If we were to name any complaint, it’s that the core gameplay in Evertried can feel a little stale after extended sessions. Skills and traps mix up the way you play somewhat, but you’re ultimately still confined to pressing one of four directions for the whole game, which gets a little samey given enough time. Still, we’d give this one a recommendation; there’s lots of replayability, the concept of its gameplay is something we haven’t seen before, and (most importantly) it’s fun.

Replaying the levels only serves to exacerbate a nagging feeling that A Little Golf Journey is simply too repetitive. When you move from one set of levels to the next, the visual design changes, with some courses looking genuinely beautiful. This doesn’t change the fact, however, that the terrain simply lacks variety throughout. The game clearly strives to provide a relaxing experience, but in doing so, it struggles to give much incentive to keep playing.

Crysis 3 Remastered stealths its way onto Switch in a fantastic port that delivers super solid gameplay and very little in the way of noticeable technical issues. However, with its mutliplayer aspects completely excised, this is now a fairly slim package that ends up being the hardest to recommend of the three Crysis titles available on Nintendo's console, especially if you're considering picking it up as a standalone title. What's here is still top-notch stuff, it's just a little too short-lived.

Crysis 2 Remastered is a super solid port of an excellent FPS that looks and plays fantastically well on Switch. Yes, you lose out on multiplayer, but there's still a generous single player campaign to get stuck into here that does a great job of funnelling you through its blockbuster setpieces whilst ensuring you get plenty of opportunity to tool around and experiment with your crazy Nanosuit powers. Crysis 2 may well be the very best entry in Crytek's franchise, and it's absolutely one of the finest shooters currently available on Nintendo's hybrid console.

The Crysis Remastered Trilogy arrives on Switch in a fantastic set of ports that deliver the full-fat super soldier experience with very little in the way of stutters, bugs or other technical failings. If you're picking this one up as a complete set, you've got a ton of excellent shooter action to blaze your way through in a trilogy of games that's aged remarkably well over the years and looks and plays great on Nintendo's hybrid console. Individually, however, things get a little more complicated, with the first two games easy recommendations, whilst number three is a little on the short side and feels rather threadbare without its multiplayer aspects to beef things up.

Taking a balanced look at Aeon Must Die!, we really struggle to see exactly what anyone could get out of it. It's repetitive, ceaselessly uninteresting and frustrates on a fundamental level. We've certainly played worse games and it deserves credit on some level simply for having so many ideas, but none of them are good — or, at least, none of them are executed with the requisite level of skill that would make them work. It's a shame, because with more refinement, more of a tight clutch and a willingness to throw out what doesn't work, we feel like Aeon Must Die! could be pretty special. As it stands, there's no level on which we can enthusiastically recommend it.

By the time the credits roll you'll likely still have some hidden paintings to find, and even if you leave them behind, this is a thoroughly pleasant and satisfying experience on Nintendo's system. With smart puzzles, beautiful presentation and a story full of emotive moments, Inked: A Tale of Love is well worth your time.

Cotton 2, Cotton Boomerang and Guardian Force are a lot of fun, and let down not by their age but the quality of these Switch ports. What should’ve been a complete no-brainer purchase for anyone looking for more arcade action is now something to carefully consider first and possibly wait for a sale or a patch. There are many other shmups — retro, arcade, and brand new — on Switch that are all more deserving of your hard-earned money.

The Good Life knows where its strengths lie. Its functional open-world model and mostly-dated gameplay systems sit quietly in the background and allow its quirky charm to take the spotlight. That charm is piled on thick, with absurd characters (and absurd accents), a plot that digresses so wildly it seems unable to remember where it started and, lest we forget, the whole dog/cat transmogrification thing. The charm and atmosphere have to be seriously compelling if they are to excuse the well-worn mechanics, repetitive tasks and frequent slowdown and pop-in. If Japanese old-school gaming whimsy × twee Englishness isn't for you, then neither is The Good Life. But if you're a SWERY fan and that sounds like your cup of tea, get dunking.

Gang Beasts' charm has always been its janky, unpredictable, chaotic physics brawling, and you'll either be pleased or disappointed to know that it hasn't changed too much since 2014. On Switch, it runs well in Local and Online mode, although the Switch's voice chat options make the latter a less appealing choice. If you're a fan of portable party games, though, this is a classic not to be missed.

The game’s fantastic use of parallax scrolling adds not only speed but excitement to its varied eleven stages; taking you down through icy depths, weaving between small gaps in tight tunnels, slowly looping around a gigantic battleship, or hurtling through an asteroid field. The ways your Movers — the floating gun turrets that follow your ship — can behave are so different from one another they have a direct impact on how you tackle everything from “popcorn” enemies to end of level bosses, and the newfound flexibility of Modern Mode feels like the perfect twist on an already brilliant idea. Gleylancer is as fresh and thrilling as it’s ever been, only now it’s as authentic — or accessible — as you want it to be too.

Astria Ascending may not be a flawless release but the solid combat system, spectacular visuals, deep character skill building, and wealth of content make for an experience that JRPG fans will feel right at home with. We’d give this one a recommendation to anybody looking for an original RPG to sink their teeth into; the writing and plot could have done with more development and attention, but there’s lots to love about Astria Ascending and we’re eagerly anticipating whatever Artisan Studios does next.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is an absolute triumph. The narrative and dialogue, which is already wonderfully compelling on its own, has been given a massive boost thanks to the excellent voice acting introduced for the Final Cut. The gameplay features a host of branching paths for you to explore, and while the slow, methodical approach may turn a few people off, this is nevertheless one of the most well-told stories in any medium from the last few years. The performance issues at the time of writing slightly took the shine off things — and we hope they're ironed out soon via updates — but even with them present, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut stands as one of the best RPGs available on Switch.

