Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Switch
Tested on: Switch
51 Worldwide Games – Review
It just might be that 51 Worldwide Games wasn’t immediately on your games radar when browsing through the big releases of the coming months. This Nintendo developed and published title is a collection of many small games that are known around the world, ranging from basic card games, to Mahjong, Shogi and even a collection of revamped Wii Play games. While we were already enamored by the visuals of the many different games, we were quite curious about the game’s multiplayer functions, be it couch co-op, the wireless local modes and the Mosaic mode that was also used in Mario Party for some games.
Story
While you’ll always have a short introduction when booting up one of the 51 games of this collection, there is no real story value to be found when playing through the content of this title. While the snippets are entertaining to watch once, you’ll just want to dive right in the gameplay, or at least read through the rules of some games first. There should not be any story included in this package to make it more attractive.
Graphics
The visual representation of all the different games feels quite spot-on. Some games are supposed to look like the real thing, or at least give you the impression of the real thing, while others look a bit childish, which perfectly fits their theme. We love the authentic look and feel of the card games, but also adore the games where you’re playing with toys or a turtle puzzle. Overall things look a bit on the clean and classic side, but this clean look creates a proper whole for this collection. There isn’t really anything that could have been handled better in the graphics area, without really overdoing it.
Sound
The sound design is fairly simple, but that’s great, as the single-player games are accompanied by simplistic and soothing sounds, while the multiplayer games’ music will matter less during hectic fun. Nonetheless, some games, such as chess, don’t really have an entertaining backdrop, and can even get annoying as you play longer matches.
All the games have voiced intros, which adds a certain charm to this collection. Also some explanations are voiced, which is also a plus. It shows that this collection isn’t just a ragtag dumping ground for different games, but that it took some effort from a development team creating a proper whole.
Gameplay
51 Worldwide Games is a collection of different board games, card games and mini-games, that either serve single-player or multiplayer purposes. Some games are to be played on your own, such as solitaire and mahjong, while others are best enjoyed with company, such as team tanks, last card, and so on. The game has a proper variety of games that will cater to everyone, and you can unlock different difficulties and levels for many of the different games.
Every game comes with a reasonable explanation of how everything works, but even so, some games are rather complicated at the start, making it so that several attempts are needed to fully grasp what is expected of you. Many games work with touch-screen controls, or can be played with a controller. When playing with more people locally, you’re forced to play with a single Joy-Con rather than relying on your Pro Controller. Most games are quite easy to control, but we noticed some hiccups when playing Team Tanks in terms of maneuverability.
A fun inclusion in this collection is the usage of the Mosaic mode, which was already present in the last installment of Mario Party. We were quite entertained with the workings of creating a big racetrack, having a big pond to fish in, and to create a huge battlefield to wade through with our tanks. The latter’s controls feel a bit off though, making it hard to actually properly play. You could also link together a big piano, which certainly is a fun novelty, but in terms of actually playing together, it feels a bit useless.
Conclusion
51 Worldwide Games is a great collection of different games, enjoyed best in the company of friends. While not every game supports up to four players, this collection has more than enough variety to cater to a fairly big audience. Chances are more than likely you’ll never touch certain games, and spend the bulk of your time with specific games, be it in single-player or multiplayer. We were also quite impressed with the game’s Mosaic capabilities, even if it only worked for four of the 51 games. It’s certainly a recommended game if you’re looking to spice up a fun party evening or even a board game night.
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