Monark proves itself to be an interesting, low-budget take on an SRPG, combining its Persona influences with original ideas to make for a compelling experience. Risky, rewarding combat, a creepy atmosphere, and an interesting story make this one easy to recommend, but things like the low-quality graphics, repetitive environments, and nonexistent enemy variety keep it from ever approaching greatness. We’d recommend Monark to any SRPG enthusiasts (especially those that are sick of fighting on a grid) or fans of the old-school SMT and Persona games. It may not have nailed its execution, but Monark is an experience that we think is still worth your time.

Grapple Dog isn't quite perfect. We feel that more could have been done with the grapple itself, as it's a little restrictive in its application. A less friendly, more freeform approach would interfere to an extent with the tight level design, but it would still be cool for speedrunners if the grapple really let them cut loose. That's pretty nitpicky, though, because developer Medallion does precisely what it sets out to do — deliver an unpretentious platformer that's a hell of a lot of fun to play.

If you’re a fan of this now very old series, you might find Sol Cresta’s mould appealing. It’s certainly fun to improve, win shields, and prolong your survival by grabbing back lost ships; and to be able to whip your craft into formation and quickly destroy bosses with a countdown of powerful ordnance — and the audio is sublime. At the same time, with all of its interesting ideas, one can’t help but feel that there are elements here that need more polish and careful implementation. There are very few memorable boss attacks, and while some stage junctures are somewhat shrewd, others come off as ill-conceived or uninspired. By no means is that to say it’s unenjoyable — there is a definite groove within its visual mess that becomes clearer over time as you chip away at the interesting core gameplay — but the fact of the matter is that Sol Cresta is up against a wealth of extremely steep competition, and to stand out it needs to be hitting the all-important notes with greater finesse.

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a poor Switch port of a disappointing entry in the long-running spin-off series. This is a hugely downgraded version of the game, with seriously dialled-back visuals failing to put a stop to consistent frame rate issues during the heat of battle. With a lack of gameplay modes, zero multiplayer options, terrible AI and cosmetic customisation options gone AWOL at launch — Koei Tecmo choosing instead to go the DLC route — this is a truly lacklustre package, a bargain bin affair with a premium price tag, and a Dynasty Warriors game you can feel quite comfortable skipping entirely.

Honestly, it's tempting to give Powerslave a 10 just for being available again, but no. That would, of course, be naughty. Here it is, though, in even more than all its glory — a brilliant, beautiful reworking that captures the very essence of what made it so awesome back in the day while giving the best of both the Saturn and PlayStation's distinct versions. For such a prototypical take on Metroid Prime, it's alarming and impressive just how much confidence Powerslave Exhumed shows in its design, making it the best kind of retro game — one that's even better today with full knowledge of how ahead of its time it really was. An easy recommendation to FPS fans of any vintage, Powerslave Exhumed will keep you playing and playing, searching for those last niggling secrets.

Many of the avoidable snags found in GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon were solved by genre predecessors long before this game was announced. There is no doubt that in a few patches time this could be a fantastic game — but that's if Konami, which hasn't been in many gamer's good books for a long time, actually grants the development team the time and the funding to work on it. As it stands the game could end up being something special, the trouble is other similar Switch titles already are.

While Infernax is tough, it's resolutely fair — you can't really make the game 'easy', but you can absolutely mitigate the difficulty or take a break doing something else when you get stuck. Don't expect a simple ride, though, and don't expect to take the right decisions on a first playthrough - not that anything seems particularly 'right' in this beautifully bloody little world. It's only familiarity that lets Infernax down — there's nothing really new here, but it's all done and delivered so well that you won't really care unless you're desperate for a completely fresh experience. In which case why play a faux-retro NES throwback to begin with? A cut above most efforts in the subgenre, Infernax both demands and requires attention.

Don’t be put off too much by its smart device origins — Egglia Rebirth is an enjoyable and charming RPG that’s a delight to experience on Switch. The bite-sized levels make this one easy to pick up and play, while the ongoing barrage of new quests, friends, and levels keep giving you good reasons to come back for more. It must be said that the gameplay can feel a little shallow on extended sessions and the constant presence of timers can sometimes make it feel like a weird fit for a console. However, if you’re a fan of Legend of Mana or are just looking for a light RPG that doesn’t require too much mental investment, Egglia Rebirth is a solid title we can recommend.

Maglam Lord has a lot of potential, but you'll need to stick it out and try to squeeze some joy from its repetitive combat system and stale dungeon design. Along with its writing, an excellently drawn cast of characters — who can be recruited and romanced through the dating mechanic — offer shining moments in an otherwise unremarkable action-JRPG. The potential is certainly there for something special, and the game's visual cues for possible results of dialogue options removes much of the guesswork common in other games, but the execution falls flat in the combat department and holds back the enjoyable visual novel elements of this package from being as good as they could be.

That's the key with this game — it's addictive but most importantly simple, immersive fun. A reminder that getting hooked on a game can be due to its design rather than complexity or realism. There are a few flaws — the game has an obsession with fumbles that give you possession on your opponent's 18-yard line, and opposition coaches never seem to use time outs to help their chances. But as a game to play regularly in short bursts, or occasionally in longer sessions, Retro Bowl is a hoot. It's backyard football disguised as the NFL in 8-bit form... and that's brilliant.

Swords & Bones needs to be approached and scored based around several key details, including whether you enjoy Ghosts’n Goblins or Castlevania-style platforming, as well as indie takes on the theme. If the answer is ‘yes’ to these metrics, then Swords & Bones comfortably earns its modest price tag. It has near zero replay value once completed and tied in a bow, and it’s neither deep or surprising; but it is, undoubtedly, a fun way to kill three hours with a talented gang of bedroom coders. If that sounds appealing, the negligible investment will be money well spent.

