Not much about the game will stick with you, but if you played a lot of games in the '90s it will be a nice distraction – or at least a call to revisit the games it's trying to mimic. Moonrider would be mid-tier at best in the '90s, but will likely be lost to obscurity in the saturated retro market of today. [Issue #66 – July/August 2023, p. 20]

Sonic Frontiers is a brave experiment that struggles to express its intentions while still committing many of its series' 3D sins. But if you're able to commit to learning its idiosyncrasies, you'll discover a fun, addictive journey unlike any in Sonic's past. [Issue #64 – March/April 2023, p. 71]

Super Kiwi 64 is a 3D platformer that, true to its name, looks and plays exactly like the games we got on the real Nintendo 64 back in the late '90s. Just know that you'll only be getting one afternoon's worth of enjoyment out of this one, rather than the whole childhood weekend or more you enjoyed with its inspiration, Banjo- Kazooie, back in the day. [Issue #64 – March/April 2023, p. 33]

This is a fun and challenging little collection, but the fact there's no English dubbing really holds me back from giving it a higher score, and the inclusion of the virtual coin pusher also gives me pause. It's probably better to play this with older kids who don't mind hearing Japanese dialogue. [Issue #63 – January/February 2023, p. 69]

If you're a diehard Octopath fan and want to dive further into the lore, then this game is for you; otherwise, it's going to go completely over your head, and you'd be better off sticking with the core series on the Switch. [Issue #63 – January/February 2023, p. 24]

Individuals who can effortlessly slip in and out of relaxation will find it a thought-provoking playground, but if you're like me, Paradise Marsh may wind up just another item cleared from your backlog. [Issue #63 – January/February 2023, p. 18]

This is an experience tailored solely for rabid JoJo fans and no one else. On the bright side, it makes for a perfect excuse to finally hop aboard the JoJo train! Only after emerging from that rabbit hole can you enjoy All-Star Battle R for what it is. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 73]

Bear & Breakfast has its share of issues, but it's filled with great characters, wonderful visuals and pretty sweet music. Hopefully it's a little more stable by the time this issue goes to print, and the devs implement some more U.I. improvements. My 3-star review: It's OK, but would be better with some extra polish. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 28]

I've got to give credit to the incredible sprite art and wonderful animation of the characters, but don't let their cutesy appearance fool you: Cursed to Golf is a truly punishing experience that isn't well suited for kids who might otherwise be drawn in by its style. Hit these links only if you're a dedicated golfer who's ready to tap into the fullest extent of your patience. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 27]

While I love this game's style, the character of Renata and her faithful frog/gun the Frogun itself, the reality of actually playing the game sadly doesn't inspire quite as much of a smile as I got when I first saw this adventure revealed. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 24]

Folks that are attracted to these superfast future racers will likely love Redout 2 and generally forgive its curious design choices, but most gamers will want to steer clear of this one. [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 21]

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms leads with an incredible premise and promising gameplay tools, only to become encumbered by those very same elements. Your dreams of hot-blooded conquest in imperial China can be realized eventually, though you'll wish that experience had been available right from the beginning! [Issue #61 – September/October 2022, p. 27]

Spidersaurs is pretty hard to recommend, at least on a gameplay level, to anyone but the most hardcore run-and-gun enthusiasts. [Issue #61 – September/October 2022, p. 21]

If you're just here to knock monster heads around, you'll get bored quickly. $30 is too much to recommend this one, unless you're a really big fan of kaiju action and story, or you want to get really deep into the customization aspect. Without unlockables or much variety in gameplay, the game's initial punch of awesome fades quickly. Still, this game could be just the start of something bigger. If Dawn of the Monsters turns out to be just the dawn of a new series, perhaps its sequels could build more on the foundation of this one's ruined cityscapes. [Issue #60 – July/August 2022, p. 27]

Slipstream may not be perfect, but it was clearly made with a specific vision and a ton of love. There are plenty of other options out there for sure, but if you're really into drifting and retro racers, you may get better mileage here than most. [Issue #60 – July/August 2022, p. 24]

