As a game, Octodad seems less interested in entertaining and is more intent on taking the player through a journey, and by its own design can be an incredibly stressful affair.

Is Fragrant Story worth picking up? Sure, as a curiosity and conversation piece perhaps. Four bucks isn’t much of an asking price, and the content on offer here is enjoyable and engaging for what it is. For the afternoon it’ll take you to play Fragrant Story, you’ll probably be satisfied with it — then you’ll have seen everything it has to offer, move onto something else, and never boot it up again. If you decide to pass on this one, there’s really not a whole lot that you’re missing out on. Given its low price and goofy nature, though, it may be worth picking up just so you can say you grabbed the last game on the North American eShop before Nintendo locked the doors for good.

An engaging blend of life sim and detective mystery, On Your Tail has a wonderful setting and great characters. Unfortunately, the overall experience is bogged down by painful load times and debilitating technical issues. The game isn't a graphical powerhouse and the Switch is more than capable of maintaining a stable day in Borga Marina. Here’s hoping Memorable can patch in some improvements post-launch so that Diana’s search for inspiration feels less like a slog.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a rather barebones revamp of a cult classic action RPG that's really beginning to show its age in many respects. The core combat here is still strong stuff, crunchy hack and slash action with plenty of flexibility and variety in how you go about decking out your character, but it's also surrounded by a world and story that are very much of their time. Fans of the original game will no doubt enjoy what is a mostly fine Switch port, but there so many other, more modern RPG experiences available at this point on Nintendo's console that everyone else should perhaps approach with a measure of caution.

Her Majesty's SPIFFING is a lovingly made tribute to the point-and-click adventure genre of the early '90s, with a likably cheeky and surprisingly topical sense of humour. Its traditional underlying mechanics, however, can't quite cash the cheques its script is writing, and it's all over a little too quickly.

Crossword fans might find some value, but those who aren't dead set on word-based head-scratchers can do a lot better, for far cheaper.

Zombie Panic in Wonderland DX is a well-presented, difficult game with solid gameplay. Unfortunately the experience isn't as lasting or as engaging as perhaps it could be, and given that it's almost identical to its WiiWare predecessor, the audience for this title is small and niche.

Warborn takes the tried and tested Advance Wars formula, adds a bunch of huge Mechs, some overwrought '90s anime-inspired cutscenes and a story that sees you take control of four different commanders as you seek to restore order to the Auros system. There's nothing inspired or unique here; Raredrop Games is playing it safe and straight down the line, but fans of the genre, and most especially fans of massive Gundam-esque robots, will get a solid (if unspectacular) experience out of what's on offer with this one. Just don't expect any surprises.

It doesn't do much to stand out in the 3DS' library of JRPGs — already flooded with some of the finest examples of the genre in recent history — but if you've played the best and are still left with the need to save the world in a turn-based fashion, this is a thoroughly decent choice.

Basic in both presentation and premise, Pic-A-Pix Deluxe serves up a dish of picross puzzling that will test your brain capacity but does little to innovate on a well-worn conundrum recipe. Still, with some Switch-specific features - including four-player multiplayer support - and plenty of nonograms to its name, Lightwood Games’ pixel puzzler is right at home on Nintendo’s new handheld home.

While Extreme Hangman 2 doesn't really do anything wrong, it is difficult to say whether or not it is an improvement over its predecessor.

Figment 2 stands as a competent and creative action puzzle game with a lot of heart. Though it feels rather short, it’s clear that a lot of thought and care went into making this charming world. Satisfying puzzles and excellent presentation are a big draw here, though they’re let down by simplistic combat and undeniably rough, gameplay-affecting performance on Switch. We'll keep our fingers crossed for patches, and we’d still give Figment 2 a recommendation, though you may want to wait for this one to go on sale.

Overall, if Oscar in Toyland had been polished and updated for 2009 this could have been the DSiWare service's first big platformer. As it is, Oscar in Toyland only just manages to escape mediocrity, and yet doesn't quite fall into the "good" category.

If you’ve enjoyed previous entries in the series, you’ll know what to expect from this: mischievous kids, duplicitous teachers and just the right amount of toilet humour.

