There is everything here to make a great game. The only thing it really needed was a few more months testing things out. Notably, the graphics need some upgrading, and combat devolves into repetition very soon. Smoothing some of these problems out would easily push this into a very high recommendation. As it stands now it acts as a novel throwback if nothing else.

An unfortunately thin experience Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, is a fun romp while it lasts, but it lacks any draw to return to it after completion. The multiplayer options are limited, but the online mode is solid and functional. For anyone who loved the remaster in the past, this will feel exactly as it did back then, but missing local play. A decent driving game with some weird changes.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Owltimate Edition combines charming visuals and a good level of performance on the Switch, in the service of a virtual world that enchants with its visuals and soundtrack. Controls and physics are tight enough, but the only thing that it lacks is that little spark that hooks the player in and motivates to keep plodding through to the end. It quickly becomes too repetitive for its own good, and fails to vary things up enough, or to entice a sustainable level of commitment on the player's part beyond a few hours. It may, however, be the most stable version of the game to date in terms of frame rate, if perhaps a bit slow to load from an SD card on the hybrid console.

Simultaneously acting as a spiritual successor to Gone Home and a creative leap away from its past legacy (under the Fullbright name), Open Roads can’t avoid being a hodgepodge of conflicted identities. It’s a "walking sim" template with artificially-constrictive interactivity woven into a mother-daughter relationship that’s strapped of gripping drama. Improved production values can only paper over what is otherwise this team’s weakest outing to date.

Dragon Breed easily stands as the crown jewel in this collection. Its innovative dragon-riding mechanics and striking post-apocalyptic visuals craft a near-masterpiece that rivals R-Type’s ingenuity. Mystic Riders follows with its vibrant fantasy aesthetic and local co-op, a rare treat that injects accessibility and fun, though its simpler patterns and repetitive enemies pale next to Dragon Breed’s depth. Mr. Heli, the weakest link, offers lite exploration and chunky-yet-cute visuals but stumbles with its punishing design, feeling like a relic even with modern tweaks.

A solid, fun experience that has taken the fairly basic setup of Just Dance and added a new layer of depth, greater variety and a bigger reason to play with friends through mini-games and the amusing duet mode.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a solid role-playing experience, but it's ultimately an overly lightweight one that is unlikely to truly grab the attention of genre veterans.

An intriguing story, interesting battle system, and signature art style is usually a good combo, and Soul Hackers 2 is no exception. It is easy to get lost in the story or side-quests and enjoy battling a variety of demons. For anybody enjoying Atlus' other turn-based titles, this is definitely a must-have.

The core Story Mode and the various mini-games contained therein are mildly enjoyable diversions for a time, but what you're likely to really want to sink you're teeth into is the classic Battle Mode and its excellent online support.

A remarkably competent first game from another hugely promising Eastern developer, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has charm and grit in spades. It creatively reinvents the genre’s character progression template and serves up some extremely accomplished high-octane action gameplay that’s rich in flashy skills, impactful magic and dance-like precision. The scope of what’s on offer is made all the more appealing by the low price point: one that does a disservice to the breadth of content offered by this immaculate experience. For fans of action RPGs, this is a no-brainer.

Short but sweet perfectly sums up Luigi's haunted quest. Very little has changed in the transition from GameCube to 3DS, except for slightly inferior visuals and way worse controls...unless using the Circle Pad Pro. With the added benefit of the attachment, Luigi's Mansion plays exceptionally well, and is an enjoyable, if easy, romp through the spooky mansion that really kicked off Luigi's gaming career.

Princess Peach Showtime! is full of wonderful bits and pieces, all showcasing a staggering variety of extremely well implemented gameplay styles, which come together as a very fun full game. It stumbles a little in terms of performance (perhaps some irony there in relation to theatre) but pulls itself back up. A Stella(r) second outing for Nintendo's leading lady and one that comes recommended regardless of age or any other features people use to create target audiences.

Mitchell Corporation have given the DS yet another top quality puzzler, and simultaneously revitalized a classic gaming concept for a new generation.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure offers up some delightfully engrossing story beats and it's easy to get wrapped up in the mystery of the tale. There's a lot to like here with Max's character development feeling fulfilling and the potential for this arc to spawn an even wider tale if the twist at the end is anything to go by. Generally speaking, the performances of the cast are all of a high quality. Where Double Exposure somewhat loses its focus is during the final chapter or two, when the plot seems to fully lean into the supernatural beyond the interesting character development. Some general technical issues with dialogue and graphics also unfortunately result in a frustrating sense of being stripped out of the immersion. Overall, for fans of the series and those who just like a good adventure tale, Double Exposure is worth enjoying.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is an original, fun and challenging platformer with game mechanics that won't be found in any other 2D platformer.

