Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. It may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality. If you think you’d be interested, we’d suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity (and there's a even downloadable demo if you're on the fence).

The irony is that Aspyr has done a nice job with remastering the visuals in both games and we enjoyed seeing the results. But the reality is that these games often feel old, they're extremely buggy, and the online play is hit-and-miss. This should have been a slam dunk. Instead, playing Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection made us feel sad. If Aspyr can fix the slew of technical issues, this might one day be worth picking up on Switch. Until that happens, though, the Force isn’t with this one.

South Park: Snow Day! has a lot of potential with some of its roguelike-inspired mechanics but ultimately fails to deliver an engaging experience whether you're playing it solo or in co-op. Combat feels unresponsive, the technical issues are numerous (on Switch at least), and the writing is some of the weakest in the series.

If you give yourself over to Warhorse’s muddy opus, it will reward you with a hundred hours of grueling and enjoyable trial and error. It’s buggy and rough around the edges on Switch, but Kingdom Come Deliverance is a singular RPG experience. The pacing and constant juggling of mechanics is not for everyone, but invest the time and you’ll experience an engrossing, grounded adventure.

Princess Peach: Showtime! sees Nintendo finally give everyone's favourite imaginary princess the rollicking adventure she deserves. We had expected a rather throwaway offering here, a bunch of minigames and Mario-lite platforming maybe, but what we've got is one of the better kid-focused games on Switch. There's creativity, style, and fun to spare here, with levels packed full of secrets, cool outfits, and enough new mechanics to ensure nothing ever outstays its welcome. Come for the fashion, stay for the boss battles, slo-mo bullet dodges, and cardboard horse chases. Besides a few niggling performance issues, this is Nintendo on rather cracking form. Encore!

Although certainly designed to be disorienting in terms of its visuals, Krimson’s levels can be a tad too difficult to parse at times, with safe platforms and deadly obstacles often blending into one another. This is exacerbated by the swirling, gooey textures on every surface, along with strobe effects that briefly come into play upon death. It’s a lot to take in and the game never lets up, so we often found ourselves wanting to put it down for a little while just so our senses could have a little break. We appreciate the artistic intent, but some accessibility features to perhaps tone down the effects or better highlight certain platforms would be most welcome.

Rebel Transmute is probably the best Metroidvania you’ve never heard of. Though its visuals are just okay, its skillful blend of high difficulty, obscure narrative, and rewarding exploration all make for a thoroughly great entry that no genre fan should miss out on. New Metroidvanias are certainly a dime a dozen, but releases like Rebel Transmute demonstrate that there’s always room for one more good one. We’d recommend you pick this game up if you’re a big fan of the genre, particularly if you want something that scratches that Hollow Knight itch—Rebel Transmute has got it where it counts and is certainly worth your time and attention.

The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a decent, though unspectacular, dungeon crawler that does a good job of defying some traditional RPG tropes. Mechanics like the elemental system and the randomized character progression help this stand out from the pack, while its simple dungeon-crawling format carries the basic, but satisfying gameplay for dozens of hours. Still, it doesn’t take very long for this one to feel like it’s overstaying its welcome, and more could’ve been done to sand its rougher edges. Legend of Legacy may not be the best example of this genre, but it’s still an enjoyable release for the dungeon-crawling cognoscenti.

Like Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka before it, Digital Eclipse's latest interactive documentary is a wonderful glimpse into the mind of one of gaming's most fascinating figures. Even if you've got no prior knowledge of Minter or his games, the selection of videos, image galleries, quotes, and playable games included here will provide you with a newfound respect for this niche yet immensely important segment of gaming history. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is another triumph for Digital Eclipse, and we can't wait to see what the studio tackles next with its Gold Master Series.

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley opens with a goodbye. As an outsider, Snufkin doesn’t hibernate with the Moomins and must wander lonelily through the ice. The prospect of a reunion in the spring sets up a bittersweet mood, sews a seed of hope that grows throughout the game, and kicks off a quest to restore everything to its rightful place. Accomplished gameplay design and magical sounds and visuals make the whole adventure a delight.

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.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game arrives on Switch in a port that does a surprisingly decent job of delivering the goods without getting utterly bogged down by issues en route. This is a big game, a modern, physics-heavy beast, and while there's a blurriness to the visuals which detracts from the overall atmosphere, and some frame rate bumps along the way to boot, the core experience has arrived intact. It's not perfect, but it's a reasonably decent place from (s)which to start for a game that absolutely deserves your time and patience.

