Mercenaries Saga 3 stands out; not for any particularly compelling features, radical design decisions or memorable characters, but rather for the simple fact that it's a commendably competent strategy RPG that comes cheap as chips. It doesn't do much to distance itself from its predecessor — Mercenaries Saga 2 — so veterans from that campaign may find a bit of fatigue here, but if you're fresh to the battle there's plenty to enjoy: satisfying gameplay, quick pacing, and an appealing art style make a lack of overall originality and smaller presentational hiccups more forgivable.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is easy for young crusaders to get into and feel like a champ while providing just enough depth for older players to get a bat-kick out of it.

Biped is a lovely co-op game that’s bursting with unique challenges and obstacles to overcome. It’s fun both on your own or with a friend locally, and despite the fact there’s not a tonne of meat on its bones, the game nevertheless displays a level of polish and charm that’s rarely found in smaller titles such as this. Definitely one to keep an eye on if you’re after a fun co-op experience, but be warned that it's more limited in scope than you might expect.

The Pathless does one thing extremely well, which is to create a sense of racing – almost dancing – through its huge open world. The player’s journey is mainly one of getting to know that sensation and learning to harness it to traverse epic environments. However, the protagonist’s journey has little to do with that feeling, which is perhaps why the story doesn’t land. The game sounds exceptional and looks great in this impressive port. However, the puzzles rarely stimulate the imagination and are fussy to play, while boss encounters are overlong and repetitive. Although it has its significant successes, The Pathless unfortunately doesn’t manage to become more than the sum of its parts.

Mario Bros. isn’t the best game Nintendo ever made, but the optional Hi-Score and Caravan modes force you into playing it in a way that (surprisingly) makes it far more entertaining. Arcade games of this type were always designed for short, five-minute bursts of play, so the Switch’s handheld nature makes it the perfect platform for this. More importantly, this is a chance for retro Nintendo fans to play and own a flawless rendition of the arcade version for the first time ever, for far less than the hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars an old cabinet would sell for these days.

If you’re a super fan of the original game and want every possible version of it, the package totally delivers. But considering how many Rayman games there were, including its sequels and spin-offs, it would have been nice to at least have had Rayman 2 included. The elephant in the room, however, is the absence of the original soundtracks. They have been remixed or replaced across the board with a nice composition by Rayman Origins and Legends composer Christophe Héral, likely due to Ubisoft not fully owning the rights to the original audio.

Another Code: Recollection's biggest addition to the original DS and Wii experiences, besides the slick new graphics and fully explorable 3D environs, is its all-new navigation and puzzle aids. With the obtuse nature of some puzzles now a triviality — should you find yourself stumped — there's now no difficulty spikes or annoying moments to hold you back from a two-part tale that's very much worth diving into for fans of slow-burn point-and-click titles. Their pacing could have done with some more work, but this collection is as good a return to Ashley's world as fans could have hoped for.

Cricket 19 brings the full cricket experience to Nintendo Switch for the very first time. This port can sometimes struggle in the performance – a few too many pre-match cutscenes likely being one of the main offenders – but gameplay is mostly slowdown free, letting you focus on juggling a ton of options in every corner of the field. The sheer number of modes on offer is astounding, and while the lack of consistent official licences is frustrating, the potential for community-driven support in Scenarios mode (and online) proves that the Switch continues to be a worthy platform for full-on sports simulators.

It’s difficult not to be a little disappointed in Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2, although Capcom deserves credit for doing the best it could to polish up the weaker games in the series. At the end of the day, putting lipstick on a pig can only do so much, and these games unfortunately don’t hold up quite as well as the first four entries in the series. Even so, X5 and X6 are pretty good, and though X7 is a hot mess of confused design, X8 has plenty of fun moments.

If you'd like to give your brain some exercise, you can definitely do a lot worse than this.

We don't feel it has the same level of charm or replayability of Namco's title, but it's still certainly worth checking out.

It's a little perplexing how long it took for Picross e7 to be released outside Japan, especially when one considers that it still doesn't really do anything new. It's the same old, same old, really - if you've exhausted the supply of Picross titles on the eShop (Hopefully including Mario's Picross and Mario's Super Picross) and just can't get enough of them, e7 is here to satisfy your appetite. It's a little annoying that Mega Picross once again doesn't have original puzzles, but everything else is still solid as usual, even if it's lacking any creative spark.

