Indie developers should take a good look at Exo-Calibre as it can provide a very helpful lesson: a video game doesn’t always need a high complexity or seemingly endless content to be enjoyable. This shoot ‘em up, which looks, feels and plays as if it came straight from the ‘90s, manages to be one of the finest in the genre. Without introducing a new mechanic, focusing on pleasing a niche hardcore crowd, or having tons of unlockables, Exo-Calibre is simply fun to play - and sometimes that’s all it takes.

For anyone out there that wishes to check out a few classic dungeon-crawlers, The Bard's Tale Trilogy is the definitive experience. The three games, warts and all, have been effortlessly reproduced. Accessibility is the least of anyone's concern here, thanks to a slew of convenient features. An auto-map that also tracks hints is a godsend. Of course, the option to ignore all of these niceties is freely available. Whatever the case, this is a fine epic that guarantees many hours of enjoyment.

ABBA: You Can Dance is a thoroughly entertaining package for both long-term fans of the Swedish pop sensation and those who simply love jiving along to infectious tunes.

While its story rings a bit hollow, the extravagant imagery and art direction carries the emotional investment. The mouse-style controls are a fun and new way to play this underappreciated and novel title and improve the experience, though it does come at the cost of a spotty frame rate. It's disappointing that it couldn't have been locked down, especially in such a unique game that features a ton of action and quick thinking.

It is a very refreshing adventure game that is dense with content and things to do. The world feels so alive with an almost fetishistic attention to detail. It is clear why it fell into obscurity, but it is very obvious why it was so amazing when it came out. Anyone willing to give Flashback: 25th Anniversary the time will not be disappointed.

An excellent platformer that was one of the most important titles in the early days of PlayStation, beautifully presented here. With tons of interesting additional content, this is an essential purchase for fans of the original. Hopefully in the future, whatever is holding back the faithfully recreated soundtrack will be resolved.

Comparisons with games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater may be unavoidable, but they are certainly misplaced: OlliOlli is a great game on its own merits.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is a high-octane blast that is rich in content, and a ton of fun to play. While the occasional difficulty spike can frustrate at times, Beenox have promised a series of free, seasonal updates that contain new tracks, customisations, and events, giving everybody plenty of opportunity to "get good."

Unforeseen Incidents is a complete breath of fresh air in what is fast becoming an over-crowded genre once more, standing head and shoulders above many other point-and-click adventures available. With its perfect mix of macabre and comical scripting, as well as the highly engaging puzzles and entertaining fetch quests it throws the player's way, the hours really do fly by despite this being one of the longer journeys on the market right now.

Those eager for another compelling, robust and utterly pleasant farming sim will find a wealth of fun to be had in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. This remake of the title that started it all is impressively complete and has a few new surprises in store, making it essential for genre fans. The bazaar mechanic further ups the ante and ensures every in-game week culminates in something exciting, making this one of the freshest and most enjoyable expressions of the classic farming sim experience.

Grid Legends: Deluxe Edition arrives on Switch 2 as a well‑executed conversion of Codemasters’ racer, offering a broad set of visual presets, stable performance and a clear presentation that suits the hardware. Feral Interactive’s technical work results in smooth handling, faster loading and a flexible range of options that allow the game to run consistently in both docked and handheld play. The Deluxe Edition’s full suite of content, combined with cross‑platform online support and an accessible driving model, positions it as one of the strongest racing titles currently available on the system.

Color Zen is great, both as a game and tool to reduce stress in one's daily life.

The remastered version of Monster Hunter Stories definitely opens up the world of the original game to new players. It does seem a bit odd why this was released after Monster Hunter Stories 2 given the plot similarity, however it was probably the second's success that enabled this remaster to happen. It is absolutely worth a place in the Nintendo Switch library because of the sheer amount of fun had collecting monsties and helping NPCs out with their wide-ranging problems. Not everyone will care about the extras, but the fully voiced dialogue adds to the immersion level. Let's hope the Switch successor leads to a third Monster Hunter Stories title, this time with significantly changed story and new areas to explore.

With a different writer and a different experience aimed for, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is still brilliant, though it is slightly inferior to the rest of the series.

The blue speedster, both past and present, delivers a solid first outing on Nintendo 3DS.