Even amidst a huge strategy RPG boom, Unicorn Overlord stands out. It’s a smorgasbord of visual delights, intricate systems, and addictive gameplay loops that all come together to create a delightfully thrilling and deep tactical RPG. It’s so easy to get absorbed into everything the game offers, and we lapped it all up. Vanillaware has long been known for creating beautiful-looking games with unique twists on genres, but with 13 Sentinels and now Unicorn Overlord, this developer should be on absolutely everyone’s radar.

Roguelite fans will probably be split on Ancient Weapon Holly. Its combat is fun and provides a good challenge for a while, though it doesn’t have the depth or personality to make it a truly great entry in the genre. Everything just feels too safe and predictable for our liking. It just needed something – a narrative hook or a more unique mechanic, to make us want to see humanity perish.

New Star GP pays homage to the days of Virtua Racing with a brilliant F1-style racer that retains the same compelling moreishness its studio is known for. Its performance is a bit clunky to the point that it’s noticeable quite often, but that shouldn’t put you off buying yet another New Star gem.

Its very reasonable price tag isn’t the main selling point of Berserk Boy. Rather, it’s a very competently made indie action adventure that has the feel of a 16-bit title, powered by the oomph of current-day consoles. It’s far more arcadey than both Mega Man and Gunvolt; faster, and altogether more interesting owing to its multiple character forms and deft stage design. Its hub world is easily navigable, and the upgrade shop, Metroidvania backtracking, and prisoner liberating side-missions encourage players to squeeze the most from the experience. There are minor, trivial aspects that could have been tightened up slightly, and the independent development aspect isn’t entirely in the background. For what it attempts, however, Berserk Boy is very successful, regularly showing up larger development studios with its creativity, and comes easy to recommend to 2D action enthusiasts.

A Void Hope isn’t Elden Pixel’s finest project yet, but it is certainly its most interesting one. Even if its gameplay and story feel shallow, it does a great job of immersing you in its creepy and dark world—this is the kind of game that you’ll probably never play again after you finish it, but you’ll always remember it. It's worth picking up if you’re at all a fan of this studio’s previous work or if you’re interested in trying something that deviates from the norm a bit.

Top Racer Collection is a solid compilation for fans of the Top Gear trilogy on SNES, but the originals' lower frame rate can really affect the action at high speeds. Nostalgics will find that everything is as it should be, and there's still plenty of fun to be had, but those without emotional ties to the series will want to go for the newer, better model instead and buy Horizon Chase Turbo.

Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don't like roguelikes... and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp. It's an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there's really nothing else quite like it. We suspect we'll be hearing a lot about Balatro when conversations steer towards Game of the Year, because this is a clear and obvious frontrunner. Utterly sublime.

Penny’s Big Breakaway is a tremendous achievement by Evening Star, expertly combining tight controls, excellent level design, and a raft of creative ideas, all while throwing in a hefty dose of pure speed. Though the Switch version can feel a little rough around the edges at times, this is still an easy recommendation to make to anyone who considers themselves a fan of Sonic, 3D platformers, or both. Penny’s inaugural adventure has got it where it counts, and if you’re looking for a challenging, yet approachable new 3D platformer to add to your library, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is another resounding success for Nightdive, bringing a curious, nostalgia-laced FPS into the modern age with bells and whistles to boot. With enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and a wealth of accessibility options, this is easily the best way to experience Dark Forces and revisit an oft-forgotten era of Star Wars. Minor frame rate hiccups aside, this is an absolute must-play for fans of far-away galactic conflict.

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.

Pentiment is a fantastic adventure RPG that revels in a studious approach to history and immaculate recreations of the styles and traditions of 16th-century Bavaria. There's a super smart, funny, and engaging murder mystery to investigate here, but it's how that mystery is so fully rooted in the world that's been lovingly crafted around it that really elevates this experience. It's one of the best games of the past decade, hands down, and to have that experience running and performing perfectly on Switch is a joyous thing — it feels like it was made for Nintendo's console. This is about as essential as games get.

It may have taken over ten years to finally come out, but Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a new high-water mark for the storied roguelike franchise. Its masterful blend of uncompromising difficulty with a wealth of content to overcome makes for a game that’ll easily keep you satisfied for dozens of hours as you learn its tricks. Combine that with some cool online features and a charming art style, and you’ve got a game that’s an easy recommendation for any roguelike fans out there. This is a tough nut to crack, but the experience is well worth it.

