go back to the Mechanical crook, and start the game; Reptile Rushing in the ball on the straightaways and Tail Twirlin’ on the curves are the best tactics to get the ball there, earning the reward of five tokens.

Very close to the Ball Drop Game on the right is the last Pachinko Game that you’ll have to deal with. Same rules apply here: Lizard Lash the mechanism to drop the balls and make sure that you time the drop just right in order to land at least four balls into the goal -- bottom-middle of the gambling board. Successful completion of the game will net you six tokens and will be last Pachinko game that you’ll have to deal with in Capital Cashino.

After touching down onto the ground from the slide, cut directly through the middle section of Capital Cashino to reach the other end of the area where there will be another mural of the main characters on what appears to be another Pachinko game, but is fortunately much more manageable.

Starting the clock at 2:40 and counting, Players will have to move on and off the button that will control the air vents that will blow the blow upward, steering through the spinning turnstiles, and timed release of the air vent function to navigate the ball to the goal on the other side. Try not to get trapped in the middle claw-shaped apparatus, and you’ll be fine—the game will spit out 7 tokens for your troubles.

To the left of the Power Grid entrance is a platform where you can Sonar Shot a familiar switch, the card suit, Diamond. Doing so will trigger a spiraling platform to rise up to another high rise where you’ll see another Diamond switch. Hit it with Laylee’s sonar to move another spiraling pillar your way, raising a door that will reveal a hidden area.

Move through the various platforms and open doors. Watch for the giant rotating spoked pinion that will try to knock you off. The next room will have a bunch of Diamonds in a row, Sonar 'Splosion the

Four club diamonds, and move on to collect all of the tokens, Sliding down back to the floor with seven more coins to add to your pocket (or wherever Yooka stashes all the stuff they grab, I don’t know.)

Follow the Marble walkway again until you see the end of the Card House on the right. Veer off in that direction until you see another entranceway. This is another vault that will lead you to the power grid area.

Once inside, you'll make your way into a room with a long pathway leading to the exit. You’ll need to position the animal duo over the mechanism that raises the door and then quickly Reptile Rush down the long pathway as stepping off the switch will release the door and cause it to gradually close. Each room will have a new obstacle that you’ll need to navigate passed, and they will all hold a number of coins in them, so make sure to explore each new room.

Reptile rush through separate obstacles in a race to get to the end of the room, relying on a switch that will temporarily open a door  at the end of area in every area, until you reach the end of the course where you’ll see 5 tokens floating in the air, accounting for eight tokens in total.

Trace your steps back to the same stairway that you used to get up to the Fountain, and follow the path once more until you come across another Slot Machine proprietor hanging out in front the architectures adorned with Playing cards.

The crook will tell you that a special card was stolen from him and taken into the Card House; agree to help him out, then Reptile Rush up the newly raised ramp. Aim to snag all five tokens on the way in. Watch out for the shifting shock traps that can get you the moment you Reptile Rush through the cracked glass pane. Proceed inside the card house, where there will be a tower of class cubes with a special card on the top of it.

Reptile Rush through all seven glass encasements to get the special card, while evading enemies who will try to impede you, return the card to the slot machine to win another five tokens, getting a total of 10.

Returning to the Marble road along the edge of the wall, you’ll spot some colossal steps off to the left of the pathway. Hop up them to reach the edge of a giant fountain, where you’ll need to dive underwater to grab four tokens.

Use the Buddy Bubble technique to walk along the perimeter of the structure to grab the tokens. When you're done getting them, remain underwater in bubble form, and go to the middle of the fountain to break a barrel hiding under the Golden Corplet statues to reveal a jet stream port. Fall into the port, then pop your bubble to be thrust up and squirted above the statues (in the air) where you can collect three more tokens, totaling to seven in all.

Now we arrive at what many consider to be one of the worst fetch quests in Capital Cashino: the Pachinko games. The first one we’ll do is the one with the original promo art for Yooka and Laylee, and it’s posted right next to the Shooting Gallery entrance.

All you have to do is Lizard Lash the middle grapple and drop the bundle of balls from above through the rotating turnstiles and pegs, with hopes that you’ll be able to get four of them inside the goal at the bottom. You can try to increase your odds by manipulating some of the other turnstiles on the Pachinko board with the other Lizard Lash controls, but all in all, the answer to this puzzle is simply more luck than skill; getting four balls in will win you six tokens.

Circling around the marble pathway again, you’ll see large entryway against the outermost wall that’s flanked by Frostberry bushes and Character face tiles. Slurp Shot the Frostberries, and take aim at the at the faces displayed above the doorway in the order that they’re listed on the patterned diagram plastered to the left of the door. You’ll hear a chime that will grant you access to the next room, where another shooting gallery awaits you.

The next room features the same kind of puzzle, only the tile order will be hidden at the left-hand side of the ground level of the room, behind some crates that you'll need to smash. Once you’ve got the pattern down (or you know, you could just look at the screenshot of it right here) you’ll need to go back toward the front area of the room in front of the raised area with the red blocks. Shoot at the blocks in order to create ledges that can be used steps up to the top of the raised platform where the door is, shoot the correct priority of faces to unlock the door, and go on forth to the next room.

When you go inside the next room, you'll see the target order needed to open the door in plain view; the catch is that you’ll have to shoot at them within a spinning carousel in the middle of the area. The easiest way to aim at them is from outside of the round cavity that the tiles are spinning in instead of trying to shoot at them from directly within. 

Try stationing yourself in an area where both the tiles of the spinning carousel, and target order set on the wall are in your line of sight, then tag the appropriate character plates with some Frostberries to move onto the next room.

