I was really hoping to play a fun mini-/micro-game compilation again, one that wasn't WarioWare and could provide some short-term entertainment. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while longer, because this game doesn't fulfil that wish at all. Quite the opposite unfortunately. DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper feels like a blatant attempt to rip off big franchises, pushing every button to appeal to fans of old retro games and then topping it all off with random internet memes, while the minigames themselves are completely unfair, poorly thought out and mostly just plain bad. Eventually I lost all hope that it might get better and that perhaps only a few of the minigames were out of place and in the end I was incredibly relieved when the credits rolled and I knew I'd never have to play this game again.
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The strengths of past games - a gripping story, excellent acting and interesting decision paths - are enhanced by useful mechanics like the direct rewind function and I really enjoyed the division into series-style chapters. Directive 8020 builds on the successful experiences of its predecessors, resulting in a genuinely entertaining horror experience. However not every new idea hits: the stealth sections are a bit too slow-paced, especially towards the end. I would have preferred fewer camera cuts and I really missed the online coop mode.
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Contrary to all expectations one might have had for the franchise Bubsy 4D delivers competent gameplay and a fun experience. It's an entertaining and well-made platformer that invites you to speedrunning it with mechanics that encourage absurd maneuvers. The only downside is the game's length. On one hand it's the highest praise a game can receive to wish for more. On the other hand the game's 15 levels are completed so quickly that you wonder if that's all there is. If you're motivated to achieve 100% completion and start climbing leaderboards Bubsy 4D definitely has more to offer, but a few more worlds would have made the experience way more satisfying.
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Aphelion tells an engaging story with a lot of interesting lore and the switch between protagonists is well integrated into the plot and adds to the experience. However the technical issues and the rather shallow gameplay prevent it from competing in the top tier of Don't Nod-titles. While the various ideas in Ariane's sequences add good variety there's never that much of a challenge gameplay-wise and the stuttering and bugs only intensify the feeling that the game would've needed a little bit more finetuning before its release.
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BALL x PIT is the most competent and entertaining survivor game I've played so far and it particularly impressed me with its ideas that aren't part of the genre usually. But in the end it's still too much survivor-like elements that tainted the experience for me. The combination of alleyway and bullet hell elements are really clever, at least when the characters weren't completely breaking the game. The city management aspect, in particular, motivated me to invest significantly more time than I probably would have without it. Technically, the game is virtually flawless, though a little less flashing lights and garish color palette certainly wouldn't have hurt.
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Even if not all the bugs and errors were ironed out we're still treated to an incredibly charming indie horror that wears its inspirations proudly on its sleeve and will make fans of the old PlayStation era very happy. Post Trauma tells a deeply moving story, perfectly exploits the strengths of fixed camera perspectives despite its technical weaknesses and is ideal for a playthrough in one go. The puzzles are never unsolvable, but still keep you entertained, the combat is more of a secondary concern, and the game would probably have worked just as well without them.
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During its three- to four-hour gameplay the game addresses topics such as loss, aging, family conflicts and the relationship between pet and owner, doing so with a sensitivity yet also a raw honesty that will likely leave no one unmoved. Above all, the gameplay experience of being a cat is convincingly conveyed and it's fun moving through the game world, exploring it as best you can. While you'll otherwise look in vain for truly innovative or new ideas in the gameplay, the compact playing time and gripping story make this forgivable, and what it offers is entertaining enough to carry the story.
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For tech nerds and Nintendo enthusiasts, the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour should be just the thing and I'm sure even more skeptical people with a bit of curiosity can have a lot of fun with it. Of course that's assuming they know what they're getting into. For younger audiences the experience might be a bit too text-heavy and detailed and if you're not much into hardware information you might be better off choosing Mario Kart World as your first Switch 2 title. However the Welcome Tour does what it wants to achieve and does that really well and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time with it.
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Deliver at all Costs definitely delivers: the cars feel a bit wonky first but after a short adjustment period, you'll get the hang of it. The missions continually present you with new, absurd tasks and it's a hell of a lot of fun exploring the world and destroying it all at the same time. It's almost absurd how much you can destroy in the game, the only downside is the visuals of the game and the character models, which fortunately only become really noticeable when the game zooms in. Furthermore, the game would have benefited from slightly larger or more connected areas, waypoints, and better markers for your route, but that doesn't detract from the fact that I had quite some fun with the game.
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Gloomy Eyes offers a lovingly crafted and unique gameplay experience, with its 'solo coop' mechanics offering clever puzzles that never present you with tasks that are too difficult to solve. A little more polished gameplay wouldn't have been a bad thing though, especially since you're constantly having to take the same route twice with both characters again and again.
