There’s little doubt Complete is the definitive version of the game, with all of its DLC scenarios on Switch included and worth exploring. Handheld mode is what really seals the deal, in effect “improving” the game’s visual presentation and exposing Disgaea 5, of all things, as far more pickup-and-play-friendly than anybody probably ever expected.

Good for a weird shot of fun, or a fun shot of weird, or maybe both. It’s the kind of game that should have been available on your palm pilot five years ago (hell, it would still be a good palm pilot game).

Even though this version of Torchlight has its fair share of recurring issues, it's likely to hit the loot hunger spot for Xbox 360 owners. If you're a veteran of the original, though, there's very little here that you haven't seen before.

While it is to some degree better than "Nascar 2001," in many ways it is almost the same game (aside from the new foil cover). It features the same oval tracks, same types of cars and the same types of options.

More attention to the graphics and gameplay issues would secure its place as the preeminent college basketball game. Right now, though, it’s still on the bubble.

There's no doubt that Danganronpa V3 has its issues, the localization and forced message to name a few. Despite my gripes with those, I can't help but be amazed by its story, characters, and cases. Above all else, V3 is the highest point for the series. Though it is certain to be polarizing and divisive among its fanbase, it comes just inches short of being a masterpiece in my book.

It doesn't keep quite the same appeal so many years later, as good as it still may be.

Live A Live is still full of charm, and the graphics and gameplay have been tweaked just enough to give it some modern touches. Hopefully, it’ll get the recognition it deserves alongside Square’s other classics.

It’s good, messy fun, even if everything but the multiplayer is “borrowed.”

The old songs mixed with the new, the unchanged gameplay, the redundant difficulty modes, the atrocious inclusion of really really bad music videos.

Splatoon isn't a perfect game, but it's fun. Really, really fun. It's the start of a promising IP for Nintendo, and it's something unique for Wii U as an action-packed shooter that's also still capable of retaining its family-friendly image. It's the '90s paintball craze meets Call of Duty and it's totally da bomb and funky fresh.

Forged Alliance's AI is improved and now more aggressive. It also tends to attack with a stronger mix of units than previously, exposing fewer weaknesses.

Tearaway Unfolded improves upon the original by adding innovative controls, a handy companion app, augmented reality features via the PS Camera, and a plethora of new content including expended environments with new quests. With this much whimsical content, it's going to be hard to tear away from my TV.

In addition to Trackmania Turbo's single-player campaign, you can enjoy a race variation where two players work in unison to control one car. There's also local multiplayer racing and action-packed online multiplayer modes, including one where 100 players race ghost cars against each other. Add the deep track creator to the surrealistic mix, and the result is a fantastic racing game that will keep players coming back for short doses of fun-filled mayhem!

While the game doesn't bring a lot of new to the table, it certainly removes some wind resistance and delivers another admirable volley of cartoonish violence. Plenty of solid action and good humor make up for its lack of adventure.

And while the gameplay and puzzles are streamlined, the unlockable content massive, and the flying modes excellent, the best part about the game is its snarky humor and feel-good satire.

There is simply so much content in Unite, it gets my recommendation sheerly on a bang-for-the-buck basis.

There are around 30+ hours of content to be had in Summerset, and although the game is four years old at this point, ZeniMax Online Studios is still bringing it's A-game. There's still a significant player population in ESO, and if you're an Elder Scrolls fan, or just looking to get into a game you can play for a while, Summerset is a good fit for you.

Saints Row 2 isn't going to be the next Godfather, but it's not trying to be. If you want class and moral dilemmas with your gang warfare, then look elsewhere. But if you want explosions, revenge, sex, money, drugs and rock and roll, then a trip to Stilwater is just what the doctor ordered.

It refuses to take any meaningful gambles. Fans may enjoy having more of their favorite game, but they might also find it drab and boring after so much of the same.

One of the best written DLCs for a Fallout game ever. It plays a strong part in the post-New Vegas story that the DLC packs are building, With that said, it's also one of the worst paced, with some of the most boring fetch quests you're likely to find in any Fallout game. It feels like an excuse to deliver excellent dialogue and humor, but with very few instances of quality content to actually play through.

Just more of the same old formula in a candy shell. Take away the coatings and purportedly new features, and the game finds its way back to its roots - in the past.

Almost as interesting as the Force powers is the skill it takes to use them effectively.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

Though the series is pretty much stale these days, that wasn’t always the case, and the Mega Man Anniversary Collection serves as a reminder that while the games might feel a little dated, the Blue Bomber still has some fight left.

