We Sing 80s is a decent continuation of the series, and is likely to cause nostalgia overload for gamers of a certain age. Its biggest strengths are multiplayer fun and an excellent tracklist that covers some of the most memorable songs of the period. It's weakest played solo, where it's really just a karaoke machine that's supported by a rather unsupportive Lessons mode, while the video and sound quality is rather typical of a Wii singing game - passable but unimpressive. Nordic Games is a veteran of the genre, however, and has brought its solid experience to this title; as party season approaches, this could be a fun option.

Frogun sets out to do exactly what it intends. There is more than enough to enjoy in the game, with around a five hours campaign to play through and the added replayability of finding collectibles that you may have missed the first time. And, although the story is simple, at no point did we find ourselves getting bored. Even the frustration of repeating levels is genuinely reflective of early gaming. It's safe to say that Frogun succeeds in evoking that retro-style puzzle-platforming of the '90s.

If you enjoyed the original release, you'll definitely want to check out this follow-up, but if you're just someone who's curious about the piano, you'd be far better off starting with the first volume.

While Morphies Law lacks the grandeur of Splatoon 2 and the F2P gratification of Fortnite, there’s no denying that its mass-shifting gimmick has legs - giant ones, at that. It just needs the right kind of post-launch TLC from its developer and some smart adjustments to both net code and player progression. With added gyro controls making the most of those Joy-Cons (should you want to gather mass via motion controls) and support for local play with up to eight players (as opposed to online's four), this indie shooter has the potential to grow into a genuine sleeper hit.

Capping off the Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs with a nice little bow, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie hits some high highs – such as with C and the True Reverie Corridor – and when it does, it's an RPG fan’s paradise. But as an overall package, it feels like an easy excuse to get a huge number of characters together rather than do something meaningful with them. It’s far from the series’ best, but fans will find a lot to love here, even if we'd recommend seeking it out on another platform for the best experience, or waiting for a patch.

Should you buy Terraria on the Switch? Well, that’s a rather nuanced question. On one hand, you have a stable version of an enjoyable, content-rich sandbox classic that can be played both at home and on the go, with that latter option proving to be an intuitive take. On the other hand, the current lack of local co-op is pretty damning for many, especially given that this Switch version is selling for a notably higher price compared to other modern versions. We’d ultimately give this one a recommendation, as the dozens of hours of content and simple, open-ended nature of Terraria’s gameplay prove to make a strong case for why this one deserves a spot on your Switch’s home screen, but if co-op is an important factor for you, we’d suggest you either wait this one out or just pick it up for another platform.

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.

Galak-Z: Variant S is a more focused and tighter experience than its forerunner, but one that offers surprising depth thanks to the often staggering upgrade opportunities on offer. By taking the freemium route developer 17-Bit Studios has been forced to introduce timers which can be overridden by spending actual cash, but these are thoughtfully deployed and even if you do decide to dig deep in your pocket, you'll still need considerable shooting skills to overcome the increasingly stern - if somewhat repetitive - challenge.

The third Labo kit is perhaps the best one yet; it offers a solid building experience and a genuinely entertaining way to control three distinct modes of transport, as well as a fleshed-out gameworld which is not only packed with things to do, but is augmented by a range of mini-game modes which will provide many hours of enjoyment – although the multi-player ones require you to have a second Vehicle Kit to hand, which might not be feasible for everyone. On the downside, the build time for the three main Toy-Con modules may test your resolve, and we're not convinced that the core game offers enough gameplay to make the storage of these cardboard monsters a realistic prospect for space-short families.

SCHiM is an interesting and relaxing 3D platformer that makes great use of its unique premise. Although its gameplay may be a little basic and the camera can have some issues, its gorgeous art style and relaxing vibes make it an overall worthwhile experience. This isn’t one that we’d suggest you go out and pick up right away, but if you’ve been looking for a 3D platformer that approaches the genre in a notably different way from the rest, this is the game you’ve been looking for.

An expansive and content-packed game, Monster Sanctuary would be easy to criticise as a grind if we didn't find that said grinding was never really necessary to enjoy it. It's a difficult one to review because a lot of what this reviewer personally found a little boring is exactly what's going to appeal to its core audience of number-crunching statisticians. While Monster Sanctuary's is a little plain at the outset, the right people will find it one of their favourite games of the year. It's a total timesink, but that's a term that implies said time is being wasted, when it really isn't. Every fight is pushing your team forward, and the potential for maximising the efficiency and power of your squad is seemingly infinite. It can feel more like organising a spreadsheet than playing a game at times, but it's impossible to deny that it's an accomplished game with a lot to offer - and that's without even taking it online to battle other players. If you like min-maxing, feel free to add a point or two to the score below.