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Coffee Talk Tokyo builds on the same strengths that made the first two games so special already. The location change brings a breath of fresh air to the series and with over 50 drinks there's even more to mix than ever before. The dialogues are once again beautifully and authentically written, the characters tell emotional stories about themselves and their lives and in the end you're actually feeling like standing in the café yourself, gradually getting to know the customers better while this time also learning more about Japanese (tea-)culture and its people.
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On its own this is a truly special title for fans of unconventional RPGs. One that should be seen as an artistically valuable contribution from a dedicated development team, setting aside studio conflicts. ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies not only looks fantastic but also tells a thrilling spy story with characteristic NPC characters, countless twists and interesting mechanics that constantly bring you back down to earth whenever you get too cocky. A few snippets of dialogue felt a bit too obvious to me and there are a some areas that could use some patching. But overall the game had me laughing out loud time and time again, the story kept me hooked until the end and I had a damn good time with everything the game had to offer.
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Thanks to its heavy focus on the Miis and their antics this title is undeniably unique and you really have to embrace its core concept to get the most enjoyment out of it. However if you happen to be a fan of chaos, love letting your creativity run wild and have a soft spot for a bit of juvenile humor, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream offers an endless playground of fun. It's a bit of a shame that you can't transfer your captures from the Switch to your phone, though that would likely have led to more content restrictions. And it's exactly this freedom that gives rise to situations that are simultaneously absurd and incredibly funny.
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An unusual development journey like this which could be followed so actively online is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. All the more reason to be pleased that the end result is such a fun and varied game that not only brings beautiful visuals but also delivers compelling gameplay. Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a more than competent shooter that offers much more thanks to its many ideas and mechanics. I would have liked a bit more player initiative in the investigations and I would absolutely love the ability to revisit previously completed levels to uncover all the secrets or even complete side quests retroactively. But besides that it's another indie banger for 2026.
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You definitely know those shows that get recommended to you and then the person adds "It gets really good after 4 episodes. Stick with it!". Luckily it's not quite that intense here but you do have to get past the slower start before everything clicks into place and a wonderful puzzle adventure awaits you. Causal Loop becomes increasingly complex over its roughly 10-11 hours of gameplay and truly shines when you have to control multiple Echoes simultaneously as they coordinate various tasks within their cycle.
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Go! Go! Mister Chickums could just as easily have been standing in an arcade back in the days and wouldn't have felt weirdly suspicious among games like Snow Bros. or Bubble Bobble. The game doesn't overwhelm you with a complex story and instead offers pure gameplay, which is perfectly fine for the genre. A solo playthrough will easily keep you busy for 4 hours or more plus Mister Chickums offers plenty of replay value, couch coop and if you manage to get through all ten worlds without using a continue you have my utmost respect as it's quite challenging later on.
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Super Meat Boy 3D is constantly challenging players with increasingly difficult levels. It does take some getting used to in the new dimension but with the adapted controls and dropshadow it works out way better than expected. While the boss fights relying on trial and error aren't necessarily the best moments, these are being kept to a minimum. The game represents a remarkable evolution of the core gameplay from 2010 and I really enjoyed it. Super Meat Boy 3D is Super Meat Boy. Only this time in 3D. And that's probably the highest praise one can give the game.
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What initially feels almost too challenging even on the regular difficulty gradually reveals itself to be a complex racing game experience, offering so much more than I initially expected. The twin-stick mechanic, with steering on the left and drift on the right, is both clever and complex. The combination of Sync, Entropy, and Overdrive can turn a race around faster than you can blink and the multilingual voice acting gives the title a unique charm and the anime-style visuals perfectly complement the high-speed gameplay. While this game definitely isn't for casual play a unique and well-crafted racing game awaits you at the finish line if you're determined enough to pull through.
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Project Songbird set itself the ambitious goal of being a playable A24 movie and in my opinion it definitely succeeded. The atmosphere remains incredibly dense throughout the entire game, keeping you on the edge of your seat and developer Conner Rush manages to create an artful realization of a deeply personal story. Even though the game doesn't utilize the latest hardware to the fullest and occasionally a texture is a bit blurry or objects pop in, the visuals still managed impressed me throughout the game. At some points I was completely taken by surprise and even if you think you've seen every trick in video games I'm pretty sure this horror title will surprise you too at one point or another.
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Anyone who buys the latest Mario Tennis game intending to play it offline and in single-player mode will likely find it somewhat lacking in content in the long run. The adventure mode is rather short and aside from a few amusing boss matches and challenges doesn't offer that much. That being said: as soon as you play with friends or online the game shows its real qualities. With the newly added fever rackets and more characters than ever before in the series, Mario Tennis Fever combines chaotic elements with a more than solid tennis gameplay that works well even without the typical Nintendo mayhem.
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