Death Squared is a cocktail of two things that, theoretically, could never become a successful mix. Having said that, and although combining couch gaming and puzzles is a concept that doesn't work as well as intended, SMG Studio handles its unique idea quite alright. As a result, those who'll look past its few flaws will surely have a blast here.

While De Mambo might not be the most friendly platformer or accessible party fighter, its frantic play-style and unsettling atmosphere make it one of the most unique titles available for the Nintendo Switch. A lack of online multiplayer does stick as a rather big disappointment, but the single-player content and local multiplayer more than make up for a lack of global mamboing. Between dance-like controls and a single-player that's equal parts addictive and challenging, De Mambo not only manages to be an engagingly speedy platformer, it excels at it.

The idea of implementing roguelike elements and endless game design in old-school survival horror has potential, but Vaccine fails to capitalise on it. Aspects where the developers could have improved on were perks that could allow a 180-degree turn, a map system, or even a combo system where it can be possible to earn back extra time like Resident Evil's The Mercenaries mode. With much more variety in level design and more enemies, Vaccine could have been an interesting guilty pleasure. In its current state, this seems more like pre-alpha build with many of the features not yet implemented.

I and Me looks like a beautifully hand-drawn game that controls quite well. Its fluid movement makes navigating the stages easy, with no mechanical drawbacks. However, the promise of a deep and meaningful story is hurt by the hard-to-read cursive font used to present all the narration, thus losing all the appeal of what is supposed to feel like a haunting tale. Beyond that, though, the stages are pretty easy to figure out and complete, though playing around with the four main mechanics introduced with each new season is fun in itself, and allowing for experimentation strengthens them. The hints that the game offers up actually overstep their mark, and instead they solve the puzzle entirely; however, they hardly need to be used, as I and Me rarely lifts the difficulty metre at all.

Kirby's Blowout Blast on Nintendo 3DS eShop isn't going to be lighting anyone's world on fire, but it's a bite-sized little beauty for Kirby fans. Its short stages and score-based focus deliver a highly inviting title with extra replayability that completely captures the heart of Kirby adventures. While the cost is fair, it's sadly far too short and a full version of this would have been very welcomed.

Thanks to a mix of the accessibility of the 3DS and the small level lengths, Runbow Pocket manages to be a fun way to kill a few hours without feeling derivative of its Wii U and Steam counterparts. Unlockables don't hold much weight in the grand scheme of things, but they occur frequently enough to ensure that just about every success is a rewarding one. Stages are designed to be completed in under a minute, incentivising quick, satisfying bursts of gameplay over longer and more traditional platforming. The lack of elaborate set pieces and sophisticated design does hold back the overall experience, but the great use of colour at the core of each stage makes for a vibrant world worth jumping in and out of, even for just a few minutes at time.

Ultimately, for those that enjoy the core shooter element, Radiantflux: Hyperfractal probably delivers value for money. However, it also feels incomplete - a mess of random things jumbled together. While the randomness itself provides some entertainment, it's hard to feel satisfied with the game when it's over. A little more development effort could have gone a long way here.

Essentially, Back to Bed is a game about figuring out how to redirect a hapless moving creature to safety over weird landscapes. If you want to play a game, then, about figuring out how to redirect a hapless moving creature to safety over weird landscapes, then it's hard not to recommend… Lemmings. It's not that Back to Bed does much wrong, it just doesn't quite do enough right to sustain interest.

There are some titles that have high replay value despite their simplicity, but Flip Wars is not one of them, as this is nothing but a simple mini-game turned full game. In other words, while this is definitely cheaper, better save that pizza money for Splatoon 2… or pizza.

SteamWorld Heist is a decent length when factoring in the wide range of difficulty settings, and the fact you will be playing some missions a few times. Essentially, this is a well-made squad-based strategy that gives a choice: go in guns blazing…. or go in gun blazing. While the game is heavy on the tactics, it's never heavy on subtlety. It's nice it wastes little time, but it also suffers from a lack of diversity because of it. It's thus probably better for those looking for a game to play on/off rather than binge over.

