Spencer Legacy's Reviews
Ballionaire is a peculiar little gem that deftly mixes pachinko with roguelike elements to keep you playing run after run. It can be a bit frustrating when you’re hit with bad luck given the nature of Pachinko, but the good playthroughs make up for this with their unique and addictive fun.
Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale is a pleasant expansion for the Animal Crossing-like title. Catching Snippets and crafting new objects and meals with characters like Hades makes for a good time, even if it takes a while to complete certain quests. If this continues to be the quality of DLC going forward, then I’m excited to see what else is added in future updates. (Dare I dream of a Tron expansion?)
Mario & Luigi: Brothership has some strange choices that take away from the title, but the gameplay and characters are as snappy and charming as ever. It’s not the best game in the series, but fans of Mario & Luigi likely won’t regret giving Brothership a chance.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a great roguelike that takes full advantage of both the popular genre trappings and the massive franchise it’s based on. Outside of runs becoming a bit repetitive over time, the game is a fantastic combination of two excellent ideas that fans ought to check out.
Slitterhead may be a bit rough around the edges, but the core concept and story are intriguing enough to make this worth trying. There really aren’t many games like this, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in strange and dark titles.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic package that features a great remaster and an excellent all-new story that takes the best lessons from Sonic Frontiers. If 3D Sonic games going forward are like this one, it’s going to be a bright future indeed.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a bizarre and intriguing game that’s worth trying out. The combat and characters are a blast, which makes up for the janky movement and basic story. If you’re like me and had never played this one prior, it’s worth experiencing.
Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is another laid-back and charming title like its predecessor and the Boku no Natsuyasumi series before it. There’s lots to do and no pressure to get anything done, making for a bountiful title that lets you do what you want, when you want, as much as you want. It’s a great game to relax with, and worth grabbing if you need a break between bigger and more fast-paced games.
RetroRealms takes two of the most beloved horror series and adapts them into enjoyable platformers with excellent pixel art. The difficulty can be a little bit mean at times, but both titles are a blast overall – especially for fans of each respective series. I can’t wait to see what other movies get the RetroRealms treatment, though I’ve got my fingers crossed for Alien.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an incredible comeback for the Budokai Tenkaichi series. The roster is packed, the gameplay is satisfying, and the breadth of content is impressive, to say the least. This is the Dragon Ball game so many have been waiting for, and I can’t wait to see what content we get throughout the game’s assuredly long life.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an exciting new take on the series formula that takes some big swings and largely succeeds.
Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns is a pleasant enough expansion to the latest Mortal Kombat game. The new characters are a blast to use and the story, while somewhat all over the place, has enough fun moments to be worth a go. If you didn’t dig Mortal Kombat 1 already, this expansion won’t change your mind, but it’s a good time for those who are already into the title.
Athena Crisis is a solid tactical RPG that takes some of the best parts of Advance Wars and brings them to PC and Steam Deck. There are some rough edges, but the map editor and general gameplay make this one title worth keeping an eye on.
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed fixes many of the issues the original game had to craft a much-improved version of the hidden gem. A few irritating issues persist, but for the most part, this is the way Epic Mickey was always meant to be experienced.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is, for the most part, a strong revisit of one of Capcom’s classic titles. The new improvements are excellent, and the small problems aren’t enough to derail the experience. The original game is still widely accessible on current consoles regardless, but I recommend checking out Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster if you’re fond of the original or looking for a unique new experience, as there’s nothing quite like it.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a blast of a retro platformer for Rugrats fans and NES fans alike. The length is a tad bit short, but what’s here is so fun and pleasant to listen to, and look at that I can’t help but want to replay it despite having only recently beat it.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is as stellar as it gets when it comes to classic rereleases. Not only are these some of the best fighting games out there, but they’ve been revived with such excellence that it’s worth applauding. I hope this leads to more Marvel vs. Capcom games, as this collection serves as the perfect reminder that there’s no crossover quite like it.
The Castlevania Dominus Collection is a brilliant compilation of some of the most creative Castlevania games there are. The Nintendo DS functionality is translated perfectly to modern single-screened consoles, and the bonus features go a long way in making this an especially worthwhile collection. If you’ve got a hankering for exploratory platformers, you can’t do much better than this.
Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn is a snazzy platformer beat-em-up that combines satisfying combat with a dazzling setting and visuals. The occasional clunky aspect does stand out, but for the most part, this is an exciting and well-made remake for anyone fond of the beat-em-up genre.
Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a truly peculiar game that is wildly fun to play. It has some unfortunate technical issues, but the distinct world and wonderfully gruesome gameplay go a long way to craft a game unlike anything else I’ve experienced.