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is more like watching a campy murder-mystery drama than playing a video game, and what gameplay there is often kills the story’s pace. While we enjoyed our time with it all the same, you’ll have to ask yourself how interested you are in watching what amounts to a decent Japanese TV series with mediocre interactivity. For us, we won’t let another FMV murder-mystery developed by Square Enix escape our notice again, though we certainly hope they rework how we uncover the culprits.

Scoring the Wonder Boy Collection is only partly related to the quality of the games on offer. They’re all excellent for what they are, and were they appraised independently, would do very well. But this is more about the package as a whole. Yes, there’s plenty here to keep you occupied, but at the same time, what could have been is a sticking point. Wonder Boy is a great little series, with games spanning everything from the Master System to the PC Engine, in various guises. It’s not difficult to offer a more extensive library for the broader gaming populace, rather than restrict certain titles to a group profiled for their magpie eyes.

For those of you who purchased both of the original DSiWare titles, Art Academy does not offer enough new content to justify a third purchase. However, the retail release fixes several issues that Second Semester suffers from by combining both lessons, offering an improved product overall.

We’ve got to hand it to Devm Games (Moving Out) for coming up with the concept. This is a joyous, eccentric platformer that’s not quite like anything you’ve played before. Though the controls can be frustrating, that’s also the point of this brief, uncannily gripping experience.

Mega Man Battle & Fighters is an excellent Neo Geo Pocket Color package that is fairer and more playable in some ways than the arcade originals on which it's based. For fans of the Mega Man formula, there’s lots here to learn and plenty of rewards to be gained from defeating each story’s boss lineup. Getting to grips with each character’s strengths and weaknesses mixes things up, and it’s great fun to study and overcome the attack patterns of your adversaries. Sadly, it’s hamstrung by a prominent and invasive continue option that many will struggle to ignore, and the localisation is non-existent, making it both cumbersome to get into and limited in terms of how much one can be absorbed by the experience.

Developer SoFun has crafted an endearing and occasionally hilarious world full of mystery, which even after credits roll feels poised for bigger things. However, at launch, the game feels noticeably slow and the visuals seem compromised on Switch, which brings borderline sluggishness occasionally into frustrating territory. By no means a dealbreaker, and not necessarily a barrier to the dozens of hours of fun gameplay you can find, but we hope to hear of some updates that make exploring Smokestack Mountain as enjoyable as it should be.

Super Strike Beach Volleyball does well to bring together engaging gameplay and charming visuals to provide a family-friendly experience on the digital beaches of the 3DS.

While not quite as fulfilling an experience as that of its Wii counterpart, the game still provides a nice puzzle-infused platforming romp that should more than please fans of the Harry Potter series of books and movies.

Kudzu is a good adventure, and we’re sure we would have loved it back in the day. We can even imagine kids at primary school asserting that, in some ways, Kudzu is better than Link's Awakening. This is in part because young kids are often deliberately contrarian, but also because Kudzu’s character and game world are genuinely noteworthy. This comes through in some tight writing and an enjoyable gameplay experience. Its slight lack of polish might knock a point off, but the Switch pricing is reasonable. We’re confident that fans of retro games will find a lot to love, and playing Kudzu on an actual Game Boy would be a genuine treat.

At its budget retail price we found Tiny Barbarian DX to be a bit light on the content side, as the game can be completed in six hours or less, depending on skill levels. If you're going to pick this one up we recommend skipping the eShop download and going for the physical edition as it at least contains some cool stuff - as Nicalis is becoming known for - to add value to your purchase.

If you aren't afraid of an experience that starts out frantic and only escalates from there Aero Porter can be a lot of fun, but if you're easily frustrated this won't be a very pleasant experience for you. The simple presentation and intuitive controls make it easy to concentrate on the action at hand, which is good, but that action consists of shuffling bags from one place to another, which may not thrill everybody. While this might not be a first class experience, upgrades and StreetPass features keep this from being an economy flight.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge plays great, with fast, fluid combat that's gruesome and satisfying. Still, you'll often wish there was a little more to it than just fighting waves of enemies in predetermined spots, and even with the campaign a little over five hours long (excluding cutscenes) it starts to feel a bit tired towards the end. That certainly shouldn't put you off it, though, as the game is still a worthwhile purchase and a great example of Nintendo's willingness to shirk their "kiddy" perception.

