To be sure, nothing here is necessarily bad. Every aspect of the game is competently-made, if wholly uninspired. Antiquia Lost is totally functional, and you can get from beginning to end without the game ever breaking on you. But that leads to the bigger question of why you’d want to go from beginning to end. I get that some people just live to play retro RPGs, but I’d hope that even these people have better taste than to play something as forgettable as Antiquia Lost.

Super Hydorah isn’t really for me, since dying over and over again has never been my cup of tea. But it is for some people. So if you’re one of those people, and you’re into shmups, good news: here’s your new favourite game.

I again absolutely urge you to check out Monster Hunter: World if you have any passing interest in the series, or have been wondering what all the talk is about. It can be a difficult experience at first, but I definitely do not think it’s impenetrable to newcomers.

Overall Romancing SaGa 2 was a good game for its time, though the lack of an instruction manual for this version really hurts the enjoyment of it. After all the pros and cons are factored in, it really boils down to a very mediocre RPG.

Don’t get me wrong: as someone who was gaming in 1999, I totally see how this would have seemed groundbreaking at the time. However, just because it was good then doesn’t mean it’s still good today. Outcast: Second Contact feels like a product of its time, and like many other products of their times, it’s hard not to look at this game and think it probably should have stayed in the past.

Pretty much all of what worked for de Blob originally on the Wii still works, just to an even greater degree today. The vibrant graphics, the fun gameplay, the sense of humour — they all combined to make the game an underrated gem in the previous generation, and they’re all in full effect on current-gen systems, too.

One More Dungeon isn’t exactly a complex game. It’s a tough game, to be sure, and it doesn’t give you anything in the way of handholding before it sets you loose in the dungeon and expects you to figure things out on your own. But outside of the learning curve — which can be measured in minutes — there’s not much here that should surprise you if you’ve ever played some of those original FPSes. One More Dungeon offers some decent enough nostalgia for people pining for the early days of Doom, but otherwise, you shouldn’t go into this game expecting too much.

While there are lots of cases of newcomers need not apply when it comes to JRPG franchises, I’m hard-pressed to think of any where it works quite as well as it does here. Summon Night 6 is geared towards fans of the first five games, and seeing as the first four of those never made it across the Pacific, that should tell you everything you need to know.

Tokyo Tattoo Girls stretches the definition of what a “game” is, and not in a good way. The amount of content here would barely be acceptable for a free, browser-based Flash game; for a full-priced Vita release, it’s legitimately shameful.

It probably says as much about its competitors and peers as it does about Cursed Castilla itself that things like fairness and non-sucky controls are considered points in its favour. But given the state of retro-inspired gaming, that’s where we are. Cursed Castilla shows that it’s possible to recreate the vibe of 8- and 16-bit games without making those games feel like a chore to play, and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.

Sure, I could only bring myself to play School Girl/Zombie Hunter in small doses, and as I was playing all I could think about was how stupid the game was. But if you want mindless action that you won’t have to think about very deeply — and that you probably shouldn’t think about too deeply, for your own mental well-being — then this game will deliver that in spades.

Megaton Rainfall is the kind of superhero game I’ve always wanted to play, and even if it’s not perfect, it’s still an interesting step in the right direction for the genre as a whole.

As I said up top, there are certainly reasons to be wary of Hidden Agenda. It’s hard not to search a crime scene for clues with your unresponsive PlayLink app and come away wishing that you were just using a plain controller. But that’s more than outweighed by the fact that the game also does a better job of capturing what makes mystery novels so compelling than nearly anything else I’ve ever played. Hidden Agenda may not be perfect, but it knows how to keep you hooked right to the very end.

There are one or two areas where Dark Rose Valkyrie kinda-sorta stands out: it makes fast-forwarding through the battles, the explainer screens, and the dialogue a breeze, which is nice, because the game features far too much of all three. Unfortunately, the game is also lacking in enough areas that its positives are negated entirely. The camera is terrible; you may not have to use it that often, but when you do, you’ll probably curse its existence. Likewise, the main character has a weird habit of grunting when he runs. This may not sound like much, but when you hear grunts for a few minutes as you try to figure out where to go next, it gets more and more grating.

