The game gets the feeling of speed just right. That may not seem like much, but it’s harder than you think – I think back to (the very good) Horizon Chase Turbo, for example, and, as much as I loved it, it occasionally fell short in terms of making it feel like you were flying down the highway. Retro Highway doesn’t have that shortcoming; even when you crash, it really feels like you have some crazy momentum behind your rider bouncing down the highway. This is all basic stuff, I know, but Retro Highway excels at getting it right. Given it doesn’t try to do too much, that’s essential – and it’s why it makes easy to recommend picking it up.

While it would have been easy enough for Ubisoft to slap the Monopoly brand on a cheap collection of mini-games, instead they made an effort to give a wide range of boards and characters, and even added a story mode in case you want to play solo. You really should play Monopoly Madness with others, though. And that’s a recommendation, too, not just a statement of fact. It’s easy enough to pick up that almost anyone can play, while each match is both short and competitive enough that it’s the sort of thing that you’ll actually want to play it with others. It’s not Monopoly, to be sure – but in this case, that works surprisingly well.

If you don’t mind a horror game that doles out its frights at a snail’s pace, then you’ll find plenty here to enjoy.

Despite the near-constant action, it’s still a dull, repetitive shooter that wears out its welcome within a few minutes, and you’d be well-advised to skip it entirely.

To give A Day Without Me some credit – very, very limited credit – it’s got some interesting ideas. Putting your character in an empty neighbourhood and asking you to figure out what happened could’ve made for an engaging mystery. But that would’ve required the game being halfway decent or competent, which it’s not. No matter how intriguing the mystery at its core is, nothing can make up for the fact A Day Without Me fails so utterly at everything else, and that’s enough to make the game an easy skip.

It’s not exactly the funniest game you’ll ever play, but as your hero interacts with the world around her/him, you’ll constantly find that there’s a lot of care that went into making conversations as enjoyable as possible. Of course, everything about Loop Hero is focused on making it as enjoyable as possible, because it’s just a really enjoyable game. As i learned, whether you’re usually into these kinds of games or not, it doesn’t matter: Loop Hero is fun, and it’s sure to get you hooked.

Faraday Protocol does a couple of things well enough that it’s clearly not the worst game that has followed in Portal’s footsteps over the past decade-plus. But it also doesn’t do anything so well that you need to rush out and get it right now, so it’s really just for first-person puzzler fans only.

It’s a low-effort, forgettable visual novel that’s not worth the time or minimal money it’ll cost to pick it up, so you can safely skip over it without worrying you’re missing anything.

For a game that promises ninjas, Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars is awfully short on actual opportunities for fighting. I know: that’s not why people usually play these games – the presence of Senran Kagura should have been a dead giveaway for that. But even so, as much as I generally loathe those games, I can still acknowledge they feature some decent action – and Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars simply doesn’t, by any stretch of the imagination.

That phrase “kind of works” really applies to all of Demon Turf. It’s got some interesting ideas and interesting visuals, and you can see where the developers were going with it all – but the more you play, the more it all seems like it all only sort of hits the mark. Just about the only way that it’s fully on-target is in how well it feels like a 3D collectathon from the late ‘90s, but given there are plenty of games out there from that era – not to mention the past 20+ years – that you can choose from just as easily, Demon Turf feels like it’ll get lost in the crowd.

In other words (pun not intended), Word Forward is kind of lousy if you’re in the mood for a straight-up word game, but probably amazing if it’s a challenging puzzle game you’re after. It’s built around a concept that’s really easy to grasp but ridiculously hard to master, and if you want something you can sink dozens of hours into (or even just a couple of minutes at a time, many, many times), this is what you’re looking for.

As much as I’ve always liked the Danganronpa series, I can’t imagine wanting to sink endless amounts of time or money into such an empty, boring game. And given we’re talking about a series for which the word “boring” should never apply, that should tell you how much of a failure this game is.

Unlike a lot of re-releases where you have to say “It was good…for its time”, in this game’s case, you can say “It was good…and it’s still good.” That’s one heck of an accomplishment, and if you haven’t played this game before — or even if you have — it’s definitely worth seeking out.

