The SmashPad staff celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Mario franchise by unveiling their Top 10 favorite Mario games.

Remakes simply shouldn’t be 1:1 faithful to their original unless the original’s production values were so lacking that merely having better graphics is enough to make the game more palatable. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE could have focused solely on improving the original’s presentation and controls, but it goes farther, adding extra content and new mechanics. Unfortunately, these new mechanics only make the game worse, as they’re almost as frustrating as they are needless, tarnishing a game that could have easily superseded its predecessors while still not outright ruining what made the original so good.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a lovingly intrepid take on the series’ conventions. There’s a palpable whimsy to its character-driven moments and punchy, elephantine vigor to its action that rivals the greats.

One thing that I’ve sort of grown tired of seeing from “cozy” games is the overabundance of farming and base-building games. No matter how chill they are, they hardly ever vibe with me. What I do vibe with, however, are the games that make people feel. That’s exactly what Fishbowl has set out to do, and even though the latest Steam Next Fest demo was really short, I got a lot out of it.

Nioh 3 is the fastest selling game in the series thus far, having moved over a million units this month alone, but it also does a lot to open the series up to new players that hadn’t yet experienced the games. However, these changes, which seem to be good for broad appeal, are also leaving diehards with a sour taste in their mouths.

In my limited playing experience so far, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is shaping up to be a solid, modern way to experience a series whose brief existence seems to have flown under the radar by fans of the larger Mega Man franchise.

Planet of Lana II is studio Wishfully’s second attempt at crafting a visually charming and puzzle-heavy platformer. Three years after the success of their first game, the second entry to the series does a delightful job at expanding on its story, with several twists and turns.

As an original fan of Blood Omen and the franchise in general, I’m happy to admit that this remaster is going to bring a lot of joy to fans. The traces of an old classic remain, polished with a modern touch that keeps its essence alive. Part of me wanted a remake, but the remaster shall suffice! 

When Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game came out in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air despite being a callback to video games several generations before it. Fast forward over 15 years, and while the feeling isn’t quite as fresh since beat-em-ups have more or less made a return, Scott Pilgrim EX presents an impressive follow-up that both old-school gamers and Scott Pilgrim diehards should enjoy.

The Yakuza Kiwami games have always been a bit of a mixed bag. The first two felt like their cutscenes were simply slapped into existing games with some unnecessary systems, leading to them failing to actually feel like their original counterparts. The awkwardly titled Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, conversely, manages to mostly feel like its own game, but with an almost shocking amount of the original’s extra content completely replaced.

Nintendo seems to have forgotten about The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary, but we haven’t. SmashPad staffers and contributors were asked to provide their Top 5 Zelda games. We’ve taken those lists and turned them into the staff’s Top 10.

PAX East 2026 is right around the corner, and we’re working with our Penny Arcade friends to give away five (5) tickets to the show in Boston! Find out how!