The long and short of it is that if you’re a fan of Nickelodeon and Smash, this is absolutely worth it, but it might take some time to flesh out the sturdy fighting skeleton with some Mr Meaty.

Tetris Effect: Connected is an incredible experience top to bottom whether playing alone or with others in the newly added competitive modes. Its effortless blending of stunning visuals and euphoric music make this so much more than just a mere puzzle game though. It’s a sensory overload, an uplifting journey and even an emotional one at times where every moment spent is nothing short of mesmerising.

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.

Metroid Dread stands as a phenomenal achievement. From project dormancy to becoming a sci-fi spectacle, MercurySteam has delivered a Game of the Year contender that’s quite capable of unleashing a Charge Blast to keep away the competition. A game like this deserves to be celebrated, and I can only hope that it has continued to lay the groundwork for more adventures with the intergalactic bounty hunter to come.

After years of mediocrity for AiAi and the crew, there was always the worry SEGA might drop the ball when it came to a Super Monkey Ball 20th anniversary celebration. Thankfully, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a great remaster of the series’ best years packed full of content and given a handsome facelift. The major downgrade of the much-loved Monkey Target aside, there’s still plenty of fun to be had here fan or newcomer.

Sonic Colours Ultimate might offer a few extra bells and whistles over the Wii original but with it a bunch of bugs and rough edges too. It’s a real shame, as SEGA had a chance to take what remains one of the hedgehog’s best 3D adventures to date and make it even better. In the end, what we wound up with is a messy update that gets the job done but that’s about it.

I don’t think Bustafellows is perfect, but it nails most of what it aims for. The story is engaging, but the character drama and hilarious dialogue are what sell the experience. The production value makes it a visual treat, and it was so nice to play an Otome that never dropped my attention. Previously I’d considered Collar X Malice to be the best introductory Otome, but that’s now been dethroned. I still like that game, but this was such a wonderful experience. Apparently a “Second Season” is in the works that claims to be more than the traditional Otome fandisk. I honestly can’t wait, I hope for both a localization of that game after it comes out and more Otome games from PQube.

Well, it’s been an emotional ride from start to finish, and while DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One felt like a testing hill sprint to the top, The Ancient Gods – Part Two felt more like a fun whack-a-mole cooldown decline that the players deserve. Those who want to be tested until the very end may want to turn the difficulty up a notch for this one. Unless, of course, you’re already a relentless ultra nightmare DOOM-slaying beast.

Even if I prefer the original game and its simplicity compared to Spelunky 2, I’d still argue that you’re getting one of the best roguelikes of all time here. That core theme of learning that I ranted and raved about in the original Spelunky review is right here front and centre, it’s just a little harder to parse with so much going on. If the worst thing anyone can say about Spelunky 2 is that it’s just a tiny bit less perfect than Spelunky, I think that’s a pretty good outcome.

I honestly didn’t think I could love Spelunky any more than I already did, but to see it translated so perfectly to a console that feels made for it is the icing on the cake. Spelunky is now available to pretty much everyone, and if I can teach you one thing from this review, it’s that you need to go and play it. It’s a modern masterpiece that you’ll never unlearn.

Monster Train: First Class is a hugely fun roguelike deck-builder whose ideas and mechanics remain satisfying and exciting whether you’re one hour in or thirty. This is one train ride you won’t want to miss.

WarioWare: Get It Together! proves there’s plenty more fun left in the tank for his wonderfully zany series. Playing as the characters themselves is an unexpected direction but one that works brilliantly while the introduction of co-operative play creates an entirely new and exciting experience that I hope we see more of. WarioWare: Get It Together! once more delivers an experience unlike anything else out there, let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another ten years for the next.

KeyWe successfully takes the fairly mundane environment of a telepost office and turns it into something fun and exciting. By injecting plenty of surprises, silliness and satisfying puzzles KeyWe is a real joy through all three of its seasons just so long as you have a second kiwi by your side.

No More Heroes 3 is bloody, violent, crude, insane and even confusing at moments and it’s an experience I found myself having a great time with right up to closing credits. Performance issues can’t weigh down what is a truly exciting rollercoaster ride of a game and arguably Travis Touchdown’s best outing to date.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel quickly became one of my favorite hidden gems of the year. Few things taint an overall excellent RPG experience. It was one of those rare games that was so engaging that it actually made me not want to play it, just because I know I’d be spending hours hooked to the wonderfully exhausting gameplay loop. That sounds like a negative, but if you’re used to this genre you’d know that’s extremely high praise. The music, visuals, and gameplay all come together for a package that’s hard to put down. Fuga: Melodies of Steel is the kind of risk we should praise in this industry, and if you like RPGs that aren’t afraid to make bold design choices it deserves to be in your library.

