The arcade racing subgenre isn’t as buoyant as it once was with new examples few and far between so it’s always exciting when one does drift into view and delivers thrills in high doses. Cruis’n Blast is a truly wild ride of a game packed with plenty of fun and equally wild extras. It’s simple but electrifying and during a time where games are vying to offer season passes, realistic physics and always online experiences it’s truly welcome and refreshing to come across a game that just wants to be an old-school great time.

Raji: An Ancient Epic stands apart from its competition thanks to the game’s mythological exploration, but the unpolished state that it has arrived in detracts from its clear successes. Even if it doesn’t wholeheartedly deliver on its potential, there’s still much to admire from the adventure looking back from its conclusion.

I may have started this review stating that Pato Box is a straight up Punch-Out!! clone, and at its core it certainly is. However, while the abstract world where a fighting Duck seeks answers is a setup that just doesn’t make sense, it happens to mould nicely with its presentation. It’s far from a perfect game, and the filler sections in between predictably never live up to the actual fights themselves. Yet, in spite of all this, Mexican developer Bromio has managed to make decent use out of the Punch-Out!! formula to craft something unique enough to separate itself from other clones that came before it.

Rise: Race the Future is a visually impressive arcade experience whose futuristic setting makes for plenty of fast-paced action with some interesting twists too. A lack of multiplayer and niggling control issues aside, Rise: Race the Future still makes for a thrilling change of pace especially if you’re starting to feel a little burned out on kart racers.

Bottom line, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a fantastic documentary, but in its current state, it is a somewhat flawed way to play many of these games. I think the selection of titles is good enough, but the non-functional and threadbare online play, combined with various emulation issues and bugs, drags down what should have been an incredible overall package. Even with all of that, I think a lot of people will find the games playable enough for their needs. Digital Eclipse has already pushed out one hotfix that addressed some problems, and I hope some of this stuff gets fixed. At this point, it’s neither flawless nor a fatality.

I think Pokémon Champions has some potential, despite its many shortcomings at the moment. It’s carried by the excellent Pokémon battle system, to be sure. As the number of Pokémon available to use increases and the game gets more filled out, this could eventually grow into the true competitive scene that Pokémon could use. I at least appreciate that the current monetization method limits what you can spend and largely avoids potential pay-to-win problems. Still, there’s no denying that this feels somewhat undercooked, both technically and in terms of what’s actually included here. Hopefully Pokemon Champions can, over time, grind its way to living up to its name.

Shadow Bug is a decent, but short little game to kill some spare time with. While I didn’t find it a particularly difficult to play through, the extra challenges in place can raise the bar a little bit higher. Besides the fun but temperamental Joy-Con pointing feature, it is a game best suited to the touch screen in Handheld mode.

I adore both of these games, and if you have the stomach for their contents I think they could be as formative to you as they were for me. They’re thought-provoking and beautiful games that spoke to me in a time when I needed them. But the issues introduced with these official Nintendo Switch releases make it hard to give them a glowing recommendation as they are now. Some of these problems, like Chaos;Head not having speaker tags, aren’t really something that could be fixed. I get it, but there are strange oversights I think could be addressed in a patch. Will they be? I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is that these games are great at their core, and deserve better.

Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch – besides being quite the mouthful – is a welcome return for the series and a great fit for the console. Sure it’s a rather predictable experience but it’s one that in spite of its few hiccups manages to challenge and entertain in equal measures.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is a slightly spiffed-up version of a game that is very much of its time and place in the history of the series. While it’s not the best Ys game you can play on the Switch, or even the second-best, going on a journey with Adol rarely shortchanges the player on thrills. Those using a Switch 2 will find this to be a particularly comfortable handheld experience, but there’s a satisfying quality to it wherever or however you choose to play it.

As far as compilations go and the extra features that usually come with them, it’s hard to justify the vanilla presentation when others out there have made much more of an effort at a lower price point.

Many of the games across the two-volume library have the potential of chewing away dozens of hours obsessively besting that last high score, or reaching that little bit further – especially under the default and recommended conditions of three lives and two continues. Furthermore, to be able to legally own forgotten treasures such as these so easily from a studio that no longer exists is always both an honour and a privilege.

Picross S6 is another reliable entry in the series delivering hundreds of puzzles across a familiar range of modes. Solving Picross continues to be as addicting as it’s always been, however, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed at another entry that does little to surprise or refresh the series.

