Metroid Prime is one of the best games ever made and this new version retains everything that made it special. I have enjoyed revisiting this masterpiece so much and am so happy new players are able to experience it in its finest form. I hope this shows Nintendo that the Metroid series is truly one of the best in their repertoire and we see more games in the series. I cannot wait to see what Retro accomplishes with Metroid Prime 4 when it finally releases.

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is exactly what I thought it was going to be and sometimes that is a good thing. Games don’t have to change dynamics to be fun and while the dual sister mechanic is fun, it isn’t game changing. I had a lot of fun with this title as I do most Inti Creates jams. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy anything they put out, or classic homages to games like Castlevania or Mega Man. This developer has done a nice job of taking the torch from Capcom and Konami respectively.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a solid foundation for a new IP with fluid combat and fun exploration but fails to topple its spiritual predecessor due to oversimplification of customization and a lackluster PC port.

Just in time for the 35th anniversary of Final Fantasy, THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE impresses with its wealth of content and feels like a true celebration of its timeless legacy. Whether you are a beginner who has never played a rhythm game before or a veteran of the genre, if you like Final Fantasy music, this is one title you don’t want to miss.

Scars Above is a solid sci-fi romp with an identity complex. It wants so badly to be a Soulslike and instead feels more like a game that just borrows ideas without understanding what makes them work. I enjoyed my playthrough, but I wish it would have leaned into its own ideas instead of trying to mimic something else. The story is interesting, the game play is fun, but I wish it wouldn’t have taken so much inspiration from other titles.

While respectful to the source material and even showing us characters that have been referenced in the books such as Headmaster Black; Hogwarts Legacy uses its place in the past to great effect. Laying the groundwork for the Hogwarts that we know and love, it was great seeing the genesis of some of the more common things in the wizarding world. But the games presentation of its choices; in making them seem dire and dare I say ‘world shattering’ only to then have them add up to a big fat pile of nothing in the post-narrative game is just a cop out that sucks. But hopefully we can see this wrong righted as well as some Qudditch in a sequel, that is if JK Rowling can manage not to have the brand erased from existence.

Raiden has always been a shooter for the masses and I love that it continues to be around to this day. It won’t test your skills or reach the heights of others in the genre, but it is always a good time. I love seeing more and more releases in this series dropping for more consoles. I had a blast with this and if you have even a remote interest in the genre this is a must own. Now to sit and patiently wait for more Raiden to drop on consoles this summer.

As an entry level experience in the Dragon Quest universe, Treasures does a lot of things right. It nails the treasure hunting mechanic and provides plenty of nostalgia through it’s audio, visuals, and monster collecting action. Some variety in the main gameplay loop and a little more depth throughout would go a long way towards creating a more worthy feeling entry in the series, but there’s still a lot to love here. Hopefully we’ll get a sequel that can build on some of the mechanics. In the interim, fans of Dragon Quest who don’t mind a walk in the park now and then should check this one out.

Atomic Heart is a game I was excited to finally play, but went in with low expectations considering how long it was in the oven. The end result is easily one of the best games I have played this year and an experience I recommend everyone dig into. It won’t be for everyone, but for those that it is for it will be an amazing experience. There is just so much to this world and I had a blast exploring the world of Facility 3826. I am still digging into the side content and hope they continue to iron out its issues as time goes on. I cannot wait to see what is next from Mundfish, I just hope I don’t have to wait another decade to see it.

Fire Emblem: Engage falters as a follow up to what I consider to be the best the series has to offer thus far. However, despite its failings with its lackluster story and characters, the deep customization and enjoyable combat makes it one well worth experiencing anyway.

Remakes are a much harder thing to pull off than remasters. The original game exists and changing things can be a scary proposition to fans. Motive Studio has done an outstanding job of tweaking what worked and fixing what didn’t. This remake is on the same level as Capcom’s efforts with Resident Evil and will be considered one of the best going forward. This is a gold standard and I truly hope we get to see them continue this work with a new game in the series, or even a remake of the second game. I love this world and hope it is truly back and here to stay.

I think the lack of a structure makes this more of a quick play experience on the go than something where people will sit down and play. I don’t dislike Party of Legends, but it’s better in short bursts which is an issue I don’t think a lot of other party games have. It did however capture that feeling of playing motion control games on the Wii quite well and with the fact that all base Switch models come with two Joy Cons, I think there’s at least some value in this if two people are traveling together and want to have some genuine laughs.

Overall the game is quite well done. While not overly a horror game, the soundtrack and some of the moments between chapters did give off a creepy vibe. For a fiver, anyone who likes puzzles will probably get a kick out of it. However, I assume anyone with the ability to play ROMs on original hardware would get a way cooler experience playing NEScape!

Shadow Warrior 3 ends up being just ‘ok’ in the grand scheme of things and especially in comparison to the games around it. Lo Wang deserves better and if the fates will it we will get to hang out with our pal Wang again soon.

The controls are simple, there aren’t a bunch of sub menus and things, and everything just works well. I would like to see some improvements to AI and things in the future but with an aggressive post launch plan that includes more monsters (kemono) and story beats, Omega Force is firmly behind Wild Hearts and that can only mean good things for the monster hunting market at large.

