Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky is absolutely packed with content. Despite the lack of an unique plot and defined characters, fans of the genre will be pleased with such a polished gameplay. The visuals are brilliant and cheerful, probably one of Level 5's best efforts on Nintendo DS. Without any doubt the best RPG of this summer and on the system itself.

Reigns is an original, funny and enjoyable experience, that unfortunately won't last too long due to his repetitiveness.

This is the true modern age Pokémon fans spent years waiting for: it's just bigger and better and will appeal new users too thanks to its delightful visuals and extremely polished and deep gameplay. It's a masterpiece very few nuisances and some ineffective 3D effect cannot even scratch.

Cuphead is one of the most entertaining and charismatic titles of recent years: the porting on Nintendo Switch convinced everyone.

The additional contents are the best way to play the entire Burnout Paradise game, especially on the PC where it comes out for the first time. If you need an arcade racing game, this is the title you have to buy.

Despite the disastrous launch, Street Fighter V was already an outstanding fighting game, with an exciting rhythm and thrilling game mechanics. The Arcade Edition is a great remedy for the main issue of the game: its lack of content.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a great game, with astounding visuals, but it can be a little bit disappointing to the old Company fans. Linear and in some way over scripted, wide open spaces are now replaced by more tightened ones, but they can be completely flattened thanks to the evolved Frostbyte 2.0 engine.

The latest game from DrinkBox Studios is an explosion of colours, rumbles and references from the Mexican folklore or the video game culture. The adventure is quite short, but always intense and entertaining.

A great directorial debut for Takahisa Taura. If you love action games and own a Nintendo Switch, this brilliant jewel is definitely a must have.

Steins;Gate is one of the best visual novels translated into the English language.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an incredible remake with tons of QoL improvements, new features and smart additions. It feels too much at times but this is what a remake should be and Star Ocean really deserved to shine once in a while.

NecroDancer may not appeal all the roguelike aficionados, but it's a lively, smart and unconventional twist in a typically slow and reflective genre.

With a perfect narrative and an adrenalinic gameplay, Max Payne 3 is a wonderful action shooter with an adult mood. There are several minor flaws with the frame rate but in the overall it is a game you can't miss.

Pokémon Sun & Moon is an amazing experience for fans of the franchise thanks to a renewed focus on narrative and many tweaks that make gameplay much more enjoyable than before.

A masterful port, worthy of one of the best fighting games around, and able to surpass our expectations. Our only criticism? having the season one characters for free would have been a great choice on Namco and Arc System's side.

It's really difficult to judge Heavy Rain. The new David Cage masterpiece is something to love or to hate without any compromise. But this duality is something typical for the excellence: Heavy Rain is strongly emotional and represents a new way to think about videogames. A way where the plot and the quality of narrative become more influential than the gameplay.

Groove Coaster is another little masterpiece by Reisuke Ishida; a great rhythm game that fits perfectly on the Apple devices and that any lover of the genre should check out.

Shinobi: Art of Vengance is a vibrant reimagining of the beloved SEGA franchise. Lizardcube developed a masterpiece 2D platformer featuring metroidvania exploration and a solid, engaging combo based combat system.

For many players, Pikmin 4 will be the best entry in the series. It's the most fast, dynamic and action-based of them, and even the most long and rich. For the players who loved the artistic part of Pikmin, however, it's the less refined one.

Final Fantasy 16 finds itself at the center of a paradox: it's so close and yet so far from the ideal excellence level always pursued by the saga. It's the best installment of the series in many years, sporting a wonderful plot which pays honor to the classics, creating an extraordinary game universe and a roster of incredible characters. At the same time, the rhythm is unbalanced and imperfections constantly emerge: the devs went all-in on the magnificent spectacularization of the series essence, but they forgot a lot of unreplaceable components. In this hurricane of contradictions, the game still manages to achieve the most important result: it's the modern chapter which stands the closest to the historic roots of the saga.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a must-have package for anyone yet to grapple with Nathan Drake's latest adventure and expansion starring Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. The 60 FPS mode on PS5 stands as the best way to enjoy these experiences, so much so that even those who have already completed them could be strongly tempted to get the upgrade.

Another hybrid gameplay form Foursaken, in some way similar to the first chapter but also different enough to represent something new, Bug Heroes Quest is a good action-RPG based on a twin stick style. Despite some flaws in controls and visuals, an optimal choice at this price.

Quotation forthcoming.

Dirt 3 is a great game, with stunning visuals and a long a various career. But it's an arcade game, not a sim one. Sim addicted are warned.

Bean Dreams evolves the original concept of Bean's Quest thanks to its excellent balancing and level design. A simple and little game that can be very satisfying for every kind of player.

Fieldrunners 2 could be considered as a "more of the same", but it's a good thing if "the same" was the first Fieldrunners. More enemies, weapons and bigger maps mean more fun for all the fans.

