I have my frustrations with the game’s coin system to unlock additional content, and unfortunately, most, if not all, of the games in the collection do not stand up to the test of time. But as a means to highlight Nintendo’s history, participate in some nostalgia with local friends, and play classic games for exactly as long as they’re fun, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition succeeds in its intention.

A surprisingly solid title that wasn’t even on my radar. While it borrows heavily from the Souls franchise, it’s done well and with its own signature flair. I highly recommend this game to anyone that enjoys that series, and if you haven’t gone down that road before, it might be a more forgiving entry point into the action RPG.

I am a big fan of cinematic platformers. I appreciate this attempt at taking the mechanics and presentational focus of the genre and applying them to a fun cartoon. That part of the game, alongside the platforming and puzzles, works well and is attractive. Unfortunately, the frequent sneaking slows the game down and is a barrier instead of a fun series of challenges to overcome.

Bungie's latest release is a good expansion on its own, but the way it sets the stage for the future of the Destiny franchise is its most impressive feat.

There are worse things out there than grinding levels, and Twin Age controls better than most DS games in the genre. [June 2008, p.101]

Rather than focusing on the political or militant side of war like many games do, Bury Me, My Love's humanistic approach is refreshing. This window into war never feels heavy handed or disingenuous; it's grounded in its storytelling, and kept me glued to the screen until Nour's journey concluded.

This is a game aimed at children and younger players, and I imagine that far too many of them will think they’re doing something wrong when a boss battle doesn’t end – not realizing that the trigger to activate the next battle phase didn’t flip for some unknown reason. Perhaps a patch will come and address these issues. Unfortunately, it’s not here yet and I have to review the game in its current state. As it stands, I can’t recommend it to anyone, no matter how deep their love for Lego, Marvel, or past glories from TT Games.

The Top Spin series, despite its gameplay issues, at least made an effort. Virtua Tennis needs to try much harder if it’s going to regain its title as the preeminent tennis franchise.

World Cup Brazil has its advantages, but it's stuck in an awkward position. It's not the best representation of all the tournament encompasses, and in some ways it's not even better than FIFA 14.

NBA Live 08 is a vastly improved game that is nearly ready for primetime. With another year under its belt, NBA Live may be contending for the championship.

While it doesn’t offer the same breadth and reimagining of core systems found in The Taken King, Bungie’s latest release has a sentimental tone that is refreshing. This adventure through forgotten legends stands strong on its own, and continues an unbroken string of content drops that have each made Destiny a richer universe.

Rocket Arena is a competent game with a clear sense of what a 3v3 rocket match should be from a technical perspective, but it furtively struggles to find an entertaining hook to keep players coming back. In today’s world of countless shooters, it’s destined to be forgotten.

Hybrid proves that you can't depend on a few flashy additions to rev up the shooting genre; innovation needs to go into every area possible for a game to stand out. The jetpacks and cover system are twists on standard third-person firefights, but lose their allure quickly due to uninteresting maps and the reliance on modes from other popular games. That's not to say the game isn't entertaining, but it lacks the staying power to keep you hooked. The goal is noble, but Hybrid doesn't turn the third-person shooter on its head.

I love how Midway has made a pretty realistic title that just happens to throw a very vicious elbow. [May 2002, p.83]

The graphics may be dated, but it's still an amazing game. [Dec 2001, p.111]

Though Supersonic Warriors retains the show's flavor, it fails to measure up to the standards of a passable 2D fighter. [Sept 2004, p.118]

The Sonic levels are explosive as ever, although the control isn't nearly as refined as it should be. The rest of the stages in the game are poorly concocted and void of fun. [Mar 2002, p.81]

This game won’t stay with me long, but I’m not sure it was meant to. With Dead Island 2, Dambuster Studios asks little of the player – only that you enjoy a good excuse to kill zombies in increasingly gory ways for a weekend or two – and in doing so, it delivers on the promise of what this series is all about.

While the genre can be difficult to get into due to clunky interfaces, obtuse or cryptic instructions, and infuriating citizen behaviors, Banished offers a fairly intuitive take on things and it’s also easy on the eyes.

Like last year’s Thrillville, Off the Rails, requires some research on the part of the player to discover which things are fun (designing faulty rides) and which are a waste of time (talking to guests). Unfortunately, even the content that survives the cull isn’t enough to make the whole experience more than a diversion.

It’s a short experience, clocking in at only a few hours, but it’s an adventure I enjoyed taking.

Due to last years’ visual overhaul, these wrestlers continue to look better than ever. Unfortunately, WWE’s gameplay hasn’t made the same strides as its graphics. Reliving Steve Austin’s career will likely appeal to a lot of wrestling fans, but it’s more fun to watch than to play.

They Are Billions is an interesting mashup of classic RTS, tower defense, and survival that successfully conjures up that “one more game” feel, assuming you can persevere through countless defeats.

Frontlines does enough to entertain on the multiplayer end to make up for the woeful single-player experience. It’s a shame Kaos didn’t scrap the single-player altogether to focus completely on honing the online experience.

My time with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 was filled with peaks and valleys. It has great moments where everything is clicking, followed by lulls where it all falls apart. The story never really gets going, however, but is a fun exploration of all things Marvel. For that, it delivers a little bit of fun, but this experience is all about the character reveals and getting to test them out, even if the worlds they explore and challenges within them often lack excitement.

A few months ago, I reviewed LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. That game introduced some light RTS elements to the series, along with loads of vehicle-based missions, and a huge cast of playable characters. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean falls short of that high mark, delivering a more traditional LEGO experience. That's not to say that Pirates is a bad game – quite the contrary. It's just puzzling to see a series that has struggled to evolve take a step back. Where are the epic ship-to-ship vehicle battles? Why is the pirate-infested port hub so boring? [July 2011, p.89]

While it's not a perfect product, EA knows how to make deep, full-featured sports games with high production values. In Grand Slam Tennis 2, developer EA Canada applies some of the lessons learned from the company's other franchises to create a game that excels in many areas while coming up short in a few important ones.

The core of this fantastic superhero game is still in place, and if you have ever wanted to feel more like you were actually slashing with Wolverine’s claws, now’s your chance.