My Hero One’s Justice 2 feels less like a sequel and more like an obligation - and that’s when it actually works. With the first game’s roster already a bit out of date by the time it launched, there was an obvious need to expand the lineup with characters from later in the show’s run. The roster now stands at around 40 fighters featuring characters through the end of the Shie Hassaikai arc in the fourth season of the anime. If you were really concerned with having the latest heroes and villains to play with in the arena, then I suppose your prayers have been answered. For anyone else, My Hero One’s Justice was already a tough sell, and now that I can’t even get past the title screen without the game freezing I cannot recommend this lazy sequel at all.

It’s hard to find a close comparable for Collar x Malice Unlimited. I loved the story of the first game and appreciated the chance to see where things went, but the text issues just became too much for me to handle. If it gets redone however, I will dive back in to relive some of these moments again.

For the second time in 2020, Polish studio Draw Distance has published a pure visual novel set in the universe of Vampire: The Masquerade. Shadows of New York is described as a “standalone expansion” to March’s Coteries of New York, with most of the same characters but its own storyline. It’s a solid companion to the first game, but a short one.

What makes it special is the world building through the character dialogue, learning how to play characters against each other to meet your needs, and leaning into your character strengths to uncover the outcomes you’re looking for. ATOM RPG isn’t going to make you a cult follower in the church of CRPG, but those who are already ordained there can likely overlook its dated look and flaws to find an enjoyable experience on the Nintendo Switch.

HyperBrawl’s beat-’em-up-meets-sports gameplay is frantic fun that leads to tense matches and clutch moments. The progression means that you have things to work toward if enticed, but the lack of story and multiplayer options may limit your willingness to get too invested. Still, developer Milkytea has something special here in the core gameplay for those that are interested; that interest just may be short lived.

While it may lack originality and fresh ideas, Swimsanity is still able to distinguish itself from other twin-stick shooters thanks to its unique underwater setting and multiplayer gameplay. With roughly eight modes to choose from, Swimsanity can be a blast to play with a group of friends. It’s just unfortunate that it never reaches its full potential due to bland visuals, unbalanced difficulty and lackluster single-player options. Nonetheless, it should still have some appeal to anyone who’s even remotely a fan of the genre.

In spite of some genuinely enjoyable platforming and action sequences, Golden Force is unpolished and rusted. The vibrant and colourful aesthetic can’t make up for the poorly-balanced economy and flawed technical aspects. My initial impressions were much stronger than my later ones, and as I made my way through the different stages, conquered the bosses, and replayed stages to seek out more coins and collectables, the weaknesses became more prominent and the strengths less so. My understanding is that the developers are aware of some of these issues, so this could turn into a somewhat decent title in the future. At present, though, if there’s an alchemy to turn lead into gold, it’s sorely needed here.

Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse is a perfectly serviceable point-and-click adventure that offers a lot of opportunities for laughter. However, unless you’re a longtime fan of their comics, the jokes can regularly fall flat as they’re pumped out in every sentence of dialogue. Between holding to basic mechanics and failing to impress past what is expected, Freakpocalypse forces you to focus on the negatives, even if there aren’t that many.

Bluey the Videogame’s worst aspect is how short it is. What’s there is enjoyable for its audience, even if it’s over so quickly. It does a good enough job of capturing the look and feel of the animated series, and even after completing the four episodes, my kids keep going back to mess around in the world. There’s a framework here that could make for some electric little kid gaming experiences and I hope to see the world of Bluey in video game form expand beyond this opening salvo. Bluey the Videogame is the kind of game Bandit would roll his eyes about but begrudgingly play with Bluey and Bingo anyway, and that’s okay, because Bandit’s the kind of dad that recognizes not everything is meant for him.

I admittedly thought Shadow Labyrinth was a dumb joke game when it was first announced. As Bandai Namco showed off the game though, it is clearly made by people who want to just make a fun game with the wild Pac-Man lore as a mechanical overlay. I had a blast exploring this dark corner of the Namco multiverse that is essentially Pac-Man’s mid-life crisis. Shadow Labyrinth is assuredly the most interesting Pac-Man evolution since the hero’s 20s. Sometimes the biggest series left turns wind up being a hell of a good time.