Wayward Souls is another hit from Rocketcat Games: a demanding, frustrating but wonderfully executed roguelike that stands out as one of the best mobile games of the year.

The Swapper isn't a mere platform puzzle game: its deep narrative side fit perfectly the gameplay. Maybe it's a little short, but there isn't nothing else like it.

The two Super Mario Galaxy games are so beautiful and imaginative that they transcend their own series. They are the dream of a child broken down into its basic elements, explorable through fantastical and extraordinary gravity-defying acrobatics, framed by Rosalina’s melancholic tales and those leaps toward the sublime, supported by symphonic outpourings—so rare for Super Mario and Nintendo. They are two masterpieces, and it is no coincidence that they marked the childhood and imagination of the first members of Generation Z.

Starfront Collision is clearly a StarCraft clone, but considering its context this is a strong value. Copying Blizzard, Gameloft succeeded in creating the best classic RTS currently available for iOS systems in the App Store.

If it hasn't been clear yet, we literally adored Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle. Despite its flaws, the technical difficulties especially in the shift between first and third person, a stealth mechanic that can be "broken" a bit too easily, and a slight stretch in the last part of the adventure, we are not afraid to be proven wrong in stating that this is the best (timed) exclusive for Xbox in a long time. It's a great single-player adventure that works, entertains, involves, and is practically suitable for everyone. And if you're also a fan of Indiana Jones who was let down by the last two films, well, then you absolutely can't miss it.

Crescent Moon and Galobeeth Games have succeeded in creating the greatest RPG on the App Store. The first journeys on horseback, though counties and deserts, strongly remember the great adventures in Morrowind or Oblivion, but the numerous negligences and technical issues ends up ruining the overall experience. Probably the game will be better and better with the next updates, but if you are looking for a true and deep RPG you should search elsewhere.

Quotation forthcoming.

For a fighting game fan this is obviously the best Dragon Ball game ever made. Its combat system is a magnificent revision of the Marvel VS mechanics, with a lot of hidden complexity and brilliant limitations.

Outwitters is another great game from One Man Left, even more impressive considering that is totally a different genre from the previous Tilt to Live. Only the repetitiveness of the very few maps included in the free version keeps the game from being excellent, but we hope that future content will solve this problem.

Link's Awakening is still, after 26 years, an almost perfect adventure. It's also a well-balanced Zelda with the same amount of action, exploration and puzzle-solving. Sadly, the framerate is unstable, and the Chamber Dungeons minigame deserved more care.

This is, for sure, the best chapter of the Rocksteady’s trilogy and if you’re a fan of Batman (but also if you’re not), you have to buy this game.

Immortality is a masterpiece capable of involving and upsetting the player in more than one moment. It is a strong video game, full of surprises and interesting themes, capable of overturning at the right moment to drag you into a successful positive spiral of research and discovery, which brings the brain and emotions into play. It is also one of the works that best manages to play with the filmed sequences, transforming the player into an editor / investigator through a simple and natural interface, very comfortable both using a mouse and keyboard, and with a controller. The conclusion is: what are you still doing here?

Angry Birds Rio is the new episode of the famous Rovio saga, dedicated to the Fox movie Rio; it's just another Angry Birds, with the same gameplay and same birds, with a new background (Rio de Janeiro) and a little graphic boost.

Housemarque has taken the Returnal formula, cut it, sewn it, dried it, and enhanced it to create a stunning sci-fi cosmic horror tale that showcases the talents of its artists. More cinematic, more accessible, and more explicit in its depiction of the terrifying and wondrous imagery of Carcosa, it has all the makings of an instant cult, losing just a few fragments of its uniqueness in the attempt to broaden its sphere of influence. It's a game that blends the essence of old-school arcades with the best of contemporary expressive means, drawing inspiration from sci-fi and literary greats, injecting the addictive power of pure action gameplay right into the heart of the experience, and then building around it a backdrop that's as captivating as it is perfectly harmonious. Simply put, Saros is one of the best PlayStation games of this generation.

Blast-A-Way it's a true surprise, even on the quite crowded physics puzzle genre. Another quality game from Illusions Labs.

A new single player campaign and tons of extras make this DLC an essential purchase for all RDR fans.

With a perfect narrative and an adrenalinic gameplay, Max Payne 3 is a wonderful action shooter with an adult mood. There are several minor flaws with the frame rate but overall it is a game you can't miss.

If being Spider-Man is one of your childhood dreams, playing Marvel's Spider-Man is the best way to fulfill it.

This new remastered edition of Okami doesn't add much outside of 4K support, but it doesn't really matter. The original game remains a splendid gem, with incredible visuals and an amazing amount of brilliant mechanics and ideas. Give it a chance this time.

