A must-buy fighting game compilation. For anyone who has enjoyed the franchise before, it puts a large percentage of the franchise’s highest-quality games in one collection and it’s a great way to catch up and see what all the fuss was about for newcomers. As great as it is, the collection could have easily been better simply by including more versions of franchise-favorites like Alpha 2 to provide a more all-encompassing experience.

Ufouria 2 is a fantastic pickup for anyone seeking something different in their side-scrolling action-platformers. It feels like a game rooted in the past with a modern coat of paint and modern quality-of-life improvements and in that light, it's a wonderful experience. Having a feltcraft world offers something no other game has and each of the different playable characters results in an experience that makes replaying stages seem more exciting than it otherwise would.

It’s sad to see the series go but the satisfying revelations and conclusion makes Blackwell Epiphany a must play.

A more intimate affair rather than a blockbuster, it recalls terrific classic elements that have been sorely missed, easily besting the latest main-series entry.

The Pathless is an enjoyable adventure to a serene island filled with satisfying puzzles, mesmeric traversal and gripping boss showdowns. Some small frustrations, including unnecessary stealth sequences and little reason to deviate from the main objective, hold the game back, but the polished moment-to-moment gameplay combined with the inspired soundtrack make for a pleasing and fun experience that’s easy to recommend to fans of open world and puzzle games.

Everything about this game clicks, even though it probably shouldn’t work in theory. Anyone who loves a casual golf game should check it out.

In Other Waters is a great little adventure. While part of the appeal lies with its design, its presentation — its imagining that possible disconnect an AI controller may have in both seeing and not seeing the world around them — it’s the sneaking-in of unease at such large, open bodies of water, where both visuals and tone strike an impressive middle-ground. Some may want to denote this as sluggish, as intentionally slow for some artistic pay-off. But there’s a wonderful amount of emotion to be felt here. Even if it’s merely through some readjusting one’s perception on navigating an alien world — a realization that things aren’t as hostile or as tense as you’d usually expect. Through that clever mix of minimalist color, shape and the vast negative space all around, In Other Waters conjures one of the year’s most surprising and serene recommendations for screen and portable console alike.

By and large, though, this is a game that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who appreciates Sega and/or gaming experiences of the late 80s and early 90s.

Fans of Donkey Kong have long waited for the hairy primate to get a Mario or Link style glow-up. One where he gets to star in his own 3D platforming adventure on the same level as a 3D Mario or The Legend of Zelda. Donkey Kong Bananza delivers on that, giving DK his first 3D adventure in decades and solidifying him as one of Nintendo's top stars, even if the final product is too derivative of Super Mario Odyssey. The narrative is a step in the right direction by focusing on the relationship between the two leads and delivering a truly stellar final act. There's a lot of Odyssey in Bananza's world design, but that does mean there's a lot to see and do across the beautifully rendered layers. Gameplay isn't refined with a lot of issues surrounding the destruction mechanics and the underutilization of the Bananza transformations, but there's still a lot of fun to be had exploring the layers and seeing what you can discover. Donkey Kong Bananza might not reach the same heights as a 3D Mario or The Legend of Zelda, but it remains fun and lays a solid foundation for future 3D Donkey Kong titles. It's alright to go bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza.

Pick a pair of favorite weapons and a modifier for a standard run, attack a hell-mode ship with just a single gun and scavenge what you can along the way or maybe investigate the weird mystery ships that sometimes turn up to see what new oddity it will bring. Each run is a pure action romp through the heart of a robot-infested ship, packed so many bullets, lasers and other mechanical assault critters that it’s a wonder the aliens could lug it all to our solar system.

Rare Replay isn’t without its minor hiccups, understandable in such a vast collection, but it’s something that should be in every Xbox One owner’s collection.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill is easily the best mountain biking game available. True, there’s not a lot of competition, but even if there was it would be hard to top. The terrain is a blast to explore, each bike opens up a different style of play and the atmosphere is about as close to perfect as you could hope for. The progression system to unlock new bikes takes a bit too long, and sometimes the bike physics get a bit wonky, but it’s hard to let that get in the way when the next trail opens up or a new shortcut reveals a path that knocks several seconds off the clock. The wilderness of Lonely Mountains: Downhill seems initially empty because there are no other people to be found, but they’d just get in the way of enjoying the peaceful serenity to be found in bouncing down the trail while holding on for dear life.

