If you like orcs, elves, and other Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy trappings, give Kingdom of Heroes a try. Just don't expect to be bowled over by its less-the-stellar presentation and pedestrian gameplay.

While it's kind of fun, it's nowhere near the games it's basing itself on.

A decent defense title that is saved from mediocrity thanks to a rather unique gameplay mechanic.

f you're looking for a new game to play as an adult-pass on this. It's a little too easy and a little too shallow to really be worth your time. But if you and your family are about to head to the theater and watch the movie, having your children play the game during the car ride certainly will occupy their time on the road on the way there and back.

Though the gaudy Vegas theme may not be for everyone, the core gameplay can be incredibly addictive, and you can eventually build up an impressively huge and complex tower. You'll just need to look past some of the design and interface issues on your way to the top.

If you're craving a shiny new fighting game, Street Fighter X Tekken is definitely pretty, but know that the entry cost won't be the last time you'll have to purchase something for an optimal experience.

Although this may seem like a lot of complaining, I honestly enjoyed most of my time with Spell Rift -- It's just not a game that's going to entertain you for hours on end.

The music has its moments, but it’s no rival to the first, and the visuals are arguably less striking than the original, which is over 30 years old at this point. It’s all just a little too basic and safe. Still, if you’re a parent who played the original back in the day, this is a great introduction to the world of gaming for the younger crowd. You might even find yourself enjoying it alongside them, if you’re a sucker for nostalgia.

If you’re someone who wants more of the fighting aspect of this game rather than focusing on the fact that it’s Hunter x Hunter, I can see why it’s not as enjoyable. Fights are simple at their core, despite there being different attacks you can do. Story Mode had a lot of story. And while it was skippable, I’d often skip it just for a quick fight, before entering another long story-filled chapter. That being said, if you do love the Hunter x Hunter world, this game is a must-play for fans.

Overall, I think Ashwood Valley need to invest more in plot and engagement. It’s all well and good having cute maps and designs, but without lore, nothing is compelling me to appreciate the overall game.

So, is the I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream Switch version it worth playing? Yes and no. It’s a great bit of writing, and if you’re a fan of the story and its world, it’s the best way to explore more of it given the original author helped create it. On the other hand, the decision to bring the game over with minimal changes makes it an overall flawed experience. With a better cursor and some much-needed bug fixes, this would definitely get a higher score, but as-is, I think only big-time Ellison fans will want to suffer through the annoyances of playing when they could find a gameplay video somewhere.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun playing Genso Manège. The mini-games and overall art style were well executed. The age and adoptive sister/brother romance did put me off though, as well as the lack of dialogue options. I wish the game gave you more chances to get to know the characters and interact with them before throwing you into their route. That being said, once you start romancing them, each character has an in-depth backstory. You could also see the progress levels with each character, which was nice to know.

Yes, this is not a game for everybody. But if you’re looking for a flight sim on the Switch then you can’t do much better than this.

The controls are well judged but not as fluid as in something like Ridge Racer (at its best), and the tracks are solid if never truly exciting. There is a dizzying amount of content here though, so if you’re a fan of the original then this sequel is a must buy.

As with many co-op platfomers of this type the controls need to be spot on to avoid being frustrating, and sadly Bread and Fred doesn’t quite nail this aspect. Too often we found ourselves struggling to get out of an area because of slightly finickity physics or overcomplicated controls, and it didn’t feel as if the blame lay at our door. If you stick with it things do improve though, with the slightly fudged controls being workable and the game offering some interesting level design and ideas.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the chibi shapes and this caused me to lose attention, and skip most dialogue to avoid looking at NPCs and cutscenes longer than I had to. This lack of engagement with a core part of the game pulled me out of the immersion. But I’ll admit that that’s mostly my fault. Maybe the real critters were the avatars we made along the way…

The combat is fiddly, and the levels are designed in a way that means it becomes even more frustrating than fun.

So this is an occasionally bumpy ride, but the superb presentation and enjoyable cast make this a mystery worth looking into for fans (if not newbies) of the genre.