At just two - three hours in length, A Juggler’s Tale is a lean experience with little fat on the bones (though may still be a tad on the short side for some). Nevertheless, it’s a shame that the developer leant on the same type of puzzle for much of the game, as it makes certain areas feel repetitive as a result. If you’re a fan of games like Limbo and Inside, this is a nice alternative; just don’t go expecting a game of the same calibre or quality.

Beast Breaker is the epitome of a hidden gem, and we would highly recommend you give it a shot. Like its main character this game may be small, but it proves to be exceedingly effective at what it sets out to do. Creative, engaging gameplay and a surprising amount of depth combine to make for an experience that may surprise at just how much it hooks you.

More sophisticated curation would have made this a genuinely new way to engage with games and gaming: a prompt to see all games in a new light, promote the whole indie game proposition and popularise the appreciation of gaming as – ugh, dare we use the word? – “art”. But the star feature is instead just an animated menu. As it stands, Short Games Collection is great if you can bring some inquisitiveness and insight of your own to the table – the games themselves are worth the time – but it’s nothing more than the sum of its parts.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid platform fighter with an awful lot of hidden depth, and also an unfortunate lack of polish outside the fighting. If hardcore gameplay is the number one concern you’ll have a wealth to sink your teeth into here, but expect to be underwhelmed by various elements that surround it. There's a grand old time to be had, but it's no Super Smash Bros. (damn it yet again).

Tetris is one of the greatest video games of all time, and Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best iteration of the classic puzzler yet. While this Switch port doesn't offer a great deal over existing versions in terms of features, it delivers the one key ingredient that its rivals cannot: portability. Sure, some will argue that Tetris Effect: Connected's unique brand of synesthesia only really comes alive when played on PSVR or an Oculus Quest headset, but we'd argue quite passionately that this game benefits far more from the ability to pick it up and play whenever, wherever. Just as the Game Boy and Tetris combined to create an irresistible, world-conquering fusion back in 1989, Tetris Effect: Connected has finally found the hardware that allows it to truly shine, making this an utterly essential purchase for all Nintendo Switch owners. Just don't forget those headphones.

First Cases is a significant change of direction from The ABC Murders, Poirot’s last outing also published by Microids. Stepping comfortably into visual novel territory and casting aside the puzzling that would hold back narrative flow, your fantasy is one not of being Hercule Poirot but rather of enjoying a Poirot novel. The Switch let’s you indulge in that as you would a great book, whether in the wingback of your stately home’s library or, indeed, on the toilet of your bedsit. For storytelling, the game format is ideal – even ingenious. The trademark Christie web of connections between events, evidence and the psychology of the characters is planned out in front of your eyes – either to pore over on a diagram or to stroll through in the neatly presented settings. The game’s main limitations are the inanimate world and workaday writing that fail to lend the sparkle of life to a well-machined story. Nonetheless, while puzzle-loving gamers shouldn’t pick this one up, visual novel fans and Hercule-heads won’t be able to put it down.

Rainbow Billy is rather a lot better than the sum of its parts, and it's only some fairly severe technical issues that prevent us giving it a higher score. We know we've harped on about it a little, but it really is exceptionally mawkish a lot of the time, which leads to a bit of a disconnect wherein the subject matter can be fairly thoughtful and mature but the dialogue used to describe it is relentlessly cutesy-poo. It's definitely a strange game, but the surprisingly involved "combat" and snappy pacing of the exploration makes it a tentative recommendation if you can tolerate the tone. We'd say it's aimed specifically at children but the difficulty level can be fairly high, which confuses the matter a touch. Still, lovely visuals, well-designed locations, fun battles; the ingredients of a good game are all present and correct here.

Metroid Dread is a triumphant return for both Samus Aran and developer MercurySteam. This is a super-slick, hugely entertaining and exquisitely designed entry in the Metroid franchise that plays better than anything we've seen from the series so far. With a bunch of fantastic new abilities, super tense and enjoyable stealth sections, plenty of great big boss fights and a story that fans will definitely enjoy, we can't really see how this one could have been any better. Best Metroid game ever? This could be the one.

Aeon Drive isn’t quite up there with modern platforming classics like Celeste, but it’s pretty darn close nevertheless. While its narrative won’t win any awards, this is simply a supporting backdrop to the fantastic gameplay on offer. Bolstered by solid performance and minimal loading screens, racing through the levels feels exhilarating as you jump, slide, and teleport your way through the maze-like environments. With an online leaderboard to satisfy your competitive nature and added multiplayer to boot, Aeon Drive is a speedrunning triumph that absolutely deserves your attention.

Monster Crown is a decent game that falls short of greatness in a few areas. Legitimately cool ideas with breeding and an overall solid combat system are let down by lackluster monster designs and performance issues. Then there’s the elephant in the room, which is that Monster Crown ultimately feels like a jankier and less addictive version of the oldest Pokémon games. We’d still give this one a recommendation, as the bones of the experience are good enough that its worth a punt for big Pokémon fans pining for the 8-bit days, but you might want to wait for a sale with this one.

FIFA 22 marks the third time EA has given us FIFA 19 with a different shirt on. It may clearly state Legacy Edition on the title, but being kicked in the groin isn't any less painful if your assailant tells you they're going to do it in advance. Once again, EA has insulted Switch owners by giving them the version it usually releases on dead systems. Do not accept it.

