Given the Mega Man's recent treatment, I can't help but be a little disappointed to see another incomplete collection, this time omitting almost half the series. Three of the final four entries are more than worthy of being included in any kind of Mega Man archive, and we might as well throw the putrid Mega Man 8 in there. I realize that the NES era was the focus of this particular collection, but leaving out some of the series's best entries is a glaring mistake. I will always love the games gathered here, but I can't help but feel a little shortchanged.

Despite my issues with them, I still adore these games. The chip tactics scratch my deckbuilding itch, but it’s not so tactical that it requires mental gymnastics to succeed. The story is charming in a saturday morning cartoon sort of way, and I appreciate the ability to access these games again on a modern platform. Capcom missed a few tricks by not adding a few quality-of-life and accessibility settings to make the games less grindy, but the series still holds a special place in my heart.

Yakuza 2 isn't perfect by a longshot, but it's one of the exceedingly few games that makes an effort to deliver legitimately mature content aimed at, and intended for adults like me who can appreciate something a little more substantial than killing terrorists, aliens, or zombies once in awhile.

Death Road to Canada has eaten up all of my free time — my lunch breaks and evenings have been dedicated to playing just a little more and going on just one more run. While I can understand that the pixel-art style may not be eye-catching and not everyone is a fan of the roguelike genre, it’s such a strong experience that I’d recommend people even vaguely interested get past their first impressions and jump in — that car to Canada isn’t going to drive itself.

This collection is an easy recommendation for fans of the series, who will find it every bit as playable as (and far more attractive than) the PlayStation 2 versions-but it doesn't feel like a definitive edition of the games, and with its near-complete lack of a manual and insufficient in-game tutorials, it makes no effort to ease players unfamiliar with the franchise into the DMC world.

The fact that this game could transform me from a stony-faced, veteran gamer into someone's over-enthusiastic, flailing uncle who doesn't understand how controllers work is itself proof of how Sumo Digital's synthesis of sight, sound and play has resulted in a uniquely intense and compulsively playable experience.

I love the Etrian Odyssey series and Shiren The Wanderer is quite possibly my favorite roguelike of all time, but not everything can come together as deliciously as chocolate and peanut butter. The two franchises here don't complement each other in any beneficial way, and the end result comes off as ill-fitting and awkward.

The changes Kinetica introduces into the formula are so miniscule, for the most part, that only a true connoisseur would notice or care.

In essence, you've seen it all before. Unless you want to see yourself.

This self-referential back-and-forth sets this game apart from the crowded market of platformers that it mocks and imitates with equal finesse.

For players on another console or who are a little luckier with bugs than me, I’d say that The Inner World is generally an enjoyable experience with cute animations and quirky humor — I would definitely recommend it, and based on the number of times my boyfriend turned off his own game to watch me play this one, I would say it’s also good for friends to play together.

Any newcomers intrigued by the Ace Attorney concept should definitely play the original Phoenix Wright trilogy first since Apollo Justice is uneven in tone and quality, but it’s still a worthwhile entry and this remaster is both competent and fairly priced.

This season created problems and solved them, but the overarching themes of the series as a whole weren’t sufficiently addressed, and I feel as if the ending leaves too much unanswered. However, putting my feelings aside, it’s nearly impossible to hate on the final episode of The Walking Dead. It wouldn’t even exist if not for the outstanding effort from the developers and publisher, and for the sake of the fans like me, it was appreciated.

The end result of their labor is a rock-solid videogame that almost perfectly captures the dread, majesty, and sheer abject terror of Lovecraft's world. One doesn't need to have read the fiction to enjoy the game, but those who're familiar with the world of Cthulhu and Innsmouth will find the game even more enjoyable because it works on multiple levels.

Bridge Constructor Portal is a great way to introduce a newcomer like me to this surprisingly popular genre. It uses the borrowed IP well, and while not every joke hits, the fact that the dev was able to shoehorn that Portal flavor into a completely new genre is commendable. This is probably isn’t the product that Valve fans were wishing for, but let’s stop berating them and enjoy what we’ve received — turning up one’s nose at a surprise gift like this would be silly.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is just kinda there. It makes some nice nods to earlier installments, but the stealth isn’t as slick as it needs to be. It features a lovingly-rendered Baghdad, but doesn’t have enough interesting things going on in it. The narrative it offers is largely unnecessary, and considering who Basim is in the overall mythology of the series, that is tremendously disappointing. The only thing Mirage excels at is reminding long-time Assassin’s Creed fans of days gone by.

By focusing on Sherlock's palette of intellectual powers and limiting the amount of typical adventure game tedium, the game captures the essence of Holmes's process better than ever, and the result is the most satisfying entry to date.

Life Goes On isn’t the longest puzzler with just three worlds with around a dozen maps in each, but its unique worldview and mechanics ensure that it stands above the crowd.

No Man’s Sky NEXT was a meditative experience for me. The simple loop of landing, scanning flora and fauna, scrounging for minerals, and finally walking up a hill to experience a breathtaking vista never got old. Others may struggle with the game’s openness, and others will likely feel intimidated by such a non-guided experience. But for those craving an experience full of addictive play loops and the ability to go anywhere? This game is for them.

Loddlenaut is cute, and sweet, and extremely playable, and a very appropriate game for children. The only thing I suggest is that those kids are guided to the proper understanding that while the game accurately demonstrates just how important ocean rescue is, that it badly misrepresents the ease with which such a thing can be accomplished — and how it’s allowed to happen in the first place.

Longtime Far Cry fans might feel that the prehistoric setting is a re-skinning of the previous titles, but despite any déjà vu, Far Cry Primal remains an enjoyable, highly playable title.

The cat-and-mouse dynamic between player and adversary, so familiar by the end of the campaign yet so aggressively unpredictable every time, really does possess the texture of a bad dream, or an endless cycle that the player can never wake up from. Thankfully, the narrative’s willingness to step aside is what really brings the nightmare to life. The Beast is not used as a vehicle for philosophical musings, he is not an expression of Henri’s subconscious mind or his hidden traumas. He is brutality personified, as senseless and blood-soaked as The Bunker’s setting.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. I’ve no doubt that it’s going to be too crazy for some players to handle, but there’s a decent amount on offer for anyone who can adapt to its hyperkinetic pace without their eyeballs frazzling to a crisp.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is tough to recommend when the first game is still around. This new entry sure is a sequel, but that’s about it.

Hardcore fight fans have likely already purchased it and begun honing their skills, but for the rest of us this game won't reach its true potential for at least a few more months—and maybe longer.

Unfortunately for those returning after an absence (like me) or who are brand new to the series, Soul Calibur V does little to bring a player up to speed with the new characters and mechanics beyond throwing them into the fight and letting them wade through as best they can. Factor in the scarcity of offline single-player content, and this means that multiplayer is the only thing granting Soul Calibur V any longevity; players looking for long-term offline play will be better served with Soul Calibur IV.

A little more challenge, depth, and length with the trimming of the lame on-rails levels would have made this one a near classic. As it is, though, it's an above-average shooter with just enough variety and charm to make the familiar trip worth your time.

Virginia is an excellent example of what can be done with the medium – the director’s hand is felt, the approach is unusual and the subject is intriguing. However, “Ambiguous Story” is becoming a widespread disease in videogames, and it’s hitting the indie scene are particularly hard. While occasionally appropriate, it’s a perilous shortcut that leads too many narratives astray, and this game is a victim. I recommend Virginia to examine how it moves a player through its story, but I can’t sign off on the story itself.