It’s over fairly quickly, but while it lasts, Little Kitty Big City is a very sweet ride that has clearly been made with a lot of passion and care.

If you’re happy to be patient with this cosy game, I say give it a go. I enjoyed Magical Delicacy, and respect that it has so many great ideas – but you certainly have to be in the right mindset to play it.

If you like the base game, and you’ve completed all stages, we’d say this DLC is worth your time. You get a bunch of new levels to work through, all of which are just as creative and innovative as the original.

Echo Generation: Midnight Edition is worth a pop for those who love retro science fiction and want something new out of the genre.

Despite being a simple game at heart Dadish 3D is undeniably a fun time. It boasts tight controls, a good array of locales and bosses, and is constantly amusing. This is a must for Dadish fans, and worth a look for anyone else.

This is a budget title, but one with more charm than most games in this price bracket. So this is a hard title to score. For fans of ironic low budget kitsch this could be a four star game – for those unable to look beyond the visuals this could be a one star experience. Ultimately though, if you’re looking for a new 2D platformer to play and don’t mind a few rough edges you could certainly do worse.

The presentation might be a little low-rent overall, but the controls are perfect and there are just enough new ideas continually thrown in to keep you playing. Add in support for up to four players and you have an indie game that is very hard to hate.

A game like What The Golf? strikes a far better blend of ridiculousness and actually engaging gameplay, although younger gamers might still get something out of this.

A first person shooter that is perhaps a little too focused on style over substance, this is still worth investigating for fans of the genre.

The battles are one note, there aren’t exciting new kinks added in nearly enough, and the action is fairly slow. If you’re really hankering for a dungeon crawler you can do worse, but you can also do a lot better.

Yes, several aspects are clunky and have not aged well – but the amount of care to bring this game to a modern audience should be applauded. They don’t make them like this anymore – for better and for worse.

It offers little surprises but if you’re a fan of puzzle titles like this then you can’t really go wrong, especially for the low price point. Just don’t go in expecting much in the way of frills when it comes to the presentation.

The controls are stiff, the jumps are constantly frustrating, and no real element feels particularly fun. These were important games in their time, but now we can’t see anyone playing them for more than a few minutes. Unless you’re a die hard Monty Mole fan we can’t really recommend this one.

Overall, Another Code: Recollection comes recommended to those who love dialogue-heavy games. It’s a relaxing experience, with some head-scratching puzzles thrown in, made all the easier with the brilliant addition of the Compass and Hint functions.

If you’re aren’t into platformers as a whole, Tevi might not be for you – it’s probably one of the more complicated entries in the genre out there, but it’s just about worth the effort.

Despite these grievances with Archetype Arcadia, it’s a perfectly fine visual novel. If you like Sword Art Online or a darker storyline mixed with futuristic themes, you’ll probably enjoy this one. There are certainly worse visual novels to play through, and with more refinement, Archetype Arcadia could have become a brilliant little gem.

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is a just about serviceable budget kart game, but did we really need another one of those?

For some Frog Detective won’t offer enough actual detective work, but it’s still a gently amusing ride that will certainly appeal to younger gamers.

We can’t question the work that’s gone into reviving Gargoyles Remastered, but we do slightly question whether this was a title that needed bringing back in the first place.

Many won’t be able to adjust to the sometimes unfair difficulty spikes of course, but if you’re an FPS fan you owe it to yourself to at least give this a try.

Gothic Classic has an avid fanbase, and for good reason. The game is intricately detailed, with deep lore, and meaningful world-building. But sadly the awful controls are too much to cope with, and they do ruin the game to some extent. Perhaps it works better on a keyboard and mouse – but this is a game on the Nintendo Switch, and on this format it doesn’t quite work.

The presentation is as bare bones as it comes, but Hidden Gems Volume One is still an interesting and wisely budget priced option that’s worth investigating for Switch owning retro gamers.

It has a slightly high price-tag, but if you’re looking for a first person shooter that’s a little different – at least in term of aesthetics – then you should dive right into Forgive Me Father.

