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.

Dragon Quest XI is, without a doubt, worth a playthrough. Square isn’t lying about Dragon Quest XI S being the ‘definitive edition’ either–if you have a Switch, this version is by far the best one to pick up. If you’re a fan of RPGs, grabbing Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition is a no-brainer, and even if you’ve already played through the game once, it might be worth considering the Switch version for all the new additions.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is a substandard remaster of a game that quite frankly didn’t need it in the first place. The disappointing level design, frustrating boss battles and shallow party games are a sore reminder of just how much this series has fallen since the glory days of the GameCube pair. I want the series back just as much as any fan, but not like this.

On the whole, Close to the Sun is an engaging experience and one that I found hard to put down. It wasn’t always the story that kept me going, it was the overall atmosphere, the claustrophobia of the Helios. Certain moments stayed with me after putting down the controller; hiding behind crates as a crazed man stalked the halls or the dashing jumps made to reach a tram taking me to a new area of the ship. It’s a great homage, but that’s its strongest feature.

By the time the final performance update drops it will be those who snatch the game at a sale price that will ultimately benefit the most. There’s a 1.04 update that is expected by the end of November, and I would bet money that it won’t be the last. It’s a real shame because underneath the stigma of a troubled release and a lost first impression of a polished product, lies a potentially magnificent game that holds true to what it once ambitiously set out to achieve.

It’s a fighting game that doesn’t apologise for its learning curve as it does more than enough to teach the player to improve as long as they are willing to put the effort in. Whether it rivals some of the more famous entries in the genre on the system is of course down to personal preference. Either way, despite a rocky online experience, I had a blast with Skullgirls 2nd Encore on Nintendo Switch. Lab Zero Games truly know how to tune up a decent fighter, and I for one would love to see them revive a new Darkstalkers game that Mike Zaimont has recently been seen playfully pitching across Twitter.

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.

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.

Had the development team put together a point-and-click adventure or platformer set in this world, it would have been much more enjoyable. Because we could focus on a story, we could investigate, see the causes of mutations and inspect why life has been reduced to this ramshackle society. Instead, we’re used to dying in the wastes before being recycled ad infinitum. And what grates the most, is that I wanted to love this game. It has ideas, it has scope, but everything is hidden beneath a smudged ‘CRT’ veneer.

Mario Tennis Aces may well feature the best mechanics the series has seen to date, its new Zone manoeuvres and Trick Shots adding an exciting, madcap layer of depth to the sport. While Adventure isn’t the big single player hook I’d have hoped and some options feel a little too stripped down, it’s the game’s multiplayer that will keep this title a firm favourite for months to come. Golf next please Camelot.

There’s much to applaud about Daemon X Machina. The third-person mech action game delivers an experience unlike any other on Nintendo Switch, thanks to the striking mech designs and red-drenched world merging with combat that can readily thrill in the game’s many large-scale encounters. However, shortcomings such as the convoluted plot and repetition let it down – holding it back from reaching the brilliance that Marvelous nearly achieved.

Make no mistake; Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a good game. With a great variety in themes, inventive bosses, and some really cool small ideas that break up the main gameplay elements. There are just a few things holding it back from being great, such as a massive lack of enemy variation and I do feel that at certain points, the games plays it a little too safe at times. Nevertheless, I had tons of fun playing through and it is an easy recommendation to anybody, as it will appeal to so many different people. Luigi is still my favourite Ghostbuster.

Overland is a truly curious take on the post-apocalyptic genre, its turn-based gameplay turning an otherwise tired setting into something worth your time. You’ll feel vulnerable, desperate, and anxious on your hellish road trip and while that journey might outright frustrate you at times, it’s one you certainly won’t soon forget.

Putting it simply, there is still fun to be had with FIFA 20 Legacy Edition and playing against others online is still a joy. Nevertheless, charging full whack for a game when absolutely no effort went into is out of order. Simply ask yourself this, are new kits and some roster changes worth over £40 to you? If you answered yes, then you have too much money.

On paper, Contra: Rogue Corps should work, and it should work well. It has extravagant weapons, gaudy finishers, and bombs that can destroy every enemy on screen, but none of them gel together to create greatness. It’s the execution and implementation of all these ideas that hold it back from achieving greatness. Instead, they create mediocrity. Can fun be found in Contra: Rogue Corps? Yes. Will it be enough to justify buying the game at full price? No. I didn’t hate my time with Contra: Rogue Corps, but it isn’t something I feel the need to return to anytime soon, either.