At its heart, art of rally is a solid racing experience with a good assortment of cars to try, tracks to tackle and handling that’s both challenging yet satisfying. Unfortunately, the visuals struggle massively on Nintendo Switch resulting in a game that looks fine at best and barren at worst. This is easily the weakest version of the game and if you own an Xbox Series or PC you’re better off going for those superior versions.

It’s endlessly charming, has an in-depth combat system that feels great to learn, and constantly goes above and beyond what the original did. I am praying that it sees the success it deserves, because this wonderful world can’t end here.

Like with all of the best gaming experiences, I ended my time with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles feeling satisfied… yet painfully empty. Games this special don’t come out often. I was sad to see it eventually end, yet honored to be a part of the adventure.

In an age where there’s an abundance of polished 2D indie platformers, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX may not reach the same impact that the original once did. Nonetheless, this game is an adoring love letter by a team who undoubtedly shared a similar nostalgic childhood memory that I will always personally share and cherish. While a fancy lick of paint and some quality of life features will unlikely ever quite capture the magic that once made the original experience so special, Jankenteam has done its absolute best to beautifully repaint a classic that deserves to be remembered and retold.

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.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD stands as the definitive way to experience the origins of the Master Sword. To this day, there’s still nothing else quite like it – from the strategic swordplay to Nintendo’s unrelentingly inventive puzzle design – and while it excels in its playful experimentation, the game represents a stepping stone to where the series would lead in the future as much as it delivers an origin story that allows you to discover the secrets of the past. Ultimately, it is still a memorable quest worth setting out on, and one that is now more resplendent than ever before.

Out of all the Mana games I’ve played this is easily the best one. There are so many reasons to revisit it thanks to how open progression is. Your natural curiosity is rewarded around every turn, and your choices actually shape the world. I can see how my playthrough could differ greatly to that of someone else’s, and I’m excited to continue to revisit it throughout the years. I hope this is the template Square is basing their next console Mana game on, because this is truly something special. Even if it isn’t though, I’m happy enough that the bar for remastering sprite-based games has been raised once again.

Whether you’re planning on grabbing the Year One Season Pass, DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition or purchasing both halves of the downloadable content individually, The Ancient Gods – Part One is a worthwhile half a dozen or so hours investment. It may at first set the initial impression to expect more of the same. However, the ever-interesting level design wrapping around some very clever and incredibly testing gunplay scenarios consistently deters it from rarely ever feeling that way.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was practically a perfect game when it launched, and here we’ve got a port that gets everything that worked about it and makes it portable – with only a few small concessions. If you’ve played it before, it’s absolutely worth being able to play it wherever you go, and if you haven’t given them a chance until now then the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic platform to do so.

Still, even though I arguably enjoyed my time with this version a little less, it’s still a great port of a great game that more people need to play. If you can play it in a slightly more stable format then I’d still recommend that, but if you can’t or fancy pretending to be an alien wherever you are, then this is a great way to play.

Reflecting on my time with Mario Golf: Super Rush it’s hard not to draw comparisons with 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces. Just like that game, the story mode once again lacks punch leaving little (outside online) to keep lone players occupied. That being said, new modes Speed Golf and Battle Golf are fantastic additions and the mechanics at play continue the series trend of offering an accessible and highly satisfying golfing experience. Get some friends together and Mario Golf: Super Rush is a hole in one.

Despite how generic Saviors of Sapphire Wings felt, it’s a mostly solid DRPG. I wouldn’t recommend either of these for a newcomer, mainly because Saviors of Sapphire Wings is largely uninspired and Stranger of Sword City Revisited can be extremely challenging. However, for people who already enjoy what these types of games have to offer, Stranger of Sword City Revisited is a must-play. The striking art style, unique setting, and plenty of depth in its core mechanics will keep people coming back for more. The ports are good, and you’ll be sure to have a fun time with at least one of these if you’re a fan of the genre. The package is a little lacking, and there are much better DRPGs, but it is worth playing all the same.

The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection definitely proves that there is still a place in the modern-day for Ryu Hayabusa. Just don’t go expecting a Halo: The Master Chief Collection-style package full of version comparisons and celebrations of Team Ninja’s mascot. Just think of it more like a scattered Super Mario 3D All-Stars type deal with far less effort involved.