As a solo game it's an easy pass, but on multiplayer we can see it clicking with the right group. It didn't set our world alight, but its simple charms may just work for you and your mates.

Embr has the potential to be a good time, a slapstick bit of carnage with friends that provides a decent amount of missions to blast through and plenty of unlockables and variations on modes to keep you and your party of first responders busy. However, on Switch this potential goes almost entirely unrealised as the online component of the game is a bust. Get a few Switch-owning friends to set up a match and you may find some fun here but without crossplay, and factoring in a few other gameplay irritations, this one is quite hard to recommend on Nintendo's console.

The Forgotten City is a brilliant piece of narrative work that feels like a time capsule of Skyrim's jank, revitalised with a gripping story that's just long enough that it never loses momentum. It is, as always, hard to fully recommend a Cloud Version of a game that's available elsewhere in a more concrete form, but if you're accepting of the associated 'risks', this is a well-presented and brilliant time loop game and well worth a play.

Gameplay mostly mimics the previous chapter, with the biggest change here being that you can ‘recruit’ most enemies. If you choose to go the pacifist route in battles, you’ll eventually recruit your foes into a town where all the other recruited enemies go, and you can then go back to interact with them and learn more information about them. Then, when the final battle is initiated, all your recruits will come together and make the final fight a little easier depending on how many you saved. Recruitment isn’t a massive adjustment to what came before, but it adds in a nice bit of extra content for completionists looking for more replayability, and it feels like an organic extension of the morality system that lies at the heart of Deltarune’s combat.

UnMetal is a tricky one, really. It doesn't play brilliantly and we didn't really find it funny at all, but it is consistently presenting new and entertaining ideas to complement the core simplistic stealth gameplay, with plentiful genre changes and a metric ton of references, callbacks and metahumour that will definitely appeal to plenty of people. We're old and jaded, though, and we've seen a lot of self-deprecating humour in video games — this stuff goes right back to the likes of the ZX Spectrum, for goodness' sake. Still, we recognise the very clear surplus of enjoyable content that's been crammed into UnMetal and its appeal should not be disregarded simply because we found it a little familiar. It never lets up with the gags, subversions and new sights to see all the way through its surprisingly robust length, and it doesn't forget to make the actual stealth enjoyable to boot. Definitely an impressive effort that assuredly deserves to find an audience.

If there’s an idea no one’s done before, it’s probably because it’s just a bad idea. But Zoink has managed to hit on something original that actually works with Lost in Random. Its audiovisual world-building is tremendous, ably lifting a servicable quest structure and story, and inventive combat plays to its strengths and is taken carefully up to the limits of its potential. However, the layers of interaction during battles make a promise of strategic complexity that isn’t kept, and encounters last too long without the depth to sustain interest. Nevertheless, everything is packaged beautifully and Lost in Random doesn’t outstay its welcome, either, leaving you craving one last roll of the dice.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot might not do much more than retelling the story of Dragon Ball, but it does that well enough that existing fans will find joy in exploring the world and fighting iconic villains from the franchise. Despite the lack of depth to its combat and a minor internet-based technical inconvenience to work around, the game saves itself by expanding on the already massive amount of Dragon Ball lore available and giving fans the slice-of-life moments we've so sorely needed. Non-fans won't find much to love here, but it's a more than serviceable retelling of an iconic story.

To be clear, it’s mostly Aria of Sorrow that’s doing the heavy lifting with this collection, as it really is one of the best in the entire Castlevania series. Circle and Harmony are alright but on the lower tier of the other Metroidvanias, while Dracula X is middling even on its own standards. These are still very much worth playing, though, and this collection makes for an essential purchase for both longtime Castlevania fans and newbies.

Darksiders III on Switch is a poor port of a distinctly average entry in the series. Constant technical issues make fighting and platforming more frustrating than fun, long loading times follow every death and the further along you get, the worse these issues seem to become. It's a shame as we're pretty big fans of the series in general, but if you have any other means of playing this one we'd advise you give this clunky version a miss.

It may not be saying much but Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is the best the series has been in almost two decades and newcomers are bound to find a lot to love. It wears its heart on its sleeve and clearly the team has true passion for the franchise. It's packed full of content, new ways to play and there are so many extras and improvements that never existed in the original. Unfortunately, the engine beneath it all isn't quite up to the job. What they've achieved with Unity simply isn't on par with the originals and while the main game is still enjoyable, many of the party games are severely hindered. Until Monkey Target returns to its former glory, we cannot truly say Super Monkey Ball is back.

Steel Assault is like a bite of an extremely delicious, well-seasoned steak. Just one bite. It lingers in your mind and makes you wish for more, yet in some respects, that’s much better than if you were given the whole thing and took it for granted. If you liked the snappy action and ridiculous difficulty of may old arcade classics, then Steel Assault is absolutely something you should look into. It’s absurd, it’s fun, it’s hard. And it’s short. It doesn’t offer up much more once you've reached the end, but what’s here is intensely well-executed, and we’d definitely recommend you give it a go.

Knockout Home Fitness doesn't do anything inherently wrong with the selection of short fitness routines it offers, but it fails to support its bare-minimum motion tracking with any extra notable features or gamification to differentiate it from fitness DVDs or YouTube videos. Ring Fit Adventure has blown the fitness genre open on Switch, and with various other alternatives available, Knockout Home Fitness feels a little too limited, old-fashioned, and outclassed by the competition.

