Gal Metal is not the average music/rhythm game. It's not the average game either, it's a very unconventional work and in a good sense, as the game's unusual premise certainly required an unusual gameplay. While its lifespan is certainly the game's Achilles heel and the repertoire of songs could be bigger, Gal Metal is still something worth checking out not just for fans of rhythm games but for all those looking to try something different.

Beyond the graphical environments and gameplay, Pure Chess is a compelling title, offering plenty of options, as well as tutorials for beginner players. However, its asynchronous online mode harms the experience of playing with an opponent at a distance, which hampers the game’s appeal to those interested in online chess matches.

WRC 8 lands on the Nintendo Switch in something which can be seen as a mixed bag. If the gameplay experience and the accuracy of the competition are something to praise, the game's version on the Switch is significantly below par and the performance is even more aggravated when played on the console's screen, while the lack of multiplayer is impossible to understand. A game that's mostly targeted at racing simulator purists but which might not appeal to everyone.

With an exquisite plot, plenty of intrigue and mystery and very detailed scenarios, The Sinking City can however fall short when it comes to some aspects of execution, namely a control system that doesn't quite feel natural and some visual performance issues, which should not stand in the way of those willing to do some Lovecraftian horror detective work.

While its visual component is lacklustre and it lacks a competitive mode, the game also has some very good controls and interesting mechanics for a low price. Something to consider by fans of the puzzle genre along the Tetris line.

Where this work turns out to be less impressive is on the variable quality of some of its writing, which doesn't keep a constant level, and some of its endings turn out to be rather puzzling. While this is no obstacle for those who enjoy visual novels, the lack of touchscreen support is difficult to justify on a system like the Nintendo Switch.

Sheltered features plenty of options and some interesting base ideas. When in motion, though, there's a lot that is left unattended, as the game leaves a lot of things unexplained for the player to find out, when in many situations it would be most useful to have some additional backup. Its rather difficult navigation does not help and the overall experience ends up being harmed.

This Powered Edition of F1 Race Stars attempts to create a middle-ground between hardcore Formula One fans and those who prefer a less realistic approach to the races. The effort is laudable and Codemasters can claim some partial success on the technical front and variety of events. Nevertheless, liabilities such as the short longevity and the unexplainable absence of an online multiplayer mode make this a lacklustre approach to the sport, which will disappoint the F1 crowd and prove too demanding to the more casual demographics.

Gotcha Racing is a fluid racer which was designed for a handheld format and which rewards those who invest into its mechanics. Its flaws lie on the lack of a more involving multiplayer mode and on its slow sense of progression, which can put many players off.

Ninja Shodown is frantic, action-packed and undeniably frustrating. A relatively short game that will take a long time to get the hold of, it could improve on some details of its moves, especially the combos and attack detection, even if these flaws become less significant in its much more enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Detective Gallo brings a point and click adventure to the Nintendo Switch, an unusual contribution to the system's catalogue and one which features a welcome work of voice acting and some interesting character interactions and plot. The game doesn't fully stand out, as its control system is rather problematic on the Nintendo Switch and several of its puzzles don't really make much sense. Detective Gallo is thus not a first choice option.

Red Bow's 16-bit era visual environment may easily have it mistaken for an RPG, with a few point and click adventure elements here and there but there should be no mistake that this is a horror game, and it's a good evidence that a good horror game does not require a realistic looking environment to instill restlessness on its players. Although very short, Red Bow's simple gameplay and visual environment, as well as replay value, make this a production that's well worthy of attention.

Phantom Trigger's unique atmosphere and efficient combat system are promising and make this a potentially high quality game but as it quickly becomes repetitive on the short term and displays a lack of variety concerning its enemies and objectives, its expectations end up falling a downward trajectory after rising high.

Crimsonland is packed with gut-wrenching action and features plenty of weapons and elements that will keep up to four players interested for some time. It doesn't go too far on its level design, however, as the game becomes too repetitive and lacks some truly innovative elements.

This is a simple effort that is very easy to get into and to adopt. Unfortunately it's also too simple for its own good, with a visual environment that does not look better than many of the games it's based on and a lack of balance between characters that does not motivate the players to explore their features.

Ultra Hyperball is a fun and intense game based around the concept of hitting a ball as high as possible and it's fun and competent at that, both solo and accompanied. It does feel like it's price tag is a bit exaggerated for what it is but Ultra Hyperball keeps a good level of entertainment for a few hours.

In the line of fan service duty, Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is a well-designed and visually appealing game that is bound to be appreciated by the series' fan base. It risks falling out of touch with the rest of the audience, though, as its cast needs to be enlarged and the lack of an online mode and of a training mode make the experience much more limited than what is usually expected from a fighting game.

RemiLore is a simple effort and there's nothing wrong with that per se - the game features a good looking visual environment and some interesting ideas, the problem is putting them into practice without forcing the player into an experience that feels dull and repetitive...and that's exactly what ends up happening, as RemiLore does not have the assets to deliver an involving experience.

Super Cane Magic ZERO is a 2D action RPG that thanks to its animation art style and absurdly funny plot, stands as one of the most original games of its genre in recent times. Players who pick it up will be further rewarded by its local cooperative multiplayer component, even if there are aspects related to loading times, the overall audio environment and instructions given to the player that could be improved.

Binaries brings forth a good concept and ideas in a package that features a good and effective presentation. It doesn't quite fulfill its potential, though, as it relies too much on its difficulty level and ends up not providing sense of satisfaction to the player, which can make its experience somewhat frustrating.

While the intentions may be good, Cooking Mama: Bon appetit! suffers from an overall sense of repetitiveness in its gameplay mechanics and in its sound component. Some of the minigames are fun enough to keep a certain interest but the lack of a feeling of real progression in the game's main mode makes the experience bland and less enjoyable.

PAYDAY 2 for the Nintendo Switch features plenty of content and varied missions but it cannot be seen as a fine conversion work when its AI is pitiful, the graphics are very much outdated and the one player experience is terribly dull. While it may be fun on multiplayer, PAYDAY 2 needs a lot more to stand out if it intends to prove itself.

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is not going to reinvent the fighting game genre and it certainly lacks content and feels too superficial but it also manages to be fun and appealing to fans of SNK fans and features good amounts of humour that will keep the game enjoyable, especially when it comes to the characters' interactions with each other.

2048 offers a reasonably fun experience for short-term sessions, challenging enough but runs the risk of becoming repetitive. It's not very ambitious but for those who enjoy their puzzle games, 2048 is an option to consider.

The focus is clearly on action and character development, as the game's plot is minimal but there's a great amount of missions to complete. Sadly it can repetitive on a long-term basis and the sound component really needs to be reworked.

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians does not follow the standard formula of most rhythm games but rather adds rhythm to a platformer. However its potential feels lost in a rather repetitive gameplay and poor technical execution, despite its very rich visual environments.

Plantera could have improved on its conversion to the Nintendo Switch but other than its interface and screen resolution, everything remains the same. This is a game that is oversimplified to the point where it does not offer any experience of significant interest whatsoever and quickly falls into a dull and repetitive cycle.

It's certainly absurdly fun and features a fantastic soundtrack but its rather short lifespan, maladjusted difficulty level and unhelpful roguelike elements mean that Coffee Crisis ends up creating expectations which it doesn't manage to live up to.