SmashPad's Reviews
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is hard to knock. There are some hiccups, but generally, the game is a fantastic way to celebrate the impact of Batman in another way. Blending the movies was a smart move to tell a familiar but somewhat new story. The combat is familiar yet fresh. It’s the perfect balance of fun and broodiness that a LEGO Batman game should be.
The retelling of the story is great, the production value (even from a Switch 2 standpoint) is phenomenal, and you can tell a lot of love went into the game's development. It is undoubtedly filled to the brim with content for you to enjoy, but at the same time, it's hard to ignore the fact that it doesn't feel like the game actually cares about all the hours you poured into it. These newer versions of the game sort of scratch the surface of addressing that problem by offering Streamlined Progression and the ability to unlock unlimited MP and HP modifiers to make things less challenging, and that's all well and great if you wanna get through the game quickly, as we wait for news on the game's conclusion.
Spinera, like the two Civilization Revolution games, is a nice, easy game for when you don’t have time to sit down for a full-on game of Civilization.
This is another Nickelodeon dud in the video game space in 2026. While the tennis can be fun at times, the overall execution falls short. There’s not enough content, the music is horrible, and some of the gameplay can feel awkward while returning shots. The power-ups are cool for the most part, but it doesn’t save Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis: Next! from mediocrity.
Yacht Club has exceeded all my expectations. You can add Mina the Hollower to this generation and this year’s list of modern classics.
R-Type Dimensions III is an excellent remake of an absolute classic shmup. It presents the original in its best form, while also improving upon it in several ways. While I would have liked more attention paid to accessibility, the modes here do a decent enough job of letting me enjoy the game. That said, the improvements to the presentation and the two-player co-op mode are really compelling reasons to give this game a try.
Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection is like poop in a baby's diaper. It's significantly ugly, outdated in its gameplay offerings, and genuinely frustrating, with a gallery of glitches. While some of the minigames can be fun overall, most are outdated and shouldn't have been re-released. It is a decent flash in the past and great for preservation, on the other hand.
Even with some repetition issues, Table Flip Simulator packs quite a bit for its $14.99 price tag. If you’d like to have a cozy type of game that lets you cause a scene, not too dissimilar from Untitled Goose Game or a pared-down Goat Simulator, this is a solid value. There’s good fun to be had, as it genuinely got me chuckling for what I could take down along the way.
Bubsy 4D is a great 3D platformer that’s a little on the short side but still gives a lot of respect to a character who deserved more love than he ever got. It’s charming, funny, challenging, and shows that it’s paw-sible to make a wonderful Bubsy game.
Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen is a genuinely fun game with a lot to do. I found the platforming genuinely engaging and, at times, challenging. I'd imagine this is also a solid one to put kids in front of so they can meander around. However, the game should be a consistent, playable experience across all platforms. If you have the means to play on Switch, I'd recommend it. But if you are limited to PlayStation, I'd recommend waiting for a confirmed patch to fix a bad progression bug before giving it a shot.
Just like with the last couple of games, I found myself drawn into this ordinary yet fantastical world, with its ordinary and fantastical inhabitants. Admittedly, I wasn't too sure going in, but Coffee Talk Tokyo represents everything I love about the series and more.
STARBITES has a lot going for it. The combat is fun, easily the most consistent and entertaining aspect of the game, as it should be. The story is serviceable, carried by cool, funny characters and a decent, gradual upscaling of stakes relative to them. The things that bothered me with this game were not fundamental enough to keep me from playing to the very end, and that makes for an overall, convincing win. It has ample charisma, a good message, and plenty of heart.
Forza Horizon 6 is a landmark title, as it not only does everything it sets out to do but also does so in a way that allows anyone, even those previously put off by open-world games, to play and enjoy it. Playground and Turn 10 Studios have made the conscious decision to take the time to figure this stuff out. They succeeded in creating a game that immerses you in the culture and lets you have a great time. Even if you aren’t coming at this one from an accessibility standpoint, the game is an absolute blast to play.
Clockwork Ambrosia is a solid Metroidvania experience. The weapon customization gives players near-infinite loadout combinations, significantly changing gameplay and lending itself well to replayability or even a challenge run for those inclined. From the weapon-modifying combat to the killer soundtrack to the beautiful pixelated art style, Clockwork Ambrosia is a game you shouldn't skip out on.
The stellar performances from the actors, out-of-this-world graphics, and sci-fi theming are on point. It's just a shame that the game is repetitive, with too many arduous stealth sections. If you can get past some bad pacing issues as well, Directive 8020 is worth the riveting trip it takes you on.
When I rolled credits on Mixtape, I whispered to myself, "Dang, I'm never gonna play anything like this again." If I do, it'll be compared to Mixtape, both fairly and unfairly. And again, the things this game does from a gameplay perspective aren't unique. It's the careful sum of its parts that makes Mixtape a modern classic, and at $20, it's an easy recommendation whether you binge or slow burn the six-hour title.
"This seven-to-eight-hour experience definitely was not a waste of time. This is a cozy game, through and through, that I really enjoyed from beginning to end. I wish there were at least some fail points or at least a little bit of struggle, but if you take the game for what it is, you’ll have something that’s definitely heartwarming."
Wax Heads represents a unifying beauty and purpose I've never seen in a game before. If it exists elsewhere, please guide me to it; for now, this game deserves its moment. I laughed (a lot), I cried (a bit), I smiled (endlessly). It feels like a game made for me, but not only me.
This is a fairly unique game that's pretty impressive in some ways, given its indie nature, but the controls and signposting simply aren't good enough. With some tweaks to the platforming, wall running, and wall chainsawing, this would be a far better game, but as it stands, it's too frustrating for general audiences, even if I think most people interested in the concept will still be able to overlook its many foibles.
Invincible VS is good. It’s a big game even if it feels small at times. Good production does it some nice favors and with DLC already lined up, hopefully Quarter Up and Skybound Games can take notes from the community, deliver some surprises, and forge some longevity for those who are jaded and looking for a new mainstay on their hard drives and offer a new way for Invincible fans to experience that universe.