It’s a short, simple game, but the developers clearly took the criticisms of the first game and worked to fix all those issues — which is definitely the kind of thing that deserves being acknowledged and rewarded.

Everything is next to impossible in Skakebird. It’s the sort of game that you’ll want to love — right up until the moment you play it, at which point you’ll just be left saying, “But it looks so cute!” Ignore the cuteness, focus on the gameplay, and skip this one altogether.

After many tries, I did eventually find my way to and through the final boss, and all I wanted to do was do it again. I suppose in a lot of ways, that’s just the nature of roguelike games. They often offer a near bottomless replay value thanks to the “structured but random” structure of the format. This combined with the joy of bobbing your head along and clicking when you do so makes the experience a ton of fun and feel great. The quantity of content isn’t huge, but for $20 USD, I certainly think it is well worth the money.

While these Recharged games do not really set the world on fire, they are super fun to play, especially for those who may have not played the originals. If you are familiar with the original game, you will love what Sneaky Box has done here. The extra gameplay elements don’t really change the overall feel of the game at all and are welcome additions. I would really like to see some online modes, but I suppose those can be added in the future. I can highly recommend this and pretty much every Recharged game as a classic game fan and a gamer in general. Try this and any other game in the series out if you have the means, you will have a lot of fun!

And that’s the key takeaway from World War Z on the Switch: it’s fun. It may not be the prettiest game, nor is it the most original, but when you’re mowing down row after row of zombies, it more than does the trick.

Maneater, for all its problems, at least had some personality. Strip that away — along with anyone else remotely good about the game, and you’re left with…well, you’re left with Angry Alligator.

Is Ni No Kuni II better than the first game overall? It’s quite possible — the slight difference in graphics is more than made up for by the improved combat and deeper gameplay, though much of that can also be written down to personal preference. What I know for certain, however, is that if the first game was an impressive achievement, this one is too, and, like it’s predecessor, Ni No Kuni II is a worthy addition to any Switch owner’s library.

If World’s End Club existed in a vacuum — or even in a world where neither Danganronpa or Zero Escape didn’t exist — it might seem a little more interesting. The premise is solid, and there’s nothing inherently objectionable about the gameplay, it’s just not incredibly interesting since we’ve seen it done so much better elsewhere. But that’s precisely the problem — it’s been done much, much better, and those games are all still quite available, with the Danganronpa trilogy slated to arrive on the Switch in a few weeks. You’re better old holding out for that, rather than wasting your time with this pale imitation.

I mean, the whole game leads to moments of hilarity; that’s the point of Jackbox, after all. But The Jackbox Party Pack 8 may be better than most of the other entries in the series — and seeing as we’re talking about a series that has produced some amazing games, that should tell you a lot.

All in all, Halo Infinite is a bit of a mixed bag. The multiplayer is on track to be the best it has ever been, but a lot of the campaign feels like an afterthought. There is a great, focused story there but it is sidetracked and bogged down in the attempts to bring it to the open world. A cluttered map and boring open-world missions fill the empty time in between the outstanding main missions, but the quality of those missions only serves to further highlight the disparity between the two. Those complaints, coupled with the fact that the campaign is the *only* part of the game that you have to pay for, make suggesting the purchase a bit difficult. Ultimately, what I will tell people is “check it out on Game Pass”, and I think that is maybe what Microsoft wanted all along.

The remaster effects are really well done, and I can’t overstate that fact enough. It also helps that Final Fantasy V is an excellent Final Fantasy entry in general, and one that tends to be overlooked in North America due to the lack of an original SNES release. So if you’ve never played it before, or haven’t pulled the trigger on one of these Pixel Remaster releases yet, then I’d urge you to give Final Fantasy V a try, you won’t be disappointed.

There aren’t really any other games like this on the Switch, so as long as you’re okay with — or at least willing to tolerate — visuals that pale in comparison to how they look elsewhere, then you’re in for one of the last gen’s best zombie games.

The marble you’re controlling is almost weightless, and you can never totally tell which way it’s going to roll, or how quickly, or whether you’ll get a sudden burst of speed for no apparent reason. Likewise, you have to fight with the camera constantly to get a good angle, which means you’ll spend a lot of time rolling right off the edge of a platform into nothingness and starting from the last checkpoint. But even with these flaws and this lack of originality, Orbibot is an okay game. It’s not going to blow you away, but it’s certainly decent enough that you should keep playing after the Platinum Trophy pops.

