James Carr
Hot Wheels Unleashed is an excellent arcade racing game that doesn't fully embrace some of the wackier parts of the toy brand.
Trek to Yomi is a beautiful homage to a specific genre of old Japanese cinema and the artists who created those films. While occasionally too rigid in its dedication to paying tribute, a combat system with enough depth to satisfy most people and scenery worthy of its own canvas at every turn makes it a journey worth taking.
Classic SpongeBob humor combined with solid platforming makes for a fun nostalgia trip through the multiverse in The Cosmic Shake.
Cassette Beasts is a fresh take on the monster collecting genre, featuring both whimsical creatures and actual floating nightmares in its surreal world. A double battle system with dozens of different buffs and debuffs creates a need to be more strategic and its story goes far beyond a desire to become champion or to just catch'em all, but you can still do that too if you want to. A few shortcomings in the quest systems and platforming hold it back, but only slightly. Cassette Beasts proves itself as far more than just a knockoff, and is instead a brilliant game in its own right.
Aliens: Dark Descent feels a lot like some of the recent Alien films, where there are plenty of good ideas but the execution is lacking. A real-time strategy game starring helpless, fragile marines sounds fun, but the slow and clunky controls makes it much harder to engage with the systems present in combat. The atmosphere and story are strong enough that if the game was even a bit more fun to play, it would be worth checking out for fans of Aliens, but as it stands Aliens: Dark Descent is a frustrating experience.
Exoprimal keeps its cards close, saving some of its best moments for later.
How Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged brings plenty of small improvements but doesn't fundamentally change much from the original.
Another Crab's Treasure blends hardcore action with 3D platforming to create a special undersea adventure.