Mario Tennis Aces isn’t a terrible game, but is a forgettable one. Online doesn’t work consistently, Adventure mode is pretty boring and uninspired, and there is a smattering of content. The game just lacks the heart that Nintendo titles have, and this leaves us with a bland and forgettable game that doesn’t do anything interesting. It’s not bad if you are just looking to get some friends or family together to play a few matches, but don’t expect the appeal to last much further than that.

GARAGE: Bad Trip is a top-down twin-stick shooter that wants nothing more than to impress and excite. The sleek visuals and sublime sound design lure you in, then the fast-paced, challenging combat keeps you hooked on clearing level after level. However, missed opportunities and wasted potential take their toll on the game, limiting gameplay variety and giving rise to the game’s tamer moments.

Although built as an educational tool, HoloLAB Champions also succeeds as a completely new way to experience practical science. It engages the mind as well as dexterity courtesy of challenging measurements, mixing puzzles, and mathematical elements, which should be fun for the science nerd in kids and adults.

The Lion’s Song is a beautiful narrative-focused game if you get passed the sluggish cursor and the slow character movement. Each episode contains its own beautiful story which are woven together to form a satisfying conclusion. Any fans of the art scene in the early 20th century or anyone hungry for a good narrative should definitely board the train on this one.

Racing through remixed and all new zones at blistering speeds is reminiscent of old Sonic while also surpassing it in almost every way. The new characters they bring to Sonic Mania Plus are excellent additions to the stable of playable critters, so it’s somehow an even better package than Sonic Mania was last year.

NieR: Automata is a masterclass action game with deep RPG mechanics, and a beautiful open world. While it’s held back by a weak narrative and a clunky game format that mandates replaying hours of content, it offers a wide variety of enjoyable experiences that make it well worth the asking price.

The Crew 2 is an ambitious undertaking that puts over-the-top arcade racing front and center. Though it makes large strides in the right direction over its predecessor, it suffers from odd game design choices, a lack of PvP, and a lackluster presentation that puts it squarely in the rearview mirror of its competition.

Shining Resonance Refrain is an entertaining adventure through a somewhat cliche story, but it contains its own unique aspects that keep you engaged. Combat is easy to learn, but there's a decent amount of depth to it. Dragonshift and B.A.N.D. sessions are wonderful combat mechanics that add more charm to the game. The relationship building and dating also adds a cute slice of life portion to the adventure.

Yuso offers a charming puzzle game experience that can be enjoyed at home or on the go. There's a nice challenge to the levels without being irritating. The atmosphere of the world and levels create a peaceful space for players to enjoy for awhile. It isn't long, but it's definitely worth your time.

Mushroom Wars 2 is a challenging yet fun real-time strategy game that focuses on battles between mushroom people. The gameplay takes a minute to get used to, but once you get acclimated, you'll be killing it. Hero skills are a cool addition that can turn the tide of battle if used correctly. There are a ton of missions that will give you hours of playtime.

Between fumbling through the menus, mashing your way to a choppy and exceedingly easy victory, and clicking through meandering dialogue scenes that hold no weight, you’ll find yourself too bored to actually collect all the parts you want to make your perfect Gundam. If you’re itching to fight big robots, play Gundam Versus instead. Or, go punch that actual Gundam in Japan (don’t do that).

Lost in Harmony is a very ambitious title that mixes a surprisingly infectious soundtrack with frantic and fun rhythm-platformer gameplay. It’s one musical romp that’s great for rhythm game players of all sorts, and I can’t wait to see what DigixArt does next!

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a hard game to recommend. The remade presentation as a whole is terrific, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped is a totally enjoyable retro platformer. But, the problem remains that the first two games simply aren’t very good. They are hindered by control and level design issues which are simply unacceptable in a straightforward platformer. Even when they’re firing on all cylinders, the first two titles struggle to rise above mediocre.

