To my chagrin, EA Sports UFC 5 feels like a mega-update to UFC 4 that flexes the muscles of the Frostbite engine and the PS5 for the sake of visuals and not much else. The score I 'm giving the game is out of respect for the slightly tweaked but still intricate fighting system that's flexible enough for people of all skill levels and time availability to enjoy. Also, it really does look fantastic, and would probably be a solid library addition for fans who haven't played any of the previous UFC titles and want a way in. For me, this wasn't the level change I 'd hoped for, and I can only hope there 'll be some newer pieces in the next one.

There's little you can get from The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II that you couldn't get from other titles that likewise do it better. The narrative is winding and confusing, the characters are off-putting, and the visuals are a sore sight for the eyes. While the music and gameplay show some glimmers of promise, they ultimately end up feeling lifeless and overcomplicated, respectively. At the end of the day, Trails of Cold Steel II ends up feeling like a middle-of-the-road shonen anime that's a little too scatter-brained, and you have to slog through the off-screen battles.

Between the fantastic characters, wonderful story and largely entertaining gunplay, this is a title that's worth checking out.

Even in the face of those hiccups, I enjoyed every moment of playing Assassin's Creed: Syndicate and have returned to highly anticipating the next chapter. I still find time to bounce around London with the Frye twins, and I hope whoever comes next can provide the same kind of company.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion manages to be a lot more than the sum of its parts. There are a lot of things that you can complain about, from the dumb antagonist to the legacy of its PSP roots. It's a credit to the game that despite those flaws, it is still probably one of the best Final Fantasy spin-off games on the market, and Reunion is by far the best way to experience it. It should do a good job of tiding over fans until at least Final Fantasy XVI.

Metal Slug Anthology was supposed to be one of the portable system's A-list titles. Instead, due to reasons that probably couldn't have been helped, it ends up being one of the system's biggest jokes.

There is potential with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but for every positive thing the game does, there's at least one big negative to counteract it. The variety of aircraft you can pilot is more varied than before, but you'll need to brush up on the various controls to get the most out of each craft. The ability to take photos while flying and on the ground is neat, but be prepared to only be wowed in certain areas. Those hoping for some detailed shots in more populated areas on foot will be sorely disappointed (or horrified). The inclusion of actual people would've been nice if they didn't look so last generation, and while the game has an abundance of activities and a full-fledged career mode, it would have been nice if the experience had faster loading times and was more stable overall. If this follows the trajectory of the previous game, then what you'll get in time is a flight sim that will cater to the hardcore but still be accessible enough for the casual player. Unless you're dedicated enough to want to get in right now with the latest and greatest or need more variety and objectives in a campaign, you might want to stick with the 2020 edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator for a little while longer to get your casual flight fix.

Rock Band Blitz is an above-average music game and a worthy addition to the libraries of genre fans and dabblers alike.

It has well-balanced gameplay, and the fishing and gardening allow your Sims to finally relax and enjoy the great outdoors instead of constantly being in motion. Unfortunately, with all of these new features come even longer loading times.

If you're treating Kinect Nat Geo TV: America the Wild as a game, it really isn't much of one. The minigames are too similar, and the other interactive sections aren't exactly the most involving. If you're treating the product as a DVD collection of episodes, it doesn't work well at that task, either, since there's no way to skip the interactive segments. However, as a whole, the product is excellent and engaging with the right mix of educational content and silliness coming together for an enjoyable 40+ minutes per episode. Young nature lovers who want to do more than just watch TV will certainly get the most out of this.

The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia is an experiment that works better than expected. The focus on boss fights is the right one, as the exploration and puzzle sections are novel but not noteworthy. The controls can seem unwieldy at first, but part of the charm and excitement is in trying to concentrate on typing and moving at the same time. The presentation is excellent, and the length is perfect, as it never feels like the game goes on for too long. The Textorcist may seem like an odd game on the surface, but give it a chance, and you'll find it to be one of the more inventive and fun experiences out there.

Skylanders: Trap Team is a mixed bag. The core gameplay is still enjoyable, and the new villains are some of the most charming, creative and fun characters in the franchise.

Still, the fighting is fun whether you go solo or with allies, the minigames help break up any potential monotony, and the loot system will entice people into going for another round. Wrap that up in the top-notch stylized presentation, and it's easy to see why Charlie Murder is highly recommended.