If you’re a fan of the original, you’ll likely enjoy the minor tweaks and upgrades on offer, but don’t dive in expecting a remaster. You get couch co-op and a healthy framerate, although it doesn’t look great on a TV and the original’s excellent English voiceover is AWOL. Despite modest enhancements, the 3DS origins of this six-year-old game are plain to see, which may put off newcomers. It’s a solid hack-and-slash experience, as it always was – we just wish it did more to earn that EX addendum.

The new control variations offer a fresh spin on the games, and despite looking absolutely amazing on the small screen of the 3DS, the frame rate issues do end up bringing down the overall experience a bit. Ultimately, BIT.TRIP is still one of the best gaming series to come out of this generation, but you can't help but feel that this 3DS compilation could have been much better with a little more polish.

Performance on Switch 2 isn’t as impressive as RE7, unfortunately. Although visuals and frame rate remain consistent in docked mode, there are a few issues present when transitioning to handheld. It still looks great, but you’ll definitely notice a few stutters here and there, particularly when exploring exterior environments like the central hub and reservoir...I still very much recommend playing Village. Its gameplay and pacing are excellent, and there’s one very specific moment that remains one of the scariest in the series’ history. When compared to RE7’s superb story and the wider franchise lore, however, Village is a bit of a narrative anomaly that I’m not convinced will stand the test of time.

Transcripted is one of the few basic puzzle games that manages to shake up its model and give the player a more unique experience. It's not perfect but, all in all, Transcripted’s gameplay, visuals and soundtrack do their job well in delivering a simple but fun experience on the Switch eShop.

If you’re looking for an affordable, well put-together game with a decent amount of enjoyment, try out A Kappa’s Trail.

Its launch day timing and name place Rabbids Land in unfortunate competition with Nintendo Land, which is a superior multiplayer experience in every way. That said, if you've got a group to play with and don't mind the one-on-one restriction of the mini-games, there's a lot of fun to be had here. Fans of the series in particular will get a kick out of seeing these furry faces in HD, the excellent and characterful animations, and the unlockable video shorts. Rabbids Land wraps fun mini-games in an underwhelming board game shell, and while it may not be the life of the Wii U party, if you happen to be throwing your own these guys make great little guests.

Moke Moke is a great example of DSiWare done right. It's simple, fun to play, looks and sounds great, and costs about the same as a cup of coffee. The intentionally floaty control will turn some people off - and anyone who finds Balloon Fight clunky should steer well clear - but if that's not an issue for you, Moke Moke is a blast. It's especially worth checking out if you've got a few furry friends to battle it out with, but the gameplay variety and extensive customization options give solitary players more than enough reason to Whack-a-Moke.

Dart Rage is miles better than its downloadable competition and worth a go if you're down with flinging fake metal spears.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is a good entry in the long-running action RPG series, but it’s far from the best. Despite the game’s title, the plot is forgettable but the explosive combat, charming characters, and booming soundtrack are engaging enough to keep your attention until the credits roll. Adol has had more memorable adventures on Nintendo Switch, but mapping out the Great Forest of Celceta is still a fun time.

It’s just a shame that this feels more like a continuation rather than a fully-fledged enhancement.

Silver Bullet’s aesthetic is dark, cartoony, and full of Halloween charm. But beneath its playful premise of a pint-sized Van Helsing rescuing puppies from the forces of darkness lies a razor-blade-stuffed apple - an arcade game with a wicked edge.

Never Stop Sneakin' is a lovingly crafted parody of early Metal Gear Solid games that pairs some genuinely funny dialogue and ridiculous characters and cutscenes with its own brand of impressively slick stealth action. Its levels are pretty repetitive and there's quite a bit of unnecessary grinding and replaying of missions in an effort to artificially extend the running time but, overall, this is a fun little title that's perfect for dipping in and out of for a hit of light-hearted tactical espionage action.

There are a few notable shortcomings; however, being able to adjust gameplay settings on the fly makes this a game that can be enjoyed by veterans and newcomers alike.

