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.

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.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat may not offer much in the way of fresh content, but its pairing of two of the best co-operative games on Nintendo Switch results in a bundle that’s a heck of a lot of fun and stuffed to point of explosion. As an entry point to the series Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a no brainer but fans who’ve followed the series since its beginnings may want to hold off.

I have no doubt that this port is the best that Apex Legends could be on Nintendo Switch, with Panic Button once again working their magic to optimise the full-featured gameplay experience as well as they could given the scrappy console’s limitations. The port is as undeniably remarkable as it is divisive from a technical standpoint and its competitive heart remains, but the resulting outcome from that concerted effort is an option best left to those who are unable to leap into the action to become a Champion elsewhere.

This isn’t a perfect port to Nintendo Swich, but it’s certainly an impressive one considering the game’s size and Plants vs. Zombies remains as fun to play as it ever was. If you’re looking for a fun hero shooter with plenty of content to sink your teeth into (no zombie-related pun intended) then Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition might just be the game for you.

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.

Replace its lead rabbit with an ape in a red tie and you might even say that Kaze and the Wild Masks is Donkey Kong Country 4 in disguise. But, at the end of the day, its lack of originality doesn’t hurt just how much fun it’s been making my way through this eight or so hour adventure. The Donkey Kong Country trilogy was fun for a reason and Kaze and the Wild Masks serves as an excellent reminder of why that was.

On the whole, the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a tidy and important package of gaming history that really should have been released as a self-contained bundle in the first place. It’s worth bearing in mind that a physical release is promised a little later on down the line, and with this particular collection labelled as a first in a series, it will surely be interesting to see whether or not the next entry in the Neo Geo Pocket Color line-up will skip directly towards a second volume.

While the Nintendo Switch has seen its fair share of Metroidvania titles over its four-year run, Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands strong as one of its best. While the original was already a memorable adventure, Ori and the Will of the Wisps manages to make improvements whilst dazzling with a visual look that somehow manages to be even more eye-catching than before.

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.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a great port of a fantastic, beautiful game that’s just a little bit too bloated with frustrating content for completionists. When it works it really soars above most modern platformers, but much like Crash itself it feels like it has a problem focusing on one thing at once.

Monster Hunter Rise is exceptional. 17 years on, and there still isn’t a gameplay experience that can deliver such tremendously heroic thrills at the same level as this. Evading increasingly crippling blows from a monster desperately fending for its life to managing to capture a monster while on the brink of your own failure, the excitement once the game clicks with you is constant and palpable. Capcom has crated yet another sensational addition to the Nintendo Switch library, which represents portable Monster Hunter at its unrivalled best, an outstanding hunt to set out on and a game that I look forward to playing for many years to come.

It’s certainly not a game for everyone to enjoy and you can get the same basic feel through playing the SNES version with Nintendo Switch Online for free. But for me, and those with an endearing love for the series, Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection does exactly what it meant to do In a genuinely wonderful way. By basically being a Ghosts ‘n Goblins game through and through, created by a team who completely understand the series down to its finest detail.

Thankfully, as an old fan of the series I actually did get quite a kick out of Cyanide and Happiness: Freakpocalypse. Its short length is disappointing, but the fact that I found myself wanting more from the game is probably a good sign of things to come.

The fact that the game takes as long or as short as you make it will make every playthrough feel personalized. It has a staying power that few games like it are able to achieve, which is apparent with just how it practically begs for public discussion. It’s a blast to discuss your progress with your friends, compare how many loops it’s taken you to complete the game, and give each other advice. The flaws are certainly apparent, but Gnosia isn’t necessarily ashamed of them. Gnosia has a specific kind of confidence to it you don’t often see from this medium.

3 out of 10: Season One shows a lot of promise and heart through its humour and characters, even if its short length is disappointing and its gameplay feels a bit superfluous. I’ll certainly be checking out season two whenever that rolls around.