Centipede Recharged is a good example of bringing back a classic game for a more modern audience. The changes they have made are welcome, and don’t take anything away from the core gameplay. On the flip side, there isn’t much here to get excited about if you are not familiar with the classic game. Most modern gamers may not click with the simple gameplay and the “one life, one chance” concept. For fans of the original or classic games in general, you will have a blast with Centipede Recharged. For everyone else, I say give it a try and you might like what you experience.

If you just want to build, there’s nothing wrong with that, and Townscaper will provide you with exactly the kind of non-directed gameplay you’re after. But if you want anything of substance, or even just a city-builder that feels like you’re creating an actual city, keep on looking, because you won’t find that here.

I think Mr. Driller DrillLand is a pretty solid time, provided you enjoy throwback arcade style games like this to begin with. The story elements are light and certainly not a highlight, the presentation is a little underwhelming, and the unlockables aren’t ultra compelling either. But the core gameplay is fun enough to keep you coming back for more, and spread across 5 modes, most of which are distinct, gives you just enough to do to keep you entertained and coming back for more. It’s also pretty much the only readily available Mr. Driller game on modern platforms, so if you’ve ever been curious about the series, this would be the one to check out.

I realize this review can basically be boiled down to “I liked Darksiders III, and here’s several paragraphs on why it wasn’t that good” — and even I see the contradiction. But honestly, the game is so shallow that that’s really what you need to know about it. Darksiders III is fun in small bursts, but also very shallow, and the more of it you play, the shallower it feels.

Again, I don’t have a ton of experience with Doctor Who, so I may be the completely wrong person to be judging The Edge of Reality. But given that the series has been around for about sixty years, I’m perfectly willing to accept that it’s a fun, substantive universe. Unfortunately, none of that comes through with this game.

Russian Subway Dogs isn’t quite the perfect swan song for the Vita (personally, that would’ve been either inFamous Vita or Bioshock Vita ever seeing the light of day), but it’s still an incredible high note for the system to go out on. It’s a passion project where you can see exactly why the creator was so passionate, and anyone who still has a Vita should be sure to check it out.

I’m sure that with plenty of patches, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition could reach a point where it becomes worth revisiting these games, but at this point in time, that seems a long, long way off.

Overall, there isn’t much content to even write about with Battlefield 2042. There’s 7 maps in the base game (this doesn’t include the 6 maps available in Portal, because those are just direct pulls from their respective original games), and 3 game modes to choose from. The game is enjoyable, but it doesn’t do much to stand out from the last few iterations of the series and without a campaign, feels like it’s lacking in content. Hopefully some updates and adjustments can help clear up some of the issues I experienced, especially with the balancing in the Breakthrough mode. As it stands, if you’re looking for just more Battlefield, but with a different setting, this is a good option. If you’ve not been a big fan of Battlefield in the past, or at least in the recent past entries, I don’t think they’ve changed enough here to change your mind.

Everything looks blurry and unfocused, and the game makes use of the old “shroud everything in fog to hide shortcomings” trick that horror games used a few generations ago. Even worse, you can practically see the world falling apart, whether you’re looking from a distance (and you see gaps where buildings need to pop in) or up close (where the game’s assets don’t fully materialize). It’s bad, and there’s no way around that unfortunate fact. And it really is unfortunate, because, as I said, there are quite a few good elements to be found here. I’d even go so far as to say that if you can overlook how hideous it is, then Lost in Random is incredibly rewarding. But at the same time, there are some very real performance issues here, and if you don’t want to spend dozens of hours straining your eyes at ugly graphics, I certainly wouldn’t blame you.

Dreamscaper is absolutely gorgeous. As befits a game that takes place in dreams — where you go to battle the monsters of sadness and loss — the whole thing has a dreamlike quality, with the edges of each room barely sketched in. In fact, even when the heroine is awake, the game still retains a half-awake, otherworldly feeling thanks to its graphics. Yet, despite all these good qualities, I still can’t get into Dreamscaper. But, because of all these good qualities, I totally get why others might be able to. It’s not my cup of tea, but if you like a well-made roguelike, it’s very likely that it will be yours.

