I came away from finishing Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse with some pretty mixed feelings. I definitely enjoyed what I played, however brief and repetitive it was, but I couldn’t help wishing that this port had seen some adjustments or extra content to the game, or better yet some sort of remake. I wanted to be as big a fan of Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse as I am of other niche titles, but I ended up finding it as a fun, if a bit brainless, time.

It is in local multiplayer, then, that Big Crown Showdown excels, although in its current state that’s by default. Fun, frantic and maddening in places, there’s undeniable potential in the idea that it has been built around, it’s just the execution and, sadly, lack of online interest that sees it fumble short of the finish line.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a worthy sequel to the original game, but might not be the massive improvement some might have hoped. Despite the parts that didn’t feel fully realized, I definitely felt more invested in this than I did with the original Daemon X Machina. I’m glad the developer tried to mix things up from just making another Armored Core-inspired game, and I think the genre shift works more than it doesn’t, but not everything perfectly clicked together. The core gameplay might not be the most deep, but the customization has a real pull to it that carries a lot of the experience, even with an average open-world and an underwhelming story. It’s just hard to deny the frequent technical issues I experienced with the Nintendo Switch 2 version, so I hope these get sorted at some point in the future. In the meantime, it might be worth playing it on another platform.

This is the version of the game they’re selling right now, and it’s just not good enough to play this on Switch 2 over other platforms. I’m hopeful this will eventually be good, so we will see if that happens. Give this one some extra time in the oven before you dive in.

Iro Hero is a decent enough shooter that doesn’t want you to see how good it could be. The lack of continues or any aid in progression will leave newcomers to the genre feeling cold enough to probably put them off altogether. Unless you really want to put a great deal of effort into memorising levels that seem to take forever to complete, the chances are that you will quickly bore at the thought and disregard the idea completely.

Joggernauts is a surprisingly fun take on the auto-scroller but a fairly short one filled with its fair share of frustrating moments. As a single player experience it feels clumsy but gather a group of friends and there’s a good amount of amusement to be had even if most of the time it’s from everyone yelling at each other and trying to orchestrate themselves. A short, simple and laugh-filled time.

The visuals are pretty, and the music is brilliant, but ToeJam and Earl: Back In The Groove! is the same game it was nearly three decades ago. This is fine I suppose, but it feels like more could have been done. It’s an enjoyable experience with friends, but a bit dull on your own. The whole experience is just a bit lackluster when compared to games of today.

Those looking to delve back into their childhood memories may be left feeling a little empty with Wonder Boy Returns Remix. The facelift is practical enough to keep within the flavor of the classic Wonder Boy games, but not including the original game as an option makes this new style seem hollow by default. I was never expecting too much in regards to added features or gameplay improvements. Although, I was more hoping to see a package that would celebrate a piece of gaming history. Instead, what I have been left with is a distant memory masked by a cheap and inferior makeover. That’s not to say that the spirit of the gameplay isn’t present, it just fails to capture the fond timeframe that I remember.

It’s great to see more Taiko no Tatsujin games making their way over to our side of the world but Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack feels like a disappointing step back after the highly enjoyable Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!. The story modes while certainly quirky fumble things when it comes to the RPG elements and a lack of any multiplayer options is simply bewildering but if you’re after another 100 plus more songs to drum and tap away to Rhythmic Adventure Pack has you covered.

Bendy and the Ink Machine is a very intriguing game. It has an incredible visual style that is unique and certainly has some good horror elements going for it, but it, unfortunately, lets itself down in other areas. Straightforward puzzles, unwanted fetch quests and a clunky combat system really hurt the enjoyment in a big way.

The added co-op adds to the value of the game, but the game’s frustrations hamper re-playability. The stripped down nature of the game is part its charm, but can work against it. Sometimes Mugsters’ sandbox just feels a little shallow.

It almost feels unfair to poke away a game that’s all about being chill and just having a good time. I definitely had a fair amount of fun in Skate City, but it never really felt substantial enough to really get stuck in. On a phone, I could definitely see the appeal of jumping into the game whilst sitting on a bus and trying to nail a challenge, but on the Nintendo Switch, I don’t think it fits as well. If you’re looking for a chill skating game with simple mechanics, this might be for you, but if you’re looking for depth and a longer shelf life then I’d wait for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.

But after a while, hitting frogs just doesn't fufill the same amount of happiness that it did when you started.

Visually, the pixel art is wonderful and full of character and the music fits the downbeat tone at work, but the gameplay is too slow to be gripping while the story isn’t pacey or unique enough to inspire wonder at what’s to come, especially because the conceit of the game’s plot seems pretty obvious from the outset. We did hear a car crash before waking up outside reality, after all…

As someone who only recently came to the Dragon Ball franchise, the various storylines and characters felt a little overwhelming at first, but it was great to learn about each of them through the eyes of the central character, who, in essence, is a fan. Everything is larger than life and for those who want to delve into all the tiny intricacies of the battles on top of absorbing the lore, they’ll be in their element. Those of us on the fringes will find a relatively fun game that throws a bit too much at the wall hoping for it to stick.

