The annual Just Dance drop has occurred, bringing with it 40 new songs and a new party mode. Ongoing legacy frustrations with the poor stream quality continue to mar the experience somewhat. I've fully settled into the fact that Just Dance is now a platform. Some attention paid to how players can manage the platform as it expands would be much appreciated. But there is no questioning the quality of the unchanging core gameplay mechanics. Just Dance has always been fun, and it continues to be fun.

Rising Storm may not be as intuitive as other similar titles or contain an extensive amount of content, yet it provides one of the more intensive and brutal multiplayer experiences on the market today.

Even if you're not into puzzlers or role-playing games, this is definitely one game you can't let slip by.

Despite a few hiccups here and there, Mega Man 11 is a pretty solid entry in the series; While I would have liked to have seen some more challenges that weren't just - traverse the stage for the umpteenth time - possibly an endless mode similar to Mega Man 9 and 10, the implementation of the Double Gear System and the multiple difficulties make the game accessible to any player, newcomers and veterans alike.

Some RTS remasters have been terrible, chock full of issues. Age of Mythology: Retold is not one of them. Some bumps, like the terrible, lifeless voice acting are hard to get over. I love the idea of being able to play with a controller, and the support is there, it still doesn’t feel right. The campaign is great once you get into it, and there is plenty to keep a single player happy for some time. This one is hard not to recommend to fans of the RTS genre who like to relive a bit of their younger days, but might be a bit to much to chew off for the casual fan.

With more than 150 stages and plenty of scientists to collect, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is a fun action game for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. I wish the shooting was a little deeper and I could have done without the Hungry Suit, but this is an easy game to recommend for both casual and hardcore fans of the genre.

WWE 2K22 set the foundation and WWE 2K23 pushes the series forward with another great wrestling game. My Rise is fantastic, War Games is a ton of fun, GM Mode has been updated, and created wrestlers look better than ever. If 2K keeps up this momentum, WWE 2K24 could be up there along side Here Comes the Pain and No Mercy as one of the all time greats.

de Blob relies on its central theme of using color to liberate, which is well developed and a sheer joy to play.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a fantastic, fun and challenging action game that fans of the genre will be coming back to many times, with tons of replay value and inevitable DLC expansions in the future. It's a shame that the story and characters are completely undercooked, but the gameplay hard-carries this game to one of the best action games of the year.

Another solid outing for Volition as they've cranked out a game that is a lot of fun to play. The co-op features and character creator are great features but the game could use another level of graphical polish.

Marathon is a challenging, gorgeous, addictive, and deceptively deep extraction shooter. Bungie has created a gorgeous world with a captivating sci-fi story lurking beneath the surface, and thrown in their signature gunplay to create one of the year's best games. It is for a very niche audience. But for those willing to accept its extreme highs and lows, there is something quite compelling about its gameplay loop.

WildStar is a fresh and bold MMORPG that succeeds in taking a risk by combining exaggerated science fiction and humor, ultimately being highly rewarding for players. The extensive amount of content and customization available to players makes WildStar one of the best MMORPG releases in years.

OlliOlli2 isn’t exactly easy for me to love but it’s a damn fine game in its own right. It nails the classic skating action of the old Tony Hawk games while mixing in fighting game combos and Donkey Kong style platforming. If you missed it on PSN it’s definitely worth a look on Steam.

Wreckfest offers the eRacer something not available anywhere else: the ability to race on the computer in cars and at tracks that are accessible to the common man. Don't let the 70's era rust buckets fool you, though - the driving and damage physics are quite good, the damage models are entertaining, and the racing is close and brutal. It's astonishingly fun!

Burning Shores is every bit the continuation of Horizon Forbidden West. It builds on the great gameplay of the base game with a few new wrinkles, introduces a watery world and the ability to dive into it, and moves the story downfield a few yards as Aloy and her allies, old and new, prepare for what comes next. You won't be lost having missed out on this DLC when the next full game does arrive, but you would have missed an opportunity for hours of fun in an excellent world that is worth the time of any Horizon fan.