Funny, entertaining and charming, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a delightful little package. Could it do with some more content? Sure. Is it odd you can’t play four-player split-screen? Definitely. But like the many delicious-looking treats it features, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a short but ever so sweet time and something you’ll find yourself coming back to for one more bite.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is a welcome return for the Red Flash, but sees the muted armadillo roll back into our lives with an inconsistent gameplay experience that has many flashes of thrilling brilliance that are let down by an otherwise heavily repetitive setup.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Cindered Shadows is one of those downloadable add-ons that’s solid enough. Overall this feels more in line with earlier entries in the series, stripping away most of the exciting newer features demonstrated in the original release. This makes for an experience that’s enjoyable but also rather unsurprising and straightforward. As far as story expansions go though, Cindered Shadows will likely have you hooked on Fire Emblem once again. It’s just hard not to be a little disappointed given how excellent Fire Emblem: Three Houses was.

Rock of Ages 3: Make and Break rarely rolls far from the well-worn formula of its predecessors that alone might have made this a tougher recommendation. The inclusion of a level creation tool, however, gives the series the jolt of excitement it sorely needed. Three games in and what Rock of Ages 3: Make and Break might lack in terms of surprise at this point, it makes up for by giving players the keys to create surprises of their own.

Sure the combat can feel a little repetitive or the difficulty uneven. Sure you’ll fight with the camera amongst the villains themselves but at the end of the day, these are problems that irritate rather than ruin your time spent playing. In essence, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is like the movie summer blockbusters it’s trying hard to imitate. It’s big, it’s silly, it’s sometimes shallow but every time I pick up the controller I’m always left entertained.

Football Manager 2019 Touch on the Switch is a bit of a weird one. On one hand, you have what will be considered the best management sim to ever grace a console. On the other hand, it could have taken much greater strides than it has done to be a truly fantastic experience. Ultimately, if you are either a casual fan of these kind of games, or you simply cannot find the time to play the full experience on PC anymore, then this is a good place to get back into it. It doesn’t have the depth its bigger brother has but it has more enough to keep you hooked.

As a port, Overwatch on Nintendo Switch 2 is an easy recommendation for portable play as a companion to playing on another system. It feels quite lacking when played docked, though, with it not including the field of view slider or 120 frames per second options found on the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, let alone running at a much lower resolution than those consoles. Given it took almost a year following the console’s launch, I expected a bit better, but I’m glad to have it in a much better state for handheld play at least.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is undeniably impressive in its execution at combining Augmented Reality and Nintendo’s popular franchise. There’s a sense of magic to creating your track in the real world and watching as it comes to life on the Switch. However, at nearly one hundred pounds the price of entry is a tough pill to swallow especially since multiplayer requires you drop another hundred on top. While this isn’t the true sequel Mario Kart fans were hoping for, it’s still an exciting experiment and one that’s worth checking out so long as you have the necessary space and the money.

Double Kick Heroes is an awesome rhythm title led by a tough-as-nails gameplay loop and some awesome music. The story mode is a little disappointing and the challenge can sometimes be a bit too much, but if you’re a fan of metal then this is definitely one to check out.

While it might not seem as amazing now as it did 8 years ago, Playdead’s iconic platformer is more than worth playing through once. If you haven’t yet had that chance – like I did – I don’t see any reason why your introduction to the game shouldn’t be on Nintendo Switch, too.

SEGA AGES Ichidant-R is a strange game, but one that I’m glad has finally found its way outside Japan. At the end of the day, this is just a small collection of mini-games – albeit a fun one – but its fascinating presentation and surprisingly competitive multiplayer options make this an unknown worth exploring.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 delivers some fantastically hilarious highs that are unfortunately paired with some awkward and cringing lows. To lay it all out, Trivia Murder Party 2 and Push the Button are both fantastic, Role Models feels like a throwaway and Dictionarium and Joke Boat fall somewhere in the middle. Overall this year’s quintet offers enough laughs and proves even six packs in that Jackbox Games can still deliver.