Even if 2D Super Mario Bros can't be the avant-garde of the video gaming world in 2009 as it was twenty years ago, it's still fun and entertaining as no other. "New SMB Wii" isn't perfect as "SMB 3", it alternates pieces of pure genius with some stages a bit too manneristic, but overall it takes the 2d platform games where they hadn't been in the last ten years.

Pokémon Sun & Moon is an amazing experience for fans of the franchise thanks to a renewed focus on narrative and many tweaks that make gameplay much more enjoyable than before.

The best additions in Towerfall Ascension are not the most advertised ones. The new Quest Mode is a nice diversion but of course the cornerstone of the experience remains the Versus Mode, with great new arenas and customizations.

A brilliant and beautiful metroidvania, whose sole problem resides in the scarce number of save points and fast travel zones. We do understand that it's a design choice, volutarily made to increase the tension while exploring and to emphasize discovery, but it makes the usual backtracking of the genre a little overwhelming.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was a real jewel on the Nintendo DS and it's more so on the iOS platform, thanks to the high-resolution graphics and sounds. Don't miss it.

Fotonica is a stylish, ultra-minimalist action game which feels like a blend of Mirror's Edge and Rez, therefore only hardcore gamers might enjoy its peculiar taste.

It's not a game that will blow your mind, but Platform Panic is a fun and somewhat original mix between an old school platformer and an endless runner.

How a simple mechanic can hide a hard challenge: this is the secret of Twofold Inc, a smart puzzle game crafted in a beautiful style.

Random drops and subsequent grinding could disappoint someone, but Orcs Must Die! Unchained is able to combine a balanced gameplay with a huge load of mechanics and it's a worthy free-to-play chapter of the Orcs Must Die franchise.

OlliOlli World is a title full of enthusiasm and love for skateboarding.

Simply, the best Forza Motorsport developed by Turn 10 and the most satisfying sim-arcade available on the market.

Retro Studios managed to create a wonderful platform with a distinctive '90 taste, something that is not common nowadays. DKCR is simply one of the best games on Nintendo Wii, and one more example of the true N difference.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a great game with a stunning, quite long, thrilling campaign and a well devised multiplayer with a few good stuff like the wager matches and the ingame currency that let you customize your character.

Super Stickman Golf 2 is simple, fun and challenging, though a bit frustrating sometimes. However, those who liked the first episode will certainly appreciate this sequel.

Moving and unique, funny and imaginative: Tearaway is an amazing experience with a few nuisances preventing it to become the true masterpiece PlayStation Vita deserves.

Rocket League brings to Xbox One the same amount of fun that we enjoyed on PC and PlayStation 4. It doesn't have the cross-play functionality with the two original platforms, but has greater value as you can also get all the 3 DLC packs for the same price.

Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line is an amazing love letter to fans of Final Fantasy and Square Enix music.

ARC Squadron is an excellent space shooter, packed with a lot of missions, upgrades and boss fights. What a pity the touch controls don't always work as they should.

It has not aged perfectly, but Sonic The Hedgehog 2 still remains one of the finest 2D platformers ever made. The 3D Classics treatment gives both fans and newcomers the possibility to play this gem in its definitive version, but also lets us think about the fall of this iconic character.

It’s the same FIFA 14 we can find on old-gen but with several graphic enhancements and a better physic response.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks may not feel like a real new chapter of the series, but the important improvements over Phantom Hourglass make this entry easily one of the best games ever on the DS.

Perfect from a technical point of view, this conversion has a bunch of problems with the touch controls.

Fifa 12 on iOS is probably the best soccer game available on the App Store; unfortunately there is some serious lacking of game modes - most of all the multiplayer -, and the improvements over the last year are mostly minimal.

The new chapter of the Dirt saga is a great game, the most complete off road experience with a lot car and tracks and a stunning visuals. The brand new replays are useful, maybe too much playing in the lowest level of difficulty. And above the game needs more rally events.

Pragmata is a great video game, just like the ones from back in the day. Drawing inspiration from its past classics, Capcom has placed pure gameplay at the heart of the experience, building the story of Hugh and Diana around it—a tale as simple as it is timeless, which is almost a unique case for the Osaka-based company. The development of the father-daughter relationship stands out against the backdrop of a fast, fluid, and engaging action experience that turns the clock back twenty years to an era of levels to complete, arcade-style challenges, and extra modes to unlock. Cho Yonghee's first directorial project aims to do a few things and do them very well. It runs smoothly until the credits roll, introducing a brand-new universe within the boundaries of a traditional formula. However, it doesn't quite reach excellence in any of its components, almost shying away from the very idea of ambition. Perhaps that is why it feels so close to old-school atmospheres: you press the start button and enjoy playing, without chasing transcendental goals.

