We would only ever recommend Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs to Pac-Man diehards at its launch price point. In fact, given the fate of its Pac-Man 99 forebear, we would be hesitant to open our wallets for it at all, because we doubt it will have much longevity if it isn’t eventually made free-to-play. Though it introduces a cool idea or two, multiplayer Pac-Man was done better by its predecessors and, as it stands, its price tag is tough to justify.

One wonders if the entire Bubsy series wasn’t actually designed as a sort of torture parody; that the intention all along was to pummel unsuspecting children into submission via an innocent-looking, anthropomorphic-bobcat-led platform game. Picture this: some kid in 1993 got Bubsy for Christmas after the sales clerk told his parents that Sonic and Mario were old hat, and this was the hot new thing. That kid either never forgave his parents for the injustice and the playground bullying they endured as a result, or they committed fully to the Bubsy universe and found a happy place within it. If you’re the latter, then this collection is for you. And only for you.

When it all works like it should, The House of the Dead: Remake is a fun update of a Sega arcade classic. The performance can be janky and the controls clunky on its default settings, but if you’re willing to put the time in to tweak them you should get something you’re happier with. You shouldn’t have to do that with a light gun shooter, though, and the fact you do has to go down as a failing on the game’s part.

Astro Bears Party plays more like a tech demo that is a few days into development rather than a complete package. The concept is a neat idea, but it seems as if the developer got the absolute basics up and running and then decided to halt work to rollout the title. The amount of content in this game is so underwhelming, as a result, that it’s hard to justify putting any real cash towards it. At best this is perhaps suitable for a few short rounds of multiplayer, or for any younger people who are new to video games. Otherwise you should look elsewhere if you are seeking a new party game on the Nintendo Switch.

Momonga Pinball Adventures is ultimately a fun experience. It escapes falling into the trap of being 'just another pinball game' by adding different challenges and exploration, rather than sticking to the restrictions of a table.

For diehard fans of oddball Japanese titles the fact that Minon: Everyday Hero has some decent gameplay and nice trappings which add spice to what can sometimes seem like a mundane gaming scene the price is probably worthwhile.

Epic Dumpster Bear is the epic adventure of a dumpster-diving bear as he attempts to battle against the evil corporation, and proof that you should never judge a book by its cover.

There is a good game in Paper Cut Mansion, but it would need at least a year polishing and refining what's here to make it worthwhile. As it is, the interesting concept and excellent art direction can’t make up for shallow gameplay and clunky mechanics. Nothing in this game is terrible, but there are far better roguelites out there to spend your time and money on.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is not the steaming cash grab that you might have assumed by seeing the publisher involved. Neither is it anything close to the action-packed highs that we have seen from the heroes in a half-shell in recent years. Instead, we are left with a game that is perfectly serviceable but ultimately forgettable, let down by repetitive levels and combat and lacking any reason to go back for more. If, for some unknown reason, this is the only Turtles beat ‘em up that you can access, then you will likely have a perfectly fine 90 minutes of playtime. But the alternatives on Switch deliver much more memorable, satisfying TMNT experiences.

We didn't hate Elrentaros Wanderings' grindy dungeon-crawling gameplay. There are things to like, even if those moments are interspersed with long stretches of boring, repetitive enemy-bashing. There are hints of the trademark Rune Factory charm here and there, and the art is genuinely lovely, but this sparse action RPG feels like a new skin stretched far too thinly over the skeleton of a much better game.

If you've got someone to play this with, it's a great way to pass the time on those rainy days – just like with the physical versions of the games (apart from Bop It, which we would have gladly swapped for the real thing or a paint drying simulator).

Wrestling Empire is the video game equivalent of Paul Heyman-era ECW. It's low-budget, it's extremely rough and it's often difficult to watch, but there's a clear passion for pro wrestling underneath it and we're sure it'll develop a hardcore following of fans who love it in spite of its many, many flaws.

Still, if you can endure its quirks Dementium Remastered is a strong horror shooter on the system, with fun combat and a tense atmosphere combining well.

Graphically, the game is technically decent, though the frame rate could have been bumped up a bit more. From an artistic perspective, the environments and characters are all a bit ‘samey’, blending together from one level to the next, with little variation. It’s a shame, because Hong Kong is undoubtedly a visually striking city, but the buildings showcased in The Hong Kong Massacre could have been plucked from literally any town in the world.

Data East may not have had the golden touch when it came to making arcade games, but they certainly had a few gems in their catalogue, which Data East Arcade Classics does a good job of sampling.

When you think "party games," you don't normally think of playing multiple games in the exact same manner, and there's a reason why – it gets boring.

The lack of any difficulty options and the lacklustre multiplayer mode does not do the game any favours, but for many it could provide a nice little diversion at a low price.

There's no denying the fact that the original Xevious arcade game is beginning to show its age with overly simplistic visual designs and repetitive gameplay, but it's impossible not to be impressed with just how much the addition of true 3D depth injects into the overall experience.

Armikrog feels like a game for a different era, for good and ill. While point-and-click adventures can play to the nostalgia of some, they can feel mired in traditions that just don't translate to a more mainstream audience. If the former sounds like something you'd be into Armikrog will probably push your buttons. If the latter sounds like something you fear, Armikrog's lack of clear goals and an expectation of excessive patience means it's probably not for you.

The Adventures of Tintin is merely the sum of its parts; decent platforming, good music and a sizeable amount of gameplay don't ever quite gel into a satisfying whole. There's potential for a better game in here, but it'll have to wait until the inevitable sequel.

Buried deep within Neverwinter Nights' loins remains an entertaining, engrossing and lengthy RPG adventure, bundled with oodles of extra campaigns and one-off adventures. But to enjoy that you're going to have to put up with some of the most stuttery, bug-riddled nonsense we've seen on the Switch. Fun and frustrating in equal measure.

For the first couple of worlds it's a simple, addictive little platformer with tight level design. Unfortunately, the game loses its way by not introducing enough new ideas to keep things fresh, and by relying too heavily on trial-and-error in the back half of the quest.

It’s such a shame Mable & The Wood can’t back up its interesting premise and impressive visuals with engaging gameplay. It’s a unique take on the shapeshifting concept, to be sure, but navigating the environment is more frustrating than it is fun. There’s a nice variety of boss encounters that keep the experience feeling relatively fresh, but overall, this is one Metroidvania that fails to live up to the hype.

There is fun to be had in Farming Simulator 23: Nintendo Switch Edition, but those who find it will need to be intimately familiar with the farming process. This version feels like a significant downgrade over the PC edition released in late 2021 and has some gameplay quirks that hinder the actual experience of running a farm. Unless you are desperate to take your farming on the go with the Switch, there are better entries in this series out there to play.

Thor is short and often repetitive, but it features a long list of attainable moves, combos and techniques to keep things fun and interesting.

Poor decisions in the wardrobe department, tedious animal treatment sections, useless "party games" and bad QA take a lot away from what could have been a pretty fun game to play with your kids.

If you need something you can play for hours at a time, however, your best bet is to ignore the in-game shop altogether; take the money you'd spend on an afternoon's worth of Jewels, put it towards Pokémon Battle Trozei instead, and let the endless supply of Poké-puzzles tide you over between Shuffles.

Veterans of the first game won’t be expecting a technical tour-de-force, but Deadly Premonition 2 still manages to underwhelm in pure performance terms. However (and this is a big however), it's a game with real character and it's very tough to dislike, even as you stutter your way around Le Carré on your skateboard. If you've ever been intrigued by the original, we'd recommend giving this a go. It’s janky and derivative, yes, but it’s also irresistibly wonderful and strange, and there's no other video game quite like it.