With Nintendo having little experience with DLC, there was always a question as to if the developer could do it right, and it seems unquestionable that the team knocked this one out of the park, adding some new content, giving a completely new game mode, and also including cosmetic little bonuses for series fans out there. The next DLC has only been hinted at so far, but it has been shown to be based around the fan-favourite four champions, and if it's even half as good as this then fans are in for a treat.

Coming relatively cheap and offering interesting new characters to play as, and most of them being good units, too, the Cipher Companions Pack is arguably the best DLC pack to be made available for Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. It took a bit longer to come out, but the wait was well worth it, and this ends the onslaught of DLC for this latest Fire Emblem game on a high note. It's always tough to know what kind of value to attribute to any kind of DLC, as the main game has to be thoroughly enjoyed first before anyone should consider purchasing any, but this one is without a doubt the easiest to recommend of all those released, due to its lower price and how good the characters proved to be.

It's not ground-breaking or genre-defining, but Electronic Super Joy masters the retro-style platformer. It's stunning visually and sonically, and the presentation is tied in directly to the arresting gameplay that's complemented perfectly by tight controls and super smart level design. Hardcore platforming fans will be completely at home here.

Armikrog is often too old-school for its own good, and it's impregnable for those who don't know the genre for all its faults. Those that manage to scratch the surface won't necessarily be rewarded for their efforts, either, with a paper-thin plot and characters that are just too hard to root for. The art style (and opening song) may be enticing, but sadly that's all that this retro-styled point-and-clicker has to offer.

NBA Playgrounds plays well to the strengths of the Nintendo Switch, providing a fun multiplayer basketball game, with authentic players and commentary. Difficulty spikes in solo play are too steep to ignore, though, and the current absence of online play greatly diminishes long-term viability. A great game is here, but not yet at the surface.

While RPG Maker Fes is not perfect, it is a fantastic leap into RPG game creation for newcomers. With its simplified toolset that does away with most of the programming features in order to allow for a streamlined system of creation, the simple act of building a world will still require patience and time. Fans of the series will find plenty to salivate over in this new game, and the thought of sharing their creations with users around the world, and in turn playing around in other created worlds, is what is going to give this game plenty of legs for many years. Though it does lack the ability to actually create original sprites and character or enemy portraits, it still provides enough presets to make some truly unique worlds and adventures. The only limitation is the creator's imagination.

Oceanhorn is a competent, budget, bite-sized Zelda-like experience that is not without its flaws, both in terms of glitches and in terms of sheer game design. Those, however, are not inherent to the Nintendo Switch version itself but are found in all releases of the game and, despite those, it still manages to entertain, to provide a jolly good time and to even impress at times with the graphical effects it pulls off, although the graphical side of things has high and low points, notably in its draw distance at times. It is, however, priced fairly for what it offers and, due to its mobile lineage, it plays best on Switch in handheld mode due to the touch screen aiming for spells and touch menu features, making this effectively potentially the best home conversion, simply because it can be enjoyed on the big screen just as much as on the go, where it truly shines. It is just simply sad that despite being re-released multiple times, a lot of its elements are left as-is when they could have been improved, but there's hope at least that the upcoming sequel, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm will not repeat any of these. Do not be mistaken, though: Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is still a lot of fun to play.

Ever Oasis is a masterfully crafted piece of gaming software that manages to introduce a lot of original town management elements into an action RPG without feeling overwhelming or too hard to understand even for younger audiences, all while offering a solid experience gameplay-wise, as well as visually and audibly.

Whilst it starts off somewhat slow, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero quickly kicks into top gear and stays there right until the end, making for one of the most engrossing 2D platform adventures of recent times. A few unnecessary special abilities may have been tacked on, but the balance for the essential ones is spot on. Also, it may suffer from being too easy on the standard difficulty setting, but there is a harder setting for veterans to tackle, as well as plenty of reasons to revisit the different levels included, with a Metroid-esque feel to proceedings at times.

Overall, ARMS is delightfully quirky, surprisingly deep and, most importantly, strikingly self-confident. Whilst its vibrant and over-the-top aesthetic might have some expecting a shallow and simplistic experience, persevering with and embracing the game's sharp initial learning curve reveals a strong-willed and very detailed gameplay core. Nintendo made the right choice in highlighting the motion controls, which is by far the best way to play.

