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“Pac-Man Championship Edition 2” is a fun remix of the classic Pac-Man gameplay, featuring zippy action and crazy maze mechanics. As a followup, it doesn’t quite have the same freshness of the original Championship Edition. The incredibly fast pace of the game also can be overwhelming for some and tiring for others after extended play. All that being said, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining re-imagining of Pac-Man that builds on the classic formula’s solid foundation instead of shoehorning the round mascot in the square peg of a different gaming genre.
Gears of War 4 marks a welcome return of the franchise for fans of the series. The shooting and cover mechanics feel familiar in a good way and the retention of splitscreen will get a hallelujah from fans. Storytelling isn’t quite as dialed down as the original trilogy and feels more like an appetizer, especially given the lack of a memorable big baddie. At a time when many games are dropping full-fledged campaigns, however, Gears of War 4 provides the best of both worlds for folks who like their robust online modes to come with a meaty story component with co-op to boot. It’s a much awaited return homemuch-awaited return home for series fans.
“Paper Mario: Color Splash” is a stamped love letter to gamers who pine for some old-school action adventuring with a dash of classic RPG mechanics. The touchscreen controls for combat can be a tad cumbersome and aiming that hammer can make you go postal at times. A charming presentation, however, combined with delightful visuals, entertaining dialogue and tight combat make Color Splash an adorable adventure for folks both young and old.
Don’t think of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse as just some throwaway cash-in title. This spin-off game builds on the solid foundation of its predecessor and even outshines it in some aspects. Admittedly, it reuses several assets from the previous game and mapping, while improved, could still be better. A likable cast of characters combined with an intriguing story and compelling combat, however, makes Apocalypse a worthy addition to anyone’s JRPG collection.
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past joins the list of JRPG remasters done right on the 3DS. Instead of providing a simple upscale of the original and calling it a day, this remaster goes the extra mile by completely redoing the visuals and adding or updating gameplay elements that streamline the experience for veterans while making it more accessible to newcomers. Purists might decry some changes as dumbing down the game and nixing some of its trademark challenge. For the most part, though, this is an excellent example of how to remaster a classic.
Whimsical design and a plethora of creatures make Yo-Kai Watch 2 a gaming experience that kids will absolutely love while still providing enough meat for older gamers to enjoy. The inability to directly control some aspects of battling can be an issue, as well as its preponderance of fetch quests and grindy nature. Overall, however, Yo-Kai Watch 2’s excellent polish combined with its great attention to detail and plethora of stuff to do make it a great game for folks who enjoy the creature-collecting adventure genre. It's definitely the perfect game to tide your over before Pokemon Sun and Moon comes out.
I hope that we eventually get that from No Man’s Sky and I will come back and continue to try to find that experience. As it currently stands though this game stands out as being just completely average.
Like Icarus, No Man’s Sky is an ambitious game that aims high. The result is a game with beautiful visuals and a wide, expansive universe filled with a multitude of planets and interesting creatures. At the same time, the game’s base mechanics, while solid, could use more variety as they can get old after a while. Players who like a clearly defined goal and more diversity in gameplay, for example, will find the lack of action and a clear overarching narrative disappointing. If you like simple exploration and getting lost in the weeds, however, then No Man’s Sky’s slower pace will be for you.
NHL 17 builds on the solid mechanics of its predecessor while adding several new features such as World Cup of Hockey, a more beefed up GM mode, lots of customization options and the return of player classes to name a few. Some might feel the actual gameplay on the ice does not represent a huge improvement over NHL 16. If you missed out on last year’s game or are interested in a more polished version, however, then NHL 17 merits a trip down the virtual ice.
The Dead Rising Triple Pack is a faithful adaptation of three classic games in Capcom’s Zombie survival series. The upgrade to 1080p and 60 frames per second will be welcome to folks who want to play using more modern console standards. The lack of new upgrades to the gameplay as well as the Case Zero and Case West DLC, however, is a bummer that makes the collection feel less complete. Still, if you loved the originals or missed out on them entirely, then this is another chance to play the games or see what the initial series is all about.
