Jason Flatt
Unfortunately, Niffelheim does not possess enough visual appeal despite its gorgeous hand drawings, nor enthralling mechanics or ease of access for non-genre enthusiasts like myself.
Super UFO Fighter is neither super nor a fighter. It’s a perfectly fine game that could entertain for a little bit on your own or with a friend, but a party game this is certainly not, and neither is its difficulty finely tuned enough to feel engrossing on either end of the difficulty spectrum.
Nostalgia might have some fans of Super Monkey Ball trapped in the little ball with them, running their little feet, futile against the inevitability of gravity. But for those not already on the inside, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is skippable.
Eastward is a great game. It’s beautiful, it’s a story well-told, and it’s very fun to play. But for me, the entire experience was tainted by what I quickly and inescapably perceived as racist and sexually exploitative depictions, which is just such a monumental shame of a thing to tarnish an otherwise incredible experience. I mean, this game has an entire virtual RPG video game built into it that you can play. But I simply can’t rate this experience highly with how tarnished my view of it all is. I love playing it, I recommend playing it, but I also insist you judge for yourself these character depictions and whether they meet the standards we should expect from games.
If you’re patient and enjoy this game genre, you can certainly get a lot of fun out of Surgeon Simulator 2. With loads of unlockables, challenges, and basically unlimited levels, its concept is strong, its wit is impressive, and its style is very enjoyable. But if you’re looking for a tight and unstressful experience, either give the potentially less finicky PC version a try or skip this one altogether. However, it is free with Game Pass, so it’s certainly worth giving a shot for yourself if you subscribe to the service.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 isn’t shabby, but it isn’t shining either.
It’s tough being a kart racer in a world where you will always be compared to the genre’s standard-bearer, but DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is perfectly serviceable.
While the exposition was forgettable, and the combat wasn’t nearly as tight as it needed to be, the art and traversal of Itorah make up for it.
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a classic twin-stick third-person shooter that, while not offering anything unique, does offer plenty of entertainment for executing its genre completely spot on.
Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake does a lot of things really right and well to make this feel like a Spongebob game for the current generation. But its lackluster objectives and its sometimes repetitive platforming and combat hold it back from being great. Instead, we’re left with a decent game that’s well worthwhile for a casual Spongebob or action-platforming fan, but a bit short of expectations for anybody who hoped this would take over as their new favorite Spongebob game.
While Sonic Origins does little to innovate or make this set of ports stand out besides some forgettable Museum unlockables and some nice new artwork, it remains a perfectly fine addition to the accessibility of classic Sonic games on modern consoles. I wish it were not at the expense of the ability to purchase them individually from older ports; however, even with its flaws, it’s as fun as these games have ever been.
Not perfect by any means, but PandaBall is a pretty solid arcade-style soccer game. It’s missing a few things I wish it had, and some things like the text size are less than ideal, but overall, it’s an enjoyable take on quick and simple soccer matches.
Maneater is the type of game that, as a kid, I would have played at a friend’s house and thought it was so cool but probably have rarely played if I owned it myself. It’s interesting and unique enough of a concept with some gameplay elements that keep it from being just a straightforward game or a straight-up simulator. It’s polished in some regards but rather empty in others—fun for a while, but ultimately, not the most captivating thing on the market.
Space Invaders Forever is a nice celebration of the franchise. Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders are both quite fun and could make for great occupation on a long trip or while trying to kill time. They’re quite replayable and offer challenges in a tight package. Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE is hardly even worth a glance though, and makes the $30.00 price tag a bit hard to justify.
I think Planet Coaster: Console Edition is absolutely a worthwhile port. It manages to take an immensely complicated game and package it into something it was never designed to fit into. Just come in with a healthy serving of patience and willingness to forgive some glitches and issues, some banal and some a bit rough, especially if you are free playing and not in pre-built scenario parks.
Super Mario 35 is fun and a novel idea, but it falls short with its main battle mechanic feeling like an afterthought during play. The extra enemies on screen add some fun tension to this ultimate classic, up until the late game stagnates and stalemates.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 doesn’t do much different than its predecessor, for better and worse. If you liked the original, this sequel offers basically more of the same with some new cars and environments. Regardless, it’s a well-made arcade racer with endless combinations of tracks to master and excel at.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central is more of a small get-together than a full-on party.
Not everything is ideal when it comes to presentation, but on the whole, Moving Out 2 is a fun game to play alone or with friends
If you can take the time to pace yourself and slowly enjoy everything the game has to offer from charming neighbors to home-cooked meals, then there is a whole lot to enjoy about Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.