If your main problem with most modern beat-'em-ups is that they are too complicated and fancy looking, then you may prefer the straightforward action here, but anyone expecting more than an hour or so of mindless man-bashing in a primitive 3D game engine will walk away disappointed. [Issue #60 – July/August 2022, p. 22]

Big props to WayForward for the attempt, but Kunio-tachi no Banka doesn't deserve to be placed on such a high pedestal. All Zero is good for is rounding out your Kunio-kun collection . . . and savoring Megan McDuffee's infectious tunes. [Issue #60 – July/August 2022, p. 19]

Pikmin Bloom is a burst of fun that quickly gets marred by paywall greed. [Issue #59 – May/June 2022, p. 26]

Trying to graft emotions onto avatars with very little expression by simply adding grunts, simple animations or long pauses can be done, but it's a big ask for the viewer. Feel free to discard any plans to play this one and move on. [Issue #59 – May/June 2022, p. 23]

Ultimately, I'm equally delighted and disappointed. Maybe there's a better version of this game available in another world? [Issue #59 – May/June 2022, p. 22]

GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon may be pretty to look at and enjoyable enough to play, but the snail's pace of its upgrade system flies counter to the appeal of roguelikes. Without more streamlined growth and acquisition, the incentive to dive back in for another run takes a massive hit. Barring a balance update, it'll remain a textbook case of "slow close, yet so far." [Issue #59 – May/June 2022, p. 21]

Everything about Sonic Colors should work, but like so many 3D Sonic games before it, its ultimate potential remains just out of reach. There's fun to be had, and the high points are incredibly cool, but the shoddy gameplay boils the entire thing down to a surprisingly mediocre experience that's tragically unworthy of what this concept deserves. [Issue #58 – March/April 2022, p. 74]

It's trial and error (and error, and error) until you complete the exact right sequence of moves to trigger a story continuation . . . for a story that is not really worth continuing at all. It's frustrating as a video game experience, giving you no real sense of payoff since the only thing you earn is a sense of regret for suffering through it all. [Issue #58 – March/April 2022, p. 27]

All the new bells and whistles are great, but I lost interest fairly quickly. [Issue #58 – March/April 2022, p. 21]

After finishing Cris Tales, I kept asking myself, "Was this game about time worth 20+ hours of my time?" Honestly, I don't think it was. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 72]

If you're a Switch owner looking to play a Pokémon game, this pair should be your third choice after the Let's Go games and Sword & Shield. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 67]

I honestly think ILCA's decision to play it safe was the biggest thing that hurt Brilliant Diamond. Maybe if it had included a few more of the story beats and improvements that were introduced in Platinum, I'd be giving it a higher grade. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 66]

It's a testament to how compelling Loop Hero's core gameplay "loop" is that you never feel punished by putting in the extra time as long as you're in the right headspace. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 17]

A lot of the game feels like a rough draft, but it's simplistic enough for families to jump into for a quick match and have a lot of fun. Just don't expect to spend a ton of time with it. [Issue #56 – November/December 2021, p. 70]

Someone's bound to get a DBZ action/adventure game right one of these days, but unfortunately this one's a few Dragon Balls short of summoning Shenron, if you know what I mean. [Issue #56 – November/December 2021, p. 68]

Like their previous Recharged title, Atari isn't trying to reinvent the wheel here. Its back-to-basics design is limited, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a blast while it lasted! [Issue #56 – November/December 2021, p. 23]

Garden Story's on the short side, but it has plenty of options and content to really stretch your experience toward 100% completion. It's grape for all ages! [Issue #56 – November/December 2021, p. 21]

World's End Club is more interesting than it is traditionally "good," so how much you're able to invest in this kind of story will determine how much enjoyment you'll be able to get out of your time with it. When you really break it down, most aspects of the game leave a lot to be desired, but for the right audience, World's End Club will be more than the sum of its parts. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 73]

Less than a year ago, ININ Games published Space Invaders Forever on Switch. It has three games for $30. This Invincible Collection has those same three titles, plus eight more, for $60. That's a better deal, but those who bought the earlier release are sure to feel flimflammed. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 26]

If you're a fan of environmental puzzles, Doomsday Vault makes traversing the post-apocalypse surprisingly relaxing and, well, downright pleasant. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 25]