OlliOlli World takes Roll7's refined 2D skateboarding concept to cosmic heights. Tight and challenging gameplay, a high skill ceiling, dozens of hours of content, and a remarkably stylish sense of presentation combine to make this a release you absolutely don’t want to miss. It's an easy recommendation to pretty much any Switch owner, especially those who are easily roped in by score-chasing releases or super hard platforming, OlliOlli World is a shining example of the distinct kind of innovation and quality that can come from inspired indie game studios.

Overall, this is the best Sherlock Holmes game we've encountered and a very auspicious debut for the consulting detective on Switch. This is far from a lazy downgrade, with developer Frogwares presenting a full-featured and compelling experience from start to perhaps-too-soon finish. It looks great and plays brilliantly, with only occasional annoyances and some weak (though thankfully skippable) puzzles to knock it down a peg. The fact that the game is willing to allow you to get it wrong means it feels less prescribed and inevitable as other titles in the detective genre, and that's quite refreshing. A little ironic that it took one of the form's oldest characters to finally land such a novel approach.

The Artful Escape is a thrill. It’s true that the most joyous bits of action are underused – in terms of both playtime and what they could give the story – and some scarce but present graphical issues on Switch are a shame. Overall, though, the strengths are major, the niggles minor, and it will strike a chord with any pipe-dreaming rock star.

The whole thing is presented well enough with a nice clean art style and some entertaining voice samples, which should have kids smiling. The scrolling is a little on the choppy side, which can be a little distracting, but we dare say eight-year-olds are less likely to notice (not that this excuses it, of course). The main issue we have with the game is that its tracks lack diversity. While there are 40 courses in total, in reality these are just four different environments with 10 different layouts each, meaning once you’ve done one four-race GP you know exactly what to expect from the other nine. It’s also very easy – experienced players will have everything unlocked within 90 minutes, but of course it isn’t aimed at experienced players.

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 is far from a groundbreaking game, but it certainly is an enjoyable one. The tightly designed levels and snappy controls make for a thoroughly enjoyable action side-scrolling experience, though this comes with the major caveat that the whole experience is really only a few hours long and it's very much more of the same. At any rate, we’d give this one a strong recommendation to any fans of the Gunvolt series or run-and-gun games in general; there may not be much of it, but Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 absolutely nails what it sets out to do.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the result of Game Freak learning lessons for 25 years, refining the formula, and finally taking the franchise in a new, incredible, exciting direction. With its emphasis on extremely rewarding exploration, addictive catching mechanics, a fine roster of Pokémon and a genuine sense of scale that’s unlike anything in the series, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is quite simply one of the greatest Pokémon games ever made.

Vagante is, at times, an impressive game that feels incomplete. There is no denying the incredible amount of dedication that the team put into certain aspects, especially into the visuals and variety of upgrades available, but there isn’t enough of a game here to make it all come together into a complete package. The combination of a short adventure, the lack of any story, arbitrary difficulty, and minimal tutorials makes for a hard recommendation. The Nintendo Switch has plenty of incredible roguelikes and run-based indie games, and your time is better spent on them than Vagante.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is an odd game to recommend. Those of you who have never played before may want to check it out—it’s free after all—but even at that lowest of prices the barrier to entry is so great that it can feel like getting stuck into this one isn’t really worth the effort it would take. Those of you who have a longer history with Yu-Gi-Oh! will have a much better time getting into it and climbing the ranks, but then you were probably going to play this game regardless of reviews. At any rate, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has all the foundations of a potentially great online card-battler, and though it has its issues — at least at launch — it’s definitely worth checking out if you've got the fortitude to stick with it.

The ultimate M-KAI package, this three-strong historical evolution is the purest distillation of the developer’s vision for the shoot-em-up. Eschatos’ beautiful bombast will suck you in, fire up the adrenaline, and spit you back out with an instant just-one-more-go mindset. If that’s not worth diving into, why are you playing games at all?

Blackwind is as utilitarian as a bank statement and painfully middle-of-the-road. It’s tough to recommend that you play this game because we can scarcely remember anything notable about it from our own playthrough. Yet at the same time, it doesn’t actually do anything egregiously wrong to make it instantly destined for the garbage bin. If you’re looking for an entirely unremarkable and unoriginal sci-fi themed hack ‘n’ slash, Blackwind certainly ticks those boxes. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a meaningful way to spend your limited time and hard-earned money, this ain’t it. We won’t go so far as to say that you should definitely give Blackwind a pass, but we'd understand entirely if you did.

With Windjammers 2, Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way. The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevvy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings. Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, and we've yet to see how online fares here, but this is another banger from Dotemu, an all-time classic improved upon, an arcade classic refined for a new generation.

A bit of an interesting paradox, then; it's difficult to recommend Shadow Man Remastered to those who haven't played the game before, while — at the same time — if they do wish to check it out, this is absolutely the only way we'd recommend doing so. It's a sterling port, rich with new and restored content, improved visuals, copious customisation and almost-flawless performance; it runs at 60fps locked with only the very occasional hitch. Shadow Man has never been a masterpiece, but it is a clear labour of love with plenty to offer those willing to endure its more aged mechanics and structural curiosities. We can only hope that plenty will have the patience to do so.

While staying true to the series that it extends, Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll / Fantasy brings so many different experiences in a single shmup that it may as well be a compilation release — and unlike the arcade versions, it is all presented in English language. The more time you give it, the more the replay value snowballs. The faults to be found are few and far between, while sharp level design and a joyful, even mischievous personality define Success’ latest. Simply put, Cotton Fantasy has a lot of fun to give.

