Battlefront II is a good sequel, but it's got too much in common with the first game to make the upgrade a no-brainer.

I can do nothing but recommend DJ highly, even if the game is on the short side, the game is perfect for those on the go.

Overall, Dead or Alive 5 is an great fighter, and it's really nice to have another Tecmo fighter land on consoles this gen. It's fresh enough that it easily trumps Dead or Alive 4 in both style and gameplay, but at the same time faces some stiff competition from recently released titles like Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown.

The mission variety and complexity, with multi-tiered goals and mixtures of dog fighting, bombing and strafing, make Secret Weapons Over Normandy a long-lived, rewarding experience.

So, ultimately, is the entire package of Resident Evil Revelations 2 worth your time? Absolutely. If you’ve already played the previous chapters, there’s no reason not to check out the fourth and final chapter in the game.

There's some interface stuff I'd like to see streamlined a bit, but the visuals are fantastic, the gameplay is certainly interesting and unique, and the overall presentation is spot on from what I've seen of UFC in general.

All in all, this is the game that just might finally put the name Codemasters into gamer's minds that haven't enjoyed their past successes like Colin and Pro Race Driver. DiRT isn't too simish or arcady but finds that nice blend that goes down smooth everytime.

That word, pleasant, may just be the best way to describe all of Undertale. I know that’s nowhere near as strong a term as many of its devotees have used, but it feels entirely appropriate to me. The characters, the charmingly retro graphics, the interactions: they’re generally quite pleasant. I wouldn’t say they make this a must-play game, but I would say that it means that if you play Undertale, you’ll likely have a grin on your face the whole time.

Atelier Shallie Plus is not all that different from any other Atelier game. There's a brief moment at the beginning of the game, when your characters are adrift at sea, when it doesn't seem like things will be proceeding as normal…and then you hit dry land, and it reverts to the same broad formula. If you've been desperate for the game to switch things up, the simple fact that you can make things move more quickly probably won't win you over now. But if you just want another Atelier game that delivers on the series' usual level of quality, you're in luck. Atelier Shallie Plus lives up to the standard set by its predecessors — for better and for worse.

An excellent tennis game, easily the best one out there.

The Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a great selection of games and will make its reputation on M2’s emulation and another neat Bonus Book but the lack of ability to remap buttons and issues with screen options are more annoying than you would expect. If these things were changed then it would be an easy recommendation but for now it’s still a pretty good and only way to play these games on modern consoles. I’m hoping Konami stops dropping the ball on the presentation and options in any future collections because more are on the way and these are bringing down what are quality collections!

Even if you don’t know who these players are, don’t follow college sports, but you do want a great baseball experience, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball fills the void, at least until the big boys start the new season. At only 30 bucks, you would be a fool to pass this up.

Here's what it ultimately comes down to, I guess: Draw Slasher is a fun game, and I'd encourage you to play it, but only if you're paying the lowest price possible. If you do literally all your mobile gaming on your Vita, then by all means, buy it and enjoy. If you have an iDevice, though…you might want to think about just how much Trophies mean to you, and make your decision from there.

As with most board games, Mario Party relies heavily on luck (the roll of the dice) and has little to do with skill. Although most of the mini-games are fairly simple to learn and to play, I must warn potential buyers of Mario Party that this game is extremely tough on your controllers.

I've yet to play a shooter as challenging and impressive as Raystorm, even since the days of playing "R-Type Leo" at a local arcade.

Anyone who's played Treasure's previous games knows that they're one of the best at what they do. Mischief Makers, while maybe not their best effort, is certainly proof of this. If you're a Treasure fan, or an N64 owner that's sick of Doom clones, Mischief Makers is the game for you.

It’s undeniably a great game when it works, and everything that made it our GOTY a few years ago still stands. I’m sure the PC version will get there eventually, and when that happens it’ll be a must-play for anyone who loves big, open-world superhero games…but for now, you’re better off holding off, and giving the game a little more time to iron out the kinks.

X-Out Resurfaced is a very simple, no frills shooter that provides a moderate to steep challenge for even the toughest players. Its presentation and gameplay doesn’t try to compete with the bigger releases and it really doesn’t have to. It stands on its own as a fun action shooter game that many will find charming. Don’t expect a mind-blowing story, quirky characters or any wild plot twists with this one, but do expect a fun and challenging ride that will stay with you for a while.