If you’re looking for an off-kilter 3D platformer Super Adventure Hand isn’t a bad option, but we’d recommend waiting for it to get a discount point before giving it the full two thumbs up.

It’s perhaps a tad overpriced, and the presentation is bare bones, but if you’re interested in gaming history you could do a lot worse.

The Nintendo Switch port truly does hinder the game, ultimately. The game itself is excellent if it’s being played on a more powerful platform, and perhaps if this game was released after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 the outcome would be different.

The visuals are too determined to mimic the past than impress in the present, the plot is awful fan fiction guff, and world feels utterly drab and lifeless. None of the areas I explored were memorable, and I had no desire to return to any of them once I’d moved on. The result is a game that clearly wants to be Jet Set Radio 3, and because we’re all so starved for more, we’ll lap it up like it is. But, ultimately, it’s not up to the same standards. I’d definitely back Sega giving Team Reptile the opportunity to make a genuine stab at a Jet Set Radio 3, as the love for the series oozes in every screen, but it needs the big budget that the series deserves. And, a vastly superior writing team.

For speedrunners on the more masochistic side there’s undoubtedly a lot to get your teeth into here though. For everyone else we’d recommend a more rewarding and streamlined hardcore 2D platformer.

Ultimately if you’re a fan of Lovecraftian and Eldritch horror this game is definitely worth a try. While there are a lot of games that take inspiration from Lovecraft, Skautfold: Usurper does it right and manages to provide a challenging yet enjoyable experience.

Raging Bytes can’t quite justify its high asking price, but certainly offers something a little different in the survival horror genre.

Sadly the lack of concrete level designs and high price tag means Nightmare Reaper should only be looked into by the most dedicated FPS roguelite fans.

If you’re a fan of first person shooter history Chasm: The Rift is worth checking out when it’s on sale – otherwise you may struggle to overlook many of its creakier elements.

There isn’t a huge amount to Boltgun, but what’s there largely satisfies – just don’t go into expecting it to be the throwback shooter many have suggested it is.

Despite some minor issues we can safely recommend Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island though, especially to those who enjoy farming simulations.

Ultimately Rob Riches is definitely a step up from our old Game Boy cart of Boxxle, and a title that’s worth exploring if you’re a fan of slower paced puzzlers.

The biggest saving grace of Papertris is its budget price, but even with that in mind there are so many better options out there for puzzle game fans than this.

The joy here is the tight level design which requires pixel perfect movement. It’s incredibly satisfying when you pull off a tricky set of jumps and the controls are solid enough to make you feel like every obstacle can be overcome. However the game’s low price doesn’t quite justify its short lifespan – just around 2 hours – meaning this is a platformer that’s probably only worth investing in when it goes on sale.

It’s no masterpiece – playing on handheld is difficult because of the tiny sprites, and there are a fair few frustrating stages to balance out the good ones – but it’s a competent 2D platformer that’s worth investigating for fans of the genre.

We want to love this game, but certain aspects are a real turn-off. Lost Epic has a ton of promising features, but that won’t be enough for some. You can tell that a lot of love did go into the game and that the developers are clearly passionate about the Souls-like and Metroidvania genres. A patch here and there may make the game more enjoyable, but there’s no news on further updates at this current time – meaning we only recommend it for those who are ready for an experience where a fair amount of grinding is necessary.

Dust & Neon is still a fun, stylish, and tidy little roguelite. It can get a bit repetitive, but overall we had fun with it – and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to those looking for a new twin stick shooter.

Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe is a well presented title that does have more ideas than most 2D platformers – but they’re presented in such a chaotic way that we can’t imagine anyone but the very young (and their parents) getting much enjoyment out of them.

At worst, it’s a broken mess. It runs poorly, it’s missing a ton of features, and it’s the ugliest version of the game. What sort of remaster is uglier than the original? I can only recommend this version if, like me, you want to replay Tales of Symphonia on a handheld and you don’t own a Steam Deck. If this is not you, avoid this – at least until a promised patch fixes the game.