It's a shame that Wii Party seems to rely so heavily on arbitrary equalisers, resulting in several underwhelming minis, but the range of diversity and charm is more than enough to pull you in for a while.

Played in the mindset of having old-fashioned fun rather than pushing your gaming skills to their limits, Moving Out has quite a lot to offer. It looks good, sounds good and plays well; it's just a shame there isn't a little bit more to get your teeth into. It's a lot of fun causing chaos with friends – throwing toasters through windows or trying to balance that last lampshade on the back of an over-stocked removal truck – but it's just not resonant enough as a co-operative experience to stick in your mind. A very good effort, but in our view, just too slight to be a lasting classic.

Coffee Crisis is a great throwback to arcade beat ‘em ups of the early '90s. Its 16-bit aesthetic screams retro Sega, though we would’ve preferred a traditional chiptune soundtrack truly reminiscent of the Mega Drive, rather than the heavy rock score the developers have opted for. This doesn’t take away from the polished style and traditional gameplay, however. Combined with the quirky story and indie humour, this promises a great time.

Ultimately, the complicated rules and steep learning curve for newcomers is Heyawake's biggest obstacle. It's certainly a fun and challenging logic puzzle, but it's not the kind of game that you can just dive right into without some serious practice. The intuitive interface makes navigating the game a breeze and puzzler fans willing to invest some time into the experience will likely find a solid brain teaser with a decent amount of variety to boot.

While Nintendo Switch has a fair few battle arena style games to its name, Collidalot brings something refreshingly new to the mix with its top-down mixture of melee vehicle combat, rail-grinding and Splatoon-aping painting. The size of each vehicle on-screen and the sheer mayhem of its jet-powered matches does make it a difficult sell in handheld/tabletop mode, but on a TV, this four-player experience really comes into its own. It’s a little lacking in modes at launch, and its choice of three vehicles is a little meagre at best (especially for a game aimed at four players), but look past these limitations and you may find your next couch-play obsession.

Fish Tank is a flawed game, but those flaws are easily outbalanced by its sheer addictive fun in a multiplayer setting.

Mighty Switch Force! 2 delivers a fun experience that we have come to expect from WayForward. The light-hearted charm of the original is completely intact, with cutesy graphics and great soundtrack lending significant flair to the overall package, and fans of the puzzle style and par times pursuits will get good value.

Echo Generation is a fun homage to several different flavours of genre greats. An exceptional aesthetic and sound design balances the eerie with the nostalgic well, and good writing goes some way to making up for dull mechanics and lacklustre progression.

Hero must die. again is better than the sum of its parts, with its genuinely emotional premise and a strangely relaxing feel despite the time constraint. There are far worse ways to while away the hours.

Final Fantasy Explorers feels like an entry point for the genre rather than a true rival to Capcom's crown - it's accessible and enjoyable, but the shallow nature of the gameplay might leave seasoned players feeling a little cold after extended play.

Chronicles of the Wolf is a confident, old-school Metroidvania that asks a lot of its players. Its DNA is from another gaming era, and simply being a fan of the genre won’t guarantee you’ll enjoy it. If modern quality-of-life features like marking your map or being gently nudged forward are preferable, there are better options elsewhere. But if you’ve got the patience to revisit a time when games were slower and more cryptic, and the pacing was a little more intense, Chronicles of the Wolf is like a rich, dark relic that you’ll treasure. For every player put off by its demands, another will embrace it as a worthy challenge.

PGA Tour 2K21 plays a solid golf game with enough flexibility in its control settings to appeal to both die-hard simulation buffs and casual golf fans just looking for a quick round. Its real-life pro players are so underused they may as well not be in here and the game may not yet have the typical 2K Sports trademarks – the polished story mode, the slick TV-style presentation – but it also isn't plagued with microtransactions, and the result is a game that, refreshingly, just gets on with it.

It's a Switch release, although those playing on Switch 2 will need to, uh… consider not for now. The game frequently freezes, sometimes indefinitely, and although Wales Interactive is fully aware of this, the team is currently unable to apply a fix thanks to the lack of dev kits. Performance on Switch 1, mind you, is mostly fine. I experienced one of the aforementioned freezes, but it wasn’t a particularly lengthy one.