Overall Tales of Berseria Remastered is one of the better Tales games in recent memory. If you have it on PS4, and have a PS5 that can play it, I would probably hold off, unless you really need the buttery smooth 60fps. If you don’t have the original, this is a great game to get started on.

Maybe the most impressive thing about Clutchtime, though, is that you don’t need to be a basketball fan to enjoy the game. I’m sure that would help, but really, as long as you like deckbuilders, you should definitely give this one a chance to see how broad and varied the genre can be.

Once Upon A Puppet reminds me of Puppeteer because of its overall aesthetic – not just the fact both are about puppets, but the whole gorgeous look of the game, and the way that it’s able to go from light and whimsical to dark and mysterious without breaking stride. To be sure, that’s not something unique to these two games specifically, but when you factor in the rest of the similarities, it’s hard not to feel like the games share some DNA. Of course, as noted above, Puppeteer had the misfortune of coming out at the tail-end of a generation, when people were eagerly awaiting the next one to start. Once Upon A Time has no such issues, so hopefully it meets a much more favourable fate.

The big drawback to The Lost Crown is that if you’re not already a fan of Metroidvanias, it’s hard to imagine anything here will suddenly make you a believer in the genre. It’s a well-made Metroidvania, to be sure, but there’s nothing here that breaks new ground. But if you grew up with Prince of Persia, that’s kind of beside the point. The Lost Crown shows that there’s still life in the franchise. Now, hopefully, we don’t have to go another thirteen years until the next entry.

If you really want to relive the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, you absolutely need to play Choice of Life: Wild Islands. It’s a fun update of that old formula, told in a way that gives you a little more agency over what happens.

Tri Breaker manages to iterate on brick breaker as well as throw in some other game play styles, fans of old school arcade will enjoy the title in that respect.

Every run in Dicefolk brings new adventures, and it’s a sign of how well it’s put together that you’ll definitely want to go on run after run after run.

It’s an interesting title full of whimsy and charm that targets a specific style of audience, but when it’s with that audience, it really clicks. If you’re seeking a fairly mindless fun time but aren’t sure about the full release, feel free to check out the demo before you buy.

Ninja Theory really knows how to end a game, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is no different. If you’re looking for a God Of War clone, this is not that game. With its unique presentation, cinematic narrative with amazing storytelling, game-changing visuals, beautiful sound design, and digestible length, Xbox Games Studios and Ninja Theory have a successful franchise on their hands. I want to continue to come back to Senua and go on these adventures. If you have Xbox Game Pass, go download this and Senua’s Sacrifice.

To be sure, you probably shouldn’t pick it up at full price (though, at the same time, getting 90 minutes or so of solid entertainment for $8 isn’t exactly a terrible value proposition, and you’re supporting an indie developer). But if you’re a fan of Portal-style puzzlers, you should buy it all the same.

Like Hotline Miami a decade ago it stretches the limits of what a puzzler can be into some bloody places, and it pulls it off so well that you can’t help but enjoy every minute of it.

It may not reach the highs of the previous Turnip Boy game, but it’s still fun in its own right, and it makes me eager to see what shenanigans Turnip Boy gets up to next (and what genres he’ll get up to them in).

Minishoot Adventures doesn’t break any new ground – even if all these genres aren’t usually together, they’ve all been around long enough that it all feels familiar. But that’s also Minishoot Adventures’ biggest strength: it all feels so familiar that you can’t help but feel like you’re playing an old classic. Time will tell, of course, whether the game has the anything close to the same kind of staying power as its influences, but based on what’s on offer here, I don’t know that I’d bet against it.

Despite the occasional on-rail hiccup, I’ve really enjoyed my time with Ninja Gaiden 4, and it’s easily a game I can see myself revisiting as I try to improve my own abilities and end of level scoring, offering up an easy reason to replay stages over and over again. It’s certainly a far better effort than its predecessor, and while it’s a very different Ninja Gaiden game compared to the recently released Ragebound, it’s a worthy follow-up to one of the more beloved action franchises out there. Hopefully the release of Ninja Gaiden 4 breathes new life into the franchise, as I’d love to see even more Ninja Gaiden titles released in the near future.

