With 2025 winding down, Fresh Look columnist Neal Sayatovich looks ahead to the upcoming games he’s most excited to play in 2026. From long-awaited sequels and tactical RPGs to surprise racers and delightfully odd simulations, this Fresh Look proves there’s new releases in 2026 for all kinds of gamers.
Pokemon Legends Z-A returns to the Kalos region with a bold new direction, trading turn-based battles for real-time combat and setting the entire adventure inside a massively expanded Lumiose City. Legends Z-A stands out as one of developer Game Freak’s most confident and polished releases in years.
Packed with bananas, fossils and Pauline’s charming character arc, Donkey Kong Bananza blends destructible terrain, clever transformations and lighthearted exploration into a joyful collectathon adventure that is nostalgic, fresh and extremely fun.
From soaring off power lines to exploring a massive, collectible-filled land, Mario Kart World brings bold new ideas to the track. With inventive courses, a knockout new mode and an unforgettable soundtrack, this Switch 2 launch title isn’t just racing forward, it’s redefining the ride.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet made Save State Columnist Vincent Mahoney motion sick back in 2022. Now? They might be the best games in the series. Thanks, Switch 2. Save State dives into the comeback that nobody expected.
Beneath its somewhat familiar look, the Switch 2 packs a serious punch. It’s got a larger screen, vastly improved controllers and backwards compatibility with nearly every title from the original Switch, all of which run with increased framerates and performance.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a fun way to experience the world of Hyrule in a 2D environment. Players get to be Zelda this time around and are tasked with rescuing Link and saving the world with unique new weapons and strategies.
After an accident involving a shelf full of Nintendo DS games, Save State’s Vincent Mahoney uncovers a hidden gem: his old Lost in Blue Nintendo DS cartridge. So now, he’s getting lost with it, again.
Retro Game Friday is a column by Michael Blaker covering various games from the past. This week he covers Pokemon Pinball.
Focusing on the stories of Carmine and Kieran, The Indigo Disk DLC from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet managed to capture a good chunk of Save State columnist Vincent Mahoney’s time this week, not that he is complaining.
