As dynamic and challenging today as they ever were, Turrican Flashback offers an authentic compilation of games from this classic series, without a single dud among them. Unfortunately, wafer-thin presentation, missing titles, and a complete lack of side-features (in addition to a subjectively high price-tag) let down what could of - should of - been an encapsulating tribute to one of history's most influential and beloved shooter franchises.

I do honestly think that most people can find an entertaining Pokemon experience in this generation. I have, too. But it’s come with enough baggage to unsettle me for what future generations will look like. I’m going to keep playing Pokemon Scarlet, and I’m going to keep hoping that the next Pokemon game doesn’t come with so many asterisks.

The things that the title does right, it does well. Explosions are crisp, the autosaving is merciful, and the multiplayer is stable. Yet, there is a lot wrong with Bad Company. That list includes the driving, schizophrenic but miraculously expert marksman AI, plot holes you can drive a truck through, and signing your soul away for additional weapons.

When you factor in Need for Speed's forgettable story, you're left with a slightly above average racing game that's not as enjoyable as past series entries. From a pure gameplay perspective, it works, but it never manages to elevate itself. If you're in the mood for a new cinematic racer though, you could do a whole lot worse.

The wonderful art, music, and lore deserve to be in something more original than Dragalia Lost. There are a hundred different versions of this game already available on app stores and it doesn’t do very much to hoist itself above the competition. This title may represent Nintendo’s riskiest attempt at breaking big into mobile gaming, going with an original IP instead of known property, but it also represents its least creative.

While this DLC has the kind of silliness I'd like to see the Far Cry series confidently embrace and it mostly sounds good on paper, the end result is bare-bones. Lost on Mars feels like a middle-of-the-road effort when it could've been so much more substantial and imaginative. The premise deserves better.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is an entertaining music-rhythm game in theory, but it slips on banana peels that Sega threw on the ground constantly. The controls are certainly an improvement from the Wii game, but the game still suffers from a lack of input when you move sideways. The roulette system is a nuisance — especially in the single-player mode where you can’t turn it off — and the song list is a little disappointing with some overused pop tracks that have been featured in other games...Despite all that, I still find enjoyment in this game as the concept of shaking a Joy-Con to the beat never gets old to me. That’s despite Amigo’s smile haunting my nightmares tonight.

Maybe I just expected too much, but I find myself missing the careful balance of story and gameplay that The New Order had down pat. Youngblood makes plenty of strides forward for this series, but it also takes some steps backward that end up hurting the overall package.

It’s really hard to say whether or not I recommend The Kids We Were. I don’t hate it. As much as I feel the narrative was sloppy, it’s not a total loss and I’m sure some will readily attach to it. Atmospherically, it’s on point. The music is sparse, but it does well to get you through the five-six hours the game will probably take you.

The game looks fantastic and has an excellent localization, but the lackluster and repetitive combat hold it back from being anything more than run-of-the-mill.

If it weren’t for all the bugs, Sacred 2 would get a better score, but as it stands now it needs some significant patching to reach its full entertainment potential.

In a season consisting of five or more episodes, a transitional, table-setting tale like Give No Shelter would theoretically justify itself. But with just one more chapter left, it feels like there should be more here. Despite that, I do have faith that the finale will tie it all together neatly.

Despite my qualms, I had fun playing Just Dance 2016 -- but then again, it’s hard not to. It’s still a favored party game and one that has almost perfected the fun-for-all game model. Heck, it’s reached a point where it’s thrown in some mediocre new modes and a subscription model just to keep itself fresh, so in some cases you can call this a success. However you can also say that Just Dance is a dying breed, one that is taking its last breath to capitalize on the streaming craze that’s enveloped our little gaming world. I say we don’t think about it too deeply, and just dance.

There's an audience out there who is really going to appreciate what Ride 2 offers. While it's not the fanciest, I can't think of another motorcycle racer giving me as much control over my own experience as this. But the fact of the matter is Ride 2 wants a lot of time from you, and scarcely offers tangible rewards for the effort.

If you ever find Michael Jackson: The Experience at a fraction of the asking price, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. It's not an astounding game, but it's a decent distraction that can soak up an hour of two of your time.

Beneath the veneer, there isn’t much that makes Hotel Sowls shine. The plot, the characters, and the gameplay are all wax-paper thin. The game ticks away mechanically under its inspired art style. I’m actually taken aback by how soulless Hotel Sowls really turned out to be. I guess it just goes to show that you can’t judge a hotel by its chandelier.

It’s slightly above par for a game in general and below it for Contra. Despite my complaints, I enjoyed swaths of the game when playing with Bill Rizer, but not enough to want to replay it endlessly. The Contra series has done much worse, but it’s also done much better. Contra: Operation Galuga manages only to be a run-and-shrug shooter.

The game has a razor-sharp focus on what it wants to deliver, but does so at the cost of diversity and content. I suppose quality should always be more important, but for $60, you’d figure GT Sport would at least be comparable to past entries in the series. This comes off feeling like a tech demo for what Polyphony wants to do with Gran Turismo more than a full game.

Just know that this is a poor echo of the greatness found in Sleeping Dogs and not nearly as charming and thought-out as Undead Nightmare.

The title of “New Nintendo 3DS Edition” is a misnomer as there is nothing here that makes this edition any more special than those already available. And now that we know it will not be included in the Better Together cross-play campaign, it almost feels dead on arrival. There is a chance, down the line, Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition will actually be worth its asking price, but that time is not now.

Roogoo: Twisted Towers feels like a bunch of missed opportunities hanging out on top of a really great puzzle game. The great idea is there, it just never makes its way down to earth where players can get a piece of it.

Do yourself a favor and purchase any of the other four Fallout downloadable content packs before even contemplating getting this one.

The first episode ended on a truly gripping exchange that sold me on trying the second episode, but the first episode in a vacuum is at times more painful to play through that any new IP can afford to be.

A Fistful of Gun’s only major errors lie in its repetitive and muddied action, all blasted through an ADD pacing. It’s still fun and humorous, but that relentless nature condenses its longevity into just a couple of sessions.

After all the good Phosphor did with Dark Meadow, it's sad that Horn will likely be used by detractors as proof that mobile gaming just doesn't work. It does. It's just that Phosphor went too far trying to prove it this time, and Horn is a worse game because of it.

Scaling back and looking at Rayman Adventures as a whole paints it as a game where progress feels meaningless and sometimes confusing. But spending time inside the Rayman-patented lively world is a joy in small bursts, even if the execution is left wanting.

When it works -- when you're barreling across the battlefield with one teammate hanging out the window firing a submachine gun and another on the rooftop grenade launcher, swerving in and out of the exploding wreckage of your enemy's vehicles and making your way toward their base -- it's glorious. It's just too bad it doesn't work all that often.

I hate using the term "mixed bag," but Midway Arcade Origins really is exactly that. A decent sampling of some classic titles that mostly control well with very limited options, and a few games that will leave you scratching your head at their inclusion (or exclusion, as the case may be). For those that remember these games, it's a great bit of nostalgia.