Obviously, Don’t Touch This Button is hampered by the fact that other games have mined very similar territory, and done the same kind of thing much better. If this were a world where none of those games existed, Don’t Touch This Button might have more to recommend it, but as it stands, you should probably just play those games instead.

There’s a lot to discover and uncover in Golf Club: Wasteland. Each course offers rewards in the form of log entries, detailing the events that lead the character you play as to where he is now. The game may not be super long, but a lot of love is clearly present from the development team. If you’re looking for a calm game to just kick back, put on some headphones and just play, few get to nearly the same level of peacefulness.

Add it all up, and Astro Aqua Kitty is a delight in every way imaginable.

I absolutely adore Forza Horizon 5, and while it’s possible to fault it as being a bit more of the same when compared to Forza Horizon 4, I’m not sure that’s actually a bad thing. It’s a more polished experience overall, and while it may be playing it safe just a tad, it’s hard to deny that the game is a technical marvel, and a fantastic show piece for Xbox Series X and 4K displays everywhere. Even if you opt to play in performance mode to hit that sweet 60fps spot, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how great everything looks in motion. So yes, if you’re not already convinced, do yourself a favor and check out Forza Horizon 5 when it launches this week.

Is it on par with FIFA’s production values? Of course not: it’s an indie-made, retro-tinged soccer game. But simply by making soccer feel fun and fast-moving, Super Arcade Football is a worthy entry into the Switch’s crowded soccer field.

Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a dull, uninspired action RPG that never rises above mediocrity, and unless you really want to waste 20+ hours on something that’s totally generic, I don’t see why you’d want to bother.

Perhaps the weirdest thing about Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask is that it’s very clearly aimed at young kids. It’s been years since I was a kid, but based on the few young kid gamers I know, I can’t imagine many would have the patience to deal with terrible controls like these — particularly when there are plenty of much better, much fairer platformers available to them. For that matter, I don’t have the patience to deal with Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask’s terrible controls. Or anything else about it, really. It may look bright and shiny and welcoming, but it quickly becomes clear that there are far better platformers out there.

Overall, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a very welcome addition to the Call of Duty franchise. Sledgehammer has always helped drive the franchise forward into adventurous new territories and Vanguard is no exception. If you find yourself itching for a new FPS in your life, Vanguard is ready for you to pick up and is easy enough to drop into so that you’ll never feel out of place as a new player. If you’re wary about picking this game up because you’re someone who didn’t like the change from 2019 Modern Warfare’s engine to Treyarch’s in Cold War, then you’ll be happy to learn that this runs on Modern Warfare’s engine and the gunplay and visuals remain entirely intact.

All things considered, Knights & Guns feels like it would’ve been an amazing game to play, say, thirty years ago in an arcade — someplace where the action wouldn’t feel quite as repetitive, and where you’d be able to enjoy its fiery action in all its loud, brightly coloured glory. As it stands, it probably doesn’t do enough to stand out among the many shmups that call the Switch home — whether it’s a slight variation on the usual or not.

Riders Republic definitely does check most of the boxes for what I would like to see in an open world extreme sports title. My only real criticism is that with all the variety of sports, events, equipment and environments, it still starts to feel a bit repetitive after reaching a certain level. The Big/Boss and Sponsor events help to overcome that to an extent and I’m hoping the addition of new sports, fresh live events, and themed seasonal/limited events will as well when they roll out in the future. For now, Riders Republic is a super fun pick up and play multiplayer outdoor sports experience with plenty to see and do right out of the box.