All in all, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium is a fantastic fighting game that genuinely pushed the boundaries of the portable technical limitations of yesteryear. Sure, this pocket-sized, chibi fighter doesn’t hold a candle to the undoubtedly cherished and much missed Capcom vs. SNK 2. But, given what it is, there’s a gorgeous on-the-go throwdown to be had here between mates with all the charm and spirit of the two legendary companies that it represents.

While it attempts to come across as a love letter to classic gaming, all Speed Limit really does is celebrate the poorly impersonated rubbish that nearly collapsed the gaming industry back in the early ’80s.

Blue Fire does a grand job combining fun 3D platforming with a Metroidvania-esque adventure whilst injecting other elements we’ve seen in a number of other franchises before it. While it might not stick the landed with everything it tries – the combat for one – the amount it does get right is enough to make venturing through Penumbra worth your time.

Pokémon Shield is a warm and familiar experience with some interesting twists and ideas thrown into the mix. The presentation left me disappointed – the game still showing its handheld roots – but, the hook of capturing and training Pokémon is as addictive as it has ever been, while the Wild Area teases an exciting new direction for the series.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is easily the best Wii U to Nintendo Switch update we’ve seen yet. The excellent original adventure has seen a number of minor but impactful changes – such as the addition of online play and increased movement speed – but it’s Bowser’s Fury that proves the true highlight combining familiar elements from the likes of Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Odyssey with some exciting fresh ideas. Whatever your familiarity with the Wii U original is, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is an incredible package and a fantastic way to kick off 2021 for the Switch.

Following closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, Little Nightmares II is an indie darling hiding a triple-A development team under the floorboards. It takes the cream of cinematic interpretations of The Ring, Poltergeist, IT and even Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and whisks them further into a butter of pitch-black imagination. It may not steer too far from the apple tree when it comes to evolving its gameplay, but what it does do is dim the lights even lower to carry on the momentum for another satisfying and nerve-wracking experience.

Persona 5 Strikers is my favorite spin-off game in the series. It takes the concepts of one of my favorite games, puts them in a new genre, and has a story that goes above and beyond what was expected from it. Best of all, for those who thought Persona 5 was too long, Persona 5 Strikers is presented in a much more concise package. I hope ATLUS revisits this style of game again because this is a great framework as is and it could only improve further with another attempt to iron out some of the flaws. Koei Tecmo’s adaptation of Persona 5’s aesthetic is quite impressive, they really outdid themselves.

After beating the game in just over 12 hours with still plenty more to explore and achieve, I can happily say that Cyber Shadow has done a stellar job at combining forces that represented the 8-bit era. The feel of the gameplay, the look and style of the visuals, the absurd plot and the wonderful soundtrack contributions of Enrique Martin and Jake Kaufman really does set the mood nicely. The attention to detail even goes as far as adding an optional CRT scanline filter effect met by red ghosting from bad wires. It’s no wonder why Yacht Club Games were so keen to have their name strapped to it.

If you’re after a true sequel to the original Super Meat Boy, then Super Meat Boy Forever will leave you disappointed. While it generally delivers a good and challenging time, the fact its an auto-runner and the procedurally generated nature of the levels hold it back from getting anywhere close to the excellence of the original.

Wingspan is a fine adaption of the physical board game and a much cheaper way of playing it at that. Features like online cross-play, local play and well-explained tutorials make this one of the better board game adaptions to hit the console and hopefully allows Wingspan to reach a much-deserved wider audience in the video gaming world.

It’s by no means very deep, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do – with a few fun little twists along the way, and while managing to come together with a satisfying conclusion. While it’s by no means the best game that I played in 2020, it certainly made the list, and if you’re as much a fan of these same type of unique experiences as I am – I’m willing to bet you’ll find a lot to love about Mad Rat Dead, too.

I think I just have unfortunately played too many other visual novels that tackle what this game set out to do that some of the reveals just didn’t work for me. Many of them do though, and it can be quite emotional and thrilling most of the time. It was nice to finally give Root Double the attention it deserved, even if it took me buying it on two other platforms first. If you enjoy science-themed mystery stories, you should definitely check out Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition.