de Blob 2 is a solid game that I am glad has made a return. While the remaster portion is a little of a misnomer, it is nice to see the game back. Now with these two remasters out of the way hopefully THQ Nordic can get on crafting the final chapter in the Blob trilogy. Bring it back, and make it beautiful. Colorful platformers are always welcome in my world.

Bonkies has a place in the party game universe, and it succeeds in making an entertaining night for players that have a good grasp on video games. Unfortunately, for the players looking for a new couch co-op game to play with non-gaming friends, this may end up being a one and done kind of game. Luckily, there is a single player that is pretty decent for when the friends actually do go home. If you’re into puzzle games with a deliberate frustrating twist, this is your game. If you don’t think you can handle the semi-rare feeling of completing a level, you may want to wait for a price drop, at least.

I had a lot of fun finding out the various ways I can mix and match spells and the different gun types, but the narrative in Wizard with a Gun is lacking. Honestly the game feels like it is really just meant to be played with a group of friends, which it does feature 4 player co-op. Having the extra guns with a different set of bullets would make some encounters WAY easier but more to that just having a person to play and talk with would do a lot. The gameplay loop isn’t bad it just wears then if you are playing solo, if you have a group of friends who enjoy games like Don’t Starve Together or even Ark then you all should take a look at Wizard with a Gun. Its unique blend of sandbox and twin stick shooter is a lot of fun for a while alone but I can see it being endlessly fun with friends.

Dark Forces is a game that more people should get the opportunity to play. It is a product of its time, but it is also packed with quality. Star Wars Doom was the best descriptor, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find that appealing. This remaster brings all of that back and cleans it up very nicely. This is a game that everyone should check out as it has been limited since its release, now you can play it anywhere on anything, and that is what makes gaming today so awesome.

Discounty isn’t trying to be a sprawling life simulator, and that’s exactly why it works. It focuses on shopkeeping and small-town charm, and in those areas it succeeds. The store management loop is fun, the characters are memorable, and the atmosphere is cozy in a way that few games pull off. It does stumble with clunky controls, slow pacing, and a lack of meaningful downtime activities, but those issues don’t outweigh the charm at its core. In the end Discounty is a refreshing spin on cozy sims that makes running a supermarket surprisingly engaging.

The Top 40 music game is actually long overdue and I don't think it would be any more sensible to make this entire thing DLC as it would require people only wanting these songs to purchase both the original game and an entirely new pack.

Watching the unlocked videos was nice, but not enough to make me care about this game as much as I wanted to.

While not as deep or engaging as the other titles in this franchise, Downhill Jam finally takes the series in a new direction. I can really see this becoming a nice offset from the traditional game and even enjoying some real success. Vicarious Visions has done an amazing job considering the limitations of the Nintendo DS.

Crysis 3 is not a bad game by any means, and it is very ambitious in many aspects, but as far as game play and story go, it is not going to impress anyone.

On a whole this is one outstanding collection granted players come into it with proper expectations. Sure the original Duck Tales is a blast, but most of these games have not aged as well as one would hope. Still, I cannot recommend it enough, it brought back memories. From the music to the insane difficulty, I had a blast. The rewind feature allowed me to see them all, and the new leader boards and modes make it worthwhile.

Perhaps this is due to my less than favorable inclination for puzzle/platformer action games as I seldom search out for games of this genre, but Hob felt lacking an identity- a clear element to call its own that really makes it standout amongst the rest of the games in the genre. While it most certainly looks pleasing to the eyes and feels competently made, I never felt excited to get back into the world of Hob after picking up a controller for another play session. As much as I would love to say that Runic Games went out after creating their best work yet, I cannot in good conscious as Hob is a solid, albeit unremarkable game.

Fight ‘N Rage is a fantastic beat ‘em up. It has simple controls, good mechanics, and a lot of diversity to go along with it. Fans of this genre should not hesitate to pick this one up and even if you only play solo, you’ll still have a fun time with it.

Capcom has delivered yet another fantastic HD remake.

If you’re a hardcore strategy fan it’s definitely worth a look, and if you’re new to the genre and have the patience to learn, it’s not a bad place to start.

Dead or Alive 5 has been a long time coming, but I definitely feel it was worth it. Fans of the series are likely to be satisfied with the amount of content within. The new characters are great, the guest characters are fun and the new mechanics create a new way to play without sacrificing familiarity. This is a supremely polished title outside of the questionable online portion. Hopefully, they can clean that up shortly after launch and continue supporting it with future costume and stage DLC. This game has legs if things come together, and being a fan as long as I have I can say, it feels good to be back.

On the surface WRC 8 would look like a game made for rally fans, but it misses the mark by miles and with there being so many other fantastic rally and racing games already out there to choose from, I can only recommend that you go looking elsewhere.

Knights in the Nightmare is a miraculous achievement in game design, and one hell of an RPG experience.

Mortal Shell is built around a solid foundation with a fun and responsive combat engine propped up by strong visuals. While some obtuse design choices and an uninteresting world holds it back from escaping the moniker of being, “just yet another souls-like”, it’s guaranteed to scratch that itch, at least a little.

With a solid start for MyPlayer mode, and a strong big picture batting and pitching mechanic in place, I'm quite optimistic for the 11th iteration of MLB 2k.

10 Second Ninja is certainly well designed from a gameplay standpoint, but misses out on being great through the shear difficulty of it. But if you enjoy a real tough challenge, and if your reflexes are sharper than mine, then it might be worth a shot.

Anyone looking for a fun time with friends or a new breed of arcade shooter should pick up Rival Megagun and any fan of game music should definitely listen to Dominic Ninmark’s soundtrack. Stellar work all around.

With easy to learn controls, great arcade gameplay and some fantastic catches, this game should be played by any baseball fan.

Overall, DOA6 is a nice package. While the grind for the costumes is real, the quest modes is a great way to learn more about all the characters in the game, and while the online mode is sparse for now, the support for this game will come in due time. Aside from all of that, the most important thing is the fighting mechanics and DOA6 delivers in that aspect. This is a great fighting game for both beginners and advanced players. The ins and outs take some getting used to, but once you do, you feel the satisfaction of pulling off that amazing counter and finishing up with a devastating combo, and end the end, that’s all that matters. Fighting game fans will have a great time here.

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.

Brothers in Arms seems to wish they were cool enough to eat lunch with Band of Brothers and ends up taking itself all too seriously. It is an earnest backdrop for a game in which the "fun part" is supposed to be blowing people into tiny bits.

If you would call yourself a SoulCalibur purist and long for the days where you could show off how good you were in SoulCalibur II to everyone in the world, this might be for you, otherwise it’s just another cash grab HD re-release with very little new substance.

Even the reversion of the melee controls from the original didn’t make me like this game any less and for those of us who have been waiting for the sequel since it was announced in that now classic trailer, Dead Island 2 delivers on the promise and provides and fun, sunny jaunt in a zombie filled ‘HELL-A’ that is an absolute blast with friends but also fun in solo.

I loved my time with this game and it being offered on Game Pass for Xbox owners only sweetens the deal. Even still Switch and PS4 owners should not hesitate. For $20 this is one nostalgia trip worth taking, even for those that didn’t necessarily grow up with the games it attempts to mimic. A good game is still a good game regardless of generation.