All in all, I’ve absolutely enjoyed my time spent with Shin Megami Tensei V. If you’re looking for a good, meaty RPG to sink your teeth into this holiday season, it definitely fits the bill. The small additions made to the Shin Megami formula work out really well here, and the game doesn’t feel hindered on Switch hardware. It’s nice to see the series leap away from a handheld platform and back to a mainline console release, and hopefully this will draw more attention to Shin Megami Tensei as a whole. So yeah, definitely consider checking this one out when it drops on November 12th, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

LEGO Builder’s Journey wants to remind you of what it was like to play with LEGO as a kid, and it never lets you forget that. In fact, coupled with the tinkly piano soundtrack, at times it all starts to feel calculated and treacly, as they try their hardest to pull on your heartstrings. While I get why they’d want to do that, in its own way it feels as calculated as any of those licensed games. But I’m probably being far too cynical about LEGO Builder’s Journey. In fact, I’d say this: if you want a LEGO game that’s actually about LEGO, rather than about using LEGO to see something else, then LEGO Builder’s Journey is exactly the kind of game you need to play.

Much like the story of the man it is “based on”, I think people will be unaware of this extremely competent title. It’s a tad short for my liking, but it is an otherwise complete experience. Hopefully the game’s marketing team will find the right influencers to champion this title. Those who do find it will get a chance to experience an enjoyable game and learn about the colonial history of an area that increasingly finds itself on the world stage.

It may borrow some obvious elements from much better-known (and, frankly, probably better-made) games, but if you give it a chance, Beasts of Maravilla Island should be able to win you over with its charms.

Cruis’n Blast is arcade racing in its absolute best form imaginable, and if you want a racing game that leaves you grinning like an idiot the entire time you’re playing it, I couldn’t recommend it any more highly.

NEOGEO Pocket Selection is a good collection for those who were fans of the System and those who are curious about the system. While the selection is a bit lacking, all of the games play well and offer great fun and challenge. It’s lack of extras and bare bones presentation may put off some, but many should be able to look past that and enjoy the games they have included. Some games like Dark Arms and Crush Roller are a miss, but others will keep pulling you back even after you beat them. Even with its shortcomings, I can recommend this collection to anyone looking for some nostalgic challenge.

I’m a simple man (not in game), give me a comic interpretation made by people who appreciate and understand the source material and tell a captivating story and you’ve got me hooked. There’s not much to do outside of the bit of collectibles and costumes after you beat the game but maybe if Guardians does well enough we’ll see some strong DLC content. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is built to be a holiday season blockbuster (I mean is anything else even coming out this holiday?), and all of its accessibility options make it the perfect gift for anyone.

Looking back, this title should of been included in NEOGEO Pocket Selection. It could of been a good replacement for games like Crush Roller or Dark Arms, or as a fantastic addition to the roster. Why this release was stand alone is a bit puzzling, but it could of been due to licensing or copyright. If you are looking for one of the best games that the NEOGEO Pocket had to offer in it’s heyday, then it’s a no brainer that you should try this one out. Out of all the fighters on the system, this one is the best!

The studio that made this game was also responsible for 2018’s The Dreamlands, which was also marked by being appallingly putrid in every way imaginable. Killer Dolls United continues that trend, but is somehow even worse. It’s a bad game, and even if you’re a Vita completionist like me, it’s one you should strongly consider skipping.

Puzzle Bobble 3D is a good attempt in recreating the classic puzzler, but falls a little flat when not played in VR. If you don’t have access to a PSVR, or an Oculus, then you can completely skip this release. For those with access to VR, you’ll find a decent puzzle game but not too much else. If you are a fan of popping bubbles, give this one a try, just don’t attempt to play it without VR.

To The Colonists’ credit, it does a fairly good job of helping you create your settlements exactly as you want them. It can be a little annoying to place a pathway just so near the end of the fishing pier or the defensive fortifications, but when you take the time to plan things out, it’s still neat to see how it all comes together.

I really dug NHL 22, the new engine, the tried and true smooth gameplay, it hit all the check boxes for me. I do wish they had a new mode or two since I last played the series two years ago and that $10 next gen “fee” can be a tough pill to swallow for fans that pick up the release every year, but it still gets my recommended seal of approval. EA survives the power play, but I don’t know if they can handle another one (another hockey pun, sorry).

If you have never played Death Stranding and are on the fence about picking it up, this is the version to go for. Everything about it has been improved upon, and navigation has been perfected, so if you don’t want to walk 20 minutes to every destination, the Director’s Cut has supplied you with all the right tools to make it faster and more efficient.