Although rough around the edges, Radirgy Swag will please existing fans, certainly win some new ones, and probably land cold for everyone else. It was never expected to be a mass market hit, which is why it’s a positive that the series has found a western audience, small as it may be. If you’re a shmup fan looking for something out of the ordinary, its system of power-up juggling and reckless shield regeneration might just be your ticket. It requires some initial legwork, but once it clicks it really cooks.

As good as it ever was and now incredible value, SNK Vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash is still essential. Obviously the card-based gameplay isn't going to appeal to everyone, but at this asking price we'd say it's worth a go even if card games usually turn you off, especially if you dig SNK/Capcom's extensive character rosters. Many, many series are represented here and everything you need to learn to play is available in the scanned manual as well in-game via tutorials. Let it get its hooks into you and you've got a bit of a masterpiece here, and we're absolutely delighted that it's graced the Nintendo Switch with its excellence.

Other than the touch controls, this is pretty much the same game you’ve played countless times before and we can assure you it’s the same one that will come out in yet another few months. Some other notable changes can be found in the chilly winter theming of the menus you navigate and the new foray into *checks notes* Drum and Bass music for the main menu theme. Other than that, it’s another few hundred nonogram puzzles just like the last several hundred nonogram puzzles. But who are we kidding, at least this one is, er, innovative in how it boldly introduces an all-new control scheme — one which, admittedly, returns from the (3)DS era of the long-running series. At this rate, we might even get HD rumble support in another four years when we get Picross S15. Imagine what that would feel like! Anyways, you should buy this game.

Astroneer is a wonderfully scrappy game that's been polished up since initial release in 2016 to become the best version of itself yet on the Nintendo Switch. It will, at times, frustrate you with its genial jank, and wrestling with its unpredictable physics and easily-distracted camera might suck some of the joy out of it, but if you love Minecraft, Terraria, No Man's Sky, and Subnautica, you'll surely love this, too.

Ultimately, we found 12 Minutes to be a trite adventure that squanders its initial intrigue almost instantly. We can see how someone else might get a kick out of its star-studded silliness, but in a gaming landscape littered with time loop games, we found this one extremely tedious at best.

Dreamscaper really is rather good; this is a game that certainly deserves more attention than it’s received. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in heart. A surprisingly emotional story, rewarding progression system, snappy combat, and painterly visuals make for an experience that we’d suggest you give a serious look.

It's tricky to review games like this, especially re-releases where many will already know if they want it. The Telltale formula hadn't been scaled back to "interactive cinema" yet, so you're dealing with clunky puzzles and somewhat clunky delivery of clunky comedy, but you might love it. In a sense, each to their own. As a port it's difficult to fault, but as a game it's really no great shakes. But then again, if you dig that lagomorph, it doesn't need to be.

Hollow 2 could - and should - have been a vast improvement on the first game. With poor visuals and gameplay that frankly feels like a chore to play, there’s little here to convince anyone looking for a new FPS on the Switch. There are small hints of a good game bubbling under the surface, and perhaps with more time and diligence this could have seen the light of day. As it stands, Hollow 2 fails to address the glaring issues from its predecessor and should be left well alone.

Dungeon Munchies is the kind of game that feels like it might be good in another two or three years. Despite the shoddy visuals, awful performance, sloppy movement mechanics, and unoriginal crafting systems, it feels like there could be a good game somewhere in here. With a few tweaks, this combat system might have some promise, and the core loop of crafting—fighting—repeat seems like an interesting riff on the main idea of Monster Hunter. Unfortunately, that potential has yet to fully present itself here — this is an Early Access release with all the issues and lack of cohesion that implies. We’d recommend you pass on Dungeon Munchies, and instead suggest either looking into Dead Cells or Dragon: Marked for Death. There are some quality traits here, but it’s not enough to redeem Dungeon Munchies.

The House in Fata Morgana is over 40 hours long, and in those 40 hours, you'll maybe get to make about three decisions. It is a visual novel in the strictest sense of the word, and you must be prepared for that going in. But with a fantastic, original, slow-burn story about love, loss, hurt, forgiveness, and recovery, it's one of the best visual novels out there — and your patience will be paid off in the end.

As an adventure game, Chicory is quite sincerely up there with the very best of the genre. There’s plenty to see and do and a full completion run will probably take you 25-30 hours. The characters and their travails are rich and likeable, the game’s sense of humour is generally inspired, and it’s all very sweet without being sugary-twee and talking down to the player. It’s also an affecting little tearjerker that will definitely strike a chord if you make art, and almost certainly will even if you don’t – so long as you’re capable of pretty basic empathy. Chicory is simple to play but impressively long and complex, with perfect controls, performance and visuals. Throw yourself into painting the world and you’ll be left with a game that’s very much your own and speaks to you directly – a beautiful marriage of mechanics, themes and visuals.

Wytchwood is a crafting game, through and through — and a good one. It smartly puts its focus purely on the act of gathering materials to create a wide range of objects, with little else to distract from the core crafting mechanic. It’s backed up by a great soundtrack and a reasonably well-told but ultimately forgettable tale as you trawl through the various areas searching for ingredients. Trying to locate specific items can at times feel exhausting and drags down the pacing of the game, and the gorgeous visuals are unfortunately hampered by a slight frame rate jitter. Ultimately though, Wytchwood is a relaxing and addictive jaunt into the world of crafting.

