Fans of Contra will be very happy with what’s on offer and newcomers have a great collection of games to check out at a reasonable price. Not to mention a very enjoyable digital book about the series history which If you’ve ever wanted to know what all us old gamers have been raving about with these series then it’s a great way to find out!

This is a short game under 10 hours with replay value for speedrunners but for those expecting a lot after their first play then you’re going to find the only reasons to return being another playthrough. There are also not as many puzzles as a Zelda game and with the heart of this game being the strategic combat that might not be a huge draw to some. But with that said it is also a Zelda game at heart and a great time for fans of the series looking for something different or another couch co-op game to play. Newcomers will also not feel left out so if you can’t wait for a sale then check it out.

Neon Junctions is a bargain basement version of some much, much better games — but as long as you don’t expect more than that, it’s a decent enough diversion.

Outer Wilds is well worth checking out. It’s got an intriguing hook and even better execution, and it’s one of the more inventive games you’re likely to play this year.

I’ve found Dragon Quest Builders 2 to be an absolute blast, and I’ve had a hard time putting it down just to write this review. I’d absolutely suggest checking it out when it releases, regardless of whether you’ve played any type of Dragon Quest game prior to this. The heavy emphasis on exploration and building mixed with breezy action is a real joy, making Dragon Quest Builders 2 one of my favorite games so far this year.

Complaints aside, Clue delivers exactly what it promises: the classic board game, ported to your Switch. It’s not going to make you re-examine your feelings towards Clue or anything, but if you just want to play the game on the go (and you don’t want to bother with all the little game pieces), it’ll do the trick.

If you’re someone who plays RPGs for the challenge, Bonds of the Skies will leave you feeling a little unsatisfied. And, for that matter, if you play them for a unique experience, you won’t get that here either, since it’s the same as at least a half-dozen other Kemco RPGs in the PlayStation Store. But if you just want some quick and easy (very, very easy) RPG action on the go, Bonds of the Skies will deliver that in spades.

Even if you have fond memories of the original ActRaiser, I’m not sure that I could wholeheartedly suggest checking out SolSeraph. It absolutely is a successor to the SNES original, but I found myself increasingly disappointed and frustrated with the gameplay loop, and could only think of how much better the game would be if it had focused on one central mechanic instead of splitting attention between the two.

To be sure, as a whole, Super Neptunia RPG is far from perfect. Even as it recognizes all the ways to lampoon games, it still indulges in its own worst impulses a little too often to be considered anything more than a niche. But if you’re a fan of that niche — and, to be honest, I kind of am, at this point — it delivers an experience you’re not likely to find anywhere else.

Even with its glaring flaws, no one could accuse Zanki Zero of lacking ideas. All the characters are constantly reborn clones, and their past (very brief) lives significantly impact what they do in their next lives. Plus, even though the storyline does nothing for me, it’s rare to see a game tackling themes like this head on, so I’m sure that should count for something.

I’d still wholeheartedly suggest picking up Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, especially if you’re a big fan of Koji Igarashi’s previous work. It’s a fantastic callback to those style of games, and goes to show that despite “Metroidvania” being a fairly popular genre, it’s hard to beat a game designed by the folks responsible for making that genre a thing to begin with.

The story isn’t terrible, to be fair, but as I said, it’s built around a girl escorting her mostly useless little brother through peril after peril. Even after he gains a few more abilities later in the game, it still doesn’t make for the most compelling gameplay. On a similar note, you’ll really need to enjoy skulking in the shadows and running for your life if you want to get the most out of the game — which, to be completely honest, I just don’t.

I don’t have nostalgia for the era, which means that Back in 1995 just feels oddly antiquated. It’s entirely possible that some enterprising developer can still revive PS1-era gaming for the better, but this game is very clearly not that.

Disappointment with the Dojo mode aside, Samurai Shodown is an extremely competent title. It is not a difficult title to pick up. Matches manages to capture the tension of a life or death duel, where one errant move can mean being cut down. Visually it is probably the most vibrant the series has seen, with some stages which are breathtaking. This release is welcoming to newcomers as well as veterans to the series. Hopefully this title will lead to a renaissance for this series and there will be many more ways to embrace death.

