Ninja Gaiden 4 is beautifully made, blisteringly fast and defiantly old-school in its approach to combat and design. No rules are broken or rewritten, but fans and newcomers will find joy in the game's aggressive, approachable gameplay.

Not just Lizardcube's most visually accomplished game to date but a fantastic revival of another long dormant Sega franchise that doesn't stand to toe-to-toe with this summer's other major 2D ninja platformer but even tops it with its stylish and satisfying combo-based combat, killer finishes and Metroidvania-lite upgrades. Shinobi is truly back with a vengeance and it's never looked better.

If you want to drop into the arcades of the 1980s on your Switch, Operation Night Strikers is a collection that demands attention. More than simply letting you replay the games as you remember them, it revitalises that love for snappy, uncomplicated arcade shooters.

The best 2D Ninja Gaiden game that pays homage before surpassing the original as a thoroughly modern pixel art action game, from its gorgeous and gory visuals to a delicious suite of cool mechanics with room for changing up your playstyle, with plenty to keep you coming back. The next 3D title in the franchise this autumn, as well as Sega's own Shinobi, has got its work cut out because the bar has just gotten higher.

A surprisingly fast and aggressive Soulslike with enough creativity to excite, but fundamentally, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't subvert the genre or offer enough to break free of its inspirations.

With layers upon layers of delightfully executed ideas that also pay tribute to the classics, this isn't just by far the best Switch 2 exclusive but probably the best game you'll play this year. Move over Astro Bot, the top banana is here.

Tracks new and old look gorgeous, items boast high visual impact, and I'm not yet bored of scooping up costumes, but the top level gameplay changes are not easy to ignore. Perhaps my biggest gripes will be addressed in a patch down the track, but for now I'm not sure World is yet ready to replace my party game mainstay or its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Hardly groundbreaking, but Survival Kids makes for a breezy co-op island adventure game that's only recommended if you have friends and family to play with together in the same room. But with Marcus Brigstocke's narration and an in-house Unity team based in the UK, it's nice to see the Switch 2 launch line-up has some British sensibilities just like Switch 1 had with Snipperclips.

If you want to showcase what Switch 2 can do, plug in Fast Fusion and let rip – beautiful, fast and innovative. The only drawback is a lack of online multiplayer.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour isn't something I'd recommend to everyone as their first purchase for the Switch 2 if what you're after is fun first. But if you are intrigued by what's going under the hood of your new console, then this is still a highly insightful and playful way of learning about it. And the price of admission is at least cheaper than a ticket to the Nintendo Museum.

It’s ambitious, can be occasionally ambiguous, but Blades of Fire is relentlessly original and delivers a fantasy world unlike anything else you've experienced. Blades of Fire is a glorious oddity.

This retro game collection features some all time greats and offers a lesson in bold design. The great – SF Alpha 3, Capcom Vs SNK, Project Justice, Power Stone – remain great, but a couple of filler entries hold back Capcom Fighting Collection 2.

A deliriously vibrant journey into absurdity, Revenge of the Savage Planet is a feast for the eyes and a treat for anyone looking for something unashamedly different, even if the game's Metroidvania style can dampen the escapism.

Brilliantly rethinks run-and-gun gameplay for the 2020s, enabled by thoroughly modern visuals. Doom: The Dark Ages is an object lesson into how to modernise an old classic.

VR headset or not, The Midnight Walk is an exquisite debut from MoonHood with fantastic hand-sculpted designs, with room (or a house rather) to let you gently admire that handiwork, and a story that warms the soul.

With its stunning visuals, it’s hard to believe Clair Obscur was made by such a relatively tiny team. But the game is more than just eye candy, offering an intriguing plot and some top-notch acting, as well as a solid and exciting combat system that rewards the effort it takes to learn.

After a long time away, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves shows the series is still fighting fit. While its package isn't without some blemishes, this is no throwback but takes its rightful place in this modern era of excellent fighting games.

There's genuine charm in Promise Mascot Agency that will definitely appeal to audiences already into Japanese culture and crime drama. Just be prepared to wade through the busywork of the management sim side to enjoy it.

As enchanting as it is dark, South of Midnight elevates an otherwise conventional action-adventure game with a tightly woven and empathetic 10-12 hour story that does justice to its Southern Gothic influences and Black characters and striking art direction.

Classic text adventure meets clever puzzler, Your House is a celebration and deconstruction of familiar ideas, wrapped in beautiful illustrations and graphic design, where the act of reading is now a puzzle to solve.

Clever, organically evolving game design mixes with retro period detail, along with a nod to Stalker, to create one of the year's more rewarding open worlds.

Ubisoft Quebec renders feudal Japan with breathtaking detail and sets up two fascinating leads to experience its warring period with, but the trade-offs between the dual playstyles and frustrating control issues will likely test your patience during this epic journey. You'll still push through for the sake of Assassin's Creed Shadows' epic narrative and virtual historical tourism, but when compared with other older open world games set in Japan, you just wish it could feel more fun in the hands.

While it may drip feed its story for longer than necessary and doesn't really go out of its way to subvert the cosy game, those who are looking for a way to relax will find comfort in the intricate and charming processes of making tea to pass the time.

Every time I feel frustrated by the combat, Sorry We're Closed will pop up with a beautiful character design, drop a great puzzle, squeeze out some catchy, snarky dialogue and then push me into a dungeon that recalls the heyday of survival horror. So, can I overlook it's one misstep, of course I can – particularly as this console release has made moves to smooth out this issue. Sorry We're Closed is an adventure worth opening.

More friction free than ever, Monster Hunter Wilds welcomes new players, but also offers the series’ most exciting endgame thanks to its open-world structure, topped off with some brilliant new additions to the monster roster…The most accessible Monster Hunter game to date.

Like a Dragon's swashbuckling adventure welcomes all for seafaring silliness. Whether you're beating up landlubbers or storming the deck, modern day marauding proves surprisingly easy - and difficult to put down.

Avowed may not reinvent the RPG wheel or be the next game that takes over your life but it still does a good job of giving the Pillars of Eternity universe the AAA treatment. With flexible action-packed combat, vibrant world and characters, and engaging moral dilemmas, it's a blast while it lasts.

Keep Driving knows it’s all about the journey rather than the destination, and it perfectly captures the feeling of being young and free and foolish. The learning curve is initially steep, and the encounters can eventually get repetitive, but it offers a beautifully drawn and wonderfully charismatic adventure that you won’t forget in a hurry.