Still, as a multiplayer romp, WarioWare: Get It Together is a great game to bust out and if you're pressed on time, that's even better! Just don't expect this to be your go-to game for nights in with your buddies.

Omno is an incredibly peaceful yet thoughtful adventure through the remnants of a lost civilization. The inviting nature of it all, coupled with the world’s diversity and vast array of creatures makes it one worth exploring. Though I had some issues with platforming, there’s enough there to make Omno quite an enjoyable experience.

Insomniac’s first DLC outing for Marvel’s Spider-Man proves to be a worthy one. While it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it adds more activities for players to dive into and features a fully fleshed out story with some pretty memorable characters. The best thing The Heist has going for it is that it gets to build on top of the spectacular foundation laid with the original game.

Mr. Sun’s Hatbox is charming and funny as hell. As silly as it is, the game is quite clever in the way it melds systems together, constantly introducing something new to juggle or consider when planning a mission or expanding your base. Its roguelite elements raise the stakes of every heist and make every success feel all the sweeter. While some balancing issues led to early frustrations, Mr. Sun's Hatbox is an impressive little package.

Penny’s Big Breakaway is a delightful breath of fresh air for the 3D platforming genre. It doesn’t just feel like a love letter to Sonic, but rather a number of mascot platformers from back in the day that captured our hearts. There are a few issues here and there, but for a first official release in 3D platforming from Evening Star, it’s a great start, featuring a massive collection of beautiful levels, solid mechanics and gimmicks, and a soundtrack that keeps the vibes charming throughout. There’s a lot to enjoy here, and I hope it’s just the start of things to come for Evening Star, Penny, and the world of Macaroon.

As a whole, Broken Age pulls off its duality motif wonderfully. Not only are Shay and Vella's stories interesting reflections of themselves, but Part 1 and Part 2 as a whole are practically reflections of themselves, as well. They're two parts of a tale that should be experienced together as a whole, especially since the game only offers the briefest of recaps when starting Part 2.

It doesn’t break new ground in the genre and, apart from a nifty battle with a monster space eel, lacks many standout moments. That said, space action junkies will eat this one up and those with next-gen consoles that are new-game-thirsty could do much worse than this interstellar tale of redemption.

PAC-MAN 99 is another hit for Arika, this time with one of the most iconic arcade games of all time. It’s a bit surprising just how well Pac-Man fits into the 99-player battle royale format, but that’s just a testament to the work done by the developers. PAC-MAN 99 has me excited for whatever the developer’s put out next.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is endless fun for a fan of the blockbuster franchise. A large library of species to unlock and study, bioengineering, and the ability to revisit iconic moments from the movies makes it an easy recommendation for anyone looking for their fix of Jurassic content. Even as a park manager, the game is quite satisfying, aside from some light frustrations here or there.

Hyrule Warriors offers an intriguing blend of both the Zelda and Dynasty Warriors series, making for an experience that fans of either series can thoroughly enjoy. It stays true to the Zelda series’ lore, sights and sounds, and combines it with the fast-paced, button-mashing action the Dynasty Warriors series is so well-known for.

The Crew Motorfest is an acceptable reproduction of the Forza Horizon concept. If you focus on the thematic playlists and roam the colorful open world listening to the radio, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of the game. There’s enough content here to last you well over 20 hours between events and exploration. However, apart from the ability to change vehicle types on the fly, the game is unfortunately short on original ideas. The limited multiplayer, lack of compelling side activities, and restricted crossplay also hold The Crew Motorfest back from passing the finish line ahead of the curve.

If you’re coming in from the first game, and you liked that one, we have great news: Demon Slayer - The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is basically the same kind of experience, with some small but meaningful improvements. Plus, Training Paths is an excellent new mode that gives you something to do if you aren’t interested in multiplayer. The story mode still has a lot of padding that isn’t fun or interesting to engage with though, albeit operating at a brisker pace. Newcomers can expect an exciting adaptation of the anime relative to other games of its kind, and a shallow, but thrilling combat system that’s more interested in spectacle than challenge or raw skill. CyberConnect2 knows how to make an anime look rad and play well, and at the end of the day, that’s the assignment.

If you’re someone who finds themselves complaining about the state of modern games, you owe it to yourself to play Love Eternal. Even if platformers aren’t your go-to genre, the story is a strong enough motivator to see it through. If you do like platformers, well, you’re in for a treat. There are some major swings here, and while they’re not all home runs, I know one thing for sure: I won’t be able to shake Love Eternal for a long time.