A good fighting game with a great gore factor.

If you’re looking for some hot courtroom action, clinically insane characters, wild crime scenarios, and a lot of worthwhile reading, then Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is probably the niche game for you. Although it straddles the definition of “game” very loosely, it is an overall satisfying and sometimes exhilarating experience worth playing.

Buggier than Missouri in July, and I don’t want to see you go bat crazy again like you did when I tried to change the save settings or save highlight film at the end of the game. By and large, these bugs are probably just growing pains, but you better work those issues out with the team therapist before I catch you organizing dog fights.

Call of Duty doesn’t just return to its explosive roots here; it manages to create a new metaphor for the American bang-bang shooter consumers who continue to drive sales of both it and other major franchises.

I was astonished at how much I enjoyed Jedi Fallen Order. Not because it’s a great game, it inhabits a niche that we haven’t seen much of this generation. It’s merely a good game. I ran into a ton of glitches and collision issues. Still, the overall package was entertaining enough to ignore them for the most part.

Low content quantity and some roughness around the edges might keep this game from being a premier shooter of 2017, but it's still a wonderful breath of fresh air that has arrived just in-time for the Summer drought.

Trading more traditional, menu-drilling RPG “depth” for sheer style, action, mechanical elegance and what might be called a refreshingly grim mood, The Witcher is one of the most compelling - if not the cheeriest - fantasy excursions to come along in many a moon.

It's the hardcore game Nintendo fans have always wanted on their platform, leaving nothing but your console friends list behind.

With over 100 stages of fun, each lasting about a minute in length, Cut the Rope 2 is both good for quick bursts of gameplay or longer bouts on the go… until it’s time to pay, then only the most invested players will check back or pay.

For 800 MSP ($10.00), The Brigmore Bitches Witches is an adequate addition to the Dishonored universe. I think showing the parallel storyline of Daud has been a great addition. If you have been on the fence about picking up the DLC for this series, I can assure you that the collective price of 1600 MSP ($20.00) is well worth the content you get from Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches.

Dedicated fans of the genre who maybe have gotten tired of the madness of Marvel vs. Capcom or other more crazy modern fighting games might appreciate this slightly enhanced and tweaked technical fighter. Most others, I'm afraid-myself included-probably won't find much to invest here.

The chapter ends with a huge revelation linked to Max’s powers that is insanely cool. Without spoiling anything I would say the episode title is apt. It also makes waiting two months for the next installment unbearable.

Despite its better delivery, though, Major League Baseball 2K5 is not a better baseball game than "MVP 2005." Its offline content is simply not as deep and its play mechanics are broadly inferior.

It's a futuristic racer for gamers who are serious about their racing, even when we hit the future at over 300 miles per hour.

Who knew that having the frame of my vehicle obscure my view of the racetrack in a corner or that trading the inside lane for the clarity of my headlights during a nighttime race would bring me an enjoyment I've never found in sim racing games before?

It's got everything you're looking for in an arcade shooter and more. Just don't expect it to last forever.

Suffice to say, Asheron's Call is a fun, semi-addictive game with a fantastic interface for people new to the genre. However, some drawbacks and the lack of complexity may drive "Everquest" and "Ultima Online" fanatics bonkers.

Brave Fencer Musashi has some cool gameplay elements in it that will wow the most jaded console gamer, but the formulaic story, annoying characters, and "kiddie" feel of the game end up distracting the gamer as well as knocking it down a grade.

As unbalanced as the offense and defense are, this game is clearly all about the big offensive play which, in my opinion, is very diggable. However, Street does still leave plenty of room for another good scrub-tackle football game, particularly one without so much style or so many stars.

But for players of a more old-school bent who like to steep themselves in the story and the character interaction, Sakura Wars is an unusual Neopolitan ice-cream serving of animé presentation, quirky Japanese-brand interpersonal humor, and a little old-fashioned mech-butt kicking for good measure.

Offers exactly what armchair golfers would expect. However, that's not necessarily enough. More creativity and depth would have led to a new boss; instead, this is just another member of the family.

And even though that world is a broken dystopian nightmare, Ghostrunner‘s gameplay is just the opposite. Slicing and sprinting through each dilapidated factory and string of sharply lit billboards is a rush because of how satisfying it is to control as well as how it, through its design, pushes players to play well enough to get the most out of its systems. A seasoned ninja strikes perfectly without any fatal faults; an apt summary of the gameplay loop and Ghostrunner as a whole.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a great entry in the series, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Whether you’re new to the series or genre or you’re a seasoned FE fan this is a great game. It adds just enough new material without making it too different.