The final room will have a series of pillars that're stacked with crates on top of them that you'll need to smash or shoot out of the way. The tile pattern that shows what the priority of targets is will be located at the bottom of the towering platform, and the arrangement will be five tiles long. Shoot down the last set of them to open the door out of the gallery and six new tokens to grab.

After the Match game, navigate toward the marble pathway on the left, and follow it around the corner of what appear to be giant golden dice blocks. Stay the path until you see some huge red dice blocks directly ahead; Lizard Leap your way up to them to talk to another Cashino employee, and he’ll challenge you to platforming skill trial with hoops and fans.

The clock will start counting down from 2:10, with nineteen total hoops to hover through thanks to the convenient fans that’re on the surfaces of the Gold Dice structures in the obstacle course. All of the hoops are fairly easy to run through, with the exception of the ninth one.

A giant shock-trap pendulum will swing back and forth surprisingly fast, obstructing this specific hoop. You’ll have to time your approach just right with this one to make sure you don’t lose too much time on the clock. After you slide down through you final hoop under the time limit, you’ll gifted 55coins from the disgruntled Slot Bandit.

Once you’ve slid back down to the floor of the Casino, you’ll spot the familiar Poker Chip platform with suits that took you up to the first Roulette Table area.

Head that way but then steer eastward around the end of the table section to encounter another Slot Bandit who will be standing next to the question mark tiles on the ground.

Talk to the swindler to prompt a matchmaking trial where you'll have 1:30 seconds to unlock all of the pairs and win the challenge. Feel free to Buddy Slam the pattern of match icons you see above until the game is over, forcing the game’s curator to hand you another five tokens to add to your collection.

Off to the left of the Air Ball drop game is a ramp that leads up to a cracked glass panel covering an entry way. Reptile Rush up the ramp to break the glass and enter through a series of lit-up dance floor rooms where there will be a ton of enemies.

The mobs of Cashino Corplets will continue to spawn no matter how many you take down, so don’t spend too much time fighting them.

Just clear whatever gets in your way, and start Reptile Rushing through the next cracked door panel where you’ll enter a room with a hydraulic ramp that will move up and down. This quadrant and a couple of areas after it will have some tricky ramp gaps that will require precision and timing with your roll dashes; get through all of the rooms to snag eight tokens at the end of the mini-course.

Once you collect the Tokens, make your way around the tube and up the minecart tracks to the Slot Machine that’s behind Kartos. Each Slot Machine is going to house a different number of Tokens, and will have a unique strategy to their reel spins that will force you to carefully observe the patterns that spin past each slot. The goal is to get a matching row of the heroic pair’s faces for it to dispense the coinage.

The very first Slot Machine will be the trickiest one you collect. As you Lizard Lash the lever, you’ll need to align the rotation of the first and third reels of the slots with the middle reel that’s constantly spinning. When the Yooka-Laylee heads are synced, wait for the suit to appear on the payline, and then quickly Buddy Slam the middle switch to stop entire reel entirely for the prize of five tokens.

The next Machine will be to your immediate left, on the ground floor by the Capital B Pachinko wall game. This one is the second most challenging as it will feature five reels instead of three, getting faster after every stop. And the direction of each dial’s spin changing between up and down with every slot switch you slam on. With the right patience, the completion of this machine will reward you with seven tokens.

The next one isn’t too much further to the left, and is much simpler, as you’ll only need to stop the traditional three reels. But beware: the reels are once again spinning in different directions from one another. The first and third slot wheels will have the Banana slot positioned before the Yooka-Laylee symbol, and Duke’s head will spin by right before the Lizard and Bat mug on the middle one; just keep an eye on these to help time the moments that you need to slam to get another win at the slots. Once successful, you’ll be rewarded with five tokens.

You know what, we lied, this last machine is definitely the trickiest one as the three switches on this coin-eater aren’t connected to the reels that they’re directly in front of, making it a bit disorienting to keep track of. The first switch will stop the third reel, while the second will stop the first, and the final halting the middle reel — the speed will also shift with each stop but if you manage to match this one up, you’ll earn another five tokens for your collection.

After you're done here, the next goal will be to the immediate left along the walkway. You’ll spot some raised platforms and a spot to the right of it resembling a poker chip with some rotating card suits that’re garnishing its perimeter. Stand in the middle of the Blue Poker Chip spot with all the card suits, because they’re not merely just some gaudy décor, they’re switches that will need to be triggered all at once by Laylee’s Sonar ‘Splosion.

Once you have your wing-girl screech her heart out, you’ll cause the Poker Chip to rise up in a shooting stack that will shoot you up to the top of the raised platforms. Jump your way over to the other end of the tables, and beware of the floating Bizzy’s that guard the area as they can be a bit tricky to evade when you’re hopping from one spinning table to the next. Keep going to reach the end of the gambling dials to arrive at the second spot with spinning card suits, and let out another Sonar ‘Splosion.

You’ll then activate a telescoping platform that will bridge the long gap between you, and the path to the second section of tables that were near the guarded security room. Cross the makeshift bridge as quickly as you before it retracts back into its port to reach the other side where a third poker chip platform awaits.

Trigger it to elevate to a marble-top scaffolding where you’ll then need to use the Glide maneuver to float over to the tables where there will be a building with a Craps floor plan. Inside is a series of Hallways with trenches that can only be crossed by riding the moving roulette table platforms that travel back and forth between the trench, hiding some tokens along the way.

Be careful not to get hurt by the giant red balls that're circling the rotating roulette platforms in order to reach the end of the corridor, and Sonar ‘Splosion the switches that hide the remaining tokens, earning you 6 coins altogether.

Once you make your way out of the Wager Laser room, turn right, and head in that direction until you hit the wall at the end with a high rise boxroom that resembles a security office. You’ll want to follow the end of the wall to the corner, until you come across a nook with an infrared light brightly casting a conspicuous looking lens-like sensor on the wall—look a bit familiar to you?