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! does not come to Switch with a swathe of bells and whistles or make a host of changes to Game Freak's weirdest mash-up. It's a simple port of the Apple Arcade version — which, in itself, made very few changes to the 3DS original — but with a game this great, that's no bad thing. Sure, not much has changed since 2016 (even less since 2023), but this charming hybrid card-racer is absolutely worth taking for a ride wherever you can. Giddyap.

Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons may not be the greatest nonogram puzzler available on the Switch, but this is certainly another worthwhile and enjoyable entry in the genre—especially for fans who also love a good farm sim. This is ultimately little more than a nonogram puzzle pack themed after Story of Seasons, but really it doesn’t need to be anything else, even if it would be interesting to see how farm sim gameplay elements could be more directly integrated into the gameplay. As long as you’re not too bothered by a game experience that feels a little less polished than the Picross series, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is an easy recommendation to any puzzle enthusiasts out there.

Splatoon 3: Side Order is an excellent addition to Splatoon 3, and helps to give it a stronger identity over its predecessors. Whilst we’d like to have seen more variety in the stages and objectives, the overwhelming number of options on your weaponry and how you upgrade them makes sure that things don’t get too repetitive. We found ourselves repeatedly coming back to try just one more run which turned into five, so that should speak for itself. Splatoon fans rejoice, it’s another goodie.

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

Like the Great Elevator which takes you from beach to garden to mountain, Promenade unites several game elements you know and love in a way that still feels fluid. All this opens up a world that we were itching to explore. The collectathon gameplay is addictive, and the routes and puzzles are rewarding to complete. It might not elevate the genre, and it's not without faults or difficulty spikes, but that’s okay with us because most of what it does stacks up.

qomp 2 is an excellent and worthy reimaging of Pong that honours the classic arcade game's legacy while providing a unique experience for folks with no nostalgia for Atari's seminal masterpiece. It offers a consistently interesting and engaging means of traversal with a great variety of obstacles and puzzles to overcome throughout the 30 stages. We would have liked a few more levels in the end, but this is really just an indication of the quality on display here. If you're into quirky action-focused puzzlers with a unique hook, then qomp 2 is definitely worth your attention.

Are there better, more complicated tactical strategy games out there for the Switch? Absolutely, but few of them are quite as entertaining as Inkulinati. In fact, none of them let you use a creature’s butt quite as frequently or as effectively. The absurd humour doesn’t stop the game from offering some unique tactical options, even if it errs on the easy side for our liking.

PlateUp! successfully differentiates itself from the cooking sim next door. While its roguelite elements encourage repeat attempts and reward your failures, fiddly controls, and awkward UI hinder its appeal as an undocked co-op experience. Fortunately, on a big screen, it’s great fun.

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.

Mario vs Donkey Kong serves up a slick return to the 2004 GBA adventure that finds fresh fun in cooperative play. Yep, the new co-op mode really is the star of the show this time out and, alongside two new worlds, 'Plus' versions of each level, a Time Attack mode, and fancy new looks and sounds, there's plenty to dig into and enjoy with a core puzzle/platforming setup that has aged quite well. Just be aware that, if you're a more seasoned player looking for platforming challenges, this game finds its strengths as an experience for younger gamers or as a co-op title to enjoy with your kids. Taken as such, it absolutely earns a recommendation.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is one of Aspyr's most accomplished projects to date, successfully giving three of gaming's most iconic titles a much-needed lick of paint while upgrading the controls to give newcomers a welcome leg-up. Some of the lighting is a bit off with the new visuals, and the need to manually save your game is a big no-no in 2024, but if you're curious as to how Lara Croft got her start in gaming, then this is easily the best way to experience the original trilogy.

Eastward: Octopia may not bring many new ideas to a crowded genre, but this is an impressively well-executed expansion that nicely ticks all the boxes for a satisfying and relaxing farm sim. Although it has some rougher edges, the decent gameplay variety, interesting story, gorgeous visuals, and surprising amount of content all come together to make this one an easy recommendation to any fans of the original Eastward. Even for those of you who fell off your playthrough of the original for one reason or another, we’d encourage you to consider coming back for Octopia—this is a much better-paced game and, some performance issues aside, it’s lost none of the charm that made the original so popular.

Alisa Developer's Cut is an excellent homage to classic survival horror that can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark. From the tank controls to the cheesy voiceover work, it nails almost every aspect, providing an experience that feels like it was ripped straight from the '90s. Its overall appeal will likely be limited to those who are intimately familiar with survival horror, but if that's you, then strap yourself in for one of the best examples of the genre to date.

