I have played most of what is sitting below, and a few of these still live rent free in my head. This week’s spread is less about filler and more about games that either defined a genre or quietly perfected it. If your backlog is already judging you, add two more and call it character building.
Contents
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I’m celebrating the 13th birthday of the PlayStation Vita. Though its life cycle wasn’t one of roaring success, I still have a soft spot in my heart for its gorgeous OLED screen, impressive tech specs and games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, and Hotline Miami.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
– Tetris (NES) 1990. Redux
– Super Street Fighter II Turbo (ARC) 1994. Get
– Grandia II (DC) 2001. Get
– Supreme Commander (PC) 2007. Get
– PlayStation Vita launch, 2012. eBay
– Catherine (PS3,X360) 2012. Redux
– Radiant Historia (3DS) 2018. eBay
Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (-40%) – A$50.90 Fast, colourful kart chaos with Sega fan service everywhere. Handling takes a minute to click, but once it does the shortcuts and drift boosts feel earned rather than random.
- Super Mario RPG (-38%) – A$49.90 A charming remake of a quietly odd Mario spin off. The timed hits keep combat engaging, even if it is breezy by modern RPG standards.
- Rayman Legends Def. (-67%) – A$19.90 Still one of the best 2D platformers ever made. Tight controls, absurd creativity, and music levels that feel like playable cartoons.
- NBA 2K26 (-67%) – A$29.90 Slick on court presentation and deep modes, even if the microtransaction pressure never fully leaves the building.
- Dead Cells (-50%) – A$18.70 A brutally efficient roguelite that rewards smart aggression. Runs are quick, builds are flexible, and it still finds ways to surprise.
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.