Garden Buddies does a sprinkling of things well, but it doesn’t excel at any one thing. At its root, the solid concept and intention is let down by its lack of depth and reward for achievements. It’s not terrible at all, but with so many other relaxing, cute games competing to calm you, we think it’s okay to give this one a miss.

Take this game for what it is, not what it is inevitably become compared to and you'll have an engaging story and pleasant exploration-based experience - for the most part. During your travels it's really up to you how much you want to discover, catalogue and upgrade. Morphite isn't a bad little first-person adventure but thrill seekers looking for a stop gap before Metroid Prime 4 could end up feeling short changed; rather than cause your pulse to race this jaunt through the uncharted regions of the universe is quite laid back and curiously lacking in excitement. It ranks as an enjoyable - if sometimes pedestrian - adventure that you will ultimately get as much out of as you are willing to put in, but we fear a great many players will simply lose interest.

If you’re really after a quick knockabout and want to take up your only chance to play as Altair and Jade on Wii, you’ll find some enjoyment in Academy of Champions, but be prepared for plenty of frustration mixed in with your pie and Bovril.

It’s disappointing that Golden Force falls down in the areas that it does, because without these fixable issues it would be an easy recommendation – level design is mostly strong, the boss battles marry spectacle with varied and fun-to-learn attack strings nicely, and it feels good to get stronger and play better. Unfortunately, some rookie errors come close to spoiling the fun altogether, but if you’re bloody-minded enough to muscle through these frustrations there is undoubtedly a lot to appreciate about Golden Force. Which is a shame, in a sense, because “Golden Farce” would have been a perfect tagline for this review. The one we’ve had to opt for is rubbish, by comparison. (It’s not as easy as you might think, this game-reviewing lark.)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 was released less than 12 months after the first in the series, and it absolutely shows. While there's still a solid platformer in here, it's a bare-bones attempt which underwhelms for the sole reason that it could have been so much more.

Jump Trials is a simple game. It distills platforming down to its essential mechanics, and prioritizes rapid-fire tests of thumb dexterity over all else. It lacks polish, and its 10-second fits of running and jumping suffer from a palpable lack of charm - aesthetes absolutely need not apply. That said, those core mechanics are solid, and players who know what they're getting into will find some seriously challenging fun packed into these quick bursts of precision platforming.

It successfully recreates the experience of casting and reeling, but doesn't do much to hook players beyond that.

The overarching story within NUTS is probably worth experiencing on its own, despite the repetitive gameplay. It’s reasonably well written and is just about compelling enough to hold your attention for its 2-3 hour duration. There’s nothing here that you’ll connect with on an emotional level, but the voiceover work really helps drive the mystery. Unfortunately, there also a number of framerate dips throughout the experience that will really hamper your enjoyment; hopefully, this will be ironed out in the future.

This is a game that depends on one’s personal tastes, but it’s hard to deny there’s potential here; it would certainly be pleasing to see more ideas from Arachnid Games’s notebook in the future.

As a tie-in game for a line of hunting gear, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 is surprisingly capable. It's by no means a flawless experience, and we find it hard to recommend it very strongly, but anyone who does decide to give it a shot - so to speak - may find themselves pleasantly surprised.

Ikachan is not a bad game, but there's very little to recommend it apart from its pedigree and connection to Cave Story. There's not much to explore, no real challenge, and no reason whatsoever to come back. It introduces concepts that depart almost immediately, and does not provide optional objectives, and its lone boss fight is criminally easy. It may be worth taking a dip, but don't expect much depth.

The Punchuin undoubtedly delivers a solid match-three gameplay experience, but one that's let down by little in the way of level variety and a severe lack of overall content. The charming writing and presentation highlight the passion and skill of the developers but, in the end, what is here feels more like a lovingly-crafted demo than a full release. If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable puzzler, The Punchuin will deliver exactly that but no more. It's fine, but we just wish this package packed more of a punch, as there are plenty of other options out there with more bang for your buck.

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

While we were desperate to love Air Twister, it feels like an undernourished Space Harrier homage full of missed opportunity. For Sega fans who want little more than a Space Harrier experience in new clothes, there’s little to complain about… except maybe that soundtrack. But, while the extra modes expand the game’s longevity and encourage a clear, they feel tacked on. It’s fine to go back to for a quick blast now and then, but sit with it for a day or two and its lack of inspiration starts to gnaw. The arcade hardcore are most likely to reap the greatest rewards, but even then there may be a nagging feeling of uncapitalised promise.

