If you liked the original coin-op game or are a fan of scrolling shooters, Joint Strike should definitely be in your collection.

The loving attention to historical detail comes at a cost of a truly arcane complexity level and rather plodding pace. However, in the right mindset, both quirks can be wonderful things, especially when the complexity also reveals just how deep and varied the mechanics can be.

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.

Compared to past entries, keep in mind that Black Ops III falls squarely in the middle of the series in terms of overall quality.

Remote Life is a mix of old and modern sensibilities in a package that works rather well. The twin-stick shooting blends in nicely with tight controls and enemies that are fun to fight if you're not stuck with a terrible weapon. The level design mixes in traditional scrolling with a few adventure levels, all of which have some great design for the genre. If you can live with the translation errors and ignore some of the technical issues, you'll find Remote Life to be an engaging shooter for those who don't crave millions of bullets on the screen.

Folklore, presenting a tale of legends, aspires itself to the status of a legendary game. Alas, the title is flawed by various shortcomings and poor design decisions, placing such grandeur beyond its grasp. But, however lofty its unfulfilled ambitions, Folklore is certainly not a bad game; indeed, it's a reasonably good game.

Like its previous offshoots, MySims SkyHeroes feels like a "lite" version of other, stronger games. In this case, players feel like they're playing a watered-down version of Crimson Skies for the original Xbox.

With its plethora of options and playability, this is a stellar buy for the younger crowd.

Kujlevka is a fascinating game. The alien invasion setup may be well-worn territory, but the setup and outcome make it worthwhile, since it plays out so differently than expected. The "slice of life" story contrasts well with the off-the-wall dream sequences, and the result is a game with a very interesting story and multiple outcomes. It may not be a stunning game to look at, and the outcome variety isn't that vast, but the experience is compelling enough that you'd want to give it a spin at least once — if not multiple times.

Like its previous offshoots, MySims SkyHeroes feels like a "lite" version of other, stronger games. In this case, players feel like they're playing a watered-down version of Crimson Skies for the original Xbox.

If you can look past the mediocre graphics and lousy sound, Dreamlords really has a lot to offer. Multiple play styles, an extremely friendly community, and the constant forward progression of the game make for an overall enjoyable experience.

Vanguard is flawed but has exceptional potential to offer a satisfying long-term experience.

Given the lack of fighting games on the Wii console and the $30 price tag on King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga, you should definitely pick up the title.

Overall, de Blob 2 is worth checking out, but it wasn't as great as it should have been. If you missed the original title for any reason, de Blob 2 is a very unique platformer with some great design sense.

Phantasy Star Portable is a very interesting entry to the PSP RPG library due to the heavier focus on action. In this regard, it's more like the Monster Hunter series, since the emphasis is on raiding and multiplayer.

Hellmut: The Badass from Hell is a few steps short of being an all-around must-have roguelike shooter. The camera is zoomed in enough and just jerky enough that some enemies can be easily hidden from view. There's also the character unlocking process, which is only valuable if you plan on taking multiple successful runs through the game. With that said, the action is excellent, and the flaws aren't enough to stop the title from having that sort of magic that beckons you for one more run. Despite not being the first choice for a roguelike shooter, Hellmut is ultimately a good choice.

Sims 4 would've been a really good game if it'd had another six months of production time, and I thinkit has the potential to be great after a few expansions fill in the holes.

Since the presentation matches the source material quite well, One Piece fans will be pleased enough with this game as they continue with one of the longest manga stories ever told.

The driving theme behind Band Hero seems to be an attempt to make it more marketable and friendly to a younger audience. This doesn't necessarily make it a worse game, but it does make it feel extremely different.

In spite of some omissions and technical issues, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour remains a classic. The original game design is tough, fun and interactive. For those who weren't around when this was first released, the engine change is less jarring than the old design and the new episode is quite good. At its current asking price of $20, it is tough to recommend no matter how big of a fan you are, and those who missed out on the Megaton Edition on PS3 and Vita or those who simply want it on PS4 would be better served waiting for a sale.

Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning adheres to the qualities of its forebears, so this still isn't a game that would enjoy a mass audience. This'll be fine for series fans who will be more than pleased to see the game open up in other categories. The graphical overhaul and increased customization are plusses, as is the presence of an overall quest outside of farm maintenance. For fans, this is a perfect entry to pick up. For newcomers, this isn't a bad place to start, as you'll definitely feel like you've gotten your money's worth. If you can stand the first slow month, you'll be happy with what's in store.

At the end of the day, though, the collision detection is enough of a problem to dock it a few points.

The mediocre graphics bring the quality of the game down somewhat, and, while the need for frantic strategies will probably keep you playing, the lack of any sort of selection of different game modes may reduce Battlegrounds to being a rental, at best.

While the Professor Layton series comes highly recommended if you're in the market for a puzzle adventure game, don't pass up this one.

Fans of the franchise and many gamers of a certain age, especially those who have a next-gen console in the hopper, will still find enough to like in Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War. I personally still replay the mission with the arcade shootout just to get a little '80s cheeseball energy going, but I think the strategy of overwhelming people with as much content and as many shooter modes as possible might be starting to wear thin. We're not there quite yet, but I'm hoping the next Black Ops might have just a bit more than poking at my childhood memories of a culturally iconic president.

Overall, God of War: Sons of Sparta is a fun Metroidvania. It captures the feel of God of War, if in a somewhat more lighthearted way than usual. As a Metroidvania title, there's not much — either good or bad — that makes it stand apart from the pack. If you're a fan of the franchise and don't mind a look at the younger days of the Ghost of Sparta, then it's absolutely worth a shot, but the price tag might make it a heavy ask for more casual Metroidvania fans.

Gameplay is paramount, and I would say that PSU is a better game than the original, but not necessarily up to the same level of quality.

Depth, and oddly enough, simplicity, have been sacrificed for portability, making this a mixed bag when all is said and done.