So many times we have heard speaking of Pokémon as a game for children, a B-series RPG. So false. Whoever spent a few hours on any issue of the franchise will surely agree on the excellent quality of one of the best and most addictive RPGs on the market. Too bad it keeps recycling itself: HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best issues in the series but at the same time they do not offer anything really new to newcomers and old fans, aside for a cute device.

With Reaper of Souls, Blizzard concludes the journey started with the launch of Diablo III.

Little King's Story reaches a perfect balance between friendliness and depth in terms of gameplay: it's certainly one of the best games available on Wii, and even manages to surpass a masterpiece such as Pikmin in some ways.

Simple and delightfully hard, Retry extends the feeling and mechanics behind Flappy Bird to offer a much varied and unpredictable experience.

Quotation forthcoming.

It's definitely a great collection, and a must have for visual novel and adventure aficionados. The lack of Zero Time Dilemma in the package, unfortunately, makes it hard for newcomers to understand the whole Uchikoshi epic, and is an unfortunate choice in an otherwise amazing return.

Rayman Origins is a declaration of true love to classic side-scrolling platformering, and a must-have for anyone who still feels something for this genre and has a couple of friends to share this exciting experience with.

Almost a franchise reboot, Pokémon Black & White is your ultimate Pokémon experience. Overall better than previous generations by any means, this new installment manages to inspire on veteran players a sense of wonder and awe gone missing years ago. The new adventure flows better and is much more intriguing and challenging but of course you are not going to change your mind if you hate Pikachu and friends.

As an exclusive episode, Dead Space stands out with great graphics, good gameplay and a story that gives some more details to the fans. A slightly disappointing level design is in fact the only real minus in this impressive EA effort on the App Store.

Quotation forthcoming.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is an almost perfect sequel, an "old school" shooter with a terrific narrative and frantic gunfights.

Axiom Verge is a love letter to Metroid, made by a single man who created one of the best indies in recent years.

This title will leave its mark. Although it is now been almost a decade since its release, none of the game elements are feeling the weight of time. For all those who are slaves of their memories, it is even possible to play the classic version. Our only advice is to play it on hard mode, where Odin Sphere shows its true potential.

Grindstone is an excellent puzzle game, packed with a very long and challenging campaign and a solid gameplay that revisits match-3 mechanics in a different way.

Divinity: Original Sin proves that classic top-down RPGs aren't dead.

Simply put: not buying 3D Out Run would be a crime. The original is still the most important arcade driving game in history, this conversion adds value with smart new options and subtle but significant improvements, and features the best 3D effect ever seen on the console. Moreover, it is only 5 Euros.

Dead Space is an excellent, visually stunning remake that vastly improves the original game. The PC of course is heavy and it requires a really powerful hardware in order to run at its best, but there are plenty of options that will allow you to get the best compromise when it comes to detail and performance.

Not only Katamari Damacy Reroll is a welcome remastered of the quirky Namco masterpiece, it's also the best portable entry in the series thanks to the Nintendo Switch handheld mode.

Return to Monkey Island is exactly the game that could be expected from Gilbert and his associates, in which the love for the characters and their stories is combined with a profound reflection on time and the role of the gamer.

It's quite funny that one of the most hardcore games of this year appears on the most casual console available; but if you have grown up with scores and 1up's, this is something like a true nirvana.

With more than 130 levels and a good number of achievements to unlock, Shift 2 is the perfect sequel for the original puzzle game released in 2009. If you liked it, you'll love this one.

Spelunky is like a great manual of game design, offering many familiar elements to the average player but making everything new. Already in the Hall of Fame of XBLA, the game is a shapeshifting adventure that can be enjoyed for several years.

Hungry Shark World is a fun action game, with lots of secrets to find and lots of things to bite.

The first Framed was already a brilliant puzzle based on an original idea, but Framed 2 brings the concept to a whole new level of balance and entertainment.

A solid port, that gains a lot from it's new platform and might grow exponentially faster thanks to the modding community. Pity the balancing updates aren't there yet, but they'll come in a few weeks, and the new monsters with them.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is an enhanced edition of From Software's critically acclaimed title Dark Souls II. The overall experience is tense, seamless, engrossing, challenging, frustrating, but overwhelmingly rewarding and unique.

Lumines Arise brings you way back in years, to a time of audiovisual ferment like we never saw after. With it, though, comes an entire set of forgotten memories that shine a deeper light into what we remember and how we do it. We tend to remember only the best or the worst, but not the in-between, which is where most of the unsatisfactory experiences reside, and this game resurrects exactly those. Unlike any other Mizuguchi game, it stagnates in a nostalgic field, so far away from reality that it lives completely outside of our time. It can capture you for hours, but it feels more like some sort of prison within the self than an exchange between user and videogame.

Flower is really one of the best games on Sony's PSN, that truly shows what Ps3 and the dual shock 3 can do. But the most correct word to describe Flower is "beautiful". A simple description for a simple but mesmerizing and touching experience.