Paratopic is a fever dream; a near-constantly engaging sequence of strange and at times frightening imagery. It's intriguing stuff, to say the least, but we felt that it rather fizzled out just when our interest in the various eldritch goings-on was piquing. We found that beyond experiencing it all over again there was nothing much in the way of meaningful replay value, but as a once-through bad trip, it'll keep you glued to your Switch from start to annoyingly-abrupt finish.

TY The Tasmanian Tiger 4’s return is once again a bittersweet moment for longtime fans of the Aussie video game mascot. On one hand, it’s great to see this series that's now more than 20 years old showing some signs of life with another enhanced release, but the fourth outing feels like a step back compared to TY’s best 3D adventures. There's still plenty to like about the Switch version of Bush Rescue Returns, though, especially if you embrace the level design and collecting. Here’s hoping this Aussie legend can appear in 3D for a future outing.

Wizard of Legend has some novel concepts. Being able to swap and mix spells to create a seemingly unlimited amount of combinations keeps the action fresh and encourages you to experiment on each run. What’s also likable about this game is how polished the entire package appears to be. It’s these aspects that make it more favourable than the average offerings that frequently pop up on the Switch.

Even with the lack of mainstream musical tracks and the wide variety of input control found in Guitar Hero and Rock Band, there's still a wealth of opportunities for creating interesting and diverse musical pieces inside of Just JAM.

Despite the requirement to have an Internet connection to experience 4 of the 5 games, The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is just as strong as its prequel. The same zany presentation and innovative use of smart devices, it's another ideal party starter. Which set you choose (if you only choose one) will likely come down to whether you prefer trivia, improvisation or cooperative-based games, but overall this second pack is a solid set that will provide a lot of laughs and collective fun.

Darksiders Genesis is, for us, the best entry in the series in terms of its mix of satisfyingly meaty hack-and-slash action and huge levels filled with secrets, puzzles and platforming. With its fully co-op campaign, unlockable arena mode and Apocalyptic difficulty feeding into that addictive Creature Core grinding, there's an absolute ton here for fans of the series – and newcomers alike – to get stuck into. This Switch version may suffer some slight blurriness and FPS hiccups in portable mode but, if you can make peace with these problems, this is a highly entertaining action game at a very reasonable price.

Puddle is another strong contender for your digital money in the beginning days of Wii U's eShop. It falters when it comes to explaining all of its elements, occasionally stumbles with difficulty spikes and its motion control scheme is best left ignored, but look past these flaws and you'll find a creative, smart puzzler that flows pretty well while offering a fair amount of variety and replay value.

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.

It's hugely clever, chaotic and funny, though there are downsides in the implementation of randomly generated stages and in some technical glitches and flaws. Despite some issues the premise, presentation, music and gameplay all work well together, making this a steal on the Wii U - just not the great heist it could have been.

For 500 DSi Points, there's no denying that those wanting a cheap, portable version of Bomberman's battle mode will love this.

Setpieces are simplistic and the instant appeal of the arcade style wears off after a while, but there's still enough fun here – particularly in multiplayer – to make this a decent game for fans wanting to get involved in the tournament at home.

Enter The Gungeon die-hards will be instantly familiar with the weird and wonderful world presented by Exit The Gungeon, but they might be taken aback by the shift in gameplay. This is a finely honed action-platformer that adds a new dimension to the blasting and dodge rolling. It's not always a flawless transition, and this is a significantly less rich and rewarding experience than the original. But those after a retro-tinged arcade challenge should by all means lock and load.

A grim reminder of what life can be if you allow yourself to waste away and become part of the corporate machine. Beyond that, it's also a decent puzzle game if you're interested in simple coding and assembly language. This Switch version doesn't bring any significant changes along with it to make it stand out from previous platform releases, but it still manages to deliver a unique puzzler experience that will leave you scratching your head if you don't throw your Switch against a wall first. If nothing else, Human Resource Machine is reassurance that even if there is no escaping the soul-crushing banality of reality, at least we have videogames!