Infinite – Beyond the Mind is a finely-crafted game that blends several genres together. It’s reminiscent of Sigma Star Saga from many years ago with its seemingly odd merger of two genres together which winds up creating something that’s not only a great representation of one genre, but two. It’s a smooth-playing action-platformer that also manages to be an enjoyable side-scrolling shoot-em-up with a bite-sized level structure that ensures players are never bored. Those craving a fast-paced game that keeps them engaged from beginning to end should give Infinite – Beyond the Mind a shot.

Hardline may not revolutionize the Battlefield brand, but it fixes many of its biggest problems.

Rifter is a fantastic neon-synth action platformer with a gorgeous, distinctive style and a rewarding challenge. It can be a bit merciless at times, especially when chasing after success on the bonus levels, but the tools to win are available even if they can be a bit tricky to access sometimes. You’ll need to bring your A game to wring the most from Rifter, and the reward is a lightning-fast 2D adventure that sees frustration turn to a satisfying mastery as one goal after another eventually falls to a combination of persistence and growing skill.

Clan Wars is a worthy entry in the series, but even then, it’s good to hear that Team 17 is leaving the series alone for a while to work on something new.

The wasteland of the corpse of civilization is not a forgiving place, but with a little care and a huge amount of perseverance, the fungus’ journey may let it see what lies at the conclusion of the unforgettable journey of Mushroom 11.

One could argue that outside of its creative double-world approach, The Medium isn’t the sort of revolutionary horror game that one might hope for from the start of a new generation in gaming. But you know what? It doesn’t need to be revolutionary. It just needs to be spooky, have fun gameplay and tell an entertaining story, and Bloober Team succeeds on all of those fronts.

In truth the hardest thing about LISA is talking about it because it’s just one of those titles that’s really better experienced. It’s dark and depressing, but has an amusing sense of humor that makes it easy to smile through the suffering. It’s a title that benefits wildly from making frequent saves, so when Brad gets to an unskippable segment where he has to watch his entire party die through a chance of luck, it’s easy to go back and try again with a hopefully better outcome the next time around. There’s slews of ways to approach a lot of scenarios which makes for unique outcomes as well and LISA is a title that really sells itself on replaying multiple times for those that want to get the absolute most out of it. For those willing to take on the dark tone, visuals and story, LISA: Definitive Edition is well worth picking up for those who haven’t experienced it before.

Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate Definitive Edition is a game that lives up to its definitive edition claim. Story and Guantlet mode can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment. The included DLC content can add up to a small fortune on other platforms, so its inclusion here is appreciated. This is arguably the best Musou game and having owned the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4 versions, it can be confidently said this is the best version of Warriors Orochi 3. But it’s also debatable if there’s enough content here to justify buying if it someone owns Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate on another platform. Aside from a few extra stages most of the bonus content is either music or character cosmetics which isn’t going to be substantial enough for most people. It seems like having access to it on the go via Steam Deck would be the biggest selling point, but at the current time there’s some stuff that needs to be ironed out for that platform.

The PC port of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has its share of issues, but it still gets the nod over its console counterparts.

Helldivers II delivers where it matters and leaves us excited to see what Arrowhead can bring to the game next rather than leaving us pondering if the game can be saved. Helldivers II is one galactic conflict players can happily dive into.

Dimension Tripper Neptune: TOP NEP is an easy recommendation for anyone who ever loved Space Harrier. It’s honestly more enjoyable than Space Harrier II was and delivers a fantastic modern interpretation of that kind of rail shooter with a level of color and polish that’s unmatched. It does feel too much like an homage at times, but stands out with things like allies helping on-screen and a completely insane premise that keeps things in-line with the main series while also working as a standalone product. It’s a visual treat and controls perfectly, but does suffer from a less-than-memorable soundtrack.

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem is everything a Serious Sam game should be in an economy-sized package, and a great game for both returning fans and those who’ve been wondering what it is that’s kept this series alive for the past twenty one years.

Pig Eat Ball is a crazed monster of action and creativity, more than a little bit gross, but hugely entertaining to balance it out.

For a season finale, Hokkaido is exceptionally crafted.

Minecraft: Story Mode strays from the more mature content that Telltale normally associates themselves with and manages to create a fun, family-friendly world for one with no real story.

Trailblazers is a fantastic game that blends racing and a team-based dynamic to craft a memorable experience. It plays like a dream and offers up a surprisingly high amount of strategy to excel. By offering up enough twists on a traditional racing game, it finds ways to create excitement that haven’t been done before in the genre and is a must for anyone looking for an arcade-style futuristic racing experience. If you like F-Zero and/or Splatoon, you will find a lot to like here.

