Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 isn’t shabby, but it isn’t shining either.

Mario Strikers: Battle League may be barebones, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. More characters, customization options, and game modes could really help improve the game, but the package delivered on release still holds incredible replay value. It’s a game worth coming back to over and over again, whether with friends or by yourself. Over-the-top action and the stylized Mario look make Mario Strikers: Battle League one of the most fun sports game experiences, I just hope more is added soon so it doesn’t get stale after a few months.

Zapling Bygone is not a memorable experience compared to some of the more well-known Metroidvania titles…However, even if it is somewhat derivative and unpolished, the story has enough charm and 16-bit art to make it a worthwhile experience.

Brain vs Brain is a very welcome return to a long-forgotten series. While it doesn’t offer anything quite so new besides new mini games and a strong multiplayer mode, it’s absolutely difficult to put down and full of challenging fun.

Evil West has a lot of things going for it—the designs are fascinating, the lore excellent, and the gameplay can be massively fun on hard. But it also has some downfalls—the levels feel just a bit too linear, and the main narrative takes a while to really jump into, and even then, it struggles with fluid cut scenes and complexity. While other games have been able to get away with a basic narrative because of their fantastic action, Evil West isn’t quite there.

The roguelike genre feels saturated with games that provide endless variety but with very little substance, and DIG – Deep in Galaxies feels like another unfortunate addition to the list. It gives a few highs, but they get lost somewhere after the fifth repetitive objective on the fifth identical-looking planet.

Minami Lane is well-crafted and full of charm. Its mechanics are all perfectly balanced, and the visual display is a total joy. While the experience may be brief, it’s well worth the trip down Minami Lane.

Goblin Stone is a delightful romp through goblin lore. By placing the power in the hands of these mighty green goblins, there has never been more of a reason to try a new turn-based RPG. Orc Chop Games has made something special here.

For better or for worse, Square Enix wanted to make sure the Legend of Mana HD remaster was as close to the original as possible. Thankfully a beautiful world and good story help make up for the lack of guidance or varied combat. It may not be the most welcoming to newcomers, but fans of the original are in for a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane.

Atomfall shines by not telling you anything initially and letting you choose who you trust and betray to get to the ending you feel best suits your survivor.

The Order of Giants had a chance to do something fun with one of the most interesting aspects of The Great Circle‘s story, but it missed the mark. The DLC was fun as an excuse to play more of MachineGames’s excellent game. But it quickly began to feel like a mish-mash of ideas that were left on the cutting room floor.

While playing Layers of Fear 2 on the go isn’t quite as scary as its console versions, it’s nevertheless creepy and thought-provoking as you explore the well-crafted scenes and lose yourself in becoming a completely different person.

Overall, Gamedec is an excellent attempt to do the impossible. Tabletop games are as popular as they are today because they can’t be replicated anywhere else, but Gamedec comes as close as possible to making it a reality. I felt like my choices truly mattered, and that’s not something that happens often in games. While some of the virtualias can feel a bit tedious, the overall narrative they serve makes the experience worth it.

The Invincible is ultimately a sub-par experience. While it delivers flashes of quality in its cast and its attention to some details, the narrative is ultimately weighed down too much.

I have no doubt that Throne and Liberty will find a niche in the MMO community that it somehow speaks to. And I’m happy for those people that they will find something to enjoy here. But for most players, I don’t think Throne and Liberty will have anything valuable.

Pacing aside, Battle Train has the opportunity to become an instant classic with its easy to learn, difficult to master gameplay. The characters, story, and the humor in general all ease the sting of defeat, but they also ensure that your victories will feel triumphant when you eventually succeed.

Salt and Sacrifice is still a very worthwhile sequel to the original. While some of the elements don’t work as well as others, the game’s combat and build variety offer players a great sandbox to play around in.

Wildgate is the kind of chaos that only comes from tight design. It’s messy in all the right ways, and if you’ve got the crew, the headset, and the time to learn its rhythm, there’s nothing quite like it.

Even with its faults, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a stunning visual achievement, much like the films on which it's inspired. Only here, a rich narrative pulls you deep into the Na'vi and explores more tangible means of fighting back against a colonial power that offers a cathartic experience... Blow up a pipeline, save an animal, and explore the vast world of Pandora. That's a heck of a way to close out a year.

If the ultimate goal of the game is to have fun by turning your brain off and brutally defeating your enemies in elegant yet deadly combinations for hours on end where the story doesn’t matter, then Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection.

Invincible VS delivers a fun, frantic, and brutal fighting game experience. While it can be unforgiving at times, it never feels like you don’t have the tools to survive the bloody battles it challenges you with.

While Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince offers a serviceable and sometimes fun narrative and gameplay, the overall experience is unfortunately bogged down by its performance issues and the lack of simple yet essential features.

LEGO 2K Drive is classic LEGO fun with hours of exploration and racing to enjoy at any age.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a good addition to the world of racing games, with enough to make it totally unique but not too much to overcomplicate it. There are a few things I wish would make it feel more full, but for what it does deliver, it delivers it well.

If you can take the time to pace yourself and slowly enjoy everything the game has to offer from charming neighbors to home-cooked meals, then there is a whole lot to enjoy about Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.

Twelve Minutes is a truly phenomenal experience hindered only by forgivable a few gameplay bumps and the immense patience it takes to succeed.

Wizard With A Gun balances magical gunslinging expeditions with its equally engaging crafting side. It never feels too much or too little of either…an ever-expanding adventure of discovery and mastery that players will want to embark on time and time again.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed shows this cult classic did not age well. Beyond dialogue, updates to gameplay and graphics feel hollow when game-breaking bugs are still prevalent…That isn’t to say you won’t find fun here. But that fun may just be restricted to a 10-12 hour jaunt through memory lane.