It might not be as grandiose a job other things that sim fans may have had experience with, but it's a unique change of pace that they may want to try out.

Taking Bejeweled Twist for what it is, you are left with a clearly superior casual puzzler. Twist offers a great tweak on a classic formula, but it would have been nice if things had been taken a few steps further.

As it is, it's a beautifully made, unique, and sadly under-the-radar title; it's exactly the sort of unique experience the PSP needs, and something I can't imagine the DS quite matching (sorry, Super Monkey Ball: Touch and Roll).

Origins is definitely a step in the right direction; the gameplay fits the nature of the original series well enough, and while it isn't the most challenging or overly original type of adventure game, it manages to be fun and does a great job of capturing the mood of the original Dragon Ball.

Rune Factory 4 is probably the most polished and well-crafted Rune Factory to date.

This is a short game, and at $20, it might be a little expensive for a single evening or weekend, but it's worth checking out. There are a few other games in its small genre pool, but Little Nightmares sets itself apart with its level design and surreal atmosphere. Set aside a block of time, try to go into the game as cold as possible, and be ready for a lot of deaths, some of which are gruesome and many of which won't feel fair. It's a sort of dark fairy tale, to go by my experience, and you'll get about 60 unhappy endings before you get to a slightly better one.

I enjoyed Grid 2, but much like its predecessor, little about the experience was remarkable or noteworthy when compared to other racers. This is hardly a title that you'll need to drop what you're currently enjoying to check out, but it's something that I'd suggest purchasing when it drops in price. It's certainly worth a rental or demo, just to give you a taste of what Grid 2 brings to the table.

The title has great gameplay and presentation, but the issues that plague it — the sudden inclusion of out-of-place enemies and the woefully unbalanced multiplayer portion —tend to drag down the overall enjoyment level of an otherwise spectacular game.

Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a satisfactory addition to the franchise. It smooths out a lot of Shallie's PS3 weaknesses and is a genuinely fun game, though it suffers from being the weakest in the Dusk trilogy. Anyone looking for a solid and enjoyable lighthearted JRPG will find a lot to like here, and almost every improvement is for the better. Some nagging performance issues prevent it from being better than the PS3 release in every way. Shallie Plus is a good buy for fans of the franchise, though newcomers may want to start with Ayesha or Escha & Logy instead.

The presentation, storyline, and gameplay are what make this title one to own for your GBA. If you love turn-based strategy games, or have fond memories of X-Com, you've probably already picked up this title.

Above all else, the gaming experience in A Kingdom for Keflings is very unique. There have been only a handful of titles that have made a leisurely activity fun, and this is definitely one of them.

Droplitz is one of those under-the-radar games that, in spite of how good it is, has gotten lost in the commotion and hoopla of the summer games season.

Death Squared is an excellent addition to any puzzle fan's library. The puzzles may be a source of frustration at times, but they're also so well designed that you'll feel like you've accomplished a lot when solving them. The inherent co-op nature lends itself perfectly to multiplayer, especially on the Switch, where it doesn't require much to get a two-player game going, and the plethora of levels means plenty of time spent solving puzzles. It's yet another solid title in the system's young library.

For those who are willing to invest the time, Smackdown is a really good and interesting wrestling title that's worthy of its namesake.

Overall, NBA 2K20 is still one of the best basketball games out there, but future iterations should either ease up greatly on the VC spend or drop the price significantly, so players won't have to spend extra money.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon proves that the franchise still delivers quality after all these years.

If this hadn't been a Ghostbusters game, then we would likely be praising it for its successes and sweeping its deficiencies under the rug. The fact of the matter, though, is that Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a hugely anticipated game and unfortunately, it ultimately let us down.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is by no means a bad game, but it is something perhaps more disappointing: an unexceptional one. There is nothing new or exciting about it, and it doesn't stand out from the crowd.

It may have a lot more dialogue than puzzles, but it is so well written that you miss it in the silent moments. The interesting story is backed up by likeable characters, and the whole thing is wrapped up with a presentation that bleeds style.

A fun game, but if you played the first, you played this one.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a great example of less being more. What it does well, it does very well, but those elements are bogged down in a needlessly large, open world that's been padded out with thin gameplay. When you reach the meat of the game, it's usually worth the effort, but there's so much dilution that it has difficulty shining through. The poor performance also makes the tedious elements feel more so. Like its main characters, Banishers is stuck in limbo between excellence and blandness, and I can only hope that any sequel will focus on quality over quantity.

