Stephen_L

Think X-Com with a more colorful Mario and Rabbids overlay, and you've got Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The depth of the fun and rewarding strategic gameplay is often overlooked, as a number of scenarios can play out depending on character positioning, along with which weapons and abilities are utilized in each scene against a particular target. At the same time, the game is fairly easy to jump into, at least in the early goings. If only the overworld map was designed to be a bit tighter and more compelling...

This Sonic game is truly a celebration of Sega's star fast-going Hedgehog. It superbly blends retro and modern gameplay with its multiplayer support, smooth frame rate, and a plethora of vibrant biomes that fans can gaze upon while speeding through ramp/loop-laden stages. With enjoyable co-op and competitive multiplayer, various characters to try, and a slew of hazards to plow through or zip by, Sonic Mania is a total thrill ride for series diehards and Sonic newbies alike.

While this game continues the charming Paper Mario fmoula that beckons you to press on and explore its colorful worlds, the game lacks a bit even compared to others in the series. Progression and customization and fairly limited here between the bare-bones system of sticker collection (used in battle) and the general lack of items and equipment. It's rather surface-level, but decent for diehard Mario fans and RPG beginners.

Each of the "social gathering ice-breaker" Jackbox Party packs offers a slew of trivia/creative/fill-in-the-blank romps that yield mixed results. However, the third entry in this series is perhaps the pinnacle of this phone-controlled party franchise. There are many gems here that offer hours of fun and laughter - between the sleuthing Fakin' It, creative horror-themed Trivia Murder Party, and stat-a-thon Guesspionage. Oh - there's also the ongoing t-shirt designing hit, Tee KO, and funny fill-in-the-blank Quiplash, which are always good for some yuks. This may be the only of the 10+ Party Packs that truly have no duds.

This underrated platformer features many ex-Rareware developers from the SNES days, and it certainly shows through the vibrant detail of the fantasy worlds and the rock-solid mechanics, all reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country. While the overworld map can slow things down a tad, it makes for a dynamic, Super Mario World-style map system that unlocks branching paths and secrets, and ties the world together. The two main characters remind one of Banjo and Kazooie or Diddy/Dixie with their distinct attributes which each help players progress along the harzard-laden stages in their own way.

An often overlooked gem from the Wii's early days, Super Paper Mario essentially blends classic 2D Mario scrolling with the RPG charm and depth of the Paper Mario titles. The game utilizes an innovative mechanic that allows players to shift from the 2D plane to a 3D (yet still graphically flat) one, opening up new avenues of gameplay and hidden goodies/pathways to explore.

Take the New Super Mario Bros. Formula and dial up the atmosphere and general trippiness, and this wild 2D platformer for Switch might be the result. The game hits you with a barrage of distinct and vibrant scrolling stages, amunsing power-ups, rewarding collectibles, and tons of twists and turns as you scramble through over 150 stages.

The game that got me into gaming, essentially. Virtually everything about this platformer hits the mark, and often leaps past it, from the colorful, imaginative game design and world-building, to the infectious music, to the picture-perfect mechanics and controls, to the slew of awesome power-ups. The game has a fairly punishing difficulty by today's standards, though in the early 90s, it was pretty standard, and made completion (or the venturing into the next world) all the more satisfying.