However if you, like me, only have experience with the Untold story mode, maybe consider buying and trying Etrian Odyssey IV when it's next on sale to see if the challenge is right for you. This new game also has a demo, and the save data transfers over to the full game. Etrian Odyssey V was a rude awakening for me, but I'm glad I powered through.
However, Super Daryl Deluxe is fantastic despite those minor inconveniences. The story becomes increasingly strange, the locations increasingly surreal, and the dialogue increasingly funny. I can't say I've played too many games like this, and I'm very happy to have had the opportunity.
Ikaruga is great—everyone should play it unless you're fundamentally opposed to the genre. It can be frustrating but I found that I got a little farther almost every run. Maybe someday I'll even try to get through Arcade Mode with the default settings (on Easy) so that I can actually post a high score!
All that said, Curse of the Moon is a very enjoyable old-school Castlevania homage that's well worth the price of admission—as long as you have nostalgia for those games. Those of you who have no patience for the first three Castlevania games in particular may want to give Curse a wide berth, but I daresay there are systems in place here that may tickle your fancy.
River City Girls is a great brawler, and though I wouldn't say it rises above its genre, it's still an excellent example of one. Either solo or with a friend, you'll have a good time.
If you are a fan of Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos, The Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game (apparently its full title) will hold some appeal to you. While familiarity with the source material is not required, it probably helps, but I can safely recommend this game to any fan of the cosmic horror genre. There are some rough edges, sure, but it's well worth the journey overall, especially around this time of year.
All three of these tables are enjoyable, so I can heartily recommend this collection if you're a fan of real pinball tables or previous Williams Collections.
Overall, though? Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is a great game that pays loving homage to the classic old-school Castlevania games. Here's hoping this does well enough so Inti Creates can go even bigger with a third entry.
Overall, though, Panzer Paladin is a charming, satisfying platformer that I enjoyed immensely. It even manages to do the impossible: make at least one aspect of Zelda II enjoyable.
I'll include a list of the topics this game delves into in the Talkback thread, as I suspect it may be upsetting to some folks.
All three of these tables are enjoyable, so I can heartily recommend this collection if you're a fan of real pinball tables or previous Williams Collections.
Depending on what scenario you're playing in, you'll hear some famous legacy voices, most notably Jeff Goldblum introducing the game and chiming in every now and then to give a warning about whatever the project division heads are suggesting. I really enjoy Jurassic World Evolution, despite my historical distaste for city/park sims. I'm sure this is mostly due to the dinosaurs themselves, but it's also not overly complicated.
The original Shantae is a lovely little game that too few people were able to experience, so I'm thrilled that it's available for mass consumption on the eShop. Franchise fans should, of course, jump on this as soon as humanly possible, but folks curious about the series or who just want some GBC nostalgia will enjoy it too.
Doki Doki Literature Club doesn't disappoint as an off-kilter visual novel. If you, like me, tend to avoid this genre, you might consider DDLC as an exception to the rule if you can handle some disturbing content.
It's also worth noting that this is the second piece of software that's exclusive to the New 3DS, so if you're itching to get some use out of the thing, Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is your only other option after Xenoblade.
So while the bells and whistles aren't necessarily anything to write home about, the GBA games at the core of this Castlevania Advance Collection are easily worth the price of admission. I remain flummoxed and annoyed that Konami is holding Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night hostage for the time being, but hopefully that will be resolved someday.
But that's a relatively minor complaint since each stage is so short. I'm also willing to forgive because 13AM Games has built a charming kaiju brawler that, while paying homage to the giants (ha!) of the genre, feels wholly unique. There's a lot of game here, and there are a lot of places they can take this franchise. DOTM is a fun time, and one I've greatly enjoyed.
*I re-read my review of WTD, and was surprised to see that I compared it to CAH. That's dumb and wrong; it's more like Quiplash. You vote on answers that people make up, you don't have a pre-set list of responses that you try to match up with a given prompt. I'm a moron.
There have been frustrating boss fights, sure, but that was my experience with Hollow Knight too, and it's a similar feeling here. Finally beating these tough-as-nails bosses gives you a great feeling of accomplishment (and relief), although they're probably not for everybody. It's definitely worth a shot if you enjoy Metroid, Hollow Knight, or the Souls series.
It's mostly the same thing, just way more of it. The new characters are fun, the city is much larger, there are way more quests, and the story has higher stakes. The minigames are a great new addition, boss fights are tough but fun, and oh man, that soundtrack.