The slowest time of the year still has some quality games if you’re looking for something new. Resident Evil 7, Gravity Rush 2, and Yakuza 0 offer a decent variety of strongly reviewed games to scratch the itch. But I prefer to reach back into the backlog and fill some crucial holes.

I’m a massive Nintendo fan yet haven’t played what many proclaim to be not only the best Mario, but one of the generation’s best as well. An added bonus of checking off Galaxy 1 and 2 means I’ll have played all of the mainline console entries in the franchise and vicious debates can ensue. I’d also like to get full perspective on the franchise before Odyssey comes out on the Switch in the Fall.

Currently, Mario 3 and World sit at the top of my list with Mario 64’s innovations and nostalgic wonder close behind. 3D world was solidly stellar and I appreciated the pickup and play multiplayer. Super Mario Bros 1 and 2 are stripped down masterpieces and ‘hover’ above Sunshine at the bottom. The water pack was a novel idea but messed with the series’ golden standard of platforming. I didn’t enjoy the longer gaps and slower pace required when floating is a main mechanic.

I’m excited to see where Galaxy 1/2 fall on the list, especially trying them out for the first time in 2017.

Those that have followed our site and channel will have heard me talk about this game for the past year or so. I recently bought my first Vita and was ecstatic to have every classic PS1 game I missed in my pocket.

FFIX started strong and kept me captivated through the first three discs, but I’ve struggled to reach the finish line. A rushed introduction of the final antagonists has killed my momentum but I’m so close I can’t stop now. January 2017 is the month I will see the credits on this game roll. Then I can finally weigh in on FFVII vs FFIX properly.

I initially gave this game a hard time for its uninspired story and characters. Once I treated it as a cyberpunk sandbox however, I had a much better experience. I’ve had tons of fun dipping my toes into future Prague now and then, and will continue to poke at it through this month.

That’s all for me. If you care to share the most pressing items on your backlog I’d love to read them in the comments.