Saving Fire Emblem from irrelevance required turning it into a bog-standard, grind-to-win JRPG with dating sim features and a busted pair-up system. But the campaign is still a ride, and map design is surprisingly good here. A bit too much form-fitting boob armor.

Nowadays I'd risk nerve damage playing this on 3DS, but it's mind-boggling how 4U fit such a vast world into the system, with gorgeous vertical stages, a hyper-variegated cast of monsters, and new surprises long after the credits rolled.

Strong remakes with much-appreciated QoL improvements, and tons of content. It's kind of weird how they abandon all pretense of challenge and just give you a Mega legendary relatively early on, though. The campaign's pretty sluggish, but Delta Episode is crazy.

An alternate-timeline Mystery Dungeon from Konami. Simplifies roguelike gameplay in similar ways, but splits "the dungeon" into four different modes with distinct goals. Dungeon runs are short, crunchy, and ideal for handheld. Can get fiendishly hard, but it's good!

A really cool streamlining of the Symphony of the Night formula for handhelds. Gives you the same vertiginous sense that there's so much to find and explore, thanks to the Soul Equip and weapons systems, and the multiple endings. Boss Rush is pretty fun, too.

Despite being a "Metroidvania" there's something pleasantly old-school about it. The DSS Card system is interesting in its myriad applications, though the cards don't feel like they should be random drops. Lots of cool bosses. Too dark for the GBA screen!

Though the extended tutorial scenario is grating for anyone but first-timers, the main campaign is pretty good, and nicely streamlines the SNES titles' gameplay while sanding down FE6's (very) rough edges. Love the character designs, too.

Its turn towards dark fantasy is appreciated (and it's a looker), but it forever messed with the series' balance by allowing you to grind your way out of a tight spot. It's got some other, half-assed ideas, like a branching-paths system and post-game dungeon.

A "hidden gem" whose merit is overstated online. A cute, zesty platformer with a neat gimmick, and a fairly cool final boss fight. The character and mech designs are probably more memorable than the game itself. You could always count on GameFreak for style.

Inane story elements aside, a flawed-but-interesting action-RPG that incorporates roguelike and card game elements into real-time combat, which is all pretty unique. Riku's campaign is enjoyable as a built-in Hard mode, especially w/r/t boss fights.

Hades is a hollow, but enjoyable, action "roguelite" that really just wants to be a straight adventure. The moment-to-moment action is fine, if a bit weightless. The writing is okay (there is lots of it), though somewhat cloying and twee. Wholesome or horny: Pick One

The main double-rider mechanic is visually cute but pretty pointless, the courses oscillate between great and terrible, the handling is a bit off. But there's something delightfully kooky about its whole tone, and I love the car designs on offer. Classic Gamecube jank.

Shadow's debut. Chao Garden. City Escape. Awful lip-syncing. The Pumpkin Hill rap. "Live and Learn." Controllable walking Eggman. Awful voice sync. Giant lizard in space. "Shadow fucks?" Transcendentally dumb. A way of life. Rouge's stages can fuck off, though.

I admire the Gamecube's tropical aesthetic turn, and I love Sunshine's sense of place, stage themes, new NPC races, boss fights, and hidden Shines; and even some FLUDD-less sections. But if I ever have to do that one Yoshi mission again I will kill myself.

One of those dorky, 80-hour JRPGs. This one's held aloft by a likable, fleshed-out core cast, a half-mindless active-combat system, a shocking end-of-Disc-1 plot twist, mostly-good dungeon design, and heaps of cool optional content. Zelos > Kratos