Obviously, Aureole – Wings of Hope isn’t a particularly complicated game – but it doesn’t need to be. It’s built around a great idea for a simple-but-addictive platformer, and it pulls it off nearly perfectly.

As much as I feel I’m beating up DKC Returns HD, I do love the game, I just happen to love and appreciate Tropical Freeze more. Hopefully this means more platforming DKC titles are on the horizon when Nintendo launches the Switch 2, but until then I’m glad a larger audience of fans can still play DKC Returns.

The missions aren’t the same and the soundtrack is vastly different, so I don’t know if I’d call Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 specifically a remake as much as I would a reimagining, but it’s still a great game nonetheless. If you’re expecting a 1:1 remake of both games, you’re effectively there when it comes to levels, but it’s not perfect. If you’re not concerned with the faithfulness to Pro Skater 3 and 4, these games are bigger and better than 1+2 and well worth it.

Overall this is an excellent sequel to the series and great addition for new players and experienced ones. After an 11 year wait since the previous title it feels good to say that Shiren is back.

It’s a solid spy adventure that deserves to be rediscovered, and it’s a reminder that even the seventh generation’s second- or third-tier games were still pretty exceptional.

Even as a single-player adventure, Song of Nunu delivers. It may or may not be a faithful representation of the League of Legends characters, but it says a lot about the quality of this game that none of that really matters.

Avowed is, as I noted above, exactly what you’d imagine a fantasy epic to be – and it’s all the better for it.

Believe me, you’ll want to lose yourself for a while in subpar pool. Like grapefrukt games’ previous outings, it’s made for both quick gaming sessions and lengthy hours spent trying to get just a little bit better, and regardless of which way you approach it, you’re going to have fun.

It may be a little short on originality, but all in all, it’s fun enough that it’s pretty easy to overlook that.

Patapon 1 + 2 Replay may be throwbacks to another time, but their gameplay is pretty timeless, and whether you played them the first time around or not, it’s a good time to go back (or go for the first time) and lose yourself in the rhythm.

Black Myth: Wukong pretty much delivers on what it always promised: a gorgeous world where you get to battle crazy monsters and demons. It would be nice if there was a little more to do between the craziest monsters and demons, but if you want a game that will test you while giving you some nice scenery to look at, you’ll find it here.

Metal: Hellsinger VR is another solid rhythm game for VR headsets, while also being a solid VR re-release of a previously flat title. If you had no interest in Metal: Hellsinger originally, there is nothing here that will sell you to check out the VR version, but if you were a fan of the flat release and have the hardware to check this new version out, I would strongly recommend it.

Overall Dying Light: The Beast is a fun foray back into a world of survival horror. It is a little disappointing that there is only one way to gain XP in the game, and though going out at night is very risky, it is high risk/high reward. If you enjoyed the previous titles in the series, Dying Light: The Beast is a fun time, especially with friends.

Even if it was outshined by its successor, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is still worth your time. It may not be the GOTY contender that Luigi’s Mansion 3 was, but if you give it a chance, you’ll still find it worth your while.

All in all, Pinball M is off to a solid start, and while not every table in this collection utilizes a theme that I’m super into, the ones that do end up doing really well here. I’m super interested to see what other properties Zen attempts to tackle with this mature branded series of pinball, and I think Pinball M does just enough to differentiate itself from Pinball FX to make it worth checking out.

It’s not about to make you forget Rocksteady’s other games, but it’s not trying to, either. It’s a game that’s all about the simple joys of soaring through the air, blowing away aliens, and making funny quips afterwards – and there are far worse things for a game to be.

It’s a great game and as I said before, it’s a great translation of the Arkham games into VR. I think it’s worth playing and if you don’t already have a Quest, a lot of the Quest 3 bundles include Arkham Shadow on purchase. VR is a growing market, so jump in and give Arkham Shadow a shot. You won’t regret it.

It’s not quite enough to make up for the lack of a Party Pack this year, especially given how lousy the Jackbox Naughty Pack was, but if it had been included on a Party Pack it would undoubtedly be a standout game, no matter what else had been included. The Jackbox Survey Scramble is a very enjoyable addition to Jackbox’s impressive stable of party games.

