With its stylish and inventive courts, Mario Tennis Aces proves that Camelot has returned to its successful form. Although it’s not without flaw and frustration, the title’s variety of modes offer entertainment for the whole family. There’s something for everyone in Mario Tennis Aces, and that’s particularly tricky to accomplish. Some might call that an Ace.

WarioWare: Move It!, much like its predecessors, is meant to be enjoyed in short bursts, and at that, it excels greatly. Although the Story Mode is short, taking only a couple of hours to finish, the replayability of the microgames and side modes is what really makes WarioWare worthwhile. Going for high-scores is fun even by yourself, but getting competitive with friends is even better. With over 200 microgames to learn and master, WarioWare: Move It! is an excellent party game that gets your heart beating and your blood pumping, while also giving more than a few laughs along the way. As long as you go in with the expectation of it being a silly microgame collection that doesn’t take itself too seriously, WarioWare: Move It! is a great time!

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is one of the most engaging and emotional visual novels I’ve ever played. The well-written, unpredictable story, multi-dimensional characters, and beautiful anime-style visuals makes the newest entry in the Famicom Detective Club series a must-have for anyone that loves murder mystery and psychological horror.

Being a detective was tough business. I was subjected to some uncomfortable murder scenes, countless awkward encounters, and my skills needed to pin down the culprit were stretched. But I had a lot of fun along the way, just more so with the prequel, The Girl Who Stands Behind. And taking a trip down memory lane with games that are deep within Nintendo’s provocative history was fascinating. I implore fans of visual novels to sit tight and sink your teeth into both stories – just be careful of who might be standing behind you watching your every move.

Though it isn’t the Switch remake many had hoped for, Grezzo delivers a solid and well-polished 3DS port. While it would have been great to see the Hidden Mansion alter its content with new areas unlocked, Luigi’s Mansion remains best as a spooky near-episodic adventure, packed full of fun, with moments of humour, mischief and magic. If you enjoyed the original, there’s no way you’d miss this.

What it lacks in depth and challenge, Princess Peach: Showtime! makes up for in variety and charm, making it an excellent entry-level point to its various gameplay styles for younger and less experienced players. Its appealing presentation style is let down only slightly by a surprisingly poor framerate during loading and transition screens that can hopefully be fixed with a performance-focused patch in the future. Although it never quite reaches the heights of a more focused gameplay experience, the variety of gameplay presented in Princess Peach: Showtime! make it an easy recommendation to make.

Being a detective was tough business. I was subjected to some uncomfortable murder scenes, countless awkward encounters, and my skills needed to pin down the culprit were stretched. But I had a lot of fun along the way, just more so with the prequel, The Girl Who Stands Behind. And taking a trip down memory lane with games that are deep within Nintendo’s provocative history was fascinating. I implore fans of visual novels to sit tight and sink your teeth into both stories – just be careful of who might be standing behind you watching your every move.

Though it’s not technically perfect by any means, Star Allies remains entertaining from start to finish. Let the puffball meet the misfits, it’s time for Kirby to shine on Switch.

As it stands, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful remakes in terms of storyline and post-content material. However, there are real issues here with the game’s level balancing, pared down content and overall user experience that does not go unnoticed. There’s no denying that these games are still enjoyable, especially for youngsters that haven’t experienced the originals. But for veterans yearning for a polished remake, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a beautiful disaster.

For a game that’s all about speedrunning, it’s ironic that Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition feels rushed. Although I certainly had a great time going for an S-tier rank in all the challenges presented, the obvious omissions makes the game feel more like a missed opportunity rather than a complete package. If you’re interested in learning the basics of speedrunning or wanna take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is sure to provide many hours of fun, but otherwise, the larger library of NES titles offered to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers is probably enough to suffice.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is a standard, run-of-the-mill, hack and slash action RPG. Its shining moment squarely falls on the shoulders of its Infinity mode, with boss fights flying by in a close second. But its lack of polish and attention to detail means gameplay falls by the wayside, leaving a gaping, sore wound that no ultimate alliance can solely heal. Nothing more than a fun beat ‘em up that’s best played with friends, not CPUs.

Layton’s Mystery Journey is a mixed bag of tricks and treats. There’s never a dull moment with the fantastic voice acting and clever script, but without an overarching narrative and below par puzzles, the game’s missing one of its largest draws. The Deluxe Edition for the Switch, though, has a truly unique experience in that it can be enjoyed by many in one fell swoop; a good addition to the family catalogue. For Katrielle, she’s not quite there yet.

Another Code: Recollection does a good job at bringing the duology to the Switch, and there is an excellent level of consistency in the quality of the two titles, with the updated visuals and gameplay providing a cohesive experience. The additional voice acting breathes new life into the story which, although it may be too slowly paced for some, is nonetheless emotional and heartfelt. However, the decision to combine both games into a single narrative experience seems counterproductive when there is a clear transition between them, and the quality of life changes made don’t quite do enough to disguise the ageing gameplay mechanics. These weaker elements, such as the awkward camera angles and mandatory motion controls, often offset the enjoyment to be gained from the narrative, making this an experience that won’t appeal to everyone. Another Code: Recollection is an experience players will definitely remember, but this may not always be for the right reasons.

Nintendo’s first batch of DLC tracks that join the 48 courses already available do well to add an extra bit of needed spice to a game that’s still being played, and bought, by millions of Switch owners. With 40 more tracks arriving by the end of 2023, it’s worth getting excited over if this first handful is anything to go by. Sure, not every track earns a place in Mario Kart’s prestigious Hall of Fame, and it would have been nice to see design updates to make them truly special, jumping back into what’s already a sublime kart racer was a blast, and being able to share tracks that I have fond memories playing years ago with friends online was a real treat.

As it stands, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful remakes in terms of storyline and post-content material. However, there are real issues here with the game’s level balancing, pared down content and overall user experience that does not go unnoticed. There’s no denying that these games are still enjoyable, especially for youngsters that haven’t experienced the originals. But for veterans yearning for a polished remake, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a beautiful disaster.

Mario Strikers: Battle League pulls all the punches in providing an intense soccer-like gameplay experience that can only be achieved within something as special and whimsical as the world of Super Mario. Battle League is clearly a worthy successor to its GameCube and Wii counterparts, and is easily one of the best Mario sports titles in recent memory. Although it has a severe lack of single-player offerings, you’re sure to get a kick out of this undeniably excellent franchise revival, as long as you have friends and/or family that are willing to play with or against you either locally or online.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain recycles much of what we’ve seen before and it still doesn’t have a true online feature, but it’s a step in the right direction given the inclusion of the Ghost Clash mode. There’s plenty of fun to be had when battling against players’ ghost data online, but households with more than one person that can get together face-to-face will undoubtedly find more value here. This is the most accessible Big Brain Academy to date, thanks to its generous difficulty options. Plus, if you care enough for collectable accessories for your avatar, then there’s a lot of replayability to be had, too. Solo players, on the other hand, may be left wanting more as the slim catalogue of mini-games wears thin quickly, moreso if they’ve been under the watchful eye of Dr Lobe before.

With a small selection of sports to participate in and a lack of options to choose from when it comes to modes, Nintendo Switch Sports won’t, in its current state without updates, keep solo players interested for long. It’s abundantly clear that this title is aimed at local multiplayer, and it will go down as a treat when it’s coupled with an intense round of Mario Party Superstars. There’s a fair chance that my overall thoughts may improve when the online portion of the game becomes available, as there’s a Pro League Rank feature and, of course, the ability to tackle sports with faraway friends. We’ve also got Golf on its way in a summer update, but, right now, there’s still a modest amount of local fun to be had thanks to its obvious competitive nature and quick set-up with each sport. I’m left hoping that the online functionality will boost its longevity, due to it being the only way to unlock any accessories and outfits. For now, though, it doesn’t offer a whole lot more than what Wii Sports gave us nearly 16 years ago, and that came at no additional cost. [Review in Progress]

Scarlet and Violet takes the evolution of the Pokémon series one step forward and two steps back. It excels in providing an excellent open-world gameplay experience, but falls flat on a technical level, feeling more like an alpha build than a final product. Unfortunately, the severe lack of polish and optimization holds Scarlet and Violet back from what very well could have been the best Pokémon generation yet. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have enough enjoyment to make it well worth my time, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus tickled my fancy just a bit more.

Scarlet and Violet takes the evolution of the Pokémon series one step forward and two steps back. It excels in providing an excellent open-world gameplay experience, but falls flat on a technical level, feeling more like an alpha build than a final product. Unfortunately, the severe lack of polish and optimization holds Scarlet and Violet back from what very well could have been the best Pokémon generation yet. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have enough enjoyment to make it well worth my time, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus tickled my fancy just a bit more.

It’s a real shame the game’s intriguing cast of characters and witty scripting isn’t paired with inviting, challenging gameplay.

Despite its unexplored potential and repetitive gameplay, Miitopia remains a fun pick up and play game. If you missed it the first time around and enjoyed the Switch demo, the extra features certainly give this game a new lick of paint. Besides, the mii interactions are certainly worth their weight in gold. Now, where’s Tomodachi Life 2? Because I think I’d like a new hat. Oh, and I want my bear back.

The Indigo Disk is a surprisingly challenging inclusion to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and in this respect at least, it is extremely satisfying, and will no doubt delight long-time series fans who have been asking for something more difficult than the norm. However, as a conclusion to the story of The Hidden Treasures of Area Zero, it falls short, being disappointingly sparse in both character development and narrative. It fails to capitalise on the setup from both Pokemon Scarlet/Violet and The Teal Mask, largely ignoring its returning characters and rushing its conclusion. Although it goes some way towards making up for the shortcomings of The Teal Mask, there is a lot of missed potential and slightly off execution in its new ideas (most notably the grind for BP to access some of its features) that hold it back from being as enjoyable as it could have been.

Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer pulls the punches in providing an accessible workout experience that encourages a more active and healthy lifestyle. The charismatic personal trainers excel at properly motivating you to reach your goals with the help of fun, albeit finicky, motion-controlled rhythm-based boxing exercises. While the game doesn’t do quite enough to differentiate itself from its predecessors for those that have them, it’s still a fairly good fitness regime for those who are looking to get an early start on their New Year’s resolutions.

With speed taking precedence, Mario Golf: Super Rush is for players who want to experience the thrills of golf at quadruple the pace. However, traditional Mario Golf fans may feel snubbed here as there is little challenge outside standard golf and solo play, with character unlocks and incentives completely excluded. Perhaps with the promise of continuous updates due to its rather limited base game, Super Rush may feel less one-sided, though for now it values velocity over proficiency – the complete antithesis to real-life golf. Not quite an eagle, almost a birdie, but absolutely on par.

While the Vehicle kit is no show-stopper, Nintendo Labo is still surprising us in very fun and clever ways. It might not be everyone’s calling, but there’s no limit to creativity. We just can’t wait to see what’s next.

Essentially more of the same with a small handful of minor additions. It’s still a sight to behold to witness the unity of a couple household names in gaming, especially in retro-inspired settings, but two of the most iconic faces in the entertainment world deserve better.

With a 15+ hour storyline, Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is fun when played in short bursts. The varied map terrain and heated battle action helps keep the monotony at bay, but the daily minigame-to-money grind and the odd, forced inclusion of Amiimals leaves this tower defence game with a bitter taste. Frankly, Dillon deserves better.