Nobody expected NieR: Automata to be this good, but by sheer force of will through all parties involved, it could very well wind up being the best game of 2017. It's a game that improves on the tired genres that it borrows from, and more importantly, it takes everyone's game to the next level.
Sonic Mania is for everyone, and everyone should buy it. It succeeds at being a love letter to SEGA's classic days just as much as it succeeds at being a smartly designed video game with all of the reasons in the world to return to it over and over again. Older fans will love it, newer fans will love it, parents can play it with their kids.
Everything Shovel Knight does, it does incredibly well. It's balanced enough so that both old-timers and newcomers can find something to enjoy, and never once does it falter in its mission of paying tribute to classics.
Consider this a huge thumbs up for Velocity 2X. For a simple arcade game, it packs a ton of replayability and depth, and it never fails to deliver that arcade rush you're looking for. Whether you play it casually to beat the stages or play it to 100 percent, you're going to find a rewarding experience inside.
Yoshi’s New Island is amazing from beginning to charming end. Don’t hesitate for a second to buy it folks, unless you hate smiling.
Hollow Knight is a testament to the everlasting enjoyment of the Metroidvania genre. Its spot on controls, exciting boss fights, and sense of progression pull those willing into a surreal, dark world loaded with secrets. Addiction and obsession start to settle in until every last one is found, a sign of the best that the genre has to offer.
Bravely Default is a wonderful little game if you understand where it’s coming from.
A Link Between Worlds does do just enough to stand on its own merits.
The thrill of overcoming challenges provided in a game like Nioh simply isn't worth the frustration to me anymore, and I have Team Ninja to thank for finally helping me admit this. It's the ebb and flow of one's life and one's interests, and while I think Nioh is a really solid game that everyone should at least try, it's not the kind of game I want to be playing these days.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a really solid retro release, and if you are new to the series, it could provide a decent starting point for your new retro adventures. If you're more into the HD graphics, it's a solid platformer that gets by on teasing your intuition and challenging players to find the best path forward.
I like Ever Oasis a lot, and while it doesn't reach the level of "future classic" like Persona 4 or Okami, it fits the bill perfectly as a closer for the Nintendo 3DS and its impressive run. If Nintendo drops a few more hits like this in our laps over the next year, I'll be happy to keep my 3DS in rotation.
Ubisoft nailed its first outing with Mario, hitting all the beats with its humor, story, music, and graphics. To say that it does Super Mario justice would undersell what the publisher accomplished. This is a Mario game through and through, and fans will love it.
Like most Mega Man games (the ones not called Mega Man 2 or Mega Man 9), Mega Man 11 is not perfect by any means and has plenty of flaws to nitpick. But, considering how extinct the franchise was and how Capcom took a huge leap of faith on the fans greenlight this in the first place, I'm grateful that it exists and that it feels like a fresh, natural fit for a whole new generation.
Does Strider really do anything new? Not really.
Cosmic Star Heroine is a winner, even if you're too young to have experienced the games it references. Check it out.
Fire Emblem Echoes feels like it was rushed out of the gate as an afterthought for the final days of the Nintendo 3DS.
As it stands, it's a nice tribute to the series and does Fire Emblem's mechanics justice be putting them in a shallow, effective action game shell. Fire Emblem fans will like it, especially recent fans who dig the 3DS games.
I don't want to point fingers at anybody for Final Fantasy Type-0 HD because I am glad that it just exists in English at all. However, this is not the game that Square Enix has been hyping, and it should be tackled with a certain set of expectations.
Buy this game, especially if you are like me and have a hard time enjoying the series outside of Resident Evil 4. It might even make a Resident Evil fan out of you too.
[T]here's so much to do, and so much of it is great fun, that I don't miss those elements like I might in a game with art and writing that doesn't climb as high as Dragon Age: Inquisition does.