Sideway: New York is a charming side-scrolling platformer.

Overall, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 3D feels like another great entry into the series, but it also feels like little more than an upgrade over PES 2011. It's nice to have a portable version, and it doesn't feel like anything was lost in the transition to the 3DS, but if you have access to a home console iteration, that is definitely the better way to go. It would be great to see Konami put more effort into the accessibility of the game for newcomers, but PES 2012 doesn't address that. Hopefully next year, we'll see a more refined and user-friendly PES - but without losing all of these fantastic modes.

Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library and the Monster Seal is a perfectly fun dungeon crawler.

Runner3 is an excellent runner game, a good music-rhythm platformer, and a great challenge for those who dare to take it. It has an odd charm that you either love or hate, but if it resonates with you, it'll blow you away in a hurricane of music, sweat, and endless retries.

Neversong is one of those games that feels like an impactful and interactive art piece rather than the kind of title you envelop yourself in for hours and hours at a time. As with many indie projects, you can tell it was crafted with great care and a message that doesn't need a lot of time to register. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a little dark adventure.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a solid and enjoyable experience for fans of old-school survival-horror. It might be a bit too slow-paced and awkward for those who don't have a taste for 2008 game design, but that's the biggest criticism about it. It doesn't break the mold for the franchise, but it's one of the more solid and enjoyable examples of it, and it's a good place to start if you'd like to see what is up with the long-running horror series.

Layers of Fear really brings a lot of improvements that amplify the game's strongest aspect: its immersive atmosphere. Audio and visuals are almost impeccable in this release, and they're truly worth experiencing. That said, playing through all of the content on offer in this remake/remaster collection does stretch the gameplay a bit too thin over its runtime, and it slowly wears out its welcome. What remains is a repetitive and sometimes tame horror adventure game that's worth experiencing for its presentation alone.

The latest incarnation of Haunted House is fine. The roguelike nature is done well enough, but the relentless enemies and your own fragility mean that some deaths can feel unfair. The same complaint can apply to your inconsistent weapons and tools, but when everything comes together right, the stealth approach can be rather satisfying. While Haunted House isn't exactly a top-tier roguelike, it is good enough that those who are curious about the title should give it a shot.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a great example of a game that might be inspired by something else but nonetheless manages to be darn fun on its own. It's easy to write it off as a Hades knockoff, but there's enough fun in this game to enjoy it on its own merits. The core mechanics can occasionally be a touch awkward, and the narrative never really grabbed me, but the moment-to-moment gameplay was plenty of fun. If you're looking for a different flavor of action-RPG adventure, Towa hits the mark.

All in all, Strange Brigade is a solid and enjoyable co-op shooter with a lot of heart. It doesn't necessarily redefine the genre, but the combat mechanics are fun, the traps are delightful, the variety of characters is interesting, and in general, it's just a whole lot of fun to play. Get together three friends, burn through a horde of zombies, and you'll have a fantastic time. The only caveat is that the game should be played co-op. It's a tougher game to justify when you're playing solo.

Overall, Summon Night : Twin Age might be passable for people with fairly low expectations, but the drawn-out combat mechanics, poor party support, and agonizing voice acting really drive a knife into this title's back.

The concept remains solid with an adventure mode that's endearing if you like silly stories and can overcome holes in the narrative logic. The modes really play around with the formulas of both games well, and the amount of content can keep a puzzle fan busy for quite some time. The lack of an upgrade path for existing owners and the marginal improvements for the Switch 2-exclusive version make it difficult to recommend a double-dip. If you never bought the game before and don't mind sticking with offline play, then you'll have a good time with this title and can give this a higher score. For everyone else, you can safely steer clear from this version.

Need for Speed Unbound is a solid comeback for the series, provided you can deal with some potential annoyances. The risk/reward system functions well in creating tension during all parts of a race, but the grind is an annoyance until you get better cars or parts for your initial ride. The presence of elements borrowed from other racing titles is done well enough, but the story can be a chore to sit through if you aren't already using this slang every day. Overall, Unbound is a solid racing title that should hopefully start bringing the series back to prominence.