That’s right, another chance to whip out the Camo Cloak so that you can reflect the beaming light into a concentrated laser, and aim it directly at the lens-like panel. Doing so will trigger the platform next to you to rise up, where another panel and laser light will conveniently appear for you to repeat the process.

After you get to the third platform and blast the last two panels, you’ll be granted access to the security room that’s holding some caged tokens -- and troublesome goons inside of it.

To unlock the cages with the goods, beat up on anything that moves until the enemy respawns eventually stop, chiming a tune that will open all of the cages where you can add a total of five tokens to your collection.

To navigate to the first bundle of tokens, you’ll want to make a hard right from the entrance of Capital Cashino, as you'll stop at a metal Tunnel opening. Go inside the tunnel where you’ll end up in a room where a mustachioed Usher will wait by a locked off gate. Speak with the reeled Curator who will ask you to destroy all of the enemies within the laser room -- with the promise of a handle of coins for your services in return.

As the door opens, make your way in. You’ll have two different options to dispatch the troublesome enemies hiding behind the cascade of glass paneling.

You can either defeat the enemies with the intended use of the Camo Cloak against the giant laser within the middle of the room, aiming it’s concentrated blast around the perimeter of the room and sweeping all the goons in sight. Or you can simply spam Sonar ‘Splosion and the radius of Laylee’s scream will also take them out.

Clearing out the room of baddies will net you your first five tokens.

Yooka-Laylee, the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie has some mighty big paw prints to fill, and as such, Playtonic Studios has gone to great lengths to amplify the elements that the Bear n' Bird titles were famous for by eleven, with huge stages that’re chock full of objects to collect.

One particular level is already earning a reputation for its demanding fetch quests, with its intricate nooks and crannies that’re tricky enough to have some gamers crashing into their own intellectual walls in frustration; I’m talking about the fourth world, Capital Cashino.

The glitzy adult arcade is easily the most distinct stage in Yooka-Laylee as it only has six physical Pagies to collect out the 25 total—the other 18 have to be purchased with a unique form of currency that’s only found in the casino at a poorly disguised Capital B at the remittance stand. With 180 Cashino Tokens to collect, the already bloated list of trinkets to snag might make the process of inventory management even more imposing to the seasoned gamer, let alone a first time player to the collectathon formula.

Luckily, GameSkinny has you covered with this detailed guide on how to grab every single coin in the flashy world.

Before you jump into the guide though, we should get some disclaimers out of the way.

This walkthrough will only focus on where to the find the tokens within the stage and the steps involved with getting them; we won’t be covering the other six Pagies that’re associated with the level, such as Ghost Writer hunting or the Kartos mini-game. This guide is also written with the presumption that you have already expanded the Grand Tome belonging to Capital Cashino with the necessary Pagie cost, and will be prioritized as one play-through where all the areas of the stage are already available.

The bits that we want to get out of the way are the location of your move-tutoring snake sensei, Trowzer, and the science doodad item, the Mollycool, as they’re both vital to the completion of this coin run.

You can locate the serpentine salesman north of the world’s entrance after you’ve made it past the security cameras. Hang a left by the villainous cashier at the corner of the Card House. Once there, Trowzer will charge you 80 quills for the Reptile Rush move, a maneuver that will have the duo charge up their Reptile Roll in place by triggering the Reptile Roll and pressing the attack button, working similarly a technique made famous by a certain Blue Rodent.

The Mollycool is another easy item to snag, as you’ll make way toward the structure that’s smack dab in the middle of the casino floor. The prized fuel for the doctor’s D.N.Ray is hidden within a slot machine that’s conspicuously close by the tentacle scientist, and will only require three well-timed Buddy Slams on the Yooka-Laylee slot reel to pop out as a prize from the one-armed bandit.

Not that you have all that taken care of, it’s time we start placing bets, and earning some of that sweet golden change that Capital Cashino has to offer!

Yooka-Laylee is an open-world, action-adventure platformer that -- finally -- launched April 11, after Playtonic's successful Kickstarter for the game in 2015.

Dr. Quack is the mentally-unstable duck in charge of Quack Corp. His multiple-choice Quickfire Quiz is meant to stop Yooka and Laylee from progressing. The player starts with three lives, and must get a total of 10 questions correct.

If you:

• Answer a question correctly, you advance forward to the next hexagon platform.
• Answer a question incorrectly, you lose one life.
• Lose three lives, you will lose your progress and return to start of the quiz.

That can't happen, of course. If you're stuck with this quiz, don't worry -- we have you covered with the right answers!

The Quickfire Quiz answer overview has been broken up into three sections. We'll be going over all of them in this article.

Spoilers below! Don't continue reading if you don't want to view the correct responses!

Shipwreck Creek / Hivory Towers / Tribalstack Tropics

• Q: Tribalstack Tropics...How many pagies were required to unlock it?
• A: 1

• Q: The Knights of Hamalot...which one rides a pathetic horse?
• A: Lady Leapalot

• Q: The disappointing monument boss, Rampo...what does he hate?
• A: Door-to-door salesmen

• Q: The Hivory Towers HUB... How many pagies have you illegally stolen from it?
• A: [Current number of pagies from Hivory Towers]

• Q: Those ghastly ghost writers... which did you capture first in Tribalstack Tropics?
• A: [Which the player captured first]

• Q: Underneath the Tribalstack entrance... what color is the ghost writer?
• A: Yellow

• Q: The ridiculous cloud, Nimble... where can she be found in Tribalstack Tropics?
• A: By the riverbed

• Q: Hivory Towers' hard working employees... which did you cruelly defeat first?
• A: Corplet

• Q: The deceitful salesman Trowzer... how many Quills does he require for his very first move?
• A: 0

