Rebecca Stone

Twinfinite — For the first time since I was a child, I finally feel excited for the future of Pokemon. While it's true that Pokemon Legends: Arceus has some problems that do feel inexcusable in this day and age, there's no doubt that the game is a milestone for the franchise. I can only hope that Game Freak decides to build on the ideas that work well here and grow the concept into something even better.

Twinfinite — Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their flaws and are not particularly ambitious remakes, but they're somehow still fun. I don't regret the 25 hours I spent with the main story, and there is enough post-game content to keep me interested for a while longer. I just can't help but wish that these gems shined a little bit more brilliantly.

Twinfinite — MercurySteam has created a brand new Metroid game that successfully lives up to high expectations by combining tradition with innovation. The game is well-designed all around, captivating from start to end, and challenging without being unfair. For this reason, Metroid Dread is a must-play for a wide audience of Switch owners.

Twinfinite — WarioWare: Get It Together! is exactly what you'd expect from a WarioWare game, for better or for worse. I did hope for a little bit more from this Switch title; WarioWare: Gold for the 3DS seemed to have better value with 100 more microgames, full voice acting, and a lower price tag. The Switch game just feels like it's missing something. However, WarioWare: Get It Together! is simply fun. It's an entertaining game to play in short bursts when you have some downtime or when you're in the mood for something a little zanier.

Twinfinite — Skyward Sword HD improves upon nearly every part of the original game that has not aged so gracefully. Although there are still some minor aspects that don’t feel up to par with the standards of a Legend of Zelda game, the outstanding moments of Skyward Sword HD easily make up for it.

Twinfinite — New Pokemon Snap is easy to recommend to a wide audience. It’s a fun game for Pokemon fans, a worthy sequel for those who enjoyed the original, and a unique experience for those who are looking for something new to pick up and play in short bursts.

Twinfinite — If you have kids around the ages 10-15, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a great Christmas gift, but only if your kids are okay with sharing or you’re willing to shell out $200 for two sets. It’s expensive, so maybe make sure they’re actually willing to build a course every time they want to play if you’re not okay with it being left around the house for long periods of time.

Twinfinite — There’s no denying that Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy are at the top of the list of Nintendo’s most outstanding games, and the 3D All-Stars collection serves as a retrospective and reminder of Mario’s growth over the course of 11 years.

Twinfinite — New Horizons is the definitive Animal Crossing experience—that much is clear after a relatively short amount of time spent with it. And with the promise of future holiday updates, it’s guaranteed that fans both new and old will return to their islands again and again for many years to come.

Twinfinite — Chrono Cross stands the test of time, and I implore anyone who enjoyed Chrono Trigger or other 90s JRPGs to give Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition a shot.

Twinfinite — Nintendo Switch Sports attempts to capture the magic of the first two games in the series. Its efforts in doing so are not bad per se, but they are extremely basic and do not build upon the previous concepts in any revolutionary way.

Twinfinite — I implore anyone who enjoyed JRPGs of the 90s, especially the ones by Square itself, to give Live A Live a try. It's filled to the brim with variety, humor, and interesting narratives. It may not be perfect or surpass your childhood favorites, but fans of the genre will find a place in their hearts for it nonetheless.

Twinfinite — Splatoon 3 is a small(fry) step forward in the series. It doesn't take the leaps and bounds from the previous titles that would have taken it to the next level, but honestly, Splatoon 2 was a pretty hard game to follow up. Splatoon 3 is the same reliable fun the franchise has always been, and it has the much-needed improvements that fans clamored for, but players should just be aware of how much new content there actually is before committing to purchasing.