There’s barely anything we can say against Tetris Effect: Connected. It’s a fantastically fresh take on a puzzler that refuses to age. This Switch iteration is the definitive way to play the game thanks to the handheld element too.

Ultimately Banana Mania is a lot of fun, and a solid starting point to those new to the series. Long term fans might find the changes to accommodate a wider audience just too bitter a pill to swallow though.

It’s just never truly exciting, and feels like it’s stuck in neutral for much of the time – which is a shame, as there was real potential here.

The only real flourish in the presentation is that the main character – a dog – makes a relevant pun every time you complete a puzzle. This ultimately is not a bad bet for those looking for a new word game to play. What more is there to say?

It’s simply not much fun, and often feels difficult just for the sake of it. The visuals also make it a little too tough to work out what’s going on at times – making this a game that’s for masochists only.

The level design is occasionally interesting, but sadly it’s not enough to make this worth investigating – especially when superb ports of Doom and Quake are already available on the system.

Add in a good number of different arenas as well as a solid mix of power-ups and you have a title that’s well worth trying out at your next games night. It’s just a shame there’s no online play.

There’s fun to be had in NFL Clash, and the collecting aspect of the game is definitely going to appeal to some. But the underlying gameplay lacks any real spark, and after a while you’re going to lose interest in its simplistic interpretation of football.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of quality adventuring to be had here however – with Aria of Sorrow in particular still one of the best entries in the entire Castlevania series.

Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai : A Hero’s Bonds is one of those games that manages to be complicated and simple at the same time. If you’re looking for a midcore ARPG with a focus on stat management, a decent level of polish and a bit of actual gameplay thrown in for good measure, it’s well worth checking out.

The budget price-point means this is a very easy recommendation for those looking for a new shooter, or even a well balanced co-operative experience. In our eyes Centipede: Recharged is one of the best retro reboots so far this year.

Indies’ Lies isn’t as good as Slay the Spire, but it offers enough to anyone who enjoyed the mechanics of its inspiration to be worth a punt. This is a game that will keep you entertained for long stretches of time, even if it is lacking a little when it comes to imagination.

Pokemon Unite flashes moments of brilliance, and the battles always feel like they’re balanced on something of a knife edge. Is it perfect? No, some of the IAPs do feel a bit pay-to-win, and the roster of characters isn’t as expansive as MOBA fans might want. But when it works, boy does it work.

Getting to the end of stages intact after slowly and strategically working your way through the many traps is tense and terrific. Most of the time at least. Sadly this isn’t enough for us to recommend Spelunker HD Deluxe wholeheartedly. It’s just a little too old fashioned to be consistently enjoyable, despite its co-operative options and heaps of content.

This is a game that deals in purity – even when it’s holding your hand, its grip is loose and careless. You’re on your own, just you and the track. It might not be the best looking game, or the most exciting, but if you’re looking for a racing experience that does its best to capture what pushing a car to its absolute limit is really like, Assetto Corsa Mobile is your best option.

There’s several pieces of amusing dialogue, some unique level settings, and even some rudimentary first person sections. The latter are very shonky, but we appreciated the effort to mix up the gameplay. Still, this isn’t quite enough for us to fully recommend Super Squidlit. It definitely has a certain charm, but it’s certainly not a title that will appeal to everyone.

Hoa looks to offer up a relaxing experience first and foremost though, and because of its amazing aesthetics it largely succeeds in this aim – but it’s still hard to overlook its lack of ambition in the gameplay department.

Ultimately this is as perfect a port of Quake as anyone could have ever hoped for. The single player campaign is not extraordinary but is always fun, and the multiplayer is still rock solid all these years later. With the low price point this is quite simply an essential download.

Ultimately there’s no escaping the fact that Haven Park simply isn’t as fun or polished as its obvious inspirations. Despite this it never feels like a cash grab or a soulless clone, and is still well worth investigating if you’re after a new relaxed indie experience.

Yet it’s smartly priced, clearly a real labour of love by all involved, and always keeps surprising you. Just not always in a good way, admittedly.