Survival Kids is a thoroughly competent, cosy game of cooperative gathering and crafting. It’s not much of a looker, and its ideas aren’t mind-blowing, but it’s all good stuff thanks to its robust controls and easy-to-grasp loop. I’m not sure I’d want to be stuck with it on a desert island, but it’s good company for several happy hours with a friend – especially a less experienced gamer. If you plan to get shipwrecked with a little one and giggle your way through it, go ahead and add a point to the score.

Come for the wonderful presentation, stay for the baddie boppin'. Crossing Souls nails its 1980s aesthetic, no question there — the 'long-lost-cartoon' game is strong here, right down to the artfully placed VHS artifacts in the animated cutscenes playing out across a sweeping adolescent adventure. Nostalgia aside, the story and beat-em-up gameplay please and surprise in a few key ways, but come with a few too many paper cuts to prevent Crossing Souls from breaking through to that next level.

It's a bit on the pricey side at $7.99, and if multiplayer or high-score keeping are deal-breakers for you then you'll have to look elsewhere, but otherwise puzzle fans looking for a new eShop fix will have a blast.

Thunder Ray isn’t perfect, but it is very good. The feel of the blows and the creativity of your opponents are very nicely executed. It’s missing the minute precision of Punch-Out!!, but it’s close enough, and while you can occasionally win matches at higher difficulties with a certain amount of luck, you’ll get the most from the experience by mastering each opponent and earning a true sense of boxing accomplishment. Being able to toggle between difficulties and going back to previous opponents is great, and the entire thing feels polished and flashy. It could have been more elaborate, featuring more modes, and bonuses, but, as it stands, it’s a brief but solid tribute for fans of Punch-Out!! to enjoy knocking into next week.

10 Second Run is very simple in every aspect – it looks simple, it sounds simple, and it plays simple. Also priced accordingly at just 200 Points, this is pretty much the best DSiWare game available for when you're making a short trip somewhere as you can achieve a lot in mere seconds.

The often frustrating controls and totally random gameplay elements do tarnish the experience somewhat, but we still had a whale of a time playing Behold The Kickmen. The cutting humour goes a long way to making it an enjoyable romp, and the story mode holds your interest via its funny narrative and the attraction of ploughing cash into improving your team. While it's never going to challenge legitimate soccer simulations on the market, we're glad it exists; as much as we love the sport, it does take itself far too seriously. For £2.99, you could do a lot worse.

Those of you who just want a straight, no-nonsense twin-stick shooter will find a lot to love about Lone Ruin, while those looking for a more ambitious project may want to look elsewhere. Tight controls, dark aesthetics, tough-but-fair gameplay, and a diverse collection of weapons and upgrades all come together to make this one a worthwhile purchase, with the caveat that it's also about as basic as a twin-stick shooter can get, which limits its staying power somewhat. We’d give Lone Ruin a light recommendation for anyone who considers themselves a twin-stick fan, though this may perhaps be one to wait for a sale.

Clock Tower: Rewind is an odd game that we feel comfortable recommending to survival horror enthusiasts who wish to experience absolutely everything the genre has to offer. Its visuals and gameplay are undeniably archaic, but there's nevertheless something quaint about its combat-free, point-and-click mechanics. The short experience is elevated greatly by the added extras included for this new release, and we'd fully recommend perusing all of it to help give context and aid appreciation of this pre-RE horror game. Not a must-play re-release, then, but one we would urge horror fans to experience at least once.

Octocopter: Double or Squids is still just as enjoyable as it was when it was originally released on the Wii U. For first timers, what’s on offer here is a relaxing yet oddly exhilarating deep sea speed runner that will put your navigational skills to the test while encouraging you to improve each run. The new local split-screen multiplayer for up to four players is also fantastic, as we really don’t see enough of this in modern games nowadays. Either way, it’s worth taking Octocopter for a spin.

Silence is a game that deserves to be played in docked mode on the Switch. It gives you a story you’ll be immersed in, while the vibrant graphics will keep you playing for just that little bit longer. You may feel like you’re wasting time when it comes to the multiple chat options, as they always conclude at the right outcome, but your curiosity will want you to keep going to find out more about the world of Silence, and to bring Noah and Renie home, whatever it takes. The lack of touch screen control is a disappointment though, and we can't help but feel this should have been priced a little cheaper, considering its age and how much it costs elsewhere.

