Reviewing a game like Embracelet is difficult. It can be hard to convey the allure of something so simple, or the emotional impact of such a calm, quiet game. I think the only way to truly explain it is to describe the moment of watching the credits roll by. I felt honest joy for the characters. After four hours, I cared about them. I felt a deep sense of sadness that my time with them was over. I wanted to stay in this world. Not because there was some grand adventure to be had, but because I wanted to keep spending time with these characters. I wanted to see where their lives would take them. Embracelet is a brief glimpse into a beautiful world, and while I’m sad it's over, I’m glad I was able to be part of it while I could.

Any Castlevania fan would be doing a disservice to themselves by not picking up the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. With the ability to save replays and create a save state, choose from six different display options and three borders, and flip through a bonus book filled with cool art, history, and interviews, this anthology is a great value. I would have liked to see a sound test option built into the main menu, the ability to remap buttons, and multiple save files per game, but on the whole the Castlevania Anniversary Collection delivers.

Decent writing and a good art style keep this game above mediocrity and toying with the town building mechanics is enjoyable. But unless you're specifically looking for another entry in the town sim genre, it's hard to recommend this above other options already available on Switch. Then again, if the more simplistic approach is what you're looking for and the ability to change your town layout on a whim sounds appealing, there are things to enjoy in this quaint Littlewood.

I don’t think I’ll ever get 100% completion in a Monster Hunter game, though it certainly won’t be for lack of trying in Rise. That said, Stories 2 might end up being the game I get the closest to a “perfect game” in. There’s plenty to play with here, and honestly I’d like to double back and check out the original to fill in some of the gaps in the story. This JRPG July is off to a pretty good start.

I’m truly at a crossroads recommending MIO - Memories in Orbit. On the one hand it is a gorgeous Metroidvania that you can immediately tell a lot of care and attention went into. This game’s visual design is without equal and that truly sets it apart from other titles in this genre. I love how the focus is a lot more on movement and platforming, especially embracing a more aerial approach that will have you performing jumps and tricks that most other games tend to leave behind for the latter half. On the other hand, the combat and overall design became quite frustrating for me to stick with it. Combat never feels powerful and versatile enough, in particular during the early hours, that you have an impact. Progression is slow and will require making deliberate choices on your build depending on the area or boss you’ll be tackling. It is a disservice to the beautiful world on display here that I was reset back to the start so many times and lost a lot of the meaningful progress I had made. MIO - Memories in Orbit is at odds with itself too much for my personal taste. But I also cannot deny that if you are a fan of this particular genre, MIO is one that should not be overlooked.

The original Hand of Fate was a game I had heard a lot about, but never got around to. The Switch is encouraging me to go back and pick up a lot of these titles, and this is one worth grabbing a hold of. Just be sure to watch the cards and choose your battles wisely, and you’ll have a tale that will live on through the ages.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with the gameplay, which remains just as enjoyable now as it did almost 30 years ago, but Reshrined feels like a missed opportunity to add in new elements or mechanics. While the inclusion of an online leaderboard is welcome, the lengthy, poorly-localized cutscenes are not. If you go in not expecting anymore more than what the Super Nintendo games did and can tolerate some odd design choices, then busting these ghosts might make you feel good. Otherwise, wait for a sale or light some incense in hopes that one of the original Pocky & Rocky games shows up on NSO.

MO: Astray has a clear, creative premise, and its ability to stay fresh by introducing new ideas every time you think you’ve mastered it keeps it compelling the whole way through. On an eShop full of platformers, this is one of the better examples to come along in quite a while.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom has an incredible amount to offer, and everything that it does is delivered and executed to the highest standard. The art style is undeniably gorgeous, and the gameplay will have you hooked from the moment you arrive in Ding Dong Dell. A charming adventure that I am so happy to have gone on. All hail King Evan!

Star Wars Dark Forces Remastered is an excellent and faithful remaster that honors the original while touching it up just enough for modern platforms. While there are a couple areas where I feel they could have done just a little more, I can’t deny that this is the best way to play an excellent first person shooter. Whether you’re returning to it after three decades, or playing for the first time, there has never been a better version of Star Wars Dark Forces.

Saga Frontier 2 Remastered is a unique, complicated relic of its time. A compelling cast of characters in a game that gives you glimpses of their personal struggles while focusing more on the long arc of history. A fresh feeling, flexible combat system tied to a series of dungeons that are thematically interesting but fundamentally humdrum. Special features and additions to this remaster that highlight its beauty, give better accessibility to weapon stocks, and give the tempo a much-needed speed boost, but feels incomplete compared to its remaster contemporaries. Ultimately, I had a gratifying experience playing this game in full and checking it off my bucket list, but it’s a game which should be seen more as an incremental improvement and way to preserve it on modern consoles than something that’s likely to draw in a new crowd.