All of this ultimately falls into the “nice to have” bucket rather than the “essential” one. If you loved the base game and want a little more juice to squeeze from it, you’ll likely be satisfied with what you get from SEGA Villains. On the other hand, if you’re expecting a full-on expansion, you’re not really getting that here. It’s a good excuse to fire the game up again, and I will say that what’s here pays homage to the respective franchises quite well. You get some excellent new boss encounters, some new stages to traverse, and even get some new moves and looks for your trouble. I do wish the stages were a little more fully-realized, and it’s disappointing that the only Sonic stage is reserved for the climactic boss battle. SEGA Villains isn’t all it could be, but it’s enough.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football plays a mean game of soccer, proving to be just as much fun, chaotic and satisfying as its predecessors. Unfortunately, what surrounds it is a package that feels light on content and options limiting it from reaching the dizzying heights of the series’ best. As a result, Mario’s latest sports outing is a solid goal rather than a full-blown hattrick.

Colors Live may not be the most powerful drawing program for digital artists out there, but it was never intended to be so either. What it excels at is creating an incredible online community that lets anyone lay out their tools in front of them and think outside the box to create interesting and often thoughtful artwork. With online monthly challenges to take part in and inspiration spread out by the bucketloads, there are so many potential hours to spend amongst a much healthier and more welcoming community. More so than pretty much any other form of popular social media out there.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a perfectly serviceable port of a once-great and now good Star Wars game. For Star Wars mega-fans and the Jedi Knight nostalgic, it’s definitely worth a revisit, as long as you’re prepared for a reasonable amount of early 2000’s jank.

Clustertruck is a simple idea but a really entertaining one. What it lacks in depth or missing features, it makes up for in sheer laughter – every attempted run a mash-up of drunkenly driven trucks, unexpected situations and death-defying risks. Snappy, exciting and sometimes frustrating, Clustertruck is a welcome addition to the eShop library and has me eager to see what publisher TinyBuild has in store for Switch owners next.

The Stretchers may not look visually appealing and it controls a little rough around the edges, but it’s also a hilarious time from start to finish. Best enjoyed as a co-op experience, this is the kind of surprise I’m more than willing to embrace from Nintendo in the future.

Coming in at around five hours for the base game and another two hours for the included Whistleblower downloadable content, you have yourself a game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. However, it must be said that there is a huge difference in fear, enjoyment and overall quality during the first half of the game compared to the second.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a fair amount of replay value and challenge baked into the experience here. Not only do you level up through playing matches, but there are also daily challenges and special game modes that change over time. Still, as much fun as it is to play against other players, there’s only so much this can do to make things feel fresh. You’ll soon be a bit sick of seeing the same levels and wish that there were more Mario titles, or even more classic Nintendo games.

Not only is Burnout Paradise Remastered a solid port, but this classic racer also proves itself to be a fitting game to take on the road.

Yooka-Replaylee on Nintendo Switch 2 is a very good upgrade over the original to the point where I wouldn’t bother playing the former anymore. I just wish the Switch 2 version had a performance mode or even a 40 frames per second option. Right now, this is one to play on PS5 or Steam Deck if you have those options. If you only play on Switch and Switch 2, I can still recommend it if you want a quality 3D platformer collectathon, but I was hoping for better.

It is the simplicity of BIT.TRIP BEAT that really stuck with me and made me enjoy it so much. As you’ll find out later, not all of the ideas work as well as the simple ones do, and this is one that certainly works well enough to introduce a whole saga.

The display issues, input lag, and little bugs here and there detract from what is otherwise a rather well put-together assortment of games. Super Bomberman Collection might not have your favorite Bomberman game in it, but there’s plenty here for any fan to find some fun with. I really appreciate all the extra touches in the UI, and having two newly-translated games is nothing to sneeze at. The GameShare option is a natural fit here, provided you have Switch-owning Bomberman fans in your vicinity. I wish the actual play experience was a little better than it is, but I’d imagine most players will find this to serve their needs well enough.

The story is a humorous one even if not every joke lands as intended and the puzzles need a little more breadth in approach, but the start of these new Adventurings are promising.

Where it excels is in ideas and concepts, yet it falters on the basic function of exciting racing. It looks and sounds good but lacks any memorable locations or tracks and it straddles an odd balance between pure arcade racer and pseudo-simulation, with its use of refuelling and permanent upgrades. And yet I finished the World Tour mode, knocked out some tournaments ready to write this review, but still find myself booting it up for the odd fifteen minutes and still thinking about how I’d like to chase a first place in every race. I’m obviously chasing something along with the developers.

SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo 2 is an excellent puzzle game wrapped in a rather straightforward package. While it’s certainly a step above its predecessor, a lack in variety of mode types might make this one of the shorter distractions we’ve seen from the SEGA AGES collection so far.

Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t’ Dry is a return to form for Larry Laffer and this new release successfully erases the nightmare of recent entries like Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust from memory. While the obtuse puzzles make things hard and difficult to overcome, the experience is mostly satisfying. The quirky humor may not please everyone, but such is love. Wet Dreams Don’t Dry is a fantasy worth having if you are a fan of the series and looking to reunite with your old friend Larry.

The Amnesia games are some of the best horror titles to ever be released, but things have moved on and its dated graphics, lack of polish and some performance issues hinder the Nintendo Switch release. Ultimately, however, if you are a fan of horror games, the package is worth it alone just to play The Dark Descent, one of the most influential games of the past ten years. Just be aware that, as the darkness in these games, time has not been its friend.

If you are at all interested in the idea of a Bubsy the Bobcat collection, Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection won’t leave you hanging. It has all of the “classic” games in almost every variation that was ever made, the emulation is solid, and the extras are a fun romp. I don’t think these games are quite as bad as their reputation suggests, but they aren’t much better than that. Nevertheless, there is a unique feel to this series that, for better or worse, makes it stand out from the pack. Ultimately, this is a well-executed collection of some highly dubious yet oddly fascinating titles. A snapshot of an era, no matter how much we might want to forget it. Perhaps that makes it worth its weight in hairballs.

Simply put, if you have limited time and only want to dip your toes in, rather than fully submerging yourself, playing Football Manager 2021 Touch on Nintendo Switch in handheld mode is the best way to experience the game. Aside from the revamped matchday experience, there is not a great deal to differentiate this from Football Manager 2020 Touch.

If you’re looking for a deep gameplay experience, then Say No! More is absolutely not going to be your cup of tea. It’s one of the most simplistic indie games that I’ve ever played, but it’s also one of the most heartfelt and memorable, as well as teaching some genuinely valuable lessons in its short run time. Don’t say no to this one.

Shadow Labyrinth itself is a few updates away from being amazing. I already love the core of what is available right now, but it has a few too many annoyances holding it back. Shadow Labyrinth Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a great handheld experience, but the docked performance issues are disappointing right now. Hopefully, we do see the game itself see some balance adjustments while this version of the game gets some optimization for 4K play when docked.

Trials of Mana is a ton of fun, and if you want to experience a retro JRPG with the updated mechanics of games today then you’ll likely enjoy this a lot. Any of the issues I had didn’t stop me from having fun, and I know I’ll likely return for at least one more playthrough.

A package that is full of potential, with over 60 games and several bonus features. However, there are many problems with everything in between – especially the keypad and controls, but also with the lack of graphical quality outside of the faithfully reproduced Intellivision graphics, and the short soundtrack.

Poor play control, non-threatening AI, and a story that is inconsistent with previous Sonic games and ultimately befuddling (which is quickly becoming the new standard for Sonic.)

The character modeling is downright fantastic, but the pieces that make up their world are far less so. Level interiors are usually drab and lifeless, and sometimes repetitive.

The perfect example of an experiment gone awry. If only the physics were just a little more realistic, it would help a great deal, but as it is, the game just gets to be annoying before you ever start to have fun.

Amazing Island has good graphics and sound, but the gameplay, with its mini-games, is too repetitive... Of course, the lack of multiplayer hurts this game the most.

While Digimon Racing won’t knock anyone’s socks off, it’s fast-paced fun if you want a simple racing game and you’re already tired of Mario Kart. You will get tired of this even sooner due to its length, but fans of Digimon will find it easier to get into.

But the racing system is boring and slow, taking away the feel of excitement and thrill that the rush of illegal fast driving would normally bring -- this game seems to have none of that.

It's a decent enough puzzler, a sort of Dig Dug/Puyo Pop hybrid. Some players may get frustrated by being crushed by blocks falling from off screen, as well as the length of the later stages.

If you've played Rayman 2 before, there's really no good reason to pick this title up. If you haven't played it before, then I strongly suggest you find a copy for the N64, Sega Dreamcast, or PS2.

It just feels as though everything in the game (like the extra modes) is either tacked on, or has an equal setback for every positive stride it makes.

While Carmen Sandiego won’t set any precedents in any one of the three genres it dabbles in, the mix between them is somewhat refreshing, and actually simple fun.