There’s a lot to enjoy about The Plucky Squire. It really is a gorgeous game, the art design is stellar, the voiceover work for the narrator is well done, and again it just nails the storybook presentation so well. While the puzzles aren’t particularly hard, they are inventive, making use of the 2D to 3D space extremely well. There’s certainly room for improvement in The Plucky Squire, but at the same time I think it’s a game worth checking out when you get the chance.

Just because you’re not good at the game doesn’t mean the game is bad, in fact I appreciate the work that the developer put in to ensure the spirit of the franchise is present, even if the gameplay is completely different. As for me and my future with the title, I might hang back a little, see what strategies better players come up with, hopefully I’ll be able to complete a run and eventually unlock all the characters and their loadouts. I do hope the game sells well enough to warrant some form of DLC…because where the hell are the martians? It just doesn’t feel like a Metal Slug game without those tentacled extra terrestrials!

Overall, if you have played the Disgaea games before, 7 won’t bring much new to the table. Its zany over-the-top characters are colorful, and fun. Spending hours leveling up characters and items can be a bit of a chore, but it’s also a part of its charm. If you have played Disgaea before, you will find a lot of comfort in this game, and if you have not, this is still a good entry to get started on. If you find you enjoy this one, I suggest picking up Disgaea 1 Complete to see how it all started!

If you’re a fan of old-school shooters – or even if you just like games where you don’t have to think much and you can fire away at everything that moves – you should definitely check out Forgive Me Father 2. It doesn’t break new ground, but with weapons and action this fun, it doesn’t need to.

As someone who had plenty of experience with M.A.M.E. (that’s Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator to you young’uns!) has a MiSTer, the Antstream service isn’t something I absolutely need. However if you are not interested in performing questionable legal activities, researching front ends…or gasp run command line (it’s been a while since I’ve used MAME, ok). Antstream is a perfectly fine off-the-shelf product to sate your retrogaming needs. The platform definitely has plenty of room for growth and improvements…perhaps after my year is up, I might revisit the platform to see if I’ll renew for another year or permanently add it to my PlayStation library.

Block Buster Billy is definitely worth checking out if you like your puzzle games hard. It’ll challenge you and it’ll probably frustrate you, but you can rest assured that it’ll make you think.

UI issues aside, I have been enjoying my time with Throne and Liberty, and do plan to play more of it post-review. I’m still not entirely sure the end-game content is going to be for me, but NCSoft seems to be putting out steady updates and has a solid content plan in place so far which seems promising. Even without engaging in the PvP side of things I still feel that I have plenty of other things to do within the world, and provided you’re not just mainlining the story to hit level cap as quickly as possible, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by how much Throne and Liberty has to offer right out of the gate. Considering it’s free-to-play, I see no reason to not check it out whenever you have a chance.

All in all, I recommend Alien: Rogue Incursion, but… not if you’re a newbie to VR or are prone to motion sickness. Play a few other games first to get worked up to this one, and then you can enjoy it with the rest of us. You won’t regret picking the game up if you’re an Alien fan.

In other words, if you’re just looking for a Zelda-like, you may find yourself a little disappointed by Weko The Mask Gatherer: it’s that, but it’s a lot more than that. It’ll challenge you far more than you might expect at first glance, but the end result is definitely worth it.

Much like Dragon Quest Treasures last year, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is a fun entry point into a long-running series that doesn’t ask too much of players in terms of prior knowledge (though that surely helps). If you’re after a solid monster-training game with colourful cast of characters, it delivers solidly on that front.

It brings its own style and its own unique demands to table, which means that if you’re a fan of the genre, you should probably check it out.

Overall the title is a pretty solid entry, it’s a shame that the studio’s actions and in some cases inaction will probably leave a black mark on this title. I’m not going to pad out this review by rehashing it, so rather I’m going to leave a link to this Kotaku article which summarizes why this title will probably be polarizing to come. For those who haven’t been with the franchise for long, this will likely be a streamlined retelling of the 3rd entry, for long time fans this game will likely mark a horrible divergence from the sacred timeline (You didn’t think I’d forget about that MCU reference I made in the first paragraph, did ya?). As for me, I’m somewhere in the middle, I’m curious as to what the team will be doing moving forward, but a tad weary at the approach. Like a Dragon as a franchise will likely continue indefinitely, but Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will probably be remembered as an inflection point amongst the fanbase.

