My Time At Portia is an ambitious game that actually delivers on what it sets out to do. The crafting can be extremely overwhelming at first and the presence of some in-game timers can be a mild annoyance, but get your head round its detailed multi-step building missions and you’ll end up with a game that could end up racking hundreds of hours on your Switch.

Neon Abyss is a game that offers a lot, but we have the feeling it's going to be a bit of an also-ran in the roguelite genre. If so, that's a shame, because it's an enormous amount of fun, with a good challenge, lovely controls and plenty of scope for craziness: which is all a roguelite really needs to be compelling. As long as you don't expect to be blown away, we can give Neon Abyss a strong recommendation. It's up there with the best roguelites on the Switch: it's just a shame it wasn't there first.

Herdling is a cosy, heartfelt trek that feels like a breath of fresh air and its stunning atmosphere and soundtrack do much of the heavy lifting. Whilst the game rarely stumbles, it seldom soars and often gets stuck behind janky controls or disappointing performance. Still, for all its rough edges, Herdling is a memorable adventure. If you’re chasing the next grand expedition, this game might fall short, but if it’s vibes you seek, look no further than this herd of lovable, clumsy beasts.

Super Meat Boy Forever makes some big changes to its predecessor's classic formula, ushering in an endless-running style of gameplay, simplified control scheme and procedurally-generated levels that are a blast to play through but ultimately rob the game of the fiendishly additive quality of the 2010 original. We miss perfecting Super Meat Boy's bespoke little death mazes here and although fans of brutally tough platformers will still find plenty to love, we can't help but feel this one's a little bit of a step back for Team Meat's squishy red mascot.

In most respects, Atelier Yumia is an impressively ambitious and strong new entry for the long-running series, blazing a trail to parts unknown much like its titular protagonist. Things like the darker story, action-heavy combat, and increased focus on exploration gameplay all work well in its favor. The only major complaint is that this was clearly designed with much stronger hardware than the Switch in mind, and while its performance here is just about acceptable, it’s very far from ideal. At any rate, we’d give this one a recommendation not only to long-time Atelier veterans, but also to fans of other vast JRPG adventures such as the Xenoblade series. Atelier Yumia is a bold step forward for this franchise, and it stands as a strong indication that the Atelier series has a lot of life left in it yet.

When it comes down to it, Across the Grooves is a nice take on the visual novel genre. It’s got a unique storyline, and we really dig the handcrafted art style. Each chapter takes roughly an hour to complete, and if you want to play it again to experience different choices, you can easily skip through the text if you wish. If you’re after a mature tale with interesting characters and solid writing, you may want to check this one out.

Its unforgiving nature and inherent repetitiveness can deter some as well as make for a bit of tedium, but those looking for a good and long-lasting challenge should definitely pack their backpacks and head out to take on this puzzler.

While ultimately less accessible than the likes of Wargroove (which taps into that Nintendo-centric DNA of Advance Wars far better), Battle Worlds: Kronos does a decent job of bringing a more complex and challenging take on turn-based hex strategy. The reinforcements system makes this far less ‘hard’ than its tutorials would have you believe, although it’s a much purer experience without them. The lack of online multiplayer support stings, but it’s balanced out by a hotseat local version. Its overly long mission structure doesn’t lend itself to short bursts of play, but for those looking for something suitably meaty in the strategy department will find plenty to enjoy.

River City Girls 2 is more River City Girls, feeling less like a full-fledged sequel and more like a RCG 1.5. Switch-related performance issues aside, it was still a great time to return to River City thanks to its phenomenal music and voice acting, sharp writing, gorgeous sprite work, fun new characters, and satisfying combo-based gameplay, but at launch it feels a patch or two away from greatness. If you loved the original as we did, you’re bound to like this follow-up, and we hope the team at Wayforward gets more time and money to really expand the series for a third entry.

It's the game's commitment to accessibility that makes Tropico 6 a refreshing example of an under-served genre on the Switch. Despite some irksome performance problems, occasionally inconsistent pacing and some rather rough visuals, the game is a lot of addictive fun to play and its cheerful ambience and compelling systems will keep you glued to your handheld. Paid DLC adds even more systems to the game, but there's plenty here to keep you occupied for hours and hours. We'd recommend this to genre newbies as well as veterans; a very impressive port with strong controls and a UI tailored brilliantly for handheld mode. It's a busy, demanding game but never feels stressful, and juggling your industry, faction relationships and the mood of your citizens can be thoroughly absorbing. If you can forgive the technical issues and an occasionally slack pace, Tropico 6 is an easy recommendation.

Fuser is a weird little thing that has fantastic moments turn into awful ones at the drop of a beat. But when the awful moments are still incredibly fun, does it really matter? If you don't take Fuser too seriously, it could be one of the best rhythm games out there.

Star Wars: Republic Commando has aged surprisingly well and proves to be a ton of fun to revisit in this admittedly rather basic Switch port. The squad system here is still supremely satisfying to get to grips with, the HUD elements are slick, and there's plenty of atmospheric fun to be had as you blast your way through the three campaign stories on offer. Yes, there's no doubt the level design is archaic, there's no great variety in enemies, the visuals have had only the most basic of touch-ups and it's a real shame the multiplayer has been completely excised. Overall, though, this is still a welcome return for one of the very best Star Wars video game offerings.

Where it falls short on that title is the absence of a meaningful single player option (beyond duelling with AI), which the premium shift in price perhaps merited. Apart from that the retro-tastic soundtrack keeps all battles thrilling along with a smart, convenient control-scheme that makes any spare moment accessible for play. It's certainly one to consider for those seeking local multiplayer thrills on their Switch.

