Ultimately, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will please those who are willing to buy into the ideas it presents wholesale and is a solid action game. However, despite all of the praises I have to sing for it, it’s obvious that this game was made for a very specific audience in mind and won’t be for everyone.

The systems are tightly interwoven in ways that make all of its items and unlocks feel relevant even if they’re not exactly what you want, and it can feel quite satisfying as a playful diversion to pick at here and there. Once you know what it is and what to expect from the game, it’s a genuinely compelling experience.

Sticky Business is genuinely a perfect outlet. While the sticker part options are a bit restricted and I hope DLC or updates add to the library, it’s such a relaxing time sink. I had so much fun setting things up just so, knowing that no matter how it looked my virtual customers would love it. It’s quite a relaxing and validating experience.

The potential is there for The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication. It could have been an amazing horror game between its beautiful graphics, interesting use of Chinese beliefs, and its memorable monster designs. Unfortunately, its overly long story and poor enemy AI weigh it down. That’s not to say the game isn’t scary, of course. It certainly took me much longer than necessary to beat it just because I needed to work up the nerve sometimes to enter certain rooms. If you want a scare and The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication sounds up your alley, then I recommend playing until the end of the third chapter.

I’m not sure whether to think of Yurukill as a decent shmup with a good adventure game attached, or a good adventure game with a decent shmup minigame inserted into it. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, as the two disparate flavors taste great together all the same.

I’ve got to tell you, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life feels like a game that arrived right when I needed it most. This is a game about redefining what matters to you. First, it’s about settling into a new community and forming bonds with your new neighbors. One of them being romantic. Then it’s about supporting your growing family both emotionally and via working hard on the farm. As time passes, you get to see how that influences things. It’s like you are building a life while farming, rather than working a farm and taking “you” time to be social when you can.

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots seems like it should include everything we expect from the series, but it falls short of Clap Hanz’s work. Characters come across as annoying, rather than charming, and it’s a lot of work to unlock them and build them up. The general selection of modes available are fine. However, some technical issues and design choices keep it from running and looking like it should. It’s okay and might be better after a few patches, but past entries were more enjoyable.

Both MySims and MySims Kingdom are pleasant, upbeat games that let you be creative, and MySims Cozy Bundle lets you take your time with both.

Other than a few small quibbles, Wizard with a Gun is remarkably successful at creating a lean but compelling gameplay cycle, with a lot of experimentation to be done between all your options for bullets, guns and special effects. The presentation has a moody edge to it, without being too dark, while the mix of 2D and 3D never rarely becomes difficult to navigate like I feared it might. Even the story, while mostly an unobtrusive backdrop to the gameplay, still contains plenty of interesting little nuggets that help build up the broken world you are exploring. If you and a friend both like crafting and shooting, Wizard with a Gun is an immediate recommendation. But if you’re solo, honestly that recommendation doesn’t become any less glowing.

Cris Tales is an incredibly creative game with its own distinct identity. There are times when it can feel like it drags on a bit. It feels like something special. But it also feels like a game that, at least at the moment, needs a little bit more work. The Cris Tales Switch version feels like it is constantly loading for the smallest reasons and might occasionally crash. If Dreams Uncorporated and Syck can fix those issues. it will eventually be a must-play game.

What Dragon Ball Z: Sparkling ends up as is a good game for the millions of Dragon Ball fans out there even though it doesn’t have the general appeal of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3.

Pokemon Violet and Pokemon Scarlet certainly don’t put their best feet forward. They run rough. Visual downgrades are clear. But ultimately, once you settle in, they’re certainly full Pokemon games. We’re hoping some post-launch bug-squashing will help them run better, but in the long term, The Pokemon Company might need to implement a plan that offers Game Freak longer development windows for tentpole releases.

It may seem like I’ve been unduly harsh to Creatures of Ava, but that is because there are some excellent ideas here, but the execution has missed the mark. Nothing is wrong with a creature-taming title stepping back from a traditional combat system and embracing a pacifist approach. If anything, exploring this avenue can provide an opportunity to craft a distinctive identity in the genre, but you need to make sure other aspects of the gameplay are compelling. I often found myself going through the motions rather than wanting to see what was next. Strangely, I think the game tried to be too smart for its own good and backfired. It packed too many ideas, and there was little thought on how these mechanics would benefit one another. If you like some of the concepts that Creatures of Ava dabbles in, you will find some redeeming characteristics which might be worth your time. However, I don’t think I’ll return to Creatures of Ava anytime soon.

