Liam Ferguson
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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is a small, but well-rounded package that Power Rangers fans should adore, and unfamiliar friends can enjoy alongside them. Rita’s Rewind would have been a hit in late 90s arcades, and its competence and love for the source material means it should find an audience today alongside the Once & Always special it sprang from. Even if its competitors do what it does better, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is still a rollicking good time that no one will regret experiencing.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered lacks the impact of Suda51 and Mikami’s Killer7, the mechanical depth of Mikami's RE4 and Vanquish, and the uncompromised vision of Kurayami Dance. However, getting lost in what SotD isn't also means losing sight of what it is. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a delightful B-movie romp that can be knocked off in a weekend, and there's still value in that. Diving into hordes of enemies with Garcia's upgraded abilities and assorted takedowns can be very fun, even if extra details like headshots feel like they could be tightened up. If it sparks some good word-of-mouth, perhaps today’s leaner shooter landscape will do Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered some good.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero isn't a perfect sequel to Budokai Tenkaichi 3, but it has successfully recaptured its spirit. Effort is visible even in the areas where Sparking Zero falls short, and concentrating on the core gameplay, presentation, and progression has paid dividends. Custom Battle and a decent online suite help this game find its own voice, both compared to its PS2 forebears and its more focused modern Dragon Ball peers. Ultimately, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero does the late Akira Toriyama and his collaborators’ work justice, and that should help it find its audience.
Six Marvel fighting games and one obscure beat-’em-up might sound like a downgrade compared to the other, larger Capcom Fighting Collections, but the star power of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics makes it more than worth investing in. Despite a lack of evolution compared to its predecessor, the respect for these titles is felt regardless, and it makes the case for an MvC4 better than anything else. Anyone with an interest in the fighting genre should find something to love here, and The Punisher might even spark love for a different corner of Capcom's catalog. A thorough Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection has been a long time coming, and its arrival feels like the celebration it should be.
Rise of the Ronin brings back many of the looter and Soulslike elements shared between Nioh, Nioh 2, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, while packing a game's worth of new systems on top of them. In addition to stealth and open-world traversal elements, Rise of the Ronin emphasizes meaningful bonds and decisions that carry gameplay and narrative weight. Weaving roleplaying and action together allows Rise of the Ronin to simultaneously be to Nioh what Elden Ring was to Dark Souls, while also expanding its identity beyond what a Souls game would allow.
Street Fighter 6 just raised the bar for AAA fighting games midway through 2023, and its long-time 3D rival Tekken has already matched it. Tekken 8's story mode is a breath of fresh air after T7's, and its abundance of single-player modes will give casual fans plenty to do afterward. Veterans can enjoy Tekken 8's new characters and mechanics without the game’s fundamentals being compromised, and a top-notch presentation will impress without technical hiccups. No one could have expected Tekken 8 to improve this much after Tekken 7 was already so strong, but it's clear that the new game won’t settle for anything less than being the series’ best.
All together, Mortal Kombat 1 is an impressive package, changing things up while showing reverence for even the most obscure parts of its franchise. With that said, nothing in MK1, from gameplay to narrative, is any more than a strict evolution of MK11. Mortal Kombat 1 contributes little new to the fighting game space, and the nearby Street Fighter 6 harshly contrasts it by claiming the custom fighters and open world Konquest mode Mortal Kombat left behind. Still, Liu Kang's new timeline shows great promise, and Mortal Kombat 1 should keep its community satisfied until the next Mortal Kombat begins.