Unholy Heights is a blend of tower defense and management sim that doesn't over-complicate either element. Although some might wish the gameplay was deeper in certain places, there is a good seasoning of inner complexity that should keep many engaged. Add to that a charming, not-so-evil evil motif and some goofy (if not always the most grammatically correct) flavoured text, and it can be easy to get hooked - if you don't get frustrated by the spiking difficulty curve.

The cross-buy option makes Futuridium EP Deluxe an easy choice for Wii U and New 3DS owners. If you only have the portable, however, then it's still well worth a purchase - it's one of only a small number of downloads on the updated hardware that truly shows what it can do in unison with Unity. It's fun, flashy and just occasionally frustrating, and also a welcome part of the New 3DS library.

There’s very little wrong with Flight Control but it does feel a little thin. The additions of a new airfield and two-player mode are very welcome, but given the game’s origins as an addictive single-player score attack game it’s a shame more wasn’t done to boost this aspect: the removal of leaderboards hurts the game immeasurably.

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.

While its fun for a time in single-player, Claws of Furry is definitely a brawler with two-to-four player fights in mind. With an abundance of enemies on-screen at any one time, it’s the kind of game that’s going to be twice as fun with someone sat next to you. While its Rogue mode feels like nothing more than a tokenistic doff of the cap to gaming in 2018, the Arena mode is a big selling point all on its own if you’re looking for a new regular entry in your couch-play rotation.

Just Dance 2014 doesn't rock the boat too much, nor does it really need to — turns out that dancing is still pretty fun in and of itself, and the robust, aggressively contemporary set list, oodles of choreography and video sharing put this year's dance party among the better ones.

It may be a little uneven, but Adore nonetheless stands out from the pack as an innovative new entry in the monster-catching RPG subgenre. The fast-paced combat, detailed team customization, and high level of replayability all make this one easy to recommend, though we say this with the qualifier that performance could be better and the gameplay loop can get pretty grindy. All the same, we’d give this one a recommendation to anyone looking for an interesting new monster catcher — it’s a welcome addition to the genre and we hope to see its ideas further explored in future games.

Afterlove EP definitely fits with the cosy set: slow tempo, heartwarming narrative, and sad story (yes). The themes of grief, mental health and their impacts on our lives are explored in a way that feels gentle, much like Fahmi’s earlier releases. There were a few wrinkles as things unfolded, and the dating sim aspect was unexpected, but still there’s easygoing fun to be had. If you’re looking for a light touch on serious issues, this one could be worth a play, and a replay. If you want a heavy-hitting game to wreck you emotionally, you might want to hit ‘skip’.

Judged on its own, the final wave for the Booster Course Pass is another perfectly fine, if slightly uneven addition to the expansion. The Tour courses remain reasonably good fun, but are ultimately forgettable, while Daisy Circuit stands as one of the most boring tracks in the entire game. Nintendo could have just adapted Airship Fortress instead, y'know? That said, there's still a lot to enjoy here, including four great new character additions, making Wave 6 a solid finale to the Booster Course expansion.

The Mystery of Woolley Mountain might have more of a low-rent aesthetic that’s more South Park than Monkey Island, but it all ties back into a homemade feel that really sells its quirkiness and sense of personality. Its puzzles can sometimes be so obtuse in their design they verge on the infuriating, but they’re consistently clever and will have you scratching your head throughout. With nods to indie gaming websites, Sinclair ZX Spectrums and other entries in British pop culture, this entertaining little romp offers up a fun – if not wholly original – point-and-click adventure.

These new enemies aside, it’s more or less business as usual in The Ancient Gods. While the pace can be a little slower this time thanks to the way the newcomers have to be defeated, for the most part fans of the main campaign will be perfectly happy with another roughly 5-8 hours of gameplay to rip and tear their way through. Just don’t play it without taking on the main game first.

Mutant Mudds Deluxe doesn't feel quite at home on larger screens, but it's still a very enjoyable game. Its crisp visuals and great soundtrack are as nice as ever, but it feels like a handheld experience at heart. The lack of 3D and layered scenery also means that it's sometimes difficult to tell what platforms and hazards are actually on your plane, which can lead to some unexpected deaths.

No online modes and a lacklustre character roster are a punch to the gut of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden, but the day is saved by an accessible and fast paced combat system that houses an enjoyable amount of depth.