There are memorable moments, but you'll have to wade through myriad problems and poor design decisions in order to chomp into the meat of Maneater. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 21]

The missing element – one of the biggest challenges in game design – is a satisfying game feel. There's not enough feedback from using the gust ability; mechs never feel like they're delivering a strong blow. Combat in Stonefly essentially feels like blowing through a straw to try to move a pebble – it's tiresome, ineffective and tedious. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 20]

Anyone born later than the '80s probably won't be able to get too invested in this one. [Issue #54 – September 2021, p. 72]

It feels like the very narrow gap between Japan's release date and ours worked against it, and I would not have minded waiting a few more months for a more polished final release. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 72]

DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power gets way more right than it gets wrong. The cast is delightfully diverse both in terms of ethnicity and body types, and while the plot isn't going to win any awards, the characters are fun and endearing. If you or anyone you know has ever expressed any interest in this game or the show it's based on, you likely won't be disappointed. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 70]

The biggest issue with the game is its brevity: I knocked it out in an afternoon, and was surprised because it seemed like an RPG of sorts. There were also several instances where I thought areas would open up after a boss battle, but the game blocks off areas for humor, almost teasing the player into thinking the adventure is bigger. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 23]

The Jedi Knight games remain the best Star Wars games on the Nintendo Switch, but if you keep your expectations low and take Republic Commando for what it is, you can certainly have fun with this imperfect sci-fi shooter. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 21]

This game is far too undercooked. [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 73]

Anodyne 2 is like nothing I've played before. That in and of itself is a feat in today's oversaturated market. [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 23]

It takes some great steps in the right direction in terms of modernizing this series – but it doesn't quite stick the landing. [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 22]

I was looking to scratch my 3D platformer itch, but in the end, Molty couldn't quite offer the relief I so desperately crave! [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 21]

It's competent, but not spectacular, yet it does justice to its source material, despite ending before this chapter's title is really justified. [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 20]

Fight Crab isn't great, but it is awesome, and that has to count for something. [Issue #51 – March/April 2021, p. 32]

The idea of a randomly generated auto-runner just seems at odds with the legacy of Meat Boy itself. [Issue #51 – March/April 2021, p. 30]

Tanuki Justice is a real "your mileage may vary" type of situation. [Issue #51 – March/April 2021, p. 19]

Mario, Sonic and Crash don't have to worry about losing their parking spots with anyone but the most diehard Nick fans. But as these things go? They did all right. [Issue #50 – January/February 2021, p. 71]

Cobra Kai the game forges its own path, and similar to the show, it's surprisingly good. [Issue #50 – January/February 2021, p. 70]

What most winds up dragging down Melody of Memory, ironically, is that it tries too hard to be a Kingdom Hearts adventure rather than a cohesive rhythm game. [Issue #50 – January/February 2021, p. 69]

Super Kirby Clash is a much better title, and it's free! [Issue #50 – January/February 2021, p. 20]

Let's chalk this one up to a fairly young development team biting off a bit more than they can chew and hope that their next effort is a little less ambitious and a lot more polished. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 73]

Nintendo had the chance to knock this one out of the park, but they settled for a bunt. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 72]

The scattered blessings of Deadly Premonition 2 are often disguised by the game's many blemishes, but I'm still more than happy that I got to drink in another adventure with York and company. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 67]

Frustrations and rare moments of disgust aside, moon is an unusual experiment in RPG parody/deconstruction that deserves to at least be sampled. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 24]

If you're looking for a title that is written for the modern romance game fan and/or dog lover in mind, this one is worth fetching. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 22]

In spite of its faults, there's a lot to love about Skelattack, and I'd definitely play a sequel. With more polish, this world would be worth revisiting. [Issue #48 – September/October 2020, p. 26]

With fluid animations, strong vocal performances and a cultural variety that most contemporary games regrettably lack, Indivisible is most certainly worthy of our attention. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 66]

There is a Sephiroth parody named Chefinoff, and that's enough to give it a pass in my book. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 24]

It may not be perfect, but if you're a fan of the source material, it's well worth the price of admission. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 23]

