I’m not sure which of the DLC campaigns for Pokemon we’ve gotten in the last 12 months I prefer, but they are similar. Both Mega Dimension and the Indigo Disk focus on double battles and high level combat plus bring in Pokemon that were hard-to-impossible to get on Switch before. Though I do like replaying the Indigo Disk, so the Z-A twist on the format is definitely worth grabbing after you’ve had your fill of the main game. Just remember to do all the sidequests first, since the first thing they advertised for Mega Dimension - the Mega Raichus - requires completing a side quest with another side quest as an unlock.

This second generation of Pokemon games on the Switch - Scarlet, Violet, and Legends: Z-A - has repeatedly gone back and forth between “we are so cooked” and “we are so back”. Pokemon Legends: Z-A has basically distilled that down to one game, because it feels like everything that annoyed me about the game was countered almost immediately by the game doing something I enjoyed or impressed me. Of the two Legends, I still prefer Arceus though, and I do hope a third Legends game is more focused on catching than combat.

There are a few quality of life improvements for this version, including in-game achievements, ability to make save states, a rewind feature, all in addition to the new localization and port, but those are small things that just allow this game to shine. Milano's Odd Job Collection wasn’t localized in the past due to the concept of a cozy game like this being relatively niche in the West, and I feel like this will still be niche to a lot of people, but if you want to try an interesting blast from the past then I’d suggest picking up Milano’s Odd Job Collection. It’s not for everyone and the theming of being a child playing house would have been maybe more appealing to me when I was a child, but I really liked playing an older game with this much charm. I hope more games like this get a shot on modern consoles. There’s a world of interesting niche games out there to discover, and I’m glad I finally discovered Milano’s Odd Job Collection.

But when everything clicks together and you are on that skateboard, rolling down a slope through the underworld, Skate Story is truly out of this world. Performing tricks never ceased to look cool. Every time I crashed into a wall and shattered into thousands of pieces of glass it looked amazing. I would pick up my board and go again and again. Even the final devilishly difficult stages came together while that phenomenal score by Blood Cultures transported me away. There are some rough areas and structural issues that are hard to look past that are perhaps even more pronounced on the Nintendo Switch 2. But when I reached the credits and that original announcement trailer was playing in the background, I felt like I had come full circle. Experiences like this can be long-lasting even if they are a little rough, aren’t polished to a sheen, and occasionally show the screams from their creator. By the end I was left with this profound piece of art, something so utterly human. It is filled with love and passion, but frustration and despair, often stretching at the seams. I do not know Sam Eng, but I have a feeling that I got an insight into what he loves about making games. I may never be a skating game diehard, but Skate Story is a story worth sharing.

Up to this point, Capcom has been churning out a prodigious number of collections, many of them a hodge-podge of different lesser-known and cult classic hits. While their choices feel more like a potpourri, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is like slices of pizza with different toppings. It’s a delicious meal, filling and flavorful, if a little redundant. Sure, there’s some anchovy slices and someone decided to bring a Hawaiian pizza to the party, but no one’s forcing you to eat it and there’s more than enough of the good stuff to go around. I have great reverence for this package and its cataloging of the Mortal Kombat franchise’s now humble origins. It’s a toasty good time.

I truly thought I was done with the world of Octopath Traveler after the second one, but this prequel blew me away with how it brought an excellent mobile-only story to the forefront and leveled up the combat, exploration, and structure of this RPG series into something far better than what came before. I have a few small issues, whether it’s the late stages of the town building questline or the lack of class changing for all characters, but those are ultimately small potatoes to the successes that echo throughout the world of Orsterra in Octopath Traveler 0. The eight-player combat rules, the vignette-esque storylines are fascinating, and the overall world building is top notch. This is one of the best traditional turn-based RPGs I have played in ages and it makes me excited for what might be next from the folks involved with this excellent adventure.

I am almost sure that there is a game for everyone in this collection. Whether you’ve been following Simogo since their mobile games, or only played Sayonara Wild Hearts, each of the titles on display is such a great encapsulation of what has made this studio so unique. It’s not just a documentary showcasing the history of the studio, but this is Simogo pioneering a way forward: presenting a path for the preservation and (re)appreciation of games made for mobile devices. These types of games, more than any other, are so quickly lost to the annals of history. But they are important in their own right and collections like these give them the respect they deserve. I simply had a fantastic time with the Simogo Legacy Collection. It is everything one can expect from a collection celebrating a legacy. My hope is that other studios are taking notes and can learn from what Simogo has achieved here.

Pound for pound, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is an amazing follow-up to Shredder’s Revenge, taking the smart nostalgic foundation of an old arcade license (this time X-Men, Maximum Carnage, and the like) and building it into a brilliant modern experience. The Cosmic Swap mechanic lets you play as more characters while adding a lot of depth and strategy. The lively spritework pops off the screen like it is a comic book come to life (it kind of is), emboldened by the stellar voice work and banger of a soundtrack. Cosmic Invasion rules.

