Indie throwbacks to video games of the early ‘80s are a dime a dozen, but Yacht Club Games successfully rises to the top. The tried-and-true game design principles and elegant checkpoint system make Shovel Knight worth a try no matter which era of gaming you prefer.

Ultimately, Rayman Origins is still a fantastic game, with or without multiplayer. If you haven't checked it out yet, you now have one more reason to give it a shot.

A solid and fun, if not deep or terribly rewarding racer - one that ably promotes beauty over brains. [Jan 2006, p.140]

In the world of sports sims, no other game feels like it’s even on the same level as NBA 2K17. Visual Concepts continues to embrace innovation and add benchmark-setting features for hardcore fans. With unrivaled gameplay, presentation, and game modes, 2K Sports’ latest hoops game is a must-play for all sports fans.

There are so, so many games coming out every year, and no real ruling body for determining a "gaming canon" of any sort. So in lieu of that, I'll just say Final Fantasy Tactics was, and remains, an essential work. It's the type of game that, played with fresh eyes nowadays, would surprise newcomers with how engrossing its Job system is, how expressive the character sprites and music are, how gorgeous the dioramic battle maps can be, and just how moving its story can be. Time has passed, but Tactics never got old.

Not content to settle for second place, DICE throws down the gauntlet with Bad Company 2, delivering its best multiplayer package since Battlefield 2 and a remarkably improved single-player campaign that openly mocks its rival while cribbing from them at the same time. [Issue#203, p.84]

This is the stuff cult hits are made of. [May 2008, p.98]

Torchlight II is an excellent game no matter how you slice it. As big of a Diablo III fan as I am, the margin between the two is razor-thin – and I have to give the nod to Torchlight II.

You're constantly under the gun in XCOM 2, and the deck is often stacked against you. Firaxis' masterclass in strategy design has you second-guessing all your choices and analyzing your smallest decisions. It might sound stressful, and at times it is, but XCOM 2's battles are so compelling that it's easy to pick yourself up after defeat and jump back into the fray. Successfully navigating XCOM 2's storm of difficult choices is enough to make you feel like a true legend.

Dishonored 2 successfully builds on the solid stealth-combat foundation of the original while introducing enough fun new gameplay concepts to feel fresh. Whether you prefer sticking to the shadows or gutting every co-conspirator in the land, the game offers a rewarding experience with attractive upgrade paths. The narrative can’t match the high bar of the gameplay and world building, but Arkane Studios nonetheless delivers a must-play revenge tale among the best in its class.

The detail that went into the worlds and fluidity of the character movements are towering achievements that have no rival. [Dec 2002, p.114]

In all, it felt like the players had a slightly lower center of gravity. This allows not only for a good running back to become extra shifty through better lateral movement (without even having to use the juke button), but it also gives defenders an extra punch to their hits. [July 2004, p.112]

The title's AI (including the too-strong CPU on the penalty kill) still leaves you in a lurch too often. Finally, I'm still not a huge fan of the dekes. [Oct 2003, p.138]

With the sad Story mode, you're left having slightly more meat than the original, but that isn't enough to make this an out and out must-have. [Dec 2002, p.128]

Enemy Within adds more troop customization options, fearsome enemy units, and new levels to explore. Anyone who loves an intense firefight should test their mettle on Enemy Within.

It would have been easy to dial down the overall difficulty (and I wouldn’t have complained), but that wouldn’t have been Cuphead, either. Stick with it, is all I can say. We don't often get something that will make you laugh and grind your teeth in such close proximity.

Horizon Forbidden West reaches a new high bar for Guerrilla Games. It does more than surpass its predecessor; it takes Horizon’s fiction to captivating places and builds a rich world that rewards you for the effort you put into it. Mostly, it’s an entertaining experience, complete with jaw-dropping moments and unforgettable fights.

Even three years after its initial release, Ninja Gaiden still has the moves that inspire awe. [July 2007, p.97]

Pinball FX 2 brings the excitement and authenticity of modern pinball to Xbox Live Arcade. Banging around the silver ball is a blast in and of itself, but the social options turn this experience into an addiction.

Combine its lengthy single-player experience with the new co-op and head-to-head modes, and you can’t help but love this classic reborn.

Like a star player at the apex of his career, NHL 11 still shines on the ice. New innovations like the real-time physics engine and UHL show EA Canada still has some room to grow, but as age creeps up on the stalwart franchise and its prior innovations feel commonplace, some of its weaknesses are starting to appear more evident.

It's nothing new to the Wario Land enthusiast, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. [Jan 2002, p.96]

It's got an insanely high level of immersion, story depth, and character customization available. The big problem with this game has always been downtime - far too much walking around and wading through conversations. [Jan 2004, p.151]

It's random, wacky, and fun - but it's also just WarioWare all over again. [May 2005, p.128]

Even if some fraction of the joy drops off in the endgame, Ball x Pit remains a deeply entertaining update to an ancient arcade formula. It’s easy to lose yourself in the flow of the seemingly endless bouncing balls, and I was consistently eager to unlock new characters, levels, and new balls to experiment with in battle. This is one of those “don’t judge a book by its cover” sorts of games, where the real excitement only reveals itself once the controller is in your hands. It will only take a single level to make you a believer.

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Deathloop is a bloody, chaotic mess. A mess you will fail at over and over until finally, you succeed. And that success – the result of hours of experimentation, iteration, and knowledge – makes for one of the best games of the year.

The AI of the creatures and troops you’re battling is some of the best I’ve seen in any game on any platform. [Feb 2002, p.98]