If you’re going to release something titled Valis: The Phantasm Soldier Collection it’s not unreasonable to expect it to contain a full complement of Valis games, even if only for one format. Unfortunately, those hoping for a one-stop Yuko (and friends) shop are going to be disappointed. What's here is delivered in a no-nonsense, serviceable fashion, and newcomers may well fall in love with the action heroine’s slightly awkward games... only to find they’re missing the final entry.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth doesn’t take too long to beat — even the most curious/thorough/careful player is unlikely to go over the 10-hour mark — but when the adventure’s this much fun and as densely packed with creativity, does it matter? At the end of it all you’re far more likely to feel satisfied than short-changed, and Deedlit’s tale is a surprisingly touching one regardless of how much or little you already know about Lodoss. If you're after something with the flavour of Symphony of the Night that doesn't feel like a shallow knock-off, this is a fine alternative.

Although there’s nothing here that hasn’t been seen previously, this is still a package bursting at the seams with content, and the sequel’s novelty Christmas theme is perfect for memorable December gaming. Driven by an excellent set of punchy organ arrangements and murky musical notes, Deathsmiles I & II is a very large Halloween-themed cake; an exuberant, gothic flourish punctuated by enduring bosses and a unique route-and-rank structure that encourages experimental replays. With little middle ground between casual and concerted professional play, it might not be Cave’s most balanced piece of work, but there’s no doubt it has something for everyone, no matter how you choose to approach it.

Let’s Sing 2022 is a reasonably fun, reliable new entry to a series that continues to play it safe. There’s a decent selection of songs on offer, but with a distinct lack of variety, the only other option is to purchase additional five-song packs, which feels a little bit icky. Truth be told, though, it’s likely you’ll already know whether or not Let’s Sing 2022 is up your alley, and for those willing to take a shot on this latest entry, it does enough to provide plenty of fun and laughs — provided you’re able to play with friends and family.

There are plenty of modes to enjoy here, most prominently the online multiplayer which allows public and private rooms. Taking your learned game out into the world is a rush, even when you realise everyone's ten times better than you — cross-platform multiplayer is apparently in the works for next year. The central career mode is a blast, too, with its different challenge types each teaching you different skills that you'll need for the main racing events. Ring runs that see you rolling through, well, rings, checkpoint gates that you have to skip — it's all clever stuff. Marry this simple but full-featured gameplay with an enormous skill ceiling to the rock-solid 60 fps frame rate and you're onto something of a winner. There's even a Daily Track mode so you never need to stop. Super Impossible Road is a strong effort and a pleasant surprise.

Solo developer Jonas Manke has aimed for the comfort of an easy-in-every-way game and hit the mark. The play feel of the later game and gorgeous environments are what lift it above a paint-by-numbers explore-em-up. It will test neither your skill nor your patience, with solid execution that respects the player’s time. While there’s little to blow you away, there’s lots to impress, delivered confidently and without asking much in return.

A bijou Doctor Who experience, Edge of Reality is impressively dedicated to the beloved TV show but unfortunately suffers in its transition from VR exclusive to traditional console game. Limited inputs and fetch-questy scenarios hardly inflame the imagination and it's not until the game's last quarter that things start to feel more tailored for the Switch — because they are. It's too short and there aren't enough clear save points (we lost a fair amount of progress when we quit during the first area to play something else and it simply hadn't saved the game yet) but the fact that performance is so all over the place is Edge of Reality's main issue, and one that will absolutely affect your enjoyment of an otherwise serviceable adventure. Overall, it's the most cautious of recommendations to Doctor Who fans, then. Everyone else almost certainly need not apply.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a smartly designed and truly delightful revitalization of the falling block puzzle genre. High intensity, combat-driven gameplay, oodles of replayability, a cute art style, and a surprising amount of depth make this one a ridiculously easy recommendation. If you’re at all a fan of Shovel Knight or falling block puzzlers, you owe it to yourself to give this a shot; even if you don’t fall neatly into either of those camps, we’d still very much suggest you give this one a look.

Loop Hero proves to be a fascinating and creative take on an RPG, distilling the genre down to its most important gameplay elements and throwing in some fresh ideas. Though some may be put off by the obviously repetitive nature of the core gameplay, Loop Hero is a consistently rewarding and engaging game that’ll easily get its hooks in you. The light deckbuilding elements, anti-tower defense gameplay, and solidly paced loot system make Loop Hero easy to love and we’d give this one a high recommendation to anyone interested in trying something a little different.

Life is Strange: True Colors is the best game in the series so far, without a doubt. The town of Haven Springs is full of excellent characters, with Alex Chen herself being one of the best protagonists we’ve seen in some time. The game does suffer from some pretty severe visual downgrades with the Switch release, and some of the additional minigames left us feeling a bit cold. Nevertheless, developer Deck Nine has crafted a fantastic narrative that you’ll be eager to see through to the very end. Reduced visual fidelity aside, Switch is a great place to experience True Colors.

Both Monster Rancher games are fun throwbacks and this package is a tribute to a series that arguably never got the love it deserved, especially in Europe. Retro gamers and those who enjoy finding hidden gems should definitely consider picking up Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX for a taste of late-'90s non-Pokémon monster battling. Once you get your head around the unusual controls and the dated presentation, there's lots to like here — and it feels like nothing else released before or since. Go in expecting to make mistakes and stumble through some of the gameplay features and there is plenty of fun to be had.

Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition is a fine remaster of a 3DS game that many may have missed the first time around. For players both young and old who love the classic Disney characters, spending time in Castleton may well prove a joyous experience. Some aspects — chiefly the poor character creation tool and rather basic combat — could have done with a bit more TLC in this updated version, but if you’re after a decent life simulation game, this is a nice Disney-flavoured addition to an already-thriving genre.

Resurrection is arguably one of the best of its genre even after all these years and a lot of competition (plenty of it coming from developer Cave themselves). It’s relentlessly challenging, breathlessly inventive and exhilarating to play; an essential purchase for confirmed shmup fans. But it’s also one that needs you to do a lot of homework to get anything meaningful out of it.

