Ichidant-R was, in many ways, a precursor to the party and mini-game collection titles of today, but tailored for the arcades. To finally be able to play it in English is a treat for any SEGA fan, especially in multiplayer. The amount of mini-games on offer however is pretty low, even if this was a step up from the even lower number of mini-games in its predecessor, Tant-R, which means it does feel a bit repetitive when played in solo. Then, really, M2 has gotten gamers used to better scaling options for titles using the resolution of the Mega Drive, namely in the Castlevania and Contra collections that Konami has up on the eShop right now, so there's really no excuse for not offering the same options here.

At best, this is just a very gimmicky adventure game. Each level having its own thing is a bit refreshing from always having to pixel-hunt for objects, tying simplistic stats into the mix adds some planning, and the way this title forces players to commit to their actions is nice. Sadly, as the journey reaches its half-way point, the story unravels in a very unsatisfying manner. Characters are built up and don't get the proper pay-off, while some disappear entirely. Given the hallucinatory nature of the story, it can be difficult to discern what is real and unreal. This was by design since you can't have a Lovecraft story without people losing their minds, but Call of Cthulhu needed to "wow" people in the endings, not betray them.

Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians is a fair mobile title that offers an enjoyable experience for those who are into collecting monsters to partake in turn-based battles with. In short bursts, this is an entertaining experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. However, once the true grind begins at the conclusion of the story modes, then it can become a frustrating past-time to stay engaged with longer-term. It isn't the best "gache" on the market, but it is a free title for iOS and Android devices, so there's nothing to lose by trying this out. Note that it does require an active internet connection to play, unfortunately - so it's best to play this at home on the WiFi, where there is a steady connection, as Elemental Guardians isn't afraid to crash play-throughs.

A Hat in Time is a delightful 3D platformer, with tight controls, some of the best humour seen in the genre to date and compelling scenarios driving the collectathon aspect of the game. It doesn't revolutionise anything in the presentation department, with rather low polygon models and scenery, but that doesn't take anything away from the enjoyment to be had on any platform it has been released on so far. On Switch, it is held back by some low-res textures and a resolution of only 720p in docked mode, but it does fare better overall in portable mode. Then, still specific to this Switch version is occasional stutter and long load times giving it a rough looking varnish that could perhaps still get ironed out through a patch.

Despite its cartoony graphics, this game is a surprisingly solid city builder. There is enough here that fans of the various genres this takes from will find it enjoyable as they craft their ever-growing city and automation empire. Programming the robots is oddly satisfying as is watching them roll around and taking care of the smaller tasks. A couple of small bugs and some pacing issues prevent it from being truly great, but those remotely interested in the genre will definitely have a lot of fun with this one.

It takes a special kind of talent to make a really boring action platformer. AeternoBlade II can almost be the cure for insomnia if it weren't for its embarrassing voice acted cutscenes. Outside of a few striking vistas, there is so little of value to enjoy here. There are so many better similar kinds of titles out there like Blasphemous or Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and that is not even counting 2D action games from before 2019. With so little going for AeternoBlade II, there is no reason to ever play it.

Vambrace: Cold Soul is not bad, but it quickly becomes a mindless, repetitive, grinding slog of the same battles that require very little strategy, not to mention the lack of any sort of enemy variety. Enemies come in different forms, but basically consist of similar attacks, with varying curses, and Lyric and her party members are hardly any better. The gameplay loop of exploring, fighting and healing only suffers due to the tedious battle system and the similar-looking dungeons. Beyond that, the story and lore of Icenair is a rich world that deserved better treatment, as the various codex entries enrich the world. Vambrace: Cold Soul had a lot of potential, and while it pulls off some things well, the mechanics hold back an experience of what could've been.

Baffling leaderboard support, lack of remapping, and wonky "Timeless" mode aside, the Vasara Collection is sure to find a home with any fan of arcade classics. The Vasara series, though short-lived, offers a unique blend of STG action and close-quarters mayhem. They certainly aren't a walk in the park. It'll take weeks of constant practice to clear them without continuing. The scoring systems are compelling, and there's a plenty of enjoyment in slashing everything in sight. Give this collection a shot sometime.

For lack of a better term, Golazo! is a pretty run-of-the-mill arcade football sim. It does well to channel a '90s aesthetic and it is sure to create some memorable moments despite the hiccups in its design. The controls are simple enough to pick up and play and the gameplay solid enough to warrant whipping it out for a night of arcade fun with friends, but it certainly isn't going to hold most players' interest when it comes to playing solo against the CPU.