Whether viewed as a full-fledged sequel or enhanced re-release, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is an improvement over its predecessor in just about every way. The single player content is of decent quantity for a fighting game, but could easily be completed in a single weekend. Most of the longevity will come from the multiplayer components, whether it be fighting against other players online in traditional matches or getting into some of the more unexpected minigames in Grand Bruise Legends. The accessibility is one of the best features Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising in that it allows newcomers the ease to jump in and pull off impressive combos, yet the system is complex enough that it requires dedication to master. As it stands this is a great fighting game for players of all experience and skill levels.

With its stunning visuals, immersive gameplay mechanics and richly-detailed world, Skull & Bones is a must-play for any fan of action-adventure games. If you liked Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's take on ship combat, you'll love this game. So grab your cutlass, raise the black flag and prepare to plunder your way to infamy on the high seas. Fair winds and following seas, matey!

Thunder Wolves is a game that knows what it wants to be, and cuts through any of the other filler to give an experience that is as pure as possible.

The simulation gameplay is utterly engrossing as you work to help your daughter down a wide variety of paths.

It’s not perfect, but this game fills a niche in the VR market with its entrancing environments and fun take on a compulsive literary tale. Alice VR is best experienced with a set of goggles, but it’s a great experience for anyone.

Murder on Eridanos is a fine send off to The Outer Worlds, giving players an opportunity to flex all their detective muscles in solving one final murder mystery. The writing and humor are able to maintain the high standard that was set by the core game, and even though the combat has been reduced to simply going through the motions at this point, the storytelling is able to make this a memorable experience. Eriadnos itself is a vibrant world to explore filled with its own culture and interesting inhabitants. Murder on Eridanos is a darkly humorous nod to film noir while staying true to the feel of The Outer Worlds, making it a worthwhile final addition to the game.

Though the ending doesn’t fully deliver on the hours of build-up, it’s still a worthwhile tale to explore. The combination of roguelike design with third-person bullet-hell gameplay mechanics is a true treat, keeping players on their toes and continuously challenging them to get better. Returnal can get repetitive, particularly in the second half due to the repetition of layouts and long bouts between the biomes. Still, the addictive, fast-paced nature of the gameplay helps keep players engaged. Holding it all together is a beautiful presentation filled with next-gen flair and spectacular audio design. Housemarque has done a wonderful job with Returnal and it’s well worth living, dying and repeating to get to the final credits.

While it may not be the first of its kind or groundbreaking, RemiLore brings the potential of even more to come in the future and starts in a great place that makes it well worth giving a try as it’s the perfect balance of challenge without being frustrating. RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore is a fun adventure with enjoyable dialogue and characters in addition to some great combat that makes it fun to replay again and again.

Overall, the game does wonderfully in providing great spell variety with detailed abilities that synergize well across the board. Despite the balance issues, it’s still worth checking out for something to quickly get into. One Step from Eden is a flavorful, intuitive experience that’s hard to put down once you pick it up.

Full Throttle may not have aged as well as its siblings, but it’s still a true gem nonetheless. This is largely thanks to some sharp writing, stellar and unique visuals, fun gameplay, and a kickass soundtrack. The remastered version serves to highlight and even enhance all of this, showcasing the kind of creativity Schafer and company could be capable of when at their best. It’s a fitting conclusion to this trilogy of remastered LucasArts adventures (unless Double Fine can somehow get the rights to the likes of Loom or The Dig), and a rubber-burning road trip down memory lane is definitely worth taking again.

As good as Dragon’s Crown Pro may be, there are no significant additions and with only the soundtrack and visuals receiving polish there’s no point to upgrade to this version if you still have an original copy of Dragon’s Crown. But if you missed out on Dragon’s Crown five years ago, Pro is a perfect excuse to experience it.

Rogue galaxy is one of the competitors for the title of the last great PS2 game, and while it is by no means flawless, it should still keep you entertained for a few dozen hours. [Mar 2007, p.52]

Unpacking is a delightful and charming puzzle game, one that perfectly takes a chore such as moving and perfectly shows how it can highlight the most important parts of our lives, allowing us to reflect upon them and the transitions we go through along the way. It helps that it also has terrific gameplay built around trying to find space by rearranging items as if they were blocks, all while telling a captivating story through each small bit taken out of each box. It’s an impressive little package that you’ll want to dive into.