Repentance by name, and wonderful, welcome repentance by nature, this expansion is an apology for what became of Isaac and a promise to do better — a promise that it very much delivers on.

Is BloodRayne 2 a better game than its predecessor? Absolutely. Is it a game that you need in your collection? Eh. Tighter controls, better level design, and more enjoyable combat make BloodRayne 2 far and away the superior entry in the series, but it loses a lot of its luster when stacked up against contemporaries like Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, or the original God of War. There are worse things you could buy for twenty dollars, but this is the kind of unremarkable game that you play once and then never again. If you have a special affinity for the more simplistic and occasionally messy game design of the era, BloodRayne 2 may be worth a shot, but even then we’d suggest you wait for a sale.

We won’t mince words here, BloodRayne is a joyless and frustrating experience that’s a complete waste of both your time and money. The combat is dull, the level designs are uninteresting, the graphics are merely passable, and all of this is dragged down even further by rampant performance problems and crashing issues. The value BloodRayne has in modern video game discourse is largely as an interesting reminder of how far we’ve progressed in game design over the past couple decades. We’d recommend you give this one a hard pass; if you’re looking for a horror-tinged, combat heavy adventure featuring a titillating and badass female lead, we’d recommend you go with Bayonetta instead.

Archvale is a triumphant bullet-hell/RPG genre mashup. Although you could argue its similarity to one or two recent releases, it trumps the competition with incredibly slick combat, simple and satisfying progression, and varied environments and enemies. The difficulty ramps up heavily as you progress to the later levels, so the inability to change difficulty on-the-fly may prove a bit of an issue for some players. Push through, however, and you’ll find Archvale to be one of the most satisfying twin-stick games available right now.

Nonetheless, Beyond a Steel Sky magically brings its 1994 ancestor back to life. The style, the humour, the chirpy dystopia are all revived. However, a lot has happened since that first golden age of adventures, and if you want a creative addition to the indie-fuelled inventiveness of the modern genre then you should look elsewhere. This is a game that remembers exactly how great things were in 1994, but isn’t much interested in how great they were last week.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a fun little romp which doesn’t have ideas above its station and presents its brain-teasers in a more lighthearted, rowdier manner than Dr. Kawashima's friendly but sterile style. This isn’t the kind of marriage between gameplay and (for lack of a better term) ‘work’ that you’ll find in Ring Fit Adventure, but it’s a greatly enjoyable and budget-friendly way to keep up the little pitter-patter of grey matter for all ages.

Danganronpa Decadence is a very fine package that delivers a trio of deliciously devious and salacious murder mysteries, plus a grindy side-game we can live without. The main games here are funny, dramatic and pretty problematic, so exercise some caution — this is resolutely not a game for kids, but even adults will struggle with some of its less savoury or more overtly brash, thoughtless content. If they sound at all appealing, though, we urge you to check the games out for yourself, as they're classics in the visual novel genre. Trigger Happy Havoc offers a memorable Killing Game with fantastic characters and a genuinely funny and smart script. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is even sicker and more delightfully disturbing than the marvellous original; it doesn't match its predecessor in some ways but makes up for its shortcomings in others. Our favourite is definitely the epic third game, though — go in blind and we promise you'll be in for the ride of your life.

Clockwork Aquario has been a long time coming, but it was definitely worth the wait. An obvious labour of love, this ill-fated arcade gem has been improbably recovered, restored, and reassembled, and it never feels like anything less than a carefully unearthed treasure that’s been polished until it shines. It won’t take long to beat — and it shouldn’t, because a good 30-year-old arcade platformer is supposed to be short and sweet — but what the game lacks in length it more than makes up for in entertainment and raw creativity, with stages pitting you against everything from mechanical flying fish to a gigantic egg-dropping robo-penguin. It’s the sort of game you come back to again and again because you want to rather than have to, and we feel lucky to have it.

While it's a fun time for fans, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is a total grindfest and plays almost the exact same way every time. With gameplay that's both luck-based and uninspiring, it's an incredibly tough recommendation to anyone but devoted series obsessives. This writer found it compelling — games don't take that long — but it is repetitive to a fault, and by design. Bizarrely, there are some ways in which it's less interesting and compelling than the equivalent unlockable feature in V3 and that was a free post-game bonus. Ask yourself if you really need to spend money to see the characters in swimsuits and make your decision from there.

It's difficult to get across exactly why Danganronpa V3 is so good without spoiling vast swathes of it, so we'll keep it simple. You'll come into the game baffled as to what the writers were thinking with some of these characters, and walk away loving each and every one of them. There isn't a single moment of slack throughout the whole 40-hour playtime, it has the most extensive post-game of any title in the series, and one of the best endings to any game ever made. Go in blind and we promise you'll be in for the ride of your life.

Even sicker and more delightfully disturbing than the marvellous original, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair doesn't match its predecessor in some ways but makes up for its shortcomings in others. Once again we'd argue that the journey is better than the destination — we thought the first game's ending was nearly incomprehensible rubbish and this one is even worse. But it's absolutely a journey well worth taking, as the brilliant cast and smart murder mystery gameplay once again sucked us in and didn't let go. An aesthetic and narrative treat, Danganronpa 2 is an easy recommendation and we're delighted it's finally made the leap to Switch.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc offers a memorable Killing Game with fantastic, iconic characters, a genuinely funny and smart script, and some superior twists and turns along the way with well-earned emotional hooks and at times shocking violence. It's funny, it's dramatic and it's very problematic, so exercise some caution — this is resolutely not a game for kids, but even adults will struggle with some of its less savoury or more overtly brash, thoughtless content. It's not enough to mark the game down in any way, but readers should be aware that this is not a tactful piece of software, which for some will ward them away but we suspect for others is a major selling point. We urge you to check the game out for yourself, as it is, quite frankly, a classic in the visual novel genre.

