The graphics are some of the most impressive available on the console, it's certainly darn addictive and while there are a few nuisances here and there, TXR2 is a worthy purchase for racer fans.

Atelier Totori Plus is one of the deepest, most enjoyable games I've played on the Vita, and that's all there is to it.

Waking Violet is by no means a bad game, but if you’re not a particularly patient person, it might be easy to mistake it for one.

I’ve really had a blast with Valfaris. It looks and performs really well on Switch, and I’d imagine that’ll be the case for the other platforms it’s available on too. The metal soundtrack is fantastic, and the overall visual design is unlike anything I’ve played this year. With the recent announcement that Doom Eternal is delayed into next year, I think Valfaris will easily be the most metal game you’ll play this year. It’s absolutely worth checking out when it launches on Switch and PC on October 10th.

Star Wars: Squadrons is a tight, laser-focused experience that knows exactly what it is and exactly what it isn’t. This focus causes it to be a little bit light on content, but with a launch price of $40, it is a much easier pill to swallow. I can say that the flight is just as enjoyable on hour 20 as it was on minute 1, and if you are looking for a gorgeous flight simulator, without the in-depth knowledge and practice that a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator demands, Star Wars: Squadrons is it.

Street Fighter X Tekken on the Vita is certainly worth picking up if you're a Vita owner and a fighting game fan, and continues the excellent port work put forth by Capcom with their Marvel vs. Capcom 3 release when the Vita launched. It's still a really fun fighter in its own right, and while I could certainly do with them ditching the tedious and unbalanced gem system, the rest of the package is a fun romp through two fighting game worlds.

The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor went from being a game that wasn’t on my radar, to being one of the more engrossing blends of video game mechanics I’ve played all year long. The stellar soundtrack combined with a solid base of RPG trappings makes for a really enjoyable time, and something that I doubt many developers could stick the landing on as well as Akupara Games and PUUBA have done here.

There isn’t much else to say about Space Invaders Extreme, except playing it is a whole lot of simple fun, and will trigger your nostalgia greatly. It takes a formula that worked in the 1980s and added just enough spice to give today’s gamers a thrill. At $19.99, it may be a little expensive to some who have never heard of the series (or played it on previous last gen platforms). If you haven’t, I highly recommend playing the original game, then once you are accustomed, jump into Extreme with both feet and have a blast. For those who love the series already, this is a no brainer. Space Invaders Extreme is a must own for your Steam library!

Even with touchy fielding and no stat tracking, the BIGS is the best baseball game in years.

While EA Sports MMA won't be an instant success due to the overwhelming popularity of the UFC name brand, I can honestly say that EA has made a more accurate and solid version of the shoot fighting sport than THQ.

There's a lot to be mined out of the core gameplay mechanic here, and I think everyone will find that Scribblenauts does wonders for your imagination.

It’s meant to be pleasant and cozy, and everything about it – from the folksy characters, to the fiddle music, to the lovely voxel art – is designed to be as warm and upbeat and wholesome as possible. And more often than not, it succeeds at being a pleasant experience. You wouldn’t think a fishing game, of all things, as being cuddly and cozy and inviting – but Moonglow Bay proves that it’s not just possible, it’s also pretty fun.

NHL 07 is fun, fast, addicting, plays well, and eats up your free time even better...While the competition plays a fine game of hockey, it felt too much like the same old song and dance to recommend over EA’s brand this year.

So while this first episode is a bit light on the adventure game tropes you might be familiar with, and certainly doesn't require much head scratching in the puzzle department, I think it still serves as an entertaining introduction to what could possibly be Telltale's best work yet.

There are downsides, like the Akrid's lack of any sense of self-preservation (and strict attack patterns) and a heavy dependence on mechs which are not as much fun to control as in other, mech-centric games. But the biggest drawback is the lack of options and reliability in online multiplayer, which may hurt the game's long term popularity.

Combine all those things – the unique visuals, the packed world, and, above all else, the fun platforming – and you can see why I’m so fond of Ruffy and the Riverside. It’s a 3D platformer you need to play if you have any kind of interest in the genre, and it’s good enough that even if you don’t, you may want to give it a try.

Easily one of the most graphically intensive Xbox games to date and, unlike earlier titles that garnered this title (I'm looking at you, "Wreckless"), it's actually fun to play.

A title that fuses together a fresh premise, the most remarkable draw distance out there and addictive gameplay that makes a habit of making you come back for more.

Overall I came away from Eternal Sonata feeling pretty impressed. In the beginning, the lengthy and frequent cut scenes really started to grate on my nerves, but after the 6 hour I started to really take an interest in certain characters, and the game felt like it just took off from there.

The animations are incredible, the textures are fantastic, the stadiums look like cathedrals, and the new menus are slick and very easy to weed through. But alas, you still don't have a full integration of the ESPN license, the presentation is lacking with no pre-game studio views, ala current gen, and there is a few hiccups in the frame rate when scoping the entire field.

The graphics are the crowning achievement for the game after plays and during replays, but it looks pretty rickety in motion during the actual game play.

It’s not sim enough to match up with Sega’s offering, and Midway has a faster, more fun arcade hockey game in NHL Hitz.

Slight edge might be given to the Xbox because of its superior dual analog sticks, but the GCN yellow c-stick isn’t too troublesome.

If you’ve never played the original games, or you’re just a fan of beat ‘em ups in general, I’d absolutely suggest picking up The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors on the platform of your choice. I played through on the Nintendo Switch, which has been an excellent platform for the game, but I’d imagine you’d be fine from a performance perspective on PS4 too. It’s a real gem of a game that’s long been overlooked and is certainly worth your time.

Incredibly distinct and interesting, priced right at $9.99, and is absolutely worthy of much more attention.

Overall, while the game is still a great Mega Man title, it doesn't nearly live up to the fun of its predecessor.

Jazzpunk clearly and proudly isn't a game for everyone, but for anyone who shares its developers' collective mindset, it's likely that there'll be a lot more hits than misses, and that by the end of those three hours, you'll be desperate for more.

Control issues aside, I still wouldn’t say that Stories Untold is a bad game. Indeed, if you like emotionally heavy games with interesting, underutilized mechanics, you’ll get that here — you’ll just have to go in understanding that, without a mouse and keyboard, some of those mechanics don’t work the best.