Fast RMX does a tremendous job of capturing the feeling of blazing around the race track. The combination of visuals, audio and technical prowess makes for an incredibly sound and fun game. The lack of online options at launch is disappointing, but still doesn’t detract from the overall experience. With Fast RMX, Shin'en Multimedia has managed to deliver a triple A experience for a third of the price.

Even though I haven't experienced all that Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid has to offer, I've seen enough to know that it should well serve a niche looking for a laid-back, Animal Crossing-like experience. The game follows a one-month summer countdown, so it's unlikely that you'll see everything on offer during a single playthrough. Almost every single in-game day brings something new, though, and if you have patience enough to buy into the premise, you'll be rewarded with your own chill summer break. It has some rough edges, but it's hard not to jive with the small town vibes of Satoru’s summer home.

It’s the kind of thing that could be used in the future to explain the first decade of the series. Even if you would inevitably get thrashed taking this game online, this collection’s overall production values and ease of use make it something that can be toyed with and enjoyed even if you can barely Hadouken.

I like it a lot, and I felt really happy with it when I finally finished it. It’s a game that I want to recommend, but that recommendation has to come with a big caveat: if you’re a Persona fan that loves the Phantom Thieves but you’re just not interested in the gameplay, it may be more worth your time to just play Persona 5 again.

There are no sacrifices, no compromises, and no settling for second best here. Two Tribes has gone above and beyond the call of duty and have created an instant classic. This is truly the best Worms game ever made.

Regardless, if you hold nostalgia for Sonic the Hedgehog, this 3DS version is excellent, as it is a stellar enhanced port of a fun game, game design rough edges and all. We can all hold out hope for Sega to bring the far superior Sonic 2 to the 3D Classics line in the future, but for now, the speedster’s debut is fine.

But what should have been a great finale stumbles a bit due to some odd game design and creative decisions.

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX was absolutely grand. While the game is somewhat on the shorter side, various gameplay improvements made this one the best in the series. It is clear that the developers focused on swiftness and getting to the cool stuff as soon as possible. The game flows well as a result, encouraging you to go back and improve your performance in certain stages. The level design and gameplay mechanics make for a very sharp 8.5 hours.

Tin Hearts is a delightfully charming puzzle game, the likes of which I’ve not played in a long time. The story is effortlessly engaging and the puzzle mechanics demand you play just one more level. They’re not unfairly obtuse while also still offering a solid challenge. The opening stages don’t show the game in its best light right away, but once things get moving Tin Hearts is difficult to put down. A few minor technical and user interface issues caused some brief stumbling but rarely put a damper on my enjoyment.

Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic is as faithful of a translation of the original management classic as you can possibly get. While it stumbles a bit when it comes to its controls and certain performance issues it is one of the most extensive and elaborate versions of RCT you can find. I know the die-hard RCT-fans will probably stick with Open RCT2 on PC. But for the more casual player that is looking for a thrilling dose of nostalgia this version on Switch is a great way to re-experience the game. For the true newcomers, it could be a bit of a bumpy ride, but the design choices, enormous amount of challenges and freedom and creativity available in this package makes the admission ticket worth it. Who knows, perhaps this time I’ll finally get good at designing my coasters and build one of those dream parks that the title screen always made me fantasize about.

It’s one of my favorite games of its type, maybe ever, and I am really dying for similar games from this developer. This is a unique, incredibly well made experience that came out of nowhere for me - that might be an urban myth of its own.

I'd recommend these versions to new Pokémon fans when they come out locally, due to all the in-game help. When it comes down to it though, I'd rather have a new, more inventive game than a remake. [JPN Import]

Mini Motorways is simple and extremely addictive. Experimentation with how best to use each element is fun and satisfying when something clicks. And when it doesn’t, you simply pick that piece back up and try something else. It has been quite a while since a puzzle game so immediately conveyed its appeal to me and while there are certainly some small things I’d improve, it won’t stop me from continuing to play this for a very long time.

An extremely well-designed game that is perfect for kids. Unfortunately for parents, this game is wonderful and addictive, meaning that most kids who get their hands on this will crave more characters to collect them all.

Ace Attorney remains one of my favorite franchises of all time, and I have loved the opportunity to play through the trilogy again on Switch. Though it lags a little in the middle with some less-than-stellar cases in the second game, the Ace Attorney Trilogy is still an incredible story with wonderful characters, memorable plots, and satisfying mysteries to solve. With little more than a new coat of paint, the Trilogy collection manages to be the perfect way to experience the story of Phoenix Wright whether you’re a rookie lawyer or a great ace attorney.

It’s unfortunate that the Wii U version’s load times are so poor, because when you can actually play the game, it is a whole lot of fun.