NHL 19 is somehow both great and a bit disappointing. Sure, this is the best hockey game yet, with an almost impossible amount of depth. This is the kind of game you can play all year and still not feel like having even really scratched the surface. It is good sit down and play for a couple of hours or just jump in for one game and then head out to do something else, but at the same time, this barely feels like an upgrade over last year's version or the year before that. It's the same iteration of game over and over again, each slightly superior to the one before it

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is another enjoyable and unique experience added for the Switch's already swollen library. It's a little short, with only four campaigns, but it's a great title to whip out with friends - sitting around the console, or on the big screen, yelling out orders to each other. Good old, couch co-op fun. Being a Super Rare Games production, this also comes with a few special little extras; the usual trading cards, and stickers. It's a nice little extra on top of the opportunity to get a physical copy of a usually digital only product.

Fans of the series will feel at home with the handling model, which recaptures the feel and behaviour of the original in a new modern context with surprising success. It's not a sim-heavy experience, but it is an appropriate challenge that asks more of the player than the average arcade rally affair does. The car list is lacking in terms of modern options, but existing fans will have a soft spot for the classics on offer. It's just a shame that the career mode fails to distinguish itself, and the online multiplayer is sparsely populated. Any future iterations will need to be more inventive, but V-Rally 4 is a surprisingly fun throwback.

The old adage of less is more cannot be applied in this scenario as Nintendo Switch users are emphatically getting less bang for their buck. EA promised that the FIFA series on Switch would be the "Most immersive, social and authentic sports game ever created for Nintendo players," which is true, but it pales in comparison to its counterparts on rival consoles. If handheld gaming is the preference here, or Switch is the only option, then FIFA 19 will deliver strongly but, otherwise, it is best to pick this up on the Xbox One or PS4.

It is a complete success on a pure technical level in terms of performance on the hybrid console but the user experience could have been slightly better thought out when it comes to the implementation of the always-online functionality. Finally, the lack of more fighters to choose from, with much of the roster relegated to being paid DLC, will leave people with an impression that the publisher felt a bit too greedy.

Mega Man 11 not only marks a return to form for the franchise, it serves as a natural evolution of Mega Man's foundation, finally allowing the series to progress into the next generation. On an aesthetic and gameplay level, the series has taken some much needed, and welcome, steps. The art style has an appropriate level of charm and polish, while still evoking a more old school aesthetic, while the new Double Gear system pairs wonderfully with the platformer's tight level design. Mega Man 11 is a magnificent blend of old and new, honouring what came before, while never forgetting to look towards the future.

Senran Kagura games have always revelled in the fan-service, but they have weaved it into titles that are fun to play. An element of the game… Sometimes a large element… but, not the focus. Senran Kagura Reflexions feels like the extra features bundled into one of the full Senran Kagura entries. At £8.99, this feels massively overpriced, too, even for those who can see value in it. There's certainly not that much value, though, as it's basically a pervy tech demo.

The series has found its encore, and it's ready to keep dancing deep into the night. Super Mario Party is the essential Nintendo Switch release, a true return to form for a franchise that was at risk of going stale.

The roguelike procedural generation in Touhou: Genso Wanderer Reloaded often generates terrible flaws, horrible stages, and difficulty levels all over the shop - when the difficulty spikes, the challenging nature often just results in repetitive and frustrating grinding. There is far too much dialogue to read through, meaning huge gaps between actually being able to play… It's hard to find much to like here. It will certainly interest Touhou fans who get to enjoy some of their favourite characters, but for casual fans and those new to the series, all they are getting is a rather monotonous dungeon crawler.

The cheesy story and over-the-top characters are as funny and entertaining in the last chapter as they are in the first - but without dedication, experimentation, grinding, and probably some help from other sources, this can be a tough game to get through. With great strategic gameplay full of crazily exaggerated moves and all sorts of options and content to unlock, though, there is plenty of reason to stick with it and spend countless hours in the Netherworld. Aside from some major crash bugs and a couple of other niggling faults, portable Disgaea is right at home on Switch.

At its best, Victor Vran is an addictive action RPG with a great sense of progression and a strong visual identity of its own. At its worst, Overkill Edition muddies up a solid foundation with poor sound mixing, an unintuitive UI, and a choppy frame-rate, coupled with slowdown. While the base game is strong enough to overcome its inherent flaws, the Switch port's faults ultimately make all of Victor Vran's worst aspects come off all the harsher. Overkill Edition is a fine enough ARPG when separated from its technical faults, but it's perhaps best bought anywhere other than on Nintendo Switch.

Some aspects of NASCAR Heat 3 are well done. The challenge mode is absorbing and addictive, thanks to its quick-burst nature and the interesting context of the scenarios. The career mode, too, has been improved somewhat from last year's offering, although it's nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, these elements don't make up for the rest of it.

The beauty of the world depicted within Candle: The Power of the Flame is immediately apparent, as it comes alive through striking design, superb musical direction, and memorable characters. Numerous design issues soon become apparent, yet regardless of this, dedicated fans of the adventure genre would be wise to give this one a look, albeit a cursory one as it requires patience and persistence.

There is some fun to be had with Coffin Dodgers, at least for a short period of time, but don't expect to put more than a couple of hours into the game without running out of things to do. There are better kart racers on Nintendo Switch, namely Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and for the price-tag it doesn't really offer much value.