One of those games that needs to be played by everyone in their lifetime, if only for five minutes, just to see it in action. It's packed with loads of humor, decent gameplay, and probably more Star Wars fan service than any game bearing the franchise's name to date.

This is a very buggy game.

As one of the first MotionPlus titles out of the gate, Grand Slam Tennis is an excellent way to show off the power of Nintendo's new accessory.

I really enjoyed Wario Land: Shake It!, but I can't say I was blown away by it. If you go into the game with your expectations in check and a willingness to explore the levels instead of just running through them, then you'll get a lot out of the experience.

The flawed feel of Fallout 3: The Pitt extends beyond the battered, war-weary facade of its buildings, and the rushed, unfinished feel of this particular adventure makes it a painfully disappointing experience.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is an easy recommendation for Life is Strange fans as well as for those who have never touched the series before. Clocking in at 90 minutes, the episode can easily be completed in a single sitting; the episode's characters, on the other hand, will stay with you long after you put down the controller. If you have a free afternoon and some space on your hard drive, you have no excuse: Give Captain Spirit a whirl. It's free.

The Bug Butcher is an absolutely solid homage to classic arcade shooters. It nails the shooting mechanic and provides a gradual level of difficulty that doesn't veer too much into impossible territory. Though it's a short game, there's enough to keep people interested for more than an afternoon, and it's a good fit on the Switch thanks to the short levels and co-op gameplay for endless mode. This is another indie port to Nintendo's console that's worth checking out.

Dead Space 3 struts its dedication to more dismemberments than delusions as a solo sci-fi gunfest. On that count, it's not a disappointment. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore what it loses when it tries to balance the needs of longtime fans while seeking to broaden its audience.

The sun sensor hook is great, as is the game's awareness of time and location.

Though I'll wholly admit that the game feels a bit soulless and overly calculated at times, I was pleasantly surprised by the overhauled career mode and the superb online play and integration.

Even after achieving "G.O.A.T." status, I have a hard time peeling away from UFC 4. After hours and hours of play, I still feel like there's a lot more to learn about the fighting systems and all the moves that can branch out from each ground position. It's addicting to tinker around with it or map out a new career for another created fighter, messing around with building (or burning) bridges with either fighters to see how his or her path maps out. Whether you want a little action distraction or want to get lost in what the MMA world has to offer, UFC 4 has it. Just remember to apologize to your training partners in advance.

At the fair price of $40, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy offers three fun platforming classics that have been re-created from the ground up, and only minor adjustments have been made for the Switch. The first title suffer from its unification strategy, so it's a more frustrating experience, but Cortex Strikes Back and Warped play really well. The visual style and graphical performance on the Switch are fantastic thanks to the minor adjustments, making this a well-deserved port for the handheld's library.

It's just offbeat enough to earn its indie label, and once you get going, it really is next to impossible to put it down.

It can be argued that Tropico 4 is more of a mission pack than a full game. Priced at $40 while the DLC-loaded edition of Tropico 3 goes for $15, the expense may be hard to rationalize for largely similar gameplay. The new options are quite nice, but may not be enough to justify the game for casual fans of the series. Genre aficionados will lap up the new missions and new tweaks, and casual fans who are looking for a fun twist on the SimCity tradition will find Tropico 4 to be a solid, worthy experience that will last a while.

Ultimately, Everspace is a really fun roguelike/action game. The by-the-numbers space shooter gameplay is amplified by the roguelike elements, and it's the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts. Unless we're lucky enough to get FTL on the Switch, it's the closest thing you can get. Unfortunately, the limitations of the Switch show through in the port and can drag down the overall experience. It's worth playing if you can look past its foibles, but it may be too big of a barrier for some players.

Although Baseball Mogul 2007 has simplistic graphics and a lot of numbers, it's the kind of game that can show you why people have fallen in love with fantasy sports in recent years. It can be a valuable tool for anyone in a league, and more importantly, for anyone who loves the game of baseball.

But while Journey fostered a connection with others, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture left me feeling completely alone as a player and desperate to find out why. The answers came slowly, and they might not be utterly satisfying at first, but that's what can happen when you go where everyone is not.

It doesn't reinvent the genre or bring anything amazingly new to the community, but as Tiger Woods has done for golf titles, Top Spin does for tennis.