If you’re a fan of ’90s action platform games, there’s something mildly magical about this. Ufouria 2’s sunny world of papercraft and textile-built apparatus is endearing and fun. Its playfulness and zanier elements more recall the era of the Super Nintendo than the NES, and its laid-back approach to linear Metroid-style adventuring is plainly fun. It doesn’t ask much from you except to enjoy a little exploration, a very moderate amount of backtracking through very short zones, and an undemanding task of coin collecting as you go. But its reward cycle has an addictive quality, if little else. It’s not going to fulfil everyone’s desires, and its ease might feel underwhelming to some, but those looking for a new adventure in a very 16-bit fashion will feel well served.

There’s a lot to love about Runbow Pocket Deluxe, but it’s clear 13AM had to make some tough concessions to get the game onto the New 3DS. Load times are a bit longer than they were on the Wii U, but the core game is still a wonderful platformer. We feel like this would have been a terrific candidate for a port to the Switch, but the compromises made to bring the game to the New 3DS leave the Wii U version as the definitive edition of Runbow. If portability is more important you’ll absolutely love Runbow Deluxe. Otherwise, we recommend dusting off your GamePad and playing the superior version on the Wii U.

Ittle Dew is a lovely, endearing title that will undoubtedly appeal to Zelda fans thanks to its birds-eye view and heavy focus on item-based puzzles. The bothersome combat remains unchanged from the Wii U version, which is a shame, but the game is technically much more impressive on Switch. If you're after something to keep you busy for a while while you wait for the next big Zelda title, this is the one to go for.

True to its price tag, Fairune 2 offers far more content than its predecessor, feasibly taking more than twice the amount of time to beat. While we'd love to label this game as being outright superior, the fact getting stuck is so easy can be a serious damper to one's enjoyment - wandering around aimlessly for hours is not our idea of fun.

A highly entertaining puzzle platformer whose general design and aesthetics meld together into something that is more than the sum of its parts. Although its potty-humour premise may not be for everyone and the cut scenes a bit ham-fisted and overacted, it’s the type of game that will suit just about anybody. Well, anybody that has another person on hand to play it with, as it is best enjoyed as a cooperative experience. Not too shabby for a game that has you cut the cheese but not the chord.

You’ll find many hours’ worth of content available here, and learning how to best use your magic calculator abilities for maximum success is highly enjoyable. In the end we felt a little let down by the need to repeat earlier sections to unlock essential equipment, and the time wasted thanks to having to redo entire levels that were too difficult in our current state, but we’d still recommend giving this one a go if the core idea intrigues you enough.

Nightdive Studios' killstreak continues with yet another superbly executed restoration. Fulfilling its promise to complete the Turok series, this final entry may be the most appealing to FPS fans with a taste for brisk action, violent, bloody bullet decapitations, and stealth kills by way of bow and arrow. On one hand, Turok 3 teases, offering a glimpse into the future of the genre, a fusion of combat and Half-Life-style traversal. On the other, though, it's also home to something since lost: the searching, quick-fire task elements that engage the grey matter, as opposed to the Halo-influenced pure-combat escapades that challenge you only with clearing increasingly cluttered corridors of entrenched enemies. This makes it doubly disappointing, then, that its crucial multiplayer mode has been inexplicably left out of this remaster, losing it a point on our scale.

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.

It may not quite hit the highs of the likes of Hyper Light Drifter or Dead Cells, but it's not far off and its zippy dungeon runs and slices of family drama feel like a perfect fit for Nintendo's portable console. If you're a fan of the genre this is certainly an addition to the Switch's library that's well worth checking out.

The gameplay is somewhat repetitive, but the action moves quickly enough that it never feels dull.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a solid follow-up to the Danganronpa franchise that demonstrates a heap of ambition from its developers and mostly lives up to its predecessor's impressive reputation. But while the game delivers an excellent cast of characters and some truly intriguing mysteries to solve, it also stumbles in its methods, introducing mechanics and locations that outstay their welcome and become frustratingly repetitive. Still, for fans of Dangaronpa and those who enjoy a good gruesome crime or two, it's definitely worth checking out.