In any case there’s ultimately just enough here for us to recommend Papa’s Quiz as a budget priced trivia-focused multiplayer experience. Just don’t expect to be playing it all night.

My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge is a wonderfully ridiculous shooter that manages to turn bullet-time slaughter into a simple but effective artform. There’s so much fun to be had here that you’d really be pretty foolish if you didn’t pick it up and give it a go.

Ultimately Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a good game that’s sadly been poorly treated with this port. There’s not enough that’s been added in here to make it worthwhile for those who have fond memories of playing it back in 1993, and the rough edges will likely put off most newcomers.

Contra Returns builds something reasonably strong on its nostalgic foundations, and while it isn’t a patch on the original, who really expected it to be? This is a fist-clenched blaster that’s packed with enough entertainment to keep you pushing through.

As it stands Cube Blast Match is not a broken game then, but far from a revolutionary one. If you have to play it we’d recommend looking into the mobile iteration first.

Despite the lack of originality it’s hard not to give MouseBot: Escape From CatLab a passing recommendation though – as what it aims to do, it does well. The low price point helps immeasurably too, and you definitely won’t feel short changed if you’re looking for a solidly assembled endless runner on your Switch. Just don’t expect to remember it for very long after you’ve completed it.

Builder’s Journey is an impressively put together experience for the most part, but is probably only worth investing in at full price for true Lego die-hards.

Crash Drive 3 is a rich, chaotic experience that urges you to push things a bit further. Try that backflip, go and climb that hill, explore and play and have a lovely time while you’re doing it. It’s got a few niggles, for sure, but they’re not enough to put you off coming back for more.

Although it’s not revolutionary in its gameplay or narrative elements it combines the two to far better effect than it has any right to – and is ultimately a well priced passion project that’s well worth investigating.

We can’t help but feel this is a price-tag that is directly punishing dedicated Western fans of the game, and acts as a huge barrier to newcomers. We can therefore only really recommend Earth Defense Force: World Brothers if it gets a healthy price cut – because as it stands it’s a well presented but illogically overpriced slab of mindless entertainment.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure ultimately feels like a great fit for the Switch, and runs perfectly in handheld and docked modes. If you’ve not experienced it via Apple Arcade then make sure you don’t miss it this time round.

Very Very Valet is perhaps a touch overpriced for something you’ll only really enjoy with friends, but if you do happen to hold regular games nights then this is a title you’ll want to seriously consider adding to your roster.

Rising Hell has moderately simple ambitions and fulfills them with aplomb. Sensibly priced and well presented, it’s an easy recommendation if you’re after an action platformer with a more satanic edge.

Never Yield is an impressive technical achievement from solo developer Neil Jones in many ways – and the soundtrack is undoubtedly superb – but as a game it simply doesn’t come together.

This is an entertaining, if not exactly engaging diversion that’ll leave you with a smile on your face if you play it for a few minutes. It’s unlikely you’re going to spend much more time with it than that on a regular basis, though.

Bush Rescue is a hard game to fully recommend, especially at its high price-tag. Those looking for a sweet hit of nostalgia won’t be disappointed – this is an excellent port and runs smoothly in handheld and docked modes – but anyone expecting a hidden gem will only find a title with a rough edge too many.

The low price helps soften this a tad, but there’s still the fact there are three Mom Hid My Game titles available on mobile already – and all free to download. Still, Mom Hid My Game! 2 offers just enough to be worth a go on console. It’s nothing revolutionary, and some may find it a little too bizarre – but for its low price tag it offers an experience that’s like nothing else on the Switch.

Ultimately though, Fumble In The Dark is a triumph. It takes the solid foundations from The Darkside Detective and gently improves upon them, while still offering up a hugely charming adventure.

Everything about Godzilla Destruction is a cumbersome mess. From the menus to the actual gameplay. What should be an exercise in the pleasure of destroying digital things becomes a prime example of how to suck the entertainment out of one of the simplest joys that gaming has to offer.