Paper Mario: Color Splash ruins a gorgeous art style and clever writing with an incredibly tedious combat system.

Artifact feels like the MOBA of card games, in more ways than one. There's just as much strategy, just as much variety, just as many resources to manage, and it's just as challenging.

Midnight Fight Express offers players the tools to recreate their own John Wick-inspired action scenes while sporting the skins of their enemies. The replayability factor is there for players wanting to achieve S-rank or complete all level challenges. Despite its fluid and engaging combat, it is not likely that I will return to the streets for more.

With a multitude of choices and possibilities, Stray Gods gives players plenty of reasons to stick around for an encore. The show doesn't always have to end when the curtain goes down.

I’ll say it plainly. I love Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. I loved it 10 years ago and I’ve only come to appreciate it more since. I identify with Stephen Stills as talented, but also very sleepy, so I delight in being able to play as him in a game again. Yet for all of my love, it definitely has a tedious grind that might annoy people that aren’t into River City Ransom-style beat’em-ups. That said, with or without the movie or comics it’s based off of, I’d still consider it one of the best-in-class of side-scrolling co-op brawlers. Good fighting? Check. Catchy soundtrack? Check. Easy to access co-op? Heck yeah. Get together with your friends online or off and play this one over and over again. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game has finally returned. Welcome back, Scott. We’re here to watch you kick Gideon’s teeth in.

I wish Rematch had more modes, and I’d kick a soccer ball at somebody’s head for some bots and crossplay, which is bafflingly absent, though all that and more is allegedly coming down the line. I can’t deny that when I’m playing Rematch, I’m having a blast, and when I’m not, I’m thinking about playing Rematch, even if that means risking the solo queue. Sloclap is onto something here, and I even found myself sneaking a couple matches when I got stuck writing this review. That’s a hell of an accomplishment. Now all I need to do is find a regular team. Anybody looking to kick a ball around?

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania delivers a mostly delicious and nearly never-ending buffet of bananas and challenges to keep pretty much any player rolling for a good, long time.

The intensity ramps up very quickly, which is crazy, because no game that's this cute should be this stressful. Playing is both a joy and infuriating, depending on your back stabbing/stabbed ratio. In either case, I found myself wanting to go back for more.

The Pre-Sequel's biggest draw is filling in the space between the first and second games, and it does that exceptionally well.

As a final blowoff to the Trinity saga, I couldn't help but walk away feeling that the resolution to the story and to Lara Croft's character could have been so much better. But in terms of a pure "Tomb Raider" game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is everything a bold explorer could ask for, giving players a vast jungle to explore and daring them to master it.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is an entertaining take on the classic franchise. The mixed reality format allows player creativity to shine, as the ceiling for possibility is practically infinite. Nintendo is able to expertly weave staple Mario Kart features and characteristics into an augmented reality setting, making the game stand out from other RC racers. Players may be limited by their own home environment, or the rather short connectivity range of the kart itself. Despite a handful of technical road bumps, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is an exciting and inventive way to play the beloved racer.

Fae Farm is still an enjoyable farming sim where you can easily lose track of time, spending hours crafting items, petting animals, and spelunking in dungeons. The kid-friendly tone of the game makes it easy to recommend for all audiences, though the NPCs and thereby the town of Azoria lack depth. The main quests are more interested in having you explore dungeons than actual farming, and the game has more than several areas that need improvement. Still, despite its flaws, Fae Farm fits cozily among the rest of its farming brethren.

I’ll be much less forgiving if the same flaws that NHL 18 suffers from remain a problem in NHL 19 a year from now, but EA Canada has done mostly right by both casual and veteran players. Big wins outscore annoying misses, and overall NHL 18 is a step in the right direction.

It’s visuals and core mechanics hark back to classic action-adventure titles. At the same time, cleverly designed and well defined systems provide for something fresh and exciting.

Most of the time though, I still had a lot of fun running through Rita’s Rewind, beating the stuffing out of putties and other monsters, and chasing down the original series’ goofy boss monsters in the Rangers’ signature vehicles and mechs. I haven’t really thought much about Power Rangers in a long time, so it was a nice bit of organic nostalgia instead of the constant barrage I feel from video games normally. There have been other attempts over the years at making an impact with a Power Rangers game, but none of them (even the quite solid Battle for the Grid fighting game) have quite had the aggressive sense of style Digital Eclipse brought to the table here. With a few little tweaks and perhaps some additional content over time, Rita’s Rewind could really be a badge of honor. And even as it is now, it’s miles ahead of that Space Jam game.