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

Chroma Blast has an engaging "cycle-and-shoot" mechanic that can feel at first like rubbing your head and patting your stomach at the same time. It's still very learnable, however, and not frustrating to make the process of doing so.

Umihara Kawase Fresh! is presented smartly, if quite bizarrely. Its movement system is fiendish, sometimes frustrating, sometimes free-flowing. Unfortunately, it asks a lot of the player and manages to hide its best bits. The level and boss design are unlikely to inspire anyone, especially when already taken to wit’s end by the stuttering difficulty, but that’s not enough to undo the game’s unique charm. If you’re already an Umihara fan then Umihara Kawase Fresh! will give you your fix like nothing else. For anyone else, it’s harder to love – but not impossible.

In spite of its many faults, Wipeout 3 succeeds in something many licensed games fail spectacularly at: being a decent game that fans of the series will enjoy.

WayForward has done god’s work in design and execution, and in rekindling the feel of Konami’s blistering run-and-gun IP. It’s all expertly assembled: an adrenaline-fuelled bullet ballet that knows exactly what Contra is and should be, borrowing key elements from the series' back catalogue and elevating the action with an original moveset that feels fresh, fun, and exciting to toy with. It’s this undeniable accomplishment that makes the Switch version somewhat deflating. There’s a great game here, and yes, it is playable, it is fun, and it can be learned. But it’s damaged by so many technical setbacks that one weeps for what should have been. Unity-coded titles on the Switch don’t have a great track record, but WayForward can’t really blame the tools and should have ironed it out considerably. Contra: Operation Galuga stands tall amongst its peers - just not this version. If you’re a serious Contra fan, we’re going to drop something utterly perverse for a Nintendo-focused publication, lay down a suppressing fire, and tell you to head straight over to Steam.

TINcan Escape! has the solid foundation of an interesting innovation on the puzzle genre, but it's let down by too many easy stages, hard-to-predict AI, an uneven difficulty curve and not enough variation or creativity in the majority of levels. All in all, this robot's too rusty to provide anything more than a decent experience.

ACORN Tactics has its heart in the right place, but it plays it very safe. It’s a very solid strategy RPG, taking elements of games such as Fire Emblem and Advance Wars and wrapping it in its own aesthetic. However, for as liberally as it borrows from its inspirations, it never goes above and beyond and does anything that might be construed as unique. Without many peers at the outset of the Switch’s life, ACORN Tactics might be the kind of game to sate your SRPG cravings until something meatier comes along.

Hamster's done the very best with what it had to work with, but the reality is that VS. Castlevania, while still essentially the same fantastic game at its core, is more frustrating to play than the NES version. You’re better off buying Castlevania Anniversary Collection, unless you’re a diehard fan of the series.

The levelling system is addictive and the aesthetic is charming enough to draw players in, but anyone looking for a substantial adventure will be severely disappointed.

Maneater is a great idea for a video game, a ridiculous shark revenge fantasy in an open world setting with plenty of humour injected through its unique narrative framing and the vocal talents of Chris Parnell. However, as much as terrorising beach goers and snatching hunters from the bows of their fishing boats is a pretty good time, and as much as we enjoyed watching our orphaned bull shark grow from helpless pup to apex predator, the whole thing is let down by poor combat and the very worst kind of busywork side quests. With a little more variety in missions and a few refinements made to combat, this could have been a killer action-RPG. As things stand, however, it's all a little toothless.

Synaptic Drive feels slightly too expensive and bare-bones and feels almost 'early-access' quality in some regards. That's a real shame, since the core gameplay is solid and lots of fun if you have friends to make the most out of it. The game will most likely improve over time, with ongoing updates and new content downloads promised, but since we can only review what is currently on offer, we're only able to recommend this to the most die-hard fans of Custom Robo who find themselves constantly longing for a new entry in this niche franchise. This isn't quite on the same level yet, but it should scratch the itch nonetheless.

We'd recommend this to those of you who don't mind a lot of grinding in RPGs, as there's plenty to enjoy here if you can push on through the copious amounts of padding. If that doesn't sound up your alley it may be best to pass and wait for the next Pokémon game.