Ultimately, MLB 09 walks a fine line, catering to both hardcore baseball fans and more casual players. There are a lot of deep game play elements and features to be explored, some complex and intricate.

Blue Revolver is a rock-solid arcade shooter that hits all the high points of the genre without getting bogged down in its excesses and easily earns its place in any genre fan’s library.

It’s fitting that Stella Glow is ultimately developer imageepooch’s swan song; they came into the business making waves with their beloved SRPG series Luminous Arc and now they’re going out making waves with another excellent SRPG.

While there are some imperfections, such as a constant internet connection required and the large amount of grinding required to unlock everything, For Honor is a solid title and recommended for fans of melee combat action titles who want to try a unique twist on a familiar formula.

Unfortunately, not everything new works. Some of the new story elements feel out of place with the overarching story and tone, and quite a few of the many hours feel like padding. When the story, combat and characters come together, however, Final Fantasy VII Remake captures the magic that makes Final Fantasy special. Final Fantasy VII Remake is just the beginning of this new journey and it’s already off to a great start.

Despite carrying over a couple of issues from it’s early Sega days, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is still a stellar platformer and metroidvania game. With the enhanced version providing a completely dazzling display, the journey is more appealing than ever, allowing you to discover the classic action, experimentation, and exploration elements that helped lay the groundwork for future titles in the same vein. Just as unique and charming today as it was back in 1989, this curse actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise after all, and one that’s definitely worth playing from start to finish. Best Master System game ever, indeed.

Super House of Dead Ninjas is one of those rare games that is meant to serve as an homage to various gaming classics and yet manages to develop its own unique identity.

The massive catalog of puzzles is incredibly enticing and the visuals give it a unique beauty.

It is obvious that the same engine from the last Samurai Warriors game is being used, but it really does feel like a fresh, focused take on the Musou series.

Riders Republic makes a strong case as one of the best and most varied extreme sports games to date, with a solid offering of unique vehicles that are fun to use and master. The expansive open world and huge number of events will ensure that players could spend countless hours completing every challenge and finding every secret, all on top of the exciting multiplayer options. There’s still technical issues to iron out, but whether you want the chaotic thrills of Mass Races or the chilling exploration of Zen mode, the accessible and deep nature of Riders Republic makes it a must-play for racing fans of any skill level.

Super Stardust Ultra VR does everything that had made the series work before and expands on it with a new cockpit view. This really brings the action close to you and sucks you in like never before.

Nioh 3's gameplay still excels, but there are some noticeable issues. Ninja style is a fantastic, fun new way to play the game and build characters around, but Team Ninja doubled legacy inventory management issues from previous games. Samurai style remains enjoyable and refined yet also feels a bit too tame when compared to the speedy new Ninja style. Nioh 3's balancing also feels off, swinging back and forth between easy to difficult, and then very easy in co-op. It's a lot of fun to play, but the experience can vary wildly. Still, Nioh 3 is the culmination of Team Ninja's continued work on refining the Nioh experience. Nioh 3's ambition has yielded the most enjoyable and accessible entry in the franchise yet.

Grim Grimoire is an aesthetic masterpiece, and a good reminder of the storytelling potential inherent in video games. [July 2007, p.58]

Indigo 7: Quest for Love’s puzzle formula is engaging and manages to be a mix of easy to learn, but tricky to master. It’s not an all-time great game, but it’s well-crafted and has a lot of heart. The comedy hits far more than it misses and the story mode is a riot to see unfold and use as a learning tool. Given how great the experience is with multiplayer, it’s a shame online play isn’t featured — but hopefully that’s something that can be added in later on. As it stands, Indigo 7 a great game and a fantastic value for the money.

Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden doesn’t stray far from what made its predecessors successful. The addition of capturing monsters to use in battle brings a fresh element to the gameplay. but otherwise plays just like the previous Voice of Cards titles. How many more times this formula can be successfully replicated is up for debate, but The Beasts of Burden is possibly the best Voice of Cards games to date. Compared to most JRPGs, it’s simple game in regards to its mechanics and difficulty. For many games this would sound like a condemnation, but these factors don’t work against Voice of Cards. Challenging it is not, but the gameplay is still enjoyable largely due to the story and accompanying soundtrack. Difficult games will always be fun, but for the times when a more relaxing game is in order, Voice of Cards is perfect for such an occasion.

