Despite my frustrations, I really dig the overall vibe that Darkwood goes for. Again, the sound design is the real champ, making great use of audio cues and sound effects to drive home the horror aspect in a way I wasn’t fully expecting. If you’re looking for an interesting take on the survival horror genre, I think you’d do well to check this one out.

I highly recommend picking this collection up if you are a fan of classic games, or just gaming in general. You can also get this on The Switch (as mentioned earlier), and the PlayStation 4 if you have either of those systems. This might be the best classic game compilation I’ve played in a long time.

Where the Bees Make Honey really is that bad: if I had to choose between playing this game again, and never again playing anything ever again, it would be a legitimately difficult decision. It’s nothing short of an abomination, a joyless slog of a game with no redeeming qualities whatsoever — except, perhaps, for that fleeting moment of relief when you delete it from your system storage. I truly detest it, and if I could erase every trace of it from my memory, I would do so in a second.

Shakedown: Hawaii is a more robust title when compared to Retro City Rampage. However for all the features that it packs in, it doesn’t really do much with them. Things like blowing up deliver trucks, delivering coffee, and burglaries are introduced during the story mode, but once introduced these activities can be ignored with no detriment to your playthrough. The game does have a cover mechanic, but just like those extracurricular activities mentioned, ignoring it will not hinder your progress. The game is still an enjoyable romp and I do look forward to when Vblank will take this series to next phase…3D.

Occasional repetition or not, it’s designed to be addictive for a certain type of person (i.e. me), and before long, you’ll reach the end and wish there was still more to do. If that’s not the sign of a game worth checking out (and, perhaps, that Lightwood Games may want to think about some DLC), I don’t know what is.

That Studio MDHR were able to make an aesthetic that’s nearly a century old seem fresh and new at the same time as they made an enjoyable game is just a bonus.

I don’t want to diminish the game’s existence for anyone who does need to have more details. People can like what they want to like, and if someone out there loves Code: Realize, I’m glad they get to experience more of what they love. But if you aren’t a diehard Code: Realize fan, then there’s really no reason for you to play Code: Realize ~Wintertide Miracles~.

If you simply want a racer that doesn’t do anything beyond the bare minimum, it’ll do, but if you want anything more than that, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

I’d absolutely suggest giving World War Z a shot, even more so if you were a fan of Left 4 Dead. It really scratches that itch, namely a fun, zombie focused co-op shooter with a solid progression system that’ll keep you hooked for a while. So despite its association with a so-so horror film, World War Z manages to rise above its source material into something that I found to be a lot of fun.

So if you have $10 and some curiosity then you’ll find a lot to do in Boxboy! + Boxgirl! This was my first time with the series and I found it very relaxing with good reasons to revisit stages after completion and unlock bonuses for playing and appearance. But it’s also slower paced than I expected so if you’re on the fence just check out the eShop demo because there’s a lot more where that came from!

It’s a fun, inexpensive game that knows what it wants to be, and is more than capable of meeting its goals. If that doesn’t count as a success, I don’t know what does.

It’s the sort of game that, at least to me, feels tailor-made for playing on a handheld, and once you get past the loading screens, it runs pretty smoothly (a stark contrast to Civilization Revolution on the Vita, which chugged as you got closer to the endgame). If you’re a Civilization veteran wondering whether you invest in the Switch version, I obviously can’t help you, but everyone else should find plenty here to like.

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is basically what we’ve come to expect from the SteamWorld series, namely a well-realized take on an existing genre masterfully executed once again.

In terms of the quality of Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age on Switch this is a very worthy port. And in terms of value that’s up to how you want to look at the whole package because where it’s virtually double the cost of any previous Final Fantasy port yet you do have a load of added features and content that weren’t in the original PS2 version and even extras to the Switch and Xbox One since then which make this one the definitive and best way to play Final Fantasy XII. So it almost squares even and really you can’t go wrong with this version of the game no matter when you choose to jump in.

If you’re the sort of person who enjoys aimless wandering but doesn’t like the idea of getting up off the couch and actually doing it, then you might be in luck here. Otherwise, don’t bother, because it’s absolutely not worth it.

A simple test to see whether you’ll be able to play — and, consequently, enjoy — Super Weekend Mode: can you do the “rub your tummy/pat your head at the same time” thing? If you can, then you might find this fun. If you can’t, look away now, because you’ll stand no chance of succeeding here.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to get a taste for what it’s like to be a emergency dispatcher, that kind of setup will appeal to you.

A mixed bag. It’s fun to revisit one of the first “looter shooters” for consoles again, and the mix of run, gun, and loot still holds up well despite its age. But this is hardly a perfect port/remaster of that game, and because of that, it’s difficult to really suggest picking it up.

In a nutshell the quality of a port we got with Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen on the Switch is very much what fans could hope for. The whole game is here and plays great and for $30 is a steal even today because of the quality hours of content here. For those looking to revisit the game they will be happy with Capcom’s effort and those looking for a world to rival the playtime of their biggest Switch selection will find a very fun and rewarding gem they can dig into.

Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 is a game I wasn’t excited for until I played it myself. Since then I haven’t put it down yet and don’t see doing so for some time. Twenty nineteen is shaping up to be a great year for existing franchises.

All in all, I certainly enjoyed Jupiter & Mars, and think it’s a PSVR title worth checking out. The environmentally friendly message being delivered is sound, the world is filled with interesting surroundings to explore, and the soundtrack is fantastic. The VR component is well done, but not mandatory for enjoyment. So if you’re in the market for a new, unique PlayStation exclusive, Jupiter & Mars certainly fits the bill.

Claybook is a massive chore to play. It clearly aspires to be so much more, but if you have any sense of wonder or creativity left after battling its controls and its camera, then you’re much more patient than I am.

It’s a pleasant enough experience that even if you do pick it up, you probably won’t regret it, but if you remember it for more than a few fleeting moments after finishing it, I’d be shocked.

I’d like to say that Dangerous Driving has some redeeming qualities. After all, it was possibly my most anticipated game for 2019, thanks to Danger Zone 2 making me eager to see what Three Fields Entertainment were building towards. Instead, we get this…thing. It’s a thorough disappointment, and I can’t help but feel like everything about it could have been improved substantially.

The quality of the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on the Switch makes this a definitive way to play with the all-in-one convenience of what the console offers. And regardless of if you jump in now or at a price you like then you’re gonna have an awesome time with these games.

The year is still early, but I have no doubt that whenever my PlayStation 2019 Year in Review comes out, I’ll find that — much like Pic-a-Pix Colours last year — Block-a-Pix Deluxe is going to be right up near the top of my list in terms of how much time I spent playing it. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a lot of fun, and that’s all that matters to me.

It’s hard to figure out why THQ wanted to bring this game back more than 15 years after it was originally released, because there’s nothing to be found here that suggests the game deserved to be resurrected from obscurity.

Sure, you need to mute it to really get into it, but once you do that, you should find that Conarium offers an enjoyably creepy experience.