While Untitled Goose Game is a short experience, this also means that it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Additional objectives after you’ve completed the main game increase replayability, even if these objectives could stand to be more challenging. And while its stealth is basic, if you’re content with running around as an arrogant goose and scaring people with your loud honks, then it delivers that in spades.

The steps it has taken in the gameplay department since Age of Empires II are negligible, but at least the new card-based bonus system adds an element of customization and depth to the genre. This result is as detailed as a history book, and about as much fun.

Even with a few hiccups along the way, most of them technical ones in the Wiiware version of the game, the story and characters more than make up for any of that.

Even if you're not particularly a fan of tower defense games like me, simply controlling your units, getting combos, and using the special barrage weapons will win you over.

This beautiful, sprawling sandbox title turns the Crusades of the twelfth century into your personal playground of murder.

It harnessed that frantic pace inherent to the food service industry and built a co-op game around it; one that surpasses its predecessor in every way.

Skylanders Superchargers revs up its cyber-engine to offer fans a huge variety of vehicular and action platforming gameplay. After several iterations, this series now offers a surprising amount of depth, but it still lacks a serious challenge.

If you're looking for a great puzzler, Ilomilo is an awesome choice. This is probably the more mind-intensive out of the trio of Holiday promotion releases.

A game that challenges the mind like Treasure Tracker doesn’t come around all that often and for that the Wii U console carves out another experience with childlike wonder as the objective, rather than the aesthetic.

It’s difficult to imagine executing a remake of a near 30-year-old experience more effectively and efficiently than Intelligent Systems has, applying just the right amount of refinement and new ideas to antique gameplay systems that clearly still work.

A great presentation and even better writing can’t compensate for the fact that the game practically plays itself. This is a good comic book, but a below average adventure.

It all gets old a little too quick-even faster if you don't play with friends. But if you do, or you were a fan of the old-school NBA Jam titles (or you're just stuck in the 90s like me), then NBA Jam: On Fire Edition is a slam dunk.

Fans of the series will find more to love than the rest, but Paper Mario 3D allows players of all levels to get to the point a lot faster. Though Dream Team has one of the better 3D effects, in both 2D and 3D gameplay, you're more likely to shut your eyes than cross them. There are hours of entertainment for patient players willing to read and giggle at silly accents, but I'd rather explore Bowser's dreams instead.

Blur is fast, chaotic, and flashy. It may not be particularly original or memorable, but it could make for some great post-bar silliness with your friends on par with a bad kung fu movie. Like a skittish commitment-phobe, as soon as you start to take Blur too seriously, it all falls to pieces.

If you're looking for a long-term relationship with a complicated, temperamental (I have nervous breakdowns all the time), frustratingly smart game, then baby, I'm your man. Otherwise, I'm just trouble.

Though the series is pretty much stale these days, that wasn’t always the case, and the Mega Man Anniversary Collection serves as a reminder that while the games might feel a little dated, the Blue Bomber still has some fight left.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

If you’re already a fan of the series, or if any of this niche game sounds appealing to you, I urge you to give Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy a try. Certainly, those who played the previous two (or five) games will want to know how the trilogy ends.

Just learning the myriad of functions, trying to organize a group and then arranging transportation will easily eat up a couple hours before you've even fired your first live round at a real enemy.

I’m hoping for a better shake-up of action and exposition for the remaining two episodes because leaving a huge chunk of the latter to fill the middle feels contrary to the game’s origins. It’s a weird time to be had.

It's got great lightsaber battles and enough Star Wars action to satisfy even the biggest George Lucas junkie.

For its flaws, Rune Factory 4 Special brings an incredible life-sim/Action-RPG to the Switch. There are few games in the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series that match the complexity and fun of Rune Factory 4, and this port has me excited to see Rune Factory 5.

This is the fourth time in as many chapters that Life Is Strange has shocked me big time. So bring on the conclusion stat. I am ready for one more trip to Arcadia Bay.

This year they tried to futz with the gameplay, but the changes are so minute that most veterans will seamlessly transition from last year's game to this one. Whether or not it's worth the green fees depends a great deal on your love of the game, but chances are you've already aced this course.

Given Telltale's record for producing excellent games, returning fans shouldn't even think twice about picking up this first chapter for Chapter 3.

