As far as Nintendo DS role-playing games go, this is my new favorite, hands down. But then again, I'm a huge fan of both dungeon crawling and Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei series games.

Above all, I'm most charmed by how honestly Puppeteer wears its influences on its sleeve. From classic platformers like Mario to more recent excursions such as Rayman Origins, Sony Japan's sidescrolling adventure is littered with nods to the very best in platform gaming -- a genre so criminally underused these days.

French Bread has crafted an intelligent, tactical fighting game that I'll surely be playing for a long time to come.

The Eternal Cylinder clocked in at around ten hours, and I was so absorbed in it — I was so curious about how my funky bunch of critters was going to get out of this seemingly insurmountable jam — that I finished the game in two sittings. It truly clicked with me. I’m equally excited to see how much it resonates with everyone else. Maybe it won’t! But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and this experience will stick with me for a long time.

Part of me feels like Joe Danger Infinity wasn't necessary. Joe Danger Touch was an excellent game and complemented the platform perfectly. Although the vehicles bring a different set of flair to the series, the new additions and maps didn't really blow me away. Having said that, any Joe fan will probably eat up Infinity.

These thrills and chills are irritatingly tempered with menial tasks, poor voice acting, dull stealth and a soulless hero, all of which prevent Metro Exodus from achieving its true potential.

Avowed is one of the best RPGs I've played in 2025, and I'm not even much of a role-playing genre fanatic.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a wonderful game that distinguishes itself from the crowd and stands tall as a densely packed, enjoyable experience. Although it can use improvements in some areas, the Switch version of Hello Kitty Island Adventure is absolutely worth picking up if you’ve been looking for an Animal Crossing-like game to try out and either don’t have an iPhone or are on the fence about getting an Apple Arcade subscription and prefer one-time payments. It plays well with no major performance issues — at most, I found a slightly long loading screen. Considering the game’s size, though, I can easily forgive this.

Trine has a fantastic core concept and occasional flashes of true brilliance, but it just doesn't go far enough in exploring its own mechanics. It delivers a perfectly entertaining few hours of gameplay -- much more time than I was expecting from an indie game, honestly -- but I could never shake the feeling that it just plain wasn't as good as it could have been.

I'm torn on Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth. I sincerely believe it could be the best entry in the series, that it has refined the formula to near perfection. But in perfecting what is already there, it makes no strides to further advance the series. There are new additions but no new ideas, and after the last two games in the series, I leave this entry not wondering what is next, but if the developers have anything left in them.

At times it can be an extremely challenging experience, even on the easiest difficulty. But that's also what makes it so rewarding when you finally kill that boss and obtain its loot.

When it's firing on all cylinders, Ace Combat 7 absolutely soars as a return to form for a series thought dormant. It'll be interesting to see how Bandai Namco might take things forward from here on, but for now, the series is flying high and steady once again.

MLB 15 The Show is still good by virtue of the systems laid down over the last decade, but it has no ambition. Produced on third base thinking it hit a triple, it wouldn't even bother running in a sac fly.

After finishing Dishonored I wanted more, and The Knife of Dunwall gives me exactly that. Hell, at moments I even completely forgot that I was no longer playing Corvo, as both he and Daud do play in generally the same way.

[A] shining example of what an RTS game should be: a mix of classic mechanics with new features and technology.

Even during its most underwhelming moments Rime got a response out of me, and I'll remember it for years to come.

It's an easy recommendation for platform fans, but it's also just a plain fun time. It's not revolutionary or trailblazing, but it does what it needs to prove that Frozenbyte hasn't lost its touch. I wouldn't necessarily expect a Trine 5 or anything, but clearly, this series has some life left in it.

Gratifying and empowering, Red Steel 2 is simple, unpretentious fun.

The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy serves as a time capsule of sorts before the series was ran into the ground.

A great game, providing solid, fun gameplay that left me feeling challenged enough (and addicted enough) to keep playing. With each battle lasting about ten minutes, this is a perfect title to play in short bursts and makes for an ideal portable title.

Oh yeah, I did lose weight by playing these games for two weeks -- about 1.5 lbs, with no other exercise, no change in diet, and not much noticeable discomfort. Not a big deal, really, but people seem to care about this stuff, so there you go.

The designers had a clear vision for this game, and they made sure it came into fruition.

Captain Scarlett's end-game shenanigans notwithstanding, this remains a thorough and thoughtful addendum to Borderlands 2. It's funny and confident in its storytelling and presentation with enough variation in enemy design and mission structure to stand out against the enormous backdrop of the core game.

Regardless of a few minor gripes, Odallus: The Dark Call is a worthy addition to any metroidvania fan's library and is worth the asking price.

Brilliant level design and a great aesthetic keep the game fresh from start to finish.

Samorost 3 is a relatively short journey, taking about five to six hours to beat and a little more to fully complete. That time is jam-packed with delightful characters, stunning scenery, and clever puzzles, so while it may be brief, it's certainly time well spent. For anyone who appreciates Amanita's previous titles or the point-and-click adventure genre in general, Samorost 3 comes highly recommended.

It has nearly everything I love about the franchise mixed with a heaping helping of Freeform-level drama, making for a genuinely optimistic experience that exudes charisma with every outfit I put together.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 continues Jackbox's streak of funny, low-key party games without deviating much from their established formula. If you're looking for something fun to do with a group for a couple of hours, you can't go wrong with one of the Jackbox Party Packs. There aren't really any experimental games like Zeeple Dome from last year's collection, but there's plenty worth playing in this year's Pack.