A Fairy Tale never tries to be anything more than what it is - a simple yet addictive puzzler that somehow takes an extremely simple premise and molds it into a very strategic and engaging puzzle experience for gamers of all ages and skill levels.

Wild Hearts S is a satisfying, if unspectacular, addition to the Switch 2’s early library. The monster hunting and equipment building is just as rewarding and addictive as you would hope, and there’s tons of replayability here whether you’re playing solo or with friends. That being said, the technical performance is just okay, while the lack of any significant content additions to this re-release feels like a missed opportunity, especially if you previously played this on other platforms. I’d still give Wild Hearts a recommendation, as its blemishes don’t ultimately take too much away from its many strengths, but perhaps this is one to wait for a sale.

In Aka, you get to be a cute hero in a pretty landscape, taking naps and strolling through trees. So dreamy! It’s just a shame the game has launched with this many bugs. The frequent stalling of progression and basic tasks is a little wearisome and players need a little more paw-holding to grasp the objectives. At this stage we’d recommend waiting for a few more patches, then playing the game in all its fluffy glory. That way, you get to soak up a red panda’s life of luxury. Who wouldn’t want that?

If you’re a fan of tight strategy games that don’t take themselves too seriously, Kaiju Wars is a short but well-balanced title that sees you defending your homeland from giant monsters. The retro graphics and sound allow the developers to lean into the campest kaiju film tropes, but the gameplay itself shouldn’t be overlooked because of the silly packaging. Even without the additional features that the PC version eventually got, there is plenty here to sink your teeth into across the short playtime.

Great at what it does – serving as a surprisingly jam-packed offering for solo players as well as being a great addition to parties, sleep-overs and gatherings of friends; yet it isn't perfect. Although it has a pleasing amount of unlockables such as avatars and the like, it doesn't feel like enough to keep you wanting more, and considering the game is obtainable at a much cheaper rate on other consoles than the full retail price tag on the Switch version, it is hard to recommend this over other versions, as ultimately the game is identical. This is a good version of a solid dancing game, but whether it's a cost effective launch window offering on Switch is up for debate.

Supermarket Mania seems like something you'd be likely to find in a free Flash game, but it adds plenty of stuff to warrant its 500 Point price tag. If you're looking for a simple, fun game, then you might be at the right address here.

Jam City Rollergirls is a pretty neat, if ultimately not too heavy video game introduction to roller derby, and if you have even a passing interest in the sport may serve you well. While it could ultimately benefit from more, more, more, the game still manages to punch out a good time.

The Flame in the Flood is a gorgeous title that tries to find a good balance between realism and difficulty. The ideas and concepts are smart and make sense, but don’t expect them to delve too much deeper that what is presented at the start. A few nitpicks with the menu system and cumbersome inventory management take a bit away from the experience, but the core mechanics work well. The Flame in the Flood is a good addition to the survival genre, and another satisfying inclusion to the ever growing eShop library.

Vostok Inc’s blend of money-generating ‘clicker’ gameplay and frantic twin-stick shooter action works well; as you find yourself getting to grips with the necessary procedures and start to have a system in place, you’ll find an increasing amount of fun in the game’s upgrade systems, combat, and exploration. Unfortunately, this fun reaches a peak around halfway through your adventure as you realise that you’re spending an awful lot of time doing the exact same things over and over again. Vostok Inc is a good game that will definitely provide you with several hours of enjoyment and, if you like the sound of its mixed genre, we’d encourage you to try it out – just make sure you’re ready to follow similar tasks for a long time if you do.

As the first otome game on Switch, Men Of Yoshiwara: Kikuya is both excellent proof of concept and an enjoyable piece of electronic erotica in its own right. With a memorable cast of courtesans, a generous amount of content split over several discrete routes and sub-scenarios, and affection-based unlockables, there’s plenty here to keep you busy and blushing. The backgrounds and music give off a bit of a budget feel, and occasional text encoding issues and some steep (but infrequent) quality drops are blemishes on an otherwise well-written script, but overall, we’d certainly recommend a trip to Kikuya for otome fans.

Although Cronos: The New Dawn doesn't quite reach the heights of Bloober Team's excellent Silent Hill 2 remake, it's nevertheless the result of a studio that has levelled up significantly from the days of Layers of Fear and Blair Witch. It's a celebration of survival horror, paying homage to all the genre greats effectively, although failing to do anything truly original. That said, the setting and story really help elevate the experience. This is a solid Switch 2 version (assuming a rather unpleasant bug gets fixed soon), and there's real potential here for Cronos to become a central pillar of the genre going forward, should Bloober choose to expand upon it in the future.

