Tag: Xbox one

Notable New Gaming Releases: Batsugun, Tekken 8, and More…

Welcome to the first notable new releases post of 2024. Since the last post wasn't since late October, I've made sure to round up some of the more prominent releases from the end of 2023, as well as the beginning of this year. This last week saw a very notable release with a GOG version of Toaplan's final shmup, the legendary arcade classic, Batsugun. Aside from arguably being their all-time best shooter, Batsugun is also famous for being the very first manic (aka bullet hell) shoot 'em up game. It may be great, but it's definitely not easy!

Also out in the last 16 weeks, the 8th installment to the long-running and incredibly popular Tekken series; the next entry in the also long-running and popular Yakuza/Like a Dragon series; and the first official sequel to the excellent 2012 Arcade fighter (and it's multiple updated ports), Under Night In-Birth. Take on the final chapter in Toaplan's Shmup saga, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 112 days.

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Notable New Gaming Releases: Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros Wonder, and More…

Well, the holidays are drawing near and that means it's about time for the final (and oftentimes, biggest) titles of the year to arrive. Case in point, this week saw the release of two, (Marvel) Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros Wonder. The follow-up to 2018's amazing Spider-Man and 2020's spectacular Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2 represents the next logical step in the franchise by allowing you to swap back and forth between the two main characters from both of those previous entries. It also appears to have upped the ante by bringing in popular comics villains Kraven the Hunter and Venom (undoubtedly among others).

Meanwhile, Super Mario Bros Wonder appears to be bringing the same style of charming family-friendly 4-person multiplayer fun that 2013's outstanding Super Mario 3D World offered, but in a uniquely new, yet tried and true 2D setting. No matter which console you own, a Switch or a PS5 (or both), it seems like you've got something new you're going to want to try out. And for those without either, read on for a list of new hotness for you to play too.

​Also out in the last 12 weeks, a new Sonic the Hedgehog title that seems to be not entirely unlike the new Super Mario Bros game; the first new Forza Motorsport title in 6 years, and a follow-up to the pretty groovy 2019 strategy title, Wargroove. Be greater. Together. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 84 days.

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Notable New Gaming Releases: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, Pikmin 4, and More…

Well, the year is more than halfway over and we're beginning to witness the release of some pretty interesting titles. This past week saw the return of the Lee brothers in a brand new entry in the legendary Double Dragon series. Double Dragon Gaiden looks to be largely inspired by last year's outstanding arcade-esque TMNT beat 'em up, Shredder's Revenge. Assuming the developer nailed more than just the art style, this too may be one that's well worth checking out.

Also out in the last 5 weeks, the 4th numeric installment to Nintendo's charming Pikmin series; a pretty fun-looking family-friendly 4-player platformer starring Mickey Mouse & friends; and GOG ports of Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Double Fine's The Cave. Double Dragon Returns with tag team action. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 35 days.

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Notable New Gaming Releases: Final Fantasy XVI, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and More…

It's a good thing that Square Enix doesn't seem to understand what the word "final" means. Otherwise, their legendary Final Fantasy series might have ended before the '80s did. Thankfully here we are, over 30 years and countless fantastic installments and spin-offs later, with their newest entry, Final Fantasy XVI; and by all indications, it's yet another worthy addition to their long-running franchise.

Also out in the last 8 weeks, the next fantastic installment to Nintendo's legendary Zelda series; a port of one of the greatest arcade horror titles of all time; and a brand new strategy game set in the Alien(s) universe. Fate is written in fire. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 56 days.

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Notable New Gaming Releases: Star Wars: Jedi – Survivor, Advance Wars 1+2 – Re-Boot Camp, and More…

Well, it's been longer than I meant it to be since my last new releases post, but better late than never, I suppose. At any rate, we're not even to May yet and already one of the heaviest hitters of 2023 has landed! Of course, I am talking about none other than the just-released, Star Wars: Jedi - Survivor, Respawn's hotly-anticipated follow-up to their incredible 2019 smash hit, Star Wars: Jedi - Fallen Order. Early reviews are looking good, but honestly, as long as it plays anything like the previous game, I'm pretty sure it will do nicely.

Also out in the last several weeks, Nintendo's long-awaited Advance wars compilation, Capcom's hotly-anticipated modern console remake of Resident Evil 4, and a PlatinumGames-developed prequel to their bewitching Bayonetta series. Stand against the darkness, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last few months.

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AJ’s Picks: The 12 Best Games of 2021 (Late to the Party Edition)

Well, 2022 is already 2/3rds of the way done, and now that the "new" generation of consoles (that came out nearly two years ago) are finally starting to become easier to obtain at the suggested retail price, it seems that the time is finally right to discuss the best games from the prior year. Assuming you can still remember that far back, 2021 was actually another decent year for gaming. Even though the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 remained next to impossible to obtain at sane prices, they both saw the release of some great new titles and even the occasional exclusive (although in the case of the Series X, the term "exclusive" may be somewhat generous). There were also a number of big releases for the Switch and PC as well. Please read on for a list of the best games of 2021, according to myself:

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AJ’s Picks: The 12 Best Games of 2020

It's so nice to be out of 2020. Between the pandemic and a multitude of various other reasons, it was surely a year most people would sooner forget. But that being said, 2020 wasn't actually a total loss. Despite several titles having to see their release dates pushed back due to the challenges of working through social distancing and quarantines, it was overall a pretty fantastic year for video games. Don't believe me? Well, just read on and see for yourself as I recap 12 of the very brightest spots in an otherwise pretty dark year.

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AJ’s Picks: The 12 Best Games of the 2010s

With the end of 2019, the 2010s also finally came to a close. And now that I've looked back on all the great games of 2019, it's time to take a look back at the decade as a whole and talk about the titles that really stood out as the very best of the best. It may have been a long 10 years, with lots of changes in the gaming world, but it was chock full of gaming experiences that were absolutely second to none. While it may have pained me to narrow so many fantastic games down to only a dozen, I have done exactly that, just for you. Here are my picks for the 12 best games of the 2010s:

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Using the Force: 6 Of My Favorite Star Wars Games

Well, it may have started a long time ago, in this very same galaxy that we are in, but the final episode of the epic, 42-years-in-the-making, Star Wars nonology finally releases today. To celebrate this historic occasion in popular culture, I've decided to take a look back at a handful of games that have made the jump from that universe since then. While there are dozens of releases I could consider from the past four decades, I've decided to narrow it down to just a few that I have particularly enjoyed and/or played the most over that time frame. So, without further ado, I humbly present to you, 6 of my very favorite Star Wars games.

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AJ’s E3 2019 Roundup

Well, the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo wrapped up a few days ago and it was definitely a memorable one for quite a few reasons. There was plenty of exciting news from the world of video games, as well as the typical head-scratcher or two. As with most E3s, there were far too many games shown and announcements made to possibly be able to cover everything in a single post, so I went ahead and condensed it down to a more easily digestible dozen for you. So without further ado, here are the top 12 highlights I have selected that were either unveiled or reconfirmed at the event.

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