Grime is a beautiful, well-designed, challenging game with a ton of content, but it runs extremely poorly on Switch, to the extent that it’s hard to recommend this version of the game if you can get it on another platform. It’s disappointing, because Grime does so much right, and developer Clover Bite has clearly put a lot of love into it over the years. But all of that love can’t save an action game that just doesn’t run well. In this genre, that’s a deal-breaker. It’s a shame Grime’s Switch debut is so rocky, because playing as a rock creature with a black hole doubling as its cranium is really cool. Don’t get us wrong: Grime is playable on Switch, but until (or if) things get ironed out with updates, this brutal world is one you might want to avoid.

Waku Waku Sweets will absolutely not be to everyone’s taste. However, much like a chef’s speciality dessert, it’ll be devoured by fans of its distinctive happy-go-lucky visual style and those who enjoy the cooking sim genre. As is, its lack of challenge, silly plot, and niche visual style make it difficult to recommend to everyone, but it certainly isn’t without merit.

All in all, Akihabara is a fun blend of genres that uses its Tetris-inspired roots to produce some fine puzzling. However, the lack of modes, repetitive gameplay, and poor presentation make this one for the more hardcore puzzle fans alone.

All in all, the simple yet addictive style of Dexteritrip makes it a great time killer, with its well-thought-out gameplay making up for some weak presentation — if the frustration of the jumping physics doesn't put you off.

The potential for boredom is there, then, but the reward of finally killing all patrons after taking your time is a strong, satisfying one. Additionally, the mixture of an upbeat techno soundtrack, hilariously shocking gameplay, and a decent number of unlockable extras – as well as a fun multiplayer mode – make this a fine (if sometimes samey) experience.

911 Operator is a fun way to pass the time and its realistic depictions of how to use the emergency services make it all the more commendable. It is, however, repetitive and may not be picked up again after an initial play-through.

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.

The biggest mark against the Switch version of Rising Lords, however, is the excessive lag between each turn. Each click in either the combat or kingdom management sections of the game can take several seconds to register, which makes even simple actions a chore. We also frequently found that peasants wouldn’t load onto the map, making it difficult to know where we needed to send our workers to improve our lands. The lag was even worse in our time with the game's online multiplayer, which saw the server straining to keep up with each turn. An hour into a game and the map took five minutes to load between rounds.

If you’re intrigued by visual novels and their potential to delight, then the Pixel Pulps series is arguably the best possible place to start. Bahnsen Knights is the third entry and it’s pretty damn wonderful. With its tighter emphasis on gameplay, it's arguably the best of the three, though that would be like choosing your favourite child. It’s okay to love them all. Bahnsen Knights is an easy recommendation, and one which becomes even stronger if you’re interested in horror and weird tales.

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a cracking sequel that brings meaningful change to the series' core combat, adds rollback netcode and three strong new characters to an already enthralling roster, and all looks, sounds, and plays every bit as good as its dazzling predecessor. Chronicle mode has been axed, and it's a shame it hasn't been replaced with something else, but this remains a top-notch effort, a deep and addictive anime fighter that should please long-time fans and interested newbies alike.

Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal is a solid Switch port that offers up several quality-of-life updates that, if you're a newcomer, will make your first experience with Agent 47 much more palatable. Not all of it works perfectly, and there's no denying that certain aspects of Blood Money have aged considerably since 2006. That said, once you get to grips with it, Reprisal offers up almost limitless replayability and fun as you hone your assassination skills. Minor performance glitches aside, it's a port well worth checking out.

The Legend of Steel Empire remains a faithful reimagination of the original release, even including the end credits gag. It will take a medium-skilled player less than an hour to do a complete loop but it is such a good time, that can’t be considered a fault. While it doesn’t quite enter the bullet hell pantheon of other shoot 'em ups on Switch, it is certainly worth the shelf space in your collection and might be the perfect excuse to dust off your arcade stick in 2024. Maybe one day down the line we'll get a proper 16:9 sequel handled by the original HOT-B staff, but in the meantime, this is a welcome return for the original.

Many graphic adventures claim to recreate the Lucasarts magic of the 1990s, but in most cases that’s more of an aspiration than an achievement. Hilltop Studios, though, in its best moments, has channelled the humour of classic point-and-clicks while delivering something original. With so many fleshed-out characters to get to know through its Papers-Please-lite gameplay, there’s good reason to grant Lil’ Guardsman entry to your Switch.