Once again, ININ have released another great collection of classic IREM games at a decent price. I do like how these collections are keeping with a theme of what type of games they include for each volume. I am, however, a little skeptical that future volumes can feature the same presentation moving forward if they are to release future volumes, and I would like to see more massive collections of games similar to the Taito Milestones with future volumes if possible. Overall, I am happy that these classic games can reach a new generation of gamers no matter how they are delivered.

Overall, I think there’s a lot of good here. While the gacha system itself could use some work, the bones of the game are excellent. Strong combat, an open world, and complex factory systems offer a lot to spend your time on, and very little of it felt like filler. I hope to see Arknights: Endfield take off and expand in the future, and hopefully they take some community feedback on the few systems that need work. I’ve already seen a lot of commentary on this and the game isn’t even out yet. Otherwise, if you are interested in a high-quality gacha game with space-age anime girls with a pinch of Factorio, this might be the only game in that niche you’ll find. Give it a shot, it’s a lot of fun.

It makes for a fine time if you want to take down some monsters, either solo or with up to three Switch 2-owning friends, and all things considered, that’s a perfectly fine thing for a game to be.

Like any good puzzler, Train Traffic Manager is easily approachable, and it knows how to sink its hooks into you quickly.

It’s a solid RPG and a great remake that I think a lot of people should check out. I’m glad to see Square Enix try to diversify their RPG catalogue a little more beyond Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and if you’ve been curious about the SaGa series, this entry would be a great one to jump into.

Creatures of Ava is one of the rare wholesome games that adds enjoyable gameplay to its cozy atmosphere. It brings together ideas you’ve seen elsewhere, but does so in a way that makes them more or less its own.

All-in-all, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a great time, albeit held back by the same lackluster camera the series has always had and the framerate causing some issues, but otherwise it’s a very solid title.

It’s still a great game – probably the best Mario Party game ever – and you’ll have a blast with the core game whether you’re playing it on Switch 1 or Switch 2, but the $20 upgrade pack that is Jamboree TV is nowhere near as essential.

Does it ever come close to matching Portal? Obviously not. But it doesn’t need to, either. Chromagun 2 may not do a whole lot new, but the fact that so many other games are out there now that are also copying Portal makes that easier to forgive.

Overall I think Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass – Episode Aigis is a great follow up to Persona 3’s story, albeit with some minor caveats that will affect each player differently. The new music is great, the new “dungeon” backgrounds are just as fantastic as the remade Tartarus in Persona 3 Reload, and as expected the voice cast is just as excellent. Metis is a great addition to the party, even if she’s effectively the gap closer between your lower-tier abilities against enemies that are scaled a bit above you. I think my main gripes are just quality of life things not found out of Steam as a PC player for this review, and that the mall significantly hits my framerate (EXCLUSIVELY in the DLC I might add). The expansion pass costs $35, which is a big turn off for some people I’ve noticed, but Episode Aigis is very much a standalone experience worth the money. It offers another multiple dozen hours of gameplay and story with all the core draws of Persona 3 Reload, so if you’re a fan of the base game I highly recommend it.

At the end of the day is College Football 26 a bad release? Absolutely not; it’s a great football game and it is better than the previous release. But for all the fans that jumped in last year for the return of the college football franchise, it’s a tough sell to say here’s a new game for $70 and it’s worth your money. For fans that didn’t jump in last year, I can’t recommend College Football 26 enough, but for all the gamers who picked up CF 25 I just can’t bring myself to give this my stamp of approval as the resident football reviewer for Gaming Age.

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is a great return to the series. The vibrant courses, relaxing music, and massive amounts of unlockables should bring you endless hours of replayability. Hyde, Inc. has delivered a hole-in-one arcade golf classic.

It’s such a great time to be a horror game fan and I feel going into Alone in the Dark with an open mind will help for a much more enjoyable experience. I think Jodie Comer and David Harbour did a great job in their respective roles and would love to see more content in the future. We have an IP that inspired so many games into a genre all its own and now it’s time for the master to become the student as it’s learned so much from other staples in horror like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and The Suffering for some examples. Alone in the Dark doesn’t try to mimic any of these games by inspiring them to pay respect to what fans love.

