It's almost impossible to convey the sheer amount of charm and personality found throughout Cave Story. The game's eccentric world draws you in from the moment you begin playing and the ever-increasing intensity and action only further maintain the game's enjoyable gameplay scheme.

That it’s called 'The Anniversary Celebration' rather than 'collection' is a substitution of phrases that couldn’t be more apt. With its smooth, fast, and perfectly-pitched interface, and rich, thoughtfully created content, Atari 50 really is an honouring of the company that founded the industry. It’s true that its content is going to have a greater appeal to an older generation of gamers, to today’s parents (and grandparents) who grew up in the whirlwind of the '70s and '80s arcade scene. For them, reliving moments and experiences that used to cost a pocketful of coins will be joyful. For others, understanding the appeal of a lot of these games will take work, and few of the titles outside of the Lynx and Jaguar catalogues are easy to pick up and play for the uninitiated. At the same time, Atari 50 is so thorough and engrossing a retro gaming tunnel, akin to exploring a virtual museum, that it transcends its target audience somewhat. For those interested in video gaming’s history, the unearthing of the past, and for gamers not afraid of what today is considered rudimentary, there’s a great deal of enjoyment to be had in this trip down memory lane.

If you're reliving your youth, you'll find this is one game where rose-tinted spectacles haven't pulled the wool over your eyes. It is as good as you remember. If you're coming at this fresh, we envy you; enjoy every second. Streets of Rage 2 is back with a vengeance and it's thoroughly deserving of your time. A true classic.

There was a lot riding on it, but we can confidently say that Fire Emblem: Three Houses has managed to live up to the hype and will stand as a highlight in the series for years to come. The expanded gameplay styles, retooled combat, lovable characters, and in-depth character customization hook you fast and are almost guaranteed to keep you engaged for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours as you come to understand this enormous game in its entirety. Fans both new and old won’t want to miss out on what Fire Emblem: Three Houses has to offer; this sets a new standard for what a strategy RPG can be and most certainly proves itself to be the next must-have release for the Nintendo Switch.

NieR:Automata is a modern classic. Most importantly for Switch owners, this is a top-notch port that has clearly been produced with respect and focus, often surpassing our expectations in both visuals and performance. Finding a comfortable seat and a pair of headphones makes the Switch version a wonderful way to experience the game, and it is an unforgettable journey. Nothing is as it seems, either in the story or gameplay, and it's one of the finest gaming achievements of the last decade. If you haven't played NieR:Automata yet, now is a great time.

Okami HD is an utterly fantastic piece of software, and we feel you’d be doing yourself a disservice to pass on it. For a mere twenty bucks, you can have access to a 40-hour adventure that emulates Zelda wonderfully, adds in plenty of memorable mechanics, features one of the most memorable art styles in gaming, and is completely playable on the go, to boot. Though it may be showing its age a bit visually and its combat is sometimes a little on the easy side, Okami is an important, fun, and notable landmark in gaming history — and one of the easiest recommendations we can make for your Switch library.

Mark of the Ninja Remastered is an utterly stellar stealth game and, six years on, it’s lost none of the magic that made the original such a critical darling. A strong art direction, engaging story, well-paced open gameplay, and a slew of extra content all combine to make for a near-flawless experience that you certainly won’t want to miss out on. We’d give this game a high recommendation to all Switch owners; it’s the best stealth game money can buy in the Switch library, and one of the best ones in any console library.

Ball x Pit is a tremendous brew of so many ideas it ought to collapse under the confusion. However, it operates in such perfect balance that it appeals both to the one-more-go instinct and to more cerebral planning and creativity. Kenny Sun Studios set itself a heck of a challenge but, fortunately, hasn’t dropped the ball.

Death’s Door is a modern classic, utilizing old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you've finished, and while it may not have anything 'new' to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about it's lack of innovation. We’d give this one a very high recommendation, especially to any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.

Split Fiction feels like a gift. Its sole aim is to entertain and bring players together by testing them at every turn. Hazelight gives us two distinct worlds, each filled with a huge array of activities for co-op partners to enjoy and argue over. It serves as a surprising visual showcase for the Switch 2 and enhances the Friend's Pass feature, allowing our original Switch buddies to join in the fun.

Absolum is an on-par experience to Dragon’s Crown, but a superior game in terms of its key metrics. Its combat, collectible augmentations, and planning are exceptionally well-formulated, ensuring no run is ever quite the same and its strategic options and play-styles are ever-deepening. It’s incredibly impressive in its reconstitution of arcade, role-playing, and roguelike formats, evolving them into something fresh and exciting. To that end, it’s one of the best of its kind, whatever that kind may be. If you don’t enjoy the idea of repetition and grind, you may not fall in love with its initial five hours, but the momentum for one-more-go becomes so compelling after a while that it’s impossible to relinquish the pad.

Towerfall sets the standard for excellence in local multiplayer, creating a fun and endlessly replayable experience that’s sure to be a blast every time you play. Although the single-player content is a bit thinner than we’d like and the omission of online may be disappointing to some, we’d argue that there are few games that better exemplify the unique multiplayer strengths of the Switch. We’d give Towerfall a high recommendation to anyone looking for a great party game for their Switch; the easy to understand mechanics and near-bottomless depth will ensure that this one will be a house favorite for years to come.

Though lacking in any type of structured play, Colors! 3D's robust free drawing system and unique ability to let anyone create their own three-dimensional artwork more than make up for this.

