There are moments of incredible beauty in both Subnautica games, and I’m happy that they can now be experienced on a handheld screen. If you have to choose between the two games, I’d recommend the first game over the second. That said, I’m sure playing that original will eventually lead you to the follow-up anyway.

Fixeight is the only non shmup in this collection from Bitwave Games. The 1992-released vertical run and gun game from Toaplan had never been brought to any console or modern platform until this new release, and it has been very interesting to play as a fan of Out Zone from a prior collection. I liked that quite a bit, and Fixeight has been a noticeable improvement in many parts. It isn’t essential if you only care about Toaplan’s shmups, but I’m glad it was finally released on PC. It also plays without issues on Steam Deck.

If you like your board games with some wine on the side and a shot of zen relaxation, Tsuro should hit the spot.

Astronut looks fantastic visually, with charming character designs and Retina Display support for 4th generation devices.

Provided you enjoy old-school turn-based RPGs, the sheer bang for the buck of Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection is hard to beat. If you’re just looking for one, then the third one is probably your best bet. While I still think the true experience is best found on Nintendo DS, these remakes are a good alternative for those who don’t want to dig up twenty-year-old hardware and some absurdly expensive second-hand games. I hope this is laying the foundation for a new game in the series, as revisiting these games has whet my appetite for further adventures.

With its imaginative art style, large amount of content and decent gameplay, Monster Island is definitely worth checking out for any puzzle aficionados looking for a new title.

In spite of a few moments where it feels like it's taking on a little too much too quickly, I found The Sea Eternal to be a very compelling gamebook that gives you good reasons to play through multiple times.

The art style is bright and happy, the music suitably atmospheric. Characters are cute and reasonably well-rendered.

It's the game I've continually been coming back to.

As someone whose only experience with Warhammer 40,000 is through games, I still adored the writing, combat, and music in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. It has also been a joy to play on Steam Deck especially with the newest major update. If you skipped out on it at launch to wait for a few updates, I can safely recommend Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader right now. I hope it does well enough to get a nice physical release in the future.

TipTop: The Last March has a fun core gameplay mechanic, and is oozing with style between the excellent art and sound design. If you've been looking for a good Lemmings-like game on the iPhone, look no further.

Twisty Planets probably won’t be converting any non-fans to the genre, but for those that appreciate this brand of puzzle-platformer, it’s well worth playing. I’m a fan of the gravity mechanics, and there’re plenty of levels and enough of a difficulty curve to keep players busy for awhile. Veteran and newbie fans of the gameplay should simply check it out.

The game does a great job at balancing out being loose and chaotic with not feeling out of control, and that's what makes this worth checking out.

Anna Holinski Saves The Universe, Alright?! is an enjoyable horizontal shooter with wide appeal. It’s approachable for newcomers but also challenging enough for experts to get their fill. There’s quite a lot to enjoy here, and it even includes the DLC that was a separate charge in the Japanese version. Those hunting for an orthodox take on the genre might be turned off, but in general I think most people are going to be more than alright with Anna.

What can I say about Trigonarium other than that if you love twin-stick shooters, or high score games, or just frantic action games, that you should check this out. It's got flaws, but it hits the spot for me.

If you're interested in SRPGs at all, you'll probably find an awful lot to like in Agarest, but unless you're fairly experienced, I'd advise you to stick with something more digestible and less tedious, like Final Fantasy Tactics.

Along with quite a number of stellar box-climbing puzzles, Robo5 boasts a compelling story about a robot seeking its identity. It also has a visual style that's downright charming, in a steampunk sort of way.

If you're already a Pang fan, you can grab Pang Adventures without a second thought. It's completely worthy of its legacy.

Just like the classic games that inspired it, the gameplay in Monkey Labour is incredibly simple on the outside but contains subtle complexity and depth which is hard to master.

If you have access to a Steam Deck, especially an OLED model, Goat Simulator 3 is an easy recommendation. With how good it is here, I don’t need the Xbox or mobile versions anymore, and will be dipping into the game often to play on Steam Deck. Goat Simulator 3 on Steam Deck is not only my favorite portable version, but my favorite version of the game in general. It has a few issues like prior entries in the series, but is still worth your time regardless of if you are a fan of the series or a newcomer.