The fast-paced races, exciting power-ups and fun online mode aren't marred by a shallow single-player career and a low supply of race tracks. The game's fun online mode more than makes up for any minor issues I have with the game!

A remarkably fun game of golf, from the perspective of someone who never thought they’d actually enjoy this sort of thing.

Probably the best example of an old-school shooter. It does all of the old tricks just right and adds a bit of spice for good measure, but gamers looking for a fresh experience will be left a little cold.

Fans of the series will be impressed with the sharp visuals and small changes made to both Birth By Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 2, while simultaneously disappointed that Re:coded is given short shrift. If anything, this will whet your appetite for the upcoming next-generation sequel.

Project 8 does a great job of improving the graphics and refocusing the series on what made it so fun to begin with. Unfortunately the game is marred by some questionable level designs and a complete lack of innovation.

This isn’t the Saints Row you are used to experiencing but as long as you can deal with the technical hiccups, including constant, awkward collision issues, occasional hang-ups in the environment, delayed scene transitions, and a drastic departure from the typical Saints formula, you will find a lot to love.

Injustice looks great, plays great, and feels like a breath of fresh air for the fighting game genre.

How does Skyrim Special Edition fare in a post-Skyrim world? Conceptually: Not bad. Technically: It could use work. The game should've cleaned up some more of its long-standing "Bethesda jank." But the rugged plains, the jagged peaks, and the deep forests of Skyrim are still a sight to behold. These stories, and finding your place in them, is still worth the price of admission.

Mr. Run and Jump is a platforming clinic. You are not here to blast through on your first try. If you are easily frustrated, Run and Jump past this one, but for those that appreciate an extreme challenge, Atari has done it again. They didn't necessarily invent the wheel, but there is some very challenging stuff here. Tell your friends. Pack a lunch.

With a new physics engine, revamped career mode, and an excellent presentation, NHL 14 proves to be a must buy for hockey fans around the world.

Overall, Torchlight 360 is great if simple fun, especially for folks looking for a bit of Baldur's Gate or Diablo nostalgia on the 360.

Kirby Planet Robobot continues the excellence and consistent fun and variety of the Kirby series from the past few years. It tightens up established mechanics and adds some great new ideas, which all comes together into one of the most enjoyable and genuinely friendly games I’ve played all year.

Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions is still a fantastic RPG fourteen years later. The Bowser’s Minions side story is an enjoyable, if occasionally tedious, diversion. But the main quest is better than ever with the same addictive combat, laugh-out-loud story, and a few modern polishes to the gameplay.

While Saints Row won't win any awards for originality, it does manage to weave a pretty interesting story with great game play and a lot of fun activities to do.

Splatoon has a huge amount of potential wrapped in an addictively bizarre visual style. That said both the solo and multiplayer aspects are relatively simple and have a lot of room to grow with DLC and updates. Hopefully Splatoon will get better with age but for now its inky competitive action should keep you busy for a month or two.

Super One More Jump is a fun and addicting game that’s simple to pick up and has a gradual difficulty curve. With over 100 levels to play and a few extra game modes to unlock, plus the two multiplayer options including two- to four-player co-op, Super One More Jump is definitely worth picking up.

Tearaway is something like seeing Where the Wild Things Are, hobbled together with Elmer's glue, cut along dotted lines with terrible little grade school scissors, and creased with papercraft folds. It's an adventure that's big on controls, a bit weak in dialogue, and best enjoyed in smaller, bite-sized sessions. Tearaway is unusual, in every sense of the word.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has the gameplay chops to make it a lasting staple in the PSP library, get yourself a copy and tell your friends to join in too, you won't be disappointed, especially if Phantasy Star was your thing back in the day.

With a goofy story, an epic battle, an insane super powered baby, and great gameplay, Zettai Hero Project: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman is a great addition to the NIS and PSP family.