Brief Battles is a raucous little game that provides another option for Switch players looking for some decent four player, local multiplayer party times. It's easy to pick up and - owing to that clever mix of pant-powers, environmental obstacles and unique style of traversal - has a level of depth that introduces a pleasing amount of tactics for dedicated players. It's also priced really reasonably so is well worth taking a punt on if you're regularly inundated with friends wanting to get some couch co-op action on the go.

Behind the Frame’s mobile roots show, and the Switch’s touchscreen comes into its own. The story didn’t exactly keep us guessing, but went to an interesting place. The graphical art and music are the stars, and the sub-2-hour playtime means they stay fresh to the last. Putting the length and price on one side so you can factor them in for yourself, we really rate the experience here as a piece of art worth getting into.

It’s unknown at this point just how big of a project Deltarune will turn out to be – only Chapter 2 is confirmed as of the time of writing – but this first chapter proves to be a solid, if a little too safe, take on the unique gameplay and humour that made Undertale such a hit. At worst, Deltarune Chapter 1 is just a smaller and shallower version of Undertale; at best, it’s a promising glimpse into a much more ambitious project that will hopefully grow to escape the shadow of its forerunner. Regardless, you can download Deltarune Chapter 1 for free right now from the eShop; we’d encourage you to give it a download and see what you think.

Inmost tells its dark and troubling tale with plenty of style and there's an expertly handled mixing of narrative elements and satisfying gameplay mechanics for the most part that only really loses its way in the final stretch, unwisely wrestling control away from players and brute-forcing a rather neat and tidy ending that's at odds with how deftly the multi-layered story is handled early on. This and a few control niggles aside, however, are not enough to derail what is a genuinely haunting and memorable experience that's well worth checking out.

While it's probably not a top tier download title, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails is still an entertaining and fun game, with big, challenging levels that all have plenty to do.

While it isn’t necessarily as whole an experience as its brethren, Crystal Defenders R1 supplies enough value to be worth a download for fans of the ‘Tower Defense’ genre.

The interesting application of real time plays strongly to the DSi's portable nature and could potentially keep you going for a good while. It's ambitious, although not without its share of flaws like floaty physics, and the end result is an enjoyable little sandbox game for short sprees.

If Zen Pinball 2 is the beginning of a new distribution model on the Wii U eShop, of free apps accompanied by paid DLC, then it's an extremely rough start. The infrastructure is clunky and, to be blunt, unacceptable, which could be enough to put off some that decide it's too confusing or clumsy to be worth the effort.

If you own an iOS device, there's no point in downloading this version of the game - you'd be paying significantly more money for less content. All else considered, though, this is still DSiWare done right: fun, pick-up-and play-style gameplay with a variety of options and tons of replay value.

Galaxy Champions TV is a delightful little tribute to Smash TV that perfectly recreates the hectic feel and relentless challenge of that classic while adding a nice little XP and unlock system that freshens things up and gives you something to work towards as you make your way through the forty levels on offer. It's just a shame it lacks any real personality and fails to deliver on its dystopian TV show premise in any fun or clever ways; it's also missing any sort of leaderboard system to give it a bit more longevity. As it stands, for a budget price, this is a still a slick little twin-stick shooter that nails the basics and is well worth your time if you're a fan of the genre.

Me and My Dogs is an enjoyable game and tries its best to live up to the standards set by Nintendogs and generally succeeds. It packs in a lot of charm and cuteness and the minigames are a lot of fun.

Personality and charm go a long way in digital download releases and luckily, Flipper has ample helpings of both.

DodoGo! Robo is a much simpler, easier game than its predecessors, which may be a good or a bad thing to you.

Pokémon Quest is a fun little time waster that will satisfy your collect 'em all urges until the real deal launches on Switch in November. This is, for all extents and purposes, a free-to-play mobile game though, so you will have to splash the cash if you want to get the most out of it, but it's far from a money sink. You can get everything you need in a single purchase, or unlock most of it slowly by playing for free. It's one of the most generous freemium systems out there. Overall, it's a great jumping off point for new fans of the series, and the cutesy art style just might win over veterans. Give it a shot.

At any rate, the value of the game is certainly a high point — considering the amount of content it has packed under its tiny hood, its low price should be an immediate draw to fans of its fun brand of pick-up-and-play puzzle-platforming.

