All in all, this Tomb Raider reboot isn’t perfect. But it is a step in the right direction for the series, and again marks the most fun I’ve had with a Tomb Raider title in a while. It’s got enough of that AAA polish to make it a contender, but I feel that the series is going to need some fresh ideas if it really wants to compete with the big hitters.

As much as I enjoyed Gigapocalypse, however, I wouldn’t say that I whole-heartedly recommend it. For one thing, it’s really hard to imagine playing it with anything other than a touchscreen (though a mouse might be a decent alternative). At the same time, though, the performance on the Switch isn’t the greatest, to put it mildly. So the window for enjoying it is awfully narrow. Still, if you’re okay with compromising here and there, it makes for a pretty fun time.

Anthology has a mesmerizing quality about it. Once I started playing and listening to some of the old '80s tunes, it just became real comfortable to keep going.

I couldn’t stop playing it, frustrating flaws notwithstanding. I don’t know whether that says more about me or about Guild of Dungeoneering’s design, but I can definitely say that it makes for a very addictive experience – albeit one you may hate and love in equal parts.

But really, part of what makes No More Heroes so enjoyable is the nearly nonsensical story, which is still intact here. Lots of 4th wall breaking going on by all parties, and a whole lot pokes are made at popular culture and various geek loves, like Star Wars, Transformers, and others.

Personally, I didn’t feel like the pay-off was worth the investment (either in hours or in brain power), but if you want a game that’ll tax your problem-solving abilities to their limits, Island Maze will give you just that.

The combat can be downright boring at times.

No doubt many people will find this game frustratingly difficult in single player, but I still think it is a good implementation of a tennis game.

It’s a nice alternative to a play style that some feel is getting a bit stale already, and if you were a fan of the old school, it’s worth checking out for the free month at least.

I don't think target audiences get any more specific than they do with Demetrios – The Big Cynical Adventure. As far as I can tell, it's for fans of the Broken Sword series who wish that those games took themselves way less seriously and included way, way more scatalogical humour.

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter isn't an awful game by any stretch, but it barely manages to get past that average mark. If it weren't for the whole hero creation aspect, there'd hardly be a game here worth mentioning, so I wish the core platforming stuff were a little more interesting than it is.

With great gameplay, varied missions and solid controls, Defender is another Midway classic tuned for a new generation of gamers.

I was a little concerned at first that this was going to be another shovelware title but I was quickly assuaged. Blowing up hippies (and zombies and old people) with a few friends and the South Park children is a great time; which is why I highly recommend this title.

Even with its glaring flaws, no one could accuse Zanki Zero of lacking ideas. All the characters are constantly reborn clones, and their past (very brief) lives significantly impact what they do in their next lives. Plus, even though the storyline does nothing for me, it’s rare to see a game tackling themes like this head on, so I’m sure that should count for something.

If you just want something to jump in and out of without any commitment required, Urban Trial Playground will more or less do the trick. If you want anything more than that, you’ll probably have to wait until Trials Rising in February, but until then, this will act as an okay stopgap.

It's got some interesting concepts, but the execution is off. The overall design and nature of the PSP game feels cramped when ported to consoles and PC, and was generally distracting when in any part of the game that wasn't some version of combat.

I personally could have done without the majority of the hovercar and weapon-based missions, but overall the game works well, looks and sounds fantastic, and provides many hours of mostly enjoyable gaming.

I can't say that the single player game warrants a $60 purchase, but if you can find the right black magic to make multiplayer work well, then you've got a solid game on your hands.

All in all, NBA Playgrounds was a pleasant surprise. Post release support will make or break how the game continues to be and if players stick around with it. I’ve already recommended the game to some friends for some arcade style sports fun. At this point it’s tough to recommend the Switch version over the other consoles, based on what I mentioned previously, but IF all my issues were corrected, it could be the definitive version. Playing at home or taking it on the go while hanging out and tipping back a few “sodas” is what this genre is all about.

I'd say that Brink still has some promise if the lag can get ironed out soon enough; I certainly enjoy the online matches that run smoothly. If I can get into a match with a full 16 players and have it run smoothly, I could easily get months of enjoyment out of Brink.

If you own an Xbox, however, "Project Gotham Racing" and "Sega GT 2002" take advantage of the hardware's capabilities far better than NFS: HP2.

Ultimately I came away from Last Remnant feeling more disappointed than pleased, but I can't say that the whole experience was a wash. The battle system is really a blast, and well worth checking out for RPG vets, but this isn't the great SE experience I was hoping to find.

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.

A solid first effort and actually makes me look forward to a sequel. I really hope they can mess around with the control scheme a bit next time to allow for more versatility in your trick making so you can be more creative on the pavement.

It’s certainly fun to move so quickly, and with a few tweaks I feel like this could have been a great game, but as it stands, it’s not quite all there.

At this point, this is a game that will appeal to fans of the high score and dunks as A.I. and defense did not really show up this year.

It is true that NCAA Basketball 09 isn't a perfect basketball sim, but what it brings to the table is pure enjoyment for any fan that enjoys watching these kids bust their butts every week and not get paid for it.

It's a really solid attempt at bringing an RTS over to the DS.