Like any good sequel, Marble Saga manages to build upon the unique game play ideas of the original, not to mention addresses the serious lack of levels the first game was plagued with. But for every step forward the game takes, it takes two steps backward with its sluggish physics implementation.

SKYPEACE doesn't really do anything wrong, but it doesn't stand out either.

Jet Kave Adventure will be on nobody's Game of the Year lists, but that really doesn't matter. What it does do is provide a reasonably solid 2.5D platformer that will keep you entertained for a few hours (and beyond, if you want to try to beat all the optional objectives). At a little under $20, it's a bit steep for what's on offer, but if you've been craving a no-nonsense platformer that offers a decent selection of levels and looks pretty while doing it, you could do far worse – of course, you could arguably do a lot better, too.

There's nothing wrong with either representation of these popular card games, but there's not really much outstanding about them either.

Pokémon Rumble Rush is a charming game, and fun for those who like collecting things. However, the awkward map feature and the requirement of refining ore to get gears to boost the Pokémon mean it can be a needlessly frustrating grind, and the inclusion of a two-week deadline between area swaps, there's the perhaps some unwelcome added pressure thrown into the mix as well. As we all perhaps expected, this free-to-play Pokémon outing doesn't set the world on fire, but the truly dedicated fans who have followed the Rumble series this far will enjoy it all the same.

If you’re new to 4X games, we could see this being a gentle introduction to an often-overwhelming genre. There is certainly enough content here to get new players interested, though for returning veterans it will probably not scratch that itch for more than a handful of hours. For them, The Battle of Polytopia will be a brief distraction and very little else.

It's not a game for everyone, that much is obvious. But what it does, it actually does quite well.

Not to mix historical context here, but Carcassonne on the Switch feels Spartan; it is bare of furnishings that would make it truly shine.

River City: Tokyo Rumble is the epitome of a 'safe' game. While the core mechanics of the gameplay are solid and the graphics are unintrusive, there's little here that stands out as being particularly exceptional.

Vigor has the potential to be a decent experience on Switch and there's no doubt it's central gameplay loops of stealthily scavenging for loot whilst avoiding other players and making a successful escape can be tense and absorbing. However, as things currently stand, there are a few too many bugs and technical issues for our liking and we'd recommend players wait for the FTP version to drop later in the year when some of these issues should have been worked out.

This is certainly not a game aimed at the hardcore demographic who enjoyed Mega Man 9, but it is far from a bad game by all means. With 50 levels and the additional ability to design your own dream home if the game concept grabs you then this could be a solid purchase.

Strike Force Foxx is a fun, simple arcade experience that is unfortunately bogged down by its lacking production values and curious game design choices.

It's difficult to fault Blockado too much, especially since the presentation and gameplay are all well implemented, but you can't ignore the fact that the game is still just another rendition of the classic sliding-block puzzle idea that's been making its rounds for decades now.

If you’re itching for more Sparks of Hope gameplay, The Last Spark Hunter DLC will give you exactly that. However, if you were like us and quite satisfied with the length of the original adventure, this is a completely skippable DLC as it exists separately from the base game, having no impact on gameplay or the planet-hopping narrative despite being rooted in it. Even for newcomers, it’s an odd decision to place it outside of the base game instead of an epilogue or stand-alone adventure. Ubisoft’s Rayman will star in the final DLC that might warrant more of an incentive to Ubisoft’s bizarre Mario and Rabbids mashup, but until then, it's safe to leave Cursa’s minions well enough alone unless you’re really into more tactical Rabbid antics.

If you haven’t played Skulls of the Shogun in any form over the past six years, we still can still heartily recommend the single-player campaign as a generous and devilishly fun slice of turn-based strategy action that perfectly suits the Switch, particularly in handheld mode. However, the fact its online multiplayer seems to be a complete bust here certainly knocks a fair amount of the wind out its sails and it's something we've sadly got to penalise the game for. If you’re only in it for the single-player or have a bunch of pals interested in the fantastic local multiplayer action, then this is still a pretty easy recommendation. Anyone else should take note that this particular version arrives on the shores of this afterlife sans a pretty important part of its overall package.

Some will get a lot out of The Survivalists, and we'd find it difficult to argue that it isn't fun – but your mileage will seriously vary on how quickly you burn out on its lackadaisical approach to the danger that really defines the survival genre. As an entry-level take on the principles it's pretty good, but even the least experienced survivor will reach endgame gear quickly and find there's just not a whole lot left to do. Updates could (and hopefully will) mitigate this issue, but The Survivalists – as it is now – feels a little... well... deserted.

