Super Mario Run brings on mobile the same formula previously seen on Nintendo devices, imbued with a run system that perfectly fits on touch screen.

Rise of the Ronin is a sort of amusement park for samurai, an open world adventure with an excellent combat system, in which the abundance of activities could distract you from a compelling and well-told plot. It's closer to an Assassin's Creed than a Souls-like or one of Team Ninja's previous games and could have been even better if it had been less technically problematic.

Persona 5 Tactica is a passionate and better work in every light and nuance. Enriched by a detailed game design, defined at its best by many approaches that can be performed as desired, its greatest advantage is being linked to the original title and involving, at the same time, with a particularly successful strategic vision à la X-Com . It's a video game not to be missed, full of many nuances and things to do, as well as enriched by a touching story.

Surviving Mars is another shiny diamond in the chest of Paradox Interactive: a multi-faceted, well designed city builder with a pretty unique approach and visuals. The gameplay is simple enough to get the attention of the player, but ultimately immersive and engaging.

One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 is mainly dedicated to the fans of the saga, including those of the "dynasty warriors-like" games. From this point of view it turns out as a fun, long-lived and complete offer, unfortunately not so strong in the technical porting.

WarioWare: Get it Together is a clever game: true to itself but incredibly fresh thanks to a simple yet ingenious intuition that revolutionises the axioms of the series without distorting it. It won't last long for lone players aiming solely for the end credits, but those with friends to challenge or collaborate with will find it a great party game.

Brave New World keeps on telling the events "before the storm" on Arcadia Bay in a puerile way, exceeding in talking about drugs and homosexuality without going deep in the facts. Let's hope for a change in the next, last episode of the series.

Can the introduction of a jetpack, with related upgrades and powerups, give new life to Vampire Survivors like, which constantly flood us with new releases? If the technical implementation is as good as in the case of Hive Jump 2: Survivors, the answer is positive. It would have been even more interesting if it had procedurally drawn maps; knowing in advance the location of the most dangerous hives takes away that thrill of the unknown that would have made the atmosphere even darker, but it definitely deserves a place in the collection of enthusiasts of this genre of games. The door is closing though, the next ones will really have to come up with something new.

Playing Cronos: The New Dawn is a memorable experience, not so much for its moments of pure terror, but for the way it immerses you in a devastated, abandoned, and, at the same time, dangerous world. The constant sensation is that of walking through ruins and distorted memories, knowing that every step could change something, and that every choice has a real impact on the fate of the Traveler and that of the inhabitants of a humanity struggling against its own end. There's a subtle, persistent tension that pushes you to observe, plan, and carefully evaluate every action, as if you were truly part of that broken time flow. It's a game that lingers more for its atmosphere and worldbuilding than for its technical perfection or shrewd game design choices, which are often cumbersome and unable to work perfectly together. It's tough, at times frustrating, but ultimately satisfying.

This re-release of Raiden III doesn't add anything new, but it packs and brings to the audience a fun and solid vertical scrolling arcade game. The price is a little high, but enthusiasts will appreciate it.

Future Unfolding is a game of love and hate. It could be an interesting concept to explore if you like experimental game design and unique experiences, but at its core, more than once the gameplay mechanics simply don't work.

Perhaps, for reasons of consistency/compatibility with those who don't yet have a Switch 2, Jamboree TV doesn't 'dare' to add too many new minigames, but limits itself to slightly 'revising' the gameplay of existing ones and making a few purely cosmetic additions. The attempt to give the Switch 2 Camera a meaning that isn't just hedonistic for the challengers is commendable, while the Bowser Show part, with its three rhythmic and vocal games in a row, feels like a wasted opportunity. I'm therefore inclined to start from the score that Super Mario Party Jamboree originally received (a solid 9) and make a Solomonic average based on what I would have given to the update alone (7.8), for a total of…

En Garde! focuses the whole experience on the charismatic protagonist and the spectacularity of the fights, which are truly reminiscent of the swashbuckling films that were so popular in the last century. It therefore offers a lot, but at the same time it offers only this: a hack and slash that in the end is little more than a beat'em up. Definitely a welcome surprise for those who enjoy action-packed games with a light and fun story in the background, but those looking for depth in gameplay, exploration or character growth will find this game too simple. In any case, I'm sure we will hear the name of Adalia de Volador again.

After a year off, 2K Sports is back on the golf course with a title that deserves a wide promotion. There is still room for improvement regarding the game modes, while the gameplay is perfect for both the most demanding players and those who want to hit a few balls without having to worry about spending too much time between bunker, rough, and water hazards.