All in all, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is a fantastic game. It plays well, it looks great, and it sounds fantastic. I would advise being careful with buying it on PC for now, but console experiences have all sounded smooth. If you’re a fan of 2D anime fighters, I cannot recommend this one enough. I’ve no doubts you will have a blast listening to killer music while watching your character do stylish moves on whoever you’re up against.

Taken altogether, it adds up to a Mario game that doesn’t really feel like a Mario game. It’s an interesting look at a neat experiment, and it’s fun to get a chance to discover – or rediscover – a game that finds Nintendo breaking out of their comfort zone. It may not be a perfect game, but it’s an interesting one, and that’s enough to make it worth checking out.

If this is the first beat’em up you’ve picked up in a while, I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Although I have to admit for me, having played other beat’em ups prior to Scott Pilgrim EX, it feels like it leans on its IP a little too much and doesn’t really do anything that innovative. That said, if a buddy called me up to help them in their run, I will have no qualms with showing up with my fully powered crew to flex on the robots, vegans and demons that are besieging my friends. To tie back to my opening statement, perhaps it’s time for me to take a breather from beat’em ups, however I will be the first in line if there is a second chance to pick up the premium editions of this title…simply because I need to put it next to the premium editions of the first game.

Overall I do really enjoy Dune: Awakening, and while I still think the fact that it’s always online takes away from what it could be a bit, it doesn’t bring it down so far as to being unenjoyable. The framework is very positive and I had fun with my time in the game. I am intending to continue playing after writing this review, so I know it’s definitely good. I would recommend it to anyone who already knows and enjoys the world of Dune, but am not so sure people who aren’t otherwise would have the same ease of drop-in enjoyment I’ve gotten. It is one of the few games on the recent pattern of releasing at a lower price than average, so you can pick it up for only $50 if you’re wanting to try it! Dune fans, get in on it: you will enjoy it.

It may not feel original, but The Precinct knows how to take that familiar beats and give you room to uphold law and order/cause chaos to your heart’s content.

I wouldn’t call MLB The Show 24 a disappointment overall, though. However, I also wouldn’t call it an unqualified success. It’s certainly better this year than it has been the past few years thanks to a few fun tweaks, but the bottom line is more or less the same as it is every year: if you skipped a year or two it’s a good place to jump back in; if you played last year’s edition your mileage will vary depending on how important it is to you that you get a new season of storylines, plus the ability to create a female player. Nothing in MLB The Show 24 achieves the same comparative highs of the franchise during its glory years from a decade ago, but it’s undeniably a very outing.

Overall, I wouldn’t say Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a challenging game. It’s a nice puzzle and platformer that urges you to want to collect all the collectables in each stage for that gold star marking your completion. I would say it’s a good introduction to some puzzle games for younger audiences, or if you just want something to relax with and play, Nintendo has you covered with this release. It’s not the deepest game you’ll play, and it’s not super complex, but I find that it is a very nice game to sit down and just bang out a few levels. If you’re looking for something nice and simple, but yet something you can still have an enjoyable time with, definitely look in the direction of this new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game.

Overall, I believe that South Park: Snow Day is quite a great time. It offers good replay value with changes to the game once you complete the main campaign, encounters seem to change when you replay levels, and it just offers a lot of that fun roguelike/roguelite feel we’ve come to enjoy from other titles. I genuinely believe that for the price point, get your friends together and I think you’ll enjoy yourselves a ton. It’s a very well put together game, and I don’t believe we encountered any bugs in our playthrough other than maybe some collision issues in terrain. It’s just a very solid title, I don’t really have anything negative to say other than perhaps its length. Tyler and I managed to finish our first playthrough in roughly 4 to 5 hours, but again, it offers reasons to replay it, so I don’t particularly see that as an issue. Absolutely great release from the team at Question and from publisher THQ Nordic.

Super Battle Golf is an excellent, fun game, and there’s so much good to be found here, so much fun to be had, and so many friends to be lost. I can’t help but love Super Battle Golf. I’m hoping it continues a series of content drops in the near future that keeps it alive and continues catching people’s attention. It’s the kind of party game fun you don’t often see on games outside of the Nintendo garden. Give it a play, don’t miss out. It’s cheap and a ton of fun. Just make sure you bring at least 2-3 friends to get the best experience.

