Articles – Page 2

REVIEW – “John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando” has a neat throwback aesthetic and fun co-op action, but lacks on weaker hardware

by David Rodriguez | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 15 Mar 2026

As of right now at launch, I’m feeling pretty good about John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando overall. What’s here is beyond competent and a remarkable start to what could be a co-op mainstay for friend groups and those that want at least one good game in this lane whenever possible. Carpenter’s work and influence help elevate it enough to be noteworthy, the ’80s lack of subtlety is appreciated, and more good decisions than perplexing or bad ones make for a good game indeed.

REVIEW – “Blossom: The Seed of Life” is a cute survival game that actually ends if you want it to

by Chris Selogy | PC Reviews | 0 Comments | 15 Mar 2026

Survival games have been a huge genre in the industry that gets a lot of attention for being a sandbox of creativity and resourcefulness, where you explore a world that has existed before you arrive and will be the same long after you’re done. It’s how most survival games tend to operate. Blossom: The Seed of Life takes a bit of a different approach, as you are a cute robot tasked with reviving this dead world that resembles Mars — everything around you is red, dusty, and barren as you try to bring life back to the world.

[GDC 2026] Hands-On: Hilarious writing, brilliant performances, and a twist on strategy make “Ledgerbound” a game to look out for

by Danreb Victorio | GDC PC Previews | 0 Comments | 14 Mar 2026

Indie strategy RPGs are a dime a dozen these days, which means extra work has to be done in order to get attention. While OmniSuperMegaCorp had a bit of an advantage in the form of a press release arriving in my inbox, the pitch and trailers I’ve seen (including the one above) were enough to make me interested.

[GDC 2026] Hands-On: “Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game” is looking like the Avatar fighter of our dreams

by Michael Shaheen | PC Previews | 0 Comments | 13 Mar 2026

Avatar Legends, in its current state, feels polished in more ways than one, taking plenty of mechanics from other successful fighting games and creating original ones as well.

[GDC 2026] Hands-On – “HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate” is here to make you forget SSX

by Danreb Victorio | GDC PC Previews | 0 Comments | 12 Mar 2026

When I was walking around Day of the Devs, I stopped in my tracks once I caught glimpse of a snowboarding game. I’m not talking about some basic snowboarding game either. This one featured crazy tricks, neon colors, and just a bunch of euphoric visuals to go along with what obviously looked like a competitive race down the slopes. I knew I had to get my hands on it, and I’m glad I did.

REVIEW – “Minishoot’ Adventures” is anything but mini with its big thrills, progression, and bullet hell challenge

by David Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 11 Mar 2026

At the end of the game, I felt immense satisfaction. With all but a couple trophies awarded (that I may go back for at some point) and a couple faults worth mentioning, it still felt complete and like something substantial was accomplished. It’s a wonderful playthrough that respects you, your time, money, hard drive space, and effort.

40 Years of Mario: SmashPad’s Favorite Mario Games

by SmashPad Staff | Features Nintendo 3DS Nintendo DS Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Wii Nintendo Wii U | 0 Comments | 10 Mar 2026

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

REVIEW – “Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE” is far more beautiful but also far more frustrating

by Andrew Farrell | Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 09 Mar 2026

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.

REVIEW – “Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection” sees the spinoff grow up in scope, mechanical density, and emotional maturity

by David Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 09 Mar 2026

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.

Hands-On: “Fishbowl” makes you respect moodiness

by Danreb Victorio | PlayStation 5 Previews | 0 Comments | 06 Mar 2026

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.

FEATURE – Nioh 3’s difficulty is great for newcomers but a double-edged sword for fans

by Andrew Farrell | Features | 0 Comments | 05 Mar 2026

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.

FINAL PREVIEW – “Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection” is a (star)force to be reckoned with

by Michael Fertitta | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Previews Steam Xbox One Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 04 Mar 2026

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.

Category: Articles

REVIEW – “John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando” has a neat throwback aesthetic and fun co-op action, but lacks on weaker hardware

REVIEW – “Blossom: The Seed of Life” is a cute survival game that actually ends if you want it to

[GDC 2026] Hands-On: Hilarious writing, brilliant performances, and a twist on strategy make “Ledgerbound” a game to look out for

[GDC 2026] Hands-On: “Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game” is looking like the Avatar fighter of our dreams

[GDC 2026] Hands-On – “HYPERyuki: Snowboard Syndicate” is here to make you forget SSX

REVIEW – “Minishoot’ Adventures” is anything but mini with its big thrills, progression, and bullet hell challenge

40 Years of Mario: SmashPad’s Favorite Mario Games

REVIEW – “Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE” is far more beautiful but also far more frustrating

REVIEW – “Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection” sees the spinoff grow up in scope, mechanical density, and emotional maturity

Hands-On: “Fishbowl” makes you respect moodiness

FEATURE – Nioh 3’s difficulty is great for newcomers but a double-edged sword for fans

FINAL PREVIEW – “Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection” is a (star)force to be reckoned with

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