The concept of Super Animal Royale is very now – it draws on all the familiarities of modern mainstream gaming. In a way, then, you could say it’s cutting-edge. In another way, though, it’s all just very familiar, to the point that it’s strangely unremarkable. No individual aspect of it stands out, but it does form an endearing whole. It feels cool to play (when there’s no grievous lag), the map is compelling and the battle royale formula is as much of a buzz as ever. The monetisation model is not in-your-face and the player base is certainly there. It’s free, it’s under a gigabyte, it’s fast, and it’s a good laugh. Why not download it?

T-Rex Rumble would be an automatic recommendation if not for the occasionally dumb-as-a-rock AI of your soldiers, the often glitchy controls and other small flaws.

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! isn’t anything we haven’t already seen before. Forging and selling weapons is fun once you get into the rhythm of it, and there’s plenty within the potato world to work towards. This is a game that can be played for a few minutes or hours per day, depending on how much you enjoy the genre. What’s frustrating is how this title has been adapted to the Switch. It’s got a clunky user interface that doesn’t really feel compatible with the Joy-Cons and even if you opt with the screen by itself as a touchpad it still feels difficult to complete the most basic of tasks.

In an era where every RPG - and every genre that’s assimilated roleplay mechanics into their DNA - have used grinding and oversized maps to extend their playtimes into figures only a select few can truly undertake, Little Town Hero has confidently opted for a shorter experience that’s more akin to the pace, style and sedate pace of Animal Crossing than a traditional RPG or JRPG. However, with a battle system that trades XP levelling for a purer sense of tactical planning and experimentation (albeit with an unpredictable spike difficulty), Game Freak proves that a ‘casual’ game can still have plenty of imagination, even on a smaller scale. It's far from essential, but if you love CCG-style combat and can't stomach another 100-hour RPG, there's much to like in Little Town Hero.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered teleports players back to more innocent times a decade ago, when simply taking on a series of races was considered enough to keep players entertained. Many would argue its simplicity is a strength, however, and the reality is that despite the lack of depth it's still a hugely entertaining time whether you're playing as a racer or a cop. If you struggle to stay afloat with all the faffing around in modern games, this old-school dose of straightforward racing goodness is your life jacket.

Swords & Bones needs to be approached and scored based around several key details, including whether you enjoy Ghosts’n Goblins or Castlevania-style platforming, as well as indie takes on the theme. If the answer is ‘yes’ to these metrics, then Swords & Bones comfortably earns its modest price tag. It has near zero replay value once completed and tied in a bow, and it’s neither deep or surprising; but it is, undoubtedly, a fun way to kill three hours with a talented gang of bedroom coders. If that sounds appealing, the negligible investment will be money well spent.

Like the magazine compendiums of puzzles it's based on, Puzzler World XL makes a perfect companion for long train trips, a daily commute, or rainy afternoons. The fact that it's a 500 point DSiWare release makes this doubly true; it's both affordable and lives on your system at all times. It doesn't try to innovate, and the presentation is lacking in some areas, but that's fine - Puzzler World XL is a solid package of puzzle classics, and incredible value for players who enjoy even half of the included puzzle types.

No matter how excellent its soundtrack or sense of momentum may be, there’s no shaking the sense that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is in a race against its own sense of nostalgia. The game rips, but more often than not it feels like that's because Jet Set Radio ran before it. That’s not to say it’s bad, but part of what makes Jet Set Radio so fun and unique is its raw originality. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a sequel in everything but name—for better and for worse. For every banger in its soundtrack, there’s a moment of jank or a feeling that this game hasn’t left 2000. Again, it’s still a great time, but it’s lacking that lightning-in-a-bottle feel that JSR had. That’s totally fine, and for people who missed out on it, this will feel much fresher.

It makes things a little repetitive unless you have faith in your ability not to die – which is hard because Willy isn't the most resilient little guy, dying in two or three hits from pretty much every enemy in the early game, when the experience is in its formative stages. Despite these little drawbacks, we were impressed with Willy Jetman. It rises above its derivative title and offers an attractive, intricate, very much hand-crafted Metroidvania-lite experience.

It's clear from the get-go that Legend of Kay was a labour of love, and this shines through in this re-release; despite showing a few wrinkles here and there the game stands up surprisingly well by modern standards.

Resident Evil 6 will always have its fair share of naysayers, and that’s completely fine. It’s easy to disregard it thanks to its blatant effort to appeal to as many gamers as humanly possible, and in doing so largely losing its identity in the process. But it’s certainly not a bad game, and in terms of pure gameplay, it’s arguably far more accomplished than its immediate predecessor, albeit with a more disappointing story-line. If you’re after a straight-up action shooter, you could do a lot worse than Resident Evil 6, but if you’re looking for an experience similar to the earlier games in the series, then you definitely won’t find that here.

Gelly Break isn’t a perfect platformer/isometric shooter hybrid, but it showcases such creative aplomb it manages to make itself stand out among a vast number of couch-play titles already available on Nintendo Switch. While enjoyable in single-player, this really is a game best experienced locally with a friend – where something as simple as traversing a platform becomes an exercise in mutual harmony or a tragedy of teamwork.