While the updated graphical style and jerky scrolling don't make a great first impression and there may be some who feel the 'Tower Defence' sections are given too much screen time, Actraiser Renaissance is ultimately a successful attempt at updating a solid-gold classic from yesteryear. Rarely are two totally different gameplay styles fused this effectively, and the enhancements introduced by developer Sonic Powered really do improve things; combat in the action sections is more fun, while the 'God Sim' portions of the game are lent increased depth thanks to thoughtful gameplay upgrades. To cap it all off, Yuzo Koshiro's music – available in both its SNES and rearranged forms – is masterful. While it's not perfect, Actraiser Renaissance will nonetheless find favour with fans of the original, as well as pick up plenty of new fans along the way.

As it stands right now, Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fun racer whose fantastic selection of cars makes up for its relative lack of varied course environments. With updates and DLC it has the potential to become a brilliant mess of licensed properties in the way the best mash-up games are, but what’s here is a solid enough foundation to start from, even if it’s a little samey at launch.

Where Project Winter shines is its proximity chat. Much like being in a real snowy, blizzard-plagued landscape, sound is absorbed completely unless you're close to someone. That means you can overhear someone getting brutally murdered, or you can cry for help with no one around to save you. It's really immersive and fun, and... well, Switch and voice chat don't have a great history, do they? Sure, you can use headphones with an in-built microphone, but if you don't have the right headset, it's a lonely, quiet place, as you listen to the banter of the people around you, able only to type — and typing is slow, and will get you killed.

Fisti-Fluffs feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. The basic premise is sound, and the modes on offer do provide a decent amount of variety, but thanks to poor gameplay and sloppy controls, none of the experience comes together. Add to that the rather bland visuals and limited environments, and you’ve got a game that simply can’t hold a candle to stronger examples of brawlers on Switch.

All in all Colors Live is a useful art application with some strange limitations. The Sonar Pen and layers are absolutely welcome in our eyes, but the lack of a bucket tool, restricted brush styles, and many other staples left us a bit wanting. Having said that people have already been creating tremendous artwork showing that any medium is only as powerful as the artist’s skillset. We’d have liked to see a more complete digital art package, but for someone who already owns a Switch and wants to try doodling on a screen with something more than their finger, Colors Live provides a simple and easy entry point.

RiMS Racing is a super complex motorcycle sim that provides players with a ton of depth in terms of tinkering, tuning and customising. However, once on the track, this Switch port is let down badly by performance issues that make it a frustrating, messy experience. There's definitely a market for this type of in-depth motorbike action on Nintendo's console but, in this state, it's very hard to recommend diving into this particular offering.

Metallic Child delivers a compelling, dialogue-packed and seemingly fully-voiced quasi-roguelite anime adventure with quite some aplomb, and is certainly an impressive achievement from apparent solo dev Studio HG. The price is right and it's only some issues with repetitive gameplay that bring the title down a little. There's plenty to see and do and a meaty adventure to get stuck into, with "achievements" to unlock and permanent incremental upgrades to purchase with dropped currency as you smash your enemies to pieces. An impressive debut that's very clearly made by someone who understands how important feedback is to a game like this; it's a slick, exciting robot-smashing fest for your Switch.

A fantastic tribute to Fantasy Life that nails the kind of grindy combat that many people love, Kitaria Fables is genuinely sweet and impressively well-made for a three-person team in under three years. If Fantasy Life is a Wagyu beef steak, Kitaria Fables is a really, REALLY good burger. If you're jonesing for a tasty action-farming-adventure, Kitaria Fables has you covered.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Active Life Outdoor Challenge. It's a charming enough game with controls that are responsive enough for the most part. Its main failing is a general lack of content, and the fact that the Joy-Con and leg strap combination isn't quite as fun as the original mat the Wii version came with. Ring Fit Adventure won't be sweating over the competition, then, but Family Trainer is still a pleasant enough diversion for fans of light CV.

Eastward proves itself to be a memorable and enjoyable mashup of many beloved classic titles, combining each of their elements together to forge something that feels distinct and engaging. Creative gameplay sequences, a heartwarming and emotional story, and a killer art style all combine to make this one easy to recommend. That being said, we’d also offer a word of caution that this is a slow burn kind of game; if you’re not a patient player, Eastward’s sometimes lethargic pace may take a lot of enjoyment out of the experience. Wherever you may fall, Eastward is indisputably a game worth checking out, and we’d encourage you to give it a shot.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is an excellent action-RPG that's arrived on Switch in a fantastic, feature-packed port. Evan and Roland's antics across this game's sprawling world are stuffed full of great characters, exciting combat and adventuring and a kingdom building mechanic that's a delight to get to grips with. It looks and sounds every bit as good as its predecessor and, although the story might be a little more hit-and-miss here, we were completely hooked into this one from beginning to end. This is a sumptuously crafted adventure you won't regret diving into.

NBA 2K22 is another fine entry in the franchise that continues the developer's habit of delivering satisfyingly solid ports of their basketball sims on Nintendo Switch. Yes, most of the modes don't try anything massively new — beyond MyCareer's revamped Neighbourhood setting — and the loading screens will have you pulling your hair out from time to time, but refined core gameplay and enough content to keep you playing until the end times make this one an easy recommendation for b-ball fans.

SkateBIRD is a creative addition to a genre lacking in variety, and its fun concept has clearly been realised with a lot of love. However, despite its potential, the best parts of the concept are underused, with neither the miniature skaters nor the addition of wings bringing much to excite. While the core gameplay is functional, the play feel is not fluid and the level design and laborious structure are always working against the fun. To top it off, the rudimentary graphics are needlessly hazy. More of a turkey than a pretty boy, then, unfortunately.

