Rift of the NecroDancer features some interesting ideas and a great story mode, which shows how well the concepts from Crypt of the NecroDancer work in a new genre. I’m not the biggest fan of how some enemies are implemented, especially given the difficulty they present on more challenging levels when a lot of concepts are tossed at the player at once. It’s enjoyable and interesting, though how well you do while playing will be determined by your love of the series and music and willingness to really learn how to handle any type of attack. Those without a connection to the series might find themselves frustrated though, especially if they skip the tutorials.

The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster is a valuable one, especially with Way of the Sword on the horizon. There are a lot of gameplay elements that help it stand out, like the ally system and how Oni abilities and adventure elements are tied to progression. The quality of life adjustments are welcome as well. However, the campy nature of the story might not be for everyone, and it isn’t the prettiest remaster I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s well worth playing if you love the series and Capcom’s work, but it might not be for everyone.

Soul Hackers 2 succeeds at fusing appealing character elements and story into a more traditional dungeon-crawling mode. In a lot of ways it does manage to travel that middle path between the extremes of its sibling series. But its bright spots don’t quite mask the moments where the moments where both its halves can fall short.

Knockout Home Fitness is a handy exercise game for the Switch and fills a niche. It isn’t as intensive or potentially lengthy as, say, something like Ring Fit Adventure. Rather, it invites someone to show up every day for a few minutes to be active. It isn’t too strenuous or demanding. The virtual trainers are clear and easy to understand. It’s generally peppy, which people might appreciate if they want something to quickly check in with each day.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is exactly the sequel to Deadly Premonition a fan of the original should expect. This is a game that really respects the player’s intelligence, but puts a lot of faith into their willingness to keep an open mind.

Catherine: Full Body is about the prices people are willing to pay, in more ways than one. In terms of story, we have to see what sorts of sacrifices Vincent is willing to make to accommodate his comfort, bridge gaps with people around him, and survive. With the port, we’re seeing what had to be done to get it working. If that means a little bit of blurriness and feeling like you might be due for a new prescription, especially in handheld mode, so be it.

Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded is a charming, if sometimes crude, platformer that comes with the signature style and flair Disgaea fans have known and loved for years. Even if you’re mostly unfamiliar with the series, the animations for the Prinny’s themselves and for the enemies on every stage are still a delight and the music is jovial and easy to listen to for hours on end.

It’s hard for me to say this, because I like Tales of Berseria a lot, but as a remaster, it’s not bringing a lot to the table. In fact, between the censorship and the audio mixing issues, I’d go as far as to say that it’s taking away from the table. The saving grace here is that it’s ten dollars cheaper than the original (at least on Steam), despite it coming with DLC. While I do still recommend playing it if you haven’t tried it before and you like JRPGs, people who have already played Berseria might as well just boot up the copy they already own.

I haven’t played any otome game like Palais de Reine before. It is a wholly unique and fascinating experience. I very much appreciate that it not only exists, but is available in English. And yes, once I finished an initial (disastrous) run and came back better prepared, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There’s an incredible amount of depth and nuance. However, getting to it involves an investment only the most dedicated might commit to.

Zenless Zone Zero is a snappy action game that feels rewarding to master. Though the story can fall flat at times, the characters are so fun that it’s fun to see their reactions. The presentation of the plot—the comic book format and the colorful animations—keeps it entertaining and fresh. Instead of appealing to everyone, it feels like it’s striving to hit a particular audience and I personally am one of those people. Hopefully the dailies won’t be too hard to manage on top of everything else in the market.

A Tiny Sticker Tale is a short and sweet game. It will never get too challenging, aside from a situation where timing and a small object might be involved. The concept is fun enough, and the character direction is adorable. It also never wears out its welcome, providing the perfect amount of time to enjoy its adventure. As long as you don’t go in expecting complexity from its puzzles or story, I think you’ll have a good time.

After going through a few Virche Evermore -Error: Salvation- routes, I feel like this is a Switch otome that could appeal to those who enjoyed games like Code: Realize or Piofiore and want something even more mature. It’s a darker and more visceral tale where it feels difficult to earn that happy ending. However, it is incredibly graphic and violent, which could turn some people looking for love off. What is here is intriguing, but it is a lot and not for everyone. Especially since the good endings are so walled off.

If you always wanted to join the Straw Hat Pirates, then One Piece Odyssey is the adventure for you regardless of your proficiency with video games. However, it wouldn’t necessarily be the best game for everyone else. Those who love Tales titles or are experienced with turn-based RPGs would do better with a different, more challenging title that doesn’t expect you to be familiar with the source material. It is a very easy adventure that expects a certain degree of knowledge about One Piece, even with Lim using the memory cubes to offer brief asides during chapters. But if you are a fan and are up for an effortless, nostalgic, and pretty stroll, this will leave you satisfied.