After becoming familiar with its systems, Pharaoh offers tremendous city building flexibility and a plethora of challenges unseen in any other city builder. A New Era has introduced numerous quality of life features found in contemporary city building titles to an already solid classic. From sandbox to successive dynasties, with new options to tune the game to your playstyle introduced, Pharaoh: A New Era beyond satisfies.

Wanted: Dead is a mess of a game with hints of excellence strewn about. I wanted to love it a lot more than I did. Instead the game kept making me frustrated at every turn. There have been a million examples of how to make a challenging game without making it frustrating. Wanted: Dead is the epitome of the latter. It simply uses lazy tropes instead of clever game play to create its difficulty. The end result is a game that has some great ideas, but will not interest most players. I expect most to quit before finishing the first boss.

I seriously surprised myself at how much I love Monster Hunter Rise. With a campaign that doesn’t last long, just enough to train players up and then being the real game. The endgame is where it’s at and going after those high-level monsters is such a delight with or without friends playing. Even after all the time I have invested I have yet to see all of the monsters and I can’t wait to continue to discover more and the upcoming Sunbreak expansion coming summer 2023. Yep, seems there has never been a better time for Monster Hunter fans new and old and I am happy to now count myself among them.

Forspoken is a solid action RPG that sadly falls short due to some of its design. The world is just not that interesting to explore and the weird dialogue can detract from an otherwise interesting narrative. I enjoyed my time with the game and if you do dive in, I recommend simply mainlining the core story as it keeps the repetition to a minimum. If you are a sucker for tons of mindless side content though this game has it in spades. I truly wish it was just more interesting though.

Risen is a weird release. Sure, we are getting just about everything these days and I love that, but this one is just a weird pull. The genre has its fans, heck one of them is on our weekly podcast, so I can see the appeal of bringing back the classic Euro-jank formula. Risen is packed with content and if you can get past its blemishes there is a solid RPG here to last you at least 60 hours, but I feel a lot of today’s gamers won’t even get off the beach tutorial at the beginning of the game.

One of the greatest things about this game is when you finish helping someone’s style you are met with a ‘YAAAS’ or ‘DAYUM’ while the newly fashioned perp is dancing with joy. Truly the only thing that tops it is the fashion show you get when players finish each level. I loved the hell out of Fashion Police Squad, not only did it feel familiar with its shooter roots but its premise of cleaning up the streets of fashion crimes is so unique and charmingly done that the game just exudes a swag all its own.

Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake is a standard platform collect-a-thon that is held up by its content and humor. I was smiling the entire time I was playing it and it lasts just the right amount of time. I feel like Rehydrated was a touch more interesting on the whole, but this follow-up is more than worth your time if you are a fan of the genre or subject matter. Spongebob is timeless and can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, even if your nostalgia for it is as nonexistent as mine is.

I enjoyed my time with One Piece Odyssey enough to join my sons in watching the anime. The Straw Hats crew themselves are a great group, I enjoyed the camaraderie and the jokes (even though I didn’t catch all of them). They care for one another just like any good family does and it was a touching story to see. Aside from the combat feeling overly easy for a good portion of the game, and the UI issues I would recommend One Piece Odyssey to fans of the series and non-fans alike. Especially if you are a fan of JRPG’s, this one has it all for you.

I wanted to love We are the Caretakers, the whole afro vibe, the music which is absolutely fire and I was even down with the idea of trying to save the environment. But the bland and boring combat makes We are the Caretakers just a chore to play; none of the attacks are visually pleasing or noteworthy and the animations feel stiff. I would love to see another game set in this world because the concept and everything is very interesting but combat and graphics would need to be overhauled because as it stands; even though this games heart is in the right place (10 percent of revenue going to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Rhino Recovery Fund, which focuses on improving the health of rhino populations while also benefiting local people) the actually gameplay is just underwhelming.

The story and combat were all engaging and fun, and even the bosses; while certainly difficult they did cause that ‘sigh’ of satisfaction after vanquishing one and as gamers know there is no better feeling coming off a difficult challenge. While I don’t mind the pixel graphic games, I would love to see us move beyond that as the indie developers as a whole seem to be overly relying on them. Omegabot isn’t a bad game by any means, and proudly wears its inspiration on its sleeve, in a world where you have to be unique to stand out it stands in the middle of the pack, not great, but not at all terrible, but worth a shot if you are having Mega Man withdrawals. (thanks a lot Capcom)

That’s where I stand with Scarlet and Violet. It’s got the trappings of a great Pokémon game, but I think this is most certainly a learning experience for both the players and the developers. Hopefully, the next generation will improve on both the pacing and the technical issues found here. In the meantime, players can get a lot of enjoyment out of this outing, just remember, even though this is a choose your own adventure style game, it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want when you want.

That’s where I stand with Scarlet and Violet. It’s got the trappings of a great Pokémon game, but I think this is most certainly a learning experience for both the players and the developers. Hopefully, the next generation will improve on both the pacing and the technical issues found here. In the meantime, players can get a lot of enjoyment out of this outing, just remember, even though this is a choose your own adventure style game, it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want when you want.

Crisis Core Reunion is a wonderful upgrade to the original game that makes it better in some areas while showcasing some of its shortcomings at the same time. It is also weird to release a piece of this series on consoles that cannot continue the narrative unless they swap to another console. Final Fantasy VII is a classic for a reason and I did love a lot of the games that spawned from it. The story is fantastic and it is nice to see the series return to Xbox and Switch.