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.

Eufloria is a basic strategy game that can be both frustrating and entertaining. The overall simplicity might not be enticing for more seasoned fans of the genre, and the slow pace will prove maddening to those expecting more action at a faster pace.

Despite my qualms about the closing hours of Death Stranding, I truly enjoyed about 30 hours of it. There are plenty of moments where tone-setting music sets in and the vastness of the landscapes smothers you with solitude and despair. Collecting materials and contributing them to an online structure was engaging and even downright addictive. Moreover, the foundations of the plot intrigued me so much. I think that's what pains me so much about Death Stranding: I can see its potential, but the game went too far in too many disparate directions.

Adventure Pals seeks to be the weird alternative game that your kids will love, and it looks attractive because it's reminiscent of a mix of different games and familiar shows. Unfortunately, its unashamed emulation of other works is both glaring and disappointing. What isn't disappointing, though, are the game mechanics, which may be similar to others, but can be framed as a teaching mechanism for game experiences to come. Combined with punchy controls, this makes for a wonderful skeleton of a game, although it's regrettably tightly draped in the likes of superstar media from yesteryear.

So far, Missing: An Interactive Thriller shows promise. The puzzles might not be mind-bending, but they display a bit of toughness while the presentation is rather top-notch, good enough to break the stigma of bad acting that was previously associated with the genre.

It should be said that while the general look and feel when playing the game is that of an unfinished work in progress, the satirical and dark comedy stands out as a saving grace.

Bee Movie Game will provide a satisfying experience to younger fans of the film, but it'll fail to hold the interest of older players for a prolonged amount of time.

Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don't Dry is a good start to a potential comeback for the series. The return to the classic point-and-click formula is appreciated, even if some of the puzzle solutions can be obscure. The humor could be much better, but some of the jokes do stick, and the presentation is decent. Franchise fans will enjoy this title if they won't miss the original creator's nuances.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition can be a fun game if you're able to get past the stumbling blocks.

Although Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles does many things right, the semi-repetitive missions, frustrating save system, and lack of replay value won't impress the average, seasoned gamer.

War Tech Fighters is simply good enough. The gameplay seems limited since you don't get a sense of movement, and specific mech fighting is restricted to quick fights with other mechs and one-hit cut scene kills, but the constant flow of action mitigates that a bit. The side missions and grinding for cash makes up for a lack of multiplayer, and the presentation is fine but nothing feels like it's state of the art. War Tech Fighters won't be your next all-time favorite mech game, but you'll still have a good time rolling through the campaign.

Major League Baseball 2K10 makes big strides simply by being playable, which is something that couldn't always be said of last year's outing.

Doom VFR won't look as badass as the last main installment's version looked on regular televisions and gaming monitors, but such is the burden of enjoying it all in VR. Sure, you'll have to forfeit the complete run-and-gun tactic that was almost required, and you'll need to take more of a strategic approach until you're well versed in one of the three control schemes. It's easiest with the DualShock 4 controllers, miserable with motion controllers, and downright fun with the Aim controller, so the play style is up to you. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a pretty good start. It feels great that the game wasn't a quick money grab priced at the full $60, and it gets a pass due to the lack of VR titles, but any sequel that comes next will have to really step up to the plate. The motion controller difficulties can't persist, or it'll be a major downfall for the Doom franchise in the VR marketplace.

A pretty standard Roman city builder. While that may seem like enough for hardcore fans of the genre, the title fails to really bring anything new and innovative to the table.

Earth Defense Force 5 is a tried-and-true entry in the franchise. It's cheap, cheesy, low-budget, and a ridiculous amount of fun. All the same flaws and foibles from the previous games are still present and accounted for, but some of the additional polish makes the game more enjoyable for casual play. All in all, EDF5 is a completely by-the-numbers offering that delivers exactly what it says on the box. If you want to experience the franchise for the first time, EDF5 is a great place to start. If you're a longtime fan hoping for something new, you might want to wait for a price drop.

It's not a perfect sequel, but for those who remember the original Two Worlds, it's an adventure that is finally worth most of its weight in loot.

Unless you're a train enthusiast, there will be a little to no enjoyment to be had out of Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006.

A slight disappointment. While it continues on the storyline, and brings back some familiar characters, it just fails to improve on an existing idea. All of the new ideas which were created specifically for this game just don't really cut it.

It's not a perfect sequel, but for those who remember the original Two Worlds, it's an adventure that is finally worth most of its weight in loot.

Mega Man ZX is a bit of a misstep for the venerable franchise. While much of the gameplay is similar to what you've seen before, the wretched map system makes Mega Man ZX merely tolerable, rather than enjoyable.