A clever addition to Mario + Rabbids that plays to the original’s strengths without takings many risks. While Donkey Kong Adventure likely won’t win the game any new fans, it’s a treat for anyone who were left wanting more. The expansion trims some of the fat from the original, delivering a quick, focused game that quits while it’s ahead.

The game fully understands what makes it fun, and it does everything it can to empower the player to see that with as few restrictions as possible. This is what helps Red Faction: Guerrilla justify its remastering. It might not look as pretty as even its contemporaries, let alone games coming out today, but the sheer fun that comes with obliterating a building or tearing it apart piece by piece has not waned a bit.

Spiritsphere DX remixes a well-worn genre, adding tons of variety on top of a simplistic core mechanic. It offers plenty of unlockables and play modes, but they don’t add much to its replayability. Spiritsphere DX shines in short multiplayer sessions, but likely won’t hold solo players’ attention for long.

LEGO The Incredibles is geared to fans of LEGO games and unlocking iconic characters from the Incredibles universe. Kids will love this game and will have hours of fun. As for advanced or adult gamers, this game has its highs and lows and is exactly what it was meant to be…A game for kids.

The Sims 4 Seasons is quite frankly the best expansion to come out yet. There are tons of new items, but what sets it apart are the ways it changes the game. It adds so many new activities and things to do and wonderful holidays, it honestly made me feel like this is the first must have expansion for The Sims 4.

Figment’s mechanics are woefully underdeveloped, but the rest of the game is so cohesive and often brilliant that it’s difficult to dismiss out of hand. The ambient soundtrack, and especially the boss songs go a long way and are worth playing through the slight, five hour game to hear if that interests you at all. If not, the gameplay can be downright boring at times.

Rainbow Skies is an indie old school SRPG hiding a wealth of content behind its charming exterior. Improving upon the Rainbow Moon formula, the game doesn’t skimp out on quality or quantity, featuring extensive party management, in-depth combat, a vast world to explore, and a myriad of foes to conquer. Unfortunately, the hundreds of hours of gameplay are not free from tedium and suffer from a lack of variety.

Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is a surprising action-puzzle game that is deep and enthralling, with a loveable cast of characters. This is the type of puzzle game that will have players hungry for more.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a short and sweet jaunt through a young boy’s imagination. With simple gameplay but a wide array of puzzles and pieces to discover, you can easily get lost in this game.

Paranautical Activity mixes rogue-lite level design, fps gameplay, and a blocky aesthetic to create an interesting experience. The combat can be fun, but encountering certain enemies can quickly turn that around. The weapon choices are cool to experiment with, but the slower characters may turn you away.

Office Quest is a fun, light-hearted little romp rich in style. Great aesthetic, entertaining animations, and challenging puzzles make this title stand out, even if some puzzles are more vexing than others, and I didn't feel that the platforming mini-games fit into the overall game. It's a great little game, regardless of if you play it on PC or your mobile device of choice.

Hexologic is a charming number puzzle game that gets some influence from games like Sudoku. It's not very long or challenging, but it offers a casually relaxing sort of difficulty. The sights and sounds are clearly meant to invoke tranquility, which adds to the peaceful atmosphere and gameplay.

Musynx is a solid addition to music games on the Switch, with some infectious songs and slick presentation. While limited in other aspects and not too beginner-friendly, this is a game that veterans and those wishing to improve their music game library should try.

Pode is breathtakingly beautiful, and a must have for any lover of puzzle games. The characters are simple but expressive, each with their own mechanics, physics, and skills, wandering a barren mountain which comes to life before your eyes. A co-op title at its core, Pode can be played in single-player with the same level of fun, and overflowing with puzzles that are fair and approachable while still offering plenty of challenge.

Overall, Octo Expansion is an absolute steal. At $20, you’re getting a very creative and engaging campaign that expands the world of Splatoon 2 with diverse gameplay, although a small portion of these levels feels like monotonous filler. Luckily, the ability to skip them mitigates this issue, but does little to assuage the fact that the majority of the bosses are rehashes.