How did they manage to get such awful draw distance and pop-in when porting an 18-year-old game to PS5? There are even mid-level load times!! What's the deal??

We Love Katamari is still an absolutely incredible game, and the new content is nice enough (if a bit light), but it's such a shame this port didn't get the optimization it deserves. The pop-in was forgivable on PS2 given the hardware limitations, but in 2023 items shouldn't be invisible when they're over 15 feet away.

Tired: The hardest part of Infinite's LASO mode is the entire UI (including whatever weapon you're holding) being invisible

Wired: The hardest part of Infinite's LASO mode is the "Boom" skull augmenting all the explosions, so when you're supposed to clear out all the enemies in an outdoor area, you accidentally launch a Brute 15 miles away while they're still alive, Team Rocket style, and The Weapon won't let you push a button to open a door because one of the enemies you were supposed to kill is still alive even though they're now on the other side of the ring

Spire'd: The hardest part of Infinite's LASO mode is that a buddy and I beat it all in co-op, and the only mission that took us over 2 hours ("The Sequence", in which you traverse a large portion of the map activating four spires) did not get marked off in the missions list. Every other mission has the Legendary icon marked in white. But The Sequence is still blue on Legendary! We replayed it without any fast traveling or backing out to the menu, which took 2.5 hours. STILL DIDN'T WORK!

I had a good time embracing the challenge of Infinite's LASO mode, and it really was hard as balls. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it though, playing on Heroic was more enjoyable, and Legendary without all the skulls could potentially be even better. But there were a few too many issues that made our LASO run frustrating at times.

I have completed LASO. I just didn't get the achievement to pop because of a tracking glitch. Booooo.

After nearly two decades, I picked this one up again. Surprisingly, I was impressed by how competent the story mode is as a recap of the Saiyan-Cell Sagas, with a lot more cutscenes than I remembered. The combat is good but not great, and there's a decent amount to get out of the game through the World Tournament mode and unlocking everything, but I didn't have to motivation to do it all 20 years ago, and I sure don't now!

Either way, it's a completely fine DBZ game, and it's a lot better than most of its predecessors from the previous console generation. It's very simple, but I was having enough fun that I finished the story mode and did a handful of World Tournaments. The weird inconsistencies that really irritated me as a 13-year-old (yellow Spirit Bomb and Kamehameha, Cell's voice doesn't change mid-fight when he changes forms, etc.) felt more charming than annoying now, but that's probably because I've played better DBZ games since, and at the time this was the best we had. I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to play this unless they're trying to go through every Dragonball game. It's fine!

Turns out, this is secretly a Downhill Jam prequel.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that THPS on Game Boy would be a completely different experience, but I was still taken aback at just how different it is. The core gameplay of completing objectives across sprawling maps is nowhere to be found; instead you've got a Half-Pipe mode and races. The controls are extremely limited, so don't expect to be pulling off massive combos here. In the races (playable as player vs. a single cpu or in "Tournament Mode"), you'll tap up on the D-Pad to accelerate, trying to reach the end first while collecting Skate points and Tapes for bonuses. If you do a trick after going off a ramp, there's no animation. Instead, the game pauses and cuts to a little splash image of the trick you performed.

Radical.

Half-Pipe Mode looks a little better in terms of animations, but it's still awfully basic. Going back and forth while limited to one trick per jump won't scratch the THPS itch for anyone. The game as a whole feels awfully light on content for a Tony Hawk title, but it honestly makes sense as a basic Game Boy skating game.

At the end of Lego Skywalker Saga, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, the gameplay is far better than previous Lego SW titles, the visuals and sounds are fantastic, the roster is immense, and there are a truly vast amount of things to do.

On the other hand, I had to experience Episode IX again.

Personal grievances with J.J. Abrams aside, this is a really good Lego game! It's gratifying to see what a Lego title can be when it's not strictly adhering to the same mechanics we've had since 2005. Simply being able to freely move the camera around feels like a revelation, and is something they should have been doing long ago. The split-screen works fantastically too, and not having to stay near your co-op partner makes exploring the various featured planets stress-free. The way unlocks and cheats are handled is the best it's ever been, and if my wife and I hadn't felt so bleak after ending on TRoS, we probably would have 100%ed the whole thing.