Ultimately, Real Boxing 2’s gameplay falls way too short of the standard expected on a console like the Switch. Without the option to use the touch screen, attacking with the analogue stick feels clunky, with no weight behind the attacks. It makes the fights feel boring and a bit of a chore to get through. In addition, while the visuals look perfectly fine on smaller screens, pop your Switch into docked mode and it really highlights how janky some of the models and animations look.

NASCAR Heat feels like a game right out of the mid-2000s. The visuals alone are poor enough — with blocky textures, featureless environments, and a frame rate that struggles to maintain a solid 30FPS — but when you have a completely unremarkable career mode forming the main bulk of the game, there’s really no recommending this to anyone but the most staunch of NASCAR fans. Nintendo gamers have been without a true NASCAR experience for several years now, but if this is any indication of the quality we’re likely to expect, we reckon it should probably retire in the pits.

The Wild at Heart borrows several of its mechanics from Nintendo IP, there’s no question about that. This could have presented a bit of a problem had it not been for the exquisite visual style and presentation, not to mention Moonlight Kids' excellent execution of those mechanics. With a story that’s equal parts amusing, intriguing, and emotional, alongside genuinely stunning 2D visuals, you’ll be sucked into this world in no time. Minor frustrations with combat and loading times aside, this is an adventure you’ll be glad you embarked on.

Even if you don’t want anything to do with League, we would highly recommend that you give Ruined King a shot; this is a spectacular JRPG that consistently demonstrates mastery of all the ingredients needed to make a great entry in the genre. The core campaign is just long enough to feel satisfying, there are dizzying amounts of character customization, and the combat system is one of the finest we’ve encountered in a turn-based RPG in a long time. If you’re a fan of RPGs, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice to pass on Ruined King. Even if you’re a newcomer to the genre we’d still absolutely encourage you to give this a punt; it's an excellent effort.

Death’s Door is a modern classic, utilizing old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you've finished, and while it may not have anything 'new' to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about it's lack of innovation. We’d give this one a very high recommendation, especially to any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.

Unsighted combines some very familiar ideas: it’s a top-down, roguelite, sci-fi Metroidvania with a strong 16-bit aesthetic. Its time-is-ticking, post-apocalyptic scenario is brought to life by the enchanting palettes of its pixel art, making a world you want to explore, full of characters you want to know. Far from punishing, it leans more on the 'lite' than the 'rogue', letting fun prevail – as it will, thanks to the addictive rhythm of the controls, backed by punchy sounds. The cooperative multiplayer is icing on top of an already well-iced cake. Combining flavours of Super Nintendo classics with modern playability, Unsighted is the game 1995 desperately wanted to make but just didn’t know how.

Though Klang 2 has its issues, we feel that it still offers up a satisfying and unique enough take on the rhythm genre to at least be worth your consideration. This isn’t necessarily a title that we’d recommend to anyone looking to get their feet wet with rhythm games, but fans will likely find enough to love here that it’s at least worth the relatively low price of admission.

Epic Chef is heaped with charm and humour that will undoubtedly put a smile on your face as you start your life as Ambrosia’s hottest chef. Unfortunately, while the cooking and farming mechanics are simple enough to grasp, the bloated nature of the game makes every task feel more arduous than it needs to be. Add to this the needlessly lengthy dialogue and bizarre limitations around the save function, and Epic Chef feels like a game that can’t quite match up with the other life sims available on the Switch. It's not unenjoyable, just more Little Chef than MasterChef.

While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4. They’re also very clearly in the shadow of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the upcoming open-world-like Pokemon game that has fans hoping it can take the series in exciting new directions beyond 20-year-old mechanics. If the remit of these remakes was to remain faithful to the original Gen 4 pair, we wish they’d also stuck to the pixel-art aesthetic. Aside from The Grand Underground – and the connectivity with the current games in the series – there’s very little reason to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl over your original DS copies.

While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4. They’re also very clearly in the shadow of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the upcoming open-world-like Pokemon game that has fans hoping it can take the series in exciting new directions beyond 20-year-old mechanics. If the remit of these remakes was to remain faithful to the original Gen 4 pair, we wish they’d also stuck to the pixel-art aesthetic. Aside from The Grand Underground – and the connectivity with the current games in the series – there’s very little reason to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl over your original DS copies.

Would we be happy to play another one of these down the line? A game that's essentially another level pack? Based on the evidence presented here, it would be nice to see what Siactro could accomplish with a slightly broader canvas, although goodness knows there are more than enough cautionary tales of ballooning scope hindering the smaller, simpler interactions that make a platformer fun in the first place. We'd certainly play another 'one of these', but we see potential for something more substantial, too — perhaps not a full three-course meal of a game, but a carefully crafted cocktail that expands on the super-charged rainbow-infused shot of platforming the two Torees currently on the Switch eShop offer. The best thing we can say about Toree 2 is that, as with its predecessor, we enjoyed every minute of our time with it.

Beyond Blue has noble intentions, with an urgent and vital message about our impact on the Earth. However, it doesn’t do itself justice. Although there is some decent content in here – videos, music, sound design, gameplay, narrative – those parts do little to support or enhance one another. Gameplay is soothing but one-note, the video documentaries don’t frame the missions and neither are well connected to the narrative. While there are moments of majesty in exploring the ocean, the limited draw distance and pop-in frequently interrupt the awe. Edutainment’s a hard one to pull off, and Beyond Blue feels less like an awesome rock concert about dolphins and more like your science teacher trying to do a rap.

