Even Mario Party die-hards will struggle to find much to enjoy in this rudimentary compilation. There are occasional glimmers of nostalgic genius, but they are few and far between when compared to the plainness of the side modes, brevity of the single-player campaign, and length of the list of dud mini-games on offer. It's a fun distraction for a couple of hours, but Mario Party: The Top 100 lacks the replayability of a mainline Mario Party title, making it a hard sell in the face of its more complete-feeling siblings.

Not much happens in the final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and, at first, it doesn't seem to matter as, instead of any new stuff, it's the "feels" that are in the spotlight this time around. The only true problem seems to be the sleep-inducingly slow pacing of it all, something that sort of ruins the end of this prequel.

It is really depressing to play a game like Hyakki Castle. It has some things that could have made it a good game in a vastly underrepresented genre. It got the atmosphere just right, which is one of the most difficult things to nail perfectly. However, it is dragged down by many things that while independently does not ruin a game, it destroys the game when combined. Bad mouse and keyboard controls would not ruin a game, but the painful process of making gamepads work with the game does as it is almost mandatory to use a gamepad to enjoy the game at all, and do not even get started on the hunger system that makes exploring, which is one of the core pillars of enjoyment in the genre heavily, punishable. In the end, while it is easy to want to like Hyakki Castle and see how it could have been a great game, it is too hard to not see that it isn't a good game.

Abstract and downright mesmerising, Embers Of Mirrim is one of the most impressive platformers this generation. Not shy to difficulty, the mechanics take a great deal of reflexive skill and hand-eye co-ordination to master, but they never feel impossible to grasp. The split mechanic requires the use of both analogue sticks, often in synchronicity, and is only enhanced by level design that encourages skilled play while also not keeping anyone struggling to adapt to the control scheme out. Its greatest strength, however, is how immersive and breathtaking it is. A voiceless narrative is underscored by a beautiful score and settings that suck the player in. Embers of Mirrim is unconventional and often bizarre in presentation, but that's exactly why it leaves such a strong, lasting impression.

Initially stepping into Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon, it feels even worse than the first outing. It's retreading the same ground with the story, but doing it with an inferior overall plot and some cringe-worthy writing for the dialogue. The gameplay is highly repetitive, both on exploring the world and on the generic mash-y gameplay, but, despite all the negatives, there's actually some fun to be had here. The large amount of side-quests and the varied mixture of support characters make revisiting areas to find all the little secrets enjoyable.

Curse of Osiris doesn't really do anything to enhance the Destiny 2 experience, aside from the new raid and some nice quality of life upgrades. The campaign portion is tedious and doesn't live up to its potential in the slightest. There's also an annoying reliance on the Eververse system for obtaining the expansion's new gear, to the point where it feels straight up player hostile. For hardcore Guardians, Curse of Osiris is a necessity to keep up-to-date with the latest gear and power level increases, but for everyone else, this is not a meaningful addition to the core game.

Like a good heist film, episode five gradually builds tension until even the smallest actions seem to have tremendous ramifications if done wrong. The idea of deliberately failing QTEs to see if they really matter fades away, because everything seems to matter. However, like a bad heist film, the stakes are occasionally undermined by showing just how far the odds have been swung in the hero's favour. As a conclusion (possibly for good) to Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two - Episode 5 is still strong, never becoming close to a chore to play. It's just a shame that it ended up being one of the weaker points of the season.

Pinball FX3 leaves some things to be desired on the technical side of things, which can only be hoped to see fixed in the near future through an update since it looks and performs rougher than even its predecessor on the Wii U and, at least in terms of performance in handheld mode, worse than on the 3DS. Nevertheless, Pinball FX3 is an excellent way to experience original virtual pinball tables in this day and age, if not the go-to and indispensable way of doing so. Fans of pinball and/or Zen Studios' previous efforts in that area should then definitely give this new hub game a flip, but bear in mind the current technical limitations that are hard to fathom and which are yet to be resolved.

An extremely challenging rhythm game that fans of DJMax will adore. It is no fault of Superbeat: Xonic itself, but the asymmetrical design of the Switch controls means this can take some getting used to, particularly if having played extensively on PS Vita or elsewhere, but being able to play in tablet style with touch controls and the Joy-Con removed eradicates that entirely. The only problem at time of writing is that the touch controls seem bugged. A patch is on the way, which will hopefully mean Xonic will be an essential purchase for Switch rhythm fans.

