If you’re looking for something to take up ten minutes of your time and you’re having one of those days where nothing is going your way then hop aboard the Kirby Fighting Deluxe train. If you are looking for a fighting game where you can “smash” the opposition, then other games are available, although I’m not giving you any clues as to what they are.

Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection features two great games, but the visuals leave a little to be desired. The story of Max and Chloe still hits you hard, but overall, it's let down by various texture and animation issues.

The new mode is unnecessary and strips away the very elements of gameplay that make Super Stardust so good in the first place.

Colossal Cave is a love letter to the 1976 original which fans will enjoy, but newcomers will likely be confused, intimidated, and frustrated by its design.

Tour de France 21 isn’t a particularly fun game to play for a neutral, but will appeal to a core fanbase, whilst giving all of us something of an appreciation of what a tough sport this is.

You cannot help but think that a more fitting tribute to the little yellow fella would have been a standalone version of the top-drawer Battle Royale, with the inclusion of online play that they have bafflingly ignored.

From Space is a decent twin stick shooter made even better with friends, but some annoying design choices make it a little tough to recommend.

For fans of the genre MArs 2120 presents a serviceable adventure with some flashy powers, but it still feels very much like an early access game.

Dead Effect 2 falls into the "so bad it's good" category of things with a certain B-movie charm to it. Just don't expect a technically polished shooter.

Perhaps Tank Domination’s biggest victory is its seamless online multiplayer, which is one of the best real-time multiplayer systems I have seen on iOS.

Battle Worlds: Kronos is a game with its heart in the right place, but it’s difficult to enjoy. Attractive presentation and intriguing strategic elements are present, but the hours of campaign gameplay are largely fluffed by an extreme level of difficulty – and that’s thanks to a ridiculous number of enemies in lieu of smart AI.

The biggest issue that the first few hours of the story areincredibly boring and predictable, and it takes too long for anything to happen. Admittedly, it does get better, to a respectable level, but if a game like this takes 5 whole hours to become any good, is it really worth playing?

A compilation that will appeal to die-hard fans mainly. Others might fancy a dabble but will soon be put off be the repetition and lack of challenge before moving on to something else.

With its 40-car grids creating exciting racing, NASCAR Heat Evolution is surprisingly fun, but is unlikely to appeal to anyone but fans of the sport.

A dated version of FIFA, then, but still a fun one, with plenty to build on for next year.

Sonic Colors Ultimate has very little to make it an essential purchase, unless of course you are a huge fan of the original and want a sugary nostalgia rush.

There is still plenty of fun to be had when taking on some of the more successful mini games with a group of friends locally, but the game as a whole does come across as more of a re-tread of something we have played time and time again.

AoT2’s Switch port is an admirable effort, but there are just too many concessions made to get it working. The developers had the chance to go the extra mile to use HD Rumble while flying with the ODM but the implementation is lacklustre.

Unfortunately, there’s a real sense of deja vu this time around, and the next Picross game really needs to try something new to breathe life into the series.

Despite some pretty visuals and colourful environments, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants is rather repetitive.

This isn't a bad game, but there are some omissions that have been with the series forever which are strangely missing.

NHL 22 is enjoyable, but feels very similar to last year despite using a new game engine. Too much focus has been put on implementing Superstar X-Factor abilities and little else.

There are flashes of a great game in Achilles: Legends Untold, which developer Dark Point Games has clearly put a great deal of effort into it.

Outside of a mostly good UI redesign too many elements of Just Dance 2019 just feel too famili-famili-familiar.

Gameplay-wise, it’s solid – but the frustrating approach to difficulty and the clear focus on getting your money through in-app purchases doesn’t make for a particularly compelling game.

Battlefield 2042 isn't a bad shooter, but to release in this quarter of this year it really needed to bring its A-game, and it hasn't done that.

Escaping from a prison sounds like a great concept, but half the time The Escapists 2 is just a time management game. A sandbox without much content.

A brainless shooter that manages to be fun despite poor aesthetics and a host of technical issues.

It's good to see the cult classic on PlayStation 4, but there are certain flaws you can't excuse, and tropes which become overused after a while.

While it has a vast amount of ideas that work individually, Rain Code rather feels like a missed opportunity that doesn’t quite come together right.

Hunter’s Legacy is competent enough, but doesn’t do enough to stand out in a crowded market.

The Switch version of Team Sonic Racing is still a good game. It still has an interesting mechanic, addictive (but microtransaction-free) loot boxes that can make you change up the cars you race in. The story is nonsense, but the racing is fun, but it’s just such a strange game to put out when you consider the competition. Regardless, this is an alright version of a good game.