Omega Strike is a fun and enjoyable little 2D Metroidvania with some side-scrolling shooter sensibilities. It doesn’t do anything particularly new or interesting – and its ‘unique’ character-swapping concept was done a lot better by Broforce – but if you’re looking for a modern tribute to Metal Slug that’s fun and challenging in a very familiar way, then Omega Strike is likely to scratch that common itch. Just keep those expectations in check as this isn't the most original or exciting example the genre has to offer.

As we haven’t seen Rayman on the Nintendo Switch in quite some time, Rayman in the Phantom Show comes as a disappointment – especially when compared to Kingdom Battle’s Donkey Kong Adventure. The lack of Rayman specific elements, the inability to play as Rayman in the base game, and the rehashing of old enemies and encounters, make this an adventure fit only for those that can’t get enough of Sparks of Hope’s great tactical battles.

Warriors: Abyss is a decent low-budget spinoff in the long-running hack ‘n’ slash series, but isn't particularly inspiring. There’s tons of replayability, loads of unlockables, and a thrilling combat system that help to keep this one interesting for a while, but its paper-thin plot, repetitive gameplay, and poor visuals very much hold it back from being anything exceptional. We’d give this one a modest recommendation to fans of either roguelites, Musou games, or both, but with the caveat that you may want to wait to pick this one up on a deep sale sometime later on.

As a specific and finite experience, TT Isle of Man is superbike and supersport racing at its most intense and exhilarating. There’s few tracks in the world of motorsport that are as challenging and downright frustrating as Snaefell Mountain, and even the most experienced of virtual riders will find their mettle tested. However, with a meagre career mode, few additional tracks and several issues with performance, this is a racing highlight surrounded by janky filler.

The park can be amusing, but it lacks its usual bite.

Your definition of fun may vary, and Just Dance: Disney Party 2 definitely delivers to some degree; it just might not necessarily be the form of dancing fun you're looking for.

It’s a little bit of a cop-out, but if you enjoy this series you are likely to wring a tremendous amount of gaming glee out of Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary. It’s vintage stuff and plenty of it. However, if you’re totally new to the series, you can expect to get viscerally frustrated by the old-school microcomputer cruelty exhibited by many of the levels; it’s also a little tainted by a terrible UI held over from its mobile game past. Still, the price is right and if you’re up for a proper challenge there are much worse ways to get your rocks off – or you could just wait a few years for Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary, which will most likely arrive on a Nintendo console many years after its initial release.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is an odd release in that only one of its three games can be considered a genuine classic. Yet despite this, it's still a collection we'd tentatively recommend checking out if only to appreciate how such an iconic video game series was almost completely derailed. The remastered visual upgrades – particularly in the fourth and fifth entries – don't always work, but the addition of 60fps performance alongside the retro aesthetics is very welcome indeed. If you're a fan of Tomb Raider or enjoy revisiting flawed curios from days gone by, this might be worth looking into, but this isn't essential like Aspyr's previous Tomb Raider collection.

Iron Combat's greatest offence, such as it is, is not putting to proper use the truly fun mechanics it introduces; this isn't necessarily a reason not to buy it, but it should be considered for those looking for a lengthier experience.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a decent port of a decent game. The branching dialogue options, deep character customization, and wealth of content to discover make this an appealing offer to CRPG fans, but the occasional glitches and overall jankiness prevent it from becoming an all-time great or an easy recommendation for anyone. If you were a big fan of this back in the day, I’d say this is certainly worth picking up just to see it a little more polished up, but if you’re a newcomer, I think it might be better to wait for a modest sale before taking the plunge.

Unless you’re a fan of the anime, Kill La Kill: IF is not the game for you. While the story mode is beautifully presented, it’s not as lengthy or engaging as the hours-long experiences offered by other arena fighters. While the potential of an Arc System Works arena fighter sounds promising, this 3D fighting game ends up being a bigger disappointment than many of its contemporaries. The visuals are pristine, the animation is gorgeous, but everything else feels barren. Kill La Kill: IF feels like a budget title – too bad it costs $50.

Dot Runner is a fun action-puzzle game with some substantial problems that keep it from being all it could have been.

Steel Diver is easily one of the more creative titles in the initial 3DS lineup and offers a nice glimpse of the type of innovative gaming experiences the system has to offer.