We genuinely can't believe how lucky we are that these games exist, let alone that they've been lovingly polished up for the Switch. This is some of the best writing you'll find on the console, and it's a steal for all three games plus extras. A couple of bumps here and there are to be expected with such a wealth of content (three games, DLC, and extras), but they barely leave a dent on the brilliance of this well-written and beautifully illustrated trilogy.

Unfortunately, while Turnip Boy Robs A Bank is an easy recommendation based on its gameplay and visuals, the Switch version currently struggles significantly under the weight of its fast-paced mechanics and busy encounters. If there are multiple enemies on screen or there happens to be a bunch of trip lasers blocking your path, the frame rate will drop to unacceptable levels for lengthy periods, making large chunks of your heists feel like you’re moving underwater. We were told this would be fixed via a day-one patch, but it's still MIA at launch. If these performance issues were eliminated, we'd have no qualms in telling you to don your best balaclava and get ready to bag some cash.

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.

We can’t recommend you purchase Shinorubi over other games in the genre, but, in handheld mode, there’s thankfully still something for diehard fans to play for, if only out of curiosity.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slick return to the roots of this franchise that serves up clever 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat, and neat puzzles, all mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open things up to newcomers and casual players. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands and the team hasn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.

If you’re looking for a simple, fun, somewhat shallow arcade-like game for your Switch, Knights of the Rogue Dungeon is definitely something that’ll satisfy that need. It's over quickly, but this is an overall enjoyable experience—though we’d recommend you try the iOS game first to see if this is really for you.

Despite its technical flaws and short gameplay, we found ourselves unable to put down Terra Nil on Switch. The simple act of rebuilding a broken and polluted world is so satisfying and well-crafted. From the moment you put down your first wind turbine to watching your airship remove any evidence of your hard work, the game gives you a sense of hope for our own climate crisis without needing to explicitly say a word. This is pure relaxation in video game form and is worth picking up, particularly once that promised first patch is rolled out.

Chico and the Magic Orchards DX is an excellent callback to simpler days, featuring authentic retro visuals, tight level design, and a surprising amount of variety for such a small package. It’ll only last you a couple of hours at most, but anyone who misses the days of the OG Game Boy will want to give this one a look. It’s lots of fun, plenty charming, and a great use of a fiver.

Hammerwatch II picks up right where the first game left off but its narrative and technical shortcomings make it feel like the rough draft of a fantasy epic rather than the final version. The open world is big enough to get lost in for hours at a time and you will die repeatedly while doing so. Still, if you need a game to do a bit of mindless grinding in, the combat is fun and easy to pick up, which keeps this sequel from being a complete disappointment.

Palia isn’t really anything special, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. There’s a fun gameplay loop to engage with here that fans of farm sims will be sure to enjoy, and though the MMO elements feel rather underbaked in this pre-1.0 release, the microtransactions don’t feel overbearing and there’s enough solo-focused content here to make it worth trying out. It would be tough to recommend you pick this one up were it a full-price retail release, but you’re sure to get at least an afternoon or two of good fun if you choose to try it out. At the end of the day, it costs nothing but time and storage space to give Palia a shot; we’d suggest you download it and see if it’s for you—especially if you can’t get enough of farm sims. We'll be back to see how this shakes out in 2024. [Review in Progress]

Potion Craft is bound to be a gem for the right audience and is ideal for dedicated completionist crafters who enjoy sim games with strategic elements and cosy, magical aesthetics. It's a heady concoction, just one that doesn't go down very well on Switch.

If you can overlook the technical challenges – and we could – Outer Wilds remains a wondrous experience on Switch. With almost no gating and a free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge. Starting with no information at all, you come to understand the intricacies of this little solar system better than its inhabitants. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too.

The Indigo Disk takes a few steps forward for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. There’s some genuine challenge, a nice variety of activities, and a fun new world to explore in the Terarium; if you love Pokémon, you’ll absolutely enjoy what’s on offer here. But the DLC drops the ball in terms of narrative, offering an unsatisfying and rushed conclusion to Scarlet & Violet’s story, along with the grindy BP system and those ever-present performance issues. It’s fun at best and disappointing at worst, with a lot of missed potential left on the picnic table.

