I loved every minute spent in the cozy, quirky world of Super Mario RPG, bopping to the remastered music, smiling at its humor and hijinks, timing battle actions, and enjoying my time spent with its memorable characters. I may have been left wanting a little more, but kudos to Nintendo for bringing back this updated classic, warming the hearts of fans worldwide, and bringing generations together to experience the charm and wonder of Super Mario RPG. 

If I’m comparing Persona 5 Tactica against the original game and the other spin-off, it’s my least favorite of the bunch, but the effort didn’t feel like an afterthought, as the story, character designs, and level designs make it an entertaining strategy game for those already well-versed in the Persona 5 world.

Sega is doing a special collaboration with a cafe in Manila, Philippines called Moon Rabbit Cafe & Restaurant for their upcoming tactical RPG Persona 5 Tactica. The special collaboration will run from November 17 until December 16, 2023, and will feature unique Persona 5 Tactica-themed menu items and activities.

DANGEN Entertainment and PINIX Games announced that the roguelike deckbuilding game Alina of the Arena is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Switch on November 23.

I yearn for a meatier, more challenging Super Mario Bros. Wonder with difficult boss battles, but I can recognize that kids like my young nieces will fall head-over-heels in love with Wonder, because it truly is full of entrancing visual wonder and its simplicity is unlikely to cause household tensions between ambitious older siblings and confused younger ones.

Sonic Superstars drop-dashed straight out of the gate and busted open the Act-ending Roboticizer coating my cold, bitter heart to free my bright-eyed, bushy-tailed inner child and put a big smile on his face.

Horizon Chase 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. The great multiplayer, improved visuals, and incredible soundtrack make up for the relative lack of tracks and simplified challenges, but one can’t shake the feeling that this sequel, which originated on iOS, was made to appeal to casual players rather than the hardcore arcade racer crowd that embraced the original game.

If you’re a masochist or enjoy glitch-fests, you might find something salvageable in the Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1, but I strongly implore you to reconsider, and to warn your friends. Buy a new console if you must, but do not spend your hard-earned money on this travesty.

The online battle royal game Pac-Man 99 for Nintendo Switch Online is now officially offline permanently. Only those who own DLC packs containing offline modes will be able to play the game they paid for.

Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced that their free-to-play online game My Hero Ultra Rumble is now available on PS5, Xbox One, Switch, and PC (via Steam).

Sega released a cute 5-minute animated short for their upcoming platformer Sonic Superstars, which is scheduled to release on October 17, 2023, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a hell of a mic drop. While it’s no reinvention of the wheel, it’s definitely a more compelling and accessible take on the formula that has a lot to recommend it, both for fans of those titles and younger gamers in search of something new.