If you're looking for a comprehensive Star Wars game that lets you explore practically every planet we've seen in the 9 episodic movies, this is about as good as you're likely to get. But if you're looking for deep-dives on the movies themselves, this game is a bit light on content. Levels in the original two Lego Star Wars games are significantly longer than what you'll find here, with some of the larger story beats consigned to cutscenes. But hey, you can fire your blaster with modern third-shooter controls, so STOP COMPLAINING

Seriously though, the game is solid. If you think you might like it, you're probably right! But if you've got Sequel Trilogy hangups, this doesn't do anything to make those movies any more endearing. Ghost Luke still off-handedly confirms that both he and Leia always knew Rey's heritage, Lando still magically wrangles up the largest Space Posse the Galaxy has ever seen after no one listened to Leia's transmission in TLJ, and giant planet-killing lasers are still showing up constantly. I had hoped that this game would rehabilitate the 2019 ending to this series, much like how Episode I: Racer, Battle for Naboo, and Jedi Power Battles helped me to fall in love with The Phantom Menace. Unfortunately, the sequels are portrayed in a rather dire tone most of the time, and the humor rarely works as well as it did in the older games.

It's a good game! But as this is the first time The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker are playable, any baggage you might have with those divisive films may very well taint the whole experience.

Now go read this graphic novel adaptation of the leaked Duel of the Fates script where Finn leads a Stormtrooper rebellion on Coruscant, then pine for a better world: https://awinegarner.squarespace.com/duel-of-the-fates

I've loved Metroid Prime since it first blew my mind on my cousin's TV in 2002. It has always been an incredible exploration-focused game, and the shadow drop during this February's Direct was HYPE. I had been holding off on revisiting Prime ever since those Metroid Prime Trilogy rumors started in like 2020, so I was beyond ready for this release.

After having considered this a masterpiece for a couple decades, I'm happy to say that it mostly holds up! What's even better is that every change in this remaster is for the better; Gyro is a huge improvement, alternate control schemes all work well, and the re-done textures make this one of the most beautiful games on the Switch.

I didn't want to score/review it right after finishing (I beat the game a week and a half ago) because I wanted to sit with it for a bit. It's still a killer game, but I don't think it quite sits amongst my all-time favorites anymore. The ending really did drag a bit more than I realized. I'd heard people complain about the backtracking in Prime for 20 years, but it never really bothered me until now. Going back and forth for Artifacts and the last few Missile Expansions really kills the momentum right before the finale, and ultimately holds this back from a perfect score. I'd compare it to the Triforce quest at the end of Wind Waker, but I actually kind of like that. Anyhow, there was no way I wasn't going to 100% this game, just like I do with every Metroid title (except the first one), it's just a shame that going back through the world for all the last items wasn't as enjoyable as the other Metroid games. I'd largely say that it's because elevators between regions felt more remote than in other games. I've never actually finished Echoes or Corruption, so I'm hoping that's handled a bit better in the sequels. (How long do I wait to see if they're getting Switch ports before I just play them on my Wii U??)

Anyhow, none of that stops Metroid Prime from being an incredible game. It may not completely stack up against my teenage memories, but it still cannot be overstated how incredible the atmosphere of Metroid Prime is. What a rad world to get lost in. Phenomenal game.

Fierce loyalty to a sworn brother can be twisted to justify unspeakable acts.

I was really split on Yakuza 4 for my whole playthrough. On one hand, playing as four different protagonists made for a more complex and compelling story than earlier entries in the series. On the other, resetting your player character after every quarter of the game felt like there was little point in investing in their abilities or side quests. It's a bit like how Samus always loses all her powerups at the beginning of a Metroid game, but it happens every 4-5 hours here.

The story really was good though! For as much as I would have preferred one protagonist to upgrade and focus on, the way everyone's story events come together at the end was satisfying and impressive. More than any of the other 4 RGG titles I've finished, this had a strong theme throughout the tale, concerning just how far people are willing to go for a partner; the sacrifices they're willing to make, the people they can justify harming, and if they'd betray that sacred trust to help themselves. It's great!

But uh what's up with the face models here?? The wackiest aspect of the story is that there are regular flashbacks to 25 years in the past, and everyone looks exactly the same! I know that when we look at pictures of teens from the 80s they all look older than their age, but not like this! Age is this weird, nebulous thing in Yakuza, punks have always called Kiryu "old man" despite looking the same age as him, but it's hilarious seeing both the Saejimas not change at all between their late teens and mid 40s. RGG is anything but ageist! 50 is the new 20!

I love the idea of some middle-aged guy in 2001 buying a Game Boy Color just for this game so he can play FreeCell on the train to work

This is a pretty cool oddity, it's a few of those classic Windows 95/98-era games that everyone's dad had, but shrunk down for the Game Boy. The handheld market was no stranger to demakes of popular games, but there's something unique (and more than a little charming) about the presentation here. The main screen is a shrunk down version of the default Windows 95 UI, complete with that one shade of teal in the background and a Start button in the bottom-left. It's a small thing, but as someone who grew up around computers in the early 90s, I feel the presentation really elevates the experience.

