Alas, just like Hercule in the series, Dragon Ball Fusions postures and promises more than it actually delivers.
World of Final Fantasy’s cute character moments can only offset its various frustrations for so long.
This repackaging of the classic Wii Sports drops the ball when it comes to connectivity.
Yo-Kai Watch is a rather odd beast in many ways. Kids' trends are always difficult to predict, and even with the massive marketing push behind the game, it's hard to say if Yo-Kai Watch will achieve Pokémon-like levels of cross-cultural penetration. It certainly isn't up to Pokémon's level: while exploring is fun, combat is a passive, frustrating slog that keeps it from being as enjoyable as it should be.
The Wii U version of Rodea is simultaneously a game with a lot of charm and one that's difficult to love as much as you want to. When Rodea works and all of its gears are cranking along smoothly, it's an exhilarating joy to play. But everything can come crashing down at any time: an enemy encounter reliant on overly finicky aiming or a misplaced attack that sends you careening into the abyss can sour the sense of wonder in a flash.
Hey! Pikmin has its moments. The stages have some neat but simple puzzles, the visuals and music are solid, the inherent cute charm of Pikmin's weird alien worlds is on full display, and discovering treasures based on common household items – and seeing Olimar's confused interpretations of them – is always good for a smile. However, the lax difficulty, slow pace, and repetitive structure drag it down quite a bit. There's not a lot of meat to Hey! Pikmin, which is disappointing when compared to the required skill and replayability of the console Pikmin games. It's good for a playthrough, but this is a voyage I can't see myself taking again.
On top of the joy of creating and playing as your own character, there's a lot of goofy charm that makes Sonic Forces hard to be too disappointed with. The graphics are colorful and engaging, and the music is a pumping backdrop for extreme team-ups, super-speed cinematics, and lots of ruminations on the power of friendship. There are some really fun levels in the mix, too, and surprisingly strong boss fights make for some unexpected highlights. But Sonic Forces doesn't build on its handful of good ideas as much as it should, and it screeches to a halt just as it seems to hit its stride.
Another Code Recollection is a sweet, breezy mystery adventure that's enjoyable but doesn't leave a lasting impression.
Sonic Superstars stumbles a fair bit--but when it gets up to speed, it really shines.
It's a slow starter, but Disney Illusion Island eventually comes into its own as a polished, breezy multiplayer action platformer.
Rain Code is a strange and quirky mystery adventure that just can't seem to step out of the shadow of its predecessor series, Danganronpa.
Despite weak combat and dated visuals, the central gameplay loop of Dragon Quest Treasures is strong enough to keep you coming back.
Soul Hackers 2 is a stylish, engaging JRPG with great characters, but dull dungeon design dampens the experience.
The games remain timeless classics, but the Sonic Origins wrapper leaves something to be desired.
While Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is nothing novel, it is a charming and enjoyable experience.
King of Fighters XV isn't revolutionary, but it's a solid, feature-laden package with personality and style.
Windjammers 2 offers fast-paced and intensely fun online and offline versus play, but there's little to keep your interest if you're flying solo.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl offers a smashing competitive experience… but that's about all the substance it has.
Tales of Arise is a lengthy, beautiful RPG adventure, but has messy combat and uneven pacing on occasion.
The story of Scarlet Nexus might be a mess, but fun action and great character moments make it worth your time.