Even though it is much shorter and less ambitious than the other titles in the series, “No Sleep for Kaname Date” is a good time, albeit with the stipulation that it should not be the introduction to the series for anyone and strictly for the fans of special agent Date and his misadventures.

Set in a world of wise cracking, battling robots, Robocalypse offers madcap weaponry and uproarious destruction, all embedded in a deep strategy war game.

Metal Slug Tactics successfully reinvents the classic Metal Slug series by incorporating strategic elements and roguelike mechanics. While there is a story here, it never really felt like anything more than a reason to continue to push the player forward. I mean ‘stopping a megalomaniacal man who is all about world domination’ is pretty straight forward. But where this game truly shines is in the excellent strategic elements, even if they are more difficult than I would have liked. MST might not be the return to the Metal Slug series that many fans are hoping for, but it is, nevertheless, a fun and worthy entry into the series ongoing legacy.

R-Type Final 2 is a wonderful follow-up to a classic series that I will always be down for more of. The steep price will turn off some, but once you get into the action it truly is one of the most satisfying genres around. I want more games of this type, but I feel like we will continue to see less and less of them as time goes on. I am always happy to jump into one whenever they release though and fans of classic shmupsdefinitely need to check this one out.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a solid rhythm game wrapped in a shell of Final Fantasy. If you're just looking for a rhythm game, it's a good choice, provided you're willing to put some time into characters and skills to have the best experience. For fans of the series and the music, there's a ton of content here, with just enough of an RPG splash to get your fix. Great additions like collectible trading cards and unlockable movies make this an easy recommendation for fans of the series.

A solid, deep game it gets a lot of things right and is such an improvement over its predecessor it is an ideal pick for gamers looking to try the series - and a must have for gamers disillusioned with the last iteration's meager graphical effort.

Dune: Awakening is not for the faint of heart. It’s slow to start, merciless in its mechanics, and deeply punishing if you’re not prepared to think long-term. But it’s also one of the most immersive, lore-faithful, and ambitious survival MMOs I’ve played in years. It asks you to live in the Dune universe not just walk through it and that’s a rare thing in licensed games. For fans of the franchise, there’s nothing else quite like it. For MMO players tired of formulaic grinds and empty worlds, this is something richer, even if it comes at a cost. But be warned: if you’re looking for fast progress, you’re going to have a bad time. On Arrakis, everything fights back.

This collection is excellent for so many reasons and yet such a hard sell for so many others.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is exactly what you’d expect if you’ve played the series before. It’s enjoyable, visually pleasing, and satisfying to manage, but it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. For fans of dinosaur park simulators, there’s enough here to keep you entertained, but the lack of innovation keeps the experience from feeling truly fresh.

For $24.99 this is definitely recommended, and almost required to make those family gatherings this season a little less awkward.

Shooters had a very long hiatus before the indie scene came along. Games like G-Darius used to be tentpole titles for consoles. It is great to see them return in any fashion and I could truly enjoy a new one weekly if it was possible. It is time for Einhander and Radiant Silvergun to make returns. Keep them coming and I will keep playing them. G-Darius is a must purchase for fans of shoot ‘em ups so don’t hesitate in snatching this one right away.

Still, even with the slight loss of frame rate during combat and lackluster end-game content, Tales of Xillia stands as one of the best RPGs I’ve played this year. Filled with charming and interesting characters and held together by a rock solid combat engine, this is a tale well worth experiencing.

Those familiar with the franchise will no doubt be happy to see that Lo Wang has returned. With his trusty katana and arsenal of bad jokes, Wang once again returns to slice and dice his enemies into snack-sized bits. While some things remain the same, the second game also adds randomized levels and plenty of loot to collect. It is a mash-up of styles that work surprisingly well together.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is the kind of game that you expect to be yet another failed attempt to overthrow Mario Kart, but it ends up giving it a run for its money. It is certainly not as deep or as finely tuned, but it is definitely one of the better kart racing games to come along since the notorious CTR.

