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.

Though it wasn't first out of the gate, Bilzzard's chaotic, competitive action game helped popularize the "hero-based shooter", with its growing lineup of distinct and dynamic characters. Especially now, years after its more humble release, Overwatch (and its fleshed-out sequel) offers a hero for virutally EVERY style of play - from straight of Call of Duty-style run-and-gun (Soldier 76), to Titanfall-esque mech tanks (Dva), to more passive healers you might find in a tactical, fantasy RPG (Mercy).

To go along with, Blizzard offers virtually endless rotating/seasonal content along with a slew of unique game modes that mix up the flow and tactics of this team-oriented shooter.

Not that it really needed it, but this amusing sequel to the addictive amusement park sim Roller Coaster Tycoon builds and expands greatly on the alluring formula of the first game. With loads more scenarios and new roller coasters to construct, along with new customizations to flex your artistic chops as well as building and business savy, this sim just oozes endless fun and rewarding gameplay.

You can spend dozens of hours crafting away, pleasing the growing hundreds of pleased customers, and BARELY scratch the surface of this thrill-ride.

Despite Borderlands 3 adding depth and smoothing out some of the rough edges, there is a certain charm to this grueling, zany, and highly-addictive looter shooter that is seldom matched. The barrage of super fun and unique weaponry, quasi-apocalyptic landscapes of Pandora, and particuarly memorable characters - including the best all-time gaming villain Handsome Jack - puts this ARPG on another level. The game is especially enjoyable when locking and loading with another player, though is still highly entertaining when vault-hunting solo.

While Super Mario 3 expanded greatly and explored the imaginative depths of the Mushroom Kingdom, Nintendo took something of a left turn with this star platforming debut on the SNES. While more easy-going, and not quite as awesome graphically or in terms of world-building, the game offered a charming and fun new setting of Dinosaur World, complemented by the addition of the useful, gluttonous dinosaur Yoshi. Nintendo also injects some depth into the Jurassic and food-themed world map, which yields multiple branching pathways and loads of hidden stages to explore. With super tight controls, charming sprites, satisfying power-ups, and a plethora of amusing new baddies, Super Mario World still holds up incredibly well.

Donkey Kong Country 2 takes the formula of the first breakthrough hit from Rareware and ups the ante in a major way. The difficulty is just "bananas" compared to its more easy-going precedessor - at least once you've dove into the chilling ghost and thrilling amusement part biomes in the latter-half of this platforming thrill-ride.

There are also more goodies to collect this time around within these lush, colorful locales, and the new, highly-useful character known as Dixie. She can float far distances using her twirling banana hair lock. While it's easy to miss the star ape Donkey Kong, Diddy and Dixie complement eachother well and make a great tag-team, in what is one of the best 2D platformers ever (for both single and multiplayer).

It's always tough for me to differenciate and separate when it comes to my "all-time favorite" games; with regards to the personal bias of my fond memories vs an OBJECTIVELY outstanding game. But in the case of this iconic platformer from Rare, both equally apply. Yes, Donkey Kong Country holds some of my best gaming memories and nostalgia - having loads of fun and laughs with my sister, cousins, and good friends while zipping about on rickety mine carts, riding rolling barrels, and plowing through Kremling foes with Rambi the Rhino.

But at the same time, this is just an objectively awesome side-scroller - between its sleek, atmospheric visuals and music, novel pre-rendered models, tight-yet-deep level design, solid controls, and loads of memorable moments. The game doesn't overdo it with loads of collectibles with branching pathways - it simply immerses you in a variety of lavish biomes as you venture forth as Donkey and Diddy to get your stolen banana horde back, by way of hopping, rolling, and trekking through tons of colorful baddies.

Despite its even more refined and epic remake in recent years, the original Resident Evil 4 still holds up with its sleek visuals, dynamic Spanish settings - along with a superb blend of action, survival-horror, and clever (but not bloated) puzzles to solve. Oh, and of course, the crazed cultist version of zombies, the "Los Illuminados", are as chilling as a group of foes can be. This is especially the case when tangling with the super intimidating Chainsaw Man, and the slew of intense bosses.

For many, myself included, this first iteration of a revamped, polished Resident Evil was their first experience with the series - and what a chilling experience it was! This dark, heart-pounding horror keeps you on the edge of your seat with numerous jump scares, brain-hungry zombies creeping about, and the new terrifying "Crimson Heads", which are essentially swift undead on steroids - think Left 4 Dead.

An awesome and stylized puzzle-based take on a first-person shooter. This polygonal, quasi "bullet time" shooter has players take their time to hone in on various targets to eliminate before getting struck themselves in bite-sized stages and speedy scenarios. The kicker is that, while foes are quick sharp-shooters, players will be partially frozen in time until they decide to move, massively slowing down all on-screen action while sedentary. This adds an interesting, satisfying new dimension to the action, which allows for high precision and solid tactics while in a firefight.

The stuff of nightmares - in the best way possible. The Binding of Isaac is a dark, twisted, and grueling take on an oldschool dungeon crawler a la classic Zelda, wrought with creepy and persistent foes - along with a slew of bizarre weapons, buffs, and abilities to gather.

An epic continuation of the Elder Scrolls series that was simply ahead of its time. The amount of subtle detail throughout the deep, lavish lands of Morrowind is impressive, to say the least. You can truly carve your own path in this deep, atmospheric ARPG from Bethesda.

A unique and amusing retro-future odyssey involving a corporate dystopia and a myriad of fun weapons to tinker with. Players can highly customize their character to their liking and choose their path in what feels like a fusion of Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect, Bioshock, and a sprinkle of Borderlands.