Mighty Gunvolt Burst is exactly what I wanted it to be. A proper clone of a genre I still love to this day, with enough new to make it feel modern. The platforming is tight, the challenge is solid, and everything just feels good. I grew up loving these games, and while I am not quite as skilled as I used to be, I still enjoy the challenge they deliver.

Aven Colony is a unique take on the genre. It is also one that works surprisingly well on consoles. For those with the itch to build some cities and don’t mind the alien landscape I definitely recommend it.

After finishing the game, I was brought right back into the world with all my leveled up agents, able to replay any mission I wanted to progress in anything I hadn’t finished. Ultimately I had a great time becoming an agent; I laughed, I shoot a bunch of baddies, and I grew to love the Agents of Mayhem. There is quite a bit of content here and this won’t blow anyone away as far as mission design or open world games goes, but I couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, and playing until it was finished, regardless of its flaws.

The visual style is going to be a love or hate affair. I walked away really enjoying the visuals, and would love to see more games with this odd Claymation, obscure style. Yet the gameplay, for better or worse, seems to be almost the exact same. I couldn’t really tell much of a difference between the two other than new backgrounds, new visuals, and new sound and music. I feel like a sequel should usually try to mix things up a bit or do more, but Nidhogg 2 feels like a safe bet. More of the same and just a different look. For newcomers, it’s no worries, for fans, it could be a slight disappointment. It’s still a fun and frantic game, and that quality shines throughout, regardless of walking the same line as the first.

I’m not totally sure as to who the target audience is for this collection. Older gamers who would have enjoyed these games in an arcade have had several other ways in which to play a lot of these games through the years. And that isn’t including games such as Pac-Man Championship Edition, which brings the classic gameplay up to date with modern gaming mechanics. Younger gamers, who may have never played any of these games, probably won’t enjoy most of them due to their money stealing design. I certainly would encourage youngsters to try out Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug, as they are genuine classics, but $30 for two or three games that I would play long-term just doesn’t seem like good value. This game is probably best being held off on until a price drop.

Coming in at 19.99, this is a collection that man Mega Man fans will surely want to add to their collection. It’s a great spot to have all 4 of these titles in one place, and fairly accurate to their original releases. Some new players might be off put by the jump in quality between the older and newer games in the pack, or even the difficulty some of these provide, but for the price, it’s a nice little package to have.

While I had some issues with both the puzzle selection and the game’s execution on Android, it’s still a great value for the $16 asking price, especially considering that according to Level5 this game is identical to the 3DS version coming later this year, at likely more than twice the price. That makes it a compelling choice for those who own a 3DS, and a no-brainer for any puzzle lover who doesn’t own Nintendo’s handheld.

Here we have a franchise, put into the Warriors mold and relying entirely too much on knowing the series already to get the most out of it. It’s entertaining, but doesn’t do anything these games haven’t done before. It’s the epitome of being a game for fans and only for the fans if they like the gameplay loop, otherwise all that’s left is a story to follow and if that’s all the fun, the game might as well have been another visual novel.

This genre is for a special crowd of players that either love the genre or have loved it since they were kids. They’re not the deepest experiences, and they are definably better with friends. Playing alone can be a bit of a drag, as some levels go on longer then needed. Though bring a few friends, get on the couch, have some snacks and enjoy a few hours of old school arcade fun. Sometimes that’s all you need.

Super Cloudbuilt is a game I thought I would enjoy playing and ignore the story. The reverse ended up happening. The narrative is interesting and the one thing that kept me playing. The game surrounding it fell flat for me on so many levels. I wanted to love it more than I did, but in the end it never clicked with me.

Fallen Legion is a title that showed promise, with great 2D sprite work and a combat engine that is reminiscent of Tri Ace’s classic, Valkyrie Profile. However, due to a myriad of factors, it falls short of fully realizing its aspirations due to its humdrum story and chaotic, oftentimes dull combat.

I wouldn’t go as far to say this twin stick shooter is bad or even a horrible experience, as there is fun to be had, and if players are into the theme and style, it can offer a handful of hours of entertainment. Survival mode is an additional mode to keep players busy, and co-op is always fun, but being limited to local only is a missed opportunity. The red planet can be an extremely exciting setting in videogames, but here it’s just another color palette.

The single player feels much more fleshed out, and Salmon Run is a blast. There are just two many weird setbacks to how the game works. Rotating only two maps per mode, keeping Salmon Run online locked behind events, and of course the online app. Sure Nintendo has promised lots of updates to Splatoon 2, and I believe them, but right now I feel like there are too many barriers for me to enjoy it to its fullest potential.

Despite the outside-the-box premise and the unboxing mechanic, this package is a by-the-numbers platformer with a few rough edges. Feel is a huge part of a platformer and in that regard, Unbox: Newbies Adventure is fine for the majority of the time, that is, until the physics decide to freak out.