Trails of Cold Steel III is an important title for both Falcom and NIS. For Falcom, it's the penultimate entry in a story arc half a decade in the making - and an incredibly engrossing one, at that. For NIS, it's a step in the right direction after Ys VIII, and proof that The Legend of Heroes' localization is still in good hands moving forward. This is a continuity-heavy RPG with 13 years of video game history, and seven titles building up to it, but the combat and world are strong enough where even newcomers can enjoy the ride. Trails of Cold Steel III is the Erebonia arc at its best.

Although far simpler on a conceptual level than it lets on, For The King is a charming, addictive blend of rogue-like and tabletop RPG elements, culminating in an experience that is far more than the sum of its parts. With multiple campaigns to choose from, a fully customizable party, surprisingly engaging cooperative play, and a currency system that encourages replayability, it's hard not to lose track of playtime. Of course, the rogue-like isn't without its flaws, relying a bit too much on an arguably underdeveloped combat system, but For The King offers an adventure more than worth embarking on in spite of its few flaws.

With a new handheld format comes a new Yu-Gi-Oh! title, and while Link Evolution offers a compelling and modernised take on the Card Game for both fans and novices alike, with almost infinite play styles and strategy possibilities, it retains the stale interface and storytelling of its original form.

This is one of those kinds of scenarios where the designers set out to make exactly what they aimed for, and achieved it... but only because they were only going for a very simple premise. Cybarian aims low, and succeeds at what it needs to, which was not very much. There is no room for expression for the extremely controlled nature of the gameplay, with the exception of how many times a player might miss an input or get slapped. While it may not be a horrible game, Cybarian is merely mediocre and too strict to have any lasting appeal.

Despite it being an expansion pack, Iceborne is pretty much another game built upon the many layers of Monster Hunter: World. It adds new monsters, a new location, and new armour and weapons to customise, but Iceborne also delivers new details that are fleshed into the core title. The Clutch Claw mechanic transforms the way combat works for the base game, as well as the expansion, and the monster fights are as epic as ever. Each monster gets their own platform to shine, and Iceborne does not end with the completion of the campaign. As most Monster Hunter fans should know by now, concluding this expansions campaign is only the beginning.

For the title that essentially originated the modern hack 'n' slash genre, Devil May Cry holds up tremendously well. Although later entries would flesh out the combat even further, the original's simpler mechanics shine elegantly. Dante is a much more complex character to control by Devil May Cry 5, but his original iteration is already loaded with mechanical depth. Between Alastor and Ifrit, combat isn't hurting for variety, and the title's stellar level design keeps play-throughs fast-paced and pleasantly arcade-y in nature. If anything, time makes it easy to appreciate Devil May Cry all the more.

In Asphalt 9: Legends splashy visuals come first, collecting unlockables comes second, and skill proves to be a distant third. Having said that, it's tons of fun, at least, if not in search of realism, and despite the lack of decent variety, not to mention the fact that it's an always-online product. Moreover, this can definitely be enjoyed in its original, free form, or by simply spending a bunch of pounds to purchase the Starter Pack if you need to save yourself from more than 10 to 20 hours worth of grinding, but beyond that, the game won't really force you to do anything more besides from playing it.

Fans of adventure will find Argonus and the Gods of Stone to be too light on content; both when it comes to its plot, but mostly in regards to its almost non-existent puzzles. Fans of mythology, and especially Greek legends, will surely enjoy some bits of this small journey, but in the end, this is nothing more than an okay-ish (and empty) theme park with a Greek mythology setting.

Despite some obvious flaws, and some parts that were somewhat rough around the edges, Spaceland offers great fun for something not coming from big name studios. While it eschews a typical base building in favour of squad management, the small skill tree and equipment choices are interesting, while leaving a desire for more. Though linear, the tactical elements are largely highly competent. There are things that leave the player wanting more, but the game itself is very enjoyable, and any potential sequels will probably be even better.

The world of Mutiazone is full of life and drama, and its interesting scandal-filled story and engaging characters do a fantastic job of conveying this story in a way that leaves you genuinely invested in the characters and the island itself. Although the world can feel a little small and repetitive at times, the soundtrack and beautiful visuals ensure that the player stays entertained and longing for even more at the story's conclusion.