As you can imagine, Castaway Paradise never comes close to threatening Animal Crossing’s crown, but it does a passable impression as long as you’re not expecting too much. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than the real thing, making it a tempting prospect as long as you remember that you get what you pay for.

Although it’s an amusing tale it’s not sharp or slick enough to work in that very one-dimensional way. The slightly high price-tag also prohibits us from recommending this as just a 2 hour throwaway experience. Why the main concept couldn’t be explored with some actual gameplay we don’t know, and you’re left with a title that simply never gets close to fulfilling its potential.

Darkfire Heroes is a brash and engaging experience that’s going to hook you in from the first battle to the umpteenth, and you’re going to play it with a wrapt grin on your face. Check it out, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Our only real criticism is that this could have positioned itself as the complete Fowlst package for console, offering the original Fowlst and Super Fowlst as unlockables. For the low price-tag Super Fowlst 2 is hard to resist though, and anyone after a well presented and charming high-score focused experience should look no further.

Those willing to forgive Rain On Your Parade’s rough edges will find a lot to enjoy though, especially at its well judged price-point.

All in all it makes for an experience that you’re going to quickly lose yourself in. It thrums with the sort of excitement that few other match-stuff puzzlers can match, there’s always a game waiting for you, and the compulsion to build your team is pretty darn pressing.

Is it as good as the TV show? Well, that all depends on why you enjoy the TV show. If you were hoping it’d capture the existential torment and the pointlessness of cycles of violence, then you’re going to be disappointed. But the punching and kicking? Yeah, it pretty much nails that.

Narita Boy has style and substance in equal measure, and is a massively impressive first game from Studio Koba.

Nano Legends does everything it sets out to do, and it does it really well. This is a polished, engaging experience. But it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table. If you’re an avid fan of the genre then you’re going to love it, but it’s hard to see how it’ll spark anything but mild interest in anyone else.

Ultimately The Game of Life 2 isn’t a bad game – and should appeal to families looking for the occasional brief piece of entertainment – but doesn’t offer a slick enough package to justify its price-tag.

Kaze and the Wild Masks is a bit of a hard sell. On one hand it does everything it wants to exceptionally, but what it wants to do has already been done. And, arguably, much better.

The nostalgic trappings of the experience are a ploy, and one that works pretty darn well. The game bears the hallmarks of nostalgia, of a glimpse into a rose-tinted past, but unabashedly uses them to drag the player into a more mundane and general present.

BodyQuest is aware of its limitations, and is probably worth a punt if you happen to have a child who needs to learn more about the human body.

The price is fair considering these games in physical form will set you back a pretty penny nowadays, meaning this is a collection that’s worth investigating for those who are curious about a cult classic handheld – or are just looking for a blast of sweet nostalgia.

Ultimately Freakpocalypse won’t disappoint fans of the comic strip – who likely backed the game when it was funded via Kickstarter – but it won’t blow them away either. It’ll likely leave everyone else a bit cold.

Can’t Drive This lacks a little finesse at times, and is perhaps a touch overpriced. But the way it manages to build a fully featured game around what could be a throwaway idea is undeniably impressive. Just don’t bother if you’re going to play it alone.

If you’re after a soothing experience Under Leaves is worth investigating when it gets significantly discounted, but at its current price will likely leave you feeling short-changed.

The game definitely doesn’t cheap out when it comes to its aesthetic. From the in-between-shows videos, the graphics and the collectibles, it’s obvious that this isn’t a hollow cash-in – it’s been made with real reverence. Sure, if you hate Queen this isn’t going to change your mind, and it lacks the communal nature of the very best rhythm games. But as a brilliant, well put-together traditional solo rhythm experience, it’s hard to beat.

So it’s safe to say there are some very rough edges present – some of the character models are quite frankly terrifying, and there’s a glut of typos – but Mail Mole still ends up being quite the charmer. It’s breezy no nonsense comfort food platforming. It’s certainly an impressive first title from Talpa Games, and we’re looking forward to what it makes next.