As long as you're willing to put up with some performance hits and the fact that there's no online multiplayer, Cruis'n Blast is a hugely entertaining arcade style racer with incredible set-pieces that has us crossing every possible body part in the hope that it's successful enough to encourage more of the same somewhere down the line.

Luckily for publisher Live Wire, its bare-minimum localisation work and stumble out of the online gate aren’t destructive enough to drag the excellent Espgaluda II down too much, and underneath it all the game feels as fresh and well-designed as ever. The flexible risk/reward scoring system allows long-time fans to decide for themselves (to a certain extent) how much trouble they want to get into while still allowing newcomers enough leeway to enjoy an intense and visually spectacular shmup experience.

Residual is a comprehensive survival experience that fans of the genre will absolutely adore. Exploring the procedurally generated planets feels a bit daunting at first, but when the game opens up and starts dishing out essential resources, it becomes a lot more manageable. There are a few teething issues that we hope will be ironed out in time, like the confusing inventory UI, overly frequent need to eat/sleep, and the slightly dodgy navigation controls, but overall Residual is a fun, engaging 2D survival game that can sit proud alongside genre heavies like Minecraft and Don’t Starve.

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is a solid take on the Rocky/Creed franchise, celebrating the wide variety of fighters that contributed to the series over the years. The gameplay is rather basic for the most part, with little deviation in style between the characters, but fundamentally the fights all feel fun and it’s incredibly satisfying when you land a knockout blow on your opponent. The graphics benefit well from more stylised art design, but limitations with the arena’s crowds do stand out. If you’re a fan of Rocky, though, then you’ll definitely want to step into the ring and try this one out.

Murder on Eridanos is an entertaining final slice of DLC that leans into the narrative elements of Obsidian's action RPG, delivering plenty of well-written dialogue and characters in the process. Yes, the combat is pretty much played out at this stage and the whole thing feels a little bit too linear, but this is still an enjoyable return to one of our favourite action RPGs of the past few years that's well worth picking up if you enjoyed the core campaign.

Ultra Age is a solid indie hack-and-slash effort that delivers some fast-paced combat and a handful of unique mechanics to keep its battles interesting. It may have some ropey voice-acting, the graphics have predictably been dialled back on Switch and there's the occasional frame rate wobble here and there, but overall this is a surprisingly decent budget effort that's well worth taking a look at if you're hankering for some Devil May Cry-style action.

The customer is always right, so the saying goes, and as customers of this game, players can have some legitimate complaints about the service. The platforming is not fun: sadistic design choices are realised with lacklustre materials. But BloodRayne doesn’t care. The combat, when you’re allowed to play it, is unique and raucous and deliciously convoluted, with a skill ceiling as high as a gothic cathedral. BloodRayne isn’t here to take your order; it’s here to suck your blood.

WarioWare: Get It Together! is a triumphant Switch debut for the subversive series that makes some daring changes to core gameplay, resulting in the best entry in the franchise to date. With a generous roster of playable characters, lots of solo and multiplayer modes to dig into, and stages that cleverly adapt to your choices on the fly, this is a superb compilation of hilarious microgames that delivers more ways to play than ever before. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll dodge bird droppings on a skateboard. So grab a few friends or family members, break out the controllers, and gather round the TV — WarioWare: Get It Together! is essential stuff.

Then again, there's the possibility that this is all a thought experiment for Beth, and Adam isn't real at all, which makes the story marginally more bearable — but overall, Trufflepigs is a little too short, a little too slow, and a lot too much of the unlikeable Beth. As a proof-of-concept of what Thunkd can do, it's promising, but limited graphics, poor accessibility options (although text size is changeable), and unskippable dialogue that grinds the entire game to a halt make it hard to recommend. Unless, of course, you're looking for a tranquil-ish three hours of pleasant pastoral mundanity, sporadically interrupted by a self-involved rich kid having a quarter-life crisis and making it your problem.

Monster Harvest is a good example of why great ideas also need to be followed up with great execution. There’s nothing wrong with the idea of a farm sim with monster-catching elements, but Monster Harvest does a rough job of convincing you of that. The monster RPG content is so poorly done that it might as well have not been implemented at all, as it clearly took focus away from the decent farm sim portion of the gameplay. Amazingly, the farm sim gameplay still redeems this enough that it’s not a complete dumpster fire, but we’d only give this the barest of recommendations to anybody looking for another entry in the genre. Take our word for it, you’re much better off just starting over with a new farm in Stardew Valley, or picking up Rune Factory 4.

Baldo: The Guardian Owls is a beautiful looking Ghibli-esque adventure that draws you in with its wonderful art style and atmosphere and then beats you into submission with its bewildering gameplay. This is an excruciatingly frustrating game filled with bad design choices, clunky combat and traversal, a terrible UI and map and instant, unfair death waiting around every corner. For a small number of gamers who thrive on pointless, unfair punishment, there may be some joy to be found here. For everyone else this is one adventure you'd do well to avoid taking.

Despite those technical issues (and the disappointing lack of accessibility options) this is still a visual novel worth experiencing for fans of the genre, or those drawn in by its blend of coffee shop setting and paranormal quirkiness. This Switch port, however, doesn't necessarily show it in the best light.

