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Super Mario RPG is a light and enjoyable return to the roots of Mario’s now-iconic presence in the role-playing game genre. Those looking for a more complex RPG may find it a tad too simplistic, but this remake thrives at being a straightforward and endlessly pleasant throwback to a simpler time.
Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is more Ultimate Ninja Storm. That’s great for me, as I enjoy the game series and the source material, but if you’ve played every Ninja Storm game, this won’t provide you with too much new content. Still, it’s a ton of fun – especially for Naruto fans who want to partake in battles between any combination of characters one can imagine.
WarioWare: Move It! is another excellent entry to Nintendo’s strangest (and one of its most consistent) series. A couple of the games take a bit to get used to, but the variety of fast-paced and goofy microgames and modes provide everything you could want from a WarioWare game.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl takes all the good of its predecessor and builds upon it quite a bit. The roster is varied, the additional modes go a long way in giving the game some extra juice, and the combat is smooth and exciting. There are some bugs here and there that hinder things, but I have confidence that the future of All-Star Brawl 2 is bright.
Air Twister is a peculiar game that can be intriguing and fun despite its flaws. It’s neat to see Yu Suzuki go back to the success of Space Harrier all these years later, though the price may be a bit steep for those who aren’t arcade enthusiasts.
They really did do a great job with this one, creating something fans of the game can fall back in love with, as well as creating what might be the best jumping-off point for new fans of the series. As I said earlier, I had NO intentions of going in as deep with this game as I did before I started writing, but here I am already wanting to go back to do some end/post-game things just because it was so enjoyable. This is a worthy entry into any RPG fans’ collection, and it does the original release great justice.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is largely the most fun Spider-Man game yet, even if its story is more uneven than I would have liked. I’m hoping the next game will finally drop the stealth missions, but fighting and flying is the best it’s ever been. Insomniac clearly gets Spider-Man, and how to make these games fun, so I hope the third main title (or whatever the next smaller spin-off is) continues to build on the best parts of this sequel.
Alan Wake 2 is an incredibly rich narrative driven experience with such impressive visuals and performance that truly feels like a next-generation experience.
Games should exist and designers should always make games but Gordian Quest offers nothing new and does nothing exceptionally well.
Sonic Superstars is largely a blast to play thanks to its various characters and wonderful presentation. Though a couple of segments drag on a bit, most of the game is a fast and flashy adventure that tries new things but stays true to what people love about Sonic, to begin with. If this is the future of 2D Sonic, then the horizon is very promising.
Though Gargoyles Remastered is a bit bare when compared to other remasters, the game itself is worth revisiting (or trying out for the first time) if you’re fond of the show or just looking for a brisk retro platformer. I wish I liked the new visual style more, but even just as a retro title, it’s a good time. I’m glad to see less well-known Disney games come back to modern consoles, and I hope this trend continues going forward.
Detective Pikachu Returns might not push the boundaries in terms of graphics, and it certainly won’t bend your mind with its easy and straightforward deductions. However, it’s a charming game with cute character interactions, a good sense of humor, and an interesting story. Some games just make you feel happy when you play them, and I found Detective Pikachu Returns to be one of those games.
Lords of the Fallen is a solid and enjoyable task but rarely goes beyond good, instead, it titters on the edge of being special. Great looking, but ultimately too safe and lacking a real bite, Lords of the Fallen may not push the genre in any real direction, but it’s a worthy addition.
It's hard for a game to live up to expectations when you've been waiting for years. As a result, I might have hoped for more from the story of Long Gone Days than it actually delivered. However, it has a good cast of characters and presents a view of how terrible war is for civilians, presented through an RPG-style structure. Despite some bugs and other flaws, Long Gone Days is still an enjoyable experience.
Mortal Kombat 1 does a lot right, but it’s missing things that really made NetherRealm’s fighting games stand out in recent years. I hope future patches and additions build the game up to fulfill all of its potential, but the base game here feels a bit too thin on content.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a solid, curious, affair. It’s unfortunate the gameplay doesn’t match the ambition shown in other elements of the game, but nonetheless, fans of a certain gruff tragedy magnet will find joy here.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai could appeal to diehard fans of the anime, but its repetitive nature keeps it from being great. The game looks remarkably like the anime and the Temple of Recollection can be quite fun, but anyone who doesn’t love The Adventure of Dai can pass on this one.
Though not without issues, I think Silent Hope is a good game at its core and is hopefully a jumping off point for more games like this from Marvelous in the future.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is an all-around excellent piece of DLC that gives the main story of this year’s remake additional context while also just being a blast to play through. A lot of the areas are certainly familiar, but the length and gameplay make Separate Ways a strong companion piece to Resident Evil 4.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon easily has some of the series’ best highs, and is a proper return to form for the franchise.