Born of Bread is a fine spiritual successor to the Paper Mario games of old, with a lighthearted story, hands-on combat system, and charming characters all coming together to make for a worthwhile experience. That said, it can feel kind of rough around the edges with a long list of bugs (at least at launch), confusing level designs, and occasionally oddly paced story. We’d recommend Born of Bread to any fans of Mario’s traditional RPG adventures, as the positives here do outweigh the negatives, but just bear in mind that this loaf feels like it could’ve spent a little more time in the oven.

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.

Can it be patched into some sort of better state? Honestly, it's hard to see how they can fix Batman: Arkham Knight to a satisfactory degree, and it feels like a step too far to have even included this final chapter in the collection for Switch. A great ending to an amazing trilogy, but just completely broken for now.

Arkham City can still stand shoulder to shoulder with any modern AAA open-world game, and even though you've got to contend with some unfortunate stutters from time to time, and it doesn't look nearly as good here as it does on other platforms, this is still the full-fat experience running rather well all things considered. If you've yet to experience this one it's another must-play.

It may not have a great big open world to play around in like Arkham City, but Batman: Arkham Asylum is still our favourite game of the bunch. It introduced everything that's great about the trilogy; the combat, the dark tone, the endless Riddler puzzles and detective work, whilst also serving up a story that didn't waste any time. Asylum is a tight and taut thrill ride, one of the all-time great superhero games and, over a decade later, it's still a must-play.

Rocksteady's phenomenal Arkham series needs no introduction at this stage — three of the finest superhero games you'll ever play with a top-notch cast and writing, and sublime gameplay that put you right into the bat-boots of the Dark Knight. Asylum is an all-timer, City still stands up as one of the best open-world games we've ever played and Knight, although slightly less successful, is still a strong final chapter. It's a shame that Knight is completely unplayable on Switch. Very little TLC has been shown to any of these games and better decisions weren't made when it became clear just how poorly one of the games here ran on Nintendo's console. If you only have a Switch and have never played the first two games, Batman: Arkham Trilogy is still a decent way to play those two titles, at least.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is an enjoyable monster-catching RPG that combines charming visuals with addictive gameplay to make for a genuinely gripping experience, making it feel like the long wait since the last entry to leave Japan has been worth it. Even so, its general lack of ambition and struggles with performance issues hold it back from greatness—it’s very good, but it’s also definitely got its issues. If you’re at all a fan of Dragon Quest or monster-catching RPGs, we’d suggest you pick this one up, though perhaps wait a few months to see if Square can sort out the worst of its performance issues.

A Highland Song's folklore-infused adventure takes "walking simulator" to the extreme, as you pull its teen runaway Moira up and down the cliffs and mountains of the Scottish highlands, finding treasures, music, and magic along the way. But its repetitious nature wears away the joy of exploration, and further playthroughs are a struggle between the thrill of new discoveries and the tedium of having to retread old ground.

Is Football Manager 2024 Touch on Switch the best way to experience the franchise this year? Probably not, in light of the various other versions and platforms available. However, it is a solid version of a strong entry in the series, with the convenience of being on Nintendo's marvellous little machine whether you want to play on the go or pop it up on the TV. It strips away some of the immersive depth from the 'main' version on PC, but adds interesting nuances of its own while keeping the experience snappy. If you can figure out the quirky physical controls, along with how to get your 4-3-2-1 formation humming, you can sink plenty of hours into this one.

Though it has its issues, The Last Faith feels like an overall welcome addition to the Switch’s overstuffed Metroidvania and Soulslike libraries. Its tough combat, gothic aesthetic, and labyrinthine world all feel engaging, even if some of the upgrades feel underwhelming and performance can be rough. We’d recommend this to anyone who enjoyed either of the Blasphemous games or fans who can’t get enough of the Soulsike formula—The Last Faith isn’t the best example of this kind of gameplay, but it’s an overall solid effort. However, we’d recommend investigating other platforms that can deliver better performance than Switch, if that’s an option for you. Performance drops can really hurt the experience, so we've got our fingers crossed for further updates.

SteamWorld Build is a beautifully crafted game that seamlessly blends genres and ideas into a polished and premium package. There’s not another management sim like it, but despite it running surprisingly well on Nintendo’s system, it does leave us wanting for more reason to return to it. You’re all but guaranteed to adore your first time through, but subsequent playthroughs may not carry the same magic. Still, with all that being said, this is undeniably a triumph of mechanical marvellousness.