Dodgeball Academia does admittedly come together in a rather compelling way, but we're critical of the independent elements that make up this package. You might find yourself caught up in the storyline, which could potentially make up for its other shortcomings, but we found it a little disposable. It's clear that love has been poured into this adventure and it's absolutely superb to look at and listen to — we just wish the central sport was a more enjoyable to play and the dialogue wasn't so interminable. You might dig this game more if you get hooked into the grind, so to speak — battles are over quickly and levelling up is always fun — but overall, if you're not willing to get by on sheer aesthetics, you might want to dodge this one.

To add a slight downer on proceedings, neon signs adorning crumbling buildings and barren hills in the background rubbed us the wrong way. To be clear, Golf Club Wasteland isn’t a game for children thanks to the colourful language featured on the radio, but a few of the neon signs were just needlessly childish, if not entirely inappropriate. These featured seemingly random words plucked from the urban dictionary which completely pulled us out of an otherwise pretty engaging and deep narrative. Not enough to totally spoil our pleasant little post-apocalyptic walk, but enough to be irritating.

Sonic Colors Ultimate is well-executed revisit of a high point in Sonic’s long career. Most of the quality here stems from the content of the original, rather than the new additions and tweaks for this re-release. Things like the Jade Ghost and extra customization options are welcome, but not game changing, and the musical and graphical improvements are minimal. At the end of the day, though, this is still a well-performing, portable version of a classic and that’s arguably all that it needs to be. We’d give this one a recommendation, then, to anyone who has yet to experience Sonic Colors, as this is certainly the best and easiest way to try it out. If you’re a fan of the original, we’d still say it’s worth a punt — you'll still love the game on Switch. Just be aware that this isn’t a massive overhaul of what came before.

Making The Doctor a background character was a stroke of genius in making the cast (and you, the player) seem vulnerable – much like “Blink”, there’s a real sense of atmosphere to this game. It’s so well done that it almost seems effortless, with only its short length and a few less organic moments of the introductions to new mechanics clashing with the necessity for the narrative to move forward. Overall, though, it’s easily, comfortably the best Doctor Who game we’ve ever played – yes, even better than Dalek Attack on the Amiga. So good, you won’t want to blink. But you should, or your eyes will crust over.

The concept of Super Animal Royale is very now – it draws on all the familiarities of modern mainstream gaming. In a way, then, you could say it’s cutting-edge. In another way, though, it’s all just very familiar, to the point that it’s strangely unremarkable. No individual aspect of it stands out, but it does form an endearing whole. It feels cool to play (when there’s no grievous lag), the map is compelling and the battle royale formula is as much of a buzz as ever. The monetisation model is not in-your-face and the player base is certainly there. It’s free, it’s under a gigabyte, it’s fast, and it’s a good laugh. Why not download it?

Rustler attempts to take us back to classic top-down GTA action in a neat medieval setting but poor performance, shoddy controls, weak humour and a dull, short campaign hold it back from reaching its potential. There are glimmers of good stuff here, a few fun pop culture references, those beat-boxing bards and a good-looking world to stomp around in, but the game underneath is just so underwhelming and uninspired and, in the end, it all feels like a big step back from its most obvious inspirations.

Secret Neighbor is, in theory, a meaningful and intriguing spin-off from Hello Neighbor, introducing multiplayer elements that really should work quite well. In practice, however, the game suffers from poor controls, unremarkable environmental design, and quite frankly, its own player base. Matches turn into insufferable spectacles of chaos, and even when players commit to the game’s rules, it’s still completely unbalanced, favouring the incredibly powerful Neighbor each and every time. Even if you’re a fan of asymmetric multiplayer games, you're better off skipping this one.

Mayhem Brawler is way, way better than it has any right to be. It looks good, plays nicely and only really suffers by comparison to its bigger brothers such as Fight'N Rage and Double Dragon Neon. The animation is lacking compared to these titles, but it's still perfectly acceptable, and the slightly generic environments are too busy to really pay much attention to. With a world this interesting, we'd love to see another game take place in Mayhem Brawler's universe.

Oskar Stålberg has made a charming and compelling toy for imaginative play. Anyone willing to project themselves into its worlds and tell stories to themselves as they build will have a great time (although young kids might need assistance with the controls). Raw Fury claim to care about “experiences and emotions” not “genres or mechanics”. If that’s where your priorities lie, too, then give Townscaper a shot.

We’re always fans of seeing lesser-known games in any genre get a bit of love and exposure to new players, and the two games in the NIS Classics Volume 1 collection both have a lot to offer tactics fans. Phantom Brave’s combat system is unique among tactical RPGs and Soul Nomad’s take on the hero’s journey is still interesting 15 years after its PS2 release. However, both games feel even older than they are; the unattractive visuals and uneven voice acting of this compilation re-release aren’t going to change anyone’s mind who wasn’t a fan before, nor prove attractive for a new audience.

No More Heroes III has the faults of both its mainline predecessors – it’s a little more tedious than No More Heroes 2, and a little less meaningful than No More Heroes. It makes up for this, however, by being another inarguably impressive, balls-to-the-wall carnage-fest, a blood-spattered love letter to excess, and a Suda51 fan’s wet dream splashed across the Switch. The story it tells is cool. The game it plays is cool. Neither of these crucial aspects reach the heights of the series' Nintendo Wii origins, but nobody who truly gets No More Heroes could reasonably be disappointed with this third incarnation. The joke’s beginning to wear thin, but it’s all in the telling. And Suda51 can still spin a very fine yarn.