What was already a fantastic package just got even better. The simple premise of cutting out shapes to solve puzzles is just as engrossing as it was upon release, and the addition of new puzzles for both single-player and multiplayer antics, as well as being able to revisit older puzzles with new pre-made shapes, make Snipperclips Plus: Cut it Out, Together! the ideal treat for Nintendo Switch owners this Christmas...and beyond.

Absolutely sublime platform action from the team behind Banjo-Kazooie, et al. Yooka-Laylee is everything fans have been waiting for, transporting gamers back to the 3D adventure heyday of the Nintendo 64, but bringing a wealth of updates with it to help it feel not just familiar, but also equally fresh. Between Super Mario Odyssey and this, Nintendo Switch owners are certainly being given some amazing treats in the first 12 months of the system's lifespan!

With its tight controls, solid mechanics, and fun scoring system, Tenta Shooter is an altogether pleasing addition to any shmup fan's library. Each game mode is worth spending some time with, and dedicated individuals will enjoy seeking out all of the secret bonuses. The fairy types, particularly Type-C, are a little unbalanced. Perhaps there should have been separate high score tables for each of them. The lack of online leaderboards is also unfortunate. Then, of course, there's the explicit content. It's entirely optional, but curiosity gets the better of everyone. Now, this critic is left wondering about all of the life decisions he made that led to this point.

The End is Nigh is chock-full of content that any hardcore platformer will enjoy. There are hundreds of tumours to collect, and over a dozen game cartridges to search for, along with nonlinear paths that require some exploration to find. The controls are wonderful, and besides a minor adjustment period, feel precise and responsive. Complete with multiple environments and hundreds of levels, the journey to unite Ash with friends and his favourite video games is a rewarding one that is definitely worth checking out.

Elite: Dangerous feels a bit like a lifestyle choice, honestly. Getting good at piloting and traversing this universe takes almost as long as a full length game in and of itself. For those who endure, there's some exciting things happening in space, but for the rest, the price might be too high. This is clearly an example of a niche game, a remarkably thorough space sim that requires patience and tenacity to unearth its many secrets. It also requires caring about the universe you're in, and that can often be difficult to do after extended periods of time fighting with the game itself, whether it be through the controls or long stretches of nothing happening. As Carl Sagan once said, though: "The universe seems neither benign nor hostile; merely indifferent."

It is tough to recommend this DLC, especially at the price point it is offered at. Most of it simply feels tacked on, and the lack of a full overhaul of the advisors is a major missed opportunity. The Humanoid species pack lacks perhaps what would be most obvious: more human faces. Even beyond all this, though, the general feeling for it could best be summed up with: Is this it?

Telltale's version of Guardians of the Galaxy may not have made the best first impression upon debut, but towards the end of the season the story had finally managed to get going in a positive way. While it may have been too little too late, the ramifications it has for a potential season two should be reason enough to get into this season. The decision-making was extremely one-sided and lacked any sense of moral urgency and quandaries. While it still suffers from the same clunky control scheme, the character development between each of the Guardians is a fascinating rollercoaster to experience. In addition, battling Thanos was a terrific way to open up the series. Moreover, the soundtrack greatly helps in setting the tone and furthering the adventure with its catchy tunes.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood has great level design that squanders its puzzles, beautiful artwork that wastes its characters, and gameplay that ranges from boring to being a bit broken. Truth be told, though, it does manage to pull you back in just as you were getting ready to leave. Sadly, it's unlikely anyone will have the patience to see it all the way through, as so much of the game is spent fighting the bad puzzle design and the atrocious platforming.

There is so much crammed into Mantis Burn Racing that its bland visuals and forgettable audio can easily be overlooked, with an extensive single-player campaign that brings together previous DLC releases into one handy bundle, plus the addictive local and online multiplayer options give it a massive boost, helping it overtake the rest of the pack and creep up swiftly behind FAST RMX and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the racing ranks on Nintendo Switch. Perfectly accessible for friends and family to enjoy, yet also deep and challenge enough to give solo players great value for money.