Sunset Overdrive doesn’t take itself seriously, making the action and character of the game stand-out about as much as its vibrant color scheme. Sequences that slightly alter gameplay or offer up a big boss manage to delight beyond most of what’s available on the latest consoles today.

I had tons of fun blowing up or burning down poor enemy troops, and if Toy Soldiers is any indication, the tower defense genre still has a little bit of life left in it and plenty of room for innovation.

Sure, the missions get repetitive and the vehicle handling stinks, but for all that, Just Cause 2 is just plain fun.

If you own Empire, there’s not a good reason to own Napoleon.

With good mechanics and delivery, Table Tennis will certainly keep you and your impoverished frat buddies entranced for a bit, but the profound lack of depth makes it a decidedly hard pledge.

SNK has a lot to celebrate with the release of Samurai Shodown as it’s a triumphant return to form for a series that hasn’t had a mainline release in over 15 years. Not only does it keep the calculated and punishing gameplay in tact, it manages to offer up a great tutorial that allows for newcomers to understand the nuance of its depth.

Without spoiling anything, it’s this concept of being powerless that enhances everything going for the story.

Another solid entry in the series. It's nothing more than that, however, and simply porting it to the PSP with no notable additions seems a tad lazy.

The gameplay becomes repetitive quickly and the campaign is over without much fuss. In the end, this fast-paced game falls victim to its own velocity.

It's informative, useful, well thought out, and exhaustive in it's attention to detail.

In all three console versions (which are identical), A.I. glitches aren't uncommon and the on-foot camera tends to get persnickety. The game looks and plays better while driving.

The addition of goals and plenty of different unlockable locations and items does breathe new life into this old game, and slower meters and a more responsive interface lead to a good version of The Sims. However, this game is very similar to the original PS2 version and might not feel filling enough for those who already made that purchase.

The gameplay is just as good as you remember it to be and the engine still hauls a great deal of ass, but considering it's had two years to stew, this tour feels a little too much like the last one.

Aside from that and the lagging-loading moments between day and night, there really isn't anything I could find "wrong" with this game… but then again, it's more of a sim than a "game" in the first place.

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with Star Fox 64 3D, and it will prove to be one of the few must-haves at this point in the 3DS lifecycle, but for purists like me, there's something missing. I wouldn't trade the portability for the world, but there's still some ghostly reason to pull out the Nintendo 64 and play the game as it was originally released.

The DS version is a fun game, but it doesn’t improve on the original enough to break it out of the museum and into your collection.

Life Is Strange 2 Episode 1 is a decent introduction this new season. It stumbles and succeeds in the same areas as its predecessor, but those stumbles are a bit less severe and those victories are a tad more successful. Those heartfelt scenes and solid setup give the upcoming episodes a good foundation to stand on even if the dialogue sometimes tries its best to sabotage that goodwill.

The first game in a long time that I just could not put down. No matter how tired I was, I was determined to get through just the next witness testimony before bed.

Gran Turismo 6 feels like a last-generation model car with premium parts. It's certainly no slouch, but there's only so much room left for improvement, where an upgrade would finally mean moving to the most current edition.

This is not your older brother's GoldenEye. It's been updated, re-skinned, had some control adjustments, and instead of reclaiming the crown of top four-player shooter, it's just another face in the crowd.

With Sifu, developer Sloclap is asking a lot from players. From the punishingly difficult combat that takes hours to learn and tens of hours to master, to the need to repeat and near-perfect levels to lower your starting age, this fighter can be an absolute slog. However, for those who can grit their teeth through the losses and frustration, you’ll come out smiling on the other side having played one of the best games of the year.

One of the finest examples of downloadable content that other developers should emulate.

Even if you’re not huge on dungeon exploration Persona Q2 is a great game. It contains plenty of fanservice and references for fans of the main Persona titles and has a complex and rewarding combat and exploration loop that makes it worth playing even if it’s your first Persona game ever.

Full Body’s occasional well-intentioned but problematic narrative additions don’t suffocate its core, choice-laden plot as it is still strong enough to persist despite how outdated the new branches can be. Aside from being open to more people, its block puzzles didn’t see as much of an upgrade but they remain as tense, thrilling, and sometimes frustrating as they were in 2011.

Thankfully, the designers didn't mess anything crucial up—it's still a cute, unique, funky, challenging and artistically-brilliant game that doesn't merely ride its precursor's coattails but broadens and deepens the experience, while keeping the all-important beat.