Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic uses its happy-go-lucky attitude to its advantage. It’s a great game for players who are looking for a very light RPG experience, or players who don’t have the time to pour into a more absorbing game. Sadly, there is not much to fall back on under the surface mechanics, but Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic can stand up on its own as a quick, fun, and lighthearted game.

Aside from the hit-and-miss movie, the video game version didn't fair to well, with horribly simplistic combat and grainy visuals leaving you asking - what's the point?

The Trials component of this crossover came out swinging, with inventive level design and a host of enjoyable new mechanics, but Blood Dragon deserved better than this.

There’s already a really good foundation in place for something that could be really fun to play. Tightening up the gaps in between battles, opening up new environments faster, and redoing the level design would go a long way in making Time Carnage VR really cook.

Smashbox Arena proves that not all game genres can weather the transition from a console game to immersive virtual reality. This is something you could easily play without the headset, though it wouldn't do the game any significant favors. With or without VR, it doesn’t change the central concern that this game just isn’t fun to play. The shooting part is pretty okay and almost fun for the first few rounds. What kills the game is the lack of meaningful challenges by way of playing against other humans. There is a single player campaign but it's not enough to justify the time you'd put into it. I could never find people to play with and the resulting skirmishes with AI bots made the whole thing regretfully unenjoyable.

Addicted gamer as I am, I had another turn-based tactical combat game to play and review at the same time, namely Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Oh boy, if its audiovisual excellence could be merged with loose and imaginative gameplay of Jagged Alliance: Rage!, we would have a real killer in the genre! Then again, it wouldn’t be the same game anymore. Like its mercenary cast whose prime time is behind them, Rage! really needs its rugged charisma to live another day.

Its a shame to say that FaceBreaker really was a disappointment.

Although the gameplay is sometimes too light for its own good, the relaxing nature of the experience, and the likable cast of idols makes the experience worth trying to some degree. Producing Perfection is such a unique title however, that most gamers will probably want to pass over this experience to something with a little more substance.

Namco's foray into the PSP platform hits a huge snag, as Reckoning's overly simple and repetitive gameplay takes the skill (and fun) away.

From gameplay that boils down to memory quizzes to poor production values to bland stories, there is no reason you should play this game, no matter how big a fan of adventure games or Law & Order you are.

A game based on the American Civil War could get fans excited, and you'd expect more when it carries the History Channel name. A thoroughly disappointing outing.

Fans of the genre and science fiction in general should check out Elea. After all, there are never too many mind-tickling sci-fi games out there.

All things considered, an interesting premise and good storytelling can’t make up for bad game design.

The visuals and the platform challenges create a strong framework for what could be a great game. Despite these sturdy foundations, the skirmishes are problematic. Castle of Heart is blemished by some bad gameplay decisions when it comes to the action. If you can look past these flaws, though, there's an enjoyable game making me warily recommend it.

Mario Party 7 has a minigame, Tile and Error, in which players must ground pound tiles to claim territory. The fact that Flip Wars can so easily be compared to a 30-second minigame from over a decade ago should say a lot about what you’re getting yourself into if you purchase this. Some of the hip dropping, tile-flipping mechanics are genuinely interesting, but Flip Wars is essentially a $10 minigame and a rather average one at that.

The sequel to the Empires branch of the famed tactical actioner actually adds some strategic elements to the mix, but sadly let down by severely dumbed down combat and enemy AI.

In the end, the game fails to be anything more than a Senran Kagura also ran. While I’m not opposed to over the top games of this type (not to mention that the combat is pretty fun), it annoys me when the developers don’t do enough with the material they have. The best thing I can say about the game is how well it adapts to being ported to the PC from the PlayStation Vita (which I played quite a bit). The graphics are sharp and the frame rate is slick with minimal slowdown even when numerous enemies fill the screen. That’s where the good mostly ends. Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni has short sidedness to its design that Senran Kagura addressed in its own sequel. So who knows? Perhaps Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni 2 might be better.

Regrettably, it amounts to a barely-competent shooter with an off-putting aesthetic, ludicrous plot, gimmicky hook, and a frustrating tendency to repeat its boss-battles more than a JRPG.

There are too many strategy games out right now to warrant giving A Game of Thrones: Genesis a try. With games out there like Starcraft 2, Civilization V, and Total War: Shogun 2 it just isn't viable to play Genesis when it feels stale and unfinished. Even for fans of the books or show it just isn't a good enough game, even in the fan service perspective, to go out and spend $40 on. Do yourself a favor and read the books, then go play a better strategy game.

As mentioned very early on in the review, Pokemon Battle Revolution was developed for the Pokemon faithful in mind, and although you can try battling through this game with little experience the game definitely favors the more knowledgeable.

If Carmen Sandiego had more educational value I may have raised the overall a point, but with the lack of educational value, we are given a platformer that doesn't have a lot to offer. There are better educational games out there and there are better platformers out there.

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch isn’t a bad option if you’re looking for a digital version of the board game. As a plain adaptation, it does its job well, with the added bonus of portability without risk of losing parts. Unfortunately, the Living Boards and Action Cards don’t add anything truly significant. Plus, when playing with AI or even online without chat, it feels like a shallow experience compared to the inherent joy of gathering around the table and laughing as your friends go bankrupt. And it’s hard to talk about a game so rooted in capitalism without mentioning that this game isn’t cheap. At its fairly high price point, the game’s few additions hardly justify the cost. You may as well buy a game that isn’t a mere digital replication of a tabletop experience, or just pick up a nice physical collector’s edition of Monopoly.

Samurai Warriors Katana is not a bad title by any means. However there are still a handful of issues,and the problem of repetitiveness that really holds the game back.

Sony throws together some mini games and slaps the "spy" moniker in this lazy attempt to cash in on the holiday buying craze.

The challenge and personality of old-school shooter or adventure classics is totally absent. It’s one of the most creatively bankrupt games I’ve played this year. And you should not play it.

I don't want anyone to feel like they are trudging through the monotony and minutia of this game just to witness the pretty lights. It's not worth it. Sure, the environments are pretty, but that doesn't hide the ugly that is this game. For people looking for a quick shooter, you can find it in Bodycount, but other than that, look elsewhere.

In the end, Daymare: 1998 is clearly a passion project and it definitely shows (and I absolutely love it for that). Granted, there are some bumps along the way in the gameplay and design departments, and the game itself looks like it is a generation behind current gen. However, if you can live with those things, you have a solid survival horror experience here. Just make sure you've played all the classics first!

The celebrated comic series makes a jump to the Xbox, but the sub par gameplay and weak visuals in this budget game doesn't do it any justice.