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is a meaty entry in the rhythm genre featuring bright visuals, catchy songs and plenty of stuff to collect for obsessive-compulsive gamers. The game is a bit grindy and can be intimidating to newcomers. Track selection also can feel limited when compared to certain Hatsune Miku titles. Still, it’s a cute, fun and mechanically solid idol-based rhythm game that you can enjoy without feeling like a creep, especially if you’re a dude who’s starting to get up there in age like I am.
Like a delicious cronut, Touhou Gensou Rondo: Bullet Ballet combines two fun genres while throwing in some beloved characters with a dedicated cult following. The shmup and bullet hell parts of the equation have their fun moments but the melee can be cumbersome and awkward. The game also has some nice bones but could admittedly use more meat as both the gameplay and story, while cute, can feel shallow after extended play. It's not a game that would float everyone's boat for sure, but fans of Japanese titles with both an otaku flair and indie feel might still want to check this one out. Now bring over the main Touhou games!
“Shiren the Wanderer: Tower of Fortune and Dice of Fate,” is a classic either-or proposition. You either get it or you don’t, with rarely any middle ground in between. Folks who don’t like retro roguelike gameplay will find the dungeon crawling tedious, outdated and unforgiving. Gamers who appreciate old-school roguelikes, however, will love its sprite art and the diverse challenge the game provides. If you have a soft spot for classic dungeon crawling, you’ll be quite pleased after rolling the dice on Shiren.
“Spirit of Justice” continues to do what the “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney” series does best, which is serve up kooky cases with a bunch of kooky characters with some drama sprinkled in between. The game continues to be linear to a fault and it sometimes tries too hard to misdirect its audience. A likable cast of characters combined with funny and poignant storytelling that leverages those characters’ relationships, however, leaves me no objections in recommending this to series fans and newcomers alike.
Abzu is one of those pleasantly surprising titles that feels likes it's on the cusp of being a great game with just a bit more fleshing out. Its deep, undersea world is absolutely gorgeous and its metaphysical take on "show-don't-tell" storytelling evokes thoughts of the excellent game INSIDE. Folks who prefer traditional gaming mechanics and storytelling might consider the overall gameplay to be barebones and lacking purpose. If you're a fan of non-traditional gaming that has a bit of an indie feel to it, however, you'll want to dive into Abzu.
Whether you're a gung-ho Leeroy Jenkins wannabe or a more measured warrior of the shadows who likes skulking around, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided features diverse, mechanically sound gameplay that will entertain. Storytelling could be a bit more fleshed out especially toward the end but it still provides a nice take on a serious and uncomfortable topic. It stops short of being an outright revolution but it's also a tight, polished experience that should satisfy fans itching for either a stealthy reprise or adventurous action.
God Eater Resurrection updates the series original with new weapons and combat that brings it more up to speed with today’s times. The stylized visuals will be a hit for folks who love Japanese anime and the more accessible gameplay makes it friendly for newcomers to the genre. While some will say that it has more style than Monster Hunter, however, this enhancement to what is essentially a five-year old game doesn’t quite have the same substance as newer entries in Capcom’s more popular hunting series. That being said, it’s still a solid game.
All in all, KOF XIV is a great addition to the franchise that launches with a full feature set unlike its more popular rival Street Fighter V. It doesn’t look as fancy as Street Fighter V and some veterans might feel that it doesn’t add anything revolutionary to the mix. Its fundamentals, however, are rock solid and the classic KOF style and humor shines. If you’re looking for a fully-fleshed arcade fighting game experience from home, you can’t do wrong in picking up this one.
Federation Force is a solid, polished addition to the Metroid franchise, though it admittedly is missing that “it” factor that makes the Metroid games with Samus Aran a great experience. Campaign co-op can be a blast thanks to fun mechanics and multiplayer hijinks while the Rocket League-style Blast Ball is an enjoyable diversion for sure. For players dead set on a new main-line Metroid title, though, the game might feel more like an appetizer instead of a main course.
Don’t mistake “Style Savvy: Fashion Forward” for mere shovelware, dahling. This game is dedicated to serving up the fashionista lifestyle with solid production and oodles of content for wannabe fashion consultants, designers and runway models. The lack of male options are a bummer and the game certainly won’t be for everyone. If you love lifestyle fashion games and don’t want to sell your soul to Kim Kardashian, however, this is a solid option.