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.

Neither the visuals nor the gameplay has aged as gracefully as 1080, but Hamster has done good work in presenting the snowy vistas and demanding gameplay for the modern day. Cool Boarders is a blast to play for short sessions, especially if you loved it back in the '90s, and while a couple of extra options might have been nice, this is the best way to play this beloved early entry in the ‘extreme’ sports genre.

It may be confusing to navigate, but Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun has definitely got it where it counts. When you aren’t busy trying to remember how many times you’ve been through a certain room, the comically violent combat sequences offer up consistently thrilling engagements with just the right amount of difficulty. We wish that it controlled a little better, but it’s impossible to deny that Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is just a plain fun game to tear through. We’d recommend this to anyone looking for a solid boomer shooter to add to their library; it’s not a game that you need to rush out and play right away, but you’ll probably be satisfied once you get around to it.

For only 500 Points this is better value than some other games on the service, so if you feel like a few hours spotting hidden items then this is your best bet on WiiWare so far.

Much like its predecessors, Picross S6 is little more than a glorified level pack. But, that’s okay. The addictive nature of its core gameplay is as strong as ever, and those who are hooked will be pleased to know that there’s another ten to twenty hours of new content to chew through. If you’ve still got a few of the past entries in your backlog, we’d recommend you hold off until you’re sure you want even more puzzles to solve; there’s nothing new or exciting here that you’re missing. If you’re a newcomer, however, this is as good a place as any to jump in.

Though there are a few flaws and the difficulty level makes it a game for those with fast thumbs, Tachyon Project is well worth consideration on Wii U. For fast-paced twin-stick shooting action there aren't many better options on the eShop.

Michael Jackson: The Experience is indeed a good way to dance along to your favourite King of Pop routines, but that's really about it.

Nearly twenty years later, Final Fantasy VIII proves to be just as weird and polarizing a release as it was when it first came out. Cool new ideas like Guardian Forces and Triple Triad are hamstrung by an absolutely wack story and the tedium of the Draw system, making for an experience that’s great in some regards and not so great in others. Taken as a whole, however, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered proves to be a fun and enjoyable romp through the weirder side of the Final Fantasy series, notably bolstered by the new HD presentation and the inclusion of helpful quality of life features. This is easily the most skippable entry of all the mainline Final Fantasy games on the Switch right now, but if you find yourself to be a fan of either the Final Fantasy series or the JRPG genre, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered proves to be a release that’s certainly worth your time.

2048 is fun, quick, and just distracting enough to keep you occupied for hours at a time.

While its short-burst gameplay is perfectly suited to phones, Reigns: Kings & Queens arguably works just as well lying on the sofa with a single Joy-Con. It’s addictive with plenty of depth to its deceptively simple systems, although like the mobile edition, it really is best enjoyed when played in small chunks. After several hours, repetition inevitably dulls its initial appeal, but if you haven’t played it elsewhere, this is a great package that’s well worth swiping right on.

Ambition Of The Slimes throws the classic turn-based RPG formula on its head, enabling you to use the underdog to capture human enemies and battle in an interesting, new way. The large variety of attacks, abilities, and techniques available to you make the battles truly exciting, but a very harsh level of difficulty across all game modes sadly results in a lot of frustration. If you enjoy your turn-based battle games, this one is most definitely an interesting option for you to consider – just make sure to be prepared for a very, very tough challenge.

While there are a fair few top-down dungeon crawlers and action RPGs on Switch today, there’s always room for more – especially when they fly in the face of mobile gaming’s unpredictable quality levels. And while Blade II's aesthetic is nothing new – in fact, we’d say Bloodborne and The Witcher III are really having their style cramped – the quality of its presentation and performance on Switch really makes up for it. Its slick and fast combat has plenty of depth to offer, but it’s let down by samey and uncreative level designs that repeat themselves far too often.

Hyperforma was well-received when it released on IOS last year and it's a genuinely inventive and stylish little puzzle game that adds enough to the tried-and-tested block-breaking format to make it worth seeking out, if this type of thing is your cup of tea. Unlocking skills as you progress does render a little of the challenge obsolete as you can choose to let tactics take a back seat and just blast away at blocks to brute force the victory but, if you play within the rules and try to clear all those tricky side challenges, you'll find a tasty little puzzler here that's well worth the small entry fee.