It's not a perfect sequel, but for those who remember the original Two Worlds, it's an adventure that is finally worth most of its weight in loot.

PoPoLoCrois could probably have used more time in development to smooth over the loading issues and other minor bugs, but if you're in the market for a PSP RPG, it's pretty hard to do better right now.

Your view of Crew 167: The Grand Block Odyssey is going to depend on what you value from the game. If you're in it for the story, then it starts off strong but ends up being predictable. As for the presentation, some parts look good once you know the context, and other scenes look rather low-rent. If you're in it for the puzzles, then you'll find a nice balance between ingenious and frustrating thanks to the constant mechanical variety on tap. It may not be a perfect game, but those looking for a brainteaser will be satisfied with what they find in Crew 167.

Get this if you're one of the elite who already love the franchise. New to RTS? Start with "Starcraft" or "Dawn of War," then move on to this.

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.

Invisible War kind of looks like it was meant to be a much, much better game than it is, with a lot of half-finished ideas that aren't taken quite far enough.

Shrek the Third is a funny beat-'em-up perfect for kids that liked the movie, but it suffers from simple controls and repetitive fighting.

For newcomers to the series, Neptunia ReVerse isn't a bad starting point. The story is breezy and the overall gameplay is good, even if you have to deal with uneven difficulty. For veterans, the new fishing minigame is cute, but Arrange mode throws off the balance and isn't much of an incentive to return to the game. Overall, it isn't a bad PS5-exclusive RPG, but you might want to wait for the team to develop something new for the platform.

While it succeeds in nailing some key moments from the films, Quantum of Solace fails to place them within an organized package and ends up making the events utterly confusing.

A feature-rich offering that can be both extremely entertaining and equally frustrating to play.

Unlike just about every other "street life" game that's come down the pike since GTA: San Andreas, Getting Up shows tremendous potential, contains gameplay that isn't mindless, and overall, doesn't go out of your way insult your intelligence with its premise.

No More Heroes on the Switch is an overdue and no-nonsense port. While it doesn't add much, it looks and runs great, finally allowing more people to play the title on a current-gen system. It's still plagued by a few design decisions and incoherent pacing, but it usually makes up for that with its over-the-top action and storytelling. Regardless of whether you've previously played the title, this port is the one to get if you're eager to (re)discover what No More Heroes is all about.

In the end, Fortified is a decent tower defense game. The classes add some variety, and the shooting is fine, but the tower defense portion could use more work.

As usual, the selling point is the setting tied to the game. If you (or your kids) are big fans of "The Hobbit," then they'll enjoy the game. If not, it'd be better to look at one of the many other franchise tie-ins that have received the LEGO treatment.

Overall, Mad Riders is a good - but not great - racing title, and those looking for a new racing experience will feel that this is $10 well spent, despite the omissions and issues.

Call of Cthulhu is a genuinely fun and engaging adventure game that is unfortunately dragged down by everything else. The story is engaging and fun, the mysteries are creative, and it does justice to the sense of otherworldly terror that is at the centerpiece of the Call of Cthulhu pen-and-paper game. Unfortunately, the stealth and combat sequences pull down the game and prevent it from being an easy recommendation. If you have the patience to sit through some rough patches, there's a lot for CoC aficionados to explore.

Baseball Riot's changes over Tennis in the Face make it more challenging, but the level of fun you'll have with the title remains the same.

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.

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.

Fox N Forests isn't going to be an instant classic. The constant need for backtracking for little level deviation can sometimes turn the game into a slog, the restricted move set can be bewildering, and the finicky controls can be infuriating. The game nails the look and feel of an old 16-bit game quite well, while the platforming is solid and the boss fights are enjoyable. It's fun enough that retro fans should give it a chance.

Ultimately, Zone of the Enders HD Collection is something of a niche product. While the HD remakes are competent, The 2nd Runner is the reason to purchase the collection. It is noticeably the better game, in every respect. The original Zone of the Enders is nice to have for historical sake, but anyone who's not a core fan won't spend a whole lot of time there. It's all about the second outing. If these are ever made available as separate digital downloads, The 2nd Runner will be the one to get.

When you weigh the pros and cons of I Fell From Grace, it's really not that bad. The story is engaging, even if the protagonist is entirely unlikeable, and the artwork, considering how important it is to the storyline and gameplay, is engaging. As an experienced puzzle gamer, I found the puzzles to be a little on the easy side, but they still kept me playing the game.

Compared to other "monster trainer" games, Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals is just too limited. The game itself is quite linear and fairly short, even as these things go, and while the collection aspect is fun, it doesn't hold a candle to anything in the Pokémon or Digimon franchises.