If it wasn't for its faithful retro presentation and soundtrack, Mighty Gunvolt Burst would be a pretty forgettable and by the numbers Mega Man clone. This is fine for children who are just getting into 2D run-and-gun action since, at the time of this review, there is no Virtual Console on the Nintendo Switch. The best part of playing Inti Creates' latest release is just experimenting with the possible combinations to make all kinds of wonderful weapons of death.

One of the most famous Neo Geo shmups, Blazing Star fetches a pretty high price online these days for a full copy, so its inclusion at such a comparatively low price on a digital platform, on a system in which it is actually very playable (unlike the release on smart devices), both at home and on the go, is hard to miss out on for fans of the game itself in particular, or shmups in general, or even Neo Geo far and wide. Even those who already own a physical copy should not find it difficult to consider rebuying. Indeed, if anyone can afford a physical copy of this, then the small price of this digital rerelease, which comes complete with online leader boards for them to show off their skills for the world to see, should not prove too hard to swallow. It is a great classic that deserves to be experienced today just as much as back when it just came out, if not for history's sake, then for its intrinsic quality alone.

It's almost incredible how well Cave Story has managed to stand the test of time. It isn't a particularly old title, but its limited resources and one-man development team seem like a recipe for a dated entry. Instead, it manages to justify its existence in any given generation with each re-release. The Island has yet to lose its lustre, the characters their charm, and the level design that sweet balance of difficulty, which makes defeating a challenging boss or getting through a brutal platforming section all the more satisfying. Beneath the surface lies a poignant narrative about the consequences of war that takes itself surprisingly seriously without compromising the overall whimsical mood. Cave Story+ isn't just a good game in 2017; it's downright impressive.

While it is, like most Fire Emblem DLC on 3DS, on the pricey side, this is up to this point by far the best value in terms of DLC, offering precious insight into the backstory of the characters that players will have grown fond of, as they take them from the status of weaklings to the status of liberators of the Kingdom of Zofia. Not only that, but it gives the precious opportunity to take control of characters whom within the main game are never controlled directly, but also unlocks permanent exclusive special weapons and scenes through support dialogue and memory prisms. All of it perhaps doesn't truly amount to enough for the price that is asked, but this is still better value for money than the previous three DLC packs. Now, all that remains is the upcoming package of exclusive playable characters from the Fire Emblem Cipher trading card game, to be made available at an as-of-yet undisclosed date.

This second DLC pack is, just like the first, just a tool to help players grind and farm for things a little easier than the first one allowed. However, whereas the previous pack only made marginally easier the things that could already be done in the base game, this one really does help things out by a lot for players looking to maximise the potential of their party, especially post-ending. While the Inner Sanctum is still easily doable mid-game, the other two maps that are part of this second round of DLC really should only be tackled last to earn the last few levels of experience before maximising a character, or to finish upgrading every important weapon or pieces of equipment in the case of the map that lets players grind money.

Such a let-down, and flawed in almost every aspect that made the full version so special. The stages themselves are fun, as expected, because they're capturing the only aspect of TT's fantastic LEGO games: the gameplay. This is a perfect example as to why people are dubious over handheld ports of titles. These butchered remains of fantastic games are an unnecessary addition for fans of the full version, and unworthy examples for those without the console edition. Avoid.

Besides Some technical limitations, Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition offers the same experience as other modern home console versions do, with the added benefit of being both playable anywhere, anytime. This is the key deciding factor that should determine whether one should pick this version or not over others, as this lets you play and build the same world, both at home and on the go, without any major compromises. The Wii U offered that comfort already with off-TV mode whenever someone else would want to use the TV for something else, but the Switch does way with the limitations of being away from the system hooked to the TV since the system here is completely portable, and this the best version possible outside of the realm of PC.

Disgaea 5 Complete is a natural fit for the Switch, as the features that make it more accessible than older titles in the series are highlighted through the portability of the platform. While already an excellent SRPG in its own right, the DLC added into the core game both provides a definitive experience for series veterans, while also offering several slight handicaps to newer players. Disgaea 5 Complete's strategic depth and genre-savvy charms feel perfect at home or on the go, making it an excellent addition to any growing Switch library.