As I was playing through Pikmin 4 and things really started to click, I thought to myself (with a smile on my face) - "I just want to play this forever."

With this, we have just one wave of tracks to come. That’s eight more chances for some of the best tracks in series history to still make an appearance. If they don’t, I can always take solace in the fact that Mario Kart 9 is probably on the horizon at this point for whatever the successor to the Switch will be.

Where it succeeds best, however, is in being a terrific introductory horror game. Whether or not you’re a youth whose parents disapprove of gore or if you’re just one to hide beneath a blanket when a zombie appears on screen, My Friendly Neighborhood provides the depth of the Resident Evil experience without any of the violence. Not only does it fill an important niche, it proves that this sort of horror game can stand on its own without any of the blood.

Overall, Exoprimal is a bit more interesting than I’d thought it be. It’s not anything to shout from the rooftops about, but it’s got a little more charm and more enjoyable combat than I was expecting. But that’s just day one. [Day One Impressions]

Oxenfree II feels like Night School returning to its roots in a way, and I think the confidence with which they do so is laudable. There’s enough here that keeps true to its creepy, radio-static origins while expanding out the possibilities. The studio’s style has clearly evolved in the years since, and seeing that come together back in the coastal town of Camena is exciting. It might not be the out-of-left-field surprise it was then, but Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a solid adventure for those who can’t get enough of strange frequencies and existential dread.

The new port of Pikmin 2 is a fine way to experience this game, but whether or not you think it’s trash or treasure is going to depend on your preferences. It’s at least cheap enough that you aren’t going to be too out of pocket to give it a try. It’s probably worth it just for the first few hours when it’s at its prime. But just beware that after introductions are made, it’s going to throw you in a hole.

In a lot of ways, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum demonstrates how far the homebrew market has come. Here we have a licensed game released nearly 30 years after the end of the NES lifespan. It contains all the graphical trickery and polished gameplay of a latter-day title, and you could almost believe that it really is a lost prototype brought back to life. It may be gross, but if you’re a fan of the console or the Garbage Pail Kids, you should definitely find some way to rub it all over yourself.

Ray’z Arcade Chronology is really good. It’s a great collection of great ports of great games. That’s it. No notes (aside from the ones already provided). If you haven’t played any of these games, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out the collection. If you have played them, this is just a great way to get all the titles together with some bells and whistles. I could scarcely ask for more.

A Long Journey to an Uncertain End is just such a well-intentioned game that it’s a shame that it’s so limp where it counts. You rarely see its sensitive approach to difficult topics in video games. Yet, when it’s time to engage with it as a player, it falls into a heap on the floor. The cast of characters and narrative themes help elevate it above simply being average, but it’s hard to get over the nauseating sting of disappointment when you discover that A Long Journey to an Uncertain End isn’t quite where it could or should be.

All in all, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a fine remaster of a wonderful title far too many people missed out on.

I absolutely recommend you check out Pikmin 1 if you haven’t already.

It’s difficult to judge a Final Fantasy against the crystalline legacy of its predecessors. But Final Fantasy XVI takes a confident step into new territory and doesn’t slip.

It's hard to predict how Crash Team Rumble ends up in six months, but I hope it's still around, and the team is able to just facilitate what is working without corporate meddling. Whether or not enough people feel like spending $30 minimum to stick around and find out is up in the air.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remarkable experience. It takes the classic farming formula and gives it a purpose beyond just seeing how many S-ranked tomatoes you can grow. With its focus on family, legacy, and living a good life, this is a farming sim where what you do away from the fields is as important as what you do when you’re tilling that land. It’s a game that encourages a healthy work-life balance, and there is no better lesson we need in our modern era than that.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is complacent. It’s great, but we’ve already seen its greatness.

However, there’s a thoughtful earnestness to Fuga: Melodies of Steel that should really connect with anyone whose soul hasn’t been used as ammunition.

We Love Katamari is still a timeless and terrific game. A spit shine is really all that it needed to get me excited to play it again. If you’ve never played it before, you definitely should. If you have, it’s everything you loved about the PS2 release but less blurry. It’s one of the few games that allows you to weaponize a sumo wrestler to absorb bystanders on the street, and that’s very important.

When it comes down to it, Super Mega Baseball 4 is improved, but not that improved. I’m not looking to downgrade, and I kind of wish I was playing it right now instead of writing this. However, I still have a wishlist for the next installment. This one feels like such an unneeded upgrade. Most of it feels like it could have just been in a patch. The more appreciable additions weren’t must-haves, and some elements feel more rickety. I guess what I’m saying is that Super Mega Baseball 4 gets on base, but it’s definitely not a home run.

As a game, Slayers X isn’t that great. It’s not bad enough to be repulsive, but you constantly bump up against problems that, while probably being deliberate, are still problems. Its flow isn’t great, it’s incredibly short, and there aren’t a lot of enemies or weapons. But it still manages to be innocuously enjoyable. However, as a piece of fiction, Slayers X is something both indispensable and unique. It gives me goosebumps that someone could convey such a detailed narrative by indirectly telling it through a character’s unrelated creation. It’s an elaborate lie that feels completely honest. But with lots of poop jokes.

For all of its rough edges, and there are plenty of them, I still think Loop8: Summer of Gods is one of the most interesting games I’ll play this year.

Very little about it is new or unique, but it’s well-executed, and that’s an accomplishment in its own right. It’s maybe about 4-6 hours long, which means it doesn’t drag out. Unless you get stuck on a puzzle, but that’s your problem.

For series fans, Diablo 4 makes a compelling case to become your next main game. For everyone else, the specter of cosmetic microtransactions and live service elements hang heavy over this refined action-RPG formula.

While not all of the design decisions and ambitious new modes hit their mark, Capcom’s commitment to producing a polished and superlative fighter is readily apparent throughout this stellar release. A compelling roster, exciting visuals, crisp performance, and thrilling mechanics ensure that this prestige sequel is set to champion local, online, and competitive scenes for years to come. Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

I can’t exactly recommend Cyber Citizen Shockman if you’re just looking for a good platformer to play. However, if you know what you’re getting into, you can rest easy knowing that it’s a decent porting job that does exactly what it says on the package. Then again, it doesn’t cost all that much to find out for yourself, and may also encourage Ratalaika to localize more niche titles. So, I guess what I’m saying is: Yes, definitely buy Cyber Citizen Shockman.

Nightdive has proven once again that they fully understand what made the classics so indispensable.

There are some weird localization issues where the text doesn’t match what’s happening on the screen, and the audio could be better at guiding players when their faces are turned away from the screen. But beyond that and the aforementioned tracking issues, Fitness Circuit is a well-rounded package. If you’re looking for your first fitness game on Switch or have tired of all the other ones, consider it an effective way to keep active every day.

Despite multiple graphical and audio issues, Star Trek Resurgence is worth checking out. The experience of the former Telltale employees shows in Dramatic Labs. Somehow, the engine is just as buggy, but the gripping storyline and characters shine bright. It’s also cool how dedicated the studio is to recreating the gadgets from this Star Trek era. If you’re a Trekkie or a casual fan, you should give this game a go.

Despite all its problems, it’s something that needs to be seen and celebrated. There’s a chance that you won’t even notice the problems I outlined, and this will be a big hit with you. You might not even notice the same issues that I do. I think Boltgun deserves its chance, and you should definitely give it one, even if you have no connection with the license.