Vengeance Hunters does many things well. Its pixel art is superb across the board, with some very cool-looking enemies. It also has a lot of interesting ideas in its combat mechanics that allow seasoned gamers to dig deep. It’s a game that ranges from the impressive to the occasionally dubious. Enemy repetition starts to grate a little, but then excellent and imaginative boss battles redress the balance. We don’t feel quite so comfortable with the omission of grabs, the odd format of its sub-weaponry, or its rather overbearing number of explosive obstacles, but we can’t ignore that it’s competent and well-executed in many other key areas. Essential? Perhaps it falls just short of that, but for fans of the genre and those who get a thrill out of mining combo possibilities, there’s a bright, solid, and at times rather clever belt scroller here.

NES and Namco fans will be happy with the titles on offer here. Some of them have never been released in the west before and the star of the show – Pac-Man Championship Edition – is an entirely new NES port created just for this collection. Each of the 11 games has at least some value, but the bare-bones nature of the presentation is a little disappointing: for a game with Museum in the title, we'd hoped each game would have been celebrated a little more with art and behind-the-scenes info.

Magnetis offers a competent core gameplay mechanic that is both intuitive and provides enough depth to keep players coming back for more. The lack of variety in the gameplay and omission of online leaderboards will take the shine off replay value for some, but the visual polish and outstanding soundtrack definitely make up for it and ensure Magnetis will find a place in every puzzle fan's collection.

Put simply, it’s Picross — and that’s tough to complain about.

Players looking for a classic 'Oddworld' game might be disappointed with Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. The game has its own identity while still remaining part of that unique universe, and that somehow makes it even more appealing – giving players a world to explore that feels much bigger than what you see of it. While the game has aged well for the most part, some imperfections have become more obvious with time. The stealth mechanics are nowhere near as fine-tuned as they should be, and can be ignored completely without compromising the player's experience. A lack of instruction in the latter part of the story could also cause frustration, and the slapstick drop of falling from a height will never be something that fits with the game's overall tone. Despite these rough edges, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is still a joy to play on Switch, and if you didn't experience it the first time around, it's well worth a look now.

It's a robust little gem that makes excellent use of the GamePad, while championing an accessible party experience that can be adapted to fit almost any crowd.

While no one expected it – and we dare say that no one asked for it – Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package revives an often forgotten open-world adventure on a new console generation, complete with a huge amount of cosmetic and expansion DLC. While it's showing its age mechanically (and in terms of taste), in visual terms it’s a robust sandbox filled with outlandish activities, hyperactive ideas and the kind of diverse mission design most open-world titles fail to fully realise. With support for both local and online co-op, this version of Saints Row’s best outing is a steal. We might not ever get a Grand Theft Auto on Switch, but this is probably the next best thing.

Planet Fish's brevity and pick-up-and-play nature would probably suit it much better on a handheld, but as it stands the game is still a consistently fun and unique take on the innocuous fishing genre, and at 500 points, well worth a download for someone looking for something slightly outside the box.

Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is the quintessential Monster Rancher experience, just bigger, louder, and more polished looking. The mechanics of the combat and training cycle will be familiar to long-time fans while the new larger scale of the creatures lends itself to the scale of Ultraman and his monstrous foes. Scanning every electronic device in your house to see what monster pops out is satisfying even if the actual gameplay gets stale over time.

Despite the fact that this is unquestionably a very fine video game, there's no escaping the fact that the Switch version has some serious issues; assets are noticeably weaker than they are in other versions, the frame rate is halved and the loading times are maddeningly protracted at points. Fingers are crossed that the developers can remedy some of these problems with proposed updates, but for the time being, this is arguably the least impressive edition of the game – although the fact that it's portable perhaps counts for more than you'd think.

Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable adventure that will almost certainly turn you into a cat lover, if you're not one already. It oozes charm and the realistic cat animations are simply incredible, although for as fun as it is to wander about the city, the game leans heavily on fetch quests and gathering up collectibles, which can lead to repetition. If you're someone who thrives on that kind of gameplay, however, then you'll have an absolute blast with this one.

On the one hand, the gameplay is virtually unchanged from the original game and it's still lots of fun to play, even though it's incredibly easy now. Sadly you just can't help but notice all the oversights, such as the lack of a widescreen option, the jerky animations and the lack of a "classic" mode for the main game.