Unfolding like a classic Disney tale, this is a beautifully animated adventure that weaves a deeply personal tale. Bye Sweet Carole is driven by its art style and a brilliant musical score, but occasionally stumbles due to stiff controls and frustrating mechanics.

While not perfect, it provides a fun experience for multiple players, plus one of the best presentations any Wiiware title to date has received.

As simple as Back to Bed may seem, it's a satisfying puzzle game. Bob's dream sequences further enhance the experience with the inclusion of an appropriately fitting surreal art style. If you're in the mood for a fun and functional puzzle game, maybe consider this one.

It’s hard to express how well a niche game fares with a numerical score. If train business minutiae are your niche, your heart will be all a-flutter; if not, you’ll be all a-bored. Setting the content on one side, there are significant balance, interface and performance issues – but they don’t derail the game entirely. While there are other options for management sims on Switch that are much more light-hearted and accessible, A-Train is something different that educated us and broadened our horizons in the genre. Fans, then, will be stoked to play the series on a new platform; for others with plenty of patience A-Train could be a sleeper hit. (We're really, really sorry about all the puns. Honest.)

On one hand, these two levels are really outstanding and well executed, but on the other hand, there are only the two and they are basically the same every time you play them.

Anyone who played the original Midnight should know exactly what they're getting into. It might have been fun to throw an extra idea into play somewhere, but the sequel still provides the same fun-if-not-perfect gameplay of the original. If you enjoyed your first round and ached for more stages, this is a no-brainer. Others who might be interested can freely dive in with either game.

Resident Evil: Village is an excellent continuation of the mainline Resident Evil series that pays homage to Resident Evil 4 while showcasing its own style and identity. The first-person perspective allows for some truly terrifying moments (though a third-person mode is also on the way in the Winters' Expansion DLC) and the boss encounters are some of the best in the entire series. Of course, running via the cloud means you'll likely come across some hiccups, along with some dodgy load times and potential slowdown. Our experience with this was pleasantly minimal compared to other cloud versions we've played, but be sure to test the demo for yourself. If you've only got access to a Switch, this is a pretty solid way to experience a great game.

If you’re interested in a three-hour narrative adventure in the vein of Gone Home and Tacoma, and you can justify the current price, then there’s a memorable-enough time to be had with Open Roads. There’s not a wasted detail in the game’s storytelling and there's a lot to appreciate in the subtle and skilful way it leads you through its tale. We enjoyed the little moments of character growth that came from Opal and Tess throughout. By the end, we felt as if we knew them. The game’s ending also, genuinely, surprised us, which is an impressive feat. There’s a heartfelt originality to Open Roads. But, yes, the gameplay is also limited. The ‘pick up an object, have a conversation’ repetition only has a temporary appeal. Whether the game is for you or not depends entirely on how you feel about the genre as a whole.

Balloon Pop Festival is a good puzzle game with some neat elements, though it comes together in a very generic, run of the mill way. Looking past the questionable control option and simplistic gameplay is easy, however, considering that there might not be another WiiWare game with such a great mixture of cute, colourful visuals and engaging gameplay fundamentals.

In terms of content, slick features and a variety of game modes, it's an impressive achievement and far superior to its rival, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D. Gameplay is entirely mixed, however, with intuitive controls and some fun mechanics being undermined by a poor frame-rate performance from the game engine.

Glory Days – Tactical Defense is an elegant game, utilising a small arsenal of features that interlock in such ways that with each bit of progress that you make, you'll have to re-think your strategy and combine what you've got in new, subtle and more complex ways.

While we'd argue that previous fans will get the most out of this sequel in the long run, it's a perfectly manageable entry point for newcomers if the tight mechanics and bite-sized chunks of puzzling goodness are starting to sound pretty good this time around.

EctoPlaza is a simple and wonderfully crafted couch multiplayer game. All of our complaints ultimately boil down to the fact that we just wish there was more of it; much of this game is ripe for expansion and feels a bit unfulfilled as a result. That being said, what is here is a joy to play, and we would recommend it to anyone who has a group of friends that still like to get together from time to time for a game night. Ectoplaza does a great job of offering a competitive and easy to pick up multiplayer experience, and it's one that no social Wii U owners will want to miss out on.