While Jet Kave Adventure does manage to be enjoyable for the most part, it never really hooked me; the formula rarely changes and the gameplay never evolves. Each of the game’s four levels is divided into nine stages, and by the time I reached stage nine, I was more than ready to move on to something else. Shorter levels with more variety would’ve alleviated this problem. There’s a good game here, but it’s best experienced in short bursts. If you keep hoping that Retro Studios would make a third Donkey Kong Country Returns game, you are probably the target audience for Jet Kave Adventure.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but like any game like this, it gets old before too long.

Monopoly Streets is a great game as it is, but considering that the core Monopoly experience is available on other platforms at a much better value, it is difficult to recommend this edition specifically.

A little less difficulty in the early going, ramping up later on would have helped, but anyone that can get past the first few stages will find Network Transmission oddly satisfying and a great deal of fun.

Wii Party U is a very fun party game, but the mini-game options aren't as attractive as in the original and Mario Party 9.

Despite some good aspects, I can't recommend Mazes of Fate unless you're willing to tolerate a half-decent game for 20 hours.

Understanding the experimental and purposeful design of 198X goes a long way toward appreciating it. Rather than a fun, traditional game experience, it’s best viewed as a bold and thought-provoking work that reminds us of a time before wireless controllers and console wars. Back when all you really needed was a quarter and some courage.

Yoshi’s New Island looks great and plays like a Yoshi’s Island game, but that might not be enough for some people. The levels are bland, the bosses are blander, and the difficulty is too low and too static. It has bursts of creativity and maintains competency, but Yoshi’s Island deserves better than competency.

The combination of classic game genres make for a title that is balanced, engaging, and loyal to the franchise. Once more, if you are a fan, don't hesitate to try this one out.

Band Hero for DS is a fun portable music game, but contains enough head-scratching design elements to be frustrating.

I said that Moonscars is a game of inches and I mean it—you’ll fight for every inch of progress. Personally, the game presented too many challenges for my enjoyment. If the difficulty didn’t go up every time I died or I could activate checkpoints without having to fight a clone afterwards, it might be a different story, but I don’t appreciate being punished for doing inevitable things (dying, saving). Did you find Hollow Knight and Blasphemous too easy? If so, Moonscars may give you the challenge you crave. For the rest of us? It has limited utility.

Where the Wild Things Are is a prime example of how to make a good licensed video game. It doesn't shoehorn gameplay into the license's plot. In fact, the gameplay is fun and varied.

There are certainly better rhythm games out on 3DS, but it is fun while it lasts.

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes isn't a bad game. The problem is that there is so little depth in the gameplay that the experience can quickly grow old.

It’s hard to have an in-depth breakdown of Breakout Recharged because the core structure is so simple. But that uncomplicated nature is an asset. The developer knew to keep the focus on the fundamentals - multiple game modes to keep things fresh, a way to play with friends, leaderboards, and a clean look. If you’re not a fan of brick breakers, then this won’t convert you. But if the last one you played was Arkanoid, then you’re in for a fun revisit.

As someone who enjoys town-building mechanics in RPGs, like those of Ys VIII, Xenoblade Chronicles, or Dragon Quest Builders, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising relies too heavily on them, at the cost of telling an engaging story or offering compelling action gameplay. The too-frequent backtracking, mind-numbing side quests, and overall lack of variety make for an experience that is tough to recommend. An unlockable hard mode, 50 in-game achievements, and the promise that Rising saved data will yield bonuses in Hundred Heroes are feathers in its cap, but Rising on its own is just too much of a slog. Here’s hoping that Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes lives up to the success of being the number one video game Kickstarter of 2020 because its prequel certainly does not.

While Maneater isn’t the best RPG or action title I’ve ever played, it very well could be the best shark game I’ve ever encountered. Smooth controls, collectibles and exploration, and top-notch animations make ruling the water as a great white shark all the better, but a middling, campy story with monotonous gameplay and light RPG mechanics sink this otherwise visceral shark-action title.

For the most part, the gameplay feels just right; however, the presentation falls short.