January 2015

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Nintendo has begun to release Wii games on the Wii U eShop, starting with Super Mario Galaxy 2 and continuing with at least a few more. These games are identical to the originals, except for ease of access and GamePad emulation of the Classic Controller, if the game supports it. Here are six games we think deserve a second chance on the service, even though they haven’t been announced for any territory. READ MORE

Don’t like sports? Around big events like the Super Bowl, there’s no escaping them, so why not find a way to embrace them? In this update of a piece that originally ran in 2012, we tell you about some games you should check out even if they have sports in them, because you’re missing out on a lot of fun.

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition (360/PS3)

If you’ve ever played an NBA Jam game, be it the arcade/16-bit originals or the recent remakes, you know what I do: that it’s much less of a sports game, and much more of a sports-themed multiplayer brawler. The newest version smooths the rough edges, looks slick and has a bunch of fun teams to play. Want to go around as Santa Claus, shoving Isaac Clarke and a raptor while an announcer rattles off silly-but-somehow-still-satisfying one-liners? That’s in a game now. — Graham Russell READ MORE

It’s Snack Time’s inaugural episode of 2015! Graham, Andrew and Ryan check out the party-building, whimsical RPG antics of multiplatform release Citizens of Earth.

New episodes of Snack Time post every two weeks. You can check out the Snack Time archive for some great shows you may have missed!

Citizens04

Citizens of Earth feels like a tribute to the SNES classic (and tragically underplayed) Earthbound. I am a huge fan of that game for its irreverence, setting and gameplay, and Citizens of Earth takes liberally from its best elements. It’s genuinely funny and strategically deeper than it first appears, while leveraging its characters and setting well. Its attempts to reclaim the magic of its source material are largely successful, but most of all, it’s just a lot of fun to play. READ MORE

Blackguards 2_gamescom (1)

The original Blackguards had some problems, but the combat system wasn’t one of them. Blackguards 2 retains the same deep, satisfying hex-based combat as its predecessor, and layered on top of that combat is the story of Cassia of Tenos, a noblewoman betrayed by her husband and wrongfully imprisoned. She needs to escape, raise an army and reclaim her kingdom. READ MORE