To be sure, Super Tennis Blast isn’t flawless. Because it’s so no-frills, the matches and venues and opponents can start to seem the same after awhile. It’s hard to have personality when everything is so basic, after all. But that doesn’t take away from the fact this is a very solid, well-made tennis game. Super Tennis Blast isn’t going to wow you, but compared to its competition, it doesn’t need too — simply being competent is more than enough to make it stand out.

Where all the other Warriors games and their variants make you run from point A to point B, here you’re literally flying through the air. That may be disappointing to anyone who likes running through long, boring pathways, but for everyone else, it means you get to go from battle to battle without the dull bits in between that usually stop momentum dead. And my goodness, does Fate/EXTELLA LINK every have momentum. It has that to spare, even if it may not know what to do with it, nor does it ever stop and explain where it’s going. As I said, however, your only options are to go with it, or to get off the ride — and if you like nonstop, nonsensical action, you couldn’t do any better than go with Fate/EXTELLA LINK and enjoy every insane moment.

Devious Dungeon 2 isn’t a bad game. It suffers from a lack of originality, like its predecessor, but if you want a competently-made roguelike platformer, it does the trick.

Please Don’t Touch Anything is a challenge. But it’s a challenge worth taking, and it’s proof that just because a game’s scope seems limited, appearances can be very deceiving.

Refunct won’t challenge you in any way, and it’ll be over before you know it. But — as someone who still has fond memories of playing the game when it first came out on Xbox a few years ago — I can tell you from firsthand experience that its pleasantness will stick with you long after you’ve finished its very short run time.

It’s unfortunate that such a nice package is wasted on such a forgettable game, but that’s the kind of situation that awaits anyone who chooses to play Smoots World Cup Tennis.

I’d say Judgment is worth checking out, and certainly marks the best jumping on point for the world of Yakuza since Yakuza 0, even if it isn’t technically a Yakuza game. A whole new cast, new story threads, new mechanics, and more, mean that everyone can give this a shot without being bogged down by 6 or more games worth of 40+ hours of storytelling. So if you’ve ever been on the fence with the series, I’d say give Judgment a shot, and if you like it, go back and check out the Kiwami remakes or Yakuza 0 for a very similar experience.

Because it’s a) from Devolver and b) insanely violent, I can imagine that My Friend Pedro will get at least a few Hotline Miami comparisons. And while there’s certainly a hint of that game here, make no mistake: My Friend Pedro is its own beast — one that’s gloriously over-the-top, full of well-designed levels and good controls, and, above all else, ridiculously fun.

It’s got a tonne of fun, engaging content stretched out over its three games, and it’ll quickly be apparent why they garnered such a following on their original release. Not every game can feel so enjoyable decades after the fact, so for this one to do just that is probably a sign that it’s worth checking out.

Elli doesn’t do anything so poorly that it could be called objectionable. Given how many terrible games are out there, that’s no small feat. But it’s still hardly enough to make the game worth checking out. Factor in the game’s surprisingly high price ($20+, at the time of this writing), and that makes passing on it an easy call.

Unless you have a love of word games that borders on the obsessive, I suspect that Word Wheel will feel more like a chore than a fun way to pass the time. If you’re in the mood for a solid puzzle game, you’re probably better off investing in one of Lightwood’s other games.

To be clear, Planet RIX-13 isn’t going to blow your mind, and it’s not going to occupy much more than an hour of your time. But for that short time, and within its limited scope, it provides decent entertainment, and that makes it worth checking out at its relatively cheap price.

As far as standing on its own two feet…it doesn’t. Or, I guess, it does if you’ve never played P3D, in which case Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight will seem relatively fresh and original. But unless you’re a diehard Persona completist, I just can’t see why anyone would need to play both. They’re more or less the same game, and even if that game is fine for what it is, you really only need to play one or the other.

It’s because of the existence of games like Flower or Entwined that Bird Game + goes from merely frustrating to outright disappointing. There’s a template for how this sort of thing could have been done correctly — and more often than not, Bird Game + misses the mark entirely.