8-Bit Adventure Anthology: Volume 1 is an enjoyable experience, but it feels more like an exhibit than anything else. While collection style games are always going to be a mixed bag, 8-Bit Adventure Anthology doesn't really have a weak spot so much as it has a dip with Uninvited. Fortunately, the whole package is one point-and-click fans would be downright silly to miss out on, though perhaps they'd be better off playing it somewhere else. The controls here suck a lot of the fun out of the experience, and if the games weren't as solid as they are, it would make this entire experience a lot less enjoyable.

Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is as good as you heard it was. Thanks to a great wealth of content, not all of which is as exciting as others, it would be easy to get lost in the seemingly endless list of new levels and character unlocks, without feeling overwhelmed. Really, the game's biggest strength is how smart the puzzles are and how it balances a lot of content without feeling like there's too much. Unfortunately, some of that content feels underwhelming, almost like the game is ripping itself off.

What it does deliver, though, is a collection of some of the best elements of the base game. New armour set treasure hunts, new shrines to take on, and a whole new Divine Beast to overcome. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Champions' Ballad is highly enjoyable and a reminder of just why this game has already won its first of what is bound to be many "Game of the Year" awards.

Cat Quest is an ideal little RPG to introduce to youngsters, especially given the charming pun-filled script and plentiful kitties, but those jumps in difficulty can mean a helping hand may be required on more than a few occasions. Despite its looks, though, the older generation with a love for all things feline will find a lovely, if short, Zelda-like adventure worth giving a go.

Super Turbo Demon Busters rides a very strange line. On paper, the action and gameplay is woefully simple and repetitive, but actually playing it, the player is drawn in by the heart and old-school charm it possesses. The largest issue preventing a much more favourable verdict is the more you play, the more you wish the systems found in here were much more fleshed out, such as a deeper RPG system, a deeper skill system, a treasure system, anything, since the base is so solid, but leaves so much more to be desired. Rarely is a game like this passable, yet hints at such greatness that could have been.

There are so many big games these days, it's easy to forget the details of one even as recently as last gen, and L.A. Noire does a fantastic job in reminding just how good it is. The story is engaging, the investigations are fun, the world is deep and immersive, and the interrogations are truly unique. Even with the slight performance woes, the game is very impressive on Switch, especially in handheld mode. This, along with titles like Skyrim and DOOM, sets a promising precedent, and open the door to many other games well deserving of remasters that would be amazing to be able to play on handheld.

Caveman Warriors is a cutesy-looking title that is devilishly difficult as a single-player experience. Though still fun to play through, the large wave of enemies can sometimes be a little insurmountable, while the boss fights can vary from easy to defeat to unfairly difficult. However, playing it in local multiplayer seems to be the way to go, as it is more fun to work together in a team and knock away the enemies. It retains the difficulty, though, as dying is for good - until a checkpoint is reached by the surviving members. Unfortunately, the game suffers due to the animation glitches and that dreadful boss glitch that centres on the Cavernator's second encounter. Despite this, Caveman Warriors is still a game that is worth checking out.

Seasoned card battlers and intrigued newcomers alike should be interested in Culdcept Revolt. Its complexity and customisability makes it one of the most replayable games in the 3DS' library, even just in single-player, while its accessible online play and well-crafted tutorial make it a perfect jumping-on point. More than just a card gaming simulator, there's plenty of care and attention poured into this; its wealth of cards and malleable multiplayer make it a genuinely viable alternative to traditional tabletop games.

Cities: Skylines - Snowfall is a rare expansion that manages to bring holiday cheer to a game that could have easily exposed it for a cheap cash-in if it wasn't done right. However, there is just enough added challenge and detail to the expansion that makes it a welcome addition to the core experience. It is by no means essential, but it adds some twinkle to the transport and some ho-ho-ho to the heating. Cities: Skylines - Snowfall is a perfect expansion to welcome in the Christmas season.

In a sense, 3Souls is amazing because it has the decency to be universally bad. There are no qualifiers that need to be added, no "Well, if someone enjoyed this other game, they might enjoy 3Souls." There is no one that will like this, and 3Souls is one of those rare games that is entirely devoid of any merit. It is a short, pointless, boring chore that doesn't have a single good idea from beginning to end. The only good thing is they waited so long to release the second and third episodes that hopefully everyone else out there forgot this existed and won't have to play it. This isn't a reason to dust off the old Wii U again. If anything, this is a reason to launch it through the window and never look back.