Regardless of its issues, Liberated shows potential in combining one of the oldest methods in storytelling with the new. Having the gameplay segments fit within the panel of a comic strip is a nice touch, even if the gameplay is average at best. The script is certainly a relevant subject in spite of how many times the idea has been recycled. It’s just unfortunate that, in this case, simply reading the source material would have been a better experience compared to playing it.

Playing through Pumpkin Jack definitely took me back to the days of the original Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube and the plethora of action-adventure games like this that populated those consoles. What that means though is while Pumpkin Jack can be an enjoyable nostalgic trip at times, it also suffers from the same problems those games were guilty of back then namely their simplicity and uneven quality. Pumpkin Jack is charming and atmospheric, sure, but held back by the very games it’s trying to evoke.

Resident Evil 5 isn’t a bad game, it’s just one that was already showing its age on more powerful hardware. This is really one for the Resident Evil fans.

If I had reviewed Resident Evil Zero sixteen years ago, I would have said it was an incredible game, but going back to anything after this long away does not always end well and unfortunately, that is the case here. The controls are a bit wonky, the puzzles are weak and there are some AI issues with the buddy system that can be troublesome. I still, for the most part, enjoyed playing through the game again after all these years, but it is certainly the weakest entry of the ‘classic’ Resident Evil titles.

As fantastic as some of these classics are, Konami’s Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection is barebone in features and presentation. Its price point isn’t too bad though and fits the Nintendo Switch nicely alongside the other classic compilations already on the system. Other than that, you could always play and compare the original Gradius with the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online app as a reminder of how good of a port that version really was.

Although the technical issues are a shame, the game is still technically fully playable without too much issue, and is certainly a lot more interesting than Resident Evil 5. If the Switch is your only option to play Resident Evil 6 then this port will have to do, but it’s a shame that the system can’t quite handle how intense the experience is. Still, if you can accept the technical limitations and the lack of horror here then Resident Evil 6 can deliver a really great time, and can finally be looked at as just another fun anecdote in the history of the series.

Modern Combat Blackout isn’t a bad game, but it isn’t particularly impressive, either. It is a substitute for Call of Duty? No. Is it a fun, budget first-person shooter for Switch? Yes. Modern Combat Blackout delivers an entertaining first-person shooter at an affordable price. The bite-sized missions and short burst game design works well and achieves what it sets out to do. It won’t win any awards or be remembered as one of the Switch’s best first-person shooters, but for those looking for a cheap shooter, Modern Combat Blackout is ready for duty.

You don’t find many games that are this punishing, and I can certainly see why a lot of people would be put off by the trial and error style gameplay. You have no doubt played many titles over the years that were inspired and influenced by Another World. Sure, it may have lost its magic over the last 27 years but that is only to be expected. For what it did for gaming in the early 90’s, it deserves to be experienced nonetheless.

The Jackbox Party Pack series has often proven a reliable source of fun and laughs, every year presenting players with another good excuse to gather everyone together for a few hours of phone-tapping hilarity. Unfortunately, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 feels like somewhat of a letdown, its games, while sometimes entertaining, are unable to capture the true magic we know this series is capable of. Summing things up in one sentence – Tee K.O. 2 is a safe but still fantastic time, Timejinx is a fun time-based trivia, Hypnotorious is enjoyable but inconsistent in its delivery, FixyText is chaotic noise and Dodo Re Mi is uninspired and forgettable.

Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings readily enchants with a charming story and some fantastical worlds to explore. But, while the game’s greatest strength lies in the depths of its alchemy system, Gust has failed to have thrown enough new ingredients into their murky cauldron to innovate on the experience as much as has been seen in what came before. What we’re left with is a rather average concoction.

Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a decent little platformer albeit a rather straightforward one. Its combination of old-school Pac-Man grid-based gameplay and linear but varied worlds are entertaining enough to get you through its 10 or so hour adventure, but the rather plain level design and occasionally clunky movement also reveal a game limited by its original PlayStation roots.

Chasm doesn’t quite have its own identity, as it borrows so much from other games and while it does them decently, it’s not best in class. The randomly generated level layout, which is the games one unique feature, actually ends up being its biggest weakness. Maybe I am being a little too unkind, as I did have fun playing, but I just feel like it could have been so much more and that’s what bothers me the most. It’s a decent enough tribute to those games of yesteryear, but that’s its problem, as it ends up being yet another Metroidvania title.

Not many games have quite stumped me with opposing thoughts in the same way as Narita Boy has, as I constantly questioned myself over what kind of lasting impression it gave me. On one hand, the visual and audio beauty of it all stayed with me for days, while on the other hand, I couldn’t shake off how everything was all clouded over by gameplay that never quite reaches its full potential.