Russell Archey
Sportsball is a fun and fast paced game…when played with friends. Sadly there's very little single-player content to be worth the ten dollars if you rarely have other people to play with, and there's also no online play at all, but beyond that Sportsball can make for a fun afternoon of soccer with a bit of Joust thrown in.
Having never played a Persona RPG, I enjoyed Persona Q: Shadow of the Layrinth. The fact that it resembles the Etrian Odyssey series in terms of gameplay is a plus and as a person new to the Persona series, I feel that this is another solid RPG from Atlus.
Fenix Rage is a pretty good game, but can also be a frustrating experience. If you don't mind the fact that it could almost pass for a sequel to Super Meat Boy and that the difficulty curve is all over the place and can easily make you frustrated, it is an enjoyable experience. If any game needs Nintendo's reminder to take a break now and then, this would be the one.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel isn't without its issues, but it's still a fun game. Mostly everything about Borderlands 2 is present in The Pre-Sequel with a few changes, some good and some bad. Overall though, with the excellent gameplay, somewhat higher difficulty and challenge, and the excellent dialogue and narrative by characters both old and new, fans of Borderlands 2 will likely get the same amount of enjoyment out of The Pre-Sequel.
Defense Grid 2 is a very solid tower defense game. While there are only twenty one missions, there are multiple ways to play each one as well as multiple difficulties to keep things fresh. If you're into the genre, this one is worth picking up. Even if you've never played a tower defense game before or are looking to get into the genre, this is a good one to start out on.
All in all, Concursion is a fairly solid game, but there are some issues here and there. The graphics and animation are so-so, the difficulty curve can be steep and times, and the bosses can be pretty tedious. Overall though, if you're into classic gaming genres I'd at least give the demo a shot before picking up the full game.
MouseCraft is a fun game, but the difficulty seems to skew a bit on the easy side with the ability to pause mid-level and undo any action. Still, unlocking new obstacles every few stages keeps things fresh, and going for perfect levels will force you to stop and think about how to do things--as opposed to just laying a few blocks and calling it a day. Give Mousecraft a shot.
Whether you want to just jump right into a game or season, or want to create a league from scratch, Out of the Park '15 has the ability to do it and once again raises the bar for baseball management simulators. While the 3D effects to need some work, there's no doubt that this is an awesome simulator for those who want to customize any and every aspect of the game.
Tomodachi Life isn't for everyone, but it's still a fun game that can also be enjoyed in short bursts when pressed for time. While the main goal of the game is to basically keep your residents happy, it's a slight disappointment that you can't control their actions directly. I feel bad for a Mii who was shot down after asking for a relationship as I can't do a whole lot for them, but there's still enough to do in the game to keep things interesting.
Vertical Drop Heroes is a really solid game. While there are a couple of things I could (and did) nitpick, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. If you're looking for a fun and slightly different type of RPG that you can easily play in spurts, definitely give this one a go.
Full Bore is an enjoyable game if you don't mind puzzles that range from simple to difficult within a few minutes of each other. While it's nice to play in short bursts thanks to the auto-save system, it would have been nice if the puzzles in the main areas were a bit more challenging, as that's where you'll spend most of your time if you don't go after every gem. Beyond that, though, Full Bore is a pretty solid game.
Life Goes On is an ingenious puzzle game that puts a whole new spin on dying in video games. Sadly its' biggest downfall is the fact that the game is on the short and easy side, but if you're trying to get every achievement and medal in the game, you can squeeze out a few more hours from this one. If you don't mind all of that, I definitely recommend picking this one up.
Cloudbuilt is in no way a bad game, but it does have its flaws; the worst of which are the controls and difficulty curve. If you can get past those, though, you'll find a fairly decent and fun game in a genre that doesn't see a lot of entries. If speed running is your thing, definitely give this one a shot.
One Piece: Romance Dawn has some potential, but the long drawn out cut-scenes and lack of difficulty in the combat drags it down. Every level feels like it’s five to ten minutes of wandering around and fighting, then the same amount of time with the cut-scenes. Unless you’re a huge One Piece fan, you might want to think twice before picking this one up. It’s not terrible, but it definitely has its flaws.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games isn't all that bad, but it's not great either. The controls for a lot of the events are iffy at best, but there are events that are still enjoyable, especially the Dream Events. This is one where I'd check out the demo or rent it first to see if you like it before plunking down $50 for it.
Pokemon X and Y are definitely two of the best games in the series to date. The new features are fun to play with (especially the PSS), and the Mega Evolutions and new Fariy-type changes things up with the type-matchups. Whether you’re a veteran or just starting your very first journey, Pokemon X and Y are definitely worth picking up.