Pacer successfully fills a gap in the market for high speed, anti-gravity racers. Those who are wishing for an experience reminiscent of the Wipeout series will be pleased on how this project has turned out. Tight and precise controls, matched up with a large assortment of maps and customised crafts makes for a very fulfilling experience. Issues such as those posed by hard-to-reach weapons can be overcome by practising and improving knowledge of each turn in every track - alas the lacklustre sound effects from the crafts is seemingly all that is available. These tiny issues aside Pacer makes good on its promise, even if it took a long time to get there.

The refined framework, ease of access for all levels of skill and the colourful style ensures a great looking, stress free experience for all involved, combining a bunch of entertaining board games into one neat package.

Zoonies - Escape from Makatu is a unique puzzle game filled with short, snappy stages that can be picked up easily on the move, and the level design throughout is superb, with creative obstacles and multiple paths that ensure each can be played again and again.

Octopath Traveler has many little and big pros. Its 'HD-02' visual style is beautiful; the music is great; the world is very big, non-linear, and full of things to do; the characters can be customised in many different ways; and, finally, the combat is fast, yet tactical, simple, yet deep. Octopath Traveler is great. However, it also has a couple of cons that for many people will be the deciding factor of whether they should play this or not, and these are, the almost non-existent interaction between its eight characters, its somewhat… artificial vibe, and the lack of a decent main plot.

The slightly slower loading times, and the lack of the mouse and keyboard option, is not enough to turn this into the lesser version. This ultra-fun, over-the-top homage to action remains equally as entertaining in its new, hybrid home. The controls are excellent, the vibrant, comic book visuals are great, and the RNG adds the right amount of chaos to a game where skill is at the forefront, despite the existence of experience points and randomised loot.

More than living up to the "rhythm violence" tagline, Thumper leaves a lasting impression. Presenting a distinctive and adaptive score, together with an insane visual style and a difficulty level that rarely shows mercy, Thumper is a very effective showcase for the hardware abilities of the Switch, and a highly engaging experience on its own merits.

FAR: Lone Sails is an emotive trip through a dying, yet beautiful world. It's a journey that doesn't last for long, and whose low replay value makes it hard to come back to it... and yet it's also one that's hard to let go once you start it. Fans of such games are definitely advised to give it a go - oh, and don't wait for a discount because its worthy of its price tag as it is.

Capcom has delivered another terrific collection of fighting games with all the bells and whistles, packed with music, promotional art and development images that every fan of these still-great arcade titles will appreciate. Care has been given to ensure gameplay options are there for all types of players, with solid training and online modes that will introduce a new generation to some of Marvel and Capcom's best collaborative work.

Rune Factory 3 definitely shares many similarities with its Harvest Moon heritage, but successfully branches out into a highly engaging action RPG that stands in good stead when compared to other role-playing efforts on Nintendo DS thanks to its enjoyable battle mechanic, variety of objectives and the above average storyline.

Dedicated fans and newcomers alike, Dragon Ball FighterZ is able to win people over with its charming and authentic art style. The faithful representation of the anime, coupled with the chaotic satisfaction of stringing together long combos with ease, should entice any fighting game fan. Dragon Ball FighterZ is probably one of the most accessible 2D fighters in a long time and should not be missed.

Fun but limited combat, punctuates a fantastic, character-driven drama about putting on shows and pulling a once beloved group and theatre out of its rut, and into the spotlight on an international level. It's a rip-roaring good time that has such faith in its world and style, that the love of the developers, writers, artists, and composers comes through at all points during the journey. This is a definite recommendation to those who like games that focus on narrative, and who can overlook the fairly uninspiring (yet enjoyable) combat, or who love to explore characters and motivations through dialogue. Also, for those new to the series: fear not. It's in line with the old series canon, but this one is self-contained and expands into a new era of the story.

Line Rider Freestyle takes the template of the popular online game and runs with it, improving on the original in every single way.

With AiRace: Tunnel, QubicGames has successfully transferred what looks to be a test project into a thoroughly enjoyable twist on the standard futuristic racing genre, deftly mixing in a puzzle slant and adding in enough challenge to easily warrant to 200 Nintendo Points asking price.