Playing Everything left me kind of empty feeling, which is almost definitely not the intention. I feel as though it is meant to leave you feeling in awe of how connected everything is. The trouble is, I’m already a hippie vegan with an interest in quantum mechanics. I already know everything is connected. So, I can only conclude that it’s not for me, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing because of that. It isn’t a game though, it’s just a thing to start up and experience. Just don’t play it while on drugs, I feel like it’d do a lot more harm. Also just don’t do drugs, go and do push-ups and read about quantum entanglement or something.

I genuinely hope ITTA will be enjoyed by many but it’s only fair that I provide my wholehearted insight to the game laid before me. I loved how unsettled the world of ITTA made me feel, the wonderful Hyper Light Drifter-style visuals and incredibly fitting soundtrack. I just wish I felt the same way about the actual meat of the gameplay itself.

If you don’t take things too seriously and play Exit The Gungeon for a little bit at a time, it can be great fun and easily worth the small asking price. It’s easy to see why some fans are a bit burnt with all the changes, but as a spin-off from the original and not a full sequel, Exit The Gungeon is a neat experiment. It shouldn’t come as anyone’s first foray into the series, but for those looking for more Gungeon, it’s definitely worth checking out.

My personal feeling is that Yakuza 3 didn’t really need to be remade, particularly in this manner. There was a perfectly good remaster of the original game that could have been ported and maybe given a little extra polish. But I understand that simply reissuing the older games might not be in line with the current vision for the series. With that in mind, I do wish a little more oomph was put into making Yakuza Kiwami 3 feel like a more cohesive experience. This mish-mash of things from other Yakuza games is probably going to go over well enough with Nintendo-exclusive players who have only played a few games in the series, but I question if this is really the take on Yakuza 3 that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wants in the canon. It’s fun! It’s full of stuff! So why does it often feel so darned empty?

Never keeping his dancing to a minimum, the dark humour that underpins Felix The Reaper seeps into the game’s head-scratching puzzles. Who knew that making sure that people die according to ministerial plans could be this challenging, as the greatest flaw can be found in the uneven and baffling difficulty in places which comes in sharp contrast to Felix’s energetic enthusiasm for Mortal Music.

Ultimately, I Am The Hero is fun for an hour or so but it’s impossible to recommend beyond that unless you really miss the halcyon days of the side-scrolling beat ’em up. It may well be that you can push through it if you like to chase scores, but it just lacks that special something that made the classics so good. It would be ludicrous to say you should play this and not just Streets of Rage 2 on one of the many compilations it has appeared on.

As a fan of all things Disney (except the modern-day remakes, those can burn) Disney Speedstorm is an exciting idea, a chance to reacquaint myself with the worlds and characters that defined by childhood in kart form. While the game certainly delivers on the nostalgia and its racing proves enjoyable, sadly the free-to-play wrapping (it’s worth noting this game isn’t free currently) lets the package down resulting in a grindy structure that irks more than engages the player.

Watching the trailer for Exception beforehand gave me the confidence that this was going to be one of those delightful surprise drops that are the perfect fit for handheld play. It’s a real shame that wasn’t the case as I can honestly see a good game hidden behind the fog of repetitive level design and a less than desirable control system. The whole flip mechanic is a genuinely good idea pressed further in how everything instantly folds back to the beginning in failure. It’s just unfortunate that when sewn together, Exception struggles to learn from the 2D platformers that it clearly draws inspiration from.

Missile Command Delta is a cool spin on an all-time classic, and its turn-based take on total annihilation is both fitting and enjoyable. It’s a game I would lightly recommend to puzzle fans and those who fondly remember Missile Command, but perhaps not on the Nintendo Switch. The technical issues are rather severe when they occur, to the point that it might make some players nauseous. It would be nice to see this get a patch to improve performance, particularly on the Nintendo Switch 2.

If you’re an avid anime fan that likes a bit of kooky comedy-drama with your spammy beatdowns then Code of Princess EX isn’t too bad a game to carry around in your backpack. Some will undoubtedly find the story getting a bit too much in the way of the action, and the small moveset for each character really doesn’t help to hide its highly repetitive gameplay. It’s good to at least see some meat to its combat though, and the character designs are imaginative enough to land some flair to the story.

There are some good ideas to be found here, but it’s all spoilt by the lack of meat on the bone and not enough seasoning.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny Remastered is a fun time, but it doesn’t really get much better than that. I appreciate that these missions can get pretty challenging, and this is probably some of the best game feel I’ve seen from a Gundam game. However, a lackluster story and limited mission variety detract a lot from the package. It’s a fun grind at the very least, if you want to do all the missions from all the different sides. But doing so on Switch might try your patience, with frame drops all over. Even if I’m not SEED’s biggest fan, there’s a lot missing here to be the ultimate fan service game. Getting licensed music, or fully utilizing how fascinating a multi-faction structure could be for these stories would have gone a long way.