Spelunky 2 is a masterclass in great roguelite game design, expertly combining crushing difficulty with a steady drip of new secrets and lessons to keep you coming back for more. Some may be put off by the steep challenge—this is certainly a game you have to work for a bit—but putting in the effort is sure to reward you with plenty of thrilling memories. We’d give this game a high recommendation to any fans of roguelites or challenging platformers, and even if that doesn’t describe you, this is still certainly worth a look.

Nearly a decade on, Spelunky still has all the fundamentals in place and remains a great entry in the roguelike genre. Solid gameplay, plenty of secrets, and an addictive gameplay loop make for an easy game to recommend, though we’d say you should come into this one prepared to die a lot before you really ‘get it’. Whatever your tolerance for difficulty may be, Spelunky proves to be a nice fit for the Switch; it’s certainly worth your time if you never tried it before.

Young players still green to the simple story ideas and to platforming fundamentals will find absolute magic in Hoa. The orchestral score and hand-painted backdrops have the power to whisk imaginations away like nothing else. The tried-and-true design of a modern platform game, while unsurprising to seasoned players, will delight budding gamers getting to know the genre. Apart from its closing stage, Hoa is a paint-by-numbers platformer – and the painting is exceptional, even if everything stays carefully inside the lines.

Quake returns in a feature-rich remaster that delicately updates the classic FPS, adding lots of optional bells and whistles, packing in a ton of content and delivering the definitive way to play this 25-year-old masterpiece in the process. There's a wealth of online and co-op options here, a glorious new expansion to blast through from MachineGames, super slick performance in both docked and handheld modes and it's all available at a cracking price point. This really is a stellar port of one gaming's true greats and an absolutely essential addition to your Switch library.

As one of the surprise drops of the Nintendo Indie World showcase, we couldn't wait to get our hands on Garden Story, one of the most hyped "wholesome" games of the past few months. What we were expecting was perhaps not what we received — and it certainly has its flaws — but nevertheless, we couldn't help being won over by Garden Story's charm as well as its systems.

Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition is a title that doesn’t do the game justice. This isn’t a stripped-back Nokia N-Gage version of a grand game, this is the real deal, and it’s blinkin’ marvellous. Farming Slimes, exploring the world, getting frustrated at the price of Crystal Plorts never going up, it’s a dense and wondrous experience. Having to travel so much on foot stops it from achieving extreme greatness, but it’s not enough to stop us giving this a hearty recommendation.

Love Esquire is a straightforward and fun visual novel/dating sim with simple but effective design and gameplay, surprisingly strong production values, and a fantastic voice cast. This isn't a game trying to push the boundaries when it comes to inclusivity, but it is an enjoyable romp and a relatively 'safe' introduction to the genre for those unfamiliar with its tropes.

All in all, Rush Rally Origins is a great little rally game if you keep your expectations of the graphics in check. From a gameplay perspective, it’s more than capable, and offers improvements over the original game in spades. Despite the easy vehicle handling, the game is nevertheless challenging with smart AI and strict time trial targets (which we’re told will be slightly altered in a patch, along with various other tweaks to visuals and performance), and is perfect if you’re after a fun, easygoing arcade driving experience.

Boyfriend Dungeon is an excellent example of a flawed gem, with an original premise and an engaging gameplay loop marred by a lack of development of ideas and mechanics. Combat is really fun, until you realize it’s kind of shallow. The characters are interesting, until they become unbelievable or downright unlikeable. It's the kind of game that seems pretty great until you really get to know it, after which it can start to feel like work. We'd give Boyfriend Dungeon a very light recommendation, as there’s enough here to justify a purchase and you’ll likely be glad that you gave it a shot. That said, there are some legitimate issues in its execution, so maybe wait for a deep sale before picking it up.

Despite its obvious visual shortcomings art of rally is still a nice looking game regardless; the gameplay, of course, shines through brightest, making this one of the most authentic, challenging rally titles in some time. The incredible music makes the price of admission worth it alone, and if you’re after a surprisingly nuanced, deep rally game, this is the one to go for.

Islanders is an elucidation of how games build meaning from abstract systems. However, more than that elucidation, Islanders gave us the time to ponder. It’s a repetitive, extended, calming experience that uses just enough power of just narrow enough a collection of faculties to induce a half-aware presence in reality. Which is when you think up all the dumbest questions: could it be that contemplating the meaning of life is the meaning of life? Woah.

It's hard to quantify whether The Silver Case 2425 is a good game. Certainly, we didn't enjoy it in the slightest. But it's extremely purposeful with its Suda51-ness — his work might be an acquired taste, but for those who've already acquired it, this may well fill in the gaps in his back catalogue that you've been waiting for. In the case of anyone new to Suda's work, this visual novel is just too hard to recommend.

Greak: Memories of Azur is a solid platformer by Navegante Entertainment, delivering a well realised world with interesting characters, gorgeous hand-crafted visuals, and intriguing environments that beg to be explored. The combat can be a bit hit and miss at times, and the distinct lack of co-op play — despite the ability to switch characters at will — feels like a missed opportunity. As a story-driven adventure title, though, this one is absolutely worth a punt.

Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle is without a doubt the greatest card battling RPG on the Switch yet; an addictive and incredibly deep card game wrapped up in a heartwarming and enjoyable RPG that supplements and supports the potent core gameplay in all the right ways. Dozens of hours of content in single player alone, combined with a full-fledged online multiplayer, ensures that you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck, while the anime presentation and detailed card art and animations keep everything looking and sounding nice all the way through. If you’re at all into card games, don’t waste your time deliberating: go buy this game immediately. Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle is an extremely easy game to recommend, and absolutely worth your time.

