In what can only be described as a monumental return to form for both hedgehogs, Sonic X Shadow Generations combines two excellent campaigns to create what is likely the very best 3D Sonic game so far. The remastered Generations content remains a delight, taking you through some of the series' most iconic stages, but Shadow's new chapter represents the franchise's 3D gameplay at its very best. It introduces a bunch of awesome new abilities while showcasing some of the most creative stages we've ever seen, and we're keen to keep replaying to nail those crucial S-ranks. Alas, there's still no Chao Garden, but we'll keep hoping and praying for its inclusion in the future. The future of 3D Sonic looks bright.
Fear the Spotlight is an excellent narrative horror experience that proves to be the perfect companion for Halloween season. It's a game loaded with atmosphere and dread throughout, with immersive, tactile puzzles and an overarching storyline that is engaging and tragic in equal measure. Encounters with the main enemy won't prove particularly challenging, but they're always nerve-wracking thanks to its creepy design and accompanying spooky audio. Rare, minor performance hiccups aside, this is a must-play for horror fans and an approachable entry point for newcomers.
These aren't the largest of games, coming in at roughly three hours each, but they deliver the goods when it comes to gory, 16-bit-styled slasher fare and, for us, Ash's game is the better of the two.
It’s tough to say whether Halloween is a lesser experience than Ash vs. Evil Dead since the two are so remarkably similar in style and structure; think of them as two DLC packs serving the larger ‘RetroRealms’ hub experience. Yet we can’t deny that controlling Michael Myers isn’t quite as exhilarating as Ash Williams, nor are the enemies quite as interesting. If forced to choose, we’d probably go with Ash vs. Evil Dead.
Killing Time: Remastered is yet another success for Nightdive Studios, with the team unearthing a forgotten cult classic and bringing it right up to date for modern consoles with revamped visuals and updated controls. Like PO'ed: Definitive Edition, however, it's not a game that's going to appeal to everyone thanks to its bizarre cast of characters and unorthodox method of storytelling. That said, if you're curious to experience one of the more unique games in the FPS genre, this is without a doubt the best way to do so.
Crow Country is a great retro-flavoured survival horror that manages to pay homage to the '90s classics while providing a bunch of modern conveniences that make the game feel fresh and, more importantly, fun. Exploring the creepy yet charming titular amusement park is a joy thanks to its wealth of intriguing secrets and nasty creatures. There are a few annoyances that keep it from being a masterpiece, like the slightly delayed screen transitions and the infuriating traps, but like Signalis before it, Crow Country is well worth investigating if you're after a retro-style horror game that, miraculously, doesn't feel dated right out of the gate.
All in all, while the new timeline jumps around and doesn’t boast the same natural sense of progression as the main game, what you’re getting here is still well worth perusing if you’re interested in discovering more about this formative company and its games. We suspect that once the second DLC pack launches in November, the overall Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition package will stand as the final word on interactive documentaries in the video game space.
Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition is another slam dunk for Digital Eclipse and its ongoing mission of game preservation and historical documentation. The team hasn't gone mad with any new additions or tweaks to the core experience, but when the original game remains such a bonafide classic more than 20 years after its release, it really doesn't need much tinkering with. The added bonus of the Game Boy Color version alongside a wealth of interesting interviews and archive footage make this release a perfect entry point for newcomers as well as a warm, nostalgic cuddle for veterans.
Elsie has few original ideas to call its own, instead relying on tried-and-tested roguelike mechanics as a foundation for its excellent Mega Man X-inspired gameplay. This is a fast and fluid experience bolstered by wonderful visuals and a killer soundtrack. A few minor performance issues do dampen the experience slightly, while we found the parry mechanic to be a bit, well, off, but these issues aside, Elsie is a remarkable achievement that will get its claws into you quickly and won't let go.