Overall, Wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is enjoyable and gives a modern classic a thrilling new spark of life. After blasting through the race classes, it's likely the itch will be back and we'll be back in the online lobbies once again, eagerly awaiting the five further waves to come between now and the end of 2023. That's the key takeaway we took early on while sampling the Booster Course Pass — you can't go far wrong with 'more Mario Kart'.

What could have been another must-have Wii 2D platformer, A Shadow's Tale is still worth your time as long as you keep your expectations in check.

For players with a taste for retro sensibilities — deliberate controls, punishing difficulty, and trial-and-error enemy encounters — Adventure of Samsara offers grit and satisfaction with its varied biomes, parkour traversal, and epic boss encounters that reward patience and mastery. Yet the experience, at least until you get to grips with its control scheme, feels more hindered than helped by rigid inputs, cheap deaths, and difficulty spikes that can wear you down.

Gloomhaven's gameplay is deeply challenging and dense, and it almost always manages to provide a satisfying payoff in equal measure if you are able to look past its menus and control flaws (and can stomach its load times on Switch). It isn't for the faint of heart, but those who stick with its complex, card-centric tactical gameplay will find a great strategy game.

The Alto games are well worth checking out if you’re after a breezy, relaxing experience.

If you're a shooter fan and you don't demand a lot of variety in your gaming experience, Gyrostarr is a game you are likely to enjoy.

A focus on so-so side-challenges and low-quality visuals keep Need for Speed: Nitro-X from being as consistently good as it could have been, but it hits enough high points with its fast-paced and wonderfully over-the-top races to warrant a purchase.

Bandle Tale is a solid crafting RPG with some really interesting ideas, although it doesn’t always execute these ideas as well as it feels like it could have. An expansive crafting system, stunning art style, and hilarious writing all work in Bandle Tale’s favor, but the gameplay can sometimes come off as overly frustrating and tedious. As the (unintentionally) final entry in the Riot Forge project, Bandle Tale serves as a decent capstone to a really great idea, and we’d recommend it to anyone out there looking for a chill and immersive new life sim to add to their collection.

Piczle Lines DX is relatively pricey (at launch) for a download puzzle game, but it offers 300+ sizeable and quality picture conundrums to solve; it'll take most players a long time to solve every image. It's a fun mechanic that feels like a clever combination of other puzzle styles, and the option to detach the Joy-Con and use the touchscreen alone also makes it an appealing game for a bit of quiet downtime slouched in a comfortable chair. Its smartphone legacy lets it down a little in presentation, and beyond solving lots of puzzles it's lacking any smart variations in modes or even multiplayer. Nevertheless, in terms of serving up plenty of challenging content it does the job rather well.

If you enjoyed any previous Picross outings and are craving more, you can't go wrong by grabbing this as well.

Avalon Code is by no means a bad game, but due to some niggling issues, the game can’t be deemed as a must-have title.

A full-featured multiplayer effort, Swimsanity! excels in its frantic competitive gameplay, with a co-op experience that we found critically lacking in enjoyment. Skip the adventure mode and dive straight into Orb Rush with three friends for a good, fun time. The package holds together well despite some blandness to the visuals, and there's certainly plenty to do if it gets its (fish) hooks into you. Swimsanity! holds up well in a crowded market and we truly hope to see it succeed.

Lair of the Clockwork God is a difficult one to score. What it does well is brilliant – the humour is great, with constant jokes both quickfire and slow-burn – but the gameplay is a more complex matter. While it's not bad by any reasonable metric, it is awkward in places. But, then, this is intentional and comes part and parcel with the story, so do we treat it more leniently? Is there some hubris in presenting a flawed game, but distracting from said flaws by making them... kind of the point? It's a question that not even Nintendo Life can truly answer, but we can put a big number under a review of the game. We do our part.

Teddy Together is a pleasant little game, and is a great option for children to play with their parents. Although the voice acting is a bit off, there is so much to be explored that it won't matter. A lot of kids' games can be rushed through, but the level of detail and effort put into Teddy Together makes it an solid choice for young gamers that enjoy the likes of Nintendogs and Tomodachi Life.