Astlibra Revision may not be a truly great game, but it is most certainly an interesting one. At the very least, it is unafraid to challenge JRPG conventions in unique ways while also demonstrating mastery of the genre’s most basic tropes. It can feel a little too archaic in its design and haphazard in its pacing, while the vaguely Flash game-esque visuals are a bit of a letdown. On the whole, though, it proves to be a worthwhile experience, one that we would especially recommend to fans of older RPGs. If you can look past its faults, there’s a lot to love about Astlibra; we’d suggest you investigate if your interest is piqued.

Publisher GameMill should be embarrassed at putting out The Walking Dead: Destinies at any price, let alone as a $50 boxed product, and we sincerely hope AMC Networks takes a bit more care in who it entrusts with its IP in the future. There's absolutely nothing here that has been executed well; it's a game that is simply rife with technical blunders, terrible production values, and broken mechanics. The only thing keeping Destinies from achieving a lower score is that you can at least play to the end credits, but even those have been fumbled. In a year filled with bonafide classics, Destinies is the worst game we've played.

While its presentation is in some cases downright lacking, the Irem Collection Volume 1’s essentials are at least in order, delivering three great games, several port variations, and enough adjustable options to satisfy. That said, both Image Fights are utter taskmasters that require a hardened disposition, and that limits their broader appeal. X Multiply makes up for this by being a lot more accessible, with a visually superb aesthetic, but also feels like the odd one out because of it. We can’t help but feel an Irem Collection combining eight to ten titles would have been something worth shouting about, but with further volumes in the pipeline, this does feel like yet another exercise in squeezing a niche consumer base over several releases. Despite our appreciation of the games on board, it's hard to get too excited.

Worldless attempts to differentiate itself from its peers by adding satisfying turn-based combat to the usual Metroidvania loop. It largely succeeds, helped by an intoxicating art style and varied puzzle mechanics. Some difficulty spikes interrupt the flow and knock the dreamlike exploration off balance, but you’ll feel compelled to overcome them.

The Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection serves up seven slices of old-school dino action in a package that suffers from its focus on the 8- and 16-bit eras. Yes, it's great to have these old games all gathered up and available to play with some quality-of-life additions, you can't knock them too hard for being clunky by today's standards, and nostalgia may add a few points to the overall score below if you're an Isla Nublar mega-fan, but there's no avoiding the fact that the experiences here haven't aged particularly well.

Bluey: The Videogame successfully emulates the look and feel of the iconic TV show, but unfortunately it fails to recapture the same family magic. The gameplay is incredibly repetitive across the one-to-two-hour experience, relying on locating items dotted around the five core environments. Minigames break up the monotony somewhat, but even these fail to maintain attention for too long. That said, young children are going to get a kick out of simply existing within this world and playing as their favourite Bluey characters. If that's all you're looking to get out of this game, this does a decent job. But when you compare it to the all-ages magic of the show itself, and other family-focused games on Switch, this falls well short of the source material.

In Stars and Time can be unforgiving, but if you’re a sucker for story-driven RPGs with roguelite mechanics and tricky puzzles, you won’t find many better options out there. It’s a difficult game to beat quickly, with our initial run taking us just over the 45-hour mark. Aside from the small problems like some unclear visual cues and minor lag issues, the game plays brilliantly. The characters are loveable and feel incredibly authentic, and the story is deeply engaging. Just be warned — almost every item becomes important at some stage. There are heaps of rooms, hidden passages, and corridors, and you’ll need to remember where everything is if you want to progress. Keep a pen and paper handy.

Spirittea serves up a creative and addictive (after)life-sim loop of attending to bathhouse spirits and helping townsfolk. The tools and menus don’t offer the most fluid experience, and the minigames are often overwhelmingly complicated, but there’s enough to do here that means you can dip in and out of things when you don't like them. Anything you do like, you can soak in for hours.

Super Mario RPG is here in all of its weird, wonderful glory for a new generation to experience, and sets a new standard for how to do a faithful remake right. Delivering a beautifully preserved, pure experience for fans of the original and an accessible entry-point for genre newcomers, the game's infectious charm, writing, and polished gameplay do so much to elevate this beyond what might have been merely a simple RPG starring Mario.

Astral Ascent is a prime example of a game that amounts to more than the sum of its parts. Its strong character design, hi-bit visuals, tight combat, memorable bosses, and broad build variety have all featured in games you’ve probably played before—there’s nothing ‘new’ here. But to write it off as just 'another one of those' in a crowded genre would be to miss out on one of the most delightful and surprising releases of the year. Astral Ascent is comfortably one of the best roguelites available on the Switch today, and we can easily recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in the genre. Don't miss it.