Viewfinder is a fun puzzle game bogged down by its ambitions. I loved the way in which the game uses the gameplay to speak for itself. At the same time, whenever the characters started speaking I was kind of turned off by the experience. The Nintendo Switch version runs fine enough, but can have a bit of a hard time with the framerate and loading of stages. For puzzle game die-hards, especially fans of Portal, The Talos Principle and Superliminal I’d recommend Viewfinder in a heartbeat. But if you’re hoping to find something beyond that incredible viral video, I’m afraid that Viewfinder will not be able to change that perspective.

I’m happy to give any roguelike or lite a try to see if it hooks me, and after successfully completing my first run, I knew that my stomach was already full of Morsels. If you enjoy its gross, purposefully ugly style and love everything run-based, you’ll probably get a kick out of Morsels. In such an oversaturated genre, there are plenty more appetizing offers to satiate your hunger.

There are some tense and memorable character interactions, such as when you break into your therapist's room to learn more about another motel guest. When you have multiple objectives on the go, Rue Valley has a genuine sense of momentum that means almost everything you do will lead to a new insight or twist. However, the way in which your create-a-character's mental profile gates off certain interactions and dialogue trees is frustrating and made me feel often like I had just rolled a bad character; I can't see myself returning to a narrative experience like this one after seeing the story through, so I'm not sure why all the gatekeeping and roadblocks exist. If you're a sucker for Groundhog Day, time loop tales, or point-and-click mysteries, your enjoyment of Rue Valley may reach a higher peak. I was already tempted to check out of this motel before my suitcase was unpacked.

Neon Inferno executes on all the toughest elements of its design flawlessly but occasionally gets tripped up in more traditional areas. Blasting your way through enemies before using a sword to deflect bullets into a sniper waiting in the background is extremely satisfying. But at the same time a poorly implemented alternate weapon system and badly paced checkpoints prevent Neon Inferno from ever quite hitting the heights it deserves to hit. That being said even with those occasional missteps it is hard not to get caught up in everything Neon Inferno has to offer. This is a beautiful throwback to some of the best of the 16-bit era that achieves something entirely original.

House Fighters: Total Mess is a great concept, but it just never quite executes on it as well as it should. The single player campaign is the only mode and only took me an hour or two to complete. Now and then some more interesting level design will peek through but for the most part this is a forgettable shooter wrapped in a very charming shell that ends just when it is starting to get interesting.

Demonschool is a very frictionless game that makes it easy to coast along and just see its story play out as you watch its characters interact with each other. If the writing clicks with you, then you’ll probably have a good enough time just taking in the vibes and laughing at the characters, but unfortunately it didn’t click with me at all. With its characters that annoyed me, story that undermined its own appeal, and gameplay that was streamlined to the point of dullness, I found myself bored the entire time I was playing. The striking and vibrant visuals are the only thing that really shines in a package that is otherwise utterly and totally forgettable.

Ultimately, the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC is a ton of fun and took me a lot of time to fully complete. DK Island may be lacking in substance but is filled with nostalgic bliss. I also found myself quickly addicted to the Emerald Rush mode and had a blast learning and strategizing along the way. While there are a few minor issues I still think it’s a solid addition to the base Bananza game and I highly recommend it to people that are in love with the mechanics Bananza and are looking for a new way to enjoy them within the same world.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 features a compelling cast of new and returning characters, chief among the unfamiliar faces being antagonist Ryuji Goda, who cuts a formidable figure and plays an excellent foil to gold-hearted Kiryu. While I enjoyed another romp through the small burrows of Tokyo and Osaka that feel now like a second digital home, returning to Kiwami 2 felt more in service of Kiwami 3, which will be here before we know it. The Switch 2 port is a serviceable one for sure, especially when considered against the PlayStation 4 version, and there isn’t a major sacrifice made to run around these punk-filled streets on-the-go. If you’re becoming a Yakuza collector or have never experienced the second game in the series, there may not be a better time.

The biggest test for me with LEGO Party has been longevity and I’m writing this review after having this game in family rotation for more than a month. It’s a hit, fully supplanting Mario Party. My oldest (7 years old) has played countless rounds by himself. We’ve played tons of rounds together as a family and LEGO Party has been a consistently fun time. I still don’t really know what the plot of Ninjago is, but I’m still having a blast playing this virtual board game.

As an adult playing this game, I’m bewildered. It’s a game of tag for two people. I don’t think it’s that great, but it’s weirdly charming. And I can’t fully knock it too much because my kids love it. They’re both grade-schoolers and one of them was Hello Kitty for Halloween this year. Their taste might not be fully refined, but this is the type of game that is made for them more than it is for me. They enjoy playing against each other (though they don’t understand why they can’t be on the same side) and they enjoy cheering each other on in the mission mode. Hello Kitty and Friends: Freeze Tag Party succeeds at what it’s trying to do, in that it’s a vehicle for young fans to engage with Sanrio characters in a familiar game. It’s not a great adaptation of that game, but who doesn’t love running around with Tuxedosam.