Akka Arrh is worth investigating for hardcore shooter fans of course – it has a lot of visual appeal and is certainly something different. Everyone else may want to consider if they can truly handle this eclectic neon fever dream.

A admirable attempt at opening up the world of FPS level creation to a wider audience, Gunscape is perhaps a little too grungy for complete newbies to the genre – and those more experienced at shooters might be better off simply learning how to use the likes of TrenchBroom.

It does what it wants to well, and we feel expanding the game out – to include co-op or competitive modes for example – may have gone against its Game Jam origins. Still what you’re left with is a game that’s a solid high score chaser with online leaderboards and a suitably low price tag. If you’re looking for something that will a scratch a very small itch then this could be worth a look.

Despite this issue we’d recommend this for any Switch players looking for a new strategy title – it’s well presented and can be endlessly addictive. You just may want to quickly check it out on your smartphone before taking the plunge on this iteration.

Mega Man Battle Fighters is a serviceable collection, but one with too many issues to make it an easy recommendation.

There isn’t anything here for hardcore long-term fans of the series, but anyone new to the party this is a perfect place to start.

Bright Memory: Infinite Gold Edition may have a fair few flaws, but worth investigating if you’re looking for a new first person shooter on the Switch.

This isn’t for anyone that’s looking for a game with a faster pace, but Unusual Findings is a charming and slightly off-kilter adventure that’s well worth investigating – despite some frustrating moments.

It’s a shame, as Atari Mania has clearly been made with love and care and certainly doesn’t feel like a cash-in – but it can’t fail to pale a little in comparison to Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.

Overall SpiderHeck is a fun multiplayer game. It doesn’t offer anything substantial – especially if you’re playing alone – but it can just about hold its own in a party setting.

Sadly it still feels a little too slight at times, with the controls in the main race segments being so floaty they’re never particularly satisfying. This arguably helps the game’s chaotic nature – something not entirely unwelcome in a multiplayer title – but it also means it likely won’t keep you coming back for more helpings. So Dream Buffet is a game it’s hard to love – the fact Kirby feels copy and pasted in definitely doesn’t help matters – but it offers just enough presentational pizzaz to mean it’s not an entirely wasted cause.

Bringing back such an old game is never easy and making one with so many ideas feel relevant in 2022 is a tough feat. But Live A Live does a good job of modernising this lost game and making sure a whole new audience can experience it. If you love JRPGS or HD-2D Live A Live will have something for you, or if you are looking for something different with a unique story you’ll be happy here. At times it can be frustrating in its older game design and often a little easy but at the end of the day it never stops being interesting.

If you can sync with the game’s slower and more deliberate pacing it can be a fairly enjoyable test, and there are some great boss showdowns to help break things up. It’s a shame there are these issues – as there’s clearly been effort made to make Frogun look and sound like a platformer from the 90s – but the clunky feel will just end up putting most players off.

At their core these are perfectly entertaining games, but are bewilderingly poorly presented. If we are to keep receiving ports of older titles on the Switch we should certainly be demanding ones that are put together with a bit more effort than this.

This is a solid port and an interesting title, but certainly not one of the Neo Geo Pocket’s most essential titles.

It’s not an essential purchase, but for those who like their shooters on the challenging side Gravitar: Recharged is worth checking out.

Mini Motorways is a well put together puzzler, and reasonably well priced – but we’d recommend playing it on another platform if you have the option.

There are some enjoyable elements – the combat isn’t as mind-numbing as in similar titles, and there’s clearly been some effort made to make the presentation bouncy and light – but it never pops or gets your blood pumping. And for the high price tag that feels unforgivable. Even the excuse that this is made for younger players doesn’t hold much water, as your child will get a hundred times more out of your average Mario game than this. Add in some strange bugs and you have a 3D platformer that’s not worth it for even for more forgiving fans of the genre.

It’s all solidly assembled, but it just feels a little too generic despite its wacky main character. Certainly one for the more hardcore run and gun fans out there.