Zed Blade might not be the most famous of Neo Geo shooters but with three craft to pick from and a number of customisation options, it has variety and point-scoring options aplenty. Of course, none of that would matter if the game wasn't entertaining, but luckily NMK has crafted a fun shooter. The music seems an unusual choice at first, but proves to be a good fit with the frantic play style required for the game. It's not without fault however, and the action is sometimes easy to lose track of when the screen gets cluttered and there are moments of noticeable slowdown. Your ship is also quite large considering all the activity onscreen, leading to some moments of frustration when you're unsuccessful in navigating high concentrations of bullets. Zed Blade remains enjoyable however, and should keep highscore chasers occupied for some time.

Street Hoop is a game that offers a quick basketball fix: you simply choose a country and then play commences. Despite the lack of options and the fact there's only ten countries available, the simple pick-up-and-play approach works well. The game therefore shares similarities with Super Sidekicks, but it works better here thanks to the fast-paced high-scoring nature of the matches. There's lots of enjoyment as the action moves from one side of the court to the other, shooting, dunking, feigning moves and players shoving each other out of the way. Further entertainment is provided by successfully keeping (or winning) the ball to prevent your opponent unleashing a super shot and winning with the last throw of the game is thrilling. Playing through the arcade mode entertains, but the game works best in two-player mode and Street Hoop is a good option when looking for a quick bout of two-player fun.

An odd duck and no mistake, Shadow Gangs is nonetheless an enjoyable Shinobi clone with plenty of level design polish. It’s let down by an obnoxiously high difficulty level and some fairly stingy game-saves, but overall has a good amount to recommend it if you’re done with the Sega Mega Drive Classics and Sega Ages Shinobi. It's an extremely valiant effort at a truly old-school feel and retro gamers definitely won't regret checking it out – just be prepared to swallow your pride and head for the options menu.

Despite the evident control flaws, Ooblets is an undeniably charming and fun life simulator perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing approach to adventure. There's enough content within this adorable game to keep any player occupied for hours, with the central campaign taking around thirty hours to complete — though avid explorers will get closer to the sixty-hour mark if they can get past the expensive, exhausting stamina system. Still, even post storyline, Ooblets kept us coming back for more farming and more dance-offs.

101 Dolphin Pets presents a relaxed, fun and extremely approachable casual pet simulator with simple, entertaining and progressively challenging mini-games that noticeably improve on its predecessor's oft-clunky, unimpressive selection.

A strong puzzle game in its own right, although compared to the highs of its predecessors, it doesn’t nearly hold up as well. Even so, the pleasant visuals, wonderful writing, and (mostly) strong puzzle design make this an easy sell, even if the occasional missteps in some of the puzzle answers and the lack of compelling new features for this re-release prove to be drawbacks. We’d give this a recommendation to anybody looking for a slower-paced game that still demands lots of attention. It’s an excellent ‘winding down before bed’ sort of game, and though it might not fully live up to the series legacy, we’re still excited for whatever Level-5 is planning next for Kat.

Galaxy Saver might not set the world on fire, but it's an interesting twist on the genre. And at only 200 Nintendo Points it's difficult to not recommend that shooter fans at least take a chance on a game that will offer a few hours of shooting fun, with some unique arcade twists that fans perhaps haven't seen. It's easy to wish for more, but from an inexpensive DSiWare title that is quite fun to play, it's difficult to be too critical.

While Detune has found some special ways to gamify the process of designing, layering and manipulating a piece of EDM, the lack of support for MIDI controllers or the ability to import/export tracks between other devices takes the shine off Switch’s first proper music title. While it’s ultimately more of an app than a game, KORG Gadget still brings an entirely new experience to your hybrid console and one that’s perfect for tinkering on a track while on your commute.

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.

With charm and polish and great respect for the player’s time and ability, Desta: The Memories Between manages to land a clever and touching concept. The story and voice acting keep the levels ticking by and elevate what could have been a very rote affair. The dodgeball gameplay does let the story do the heavy lifting after about halfway, becoming rather repetitive, but it also provides a realistic touch of conflict and aggression whenever the dialogue leans into super-niceness, and the roguelike strategy plays smoothly enough to be a pleasant delivery mechanism for the tale of Desta unpacking and coming to terms with their emotional conflicts.

Knight Terrors is one of the cheapest games on the Switch, and it's a surprisingly good time. Hacking and slashing through ghosts, skulls and zombies is perfect for this time of the year, and even if the game is repetitive, it only costs a few dollars. The 8-bit visuals and sounds are fun and provide a great backdrop for an endless runner. If you're looking for a hidden eShop gem with a surprising amount of playability on a budget, this is a good call.