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is a fine Metroidvania, but one of the weaker Shantaes. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 18]

Hopefully the first footstep (or in this case, wingflap) toward flying back into the larger Panzer Dragoon world. [Issue #46 – May/June 2020, p. 29]

If you're a serious Puyo Puyo nut who's always on the hunt for the next blob-dropping challenge, Puyo Puyo 2 feeds you more of what you crave. [Issue #46 – May/June 2020, p. 23]

Mononoke Slashdown commits one of the cardinal sins of game design: It does not respect the player's time. [Issue #46 – May/June 2020, p. 20]

One of the funniest video games in years! [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 71]

Developer Just Add Water was onto something here, piping in some great concepts from past 3D platformers, but the follow-through is a swing and a miss! [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 70]

It's just a shame that half of the crawl is getting past the game's process – and ego. [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 68]

The Stretchers is the epitome of simple fun, with all of the strings that come along with that promise. [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 24]

The next time it's a rainy afternoon and you're feeling stressed, you could do a lot worse than sinking a couple of dollars into the eShop and spending half an hour as a little green squid. [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 23]

If you're not already an adventure game aficionado, there are a lot of far better places to start. [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 23]

Only the most internally motivated robo-shinobi fanatics will bother. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 71]

If you like Doraemon, you'll probably like this tale, but as a Story of Seasons fan, I would rather not spend my farming life in Natura. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 18]

For all its perplexing, strange and sometimes outright defiant design decisions, I still had fun playing it. And that's what matters most, right? [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 13SH]

Not a bad experience, but not a memorable one either. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 20SW]

If Game Freak simply tweaked the battle system to run a little faster and be less rigged, the game could really shine. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 18SW]

Daemon X Machina has a lot of personality when it comes to moment-to-moment action, but everything else sometimes feels like an afterthought. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 72]

A hit-and-miss mix painted up in '80s neon. It's not bad – just not as rad as it could've been. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 25]

If you've got a hunger for factory management sims and know how to think like a well-oiled machine, you'll want to pick this one up. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 23]

It feels more complete, but is still a ways from being great. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 21]

I wish BonusXP had the chance to utilize their talents with a different IP, because the whole approach here is flawed. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 19]

A really confusing game, in that it takes some of what made the modern era of Wolfenstein so great, then copies and pastes modern looter-shooter tropes on top. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 76]

There's a lot holding this one back from being as fun as the MCU – but it is a fun game if you follow its parameters. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 70]

SolSeraph feels like slightly more than half a game. Even if you remember ActRaiser and are really pining for a modern follow-up, approach with caution. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 23]

I prefer the Dr. Marios that I can pay for just one time, then play as much as I want for a few decades thereafter. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 20]

As a piece of game history, Final Fantasy VII is indispensable. As a piece of entertainment today, it's hit-and-miss, especially in this half-baked port. [Issue #39 – May/June 2019, p. 26]

If you crave 100-hour, card- based strategy games, hold onto your combat gi! [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 70]

While My Time at Portia has some great ideas, performance issues hold the Switch version back. [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 69]

Smash pots, light torches, find secrets and open treasure chests, all in a procedurally built "rogue-lite" world that remakes itself after every era. [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 27]

The writing is stellar, filled with tension and symbolism about the nature of life, family and the para-social relationships that every online person seems to experience these days. [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 26]

Alwa's Awakening is perhaps a bit more of a throwback to the NES era than it should have been. But it's still quite charming! [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 25]

ToeJam & Earl's endearing retro motif is right up my alley, but there simply isn't enough charm here to elevate this new entry over its source material. [Issue #39 – May/June 2019, p. 29]

With a few minor tweaks to the overall approach, Fitness Boxing could have been a more engaging way to fit some exercise in. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 74]

If you love Pac-Man, consider a purchase – but I'd still wait for a price drop. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 73]

Give Dragalia Lost a pass for now. For the same amount of money and time, you could support a developer by buying and playing an actual, full game. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 20]

In the end, Nickelodeon Kart Racers is just kind of passable (and compared to others, I'm being generous with it). [Issue #37 – January/February 2019, p. 75]