Jacob Bukacek

“Super Mario Party Jamboree is something of a mixed experience. Its main mode, while offering a truly solid selection of fun minigames and interesting boards, suffers from a frustratingly slow rate of play. Unless it's addressed in a future update, most players are probably going to eventually get tired of everything taking longer than it should. Most of the side modes are “take it or leave it” affairs as well, but Koopathlon, Toad’s Item Factory and especially Bowser’s Kaboom Squad are together good enough to make up for that. Fans with friends to play it with will feel satisfied with Super Mario Party Jamboree, but those who don’t probably need not rush to pick this one up.”

“Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is still, after all these years, the prime example of Paper Mario at its very best. Its writing is still funny, its characters are quirky and fun in ways that they just aren’t in other Nintendo games, its combat is simple yet deep enough to stay interesting throughout and it’s a visual and aural treat thanks to all the enhancements made by Intelligent Systems. The improvements made both in and out of combat also go a long way towards making the game shine even more than it already did. Sure, the extra tutorials can be annoying for longtime fans, but otherwise, this new version does the original justice and makes it an even more worthy addition to any Switch owner’s library.”

“It's not a horribly frightening game, but it nonetheless has a thick atmosphere and an air of mystery that one cannot help but want to delve further into. This latest Alone in the Dark likely won't quite make the horror classic cut, but it's close. It's close enough that any follow-up will almost certainly be something just about any horror fan will excitedly look forward to playing.”

“Persona 5 Tactica isn’t something that’s going to blow anyone away, neither Persona fans nor fans of tactical RPGs. Its story is decent and interesting enough to see the players through to the end, but it likely won’t leave much of any lasting impact. The same goes for its overall presentation and music. Much of it is fun to look at and listen to, and there's genuine enjoyment to be had, but none of it is anything one will remember for long after putting it down. Atlus did manage to craft a fun and interesting combat system here, though, one that’s simple and easy enough for genre newcomers to enjoy and which also offers enough depth to give those familiar with these sorts of games a few fun hours. Persona 5 Tactica is nothing genre defining, but it’s fun enough, especially for those who’d like another chance to spend some more time with the Phantom Thieves.”

“Sonic Origins does a lot right.”

“Mario Party Superstars is a worthy compilation of all of the series' greatest hits.”

“As should probably be expected of what's basically a port of the Wii U version, this iteration of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water offers a decidedly average horror experience.”

“Surprising as it may be, Persona 5 Strikers is a solid follow-up to Persona 5.”

“Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 isn't the game-changer that the first Puyo Puyo Tetris was.”

“Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is the definitive version of a JRPG that was already quite enjoyable.”

“With Catherine: Full Body, it feels like Atlus was trying to find an acceptable midpoint between remake and remaster.”

“Anthem is a game based on a fantastic idea.”

“Despite being rather short, Pikuniku is sure to please players anyway thanks to its pleasant presentation, relaxed atmosphere, goofy characters, and its world that's just plain fun to explore.”

“Nippon Marathon has the potential to be a fun party game, but its technical and design shortcomings prevent it from being a race worth running.”

“Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight makes for a decent rhythm game overall, despite a relatively small song list and the lack of a story.”

“For an odd spin-off to an RPG series, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is very well executed.”

“Even as a relative newcomer to the sim game space, I found myself enjoying my time with Two Point Hospital. Minor bugs and functionality wishes aside, one can do pretty much everything they need to in order to succeed here.”

“With Mario Tennis Aces, Nintendo has delivered a worthy successor to the N64 original.”

“Null Vector successfully takes two distinct genres and blends them together in such a way that they feel like perfect compliments to one another.”

“Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is the kind of game that's best played when one just wants to sit back and relax for a while.”