Even when the story is about something serious or surprisingly dark, the endearing relationships between the girls and the whimsical environment they explore throughout the game do everything they can to chill you out.
If I could describe the latest MegaTen joint with one phrase, it would have to be “a lot.” This game is a lot.
There are bits and pieces that are cool or interesting, and others that are either duds or just too awkward to pass off as decent storytelling.
Gley Lancer may be one of the best examples of official emulation, like, ever made.
Metroid Dread feels more like a tribute to those games than the next in line. It’s all flashy and high octane, turning Samus into a Hollywood action hero who kicks ass and takes no shit. It’s “Metroid is awesome” blown up into a major game release, with some canon-extending cutscenes bolted on.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a moment of stubborn insistence these games are dope, and it does everything it can to justify its stance. It’s the truth, after all, and it’s nice to see how gracefully Banana Mania achieves its goal. It’s a feel-good moment on the Super Monkey Ball timeline.
Mary Skelter Finale stands out not only as the big ending for the trilogy, but also an excellent overall package that lets you start there without missing a scrap of storyline. This stuff is a niche within a niche to say the least, but gorehounds, anime dorks and dungeon devotees can eat pretty well here.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is video games in 2020. It’s messy but deceptively ambitious. It’s confused about what it is, but there aren’t any good answers anyway. It was built in alien surroundings during a global disaster. The corporate machinations around it don’t make any practical sense. Nobody truly knows how it was made, but is an expert on how it was made. And yet if you’re the right person playing it at the right time, it’s magical. Now I have to score this. Mamma mia.
It’s wild, nonsensical, hilarious, fast and sometimes a little annoying. But I’m gonna keep coming back to it every time I remember I have it.
As it stands Ultra Age is one of the most impressive small-scale 3D action games you can get a hold of.
Tales of Arise is full of heart and energy, and isn’t afraid to stumble along with its characters as it explores complicated subjects. It’s messy in a way that feels realistic, despite all the monsters, magic powers and ridiculous outfits.
Despite some awkwardness, I really enjoyed my time with Sonic Colors Ultimate. It helps that I never played the original, so the game’s brilliant art direction is washing over me like a weird anime tidal wave.
If you’re curious about the history of arcade games, especially ones like Space Invaders that have been constantly iterated upon over four decades, Space Invaders Invincible Collection is a good place to start. It isn’t completely comprehensive and it’s technically missing one of its games, but it has its own share of unique content you can’t get anywhere else.
This is as much a compelling, mysterious videogame adventure as it is a janky, flawed game not always able to nail its ambitions. If Tormented Souls was a PS2 game we’d be seeing $100+ online listings, just like many of its inspirations. It fits that space like a torn, bloody glove.
No More Heroes 3 is everything it should be and what that means to you isn’t going to be mappable to a number. If you’re me and have connected with this godforsaken series from the get go, I can’t stress enough how much this videogame feels like everything good about the passage of time. If you aren’t and are just looking for a cool action game, you might come out more confused than entertained.
Skyward Sword is one of the more distinct flashpoints on the Legend of Zelda timeline, and this new HD version only draws more attention to that. It’s fascinating in so many ways beyond the usual game evaluating criteria, and while I’m not sure I enjoy playing it I certainly appreciate having that historical gap filled in. Also, that leitmotif utterly slaps.
It’s amazing how much fun you can have with a card game like this when the financial barriers we’re used to today vanish. There’s just so much less pressure involved, letting you take it easy and helping losses sting much less. At the same time, there’s a powerful element of nostalgia for players of a certain age that can make Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle feel like a revelation almost. This is a totally solid, compelling digital card game, and perhaps an unintentional nod back to a bygone era.
There’s a cool game in here somewhere, but Within the Blade feels like it tries to do too much and cram it all into a small space. If this were a more focused sort of action game there could be a bunch of cool stuff surrounding its fast and weighty physics. But with trying to have it all, Within the Blade only manages to be a cool throwback to older, better games.
I played through both options in Cotton Reboot, and was glad I did. I barely have any knowledge of the X68000 whatsoever, and this was an illuminating peek into that chapter of gaming history.
The literature tells you you’re getting stronger and doing well, so do the people around you. But is that something you can perceive in the thick of it? All you can do is take it a day at a time, and do what you can. Am I talking about the game or real life? That question shows us Dreamscaper’s success at its thematic goals.