It's let down as a brain training title, sporting an ineffective categorisation system and progress tracker as well as failing to teach specific strategies that apply to the task at hand, instead largely relying on the player to learn through trial and error.

If you're a fan of the Princess Maker series you'll already know whether or not Princess Maker - Faery Tales Come True is your bag. You'll probably be able to overlook the complete lack of tutorials, abysmal translation job, sometimes backwards attitudes towards women and repetitive nature and get down to enjoying a strange little sim/management game that's unquestionably suited to the portable nature of the Nintendo Switch. However, newcomers should beware that this really is a careless and sloppy port of a very old game that doesn't show any real effort on the part of its developers to reward you for parting with your cash.

Many of the problems with this 3DS version link back to the uniqueness of the Wii game: its motion controls have not translated well to the cramped button and touch screen layout on the 3DS.

With that all said, the core mechanics of online competitive Pokémon battles remain as solid as a Steelix. Predicting whether your opponent will switch out their Whimsicott, protect with their Mega Charizard Y, or try to catch you off guard with a powerful, offensive attack creates mind games as addictive and intense as ever. And as someone who has participated in competitive Pokémon on-and-off since 2011’s Pokémon Black & White, the ease with which I can now train Pokémon has me hopeful that Champions will, much like Scarlet & Violet before it, evolve into a more complete, comprehensive experience. But as it stands, the convoluted monetisation, disappointing performance, and inexplicable bugs make this another lacklustre Pokémon experience to add to the pile.

Though its gameplay can be entertaining enough in short bursts and its art looks nice, SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off proves to be a disappointing take on the beloved IP. Shallow gameplay, performance issues, and weird controls make for an experience that’s simply ‘ok’ at best. Considering that you can also access a version of this game on your phone for free, we can’t fully recommend that you spring for this one. There are much worse things you could buy off the eShop, but SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off simply doesn’t offer enough value for its asking price.

Gururin is proof that sometimes the best puzzle concepts are sometimes met with a harsh dose of ‘average’. Despite doing nothing technically wrong, it sadly falls short of other offerings on Neo Geo like the previously released Magical Drop series or the still stubbornly Switch absent Puzzle Bobble series. As such it is only truly recommended to the puzzle fan with nothing else to currently play or the rabid digital Neo Geo collector. Everyone else should just let this one drop.

Things like the touchscreen map should have opened up the opportunity to plan out strategies and position troops about the battlefield, but your allies never live up to your demands, and organising a strategy is rendered useless by the idiotic AI. There are a lot of missed opportunities here, as strategic troop planning could have added a lot of depth to the title.

Worth a look for die-hard mini-game score addicts, providing you're willing to repeat, repeat, repeat. For most though there won't be enough gameplay here to satisfy.

Modern Combat Blackout is a decent step forward for the series on mobile, but in the presence of DOOM, Wolfenstein II, Paladins and even Payday 2, it simply doesn’t stack up. There’s plenty to appreciate here – the integration of single-player missions, Spec Ops challenges and multiplayer matches into one hub is a really great feature, but the mediocre gameplay and mobile-centric quality levels really water those positives down. Modern Combat could be a great series on Switch, but only if it’s built for the system from the ground up, and not clumsily ported from mobile.

King of Seas gets off to a pretty decent start with a promising story and combat mechanics that are initially fun to engage with. However, the repetition isn't long creeping in. This is a game that's seriously lacking in any sort of depth, jettisoning much of its early promise in favour of a bog-standard narrative, hugely repetitive side quests, overly punitive combat that thinks nothing of wasting your time and a constant, mind-numbing grind that very quickly becomes a tedious waste of effort. If you're absolutely desperate for a high seas adventure, there's still a measure fun to be had with the combat in brief stints here but, beyond that, this one really is more of a Sir Francis Drag than a Sir Francis Drake.

Cast of the Seven Godsends is an old-school homage that sadly falls short of delivering a completing experience that lives up to the seven godsends mechanic. The six levels are extremely challenging (and a little unfair); bosses will blissfully bash you in merciless, over and over until you either somehow manage to reach them with Kandar fully-upgraded or get the dreaded 'Game Over' screen. Despite some potential, it's hard for us to recommend this game considering the plethora of superior 2D action platformer games already available on Switch. Perhaps the Gods should have better left Kandar rest in peace on his tomb instead of demanding such an infuriating quest of him (and you).

Assassin’s Creed III on Switch is easily the weakest 'Remastered' version of the game that’s been released thus far. The expected graphical bells and whistles are mostly absent and this game feels more like a straight port of the 2012 original. Framerate issues plague many of the busier areas of the open world and make combat and traversal a chore for the most part, while audio problems are also a constant niggle. Granted, this is still the full-fat game and the fact that it's available to play on-the-go and includes all the DLC (and a pretty nice HD version of Liberation) is impressive, but there's no escaping the fact that it's a lacklustre port of one of the weakest Assassin's Creed titles.

If you're really into your party games, then Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue may entertain you with its slightly tougher mini-games, but it goes without saying that there are much better titles in the 3DS library to choose from.

There will be a niche market that TABLETOP GALLERY appeals to, and the titles do offer moments of distraction to those with an interest in such games - but there is very limited enjoyment to be found here for the average gamer; most will happily bypass this one altogether.

