Mario Party 9 is a resounding success on so many levels, adding plenty of extra variety to differentiate itself from previous entries, whilst also learning important lessons from the limited-yet-fun Wii Party.

Wild Hearts S' deft art direction carries it through the down-porting process onto lower spec hardware. Despite some minor complaints, the main game offers a robust 30-40 hours of content, with seamless four-player co-op adding replayability. Hunting with friends is always fun, as coordinating Karakuri setups and weapon synergies elevates the chaos to new heights and offers a lot of bang for one's buck.

This year's edition of the Just Dance series lifts the game beyond its former releases thanks to its focus on treating players to various extras the more they play and integrating the online component so smoothly into the regular play.

In spite of all the odds against Yoko Taro's career, he has finally delivered a true masterpiece that finally delivers on all fronts, including gameplay. Environmental detail aesthetics lacking aside, Nier: Automata is an unbelievable game and one that just might make even the most stone cold hearted gamers well up into a weepy emotional mess. This is a landmark in storytelling that is one that embraces the fact it is a videogame and does not try to imitate film like the way most story-driven titles do.

Guacamelee! 2 feels just as good as its predecessor overall. Some of the hardest sections can be even more frustrating than the hardest challenges found in the original, but this is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that it does streamline a lot of things that were more complicated than they really needed to be.

It is incredibly hard to put Alice and You down once a session has begun. It's pitch perfect in its execution of a simple but compelling puzzle concept. This is a fantastic title that is highly recommended to anyone interested in retro aesthetic and puzzle games.

The Wii edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops is by no means the inferior product many thought it would turn out to be.

A gift to fans of Lara Croft's retro beginnings, Tomb Raider: I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a masterfully beautified collection of the first three games, plus their extra chapters. It does what all remasters of super old-school classics should do, providing the whole experience, practically unchanged, but in a brand new coat of paint that offers quite the sight, without ruining the magic of the original. Whether most will like the titles included is a different matter altogether, because, while pretty good, they are far from flawless, but as far as upgrades go, this is one of the best of the bunch.

The sublime addiction that is Sports Interactive's legendary simulation has blasted onto Nintendo Switch in fine form with Football Manager Touch 2018. There is more than enough depth included in the Touch series to make this perfect for those looking to delve into the intricacies of management either at home or whilst on the go, but also stripped back enough to appeal to the wider audience that lapped up earlier editions of the team's venerable series.

Without a doubt KEMCO seems to have created its best JRPG ever in Chroma Quaternion. From start to finish it is a solid experience which never gets dull. Exploring all the eye-catching areas is a joy, the character dynamics coupled with an intriguing storyline, and easy to use, hard to master job system, makes the game's end the only true drawback.

With a subtle yet engaging plot device and atmospheric environment, dastardly devilish challenges, and a shelf life of features beyond many other games, this stealth puzzler is an easy sell.

A Boy and His Blob is in the upper echelon of Wii titles in terms of quality and is a must buy for anyone looking for a fantastic gaming experience. An unforgettable experience.

The fast-paced, plentiful content will occupy even the most hardened gamers for hours with its extreme but just-about-feasible level of challenge, and at the price it should be nigh-on impossible to resist.

At its heart Super Mario RPG: Remake is a hilarious, beautiful and excellently written 12 to 14 hour RPG experience. Its beautiful music and art style just ooze a unique charm that most Mario games can only dream of. It would be amazing to see a new collab with Square Enix coming from this but as that is definitely a pipedream (pun intended), what we have here is an absolute highlight of 2023.

In spite of an ending that arrives too soon, Moonlighter manages to offer an engaging balance of commerce and action up to the very end.

This is a back-to-basics, side-scrolling puzzle effort that will draw people in with its addictive gameplay and cleverly-crafted stages, and then test even the most hardcore with its extra challenges later on. The balance is perfect, and gets the old grey matter working hard throughout, proving to be extremely inventive and charming, in equal measure. Toki Tori deserves to shine, and hopefully on Nintendo Switch it will now get the attention it deserves.

Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 5: Same Stitch is phenomenal storytelling, and while it highlights a major drawback for story-driven games, it does manage to make decisions truly matter. While the endings may not be what you feel they should have been, replaying through is the best option to rebuild the narrative in new and exciting ways.

All told, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES: nirvanA Initiative is a worthy sequel to the 2019 original. While some elements of the story don't always fit with the cast of characters, the core of the narrative keeps players invested throughout. The new somniums are very well designed in both pace and aesthetic, making them each feel unique. The additional hints and difficulty options are welcome, too, for those who want them. Virtual Reality sequences do well to add to the gameplay outside of somniums themselves, providing some great variety. This science fiction mystery thriller is certainly worth a look for fans of Zero Escape and visual novels in general.

This is an absolutely wonderful tale; a fantastic fable that makes up for every little flaw by giving the player a monumental amount of things to do and play with. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a must play for Ghibli fans, fans of the first Ni No Kuni, fans of JRPGs, Suikoden fans, and just about anyone who appreciates a good adventure in general.

BlazBlue: Entropy Effect X is one of those rarities that hits all the key elements very well. The core experience is great, possessing incredible depth that adds to the urge to replay. For fans of either the source material or the roguelite genre, this is an easy recommendation. From the art to the fun of making overpowered builds, players will keep wanting to have just one more run.

Arika has taken the core of the first Endless Ocean and developed the idea for Adventures of the Deep so considerably that it has easily become one of the exemplar products on Wii, full stop.

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward may lack the initial punch delivered by its predecessor, but still brings an engrossing tale to the table, with a story that players will have to explore completely before finally putting the game back on the shelf. With a smattering of smart puzzles tying everything together, it will take something truly special to trump this superb visual novel experience.

The price of admission might be somewhat high, as the games on offer are good, but not really that good, yet these remain classics in one way or another, even if there were far better alternatives, even at the time of their development. Having said that, they are definitely enjoyable; a bunch of titles that have stood the test of time. More importantly, the quality of this collection couldn't be any higher. It's basically a fantastic bundle of nostalgia, with lots of different versions of each game, plus plenty of behind-the-scenes material, excellent for those who are into the historical preservation side of the industry.

What it may lack in terms of presentation, Crimson Shroud more than makes up for in the narrative department, soundtrack, and the originality of its battle system (at least for a video-game RPG).

ARVORE has done the impossible here, and has taken one of the best VR experiences on the PSVR, and managed to make it even better in almost every respect. Full to the bring with nostalgia, and not resting on that simple premise to sell, Pixel Ripped 1995 races through the finishing line with tight gameplay, excellent use of the VR system, and fully developed characters framing the era perfectly with their dialogues and observations. Get it, finish it, and then wait patiently for the next jump in technology to be turned into a title as fantastic as this one. Pixel Ripped 2000 anyone?

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is an original, fun and challenging platformer with game mechanics that won't be found in any other 2D platformer.

Tiny Bookshop is faultless in its execution and a title that is really surprising in how enjoyable and addictive it is. Fun for a quick pick-up-and-play and also to while away the hours as the nights draw in. With a strong sense of community and a feeling of real purpose in your place within the little village of Bookstonbury-by-the-Sea (still a terrible name), this is sure to be a bestseller.

Time has been kind to Primordia with the past decade only highlighting just how unique, surreal, and grippingly atmospheric Wormwood Studios' inaugural title actually was and still is. While playing a point-and-click with a controller will never be as fluid as using a mouse and keyboard, the control scheme translates relatively well to Nintendo Switch and the ability to quickly check everything that can be interacted with on-screen all but removes the need for random examination. Wormwood's storytelling in particular deserves praise for blending surreal lore and a horrific premise together into an engaging narrative with multiple endings. Every bit of world-building just makes the plot richer and better contextualises gameplay. Wadjet Eye Games have done point-and-click fans a favour by porting Primordia over to Switch. Don't miss out on one of the genre's highest highs.