Aaron Botts


59 games reviewed
73.9 average score
70 median score
79.7% of games recommended
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Mar 8, 2021

That said, nearly everything about Neputnia Virtual Stars just feels like half-assed fanservice for the sake of fanservice. The gameplay – while somewhat competent – feels undercooked, the story is flat out boring, and the presentation doesn’t do much to salvage the first two. The inclusion of VTuber content is dim bright spot, but it’s not bright enough to bring this game up to any sort of recommendation. Prospective players should just skip this one, and Neptunia fans deserve better than this disappointment.

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If you’re fresh off the likes of Streets of Rage 4 or River City Girls, I feel like this stands next to them pretty handily. Couch multiplayer fans will feel comfortable enough taking in the short runtime, even with a few rough edges. Certain elements here ultimately amount to nitpicks, but the total package still holds up today.

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Dec 20, 2020

If you’re looking for a centralized platform to play these games, the bulk of the titles offered here are fun enough to keep you engaged for quick bouts of alien-blasting action. Would I go out and grab this at full price? No, probably not. But having two solid offerings out of three at a sale price? It’s work a look. Just don’t get your hopes up for multiplayer.

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Nov 12, 2020

Years later, it’s still a bloody good romp worth a good slash with the added benefit of portable play. Head on down to Santa Destroy, you’ll leave happy.

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5 / 10 - Airplane Mode
Oct 19, 2020

I’m really hoping that additional content is coming for this game. Mostly because this is a passing curiosity at best, and a nose-pickingly boring experience at worst. Wait for a sale if it piques your interest, but avoid it otherwise.

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7 / 10 - Serious Sam 4
Sep 25, 2020

In this day and age, sometimes we just need to hold down the trigger and scream at the top of our lungs. Serious Sam 4 succeeds on that front, and delivers it with a dual rocket launcher-wielding grin on its face.

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Ultimately, reading Aokana often feels like eating a variety pack of candy. Sure, there may be some flavors that don’t hit in ways that some do. But the ratio of good outweighs the bad here, and opening the box in the first place is a safe bet for a good read.

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Jul 3, 2020

Collectively speaking, this game subverts expectations in ways that make it stand out head and shoulders above the rest. For that reason alone, you should feel confident that the money you drop on this game will be money well spent. The PlayStation 4 couldn’t have received a better swan song.

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7 / 10 - Sludge Life
Jun 6, 2020

Sludge Life feels like the video game version of being under the influence, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While it feels like it might be a little too wrapped up in its own aesthetics at times, it still remembers that it’s a game first and not a video from the weird part of YouTube.

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If you’re looking for something outside Los Santos and would rather hit people with a dick bat, this isn’t a bad way to spend some time indoors.

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Apr 29, 2020

Simply put, this is the return that fans have been waiting for.

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Mar 13, 2020

While Yakuza 4 Remastered doesn’t offer much in the way of quality of life updates or any substantial presentation improvements, the entire package is still solid. It knows what it is and what it wants to do, and is ultimately an improvement over its direct predecessor in a number of ways.

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Feb 29, 2020

Even with some elements from the original release that could have used a little sanding down, Yakuza 3 Remastered is still an worthwhile entry in the series to for longtime fans to experience again. It may not be my favorite sequel, but it’s still a competent and enjoyable one.

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Feb 25, 2020

If for some reason you still haven’t picked this game up yet, the low price and impressive extras set should soften the blow of uncertainty. It’s a classic for a reason, and 2D Sonic games are a fantastic fit for Switch. Grab it.

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Jan 23, 2020

M2 has proven time and again that they know what they’re doing with the games that they rework, and this port of Shinobi is no different. This is a solid version of the game that is appropriately priced and fits right in with the Switch’s library and on-the-go nature.

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Dec 10, 2019

It may not offer the twitchest of gameplay, but getting past some antiquated aspects will yield an enjoyable time.

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Despite that, the gameplay here is solid, despite its expected aim at casual audiences. None of this is especially deep, but I can say with some confidence that there is some fun to be had in firing this up and playing with a group of friends.

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Regardless, Banana Blitz HD is the definitive version of an era of Monkey Ball that desperately needs to make a comeback by either remaking the original two games or a creating new entry altogether. This is one of those instances where the quality of life improvements are noticeable, and it's worth your money being able to play it on the go at all.

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Part of this game shows its age in a number of ways, but this is not a quick and dirty port by any stretch of the imagination.

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Aug 29, 2019

The biggest sin that this game commits is that it is bland in nearly every aspect of the word. It’s like Kirby but “totally not Kirby guys,” takes game mechanics from older titles and doesn’t do anything creative with them, and just doesn’t leave any sort of lasting impression in any way.

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