• Q: The irrelevant dinosaur, Rextro... which token does he seek?
• A: Play Coin

• Q: The hungry hog in Tribalstack Topics... What is his name?
• A: Sir Scoffslot 

• Q: The new boss, Capital B...what color is his official statue?
• A: Gold

• Q: The ridiculous, fishbowl freak Dr. Puzz...What is her first transformation?
• A: A plant

• Q: That crumbling sea ship you call home...what flies from the mast?
• A: Shorts

• Q: Trowzer's bogus moves...which did you purchase first?
• A: [Either Slurp Shot, Buddy Slam, or Sonar Shot]

• Q: Pagies (legal property of Hivory Towers)...How many do you have in total?
• A: [Current number of pagies] 

• Q: Quills (legal property of Hivory Towers)... how many do you have in total?
• A: [Current number of quills]

• Q: This quiz... How many hexagons are on the board?
• A: 10. 

• Q: How long has it taken you to get this far?
• A: [Current play time]

Glitterglaze Glacier / Moodymaze Marsh

• Q: The terrifying bottle-dispensing Vendi... how many total tonics does she wield?
• A: 16

• Q: Glitterglaze Glacier's useless snowmen... how many are there?
• A: 5

• Q: That horribly designed character, Clara... what does she need you to save on Glitterglaze Glacier? 
• A: Her pot. 

• Q: The disturbing bubble move you use underwater... What is it called?
• A: Bubble Buddy

• Q: The Haunted Trollies in Moodymaze Marsh.... which one wore a stupid hat?
• A: Wally

• Q: How long has it taken you to get this far?
• [Current play time]

Capital Cashino/ Galleon Galaxy / Capital B's Office

• Q: How many wheels do I have?
• A: 4

• Q: How many Snowmen in GG?
• A: 5

• Q: Trowzer's Mushroom shelter, what color is it?
• A: Yellow

• Q: Those Bogus butterfly boosters, how many have you stolen so far?
• A: [Number of butterfly boosters]

• Q: The Tribalstack Temple... who lives inside?
• A: The Duke

• Q: The smelly tavern in Galleon Galaxy.... who was locked behind bars?
• A: A Pagie

• Q: The ridiculous Retro Sixtyfourus.... what colour were his shoes?
• A: He doesn't wear shoes!

• Q: Capital B's Office.... how many golden statues were in front??
• A: 2

Picture Questions

• A: Clara

• A: Ollie

• A: The Duke's Temple

• A: Rextro's Arcade

• A: Rampo's Temple

• A: Under the palace

• A: Tribal Village

There's no reason to miss a question! As Dr. Quack wisely says, "All these answers are on the internet, by the way."

For more Yooka-Laylee content, check out GameSkinny's other guides:

• Tips and Tricks for Beating Brrreze Blok Boss
• Galleon Galaxy Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Capital Cashino Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Tribalstack Tropics Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Moodymaze Marsh Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Glitterglaze Glacier Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• How to Collect Each Type of Ghost Writer
• Mollycool Locations Guide
• How to Run Yooka-Laylee in Exclusive Mode and Why You Should

Today I'll be breaking down what Exclusive Mode exactly is, the technical aspects of it, and most importantly the benefits it offers if you decide to run Yooka-Laylee in it.

When you start up Yooka-Laylee you'll be presented with two options, the option just to play regularly or in Exclusive Mode. Think of Exclusive Mode as basically the fullscreen option you'd find in most video games, so you're probably wondering; why does this exist or what's the difference in this and regular fullscreen you find in other games?

In short; not a lot. Yooka-Laylee runs on the Unity engine, which for those unaware doesn't allow games to run exclusively in full screen unless they are launched with a specific command line. So basically if you select Exclusive Mode when you start Yooka-Laylee, it forces the game to load in with exclusive fullscreen capabilities as opposed to running natively in windowed capabilities.

Why This Could Benefit you and Improve Frame Rate

To keep things simple and brief, when running in Exclusive Mode you're essentially giving the game full control over the screen's output. Meaning your computer will only focus on rendering the game itself and the content included within it.

Everything from increasing the rendering time for the game's graphics, ranging from draw distance and texture load, to even potentially increasing the frame rate the game can run at. These seem to be ongoing issues for a lot of people, so if you are experiencing frame rate issues, this could be your best bet to soak every last frame out of Yooka-Laylee.

But if your computer is already pretty powerful, chances are you're not going to notice much of a difference. If you're not running Yooka-Laylee in Exclusive Mode, basically the game will be running in windowed mode, even if the game is in fullscreen resolution for you (often known as borderless fullscreen).

Your system instead of dedicating full resources to the game as you would get with normal fullscreen in most games, instead the game will simply be added to the tasks your computer is already dealing with. Such as running the OS and other programs you may have running in the background, which in turn could make the game perform worse (unless of course you have a beefy PC, and have plenty of spare power).

----

In summary, if you already have a pretty decent computer, chances are exclusive mode won't do much for you except possibly give you a few extra frames. But if you're having serious frame rate issues and slow down, then you may wanna try exclusive mode so your computer can dedicate full resources to it.

For more Yooka-Laylee guides, or even to read GameSkinny's review, have a look below:

• Tips and Tricks for Beating Brrreze Blok Boss
• Galleon Galaxy Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Capital Cashino Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Tribalstack Tropics Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Moodymaze Marsh Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• Glitterglaze Glacier Ghost Writers & More Location Guide
• How to Collect Each Type of Ghost Writer
• Mollycool Locations Guide
• All the Right Answers to Dr. Quack's Quiz Time
• Review: You Would Swear Collectathons Never Died

While exploring the Icymetric Palace in World 2 of Yooka-Laylee, you come across a large head attached to a wall named Brrreze Blok and beating him just isn't as easy as it should be. Lucky for you the boss battle is actually a lot easier than it seems.