I hope the issues with the visuals I mentioned are fixed in the near future, but as of now, we are left with a port that indulged a bit too much in the Pop Pop Fruit. If you love One Piece then you’re going to have a great time with Pirate Warriors 4, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t flawless.

It’s tough to fault Catan on Switch when it comes to how faithful this recreation is compared to the original source material. Unfortunately, a pretty vacant online community and a lack of any sort of local multiplayer really hurt its long-term appeal. An enjoyable adaption but one unlikely to replace the original physical version any time soon.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game falls short of SEGA’s plumber and hedgehog-starring effort, but still houses a decent number of surprisingly meaty and fun arcade-y events. With both a meaningful single-player option and four-player local missing in action though, your interest in the game may be over before the global event has even reached its end.

On the whole, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion does just enough to allow you to interact with the world of Ooo. It’s more a shame that considering the series as a whole is coming to an end, there’s no true celebration here to close out the franchise with a potential classic.

Perhaps the largest issue with Warriors Orochi 4 on Nintendo Switch is that it is on the Switch. With both Fire Emblem Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition available on the console, choosing a lesser version of the game with less recognisable characters isn’t realistic. If you want a good hack-and-slash game then there are already two here, this just doesn’t come close.

Shelter Generations is a mixed bag, then. Shelter 2 is burdened with many flaws, the linearity to Paws helps it to become a more meaningful adventure, and the content that accompanies them lends charm to the whole collection. Taken as a whole it disappoints, which is a shame as, beneath the adorable exterior, the concept has far more potential than what has been achieved.

As I progressed, I began to care less and less about Tom, his old crew and his plight. Which is a crying shame considering the opening of the game felt like the writer and developers reaching out and grabbing me by the throat. Discovering alien artefacts and cave systems initially perked me up, but the rinse and repeat nature of obtaining these upgrades wore me down.

With Full Metal Schoolgirl, D3Publisher and Yuke’s have a solid base to build on, but it has a few too many annoying issues holding it back from an easy recommendation. The constant loading and time-wasting cut-scenes when you finish a room, accompanied by technical issues on Nintendo Switch 2, make it one to wait on for potential updates. Despite that, Full Metal Schoolgirl’s strong core gameplay with a good localization and aesthetic made me want to keep coming back to it for a run or two every day since getting it.

Leading the player down a path of learning to flip the mechanics on their head is a lovely touch. Later sections will remove colour completely, tasking you with connecting only dots of black. Here the game shines from the difficulty increasing, rather than just expanding the grids. With a vast number of topics to work through – countries, hobbies, works of literature – there’s plenty to do and Piczle Lines DX 500 More Puzzles becomes difficult to put down. It’s as addictive as it is original.

KILL la KILL IF has all the visual prowess of an Arc System Works competitive fighter minus the substance that they are usually known for. It doesn’t necessarily handle badly control-wise, it’s just far too simplistic for even the most casual player to get any real longevity or satisfaction from it. Mix that with a horde survival mode tacked on as an afterthought, and you have an unrewarding button-masher masked behind the scribbled down blueprints of a fighting game.

While we certainly had fun playing Jackbox Naughty Pack, its very existence at times feels questionable. For every laugh had at a sex-related question it left me wondering if we’d have just as much fun returning to the family-friendly entries. Plus, it certainly doesn’t help that Let Me Finish is a bad idea, crude or not. But then again Cookie Masterson does say the F-word… It’s tough but Jackbox Naughty Pack is… fine. While its implementation of crude ideas isn’t terrible by any means, I just hope the developer returns next year with Jackbox Party Pack 11.

There are a lot of things I like about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown. I think there’s a good foundation here for a follow-up that really brings it all home. As for this particular entry, I think it understands the material and has a lot of good ideas, but it never quite reaches the level it felt like it was building towards. Turtles fans might want to check it out, along with those who enjoy turn-based tactical games and are on the hunt for some lighter fare. It’s a decent on-the-go experience, too. Not the best TMNT game you can get on Nintendo Switch, but maybe the most unique one.