The game is priced smartly, but it ultimately doesn’t feel polished enough to even justify its lower end price tag. We encountered a couple of level breaking bugs in the final stage, and not enough effort has been put into varying the gameplay up – something like Donut County had true escalating stakes for example, with challenges to match. It’s a shame, because despite its admirable environmental message LumbearJack is a tough title to recommend – even for younger players.

A well presented collection of some of the more interesting titles from the Pac-Man series. Not all of the best ones are included of course, but you can’t have everything.

Dadish 3 is possibly overpriced for what it is, but if you were a fan of the last two games you can’t go wrong here – in what is the most technically accomplished entry in the series so far.

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a game with a worthwhile message and well thought out mechanics – but we sadly can’t fully recommend this Switch port until the performance issues are ironed out.

The action is fast, the controls are responsive, and there’s a huge amount of content to get through – especially considering the reasonable price-point. If you’ve already exhausted the Switch’s premium retro racers then Slipstream is well worth a runaround.

Ultimately Vagante is no masterpiece, but it has an impressively satisfying core gameplay loop that will help this appeal to more hardened roguelike fans. Less experienced fans of the genre may want to steer clear though.

So The Ramp feels more like a prototype in its current state, and it’s a shame. As what’s here works very well, but it’s low price tag can only mask so much.

By and large the quality of the dialogue is solid too, with characters all having clearly drawn personalities and the central mystery of the game slowly but surely drawing you in. It looks lovely too, with a crisp storybook style that is never too cloying and always manages to gently guide you towards the right person or item. Sadly despite all these positives there are drawbacks to Inua, with one being the way the narrative is tied up. We won’t throw in any major spoilers, but we found the plotlines never tied together in a satisfying way – and it makes the experience fall a little flat at the final hurdle.

Puzzle Quest 3 has a very specific goal in mind, and for the most part it nails it. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but as a masterclass in free to play design it’s hard to match. Scrape too hard at the gorgeous shell, though, and you’ll find it’s essentially empty.

Exhumed Powerslave is not one of the best first person shooters of the mid-nineties, but has more than enough interesting ideas to be worthy of retrospection. Just make sure you go in with a sufficient amount of patience.

So this is without doubt the definitive version of a game that – although it won’t be embraced by many – offers a uniquely structured survival horror adventure that you just don’t see much of nowadays. But there’s probably a reason for that.

The main gameplay beats get repetitive before long, and there are no great arcs in terms of your character’s development. It simply feels like a load of mini quests are thrown at you with no real progression in the stakes. Still, RPGolf Legends is a diverting enough adventure that wisely doesn’t take itself too seriously – and will just about scratch that itch for anyone eagerly waiting for Sports Story.

Heroes of Whitestone has some neat ideas, and it just about manages to hold them all together. If you’re looking for a deeper board gaming experience, then you’re going to come away disappointed. But if you fancy a midcore RPG with more than a few twists, then it’s definitely worth checking out.

Now, Dumpster Bear 2 is far from a perfect game – its low rent visuals can’t excuse some pretty poor boss stages and occasionally cruel deathtraps – but it’s far better than you’d expect. And its low price point is praiseworthy considering the large number of levels to get through. Dumpster Bear 2 knows exactly what it is, and is a prime example of how you shouldn’t judge a book (bear) by its cover.

There’s some very tongue in cheek presentation too, with comic relief commentators that somehow don’t get (too) annoying. Sadly there’s not much more to Clone Drone in the Danger Zone than that, so it’s a struggle to say the content here justifies the high asking price.

It all feels a little muted – despite a range of weather conditions – and we never felt that it ever went all out in terms of throwing oddball stuff your way, like the superlative Golf Story did.

It all feels too messy, and combat is too one-note. There’s no real flow to matches, and they often just devolve into an unclear muddle of small characters whaling on each other. It’s a shame as there’s a range of modes and clearly effort has been put into the character designs – but Guts ‘N Goals just isn’t a particularly memorable or satisfying experience.

It makes progress a struggle, so despite good intentions SkateBird isn’t a game that ever really properly takes flight.

Ultimately this is a hugely fun throwback, but one that won’t have quite enough replay value to justify the asking price for most.