The Space Invaders Invincible Collection features a lot of fun packed into a single package — albeit with a lot of similarity between them. Thankfully, the inclusion of some non-Space Invaders games helps to mix up the gameplay variety offered up, with things like Space Invaders Extreme making things feel more modern than a lot of current-day arcade-style shooters. There isn’t a bad game in the bunch here and being exposed to games like Lunar Escape in this kind of form can help make new die-hard fans of games that have been forgotten over time. It’s a must-buy for anyone who has wanted to play more of the series or even if you just have a missing entry or two in the series. Space Invaders Invincible Collection plays great, looks fantastic and showcases just how strong the franchise’s sound design has always been.

At the end of the day, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 feels less like a true game of the series and more of the spin-off that it is, trading the methodical and tactical pacing of the franchise mainstays for a more fast-paced and action oriented shooter.

There’s no shortage of content in Project Mirai DX, it’s just a shame that Sega failed to follow through on what could have been the best Hatsune Miku title to date.

While by no means perfect, Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library and the Monster Seal shows why the Vita is still a viable platform.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 doesn’t radically change the formula of the first game beyond adding a new character. Fortunately, Copen plays slightly differently and does offer up a fresher experience.

The last-generation version of DIRT 5 truly feels like a beta in comparison to this product. The game was designed with the PS5 hardware in mind and shouldn’t have seen a release on the PS4. This is an excellent way to experience what the PS5 is capable of; especially if you have a 4K 120hz television.

Icon is a fun ride, but it's got some pretty deep shoes to fill. It is fun and the music features are pretty cool, so give it a look. [Apr 2007, p.46]

Gurumin not only offers a great challenge, but makes players want to go back and find every last hidden secret and collectible. The graphics, sound and music all look and sound great on the 3DS. If there is even the tiniest bit of interest in Gurumin, it is absolutely worth picking up.

Things actually could be even slightly deeper, but for now, Planet Coaster truly is one of the best virtual thrill rides you can check out and one you won’t get off of anytime soon.

While it may not have all the whistles and bells of Rune Factory 4 or 5, this delightful remaster of 3 is a welcome addition to the continued trend of bringing back older enjoyable titles for more to get their hands on. It’s well worth playing and sinking a good amount of time into, especially for those who love completing every last element of simulation titles and being offered a meaty challenge for them to take on. Anyone who loves Rune Factory will want to pick up 3 Special, and this is a welcoming and accessible title for anyone who hasn’t ever played one before and wants to give it a try for the very first time.

The five episodes of 3 Out of 10: Season Two are smart, funny and entertaining from start to finish, and like any good show ends on a cliffhanger setting up the next set of episodes. It’s an incredibly fun series that fuses its TV sitcom style to gaming like nothing else out there, and a fantastically successful experiment.

MLB The Show 18 incorporates plenty of content to keep players busy while offering the best visuals and strongest core gameplay in a sports simulation. Franchise Mode feels more intuitive, Diamond Dynasty is loaded with Legends and many different outlets to score more cards, and Road to the Show is the best version the series has seen. The adjusted ball mechanics can be felt immediately, but there still seems to be an abundant amount of foul balls. While the lack of something revolutionary may bother yearly players, the game of baseball that The Show 18 plays will attract baseball fans.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 may have started off a bit slow, but Capcom was able to redeem themselves by creating an irresistible adventure through and through.

Open Roads is a touching love letter to grief, the breaking of generational cycles and the complexities of family relationships. Dever and Russell’s performances are at once invigorating and heart-wrenching, demonstrating a genuine passion for acting throughout the game. The interactive environment feels lived-in and authentic to the early 2000s, adding another layer of immersion to the player's experience. While the voice acting is impressive, the characters’ appearance and facial movements become repetitive around the thirty-minute mark, diminishing some of the emotional beats in the story. Overall, Open Roads is a must-play poignant experience for fans of visual novels.

Visual Concepts and 2K made the right decision with taking last year off as WWE 2K22 is the best effort the team has released since taking over. The visuals are a sight to behold and the combat is fluid and fun. The simplification of combat and the modes makes this much more approachable for everyone without having to figure out a bunch of alternate moves and backwards ways of pulling off things that are seen on TV. MyGM will keep players occupied forever and Showcase Mode is the best version to date. MyRISE is a nice addition with a ton of variation to keep things fresh, but ultimately remains a grind. MyFACTION, while sounding good on paper, is just MyTEAM from NBA 2K and its filled with microtransactions. If you’re one of those players that pick up a WWE game every couple of years, 2K22 is the one to get.