Nonsense title aside, Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS The Awakening of Golden Jazz is one of the best written detective adventures to release this gen. Masterfully presented with a gorgeous watercolour art style and a moody, sombre score, every moment in Saburo Jinguji's trip to New York is handled brilliantly, building off his relationship with his deceased grandfather and slowly unravelling a thoughtfully weaved mystery. Splitting gameplay between two phases of Saburo's life, childhood and adulthood, is a particularly inspired touch that keeps the narrative moving in spite of its slow pace while also building a deeper connection between audiences and Saburo himself. Along with the title's fantastically realized mechanics, this is a title every mystery buff needs to experience.

At first, this looks quite promising. The opening levels are diverse enough to keep things interesting and the introduction to the gameplay gives a standard but solid Diablo clone. But the veneer is too thin, and this quickly becomes something that only the most hardcore Warhammer fans will truly enjoy. For the rest of the players out there, this is just yet another Diablo clone atop the veritable mountain that already exists; one with repetitive maps, a lackluster character progression, and dull combat. Not to mention the story. One that is completely without teeth. It's like a YA novel; standard fantasy fare, with some of the worst voice acting in recent memory. This is kind of fun, but there are many other games already that do what it tries to do so much better.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is the best way to experience the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy, two decades after the first entry was released. The games on offer were never major classics, of course, and their heavy collect-athon nature won't appeal to everyone. The new, upgraded version is simply beautiful, making the originals look even older than they truly are, so Spyro fans will simply love this… as long as they have the patience to endure 30-second-long loading times (or more).

GRID Autosport, in its Switch incarnation, is a technically accomplished port of a solid entry in a genre defining franchise that falls right in-between arcade fun and driving sim. The level of polish to ensure maximum performance and visual fidelity in both modes is astounding and Feral Interactive deserves all the praise it can get for it. With solid gameplay, a wide range of difficulty options, and an amount of content to please everyone, it is the de facto best serious racing game on the system at the time of its release. However, repetitiveness and complete lack of multiplayer at launch, hold it back from being absolutely perfect in every way.

Even accounting for the passage of time, and the contempt that familiarity brings, The Alliance Alive HD Remastered is still a class act. This traditional tale offers a unique blend of fun characters and engaging exploration. The battle-system is sufficiently deep, and caters to any style of play. There are times where this journey isn't as good as it could be, but absolutely nothing about it stands out as truly awful. All in all, it's a wonderful RPG that deserves to be checked out.

Boo! Greedy Kid is an arcade action title that plays more like a puzzler, and where the name of the game is making old people meet their maker, so that you can empty their pockets to buy a few cans of soda. Sadly, the previous synopsis is far more exciting than the actual experience of playing this, as it soon turns out to be an annoyingly repetitive, forgettable, and unimaginative deal.

For short, nostalgic blasts of fun Venture Kid succeeds in almost every respect. While there's fun to be had here, it's painfully clear that, just like playing the game itself, everything is just going through the motions. The excellent soundtrack may even be enough to warrant a dabble, but with nothing new brought to the table, there's no reason to spend your hard earned cash, when the games that this owes so much to its design and creation can be purchased. There are a lot worse than this, sure, but be aware that once completed the first time, multiple revisits are unlikely. Fun? Certainly, but with little variation in gameplay or level design there is not enough for this to stay interesting in the long term. With a little more risk-taking in development, a craving of individuality, and a creative spark, Venture Kid could have gone far.

Amnesia Collection on Switch may lack the slick polish and fidelity of the PlayStation 4, but at the very least, The Dark Descent survived mostly intact, and is still an excellent version of the scariest game ever made. It is too bad that the other entries in the collection are not quite up to the Frictional Games' standard of quality, but even in their own merits they are decent compared to most other first-person horror titles on Switch. A Machine For Pigs, being the least restraint and absurd, makes it hard to take it seriously, but does have some qualities that make it an amusing guilty pleasure. At the very least it never bores.

A Pixel Story has the potential to be great, but falls just short of capturing that potential. The basic mechanic here is a clever one, and the developers to a good job getting a lot out of it. Unfortunately, they fall just short of elevating it to something truly special, and the final result is a bit more basic than expected. Puzzles are good, but repetitive, and exploration is fun, but simple. This combined with floaty, imprecise controls and an odd insistence from the game to focus on them, makes this fall just below the top tier of puzzle platformers. Fans of the genre might still want to check this out, but everyone else might want to see what other stories are out there.