These issues are relatively easy to overlook in light of the fact that there’s really nothing quite like Metal Max Xeno Reborn in the JRPG space. It may still be a bit spartan and feel undercooked compared to its better-known, more lavishly produced contemporaries, but its focus on vehicle combat and spare, understated storytelling makes it unique and rarely boring. Appreciating what Metal Max Xeno Reborn does in spite of itself feels kind of like digging an old relic out of a pile of junk, dusting it off, and finding that it’s still got some life in it. It’s not quite a treasure, but it’s farther from being trash than it’s ever been.

The Breakers Collection may really only be one game with some variance, but that one game is a really good time. The small, seemingly uninspired roster has a ton of variety and creativity in its characters, rewarding your experimentation with some wild attacks to discover. Its Breaker system means you’ll continue to find a lot of depth as you really get to know it, and its sense of humor (intentional or not) mixed with impressive moves mean you’ll be hollering with laughter or excitement as you play. It’s such a wonderful treat of a game, and a real gift to be able to play on modern consoles.

If you’re a fan of the series, Fairy Tail 2 is a great time, although technical issues on Switch hinder the experience.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is a difficult game to recommend. As a gacha game, it’s elevated by lifting so much from Persona 5. But the inverse is true, as the gacha elements have weakened a lot of what made the original game great. If you loved the style of Persona 5 and want something free and casual that lets you kick around in its world some more, there’s fun to be found in Persona 5: The Phantom X. But those who min-max the Fusion system or hate gachas are unlikely to be convinced.

Electroplankton doesn't provide thrills as much as it stimulates creativity. One major disappointment is that while Electroplankton does promote art, it doesn't allow you to save anything. [JPN Import]

There is nothing offensive about the story in Little Hope, and nothing immediately sets off warning bells or narrative decisions I would tell players to consider before going into it. At most, the game is just boring and uninteresting.

Kaze and the Wild Masks is a loving homage to Donkey Kong Country, but it has a few unique platforming ideas and its own stunning visual style. Just don’t expect it to go easy on you, based on its cute protagonist and impressive worlds.

It essentially feels like Square Enix set a new standard with the SaGa Frontier remaster. It made up for lost time. SaGa series mechanics, with entries’ multiple storylines, battle systems that reward performing certain actions, and non-linear nature, were always ahead of their time. Back in the day, SaGa Frontier was among those that didn’t get its proper due. Now that the line as a whole is experiencing a renaissance, SaGa Frontier Remastered feels like something of a crown jewel.

Demon Slayer Sweep the Board is the prime board game iteration of the series for fans. While it won’t be as welcome an experience for newcomers, it is an excellent departure from the core series. The boards are varied in stellar ways, while the minigames have great controls. The non-linear nature of the missions mean it works well no matter how you play. Whether you have a party of friends to play with or just want to compete against the CPU, it all works better than I expected. It’s just a shame the characters lack so much detail visually.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a solid retro revival. It’s got satisfying gunplay, a good balance of old school mechanics with modern tweaks and offers a good challenge. Fans of the series will have a blast, even if its visuals sometimes get in the way.

Bleach Rebirth of Souls is fun once you get over the jargon-y names of its mechanics and some nuisance elements. It’s not exactly wowing me, but as far as 3D fighters go, it’s one of the better ones.

While it might not be the perfect FMV game, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is pretty darn close. With the entwined stories, spectacular acting, and lengthy scenes, it truly is an interactive experience fans of the genre should not miss. And I’d personally love to see Haruka get tangled up in more adventures such as this one. She’s a character that speaks to my soul. Let me traipse around Japan solving crimes with her, please and thank you in advance.

From a preservation standpoint, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend does everything people would need. You have all three games easily accessible in a single compilation. You can hop in without much effort, go through each one, and perhaps go through things a little more swiftly than you normally would. The three titles haven’t all held up as well as you might remember, but they were from a different era. It’s a way to honor the past, though only die-hard SaGa fans and people who played them when they were fresh and new might get the most out of the experience.

Possessor(s) isn’t short on heart and style, but sometimes the gameplay doesn’t seem as innovative and tight as the concept. I desperately wanted to find out what would happen to Luca and Rhem, and seeing what happened to the demons and the world as a result of corporate greed.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is the welcome return of a quirky classic rhythm game. While musically it’s now more Selena Gomez than Selena, and some technical issues threaten to get in the way, the game remains excellent. Add some friends to the mix and it truly will be the center of any party.