Winds of Change really is a fantastically written story, that, despite its surface level niche target audience, is a must try for any visual novel fans, or high-fantasy story fans. I’m sure you’ll get something out of it, and for any members of the furry fanbase, if you haven’t tried this game out and chosen a character to “stan,” I have but two questions: Why haven’t you, and why isn’t it Valessa?

While it doesn't persist throughout the entire playthrough, there's an unmistakable uniqueness to In Stars and Time. Its parts may be stronger than it ends up as a whole, but there's humor and heart pouring from its cast. While the back half features some interesting twists, with them come more repetition and occasional frustration with how character and area progression occurs. Even though it's a little too verbose, the overall experience of In Stars and Time is a worthwhile one, especially for fans of Undertale and other offbeat RPGs.

While Capcom is known for milking its franchises, Trials and Tribulations is not a mindless sequel. You'll cheer. You'll boo. You might even yell, "Objection!" The first entry is still the best, at least in English, but the final Phoenix Wright game definitely surpasses the second.

While the graphics and interface have been jazzed up to be more pleasing to the eye and to reflect the ease of use that Ruby and Sapphire have, the basic story and premise of the games is the same as it was nine years ago. [JPN Import]

The fact of the matter is that the NHL Hitz series was fun to play from day one, and just because there are four more players on the ice for NHL Hitz Pro doesn't change that one bit.

Rage of the Gladiator tries to be a Punch-Out!!-esque game, but it doesn't quite live up to the promise. Still, it's an entertaining game with solid production values that manages to wind its way down the road of quality despite some superfluous controls, rigid skill trees, and extra-long battles.

My time with SteamWorld Quest was thoroughly satisfying, and in between playing lengthy Final Fantasy ports, I was glad to have a more compact experience close at hand. Rather than running out of steam, Hand of Gilgamech plays its cards rather perfectly.

Like Wario’s 2018 escapade, Nexus delights and relishes in its history, putting together the biggest amount of raw content in series history. However, if you’re very well versed in that line of games, some of the callbacks might come off as repetitive. For me, Nexus’ references were joyful; my memory of the past games flooded back to me as I went through the onslaught of dungeons.

The game is on the shorter side, I finished it in about five hours, but it was the perfect amount of time to deliver the full story Songbird Symphony set out to tell. Extra tasks are kept short, simple, and to the point, eliminating long, tedious errands or lengthy trips back and forth between worlds. From beginning to end, the game is set up like a story, with fun characters to meet along the way, an intriguing mystery, entertaining dialogue, and the heartfelt determination of Birb.

Like Minit and Gato Roboto before it, Disc Room is another compact but wonderful title from publisher Devolver. Leaderboards for each room and an unlockable Hard mode give players ample reason to continue playing even after conquering all 50 rooms, which is no small feat in itself. Unfortunately, as of review, one room seems to be suffering from a game-breaking bug, and to roll credits I needed to unlock the final area of the ship in the options menu to proceed, so hopefully that gets fixed at or before launch. Regardless, the meat of Disc Room is more than enough to warrant a pick up, especially if you think flinging a cartoon scientist into sharp, spinning discs is a good way to spend your time.

There’s a lot of game here, and there are a lot of places they can take this franchise. DOTM is a fun time, and one I’ve greatly enjoyed.

Not only one of the best X-Men games ever produced, it also brings the characters into a strong action-RPG structure that fits the team perfectly.

Stick it to the Man! is the perfect game to sit down and relax with, to the point that it sometimes feels more like an interactive cartoon than an actual video game.

It finally seems that Midway has put together an effective formula that manages to reinvigorate the franchise while retaining enough of its classic flavor to satisfy those who stuck with it.

BoxBoy+BoxGirl is a successful and enjoyable puzzler with enough new additions in co-op and the rectangular box segments to feel fresh and new. While some aspects of BoxBoy’s design are well-worn and overdone in the fourth entry, the entire package is endearingly charming with its minimalist presentation and clever twists that make most retread portions mere bumps in the road that don’t detract from the overall fun.