So while Back 4 Blood isn’t quite a slam dunk when it comes to other co-op shooters on the market, it’s still a pretty fun zombie killing time that will be easy for people to pick up and play but may take some time to get acquainted with maps, objectives, and what can often feel like a steep difficulty curve. I’m sure there are multiple things that can be ironed out as the development team focuses on bugs, servers, and difficulty balancing, but out of the gate it’s a fun enough experience for sure, and worth checking out. Also worth noting that this is a Game Pass title, making it sort of a no-brainer if you’re on an Xbox platform.

Again, there’s literally nothing original going on here, and if you’re going to play Nexomon on the Switch, you should probably only do so after you’ve thoroughly exhausted your Pokémon options. But if you’re playing it on another system — or even if you just want to return to the days of a top-down Pokémon — then you could do a lot worse than checking out Nexomon.

If Horror Tales has a flaw, it’s that it’s much too reliant on jump scares. I know that they’re a well-established part of any horror game, but at times here it feels a little too formulaic. Even with that minor issue, however, Horror Tales: The Wine is still a very good horror game. If you want to escape our current pandemic world for one that’s infinitely creepier, it’s definitely worth checking out.

As I said up top, even in a best-case scenario, Instant Sports Paradise would’ve felt like a bargain basement version of Wii Sports Resort. But this can’t even achieve that very low target. Instant Sports Paradise is a lousy game that’s completely and utterly lacking in every way imaginable.

It’s a fun game built around a tantalizing mystery, and once it gets its hooks into you, you’re guaranteed to want to keeping playing until you’ve uncovered all its endings.

Basically, Barry the Bunny keeps you playing level after level, and then wraps up well before it has a chance to wear out its welcome. It’s not going to break new ground, but, like every other game from lightUP so far, it’s going to provide you with a very enjoyable experience for only a couple of dollars.

I’m still jugging through the story and exploring Yara and having a great time. It’s a good time to invest in a game like this when there aren’t too many new titles in the genre coming soon. The shortcomings are minimal and I’m sure I have a lot more to discover. Fans of Giancarlo Esposito will enjoy his inclusion, as he does a fantastic job of playing a villain you love to hate.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a present for fans of the series who are sadistic enough to find enjoyment in the constant failure, however SEGA has left training wheels to cultivate a new generation of fans. Perhaps in another 20 years someone else out there will recall their fond memories playing this series, whether alone or with friends. I just hope that this person will be able to play a version of Monkey Target that works.

Obviously, the big problem with Gnosia is that it seems to exist more in relation to other, better (or at least better-known) games, rather than standing out on its own. While this status is mostly deserved, compared to most visual novels I’ve played/read, there’s still lots here you’ll find interesting if you want to give it a chance.

Just about the only reason you might want to play Sun Wukong VS Robot would be if you’ve played literally every other metroidvania you can get your hands on, and you’ve reached a stage where you’ll play anything as long as it’s functional. (Even then, though, you can still play this for free.) For everyone else, you can skip this one pretty safely.

Obviously, given it’s only about $5 at the time of this writing, it’s not like Loopindex costs you a whole lot in terms of money. But there are much, much better ways to spend those $5 — not to mention much better ways to spend the time it would take you to earn this quick-ish Platinum — and you’d be well-advised to look into any of those, and forget about this one.

Poker Pretty Girls Battle is only $5 on every platform, so it’s not asking much. It’s hard to recommend it even just for the poker aspect when the algorithm doesn’t always pay out correctly. If the game catches your eye, give it a shot and maybe you’ll find something to like. As it stands, however, it is pretty shallow and the core mechanics have visible flaws, making playing pretty rough.

Pile Up! screams “family-friendly”, so if you’re looking to pick up a game to play with some younger kids and want to stretch the experience out, you can certainly do so here. For anyone else, though, Pile Up! is probably a game you can safely overlook. No matter how cute it may be, it’s not exactly fun to play, and at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.

I’m not going to say not to buy Super Soccer Blast: America VS Europe if you’re a fan of arcade soccer, but if you played Super Soccer Blast last year (or even if you played Super Sports Blast, which also includes that game), then there’s really no reason to pick this up too.