To beat Brrreze Blok it comes down to timing your dodges and using scorch berries.

Directly across from the wall where the boss will move across is a small tree called a Scorchberry bush from which players can grab scorch berries. Using these berries you'll be able to breathe fire that thaws Brrreze Blok slowly but surely.

While you attempt to do this, be mindful of his icy projectiles he'll randomly throw to hit you. Though the flames may not seem to do much than mildly annoy him at first eventually dialogue will come up showing he is actually being affected.

As you continue to thaw him, he will move faster and throw more ice blocks your way. The smaller he gets, the more blocks he'll throw and faster he becomes. To avoid this just remember to circle back around after every igniting of Brrreze in the following pattern:

1. Ignite
2. Run in circular pattern towards small tree
3. Run back to Brrreze Blok
4. Repeat

Once this is done enough times Brrreze Blok will disappear and players receive the "Knocking Down Walls" achievement or trophy.

If you like these Yooka Laylee tips, tricks, and guides look no further than GameSkinny's coverage.

Playtonic Game's long awaited collect-a-thon revival game Yooka-Laylee, recently released to mixed reception, while Sumo Digital's all new platformer, Snake Pass, released only a short time before with slightly better reviews than its kickstarted rival. Some expected Yooka-Laylee to be the better of the two due to its lineage and weren't sure what to expect with Snake Pass, while others thought Yooka-Laylee was a waste of time stuck in the past and were excited to see what Snake Pass had to offer.

While both fill voids in the genre, here are some comparisons between the two 3D platformers to help decide if one is truly better than the other.

Initial Concepts

Yooka-Laylee Plays It Safe

Yooka-Laylee could have been the game to make 3D collect-a-thon platformers popular again, but it offered nothing new in terms of gameplay. Instead, it took its gameplay straight from its predecessors, making it feeling outdated and derivative.

All of the features of older 3D platformers comprise its gameplay: jump, double jump, attack, drop attack. On top of that, other seemingly outmoded features such as on-rails sections, copious item collection, and just about everything players remember from games like Banjo Kazooie is found here. This would be fine if Yooka-Laylee expanded upon those mechanics, adding new unique twists to each one, but instead, it keeps them the way they are, making the gameplay rather ordinary and somewhat boring.

Snake Pass is a Similar Concept with a Twist.

On the other hand, Snake Pass does things a bit differently. Sure it has plenty in common with Yooka-Laylee: Both games star a reptile with a flying companion, both are inspired by 3D platformers of the past, both have great soundtracks, and both are available on just about all modern consoles.

But one of the reasons players may be enjoying Snake Pass more is because of its unique mechanics. The movement of the main character, Noodle, is based off of how real life snakes slither, rather than the usual running and jumping seen in other 3D platformers. Snake Pass focuses more on originality and figuring out how to get from one part of a level to the next while avoiding deadly obstacles in a novel and interesting way, rather than doing its best to be a proper spiritual sequel to an older game.

Differing Graphical Quality

Yooka-Laylee Fails to Deliver in the Graphical Department

Yooka-Laylee isn't the first 3D platformer to be in HD, but it is the first Banjo Kazooie spiritual successor to be -- unless you actually count the much-derided Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts as a successor for some odd reason.

According to some, Yooka-Laylee has poor graphical quality, which may be due to the graphics engine used for the game. Yooka-Laylee utilizes the Unity engine, which is commonly associated with affordability and smaller indie games. In his review for the game, Youtube personality and game reviewer Jim Sterling claims:

"While it’s bright and colorful, the game’s choppy framerate and wonky physics mitigate any pleasure one might derive from the graphics. Stages aren’t particularly detailed in their design, featuring lots of basic blocks, platforms, and ramps, while characters themselves are mildly endearing if somewhat forgettable. It’s the kind of game that looks far better in screenshots than when viewed in motion."

Despite having the colorfulness of games like Banjo Kazooie, it seems as if the graphics of Yooka-Laylee haven't improved all that much. 

Snake Pass Has Superior Graphics Over Its Rival

Snake Pass uses the impressive Unreal Engine 4 to power its graphics and as such, it has received few complaints about graphical quality. In GameSpot's review, Oscar Dayus says: 

"As you improve, the momentum you build in gliding up and over obstacles can lead to some wonderful sights -- there's something instinctively satisfying about seeing a snake's tail chase after its head, especially knowing you were the choreographer. And that's helped by the vibrant character and environment art, the latter of which accentuates each world's natural beauty, while the changing color palettes make each level appear distinct from the last.

This is a game whose sense of motion is palpable, with platforms whizzing by and moving reptilian stripes attracting the eye - -and yet I often found myself gazing at a distant treeline or glowing collectible orb."

A stark contrast to Sterling's comments on Yooka-Laylee, the smooth quality and vibrancy of the environments in Snake Pass help show another way it manages to keep the 3D platformer genre fresh, instead of sticking to the basics.

Review Scores

Yooka-Laylee is Never Quite Above Average

Working off that, the reviews for Yooka-Laylee have ranged from the low side of positive to astoundingly negative. Most reviewers agree that Yooka-Laylee succeeds in copying the framework laid down by games like Banjo Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day, but at the same time, it doesn't bring anything new to the table, which narrows its key audience.

Due to its outdated gameplay mechanics, bringing nothing new or interesting to the formula, and its questionable graphics, Yooka-Laylee has not been able to reach its full potential.

Slithery Reviews for Snake Pass

Oddly enough, the best review scores for Snake Pass are only slightly higher than the review scores for Yooka-Laylee, and as of this writing, both games have the same metascore (Snake Pass does have a slightly higher user score, though).

