All in all, forma.8 is a game that presents a lot of very fresh concepts that absolutely deserve to be explored further. My issues with its combat system didn’t become a real problem until late in the game, and even then it was generally relegated to short encounters that I’d have to retry a couple times. On the other hand exploration, while at times confusing, was never short on awe inspiring moments. Emerging from a challenging series of encounters in tight hallways and finding yourself in a huge room with five options of which door to go through next is what makes this type of game so fun, and forma.8 sure has a lot of those moments.

The Great Juju Challenge is respectable with some high moments, but the last set of levels aren't quite as fun, and the final Proving Grounds battle is outright frustrating and repetitive.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is a beloved game that stands as a core pillar of its franchise history. The wildly popular Persona franchise likely wouldn’t be what it is today without Nocturne’s influence, and as a fan of both series I’m incredibly excited to see this classic title be rediscovered by a new generation. I can’t help but feel let down by the poor audio compression for the soundtrack, but ultimately that was just as much of a problem in 2003 as it is now. This is the best way to play Nocturne, and I think any fan of classic JRPGs owes it to themself to do exactly that.

With its eye-catching pixel art style and strong visual and tonal identity, Smelter really could have been the complete package. Unfortunately, uneven gameplay, a strange choice in upgrade paths and difficulty spikes that only led to frustration as opposed to the joy of a challenge left a sour taste in my mouth. Fans of the genre should still find a lot to love in this title, so long as it’s approached with a heavy dose of patience.

By combining two classic ideas, twin-stick shooting and action-adventure, Trigger Witch concocts a video game potion that tastes distinct and stays flavorful throughout. While it does carry over a few of the flaws of those games, the combat is solid enough that it’s easy to look past them.

I do not quite understand what it is I didn’t see in OPUS: Echo of Starsong that so many others do. I normally believe it is bad form to talk about other reviews in my own review, but I cannot help but feel awkward and a bit guilty when I see the universal acclaim this game has gotten. Between a 90 on Metacritic and an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam, it would be dishonest for me to say that I think you will not enjoy Echo of Starsong. However, it would also be dishonest for me to pretend that I did. Basic probability says that you will likely love this game, but if the game’s random dice roll events have taught me anything, it’s that even the highest chance of success can still lead to a hollow tale of failure.

Fae Farm is a game where the developers have successfully streamlined the more tedious pieces of farming, chores, dungeon crawling, quest completion, and exploration so the player can quickly dive into the features and figure out their sim life rhythm. The sheer number of things to do keeps the experience fresh and for the most part limits the tedium that this genre can be guilty of. Beyond the glaring technical issues, Fae Farm has a lot to offer for both new and experienced players of the farm sim if you can forgive it.

The game would’ve been better as a stand-alone Bejeweled cart, with traditional game types like Endless, Time Attack, Vs., etc. As it stands, Galactrix adds way too much unnecessary clutter to the core puzzle game. I know that’s kind of the point, but it just comes off as being unnecessary.

A lot of nagging issues keep Mary Skelter from being a must-play title, and instead I see it reserved more for people who want incredibly deep mechanics and aren’t turned off by pedestrian story-telling. If you’re willing to put the time in, you can unlock costumes and even Mary Skelter: Nightmares, the first entry in the series, but approach this dungeon-crawler with caution. You won’t be able to avoid the anime girls in various states of undress nor skip walls of insipid dialogue.

While the gameplay of Sam & Max Save the World might not hold up incredibly well almost 15 years later, the cartoon visuals still do, especially in their remastered form. There’s also no denying that the humor is still incredibly effective. Still, playing the game on Switch is likely to leave you longing for a mouse as the experience just isn’t great on a controller. Anyone looking for a strong dose of comedy with their adventure is likely to find it here, but it would have been nice to see the remaster do a little more heavy lifting.

More frustrating than fun.

Madden on Wii U isn't superlative this year, but I would keep an eye on this series; the potential is there, it just hasn't been fully tapped.

A real treat, and I can’t recommend it more. Unless you have an aversion to rail shooters, you’d be silly not to at least give this game a rental. It also makes for a wonderful summary of the major points in the complex RE storyline, so players new to the franchise can warm up to the current situation.

My main problem with SteamWorld Dig is that, apart from the puzzle rooms, there’s not a lot of meat on these bones. Second, I recently played (and perhaps you did too) SteamWorld Dig 2, a game that blows its predecessor out of the water in every possible respect. However, it’s interesting to go back to the original after playing its sequel, because you can see how the core gameplay evolved. I like SteamWorld Dig; I just like SteamWorld Dig 2 more and that fact, maybe unfairly, winds up hurting the former. It’s definitely worth playing, though, on whatever system you have that it runs on.