Although this fifth entry is not the series' strongest, it's a solid and worthy purchase for fans of the genre or casual gamers who are looking for an entertaining story.

In my opinion, Annihilation is easily the best of the DLC, and much of the original multiplayer content, for Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is a near-royal treatment given to a duo of games that have stood the test of time. These should have come far earlier than they did (namely, before the current-generation releases of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and 3, and arguably even Tatsunoko vs. Capcom), but hopefully this collection will give two great games a new lease on life. If you think the current Marvel fighting games have a little too much going on to track of, then I would absolutely recommend going back a couple of decades. There's still a ton of fun to be had there.

In the end, Dungelot: Shattered Lands is a surprise. It seems simple on the surface, but the numerous game mechanics make for quite a deep game.

Shadows of Adam is a worthwhile romp through classic JRPG nostalgia. Fans of the genre will appreciate the '80s and '90s callbacks and expansive world. At the same time, newcomers to the genre should find the title accessible, especially with its easier battles and exclusion of random encounters. While it might not display the same creativity of top-of-the-line JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Persona, Shadows of Adam executes its ideas well, and more importantly, is simply fun to play.

Regardless of platform, Groove Coaster is an interesting rhythm game. Although it has leaderboards to please the more competitive types, the game is really about experiencing the songs as a visual ride. Correct inputs act as the mechanism to make the ride more audibly pleasant. The controls work well enough, but the amount of songs available is dwarfed by those in the mobile release. The need to replay all of the songs on all of the difficulty levels can feel tedious. The PC version may not be the best one, but it's still a good port of a fresh rhythm title.

Debris Infinity does a very good job of being a pure arcade shooter. The shooting is thoughtful, since you're trying to balance abilities with quickly shooting enemies. The number of foes on-screen at any time makes the game difficult but not impossible, and the presence of both leaderboards and co-op for every mode provides a real incentive for another run, no matter how many times you've already died. Debris Infinity is a well-done pick-up-and-play shooter with a low $5 asking price, so it's easy to recommend for the Switch.

Depixtion is the nice middle ground between the simple Picross games and the more complicated ones that try to throw different genres into the mix. Veteran Picross players should be able to quickly pick up the concept of using different shades of color and different color layers, and it won't be too daunting for newcomers either. The puzzle selection in Depixtion can seem low compared to its contemporaries, but it will take some time to get through them all due to their layout. Overall, Depixtion is a solid puzzle game that fans will appreciate having in their libraries.

Sarawak is not perfect, but it is a great game to pass an hour or so, and it's ideal for those who don't have the time for an extensive read or playthrough. After all, not all great stories are back-breaking novels; sometimes, a short story says as much as a story that's 10 times longer.

Overall, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set is a solid enough port of one of the more enjoyable Dragon Ball games. It's not quite as smooth or shiny as its bigger brothers, but it does the job well enough and has the advantage of being portable. The added DLCs are nice bonus content, but only Trunk's story stands well enough on its own. Fans of the franchise who haven't yet played Kakarot will find the Switch version a perfectly fun experience. Just don't be surprised when you're only playing the title character for short periods of time.

It's hard to fault Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania for giving us exactly what it promises. It's a compilation of three older games with some gussied-up visuals and some nice new features. If you've never played the franchise before but were always curious, then this is probably the best place to start. If you're a longtime fan looking to re-experience some older Monkey mania, then it'll be exactly what you need. It's nothing more and nothing less.

Monster Crown: Sin Eater is a big improvement over the original game. It feels more polished and fleshed out, and thankfully, far less buggy. It's a bit too rough around the edges to make it an easy recommendation, but if you're willing to work past some of the awkward segments, there is a solid monster trainer with a very fun combat system. The story is a bit hit-and-miss, and the freeform nature of the game isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for Pokemon with fewer guardrails, Sin Eater is for you.

When it comes to Diablo clones, I’ve played them all; Sacred, Harbinger, Blade & Sword, Dungeon Siege, and Space Hack. I’ve also loved each and every one of them for reasons unique to each. Titan Quest is easily the best of the lot, simply for doing everything this type of game requires and doing it better than all of its contemporaries.

It's pretty short, but while it lasts, you'll find an intense World War II shooter that sticks to reality but is still a blast to play.