This game does, indeed, require mastery and skill to even be completed, and this might take a lot of training before this can be achieved.

For an indie game, the boss fights are really, really good. It's fun having the boss go "movie mode" on the player when they catch them in an attack, and the parrying feels really enjoyable. The fighting to get there, though, is average at best, and the platforming borders on horrendous for how often buttons don't prompt on a teleport-jump, or the dash falls slightly short, leading to unnecessary frustration. At the current price point, Homura Hime is a bit tough to recommend, but will be worth it on a sale.

For those who enjoyed the original TT Isle of Man, the sequel Ride on the Edge 2 raises the stakes with an improved career mode that delivers a more immersive experience. Sign with a manufacturer to get access to their livery, then proceed to unlock perks and part upgrades to enhance the performance of those bikes with each successive race. Newcomers can easily pick up and learn the ropes while making good progress on the stat sheets thanks to the arcade-like controls that don't make the racing experience too complicated, unlike the more realistic sim racer. However, beyond the career mode, there is a basic online mode to further gain some racing experience. While this isn't the premium two-wheeled racer on consoles, it is a step in the right direction for Kylotonn.

Soul Hackers is not a bad game, by any means. Shin Megami Tensei fans are going to find a lot here to enjoy. Dungeon crawler fanatics may enjoy themselves, as well. However, those unused to the genre or the series may find it an intimidating, difficult experience, and a dated one at that.

Zettai Hero Project is one of the best JRPGs you are likely to play if given the chance. Its unassuming nature belies an incredible plot of growth the player actually feels, unlike nearly every other RPG. Makai Kingdom is simply a bonus for how good ZHP is. While NIS missed a little of the mark with zero actual updates, upgrades, or anything similar, this itself still stands largely on its own as one of the best games one can ever play.

Ride 4 offers a tonne of content for those who itching for a deep dive into an expansive career mode. Race all across the world by winning licenses to open up access into better and more advanced events. Gain affinity with various bikes and manufacturers on the way to becoming the greatest rider. However, a weak online mode, a lack of other real features outside of the career mode and having a steep learning curve for beginners prevents Ride 4 from being the complete package. With plenty of bikes on offer, and upgrades on both the 'stock' and 'racing' side of things to allow for vast improvements over the troublesome AI, this is one of the better digital biking experiences out there.

Hana Samurai: Art of the Sword, while not a must-have, is still a good addition to the growing library of the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Currently the game is available online for what may seem like a high cost of £6.29, but is worth buying for people who like challenging, timing-based combat and the overall style of the game.

With WiiWare definitely winding down now, it can only be hoped that people do not forget about the service completely since Vampire Crystals goes to show there are definitely some brilliant classics on the Wii download service that deserve people's attention.

Baffling leaderboard support, lack of remapping, and wonky "Timeless" mode aside, the Vasara Collection is sure to find a home with any fan of arcade classics. The Vasara series, though short-lived, offers a unique blend of STG action and close-quarters mayhem. They certainly aren't a walk in the park. It'll take weeks of constant practice to clear them without continuing. The scoring systems are compelling, and there's a plenty of enjoyment in slashing everything in sight. Give this collection a shot sometime.

With Coffee Talk however, as with similar experiences such as Neo Cab, taxing gameplay couldn't be further away from a selling point. The real joy is the feeling of interaction and intimate knowledge of every NPC that crosses the threshold. It's very easy to become embroiled in their lives and feel comforted knowing that the small amount of ingredients bundled together has made a difference to them, and might lead to even more forthcoming titbits. A charming and relaxing experience from start to finish, milk it for all its worth.

Stellaris is going in a dangerous direction, even though this DLC adds some pretty cool things to its current state. The Origins are a fun addition, and federations are cool with their bonuses. The problem is the game is very quickly starting to become bloated, and with various changes, patches and more DLC, the "core"' of it all is rapidly being lost. It is losing its 4x status and slowly morphing into a type of MMO/RPR-type game that many of its original fans will likely not be a fan of.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution does a great job of feeling exactly like a Game Boy Advance game that holds up in the modern day. Despite limiting itself to the capabilities of a previous console, its presentation is incredibly charming even when not played in the modern style, and the game design on display is strong enough that Shantae Advance might actually surpass some of Shantae’s other recent outings. While some of its action-centric areas can get a little confusing to explore, and it never goes quite as cinematic in its set pieces as other games, the overall package is strong and series fans will not be disappointed.

Fans of online shooters aren't missing much by not playing Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville - Complete Edition, but, truth be told, this is far from a bad game, as long as your expectations aren't very high. Plus, this Complete Edition, is exactly that - very complete, with lots of things to do, whether that's different modes, missions, or character classes.