Big aviation fans, and/or those who want a demanding challenge and have the patience to endure starting from square one, may find blue skies here and should definitely try the demo.

Azure Reflections is a fine addition to a small-yet-gradually-growing style of shmup on Nintendo Switch. With a handful of Touhou-related games already on the platform, this addition should keep fans of the project happy with its witty dialogue and pretty character models. However, with a vast library of shmups and bullet hell shooters already available on the console - and many offering far greater content and more accessible mechanics - Azure Reflections is (much like most Touhou titles) hard to recommend to anyone bar die-hard fans.

This Is The Police 2 is a distinctive and multi-faceted management sim with a fresh tactical edge. However, its list of punishing demands, perpetually scarce resources, and sluggish storytelling can sap the game of joy and momentum. There's a lot to do, and a fair amount of that is fun, but it feels like the game's many systems and demands are competing both for scarce virtual resources and your strained attention. In that sense, you'll come to relate to Sharpwood's put-upon new Sheriff all too well.

A game as good as Zombies Ate My Neighbors deserves a stronger package than this one, which feels in parts like a bit of a hack job. We're sure it isn't, but the lack of extras or even meaningful settings to change (again, you can't remap the controls) are a huge bummer. We could complain about the lack of the Mega Drive version, as while most favour the SNES game there is something to be said for the Sega port's always-visible status screen, but overall we still recommend this package to anyone who simply wants a slightly inferior version of a bloomin' brilliant game on their Switch, plus its much worse, but kind of okay sequel. This is — shockingly — probably the worst way to play Zombies Ate My Neighbors ever, but it's still a way to play Zombies Ate My Neighbors. So it gets the slightest of thumbs-ups.

Fans of LEGO games and the Avengers movies will find plenty to like, but technical shortcomings mean it falls short of its full potential.

Guilt Battle Arena is a lot of fun while it lasts with frantic, fast-paced action that forces players to act quickly in the heat of battle. Our main issue, however, is that everything that the game has to offer can be seen very quickly, and the desire to keep picking up the game, again and again, isn’t as strong as we’d initially hoped. Fun in quick bursts, but lacking slightly in gameplay content, we’d urge you to place this one on your ‘maybe’ list.

It must be said, in removing its pornographic elements, Steam-Heart’s is largely robbed of its intrigue. Visually improved though the Saturn version is, its amateur doujin elements can still be felt beneath the surface. And, while reasonably fun to work through and see the sights, it doesn't demand repeat visits. It still has absolutely stellar Kimura art, some more interesting moments in later stages, and some nice boss designs. The boost-dodging and sub-weapon cannibalisations, too, make up in some way for the unstructured nature of its bullets and grossly uneven difficulty. There’s perhaps enough steam in it for a completion or two, but the lack of translation is a real bummer, and it offers little else remarkable beyond the mystique of its PC-98 roots.

Timberline Studio's debut game holds a lot of promise, with writing and animations that are both full to the brim with personality and wit. However, The Red Lantern's core game loop suffers from repetitive, punishingly random events that make the player feel passive and helpless to the whims of fate.

Still, as a game for younger crowds it's a fun and welcome option to further embrace the world of Peanuts.

A quirky 2D adventure with hints of psychological horror and some classic puzzles. Though its gameplay is riddled with glitches and its narrative full of flaws, The Long Reach keeps tempting you to peer around the next murky corner.

Players willing to overlook the rough-and-ready packaging will find plenty of genuinely fun primate puzzling here.

The main issue is that the premise of these types of games is too simple and repetitive by modern standards, something which is likely to put off newcomers. If you have fond memories of playing this in the arcade then you'll love this Switch port, but everyone else should take their time before making a purchase.

If you've already played Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D to its fullest extent and you're craving more on-rails hunting action, then Wild Adventures is the game for you. If instead you're a new player to the genre, then the former is definitely the right place to start.

Bombing Bastards doesn't stand up to the high standards set by some recent Wii U eShop releases, but it's a competent if unremarkable action puzzler.

All in all, Elastic Boy is a moderately good start for young kids who want to start getting into actual gaming (perhaps as a step up from Lexis Numerique's other WiiWare series), and for 600 Wii Points it's not really too expensive. Be on the lookout for sequels!

