The game, out now for the Nintendo Switch 2, is the follow-up to the quirky Kirby-flavored kart racer released in 2003 on the GameCube. It features Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai's round, pink, utterly charming child participating in short races where the main feature isn't so much about how fast you go, but how well you can manage the winding courses while fighting the cutest rogues' gallery ever committed to polygons.
One thing I didn't mention is part of why it had such a big impact: It was a massive improvement in scope, gameplay, and storytelling over the two preceding Dragon Quest titles. With DQIII HD's sales success and its chronological position as the first part of a story trilogy, Square Enix releasing a similar HD-2D remake of the first two titles made perfect sense.
The original Tony Hawk Pro Skater changed everything. It popularized a new and exciting genre. It introduced a generation to music they otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to. It even helped popularize a classic sport on the cusp of going mainstream. Just a few short months after its 1999 release, it was clear that Neversoft's skateboarding game had become a phenomenon that transcended gaming and penetrated pop culture at large.
Crafted by Blasphemous developer The Game Kitchen, Ragebound is a deliberately old-school action game that captures the essence of the classic Ninja Gaiden series, with sharp gameplay, challenging levels, and gloriously retro visuals and music that would feel right at home on the Super NES.
Donkey Kong Bananza has players smashing DK's fists through everything in search of fossils, treasure chests, and Golden Bananas, enhancing the fun with the nostalgic catchphrase, 'Oh! Banana!'.