Planet of the Eyes isn’t going to be the next game that you sink dozens and dozens of hours into. But, if you’re looking for a game with an easily-understood plot and some fantastic writing…well, your search should stop here for an hour or two.

Despite initial trepidation of the public regarding a new Puzzle Fighter, Capcom put out a version that slightly strays from the original but is still very fun. With adequate support this title definitely has long legs.

Really, the only reason to check out Squareboy vs Bullies: Arena Edition is if you’re absolutely desperate for some kind of beat-’em-up game on the go. Even then, and even at a minimal price point, it’s hard to imagine why you’d feel the need to bother with it.

This is a great version of Raiden V, and since we now have the Director’s Cut that means you can buy it once and never worry about a newer version! Well, probably. Along with a 1080p facelift and revisions like a narrated story, there’s enough here to call this a sweet definitive edition of a fun SHMUP.

If you’re like me and just enjoy having games on the Switch over a different platform, then this is the best version of Resident Evil Revelations part 1 and 2 to have. Revelations 1 is broken up into chapters like a good portable game, and Revelations 2 is similar with its episodic structure that games from 2015 loved to release. Both are a great fit for this device. What I’m really looking forward to is more support from Capcom on the Switch, and hopefully this is a sign of future ports and original games to come.

You probably don’t need me to tell you how Okami HD turned out, but it’s exactly what you would expect. It’s a beautiful rendition of a classic game, now available on the current gaming platforms. Well, except for mysteriously missing on the Switch. I find this an odd exception since the game was ported to the Wii and even got a DS sequel called Okamiden, so the series has been on Nintendo platforms before. Okami HD would truly be at home on the Switch right next to the other consoles, but at least we have access to this game in HD and it’s definitely worth picking up. And that’s my only critique of this port, being that it was omitted from the Switch lineup. I guess Capcom hates money!

That word, pleasant, may just be the best way to describe all of Undertale. I know that’s nowhere near as strong a term as many of its devotees have used, but it feels entirely appropriate to me. The characters, the charmingly retro graphics, the interactions: they’re generally quite pleasant. I wouldn’t say they make this a must-play game, but I would say that it means that if you play Undertale, you’ll likely have a grin on your face the whole time.

I can completely understand if the weirdness (or even grossness, depending on how strongly you feel about a bunny girl looking for her master) of Rabi-Ribi turns you off the game entirely. But at the same time, there’s something to be said for not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Like, say, Monster Monpiece before it, Rabi-Ribi may have some pretty questionable aspects, but it also has some pretty enjoyable ones, too. I leave it up to you to decide which of those things wins out.

I wouldn’t want to suggest that anyone other than adventure game fans will want to check it out: it’s relatively easy and short, but it’s still of the walk here, pick up X, combine X with Y school of gameplay. Still, if you’re a fan of the genre and want to see how long Double Fine have been cranking out the classics, this game is well worth checking out.

I definitely think Culdcept Revolt is a neat game, and worth checking out on 3DS. There definitely aren’t a lot of games out there that emulate the experience of a deck-building CCG, and certainly none that employ the other board game elements that the Culdcept series does. If you’ve ever been curious about the series, I would certainly suggest starting here.

What’s frustrating about it is that it’s not hard to imagine Factotum 90 being a fun game. Make the robots move a little more quickly, make the camera less sticky, and suddenly nearly all the issues are fixed. In the absence of those fixes, however, you’re just left with a puzzle game that’s got some great ideas, but that falls just short of executing them.

Obviously, Son of Scoregasm isn’t the kind of game you should pick up if you’re looking for something new. But if you want a challenge — and a pretty nice-looking one at that — it’s well worth checking out.

Like I said, that’s not enough to make Tokyo Xanadu eX+ worth checking out if you’ve already played it on the Vita. But it does mean that if you never played the Vita version, and you’re looking for a big game with smooth combat and a decent enough plot, then it should fit the bill.

Nights of Azure 2 isn’t all bad. It’s got a distinctive look and feel, which isn’t something that can be said 20+ games into Atelier. Setting aside the ridiculous clothing choices of many of the characters, there’s no denying that this game features some dazzling environments. I wouldn’t say that’s enough to offset the dialogue, bad camera controls, and leering fanservice, though. Nights of Azure 2 may represent a departure from the developer’s norm, but it’s also proof that simply being different isn’t inherently a good thing.