Trine 3: Artifacts of Power is by no means a bad game. It’s visuals are exemplary, the characters charming and delightful, and the overall tone of the game is very well suited to the Switch. Unfortunately, in transitioning over to fully 3D environments, the poor depth perception and limited sense of progression really hurts the experience. If you enjoy collecting items, there’s just about enough here to warrant a purchase, but everyone else would be wise to hold off until the upcoming Trine 4.

Thea: The Awakening wants to be many things. It wants to be a proper 4X game; it wants to be a through-and-through survival experience; it wants to be an RPG, a CCG and many other genres all at once. It succeeds at some, but often at the expense of others. There are some really great ideas here – the almost Pratchett-esque silliness to some of its scenarios and the focus on Slavic myths serves as a striking source of inspiration – but the focus on micro-management busywork simply gets in the way of the empire-building fun Thea should really be embracing.

The Fall Part 2: Unbound continues the story from The Fall with an interesting angle on familiar sci-fi concepts, but the game that underpins this darkly cerebral world is somewhat lacking. Both its action and adventure elements suffer from stilted controls, and the imaginatively conceived point-and-click sections don't always leave a satisfying breadcrumb trail for the player to follow. The result is a game that's as frustratingly flawed as it is thought-provoking.

Skate City is a laid back, chilled out alternative to the more hectic skateboarding action of the likes of Roll7's OlliOlli series. The various tricks and skills here won't take you long to master, putting together little runs through Los Angeles, Oslo and Barcelona feels satisfying and the overall aesthetic suits the rather simple, straightforward nature of proceedings. However, there's an undeniable lack of actual challenge and variety here, alongside a few niggling framerate issues on Switch, that result in a game that's reasonable enough value for a quick bash, especially given its budget price point, but one that won't last anyone beyond the most avid of skateboarding fans for much longer than a couple of hours.

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

Hue is an interesting title. It’s unique and striking, but it always feels just a hair's breadth away from true brilliance. The few moments of exasperation after finding your way out of a confusing situation are some of the best a game of this type could possibly have, but they happen so rarely throughout the four-or-so hour running time that their impact is dulled. Hue could have been something more, but what’s here is engaging enough if you’re gasping for an inventive indie puzzler.

It may not be a particularly meaty title but it's a fun diversion, even if it's not exceptional in the broader context of the eShop library.

Plague Road is a valiant attempt at combining divergent concepts into a cohesive and interesting package. But as interesting as it may be to make the first roguelike base-building strategy RPG, it’s missing a layer of depth to drive it beyond curiosity into the realm of compulsory design. There’s plenty to like here, and if you’re in the mood for a morose adventure down a bleak path to a ruined world this may be for you. If you’re just looking to casually save the world from an outbreak, however, you may want to think carefully.

While it’s not the best the series has been – many could argue Jedi Knight II or Jedi Outcast will perpetually battle for that title – Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is still a fun and lengthy trek across the (non-canon) Star Wars universe. The multiplayer doesn’t live up to its former glories, but the sprawling and semi non-linear campaign certainly makes up for it with its lightning-fast lightsaber combat and that silly quintessentially silly approach to Star Wars that was still rife in the early 2000s. Don’t expect Jedi: Fallen Order, but do expect a time capsule of an action-adventure.

A strange little thing, Skelattack seems to lack confidence in itself, wanting to be one of those hard-as-nails "masocore" platformers while not really committing to the tight design that defines that subgenre. As a result, it's a game that'll make you seethe with frustration not from deliberate and challenging level design, but from sloppily-constructed traps that seem to think such things are excused by a multitude of checkpoints. It's definitely not a disaster, but Skelattack leaves a lot to be desired.

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

Cars 3: Driven to Win falls for some of the pitfalls that are expected of a game released to coincide with a movie's arrival in theatres. Rather rushed, rough around the edges and with minor but persistent annoyances, older players will certainly recognise the symptoms. That said, it hits top gear in some respects. Its gameplay mechanics are rather fun once grasped, there are a variety of modes and tracks to master, and despite its sidenote of a narrative it goes big on the film series' charms.

The controls may be to simplistic to be engaging and the absence of instructions can lead this casual game into frustrating territory. Nevertheless, even with the simplistic controls and lack of guidance the player will still feel that same sense of accomplishment and pride when you master Mama’s tasks.

