With gameplay and visuals are not too dissimilar to Little Nightmares, Candleman could almost pass as a horror title, but this isn’t quite the case. There’s nothing to really threaten your life other than the odd trap and bottomless pit, and whilst it’s certainly dark, it’s filled with brilliant flashes of vibrant light and abstract shapes, making the game really quite beautiful to behold at times. Unfortunately, however, it’s also an incredibly easy experience, and despite the various puzzles you’ll find scattered throughout the game, there’s very little here that will prove too strenuous. But if that’s the kind of experience you’re specifically after, then Candleman is a worthy addition to your Switch library, offering a relaxing gameplay experience with ethereal visuals that will keep you busy for several hours.

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game offers up an unusual mixture of cooperative play and narrative-driven battles that flies in the face of more traditional digital CCGs. If you’re looking for a card game more aligned with the rules of a tabletop effort, with more of a role-playing focus, this is definitely going to appeal. The lack of proper support for online PvP is an odd omission considering how popular that feature is in other entries in the genre, but a refreshing lack of suffocating microtransactions does help soothe that wound.

Hero must die. again is better than the sum of its parts, with its genuinely emotional premise and a strangely relaxing feel despite the time constraint. There are far worse ways to while away the hours.

Syder Reloaded is a solid addition to the steadily-growing library of quality shmups on the Nintendo Switch. The game has an engaging visual presentation, thoughtful accessibility and extras, comfortable controls, decent sound design, and a unique gameplay style that is fairly uncommon among shmups these days. And while we felt that the gameplay could be improved upon with more concentrated stages and frenetic enemy abundance, we still had a lot of fun playing and recommend the game for those looking for a fresh take on the free-scrolling shmup sub-genre.

Arcade Spirits is a niche title that will nevertheless find its audience thanks to some great writing and a very inclusive selection of diverse characters to interact with. While there are a few flaws in the sound design area, including some poor voice work and an overall low volume output, the gameplay is engaging and the plot intriguing, making this the perfect choice if you're after a fun, lighthearted experience or a well-written gaming nostalgia trip.

A highly original puzzle-platformer with a compelling body-manipulation mechanic at its heart. Helheim Hassle's particular sense of humour and occasionally fiddly controls might make you bristle from time to time, but you'll keep plugging away thanks to its inspired mechanics and varied challenges.

Super Punch Patrol feels like a greatest hits package, but that's the thing about the greatest hits – they're great. And so is Super Punch Patrol, in the end. For the price you'll pay, it's nothing short of spectacularly generous; there are only five stages, but they're tough as old boots and it'll take time to master the challenge and see those credits roll. With costumes and characters to unlock there's reason to keep playing even after you surmount this beastly little brawler, and at £4.99 it's a bit of a no-brainer.

It takes time to figure out just what you’re doing, but anyone looking for a strong challenge will find a lot to love with GoNNER2. It builds upon the original game’s premise well and by offering co-operative campaign play, adds significant replayability with friends. It's not a flawless game by any means, and players who prefer a more guided experience would do better to look elsewhere but, those caveats aside, GoNNER2 still makes for a compelling experience that comes recommended, if you're up for the challenge.

Vigil: The Longest Night isn't the toughest Metroidvania you'll encounter on Switch – nor does it possess the most interesting plot – but it has plenty of secrets to uncover even after you've finished it; it's just a shame that Switch owners have to endure a host of technical problems, such as long load times and an inconsistent frame rate. These unfortunate issues aren't enough to totally sink the game, however; if you're in the market for more Metroidvania goodness and you like your games dark, grimy and gothic, then it's certainly worth a look.

A stand-out party game, Cake Bash deserves a place on your Switch menu. As with all games of its type, it benefits from having your friends alongside you, but online play with matchmaking (here called "matchbaking") works well, and you can play with bots if you really feel like you need to. It's only the eventual repetition that brings down Cake Bash, and that's really in the pie of the beholder. Far more than a mere trifle, Cake Bash belongs in the upper crust. We suspect the publisher's profit(erole) turnover to rake in the bread. Donut miss this one! (Reviewer is roughly bundled into an unmarked van and shot.)

