As an offline package, Nintendo Switch Sports is a hoot just for Bowling and Chambara alone. The other games are worth trying at least once. Volleyball might even grow on some people. Unfortunately, Badminton, Tennis, and Soccer lost steam with me after a while, but half a package that I'll return to again and again is certainly nothing to sneeze at. I hope this is a collection that will continue to grow, because I had forgotten what a crowd-pleaser the Wii Sports era was. It's good to have that spirit back.
If you're curious about what Final Fantasy would look like as a Souls or Nioh-style action game, Stranger of Paradise is a solid effort. It's just a shame that it's bogged down by its oddball narrative choices and its cumbersome loot system, which makes the total package such a mixed bag. I suppose it's the nature of this chaotic beast.
A Memoir Blue is over before you know it, so it doesn't quite earn a gold medal. However, for a debut effort, this is a solid outing for Cloisters Interactive, one worth dipping your toes in.
Developer Finji has put together something special with this game, a game that lures players in with its adorable mascot character and delivers a deceptively difficult adventure.
If nothing else, Triangle Strategy shows that Square Enix has some fire in its turn-based tactical engine. It just needs to balance its scales between exposition and gameplay a little better.
Aztech Forgotten Gods tries and that's probably the best thing I can say about it. Lienzo journeyed forward with lofty ambitions and, like Mulaka before it, has laid down a foundation that makes me excited for their future projects. Gaming is a better place when stories like this, using atypical mythology, get to be told. Like Achtli, the studio will hopefully continue to grow and learn from its missteps to become the best it can be.
While skating remains at its best in a 3D space, OlliOlli World continues to show that there's a place for it in the 2D realm. While it can sometimes feel like a small world, it's still big enough for everyone to have a good time.
I'll throw Kitfox Games and Sundae Month a bone in this sense. Gaming needs more wholesome experiences like this and I'm glad Pupperazzi exists. If the team revisits this concept in the future, I'm excited for what it's capable of delivering. For now, I'll just look at this game as a ruff draft of something potentially greater.
As long as you know that it's dangerous to go alone, Extraction is a blast. With Ubisoft Montreal looking to add more content in the future, I'll be ready to exterminate alien parasites for a long time to come.
Hopefully, this is just the start for a Big Brain Academy revival. Until Nintendo brings this series out for another round in the future, go out there and declare that "The Big Brain am winning again!"
The last thing I expected was for Yacht Club Games and developer Vine to somehow emerge with a new take on the puzzle genre, but knowing what the original game did for platformers, I probably should have seen it coming.
The best thing I can say about Fights in Tight Spaces is that it's so easy to get lost in a run. You can start this game at 7 or 8 p.m. and it'll be midnight before you even know what's what. It takes a special kind of game for me to lay in bed overnight thinking about what my strategy will be the next day, but this one has done that. It's one of the best indie titles this year and will probably go down as one of my favorite roguelikes ever by the time this secret agent sits down to have his martini.
But, as is the case with almost every Mario Party game, be aware of what you're getting into with Superstars. If you're not careful, friendships will take a hit, just because of the random nature of this beast. That's just Mario Party.
As someone who generally hates sorting things out and often leaves boxes out for weeks at a time, I can say that Unpacking is a much better experience than the real thing. If only actual unpacking could be such a calm exercise.
Those looking for a short, unsettling stroll can find one with Happy Game. One thing to note about it is that it's a short romp, able to be completed in just a few hours. There's nothing that would make me want to revisit it, but I certainly can't fault it for what it is: a seasonal treat filled with tricks.
Square Enix and Eidos Montreal don't exactly pull this job off flawlessly. In fact, it gets ugly at points. Yet, oddly enough, that feels very appropriate for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
There could have been a little more done, specifically with the user interface, but the extras that are here make this a fun collection. If you didn't get to experience this handheld era of Castlevania games, maybe take some time to see what you missed.
Not having every fighter out of the box is going to be really frustrating for some players, but if nothing else, experiencing the Demon Slayer story is a pretty fun ride.
The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is another winner for the team at Jackbox Games. With the team increasingly experimenting with new ideas and tweaking old ones, it's hard to envision the Jackbox train slowing down anytime soon.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a magical journey, one that I hope everyone will take. I certainly can't wait to take it again.