The final "silver lining" to this entire affair is its price: as a low-cost title, it's absolutely worth your money. TopWare has released this far below the current average for a new PC title, a practice I wish more publishers would adopt.

The Walking Dead is still one of the most tightly written and plotted games on the market right now, with some of the best characters, and I'd still recommend it over the comic book to most people. This is a particularly obnoxious chapter, though, where the first playthrough is intense, often frightening, and emotionally draining, but then it caps itself off with multiple cheap deaths and the realization you cannot prevent or even affect most of what's just happened.

I Am Setsuna wants to remind you of classic games such as Chrono Trigger but doesn't have the courage to do anything more than that.

Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles isn't a must-have game, even for Sudoku or Picross fans, but if you're a big-time puzzle player, it'll probably interest you.

At around $8, Jentrix feels like an easy purchase. Even with the lack of multiplayer, there's enough here for the solo player to enjoy, from the structured campaign to the endless Arcade mode. Loose physics system aside, the affair is adapted well to VR as opposed to something that can be done via more traditional means. For puzzle fans looking for something more traditional, Jentrix works just fine.

While I am incredibly fascinated with the roots of American folklore and media in general, it would be difficult to suggest this to someone lacking the same fascination. This title oozes Americana at every turn, which is beautiful and fascinating, but it's not for everyone. This game isn't worth a deal with a devil, but it could be worth it for you if there's a good deal. Just don't put up your soul as collateral.

Perhaps the most damning criticism of Worms: A Space Oddity is that, aside from the motion controls, it's the exact same thing that you've already played a hundred times before.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a good game stuck in a package that is far from ideal. Visual artifacts and a few crashes still remain even after three patches, and the game can feel less than optimized when the frame rate drops on powerful hardware. If you're willing to wait just a little longer or are the patient and forgiving type, you'll be rewarded with a safe sequel that can still satisfy fans of the Insomniac-developed games. This title also gets fans primed for the eventual finale what is almost certainly a trilogy. However, this release serves as a warning that Sony and its studios need to do some real work to ensure future game releases are stable from day one, or else they'll lose the PC audience that is crucial to funding future endeavors.

WALL-E for the PSP was never going to reach for the stars, but it presents an interesting addition to the movie, especially for younger gamers.

This will make no converts to the rally sport field, but those already singing with the off-road choir will get a blast out of the ability to drive like a maniac through the mountains when they're away from home.

In the end, GigaBash is a game that's loads of fun if you're playing with local friends. Even if you don't partake in the minigames, the combat is deeper than expected in a fighting game like this, so you'll spend more than a few rounds playing with others. It doesn't have much going for it if you choose to play solo or are trying to get online, but as long as you have a group ready for a get-together, GigaBash fits perfectly in a party-style rotation.

Star Wars: Beyond Victory is a neat experience. The Adventure mode does a good job of mixing together VR and mixed reality while telling a good story in the beloved universe. The racing is novel yet forgiving when you consider the viewpoint, while the Playset mode is pretty neat if you're into posing action figures in semi-ridiculous ways. Unfortunately, the entire experience is fun but pretty short (even by VR standards), making this feel like a fleeting experience.

Even if it weren't the only game of its type on the console, it would be easy to recommend Broken Alliance as a purchase for anyone looking for a spaceship shooter with some depth. It's not the best surprise game of the summer, but it is an enjoyable one.

It falls behind with its skimpy plotline, which is made worse by a series of monotonous missions which usually involves sweeping the map and killing everyone. Consider buying Warhammer if you're in the mood for a fun but flawed gothic fantasy romp.

A graphically amazing, highly playable engine is let down by a fairly predictably storyline and repetitive mission structure.

If you can get over the length of the game, Johnny Test isn't that bad of a platforming game. It looks decent despite Johnny's lack of detail, the music is fairly reminiscent of what you'd hear in the series, and the general platforming and difficulty level are fine for the intended audience.

All in all, My Hero's One Justice is a fun experience for fans, but that's about its limit. It's faithful to the source material almost to a fault, and it does a great job of including little touches and inside jokes that make it clear that a lot of love for the franchise was included in the game. As a game on its own merits, though, it is thoroughly average. The unbalanced gameplay feels appropriate for the franchise, but it can also lead to it not being very fun for head-to-head play. If you're a big fan of the My Hero Academia anime and manga, you'll get your money's worth from this game, but anyone else should wait for a price drop.

