June 2023 was a month of old gaming classics successfully resurfacing. Thanks to the flurry of gaming showcases, we got promising looks at new games in stories franchises like Super Mario Bros., Fable, Prince of Persia, Forza Motorsport, and Sonic the Hedgehog. More importantly, this was reflected in some of the month’s biggest launches. Franchises like Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, and Diablo, which don’t receive new mainline games that often, all got new entries that lived up to expectations.
Street Fighter 2 kicked off the original fighting game boom, and Street Fighter 4 brought the fighting game genre back from irrelevancy. There seems to be some magic surrounding even numbered Street Fighter titles, as Street Fighter 6 feels like the most accessible fighting game yet, and one that everyone will be comparing new games in the genre to for years to come. It’s available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Dordogne In a sea of storied franchises making their grand returns, Dordogne manages to stand out because of its distinct visual style. Developed by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI and published by Focus Entertainment, this is an adventure game with a striking watercolor art style that helps present an emotional story about recovering and reflecting on childhood memories. It’s a short experience, but one that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
“I can’t say I’ve played anything like Ghost Trick, even over a decade after its initial release,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote after playing through the remaster. “The newly remastered version stands as a lasting testament to Nintendo’s now waning era of hardware gimmickry, a time that pushed developers to produce a wealth of innovative and out-there titles that we rarely see from major publishers anymore.
As a premium $30 release and not a free-to-play title, I understand the hesitancy some Crash Bandicoot fans have toward giving the game a shot. Still, I’ve had a ton of fun with the game, and it looks like Toys for Bob and Activision have a healthy post-launch live service plan for the players that decide to stick with the game. Crash Team Rumble is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.