I don’t need much justification to revisit Final Fantasy VI. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, this is grade A, top shelf stuff. Full of weird minigames, memorable characters, and a compelling story, VI is an excellent RPG. If you’ve never played it before, you’d be an absolute fool to pass this up. Even if you’ve bought it several times already, I still recommend the game. Square Enix has tried to make the definitive version of this game, and I’d say they more or less succeeded.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with Arceus, but the surprise was a pleasant one. There aren’t any gyms or gym leaders, but I found plenty of tough battles. The graphics are pretty basic, but the character models all look terrific. Even the environments aren’t so bad, as long as you’re playing in portable mode. I was instantly hooked by the gameplay loop. Everything you do in the field feels so seamless, so smooth. This game makes Pokémon feel a bit dangerous, something I never thought was possible. If you were hoping for a traditional Pokémon experience, you’ll be thrown for a loop. Keep an open mind however, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be a fantastic time.
Windjammers 2 is a pretty simple game, but it’s also a fun one. Once you climb that short, steep learning curve, every match is a blast. Even when you’re getting creamed, it’s something of a teachable moment. Plus, there’s also some new technique or strategy you can employ next round. Everything looks and sounds extremely 90’s, while the characters themselves all use distinct play styles. This was a huge boon for me, as I could just switch players whenever I hit a wall. Even if the game is quite straightforward, the well-rounded multiplayer will ensure you’re never actually bored. If you’re looking for an extreme, vibrant, 90’s style sports game, you’ve come to the right place. Windjammers 2 is a neon-drenched, disc-flinging good time.
Big Brain Academy games ride the line between entertainment and training. You’ll churn through the content being offered in an hour, but that’s by design. A proper playthrough of this game is stretched over several months, with you improving slightly every day. Although I can’t imagine extensive research would teach you anything really new. Even a couple hours with these challenges would be enough to illuminate your weak points. Such is the central tenet here. If you’re looking for a gaming experience, you’ll be disappointed. But if you want to train that brain of yours, that’s a different story. These tools and tasks take on a whole new purpose then, one with practical ends. I’m not sure you’ll enjoy your time with Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain. But I’m certain your time playing the game will be well spent.
Brilliant Pearl feels well-crafted yet confused, like they pursued several disparate visions at once. If you can see past these strange decisions, you’ll find a set of pretty respectable Pokemon games.
The ambient weight of the setting provides essential context. We’re watching the antagonists as they struggle with impending defeat. Every glimpse of the flagship Gundam across enemy lines spins up genuine dread. Yet even this power is used too sparingly. The Gundam franchise is a massive, sweeping saga whose greatest battles are also remarkably intimate. Colossal wars are distilled into two machines engaging in physical and ideological struggles. So far, this is markedly absent from Code Fairy. Hopefully, the next two volumes find more solid narrative footing.
Unlike the main game, you don’t have to take it slow. The game just encourages you to do so. This may be a simple addition to the game, but it’s also a valuable one. You’re given new tools in a new setting, with new rules that spread to the whole base game. Rather than a coat of paint, this DLC is more like an extra room added to the ground floor. Whether you want to build a couple houses or a whole map full of them, the Happy Home Paradise DLC has you covered.
Unplugged is the long-awaited answer to the question “how cool is air guitar, really?” It turns out air guitar is actually Guitar Hero without the massive custom controller taking up space in your living room. Which is pretty cool! If you’ve got a head for rhythm games, along with a lingering fondness for timeless rock songs, there’s a lot to latch on to here. The hand tracking is better than you’d expect, although there are a couple of choke points to contend with. Furthermore, those quality motion controls can’t stop certain finger positions from being real bone-breakers. Small hitches aside, Unplugged is an unconventional, engaging interpretation of VR rhythm games.
The game looks modern, but feels more like a classic entry in the franchise. If the thing you were missing was frustration and elation in equal measure, then yours will be a rich bounty indeed. For better and for worse, this is a heaping helping of the cruel whimsy you remember so well. Mario Party Superstars is a glamorous trip down cherished paths you’ve mostly blocked from your memory.
I didn’t know what I wanted out of The Riftbreaker. But the result feels both natural and necessary. Of course, you would blend careful base planning with high-speed swarms of monsters. Why wouldn’t we mix these three ideas into one? The RTS strategy, the survival sim resource management, and the tense action all make for a singular experience. This isn’t for everyone, to be sure. Less of a sprint and more of a marathon, the challenge of The Riftbreaker is both sustained and intense. This means things like pacing hiccups feel a lot more potent. Even if the prospect of an extended campaign like this seems daunting, the game’s lush visuals are a soothing balm. If you want something more out of the RTS genre, The Riftbreaker will have what you’re looking for.