In the end, Myths of the Eastern Realm feels like an abbreviated version of the core Immortals Fenyx Rising experience. The main character and the gods have been swapped out, but little has changed in the overall feel. It's not a bad expansion by any means, and if you enjoyed the original, this is a good excuse to fire up the game again to explore a new region. The superficial treatment of the underlying content feels like a real missed opportunity. Given the care that Ubisoft typically puts into research for its games, Myths of the Eastern Realm comes across as more akin to Cliffs Notes than a novel.

Senran Kagura Burst may be repetitive in nature but knows how to remain fun.

The bottom line is that if you have kids in the house who are fans of the "Tak" animated series, then they'll likely love Tak and the Guardians of Gross, and you can rest easy knowing that it's an all-around solid title.

Cars: Mater-National isn't a bad attempt at crafting a sequel to the popular film, but unlike Pixar's storytelling abilities, this doesn't walk a fine enough line to satisfy both adults and children.

The only major criticism I have for CWC is the unit selection and employment of the units at the outset. You are not provided with most in-depth briefing and the time it takes to organize your forces at the beginning of each mission can be really tedious and lead to errors in judgment based out of boredom.

The biggest head-scratcher about Cranium: Kabookii is why would you buy it for the Wii, when all interactions are restricted to what you can do with a Wiimote. Instead, why not get the board game, which is much cheaper and allows you to draw with a pen and paper and mold with clay?

Your enjoyment of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs will depend heavily on what you're expecting from the game. Those looking for a great single-player experience won't find it here because of some bad AI and a focus on gunplay as opposed to tactics. Those looking for a strong multiplayer game will be disappointed to find that while the new modes are fun enough, the old modes that made SOCOM unique are gone, making the game stand out less in a rather crowded genre. New players may be fine with what's here, but for fans of the series, it is a disappointing entry that should be relegated to rental status.

Restaurant Empire II's biggest failing is that it missed the opportunity to iron out some of the major flaws from the first game, including buggy AI, sometimes-clunky interface and less-than-impressive graphics.

It isn't as punishing as something like Arma, but it still offers fantastic audio and a brutal TTK that forces the player to slow down, think about their steps, and use all the tools the game puts at their disposal. One can't go into this game hoping for a sleek experience. The technical side of the game is just as gritty as its combat. In the heat of an intense battle, your processor will also put out some heat. Hopefully, New World Interactive can devote some time toward the technical side of things and put as much care into that as it did the audio and gameplay. If the developer can fix those issues, Insurgency: Sandstorm would be one of the better competitive shooters available on Steam.

Senran Kagura: Peach Ball is hampered by a lack of content. The five different storyline paths are fine, but the presence of only two tables hurts the game. The two tables are designed well, even if they're similar to one another, and the ease with which one can achieve high scores makes it encouraging for both pinball newcomers and veterans alike. At the moment, you need to be a huge franchise fan to pick up this title, but if you're a pinball fan who doesn't mind the overly suggestive look and the ridiculous story, Peach Ball is worth checking out if it goes on sale.

It's a solid puzzle game, and I recommend it to fans of the genre, though new players may end up being more puzzled by the gameplay rather than the actual puzzles.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue isn't as strong as the previous package, even if you separate that into the original PS3 configurations. It's nice to travel to some new Disney locales, but the story for the included games lacks excitement despite providing some big details for the future. The combat is better, although some of that is bogged down in Dream Drop Distance due to extra gameplay mechanics. The overall game length is shorter, and while it looks great, it makes you wonder if it would've been a better idea to throw these titles into the 1.5 + 2.5 compilation rather than keeping them separate. As it stands now, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is fine for existing longtime fans — but not at its current price.

UFC fans who live and breathe online or local multiplayer will easily have a ton of fun with this game, but those who'd rather play solo are best served by renting the title first or picking it up if it gets cheaper later on.

Tunche isn't for everyone. Traditional beat-'em-up fans will like the frantic action of the combo system, even if it takes a few runs to get going, but they'll hate the lack of forward progression. Roguelike fans will enjoy the gradual character empowerment but hate the lack of randomization of bosses and enemies. It falls into a specific niche that appeases people who enjoy the minimal mixing of both, and in that respect, Tunche delivers an experience that can be enjoyable if you know what you're getting into.

Like the previous packs, deciding how to purchase the games (individually or in packs) depends on how interested you are in the other titles in the collection. If you want all (or even most) of them, the all-in-one option for 2,000 MSP ($25 USD), which includes Game Packs 2-5, is a much better deal than purchasing all of the add-on games individually.

This title is very rough around the edges, but in spite of that, it's also still very fun.