There isn’t any other game on the eShop quite like Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, which is both a good and bad thing. On one hand, this offers up a well-paced, thought-provoking, and artistic experience that you won’t soon forget, but it’s also short and isn’t always ‘fun’ in the traditional way that games usually are. If you’ve got some gold coins to burn or want a game that’s a bit more mentally engaging than what you’d usually find on the eShop, we’d give Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP a recommendation. Otherwise, you should probably wait for a sale or just steer clear.

Despite being a licensed tie-in, Dragons: Dawn of New Riders is anything but a broken, half-baked money-grab. It’s not particularly remarkable in its features – and it really misses a trick by not adding more things to do while riding your dragon between dungeons – but for recovering Skylanders fans and those a little too young to go loot crazy in Diablo, this is still a family-friendly adventure that’s well worth your time on Nintendo Switch.

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.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is an enjoyable game at its budget price, with a pleasing mix of adventure, humour and some head scratching puzzles. There are some negative points which stop the game from being a fully fledged win, but it is still an enjoyable and nostalgic experience for any gamer with a love of point-and-click styled experiences.

While this game won't exactly revitalize the genre, couch co-op or competitive play for any real length of time, there's something satisfying about playing with a friend. Astral Breakers takes that knowledge and gives you its colourful little universe to fight in.

It takes time to figure out just what you’re doing, but anyone looking for a strong challenge will find a lot to love with GoNNER2. It builds upon the original game’s premise well and by offering co-operative campaign play, adds significant replayability with friends. It's not a flawless game by any means, and players who prefer a more guided experience would do better to look elsewhere but, those caveats aside, GoNNER2 still makes for a compelling experience that comes recommended, if you're up for the challenge.

The game offers quite a bit of length and game play for your 800 Wii Points, but having to purchase additional packs in order to enjoy the side stories is obviously going to rub some gamers the wrong way, especially considering that there are eight additional packs to buy in order to wrap up the entire story line.

Spaceball Revolution provides an interesting and welcome new take on the arcade puzzle genre. More variety in the actual playfields would have be welcomed, and the lack of even basic audio options seems a strange omission, but the combination of impressive visuals, simple gameplay and solid controls create a challenging experience that will please any fan of the genre.

While Just Dance 4 may be just as entertaining as the last 3 entries to the series, the question still remains: has it improved greatly enough on the efforts of Just Dance 3 to warrant a sequel, or could it just be simply reproduced as new song DLC? The new modes just about justify the update, but Just Dance 4 remains a great-looking and fun game regardless, with only a few minor motion sensitivity and choreography troubles which hinder the all-round excellent dancing and fitness experience.

A competently assembled title: smooth, clean, and enjoyable. What it lacks in gravity and bravado it makes up for in balanced scoring mechanics and an interesting teleportation twist. While its Cadet Mode is its brightest spark, the main campaign shoots for the stars but falls just short of reaching them.

Air Combat 22 is arguably more interesting as a historical artefact than it is as a video game, but that's not to say fans of Namco's series won't extract plenty of enjoyment from it. Like stablemate Ridge Racer, it's a very limited experience designed around short-burst 'arcade' play, but it's still entertaining enough to be worth your time and money; hopefully, it sells well enough for Bandai Namco and Hamster to bring other classic 1990s arcade titles to modern systems.

It's also worth noting that unless you're keen on repeatedly playing levels to boost your overall rating, you may tire of the game quite swiftly.

It's a concept with narrow appeal by its very nature, so if you aren't already able to enjoy word searches, then this won't do much to convince you otherwise.

RCMADIAX has produced perhaps its best game yet with SHUT THE BOX, not by creating a bigger experience but by shaving it down to its core mechanics and offering it for the lowest price possible.

It has a few design flaws that detract from the gameplay, particularly in terms of simple usability, and to tell the truth there’s not really a huge amount of originality on display. If you’ve played any open world GTA off-shoot in the past ten years you’ll find little in C.O.P. to surprise you, but if you’re after a less-adult title in the genre then C.O.P.

Vitamin Connection is a kaleidoscopic mishmash of influences and genres – part cutesy shooter, part mini-game collection. Not all of its ideas stick, and there are a couple of points of friction caused by its tilt controls, but when it's on song, this is a charming sugar rush of an experience – especially if you're after a new couch-co-op game.

A good if unspectacular Tekken transition. Its 41 characters and 60fps frame rate is unmatched on 3DS, and while it arguably lacks a truly meaty challenge for a single player it's enjoyable enough that you won't really mind. It won't set the world alight, but it's another strong addition to 3DS's array of big name scrappers.

