PixlBit

Games Beaten

-Mega Man Battle Network (GBA via Switch)

It's interesting playing this game so far after the heyday of the series (and character). Obviously, the Battle Network games play very differently from classic Mega Man but I appreciate the push in a new direction. The grid- and card-based battle system is different and fun but tends to be too easy or, occasionally, too hard. The story is inconsequential and the game does a terrible job hinting at what you should do next. The whole experience feels pretty light or shallow. Its length—15 hrs for me—feels inflated by the labyrinthine dungeons with no maps. But it is fun to play! I look forward to how they evolve the series from here.

-Signalis (Switch)

I didn't know much about this game going into it. It was sci-fi survival horror and people really liked it. For the price, those reasons were good enough. The retro-styled graphics fit the story and the sound design is quite good. Surviving is tense and the puzzles are clever but the story is the star here. There are so many layers to what is going on! I didn't understand what is (likely) happening and why until I watched a Youtube breakdown of the story but it is well-worth understanding. The game has only gone up in my estimation.

Games Bought

February turned into a surprisingly robust acquisitions month. First, my 13-year-old expressed a desire to try the orignal DOOM—let's be honest, 13 is the right age to play that game—and the bundle of DOOM and DOOM II (PS5) was on sale, so I got it for him (and he has enjoyed playing it). Then I snagged Sonic x Shadow Generations (PS5) when it hit a deep discount on Amazon. I always wanted to try the original and this version is supposed to be even better. My other son has been reading the Harry Potter books and wanted to get Hogwarts Legacy (Switch), which was having a steep sale, so we did. Then! We got a Switch 2!! (Yay, tax refund!) We got the Mario Kart World bundle but also Donkey Kong Bonanza and Kirby Air Riders. Unfortunately, other than a little Mario Kart with the kids, I have hardly gotten to touch it. It's been very popular! Rounding out the month of purchases was Shadow Labyrinth (Switch), the surprisingly dark Metroidvania based on Pacman and other various Namco properties. I was on the edge on this one but a good podcast and a good sale pushed me over into giving it a try.

The PS+ games for PS5 in February that I picked up were Subnautica: Below Zero, Ultros, and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. I'm most excited for Ace Combat because people love to gush about that series.

Games Being Played

-Picross: Lord of the Nazarick (Switch)

Just a handful of more puzzles to go!

-Earth Defense Force: World Brothers (Switch)

We finished the easy difficulty and moved onto a harder one and it feels like the game has finally started.

-Destiny 2 (PS5)

We have been banging our heads against a particular mission lately that has a pretty severe time limit on it. Have not cracked it yet!