Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a delight to play and create with, but it's got some disastrous barriers to entry. The inability to share 3DS courses online is a painful limitation, as is the choice to gate creation tools behind 18 worlds of platforming. If you can overcome these issues, you've got a portable version of Nintendo's best game from last year, but I fear most users' patience will run out before then.
Final Fantasy XV's long, troubled development cycle is evident in some of its rougher elements, but ultimately, none of that really matters. Like many of its predecessors, this Final Fantasy's best elements — great characters, fun combat and a beautiful soundtrack — make its goofier shortcomings blend in as part of the endearing charm.
Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 4: Guardian of Gotham follows up nicely on the plot twists and themes introduced in Episode 3, providing Batman with his darkest and most challenging video game story yet. The proceedings border on unpleasant at times, but then again, it's Gotham we're talking about here.
Pokémon Sun And Moon feel like the freshest new iterations of the series in a long time. They're not complete reinventions, but they do finally fix a number of problems that have plagued the franchise since its inception.
World of Final Fantasy is a loving 30th anniversary tribute to the beloved series, boasting an addictive monster-collection system and a fun (though admittedly goofy) narrative that brings together three decades of characters.
Skylanders Imaginators doubles down on everything that makes the series addictive, with an appealing slate of new toys and a frankly ridiculous amount of collectible parts for the titular custom characters.
'Battlezone' feels like a serious missed opportunity. As the successor to what many consider the original virtual reality game, I expected Rebellion's revision to be an accessible arcade battler — the sort of game that would make a great introduction to home-ready VR. Instead, this new version takes its influence from more modern inspirations, including roguelike elements and procedurally generated maps.
Dragon Quest Builders continues in the series' tradition of being slightly cumbersome and unpolished, but getting lost in its toybox pleasures is easy and extremely fun.
Paper Mario: Color Splash is a vibrant, humorous and fun experience. Continuing on the path of Sticker Star, its lack of more traditional RPG elements will leave some players cold, but it still carves a satisfying path all its own.
Gears of War 4 is a solid and enjoyable, if overly familiar, entry in the beloved cover-shooter franchise. Veterans will feel right at home, while newcomers will feel welcome.
Yo-Kai Watch 2 may enamor younger audiences with its charm and simplicity, but its appeal for adults will largely depend on how much patience they have.
River City: Tokyo Rumble is a fun throwback to the original's combo of beat-em-up and role-playing elements, even if it's an admittedly one-note experience.
Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity attempts to blend the action-RPG and bullet hell genres, sadly doing justice to neither in the process.
Dragon Quest VII's more archaic elements may not sit well with some players, but it's still an exciting and varied journey through many colorful, memorable worlds.
Children of Arkham eventually gets to really interesting places, but it takes them a little too long to get there — and many interesting story threads from the premier aren't given proper attention gameplay-wise or story-wise. Still, it's nice to see Bruce Wayne and Batman taken in such a dark new direction.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse provides more of the series' addictive combination of exploring, demon-collecting and fast-paced battling, all while continuing the delightfully warped narrative of its predecessor. This is pure JRPG bliss.
The exciting, fun turn-based combat, too, is an absolute treat to revisit, even if I’d have liked to see more meaningful changes and improvements made to its systems.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a bit of a sad way to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary — in making this entry so multiplayer-focused, Nintendo has ironically created an alienating experience.
Don't get thrown off by the new visual style — The King of Fighters XIV still offers solid fighting action for veterans and newcomers alike, and the slate of 19 new characters is a real treat.
Bound is undeniably beautiful, but a chasm between the player and the characters makes it difficult to empathize with them — unless you're willing and able to bridge the gap yourself.