An easy recommendation. The campaign comprises 10 levels spanning a few screens each, and an unlockable Hard and Survival mode, as well as a number of 'secret' cheat modes that are unlocked on accumulating 5, 10 and 15 master ranks; will ensure that even the most die-hard ninjas will have both their blades and appetites whet by OMG Pirates!.

I really appreciate 1-bit Ninja Remix Rush for what it is. It takes a concept established by the original 1-bit Ninja and makes it into something new just by changing how the game is structured.

Each of the controls can be customized further by dragging and dropping them on the screen to the desired location.

Power Grounds will only appeal to certain types of gamers, but those of you who enjoy a good puzzler with a touch of action will enjoy it. Just be sure to keep some patience on-hand for when the random number gods are particularly unforgiving.

It's a top-down dog-fighting game where you play a pilot with the Allies, fighting against the Axis powers, to protect the United Kingdom. But the cool twist is that it's also turn-based.

It's incredible how well this game was handled, as playing it on a Retina Display feels identical to any other platform.

If you can fit comfortably inside a sandbox with an itty bitty living space, you're going to be happy picking up Star Nomad Elite.

Phoenix is one of those games that really grows on you the more you play it. I love how it's different each time you play and it captures that same type of magic of classic arcade-style high score games.

If you come into this for the spaceship battles you're probably going to walk away a bit disappointed, but just taking it as a piece of entertainment, Ace Ferrara is a lazy day and a few bucks well-spent.

Doesn't deliver many levels, but the ones provided have varied backgrounds, a decent range of enemies of various sizes, boss battles, and entertaining full-screen bullet-and-lazer-hell action. It may be criticized for borrowing too much from Ikaruga, but it's certainly fun to play.

Control issues aside, Ittle Dew is a pretty great little puzzle adventure.

On the whole, I recommend Stagehand. The game is so well-made that it provides a ton of fun for those who enjoy chasing high scores. And if you like pay-once games with no distractions from the core experience, this is for you. But perhaps you're just used to the status quo of high score chasers now having loads of bells and whistles, or you need something deeper than just a high score chaser. This isn't the right game for everyone, but it is undeniably quality stuff, and could just hit the spot for you if you want a no-nonsense endless game.

Penarium is an entertaining enough arena platformer. It will test you and frustrate you, but keeps things from being overly complex for better or worse. It's entertaining, I like the art and sound work, and the dual aspect of campaign and arcade modes though I would like more of a link between the two for progress. If you like arena platformers, you can get a lot of fun out of Penarium, though it's a game I have a few misgivings with. But still, I find myself compelled to come back again and again. And hey, with Super Crate Box's time limited thanks to it not being updated to 64-bit yet, what else are you gonna play?!

There are again 50 levels in total and the game is really on the short side. It gets very addicting however, as the levels are just pretty cool to look at with colors popping about on-screen. If you are in the mood for a new mobile platformer with some gorgeous pixel art to boot, you can do a lot worse than Reed. I ended up completing all of the game's levels wanting more. Hopefully, a sequel or an update will make this happen, but otherwise this is still a solid platformer worth checking out.

A big improvement over the original iOS version, but it doesn't feel a whole lot different gameplay-wise. The swipe mechanic for swinging works beautifully, just as it did before.

Black Hole Joyrider has no IAP whatsoever, and like Boson X, there are no collectibles, coins, or anything like that. It's just you against the game. It's a lighter experience all around than that game, but it's enjoyable enough to play and the presentation certainly doesn't slouch on its end of things.

If you were a Rampart fan back in the day and have wanted a portable version on the go, nothing else in the App Store even approaches Zen Wars.

The whole game is lovingly infused with retro style, from its pixel art to its music and sound, and that aesthetic carries over to the gameplay.

But as the bard said, the play's the thing, and in that regard, Docking Sequence is quite sturdy for its asking price.

None of these things are revolutionary; Ballistic SE doesn't rewrite the twin stick shooter or bring us a brand new perspective on the genre. Instead, it's an incredibly solid, well-balanced game that makes up in entertainment for what it skips in flash.

As it stands, Mr. Crab is a solid, clever little one-touch platformer.