The Gunk has a fantastic setting and lovely characters, but ultimately the gameplay is lacking.

Mineko's Night Market has a great vibe and aesthetic, but its slow pace and tedious resource gathering make it hard to recommend.

In its current state, the Switch version has no touch screen support. This is very disappointing given the platform and its various input options are perfectly suited to games in this genre. Thimbleweed Park is the best example of how to handle bringing the genre to Switch. The Switch version of Deponia also has some inconsistency with A and B for selecting. Usually, games that see late ports to Switch and cost more have a few added extras. Over here, you aren’t getting anything extra barring the asking price.

Ring Runner is fun, different and challenging – but unfortunately it lacks a little accessibility.

A mainly disappointing sequel, with some glitches that hinder the progress and the fun.

If you’ve already got it on other platforms, I wouldn’t recommend trying it on the Switch.

King Oddball is a fairly large package and, although it certainly is odd, it doesn’t do enough to be truly interesting, and despite a lot of levels and some decent physics, it’s not particularly captivating.

No More Heroes III is a hugely mixed bag with loads of fantastic boss fights, but an atrocious open world that lets it down.

Where Gods Will Be Watching is really testing, though, is in its almost impenetrable difficulty. There’s a fine line between challenge and frustration, and sadly, with all of its positives, Gods Will Be Watching will leave you questioning whether its really worth it.

Many of the games featured were great back in the day, but if we're going to revisit them now, it'd be nice to have some more features for the nostalgic amongst us to enjoy.

Although Madden NFL 21 sees some improvements to its gameplay, and the enjoyable The Yard Mode makes an impressive debut, there's far too much that has been ignored. It feels more like an update than a fully blown follow-up, and it sucks that Franchise Mode has been left in the dirt.

As with any good Zombie film, in Chaos Rising it is the other survivors you should fear more than the undead themselves. But Chaos Rising does seem to relegate the Zombies almost entirely to the backdrop. This content could have almost been in any game, and doesn’t fit the Dead Rising world all that well.

Layers of Fear 2 starts off scary but runs out of ideas quickly. It tells an interesting story but is marred by out of place action sections.

Whilst Road to Guangdong does suffer from various gameplay issues and a laborious process of managing the upkeep of your car, its story is engaging and uplifting.

Kingsgrave has a fun loop of material gathering for upgrades, but the clunky combat and refusal to give any guidance makes it hard to easily recommend.

Antares is an impressive feat for one person and its gameplay loop is quite addictive, but it lacks polish in some areas and it takes the shine off an otherwise atmospheric, sci-fi horror.

Despite some new ideas and a core gameplay loop that does its best to carry the experience, Anthem is ultimately a bit of a disappointment from BioWare

Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is an interesting visual novel blend of horror and romance, but it's just a little bit lacking in a few areas.

Champ Man 15 is still a good mobile management sim. Perfect for when you are on the go, or travelling across the country for an away game!

Caught right between a needed update and trying to strictly adhere to the original template, Secret of Mana doesn’t commit itself enough in either direction to justify owning it above any of the other versions.

The final few levels show some brilliant design, with ingenious solutions to be discovered with the tools you’re given, but it’s only after ploughing through at least 50 levels that you’ll get to see it.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 offers four reasonably decent games for the price of one, but none of them really have any nostalgic value and so their obvious flaws become all the more apparent as a result.

Lila's Sky Ark looks and sounds terrific, and whilst pretty easy to complete, is a decent little diversion with some unique aspects that will provide a gentle and strange diversion from reality.

Teeth gnashing frustration prevents Memoranda from being the great game it appears to be, despite its wonderful story and puppet-like art style.

Someday You’ll Return has some incredible atmosphere, but ultimately fails to scare due to some poor, forced stealth sections and tiresome crafting mechanics.

You can’t knock the simple charm of Tappingo too much – it is still a cheerful and breezy little number, and some of the pictures will genuinely make you smile (one of them depicts a much-loved Ninty console of yore). Just don’t expect oodles of options, and be prepared for the controls to cause you some degree of annoyance.

A Portal to Mystery is a disappointing episode. While the story itself is fun, there is too much emphasis on the YouTube personalities that only fans of them will appreciate.

Lego Minifigures Online may want to build a fanbase, but those IAPs are as painful as stepping on a LEGO brick.

Back to Bed is a game that will keep you occupied for a short time. The design is something to be admired, but if you’re looking for a more engaging experience, I’d go elsewhere.

I guess if you’re after a free RPG-lite you could do much worse than Legacy of the Beast, although it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the people to get the most out of it will be Iron Maiden fans.

