After almost 15 years, the Mario Strikers franchise has returned in a big way with Battle League Football, an engaging arcade football experience that shines in local play. It could benefit from additional characters and an expanded single player offering but for those looking for a super accessible yet enjoyable sports game to play with others, this will satisfy that role nicely.

I'm torn. On the one hand, Returnal is one of the best third-person shooters you'll find, full of the kind of frantic, precise action that's so satisfying to master, but on a scale and with a sense of atmosphere that's far beyond anything Housemarque has done before. On the other, the ill-conceived idea to make it a roguelike sits at odds with everything the game does best, undermining its greatest strengths and turning an exciting game into a tedious and frustrating one. If you've got the patience for it, this is an adventure that's absolutely worth taking, but I can't help but wonder how incredible Returnal could be if it didn't keep getting in its own way.

So while it has some shortcomings and could stand a little more refinement, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is exactly the kind of game I love to see: an unusual concept that puts creativity first and dares to experiment, even if the ideas don’t always quite click. And even with its pacing and puzzle design troubles, it’s still a rock-solid shoot ’em up, mixed with an engrossing crime thriller, carried by the most compelling villain since Monokuma.

Bricklandia is a wonderful setting to explore, and it’s clear that the level designers in particular have gone all out in dreaming up the most playful LEGO world they could imagine. Decent kart racing and an abundance of the goofy sense of humour that’s become a defining aspect of LEGO media bring said world to life, and the car building tools introduce an unexpected amount of depth for dedicated builders. Monetisation and open-world fatigue hold 2K Drive back from greatness, but for kids of all ages with some time to kill, it’s a lot of fun.

Taito Milestones 2 features a great assortment of games, but presented with absolutely no historical context or any real reason to buy this collection instead of just buying Arcade Archives releases individually. After the criticism the first Milestones faced fit the exact same thing, that’s a disappointing result.

Despite its fiddly interface and a farming side of things that’s a bit underwhelming, Staxel’s open-ended nature and creative potential make it an enjoyable outing in blocky rural life.At the very least, it shows the potential in this idea of a life sim block-building game: even if it doesn’t get the balance quite right, creative freedom and the laid-back, satisfying rhythm of farm life go hand-in-hand.

Despite its shortcomings and the missed opportunity to do more with its roguelite concept, The Dragoness: Command of the Flame is still worthwhile for anyone looking for a slightly different take on the tactical RPG. I can’t tell you if it’ll hit the spot for a Might and Magic fan, but as someone with no background in them—and, therefore, no burden of expectations—I’ve enjoyed my time with it well enough. Whether or not it lives up to its inspirations, it’s still a nice introduction to an interesting niche.

Lone Ruin doesn’t push boundaries, and a lack of complexity means it can wear thin before long, despite the random dynamic inherent in a roguelike. Even so, it’s a game that finds a good foundation in short bursts of play, with a compelling art style to help pull you in. Hardcore roguelike fans may find it limited, but there’s fun to be found here if you want a simpler, more relaxing take on the genre.

So I’m torn. The Sorrowvirus: A Faceless Short Story is a fascinating game in concept, with its looping narrative, creepy atmosphere, grim yet moving tale, and a psychological horror touch built into some neat gimmicks. But that potential gets lost in annoying puzzle design and the lack of saves—something intended to help build atmosphere, but that too often just kills it—and what should be an eerie, unsettling game instead just becomes a tedious one.

But if you can deal with that, Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition is a fun little farm sim, one that lacks depth but makes up for in charm and the uniqueness of its setting. Put your favourite comfort show on TV and play this while you’re half-watching, and you’ve got a nice way to unwind and turn your mind off for a spell.

Martha is Dead is a remarkable game, in the story that it tells, the way it tells it, and the ideas it explores in the process—a potent, powerful exploration of some of the darkest corners of human existence. It’s deliberately uncomfortable and confronting, but that’s part of what makes it work, and it’s underscored by a genuine sense of empathy, humanity, and a call for the world to be a better place. But, at least for now, game-breaking bugs and technical struggles that go far beyond mild inconvenience mean the Xbox One version should be a last resort.

I’d love to see what the initial vision for Ghostwire: Tokyo was, before former creative director Ikumi Nakamura’s sudden departure from Tango Gameworks, because what we ended up getting feels like the shell of a different, far more interesting game. A rendition of Shibuya that’s authentic, atmospheric, eerie, and brimming personality deserves better than the most banal version of a generic open-world formula that ran out of steam a decade ago. Despite all the potential in its concept, the Ghostwire we got is—despite its ghostly theme—soulless.

Still, if RPGolf Legends’ greatest sins are being a little bland, it could be a lot worse. Its mashup of golf and action RPG is a fun idea, and those disparate pieces come together well to create an adventure that’s full of playful charm. It’s an enjoyable enough romp in its own right, but it also shows there’s potential in this sort of genre clash, and I sincerely hope that’s something ArticNet continues to explore.

