Visions of Mana is the first new Mana game in nearly two decades, bringing the series into a new generation. While some overgrown roots need a trim in the future—the various improvements to the combat, the level design, and the world are better than ever.
BAKERU is an excellent adventure platformer plucked from a previous generation and made for a modern audience.
SteamWorld Heist 2 provides an excellent challenge to players but won't scratch any narrative itches.
Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is fun, engaging, and brimming with intricate details.
Despite having little interest in the reveal, having spent over a week on Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, I am now a convert and feel more connected to the past of Nintendo than I have in years. With a crisp and vibrant package that is a blast from the past, Nintendo continues to produce and deliver the best way to engage with the publisher's history.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus excels at its goal of delivering a commendable and exciting title. It is a unique title, one that I found to be charming and breathtakingly beautiful. It also wears its inspirations on its sleeve as it looks to replicate that same emotion from the player. Using Japanese folklore as a basis is clever, with the excellent levels and exploration worth a look at despite a few stumbles. In a summer when droughts were constantly occurring, the shift to game releases happening at all times of the day and months, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus launches at a great time.
Luigi's Mansion 2 is a delightful blend of spooky adventure, clever puzzles, and charming humour. Its engaging gameplay, atmospheric design, and lovable protagonist make this a classic from the get-go and, even a decade plus later, showcases Luigi as an excellent character who can lead out of the shadows of his more famous brother.
Monster Hunter Stories is a great addition to the series and a good place to start with Monster Hunter.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance adds a lot to an already packed title from Atlus.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a masterpiece that continues to enchant nearly two decades after its initial release.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes' open, non-restrictive nature is its most compelling aspect and a stroke of genius.
Level-5's Megaton Musashi W: Wired is a great experience — it showcases the developer's talents and delivers something great.
Overall, Sand Land is an adequate adventure that occasionally showcases moments of brilliance but struggles to capture the original work's essence.
Indika puts a spotlight on Christianity in a specific way that I've never seen before. Thankfully, it mostly succeeds in its thoughtful premise and stays within its welcome.
Endless Ocean Luminous will be a sleeper hit for the Nintendo Switch. It offers a relaxing but necessary break in this year's packed schedule as you explore an exciting underwater space filled with trinkets, sea life, and mysteries at your own pace.
Harold Halibut is bound to elicit strong reactions from players, falling squarely into the love-it or leave-it camp.
Children of the Sun is a great title, but it can be frustrating sometimes.
Pepper Grinder is another excellent addition to Devolver's catalogue, thanks to a brief runtime and exciting mechanics.
The Grandia HD Collection is an acceptable way to play two solid RPGs from a different era.
Princess Peach: Showtime! further proves that it doesn't require Mario to show up to save the day because Princess Peach can hold her own.