It's not a masterpiece, but it's hilarious, brilliantly moody, and worthy of attention from any fan of adventure or humorous games - or graphics effects nerds.

A vast array of technology makes room for endless infrastructure combinations with a wonderful level of detail. A lack of content really brings down the game a few notches because the gameplay begins to feel repetitive after a while. Although the title has a lot of awesome details with science fiction flair, it doesn't bring any new surprises after a single playthrough. Whether players are seeking a challenging simulation or a chill Martian sandbox, Surviving Mars is a title that is worth a try.

Penumbra: Overture focuses on delivering immersive gameplay by providing an engaging storyline, a surreal atmosphere, and a very creepy playing experience.

With all of its improvements, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is easily the best LEGO Batman game, but it doesn't quite take the crown for best overall LEGO game.

It's difficult to give a score to Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. On the one hand, some of the improvements are quite good. The inclusion of extra levels for each game to make them more accessible is always welcome, and the improved modern controls are certainly welcome unless your muscle memory is attuned to the old tank-style controls. On the other hand, the very slight graphical improvements are overshadowed by the fact that the game design fails to keep modern controls in mind, and no other changes have been made to bring it up to modern standards. Considering the pedigree of the games, the result is a package that's fine but could've been much, much better.

The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match is a great example of how to update a good fighting game. The title doesn't make any changes that would drive away old fans of the series, but it makes a few good ones that would entice new fans to give it a try. With a solid package behind it, only the die-hard SNK haters would be resilient enough to turn down this game. It's a great addition to any fighting game fan's library.

In the end, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a fun game that may not excel from a gameplay standpoint, but its fun arcade action that has become rare in the genre. Basketball and sports fans would enjoy Playgrounds 2 if it weren't for the grindy implementation of card packs and in-game purchases.

Hybrid does some interesting things with gameplay, but it is ultimately tripped up by poor matchmaking, periodic lag and an unbalanced meta game. Genre fans will enjoy the change of pace, but most players should probably look for greener pastures.

The success of any rhythm game is largely determined by its selection of songs, and Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA is the first American release that can compete with its import brethren.

As a whole, the Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials DLC pack is fairly good. There's balance in the number and variety of events, and while there are some challenges that fare much better than others, there's more good than bad here.

Ultimately, Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline is a bit of a mixed bag. There's fun to be had here, but the story driving the expansion could have spent more time in the oven. Being able to play as Aiden and Wrench is a nice addition, with each offering a distinct style of play.

In some alternate reality where the Guitar Hero developers had been hit by a bus before making their game, this title might have a chance as a party game; as it stands, it doesn't even rank second place.

There's enough variation between the two games to keep you coming back to both versions, and plenty of characters and moves to keep you thoroughly occupied.

What The Fall Part 2: Unbound lacks in difficulty, it makes up for in intrigue. The transformation of narrative from horror to sci-fi makes you look at the series in a new light, and even though the questions about humanity and robotics have been brought up before, the game's take on them remains interesting enough that you'll want to see what's in store for the third game. The gameplay length is decent, and there are satisfactory combat and puzzle elements. If you've already checked out the first game, you should take a look at Unbound as well.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order can best be summed up as average. It's neither bad nor exceptional. It's fun to play for Marvel fans and those who get giddy at the idea of Ant-Man fighting a giant Ultron-possessed robot or Ms. Marvel teaming up with Spider-Gwen. At the end of the day, the branding is about all that makes the game stand out. If you're not a die-hard Marvel fan, there isn't a lot here for you after the initial rush wears off from brutalizing baddies with the superheroes of your choice. The fun is still there, and in co-op, the game gains a lot more fun.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 is worth picking up, and the fact that the online portion of the game is still active certainly makes for an appeasing purchase.

This game is the absolute antithesis of what you should get to show off the power or the playability of the Wii.