The result is mixed. Although this is new for Switch 2, it launched elsewhere in 2023, before the studio significantly upped its game (in my opinion) with Silent Hill 2 and Cronos: The New Dawn. As such, what you’re getting here is a perfect representation of what I’d call ‘old’ Bloober; one that focuses on scripted, linear events with minimal player agency.

Play & Learn Chinese makes for a decent casual translation tool, with a 700-word and phrase database and an easy way to study them, though there's no helping you if you're here for higher-level learning.

Damascus Gear Operation Tokyo is a competent slice of mech/dungeon crawler action fest that will mostly serve those who love both genres well. Other gamers might want to look somewhere else for their Switch action fix.

At the end of the day, there's not much especially wrong with Fullblast. It plays fine, looks quite nice and even with its minor flaws it's a pretty fun little game.

Both Night Alone and Midnight Shadows offer a survival horror experience built more on the management of building dread and approaching threats, although both do occasionally indulge in cheap (yet effective) jump scares and uses of gore. However, for all its potency, Yomawari: The Long Night Collection’s design too often boils down to a repetitive cycle of evasion and exploration, and with a difficulty that’s too high for a game built on obtuse layouts and one-shot kills, it can quickly become an exercise in both fear and frustration.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is a decent visual novel that starts out strong but loses some of its appeal due to how rushed it all ends up feeling. There's a fantastic premise here with an atmospheric setting, some strong characters and plenty of decisions to be made that feel genuinely important to how your character develops. However, the speed at which it begins to introduce new situations, characters and mechanics in its final chapters before coming to a surprisingly premature end takes some of the shine off what otherwise could have been a properly top-notch effort.

With only 3 episodes coming out at around 2 or 3 hours of total gameplay max, we’re a bit disappointed that such a short experience has been split into 2 separate releases. There’s potential here, but the ending really sneaks up on you; just when you feel you’re starting to get to know the characters, it’s over, and we were left feeling rather deflated by the experience as a result. Aside from watching events play out and roughly moulding the story to suit your goals, there’s little else to do in Later Daters, and we feel the experience might have been greatly enhanced with some mini-games to flesh out the overall length. Nevertheless, it’s a cute little tale with likeable characters, pleasant visuals, and an excellent, catchy title theme song.

Automachef is absolutely not for everyone; it’s a puzzle game that overwhelms you from the start and only piles on more complexity as you progress through its 45 stages. There’s a degree of satisfaction to be found in spending hours putting together large, elaborate automated set-ups, troubleshooting their flaws then finally seeing them work as intended, but you need to put in a hell of a lot of work for that payoff and for many the toll it takes on the old noggin won’t be worth it.

Performance issues on Switch, at least at launch, bury an amazingly clever and charming adventure that we would wholeheartedly recommend otherwise. The Plucky Squire is certainly playable on the Nintendo Switch, but in no way can we recommend picking it up here if you have other means to play it. The fact that the Switch-branded trailers looked so great and that advance review copies weren't available on the platform — despite them being sent out for other systems — indicates that this version of The Plucky Squire needed much more time on the drawing board before release.

There’s something just a tiny bit cynical about the “please like me!!” cutesiness of Rain On Your Parade, but despite our best efforts we ended up doing so. Just. It coasts on “what will they do next?” novelty rather than any kind of meaty, significant gameplay, but sometimes that’s okay. It’s something new, which is appealing, and the toybox feel of the proceedings lends itself to a broad appeal – we can see young kids and people who vibe with its twee presentation getting a kick out of it. If you've had your fill of 'cutesy', though, you might find yourself hoping for a break in the clouds.

Its gameplay template is tried and true, but lacklustre presentation, control issues, and a pervading sense of paint-by-numbers design mean it’s unlikely to leave a lasting impression. Those looking for a straightforward, old-school RPG on Switch will certainly find that here, but for most players we’d recommend embarking on other adventures — like Lost Sphear, Earthlock, or Romancing Saga 2 — before diving into Asdivine.

While Rock n' Roll Climber is an interesting and rather realistic take on the rock climbing sport, its meticulous control system and sluggish pacing might prove to be a bit of a stumbling block for gamers looking to dive right in head first.