Games have been part of human entertainment for years and Nintendo played a part in it before the digital era. Before there were any consoles or handhelds; board games, action games, and family games were what really mattered to have some fun. Although those never disappeared, a lot of them became lesser-known and some even forgotten. With 51 Worldwide Games, you’ll get the opportunity to play 51 iconic games from all over the world, all put together on one single Nintendo Switch cartridge. It’s the perfect marriage of old-school gaming on a modern console. But, is it fun? Let’s find out!
Something for everybody
The moment you start playing 51 Worldwide Games, you’ll be blown away by the number of playable games. This truly is an impressive collection filled to the brim with classic games from all over the world. You can instantly play classics such as Chess, Texas Hold ‘Em, Four in a Row, and plenty more while you can also get your hands on more exotic games such as Hanafuda. What I like most about the curating of games is the fact that there’s something for everybody here. If you’re not really into board games or card games, you can go for the more action-packed games such as Bowling, Darts, Golf, Air Hockey and more. If you want to know what’s on the cartridge, take a look at the overview trailer:
As I said, there’s something for everybody here and although I gravitated towards the games I was familiar with at first, it’s definitely worth learning to play the other games too. What this game does best is explaining the rules of the game in just a couple of minutes. Before you start, there’s a small introduction video where you’ll follow a quirky conversation between fictional characters, explaining the basics of the game. After the dialogue, you can read the rules and even some important hints on how to play and win the game you’re trying for the first time. Thanks to this, I easily mastered the rules of Chess, a game I never played before, and was afraid to learn in real-life due to its reputation of being hard to understand. This wasn’t the case at all! If you listened to the dialogue and read the instructions, you can still play the game in Assisted Mode, which will demonstrate how you can advance in the game with visual help on the board. In the case of Chess, it showed me where I could move my pieces and where they would be in danger. Thanks to this, you’ll learn how to play in a couple of minutes, which is a great plus if you ask me!
Together with your friends
Playing the games on your own is pretty fun, especially since you easily can change the level of difficulty of your opponent. But, a game like this just is even better when you play it together with your friends. It’s easy to play together both online as offline as the game really gives you a lot of options. If you only own one Nintendo Switch system, you can play a selection of the games together by sharing your Joy-Con set. It’s extremely easy and you’re set in mere seconds. If your friend owns a Switch system too, you can play together by using your own system to compete in local co-op mode. On top of that comes the innovating Mosaic mode which enables you to connect multiple Nintendo Switch systems to create a larger playing field in games such as Battle Tanks. Still not convinced? Maybe you should try the online mode!
Online goes in two different ways. You can play with your friends if you create a lobby an select the games you want to play. It’s easy to understand and you’re connected in no time. But, you can also challenge strangers online. You pick three games you want to play and the game connects you with a player who picked the same games, making it always a fun experience. The online support is great and it’s a good way to sharpen your skills. Although the CPU can really spice things up, nothing really compares to playing with another human being.
Keep on playing
The wide variety in playable games is the game’s biggest strength but it doesn’t stop there. If you continue playing, you’ll unlock more content such as different sets of cards or new guides that’ll appear on your virtual globe. These guides always challenge you to compete in a set of different games, keeping it interesting for you to continue playing. It’s a fun way to keep you engaged but don’t expect a lot more from this game than that. It’s a fun collection of games that’s easy to take with you and share with your friends. A game like this is a perfect match for a hybrid console like the Nintendo Switch but it’s not the next big thing obviously. That being said, it’s probably one of the best collections available on the system.
Conclusion:
51 Worldwide Games is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch as it offers hours of fun for a smaller price. The games are well-curated and offer something for everyone to enjoy. It’s entertaining to play on your own but the game truly shines in multiplayer. If you’re looking for a more traditional form of entertainment, this is one you simply need to own.
8/10
Tested on Nintendo Switch