I was absolutely impressed by how much of a full-fledged racing game Hot Wheels Unleashed is. It’s right at home with some of the better arcade racers on the market today, and offers up a whole lot of fun for the whole family, regardless of whether you’re a Hot Wheels fan or not. The track customization is pretty solid, with a decent enough opening tutorial to get you started, and the sheer number of vehicles you can obtain right out of the gate is pretty impressive. The multiplayer could use a bit more fleshing out, but at least works great, and the game controls fantastically overall. If you’ve been in the mood for a new racing experience that everyone can enjoy, then look no further than Hot Wheels Unleashed.

Obviously, if you’ve played Quake at any point in the last 25 years, there’s probably not a pressing need for you to pick it up on current-gen systems — it’s basically the same game here that you could’ve played at any time in the last few decades. But if you want to see a seminal first-person shooter that’s aged surprisingly well, be sure to hunt this one out.

The crazy thing is, despite my constant frustration with Cultist Simulator, I still wouldn’t say that I hated it. It’s stylish, it’s got an interesting look and feel, and, even with my ineptitude, it’s pretty apparent that there’s a very deep game to be found here — if you can just unlock it somehow.

All in all, I found the new additions introduced in Tetris Effect: Connected to be well worth playing and experiencing. The new Connected mode was an experience with Tetris I’ve never had before and is a must-play for anyone interested in Tetris at all.

Obviously, Bone Marrow’s developers should be applauded for trying something new with such a familiar formula. There’s a good idea to be found here, for sure. But if you want something with any depth, this definitely isn’t it.

Obviously, there are dangers in leaning into being weird — not only can it be alienating, lots of games aren’t half as strange as they like to think they are. But Scrap Garden has a deeply oddball heart beating at its core, and it’s too bad that the game mostly ignores that in favour of its dull, competent respectability.

It’s very nice to look at, and, visually at least, the game feels just at home on a console as I imagine it did on a phone. Add in the whole environmentalist robot angle, and the game manages to borrow some charm from Wall-E. But it’s not enough to make Doomsday Vault a must-play game. I’m sure it’s great on a phone, where your play sessions may be a little shorter, but it doesn’t feel substantive enough to be worth any major investment of time or money now that it’s on the Switch.

I wouldn’t say that Mind Maze is some brilliant puzzle game, or even a crazy new take on a durable genre. It’s as basic as they come. But it works, and it’s addictive, and that’s really all it needs to be.

It’s definitely got heart, but it needs a lot more than that to make it worth recommending.

RGG Studio’s greatest strength is it’s writing and characters and Lost Judgment delivers in spades. Characters are fleshed out and their motives feel grounded and believable, but you will also meet plenty of wacky and memorable folks as well. You grow attached to the people you meet in Ijincho and when bad things happen you genuinely hope everyone escapes unscathed.

Even if it’s not lengthy or challenging, Fire Tonight still wins you over on the strength of its personality. The game does an outstanding job of giving Maya and Devin personalities within its limited time, and it’s easy to root for them to achieve their modest goal. Even more importantly, the game looks and sounds incredible, with visuals that scream 1990 without being too obnoxious about it, and an incredible synth-pop score. It’s those things — the great music, the engaging characters, the nice graphics — that make it easy to overlook Fire Tonight’s short length. It’s not the sort of game that will swallow up days and days from your calendar, but if you’re looking for a fun way to spend an hour, Fire Tonight is definitely that.

There are glitches almost everywhere, and even if they’re almost all niggling little details like occasionally getting stuck while moving forward, or not being able to attack, or inconsistent hit detection, they add up to make the game pretty frustrating.

I’ll add that The Heir of Glen Kinnoch looks very nice. Again, we’re only talking about static screens, but given how ugly some hidden object games can be, it’s nice to find one that actually puts some effort into how it looks. To be sure, none of this makes Faircroft’s Antiques: The Heir of Glen Kinnoch an essential buy, nor does it mean you need to load up on the other games in the series, Faircroft’s Antiques: Treasures of Treffenburg and Faircroft’s Antiques: Home for Christmas — though both of them have the same mixture of nice visuals and interesting (by the genre’s standards) puzzles. But if, like me, you have a soft spot for a pretty innocuous genre, then this game should be right up your alley.