Despite its F2P model, the game offers players interesting, uninterrupted gameplay and plenty of strategic decisions. PES CM is a very entertaining soccer manager game wrapped up in a, mostly, attractive package that I recommend to anyone who'd rather not spend the dozens of hours a game like Football Manager Classic demands

Whether you want to experience a heretofore hard-to-obtain classic or just like quality shoot-em-ups, Gleylancer is an excellent choice. Ratalaika has done a nice job providing quality emulation and a strong suite of features for this release, and the new modern mode really does provide a distinct feel from the included original. It’s well-worth picking up, providing an excellent value relative to other retro re-releases on the Switch.

It’s a shame there is a bit of a cloud over this release due to the previous collection’s existence, because this really is an amazing package for Wonder Boy fans. It’s hard to ask for more without involving Konami, and I wouldn’t have expected that to happen. Having so many ports included is fantastic, the emulation is where it should be, and you get a fair amount of extra to help round out the package. It’s unfortunate that those who bought the prior collection are left with an inferior product, but otherwise this is an anniversary-worthy release.

Might & Magic – Clash of Heroes: Definitive Edition doesn’t add very much to the original game, but it was already a strong game that stands for itself quite well in modern times. Dotemu has done a capable job of bringing it to the Switch, and it fits the platform almost as well as it fit the Nintendo DS. If you’re looking for a cool new puzzle game that offers both a substantial single-player mode and enjoyable multiplayer gameplay, you’ll likely be quite satisfied with what this game has to offer.

The idea of the open world RPG has greatly expanded over the last several years, and it’s perhaps that aspect where Kingdoms of Amalur has lost a bit of shine. But I think there’s a certain charm to its big-but-not-too-big areas, and the impressive amount of polish and high quality of the creative components combined with the satisfying combat make for a solid adventure that will keep you busy for quite a while.

GT Racer is probably one of the best racers on the App Store. In particular, racing fans looking for a realistic racer that offers nicely varied racing action wrapped up in a very pretty package should enjoy Gameloft's latest offering.

Like all games that control with virtual sticks, Omegapixel's controls suffers from minor virtual-stick touchiness, but my fried reflexes cost me more missions than occasionally spot controls. Other than said spottiness and grating music (the sound effects are the right kind of bleepy retro, but the soundtrack, which you can disable, sounds like an 8-bit game that froze right in the middle of a high chord) Omegapixel is a ton of fun, and especially shouldn't be missed at its current price of free.

At the end of the day, despite having to wade through some arguably murky IAP waters, 2K Drive is a ton of fun. It would have been a much stronger experience if it was just a premium game out of the gate, but despite a ton of confusion as to how you're supposed to actually unlock all the content, racing fans will most likely enjoy it.

A pleasant serendipity. Not too frantic and not too dumbed down, the port just seems to fit. I'd love to see other developers look at this game and make the mechanic a deliberate iOS design choice.

The game has a fast and exciting pace, with wave after wave of vector-graphics style enemies.

From a mechanical point of view, this is just another run-of-the-mill JRPG, so if you're looking for fresh gameplay, Revenant Saga isn't likely to do a whole lot for you.

While Thirsty Suitors feels better to play on other platforms, I’ve enjoyed my time with it a lot on Nintendo Switch over the last week. Outerloop Games and Annapurna Interactive’s newest is an important and memorable experience from start to finish blending multiple genres but remaining awesome throughout.

I think Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 could have been better than it is, particularly with regards to performance and game options. Still, when I take what is in front of me for what it is, it’s an easy title to recommend. You get a bunch of absolutely top-tier games to play and some really cool extra materials to dig through. Sure, there isn’t much new here for people who have played these games before. But for those craving Metal Gear on the go, or those who somehow haven’t dug into these titles in the past, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a fantastic value.

There are endless defense, side scrolling, and survival game modes which can be unlocked which add replay value to the game, and the campaign mode itself is pretty massive.

Instantion contains 50 levels, with each level taking at least a few minutes to figure out even if you're quite fast to pick up on things, making for a fairly meaty puzzler.

Risen is certainly of its time and place, but depending on your inclinations there isn’t anything wrong with that. I do wish the framerate in this port had been locked down rather than allowed to run wild, but otherwise this is Risen on your Switch in all of its late aughts glory. It’s not a game that will make things easy on you, especially in the beginning, but if you stick with it you’ll find it gives back a lot more than what you put in.

Nono Islands isn’t the best or most original game Illusion Labs has ever come out with, but it’s still a damn good one.