This may be because players are not accustomed to the unique gameplay of Snake Pass, and reviews claim the game expects you to learn everything a bit too quickly.  But unlike Yooka-Laylee, players do actually learn in Snake Pass, rather than staying inside of their comfort zone.

Other Problems

Yooka-Laylee was also involved in a rather interesting, albeit short-lived, controversy where a Youtube personality was removed from the voice cast due to some controversial statements made prior to the game's release, which you can read more about here.

The only problems Snake Pass seems to have are awkward camera positions, the previously mentioned claims it expects you to learn its unique mechanics a bit too quickly, and that the main characters are (arguably) not as charming as the mascots of the platformers which came before them. These frustrating problems are likely the reason why its review scores aren't much higher than Yooka-Laylee.

The Verdict

Snake Pass is Cheaper & More Fun Than Yooka-Laylee

Despite having astoundingly similar reception, from this evidence it's clear to see Snake Pass is the better modern 3D platformer of the two, albeit only slightly. Snake Pass introduces a new interesting game mechanic, has the graphical advantage and better-looking environments, and is also half the price of Yooka-Laylee.

You can buy Snake Pass for $20 on the PlayStation Store, Xbox One Games Store, Nintendo Switch eShop, and PC.

However, if you're still interested in Yooka-Laylee, you can buy it for $40 on the PlayStation Store, Xbox One Games Store, and PC. It will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop in the near future.

And if you're not quite sure about Yooka-Laylee, the game's publisher, Team 17, has a handful of other great games for players to enjoy -- such as 2016's multiplayer smash hit Overcooked!

Which platformer do you prefer, Snake Pass or Yooka-Laylee? Sound off in the comments below! 

When it comes to games aimed at the family playing together, there's no shortage on the media-rich Xbox One console. These 10 are only a few of many kid-focused games available in 2017. 

What did you think of our list, and what E-rated games would you recommend we try out with our kids this year? Let us know if you pick up any of the titles on this list and tell us what your children thought!

The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure

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• Buy it on: Amazon
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• Release Date: November 3, 2016
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• Price: $29.99
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Think of a side scrolling platform game like Mario, add in the Peanuts characters, and simplify for it the 6 - 8 year olds. You've exactly got Snoopy's Grand Adventure. Typically with movie-branded titles like this you aren't expecting anything too amazing, but the level design and fun factor here is well worth it.

Just Dance 2017

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• Buy it on: Amazon
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• Release Date: October 25, 2016
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• Price: $49.99
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A new year means a new Just Dance entry (and a rare Kinect release). With this game, you can get your kids off the couch and exercising while they unlock achievements and have fall-down-laughing fun with their friends!

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas

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• Buy it on: Microsoft Xbox One Store
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• Release Date: September 6, 2016
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• Price: $14.99
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Diving into the traditional Zelda style with wild abandon, Oceanhorn is one of only a handful of games on the Xbox One that provides that classic Nintendo atmosphere. There are monsters and sword-swinging on this one, so it may not be for all families. But the violence is kept fairly abstract without any blood, and the cutesy style is more aimed at kids than adults.

Rime

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• Buy it on: Amazon (pre-order)
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• Release Date: May 26, 2017
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• Price: $29.99
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Due out next month, this adventure game will scratch a somewhat similar itch as the much-lauded Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, but without having to buy a Nintendo Switch.

This cartoon stylized title has the player exploring open landscapes and solving puzzles to advance to new areas -- using music, lighting, and perspectives to find clues on how to open up locations.

Fruit Ninja Kinect 2

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• Buy it on: Microsoft Xbox One Store
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• Release Date: March 17, 2015
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• Price: $14.99
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Although some mini-games get added in this time around, for the most part there's no complicated mechanics or gameplay to learn in this Kinect classic sequel.

Even the youngest ones can stand in front of the screen and wave their arms at waves of fruit. Get some competitive spirit going between family members as you see who can slice and dice the most pears, strawberries, and pineapples in the shortest time -- while throwing some cardio into the evening!

Minecraft Xbox One Edition

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• Buy it on: Microsoft Xbox One Store
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• Release Date: September 4, 2014
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• Price: $19.99
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The popularity of this game just never seems to fade, with the title landing on nearly every single platform out there in one version or another. The graphics are incredibly simplistic and there's not much in the way of combat, so it's a good fit for the younger crowd.

There's a lot going on beneath the surface however, with many mechanics to learn as a player figures out how to build things and craft objects. This can be an excellent learning experience for the kiddos and tons of fun for the parents to help out with as well.

A ton of skin packs are also available so you can tailor the Minecraft experience to whatever your child prefers -- from Power Rangers to Star Wars to fantasy landscapes.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

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• Buy it on: Microsoft Xbox One Store
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• Release Date: February 22, 2016
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• Price: $39.99 (or free with EA Access subscription)
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While the original Plants vs. Zombies game was a puzzle title, this action-packed spinoff is basically a kid's version of adult shooters like Call Of Duty. While there is some comic violence here, overall the game is much more on the cute and funny side that's appropriate for anyone 10+ or so.

Rather than a soldier, Garden Warfare 2 puts the player in the role of a living sunflower trying to save the neighborhood from bumbling zombies who can't manage to do anything quite right. To tell if this scenario is right for your kids, check out some gameplay footage below.

Skylanders Imaginators

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• Buy it on: Walmart
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• Release Date: October 16, 2016
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• Price: $49.99 for base set + more for extra figurines and packs
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After the sad demise of Disney Infinity, the toys-to-life genre is less crowded these days -- with Skylanders stepping in to take the lead. Combining figurine collecting with digital gaming, Skylanders lets you buy new physical characters that can then be used in-game, as well as adding in the ability for players to create their own unique characters.