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is one of those releases that could really go either way. If you don’t mind repetition and you’re not afraid of some tough difficulty spikes, there’s a lot of depth and content here to keep you busy for quite some time. If those caveats do raise concerns for you, there are a couple of other Mystery Dungeon titles on Switch that may offer a more palatable experience. Wherever you may fall, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is certainly worth your time, and we’d encourage you to give it a look.

As a birthday gift from Blizzard to itself, Blizzard Arcade Collection has been put together with some care. Sometimes good things come in smaller packages, though, and a lot of the content here is superfluous. Two of the Definitive Edition games are worse than the SNES titles also included, while Rock 'n Roll Racing’s is so successful that including the SNES and Mega Drive versions has only really added clutter. The result is a need to start every version of every game a few times to work out which one is actually worth playing, which somewhat spoils the party. But, for all those imperfections, there’s a lot to love: it may not be exactly what we’ve always wanted, but it’s the thought that counts.

The Crysis Remastered Trilogy arrives on Switch in a fantastic set of ports that deliver the full-fat super soldier experience with very little in the way of stutters, bugs or other technical failings. If you're picking this one up as a complete set, you've got a ton of excellent shooter action to blaze your way through in a trilogy of games that's aged remarkably well over the years and looks and plays great on Nintendo's hybrid console. Individually, however, things get a little more complicated, with the first two games easy recommendations, whilst number three is a little on the short side and feels rather threadbare without its multiplayer aspects to beef things up.

From start to finish, Ocean’s Heart is an enjoyable, albeit short, adventure following the familiar 2D Zelda formula. Having a brand new world to explore, filled with various side quests, should be enough to get any fan of that classic top-down template excited. While the writing and dialogue feels subpar at times, the familiar, yet still-solid gameplay makes up for it. Ocean’s Heart is undeniably a 2D Zelda game in all but name, but Tilia’s adventure shows that a game doesn’t always need to be groundbreaking to be a good time.

Cloud Gardens is a gentle-looking, gentle-sounding toy in the “chill” genre. It has a pretty good game hung on top, participation in which is largely optional. Noio’s stated aim “to fill you with satisfaction without the frustration” is a motto that’s been observed. Your mileage will vary based on what you find satisfying and what you find frustrating, but the gameplay, the themes, the music, the sound, and the graphics are all of a piece, admirably on-message, and contribute to a unique, bittersweet atmosphere.

Final Vendetta does an able job of using and enhancing tried and tested formulas of the past, and is great fun for either one or two players. Its brevity is ameliorated by its single-credit format; a bold but welcome move that makes learning to clear it rewarding for all the right reasons – but it’s a setup some may struggle with. There’s still room for experimentation in this genre with regard to original systems, and sadly Final Vendetta doesn’t really attempt any of that, instead opting for more traditional '90s arcade fare – albeit with lots of variation in how you smack people around. If that’s enough to tickle your fancy, you’ll feel well-served by Bitmap Bureau’s stab, but others might feel like they’ve walked this street before.

Fans of Hot Wheels will feel well served from a nostalgia point of view, and inspired by its huge number of new modes. Unleashed 2: Turbocharged combines furious arcade race challenges with childlike creativity, being able to build tracks any which way, and race them to breaking point. You can feel the Switch’s lack of muscle, with a markedly smudgier feel than the grip offered by more powerful consoles, but as a racing experience bursting with customisation, modes, and creativity to mine, it’s both an excellent successor to the 16-Bit Micro Machines legacy and sits firmly in pole position over its predecessor.

Thirsty Suitors is a great example of what happens when a developer's ambition outstrips the ability to fully realise that vision, for whatever reason. The story and visual style here are top-notch, but the actual mechanics lack the depth needed to make this one of the best indie games on Switch. Despite its flaws, the heart and humour of these characters still make it one of the most fun narratives of the year.

