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I've found Samba de Amigo: Party Central to be a really enjoyable rhythm game. Your mileage may differ depending on how much you enjoy the song list; the game offers enough fun for solo players in the Streamigo mode, and multiple with online and local multiplayer modes. There’s also plenty of incentive to keep playing in order to rank up and unlock the plethora of cosmetics to show off your style to the world.
I honestly feel that in a few years’ time, when people say, ‘They don’t make them like they used to', they’ll be reflecting on Blasphemous 1 and 2. Both games are superb examples of how to come up with original creative direction and art direction and ensure that both are interwoven into the gameplay. Blasphemous 2 is a prime example of what you need to do to be successful in a crowded genre. Penitent One; I hope it’s not another four years until we meet again!
Well, GINSHA certainly packs a punch. There’s a lot to take in but once you get your head round it all, you can only sit back and admire its ambition and character. Of course, it won’t get anywhere near as much attention as Blasphemous II, but with some polish and tidying up, it will stand alone as a game that any metroidvania fans should give a go.
Circuit Superstars is a great racer on the Nintendo Switch and there’s a lot to enjoy here. The Grand Prix mode and time trial will definitely be where you spend most of your time, just make sure you have an online subscription if you want to use the online modes properly. While the game may take itself a little too seriously for my liking, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that and in every other aspect, it's a solid racer.
Venba tells the tale of a migrant mum’s relationship with her family, particularly her son. The gameplay involves crafting traditional Tamil food and holding branching dialogues revolving around the experiences of first-gen migrants and their children. While making the dishes is fun, as it is in many cooking sims, Venba expands on the genre by underscoring the lived realities of many families from migrant backgrounds. It also demonstrates how traditional food can be used to bond people, and to respect and keep alive culture across generations.
It seems Disney Illusion Island was torn between aligning itself with the audience that will love its IP or the genre that it has chosen to design the game around. Ultimately, Disney Illusion Island falls in a no-man’s land between the two because it’s neither a great metroidvania nor a challenging platformer that we’re used to with Disney games of the past. All in all, Disney Illusion Island is a great game for families to play, especially parents with their kids, which will surprise no one. As a family man these days, I can appreciate this; I just wish they had provided more challenging gameplay options to cater to a wider audience.
Frank and Drake is a beautifully and thoughtfully executed game, with a unique rotoscoped art style, that draws inspiration from the epistolary gothic works Frankenstein and Dracula. The title encourages multiple playthroughs to fully understand the supernatural mysteries surrounding the characters.
Little Friends: Puppy Island is a charming little adventure that allows you to explore a wonderful little island with your best pals. Build structures, go on walks, earn rewards and look after nine adorable breeds to your heart's content. Truly, this is a dog's life!
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is chaotic, over the top, very funny, and has an incredible story, however it can get a bit over the top with this energy if you’re not used to it. Shinigami is a prime example of this and is very overtly sexual, so if that makes you uncomfortable, it could ruin the game for you. But if you’re a fan of the Danganronpa series, you’ll enjoy Master Detective Archives: Rain Code as it’s taken the formula and fine tuned everything. You’ll also enjoy the game if you like mystery solving challenges, that’s for sure!
Pikmin 4 does for Pikmin what Super Mario Odyssey did for Mario. It takes the series formula and builds it into a masterclass of itself. Pikmin 4 is easily my favorite of the series, and I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in it. With the release of the first two games on Switch and now Pikmin 4, the entire mainline series is all on one console, and can be enjoyed easily by anyone. There is never a better time for you to get into Pikmin, but even if you don’t want to spend the money on the first three games, Pikmin 4 can most certainly be enjoyed without prior experience.
Killer Frequency is a fun, entertaining horror title with comedy and murder-mystery components that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and yet is also eerie and spooky at the same time (especially the scenery, sound effects, and how you’re isolated with Peggy in the building). I think the idea of being a radio talk show host acting as an emergency operator saving peeps from murder is quite one of a kind(?). The puzzles, surrounding how to assist these callers, are engaging without being overly complicated.
What makes Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo stand out as a memorable visual novel? Like other games in the genre, it is an entertaining tale with interwoven plotlines that make you question your moral compass in life-or-death scenarios, but the developers have also incorporated as much engaging interactivity as possible, within the constraints of the visual novel medium. This fun interaction even involves breaking the fourth wall several times (you’ll know what I mean if you play it). For Japan fans, you may also enjoy the cultural and historical elements, too (another demonstration of the country’s soft power).
The charming Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a fantastic entry point to the wider Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon universe, especially for younger gamers, as it simplifies and streamlines the gameplay while retaining many aspects that make the beloved franchise so appealing and lovely (and much imitated, e.g., Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia, Harvestella, indie games). I loved the doses of nostalgia that I got from the A Wonderful Life remake and 2020’s Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.
For graphic novel gamers, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie offers a visually pleasing adventure, with voice acting and animations, that makes you question your Aspirations. The narrative has enough secrets to reveal and decisions to ponder that you’ll likely enjoy your time in Atina and Reverie.
End of Lines is not for everyone (but no game is). That said, if the positives covered in The Good section appealed to you, you can currently download the game from the Nintendo eShop for a really reasonable price. Give it a go, even if you don’t normally play visual/graphic novels. Or share it with your eco-conscious friends. I enjoyed End of Lines’ take on the consequences of neglecting the climate crisis, as shown via the intimate stories and daily struggles of individuals living those very consequences in the future. It’s a warning! Although the game depicts a truly very worst-case scenario, its world is still believable as a possible future reality for humanity – no zombies or monsters, just the fallout of environmental catastrophes and societal disintegrations. The experience would’ve been improved with voice acting, more music (basically, more audio), and different kinds of interactivity.
As a long time Etrian Odyssey fan, it feels good to see that the franchise can flourish outside of the consoles they were initially designed for. Yes, some of the franchise's older issues do show up again, but it’s more than worth having to deal with to play a fantastic collection of games we didn’t expect to ever see again. Here's hoping the success of this collection leads to new entries in the Etrian Odyssey franchise.
Overall, Loop8: Summer of Gods will likely appeal to fans of Persona and similar titles, life/social sims, and visual novels. Its emotion-driven, looping gameplay keeps the characters and plots dynamic (although the conversations do get kinda repetitive). And the game has a pleasant atmosphere and high replayability, which provides good return on investment. PS: I love how Loop8 got an “8” out of 10.
Tin Hearts is a puzzle-filled adventure with a touching story and a relaxing soundtrack. The game does stumble along the way but if you can get around the hurdles, there are still a lot of puzzling stages to get through as you march onwards to your destination.
Wildfrost is not for everybody. The deckbuilding genre is already a niche market, but I’m afraid that the game’s difficulty will shoo away even more potential players. It’s a shame really because the game clearly has a lot of love put into it with its charming art style and clever combat systems. I personally will continue to come back to Wildfrost to climb the mountain that this game has challenged me with, but I personally wouldn’t blame someone for being turned off by it. In this sense, I can at least say that the game is affordable, so trying it won’t break the bank.
Ultimately, Advance Wars 1+2: ReBoot Camp is a faithful remake and, dare I say, the definitive experience for this GBA classic franchise that people can finally place their assist trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and 4. While there are some improvements that would be welcomed for accessibility, and maybe a bit more of a dynamic soundtrack that varied, especially on those longer matches, there are still plenty of features to love here for fans of the tactical genre. So go train up those units, capture some cities and push out those forces as you march your way into Advance Wars for maybe the first time, or return to the franchise after a very long delay in releases.