What I really enjoyed was the crafting system because we could craft the item whenever we wanted, even on the world map, thus reducing the need of going back to town to buy healing items or new equipment.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a darn fine remake of two the GBA's most addictive games. It doesn't exactly change too much from the original, but it adds some new features, more multiplayer options, and a glossy new coat of paint. That's pretty much all it needs to be. Advance Wars ate hours of my life as a kid, and it certainly has the same potential now that I'm older.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a perfect game for the Switch. The visual novel adventure gameplay translates almost perfectly to a handheld format, and I found it to be more fun to pick up and play in short spurts versus needing to park myself in front of a TV. Even the more obscured mecha combat work well in a handheld format. The gameplay and story still feel fresh and engaging, and those who've already finished it once might find something to enjoy here. It's easy to recommend to anyone who has a taste for mind-bending 999-style games, and it's likely to please a few newcomers as well.

Ashen is a great title. The Souls formula may be adapted nearly wholesale, but the art style gives the game a different vibe. The presence of co-op at all times makes each run feel feasible, since the odds rarely feel impossible to overcome, and the presence of a community to grow gives you a real sense of progression and purpose. Unless you're completely burned out by the formula, Ashen is an adventure that's well worth checking out.

RedLynx certainly hasn't lost any of the ideas that make the Trials series so much fun to play and has escalated the track design in a way that makes this game feel fresh and new, despite being the 13th entry in a decade-old series.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga genuinely hits the mark. It's a love letter to the nine main movies in the Star Wars franchise, and it feels like something that's made for anyone to enjoy, whether their favorite movie is "The Phantom Menace" or "The Rise of Skywalker." It doesn't reinvent the wheel as far as LEGO games go, but it's darn fun with a load of content that is sure to keep fans happy for a long time.

Even when considering the aforementioned caveats, DJ Hero 2 is a very good game, and it is surely a nice step up from the original title.

The Night of the Rabbit is certainly one of Daedelic's better games. The gameplay is faithful to the point-and-click adventure genre blueprint, but only with a few obtuse puzzles.

If you're looking for the next great leap forward, then sit tight and wait for Rock Band 3 with its new keyboard peripheral and Pro mode. However, if you're looking for a fun new twist on familiar mechanics, then there's absolutely nothing wrong with Warriors of Rock - if you can get past the fact that you have to play Nickelback.

In the end, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a perfectly adequate collection of three very good games. Even if Sunshine isn't to your taste, Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy are two of the finest platformers ever made, and they absolutely make the collection worthwhile. The only disappointment is that not enough was done to adjust and touch up the games for the Switch. Despite that shortcoming, there's hardly a better bang for your buck on the Switch than Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and it is a must-have for any Switch owner. Just remember that for some reason, it's only available for purchase through March 2021.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land remains a solid but simple game in the series.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what else you could expect from a remaster of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It was a great game in 1999, and it's aged better than most in its class. If you're looking for some solid RTS gameplay, single-player or multiplayer, look no further than Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

A fantastic game that falls short of perfection because of its length. Great story, action, graphics, and sound make this a game to remember, but coming in at less than 7 hours of gameplay really hurts the value.

With all of its content and features, Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker is the definitive version of the game.

Without a doubt, Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow is one of PSP's top titles this year. It's beautiful, action-packed and, most importantly, fun. It's far from perfect — controls being the most troublesome issue — but its flaws hardly ruin what is, on the whole, a very good game.

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.

Guacamelee is an impressive effort from Drinkbox Studios. It's a simple, solid and well-made Metroid clone in a time when Metroid clones are nonexistent.

All in all, Judgment is a solid addition to the franchise. Like Yakuza 0, it is kind of a back-to-basics offering, and it's self-contained in a good way. It contains pretty much everything you'd expect from a Yakuza title. It's well designed and easy to play, and that makes it a boatload of fun. If you like Yakuza, then you'll like Judgment and if you've never played a Yakuza game, then this is a great place to start. Additionally, you get a free copy of Virtua Fighter 5 in-game, and who can complain about that?

Betrayal at Club Low may seem odd initially, but it works its magic on you. The dice mechanics can seem daunting, and the luck-based play might not be for everyone, but the game does more than enough to ease you into it, with some generous hint systems and a grace period before death. The freedom to do whatever hair-brained scheme you can think of and a cast of strange-looking but relatable characters are more than enough motivation to keep going. The 11 endings and the generally short playtime means that going for another run isn't too difficult. Unless you don't like adventure games, Betrayal at Club Low is well worth playing.

The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut mocks women, the disabled and racial minorities. It's astoundingly gory, gruesome and profane.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the first of a trilogy, and it makes a strong case to bring the rest of the story arc to North America. Though some of the core design feels left behind compared to modern standards, the story line is very impressive and the title manages to be quite fun even as it sticks closely to traditional JRPG mechanics. If you're looking for a lengthy, meaty RPG you can take with you wherever you go, this title will make a fine option.

Prince of Persia is fun. It isn't really challenging, and it isn't really lengthy, but when you play it, you're going to have fun.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is another excellent addition to the Nintendo Switch's bustling first-year library of enjoyable titles. It does a great job of being accessible enough to lure strategy newcomers while also providing a good amount of challenge to vets. It comes with plenty of content to keep players going in solo and multiplayer modes, and every battle is entertaining. With a presentation that matches some of the better Super Mario titles out there, Mario + Rabbids is a perfect fit for your library.

Stellaris: Console Edition is a mighty impressive game in and of itself. It also did the impossible: make a fairly complex and grand strategy title enjoyable on a console. That should stand as its own achievement. If you have access to Stellaris on a powerful PC, the console edition isn't for you. Even though it is a great title, the console version still feels somewhat restrained and pared down, but that may change with future updates. Regardless, if you're a fan of the genre and only game on a console at home, this is as close as you can get to a great strategy title running in its full glory on a TV.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is the biggest and best Dragon Age to date. Packed to the brim with content and carefully refined mechanics, it's sure to please any Dragon Age fan. It has a fair share of problems, but none detract too much from the strong core experience.

Hitman: Absolution proves to be another notable entry in the series. It may house a ho-hum plot, and you'll hate just about every character you come across, but the open nature of the approach is good enough that you'll overlook those blemishes.

Having reviewed multiple compilations, I find that Atari Classics Evolved definitely stands out as one of the best in quite some time. The care taken in presentation and adaptation to a portable format is impressive, with only minor flaws to hold it back.

Boring, long narrative and bad voice acting aside, what we have here is the most balanced SRPG for those who would like to become serious fans of the genre.