PAKO Caravan isn’t high art, but it doesn’t try to be. It offers up a simple concept, does all it can with it – and looks great while doing it. You can’t ask for much more.

Inked is at its worst when things get fiddly, when you’re left poking at the screen to move things about without the benefit of a movable camera. Trial and error is never a good look for a puzzle game and a couple of times you’re going to find yourself sinking to that level in Inked. Get past those parts though and you’ll discover a warm, wonderfully well put together puzzle game that delivers hours of entertainment. It’s not perfect, but there’s enough goodness here that you’re going to forget the bad parts pretty quickly.

The overly repetitive tracks and gameplay definitely works fine on mobile, but for a console experience – and one with a moderately high price-tag – this isn’t a motor that you’ll be taking out for a drive that often.

Speed Limit is somehow more than the sum of its parts, and has an undeniably endearing and addictive quality that makes it – for most of the time – pretty irresistible.

Ultimately we’re not sure Romantic Distancing is even worth buying at its budget price point, unless you’re desperately after an hour of undemanding and disappointingly lightweight entertainment.

Those who don’t like gacha RPGs will have exactly the same reaction to this one. It doesn’t do anything all that different to its competitors and its greed is on display for all to see.

Ultimately, the amount of time you spend with it depends on how much you love Auto Chess. Chess Rush doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does provide a solid alternative that features the faster-paced Turbo Mode, co-op, and a much higher level of visual polish. It’s easily one of the best Auto Chess-likes just yet.

War Tortoise 2 is a lovely diversion – spend too much time with it and the cracks start to show, but if you’re dipping in and out you’re going to be doing it with a smile on your face.

It takes care of all of the grunt work for you, it’s a nice looking game, and the IAPs aren’t as greedy as we expected. Yes, it is yet another gacha RPG so if you really don’t like the genre this will do very little to change your mind but for fans of the genre this is absolutely essential stuff.

Conarium isn’t a bad effort at adapting one of Lovecraft’s stories, but simply isn’t dark enough to match up to its inspirations – it too often ends up feeling like The Room, but with inferior puzzles.

Modern gamers ultimately won’t get much from these games due to the difficulty, and hardcore Turrican fans will be disappointed with what is a solid but notably incomplete collection.

Glyph will no doubt end up leaving many cold – despite the game’s setting. Those who do warm to its charms will find it to be a diamond in the rough though.

There’s a massive game here waiting to be discovered, and if it gets its claws into you you’re going to want to discover all of it. We can’t give a game much higher praise than that.

We don’t wish to spoil the plot too much, but suffice to say Werewolf feels like it could have done with a little more time polishing how it wraps things up. Despite this Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest does far more right than wrong, and a disappointing ending doesn’t ruin the good work of the rest of the game. Those looking for a new visual novel should definitely give this pleasantly dark entry in the genre a try.

Ultimately Dadish 2 still offers up enough tight platforming thrills to make it well worth a look for 2D platformer enthusiasts, regardless of the system you play it on. The endearing presentation is just the cherry (radish?) on the cake.

The presentation is superb, with hand-drawn artwork and a relaxing ambient soundtrack. This all adds to the feeling that Wingspan is well aware it is targeting a very small niche. Even with that in mind we’re still not sure Wingspan needed a digital gaming iteration, and if you can get your hands on the physical version we’d recommend that as a first resort – even if it is triple the price. If not then this a more than serviceable alternative.

Super Sports Blast generally feels a bit anemic despite the inclusion of three sports, and the lack of polish isn’t quite balanced out by its budget pricepoint. It’s a workmanlike collection, and although it never feels broken its lack of any real spark or magic wears you down before long.

This is a throaty squawk of a mobile game, its swagger holding together its disparate ideas and letting them blend into something with the sharpness and fun you need to keep you glued to your phone for hours.

It’s perfectly serviceable – but ultimately there are shooters out there that are a far better fit for the Switch, and just much better games in general.