Big Pharma has a lot to offer for players who want a deep management simulator. There are a lot of systems to learn, and they take a long time to master if you want to succeed in the hardcore scenarios. The game goes further than the factory floor, bringing research, originator ingredients, and the min/max specification usually reserved for MMOs to the normal management experience. On Nintendo Switch the game suffers a little from awkward controls and text size, but the fact that a game of this scale works as well as it does on the platform eclipses its flaws once you're invested. In truth, running a global drug corporation on-the-go has never been more enjoyable, unless you’re losing money because all of your drugs cause headaches. Good luck.

Sprinkle in a raft of difficulty settings for those looking to test their mettle (and maybe grab a little inspiration on the way), online functionality (where you can share your levels with others, try out submissions from across the community and compete for high scores) and co-op shenanigans (via split-screen, no less) and you've got a package that strikes just the right balance between Pac-Man-esque high score chasing, arcade mini-game sensibilities and family friendly game design. Though it doesn't quite get everything right, Puzzle Box Maker has plenty to offer for those eager to get creative and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Pokémon Masters is a solid mobile release, and perhaps one of the most well-realised Pokémon mobile titles to date – especially in terms of presentation Sadly, the lack of any competitive element and little to do other than grind between events and story addition mean that it’s not entirely clear if the game will have the staying power required to keep people interested beyond the first few months. Still, the potential for character crossover in this game is unparalleled, and hopefully, it won't be squandered.

Solid play control, a wide variety of shooting gallery themes, and a competitive two-player game mode make this WiiWare title a lot of fun, especially considering the very reasonable 700 Wii Point price tag.

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.

As with any roguelite, Synthetik: Ultimate requires an abundance of playthroughs in order to progress further into the game. Its overall length very much depends on your own commitment, but the strong gameplay is more than enough incentive to keep coming back, despite the poor menu system and less-than-stellar graphics. The addition of an Arena mode on top of the main ‘Citadel’ mode is welcome, though it doesn’t offer anything particularly new, so you’ll likely just stick to the main mode.

The problem is the end comes fairly soon and doesn't offer much incentive to return, which is a terrible fate for a puzzle game like this.

Despite its light and colourful exterior, The Legend of Dark Witch manages to be an entertaining platformer that can be difficult enough to hold the attention of even the more serious gamers out there.

For what could easily be written off as a lackluster casual puzzle game, Puzzlebox Setup is as interesting as it is entertaining.

There’s no denying the quality on display with Sons of Liberty, and rarely has a sequel demonstrated such a drastic improvement with its visuals and gameplay. For all its indulgent quirks, Sons of Liberty is another seminal video game that fully deserves its reputation as one of the greatest of all time. It’s just a shame that Konami couldn’t max out its potential for its release on Switch, as this is a game that deserves all the love and care in the world.

If you’re looking for a retro shooter that isn’t actually a 25-year-old port of a N64 game, then Ion Fury is the time-travelling love letter from the past you’ve been waiting for. While its weapons and boss fights won’t leave much of an imprint on your memory, the speed and intensity of its gunfights and the intricacy of its level designs more than make up for it. If you want to be punished and rewarded by the shooter principles of old, this is the new/old FPS for you.

Arzette does a great job of aping the look and feel of the CD-i Zelda games, but it relies on the player being familiar with them. Without that knowledge, what remains is a perfectly serviceable platformer but one that isn't revolutionary in any way. If you’re in on the joke, though, it’s just about worth sticking around.

While not a revolution in the point-and-click adventure genre, the crude humour and amusing story keep Demetrios feeling fresh and fun. While it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, if you’re a fan of cynical commentary and games that self-satirise, then you won’t go far wrong here.

Urban Trial Freestyle is a good game with a few blemishes that keep it from greater things. It’s nowhere near as good as the Trials series on XBLA, but it’s a solid handheld alternative that offers up plenty of fun for the price.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax may not be the Persona game everyone’s been clamoring for on the Switch, but we’re certainly not complaining. P4AU offers up an approachable, yet incredibly deep 2D fighting combat system, a neat RPG-lite mode that guarantees solo players will have lots to do, and all this is presented in Arc System Works’ signature and striking hand-drawn art style. While the story mode is a complete bore and there’s no rollback netcode in this version, we think P4AU on Switch is still absolutely worth your time, although if you're going to be playing online, you'll likely want to investigate the game on other platforms first. For portable fans, however, we’d give it a recommendation whether you’re a fighting game enthusiast or you’re just looking to give the genre a shot; this is definitely one of the better fighting games on the Switch.