Groovin' Blocks is one of those games that can be hard to explain, but it is easy to pick up and understand once you play it. It's special among WiiWare games for being such a well-rounded, complete package and for avoiding common gimmicks like misplaced motion control and garish Mii integration.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 looks, sounds and feels like Dragon Ball Z. Voices are spot-on, cinematic are true to the original and the battles are epic. A few characters are way too wordy, but so is the source material, so I’ll give it a pass. This is a love letter to Dragon Ball Z, and anyone who ever enjoyed the show will find something fun here. Just make sure to bring some friends.

Functionally, Silence works as a basic point and click adventure game, but I feel as though it shows growth beyond the well-trod genre expectations. A blend of traditional old-school mechanics mixed with advances in storytelling and gameplay variation allows Silence to stand above what I have seen served up over the last few years. Some lackluster audio and a missed opportunity with the bevy of characters detract slightly, but not overly so from this generally decent package.

Annoyances aside, SnowRunner is a great non-18-wheeler truck driving simulator. Its steep learning curve takes patience and determination to overcome. It’s clear that this game is aimed at a very specific clientele. If you like a good challenge and overlanding is your kind of thing, Snow Runners is for you. If you like to romp through the countryside at full tilt with little consequence to your vehicle, stick to Forza Horizon.

Song of Nunu is a cozy, charming, and endearing adventure game that by no means needs to be limited to fans of League of Legends. It is a largely smooth experience on Switch with great puzzles that are fun to solve, while not being overly challenging. The flute playing mechanics are legitimately unique and feel like something out of a lost Zelda game. If you like straightforward adventure games like Rime, Song of Nunu is an easy recommendation.

This game is targeted at hardcore shooter fans who like a good challenge. Its unforgiving difficulty, even on the easiest setting, makes Nanostray 2 hard to recommend for anyone else. Even so, its production values are apparent and its mechanics are solid (if a bit dated), making it a good selection for fans of the genre.

The world of Don’t Starve is an intriguing one. The haunting graphics and music create a grim, Burton-esque atmosphere that wraps around the whole package rather nicely.

Cursed to Golf is an extremely compelling, if also unforgiving, game. It succeeds at being an incredibly unique take on both the rogue-like and 2D golf formulas. The difficulty may be off putting to some, though, and an argument can be made that it would be better off with some adjustments made in that department. That being said, it is hard to deny the underlying quality and charm that this game exudes with every swing of the club. Cursed to Golf is a big deal for relative newcomer developer Chuhai Labs. While the studio has developed and published several titles and their lineage can be traced back through multiple companies well represented on Nintendo platforms, Cursed to Golf may very well be the game that puts them on the map.

No, you’re not going to get a substantive exploration of the politics of pandemics or a deep exploration of human nature, but there’s enough information littered about that at least paints a picture of people in the throes of their annihilation. The game does a good job of keeping some mystery throughout while unfolding the world at an effective pace. The combat is harrowing, and I could feel the pang of dread in most encounters. The game is workmanlike – it’s unlikely to dethrone your favorite survival horror–but there is a meaty and reasonably enjoyable experience to be had here.

Having a perfect version of MMX3 is reason alone to spring for this package, so if you're a fan of 2D action, you really can't go wrong with it.

After waving the checkered flag, there will definitely be racing fans who find hours and hours of entertainment in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. There may be just as many, though, that open up the box and begin setting up the game only to find that their home just isn’t a great fit or they don’t have others around to enjoy it with. Without question, its novelty is charming and it makes a stellar first impression, but the experience can start to seem shallow the more and more laps you make around the track. If you have a good amount of space and flexibility where you can play, Mario Kart Live is a neat and well-functioning toy, but diehard Kart fans are likely to be left in the dust not long after the race begins.

Sparklite does an exemplary job of taking what works from the 2D Zelda genre but putting their own unique look and feel to the design. Where it falters is that the maps and dungeons that are a joy to explore in the Legend of Zelda have been replaced with dull and monotonous procedural generation. The discovery of new items and the different ways you can defeat enemies are enough to recommend Sparklite to those who are fans of the genre, the lack of meaningful exploration unfortunately prevents it from becoming a must-play title.

While it might not beat getting proposed to on Valentine’s Day, Ten Dates has more than enough substance to justify a second glance at the bar. It could definitely use more variety in terms of bachelors, bachelorettes, and even venues–with most dates taking place at some type of bar or similar establishment. Nonetheless, there are many, many scenes to unlock and fun conversations to have with the cast as is, and there’s even a menu that indicates how much you’ve seen from what’s available for each potential mate. It may not be love at first sight, but Ten Dates does offer an enjoyable way to pass an evening or two as you try to play matchmaker for Ryan and Misha.

As long as the online keeps running well, Mario Tennis Aces will be worth revisiting. I still have my concerns of the new mechanics being a little too focused on the ability to block, but Mario’s grand sports return has more than enough good in it to make up for smaller miscues like that. This is an encouraging return to form for Camelot.