It's really cool that a cancelled 1994 game can get a new lease of life like this, and Ultracore is a good example of its genre. The lack of a save feature, though, is a black mark against it – we can't understand why such an option wasn't included, given other modern features (twin-stick control, the switchable soundtracks) are present and correct. Still, this is solid retro action and a fascinating "what could have been" experience. Of course, in this case, "what could have been" eventually was.

Etherborn looks fantastic, sounds incredible and revolves around a brilliant game mechanic that initially feels like it’s going to lead to some clever puzzles but ramps things up far too quickly and engulfs you with frustratingly complex stages while you’re still trying to find your feet. There’s still a great game in there, but you’ll need to have the patience of a saint to stumble up its 90-degree difficulty curve to find it.

A neat if limited core concept, combined with some superb retro presentation, Serial Cleaner is held back by design choices that are at best curious and challenging, and at worst infuriatingly obtuse; as a result it is a good game rather than a great one.

It’s tough to say whether Halloween is a lesser experience than Ash vs. Evil Dead since the two are so remarkably similar in style and structure; think of them as two DLC packs serving the larger ‘RetroRealms’ hub experience. Yet we can’t deny that controlling Michael Myers isn’t quite as exhilarating as Ash Williams, nor are the enemies quite as interesting. If forced to choose, we’d probably go with Ash vs. Evil Dead.

The MySims games work as a simple, less demanding alternative to other social sims. The generous and (mostly) well-presented combo of MySims and its more entertaining sequel will occupy youngsters and genre completionists for a long time. The lack of motion controls is puzzling, but this remains an engaging, easygoing pair of Sims spin-offs.

Between multiple endings that can be unlocked depending on what quests you complete and more difficult game modes for those who like a punishing challenge, there is a lot to each playthrough of Lost Ruins that will keep players coming back. Though the overall combat can be a little repetitive, there is enough exploration and weapon variety to ensure that there will be a combat style to suit you. If you're a fan of Metroidvania or survival titles, or very attractive pixel art, there is a lot to enjoy here, but the challenge can be unbalanced at times.

My Friend Pedro, for the most part, delivers on its promise to provide you with an almost endless variety of ways with which to carry out the flashy brand of OTT violence that’s had gamers eagerly awaiting its release. The controls can be cantankerous at times and the levels are far from being an eclectic mix, but it adds enough diversions to the action with light puzzling and platforming elements to keep things interesting enough to see through to the end. Also, your best friend is a banana.

While Forestrike boasts strong gameplay and a lovely, abstract pixel-art aesthetic, its core hook removes a sense of risk. This is definitely a difficult game at its heart, but the ability to practise your runs with no consequences dulls its edge a bit too much.

The result is fun enough while it lasts, but is never wildly exciting enough to ensure you'll come back to it time and time again after the Championship mode is completed. Given the age of the Switch, there are now many racing games, including several with some sort of retro-inspired art style, all fighting for players' attention, and while Victory Heat Rally does a good job of positioning itself in the front half of the pack, it lacks that extra boost to push it into contention for a podium place.

R-Type DX: Music Encore is an oddity in that it resurfaces a lesser-known R-Type release and treats it with love and attention. A Game Boy Color shoot 'em up that’s been vastly remodelled from the arcade original may not have widespread appeal, but those who enjoyed Aleste 3 for Game Gear or SNK’s Neo Geo Pocket collections will find a lot to love in it. It’s because of, and not in spite of, the fact that Bits Studios largely created an original R-Type experience that the game works. It has all the nuance of its arcade brethren, but makes it pint-sized, curious, and somewhat cute. The frame rate and giant ship size are a learning curve, and there are certain sections that will have you cursing if you forego use of the rewind function, but for series fans this audio-polished revisit is the best version money can buy. And, unlike most shoot 'em ups, this one works wonderfully well in the Switch’s handheld format. If you’re a die-hard R-Type fan or just out to experience all the genre has to offer, it’s well worth the price.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is another solid entry in the franchise, but it's also a very safe one. The core gameplay is still a lot of fun and that might well be enough for some players. For others, the distinct lack of modes on offer may result in a rather short-lived experience, particularly if you're not looking to dive into the Taiko Music Pass subscription service. Still, with a chunky amount of songs available from the start, Rhythm Festival is a no-brainer for fans of the series; you know what you're getting into, and we think you're going to like it.

No Sleep for Kaname is a good spin-off for existing AI: The Somnium Files fans. While the Somnium segments haven’t evolved much since their introduction in the first game, the new escape puzzle games are a welcome addition to the series. Despite a new writer taking the helm for this entry, the writing is tonally consistent and the characters are as charming as ever.

Lunar Lander Beyond is a solid recommendation for fans of the lander sim genre. It performs well on the Switch with no discernible frame rate issues and looks great. But as it stands, its missions too often feel abbreviated at around three to six minutes and too tightly sandwiched between narrative. The issue is not its gameplay mechanics, but the strictures of its campaign structure. It’s a problem the developers could solve by staying the course and creating a mode focused squarely on what made the original compelling: flying, landing, and scoring better than everyone else.

Futuridium EP Deluxe provides a fresh experience on the eShop, with vibrant visuals, a pumping soundtrack and a neat twist on its genre. It's also reserved for skilful players, with demanding stage designs being at turns exciting and frustrating. For those that are up to the challenge, though, this is a stylish and enjoyable effort that's well worth a look on Wii U.

Brok the Investigator is a true original. It’s a hodge-podge of point-and-click, side-scrolling beat-‘em-up, visual novel, and find-the-object. Most of the time, these disparate ideas sit slightly awkwardly alongside one another, but despite a slow start we did eventually feel a little spark and the whole thing became more than the sum of its parts. It's all the more impressive given that it's just the second game from a one-person studio. Graphic adventure fans should absolutely consider thoughtfully pointing and clicking it onto their wishlist – or just drop-kicking the heck out of the buy button.