A Boy and His Blob hasn’t changed since its release back in 2009, but it’s still well worth checking out if you’re after a decent puzzle platformer. The visuals still look incredible after all these years, with spectacular animation to boot. Some aspects of the game feel a bit outdated by comparison, with the inability to map certain abilities being a key culprit. Nevertheless it remains a fun, breezy experience, and one that the younger generation of gamers in particular will adore.

Airborne Kingdom is a perfectly fine city builder that puts a nice spin on the genre by focusing on weight and balance to ensure the survival of your community. The act of gathering resources and building structures feels easy, although some may wish for a bit more depth in the overall management of the city’s population. A few gameplay quirks might also frustrate, with a camera that feels way too slow and a UI that’s just a tad confusing at times. If you’re after a city builder that feels a bit different, though, then this might just be the one for you.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition on Switch delivers three of gaming's true greats in a shockingly rough package that manages to suck pretty much all of the fun out of Rockstar's stellar crime epics. This is a poor port, a shoddy, stuttery, low resolution mess full of bugs, glitches, audio problems and more besides. If can grab this one on any other platform, we'd advise you do so or, at the very least, hold off until it's been patched and hopefully improved in the future. As things stand, this is a very, very long way from 'definitive' — this isn't the way we want to remember these games.

Happy Home Paradise makes Animal Crossing: New Horizons feel like a 'definitive' edition, especially when considered alongside the substantial free additions of version 2.0. It's beautifully polished — and that's not a reference to the ability you earn here — and provides even more variety and depth to your daily AC island life. You may discover new villagers to call friends, and perhaps even learn a little about how to better decorate rooms and homes. Most importantly, it simply makes us smile — that alone is the best recommendation we can give.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic may have lost some of its luster as the years have gone on, but the foundations of a well-written and enjoyable RPG haven’t aged a day. If you can get past things like awkward controls, middling presentation, and a complete lack of handholding, the 30-ish hour campaign offers up an engaging romp through the beloved Star Wars universe. We’d give KOTOR on Switch a strong recommendation to any fans of Star Wars or RPGs in general, just with the caveat that you’ll get more out of it if you can stomach archaic game design elements.

As a small, short experience, it's not entirely without merit, but if you enjoy lightly randomised action then the Switch already has the likes of Enter the Gungeon, Dead Cells, and Hades for you to play. Heaven's Machine is sadly best left for collectors to keep safely sealed away.

If you enjoy party games but aren’t too keen on the board game mechanic seen in titles like Mario Party Superstars, then My Singing Monsters Playground offers up a more streamlined experience that focuses purely on the minigames themselves, which might prove perfect for families with younger gamers. If you’re looking for a meatier experience, however, the lack of any overarching campaign harms the game’s overall longevity. Frame rate struggles in some of the more chaotic minigames, but for the most part, developer Big Blue Bubble has cooked up a nice addition to the party genre here.

Unpacking manages to do several things very well, all at the same time. It’s a touching story told through interaction, it provides the creative play space of a great dollhouse game, and it deftly applies established game design ideas from completely different genres. Its only real shortcoming is the repetition that is a necessary byproduct of landing its message. Effort has gone into making the controls satisfying on Switch, and the visual and sound design are delightful throughout, making Unpacking, like any sane person’s cutlery, absolutely top-drawer.

Gynoug hasn’t quite got that special extra spark that turns a great game into a spectacular one, but even so it’s still a unique and thoroughly enjoyable thirty-year-old shmup capable of standing proudly next to any other sold on the eShop, and yet another affordable retro re-release sitting in that perfect middle ground between modern convenience and hardcore authenticity.

Blue Reflection: Second Light improves on almost every aspect of the original, with a mystery that feels more personal as the characters become closer. The relationship between the girls as they seek to discover why they were brought to this strange world is the star of the show; though the combat is fun, it is always a vehicle to get you more story rather than the driving force of the game. Second Light is a fantastic-looking anime adventure that you'll love, so long as you can accept that combat isn't the focus.

Tunche looks and sounds good, plays neatly and consistently and is fun for couch co-op. However, it takes its punchy ideas and sneaks off into a dark, dirty alley where people just won’t want to go and find it. It is fun if you’re willing to get in there and get stuck in, but you’ll need to step over the broken glass of tiny screen text, try not to touch the wet-stained walls of repetitive, roguelite early encounters, and apologetically deny having any spare change to the drugged up yuppie of verbose exposition. In conclusion, if you are looking for a fight, mate, let us point you in the direction of Tunche.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is a game that certainly won’t appeal to everyone; this is one that you have to come into with an open mind. It’s pretty short compared to most RPGs and doesn’t take many chances with its gameplay, yet the card aesthetic remains consistently interesting, it’s supported by extremely strong presentation, and that gameplay ultimately proves to be quite satisfying. For thirty bucks, this card game is one of the best concise RPGs you can buy on the Switch, and if any of its art or concepts pique your interest, we strongly recommend you give it a shot.

Like a great album you put on at the end of the day to wind down, Toem is an incredibly relaxing experience that you'll wish you could experience all over again once it's finished. It almost makes us want to start capturing photographs of the world around us, but sadly, we don’t have a duck dressed as a lighthouse keeper to show them to. If only.

Circa infinity is a game where form follows function and function follows form. If the image of a bold circle on the screen was the chicken, then the mechanic of a wrap-around platformer was the egg. The constant trickery of its concentrated concentricity is confoundingly circular, but once you’ve bought into the premise, it makes perfect sense. Player-friendly level design and a well judged difficulty curve let the fluid intricacy and fiendish challenge shine, while its distinctive appearance will leave an indelible mark on your mind.

