Leonardo Faria

“Crisol: Theater of Idols is an immense collection of great ideas, good intentions, tons of sources of inspiration, and an interesting setting, but hampered by trying to bite way more than it could chew. I loved its setting and atmosphere, but it’s not scary enough to be called a fully-fledged horror game, it’s not action-packed enough to be considered a first-person shooter, nor is it explorable or full of gameplay elements like an immersive sim. The game sits right in the middle of all these elements, clearly showcasing its sources of inspiration, and having enough ideas to make it stand out as something unique, but never being more than just that: a good, well-intentioned, creepy, but flawed game.”

“Super Bomberman Collection may only cover a very specific slice of the franchise’s more than forty-game history, but it works perfectly as a reminder of why Bomberman became such a beloved series in the first place. Every single title included here is a blast to play, no pun intended. The visuals are charming, the music os fantastic, and the core gameplay loop is just THAT good.”

“It is an interesting game if you are looking for something that resembles the Sega arcade racers from back in the day, but to be fair, you’d be better off just sticking to the excellent remastered version of Virtua Racing available on the eShop. It’s not a bad title, but it just simply failed to make any sort of impression with me, be it positive or negative.”

“I do appreciate Quarantine Zone‘s gameplay loop. Its mixture of the bureaucracy analysis popularized by Papers Please, thrown into a zombie apocalypse setting, is, without a shadow of a doubt, very unique, and, at least at first, pretty engaging. Sadly, there’s just not a lot meat in it to keep you invested for long.”

“It’s slick, it’s stylish, and its gameplay loop is fun and centered around short levels. There’s a lot to like in Don’t Stop Girlypop, especially when it comes to how unique it looks and feels next to pretty much any other first-person shooter out there. You will need a minute to get used to its “the more you move, the faster you move” gameplay premise, and it’s best enjoyed in smaller sessions (it does get repetitive after a while), but I have nothing but the utmost respect for the sheer amount of creativity put into it.”

“The only people who will have some kind of enjoyment with Fighting Force Collection are those who grew up with those games and have a borderline die-hard nostalgic attachment towards them. I can’t criticise the folks at Implicit Conversions for their porting skills, as there’s nothing wrong with their remastering efforts. The problem lies at the fact these games have simply aged poorly. In fact, I don’t think they have ever been that good, even for their time.”

“Taxi Chaos 2 might have finally added unique selling points to make it feel less like a mere Crazy Taxi clone, but at the end of the day, replaying Sega’s arcade masterpiece for the bazillionth time is still a much more interesting alternative.”

“Dinkum ain’t the most innovative or impressive life simulation out in the market, but it has just enough elements to make it feel more than just an Animal Crossing knockoff. Even if it’s a really slow-paced game, which requires a painful amount of patience from its players, it is also incredibly rewarding to see your little Australian-esque archipelago grow from a bunch of sand with kangaroos into a charming village full of friendly characters.”

“My main question here is, who is Terrifier: The ARTcade Game for? Beat ’em up fans won’t find any redeeming qualities in one of the genre’s clunkiest outings in years. Fans of the horror franchise will struggle a lot to find any semblance of enjoyment from this edgelordish and overpriced mess that features cheap visuals, poor controls and little to no replay value, as well as a tone that just doesn’t blend in at all with the movies.”

“R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is still a pretty good remaster of a hidden gem from the PS1 era, with a sizeable amount of content, a presentation that somewhat managed to age gracefully, and a gameplay loop that, sure, might be challenging, but never fails to entertain. I may have wished for a bit more in terms of quality of life enhancements and optional perks, but it still features improved visuals, an art gallery, and so on.”

“It’s super simplistic, dumb, shallow as a puddle, and really repetitive. But if you’re looking for the kind of mindless fun D3 Publisher is known for, this game is an easy recommendation. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with it in smaller bursts. Destroying foes with ease with my overpowered weapons in a colorful and absurdist anime world was pretty cathartic. Overall, if you’re into the same kind of dumb fun you can have with EDF or Onee Chanbara, then Full Metal Schoolgirl will be good for you as well.”

“This is far from being a game changer in the racing genre, but NASCAR 25 gets the job done when it comes to pleasing fans of this very specific racing niche. It looks decent, controls well enough, and whilst its track design is obviously repetitive as hell, it makes up for it with its arcadey vibes (almost a consequence of how quick these races are) and its very interesting career mode. As good as a NASCAR game can possibly be, I suppose.”

“I can’t say I felt fooled playing a game that is literally called A Pinball Game That Makes You Mad. It’s exactly what it title implies. With controls that work well enough, its nonsensical level of challenge stems entirely from its ludicrous level design. It is beatable, but not without a lot of trial, error, and cursing.”

“As a game itself, Chicken Run: Eggstraction is fine, completely competent, even if it’s not the most fantastic stealth title in the world. But when you combine its simple but effective gameplay loop (which can also be enjoyed with a friend in local co-op) with some jaw-dropping cutscenes, excellent voice acting, and some lovely British dry wit, you get a game that will rarely make you feel bored.”

“In theory, doing a thorough explanation of Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny‘s features, gameplay and presentation might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world. But this is a clear case of a game that is a lot more interesting and fun than the actual sum of its parts, thanks to its irresistible charm.”

“It just made me smile and feel good about myself while playing, with its adorable presentation, great sound design, and easygoing gameplay. I have to take into account that this is, first and foremost, a family game: it’s meant for kids, and for parents to play alongside their children. In no moment did it feel challenging or complex, and to be honest, that’s totally fine. It never felt condescending, either.”

“Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is part tough-but-fair NES game, part brand new (and highly nostalgic) AVGN episode. Even if it’s painfully short (again, it’s actually a game that can be played on a console from 1985), and even if some deaths felt cheap, I kept playing it with a dumb smile on my face all the time. More than just cheap nostalgia for one of the most famous and important internet celebrities of all time, this is purely and simply a pretty solid 2D action platformer.”

“What you have here is a very stripped down basketball game. It’s not detailed, doesn’t look amazing (though it runs at a phenomenal framerate), but for the intended audience, I think NBA Bounce is a pretty good entry port for newcomers and kids. What really matters is that it’s easygoing, responsive, completely devoid of microtransactions, and great to pick up and play.”

“Make no mistake, by no means is Wizordrum a bad game. The game features some good level design, and it’s simply impossible to mess up a gameplay loop inspired by Heretic and old-school Doom. But this is the issue: it’s just a very derivative game, whose main appeal (it being heavily inspired by Heretic) feels less impactful after the release of Nightdive’s Heretic remaster collection.”

“This could have been an interesting title if there were actually puzzles, goals, and something else of substance for you to do. Instead, what we have here is something that feels more like a tech demo. Minimalist in design; mechanics that are sound and work well, but are never realized to their full potential; a really short duration that, still, somehow, manages to overstay its welcome after a short while.”