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Pokémon Legends: Z-A swaps open fields for urban sprawl and structured ambition. A satisfying gameplay loop and some bold new ideas go a long way toward offsetting its shortcomings. It’s not as strong as Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but that still makes it the second-best Pokémon game of the last decade.
The galaxies spin again, but not as much as my brain still does in wonderment at these two genre-defining games. This Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 release isn’t trying to reinvent the Super Mario Galaxy games, but it lets them run smoother and shine brighter than ever.
With EA Sports FC 26, Nintendo players finally get a modern, competitive version of the world’s game. Some compromises remain, but it’s comfortably the best the series has ever been on a Nintendo console.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws is an impressive, and surprising, technical achievement. The fact that it is possible to play a game this rich and expansive on a handheld system, and have it look and feel this good, is remarkable.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World doesn’t reinvent the wheel, although our hero does sort of swallow one. It’s a smart and generous update that is full of charm, variety, and quiet brilliance.
Split Fiction is an exuberant, cinematic co-op adventure that thrives on shared moments, scraped victories, and those magic moments when a plan comes together.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a bold and brilliantly messy outing for Nintendo’s original video game icon. It is a worthy follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey, but most importantly, the game’s blend of destruction and creativity carves out an identity that is entirely its own.
V Rising stands out as a rich vampire role-playing game, and proves that the ARPG genre's busywork is much easier to swallow when wrapped in a good fantasy.
If you’re looking for a fresh, ripe banana, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD might not hit the mark. But if you missed the original or want to revisit Donkey Kong’s lush, treacherous jungle in high definition, this is a worthwhile adventure. It might feel like filler as we wait for the Nintendo Switch 2, but it's undoubtedly good filler.
To borrow a phrase familiar to football fans with unfulfilled dreams: there’s always next year. EA's engine is clearly scalable, and the main takeaway from EA Sports FC 25 is that it sets a promising foundation for future instalments, especially on the long-awaited successor to the Nintendo Switch. For now, this is a decent, if occasionally laboured, effort.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom strikes a delicate balance between the familiar and the new. Smaller in scale but large in heart, it reaffirms why the series has endured for so long and points to a bright and exciting future.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition doesn't beat the NES Remix series as the king of Nintendo throwbacks, but its quick restarts, competitive modes, and nostalgic vibes guarantee a fun time, especially in local multiplayer.
Some might see it as doing the game a disservice, to always refer back to other things, to boil Still Wakes the Deep down to the intersection of the Venn diagram of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Alien: Isolation, and John Carpenter's The Thing. But honestly? In our book, that's some of the highest praise we can give.
This polished update of the Nintendo GameCube classic is certain to attract a new generation of fans. Despite a few tell-tale signs of aging, it remains sharp, engaging, and conceptually impressive.
Few games let you experience the true horrors of an empty, slightly dilapidated council swimming pool, and for that, Pools must be commended.
Princess Peach: Showtime is proof that you can have too much of a good thing, with the mould-breaking style of Good Feel becoming mustier with each outing, and you can't help but feel that the heroine herself deserved better.
For those of us coming back to Tomb Raider with rose-tinted sunglasses, the gentle visual overhaul and tank controls are a perfect vehicle to revisit an important piece of gaming history.
In parts, it's almost good. But for a superhero game from Rocksteady, the masters of the genre, and a descendant of the mighty Arkham series to boot? It's also a disappointing sign of the times, of corporate overlords still chasing live-service trends, even in the wake of high-profile fumbles like Anthem and Marvel's Avengers.
Silent Hill: The Short Message has interesting underpinnings – in particular the first-person influence of P.T. and contributions from Team Silent veterans Akira Yamaoka and Masahiro Ito – but anything of real promise tends to be undercut by lampshading its best ideas.
There are pros and cons to this Recollection. Two Memories is worsened by departing the Nintendo DS, for instance, while A Journey Into Lost Memories is dramatically improved by the trip to Nintendo Switch, the hybrid handheld suiting it far better than the Wii's weird waggle.