CK2 is gaining a devoted following for its atmosphere and depth of gameplay. This expansion adds to both, so is a welcome addition. If you like CK2, you'll be well-served spending the 10 bucks this expansion costs.

This is by no means a sophomore jinx, but without fully keeping stride with its GTA role model, and without fully stepping out on its own from under that shadow, Saints Row has found itself stuck in an awkward, uncertain tween stage of the series’ life.

Overall, a solid action shooter by MachineGames.

I was very pleased with the simplistic, fun-to-play nature of Super Mega Baseball 2. The game plays very well with only a few shortcomings and does so for a small amount of bucks. You will not see Mike Trout hitting a home run, but you can have Tony Stark stealing home.

For this year's version of NCAA Football 08, EA has included some features that they shouldn't have omitted from last year's version. The graphics haven't taken a great leap but it's been polished up a little more. The campus legend mode isn't to bad and I do enjoy that you can participate on only defense or offense if you so desire.

WWE2K24 is more of the same. The added matches are a nice addition, but there are some caveats made here. The visuals seem off-putting, and some of the single player modes are overkill. If you're looking to slam someone to the mat with a near current roster, grab this. But be wary - it may need a little bit more time in the ring.

The Lion’s Song is a great point-and-click game that focuses mostly on the narrative. The choices you make in one chapter can not only impact the other chapters (both later and earlier chapters), but seeing all of these choices have connections to each other in the Gallery is a nice touch. With its unique art-style and use of music throughout the game, The Lion’s Song was a great experience.

Diablo II Resurrected offers fans of the original game exactly what they want – the same game they left behind in 2002 with gloriously updated visuals. Everything works well on the controller (despite some inventory issues). New players might take a while to acclimate to the somewhat dated gameplay mechanics, but settling in, they will find a ton of enjoyable adventuring to be had with friends.

Excels because it manages to combine action and strategy in a way I never saw coming.

I may not be the hugest fan of the series but the original three Phoenix Wright games still stand up remarkably well. With a fresh coat of 3D graphics and a budget price of $30, this trilogy is a great way to relive your favorite series, and a perfect entry point for people new to Phoenix Wright.

I almost prefer the Wii U version of Black Ops 2 over any other; the gamepad feels great to play with, and being able to play online with another person is a great feature.

Music games kind of wore out their welcome in 2009, but DJ Max Technika Tune can certainly help make them relevant again with unique gameplay and some quality musical tracks.

Dispensing with frivolous window dressing like story and dialogue, Heroes of Hammerwatch give players direct access to its addictive dungeon crawling. Fun played solo – but riotous played with a group – Heroes of Hammerwatch does old-school gaming right, even though a bit more explanation of its systems might be welcomed by some players. With a ton of content to explore, Heroes of Hammerwatch is well worth the asking price. Highly recommended.

TEVI is an enjoyable game with a great art style, fun dialogue, and a combat system that can somehow be both simple and complex at the same time. The Metroidvania-style gameplay isn’t quite as strict as others in the genre and most of the bullet hell scenarios take place during the boss fights which require a good amount of patience and strategy. If you enjoy the demo, I definitely recommend checking out the full version.

The sheer directorial dedication Strong Bad lends to Dangeresque 3 turns what could have been a regular Cool Game for Attractive People episode into a well-integrated synergism between comic and videogame.

Nocturnal may seem short on length but is enjoyable throughout and doesn’t seem to overstay its welcome. The “light your sword on fire” mechanic to reveal puzzle clues and help defeat enemies shrouded in the mist is unique and helps the game flow smoothly. While it can be a bit annoying to miss some lore collectibles or extra ashes to help you get to that next perk upgrade since you can’t backtrack after certain points, it does make for an interesting risk vs. reward scenario: do you want to just press ahead or take the chance against the mist and learn more about the game’s lore?