Doodle Jump 2 captures delight and squishes it down, with finesse and care, into a small parcel that fits so well in the palm of your hand that when you put it down, for a few seconds at least, you’ll feel bereft. It is the very, very best at what it does, and what it does is bounce and make you smile.

Traffix isn’t a hugely expansive experience – there’s no two player mode for example, and it’s perhaps a little too slight for some – but it’s a undeniably satisfying action puzzler that’s perfect for short bursts of play.

Ultimately Space Invaders Forever puts together three very different takes on the arcade classic, but it’s a shame nothing new was created for this collection. Because of this lack of new content the pricetag feels a little high, although if you’re a shooter fan who hasn’t played all three of these games before this is undoubtedly worth picking up.

Mobile Legends: Adventure isn’t particularly innovative, but it’s among the best examples of an idle AFK RPG you can find if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s pretty, fair, and packed with content, which is all anyone can really ask.

Despite the game’s undoubted quality, at this stage we’d recommend this only to those who just have a Switch available to play this on – or simply must play it on the go. If you fall into one of those camps this is still a more than serviceable way to play one of the very best titles of 2020.

Primrose Late: Twists of Fate is another dose of challenging, addictive time-management gameplay embroidered with a surprisingly rich story about the weird stuff that goes on in the country.

There’s a solid core idea here and it’s enough to keep you distracted for a while. But Sleepy Squares doesn’t have a sharp enough hook to really get under your skin.

This videogame spin off isn’t quite as intricate as its inspiration, but still offers a far more interesting experience than anyone should rightly expect. And, most importantly of all, it’s fun.

Clods Wallup is a bright and breezy game that’s going to leave you with a smile on your face. It’s well-written, well-designed and there’s enough fun here to keep you playing for a good few hours.

Sam & Max Save the World is a well put together re-release that gives the original game a much needed HD makeover – but is perhaps only worth a look for fans of the genre.

WWE Undefeated is a brilliant mix of genres, dripping with the pantomime glitz of professional wrestling, and packed to the rafters with tiny tactical decisions. It is, in short, really rather good. And you should definitely give it a go.

Phogs! is an experience like no other, and one we’d recommend everyone to try – especially if you can rope in a friend.

Super Arcade Racing ultimately doesn’t do quite enough to stand out amongst the many old school racers available on the Switch then, but it certainly manages to compete with the majority. And that’s enough for us to recommend it if you’re looking for a new title to try out in the genre, and one that certainly won’t break the bank.

If you do have a group of friends to play with though this is a title that will stay solidly in rotation for games nights for months to come. It’s just the right blend of depth, fun, and unpredictability.

This is the sort of soft multiplayer experience that a lot of people clamor for on mobile. And it does everything that it sets out to do perfectly well. If you’re looking for a good game to while away a few minutes of question answering here and there, then you could do a lot worse than checking out Trivia Crack Adventure.

The Serious Sam Collection is a very well put together compilation of games that boast more depth than many give them credit for – and is definitely a must play if you’ve never experienced these no holds barred shooters before.

There’s an endearing cheesy soap-opera charm to Five Dates that means you can’t take your eyes away from it. This certainly doesn’t mean it’s a game we recommend to everyone – but if you’re looking for a reasonably well presented dating sim you could do a lot worse, especially for its budget price.

Is it fun? Yeah, for sure, and even though there’s a lot going on it’s never overwhelming. It’s not the most innovative game on the App Store, but it’s a great way to waste a few minutes here and there. This is a great distraction that’s going to keep you occupied for just as long as you let it.

LUNA is far from a failure of course, and is certainly worth checking out for fans of slower paced puzzlers – its beautiful presentation should help attract a good helping of casual problem solvers too, even if the experience might leave them feeling a little empty in the end.

Even fans of Slav – and there are a lot out there – should give this game a wide berth. Just watch his videos on a loop. Or, you know, watch something else entirely. Just don’t play this.

Fruit Ninja 2 doesn’t reinvent the apple-slicing wheel, but what did you expect? It does everything you want it to do and a little bit more. This is pretty much the perfect mobile arcade experience.