Setting aside the inherent creepiness of it all — if Hellbound & Debriefed represented the first time we’d ever seen the mechanic, it might be noteworthy. But seeing as it was done much, much better in Undead & Undressed, here it just feels clunky and awkward. I get that in the absence of Undead & Undressed on the Switch, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed might seem tempting if you’re after this sort of thing. It shouldn’t be, though. The series may have (very briefly) gone on to more interesting things (before promptly taking a nosedive back to mediocrity), but you’re not going to see any of that here.

Overall Tales of Arise has a great premise and story, and is one of the better Tales games Bandai Namco has produced. If you are a JRPG fan, or a Tales fan give this game a good look.

Despite the word salad definition of it’s acronym (Seriously what does Forged in Shadow Torch mean really?), F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a competent and challenging title for fans of metroidvanias. I was definitely invested into the plight of the furtizens of Torch City and would love to see the conflict which led to the current situation explored in some means. If this is the first title to come out of the China Hero Project, I am definitely interested in the other titles they are curating.

Life is Strange: True Colors is a unique game, unlike anything I have played before. It is a departure from the other titles in the series, while also retaining the soul of what made people enjoy those games so much. With a stronger focus on interpersonal relationships and genuinely empathizing with those around you (both friend and foe), it feels like the series is finding its footing and pushing forward to bigger and better things. The decision to switch from the episodic format to a full upfront release pays off and I think Life is Strange: True Colors is much better for it. Once I got invested in the story, I did not want to stop playing, and I think a lot of the decisions and connections you make would start to lose their meaning if there were an extended break in between chapters.

As I said up, though: good unique? Bad unique? Even after finishing it, I’m still not sure. Still, leaving me feeling so uncertain must be a sign Heal is doing something right, and for that reason, I’d probably recommend puzzle fans check it out.

Overall I had a fun ten or so hours uncovering the “truth”, the DLC’s final encounter was an adequate challenge that had me at the edge of my seat. Although what slightly mars my experience was the several Unreal Engine crashes I experienced during gameplay and one of these crashes actually created a soft lock which I cannot recover because of my reliance on the game’s auto save system. So while my Truth Quest Progress will never reach 100%, I can only hope other players will not have completion slip from their grasp. At the price of $14.99, Maneater: Truth Quest is a good extension to the Maneater experience and for those inclined…it’s out there.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is exactly what it claims to be, an Ultimate version of an already decent Sonic title. Many gamers dismissed it the first time, but if you are a Sonic fan, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Blind Squirrel Games did an excellent job, changing what needed to be changed and leaving what worked originally intact. Super fun, challenging, and reasonably priced (even for the deluxe edition), this is a perfect title to celebrate Sonic The Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary.

Even if Ys games are more action-packed than most other titles that fall within the very broad JRPG umbrella, Ys IX has less action than it probably should. Again, I don’t want to leave you with the impression that Ys IX is a bad game, because it’s definitely not. But it’s also not a great game, either, and given that we’re talking about a series that has produced a couple of those, that means Ys IX can’t help but fall a little short of expectations.

However you want to look at it, though, between its solid story and its just-the-right-difficulty puzzles, It Takes Two is a perfect game if you’re looking for something that will interest non-gamer[s].

Again, Train Station Renovation is very, very niche. To fully enjoy it, you’ll have to want to do the same actions hundreds — if not thousands — of times, and you’ll have to do so keeping in mind these are things that, in real life, would be mind-numbingly boring. But as long as you approach it with that caveat, you may discover that this is a pleasant way to pass the time.

All and all No More Heroes 3 gave me what I wanted, in another blood filled romp in the world of Santa Destroy. This entry is getting a little too close to Saints Row 3 in terms of wackiness, but that said I did like Saints Row 3. In the lead up to the release, Suda51 has said it might be a while before we see Travis again. With that said this was one hell of a ride even if there were bumps along the way, let’s hope we haven’t reached our Final Destination with our leather clad assassin.

Space Invaders Invincible Collection is definitely worth your time even if you never heard of the games included before. Their simple concept and gameplay is suitable for every type of gamer out there, even the hardcore ones. Forget what was released before, this is a fantastic collection of great games that should not be missed by fans and newcomers alike. Pick this one up if you can, highly recommended!