A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain. What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story, or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play. An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.

From its excellent writing, music, and presentation to its intense and satisfying core gameplay, Neon White is one of the most exciting things we’ve played all year, and it’s a game we can't see ourselves putting down for a long time as we try to best our previous times. It successfully brings together elements from apparently disparate genres in new and exciting ways and seems poised to become the next great speedrunning title. It's one that action game fans and Switch owners in general won't want to miss.

Yes, there's still no multiplayer, but it now feels as though the game is being presented on a Nintendo console in a manner befitting such an epic slice of gaming history. With slick controls, DLSS, HDR, volumetric effects, options to personalise mouse mode, 60fps that felt flawless, and a resolution bump that's got it looking super sharp, this is a gem that still feels modern, immediate, and relentlessly replayable on Switch 2. Now that's rootin' tootin', partners!

It may be a two-year-old game, but whoever's idea it was to resurrect Deus Ex: Human Revolution for Wii U deserves a slap on the back and a raise of the glass. The original game may not have had the GamePad in mind at all when it was released in 2011, but this Director's Cut feels completely at home with it in 2013.

Heartwarming; that’s the word to describe Dream Daddy. It’s a feelgood game, from its tongue-in-cheek Dream Weaver-esque theme tune to its message of acceptance and generally being excellent to one another. The entire game lives on its writing, which is universally excellent and works on multiple levels whether you’re a parent or the child of one. On the surface it’s a hot dad dating game – the swirly logo font and colourful presentation lean into that – but there’s real heart to the stories here, with textured characters dealing with a multitude of situations life throws at them. If you’re after rock-hard anime abs and mechanics that promise 'innovative' use of HD rumble, you may be disappointed with Dream Daddy. For everyone else, it’s a good-natured, good-humoured visual novel with themes of acceptance and love that’ll warm the cockles of the coldest heart.

An impressive sequel that's well worth owning, but if you're new to the franchise and not sure which one to get first, DJ Hero 2's extra scratches, freestyle elements and online offerings make it the obvious choice.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most unique-looking games you'll see on the Switch, and it's got the substance to back up the style. Its heavy emphasis on puzzles and its refusal to throw players a bone when they need help may not be to everyone's tastes, but anyone up for a mental challenge in what's essentially an elaborate escape room will love it.

The vehicles and racers have never handled better, the collection of courses is possibly the best yet, while replayability through Ghost Races or — primarily — online races and Tournaments is almost endless. A few design oddities aside, this joins the list of must-have Nintendo games on the Wii U; it’s an accomplished effort that pushes the franchise forward.

Terry Cavanaugh has done it again with Dicey Dungeons; this is easily one of the best roguelike titles you can currently purchase for the Switch. Loads of gameplay variety, fantastic music, a high skill ceiling and friendly visuals make this a thoroughly gripping and fun experience you won’t want to miss out on. If you like roguelikes or card games, we’d highly recommend you pick this up as soon as you can – and even if you don’t, we’d still encourage you to check it out regardless.

The user interface, the creativity of the tools that feed the player's imagination and the overall polish are a testament to the development team's efforts. Whether creating, exploring or just playing, Super Mario Maker provides an exceptional experience.

Dusk is one hell of an impressive piece of software and possibly the single best Unity port to Switch we've ever seen, sidestepping all the usual performance problems and delivering a brilliant experience of a brilliant game. We've tried to think of meaningful criticisms or negatives. Of course pad controls are never going to be as precise as mouse aim, but when the developers have tailored the analogue sticks to such a degree of precision, that would be churlish to ding them for. It's not as good a game as Quake, but almost nothing is. It's arguably a better port than Quake got, and that was itself excellent. There's a relatively limited arsenal of weapons — they're all great, but there's no iconic gun here, just your usual pistol, shotty, assault rifle, explosives, et al. Ultimately, Dusk is another absolute cracker in what's turned out to be a phenomenal month for Switch; a real horror show, and the highest of 9s.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slick return to the roots of this franchise that serves up clever 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat, and neat puzzles, all mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open things up to newcomers and casual players. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands and the team hasn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is nothing short of a masterpiece. Riveting from beginning to end, it sets a new standard for interactive storytelling, and demands an emotional investment from the player that ultimately pays off with one of the most satisfying endings in recent video gaming memory. Unless you have yet to experience its prequel 999, there is simply no excuse for you not to play this game.

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition finally puts Heart Machine’s obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs - in portable Nintendo form - and it makes for the definitive version. With a handful of exclusive features, a two-year-old game suddenly feels new and fresh - and with a silky smooth frame rate and every boss, secret and upgrade from the original here for you to experience, the Nintendo Switch’s indie library just got even better.

You’d be wrong to assume the cute fox-like protagonist and colourful world implies Tunic is a relaxing little adventure for all ages – it’s anything but. Tunic requires a lot of intuitive thinking and patience to navigate its beautiful world with its brilliant in-game instruction manual. Coupled with an unforgiving combat system that punishes impatience and rewards measured study of opponents, Tunic is a game designed for those versed in old-school adventuring and experienced in difficult, sometimes frustrating swordplay. Given all this and its evident Hylian inspirations, and even with some unfortunate performance hitches and obvious downgrades from the versions on other platforms, Tunic feels right at home on a Nintendo console and we recommend it as a creative and concise adventure that both draws and expands upon some prestigious inspirations.