Yonder has some interesting aspects to it, and while they really tried to throw in everything and the kitchen sink into it minus combat, many of them fall flat or shallow. The exploration is the best part of the game by far, and while the other parts of the game may be to shallow for me, others may find enjoyment out of them. Even then, the pacing is well done and players will have a pretty view the entire time. I’d say wait for price drop, but when that happens check it out.

TGC2 represents my introduction to this series, as I did not play the original entry. Quite honestly I found this advantageous while writing this review, because I didn’t have any preconceived notions about the series going in. While this created some challenges for my initial onboarding into the game, I feel like it allows me perspective to judge the games merits objectively, without chalking weaknesses up to “well it’s better than the last one”. In general I feel like this is a solid budget title with a fantastic course creator and a lot of options, but it’s hard to recommend it to less hardcore fans of the sport.

Perception isn’t really doing a whole lot gameplay wise that the majority of these types of games haven’t done before. If players are a fan of narrative driven, creepy experiences, Perception offers that, and even if the game can be completed in a few hours, it’s entertaining. Where I really appreciated Perception is in the ability to make me consider how much my life would be different if I myself was blind, and that thought alone is scary. Perception gave me an even greater appreciation and understanding of potentially how a blind person goes through daily life, and while I may never know how that truly feels, even a glimpse of that life, experienced through a videogame, has touched my heart in a way I never expected.

Although having a few highlights in both the art design and soundtrack, AereA falls down in almost all other areas – a dungeon crawler that offers nothing new, other than a cool concept, and fails in the things that are essential to an action game, such as combat and quest design. It may offer local 4-player co-op, but even playing with friends won’t bring this game to life.

Final Fantasy XII is the reason remasters were invented. It takes a game a lot of players likely missed out on and brings it into the new age. It helps that the design and characters fit well in today’s gaming space. It was great seeing this game release, especially for players like myself who never got to give the game a chance when it originally released. It isn’t the most unique or interesting game in the series, but it is definitely one worth checking out for those that missed out on it the first time around.

I really enjoyed Poi. It scratched that itch I didn’t know I still had after Yooka Laylee and Snake Pass. It takes all the ideas from one of my favorite games of all-time and injects its own personality. It also helps that it plays like a dream. Fans of that era of platformers should definitely not sleep on this game. It is well worth the time and money.

All day and a Night ($9.99), adds 8 new wardens, 8 new prison maps, and 8 new plots of land for prison building. Each warden has a unique perk and the prison maps are premade prisons that a player can takeover. The included DLC obviously makes for better value, but not by a considerably margin. If the base game price dips in any meaningful way, then that is the way to go.

The Psych Ward DLC ($3.99 separately) allows the intake of criminally insane individuals as well as the opportunity to hire Psychiatrists to assist them. These prisoners bring in as much money as the “normal” maximum security prisoners. The included DLC obviously makes for better value, but not by a considerably margin. If the base game price dips in any meaningful way, then that is the way to go.

the majority of my time with the game was stimulating and enjoyable. Hours flew by and it was hard at times to find a stopping place – there was always some project that I needed, and wanted to get done. Prison Architect allows for freedom and creativity with its deep simulation systems and the multitude of player options. Players may become surprisingly invested in their prison and in their prisoners, something that can only be achieved by letting them mess with every small detail.

Valkyria Revolution is a title that undoubtedly suffers due to the comparisons to its superior predecessor. However, when viewed as a standalone title, it features an interesting story with a cast of characters well worth exploring. Even though the combat engine is dull and flawed in many ways, it’s serviceable for the scenarios that the game presents and at a bargain price, you could do worse than pick up Valkyria Revolution.

World Series has tons of potential. It controls well, has some really great ideas, and even has an addicting formula that would keep players coming back for more. The issue is that this game lives and breathes by the player based and right out the gate, there’s no one to play with forcing players to then play with the AI which is just not fun at all. I would suggest this game only to people that have a group of friends that are all on board in getting it to play with. Until then, I’d wait for a significant price drop and even then, just know that when you do get it, you will more than likely be playing by yourself.

The N.Sane Trilogy is the epitome of what is right with the gaming industry. Seeing Activision bring back a fan-favorite game, and giving it the proper work it deserves is awesome. The price of $40 for all three games is a bargain, and this isn’t just a quick and dirty port, Vicarious Visions really retained what made these games so special to us all those years ago. I really wish Crash Team Racing was included, but there is always hope it comes later down the line. Now about that Jak and Daxter remaster…

In theory, combining two of my favorite games into one sounds like a foolproof way to make one of the best games of all time. Unfortunately, the reality is not quite so grand as the mixture of the two elements has diluted the unique flavors to something that feels lacking but not entirely unpalatable.

There’s not much to say in the end. It’s a $15 DLC that gets players a new class to play and level up in Diablo III. Diablo III is an amazing RPG to begin with, and I think that the Necromancer adds some enjoyment out of it all. Hardcore players of Diablo III and those looking for a reason to go back to New Tristram should most certainly pick this DLC up. For the casual player, maybe wait for a price drop a bit. Even then, just know, you’re getting a new class and that’s about it. Granted, that class is just as fun to play as the rest of them.