Fans who enjoyed the F-Zero series won’t want to pass up FAST Racing Neo. While a bit more difficult than the classic Nintendo series, most of the core gameplay is very similar while adding a couple of new mechanics. While the multiplayer is a bit lackluster in customization, there’s a lot of single player racing to challenge players for quite a while. Fans of fast-paced racers won’t want to miss this one.

Stick It to the Man is the funniest adventure game you'll play this year!

Gunslugs is an action-packed mix of Metal Slug and Spelunky, seeing the player fight through randomly generated stages with only one life to live. Although simplistic, this old school throwback has a lot of charm and enough hooks to keep you coming back long after you've mastered the few stages and earned a high score.

I had a lot of fun with Arizona Sunshine with a superb single player experience. I wish the multiplayer modes were more stable, because playing with friends was a blast.

Borderlands 4 is an incredibly fun game with a couple of flaws. The world of Kairos is beautiful to play through and there's no shortage of challenges to dive into. While the Unreal Engine still has some issues, the stuttering is corrected without a big hit. With over 30 billion combinations of weapons, no two guns are the same. Multiplayer makes this game a must play if you have friends that are interested in the series. Simply put, Borderlands 4 is fun, immersive, and worth picking up right away.

Five years is quite a wait for a PS2 game. Only the most dedicated would care about it at this point and that's quite a shame. They're missing out on the last great PS2 game.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 completes the journey, and opens the door for new chapters. The interest alone in these games shows that Capcom still has a hadouken or two left. We are in fighting game heaven right now. Enjoy yourselves.

Tales of Monkey Island is an engaging and well written story that is a fun game to boot. Chapter Five struggles a little but ultimately brings the story to a fitting close.

With a flair lifted from the Second World War’s propagandized news flashes, Strong Badia the Free stands at attention already as the series’ high point -- and we’re only two-fifths of the way into season one. Along with the famed Sam & Max series, Telltale Games is single-handedly ushering in a renaissance for the adventure genre.

While the lack of advanced graphics options are disappointing, the core experience of Darksiders 2 remains intact with its assortment of gameplay genres and content rich world. Darksiders 2 on PC provides fans of the original and series newcomers with a seemingly endless amount of quests to complete and collectibles to discover, with the added bonus of Death himself as the protagonist.

With great performance, unofficial mod support, all the DLC, and pretty good controls, The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim VR is a great buy for VR headset owners. Even if you’ve played hundreds of hours in the pancake version of the game, I think you’ll really enjoy being immersed in the world of Skyrim. It truly is a brand new experience and it along with Fallout 4 are now two of my favorite VR games to play.

A solid outing for this year's Skylanders, SuperChargers is a lot of fun to play and you can now do it online with friends.

Like hidden treasure, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker packs a lot of value into an unassuming package. With a supremely addictive set of charming, brain-teasing levels, stellar production values and a budget price, Captain Toad is the perfect way for Wii U owners to wrap up 2014 after indulging in Smash Bros.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is an enjoyable game despite a few changes to the gameplay. While some strategic elements were eliminated, the game still maintains a lot of what made the series enjoyable in the past, plus throws in some new elements such as the third-person dungeon exploring. If you don't mind the strategy being dumbed down a bit, Fire Emblem Echoes is still a great game worth checking out for fans and first-timers alike.

An oddly addicting fishing game that, at times, will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The story is merely a means to an end, but fishing in the dark has never been this much fun, or this creepy.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is an excellent addition to the series. I do feel it’s a little too easy at times since you can save anywhere and restart from battles when you die, so that may turn away some gamers. Still, the Luigianary Works mechanic shakes things up a bit in a good way to keep things from being too monotonous.

Zen Studios new dungeon crawler takes the tropes of an oft neglected genre, and updates them with wit and style. Operencia: The Stolen Sun oozes charm, with the perfect balance of combat, exploration, puzzles, and funny bantering characters. This game is a complete winner, and any fan of dungeon crawlers shouldn’t hesitate to pick it up.