Yars Rising is an ambitious interpretation of a classic Atari 2600 game that resoundingly succeeds in appealing to both newcomers and veterans alike. The Metroidvania structure is good enough on its own, but when combined with the awesome Yars' Revenge-inspired hacking minigames, you've got an experience that feels wholly unique while being great fun from start to finish. Some of the characters may prove to be a bit irritating, and the final boss is a massive letdown for us, but overall this is a great effort from WayForward.
Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s. Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can't compete with the very best 'classic' games in the franchise, it's the closest we've gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.
Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense difficulty.
We commend Mars 2120 for what it does do well. It gets a few things right: the general aesthetic is on point, the ambient music is pleasant, and some of the upgrades you’ll pick up in your journey are pretty cool. But failing to nail the basic traits that make a Metroidvania means that we can't recommend this one.
A mixed bag, then, but certainly not unenjoyable.
Nintendo has been getting heat for the pricing of its recent Switch remasters, so to see Ubisoft's Beyond Good & Evil so lovingly restored for a reasonable price is a true joy. The 20th Anniversary Edition boasts some lovely visual and auditory upgrades, an excellent gallery feature, and a whole bunch of meaningful extras that make this journey back into Hillys well worth taking. Granted, the 30fps performance on Switch is a bit of a bummer compared to other platforms, and there's no denying that the experience has aged considerably in certain areas, but the gameplay is so varied, and the world so unique, that you'd be remiss not to at least give it a shot. Welcome back, 'Yade'.
If all you're looking for in a new Super Monkey Ball game is a selection of new single-player levels to tackle, then you're in luck, because Banana Rumble boasts some of the best stages we've seen in recent memory. The additional 'Spin Dash' ability makes traversal a lot more fun, and the physics feel as close to 'classic' Monkey Ball as the franchise has got in quite some time. Unfortunately, if you're looking forward to the multiplayer modes, then temper your expectations. They're simply not very good for the most part and are significantly hampered by the drop in frame rate. We almost scored this a point lower, but the quality of the single-player just about pulls it up. As it stands, Banana Rumble is a mixed bag, but one worth delving into if you're itching for more single-player shenanigans.
PO'ed Definitive Edition is yet another fine example of Nightdive Studio's excellent work in preserving unique, oddball games of yore while adding some welcome mod cons. With this one, however, the core experience is a little bit too weird to recommend to just any FPS fan. The general premise is odd, the enemy design is unsettling, and the layout of the levels can prove frustrating, especially for newcomers unaccustomed to its old-school ways. Despite this, the jetpack is honestly one of the most fun mechanics we've sampled in gaming, and the bizarre audio design had us in fits of laughter at multiple points. If you've played the original or fancy checking out one of the most unique FPS games from the '90s, it's well worth a punt.
Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable adventure that will almost certainly turn you into a cat lover, if you're not one already. It oozes charm and the realistic cat animations are simply incredible, although for as fun as it is to wander about the city, the game leans heavily on fetch quests and gathering up collectibles, which can lead to repetition. If you're someone who thrives on that kind of gameplay, however, then you'll have an absolute blast with this one.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a decent game, but it sits in the shadow of much better Metroidvanias on the Switch. We love the setting and storyline, but as Surgent Studios' first stab at what has proven to be a wildly popular genre over the years, it struggles to set itself apart with rather bland exploration and repetitive combat. Coupled with compromised visuals and performance on Switch, veterans of the genre may want to give this one a miss. For newcomers, however, the breezy gameplay might make for a nice introduction to Metroidvanias.
Slave Zero X is an incredibly frustrating release, because it could have so easily been a slam dunk. It's a great game - it really is - with stylish combat mechanics, beautiful 2D sprites combined with 3D environments, and an awesome, cyberpunk-esque storyline. Unfortunately, though patches may eventually turn this lump of coal into a diamond, the game as it stands is a hot mess on Switch, with a wildly inconsistent frame rate that makes the complex, methodical gameplay feel like a chore to play.