Hard Reset might not be the shooter for everyone, but I think it's worth checking out. My review is based on the game post-patch 1.01, which eliminated the weapon cooldown system and allowed users to change difficulty mid-game.

At the end of the day, Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn is the chance to spend more time with the Arise characters, and the experience is wrapped up in a lengthy DLC package. If you loved the cast of Arise enough that it's worthwhile to chill with them some more, then Beyond the Dawn may have its value. Beyond that, it doesn't add anything to the experience, especially with the hefty $30 price tag. If it were more tightly designed and more creative, it would've gone been more appealing, but as it stands, it's something for Arise faithful only.

For newcomers, this is a great entry to use as a jumping point into the series. For series veterans, the changes, omissions, and small additions make it a lesser product than its predecessor, but if you're interested in the lore, 4-II is still worth checking out.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary is the video game equivalent of giving your old car a new paint job and a spoiler and claiming it's as good as new. The combination of the dated Tomb Raider areas, mixed with the uninspiring and boring Tomb Raider: Anniversary alone, feels like a patch job, and the addition of the Wii elements to the original versions of Tomb Raider: Anniversary only serves to increase the feeling that most of this game is just new elements stapled haphazardly onto a prettier version of a 10-year-old game.

All of the arcade greats are here, although it is plagued with load times, arcade-imperfect porting, and unnatural-feeling Wiimote controls. With such a massive collection, there should have been more extras, but with seven games on one disc, it is definitely something that should not be missed by fans.

The repetition is quite high, but it plays almost identically to Dynasty Warriors, so it might be a good addition. Still, the total number of levels is rather low, so you can run through a character’s story in less than an hour.

This is not a game for the weak minded. One must be mature enough to look beyond the glitz and glamour of gaming to appreciate what Crusader Kings is: an uncompromising exercise in strategy and planning.

Your enjoyment of The Almost Gone is going to depend on what you're focusing on the most. If it's the story, you'll come away slightly disappointed. The game may not be afraid to tackle some subjects that some would consider to be sensitive, but the general ambiguity of plot elements doesn't create much empathy for the protagonist. If you're in for the gameplay, you'll be rewarded with some clever puzzles that lean toward being easy at times but never contain obtuse solutions. Its short playtime ensures that this is a game worth checking out when it is all said and done, but don't expect it to be the next profound indie experience.

It's worth mentioning that the ending of the game is different from the ending of the movie, but arguably not for the better.

If I had to summarize this game (and I do), I’d say it’s like playing chess by mail. It’s slow and you have time to think your moves through, but it can also be a bit dull.

For 50 bucks, Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is a surprisingly good game. The colorful landscapes, differently played characters, and multiple settings and choices make the title enjoyable.

In the end, Overwatch works well as a port. It's almost boring to talk about, as it aims to be as faithful to the existing versions as possible. It's not a technical marvel, and that may rightfully turn you off, but it's a feature-complete and portable version that is best for quick drop-in matches when you just want a casual match in Overwatch.

Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier is a very casual RPG for hardcore gamers.

Grab the codes off GameFAQs, unlock all the tables, and enjoy.

Overall, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized is a solid FPS effort on the Nintendo DS.

I'm hooked. I love Outriders' shooting, skill, and loot mechanics and how they work together to form a highly addicting co-op shooter. While it has a lot of features that I'm not fond of, the core gameplay is solid enough to easily carry the rest of the experience. If you're into looter shooter or dungeon crawler games, Outriders will scratch that itch — if you can play it. With its current matchmaking and server issues, we cannot help but score it lower than we'd like. Whenever the technical issues are resolved, the experience could be as high as 8.3, making Outriders a co-op shooter that's well worth experiencing either alone or with friends.

By no means is it going to topple some of the more prominent fighting titles, but it is definitely an interesting and pretty game that can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore players alike.

It's perhaps a fun weekend rental, but there's no need to invest any real money in owning this game because you're just going to forget about it in a month anyway.

