Jeffrey L. Wilson's Reviews
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a delightful skating and hip-hop mash-up that builds its foundation on Sega's classic Jet Set Radio series, but contains enough narrative and gameplay freshness to stand on its own as an arcade-style action game.
With option-rich mechanics, community-centric online features, numerous entertaining modes, and excellent netcode, Street Fighter 6 is a fighting game both casual and hard-core genre fans will love.
River City Girls 2 tops its predecessor in nearly every way with more characters, enhanced combat, cross-platform play, and some of the best music you'll hear in a video game.
An excellent rebound from the divisive The King of Fighters XIV, KOF XV showcases developer SNK's deep fighting game chops via a creative combat system, vibrant graphics, and many fun extras.
Windjammers 2, the sequel to the cult classic Neo Geo game, delivers the same joyous arcade-sports thrills as its predecessor, but adds new moves and smooth online play to the action-packed, strategic mix.
SNK, with an assist from Code Mystics, updates a classic fighting game with contemporary touches, such as excellent netcode, lobbies, and a spectator mode. This Mount Rushmore fighter reaches its zenith, delivering fun, flexible, and hard-hitting action with lag-free, online play.
RetroMania Wrestling continues the action-filled fun established by classic, arcade wrestling titles, but features additional mechanics to please contemporary audiences. It isn't the deepest wrestling game, but that's part of its breezy, accessible charm.
With Forza Horizon 5, the racing series makes its first stop in Mexico. It delivers breathtaking vistas, fast action, and the hook: the new EventLab mode that lets the community create cool, custom challenges.
Featuring a large cast of characters from two popular fighting game universes, the rereleased SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium delivers robust fisticuffs in an adorable package.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a joyous return to form for a series that has fallen on hard times in recent years. Its thrilling gameplay and pulsating energy will satisfy older folks longing for a game type that publishers have ignored this generation, as well as younger people who are looking for a ridiculously entertaining diversion with a blood-pumping, head-nodding punk and hip-hop soundtrack. The gameplay engine, one that defines arcade-style skateboarding, is honed to near-perfection, and will hopefully be the foundation for future Tony Hawk games.
Featuring a huge roster, revamped graphics and sound, and addicting combat, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is one of the best fighting games for PCs, despite some omissions.
A throwback to classic 16-bit action titles, Blazing Chrome is a run-and-gun game that captures the co-op thrills and tough-as-nails gameplay found in Contra and Metal Slug.
Kunio and his crew of troublemakers unleash adolescent violence in this new multi-player brawler. Featuring numerous combatants, weapons, and special moves, River City Melee Mach!! may scratch the battle royale itch for people who don't fancy Fortnite or PUBG.
River City Girls' fisticuffs, stellar presentation, and RPG-elements make it an exciting and fun entry in the long running River City/Kunio-kun series, but a few missteps prevent it from achieving PC gaming greatness.
Platinum Games' groundbreaking shooter blends dazzling speeds, Matrix-like slow-motion effects, and simple but creative gameplay into one the best shooters ever made.
Contra Anniversary Collection is a solid retro video game bundle for PC that features some of the best run-and-gun titles of the 8- and 16-bit eras, but it lacks many features you'd expect in a contemporary compilation.
Featuring improved animations, more body-wrecking moves, and enhanced gameplay, Mortal Kombat 11 is the best entry in the long-running series. Unfortunately, some in-game shop elements, as well as the grind needed to obtain particular items, are annoying.
Team Ninja adds the new offensive- and defensive-minded Break Gauge to its trademark Triangle System. The result is a Dead or Alive title that retains its fan service and boasts additional strategies, but a few issues keep this fighting game from ranking among the genre's best titles.
This remaster gives Katamari Damacy the high-definition graphics and keyboard support that you'd expect in a modern PC game, but that's all. Considering the game's excellence, that's just fine.
Fans of Capcom's classic, side-scrolling brawling games will enjoy these seven action-packed beat 'em ups. Unfortunately, the bundle lacks some high-profile releases, as well as the in-depth design docs found in most retro compilations.