Just Dance 2022 is okay. It's more of the same with some cool new tracks, a slick and smooth experience overall that plays it safe and works just fine as a result. However, it also constantly pushes its subscription service and ends up feeling a little convoluted and tacky as it spends more time flogging tracks you don't own over letting you enjoy the ones included with the base game. Fans of the series — or anyone who's just danced to even a single track from the series — will know exactly what they're getting here, but newcomers should be aware that they'll need to fork out more cash after buying the game in order to enjoy the full experience.

World War Z is an unremarkable zombie shooter that serves up a decent five-odd hours of action if you can find a few friends to play with. It's repetitive stuff; basic and unsurprising for the most part, but this Switch port is solid, managing to provide the full-fat experience without too much in the way of technical issues or other shortcomings. If you're in the mood for blazing through bland masses of zombies with a few friends in tow, this one's got you covered – just don't expect much more than that.

Shin Megami Tensei V is a modern masterpiece. It successfully delivers on all the aspects that have made the series thus far so popular with fans—namely through its high difficulty, heavy narrative themes, and expansive team-building options—while polishing up and tightening the weaker aspects. Things like a more easily navigable map and more difficulty options to cater to players of all skill levels comfortably make this the most approachable entry in the series, and it feels like there’s more things to do in the world than ever before. If you are at all a fan of RPGs or have been looking for a good entry point into this oft overlooked series, we would strongly encourage you to pick this up as soon as you can. Shin Megami Tensei V was worth the wait, Atlus has successfully stuck the landing with this one.

Demon Turf is a fantastic platformer that’s held back from true greatness by sections of dull and repetitive combat. Push through this, however, and you’ve got a game that rewards daring and bravery, bolstered by wonderful platforming controls that let you string together incredible combos. The visuals are initially a bit jarring, but the character design really shines through and give it a timeless aesthetic. If you’re a fan of 3D platformers from the 'golden' N64 era and beyond, this one is well worth a look.

Pikmin Bloom is much more of a life companion app than something to feverishly devour as long as your battery permits — it feels like a far 'healthier' experience for body and mind than many free-to-play games, and Niantic accomplishes its goals well. Time will tell whether it has anything like the staying power and pull of Pokémon GO, but where that game can feel like an insurmountable climb if you've put it down for any length of time, with no hope of catching 'em all, Pikmin Bloom is more of an old friend you haven't seen in years but you just pick up where you left off. Fire it up with appropriate expectations, and you'll likely have a blooming good time with it.

With split-screen co-op, and incredibly gentle expectations as far as the gameplay is concerned, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is a fantastic, low-stakes game for parents and kids to play together, but also for adults who are looking for something that pleasantly whiles away the hours without beating you over the head with difficulty. Excelsior!

Dusk is one hell of an impressive piece of software and possibly the single best Unity port to Switch we've ever seen, sidestepping all the usual performance problems and delivering a brilliant experience of a brilliant game. We've tried to think of meaningful criticisms or negatives. Of course pad controls are never going to be as precise as mouse aim, but when the developers have tailored the analogue sticks to such a degree of precision, that would be churlish to ding them for. It's not as good a game as Quake, but almost nothing is. It's arguably a better port than Quake got, and that was itself excellent. There's a relatively limited arsenal of weapons — they're all great, but there's no iconic gun here, just your usual pistol, shotty, assault rifle, explosives, et al. Ultimately, Dusk is another absolute cracker in what's turned out to be a phenomenal month for Switch; a real horror show, and the highest of 9s.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a great game, a fun and colourful adventure full of excellent writing, brilliant acting and plenty of wacky action and exploration to dig into. However, this Switch cloud version renders pretty much any praise we could lavish upon it entirely inconsequential as it serves up a truly messy, laggy and unreliable experience — even when played via our super solid, ultra fast internet connection. It is, in short, a disastrous and ridiculously expensive way to play through a game that deserves so much better. Pick this one up on another platform if you can and steer well clear of this mess.

Mario Party Superstars is a love letter to the parties you remember attending 20 years ago. A disappointingly slim selection of boards takes the shine off things somewhat, but it’s hard to argue that this is the best Mario Party has been in over a decade. No new ideas absolutely feels like a missed opportunity, but by the same token we’d much prefer to have all these classic ideas intact rather than potentially tainting them with unwanted and unnecessary inclusions only added for the sake of being new. Grab a can of Tango and a fistful of 10p Freddos — you’re going to party like it’s 1999.

There's a lot to like about Maiden of Black Water; while we didn't find it overly scary, it is very good indeed at being eerie. You'll see ghosts out of the corner of your eye and when you check, they'll be gone. It's oddly cosy and non-stressful for a horror game, because your camera is such an efficient weapon and the combat it propogates is too action-packed to really let any dread sink in. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though we found the earlier PlayStation 2 instalments of the series were more interested in actively frightening the player. If you get absorbed in the storyline — which is easy to do as the episodic structure makes "just one more area" a compelling prospect — you'll find a good 15 or so hours of game here, and much more if you decide you need to get higher ranks as you improve your Camera Obscura with upgrades and other boons. Performance problems aside, this game's a real winner and worth snapping up if you're a horror fan who missed it on Wii U.

As a combat experience The Legend of Tianding is up there with the Guacamelee! series, showcasing excellent gameplay that allows you to string together multiple attacks and use your enemies’ weapons against them. With distinct chapters introducing their own standalone missions, however, the game stubbornly forces you to endure a huge amount of set-up, with long conversations with NPCs and arduous treks across the hub world of Taipei. Trimming this fat would have benefited the overall pacing greatly, but push through this and you’ll be rewarded with one of the most thrilling combat experiences we’ve encountered in a while.