Madden NFL 08 isn’t the quantum leap that last year’s version was, but in most respects, it’s better.

With its gorgeous visuals, moody story, and clever platforming gameplay, Nihilumbra is definitely trying its best to join the hallowed halls of indie greatness. However, I think it falls short, but not by much.

The variety in creating your Ping Pal is immense and chatting with your friends hasn’t been this fun since AIM.

While it doesn’t quite capture that game’s same sense of world and adventure, it does offer a more in-depth combat system along with more complex systems overall. This could be a double-edged sword, of course, as the micromanagement will almost certainly annoy those looking for a more streamlined adventure. Regardless of those issues, as well as the handful of visual drawbacks, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen undoubtedly stands out as a compelling adventure with a lot of original ideas in terms of its systems. So, for any hardcore RPG fan, it’s pretty darn close to a must play.

Dot Arcade is a love letter to an era most gamers are too young to ever have experienced, and the amount of care the developers put into the mechanics, sounds, and visuals is obvious. So, if you demand a very modern experience from all your games, Dot Arcade will not be up your alley. For people who know what they are getting into and have a desire to taste a bit of the past, then this title is definitely worth checking out.

A fantastic game. I thoroughly enjoyed spelunking through the game’s massive world, and even though the story can get lackluster, it does excel when it tackles its religious themes.

While hardcore Guitar Hero fans will probably complain about this one, Band Hero is another excellent addition to the series, one that makes party play a priority and delivers.

Among these sorts of games (see Pinstripe and Forgotten Anne), GRIS is perhaps the least developed in terms of gameplay and its more ambiguous approach to storytelling might turn off those of you who prefer a more concrete story. However, it also happens to be incredibly gorgeous and features a fantastic soundtrack that helps sell the emotional weight of its wordless narrative. So, personally, I found GRIS to be a worthwhile experience but I can also fully understand those who won’t see the appeal.

Overall, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a great game that feels like it’s really found a home on Switch. I’m glad that Press Play was able to bring the title to Nintendo’s latest console, as the form factor of Switch really meshes well with it. Whether at home or on the go, I found myself transfixed to The Curse of Brotherhood for long stretches, tackling each new puzzle and always thinking, I’ll just do one more… but always instead ending up doing several, if not dozens, more.

If you’ve been hankering for a more classic Zelda experience, Echoes of Wisdom should do the trick. That said, with its unique Echoes mechanic in tow, this adventure feels like something new and old at the same time. Its gorgeous graphics and engaging soundtrack are a treat for the senses, brought down a peg only by some shaky performance woes. Still, the technical problems that Echoes of Wisdom has aren’t enough to dissuade me from recommending fans give this one a shot. Echoes of Wisdom is a wonderful, worthwhile addition to the Zelda library of games.

Overall I think this game is so fun and expansive, I would love to play with friends so they could help me build and fight, but it is also kinda relaxing just playing alone. Especially now that cold, cozy weather is finally here, this game is perfect for a day off or night in to just get lost in.

Gunman Clive is kind of the ideal downloadable title. It offers a good challenge, visuals that you won't find in a retail package, and, most importantly, it's a lot of fun. While the short length is a bit of a turn-off, the diversity in the game's three playable characters should add some extra incentive to revisit the game.

While it may not push the series forward quite like some of Mario's earlier titles, that hardly matters in the long run; what's here is a heck of a lot of fun to play, with enough content to keep fans busy for a long time.

Surprisingly fun and has a bit of staying power.

The additional game modes, new game engine, and great new interface make this game so much better than last year’s.

If the tension, pace, and feel of Cuphead appeal to you and you’re curious about something more streamlined and frantic, consider Tanuki Justice.

Despite the small scope and some imprecise and chaotic aspects, Pepper Grinder is worth picking up for platforming fans looking for something that manages to be both novel and challenging, and its considerable audiovisual charm absolutely doesn’t hurt.

Overall, there’s quite a lot to love about Ski Lifts. There are a ton of stages to take on, each offering some new entertaining twist on what’s come before. The presentation isn’t especially innovative, but it’s always good to see devs playing around with the poly-centric visuals of the late ’90s and the marriage between visuals and gameplay in the title can’t be overstated. It’s not the first physics-based puzzler on Switch, but When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is definitely worth a look. Its sedate pacing won’t make everyone happy, but this is an endearing and inventive game.

Despite its tedious shortcomings, Pokémon Battle Trozei is still a fantastic game that’s worth playing. This fast-paced combo frenzy is extremely addicting to pick up and play, making it an excellent addition to the existing Pokémon spin-offs.

On the controls front, however, Revelations is a much more pleasing sight, particularly without the newly released Circle Pad Pro peripheral.

It is charming and enjoyable, though, and that’s all I want from a piece of software I enjoy on a mobile device. Treat yourself and make some time. It’ll surprise you.

No matter what, Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a heck of a buy, with some legendary games that every gamer owes it to themselves to experience. If you’re a newbie to Mega Man, you can’t go wrong starting here, and for those who want to play the games again, this is the best way to play them.

Yes, the focus on fast-paced action on a large scale remains unchanged, but actually thinking ahead feels more important now than ever before in the franchise. Ultimately, this means that Dynasty Warriors has evolved beyond being just an interesting niche title and into an outright good action game with fun mechanics and a massive amount of content. So, if your interest has been piqued by Hyrule Warriors or Fire Emblem Warriors, this is easily the best time to jump into the other side of the crossover equation.

All of this together means that while it is very easy to give an unequivocal recommendation for Front Mission 3, the remake is a mixed bag as a remake. If you can play an original disc copy or own a PSN copy, you will be better served sticking with that. The slight improvements in load time aren’t worth the various downsides, at least at this point. Still, if playing the original version is not an option, I would generally recommend the remake, but only once patches start to roll out. At the very least both Ryogo’s Polish line and the AP issue need to be addressed.

Although not a perfect remaster, seeing Sonic Colors get ported to contemporary hardware was a welcome surprise. The Sonic series continues to struggle with finding a way to incorporate gameplay hooks that don’t amount to shallow, pointless gimmicks, but in Colors SEGA discovered the perfect mix. With Ultimate, that balance has been restored for a new generation of players to experience. Hopefully, SEGA takes cues from Ultimate as it works on that mysterious upcoming 3D Sonic sequel. For those who played the original Colors, there’s plenty of reason for a double-dip with Ultimate, and for those who have yet to give it a try, this is the best 3D Sonic game there is. Give it a play.

Altogether, there is a ton of content to experience in Triple Deluxe that will keep players busy well beyond the conclusion of the main game. This is a game easily worth any player’s time, be they a rookie or veteran player. Make your day deluxe and buy a copy of Kirby’s latest game.

I really loved this game. While Pwnee Studios still have a few things to learn when it comes to presentation, they have managed to create one of the most impressive pieces of gaming tech I have seen in quite a while.

L.A. Noire remains unusual in its approach and is as astounding today as it was back in the day for it. Switch continues to have one of the best launch years (in terms of content) of all-time; with the inclusion now of L.A. Noire, fans have yet another reason to flock to Nintendo’s new system. This is a great port of a great game and shouldn’t be missed.