A decent, if feature-light, management game. It’s helped massively by the premise, but the execution, from the cute graphics to the ease of use, might make this worth looking into if you fancy a management sim on the go. Just don’t expect hidden depths – like the generic pop the game asks you to sell, what you see is what you get.

Gungrave G.O.R.E isn't a bad game at heart. It's a clear ode to the PS2 era, with almost no modern trappings at all.

Just Dance 2023 Edition can be a whole lot of fun with friends, but it has a host of issues that also hold it back.

Horror elements are overcooked and, alongside seriously limited interactions, lead to a game that’s not half as frightening as it thinks it is.

Play it in short bursts, however, and you could find yourself spending many an intriguing hour in Blackguard’s universe.

Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem won’t be a game for everyone but there’s a niche market out there that will absolutely lap it up.

Red Wings: Aces of the Sky is filled with over 50 missions, and although there's plenty to do and the controls are easy to get used to, it does become repetitive after a while.

Whilst the title does sadly feel a bit too simple, Secret Paths possesses a lot of charm and tries to offer a range of challenges for all levels of skill. In the end it skews a little young overall, but that age group will also probably be more forgiving of the repetitive nature of the puzzles throughout the game.

Hakuoki 3D: Memories of the Shinsugami suits a very particular niche, and it does so with admirable confidence.

Let’s Go, Photo!’s biggest stumbling block is the Nintendo 3DS itself. Its poorly spec’ed camera has always been pretty useless, even for taking pictures – trying to use it for a game is a mostly fruitless endeavor.

Despite a nice aesthetic in the missions and a handful of interesting concepts, Conglomerate 451 just doesn’t do quite enough to stand out and be noticed.

A minimalist's take on the real time strategy genre, with a strong pick and play quality that doesn't quite do enough to bridge the gap between novices and veterans of the genre.

Afterimage looks great and is fun enough to play, but it's a bit lacking in creativity and makes some questionable design decisions.

Koi is a beautiful, soft and serene game that doesn't quite manage to fulfil the ideas and message it is clearly trying to convey.

Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings is a game whose crafting mechanic is a lot more interesting than the rest of the gameplay. It doesn’t feel broken, it just feels like the flying gameplay is secondary to the inventive crafting.

Sadly, while Blood Bowl tries to stay loyal to its strategic roots rather than turn the game into just another sports title, the gameplay isn’t implemented in a clear and logical way.

With Take Off, it’s not the plane you’ll be wrestling with, it’s that god awful camera.

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a genuinely spooky game, but it's let down by some severe pacing issues.

Quotation forthcoming.

There's a decent story to uncover here. but the puzzles and technical issues you'll endure to reach it will likely put you off.

If you are looking for a charming farming sim, you would probably be better looking down yonder Stardew Valley.

Crystar runs really well on the Switch, but is held back by poor combat and level design.

Slow and steady like the game itself, but a virtual experience can’t live up to the real thing.

Tennis World Tour 2 on the Nintendo Switch is a decent enough game, but some of the visuals suffer with the lower resolution.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World is an interesting take on the Atelier franchise but one that lacks most of what makes the series fun in the first place.

I've had fun playing Breakpoint, but to do so I've had to just accept the flaws and push through them. The constant flow of loot and the shooting tick my boxes, but everything good seems to come at a cost.

School Girl/Zombie Hunter is one of Tamsoft’s most mediocre games that will only hold your attention for a little while.

The new additions to the story and combat are welcome and they definitely make the experience better than the original Vita release. This is better than playing it on the PS Vita for sure but you’d rather just get this on PS4 or PC if you’re really interested in Caligula.

Whilst certainly competent, Darksburg won’t offer you enough to convince you to try it and it doesn’t do enough to stand out in a market flooded with brilliant alternatives.

Shred! 2 is a tough game with unresponsive controls, meaning it's often tough to balance landing a jump successfully and hitting a trick required to get you those all elusive stars.

Sixty Four starts off well and its air of mystery is engaging, but a lack of guidance or support and lengthy time-sinks to progress will put most people off.

Wonderfully mischievous visual tricks and grim environments can’t stop Layers of Fear from falling flat with its hellish pacing, framerate issues and scares you can spot a mile away.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will appeal to younger audiences. Older players will have to have very rose-tinted specs to appreciate this over previous versions.

There's too much packed into Warriors Orochi 4 making it an over-complicated mess. It's fun at first, but you'll lose interest as the challenge wanes and you get burdened with micromanagement.

I will almost certainly play a sequel if there is one but Sword of the Necromancer is a hard sell. It might be worth resurrecting, but not more than once.

Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo has some of the funniest voice acting in any game I’ve played this year, but unfortunately that wasn’t the intent.