Unfortunately, the selection is a bit odd. FreeCell, Minesweeper, and SkiFree are solid inclusions (and the animations in SkiFree are actually quite smooth), but who thought that we needed TicTactics instead of Solitaire or Hearts? I guess they might not have wanted too many card games, but was anyone really picking this up for Tripeaks on the go?

In any case, the Game Boy renditions of these PC classics are all faithful renditions and don't seem to be drastically inferior in any way. I'd say if you've got any nostalgia for Microsoft Entertainment Pack games, check it out for the novelty.

Look, Celery.

I'm sorry, but... I have to let you go.

I was immediately smitten with you from the start. The way you talked about food and flavors and how you could taste with your ears left me breathless. I laughed and curled my disgusting rat tail when you talked about your berry-infused hats. And when you tasted me with those ears... My heart was racing.

We made some incredible memories together. And that's what makes this so difficult. We could have been something truly special together, but... you've changed. You once were a passionate rat, eager to share your love of hear-eating with those around you, but you've grown cold. Pretentious. Maybe even a little full of yourself. I didn't feel valued anymore. I just can't be with someone who lacks humility.

I'm sorry.

Also there's this ghost rat and I'm kind of morally obligated to propose to her so she can finally move on to the afterlife, I'm sure you understand

This is the quintessential 90s licensed game.

✅ Side-scrolling beat-em-up
✅ Minimal frames of character animation
✅ Overly simplistic controls, with fewer moves than buttons
✅ Very short length inflated by repetition
✅ Different enemies are often just palette swaps
❌ Fun

Please be advised, this is not a port of the Arcade title. These are drastically different games, I've submitted a revision on IGDB to get "Arcade" removed from this page as a platform because these have nothing to do with each other besides the IP.

EDIT: Revision approved!

Hoa is (1.) a stunning display of artistry, breathtaking in its peaceful simplicity, but also (2.) underbaked and boring and I don't like it.

If you've looked at any screenshots or footage, you'll already have thought "huh, big Ghibli vibes here", so we'll just skip that part. Beneath the lush, cozy art style lies an extremely basic rough draft of a game. Across 8 small "worlds" (if we can call them that), you control a cute lil triangle baby who catches butterflies to wake up giant creatures, each of whom remembers you from when you were an even smaller baby.

In practice, this is sort of like the most basic Metroidvania imaginable, with a map containing decent verticality, a small number of collectibles/currency in each area (we're talking single digits), 4 or 5 earned abilities that allow you to progress, aaaaaand that's it. Beyond the music and visuals, I truly mean it when I say NOTHING compelling occurs in Hoa. Bland, combat-less platforming leads to sparse, spread-out collectibles which lead to awkward and vague dialogue with the big critters which leads to a baffling ending sequence.

[Structural spoilers from this point on, but no story details:]

After the game stops repeating gameplay, you observe a fairly long chase sequence which would have been the most engaging part of the game, but for some reason you aren't allowed to participate. (Severe Halo 5 cutscene energy) This is followed by what could be a dream sequence or some sort of limbo maybe?? I tried looking up what it was supposed to mean and couldn't find a legitimate answer anywhere, only encountering theorizing redditors, most as confounded as I was. Then instead of giving any closure, the final cutscene shows events from before the game; events which have already been related to us by the big magic animals along the way.

If you've ever been on a date with someone you were incredibly attracted to, but after an hour realized "there is absolutely nothing going on beneath the surface with this person", eventually ending the evening in a deflated state of stupor, that's what it feels like to play Hoa.

Was this game marketed as a VN? It probably should have been.

The illusion of choice strikes again!! This is the most a point-and-click styled game has ever held my hand, to the point where it felt like I had no say in anything that happened. Dordogne is one of those games that happens to you, rather than allowing you to be an active participant. It's not a standard walking simulator, but it's about as interactive as a guided tour of a local museum.

Despite the dull gameplay, it is stunningly beautiful. The way the watercolor-painted textures are mapped to 3D models is often breathtaking, and was the key reason I played the game. The voice performances are quite good as well, but what really surprised me (having come to the game after seeing the reveal trailer, expecting a cozy happy game) was how SAD the game is. The story revolves around a broken family, alternating between glimpses of the protagonist's childhood and their present. And sure, it's about overcoming the issues that have affected the family, but I've been through plenty of those IRL, Dordogne is way too stressful for me to consider it recreation!

Anyhow, this game is beautiful enough that some people will be able to enjoy it for the visuals alone. It does paint a nice picture of a summer in youth spent at a relative's house (Sort of a French Boku no Natsuyasumi without any of the freedom), and that may have enough appeal for some players as well. The bottom line is that the setting and story's appeal is about as YMMV as it gets, the visuals are stunning, and the gameplay may as well not be there at all.

The most interactive segment was a bizarre minigame about brushing your teeth. Not for me!