News Tower, from developer Sparrow Night and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is a marvelous newspaper sim that goes above and beyond the typical simulator formula.

As far as remasters go, R-Type Delta HD Boosted adds very little in terms of new content. There’s the new soundtrack (which is fantastic), the supposed graphical boost, along with the Practice Mode, and…that’s it. It’s a smaller offering than what some of the other remasters of this year have brought to the table, but it successfully manages to preserve the refreshing yet frustrating experience of its source material.

Sektori is pure. Sektori is addictive. The vibrant chaos amidst heart-pumping techno music will leave players in a trance-like state, lost in an explosion of particles, color and skill. Destined to be an arcade classic, the intense, shifting levels beg for replay after replay to master its finely-tuned difficulty curve. Sektori proves, if anything, arcade is not dead, it merely needs new masters.

The Namco Legendary Pack for Atari 50 brings some great insight, good videos, and wonderful video game reviews from the past about NAMCO titles on Atari systems. While the DLC doesn’t feature a bevy of NAMCO games that players would find on a NAMCO Museum release, nor does it bring too many arcade experiences in comparison to other Atari 50 releases, it does bring a variety of NAMCO games on various Atari systems. Some of those translations might not be gems, especially Pac-Man on the 2600, but they’re worth experiencing.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 features some of the strongest launch content a Call of Duty game has had in years. The best part? It can all be played with friends and everything you do counts towards overall progression. But more importantly, the stellar maps and addictive Endgame provide ample ways to play Call of Duty how you want to. Incorporating best-in-class shooting to all these modes means that each pillar of Black Ops 7 is satisfying, exciting, and challenging. This may be the hardest Call of Duty to put down yet.

ARC Raiders exemplifies the strength of games where players craft their own narratives, taking advantage of the systems provided to foster pocket communities of robot-killing looters. While it is rife with complexity, Embark Studios uses smart onboarding, a striking visual identity, and tight third-person action to ease players into a budding sense of progression and growth. Though time makes fools of us all, it’s likely that ARC Raiders is here to stay.

Jackbox Party Pack 11 is a good release that features some fresh games and plenty of good times. It returns the series to a better form, although it’s not perfect by any means, nor will it rival the best of the best in the Jackbox series. But it’s far better than what has been recently released over the last three years and gives hope that more fun is to be had with future Jackbox releases.

Possessor(s) is many things: stylized, satisfying, occasionally frustrating, and short but sweet despite its large map. It’s a familiar yet solid gameplay loop with few frills, save for shirtless demon protagonists and neon stylizations.

Spindle from developer Let’s GameDev and publisher Deck 13 is a marvelous action-RPG adventure that hits all the right notes when it comes to action, puzzles, and payoff. It’s incredibly balanced with all three, which makes it feel like you don’t waste a minute playing it.

Painkiller has a strong base that any shooting game needs. Its weapons are a blast to use and get weird enough to make it satisfying to rip through constant droves of demons. But even that core conceit runs dry over time as the well of ideas simply can’t support limited maps, basic objectives, and not enough variety to keep the flame burning. It’s possible as new content rolls out with DLC, Painkiller may evolve into something greater but right now it can be enjoyed by a group of friends over a weekend or two, hoping to one day leave its limbo of what-ifs.

Two Point Museum, from developer Two Point Studios and publisher Sega, brings a fun and wickedly addictive museum simulator that runs deep with its gameplay. While it’s certainly not as complicated as most simulators of its type, it’s still well thought-through and executed in nearly every aspect of its gameplay.

The base Xillia content is notable for its incredible combat and emotional story, and the additional quality of life content makes the game more palatable than ever before. If you’re wanting to relive Tales of Xillia or are down to experience it for the first time, Tales of Xillia Remastered will give you the nostalgia and emotional depth you need.

Bounty Star from developer DINOGOD and publisher Annapurna Interactive is a lot of different things. It’s a narrative-driven game that features a heavy amount of customization and crafting. All of which goes through mech fighting, which might be the weakest part of the entire package.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake brings gorgeous graphics, wonderful RPG gameplay, and a fantastically retooled front and back-end system. It captures the majesty of the original releases, while putting its own stamp of modern gaming on every aspect of each adventure.

With its automation, friendlier UI, and fleshed out playstyles outside of expansion, it’s a grand strategy game that is innately fun, endlessly engaging, and worth the decade’s wait.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection from developer and publisher Digital Eclipse exceeds expectations. While the collection doesn’t bring all gaming gems to the surface, it brings enough good arcade and console translations with new features and improved controls that make it an easy sell. To boot, the documentary about the series’ history is well done and also worth the price of admission.