If you're a fan of word games or logic problems, this is well worth the download, and the fact that it has a well-developed multiplayer system really puts it over-the-top. Serendipitous endeavors, friends!

Slamjet Stadium is made to be taken lightly, to be played for a laugh when you're with good friends. Not the sort of friends that feel strongly about winning or losing, though. It's all about how you play the game, and we're not talking about good sportsmanship.

Diehard pinball fans will likely want to stick with the usual suspects, but if you're looking for something different or at least open to the idea, Pinball Breaker Forever is a most tubular sensation.

The great presentation, well-implemented control scheme and overall enjoyable gameplay simply lead to a game worth playing.

It feels like the right length for the amount of story it aims to tell: much longer, and it would have meandered, and it would have felt rushed were it edited down.

If you can look past the song purchasing system and think of Pianista as a fun rhythm game that throws some very high quality music at you to play in a random order, then it’s pretty top notch.

It's huge, varied, and lots of fun. If you have ever had a hankering for the high seas, this is a good place to start. Anchors aweigh!

Slender Rising 2 is a worthy sequel, guaranteed to keep you on edge. Just make sure the lights are off, the blinds are drawn, and your nerves are ready.

If you're prepared to deal with some of the old-school RPG trappings contained in Final Fantasy III, then you'll likely find it one of the best role-playing experiences in the App Store. But if you're mostly used to newer RPGs and the advancements that have come with them over the years, then Final Fantasy III may be too retro for your taste.

Considering how many games on the App Store are essentially doing the same thing, Fetch is mostly unique, and pretty beautiful to boot. For a little less than the cost of a can of Dog Food, you will certainly get your money’s worth from Fetch, especially if you have young children, an aging puppy, or a soft spot for man’s best friend.

Just like the game it homages, Terror of Hemasaurus is loads of fun that only gets better the more players you add. Unfortunately, it can also be just as repetitive over longer sessions. It’s a great bit of stress relief, and the story is interesting enough to be worth paying attention to. The sheer level of chaos when you really start going to town is certainly something to behold, and there are some aspects that make me giggle no matter how many times I see them. It’s a worthy successor that all fans of Rampage should check out.

A genuinely engaging card game with a surprising depth of strategy. Hopefully Ubisoft will be prompt in fixing the bugs, but the core game is intact in the meantime. Just go easy on the IAP.

There’s something for a specific type of gamer here, one who enjoys something a tad different and…well, pretentious. If that sounds like you, well go ahead and give this a shot. Pretentious is another example of a game that is more of an experience than something you keep coming back to. It has its surprises, and left me hoping Keybol continues weaving the story they started.

As a game, Last Stop could’ve used a bit more polish in controls and clarity. Despite that, I enjoyed my time with it and can’t wait to see what Variable State does next.

Quest of Dungeons is a very good roguelike and a fun game.

Was the thematic departure we see in this episode successful? I would have to say yes because it managed to insert the characters into a different story genre and make the story work. It was a bit of a shame that in the process we lost most of the characters' backstories (outside the flint and steel part) because it felt that all the time and choices I invested in the series barely had an effect in this one.

Breakers Collection feels like it’s one for the fans, and in that capacity it is excellent. It’s just about everything you could ask for from a Breakers re-release, with great emulation quality, lots of modes and extras, and an overall level of polish we haven’t seen in QUByte’s other retro collections up until now. Others will likely want to proceed a bit more cautiously, but it’s good to see a niche, beloved slice of the NEOGEO library get its chance to shine again.

This may not be the best entry in the series, but it's certainly the boldest, and though it has a few low points, fans of the Ace Attorney formula should have a good enough time with it.

Strikingly imaginative.

If you're a fan of competitive leaderboards, and you're looking for a casual title to offer a few minutes of high intensive gameplay (or if you liked any of the Mr. titles), check out Mr. Oops!! as it certainly hits all the elements of a successful casual title.

If you have a penchant for pillaging, swilling brew, beards, collecting loot, and cruising around in your mighty Viking ship, then take a look at Vikings Row!

What Warhammer: Arcane Magic is today though, is a well rounded game with a very slick visual style and fun gameplay.

Yomi has a solid foundation to it, and any card game fanatic should dive in and give it a try.

The happy music and precious hand drawn look of the game make it a pleasure to play, and excellent level design really rounds it all out.