Where the game does really shine is in its presentation. At no point did I feel like I was playing anything other than a classic 8-bit game. The look, the sounds, and even the crazy storyline about a boy and his frog, the game is steeped in nostalgia, and remains faithful to the games of that era, but I cannot comment on how this stacks up as a remake of the original, having never played it. But that is where one of my problems I had with the game surfaced. Due to it being so retro in its style, the game story and dialogue just felt daft. At no point was I invested in the story of Jason and Fred, and had no interest in reading all of the text that was presented to me. Some people may actually take that as being true to the original, but for me it felt like a disconnect. But at the end of the day, as long as the gameplay is enjoyable, that is all that matters.

Outriders: Worldslayer is by and large a more complete game than its original release. The story and villain feel much more menacing, the new Pax systems allows more depth in character development and the new armor sets and weapons ensure that players are going to have new stuff to chase. All that good is still hampered in my opinion by a lack of world building and lore, the planet Enoch is framed as a dangerous and uncharted world and at times it can feel that way. But I’d love to learn more about the civilizations of the past, more about what happened to Earth; all of this can come with a sequel but as I said before they must sell enough to get there. And while I think that Worldslayer is a step in the right direction, I just don’t know if its going to be enough to keep people playing in the long term.

I'd even go as far to say that most hardcore players will find this expansion a little lacking with only 4 new characters and a rebalancing structure that hinders more than it helps.

Rev 1 is better than it was on the 3DS, and REV 2, even with its issues is a huge jump in quality compared to the Vita release. I’d love to see more Resident Evil games on the Switch so this seems like a no brainer. It’s a bit disappointing they couldn’t put both games on the cartridge, requiring Rev 2 to be downloaded separately, but it is what it is, and more Resident Evil is never a bad thing in my eyes.

Battlefield V was a nice return for me. With a few little issues here and there, I was able to look past them and get a nice multiplayer focused game that has seemed to improve a lot since Bad Company 2. Emphasis more on teamwork and class roles has given it an identity and is more than just a spawn, kill, die game. Battlefield fans should pick this one up, and I think casual first person shooter fans looking for a quick fix with some pretty great visuals can’t go wrong here either.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move is a fun, frantic puzzle game that I really enjoyed.

Fighting in Naruto: RoaN is such an important part of the game play that it has been given its own online modes.

All in all, I am excited to revisit and finally finish Deacon’s story and with the inclusion of the Broken Road DLC as well as the new Horde mode there is a lot of extra and brand-new content for players to explore. I just really don’t understand the wisdom of doing this remaster, while I am sure the fans appreciate it very much; I didn’t think Sony was moving forward with the franchise. So, to invest money in this remaster just seems like giving some false hope to fans that are interested in seeing more from Deacon and gang but who am I, just a black guy reviewing games. I am sure Sony knows what they are doing……right?

Truth is, $15 is a good price for a fun game, but I'm still not sure why you would choose to spend it here.

Overall, Persona for the PSP is great slice of RPG history, a very entertaining story with a great and challenging single player experience. If you like your RPGs hard and intriguing with a dash of complete insanity then by all means pick up Persona for the PSP today.

Toy Story 3 is a marvelous achievement in the world of licensed family games. I found myself more addicted to it than some of the more mainstream titles released lately. It appeals to anyone who enjoys solid gameplay, and especially those that have a love for Pixar's trilogy.

If you are a Black Ops nut, then I'm sure you will get your money's worth. If you are the sort of person who just dips in and out of Black Ops, you might be better served by waiting for the pack to go on sale in a few months time.

When everything is clicking as it should, EA Active 2 provides a great alternative to the gym. You definitely get that "sore but the good kind of sore" feeling that drives you to keep pushing yourself harder.

With new boards, songs, and game play modes, I can't recommend this title enough. The puzzle fans will get their fix, and the gamers just wanting a something to chill with for a few minutes can find their answer here. The game is just plain fun, especially in versus mode.