Dragon Ball: The Breakers isn’t likely to challenge titles like Dead by Daylight for the top spot in this growing asymmetrical multiplayer genre, but it is a fun game that stands out among the rest of the Dragon Ball franchise for daring to do something different. Despite some technical issues at launch and the need to do a lot of grinding if you want to get enough experience with the different Raiders, this is still a worthwhile multiplayer timesink for anime fans.

The Crown Tundra is another fine addition to Pokémon Sword & Shield, but it emphasises many of both the highlights and shortcomings of the base games. The highs are excellent, white hot flashes of wonderment, but they’re a little spoiled by a foundation of ageing game design. We would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Isle of Armor, but considering if you’ve paid for that you’ve already paid for this, it’s hard to argue otherwise. The Crown Tundra offers a glimpse of a possible future, and what it does well, it does seriously well, but the series as a whole deserves to be completely dug out of the nearly 25 year-old design philosophies that made the originals great. The world has moved on since Pokémon first arrived, and it’s time for the series to catch up.

GrimGrimoire OnceMore takes one of the most under-appreciated RTS games of its generation and fixes some of its biggest problems, making this a worthwhile game for both new fans and those who have played the original. While the repetitive maps mean that most levels feel too similar to each other, the story is fun and the visuals have had a solid upgrade for the Switch. There is just enough depth to the strategy to keep you guessing without overwhelming new players.

Chasm is a fascinating, mechanically sound take on the Metroidvania genre, but it also fails to do anything innovative or original that hasn’t been done before in the genre, apart from the relatively minor hook of procedurally-generated worlds. Despite this, it’s still a fun side-scrolling adventure that’s sure to be worth your time, with challenging combat, fantastic graphics, and a cool premise all combining to make for a release that we’d recommend to fans of the genre - although there are better examples out there, many of which are on Switch right now.

Sengoku 2 is quite similar to the first game in the series, but by upping the pace of combat it makes things a lot more enjoyable and making all characters available from the start gives you various options to consider from the get go. Return to it after a while away (alone or with a friend) and Sengoku 2 will provide some decent sidescrolling slashing action.

For those looking for quick, clever puzzles on the go, you could certainly do much worse.

For die-hard fans of snooker, billiards and pool, Cue Sports does the job nicely and may even be preferred to Midnight Pool because of its more serious nature and the addition of full online multiplayer.

Gundam Breaker 4 offers return to form for the series and demonstrates time and again that it knows the importance of focusing on its strengths. Though its middling graphics and somewhat repetitive gameplay can hold it back a bit, the incredibly deep customisation options, snappy combat, and near-endless replayability make this the kind of game that’ll get its hooks in you deep once it clicks. If you're into Gundam, we’d suggest you pick this one up when you get the chance, especially if you’re looking for a content-rich and relatively low-investment action game to add to your Switch library.

This Is The Police asks players to step into a career that's already on the rocks, in a city beyond saving, and then demands that you try and make things right regardless. It's a mature, compelling experience that combines elements of strategy, resource management and text adventure games, while telling a gripping story of corruption and withered hope - albeit with some muddled attempts to deal with real world issues. The meat of the game is solid, if extremely repetitious after some hours, so we can't help but feel if it was a shorter, more tightly focused game with a bit more variety, it would have felt more satisfying overall. As it stands there's hours of gameplay here for any budding cop, it just outstays its welcome a little.

Much like the first Brain Age Express DSiWare release, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters once again manages to offer up a small sampling of brain training exercises from the retail title in a more condensed DSiWare package.

Sonic Classic Collection could have been a true must-have for DS-owning Sonic fans, but sadly it's marred by enough small issues to put you off playing for too long.

8-Bit Adventures 2 is an exquisitely crafted RPG epic that any fan of classic (and we mean classic) RPGs will appreciate for its adherence to the conventions of games of the era. With gorgeous pixel art, a satisfying battle style with as much challenge as variety, and a story that both honours and subverts RPG tropes, there’s so much to love. However, it doesn't always respect your time and the lack of some modern conveniences — auto-battle, an auto-scroll for dialogue, any real way to point you towards your goal or remind you of the story so far — could make this a journey that many get lost on before reaching the end.

The visuals are fun and lively, and the sound design is great. The marbles sound incredibly realistic and the noise of them on ice is oddly satisfying. While the gameplay loop of this title might not be for everyone, it does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a vibrant, snappy game that offers a nice handful of content for both single players and people looking to play with friends. Super Monkey Ball fans will get a kick out of it, too.