An intriguing tale full of interesting world-building and appealing character moments alike, brief visual and performance issues aside, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero — specifically for those on Switch — should not go overlooked.

Null Vector successfully takes two distinct genres and blends them together in such a way that they feel like perfect compliments to one another. More musical tracks would be nice, but its overall presentation does a great job of calling back to the vector graphics of old without succumbing to their visual drawbacks. Its core loop of shooting, looting, upgrading and strategizing is genuinely fun, and its short run time makes it easy to keep coming back for more.

The Rumble Fish 2 has developed a cult following since its release and it’s no surprise why after finally being able to play it. It can go toe to toe with any of the other fighting games of its era. The multiple gauge system brings another element of strategy to each match, but getting past that feature, The Rumble Fish 2 delivers a polished fight experience that includes the requisite staples of the genre. The roster of fighters features several interesting designs and varied fighting styles. As with any game being available seventeen years after its original release, it may not appeal to everyone, but this is one of the top contenders viewing it through a lens of 2005 gaming.

The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 3 – In Harm’s Way is another strong addition into an already compelling universe.

While there are problems with the structure and overall narrative, there’s no denying that Octopath Traveler is an alluring adventure and one of the better RPGs on the Nintendo Switch.

Mario Party Superstars is a worthy compilation of all of the series’ greatest hits. It has a great selection of minigames with plenty of different ways to enjoy them. The core board game works well for the most part, albeit somewhat hampered by Nintendo’s online infrastructure and some imbalanced design decisions. Online itself is functional enough, but expect to experience lag and the occasional dropped player. Rounding out the whole experience are the various unlockables on offer; all of which enhance the player experience in some way and give fans reasons to keep playing beyond just enjoying the occasional round with their friends. Indeed, Superstars is every bit the game Mario Party fans were hoping it would be, even if it does suffer from minor issues.

Little Dragons Café first appears as though it requires constant attention to every little detail, but actually makes for a relaxing time. Exploration is well paced with each step further getting more creative and exiting, and managing the café is simple without feeling overly stressful. It’s a laid back title that is easy to get absorbed in and focus for long hours, but also makes for a wonderful time to pop into every once in a while and just explore what it has to offer. Little Dragons Café makes for a memorable, sweet journey that any person can pick up and enjoy without worry.

Shin Megami Tensei IV manages to meet its hype in some respects and fall short of it in others. Its combat is stronger than ever, adding in components that are deep, unique and reward the strategically-inclined, while the character customization options will excite those who like to build their ideal fighter.

Driveclub VR is an outstanding showcase for PlayStation VR. As the lone racing game available for it, it stands atop a short mountain — but its core foundation being so well-crafted bodes well for it working as a showpiece for quite some time. Anyone who loved the original game should check it out, while those who always wondered what was so good about it will find out in the best way possible by experiencing it in VR.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics brings together multiple beloved arcade classics. The seven games included in the collection haven't been heavily altered from their original arcade releases, save for the art and music galleries and online play, but that's perfectly fine. These games were great in the arcade and they remain fun today in their unaltered state. The six fighting games, when played in order, can show the evolution of bringing the Marvel Universe to Capcom's approach to fighting games, starting with the straightforward one-on-one matches of X-Men: Children of the Atom to the three-on-three tag team matches between 52 characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Countless hours of enjoyment can be had fighting against friends in the six fighting games, with The Punisher serving as a nice bonus game when the gameplay style needs a change of pace.

The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a pure charmer of an RPG. The playful storybook art and lovely soundtrack strike an adventurous tone, and all the characters from Yuu and the Dragon King down to the random monsters are adorably designed. The RPG action is easy overall so long as you don’t forget about the occasional healing potion, and the only real knock against it is the battles are too frequent for their own good. The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a perfect game to use as an introduction to the RPG genre for the younger crowd, and great for an adult who knows their way around and can enjoy themselves with a story of a kind hero and the Dragon King who loves his adopted daughter.

Developers Teku Studios clearly poured a lot of love and effort into Candle and it shows. From the breathtaking scenery and artwork to the terrific puzzle designs and unique worlds to discover and characters to interact with, Teku’s journey is easily one that deserves to have a light shone on it as well, as a showcase of a terrific platformer and adventure game.