Serious Sam Collection is two-thirds amazing, but the final third is a real technical mess; Serious Sam 3: BFE is one of the least impressive Switch ports we've ever seen. It's playable, but surely the machine that can push out an acceptable version of Doom can manage this? There's the potential for early patches to improve matters, but the way it is now, we can only recommend The Serious Sam Collection as a great way to play the First and Second Encounters. That's not what's advertised, though, and as a result, we can only give this package a cautious recommendation. A three-game collection should be a three-game collection; not two games and the faintest suggestion of one.

The Magic Hammer is the sort of game a child may have fun with for a couple of hours of distraction.

However, it's clear that the game - like the film - is aimed at a younger audience, and will certainly appease children with less demanding expectations. The more experienced gamers out there, however, will find limited enjoyment here, and anyone hoping for rip roaring ride should steer clear of this one altogether.

Mad Carnage has a few things going for it in the form of its movement mechanics and the comic strip-led story sections, but they’re packaged together with an experience that doesn’t do them justice. Everything else is far too basic, and thus it fails at building a cohesive experience that we could recommend.

Blue Collar Astronaut has its heart in the right place. It's a game that makes the most of its theme, with a beautifully cynical, anti-capitalist conceit that's sure to crack a few smiles. Sadly, the actual game underneath is competent but not really worth clocking in for — it's a simple, thruster-based delivery challenge that's decently fun, but doesn't hold up well to either repeat or extended play; its pleasant touches are balanced out by presentation problems in equal measure. You can sense the developers' passion for their project — which is worth a lot — but as a package, it comes up a day late and a dollar short.

This collection could be recommended for those who want to casually drop a few credits in a Psikyo game here and there, and are not going to become too concerned about learning or clearing the game. If you are the type of player who respects the original versions of these classics, however, and wants to experience the feel of the intended gameplay, the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is not a worthwhile purchase.

AeternoBlade is one of those games that’s frustrating, not because anything in it is broken, but because brief glimpses of excellence show what could’ve been. It's a decent game, but mediocrity rears its ugly head in nearly every aspect. You could do much worse with Metroidvania games than this, but there’s very little here that you haven’t seen done before, probably better. If you are chomping at the bit for every Metroidvania you can find for Switch, then perhaps AeternoBlade is worth the punt. If that’s not you, we’d suggest a better release in the genre - such as like Axiom Verge or Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - and to sit this one out.

Goat Simulator: The GOATY is a definitive edition of Coffee Stain Studios' slapstick destruction simulator, and as such, it's a mixed bag that varies wildly in quality. The base modes are fun for about five minutes, and there's only so much entertainment to be had from launching a farm animal from the top of a roller coaster before it becomes dull. The Waste of Space and MMO Simulator expansions are decent fun in their own right thanks to a greater sense of structure, but the purposefully crude mechanics will start to grate after a while. This is a package that arguably works best as a smartphone proposition for when you've got five minutes to kill; when placed on a proper console with many more worthy uses of your time, it all starts to feel more than a little inconsequential.

It's a crying shame - not to mention an almost unbelievable situation - that Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is currently the only American football game on Switch; Nintendo fans certainly deserve much, much better. Due to the annoying 'dirty tricks' system and unpredictable field changes, the experience leads to many cheap situations which, while mixing things up, don't make the game fun to play. It has the over-the-top aggression of its spiritual forerunner - 1993's Mutant League Football - and a sizable amount of content, but it's simply not an enjoyable experience after a few games, even when a second person is involved.

There are far worse mech-based efforts on the Switch than Gigantic Army, and we can’t deny the endearing, nearly “kusoge” appeal of this title. The potential is certainly here, yet it is never truly fulfilled. There are quite a number of better options out there within the same price range. We can only recommend this half-hour generic mecha blast-fest curio to the most dedicated hardcore fans of the genre. The passage of time has not been kind to Gigantic Army, but we do hope this is won’t be the only Astro Port game to see a Switch re-release.

Once you've got the hang of things Power Spikes II is a simple volleyball game that can provide some entertainment. There's a range of serve options, power shots and frantic moments where you hope to get to the ball in time, but the simplified nature leads to little variety even with the various shot types. There are times you can score quickly (maybe even from a serve) and there is a rush of excitement when you do so, but there is also a lot of time spent knocking the ball back-and-forth, simply tapping left or right to get into position to make sure the process can continue. Ultimately Power Spikes II is a little too simple to offer long term appeal.

Georifters has good ideas on paper but ultimately, it all feels rather tedious. If you’re searching for new kid-friendly multiplayer games, there are better experiences available and at a lower cost, making this hard to recommend by comparison. Should those options already be exhausted, Georifters does have some fun moments within its Adventure Mode co-op while the Battle Arena mode offers competitive fun. But ultimately, those seeking a new puzzle-platforming fix would be better off looking elsewhere.

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.

POKER DICE SOLITAIRE FUTURE succeeds as a simple and accessible GamePad application that will allow poker diehards and high-scoring addicts to pass a little time while their television is in use. Unfortunately, it's such a bare-bones package that there's not much incentive to keep returning for more.