Sol Cresta is a game that you need to chew on for a bit before it shows its true value. But stick with it, learn its idiosyncrasies, and you’ll find a unique, satisfying entry into the crowded shoot-em-up genre. Is it an all-timer? Probably not, but considering Platinum just waltzed into this club for the first time, it has done an exemplary job.

Sometimes, a laborious dance worthy of the grandmasters of chess and sometimes, a mad rush for control, Cabals is easy to grasp and surprisingly deep for something that can, at times, feel like a distilled version of the genre.

If you enjoy the digital dopamine drip most clickers provide with lots of incremental upgrades but hate the actual “clicking”, then you really need to check out Tap Quest: Gate Keeper.

The amount of content in the game is more than worth that asking price, but even if you don't feel the same way, you can still play the game, albeit with some slightly annoying ads. That's a pretty fair deal no matter how you slice it.

I think it’s very safe to say that if you like Fire Emblem, particularly the Game Boy Advance era of the franchise, you will almost certainly enjoy Dark Deity. It has some technical flaws, with some seriously lengthy loading times and the odd bug here and there, and it’s not quite as polished as Nintendo’s efforts. But it probably goes farther than any other indie effort I’ve seen in capturing that particular feel, and it’s very, very easy to start playing and find yourself unable to step away until you have just one more battle.

Everything about Piggy Adventure just reeks of quality.

Volt probably won't shock you all that much, but you can definitely get a good buzz going while you play through it.

I'll fully admit that I'm a total sucker for anything that vaguely follows the Metroidvania formula. Something deep inside of my genetic code just loves navigating a maze-like mixture of corridors and platforms with more areas becoming unlocked as I collect new skills, weapons, and abilities. Robot Wants Kitty plays in to this perfectly, even integrating my love for cats.

Dudeski is a fun arcade game, but it has some issues with identity. Is it an endless skier, or is it a level based game? That question doesn’t really matter much for the first couple of hours though, and once you start to ponder it you have already gotten your money´s worth of arcade skiing.

It's big, meaty, fun, and crazy in the right way, and quite worthy of its legacy. It's a shame this particular release is a bit of a slap in the face, but if you haven't played this one yet, and you dig JRPGs, dragons, or both, jump in.

While the argument can rage on about whether or not this made sense conceptually, there’s no doubt the game itself is enjoyable. I don’t think the finest in the genre have much to worry about, but if you’re looking for a Metroidvania game to sink your teeth into over the course of a weekend or so, you won’t have a bad time with Yars Rising. And who knows? Maybe they follow up on this once or twice and it all feels natural.

I’m sure the title will tip you off, but Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is best appreciated by those who have already played the first game and enjoyed its characters and mechanics. There’s a little story catch-up here for those coming in fresh, and you will survive even if this is your first Atelier game. But the game certainly means to build on the foundations set in the first game, particularly with regards to Sophie and Plachta. As such, I’d advise you to play that first game before this one. That caveat aside, Atelier Sophie 2 does everything a sequel ought to and will assuredly provide Atelier fans with their regular dose of light-hearted RPG adventure.

Islets is a gorgeous, enjoyable example of the Metroidvania genre that feels in some ways like a throwback to the pre-Souls era in how it is set up and the tone it pursues. While it doesn’t make any substantial changes to the formula outside of its entertaining flying sections, it’s refreshingly solid all-around. Those on the hunt for a new game in this genre would do well to consider Islets.

While all of Gameprom's pinball games are very good, War Pinball is definitely the cream of the crop. If you're already of fan of their previous work, this latest game is an easy purchase decision as it contains 3 fun new tables that make great use of their movie licenses.

The only thing holding me back from wholeheartedly recommending Ghost Song to everyone is the performance on Nintendo Switch. I had already finished Ghost Song on PC before I played it on Switch for this review, and it was a better experience there. I hope these performance issues can be addressed because Ghost Song definitely feels perfect for Nintendo Switch. Right now, the game itself is an easy recommendation, but the Nintendo Switch version needs a bit of work.

iOOTP Baseball 2014 is a niche game. For those who love numbers and micromanaging, you’ll be in heaven. For those wanting a game you “play” instead of command, you’ll be lost and most likely bored. The formula hasn’t changed drastically, but the inclusion of a player editor is a big step forward. I