Aaron Price
Rescue Team DX is exactly how a remake should be. This is a game that’s faithful to the original, with some overhauls that make it more streamlined and accessible to a brand new generation of players.
Long story short, if you were a fan of Mega Man Battle Network, this is probably the closest you’ll get to a new game. One Step From Eden takes everything that said game and Slay The Spire did well while cranking it up to 100. It’s a blast of a game that satisfies every video game craving I’ve had the past few years, all in one package.
Cuphead is brutally difficult and incredibly rewarding to play, and plays very smoothly on PS4. Each of the levels only last a couple minutes, and the actual scrolling levels are far harder than any of the boss stages included in here. If you have the chance, pick this one up. If you’re a gamer, you shouldn’t have any excuse of it not being available to you any longer.
All in all, if you like 2D platformers and puzzle games, you’ll spend a lot of time with Evergate. Between a huge variety of levels, a magnificent story, that incredible soundtrack, and trying to collect all the artifacts, you’ll have your work cut out for you with this one. While it may be reminiscent of Ori on the surface, Stone Lantern Games have absolutely crafted their own one of a kind masterpiece. It’s a simple concept, with a whole lot going for it.
Arcaea has been a huge amount of fun, especially as someone who is a big fan of rhythm-based games. It feels great to pick up and play for a few songs, and plenty easy to do so. Personally, I found myself playing for at least an hour whenever I went to only play a song or two.
Souldiers is an all-around joyful experience; its three classes being unique enough from each other, warranting different playthroughs. The use of different elemental types to fight enemies and gain an advantage, plus using them to traverse the world, is a great implementation. Characters feel unique, enemies are distinguished and not just reskins throughout, and the ambient sounds are all great. A genuinely memorable game all metroidvania fans should check out.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is another welcome addition to the drum hero series. With so many different styles of songs to pick from, and not just having to play song after song with no variety, it’s one of the easiest versions of the series to pick up and play.
It’s been ten years since Pikmin 3 and twenty-two years since the original game. While it might not be a household name, Pikmin is one of Nintendo’s most consistent titles. Each game gets better and better, but might be overlooked simply because of the look or design of the characters. Given all four games are now available on Nintendo Switch, if you have any interest in the series, what’s a better time since it all culminates in the best game in the series, Pikmin 4.
I honestly could not recommend this more. It’s faithful to the original and has a ton of quality of life improvements that make it so much more fun to play
Honestly, if you’ve been waiting for a new Paper Mario game, and you’re not that interested in playing Bug Fables on a PC, UnderHero is a must-have.
All in all, Langrisser I & II is a wonderful remake, giving not only a new era of fans, but a whole new demographic of fans access to a style of game that has finally found a solid following outside of Japan. Between the two games, following the story and doing your best not to lose characters, you can expect 60-70 hours of non stop, tactical turn-based RPG that will feel like games you may already be familiar with, but will require much more thought than ever needed before.
If you played and enjoyed Journey to the Savage Planet, the Hot Garbage DLC is a lot of the same stuff. The same humour, some different collectables, and some new upgrades. Basically, if you enjoyed the base game and you just want more of it, here it is. You’re welcome.
Flynn: Son of Crimson has been one of the few games in recent times I couldn’t put down once I got started. It was a perfect mix between great visuals, retro-styled gameplay, a challenging but never unfair level of difficulty, and an excellent progression system encouraging you to revisit past levels. This is a game I really want for people to find out about, as it would be criminal for a gem like this one to be overlooked by players out there.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a huge step forward for what is achievable in the Pokémon series as a whole. This is a defining step in the franchise that shows just how much gas is still in the tank. The staleness of the mainline series and the need to remake the older generations is being shown it’s not needed any longer. New gameplay mechanics show just how far this series can be pushed, and still feel like a Pokémon game.
Rune Factory 5 has been a lot of fun and has a ton to offer regardless of how you plan to tackle the game. Hopefully it doesn’t take Xseed another eight years to make the next game in the series, or maybe we get some big updates or DLC, but if it does, then I’m more than certain that this game has enough to do to keep people coming back and tackling more and more, even if it’s just exploring different love interests, or only wanting to be a potato farmer.
Tyrant’s Blessing is one of the most interesting tactical RPGs in recent times. Everything throughout the game is looking to make this genre more interesting than it’s been before. There are blemishes in the game for sure, a lack of map variety for starters, or the sheer repetition in the mission variety, but they don’t make it any less enjoyable.
I really enjoyed Nuclear Blaze, a lot more than I could have ever imagined at first. Despite not being exactly a new release (it was originally launched on Steam nearly two years ago), it feels at home on the Switch. This brand new release on consoles is the perfect opportunity to check it out and give it a go. By and large, it’s already deeply enjoyable on a basic first run, but things get a lot more challenging and engaging once unlocking the “Hold My Beer” mode. You will shout at the game, but won’t be able to put it down.
It was great to play through the first Battle Network for the first time, and having these games available again as a whole. While I still have a GBA, I have only been able to get my hands on Battle Network 5 for it, and being an adult now, it’s hard to hold only for too long having much longer fingers. I’m glad I can sink hours upon hours into this series that I’ve always adored, but it’s even better people will be able to experience this series for the first time. These are definitely the definitive versions of these games, making it the ideal launching place for everyone else to get lost when you’re simply told “I wonder if someone can help” and you need to Google what the hell you’re supposed to be doing.
If it wasn’t clear already, I love Turnip Boy Robs A Bank. I already thought Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion was an outstanding game, so being able to build on that with a fast-paced roguelite adventure, with an excellent gameplay loop which also pokes fun on the horrible depths of capitalism, who would have thought it would be so much fun?
If you like Super Mario World, or precision platformers such as Celeste, then boy, have I got an absolute treat for you. Pepper Grinder is the kind of game you’ll instantly start to scream about from the rooftops. It’s got fast-paced action, its worlds are vibrant and diverse, and it’s got a banging soundtrack to top it off. Not to mention the fact I’ll always have a soft spot for anything that includes narwhals. Pepper Grinder is already one of my top contenders for my favourite game of the year, especially being a replayable-as-hell Switch banger I can pick and play for ten to fifteen minutes at a time while I’m sat on a bus or train.