At the end of the day, however, this is the definitive way in 2025 to buy a trilogy of some fantastic games along with its DLC, new content, and other upgrades. If you’ve been thinking about getting into the Atelier series and don’t know where to start, this is a great place to begin your Atelier journey. If you’re already a seasoned alchemist, it might be OK to wait to see what else Gust is cooking up - or hey, pick up one or both of the other Atelier games released this year.

Reus 2 has the skeletal structure to be a game I’d love. It’s low stress, uncomplicated sim gameplay that scratches an itch for grand strategy like Civilization but breezy and bite sized. The systems are multilayered and play off each other well while also being approachable. The world and character design is cute and friendly, and that tone mates with a mostly constructive ethos (the battles are really a slim part of the game). I enjoy the act of building out the solar system and making better planets as I learned the best approach. It’s a shame that the way to navigate and read the game is so crippling for an otherwise fun game. Fingers crossed they consider some enhancements in the future.

NBA Bounce is a totally fine arcade sports game geared towards a younger audience. It’s cartoony and fun with a decent variety of modes and a solid local multiplayer experience. The gameplay and scope of the modes never elevates that far past competency, though. I left this game wanting a little bit more out of it, but I had a fun time playing it while the fun lasted. With the right local crowd, this could be a recurring arcade sports game, but outside of that, this is a sixth man of a basketball game - it’s a good complement more so than the main attraction.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a great package. Collectively I still think last year's remake of Dragon Quest III is stronger, but this is a fantastic companion and well worth diving into whether you've played the games before or just want to know the history and legacy.

All this makes it currently very difficult for me to recommend Two Point Museum wholeheartedly right now. While I adore the style, humor and general gameplay loop, it is now becoming a struggle to fully enjoy the game as it reveals its deeper layers. I wish to explore the depth of its gameplay and for that I will now refrain from giving the game a fully scored review. In part because it feels like I have just gotten the hang of its systems and controls in more depth. But also because I want to believe that the developers need a bit more time to optimize and finetune the game for the Nintendo Switch 2. In its current state, at launch, I would not recommend picking up Two Point Museum unless you’re willing to deal with its shortcomings in terms of both performance and presentation. I hope that the developers are able to take the time to get more acquainted with the Switch 2 hardware and use it to optimize the game. In particular I want to see them embrace the features that help a management game such as Two Point Museum thrive on Nintendo Switch 2. For now, this museum is, in my opinion, still undergoing renovations and I hope to see it reopen in the near future to make its exhibits shine. [Review in Progress]

I love that Katamari has not one but two new games in 2025 after more than a decade of remakes and little hope. It’s even better that the one on Nintendo Switch feels like the third game in a trilogy with the two original PS2 games (that are also available in HD remaster form on Switch). Once Upon a Katamari is a full-fledged fresh entry in a series that hasn’t had this kind of shot in the arm since HDTVs were a thing. Here’s hoping we get a more consistent drip of Katamari following this charming entry that largely understands why the first one was such a cult hit.

While it can be played perfectly well with a controller, the Switch 2 version does also have mouse controls, which are a great fit for all the scrolling and planting you need to do, in addition to GameShare functionality for the multiplayer modes. Its focus on being a remaster of the first Plants vs. Zombies means it doesn’t have all of the new plant types introduced in later sequels. Still, it’s a great tower defense entry point and a welcome reminder of how much we rely on Mother Nature, even during a zombie outbreak.

There’s still some structural issues with Persona 3, but it’s probably the most underappreciated member of its trilogy.

BALL X PIT is exemplary of what a great game should be. Combining simple to learn mechanics, with a lot of depth and variety into a strangely unique beast of a roguelike. Once it got its fangs into me, the game simply wouldn’t let me go. Above all what struck me the most is that it's a game that looks almost effortless in its brilliance. Yet, the attention to detail and the sheer amount of customization feels unexhaustive. I have gone back into this pit again and again over the last few weeks and I am still not getting tired of it. You’re even able to challenge your friends on leaderboards with the fastest time that can keep you engaged for long after you’ve reached the bottom of this pit. BALL X PIT filled a hole, or a pit if you will, for me that I wasn’t aware I had. The only thing I can do is keep crawling back out, shouting that others should join in, before I’m dragged back into its depths again. I don’t think I’ll be leaving the BALL X PIT anytime soon.

Blippo+ definitely isn’t for everyone, but I do think it is something that can be enjoyed by everyone. Whether you’re into FMV-like games or not, there is a spark of joy that can be felt in every program you come across. The overall story is fun and will keep you engaged over the six to eight hours of Blippo+ you’ll be watching. There is a variety on display here that is so rarely found in modern games of any type. The real stand out is that it shows a new avenue for what FMV-games can be about. Not just mysteries or dark tales, but fun and creativity are what drive Blippo+. There is no game like it I’ve played all year and is something that I will often be thinking about in the months to come. If you’re looking for a game that’s both passive and creative, you will simply need to tune in to Blippo+.