unless landing on an aircraft carrier and being saluted with the “Mission Accomplished” banner is all you’re looking for, you’re going to have to search elsewhere for a deeper experience.

A truly exceptional puzzle title. [June 2005, p.137]

Goes above and beyond the norm of platform games, and comes out shining like the edge of a sharpened blade. [Jan 2004, p.134]

Its strengths greatly dwarf its shortcomings. [Dec 2002, p.126]

Battle Princess Madelyn has a sweet, personal touch to it that shines through in the final product, as well as a message about the value of family.

With credits behind me, I’m excited to discover more of Monoth’s secrets and collectibles I haven’t yet found, and I’m especially thrilled to play more with my 7-year-old nephew. Illusion Island doesn’t overhaul the platformer genre, or the Metroidvania formula for that matter, but its distinctive no-combat focus on simply moving through Monoth keeps the trip amusing, brisk, and gratifying. I would have liked more challenge; this is a simple adventure that might not capture the interest of platformer enthusiasts with little to no preoccupation with Disney. But when met on its own terms, it’s hard to deny Illusion Island is a jubilant love letter to these characters and platforming.

AL delivers a polished Kirby experience here that plays well, but it ultimately amounts to a forgettable adventure that demands so little from the player that I sometimes felt like I was barely involved at all.

The AI is still riddled with holes and your money plays from last year will still work. [Oct. 2006, p.94]

The game may lose steam as it goes, but the excellent combat still makes it worth the price of admission.

Even as a brief game of only a few hours, I felt ready for things to wrap up by the time I hit the credits, but that’s not an indictment of how it all came together. Instead, this new tactical twist on the Turtles knows not to overstay its welcome. It’s a bite-sized chunk of strategic fun with an evident love of these classic characters that shines through, and that’s worth plenty.

The core action is top-notch, and the roster rocks, but the Fusion attacks and half-hearted story hurt the experience, turning a once great play into a punchless grind.

Much like a consistently winning sports team, MLB The Show 26 didn’t change things too dramatically, but this entry almost feels like a soft-rebuilding year; so while many of these changes may elevate the overall package in future games, they aren’t quite there yet. But much like those perennial contenders, even when it’s not the best the franchise has looked, MLB The Show 26 is once again lined up for another winning season.

Oxenfree II doesn’t shake up what its predecessor did in 2016, but it delivers more of the excellent writing and charm I expect from Night School Studio. While it's light on gameplay beyond traversal, it’s done in service of the characters. After 10 hours with this cast, I want more, but I’m happy with where this story ends and how my choices shaped that ending. Despite bad checkpointing and a swift rush to the end after an overly long setup, this return feels earned and essential, with a message that resonates far more than Oxenfree's. With Oxenfree II behind me, I’m thrilled Night School Studio delivered something special more than seven years away from this world.

There is some tactical entertainment to be had here, to be sure. When the game is firing on all cylinders, the battles are frantic and fun. Unfortunately, that’s a somewhat rare occurrence.

Project X Zone 2 gets a lot of mileage out of its huge cast. Characters interactions stand out where storytelling falls apart; seeing everyone’s impressive animations keeps combat alive when things get tedious, but the total package isn’t consistently interesting.

The dancing game has that perfect mix of embarrassment and fun that makes it just as entertaining to watch as it is to play.

Tri Force Heroes does co-op well, but the repetitive gameplay loop simply isn’t satisfying.

The fun combat and worthwhile character progression takes some of the sting out of the repetitious nature of the concept, but it doesn’t completely neutralize it.

This game is a dropped ball of "Devil May Cry 2" proportions. [March 2005, p.126]

While Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl don’t move the needle in terms of what Pokémon games will look and play like moving forward, they mostly hit the mark in being faithful to the originals. I’ve really enjoyed my time re-exploring Sinnoh, despite my qualms with the lack of critical path difficulty. They’re a welcome throwback to a simpler time when I felt completing a Pokédex was a somewhat realistic task to undertake. Veteran trainers will find plenty here to scratch a nostalgic itch, and new trainers who missed out the first time around have a solid adventure to embark on.

Adventure games are all about story. This sequel has a great story and good pacing to back it up. [Jun 2006, p.112]

The game combines the moral questions of Vietnam the best it can, but I don't think that kids who have played shooters for most of their lives are going to be doing any soul searching about whether to shoot something or not - innocent villager or otherwise. [Nov 2004, p.162]

Times change, and games must change with them. Animal Crossing, while still a charming and often engaging experience, seems stuck somewhere in the last generation of gaming.

Defender's real strength comes through in its willingness to be a shooter in a market full of mediocre hybrids. [Nov 2002, p.126]

Legends of Aranna delivers. With about fifteen hours of gameplay, lots of new items to collect, and a horde of monsters and boxes to destroy, this expansion offers plenty for gamers who love to increase stats and find fancy weapons and armor. [Jan 2004, p.155]

If you're ten, or simply itch for a decent, albeit short action title, Blender Bros. should fit the bill. [June 2002, p.87]

An addictive and oddly likeable revisitation of the genre's heyday. [Jan 2005, p.148]

I couldn't get over the amateurish production values, camera bugs, and shallow camera controls. [Dec 2002, p.70]