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 party members are a delight to spend time with and woo. The combat is some of the most fun I’ve had in a while with an action RPG. It is just a shame everything else falls short. The exploration is far too uninteresting, the story is haphazardly put together, and the mission structure is too linear. There is a good enough RPG to enjoy in Dragon Age: The Veilguard for diehard fans like myself, but this is certainly no second coming of BioWare. I have disliked each new Dragon Age more than the previous one and, unfortunately, The Veilguard continues that.

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.

I admire the fact that Tribute Games embraced the River City style with Scott Pilgrim EX, as it really makes this beat’em up more of an adventure. The artistic direction and soundtrack are perfect too, and the combat flows well. I do wish the story were stronger and some of my favorite characters from the previous game had been playable, and the presence of launch bugs that can affect multiplayer is a downer. But at the very least, after a patch or two, those gameplay issues should be fixed.

Ultimately, the System Shock remake doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The original game already revolutionized the shooter and immersive sim genre back in 1994. Nightdive Studios’ take gives one of the most influential games ever made a fresh coat of paint, tweaking the formula and pacing subtly while adding some quality of live improvements. For those that were too intimidated by the original, this is a fantastic way of playing it. While the few, but substantial, differences might be divisive among returning fans, the System Shock remake does a great job of informing new players of why the game was so impressive in 1994 and proves that it remains impressive in 2023.

Whereas Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley felt like you got to experience a new story in Moomin lore, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is closer to an interactive storybook game. It puts its own spin on a beloved story while maintaining the original spirit of Tove Jansson’s work, making it a delight for fans regardless of familiarity. I’m not sure if Hyper Games will continue the series, but I would be interested to see what it comes up with next.

I like Mario vs Donkey Kong on the Switch a lot, mainly because I liked it a lot on the Game Boy Advance. This remake isn’t all that dissimilar, and that’s why I think it is so much fun. However, even with the new worlds and multiplayer option, it doesn’t feel all that different. If you missed it before and have never played it, then it is absolutely worth picking up. However, it is probably okay to start saving up for whatever Nintendo has planned next if you owned the original.

Franchise fans should be psyched to get the two Great Ace Attorney games, and in a polished package. It won’t change your mind about these titles one way or the other, unless you have a strong feeling about the period-piece setting. But it does what it sets out to do.

Time Flies is definitely novel, and it offers a lot of freedom to explore a tiny sandbox for a little while. It does get you thinking about lifespans, which is part of the point. It looks quite stylish too. The only downsides are that it is incredibly short and there aren’t as many secrets as I expected or hoped there’d be.

While this foundation is great, though, it only goes so far. Despite having the potential to be my next online gaming obsession, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will, unfortunately, take a backseat for now until more worthwhile content and modes arrive.

Those looking for a solid tactical RPG to dig their teeth into will find it with Jagged Alliance 3. But while you may acclimate to the slightly unhelpful UI, the combat barks and general writing can be more difficult to ignore. There’s going to be a good amount of replay value in different builds, trying different options and choices, and of course different combinations of the 36-odd mercenary characters. But whether you want to spend more time in this setting will depend entirely on how much you can listen to a Ice Williams talk about popping caps in people.

It means that Pico Park 2, much like the original game, is a “your mileage may vary” title depending on who joins you when you play. If you have a group of four people who can all be in the same room together, it might be absolutely incredible. Especially if they are all familiar with the series and experienced with how games like this work. If you’re only playing with one other person, it could still be great! But you won’t get the full experience and might be frustrated sometimes. I 100% suggest not playing this with random individuals. Even though the in-game messaging system is competent and I had a decent ping playing on the Switch against others, randos are a nightmare in Pico Park 2 and ruin the experience.

It is this general lack of memorable content, or downright terrible additions, that hold back Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 significantly. This could easily be the fourth best game in the series if it had the content and maps to match its gameplay. Even still, that gameplay is enough for me to have some fun and recommend this title to others. There is something so enticing about the Omnimovement system that I hope is in every non-jetpack title from now on. The incredible feel of BO6 is enough to keep me hooked for now until, hopefully, Treyarch gives us worthy content to enjoy.

Where the game does shine is in replay value. Like other games there are plenty of weapons to collect. The Game Boy Advance version has them hidden so well that you'll need to explore every space to find them all.

I will admit Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising is not for everyone. It isn’t for me, as the sometimes filler-like content bloats the experience but, ultimately, feels bland. But the positive is some fighting game fans or existing Granblue Fantasy fans may enjoy this title. It has some solid accessible features. But, unless you played the first game, you should probably check out the free version and see if it is up your alley first.