Ken McKown's Reviews
Silent Hill f is a solid entry in the series even if it bucks all the reason to be a Silent Hill game. I still feel like this would have been a great original title. The combat is its biggest weakness and the chasm of fun between the real world and the Shrine Realm really drives that home. I am glad Silent Hill is back, but I do wish they had made the combat a bit more fun and interesting.
Earthion is a stellar shooter that not only captures the heart of Genesis shooters, but brings the genre forward with stellar visuals, interesting mechanics, and a soundtrack that I could blast on repeat. I love that we live in a world where a game like this can exist. If you grew up loving titles like Hellfire, Truxton, and Musha, this is definitely a game for you. I cannot recommend it enough.
If you’re a shmup fan, this is an easy recommendation. If you’re curious but hesitant, prepare for pain—but maybe the good kind. And if you just want something flashy to show off your Series X, well… this ain’t it.
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Ghost of Yōtei is another outstanding achievement by the team at Sucker Punch. While I didn’t love it as much as its predecessor, it is still one of the best games to launch this year. Sony continues to push the envelope when it comes to single player experiences. I just wish they would step outside of the template more often. This game hits all the notes I expected, for better or worse, and it suffered at times because of it. It rarely disappointed me, but it also rarely blew my socks off. I wanted to love it more, but it just played some parts too safe to make it stand out.
Mafia: The Old Country is a solid entry in the long-running franchise. I love the focus on the story, and the runtime is welcome in a world of bloat. The performances are stellar and the visuals fantastic outside of the performance issues. Anyone who enjoys a good mob story should not miss this.
Bubsy is a weird character. So many old school gamers know and love him but will freely admit they are bad games. Yet here we are in the year of our lord 2025 and getting one of the best compilations created for a collection of games that so many people do not enjoy. I love it. We need to preserve all games, and I only wish we could get collections like this for every series that has been forgotten by time. This won’t make you love Bubsy, but if you have even an ounce of nostalgia, this is a no-brainer.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an impressive first effort by Sega to re-ignite their classic franchises. The year of the ninja has delivered, and if the rest of their lineup is this good, we are in for a treat. The campaign is short enough to digest, long enough to keep players coming back, and overall is just a blast to play. Even if you don’t have nostalgia for the original games, this is worth checking out. Now bring back Eternal Champions cowards!
Madden 26 is the biggest upgrade in years. The revamped franchise mode is great, the on-field mechanics are a welcome change, and it just feels good to play. I ran into several glitches early on, that seem to have been ironed out over the weeks after release.
So, the big question is this worth revisiting with the HD collection with the original already existing. For me it is a mixed bag. I loved revisiting this absolute classic. The new visuals really do look amazing, and the minor quality of life improvements make it easier to just enjoy the game. Still, I would have loved to see so much more included or updated.
Gradius Origins is a phenomenal package that has just about everything you could want from one of these. The games included are incredible, they created a new entry just for the collection, and the additions and inclusions are simply amazing.
Donkey Kong Bananza should have launched with the Switch 2. This is the first game that has made me super excited to own the console. This is the next great platformer from Nintendo and gives me even more excitement for the next proper Mario game. DK holds his own though and I cannot recommend this enough. If you have a Switch 2, this game should be in your library.
Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a game that looks good on paper and screenshots but falls short in several aspects. The biggest issue is the AI and handling, which are key components of a racing game.
While this collection doesn’t have a marquee title to boast, the games included here are definitely fun. I enjoyed revisiting these as well as playing something I had missed when it came out. I love these old collections and hope we continue to see more of them. Bring on Volume 4 and let’s get even weirder with it.
Shadow Labyrinth is a hard game to nail down. It does some cool things here and there but is bogged down by poor level design and tedious Metroidvania game play. I wanted to love it, but came away just slightly entertained.
Wuchang has some neat ideas, but the inconsistent difficulty and confusing story really made it hard to enjoy a lot of times.
Golden Tee Arcade Classics is a decent package with some awkward controls. These games have a place in history, and it is great to finally see them come to modern consoles, but the controls are going to throw off a whole new generation of players.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is another outstanding package of classic games that reignites my love for the series.
It was a lot of fun to revisit these games as I loved playing them in my youth. The new rewind feature makes the games much more playable, and the updated controls make the second and third game tolerable. Limited Run Games did a great job with this collection, and it is worth it alone for the interviews and extras. Hopefully we can see Gex return in the future, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. He was definitely a product of a certain time.
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