Spiral House try their hand at a Nordic mythology cooperative quest with mixed results.

Colour us impressed.
For any long-running series, innovation is key to keeping fans coming back for more without getting too bored. Gameplay tweaks and changes to the setting can work wonders in refreshing a stale format, but some might argue that if an idea ain't broke, then don't keep trying to fix it. The Paper Mario series has been no stranger to these changes over the years, nor have recent titles avoided their fair share of controversy and scorn as they step further away from more traditional RPG roots. Things came to a boil with the release of on 3DS in 2012, which some considered to be a drastic leap in the wrong direction.
Enter ; it was revealed earlier this year to a lukewarm response and carrys with it the dubious honour of being one of the last major Nintendo titles on Wii U. In many ways it has something to prove, and despite following in the footsteps of that contentious Sticker Star format, it stands much taller as a more confident, complete title with a real sense of life and adventure to it. It hasn't revolutionized the system and isn't a total return to form, but we reckon there are enough welcome surprises in store to change more than a few uncertain minds.
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Taking home the bronze.
Although carnivale looms neon bright on the horizon, the party may already be winding down for Sonic and Mario. From snowy peaks to sandy shores, these former rivals are back for another collection of sporting mini-games in celebration of the Rio 2016 Olympics, and while they won't have to deal with the political turmoil or controversy surrounding the event itself, they've still got a few difficult questions to answer in regards to how much life this series has left in it. We found the 3DS version to be , but perhaps the plumber and the hedgehog can do better on a home console?
Stripped of its motion controls and brought back to basics, aims to recapture a purer form of gameplay. It's the classic party game pitch, with 14 different events to play across a variety of different modes. These can be divided into either team sports or single events, and for the most part it's business as usual. Standard Javelin, 100m Dash and Triple Jump events are supplemented by a teresting lineup that includes Archery, Equestrian and BMX racing. Soccer, Rugby Sevens and Beach Volleyball are the meatier team sports in question, and have a bit more depth to them with different options to switch around for further replayability.
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Mediocre No. 9, more like.
There are few Kickstarter projects that have gained as much attention as Keiji Inafune and Comcept's . Billed as a spiritual successor to Capcom's seemingly dormant series - a lineage Inafune is closely connected with - this new project was supposed to bring back everything fans loved about the Blue Bomber and introduce a new IP that would develop into its own successful franchise. But after some controversial delays, questionable communication between the Kickstarter campaign and its backers and a shaky launch, Mighty No. 9's journey from concept to finished article has been a bumpy one - and now that it's finally here, we can't help but feel a little short-changed.
In Mighty No. 9 you play as Beck, a nice and gentle robot who has to go on an adventure to stop and recover eight other "Mighty" bots, all of whom have been corrupted under mysterious circumstances (sound familiar, Mega Man fans?). With the help of Dr. White and sister Call, Beck tackles eight missions in any order, defeats the robots and gains their power. Mighty No. 9 doesn't deserve criticism for its surface similarity to Mega Man; the game was pitched to backers as a spiritual successor, after all. But where games like took their inspiration from retro classics and made wholly original, compelling experiences out of them, Mighty No. 9 is content to mostly copy its predecessor's gameplay mechanics.
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