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Reviews

Pokemon Legends Z-A review

System: Switch 2 (reviewed), Switch
Release date: October 16, 2025
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo

In the modern day, Pokemon games are kind of tough to give a fair review to. As the world’s largest media franchise, the franchise is subject to a lot of scrutiny – which is understandable, given that both Scarlet and Violet and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl released in rather shoddy states. That being said, I don’t think it’s quite fair to write off the Pokemon series as a whole. Numerous leaks have indicated that Pokemon Legends: Z-A was actually supposed to launch in 2024, but that it was internally delayed to late 2025. That means the game most likely had around three years of development time, and assuming that’s true, it shows – Pokemon Legends: Z-A is up there with Pokemon Legends: Arceus as a real contender for the best Pokemon game on Nintendo Switch. It’s certainly not perfect – there are still classic Game Freak slip-ups here and there, but for the most part I think this is a much-needed step in the right direction for the franchise.

The next big Pokemon game is here with Pokemon Legends: Z-A. This is a pretty notable release for multiple reasons. For one thing, each new Pokemon title from Game Freak is always an event. On top of that, this is the first proper Pokemon game we’re seeing on Nintendo Switch 2.

So if you’ve started up Pokemon Legends: Z-A, how are you feeling about it so far? What are you early impressions? Let us know in the comments.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter review

System: Switch 2, Switch (reviewed)
Release date: October 9, 2025
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment

It’s safe to say at this point that Falcom’s beautifully interwoven Trails series is a hit among RPG players. Trails in the Sky originally saw release in 2004 in Japan, but wouldn’t arrive for western audiences until 2011, a full seven years and four games later, be mindful. In a series of games that is currently thirteen titles long, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter arrives at a pivotal point. We have a jump in graphics, a rehash of mechanics, and plenty of beefy consoles to experience it on. Does the game play well on the original Nintendo Switch? Does the game hold up to the original experience?

Yooka-Replaylee review

System: Switch 2
Release date: October 9, 2025
Developer: Playtonic Games
Publisher: Playtonic Games

The original Yooka-Laylee released eight years ago during a period of time when collectathon 3D platformers were few and far between. It was developed and released by Playtonic, an indie development team compromised of exciting new game creators and also veterans that were at Rare during their period of dominance in the N64 era. Harkening most closely to Rareware classics like Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Yooka-Laylee was a breath of fresh air into a dormant subgenre in gaming that was much beloved and sorely missed. Having been one of the key games in revitalizing 3D platformers that still holds up quite well, it surprised me a bit that the decision was made to remake the title entirely. I had so many questions going into Yooka-Replaylee because it wasn’t something I expected to see. How does the game change things up?

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 review

System: Switch
Release date: October 2, 2025
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

The 40th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. series is finally here, and Nintendo’s most notable offering for the event has now arrived as well. By now, there isn’t too much to say about Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2 that hasn’t already been said – they’re absolutely brilliant 3D platformers and are properly rated as some of the greatest games of all time. Thankfully, that brilliance continues to shine bright on Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2) with the new re-release. Long story short: if you can stomach the $70 asking price, this is the best official way to play two of Nintendo’s greatest games. The developers have made a whole host of minor changes to these titles that make them a joy to play through, even to this day.

Wander Stars review

System: Switch
Release date: September 19, 2025
Developer: Paper Castle Games
Publisher: Fellow Traveller

What if Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother wasn’t some frail old woman, unable to defend herself from the Big Bad Wolf? What if instead, she came with a professional wrestler’s physique and a chip on her shoulder? What if Little Red was her grandmother’s prized student, more than capable of taking down a dangerous predator? And what if their story took place not in some secluded forest, but across wide galaxy of wacky anthropomorphic characters all ready to beat the stuffing out of each other to prove who’s the strongest? Wander Stars, the new turn-based RPG from Paper Castle Games, has your answer. With an art style and narrative tone that borrows heavily from Japanese anime, Wander Stars looks to answer these questions and more in a tight and imminently replayable package.

EA Sports FC 26 review

System: Switch 2
Release date: September 26, 2025
Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: EA Sports

As a longtime football/soccer fanatic, I’ve played a whole bunch of different video game adaptations of the sport over the years – from ill-fated attempts like Mega Man Soccer, to really fun and engaging versions of the sport like in Mario Strikers or Virtua Striker 2. These are usually exaggerated or watered down versions of the beautiful game that don’t entirely reflect the appeal or the intricacies of the sport at its core, so although they can be serious arcade-y fun, they don’t always scratch the same itch of doing a Cruyff turn and smashing the ball top bins. This is why we have had direct football simulator games, like PES and FIFA, even Football Manager to an extent, really get popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. Getting a red card from a referee in FIFA International Soccer on SEGA Genesis, and choosing to endlessly run away from the official instead of accepting your punishment and coming off the pitch is very silly and fun, but not entirely accurate to the sport itself. As the years have gone on, I’ve played almost every entry in the EA FC/FIFA series, often with my dad. Some of my earliest memories of gaming come from playing against him on the PS1 in FIFA ’99, and as the games have improved in detail and range of play modes, my fondness for the series has grown. I think the newest entry in the series, EA Sports FC 26, truly rivals the best the series has to offer in every department.

Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles review

System: Switch 2, Switch (reviewed)
Release date: September 30, 2025
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

It has been more than twenty-five years since Final Fantasy Tactics first landed on the original PlayStation, quietly establishing itself as one of the most influential tactical RPGs ever made. While its initial release was overshadowed by the mainstream success of Final Fantasy 7, the game steadily built a reputation as a genre-defining classic. Now Square Enix has brought it back with Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, a rerelease that preserves the essence of the original while finally delivering content that western audiences never had access to. The timing is no accident. Tactical RPGs are enjoying renewed popularity, and Square Enix appears to recognize that players – both veterans and newcomers – are ready to experience adventure in Ivalice once more.

System: Switch
Release date: September 30, 2025
Developer: Petit Fabrik and Fair Play Labs
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment

Everyone has a generation of Nickelodeon that they grew up on. As someone born in the late 90s, my association with the brand comes from the cartoons and shows they were airing between 2000 and 2009. Although I would catch some older Nicktoons on repeat broadcasts growing up, like Rugrats and Ah! Real Monsters, the shows I most associate with the kings of slime include SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron and Avatar: The Last Airbender (The Legend of Aang back home in Ireland), which all aired their runs in that period, aside from the first two, which had incredible staying power and carried on airing for much longer. SpongeBob right now seems stronger than ever, in fact. I now think of this time as a happy childhood memory of loving Nickelodeon.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds review

System: Switch
Release date: September 25, 2025
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA

By complete coincidence, 2025 is the year of racing games – we’ve got Mario Kart World, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and Kirby Air Riders yet to come. This means that in terms of online discourse, you’ll almost always see at least two of these games compared to each other. In the past, Sonic has starred in several high-quality racing games – Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was fairly popular back in its day, and some would even say it rivaled your typical Mario Kart title. Continuing that trend, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds absolutely stands its ground in the kart racer scene – but as you might expect, there are some compromises on the Nintendo Switch version.


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