Music On: Drums takes a different approach than previous entries, and although it doesn't offer the power or flexibility to defeat Rytmik: Rock Edition it's still a good alternative that's fun to tinker about with from time to time.

If you've only got a Wii, the game's worth a purchase, but if you're a multi-platform owner you can definitely do better in terms of FPS games.

The quality of The Room and the atmosphere it conjures is undeniable, and it’s certainly worth checking out if you haven’t played before. It’s a pleasure to see some well-implemented pointer controls added to a classic touchscreen title, and the fact that this seminal release is now available on a dedicated gaming device is cause for celebration. Be aware that it’s a slight offering by home console standards, though – it’s crying out to be part of a compilation release with its three sequels. Perhaps one for the Wishlist, then, but it’s a winner while it lasts.

Advanced Circuits is a solid puzzler, but you can't help but come away from it feeling like it's something you've already played before.

The currency system may get a little aggravating, but as a silly diversion Jones on Fire is well worth consideration.

Ultimately, NebulasRay feels like a title that has gained cult classic status simply because so few people have actually had the opportunity to play it. It's a decent blast that's jolly good fun with an additional player, and if you limit yourself when it comes to continues, it offers a stern test for shmup fans. However, the CGI visuals date the game, and the weapon system arguably lacks the inventiveness of other titles from the same time period, such as RayForce's lock-on laser mechanic. It's also worth noting that NebulasRay carries a premium price tag within the Arcade Archives range, retailing for (at the time of writing) $14.99 / £13.49, while the traditional price is $7.99 / £6.29. Still, if you're interested in owning a piece of coin-op history and have a soft spot for the genre, then you should definitely check this one out.

While its roguelite gameplay is familiar territory, Demon's Tier+ executes the formula very well. It could do with a more elegant tutorial than the multi-page bombardment the game starts with, but it's hard to hold that against it when everything else works so nicely. It may not have prestige, but Demon's Tier+ is cheap and cheerful. A good, pacy game for two.

Goetia is a flawed yet engrossing point-and-click-style adventure for those looking for a challenge as well as an interesting story. Aside from the lack of a hint system resulting in the odd infuriatingly obtuse puzzle, it's a bleak, beautiful experience. It’s certainly slow and more text-heavy compared to other titles in the genre on Nintendo Switch, but it’s well-crafted and worth a look.

HoopWorld is not a bad choice for a quick and cheap round of arcade basketball, and those blessed souls willing to overlook the flawed controls might find themselves having a pretty good time.

That core loop of killing satyrs in four hits before finding rare loot that destroys them in one is as compelling as it ever was. Disappointing visual glitches and the occasional crash give the impression that everything is held together with nothing more than sticky tape and a prayer, but it was never enough to stop us playing. Handheld mode is a massive boon for any RPG and, as long as you’re not expecting miracles, this Switch port delivers the core experience well enough to warrant investigation.

Phoenix Labs has done a great job with Dauntless, designing a game that takes the better parts of Monster Hunter and pares them down into a rapid-fire and easily accessible action experience that’s sure to demand dozens of hours of your time once it gets its hooks into you. On top of this, you’re never hit over the head with microtransactions and it’s easier than ever to play with friends on other platforms. Though this Switch port mightily struggles from a performance perspective, it’s still enjoyable on a consistent enough basis that such issues can be mostly overlooked. It literally costs you nothing more than time to give Dauntless a try, and we’d highly recommend you give it a shot.

Arcade Spirits is a niche title that will nevertheless find its audience thanks to some great writing and a very inclusive selection of diverse characters to interact with. While there are a few flaws in the sound design area, including some poor voice work and an overall low volume output, the gameplay is engaging and the plot intriguing, making this the perfect choice if you're after a fun, lighthearted experience or a well-written gaming nostalgia trip.

A slight handwriting issue aside, this game delivers on exactly what it promises, and that's a world of puzzles. Nothing more, nothing less.

We'd recommend you pick this one up; while there's not anything here you haven't seen before, you'll still probably come away glad that you took the plunge.

Ghost Song is a game that wears its inspirations on its sleeve with pride, and although it may feel a bit derivative at times, it is still able to create its own identity through a great combat system and unique worldbuilding. While the game can be brutally difficult, “explorer” mode makes the game more accessible than it would otherwise. Unfortunately, the game suffers from significant performance problems on Switch, from an inconsistent frame rate to extensive loading times that destroy any flow the game has. If you’re willing and able to look past those issues, Ghost Song is an easy recommendation for any and all fans of the Metroidvania genre.