Those complaints don’t harm the main campaign, which is fantastic through and through. Mina and the rest of the cast are genuinely fun to spend time with. Battle Chef Brigade is an absolute feast of a game on Switch, with a highly polished story and a brilliant fusion of match-three and action. It might be coming out in a busy time of year, but this is a game not to be missed.

Affordable Space Adventures is a brilliant ride from beginning to end. however, the game can understandably be overwhelming for the solo player and it can cause a lot of stress while playing through the game.

It’s certainly a long game, and that can be daunting to many who just want a pick -up -and -play adventure. It also doesn’t change or revolutionize the RPG formula, but I would argue that it didn’t need to -; its simplicity is one of its best attributes. If you can put the time and effort into it, you’ll find that Dragon Quest VII is a charming, wonderful game that is full of heart - something that, in many ways, only a Dragon Quest game can accomplish.

If you are even remotely interested in Sega and/or arcade history, or just wanting a quick and colorful action fix on your 3DS, you can’t go wrong with this affordable labor of love from Sega and M2.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is, at its worst, an enjoyable 2D platformer. Some of the level design is a tiny bit pedestrian, but the dynamic duo have a versatile moveset that helps make rolling around levels fun. Where this game shines is in the sum of its parts. The individual levels might not be outstanding, but combining those with alternate versions and a light and engrossing overworld make the whole package that is Playtonic’s second game a thrilling one. They might not have regained the crown from Retro Studios in the realm of Donkey Kong Country-like games, but they certainly retained the googly eyes.

Gripes aside, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a fantastic platforming game with plenty of new ideas and a great style to call its own. The game also features beautiful graphics which are reminiscent of the technical qualities of Rare's "Star Fox Adventures."

What can I say but “yikes”...Over the past decade I have largely avoided revisiting Catherine because I knew that it likely had not aged well, and I didn’t really want to spoil the good memories I had of playing the game. My tastes have changed a lot over the years, and while I’ve gained a new appreciation for the incredible puzzle-solving gameplay, I’ve been utterly astounded at just how poorly the story has aged. It’s unfortunate, since the voice acting, visuals, and overall cinematic direction of both cutscenes and gameplay are all excellent. This game is the product of a passionate and talented team. It’s just a shame that their efforts were all in service to writing that is cynical, regressive, outdated, and just plain exhausting.

Whether you classify it under sports, party, or fighter, Camelot has produced a fine game. If you are looking for an awesome pick-up-and-play multiplayer game this holiday season, you cannot go wrong with Mario Power Tennis.

At the end of the day, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes met my expectations, though after the stellar first impression from its demo covering the first four chapters I did make the mistake of hoping for more. The sheer scale and depth of this game’s commitment to matching Three Houses’ style and structure made for a very pleasant surprise that sadly made it even more disappointing when the ending fell as flat as it did. Almost overnight I went from not being able to get enough of the game to wondering if I had it in me to play even one more of the game’s three story routes. Three Hopes is a must play for diehard fans of both Fire Emblem and Dynasty Warriors alike, but I almost wish that it had committed less to the scale of its story so that its poor final hours weren’t so much of a bitter pill to swallow.

In the six hours I spent on my first play through of Half-Genie Hero, I found myself smiling at the creative level design, laughing at the whimsical characters, and striving to get better whenever I missed a challenging jump. It’s rare that I ever want to play a game to completion twice, but I absolutely intend to throw myself back into Sequin Land to uncover all the secrets I missed in my first run—maybe I’ll even tackle the “Hero Mode,” which is designed for speed runs.

I would still heartily recommend The Red Strings Club to fans of cyberpunk or crime stories or those who enjoy narrative games with a fair amount of choice and minimal gameplay. I’m not sure if I will be returning to this bar right away, but I’ll certainly be thinking about it.

Rogue Legacy is fundamentally sound but the stringent play pattern where you very slowly incrementally improve can make parts of this novel and fun platformer too slow for its own good. Thankfully the sheer polish of the platforming helps to transcend the issues more often than not. Even if you wind up slowing down and not saving the day, Rogue Legacy is a family trip worth taking thanks to cool ideas and a killer hook.

Ultimately, Dragon Quest IV is so steeped in retro gaming culture that it's bound to be polarizing.