In terms of gameplay, though, Shadow Wars is by far the best of the launch titles that I've tried, and it's an easy recommendation to 3DS owners with even the slightest interest in strategy-RPGs. If you own - or are planning to own - a 3DS, Shadow Wars is by far the best bang for your buck.

While the art, gameplay and music are fine, it feels like EA made a game so exclusively for children that their parents won't want to play it with them, leaving them to be influenced alone. Even if you can tolerate the tone and have the wherewithal to not spend too much money on DLC, Neighborville is fine. It just won't be your best purchase EVAR.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is sure to be a divisive entry in FromSoft's catalog. It isn't the Elden Ring sequel that people might want, and it isn't necessarily a game that will appeal to those who love Souls titles. It's a weird, experimental concept grafted into the skin of a different game. It's an engaging and enjoyable game to play, assuming you meet it halfway. The core mechanics are strong, the boss fights are fun, and it's an enjoyable game. If you've ever wanted to see what a more multiplayer-focused take on the genre is like, Nightreign shines, but those looking for a single-player experience will want to look elsewhere.

If you are looking for a completely new NBA experience, this is not the right game for you. If, however, you just want a new game with updated rosters and are curious about the ins and outs of the superstar abilities, then this might be the title for you.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is the ideal Story of Seasons experience. It may lack some of the unique ideas from later games in the franchise, but it captures the fun of farming simulators. It can be repetitive and too easy to earn money, but you'll hours spending hours exploring mines and perfecting your crops. Additionally, the Switch version retains the portability of the original GBA title, so FoMT is an excellent Story of Seasons experience for newcomers and long-term fans alike.

MLB The Show 22 is still among the highest forms of video game baseball available … right along with the game that came before it. It still plays exquisitely, and it's still definitely worth your time if you've never really experienced the series before. For veterans, however, this could be the moment where the game just feels … sort of "there," and the only big difference you'll notice is that this year's cover guy probably should have been last year's cover guy.

Overall, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is a really good collection. Even if every game isn't a hit, more than enough of them are strong that you'll probably lose hours of time to these games if they even remotely hit for you. Their unique combat system is fondly remembered to this day, and the weirdly prescient concept of the future has aged shockingly well. It's not going to be the platforming game that some fans of the franchise might prefer, but of all the Mega Man collections, this is going to give you the most value for your dollar.

There are some issues within WRC 8, and they're not small, but the game is otherwise so good that it's easy to overlook them. For all the times your engine switches to stealth mode or a fence post sends you into low Earth orbit, there are hundreds of times when you are blissfully guiding your car into a drift around a dusty apex in Argentina, or masterfully twisting through a series of highly technical corners during heavy rain. The vehicle handling is so good — and that is so important for a rally game — that even with its flaws, WRC 8 is likely the high bar that other rally games should aspire to.

While the original Skylanders was appropriately lauded for being a unique, quality title for all ages, Skylanders: Giants seems to be riding on the coattails of the original title's good will. It's not bad, and it's really similar to the first game, but its limited innovation is largely unnecessary (Giant Skylanders).

Yakuza 2 is a fantastic sequel to an already great game.

As it stands, Devil May Cry HD Collection is a solid package for action fans.

The career mode is excellent, and the overall presentation is well done. The fighting engine is solid, though there are a few odd mechanical choices in play, and the career mode is very deep and time-consuming in a good way.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a solid game that conveys the strengths of both franchises involved.

If you played racing games in the arcade during the early to mid '90s, chances are that you've played Sega Rally Revo. Sure, the package is prettier now, and Sega has tried to update the franchise with the addition of deformable terrain, but compared to some of the newer racing titles available, everything else just feels like old hat.

In some ways this game understands that the core of a game is not flashy graphics and interactive soundscapes but is in actuality the gameplay. DDR is an extremely involving game, it’s like being mind controlled.

I would highly suggest NHL 2005 for anyone who likes sports games, but the controls are too complex for casual non-fans who just want to pick up a game and play effectively.

The Switch is already home to a variety of shooters, but Pawarumi makes a solid case for being a worthy addition to a shooter fan's library. The gimmick of having three different-colored guns and enemies makes the game more cerebral while also not punishing players who just want to stick with one weapon type. The three main game difficulties make it accessible to everyone, while the difficulty levels determining the number and order of the stages mean that playthroughs may feel familiar but not exactly the same. It could have used a few more modes to round out the package, but thanks to it doing just about everything right, Pawarumi is worth playing for shooting fans.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is a pleasant experience. The story may be disposable, but the levels feature some ingenuity that makes good use of the current physics system without feeling unfair. The number of levels will please fans who love the challenge. While the minigames aren't anything fresh, the presence of multiplayer just about everywhere marks a good step forward for the series. Hardcore fans won't see this as besting the original games from all those years ago, but they will still have a good time with this entry. We're hopeful that Banana Rumble marks the start of new games in the series.