It’s crazy to think that the original Red Faction Guerrilla came out 10 years ago, especially when you consider no one has matched it for sheer destructive agency. As an open-world third-person shooter, Red Faction Guerrilla: Re-Mars-tered doesn’t do much to set itself apart from the pack, but its unscripted destruction physics help elevate even the most boring of missions into a riot as you smash walls to reach an objective or use a rocket launcher to crumble enemy vehicles. With extra DLC bundled in and some decent Switch exclusive motion controls, Red Faction Guerrilla is another forgotten shooter that deserves a second (or third) shot at stardom.

There's absolutely no denying that Christmas Clix is a fun and engaging puzzler that should appeal to many fans of the genre. Not only does the game sport a very easy control system, it has plenty of gameplay variety to keep things interesting.

Azkend 2: The World Beneath does everything it can to spice up the 'match 3' puzzle genre, boasting a narrative thread, power ups to collect and different objectives at every turn. As derivative and repetitive as the core gameplay is, it does a decent job of maintaining your engagement and does reward your efforts. Overall, it should be commended for its sprawling take on a tried and tested genre. The variety of dynamic scenarios that genuinely affect the gameplay and an overarching story with varied exotic locations make it stand out from its competition. If you're looking for a 'match 3' with more variety, challenge and narrative meat to chew on, this is a good place to drop anchor.

The Turing Test is a solid first-person puzzler with an interesting and well-executed premise that provides a pretty enthralling backstory to its central gameplay. The tests you face here may not be quite as mind-bending as we might have hoped for, and they certainly don't force you to look at things from as many different angles as those found in this game's very obvious inspiration, Portal – or even The Witness – but overall, there's still plenty to like here for fans of the genre as long as they're prepared to blast through it all quite quickly and without too many major headaches.

Unfortunately, the graphics and overall presentation don’t hold up quite as well at the gameplay itself. The environments are nice enough and display an '80s aesthetic that works rather well, but the character models themselves lack detail, resulting in a bit of difficulty telling them apart during the more hectic moments. We also noticed some slowdown here and there, but thankfully this is minimal. If you’re not too fussed about detailed visuals, then HyperParasite will no doubt keep you hooked with its unique parasite gameplay mechanic and exciting gun-play.

While you won't find an Evo-calibre fighting game here depth-wise, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R is miles ahead of your typical 3D-arena anime fighter affair. It would be a hard game to recommend to someone unfamiliar with the franchise, as without the fan service aspect you’re left with a basic fighter with some barebones modes. However, for those who adore JoJo, it’s an excellent example of how to do fan service right, and one where you can feel the love and adoration of the franchise's 35-year history flowing through every part of the package.

A ruthlessly faithful recreation of some of the earliest successes in 3D platforming. Levels are slick, gorgeous to look at, and recreate the feel of the originals superbly. However, newcomers to the series may be put off by the steep difficulty spikes and little to no explanation of some of the finer mechanics. All the fun and the foibles of the original three games are here, for better or for worse, and despite some odd design choices it still manages to be a really enjoyable retread of some old classics, warts and all. This is definitely worth a look if you're a fan of 3D platformers, but just as was the case back in the '90s, Crash isn't in quite the same league as Mario when it comes to playability, inventiveness and entertainment.

There’s no doubt that Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelists: Link Evolution has a few problems of its own – the delays between actions and the randomness of card deliveries still rankle – but that doesn’t stop this from being the best version of the game yet. Hardcore devotees will notice that its 9,000+ card archive is missing a few key special cards, but as a virtual representation of the long-running TCG, this is a formidable beast. With no microtransactions, a constant stream of cards to unlock and a streamlined recreation of all six seasons of the anime, this ranks as one of the best CCGs on Switch – if you can overlook its somewhat irksome issues.

While we did grow a little weary of the overwhelming amount to explore and backtrack through in Afterimage, we didn’t grow tired of whacking its wide range of enemies, nor did its gorgeously hand-drawn environments — which Switch unfortunately struggles to do justice to when docked — ever disappoint. It's best experienced elsewhere if you're playing on a television, but if you primarily play your Switch handheld, Afterimage offers a lengthy, lovely-looking Metroidvania adventure.