Weak continuity and weaker dungeon crawling gameplay make this hard to recommend to anyone who enjoys the series for its depth. If you’re not bothered by a bit of stupidity, give it a play.

’80s Overdrive comes to the Switch in top form and stands even taller on the hybrid console than it did on the 3DS three years ago. With games like the original arcade great Outrun and other modern games like Horizon Chase Turbo that it inspired, it would be easy to get lost in the shuffle, but it doesn’t. It stands out thanks to a bright visual style and a memorable soundtrack that makes use of some of the best ’80s-infused music you could ask for. It controls like a dream and even the original version’s touchscreen support is retained for menus to make things easier to navigate. It does fall a bit short with track creation, but is a must-buy overall. ’80s Overdrive is one of the best racing experiences on the Switch, period.

Despite the lopsided breakup between the two campaigns, the conclusion of Revelations 2 will leave players satisfied with the hope of more bite-sized spin-offs in the series’ future.

Anyone who has played these Monkey Ball titles before will be satisfied with this new available version. Those who have never touched the series before and are looking for a challenging physics-based platforming adventure should try out Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania.

Despite the fact that there are some technical and acting issues, Observer absolutely excels. Not only is it a great genre entry, but a fine example of interactive entertainment as a whole. The world that Bloober Team has created is one that is wide open for more exploration. I wouldn’t mind prequels exploring the fall of modern society or alternate perspective takes on the tale. Heck, even a Chiron management sim, where the company needs to keep the people just happy enough to accept their oppression would be interesting. This is not reggae, but it deserves to be as popular.

Offering up a new experience every time the mice finish their well-deserved cheese, Mousecraft is a refreshing experience for those in need of a complex puzzle game.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin seamlessly blends 2D platforming action with 3D farm management. There’s a great amount of depth to both the farming simulation portion of the game as well as the more action-oriented 2D portions.

Universe at War is a good title, but it isn't without it's flaws. As-is, though, Universe at War is a comfortable ride. [Dec 2007, p.64]

Exactly the kind of game a sequel should be in terms of its gameplay. Everything that worked in the first is back, but there’s more added to the foundation.

Whether you’re looking for a story that might shed some light about where society could go horribly wrong over the next few decades, or if you just want to recapture the magic of Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, Volume is one of those games that demonstrates how cool independently developed games can be.

It’s not a game without its faults as friendly artificial intelligence can obstruct progress and I ran into a number of glitches throughout the campaign, but with an addictive multiplayer and some of the most creative ways in using the handheld’s technology, you’ll have a tough time finding another experience like this.

Starbites is a good turn-based RPG that offers a straightforward journey through a futuristic world. Its battle systems are not groundbreaking, but offer malleable build options that make it fun to play with and master. Built upon solid fundamentals, the game thrives in what it sets out to accomplish and offers a good time for fans of the genre.

The best thing about Sweetest Monster is the story it presents. On the other hand, it’s likely the storyline which is sure to turn some readers completely away. If you’re coming to this game from something vapidly sweet like Nekopara then it may totally rock your world in a bad way. Others with a taste for dark, disturbing tales may love it — or find it doesn’t go far enough. With such a wide array of opinions, the only way to know if you’ll enjoy this one or not is to simply play Sweetest Monster yourself.

Codemasters gets it right with the handling in F1 25, allowing for challenging physics no matter the assist options or the controller. Using a racing wheel with no assists brings one of the more realistic interpretations of the sport the series has ever seen. Every bit of this is fixed over last year's outing. It's addictive and challenging while allowing those with a greater skill to showcase how much faster they can be than those with less skill. Outside of this, the experience is familiar. Having LIDAR circuits and reverse circuits are good additions, but there just aren't many that take advantage. Braking Point 3 offers a darker story for those that are looking for a story mode in an F1 game. My Team 2.0 adding more depth is a welcome addition for those that understand the managerial portion of the sport. Most importantly, for those who are simply wanting to race, F1 25 offers an excellent experience.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is not a perfect game in the overarching landscape that is video games today. For the platform, though, it’s one of the best. Barring the one technical issue experienced during play, it makes use of the hardware as much or as (almost) little as the player wants. The story is expansive and filled with great moments of the cast of three of the best RPGs ever made interacting with each other (check out Kanji trying to hug Morgana). Sure to keep the 3DS clean of dust for some time, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is the perfect farewell for Nintendo’s handheld, and one that will appeal to fans of the series and old school dungeon crawlers alike.