Song of Memories does have an excellent combat system and lite JRPG mechanics. It also has its moments where it's genuinely amusing, and the contrast between the monster story and the fan service-rich romance is... eclectic. It's a difficult game to really pin down, but for those that can let the oddity of it all wash over them, it can also be an surprisingly difficult game to put down.

Despite the issues with balance, juvenile moments in the writing, and the occasional bug that suggested the ambition of the game slightly overextended its budget, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is the best video game entry in this particular franchise.

The presentation in general is great, and the challenge level is oddly compelling. This is a difficult game to put down.

People who come to it looking for a quality SHMUP are going to be disappointed. It's functional, but that's really not the point. The point is the fan service and pin-up aesthetic, and while Waifu Uncovered is limited there, as a cut-price hour or two of fun, as someone who enjoys anime and fan service, I had more fun with this than I should probably admit in public. Also, I really am genuinely impressed that eastasiasoft has paved the way for anime nudity on the Switch. There's hope for the Dee Dee visual novels to debut on console yet.

As a first effort out it's genuinely impressive, offering a clean and enjoyable combat system that can also be used to introduce new players to the joy of modern 2D fighters. I firmly believe there's a role for fighters like that in the market, and Blade Strangers is a very fine first effort indeed.

Superstar Saga is still a great adventure on the 3DS. It’s not in the range of Metroid: Samus Returns in terms of recreating a classic from the ground up, but it may be enough to satisfy fans of the series that may have been turned off by recent, weaker efforts such as Dream Team and Paper Jam.

Slain: Back from Hell is a unique fish in a sea of pixel-art platforming throwbacks. The level design for the most part is well-done. The difficulty suits the atmosphere created by the music and art style.

The game does not explain the events of the first game at all, and yet there is also some expected knowledge of the first game coming into this sequel to completely understand what’s going on. Do your research so you catch yourself up going in, though, and you're in for a really well-written and vibrant adventure game. One that's let down a little by obtuse puzzle design, but is otherwise highly engaging on every level.

The Church in the Darkness has much more value as an idea and as a story creation tool than it has as a game.

The Heroic Legend of Eagarlnia is off to an excellent start and is another pitch-perfect example of why Chinese game development is so exciting to me right now. However - and this applies to far too many developers out of China right now - hire better localisers. Perhaps there just aren't many of them around right now and the problem is that the local games industry needs to scramble to catch up with its rapid opening to global game publishing. Perhaps it is just something that isn't traditionally part of game development budgets there. Whatever the reason, at some point Chinese developers are going to realise just how large the global audience could be if they could properly understand their games. At that point, between China, Japan, and the smaller (but potent in their own right) development scenes in Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and others, the "Asian aesthetic" and storytelling traditions are going to hit an all-new renaissance.

Amid the Ruins did do a nice job in setting up a finale.

This is a game for genre fans only (and by that I do mean fans of both visual novels and tactics RPGs). For those people the game will slowly but surely hook its charms in until they come to see it as something quite brilliant for all its flaws.

With all that said, this is an incredibly niche sport. It’s impressive that as much effort is put into doing it justice as Cyanide puts into the Tour de France. The developers get better at it, year after year, and that’s an encouraging sign too. I hope they’re profitable enough to continue with the series, because you can’t help but believe that they’re right on the cusp of this series hitting the A-tier of sporting properties.

Toybox Turbos is a good game for beginners and newcomers to racing games. It presents an easy learning curve, but later levels can be a little more challenging. It's a lot of fun to play and in ways it may remind players of the Micro Machines toys and video games from the past.

I have always loved a good story to accompany a good game. This game will not be for everyone due to the sheer amount of reading, which does slow down the pace of play, but considering the length of the game, $12.99 is well worth the price.

Mind you, apparent lack of confidence aside, Rogue Legacy is still an essential game, and it's good to see the roguelike still getting so much traction, because it is a wonderful, versatile and ultimately entertaining RPG sub-genre.

It's a hit of nostalgia for people that remember the Test Match Cricket game of old, and it's an addictive, accessible arcade sports game that I couldn't recommend instead of Don Bradman Cricket, but I can recommend it as a good complement to that more serious sim game.

There was so much potential in Criminal Girls: Invite Only to be a transgressive, unique experience, but sadly, narrative missteps limit it from ever realising that potential. Instead what we have is a genuinely entertaining and original combat, and a minigame that, were Criminal Girls to be a higher profile release, would have been controversial indeed.

And at the end of the day, I’m not sure if I’m happy with what the game represents, but I can’t help but admit that the levels are well made and the core gameplay is immensely enjoyable.

The developers have done what is needed to bring the game to the Nintendo Switch as a highly proficient port, though they’ve done nothing of substance to update what the original release offered. Aside from the localisation, it didn’t need any updating anyway, and even considering that terrible localisation Banner of the Maid is one of the most refined, enjoyable tactics JRPGs on the console. Also, Pauline really is an excellent protagonist, and she is just that pretty. I hope it’s not the last we see of her… now that this is on Switch, let’s get her into Smash Bros next. I might even start playing that game again if she was.

Supreme Ruler 1936 gets all the basics right. It has engaging combat, a robust economic model and plenty of entertaining gameplay. Newcomers will find that there’s challenge enough in just getting on with the war, while old hands will enjoy managing the game’s many microsystems in a time of global conflict. It’s the ideal entry point for the series, and a solid, rewarding game for strategists who aren’t afraid of a challenge.

Arcade Archives is doing an exceptional job in properly preserving games that would otherwise be left to dodgy emulators or lost to time. Quester might not be the best arcade game you’ve ever played, but it is a moment in gaming history, and it’s enjoyable enough. I, for one, am glad it’s available on modern platforms.

It firmly exists within the Ys series, and just as last year brought us that magnificent remake of Dragon Quest III, here’s an old-timey classic within the action JRPG genre for the people who appreciate it. Not everything needs to be deep and meaningful, and Felghana certainly isn’t that. But it’s easy to appreciate its place within one of the longest-running and most enduring JRPG properties of all time.

Ultimately, Road to Guangdong is an inconsistent game, but its heart shines through its writing and visual design. It does feel like a personal story and I do respect how the game so honestly captures the values and emotions behind family reunions in Chinese culture. I wonder what more budget could have meant though – whether it is more dialogue to flesh out Guu Ma or to background the long stretches of driving – but what is here is already valuable, and I’m glad I got to spend time in this loving recreation of 90’s China.

I would have liked more context to the action, better realised characters, and more involved levels. And, of course, some kind of single player experience. But, for what it is, as a no-frills Overwatch clone, Paladins gets the job done. It’s a game I’ll likely be playing for quite some time to come, because it certainly scratches a very specific itch.

You could also say that too much of Pirate Warriors 4 is a retread of the three existing games, and as a result fans of One Piece and the previous titles (at this point, who else would even be looking at Pirate Warriors 4) might come away feeling like this doesn't deliver as much new stuff as they'd like. I don't think that's much of an issue, though. The new battlefields, improved combat system, and sheer action that goes on makes it every bit as much fun to run through those battles again, and One Piece has so much character and personality that the antics of Luffy and his crew never seem to get tiring. With that being said... do Gintama next, Koei. We're still waiting.

Even with SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest releasing so close to SpellForce 3, it’s worth it. The new storyline alone alongside the well crafted systems for both the RPG explorations and the RTS building of armies makes for a good time for both new and old fans alike.

What’s really hard to shake about Berserk is the feeling that Koei applied the wrong template to it. With the Nioh engine now having proven itself, I would rather Koei had held onto the IP a little longer and married Berserk’s dark narrative to Nioh’s gameplay structure.