Killer Queen Black is an excellent multiplayer game that’s surprisingly enjoyable online but even better when played with friends. While I wish the local options extended to two full teams on a single system, its absence is only one disappointment in an otherwise fantastically fun game.

With the Nintendo Switch lacking in war games and good third-person shooters, the Sniper Elite franchise has managed to fill the void with a well-placed bullet. The setting of Sniper Elite 3 Ultimate Edition is engaging, the campaign is varied, the gyro controls are remarkable, and the experience is entertaining. Sniper Elite 3 Ultimate Edition is an excellent Switch game and one that fans of World War 2 shooters will thoroughly enjoy.

Without a doubt, the best way to experience The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is on a much more powerful system with a top of the range television to match. After all, the game can be found for a much cheaper price on other consoles due to its age. However, that kind of luxury isn’t always practical, and what CD Projekt Red and Saber Interactive have done to make the Nintendo Switch version possible is a stunning achievement in its own right. The premium price tag that marks the game will never feel like it isn’t value for money. That is, assuming the genre is of taste to the player plunging in on the purchase.

I really liked how Valfaris has turned out. Its old school roots of arcade run-and-gun feel nurtured and cared for in a way that freshens the genre up with some great ideas, a balanced difficulty curve, wonderful level design, tight controls and a wide variety of enemies to plow through. It never tries to be anything more than it needs to be, including the time it takes to beat it. It’s the developer’s second chance at a first impression that deserves to make as much noise as the pluck shredding the strings of the electric guitar that used to compose the game’s soundtrack. With a promised Full Metal Mode in the works to ramp up the challenge, I can really see myself venturing back into the intergalactic undergrowth of the dangerous planet known as Valfaris.

There was always going to be the worry that Untitled Goose Game would be a case of all hype without the delivery. Fortunately what we got is a unique, charming and often amusing experience that’s only dampened by some frustratingly tough puzzles and occasionally clumsy controls. It’s far from perfect, sure, but it’s certainly a game I’ll remember with a smile on my face. Honk!

It’s possible for Polygod to be a genuinely fun experience, but the stars must align, and patience must be given. Everything here is interesting and appealing, from the visuals which are bold and sharp, to the base roguelike underneath the gloss. But it comes with a but and a lot of maybes.

Overly familiar in many ways but not without a splash or two of its own inventive ideas. Sure, some are more successful than others but in the end, you’re left with a challenging and reliably entertaining platformer and a great extension of the Yooka-Laylee brand.

The Nintendo Switch may not be riddled with racing simulators, but GRID Autosport has set the benchmark. It caters so well for someone like me who’s a casual racer at best, and it doesn’t take a genius to see how its interface and design has been engineered for petrolhead veterans craving a challenge. It may lack multiplayer out of the gate and be half a decade old at this point, but it’s still a solid racer nonetheless that’s a worthy addition to the hybrid convenience of the Nintendo Switch.

In spite of its repetition, Castle Crashers Remastered is an enjoyable and mindless romp that’s best experienced with four players. While it might not hold up as well against my initial 2008 playthrough there’s enough content and fun still to be had that made revisiting Castle Crashers a nostalgic journey worth taking.

Ori and Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch and is a must-own. It’s an exceptional Metroidvania that successfully blends elements of the platforming genre to create an experience unlike any other. With beautiful visuals, an imaginative setting, flawless gameplay, charming characters, powerful soundtrack, and an emotional narrative, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is one of the best games in the Nintendo Switch software library.

I had my ups and downs with Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. It is an amazing looking game with a brilliant soundtrack to back it up. It has an engaging and touching story and a cast of genuinely likeable and fun characters. The only real downside is the combat. While it is fun and new, to begin with, it slowly starts to lose its appeal the more battles you get into to, to the point where it ends up feeling more like a chore.

The Nintendo Switch is already like a portable ’90s arcade of nostalgia. So, what better way to top it off than have a whole library of Star Wars-themed pinball tables to match. Now all we need are some tables dedicated to some of Nintendo’s finest. In this day and age, surely it has to happen at some point!

It’s probably one of the best looking indie games of the year, accompanied by incredibly effective notes of religious horror. More importantly, minus a few small gripes, it’s still a very enjoyable game to play through. Definitely one to sink into when the clocks go back in time for the dawn of All Hallows Eve.