Wax Heads is one of my favorite narrative-driven puzzle games in years. I hope the developer adds in an endless mode so I can just boot Wax Heads up and spend more time in the world. It makes me wish some of the bands in-game were real, but at least I can keep listening to the soundtrack and think of my time in Repeater Records.

Blaze of Storm isn’t looking to strike any particularly new ground, but it’s a well-made platter of shoot ’em up comfort food that should go down well for those looking to scratch the itch. Developer Terarin clearly knows what it’s doing in this genre, and this game falls nicely into the expected level of quality we expect from him. The only real thing I can fault it for is that it feels a little too meat and potatoes on the whole, and that’s not the worst problem for a game to have, so long as you go in knowing what you’re in for.

Only time will tell if Vampire Crawlers will meet a similar level of success as the game it spun out of, but I think, at the very least, that it should be of interest to anyone who enjoyed Vampire Survivors. Despite being in a completely different genre, you can feel the shared design sensibility in every aspect of the game. It’s incredibly easy to lose hours upon hours in its garish warmth, with the credits likely to be the only thing that stops you once it has pulled you in. This Nintendo Switch 2 version is a fine way to enjoy the game, especially if you’re looking to enjoy it on the go. Don’t come to it looking for anything too hardcore, though. It knows its audience, and it’s playing its melody for them more than anyone else.

Goofy, endlessly surprising and genuinely laugh‑out‑loud funny, the world could use far more games like Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream. I’m ecstatic that its chaotic silliness is back in our lives, and you won’t touch another game this year that works this hard to make you smile. This is Nintendo at its quirkiest, and you can feel the team’s enthusiasm shine through in every bizarre moment. It’s simply unmissable.

Quite simply, if you like word games and you loved Balatro, then Beyond Words is pretty much a no-brainer since… well, it’s essentially Balatro Scrabble Edition. While it might lack the same momentum and flow as the 2024 hit and prove especially tough if you’re not too hot with word crafting (like this guy), it doesn’t detract from what is an addictive and enjoyable roguelike with a twist.

Marvel MaXimum Collection is an odd assortment, but it’s a refreshingly honest one. You’ve got a couple of good Marvel games, a couple of decent ones, and a couple of dubious ones. You get a number of ports that add extra flavor, and even the worst of the bunch are much more playable thanks to save states and the rewind feature. I had a really good time playing through every game on here, even if I had to cheat a lot to get through some of them. Even if you don’t have any interest in the more troubled games in the set, you might want to consider it for the arcade games alone.

Whether you’re playing with a friend or by yourself, I think this is Tarsier Studios’ best game so far. Putting a few small issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed REANIMAL from beginning to end. I just wish the whole experience was longer, as I found myself wanting to spend more time exploring its grotesque world and discovering new secrets.

Despite its cutbacks compared to the PS5 version or even how smooth it is on Steam Deck, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is an easy recommendation on Nintendo Switch 2. Even nearly ten years later, the game got its hooks in me almost immediately, and I cannot wait to revisit it on higher difficulties and play the standalone expansion in the future. I just hope a potential performance mode or even a 40fps option is added in the future.

If you enjoy classic The Legend of Zelda games and shoot ’em ups, Minishoot’ Adventures is an essential purchase. I can’t recommend it enough, and I will be buying it on PS5 to replay in the future once again. Minishoot’ Adventures is an amazing game and one that is a perfect fit for Nintendo Switch 2, but I hope the load times can be addressed in an update because they are the only issue with this port right now.

Aside from the minor technical issues, I don’t have many complaints with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. It’s a big improvement over the already-enjoyable previous games, and while I can still see some room to grow, I think it’s worth appreciating the quality on display here. Capcom, as it turns out, hasn’t lost its knack for making great RPGs featuring dragons and/or dragon-like creatures. If you liked the previous games in the series, this is an easy recommendation. Those new to the franchise just looking for their next RPG fix might as well jump in here, as you don’t really need any prior experience to have a good time with this.

Blue Prince has always felt suited to portable play, and while it does feel right at home on Nintendo Switch 2 when played in Handheld mode, the docked experience is a bit lacking right now. The mouse controls are implemented well, but they don’t feel good at 30 frames per second, and the long load times aren’t ideal. If you only play on the go, Blue Prince on Switch 2 is an easy recommendation, but I can’t help but wish for some performance improvements when playing docked.

A sequel is always a hard thing to pull off. On one hand, you want to push things forward with fresh and exciting ideas, but on the other, you don’t want to alienate fans of the original nor make it feel too detached. Hades II, in my opinion, manages to deliver in every way possible. Bigger, better and even sexier, there’s no excuse for any Nintendo Switch 2 owner not to have this in their library.

Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2 delivers an excellent handheld experience, even if its docked performance still has room for improvement. Despite that, it remains a solid way to engross yourself in the best non‑remake Resident Evil game in more than a decade. Resident Evil Requiem blends the best elements of modern entries while once again pushing the series forward with smart gameplay additions. That result strikes a confident balance between tension, horror, and full‑throttle action. Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time for yet another replay.

It may have taken its time coming to Nintendo’s consoles, but The Disney Afternoon Collection is in fine form here. The original assortment of games was already good enough, and adding Goof Troop and Bonkers gives you even more things to play. Goof Troop, in particular, is a wonderful game that I think slipped under the radar back in the day, so if you haven’t tried it out before, I encourage you to do so here. Whether you have nostalgia for these toons or not, the games stand the test of time admirably, and so does this collection.

Game Freak has regained its footing with Pokémon Legends Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Lumiose City is the perfect playground for the developer’s playful experimentation as they chart a path forward, scoring success with real-time battle mechanics, meaningful character interactions, and heart-pounding Rogue Mega Evolution encounters. It makes me cautiously optimistic for whatever comes next. “Au revoir, my young friend.”

Avalanche Software’s efforts to port Hogwarts Legacy to Nintendo Switch 2 has elevated it to be an essential purchase for Potterheads, delivering the definitive way to experience the Wizarding World on the move. Support for mouse sensor, motion control and touchscreen input may not be seen as essential additions to every player, but are sprinkled over a game that so captivatingly lets you lose yourself in your own adventure.

This port to Nintendo Switch 2 is impressive, but it would be wonderful if Capcom could address the performance issues. The village is a crucial hub for your adventures, so I wish it could run at a consistent frame rate. The game is just a bit too ambitious for the Switch 2, but remarkably, it doesn’t sacrifice resolution as much as I expected. This gives me hope for Resident Evil Requiem on Switch 2, and if that can manage to be a good version of the game, I hope Capcom can continue porting the rest of the series to the system. I hope a performance optimization patch smooths out the dips, or Capcom offers dedicated performance and quality modes.

I enjoyed Ys X: Nordics, so it’s hard for me not to sing the praises of a further polished version of the game with more content. Ys X: Proud Nordics plays to its strengths, but I doubt it will address all of the weaknesses in a way that converts those who weren’t fond of it. I stand by the idea that Ys X was a fun experiment, and with Proud, they’ve refined it into a game that I think better fits as a successor to Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. I don’t find this to be fully transformative, and it doesn’t elevate the original game too far above what it already was. Having said that, it’s hard not to deny that this is the version of the game to get. If you’ve already played the original, it might be worth waiting for a sale unless you can’t wait. The moment-to-moment gameplay is better than ever, and the story is fun despite getting bogged down in exposition. But this isn’t a full-on remake or reimagining, and if you just played the base game, I think you’ll find it to be a modest upgrade.

Looking back, Factorio should be mentioned when discussing “impossible Nintendo Switch ports” just because of how demanding the game can get and how much care went into adapting it for a controller and running as well as it could on the original Nintendo Switch. On the portable home console’s successor, Factorio Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is even more impressive with its increase in resolution, faster load times, mouse controls, and more. If I had unlimited time, I’d keep playing Factorio with the Space Age DLC right now to spend a whole month with it on my Nintendo Switch 2. This port is absolutely brilliant.

Mario Tennis Fever is the best sports entry we’ve had from the plumber since his GameCube days. Packed with content, crammed with unlockables and introducing a racket system that offers the sort of competitive chaos you want from Mario’s take on sports, Fever proves to be an absolute ace and a great start to the year for Nintendo Switch 2.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined leaves me in a weird position. If you were to ask me which version of the game I would rather play, I’d likely choose one of the previous ones. There’s just a vibe to them that this game intentionally chooses to abandon. But if you were to ask me which version of the game I would recommend to others, it’s this one. It’s a far brisker, friendlier game and one that I think most people would have a better time playing through.

Dispatch feels right at home on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, perfectly suiting portable play with touch controls. While I would've enjoyed playing the episodes and discussing them with friends back in November, I'm glad I finally got to see it through to the end on my own terms over a weekend. While the forced visual censorship is unfortunate on both Switch systems, my major issues with Dispatch right now lie in how the gameplay sections don't feel as well integrated into the narrative until the finale, and also the video bitrate. Now, release an artbook, physical release, and print versions of the in-game comics, please.

GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is a fantastic start for Feral Interactive on Nintendo’s new hybrid console. The team brought everything I loved about GRID Legends on iPhone, with added visual options to Switch 2, delivering a great experience both docked and handheld at half the price of other consoles. This is an easy recommendation and already one of the best Switch 2 ports I’ve played.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is and isn’t a lot of things. It’s a very good action-RPG with a strong presentation. It’s a real trip for fans of the original game. It demonstrates how you can Remake but you cannot truly remake. It’s a fairly well-done port to Nintendo’s new console. For some, it’s a reminder of some of the good times of the past. It might also be a reminder of how far in the past those specific good times were. It’s cool. It’s retro. It’s even got a bit of commentary on our modern fixation with mining the past. I can strongly recommend it, albeit with the caveat that you aren’t going to get any meaningful plot resolution within this part of the overall story. If you’re okay with that, then all I can say is… let’s mosey.

The game is definitely just a bit too long and gets close to buckling under its own weight. And yet, it works, and I can’t help but be excited at what’s to come. Maybe the next game won’t be the perfect pay-off Horizon promises, but at the moment, I think they’ve earned my faith. The worst part of this game is the agonizing wait to play the sequel. This game feels like the reward for investing so many years of my life into these games, and I’ve never been happier to be on the wild ride that is Trails.

Not every shoot ’em up from the past stands the test of time, but Trouble Witches has held up quite well. It sure doesn’t hurt that each release has added a little something, making Trouble Witches Final! feel jam-packed. None of that would matter if the game wasn’t as fun as it is, though. The game’s systems are fairly easy to understand, but there’s so much here to play with that you can keep on going with it for ages. Yes, there will probably be Trouble Witches Final! Last End! No, This Time We Really Mean It later on with another character or mode, but I don’t think anyone jumping in on this Switch release is going to feel stiffed.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a truly awesome experience, one whose track-switching gimmick never tires and manages to inject some surprise into a pretty well-worn genre. Inventive, exhilarating and a stellar presentation means the hedgehog’s hot streak of quality releases continues with what may be his best outing in some time. For me, Mario and Kirby can battle it out for second place when it comes to king of the kart racers this year.

Ultimate Sheep Raccoon manages to take the original game’s formula and mould it around a Trails-like experience. While it does feel a little light on the content side of things, I’ve no doubt we’ll see similar levels of support from Clever Endeavour going forward that’ll help turn this entertaining romp into another multiplayer hit with true longevity.