What begins as an arduous system to control, in time becomes a pleasure upon first race win, and the hidden depth of VSR: Void Space Racing's frictionless competitive courses is fully revealed. Offering a unique take on the racing genre as a whole, the biggest stumbling block, aside from the steep learning curve, is how little of the game there actually is, track and vehicle-wise, even with the low price-tag in mind.

From a pure mechanical point of view Lost on Mars is decent. It generally retains the fun of Far Cry 5 action in a different setting and story. The problem comes in the execution, with the previous originality and variety of missions and situations replaced by bland tower climbing and frustratingly repetitive boss fights. There is humour in Hurk and his tale and the AI 'ANNE' displays all the traits of a typically psychopathic computer system well. However, this humour only goes so far and can't assist in battling through the hours and hours of looped gameplay with weapon upgrades being the only meaningful reward for doing so.

Overall, this Forsaken expansion has made Destiny 2 a journey worth returning to. The daily grind feels a lot more manageable, with more chances to obtain end-game gear. There are some exciting new modes to dip into, and the new bounties system really encourages players to dig deep into the world. Destiny 2 is still an end-game grind, but with all the new and interesting ways to obtain your favourite gear, it's a much more rewarding experience than before.

Madden NFL 19 is a sublime example of what can be achieved with a sports title. The Real Player Motions generates that feeling of not 'controlling' players, but rather living as the players instead. Seeing how lifelike all the players are within a match, and how they communicate with each other before and during plays, and then watching them seamlessly get into the next play, is freakishly uncanny.

The Inner World sports a highly realised fantasy world carried by a charming art style and well animated character sprites, although, unfortunately, the quality of the animation does not fully extend to its cut-scenes. It is otherwise sizeable for its price and a more than competent point-and-click adventure that just feels slightly sluggish because of how slow the dialogue plays out and also confusing at times due to how the actual gameplay mechanics are implemented.

Is Pocket Edition HD worth it? Yes, it is since it tells the exact same story with greater efficiency. It is missing a lot of the finer qualities, like the fishing and the attention to detail, in exchange for a more focused story experience that lasts about 10 hours. The lack of scope, however, really does underline how weak Noctis' quest really is when all the car riding and fetch quests are cut. The meat of the story involves running a few errands and a few climaxes later on, with only a smidgen of character development.

Although METAL MAX Xeno offers an intriguing mix of tank-based and on-foot battles, its low-budget and adherence to JRPG traditions makes it feel like a relic of the bygone age. The characters are largely forgettable and sometimes embarrassing. Then there's the story, which is competently told and not much else. Still, for whatever it's worth, the journey is a pleasant one. The player's experience won't be bogged down by needlessly long load times or a mind-numbing user interface. This post-apocalyptic trek, much like any decent vacation, is designed to be relaxing and convenient.

Final Fantasy XII is a good game that broke a lot of ground upon release, as an RPG, as a work of fantasy, and as a Final Fantasy entry. With that said, The Zodiac Age feels like a bare-minimum up-port, with little besides the textures being improved. Fans of the original adventure will probably love it, and fans of the series who never played it should give it a try, but on its own two legs in the present day, it doesn't offer much that other RPGs don't do while looking and feeling much better in today's technological landscape.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes Lara Croft to the most beautiful locations of the Peruvian jungles, rewarding players that search around with well-made and challenging tombs. For a change, it actually feels like you are a treasure hunter grappling and platforming through ancient ruins. Unfortunately, this is all offset by a forgettably weak and over-dramatic story, and simple combat sequences that do little to push creativity, underutilising what is otherwise a cool stealth and camouflage mechanic. In many respects, it is the best in the trilogy - but it is also so severely lacking in other areas that it just doesn't reach its full potential.

The main strength of The Gardens Between is the deeper meaning found within. It utilises a largely voiceless and textless narrative to great effect. Not only is this an impressive feat on its own, it showcases the brilliance of the medium. This game eschews tradition to draw players into a fascinating world. As they witness the memories shared by Arina and Frendt, they may find themselves recalling their own childhood. While those memories aren't always the kind one can look back on with fondness, their significance can't be understated or forgotten. They are what shape us.

Lumines has always been a challenging game, and that hasn't changed in this remaster. Despite excluding some modes and tracks from later games in the series, rendering it not quite the supreme title it could have been, Lumines Remastered is a great package that will suit puzzle purists seeking an addictive title to reward skill and dedication.

La-Mulana 2 doesn't reinvent compared to its predecessor, but it doesn't have to. The foundation left behind by the original La-Mulana is strong enough to justify a sequel that, on the whole, follows the same beats as the original. Exploration is deeply satisfying as Eg-Lana is one of the finest crafted worlds in a Metroidvania; puzzles require genuine use of critical thinking more than not; and, while the curve perhaps isn't as refined as in the original, the difficulty provides a consistent challenge from start to finish. La-Mulana 2 is more of the same, in the best way possible.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, despite the issues mentioned previously, is by no means a bad game. In fact, this is a very good game. It is probably the single best representation of the sport of football that someone has created in the videogame medium. All of this is wonderful and just what a football title should be. The issue is that whilst people can appreciate this for a few years, standing still is not acceptable when charging full price for a new version every year. There are some glaring flaws that need real focus and attention in order to elevate PES back to the glory days as the king of football.

Red's Kingdom strives to combine simple rolling puzzles with the exploration part of a Zelda game... and it just doesn't manage to make the mix actually any fun, mainly because players will have to go through the chore of solving the same puzzles all over again... and more than once.