Even though Ultra Space Battle Brawl has no extensive move-sets or combos, it still has plenty of appeal. It’s a fast-paced and futuristic hybrid of baseball and Pong that anyone can play. There is indeed a lack of predictability when it comes to guessing which direction the ball will travel at times, but much like any sport - including fight - there’ll always be that added element of luck present.

Some may be a little disappointed that Unlimited World Red makes little effort to explain the setting or the characters to the uninitiated, but perhaps that’s besides the point – the target audience for this game is already familiar with the series’ lore, and it’s those that will take the most from this game.

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is a standout title in its commitment to presenting spectacular, surrealist animation. However, it does so at the expense of having much gameplay to offer. The playtime is short, the interaction is limited, and the puzzles are obtuse. Fortunately, the animation and music are good enough to distract you from those facts and provide an hour or two of great entertainment.

Time on Frog Island is a charming and intriguing game, but whether it's an enjoyable one will very much depend on how you approach it. The silly frog characters and the little society they’ve developed can be cool to interact with, and there are plenty of surprises to be had as you get deeper into the trade network, but the deeper in you get, the more Time on Frog Island turns into a one-trick pony. Running errands for frogs is good for a little bit, but the lack of a map or any effective means of managing requests means that even this sole task is made needlessly more difficult. We’d give this game a light recommendation, as the chill vibes and the charming atmosphere do a great job of making Time on Frog Island worthwhile, but bearing in mind its frustrations, you might want to wait for a sale.

New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers is a real surprise in the Switch's launch lineup: a focused town-building sim with an addictive gameplay loop that looks decent, sounds great and plays well. A lack of variety and an unambitious presentation are notable drawbacks, and will keep it from being a long-term investment for many, but what's here is enjoyable enough, and certainly worth a shot for sim buffs looking for something simple and fun.

Mekorama looks a lot like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. There’s no getting around this, but in the same way that Metroid Prime looks a lot like other FPS titles, it doesn’t quite play the same. In fact, Mekorama is played entirely on the Switch’s touch screen (or with an on-screen cursor, if you wish), and feels completely different to Nintendo’s own puzzler.

Blanc is a pleasant, easy-going co-op experience that will provide a couple of hours' worth of enjoyment along with a few frustrations. The camera can be a bit messy at times due to the two-player setup, and the game could definitely do with a hint system in some areas, as we imagine children in particular would struggle with the overall lack of direction. That said, it's a lovely-looking game and an entirely inoffensive experience that anyone can pick up and enjoy with little fuss. If you're looking for a new, emotionally driven co-op game, then Blanc is an easy recommendation.

While flawed in a few areas, the superb online experience and high speed action strapped into the little cartridge here packs enough thrills to satisfy any 3DS owner with an insistence for speed.

Once again, Lola has showed up to offer a solid learning tool for children just getting familiarized with the alphabet. Sporting colourful and friendly visuals, great voice talent and accessible learning exercises, Lola's ABC Party is a pretty happening place to be for kids ages 3-7.

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.

While this entry of the series doesn’t really justify the move into 3D with retaining stubbornly flat gameplay, there’s still plenty of fun to be had with Minis on the Move.

It may feel like it’s a few years too late, but Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a worthwhile experience that properly celebrates a beloved IP while being a darned good action game in its own right. A striking art style, well-executed combat mechanics, and a challenging level of difficulty make this one an easy recommendation, but with the caveat that it’s a little light on original ideas and that performance can often dip to sub-par levels. It may not be perfect, but Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time acts as a great companion piece to the legendary cartoon; don’t dismiss this as just another tie-in.

Its extremely simple gameplay and the repetitiveness of the linear Time Warp and Space Ace are to the game's detriment, and the lack of a robust library of extras hold this compendium back from what it could have been.

On Switch, Fatal Fury: First Contact is forced to fend off worthy alternatives on two fronts as anyone interested in this title has probably already bought one of the more fully-featured Neo Geo Pocket fighters available on the eShop, and Hamster has provided a painstakingly accurate portable version of the game its based on as part of its Arcade Archives series, but that still leaves us with a fast-paced and fluid scuffle-'em-up that's easy to enjoy in short, commitment-free bursts, making it perfect for a quick round of lunch break gaming.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life retains the charm and the pleasant tedium of the original while bringing enough features up-to-date that it's not a total chore to play. Fans of later farming/life-sims might find it too slow and too dull, but we encourage you to embrace the slow-and-dullness to find a surprisingly fulfilling and earnest game underneath. After all, this game is the granddaddy of Stardew Valley, and it's not too hard to see the family resemblance. Just, uh, use a guide. Trust us.

Wanderjahr TryAgainOrWalkAway hides a very competent and well designed strategy combat/puzzle game under the casual friendly visuals. Despite some struggle and grinding occasions that pop up now and then (one might even call some of the bosses overly unfair), the overall experience is very satisfying so even in massive defeat you don’t feel you were wasting your time. You will probably get the most out of this one playing it in portable mode with touchscreen controls, so make sure you have a screen wipe at the ready; even a single battle can lead up to hundreds of index finger taps on your Switch screen so tap softly... but tap decisively.