It may be short, and it may not quite deliver with its puzzles, but Fire Tonight is a rather lovely ode to the '90s that pulls off a lyrically-inspired narrative with panache. Maya and Devin's retro-styled love story is something we'd like to see more of in future, and if you're looking for a game you can tick off the list in an evening, and if you've got affection for the time era it depicts, you'd do well to spend your time in their world for a bit.

Axiom Verge is a remarkably tough act to follow, but Thomas Happ has done it again in producing a pitch perfect, excellently paced Metroidvania adventure. Axiom Verge 2 perfectly balances familiar elements that made the original great and trying out new ideas that give the sequel its own identity, and while lovers of the first game may take some time to adjust, everything comes together and makes for a potent experience that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. The mysterious atmosphere, thrilling pace, and fantastic world design all come together to make for a worthy follow up that stands well on its own. Do yourself a favor and pick up Axiom Verge 2 as soon as you can, this is a game that’s absolutely worth your time.

What can’t be undone by these rough edges, though, is the strength of the writing, the substance of the characters, the perspicacious animations, the well directed visual design that does a lot with not much, and the engrossing musical score. Last Stop aims a bit too high – but isn’t it more interesting to have a flawed execution of something brilliant than an OK execution of an OK idea? As you would expect from publisher Annapurna Interactive (Florence, Kentucky Route Zero, Donut County, Gone Home…), Last Stop has something special in there to share over its six-or-so hours. Well worth having on the wishlist until the time and price are right for you.

Haven Park is a lovely game that suffers a bit from strange movement choices and a partially underbaked camp construction system. These cons aren’t dealbreakers by any stretch, but they do somewhat sour what could’ve been a truly stand-out example of a bite-sized, wholesome little game. We’re still glad to recommend it, but don’t expect the same level of polish as other bird-based island exploration jaunts you can find on Switch. Oh, and if you press 'A' with nothing to interact with in front of you, Flint says 'Pew'.

Despite the lack of any real challenge, Ayo the Clown is nevertheless a nice alternative to the usual go-to platformers on Switch. It’s got a wonderful, uplifting soundtrack, with several tunes you’ll be humming long after completing the game. Granted, if you’re a Coulrophobic and the mere thought of playing a game featuring a clown causes you to break out in a cold sweat, then you might want to steer clear. For everyone else, though, this is well worth picking up if you’re a fan of breezy, easygoing platformers.

If you know anything about the Picross franchise, then you probably already knew what to expect with this entry before even reading this review. Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition is more Picross, just with Sega characters, and… that’s about it. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity that Jupiter didn’t try doing a little more with the IP, but it’s also tough to say no to a new batch of a few hundred Picross puzzles themed around Sega's 8 and 16-bit libraries. We’d give this one a solid recommendation, but perhaps with the caveat that those of you who already have a few entries may want to pause before buying yet another new entry in the series. Trust us, there will be more.

Skydrift Infinity provides solid, enjoyable arcade-style racing action and delivers it at a silky 60 frames per second. What's there is great fun, but with only six tracks and one single-player mode it's not long before you've seen all it has to offer.

What is impressive, however, is the game's accessibility options. By default, Trigger Witch is a gory affair, with blood coating the ground as you gun down your enemies; if you wish, though, you can turn this off entirely, making the game more or less suitable for a younger audience. Not only that, but you can completely customise how much damage Colette gives and receives, opening up a good amount of difficulty options.

With its unique use of portals, Unbound: Worlds Apart is a great platform title with a flutter of Metroidvania in the mix. The framerate can be a tad annoying, chugging along at frequent intervals, but thankfully it's never quite disruptive enough to ruin the experience. If you like portals (and come on, who doesn't?), then this is definitely a game worth checking out.

It is difficult to recommend Pokémon Unite to 'free' players unless they're truly in it for the long haul. The gameplay is engaging, with a large roster of Pokémon that can be tried out in offline modes, but owning iconic Pokémon such as Lucario or Garchomp to play in Ranked will require an immense amount of Aoes Coins or paid-for Aeos Gems. A lot of joy is to be found in Quick Matches due to daily map rotations, but ultimately Unite is too geared toward grabbing people’s purses to win games rather than providing an even playing field for everyone. Players that don't pay will likely find frustration in constantly matching with others who have spent money; it's worth keeping that in mind before committing to Pokémon Unite.

As the conclusion to the modern take on the Blaster Master saga, Blaster Master Zero 3 hits all the notes it needs to deliver a high octane and satisfying retro platforming experience. The dark world mechanic adds a nice extra layer to the overall design, while the familiar aspects of gameplay are as polished as they’ve ever been. Inti Creates certainly could’ve stopped with the original Blaster Master Zero and that would’ve been enough, but what it’s delivered here with its third take on the franchise is nothing short of excellent. Whenever you next get a chance, be sure to add this one to your library, although we’d say so with the caveat that you should first play the preceding two entries. Really, these games are just that good.

Risk System is an impressive game where it counts, and that’s in its taut, thoughtful and challenging gameplay. The polish of the design reminded us of the excellent run n’gun Bleed, with its focus on dodging and retaliating in linear stages, but of course here applied to the shmup genre. Other than higher ranks, there’s not much to rush back to in Risk System’s six short stages, but they’re sufficiently difficult enough to last genre non-veterans a good while. Absolute pro shmuppers may find it a little too breezy, but players of any skill level will be able to appreciate the exceptionally solid game on offer here. We say that there’s no risk of buyer’s remorse with this one.