While Zimo: Mahjong Fanatic tries its best to capture the essence of traditional Mahjong, it falls short of providing any lasting fun.

At its heart Violett is a classically designed point-and-click adventure, warts and all. It tells an interesting tale in a world filled with oddity and excitement, but it's told in an unintuitive manner that only the most stalwart fan of the genre will likely stick with. It tries to cast its net wide by offering a clever hint system to help players survive its obtuse nature, but nevertheless only the most patient will try to come back out of the rabbit hole.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures is both incredibly enjoyable and considerably infuriating. There’s just enough of that classic magic in there to make the design and management of a theme park a consistently rewarding experience, and using permits and research to space out your access to the good stuff makes this a genuinely fun time sink. However, the level of automation that’s migrated over from the mobile iteration really does negatively impact this Switch port, and issues with overall performance place a big caveat around its neck. While it's not a total disaster, RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures does leave you wanting a little more – especially if you're a seasoned fan of the long-running series.

With appealing visuals and a haunting atmosphere, it demands patience and introspection. For those eager to explore its ideas of loss and moving on, it’s worth a look; for others, it might feel like the world’s saddest gardening simulator.

Naruto: Powerful Shippuden does one thing exactly right, and that's the humour. The actual gameplay gets a bit too repetitive too quickly, but a fun storyline and a personal goals feature do their best to keep things interesting.

MLB The Show 24 delivers a solid third season of baseball on Switch in a port that keeps the gameplay fluid and delivers a full suite of modes, even if it does feel as though the console is really being pushed to its limit now. There are the expected visual downgrades, longer loading times compared to other platforms, and online can be dodgy, but a slew of modes, deep and satisfying gameplay, and that handsomely expanded Storylines mode patches over most of the rough spots.

You have to give the developers of Moto eXtreme an "A" for originality, but sadly the execution of the game's controls isn't quite as cut and dried.

Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll is a decent addition to the Monkey Ball franchise, but it simply sets the bar too high in the difficulty stakes to have long-lasting appeal.

Costume Quest 2 is an enjoyable romp through an appealing story of fun and sugary treats.

Though somewhat underwhelming as a full experience, it's a decently fun (and cheap) party game. Just make sure to have friends to not touch anything red with.

SteamWorld is a well put-together tower defence game, though it can get very difficult after only minutes of play time. It doesn't do anything especially interesting or groundbreaking, but if you're looking for your next fix in the genre, then this might be for you.

Shuten Order is an ambitious visual novel that tells an intriguing story with consistently engaging characters and more than a few twists and turns. Unfortunately, with the inclusion of five distinct forms of gameplay driving the story, it ultimately feels bloated and directionless, and not one of the sub-genre sections is polished enough to stand on its own two feet. I wholeheartedly commend the audacious, multi-genre effort, but Shuten Order would have benefited from a lot more focus.

Luckily, the Switch version runs fairly well, with any frame rate hitches being minor and infrequent. However, the game can look a little muddy in handheld mode, with elements like the water in ‘Neo-Shinagawa’ looking like a giant blue wall you’re about to run into. The game also has some occasional glitches like ships flying through the track, although they’re infrequent.

Locomoto is clearly a game that puts the 'vibes' first. For a slice of its runtime, it was perfectly pleasant, but by the end, I was running on fumes. Yet, if it's a sedate and steady adventure with solid characters and a cosy atmosphere you're after, you'll love this. Just don't expect a lot of variety.

Epic Word Search collection is very much for a niche market. If you love a good word search and have a 3DS, there is every chance you will enjoy this game. There is a decent amount of gameplay to be had, and at its price it's your call as to whether it's worth the price or worth buying a few word search collection books instead. For those who don't enjoy word searches, it goes without saying that this isn't a download for you.

LEGO Star Wars III is fun, funny and charming, but it fails to innovate on the formula and relies too heavily on consequence-free combat, overly simplistic puzzle solving and automated interactions.

Snail Mail is by no means a bad game: its controls are tight, the action is fast paced, and the visual presentation is both stylish and smooth. Unfortunately the core gameplay is pretty one-dimensional, meaning your enjoyment of this game will rest almost entirely in the hands of those you play it with.