Epic Mickey was supposed to prove that in the right hands, even an established character and dull-as-dishwater brand could be exciting and different. Instead, what we get is a really amazing concept and cool story wrapped around a stinker of a game.

Yesterday Origins is a by-the-numbers adventure game that hits all of the marks with reliable accuracy. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and the puzzles are standard and are occasionally veer difficult for the wrong reasons. The story is elevated by some distinct concepts and strong character writing. It's worth a try just to see how immortals deal with the problem of aging.

You can't beat animals with artillery, and it helps when they're packing such a diverse selection of weapons, all of which look, sound, and feel great to handle.

A simple cash cow. Cheap concept, cheap marketing, cheap licensing, cheap development costs. Only a few unsuspecting souls need to waste their hard-earned dollars on this trash in order for Atari to turn a profit. And they probably will.

There's no feeling of being "unleashed," and the actual implementation of Force powers is drastically inferior to older games like Jedi Outcast.

It's not the biggest expansion for Sims 3, but if you're trying to build an interesting, dynamic world for your little pixel people, it may just be the most important.

Sonic Superstars is a fun and thoroughly by-the-numbers Sonic title, which is all it is really trying to be. Itis the definition of an average Sonic game, it's competent, and it's often enjoyable. I had a good amount of fun with it, and it's a perfectly solid platformer. It doesn't reach the highs of Sonic Mania, which was always going to be a tough act to follow. If you like the 2D Sonic offerings, you'll have a good time with Sonic Superstars, even if it isn't likely to become a new favorite.

Like all arcade games, these aren't very long and can be beaten in an afternoon when you use unlimited continues, but there's no denying that it's a ton of fun while it lasts.

Yooka-Laylee is classic 3D-era platformer. It brings an updated presentation to the genre, and it provides some solid and familiar platforming mechanics. The large levels provide a nice playground for those abilities, and while the combat isn't anything special, it's a lot of fun to complete the various tasks to collect pagies. If you can deal with the problematic camera, Yooka-Laylee is worth checking out.

All in all, Mulaka takes a risk that doesn't pay off. The story and goal of the game are intriguing, but the gameplay and visuals just aren't there. It certainly does things right and will appeal to a few people, but the overall rough approach is noticeable in every aspect and holds it back.

Iron Man VR feels restricted by its game design to be little more than a fun wave shooter, when it could have been much more. It is still a very fun game to play in VR and it's one of their better titles, but it never even scratches the heights that it so clearly aimed for.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a solid Dragon Ball Z game that is dragged down largely by a lack of polish in some areas. The combat system is probably too repetitive, and the content is too shallow to be of much interest to non-fans, but it's the Dragon Ball Z game that fans have dreamed of as kids. It doesn't matter if it's punching Frieza or playing baseball; the game captures the spirit of Dragon Ball extremely well, even if the gameplay doesn't always keep up.

Rage 2 is an engaging game that's hindered by a number of annoyances. The open world is chock full of things to do, but it caters more to those who want to travel via vehicle over those who want to wander around on foot. The shooting is good until you realize that your hit feedback is either muted or absent, and the melee strength and range feel pitiful. The multiple currencies needed for the various upgrades and perks are an annoyance, but they aren't as bad as the plethora of bugs that pop up to ruin good gaming moments. If the latter is fixed via patching, then the game will end up being a big improvement over the first title, but it's still not the masterpiece that most id games are known for being. For now, Rage 2 is worth checking out if it's on sale instead of at full price.

Raiden V: Director's Cut is a fine shooter. While it introduces some things to keep rookies engaged, it also has enough to keep veterans playing thanks to multiple routes and plane configurations. There's a limited selection of shooters for the bullet hell crowd to enjoy, and despite its issues with bullet visibility, Raiden V deserves a place in that library.

Madden NFL 25 is still a good football game.

By no means a bad game, Out Of the Park Baseball is just not quite as clutch in game-winning situations as you might like, but anyone who loves the game of baseball should give it a try.

