Whenever you read the "greatest games of all-time" lists, you have the usual suspects. Whenever we talk about the most "revolutionary" games of all-time, the same usual suspects get brought up such as Super Mario Bros., Halo: CE, Starcraft, Grand Theft Auto 3, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, etc.

However, I almost never see anybody mention Dune II.

But as far as I know, Dune II is probably the most important game in the history of games. I'm a massive Starcraft fan and by extension a massive RTS fan and Dune II influenced both Warcraft and Starcraft. Blizzard themselves in the early days stated they based Warcraft off of Dune II.

The developers of Dune II (1992), Westwood Studios, would go on to create a game we've all heard of too - Command and Conquer.

There’s quite a few action RPG’s coming out that are more souls-like in their combat. (Lies of P, and Dragons Dogma for example.) These are both excellent games, but I prefer action RPG’s that have combat mechanics that are unique to their franchise. Even better if the franchise has a memorable art style too. (Parasite Eve being one of the OG’s, and there’s obviously Undertale)

There’s some more obscure games like Star Ocean: Second Story R (PS4/5), and Black Rock Shooter (PSP), that also fit this bill. 

Star Ocean had pixelated characters with unique abilities - when used together well - it created some sweaty moments within detailed 3D combat arenas. 

Black Rock Shooter is anime based (with good 3D visuals to boot for 2013) and has a unique turn-based gun combat system that “overheats” if not managed well between equipped upgrades, new weapons, and abilities. 

What other action RPGs have you played that you’d say fit this venn-game-diagram? 

And can you describe how their combat system works and why it appeals to you? 

Would love to hear about other games like these, as I feel many have slipped under the radar. (Vagrant Story)  

With Sony and Microsoft announcing they are working on their own portable consoles, the success of the Nintendo Switch (and the Switch 2 coming next year) and with the crazy success of Valve's Steam Deck, do you think devs will focus more on optimizing their games better to run well on these devices?

Every year we see new releases demanding more and more power, but it would definitely be interesting to see games still look amazing but not demand as much power.

But I still do see many people online play demanding games on their handhelds at low FPS, for example, Black Myth Wukong says "unsupported" on the Steam page, but on ProtonDB it has a Platinum rating. From what I've heard, Valve deems it "unsupported" due to bad FPS. I have seen people on youtube play the game at a FPS that just seems like a bad experience (for me).

For years I have built my own gaming desktops that could run the games I'm interested in at +60FPS, but since Valve released the Steam Deck, I've been interested in exploring the handheld area.

I'm not much of a recent-AAA gamer, nor do I plan on playing Wukong or any recent heavy-AAA game on a handheld device, but I'm curious to know what you guys think.

#Game Information

Game Title: Snow Bros. Wonderland

Release Date: November 28, 2024

Platforms:

• PC, PlayStation 4/5, Switch

Multiplayer: 4 Player Local Co-op

Trailers:

• Snow Bros. Wonderland - Launch Trailer

• Snow Bros. Wonderland - Multiplayer Trailer

• Snow Bros. Wonderland - Gameplay Trailer

• Snow Bros. Wonderland - Reveal Trailer

Developer: Tatsujin, Bitwave Games, Toaplan

Publisher: Clear River Games, Toaplan

Review Aggregator:

Metacritic – 80% - 5 Critic Reviews

#Critic Reviews

Video Chums - 84%

Snow Bros. Wonderland is simply one of the best co-op games that you can play right now thanks to its varied and rewarding campaign as well as its wonderfully adorable presentation that's so cute, it'll make you want to clang Nick and Tom's oversized heads together.

Digitally Downloaded - 80%

Perhaps part of the reason I have a higher tolerance for this game is not just that I love the base property, but I also love those old N64 bad 3D platformer efforts. Remember Chameleon Twist on the N64? Probably not, as it didn’t exactly win over the critics and was actually one of the most expensive N64 games. I loved it though. Or what about Glover? Or Bomberman 64? Snow Bros. Wonderland is a bit more modern than those titles, but you’re probably right that it has a dash of that heritage and tradition in it. And so you are probably right that the audience that is going to love Snow Bros Wonderland is vanishingly small. Unfortunately for you, you’ve landed in the middle of a Venn diagram where one circle is “Game Critic” and the other is “Snow Bros. Bro”. And so now your name is going to be attached to a glowing score for the game into perpetuity, because I really did love every moment of this game.

Movies Games and Tech - 80%

Snow Bros. Wonderland is a blast from the past with a modern aesthetic. This 3D platformer combines puzzles, fighting, and a touch of magic. Moreover, it is great with friends. If you love the original, you'll adore the latest title in the franchise.

Hobby Consolas - 78%

We are surprised on how a solid game mechanic has evolved into a really enjoyable 3D experience. Even with some control and camera flaws, this is a solid and friendly adventure, specially for multiplayer.

Tech-Gaming - 78%

The only nagging omission from Nick and Tom Jr.’s outing is context. Without the inclusion of any of the original coin-op, console, or handheld versions of Snow Bros., players might not immediately appreciate the effort that went into this adaptation. Sure, it’s probably another one of those instances of licensing restrictions. But with Wonderland, the Bros uphold their legacy as Bubble Bobble’s best rival. Why not honor the Snow family tree?