Games like The Hinokami Chronicles are about feeling fast, powerful, and cool. It’s about piloting people like Tanjiro and Zenitsu, and seeing what their incredible strength can do. These are fighting games where you and a friend are panicking, shouting at one another as explosions and effects fill the entire screen. Within this framework, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles succeeds with flying colors. The exploration sections are somewhat dull, the fighters are interchangeable, and the story is told in a separate menu, but the parts that need to work, do. Combat is crazy, fast, and deeply satisfying. Whether this is your first 3D arena fighter or your fifteenth, The Hinokami Chronicles are a lot of fun.
Metroid Dread takes small, but significant, steps to expand and innovate upon the established series formula. Metroid and Metroidvania fans alike won’t want to miss this entry.
All told, In Sound Mind wasn’t the game I was expecting. But I still found myself pushing forward, eager to uncover a little bit more. If you’ve got any appetite for cerebral horror and puzzle solving, In Sound Mind might be just what you’re looking for.
Admittedly, my expectations for this game were somewhat low. So long as there were birds on boards, what else could I ask for? And yet, SkateBIRD manages to capture a little of that pure boarding mana, scuffs and all. The controls may skew wide and weird at times, but isn’t it only appropriate? How else would it feel to make a tiny bird steer a skateboard around its owner’s room? I don’t love the initially limited music selection, but I do appreciate going on the hunt for more tracks. Beyond the controls, the customization, and the music, there’s a solid core of skating here. You can easily fall into a calming loop of practice and progress. While it’s not perfect, SkateBIRD’s cute premise and its reliable mechanics make for a pretty fun ride.
Great Sonic games are a rare breed. At least from a gameplay perspective, it’s tough to nail that balance between blistering speed and precise controls. While Colors: Ultimate never reaches that platonic ideal, it gets pretty close! Really, it’s hard to ask for much more than that. Plus, the writing is snappy, the graphics are vibrant, the soundtrack is amped up, and the difficulty scales up nicely. You can glimpse the plateau of mastery on the horizon, and it feels attainable. As far as remasters go, everything looks and feels great. There’s not a ton of new content, but the original release is still very strong. If you’ve been searching for the elusive ‘good’ Sonic game, then Sonic Colors: Ultimate will easily scratch that itch.
Rather than score the game itself, what follows is an evaluation of the remaster. On that front, this is a fantastic release. I ran into a slight snag running it on the PS5, but that was it. Between the five campaigns, the console mods, and the multiplayer, this is a lot of bang for your buck. The controls are intuitive, the graphics are crisp, and the soundtrack is still excellent. I wish you weren’t tied to your Bethesda login, but that’s a grievance I can live with. As far as versions of Quake go, this one is exemplary. The platonic ideal, one might say. If you’ve found yourself missing those frantic, gib-centric days of chunky violence and blistering speed, Quake Remastered is exactly what you need. You really can’t get more Quake than this.
Any game that mixes genres like this has to make cuts somewhere. In this case, a little depth is traded for accessibility. While this isn’t the most complex dungeon crawler or dating sim, the final result is still quite satisfying. You’re given ample space to explore your violent and romantic impulses. The dating pool is both expansive and inclusive, with excellent writing to match. Though the combat gameplay loop is simple, it offers an engaging challenge with narrative relevance. On the other hand, each half of the gameplay can feel like a distraction from the other half. Maybe this is the price required when smashing two disparate systems together. Even if you end up missing the absent depth, the laid-back pace is a rewarding compensation. If only one-half of this mashup premise appeals to you, what you’re looking for may lie elsewhere. But if you’re looking to blend hacking, slashing, and smooching, Boyfriend Dungeon will be a perfect match.
On the other hand, if you truly could care less about the plot, there are some fascinating mechanical elements to mess around with here. Using homebrewed potions to level up is a terrific idea. Having a difficulty scale that’s both harsh and forgiving is a great way to hook a wide swath of players. And the hefty list of skills, spells, and summons means you can fight every battle in a new way. But otherwise, you’d best be wary about picking up Witchspring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy.
Like a good diorama, Button City has a lot of fine detail. Sure the story is breezy and the characters are charming, but what about the games? What about the simple, engaging level design? I wish the sidequests were less about long walks, yes. I want a run button so very badly, it’s true. And the games could actually be harder. But I still want to visit this weird little town. I want to keep coming back to this arcade, I want to get sick of the only good games, I want to save up for the only good prizes. Whether you remember places like this or not, Button City is a delightful escape to the lost world of arcades. Heck, if you’ve got one in your town, this might convince you to start going again.
Grinding is a pretty delicate balance in games. If you include too much, or not enough, or the wrong kind, you can really throw people for a loop. Blightbound upsets that careful balance, but only slightly. But that’s all it takes! If the pacing, or the difficulty, or the drop rate fall out of sync, you can end up in a nasty slog. All the separate pieces are present, they just don’t hang together quite right, at least not for me.