Overall, Just Dance 2015 is much like its predecessors, but in the struggle to do something ‘new’ with the game, Ubisoft has added a lot of features that are not really worth your bother.

For those who enjoy the hidden object genre, Jack's a darkly fun experience with lots of replay value and a good amount of difficulty variation.

Alpha Mission II may not be the most visually stunning shooter on the block - in fact, fellow Neo Geo blasters Pulstar and Blazing Star are much better looking - but it has enough new ideas to make it a worthwhile download for fans of the genre. The Armour weapon system is interesting and takes some time to fully appreciate, while the somewhat dazzling array of pick-ups constantly keeps you on your toes. The end-of-level bosses are excellent too, and it's only the rather repetitive levels which prevent this from gaining a more hearty recommendation.

Blossom Tales 2 is the kind of game that’s absolutely good, but definitely not great. The cute narrative premise, solid dungeon design, and pacing of overall progression all make this one worthwhile, but it’s also the kind of game that feels like it’s hamstrung by its lack of daring to try something new. In this sense, it’s the epitome of a “buy it on sale” game; you’re not missing anything by waiting to snap it up at a later date, but if you're a fan of the traditional 2D Zelda template, it’s probably worth getting at some point when the mood takes you.

As we said, it's hard to review Lost Wing, because it's exactly what it looks like – a score attack-style game with ever-increasing difficulty and numerous extra tracks and game variations to unlock. Given how well it does almost every aspect of its core gameplay, it's unfortunate that this review reads like a litany of criticisms. Lost Wing is very good, but the presence of a number of issues – a couple being fairly major – mean that it could have been even better.

Baddest of the Bands sticks with the same formula seen in the previous two episodes and it's still as entertaining as it ever was. Sadly, this episode doesn’t offer any improvements and if you didn’t like any of the other titles then it's not likely to make the entire 'Strong Bad' concept suddenly appeal to you. On the other hand, if you giggled your way through the other two episodes and had a whale of a time, then you simply cannot go wrong here.

Younger kids will likely enjoy this more than teens and adults, with the ability to customize their characters' faces and sounds however they please. It's a very smooth, well-packaged game with great level design and controls.

Assoria certainly have made good use of the DSi camera, although it's a bit of a shame that the camera isn't quite good enough to provide a quality gameplay experience wherever you go.

The environments look great, despite their age, and the flow is helped by more streamlined puzzles, even if the fluctuating difficulty of the odd one or two borders on incomprehensible. Syberia 2's shift in narrative focus and end goal might not meet fan's exact expectations, but that is mainly due to the strength of the first outing. This is a relatively more straightforward but still interesting second part of a series that still has an enchanting setting, likeable characters and a surprisingly layered story. Despite its ongoing technical hiccups, along with the game having done the rounds for well over a decade, it's still a worthy sequel and a good addition to the genre on Switch.

Casual dabblers would be better served by the lower price point and downloadable convenience of Puzzler World XL on DSiWare, but Puzzler World 2012 3D is still a great little package in its own right, and well worth picking up for paper-and-pencil puzzle fans.

The over-the-top action seems to have been relegated to the "supplementary" 5-on-5 modes, taking the focus away from the main game as it shrivels from malnutrition.

Witch's Cat isn't a particularly innovative game, and it suffers from maddening difficulty spikes, but it's still a lot of fun, with a good selection of levels, plenty of replay value, and addicting gameplay that invites "one more try" many times over.

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.

Its 34 events provide welcome variety and there are far more hits than misses in its line-up, but once you're finished with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020's four-hour Story mode it becomes notably less enticing for solo players. With no real incentives or unlockables to aim for, this should be considered a strictly multiplayer affair if you want to still be playing it by the time the actual Tokyo 2020 Olympics roll around.

Pokémon Rumble Blast is a good game, but - let's face it - we've played it before. The 3DS gave Nintendo a wider palette to work with, but it seems like it was content to leave well enough alone.

Aesthetically speaking, Trine 2: Director's Cut borders on perfection and deserves nothing less than to be framed and mounted, but the unfortunate news is that this quality does not permeate the game as a whole. Uncomfortable controls and puzzles that don't actually adhere to sensible solutions, but instead allow you to force your own answer on them, mar the experience and slow the game down in a significant way. It's not likely that this release will win new fans to the genre, but anyone who already enjoys physics-based puzzle platformers will definitely want to check this one out. Or maybe everyone should just buy this game simply to look at the environments. Have we mentioned how good it all looks?