Expect to be frustrated anyway. The tank levels are the worst offenders, with missiles coming at you from every direction, your armor evaporating like dry ice, and the bizarre rules under which you're allowed to disembark.

It's a great online experience, and it's a lot of fun to play a hidden gem from the past.

Though the Vietcong engine is beginning to show its age, it can more than hold its own with the other realistic wartime shooters it currently shares rack space with.

Ultimately, Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party for the Wii has ended up erasing about four years of progress within the genre. The improvements have been replaced with unnecessary and annoying gimmicks galore, which only make it look that much worse when compared to the latest rhythm offerings, Guitar Hero III and Rock Band.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is good where it counts: the gameplay. It may not be a difficult game, but the puzzles are a fine challenge for the average player, while the relatively short playtime means that the title doesn't feel like a chore. Don't expect too much from the rest of the package, whether that's aesthetics, narrative, or a reason to replay it once the credits roll. Overall, it's good enough to check out if you're itching for a puzzle-platformer.

It's a solid addition, if not the best expansion in the series overall, and while I'm enjoying it, it really is just more of the same, and I can't help but feel like it could have been a little better.

At the end of the day, Rad Rodgers: World One is a cute first taste of a throwback platformer. The game is not particularly long or deep, but it's an enjoyable romp. It's fun to play and has solid level design and enjoyable mechanics, but the nostalgic throwback theme is wasted on generic foes and settings. Fans of old-school platformers will find a lot to like here, including a number of jokes clearly designed for them, but newcomers might find it too generic.

Smelter is an average title. The side-scrolling action is rather well done and, taken on its own, makes for a strong platformer. The strategy portions lack depth, and when combined with your overall weak state, it makes the experience a bit of a slog. The title is ambitious, and those willing to forgive the strategy portion should check it out.

The Flame in the Flood delivers a brilliant twist on the survival genre. The inability to linger in one place makes the game feel like a proper adventure with some additional survival trappings.

Evil West is a fun and well-made beat-'em-up that doesn't exceed its reach. The focus is on the combat, and thankfully, that largely pays off. Even coming from God of War: Ragnarok, I managed to have a lot of fun with Evil West nonetheless. There isn't a ton to see beyond the combat, and you'll probably be done in a single playthrough, but that single playthrough will be a darn fun time.

Everything about the game feels old: the gameplay, graphics, control scheme and sometimes insensitive humor. It’s a tough combination to swallow, and the maddening difficulty doesn’t improve the situation one bit.

As a pilot episode, Blues and Bullets gives the series an intriguing start.

It has major shortcomings in plot, graphics and linearity, but the good points help to overcome the flaws. That said, it's not a strategy RPG for someone new to the genre; while it's a fair bit easier than even Disgaea, Soul Nomad has very little tutorial on how to use its varied systems, and even when using the manual as a guide, if you aren't solid on how this type of game works, it's very easy to get lost.

Kinect: Disneyland Adventures isn't for the jaded gamer who thrives on competition or conflict. It's intended for kids and those who are still enamored with The Magic Kingdom, and Frontier Developments should be commended for a very enjoyable and polished product.

A casual game for casual gamers, meant to be fun, fast and simple. Its flaws are significant and could limit it for some, but the design, quality and variety of questions, and carefully toned pace make it fun for most players and worth getting if you often have parties with non-gamers, casual gamers or film fiends.

It has a linear story, turn-based fights, collecting and creating, and heaps of mini-games that will challenge and amuse. It's not perfect, though. For me, some of the fights were completely static and unbalanced, as I found what I considered to be a perfect collection of monster parts that would end most fights in two hits.

An extremely lengthy, deep, and beautiful strategy experience. From the very start, you'll find yourself drawn in and playing for quite a long time.

Mercury Meltdown Remix presents some interesting puzzle designs that are both unique and challenging, and it also has enough content to satisfy puzzle enthusiasts for a good amount of playtime. However, the fact that it is, in some ways, a worse game than the predecessor from which it was ported detracts from its appeal.

