Joel Couture
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is everything that was great about Igarashi's Metroidvania titles all rolled into one, and feels like it will be as timeless a game as Symphony of the Night.
Fight'N Rage easily deserves a spot alongside Streets of Rage, Double Dragon, and Final Fight, offering extremely satisfying action, sharp foes, deep movesets, solid music, and delightful punches.
Okami HD is a good action game, but it is a better game about how a dog can make a life better.
The Shadow of the Colossus remake enhances the themes of the original, stirring up a crushing sadness in the player in their actions only moments after taking them to heights of excitement.
The Switch release of Dark Souls: Remastered is sublime, offering a daunting, rewarding experience that you can carry anywhere with no losses. That you can play it in such an intimate way only enhances its themes and its best points, becoming, to me, the definitive way to experience Dark Souls.
The Ninja Saviors – Return of the Warriors' highly-aggressive play style makes all other beat 'em ups seem slow by comparison.
Almost a decade later, Super Meat Boy still offers an excellent difficulty curve, sharp level design, and heartless, brutal platforming.
Mages of Mystralia mixes clever spellcasting and magical customization in a fun fantasy realm that players won't want to leave.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a gorgeous adventure and an engrossing tactical romp, offering a solid challenge and some unique combat quirks that will please tactical fans.
Observer takes place and memories and turns them into frightening things, dragging the player into realms of terrifying visions that stir up a nameless fear.
With its impeccable presentation, its focus on history, and its ability to remix its challenges to make decades-old games feel brand new, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a necessity for Mega Man fans.
With its impeccable presentation, its focus on history, and its ability to remix its challenges to make decades-old games feel brand new, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a necessity for Mega Man fans.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a vital collection of the games that made action and horror the genres they are today.
World End Syndrome offers a gripping mystery about undead and lost folklores, yet also a touching story about the hidden trials of those who suffer in silence.
Final Fantasy VII Remake does the impossible, somehow allowing me to relive one of the biggest gaming moments of my childhood as if it were new.
When you want to feel like a powerful mech rider carving through massive demons, Panzer Paladin just can't be beat.
Capcom Arcade Stadium is a staggeringly good port of many solid games, breathing new life into them with unique challenges and through a robust suite of difficulty options.
R-Type Final 2 is a satisfying shmup with many challenging, carefully crafted stages. Having so many different ships gives it a ton of replay value, and also gives you many strategic options for how you tackle a given area. I wish it had a more striking, clear visual style so I could appreciate the designs and stages more (and die less to dopey things).
Samurai Warriors 5 gives you a sense of incredible herculean power as you play through it. Few other action games give you such an ability to cleave through crowds of foes that stand in your path, and it’s undeniably satisfying to be able to swat a few dozen people aside. Not that this series and other Musou titles don’t give you that same play style and feeling, but the mixture of political intrigue in its story and the striking new visual style make this entry well worth playing.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster respectfully builds upon the classic game's foundation while making tweaks that drastically improve its pacing.