Trials of Fire is a fantastic deck-building game. It is enhanced by also acting like a rouguelike for endless replayability, and it crafts a rich world around its characters. Trials of Fire only disappoints on one front: that the story it actually tells seems more like a teaser than an epic. While I can't complain in that it is priced like a single episode in a longer saga, I am left wanting for the rest of the saga. Maybe that's altogether not the worst thing...

There is a lot I enjoyed with Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. When I’m winning, I like the gameplay loop. The art is fantastic, and looks great when I play in hand held mode. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes starts out as a welcoming game. After a few battles, I begin to see the cracks. Enemy heroes I play against are two, sometimes three, levels ahead of me, something that is not easy to overcome. The random drops of units on my side don’t feel equal to the ones my AI enemy gets. I feel like I’m always on the defensive during the campaign. But the multiplier is excellent, pass-and-play is exactly what I want in a game like this.

Anyone who's a fan of Layton will find another great adventure. If you haven't had a chance to travel with the great Professor, this can be a great jumping off point to really get a good idea of what this series is all about.

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault is both a worthwhile expansion for series fans and standalone game for those new to the series. With a non-linear campaign structure and thrilling missions, Ardennes Assault earns a high recommendation.

Windjammers was a lot of fun on Neo Geo and it’s still fun now on the Nintendo Switch. While I had some minor problems at first using the Joy-cons to make precise curve shots, it’s not to hard to adapt and soon you’ll be throwing the disc every which way on demand. Once you’ve mastered the controls and have gone through Arcade Mode over and over again, grab some friends and have them join in on the fun.

While I would have been happy with nothing more than a new batch of cases to solve, The Penal Zone offers a crazy new narrative, improved graphics, a gripping storyline, an improved control scheme and brand new psychic abilities.

The gameplay mechanics are just so spot on that you can't help but enjoy yourself even if you are just cruising around the city. Luckily, between the hundreds of collectibles, tons of challenges with leaderboards, and enjoyable multiplayer, you will always have more to do than just that. This is the most fun that I have had on the Xbox One to date.

I can't put my finger on why this game isn't perfect, but it's all the things I want in a modern beat 'em up. You can invite your friends and everyone will have a lot of fun. Play it solo only if you have to. After all, it's Mah-vel baby!

Life is Strange: True Colors is a fantastic slice of life from an idealized alternate universe. Alex is an excellent protagonist, and her adventures with her attractive, funny friends in their beautiful town is a great way to spend about twelve hours.

Even if you've never played a tower defense game before or are looking to get into the genre, this is a good one to start out on.

Despite its flaws, Crysis is, hands down, the best FPS to hit the Xbox 360 since The Orange Box and its port of the complete Half-life 2 that came out in way back in 2004.

Children of the Sun is short, sweet and doesn't outstay it's welcome. Despite it's short length, this is a very fun puzzle game that has a lot of replay value, especially if you want to get the high score on the leaderboards or via speed running. There is a lot of potential here with this concept and id love to see the developers expand upon the idea in the future.

The good news is that Just Cause 2 is an incredibly massive action game that I have no problem recommending. Unfortunately, it's marred by some strange control decisions, bad mission design and some of the most inconsistent voice acting I've heard in years.

RAGE is easily one of the best games of 2011. The game is stunningly gorgeous, the gameplay is incredibly varied, and the entire experience is insanely addictive.

Rockstar Games Presents Tabel Tennis may seem like an unlikely sports game, but it ends up being one of the best playing games of the year.

Hardcore fans of the series and the pro players will likely love Samurai Shodown. This game is gonna be great to watch and I suspect it will thrive in the FGC tournament scene. Unfortunately that while the fighting game part of it is great, the rest is a really barebones package that most likely won't hold the attention of others for an extended period of time.

The concept of controlling a wave of light is executed flawlessly through beautifully rendered levels and a challenging, but addictive gameplay experience. Gamers looking for a truly unique and innovative experience shouldn't hesitate to add Waveform to their list of must-play games this year.