Remember that thought I advised you to keep to the end? Here you are. Atomic Heart suffers from that taste of "already seen" which ends up distorting its workmanship a bit, an important element that could affect anyone's experience, precisely due to the inability to create empathy with characters who, in the end, lived almost like extras. A set of clichés which, however, does not penalize the success of the work in its entirety. The show staged by Mundfish has all the credentials to establish good starting points, which could make more sense after the launch. We'll see: the potential of the setting is more than actually exploited.

All things considered, The Crew Motorfest makes variety its strong point and its postcard views a perfect setting for experiencing everything it has to offer. An open world a little bare of significant secondary activities, which however excels in atmosphere and functions as a link between the playlists, the true strong point of the production. Of course, not all driving systems have succeeded in the same way, but the possibility of changing elements and gameplay so quickly allows you to always keep curiosity and the desire to race high, simply because apart from GTA, a completely different genre and mood, there are no other series that offer such a great variety of engines. Quantity, thus, also plugs certain qualitative holes. What remains is the feeling of holiday, persistent and precious. Maika‘i ka huaka‘i!

Between a visual novel and a strategic game, Utawarerumono: prelude to the Fallen crosses the boundaries of the oriental market to capture the hearts of western players with a well packed game.

Threefold Recital is narrative game with light investigative elements, by which I mean that more often then not a wrong deduction will simply lead to the main characters correcting themselves. But the story itself is compelling, the dialogue is snappy, and the minigames are varied enough.

Color Splash is Wii U's swan song. The game is fun and brings some new (coloured) dynamics in a consolidated structure, despite some smear here and there.

Simon the Sorcerer Origins is the latest chapter in the saga that's been missing for thirty years, more or less since the release of the second installment, and was likely meant to inspire a new generation of players to become fond of the character. Simon's comical expressions, his impatient banter, and his frequent fourth-wall breaks take us back to a time when humor reigned supreme and permeated games of the genre. It will certainly appeal to those disappointed by the penultimate installments of the series, although, it must be said, we're no longer accustomed to such a crude approach to puzzles. In some places, it's truly overdone. But the sublime technical execution and incredible irony almost scream masterpiece. Almost.

REPLACED offers gameplay that alternates between exploration, environmental puzzles, stealth, and combat—with the latter standing out as the most successful component. The combat system, simple and intuitive, evokes old-school arcade games: few commands, satisfying hit feedback, and encounters against multiple enemies that remain manageable and frustration-free. The platforming and stealth sections are less convincing, often feeling slow and lacking impact. The overall pacing suffers as a result, partly due to a certain "walking simulator" quality. Elevating the entire experience is the extraordinary graphics—among the finest 2.5D pixel art seen to date. It is a solid experience that shines brightest when it gives way to action.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a successful and must-have Japanese RPG for Adol fans, but it's not the decisive step forward that a legendary series like Ys deserves. The Switch version is plagued by too many technical uncertainties.

Behind an amazing art direction and great dialogue lies the moving story of an ordinary man, lost in a forest and in his life. It's a survival game in the most profound way, the survival from the fires that burn inside our soul.

The Rise of the Necromancer is a good offering, dedicated to real, hardcore fans of Diablo III: if after five years you still love slaying demons in Tristram, for a fair price you'll find hours of fun and some new stuff.

NBA 2K25 is - still today - the best basketball experience on the entire market, with the right optimizations regarding the shooting system. Unfortunately, problems related to microtransactions remain.

Voidwrought is a competent Metroidvania, in which, admittedly, not all the ideas are very original, but that does not make it any less enjoyable to explore the recesses of its occasionally a little too cryptic world or less than successful soundtrack. Overall, therefore, a game that is absolutely worth considering if you are a fan of the genre (or if you need something to calm the wait for Silksong).

We don't often have the opportunity to put ourselves in our enemies’ shoes, and Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager succeeds at bringing a slight breeze of novelty to a positively overcrowded genre, these days. It offers a casual approach, thanks to extremely fast runs, but completing the game with all three available classes requires some commitment, and the variety of monsters and traps never makes it repetitive despite its simplicity.

Midnight Fight Express is a brutal beat ‘em up whose only goal, despite a story with a weird plot, is to slaughter enemy after enemy. Really enjoyable in the early levels when each new skill learned improves the way you fight, it becomes repetitive when you try to complete the secondary challeng-es, which require players to retry a lof of times the same game sequences. Those seeking for perfect completion of the game, however, will find a tough challenge, as the unlockable techniques are quite a lot and all beautifully animated. To be played at a very loud volume to get even more exalt-ed.