There’s something weirdly wonderful about Pulling No Punches, though. Its four chapters comprise just over an hour end-to-end, but there’s so much to see that one can’t help but be absorbed by it. Whether the awesome character designs, the blazing f-bombs, the untranslated onomatopoeia of its fisticuffs, or the divisive theme itself, Pulling No Punches is not only a competent scrolling beat 'em up, but has a power of intrigue like few others. Frankly, we’re not sure Nintendo’s board of approval paid much attention to it, and in a world littered with a host of sanitised indie retro-themed games, its daring, politicised demeanour is a breath of fresh air.

This is a strong step in the right direction, and a title the developers should be proud of.

Gamelion concocted plenty of puzzle and platforming elements for Furry Legends, but once again the floaty physics and sometimes wonky controls keep the overall experience from reaching its potential.

Octocopter: Super Sub Squid Escape is an enjoyable budget title. Admittedly it requires a bit of patience before it all clicks, but once you get the hang of the challenge it's rather fun to perfect each run. If you also happen to be craving a sea themed game, Ocotocopter is one to consider - despite the intensity from time to time. If you've always dreamed of guiding an octopus submarine to safety, this could be the game for you.

An enjoyable representation of checkers that entertains without excelling, it's worth a look if you're after a portable version of the classic board game.

Graphically, it’s a masterpiece, but Jotun’s action is too imbalanced to allow the same to be said about the game as a whole. Exploring its environments will be a treat for some players and getting stuck into its difficult boss battles will be a treat for others: if your tastes are wide-ranging enough to appreciate both scenarios, this is a winner.

Overall, DOOORS is an enjoyable, mind-bending puzzle game that encourages gamers to use unconventional thinking to problem solve their way through its numerous challenges. While the difficulty of these challenges can unpredictably spike at times, the whole experience is rewarding and inventive enough to be worth the time and effort.

The enemies you face are never particularly difficult to beat, but controlling Peet is surprisingly twitchy at times, and you’ll often run into a creature by accident, immediately taking away one of your hearts. Additionally, we simply wish the game was a bit longer. The content that’s here really is a joy to experience, and we’re of course conscious that artificially lengthening the game would no doubt diminish its value, but we can’t deny a certain level of disappointment after completing it in just a few short hours.

I Am The Hero is aesthetically pleasing, and its pixel art characters would have been at home on the SNES. The soundtrack also keeps you pumped, with a steady beat that compliments the fast combo-building pace. There are occasional lag issues sprinkled around when enemies start to swarm the screen, and particularly when you knock multiple foes into a wall. This is especially evident in co-op multiplayer, which only doubles the amount of chaos on the screen. However, this is a minor fault in an effective beat em’ up with layers of depth. While some may find it a tad on the easy side and lacking in story, the unlockables, great visuals, and just plain fun combo-building make it a good time.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! gives Europeans a long-awaited taste of Japanese drum-fun. You’ll want to consider forking out for the taiko peripheral to see the game at its best, but Switch’s touchscreen makes this an easier recommendation than it would otherwise be. The motion controls should be avoided with extreme prejudice – they’re simply unworkable – and a few odd design decisions, not to mention an excess of loading screens, take the shine off what is a beautifully bold and bouncy game. Fortunately, the Party Game section helps shore things up, offering short bursts of multiplayer fun as a credible stopgap until Rhythm Paradise arrives.

When you're not getting annoyed at being unable to find the final item in a given area, Slender: The Arrival is an excellent horror game that will leave your pulse racing.

Even if it sounds cliché, Gunhouse really is a game of two halves. On the one hand you have an immensely attractive looking title with a wonderfully unique art style, some amazing music and over the top characters. After a few rounds though, it feels like they are trying to mask what is underneath - a simple and sometimes frustrating sliding block puzzle game. The rules seem a bit too restrictive given the interesting melding of genres, especially how the controls in docked mode aren't ideal compared to using using the touchscreen in handheld mode. When things do click though, and there's a barrage of crazy firepower at your disposal. If you can embrace the craziness and forgive the missteps, the game becomes an immensely satisfying and addictive experience.