LEGO Worlds

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• Buy it on: Amazon
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• Release Date: March 7, 2017
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• Price: $29.99
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If your kids loved the LEGO Movie (or just love playing with LEGOs), this sandbox title is essentially a LEGO-branded version of the Minecraft experience, letting your kid build whatever their imagination comes up with. They can also play randomized levels if they don't feel like building their own. 

Yooka-Laylee

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• Buy it on: Amazon
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• Release Date: May 26, 2017
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• Price: $39.99
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For parents who have fond memories of playing brightly colored platformers like Banjo-Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, or Spyro The Dragon, you'll be having a nostalgia trip watching your own children dive into the adorable Yooka-Laylee.

There's no question that the gaming medium has evolved way past its origins as a pastime primarily for children. While most games these days are aimed at adults or teens, the little ones aren't entirely neglected -- as you'll see with these 10 games.

There are plenty of titles released each year that specifically avoid objectionable content that might result in some awkward questions for parents who aren't quite ready for those kinds of conversations just yet.

Here we are rounding up some of the best Xbox One games available in 2017 that are family-friendly but don't lose any of the fun factor.

Sadly, the Kinect bombed on this console iteration and the promise of a healthy lineup of improved motion games wasn't delivered on, so there's not a lot left in the way of games that make your kids get up and move while playing.

Only a handful of Kinect Xbox One games were released, and we'll cover two of them here that are still fun for the little ones. But for the most part these will be more traditional on-the-couch games mostly free of violence or any sort of adult situations.

The Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor, Yooka-Laylee, allows you to control two characters at once, much like with it's influences. This time you play as a chameleon named Yooka and a crazy bat named Laylee, hence the game's title.

The game's plot is fairly simple.

Being the curious little creatures they are, Yooka and Laylee decide that Shipwreck Creek isn't exciting enough (my words, not theirs) and decide to leave for the more appealing work halls of Hivory Towers to find "Pagies" -- creatures that will allow them to traverse the mystical and mysterious Grand Tomes. The main goal is to stop the villains -- Capital B and Dr. Quack -- from converting literature into profit.

But, you wanted to know how to save the game. The answer is fairly simple. Do you remember those Pagie's that we talked about earlier? Well, when you collect them, as well as the Ghost Writer and other important collectibles, the game will allow you to save.

Aren't you glad I went through a plot explanation now?

Seriously though, it's ridiculous that it's taken us this long -- myself included -- to figure this out. But maybe that says more about Playtonic Games and Team17 then us.

How adorable are those collectibles though? Let us know if it's either 9 or 10 out of 10 adorable in the comments below!

Galleon Galaxy is Yooka-Laylee's final world, and the challenges it poses are the most difficult of them all. Finding all of its collectibles takes a keen eye and perseverance.

This walkthrough guide will cover how to collect this world's Butterfly Booster, Mollycool, Power Extender, and Ghost Writers, with images and descriptions of the tasks at hand. This is a weird world to get around, so I try my best here to guide you through it without spoiling much.

This guide does not cover this world's Pagies, Quills, or secret collectible. But the items it does cover should be of help. You do not need to expand Galleon Galaxy to get its Power Extender, Yellow Ghost Writer, Pink Ghost Writer, or Blue Ghost Writer.

Mollycool

This is one world where transforming is absolutely necessary, and it's one of the few things you can do before you expand. So you've got to get it quickly.

After you've flown across the gap from the entrance, make a right and go all the way up the slope (and be careful not to roll into the electric barriers).

There's a structure at the top with a Pagie inside that you should definitely get. But if you're looking for the Mollycool, all you need to do is fly to the top of the structure from the outside and grab it. (Not pictured below, but it's atop this structure.)

Butterfly Booster

This is definitely one of the trickier ones to see, from start to finish.

Once you expand Galleon Galaxy, a number of islands and buildings open up. The one you're looking for to find the Butterfly Booster is at the far end of the world with an orange dome building.

There are two entrances to this building, and luckily you're going to want to go into the one that doesn't require you to transform to open it up. The entrance you want to use is the one that is on the second floor and to the side. It's hard to see but circled below.

Once inside you must complete the obstacles to get a Pagie -- but don't start heading toward the exit just yet. There's a small hole you can fly up to collect this world's Butterfly Booster. The hole is circled in the image below.

Fly on in and it's yours to collect.

Power Extender

Getting this Power Extender may be the biggest source of frustration in the game.

First you need to transform into the boat and navigate toward the back of the island where the D.N. Ray is located, so you can destroy an asteroid covering a cave. The image below shows the cave location, but not the asteroid that was there prior. (Image is post-expansion so there is a bridge here, but there isn't one pre-expansion).

Make your way across the Cosmic Cavern. Flying is the easiest method.

In the next room, turn right to see a red force field. You'll have to get through it and the subsequent ones using Sonar Shield.

Inside the rotating cylinder is where things get tricky. It's very easy to die inside of the cylinder. The Power Extender can be reached on top of the rod in the middle, which is difficult to get to since it's rotating and the camera seems to be working against you in this segment.

Your best bet is to stand on one of the beams on the side until it's moving upward and starts to be horizontal, then run out onto the rod in the middle to grab the Power Extender.

That was harder work than I'd like to admit.

Ghost Writers

The Yellow Ghost Writer

This little guy is hiding out near the level entrance. When you come out of the tome look to the right to see a small path aside from the main one where you fly to the rest of the level. The "main" route is to the left and the one you need to go to the right in the image below

Here you'll find a small meteor obstacle area, and at the end is the Yellow Ghost Writer.

The Pink Ghost Writer

Once you fly over to the "real" start of this world, look for a short ramp across from Vendi to find a cracked glass widow. Use Reptile Rush to shatter the window and go on through.