In the end, Unstoppable Gorg is a fun tower defense title.

Every aspect that "works" has a few that just don't, to the game's overall detriment.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a bare-bones experience that facilitates tense competition but leaves behind casual players. The limited selection of game modes, stadiums and characters further limits its potential, leaving the title with good gameplay but almost no interesting ways to engage with it. The hope is that Nintendo has more to add via DLC, but what, when and how is still a mystery. As with previous Nintendo sports titles, you're better off waiting for the additional content to make a more informed purchase decision. In its current state, Battle League is fun and great to play, but it's hardly worth the full price tag.

Kinect Sports may have a simple premise, but that very simplicity is what allows it to shine. As much a tech demo of the Kinect's abilities as a game, it is somewhat surprising that Kinect Sports wasn't chosen as the featured pack-in title. If you own a Kinect, this is a game that really should be in your collection.

Even with the advancements done to the formula over the years, the LEGO Harry Potter Collection remains a solid game for fans. Gameplay remains simple enough for kids to enjoy, but the amount of content packed into each title ensures they'll still be working on it long after the campaigns have been finished. The enhancements due to the platform jump aren't truly significant, but they help make an already clean-looking game shine just a tiny bit more. Unless you've played these to death on previous consoles, this is certainly a game that deserves to be checked out by those who still adore the LEGO games without question.

If you’re feeling patient and want a massive adventure then BD is worth a look. If you have "Sacred" in your library, keep playing till you get to level 50 and then see how you feel.

It tends to shift between greatness and mediocrity with the frequency of your average rollercoaster ride, but the great parts are easily worth a look by anyone who enjoys beat-'em-ups.

Ultimately, Dokapon Kingdom for the Wii is a typical party game; luck, luck, pushing luck, and pondering the nature of luck.

Mafia: The Old Country is a playable movie first and a game second. It's a well-crafted, engaging, if sometimes overly predictable narrative of Mafia intrigue. If that sort of thing appeals to you, then there's a whole lot to like, and it's probably worth playing for that on its own merits. As a game, it feels somewhat lackluster, with most of the actual gameplay feeling like the bare minimum before one can return to the story, and it's supported by some great set pieces. If you want a cool period crime drama, then The Old Country has you covered, but don't expect much more beyond that.

Beautiful Katamari holds out as a well-crafted cash-in of the Katamari formula, seeking to bring it to a new, potentially larger, audience. Unfortunately, "cash-in" still applies, and in spite of some great additions, it's still the same old Katamari.

No Straight Roads is an enjoyable romp through a weird world of colorful characters. It almost has a Psychonauts vibe to it, and not just due to the art style. NSR provides a cute adventure with some fun boss fights, but it doesn't redefine the genre or do anything extraordinary. If the in-between areas had been stronger, they might have elevated the game, but they don't currently detract from the experience. All in all, NSR is a charming title that is worth a look. As the developers say in the ending credits, "We like EDM too."

Those who enjoyed the original trilogy will be thrilled to see an AT-AT downed by Rebel snowspeeders or Darth Vader appearing on the horizon with lightsaber ignited. Those more interested in a meaty multiplayer shooter may want to look elsewhere.

The drawing is spot-on, and if they could clean up the platforming, make a more intricate plot and present us with characters we care about, they could have a true classic on their hands.

Ultimately, The Sims 3 gives DS owners the Sims game they've always wanted, and it does a pretty fine job of condensing the console and PC experience into a handheld. In spite of the design and technical problems that crop up along the way, the game is just as entertaining and engrossing as ever, and the constant need to complete one more task, earn the next rank or achieve one last goal is a strong enough pull to keep you playing for hours on end.

It, in fact, accomplishes roughly 95% of what it set out to do, and with style besides. If you've ever liked Dragon Ball Z, even just as a kid growing up, then this game should automatically be added to your collection.