I miss the era of games Reynatis feels plucked fresh out of. The PlayStation Vita was my gaming awakening that defined my taste, and was a swan song of a particular era of Japanese portable games that were able to be experimental and weird on a low budget. The ambitions of the team far outshine the budget they were given, but there’s definitely something to like here. The combat is flashy and fun if not a bit simple, yet still outshines most other action games of this scope. The six playable characters are plenty customizable, and once you get into it there’s plenty of fun to be had. I respect Furyu continuing to fund creatives of all sizes with enough money to make their weird and cool games, and Reynatis is among their better titles. For those who are coming at this from an exclusively Square Enix fan perspective, however, I don’t know if you’ll be able to see past the blemishes. Maybe don’t play it on Nintendo Switch, though.

Gunhouse never lacks in spectacle, but it won’t take long before you recognise that the gameplay loop that it looks to hook you on is a shallow one. This collision of genres can still entertain, but it needed a few more ideas that remixed its own concept to keep the player’s interest from waning too quickly. It’s good in short bursts, but lacking in depth.

Cake Bash is cute, colourful and a delightful time with friends but it’s hindered by a lack of content. While we enjoyed unlocking new cakes and trying to be as tasty as possible over the first couple of hours, the slim mini-game selection results in repetition creeping its way in far sooner than you’d want. Cake Bash is a tasty party game but just like eating a cake, you’re left wanting more.

Piczle Colors is a decent puzzle game that offers a good number of tough and rewarding brainteasers to sink your teeth into. Unfortunately, my time spent coloring in squares was hindered thanks to the game’s often confusing and less than helpful presentation of its clues. Challenging sure but not always in the way you want.

A fairly ordinary take on the genre and one that plays totally fine but lacks the ingenuity and satisfaction you want.

I couldn’t help but feel that Urban Trial Playground is a blatant quick cash grab to release on Nintendo Switch when there isn’t any competition in the genre.

If you’re easily frustrated you will probably give up way before the four or so hours it takes to beat the game, which is a shame because it’s a title that has something to give.

Type:Rider takes a subject many might consider fairly humdrum and turns it into a beautiful journey through time. Had the platforming been as memorable as the visuals then this could have been something truly special. Instead what you have is a unique idea that needs more focus on the actual gameplay.

You won’t lose your soul to Coffin Dodgers, mainly because there’s little reason to linger for long in Sunny Pines. The premise to this race for your soul does more than enough to catch your interest, but the game lacks enough content to keep it alive.

Once all is said and done, I can’t help but feel like Garage could have been so much more. It has some great aspects, don’t get me wrong, but the potential is there for all to see and maybe some extra development time was what the game needed to finetune certain things. As it is, what you will find is a game that you will have a lot of fun with, but one that also grows repetitive the more you play. I just kept thinking that there are much better games out there that share a lot of the same ideas.

Swap This! is an adorably cute puzzler that’s quick to pick up but like all smartphone games won’t hold your attention for too long. At less than the price of a cup of coffee though you’ll have a hard time finding a game on the Switch that’s as charming or enjoyable for less.

When you’re being chased it’s honestly such a heart-pounding moment. It simply misses the mark in other areas needed to be considered a truly great game.

If you’re a true platform nerd who likes collecting things, then Fox n Forests may be worth looking into. However, if you are seeking a brand new experience in the genre, then you may be left feeling that there’s a little more to be desired.

I walked away from Star Wars: Republic Commando glad that I had played it, but wishing that I’d done so on another console. This Nintendo Switch port simply doesn’t feel finished, which is a big shame considering how well Aspyr has done on pretty much every other Star Wars port. If you’re willing to look past that then there’s a fun, if dated, game here that shows a side of Star Wars that’s rarely focused on in games.

The TakeOver is a good beat em’ up. It doesn’t evolve and expand the genre, and that’s where a feel of disappointment stems. It’s entertaining, the soundtrack is spectacular, the visuals are serviceable, and the campaign is engaging enough to keep you invested for its duration. The lack of online leaderboards and online co-op is disappointing, as the omissions limit the value proposition of the title. If you are looking to experience another beat em’ up on the Nintendo Switch, then The TakeOver is something you should play, but you may feel a bit unsatisfied by what the package offers.

BAFL: Brakes Are For Losers delivers a chaotic, messy multiplayer experience sure to provide a few laughs even if more often than not it’s down to watching others trying to deal with the wild handling of its vehicles. An overall lack of both variety and content, however, prevent this title from reaching its full potential relegating it to a short and shallow distraction.