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It’s hard not to see Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as a barrel of gaming perfection. When you peel back everything this top banana brings, you’ll find a Kong carried good time through well crafted and secret-packed stages.
The fact that there aren’t a lot of changes made or new content in Bayonetta 2 on Switch doesn’t stop it from being one of the finest action titles available on Nintendo’s newest console.
To the Moon is a shining example of how a video game doesn’t have to be something combat-driven or challenging to be significant.
Ultimately, while Streets of Rage 4 feels like a game by the fans, for the fans, that’s selling it short. It’s a great throwback to a genre long-thought dead, revitalized with modern technology while maintaining just what made the franchise special in the first place.
If you’ve never played a Shantae game before, Seven Sirens is a great entry point to the series, and if you’re already a fan, I can confidently say you’ll be pleased with what Shantae’s latest outing has to offer.
If approached with an open mind, Catherine can be a thorough lens on the consequences of actions, both in games and in life. That quality doesn’t play much of a part in whether it’s “good” or “bad”, but it (as well as damn near everything else in the game) certainly pushes it firmly into one of a kind, and I would argue that and the other elements described in this review makes it absolutely worth experiencing.
Trails of Cold Steel III is a fantastic RPG with deep gameplay mechanics and a dense world to explore, but not one I’d feel comfortable recommending to those unfamiliar with the series.
The highest praise I can give it though is that it made me want to learn how to play it with some semblance of skill and style. Any game that makes me want to learn its ins and outs gets a full recommendation, and Puyo Puyo Tetris will have me practicing for plenty more hours to come.
Admittedly, it isn’t perfect, suffering from the same repetitive boss battles and drab environments plaguing its inspirational counterpart, but for those who can look past its minor mishaps (and you should), you’ll find one of the best 2D Metroid games this side of the galaxy.
It doesn’t reinvent any of its base parts, but the additions it does make and the touched up presentation, combined with just how perfect a mix it was back in 2017 (and even further back in 2014) makes this a must have game for puzzle fans.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising truly took me by surprise.
Persona 5 Strikers may live in the shadow of its lauded game of origin, but with a source that good it’s not such a terrible place to be. Thanks to the Warriors inspired gameplay and vacation theme, all wrapped up in that signature style, it’s the best series spin off since Persona 4 Arena.
For a certain type of player, Monster Hunter Rise is a Switch essential. If you’re both patient and attentive, and can handle massive opposition in the face of dedication, you will thrive. Though it can feel like taking on an iceberg with a butter knife at times, those behemoths are whittled down eventually and those moments can feel utterly glorious.
3D World might be the more complete package here, but it’s Bowser’s Fury that’s setting a new bar for this type of Mario game and potentially games as a whole when it comes to structure. Nintendo’s sure to pull from this experimental standalone going forward, and seeing the series evolve in real time reiterates just how storied and necessary Super Mario is. Put less broadly, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a game you need to get your paws on.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is one of the most fun and chaotic co-op experiences available on any platform. Should you have at least one other person to play with, the value proposition for this game is astronomical.
Subnautica: Below Zero’s adventure is equal parts survival sim and sci-fi thriller, and should you decide to take the plunge into its icy depths, you’re sure to find one of the most robust and satisfying survival titles on the eShop.
In many ways Ys IX: Monstrum Nox feels like a game that confidently builds on its immediate predecessor while addressing its key weaknesses, namely traversal. As a result you have a game that feels like a concept shined to near-perfection, and I can’t wait to see what Falcom does next.
I fell in love with the first Monster Hunter Stories, and that led to a renewed interest in the Monster Hunter series as a whole. I never dreamed we’d be getting a sequel, let alone one that would improve on the original as much as Wings of Ruin did.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will likely be as remembered for the journey it took to even be officially released in English as the journey of Ryunosuke Naruhodo himself – and both are worth it. The sheer grandiosity, excellent writing, and overall package make it one for the ages
NEO: The World Ends with You manages to hit its streets running by maintaining everything interesting, unique, and enjoyable about the first game. The changes in hardware and playable characters have tweaked things slightly, but it feels like positive growth that improves the series or at least puts a fresh, wicked twist on it. Following up on a cult favorite game over a decade later is no easy feat, but Square Enix have done it as well as I could imagine.