Russell Archey
I Hate Running Backwards is a fairly good game, but I can also understand people's mixed feelings about it. The game is basically a thirty minute top-down shooter (if you can survive that long), but the further you progress, the more difficult you can make it if you wish. Add in a dozen characters to choose from across Digital Devolver's games and there are plenty of ways to have fun taking down Mental's minions.
Antigraviator can be pretty challenging for those not familiar with anti-gravity racing games such as F-Zero. There aren't a lot of upgrades for your vehicle and requiring credits to attempt later leagues can be a bit detrimental as you might have to replay the first league multiple times just to grind credits. The traps are also not really my cup of tea and I could do without those personally. Beyond that though, Antigraviator is a solid game, but it's not for everyone.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a great celebration of Street Fighter's history. While I'd rather have seen Street Fighter IV as opposed to five versions of Street Fighter II, I can't really complain about having twelve games in one collection, though only four are playable online. I'm not too fond of the "random game" mechanic for lobby battles and I'm glad it doesn't extend to the other multiplayer modes, and the Switch's Joy-Cons are probably the least desirable way to play a fighting game of any kind. Beyond that though, if you're a fan of Street Fighter you'll likely want to pick this one up.
The tables in the Pinball FX3 Bethesda Pack are all pretty solid, though they can get complicated at times, namely the Skyrim and Fallout tables. While those two contain RPG-style elements to them to match up to their original video game counterparts, the Doom table is more of a traditional pinball table, though all three do have missions and quests to complete. Overall, eleven dollars for these three tables is a pretty good deal, especially given how complex Fallout and Skyrim can be.
Toki Tori on the Nintendo Switch is an excellent puzzle game. The difficult progresses naturally, the puzzles themselves will make you think about solutions other than what seem obvious, and the wild card and rewind functions are great for newcomers and veterans alike. If you have five dollars to spare, definitely give Toki Tori a shot.
If you like these kinds of games it's still worth checking out.
Dead in Vinland is a nice mix of RPG, simulation, and exploration elements. With nearly a dozen party members to recruit, multiple tasks to assign people to, and many different ways to interact with the island's inhabitants, there are multiple ways to go about playing the game and every decision you make will matter in the end.
Pit People is one of those games that I enjoyed despite being terrible at the genre. While the game can be simple compared to other games in the genre, the combination of the easy to pick up gameplay and the graphics and humor that The Behemoth is known for makes this a game worth checking out regardless of whether you've played other tactical RPGs or if this is your first one. Plus, who doesn't want to hear a giant space bear taunt you throughout the game?
Super One More Jump is a fun and addicting game that's simple to pick up and has a gradual difficulty curve. With over 100 levels to play and a few extra game modes to unlock, plus the two multiplayer options including two- to four-player co-op, Super One More Jump is definitely worth picking up.
Subsurface Circular has an engaging story with compelling characters that really makes you think about how you'll meet your objectives. While the game is short, clocking in at around two hours, the story itself is enjoyable enough that you really don't mind the short length. For six dollars, Subsurface Circular is worth checking out for the story alone.
Steamworld Dig is a fun game, but it's pretty short and can get repetitive after a while.
Aegis Defenders is probably one of the tougher games I've played in recent memory, and that's all thanks to the tower defense sections. Fans of that genre probably won't have too many issues, but newcomers playing alone might find those sections pretty daunting until they master switching characters, learning the arena layouts, and know what traps to use when. If you have a friend to play co-op, you'll likely have a much easier time. Still, it's a pretty good game for GUTS Department's first outing.
Although not playing the original, The Escapists 2 is still an enjoyable game, especially if you don't have a lot of time on your hands as it can be played in spurts with how the game and save mechanics work, each day lasting around fifteen minutes. However, the first prison you play through might take a while to escape if you're not familiar with how the game works. Though the tutorial level does help out a bit, there were still some things I didn't know about that would have made things a lot easier my first time playing.
Portal Knights on the Switch is a really enjoyable game outside of a few minor nitpicks. It can be a tad frustrating to have to constantly mine materials for new gear in the very early going. But much like Minecraft, a lot of the game is mining and exploring. If you take your time and enjoy every aspect of the game, you'll likely enjoy Portal Knights a lot more than if you just try to rush through each randomly generated island.
Pinball FX3 delivers a great pinball experience much like its predecessors. The touch screen controls with the Switch's vertical orientation option work surprisingly well and are really responsive, though I personally prefer using the Joy-Cons for a more machine-like feel. As a free download and three free tables (one with the game and two as free DLC),as well as cross-play with PC and Xbox One players, you can't really go wrong with this one.
Ninja Shodown is one of those games where the Multiplayer shines more than the single player experience. That's not to say the game isn't fun alone; it is, but there's more mayhem to be had in multiplayer, especially Versus Mode. It's hard to recommend for $15 if you don't plan to play with friends, especially with no online play, but if you have some friends who want to kick up some ninja-style mayhem, you'll want to check it out.
Conga Master Party is enjoyable, but kind of short if you're playing solo as the Story Mode doesn't take too long to complete once you know what you're doing, and Endless Mode can only go so far. The multi-player modes on the other hand can make for some fun times among friends. Sadly it's local multi-player only with no online play or AI opponents to compete against. It's still fun either way, but more so with friends.
88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition is an enjoyable game with an interesting and unique premise, plus the multiple game modes do make for a lot of replayability. However, some of the heroes basically do nothing but jump and some of the ones that can attack have attacks that can easily backfire if you don't know what you're doing, making a lot of the game trial and error. Also if you get down to just one hero, get very used to him/her/it as you do have unlimited continues, but unless you get enough coins to revive someone, that's all you have for the rest of the game.
It had been a while since I last played a Raiden game and Raiden V: Director's Cut was pretty enjoyable after reacquainting myself with the series, my eyesight issues aside. The fact you can beat the game on any difficulty can seem a tad off putting, but this is actually a good concept for newer players so they can experience the story then increase the difficulty when they start to improve so they can get a better ending. That combined with the boss challenges give quite a bit of replayability to the game and being able to take things a stage at a time makes it great to play in short bursts. Overall a pretty good entry for the series.
If you don't mind some major backtracking at times going from one end of Sudra to the other, you'll find a great Metroid-inspired game with an interesting storyline, a multitude of weapons to choose from to fit your playstyle, and just an overall fun experience.