Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition lives up to the name and delivers the best version of the legendary game, with almost across the board improvements.
The developers deserve credit – it would have been far too easy to do the bare minimum and call it a day. However, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls is a legitimately compelling and well made arena fighter, that allows for some very thrilling fights. While other parts of the package are weaker and drag it down, this is the rare anime adaptation that can be recommended even to those who may not already be fans of the property.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an extremely unexpected outing for the series, but the developers have largely stuck the landing, and delivered a fun pirate adventure that I am sure will remain a fan favourite for many years to come.
While this remaster doesn't do justice to this game's significant legacy, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is still a good way to play a very addictive game.
There are few games that commit to their central conceit and framing as much as Empire of the Ants does.
Echoes of Wisdom is a great maiden adventure for the franchise's eponymous princess, marrying old and new convincingly, and setting up a foundation for 2D Zelda games to thrive alongside their bigger 3D cousins.
It's worth playing for fans of the genre, and it hints at the developers having a lot more talent than this game ultimately lets on. However, Bleak Faith: Forsaken does have a lot of caveats for it to be universally recommended to everyone.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a unique, distinct, and memorable experience that leverages the strengths of video games as a storytelling medium. It is recommended for anyone who is interested in mystery stories or adventure games.
Princess Peach Showtime! is a fun, charming, and well made game. It has its issues, but very few that its intended audience will care about. Hopefully it gets a follow up that gets to iterate on the core ideas.
While it never transcends its own limitations and fumbles, Operation Galuga is a solid entry into the Contra franchise that is fun enough to play on its own merits.
Mario vs Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch is a satisfactory update of a great and often overlooked entry on the Game Boy Advance.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a staggeringly massive RPG featuring the culmination of all that RGG Studios, and the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, have worked towards over the last two decades. An incredibly high quality experience that doubles down on everything that was beloved about the previous entry, Infinite Wealth completes the series' transformation into a genre-leading JRPG franchise.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a great modern re-release of the later half of the original Ace Attorney series. The narrative and gameplay choices in these games make them well worth playing, and the bonuses and QoL features included make these the definitive way to play these games. With the entire series now available on modern hardware, hopefully an Ace Attorney 7 is right around the corner.
While not on par with Kiryu or the franchise's finest outings, Like A Dragon Gaiden is still a good enough game that does the job of priming you up for the next big entry in the saga.
Dave the Diver is an improbably addictive game that stands out as one of the most unique and memorable experiences in a year full of great titles.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder lives up to its name and delivers one of the most joyous and inventive 2D titles the Mario series has ever had.
Front Mission 2: Remake holds up better than the original game, and while it still occasionally remains an exercise in frustration, it's a compelling and genuinely entertaining experience a lot more, and merits a recommendation to at least genre and series fans.
Detective Pikachu Returns is a great ride for younger players, with its straightforward gameplay and fun story, but layers on enough edge and bite into the writing that long time series fans will enjoy what it has to offer as well.
Super Bomberman R 2 delivers a solid enough take on the tried and tested classic Bomberman formula.
It's disappointing that Rockstar has not accorded Red Dead Redemption the respect it deserves, but for now, at least the game is playable on all modern consoles. The Switch version is particularly recommended if you have never played the game before, or want to revisit it in the portable format.