The Pedestrian is a unique and creatively designed puzzle game that shouldn’t be missed. Even if the journey is short, travelling by signage while listening to a relaxing soundtrack is the one of the most fun ways of getting around a city (outside of pedal pubs). Sign up for this trip, puzzle fans.
With Ys IX: Monstrum NOX, Nihon Falcom continues its streak of creating fascinating worlds. Adol’s newest adventure, revolving around a mysterious prison in a single city, may sound like it’s small, but it offers layers of gameplay. With its various battle types, character abilities, collecting, and a rockin’ soundtrack, RPG fans will want to slash, fly, and scamper their way through Balduq, uncovering all its secrets. Whether you’re a veteran to the Ys series or a newcomer, the Crimson King awaits.
Kaze and the Wild Masks is an entertaining indie game that pays tribute to classic ‘90s platformers. Although it pushes players to be precise with their movements and its difficulty is inconsistent, it’s a hidden gem that shouldn’t be forgotten. Mask up, everyone!
TOEM: A Photo Adventure is an entertaining and fun indie game with neat camera-based mechanics and quirky characters. Dozens of photos will be taken throughout the journey, but by the end, it still feels too early to put the camera away. Still, no matter how short the experience, your album of good memories awaits.
Greak: Memories of Azur is fun and challenging. While it’s difficult to control all three siblings at once, they are a force to be reckoned with when players get a handle on them. Those who enjoy Metroidvania games should not pass up this unique adventure. Azur awaits!
After 26 years of catching them all, Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes the foundations of Pokémon and successfully reshapes it into a new style. While the graphics need considerable improvement, Legends: Arceus makes Pokémon fun all over again. By going into the past, Pokémon has evolved for the future. Look forward to the next line of games in this new form!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a must-play arcade throwback regardless of whether you are familiar with the franchise. With clean animations and the option for a party of six, it’s hard not to pass the game up, even if the adventure is short. Grab a slice of pizza and jump in. Cowabunga!
Goshzookie! With a combination of varying gameplay styles alongside beautiful designs and upbeat music, Ooblets is an adorable and entertaining game that, even with its glitches, is still worth putting your time into playing. So come make your home in Badgetown. You’ll be glad you did.
Even with the excessive loading times, New Super Lucky’s Tale is a fun, lovable game that fans of platformers should jump into. The countless improvements made are well worth it (even the cornier dialogue), easily making this the best version of Lucky and his adventure. You’ll be ready to become the next great guardian in no time, but you’re great the way you are.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is clearly an upgrade over its predecessor. Newcomers have a lot to chew on as veterans, not so much. By taking what was great about the first game and adding fun, new additions such as Skill Battle mode, Sega made a puzzle game sequel well worth playing. Game clear!
Atelier Ryza 2 has most of the right pieces to make a charming RPG, from its characters and story to its gameplay mechanics. Whether you’ve played its predecessor or not, it’s well worth exploring the world of alchemy through Ryza’s eyes.
Cotton Reboot keeps the basic fundamentals of the classic arcade shoot-‘em-up intact while boosting its visuals, soundtrack, and gameplay for a well-rounded upgrade. Although more features could be added to increase replayability, this remastered title is still the best version of the original. Hopefully, additional Cotton games will make the jump to today’s consoles.
Atelier Sophie 2 has a well-built alchemy setup and battle mechanics that make it enjoyable even if the overall game has an outdated look. Hopefully, these fun mechanics will reappear in an expanded form in future Atelier games. In the meantime, savor this good dream!
Capcom Fighting Collection is a fun compilation of arcade games that any fighting fan, new or old, will want to own. Practice your Hadouken and catlike reflexes. It’s time to fight!
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows takes on the highly popular anime from a different perspective and pulls it off pretty well. With its unique fighting, over-the-top moves and charm from the show, fans can enjoy watching Saitama all over again. Newcomers will have some difficulty following along, but it may be enough to interest them in the show afterward (or in doing 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats and a 10K run every single day). After all, it’s just a hobby.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a great game for a party, and the 2D mode adds a fair amount of replay value. While the story has its ups and downs, this is easily one of the best entries of the series.
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is an entertaining and welcome flashback to the 1990s. Those who are looking for some beat-em-up fun with a friend should take this game for a spin, even if it’s a short one. After all, who says android ninjas aren’t cool?
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is an entertaining card-based RPG that players who enjoy a turn-based challenge should not pass up. Regardless of its lengthy battles, its combat flexibility and enchanting world more than make up for it. So take up the sword and the gear, and save the world!
Pikuniku is fun, colorful, and simple. Its goofy animation and physics truly make the game stand out. Plus, you can beat the story in roughly around three to four hours, making it a great title to play in-between the larger, more in-depth entries in your library. So if you have an itch for simple puzzles and a LocoRoco-type game, give this one a kick.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! is a fun and addicting game with an enormous track list that guarantees players plenty of musical variety. While it may lack the extra gameplay modes found in similar titles on other consoles, being able to customize your avatar and play in online matches is a pure delight on its own. It’s great to have the Taiko series back on North American shores after such a long absence. May the beat go on!