As a whole package, it’s still early on in its life, so while it may be currently barebones, I do think that Pokémon Champions has an excellent blueprint laid out for future updates. Looking at it for what it is, a way to get new players into the competitive scene and to practice for official events, Pokémon Champions nails exactly that. It needs some work to be where it probably should be, but even as it is now it’s a respectable official battle simulator.

All in all, I think Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is a great representation of the game, but I still think the 3DS version feels like the more complete package. The cut content is disappointing, even though some of the early streamlining and quality of life changes are nice to see. It’s still a really fun adventure with a charming story and beautiful visuals, but maybe not the version of Dragon Quest VII that hardcore fans were hoping for. Everyone else new to the game will likely not notice the changes though, and considering the secondary market price point on the prior releases of Dragon Quest VII, this Reimagined version is the way to go if you’re wanting to jump in for the first time.

I cannot overstate how much I dug the visuals in this game, it’s a refreshing change of pace from other indie dungeon crawlers that often rely on 8-bit or 16-bit aesthetics, and I hope we see a sequel to #BLUD sometime in the future.

The story is well-told, with a tight cast of memorable characters that help deliver the tale really well, in addition to limited animation during scenes to keep you entertained, and a hefty payoff with an epilogue chapter that helps tie everything up neatly. I’d certainly be down to check out more games in the series, whether that’s the older ports on Switch Online, or possible future entries down the line. If you get a chance to check out Emio, whether you’re into visual novels or not, I think you’ll enjoy your time with it.

If you’re after a fun Souls-like and missed it last time around – especially on PC! – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition gives you a chance to rectify that.

Overall Once Upon a Katamari doesn’t stray from the game’s core formula and makes some concessions which smooths out some of the rougher edges of the gameplay. I might say having such a troublesome father might make me reconsider my loyalties, but how can you stay mad at that face! If you haven’t been on a roll in a while, this is a perfectly suitable entry to get back on the ball!

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is still the great game it was all those years ago, just a tiny bit better. Is that enough to justify the higher price? Maybe, maybe not – but it’s one of those games that always feels worth it to me, no matter how many times I’ve played it or how much I’ve paid.

Take all these things together, and you have the ingredients for a game that doesn’t add much new to its inspirations, but that’s nonetheless good at capturing the spirit of what made those games fun. Corsair’s Madness won’t make you forget about classics from the NES era, but it’s fun enough that you could easily imagine playing right alongside them.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World takes a risk that pays off. Playing off the nostalgia of platformers of the past, Nikoderiko is a love letter to the mascot platformer. Clocking in at a little over 8 hours, Nikoderkio is one of the surprise hits of 2024. It is a game that will be loved by players of all ages, and with couch co-op, it should bring fun to friends and family. I hope we get more of Nikoderiko down the road.

Taken individually, all those parts may sound a bit weird…and, if I’m still being honest, Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1 Re-Raptored is a pretty weird game. But it’s also highly addictive and a joy to play, and it deserves all the love and attention (and players) it can get.

I would certainly recommend checking out Kong: Survivor Instinct when you get a chance. It’s a fun way of making use of the Legendary roster of characters without actually putting you in control of Kong, Godzilla, or the rest. I was far more impressed with it than I expected to be, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it too.

At $50 this is a solid collection of three really good portable games, rezzed up to modern HD screens and dimensions, with slight tweaks to account for former touchscreen controls and menus, making all three games feel right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Whether you’ve played the original releases or you’re jumping in for the first time, you really can’t go wrong with checking this collection out. It’s great to have the entire main series collected on the Switch, and hopefully this will help open the door for more Ace Attorney games in the near future.

Overall, Shattered is an excellent game that succeeds as both an escape room and a VR title. Shattered offers the perfect blend of VR horror and AR interaction, elevating itself above its contemporaries and bringing something unique and special to the table. I look forward to playing more, and sharing this experience with friends in the future.

Wyrmhall is a rare bird: a cozy game that doesn’t try to hide how repetitive it is at its core, but finds a way to make that gameplay loop surprisingly addictive. If you’re looking for something to knock out in a sitting, it’s worth checking out.