Hello, Mario! (Switch 1 & 2, Mobile)
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Posted on March 6th, 2026 by
Nintendo has just started a new line in the US called My Mario. It’s a bunch of toys and games geared towards babies and toddlers and their parents. Some of the items include Mario themed wooden toy blocks, which are cool because they also act as amiibo. I wish I could get them, but right now they’re just exclusive to the Nintendo stores in New York and San Fransico, and I won’t be going to those places any time soon. There’s also other toys like Fischer Price Little People playsets (which still look cool), apparel, plush toys, and videos. Another item in the line is a free ‘game’ you can download on the Switch and Switch 2 and mobile devices called Hello, Mario! (reviewed here on Switch 2). It’s a simple activity where your child can interact with Mario’s face and stretch and mold it to do funny things. So yeah, they basically made a game out of Super Mario 64’s title screen!
Doki Monsters: Quest (Switch, PC)
Posted on March 4th, 2026 by
When I was in college and first starting to write game reviews for The Dallas Morning News, I went to my first E3 in 1997. At this show, Nintendo was gearing up to bring Pokémon to the West, and I saw how they were going to market it and I knew it would be a big hit. I immediately called my editor and requested that I cover everything Pokémon related. He was like, “Yeah sure, whatever.” But he at least stayed true to his word and for a few years I was the resident Pokémon expert at the newspaper and writing articles and covering events left and right. I like to say that Pokémon helped pay my way through college. But it wasn’t just Pokémon I was covering. Any of the imitators that came out I was game for, too, which included Digimon, Monster Rancher, Dragon Warrior Monsters, etc. And that’s what Doki Monsters: Quest reminds me of, one of those imitators. It plays so much like a classic Game Boy Color Pokémon game that I’m surprised Nintendo didn’t sue. You know how they’ve been lately. Anyway, this game is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest (Switch, PC)
Posted on March 2nd, 2026 by
Fletcher is a game developer who is running on hard times and goes to see a psychiatrist about it. The psychiatrist puts him under hypnosis and now he must escape his own mind. You’ll play as him in this 2D Metroidvania style platform adventure featuring off the wall humor and challenge. Probably the weirdest thing about the game is that it’s published by Acclaim! Huh, I guess they’re back! Anyway, the game is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Book of Korvald (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
Posted on February 23rd, 2026 by
You are Korvald, an old scribe who lives in a Nordic village. When crusaders come and invade, you are kidnapped and tortured to near death. But then a demon comes and gives you strength to fight back in this 2D action hack and slash platformer. It kind of reminds me of a mix between Odin Sphere and Splatterhouse. It’s available on PlayStation consoles, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Under the Island (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 18th, 2026 by
In this game you play as Nia, a teenager who just moved temporarily to a remote island with her parents. She’s not too thrilled about being away from civilization, but after accidentally touching a shrine and falling down a pit, she is tasked with collecting four gears that’ll activate the island, which is actually a floating craft. But is everything what it seems here? That’s what you’ll find out in Under the Island, a top down action adventure game similar to Zelda. It features modern day settings and elements, so you use a hockey stick instead of a sword for instance. You’ll explore the island and solve puzzles and take on creative dungeons and boss battles. It’s available for all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Tiny Biomes (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 16th, 2026 by
This game reminds me a bit of one of my favorite classic puzzlers: Pipe Dream. Make the water (or lava) flow through all the destinations by rotating pieces of pipe in three biomes: Forest, Volcano, and Winter, with 50 levels in each biome. Tiny Biomes is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Heroes Battle Awakening (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 2nd, 2026 by
There’s imitating a game, and then there’s downright ripping off a game. Which do you think Heroes Battle Awakening is? This is pretty much just the same game as Plants vs. Zombies, with a new coat of paint. It now just has a cartoony medieval fantasy theme. It’s available on all current consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Hextreme Void (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on January 26th, 2026 by
Mixing a Breakout/Arkanoid style game with a roguelike may sound like a good idea, but the way they did it here is very passive, so I’m not so sure. Anyway, that’s kind of what Hextreme Void is like, and it’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Running Fable: Petite Party (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on January 21st, 2026 by
The original Running Fable was a game that came out a few years ago. You would pick either a rabbit or a turtle (like the fable) and place traps along race tracks as you ran for the goal. It looked a little bit like a mix of Fall Guys and Mario Kart. I had never heard of it, but apparently now there is a second game in the series with Petite Party. Play as the characters from the first excursion as you race along a board game while playing mini-games just like Mario Party. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Direction Quad (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on January 19th, 2026 by
Help a frog swim across obstacle filled ponds and save the day in Direction Quad. The unique thing about this game is that it only uses one button. You press it to switch from swimming from one 45 degree angle to another. Bounce off of springs to change direction, and don’t touch the sides of the pond or other obstacles and make it to the goal to finish each level. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