After some patching and a couple of expansions, Victoria 2 is rounding into shape. It is still deep with a killer learning curve, but it is starting to feel like a fun game rather than a buggy spreadsheet.

Zombie Night Terror mixes the tired undead genre with the puzzle gameplay of the Lemming series, oddly enough. It works for the most part but the game is too difficult and obtuse for its own good. There is an enjoyable puzzler here, just expect to deal with some trial and error frustration along the way.

Wayforward's heroine has come a long way from her GameBoy beginnings, and she's still got some great adventures in her yet. The gameplay is on point, and the visuals are top notch. The experience is a little on the short side, but fun throughout.

Reign: Her Majesty is a simple game mechanically, but don't let that fool you. Your decisions are not always easy, and the consequences for bad decisions are often fatal. Tread lightly, My Queen, tread lightly indeed!

It's easy to scoff at the idea of VR making any appreciable difference in a VR game, but you would be wrong to do so. Moss, a combination platformer/audio book, is exactly that, and it is very, very well done. If asked if I would have enjoyed it as much flat, I have to say that I wouldn't have. The VR aspects are subtle, but still make large contributions to the overall game play. It appears to be a small kid's game at first, but the difficulty does ramp up to a fairly challenging level.

Vermintide 2 is probably the best co-op multiplayer fantasy action game I have ever played. The systems have depth, the visuals are good, and it feels like the writers and level designers actually care about their product. Now all it needs is some more players to partake in the adventure.

Torchlight II is as fun on the Switch as it was back when it launched on PCs seven years ago. The controls on the Switch feel pretty good and eased my worries about transitioning from PC to console. While a lot of the game is basically fighting enemies, collecting loot, and repeat, if you’re into games like the Diablo series you should enjoy Torchlight II, and at a third of the price of Diablo III (at least on the Switch), Torchlight II is a great alternative.

Harmonix shows once again why they are very good at what they do - making fun rhythm games. Fuser is a fantastic music creation tool that is a ton of fun to play. Online battle modes are fun, when you can find people to play with. Fuser is something I will be playing for quite some time, if only to try and get five stars for all the campaign missions.

Zen Studios takes eight of their beloved Star Wars pinball tables and blows each of them out into the VR space in delightful and unexpected ways. Each of the tables offers hours of fun, and Zen provides a ton of ways to interact with them. The “basement cave” framing device provides a great extra layer of reward for engaging with the game. Recommended without reservation.

Casper Croes and his crew understood the assignment. Alisa is pure Playstation One-style 90s survival horror in the best way possible. There is so much love and passion put into this game, and a true understanding of tone and aesthetics and gameplay that made those games so much fun. If you grew up with these games like I did, I cannot recommend Alisa enough.

Assault Suit Leynos 2: Saturn Tribute can be a bit rough at times, mainly due to its high difficulty, especially if you’re unfamiliar with this type of game. There’s plenty of customization you can do with your mech between missions and this version’s extra options help tone the difficulty down a bit, but this isn’t necessarily going to be a game you’ll master out of the gate. However, once you put some time into understanding everything you can do and how you should take each mission, Assault Suit Leynos 2: Saturn Tribute becomes a lot more enjoyable, but it's difficulty may take you a while to get to that point.

SOCOM hasn’t changed much since we saw it last year, but who cares when Fireteam Bravo 2 is so much fun? With its satisfying single-player experience and addictive online modes this is one game that is extremely easy to recommend, no matter what type of gamer you are.

There are a couple of technical issues that hold back Life is Strange 2, it's got some weird visual glitches, and I encountered a few crashes in the short, but ultimately interesting story of two brothers, and their suddenly upended life.

Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice is a satisfying and appropriately crazy end to the second trilogy of Ace Attorney games. It retains a few of the persistent annoyances I have with the series, but the story is just as insane as ever and the cases are tough, lengthy and fittingly absurd turnabouts.