The Pink Ghost Writer will be inside, right next to the bomb plant you need to eat to feed it. How convenient!

The Blue Ghost Writer

The giggly Blue Ghost Writer is really big on throwing you for a loop with its laughing. Sometimes it's just a bit off.. and you end up throwing Sonar Shots around like you've got nothing better to do.

This one's much the same way, but getting to it is very easy.

The image below shows the structure you need to head over to in the distance, but don't worry about the glowing asteroid in the way. You should be able to fly by now, and you can fly right over. (Note: You do need to destroy the rocks via transformation to do the puzzle in this area and get Quills + Pagie).

The Blue Ghost Writer can be found at the top of the structure, despite hearing its giggles below. Sonar Shot it to make it come out and collect it up.

The Green Ghost Writer

You've got to get this one via this world's transformation. If you haven't gotten the Mollycool yet, scroll up to find out where it is, grab it, and then it's time to hunt this one down.

The image below shows where you need to steer over to, from the transformation point.

Once there you have to melt the asteroids circled to reveal the Green Ghost Writer and then chase it down as the boat to collect it. The image below doesn't show the Ghost Writer unfortunately, just the asteroids up close.

The Red Ghost Writer

This is the hardest to find in Galleon Galaxy, and can be easy to miss completely. First head inside the Black Hole-in-One.

Once inside, turn your camera up and left to see the UFO-like structure pictured below.

Fly up to the top of it and look down to see the Red Ghost Writer inside. Don't let the air inside push you around too much.

That wraps up these collectibles in Galleon Galaxy. If you're still trying to hunt down some in other worlds, feel free to check out my other similar guides for them:

• Tribalstack Tropics collectibles walkthrough guide
• Glitterglaze Glacier collectibles walkthrough guide
• Moodymaze Marsh collectibles walkthrough guide
• Capital Cashino collectibles walkthrough guide

If the Yooka-Laylee collectathon craze has taken you by storm, then you may be feeling the urge to collect things in real life. From custom posters to t-shirts, you won't want to miss grabbing these Yooka-Laylee inspired items. 

Yooka-Laylee Beanies

Yooka-Laylee Wall Art

Yooka-Laylee Apparel 

These t-shirts come in a variety of designs and color options. Some of them come with stickers, too!

* * *

I’m always looking for new awesome products, so please send me your favorites at commerce@LaunchMediaNetwork.com. 

Funny how no matter how mesmerizing a particular view of the landscape in 3D world of a game may be, that those good vibes can all go to hell the moment you take one wrong step of a Cliffside, and fall to your grisly death?

Getting killed by awful camera controls is the platformer equivalent of getting hit with your own koopa-troopa shell in Mario Kart; it’s easily one of the most frustrating occurrences that the genre is culpable of, so much so that the merit of a platformer can be judged by the polish of their camera dynamics.

Take Yooka-Laylee for instance, the game has plenty of good to offer, but it's guilty on more than one occasion of forcing bad viewpoints on a player during its more harrowing platforming sequences. Purists may argue that bad technical elements like these are all a part of the 3D Platformer experience, and that to parse a platformers quality over these flaws would be the same condemning a Beatles' Reunion album for its “dated” sound.

That analogy isn’t entirely accurate though is it; Not all may appreciate the quirks to the legendary band’s sound, but those criticisms all come from a subjective place -- bad camera angles are just a flaw that objectively hurts the content it plagues, no matter how you want to dice it. It’s fascinating that rose-tinted glasses borne of nostalgic devotion could blind them to the ugly truth behind cumbersome perspectives, but these were also concessions that we were willing to make out of an understanding for the technical limitations that the genre had at the time in its prime -- keyword there is HAD.

There’s no reason for these issues to exist in an age where free-roaming cameras that are dynamically adjustable should exist. Granting total player control over a shifting camera angle isn’t the daunting task that it once was, with a variety of alterations to the mechanic that make it feel as seamless, and liberating as you should feel when exploring a sprawling world in three dimensions.

The genre has evolved to the point where there have are work-arounds to combat even the most daunting camera angle issue, like take the areas where the scale of the surrounding architecture commands enough screen space to obscure your heroic mascot out of view altogether for example. Whenever this situation crops up, developers have made it to where a silhouetted model of your playable character will cast over whatever blockade that’s covering the scene,  filtering over the shrouded foreground, and eliminating a lot of the annoyance that come from those finicky viewpoints.

We’ve come a long way, and yet, we see still see kind of stuff happening in game design today, even outside of the platformer genre; a lot of it stems from the same, twenty-year old reason, limitations.

Putting Yooka-Laylee under the microscope again, the self-admitted revival prides itself on delivering giant, nuanced levels with as many nooks and crannies as it can fit into a level for you to search through, and as such, can land the pair into some precarious venues that aren’t very camera-friendly. Other modern platformers like Super Mario Galaxy attribute their polished camera to the linear level design of their stages, with movement that circumscribes to whatever piece of geometry that the plumber is floating on, Yooka-Laylee works to the opposite of that effect, doing everything that it can to expand the playing field to extravagant lengths.

The quest to liberate players with this new sense of scale to their exploration needs an even more sophisticated camera calibrated to meet those lofty demands, leading to several instances where the action needed to challenge some of Yooka-Laylee’s more skill-based trials aren’t complimented by a flexible camera view that can complement what the player is trying to accomplish.

Balancing a larger-than-life level design with a camera that’s robust enough to handle that scope of size is a slippery tightrope to balance on, and game design still has a long way to go before we’ll reach a point where we no longer have to struggle with seeing what we’re doing. Fortunately, there have already been plenty of advancements that have been made that bring hope towards the one day where we won’t fall victim to a twisty, turny hellscape of a bird's-eye view gone horribly wrong.