Reviews – SmashPad

REVIEW — “Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf” Is a Quiet Masterpiece of Curiosity and Consequence

by Tanay Sharma | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox One Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 04 Mar 2026

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.

REVIEW — “Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered” is a gothic relic worth revisiting

by Tanay Sharma | Nintendo Switch PC PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox One Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 03 Mar 2026

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!

REVIEW – “Scott Pilgrim EX” is another fun beat-em-up that could’ve been something legendary with its open world approach

by Danreb Victorio | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 03 Mar 2026

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.

REVIEW – “Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties” is both an improvement and a downgrade with some solid new stuff mixed in

by Andrew Farrell | Nintendo Switch 2 PC Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 03 Mar 2026

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.

REVIEW – The return of “City Hunter” is welcome and historically meaningful, but lackluster for what’s on offer

by David Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 26 Feb 2026

With all this in mind, I can’t generally recommend City Hunter, but if you do want to see what TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine gaming had to offer by means of a cult product and you have a surplus of disposable income, have at it.

REVIEW – “Super Bomberman Collection” is one of the most explosively joyful shadow drops in recent memory

by Danreb Victorio | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 26 Feb 2026

When Super Bomberman Collection was unveiled during this month’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, I got wide-eyed. Ever since I got my hands on Mega Bomberman on the Sega Genesis during the unfortunate but memorable days of the Sega Channel (yeah, I’m that old), I’ve been a big Bomberman fan. Little did I know that game would end up being the high point of the series for me until now, more than three decades after I was introduced to it.

REVIEW — “Resident Evil Requiem” is a thrilling and chilling dual-sided romp

by Jon Yelenic | Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 25 Feb 2026

With grotesque scares as potent as its pulse-pounding action and puzzle-box level design as engaging as any given combat scenario, Resident Evil Requiem is an engrossing thrill ride throughout that hooked me from the start, and in true Resident Evil fashion, has kept me on that hook long after the credits rolled the first, second, and even third time.

REVIEW – “Disney Afternoon Collection” is out again for people who are Bonkers about having these games on Switch

by Kayla Merritt | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC Reviews Xbox One | 0 Comments | 25 Feb 2026

Two new games, Bonkers and Goof Troop from the SNES, headline this release of Disney Afternoon Collection. Is it worth potentially double dipping if you already own this compilation on another platform just to get these two additional games? That depends on your nostalgia for the cartoons these games are based on. For everyone else, Disney Afternoon Collection is a great compilation of classic 8-bit games.

REVIEW – “Avowed” on PS5 is still a magical RPG despite initial reception

by Chris Penwell | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 24 Feb 2026

I’m glad I was able to ignore the overall negative sentiment around the game and play the PS5 version of Avowed, which now has the anniversary update. The reason? Avowed is a unique RPG with thrilling combat and an intriguing storyline that features a God in your head.

REVIEW – “MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice” doesn’t do a meaningful series much justice

by Adriana Rodriguez | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 24 Feb 2026

I really enjoyed my time with this. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I’d be able to recommend this if it wasn’t a game based on one of my favorite anime. It’s definitely for the diehard fans that know the source material and have been keeping up with the series for years. If it weren’t for some of the balancing issues, I wouldn’t have minded some of the painful flaws. Sadly here, if you remove one issue, another two grow in its place.

REVIEW – “God of War: Sons of Sparta” is a solid story hidden in an epic slog of a journey

by Danreb Victorio | PlayStation 5 Reviews | 0 Comments | 19 Feb 2026

God of War: Sons of Sparta was shadow dropped after long being rumored to be in development. As you’d expect, it sent the internet into a bit of a frenzy, but after rolling credits on the game, those who decide to see it through should find a solid story of a much younger Kratos we aren’t familiar with. The problem is seeing it through will require patience likely too demanding of a spartan.

REVIEW – “Demon Tides” is a devilishly good tribute to retro 3D open-world games

by Michael Fertitta | PC Reviews Steam | 0 Comments | 19 Feb 2026

Imagine my surprise when I got word of Demon Tides, an indie game that intends to recapture that same feeling of thrilling exploration and vibrant world-hopping that Wind Waker and A Hat in Time did. Yeah, it was a no-brainer to dive into this game to see if it hits the mark. And let me tell you, it absolutely does.

Category: Reviews

REVIEW — “Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf” Is a Quiet Masterpiece of Curiosity and Consequence

REVIEW — “Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered” is a gothic relic worth revisiting

REVIEW – “Scott Pilgrim EX” is another fun beat-em-up that could’ve been something legendary with its open world approach

REVIEW – “Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties” is both an improvement and a downgrade with some solid new stuff mixed in

REVIEW – The return of “City Hunter” is welcome and historically meaningful, but lackluster for what’s on offer

REVIEW – “Super Bomberman Collection” is one of the most explosively joyful shadow drops in recent memory

REVIEW — “Resident Evil Requiem” is a thrilling and chilling dual-sided romp

REVIEW – “Disney Afternoon Collection” is out again for people who are Bonkers about having these games on Switch

REVIEW – “Avowed” on PS5 is still a magical RPG despite initial reception

REVIEW – “MY HERO ACADEMIA: All’s Justice” doesn’t do a meaningful series much justice

REVIEW – “God of War: Sons of Sparta” is a solid story hidden in an epic slog of a journey

REVIEW – “Demon Tides” is a devilishly good tribute to retro 3D open-world games

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