Space Chef from developer Blue Goo Games and publisher Kwalee Ltd is an enjoyable, user-led cozy game that requires your exploratory efforts to make it a fun experience. While not perfect, it offers a deep and rich gameplay experience that is different than the usual cozy game.

Plants vs Zombies Replanted, from developer PopCap and publisher Electronic Arts, is still fun as hell to run through, and doubly so with co-op, mini-games, puzzles, and a new game+ built into it. It’s the complete package. My biggest issue is price point, as the main game from 2009 is a hard sell for me at $20.

Once Upon a Jester feels curated to be improvisational, much like the theater performances in the game. Bonte Avond obviously had a plan, they mapped out a game with art and writing and programming. But in a way, it feels almost guerilla-style. They are throwing players into their tour bus and taking us all along for the ride, performing to an eager group who just want to be a part of the fun. While short and maybe a bit silly, Once Upon a Jester succeeds because it strives to be different, personable and, ultimately, fun.

Once Upon a KATAMARI is a Katamari game at its best, rolling, rolling, and rolling through time collecting items and constructing new planets. The 10+ year wait has been worth it, as it introduces just enough novelty all the while preserving the best bits of the series. Its uniqueness aside, it’s the most approachable Katamari yet.

Godbreakers makes the most of its fluid, flashy combat. Killing gods and stealing their powers and doing that with friends is an undeniable thrill. While solo players may also find appropriate challenge, there is a distinct feeling that had Godbreakers given us a few more worlds to explore and a few more unique paths of progression, it would have broken past deluge of roguelikes gnawing for attention.

Persona 3 Reload is not a carbon-copied remaster of Persona 3 Portable or even Persona 3. It’s a refreshed perspective of Persona 3 that removes a good bunch of pain from older RPGs while retaining the charm and character of the original. It feels like many thoughtful decisions were made to better the game’s flow without compromising on its core experience or watering it down. Framerate quibbles of the Switch 2 version aside, owners of 2023’s Persona 3 Portable might feel like there aren’t enough changes to warrant a replay. But, if you haven’t yet experienced its source material, Persona 3 Reload is without a doubt the best version of the game to play.

NASCAR ‘25 is a game that fans of the sport will honestly enjoy. It fills a void that has been left open for years and allows them to be able to finally ‘scratch that itch’. It’s not something that will blow other racing games out of the water, but if iRacing Studios is going to try and possibly turn this into a yearly franchise, then this is the perfect foundation to start building upon.

Battlefield 6 has an expert grasp on what makes the series’ beloved multiplayer so treasured by players. Those scarce few who come to this title for the campaign alone will be left deserted in the wake of a quick, passable single-player experience that is meant to be digested before the full course. The all-out-war across fantastic maps and an emphasis on class play where players turn the battlefield into rubble is instantly memorable, providing a worthy follow-up to players’ best memories of Battlefield.

BALL x PIT conceptually has a simple hook. And because of that, its core gameplay will inherently be repetitive at some point depending on the player. But its chunky fantasy world has personality and its soundtrack is, honestly, phenomenal. They add to the charm of a game that houses a surprising amount of depth and content for what the back of the box might allude to. Sure, it’s about ball-breaking. But to not enjoy this would be nuts.

Dotemu, Guard Crush, and Supamonks have knocked it out of the park with Absolum. Its combat is satisfyingly stylish, encapsulating traditional side-scrolling beat ‘em up combat with the variability of endlessly fun roguelike gameplay. Punishing difficulty aside, it’s worth taking the time to explore the depths of its world and creatively defeat enemies in more ways than one. Absolum pushes the envelope of beat ‘em up game design to new heights, worthy of your consideration as we enter this holiday season.

The Galaxy games are still ever so fun. I have to set aside my concerns knowing that new players will get so many good hours out of these games. I was thrilled to play them again, if it’s any consolation. You should be relieved that Nintendo has brought Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 to the Switch 2 without too many frills. It plays just like it did on the Wii and Wii U, albeit prettier and slightly more defined than I remember. It behooves any Switch 2 owner to acquire these masterpieces, especially those who weren’t around to play them in their original states.

Little Nightmares III is an eerie return to this beloved, haunted universe, captained by a developer with plenty of experience in scares. Though much of this third entry may strike a familiar chord with players, the opportunity to engage in harrowing chases and solve grotesque puzzles together makes for a tantalizing offering that you shouldn’t be frightened of.