It's still the lack of high-velocity thrills - and not necessarily the Axe body spray and iRiver billboards - that make for the biggest disappointment.

The Redemption is not great. It is not good. But it is sure as shoes better than Atari’s first attempt at doing the license justice, Rise of the Machines, a terrible first-person shooter with more in common with "Fugitive Hunter" than "Halo."

Mugen Souls Z does little to rock the boat, so fans of the original might be interested in revisiting this title, but anyone else will want to give it a pass.

Goes back to those simpler times of morally questionable, top-down gameplay, but a lame story, shoddy control, and uncooperative camera derail any standards that its brethren have set.

In short, Rhem 3: The Secret Library has one audience, and that is truly hardcore Myst-style adventure/puzzle fanatics. This isn't a bad thing, as niche games can be quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the game's lack of presentational quality weakens it to the point that it has no ability to pull in a larger audience.

Instead of making improvements, the development team made a game to appeal to a different crowd than their original audience, and I honestly don’t think the decision was a good one.

While it would be easy to slam this Collection due to all of its alterations and lack of optimization, the very fact that these games are on a disc instead of being lost to the digital download ether is a huge plus in its favor. If you still own a Dreamcast or have the means to get one (they're cheap and the games featured on this disc, aside from SC5:2, are even cheaper), this title is hardly the best option unless you're a fan of saving work and consolidating game collections.

Hole in the Wall is both fun and short. It's initially amusing to see players try to go through ridiculous shapes, but it is a novelty that wears off quickly if you plan to play it for long periods of time (instead of in the advised short bursts).

Overall, there's very little that can be said about Glory of Heracles that sets it apart from the pack.

Stranger Things 3: The Game is a throwback to a time when the only audience the game is suited for are non-discerning fans of the series. Even then, there's not much here unless they're completely fine reliving the events of the season in a loose way. The gameplay is serviceable, but there's not much here to draw in people who just want a solid title or something to enhance their experience of the show. It isn't that bad if you can get it for cheap, but it isn't something to actively seek out, either.

Combined with the price and lack of cross-buy, which other twin-stick shooters on the system offer, it's rather difficult to recommend #KillAllZombies to anyone but the most dedicated twin-stick shooter fans.

Sadly, first-class presentation can't save Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm from disappointing mediocrity.

Assassin's Creed: Unity is full of ideas and systems that don't gel or haven't reached their potential.

A simple puzzle game. It follows a well-beaten path, and it lacks polish in almost every area one could care to polish, but it's still fairly addictive, simple and long.

BurgerTime Party is a title that feels overstuffed. The mechanics are still good if you aren't thinking about the oddity of making burgers by walking over the ingredients, but this only works well when playing solo. Going multiplayer, as the game's title would suggest, makes the experience less enjoyable due to the aforementioned odd design choices. The base co-op experience is enough to prevent the other modes from being looked at, given their diminished overall appeal. It is a game best played in short bursts because tedium sets in when you're playing for longer. This can only be recommended to those who want nothing more than a short arcade-like burst of enjoyment before moving on to meatier fare.

Arcadian Atlas is the definition of a fine game. It isn't bad, and it isn't great; it's just perfectly passable. There are some solid moments and a nice hit of nostalgia for PS1-era RPGs, but that's about it. Other spiritual successors like Triangle Strategy and Fell Seal have proven that the genre can do a lot more on a lower budget, and Arcadian Atlas feels dated. If you're a fan of SRPGs, this might be worth a look, but it's mostly forgettable.

Going online will pit you against some opponents that are much more fun to play, but the problems with the clunky controls are never alleviated.

Neptunia Shooter gets the core mechanics right for an 8-bit shooter, and it adds bullet hell mechanics and character-switching to spice things up. It's length also isn't a bother due to the lack of continues, stretching out a very short experience to a more acceptable one for the $5 price tag. What makes the game feel hollow is its bare-bones approach, including the lack of music and a dearth of enemy variety. If you're willing to overlook this, you'll find Neptunia Shooter to be decent enough for a quick spin. If you're expecting something grand with the trademark Neptunia charm, you'll come away disappointed.

It's at that point in Rule of Rose, when combat becomes a dominant factor but the provided elements simply don't hold up, that frustration sets in.

There are a decent amount of races, events and courses to keep you occupied, but there's not much to it, gameplay-wise, to keep you playing for long, as everything is fairly basic and by-the-numbers.

In the end, Micro Machines: World Series is disappointing. The offline modes lack variety, so those who aren't interested in online play must contend with a shell of a game. Those interested in playing online will feel like they're playing offline anyway since the community just isn't there. While the racing is enjoyable, the increased emphasis on skirmishes hurts the game when you realize that your contributions have little to no impact on the overall match. You can still squeeze some fun out of this, but most people would be better off leaving this title alone.

Much of Kandagawa Jet Girls is done incredibly well. The gameplay is varied and interesting, allowing the player to explore how to best approach races and competition, while also offering fun and upbeat music and visuals along the way. It's all strung together by a well-defined aesthetic, from the menus to the loading screens and the UI. What cannot be forgotten — and what takes away the most from this game — is the obsession with these teen girls' bodies in the design. It's cheap and gross, and it completely detracts from the experience. While the races sometimes become bland with ease, the most glaring point that I took away from the experience is how girls' bodies are depicted and designed in media. When it comes down to it, you can make a game that knocks it out of the park in every way, but if you can't show your teen characters without highlighting their massive cleavage or design them without massive breasts in the first place, then frankly, it's not a respectable product that should be taken seriously, and therefore it isn't good.

If you have no other console sitting under your television, you are left with the very worst version, the b-side of the b-side, the version with more P-Diddy-esque muck clouding the surface, the version with more of the good stuff ripped out with nothing to gain for it, and a few months wait to boot.

All in all, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an exploration-based, open-world collect-a-thon with crafting and quests that are both beautiful and fun when played in small bursts. Ultimately, it doesn't provide any substantial challenges and doesn't run too well on the Switch's hardware. Unless you're a die-hard fan of relaxing games that you can play for the sake of playing, Yonder may not be your cup of tea.

There are some fairly good ideas in place, and the game premise is pretty well done. However, the various technical issues and the lack of any real difficulty make the game real boring real fast. For the Bratz fan, this title is a rental at best.

This isn't a terrible racer by any means, but when you're up against the likes of Grid Autosport, it becomes hard to recommend this one unless you have played Grid to death and see this title on sale.

A graphically impressive party game. Although it may seem a bit droll and uninspired to the hardcore gamer, it does an admirable job of being a fun party game for the younger crowd.

ManaCollect embodies the definition of niche game. The core inspiration, a battle version of Minesweeper, can be pleasant, but it can only excite those who have very fond memories of the simple game.