Real Heroes: Firefighter isn't a perfect game by any means. Everything here, from the graphics to the sound to the controls, comes off as average with a few issues sprinkled here and there.

As intricate as the multiplayer is, the lack of a true campaign or other content beyond terrorist hunt leaves the entire Rainbow Six Siege package of offerings feeling somewhat light, especially in comparison to something like Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which has a campaign and zombies to go along with its signature shooter experience.

Furi looks gorgeous and runs well on the Switch, but its unforgiving gameplay may be too much for some. The gameplay can become frustrating and monotonous, but anyone who's willing to be challenged will be thoroughly entertained with Furi.

In the end, Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops is a fine twin-stick shooter that's best enjoyed in short bursts.

This title is very rough around the edges, but in spite of that, it's also still very fun.

If you're strictly interested in what the single-player game has to offer, then you're better off renting this. It's short, not particularly outstanding, and doesn't deliver on its premise very well. If you're willing to delve into the multiplayer segment, you'll have a lot of fun with Homefront.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact is a technically flawed game but features some solid gameplay and is better than past Naruto PSP titles.

Your enjoyment of The House of the Dead: Remake is going to be highly dependent on your nostalgia for the original arcade game and a firm understanding of what you're getting into. It's a lightgun game on a platform where it's almost impossible to encounter another one like it unless you're into emulation. It is a faithful enough arcade experience that you have time for at least two runs of the campaign in an afternoon. It remains a fun, fleeting experience if you have no intention of going through all of the paths and uncovering all of the secrets. It's good enough to recommend for arcade nuts, but everyone else might want to wait until they feel the need to play a game like this or when they acquire their own lightguns for a more authentic experience.

Game Hits! offers lesser versions of four classic games in one convenient package. The games hold up reasonably well, but there's little done to improve upon the originals.

Sonic Unleashed is the best that Sonic the Hedgehog has been in years, but this is probably damning it with faint praise. The Sonic segments are fun, and die-hard fans will probably be quite satisfied with them, but everything else just isn't.

Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars is a solid title even if it differs very little from the original. The blending of tower defense and RTS gameplay works fine, especially since the stages are confined to one screen, and the game's length is perfect if you want to spend a few lazy afternoons with it. The presentation feels a bit muted, but it works well enough so you can discern which units are yours. However, those seeking multiplayer are better served with nearby friends, as online play is all but dead now. If you think of Comet Crash 2 as more of a single-player game, then you can check out this title.

As intended, Cars Mater-National Championship will appeal to children who have never played the first Cars game or did really love it, and also the kids who even quite a while after release are still enamored with the movie, or were too young for it when it originally debuted in theaters or on home video.

With WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011, the series is starting to show its age. Despite being a recent release, the graphics and the sound start to feel old, and major gaffes have remained in those areas despite being singled out in several reviews.

Pecaminosa is great for the genre, pulling in so many elements from some great titles and tying them all up nicely with the pixel art, noir-centric theme. The music might be the best part of this game, but I could be biased. The dialogue and clever unfolding of the story, which is laid out in such a way that you need to follow the breadcrumbs and explore to your heart's content, was witty and undeniably funny at times. For a game that you can easily enjoy over a weekend, casually interrogating tough guys and evading mobsters' heavy blows, it's well worth the price tag of $12.

A few camera and sound issues aside, The Delusions of Von Sottendorff and His Square Mind is a pretty enjoyable puzzle platforming romp.

Ultimately, GripShift is not precisely original. Its elements can be clearly traced to many other racing games, and it's not even the best in its particular racing sub-style (that reward remains with Trackmania).

While we were collecting clues and investigating the case, she was a lot of fun, but once the investigation stopped and the action started, she turned on me, leaving my heart cut open like a gutted fish.

The Impossible Game is still as fun as it used to be, and most of that is due to some solid, infuriating platforming.

If you're in the mood for a good JRPG, Zestiria fits the bill, but don't expect anything outside of the norm.

Is Luigi's Mansion 3: Multiplayer Pack Part 1 worth the cost? It depends on how much value you think you'll get out of the various features. If you don't plan to touch multiplayer, then it isn't for you. Otherwise, you're effectively paying $10 for three skins and three new modes. There will be a Part 2 sometime in April, and it will feature more minigames and more costumes, which will add a substantial value to the package. Honestly, $10 isn't a bad price for what is being offered, but it's for multiplayer fans only.

It speaks volumes about the core mechanics when Dance Central Spotlight can still be considered a good game despite its issues.

The poor controls of Razing Storm's story mode completely negate the chance of getting any enjoyment from it, and they make the rest of the game feel incomplete since the story doesn't get a recap in arcade mode.