Persona 5 Tactica is a thrillingly varied tactical RPG that fans of the Phantom Thieves and the genre should take note of. It's a little on the easy side, but the varied gameplay, excellent soundtrack, striking visuals, and lovable characters all make for a very easy recommendation here. We’d especially suggest you pick this up if you really enjoyed the original Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, as we noticed a lot of parallels that can be drawn between the two. It remains to be seen if this is the last time we’ll be seeing the Phantom Thieves don their masks, but if this does turn out to be their finale, Persona 5 Tactica is a massively enjoyable sendoff for the beloved crew.

Halberd Studios has crafted a Metroidvania with a really encouraging number of unique elements. We have no issue in declaring it A Good Game™ and a great time thanks to its careful crafting and implementation of a number of original ideas that elevate the gameplay, rather than stifle it. It is just another Metroidvania at heart, yes, and it doesn’t revolutionise the genre; but, while there are a few scrappy bits where you can see a thinning of the budget compared to works by larger studios, it holds its own as an inventive, pretty, and consistently enjoyable adventure.

Thirsty Suitors is a great example of what happens when a developer's ambition outstrips the ability to fully realise that vision, for whatever reason. The story and visual style here are top-notch, but the actual mechanics lack the depth needed to make this one of the best indie games on Switch. Despite its flaws, the heart and humour of these characters still make it one of the most fun narratives of the year.

Unless you're one of the biggest DreamWorks fans on the planet, you'll struggle to fall in love with DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing. Its attempts at authenticity and its numerous references are admirable, but it really lets itself down on the track with frustrating design choices, unstable performance, and a forgettable range of power-ups.

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.

Fashion Dreamer’s main focus of creating outfits is enjoyable, but there isn’t a whole lot else going on in the game. Some players might be able to spend hours just collecting clothing items and putting together different combos for their muse and other avatars to show off. However, those who enjoyed the more mechanics-heavy and story-influenced elements of the Style Savvy series aren’t going to find the same charms in Fashion Dreamer. Either way, it’s probably worth waiting for the price to drop before trying this one on for size.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 has the potential to be a strong platform fighter, but on Switch it’s wrapped up in a frankly incredible amount of poor performance and presentation. Fighters feel weightier, and the new campaign adds context and charm to the package, but it'll take a miracle patch to save it from being a choppy, blurry, flat-looking barrel of disappointment on Nintendo's console.

It’s impressive just how AstralShift has managed to weave together all of these different parts so effectively in Little Goody Two Shoes. The atmosphere is unmatched and the story is genuinely intriguing, with Elise making a great protagonist who – despite appearing selfish and bratty – just wants a better life for herself and whoever she falls in love with. We’re so close to being in love with this game, but a few frustrations just hold this game back from having a fairy-tale ending for us. Still, for the unique ideas alone, we’d recommend checking this out.

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.

Alien Hominid Invasion's setup won't appeal to everyone. We were disappointed to find the mission objectives recycle far too often, and their random nature seems to rob the stages of any real individuality. But in terms of its handling, execution, and additions, Invasion feels much superior to the original. And, while ultimately repetitive, its chaos is fun for brief single and multiplayer arrangements, and we enjoyed dipping in for a quick bout of raucousness.

World of Horror is one of the most unique roguelites we’ve seen on the Switch eShop to date, its expert fusion of text-based adventure, survival horror, and roguelike mechanics makes for a difficult, harrowing, and spooky adventure that we’d recommend you give a shot. Not everyone will be charmed by its extremely retro aesthetics, but if you can get into the right mindset for giving this one a playthrough, you’ll find there’s a lot to love.

We wanted to enjoy Ebenezer and The Invisible World far more than we did. The combat is solid and the platforming is tight, with the right balance of accessibility and challenge. Combine that with a fun concept and art that does a great job of recreating Dickens’ iconic novel and it should be a recipe for greatness. Unfortunately, a host of bugs ranging from slightly annoying to game-breaking sucked the Christmas cheer right out of us. Future patches might fix these issues and give us the game we know is hiding just beneath the surface here, but that game isn’t here at launch.

Snake Eater also boasts a collection of the finest boss battles we’ve ever seen in a Metal Gear game, even beating out the PS1 original. Highlights include The Fury and The End, and the game’s final boss fight ranks as one of the greatest of all time thanks to its emotional weight. Fans of Solid Snake might feel a bit out of sorts with the drastic change of setting and characters in Snake Eater, but trust us, you’ll be in love once the end credits roll.

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.