If you look only at what is included, Wonder Boy Collection is a decent compilation: a selection of historically significant games—the elusive Monster World IV among them—that hold up surprisingly well, ported cleanly and with the usual assortment of helpful functions. But as good as what’s here is, and despite the marketing speak describing it as a “carefully curated collection”, the package feels incomplete without the two Wonder Boy IIIs. That’d be disappointing regardless, but it’s especially egregious when the (already sold out) limited edition counterpart does include them. Wonder Boy Collection is good for what it is, but it’s missing some crucial pieces, and for the most cynical of reasons. Westone Bit’s classics deserve better than that.

Despite its shortcomings, I have enjoyed my time with Bright Memory: Infinite for what it is. It’s a slick first-person shooter that’s overflowing with energy and that blends gunplay, melee, and psychic abilities in exciting ways, set against a stunning Chinese mythological backdrop. It just feels like it should be so much more: there’s a foundation here for something great, if it only it was more refined and given the space to fully explore that potential.

In almost every regard, Ganryu 2 is spectacular: it looks fantastic, builds on the original game in meaningful ways, nails the level and boss design that’s so crucial in an action platformer, and plays like a dream in the moment. But a horrific continue system that feels restrictive even by arcade standards means that actually experiencing all it has to offer requires the patience of a saint, and what should be a surefire hit instead turns into a painful slog.

RunBeam Galactic probably isn’t a game you’ll pour hours into. But for a quick, fun time-waster that keeps faffing to a minimum, it hits the spot.

Marchen Forest: Mylne and the Forest Gift is a diamond in the rough, and as long as you’re prepared to put up with a bit of frustration, there’s something special here. It’s a surreal twist on the “Alchemist in training” tale popularised by Atelier, full of cute, sometimes creepy characters, quirky humour, and a story that is, by turns, both bizarre and grounded in humanity. If you can look past its rough edges, there’s a lot to like about Marchen Forest.

There’s a great game somewhere in Destruction AllStars. The concept is an original take on the “hero” trend, and could be a nice return for the vehicular combat genre that’s been quiet for a while. Every now and then, when everything clicks into place, you can see that potential on display. Sadly, despite its vibrant cast and unique concept, the lack of content and matchmaking woes prevent it from really delivering on that potential.

In so many ways, Super Bullet Break is a remarkable game, a blend of different ideas and inspirations with a few strokes of innovative genius thrown in. The non-exploitative twist on gacha games, complete with all the wonderful characters and gorgeous artwork that makes those free-to-play games as popular (and lucrative) as they are. But there’s a fundamental incompatibility between the pseudo-gacha and the roguelike aspects that means neither really gets to show its true colours, and turns what should be a wonderful game into a needlessly restrictive and onerous one.

Coupled with the timeless charm and humour of SpongeBob, The Cosmic Shake can be a lot of fun—just don’t go in expecting anything groundbreaking or especially polished.

That’s Taito Milestones‘ biggest problem: the missed opportunity to do really shed some light on the impact of the games it collects. These are historically significant games, but presented devoid of any of that historic context. Without that, and when almost every game is already available separately (and in an identical form, no less), saving a few bucks on a bulk-buy is the only real reason to pick this up. A collection claiming to be a celebration of the milestones of one of the most important companies in arcade history needs to be more than just a way to pinch pennies.

Unfortunately, a cute and thoughtful story isn’t enough to distract from Sword of the Necromancer‘s other struggles. There’s a competent action RPG in there, but it’s lost beneath a misguided attempt at a roguelike experience that misses most of what makes roguelikes exciting. Even something as unique as a system of reviving slain enemies to fight alongside you gets lost in the narrow constraints of the game’s other systems, resulting in a largely forgettable experience.

With its vibrant art style, playful atmosphere, plenty of cleverly-designed levels to solve, and some interesting, if uneven, new ideas at play, Drawn to Life: Two Realms is an enjoyable game, but it never quite manages to capture the magic of its predecessors.

That’s the running theme through Don’t Forget Me: fantastic ideas that never get taken to their fullest. It’s a cyberpunk story that dives deep into the timeless question about whether freedom is worth sacrificing for peace and happiness, about whether freedom without peace is truly peace at all, and vice versa. A puzzle system built around navigating people’s memories using keywords turns the storytelling itself into part of the game in a fascinating way. But the full potential of gets lost in the brevity and abruptness of the experience; Don’t Forget Me is a compelling game full of unique ideas, but one that feels a little incomplete.

Like I said, it’s Curse of the Sea Rats’ atmosphere and art style that really carry it: if you can tolerate some less-than-stellar writing, this game delivers on Redwall-esque “rodent fantasy” adventure with a pirate twist. Underneath that is a metroidvania that hits the right foundation but struggles to stand out, and lets some odd design choices and clunkiness get in the way of the exploration that the whole genre is built around. There’s still fun to be found here, but in such a crowded field full of creative twists on the form, Sea Rats struggles to leave a lasting impression.

R-Type Final 2 is a worthy revival of an iconic shoot-’em-up series, with plenty of ships to unlock and exciting new levels to explore. But with performance struggles that can create unfair, unexpected failures in a game that’s already pretty challenging to begin with, Switch isn’t the way to play this one.

Saints Row’s dynamic mission design and chaotic vehicular gameplay do wonders for an otherwise mundane open world experience, one that is sorely missing the iconic characters who brought the previous games to life.