Birds of Steel is a title that casual fans will enjoy, but it has more appeal to airplane aficionados of that particular era. The plethora of available planes and the attention to detail really showcases the development team's dedication. The presentation is excellent, despite a few flaws, and the game is a meaty experience on the single-player side despite the apparent focus on online multiplayer options. It may not be perfect, but this is one of the best airplane simulators on a console yet.

Even with its flaws, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney proves the series' longevity by remaining a riveting and entertaining romp through its oddball legal world.

It's not for twitch junkies, but gamers with a certain amount of patience will be rewarded with an engrossing game. I just wish that Headfirst hadn't thrown in so much jumping and climbing, and that the sanity effects weren't so detrimental to seeing what's going on onscreen.

Bridge Constructor Portal is no Portal, and no one expected it to be, but it's close when you consider the general enjoyment that can be had while playing it. GLaDOS is an extremely welcome resurgence, and it was oddly a pleasure to find myself under her thumb in the Aperture Science world once more.

If you're looking for just one NBA title to satisfy your sports itch this year, I'd honestly have to suggest NBA 2K9 over NBA Live '09 this time out. While the latter has the better presentation and better roster update system, 2K9 was just more fun to play.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a solid entry that builds on previous titles while also honoring the roots of the series. It was a smart decision on Ubisoft's part to release Mirage as a stand-alone title rather than as DLC for Valhalla, as it doesn't require any prior knowledge of the franchise storyline, making it an easy entry point into the series. New players who enjoy their time with Mirage can pick up Assassin's Creed Valhalla to see where Basim ends up.

If you can stand the grind, Sky Force Anniversary is great for fans of the classic shooter style. The pacing is done well, and the upgrade system gives you something to work for, even in death. The medals provide an incentive to aim for perfection, but their forced nature will turn off a few players. Sky Force Anniversary is worth checking out.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership falls into that odd zone of being fine but not exceptional. I think it's comfortably the third best Mario & Luigi game, but it's a distant third and a far cry from the franchise's heights. I had a lot of fun, and I don't regret playing it, but it lacks that certain special something that made the first and third games in the franchise really shine. It's still a fun RPG adventure with some fantastic combat, but it's the weakest of all the Mario RPGs released this year.

Arma II is a very deep portrayal of warfare, and it's not for the faint of heart who want their shooters to involve little more than pointing a gun and shooting. However, its depth is somewhat two-faced, as though its environments and overall feel seems as real as ever, the multitude of bugs that you will face really take you out of the fight before you've even been felled by enemy fire.

Make no mistake: Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is still a very strong fighting game. The offline game modes are excellent, and the mode and roster additions are very welcome, especially since they don't seem to upset the balance of the game.

Honestly, all you need to know to determine whether the PS4 version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is for you, is that it's still Marvel vs Capcom 3. The strengths and flaws are well documented, and nothing has really changed from the HD re-release. If you're eager to get back into the fray and take Doom, Wesker and Zero for a ride, then you're going to enjoy this port. If you were hoping for any major changes to the gameplay, then you won't find them here. Those new to the game might want to be warned that they're jumping into a deep pool. If you're looking to get a feel for the franchise before the upcoming Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, there's no better place to start than UMvC3.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a solid sequel that suffers from trying to add too much to a formula that was almost perfect.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on the Switch is by far the best way to play the game; it avoids the awkwardness of the Wii's controls and doesn't have the visual compromises of the 3DS version. It makes it difficult to be impressed with it as a remaster, especially a full-priced one. There's a lot that could've been done to improve the visuals or add more features to the game, but as it stands, you're basically getting the same game as before. It's still an absolutely fantastic game and well worth playing. If you've already played Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze and are hankering for more, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is well worth picking up. If you haven't played its predecessor/sequel yet, it's better to start there.

The audio department has always been a strong point for all of the TH games, although this go-round was my favorite. The soundtrack is awesome, with bands like The Doors, Motley Crue, and Dead Kennedys.