The Legend of Steel Empire remains a faithful reimagination of the original release, even including the end credits gag. It will take a medium-skilled player less than an hour to do a complete loop but it is such a good time, that can’t be considered a fault. While it doesn’t quite enter the bullet hell pantheon of other shoot 'em ups on Switch, it is certainly worth the shelf space in your collection and might be the perfect excuse to dust off your arcade stick in 2024. Maybe one day down the line we'll get a proper 16:9 sequel handled by the original HOT-B staff, but in the meantime, this is a welcome return for the original.

Rocket Knight Adventures is a series comprising two fine games and one stellar, timeless piece of work. While the sequels are above average for '90s platform gaming, it’s the series debut that really informs this review’s score. Rocket Knight Adventures is a title that sits comfortably alongside Gunstar Heroes in the pantheon of exceptional games overlooked in their heyday. It does everything an arcade action adventure needs to, and more, outdoing a vast number of actual arcade games in the process. Its constantly evolving stages, incredible variety of scenarios, and driving cinematic soundtrack make it one of the best of its kind. If that’s not the very definition of underrated, we don’t know what is.

Yars Rising is an ambitious interpretation of a classic Atari 2600 game that resoundingly succeeds in appealing to both newcomers and veterans alike. The Metroidvania structure is good enough on its own, but when combined with the awesome Yars' Revenge-inspired hacking minigames, you've got an experience that feels wholly unique while being great fun from start to finish. Some of the characters may prove to be a bit irritating, and the final boss is a massive letdown for us, but overall this is a great effort from WayForward.

Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition is another slam dunk for Digital Eclipse and its ongoing mission of game preservation and historical documentation. The team hasn't gone mad with any new additions or tweaks to the core experience, but when the original game remains such a bonafide classic more than 20 years after its release, it really doesn't need much tinkering with. The added bonus of the Game Boy Color version alongside a wealth of interesting interviews and archive footage make this release a perfect entry point for newcomers as well as a warm, nostalgic cuddle for veterans.

Fear the Spotlight is an excellent narrative horror experience that proves to be the perfect companion for Halloween season. It's a game loaded with atmosphere and dread throughout, with immersive, tactile puzzles and an overarching storyline that is engaging and tragic in equal measure. Encounters with the main enemy won't prove particularly challenging, but they're always nerve-wracking thanks to its creepy design and accompanying spooky audio. Rare, minor performance hiccups aside, this is a must-play for horror fans and an approachable entry point for newcomers.

All told, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's collection loop is heavily monetised with about six too many currencies to keep track of, but the kinetic feeling of opening packs and pulling gorgeous cards of your favourite Pokémon transcends most of the annoyance that the monetisation causes. The battles, on the other hand, function as a great baseline for newcomers but currently lack the competitive or strategic edge to invest a lot of time into them. In this way, Pokémon TCG Pocket mirrors the real-world TCG as the collection aspect once again proves much more appealing than battling despite reworked mechanics.

Considering Power Rangers games have more often than not been middling-to-poor, Rita’s Rewind is a pleasant surprise. It’s been given a lump sum of love and attention from a development team at one with the source material. And, if its obvious polish wasn’t enough, it’s a game that really understands the arcade format and goes all out with dazzling Super Scaler action stages that work well to stave off the genre’s naturally repetitive nature. There are a few aspects to the combat that could have been tweaked, but with its humour, lengthy 15-stage campaign, multiplayer hijinks, and heavy-duty '90s charm, Rita’s Rewind is probably the best Power Rangers game we’ve ever played. It’s pretty Morphinomenal.

If you're looking for a throwback point-and-click that doesn't require too much puzzle solving, Old Skies is certainly one to look out for. The first few chapters can feel a little plodding and the puzzles rarely reach the wacky highs we like to see from a point-and-click, but Wadjet Eye's ambitious, time-hopping adventure is unexpectedly heartfelt, with its narrative managing to speak to something personal amongst the sci-fi melodrama of its central set-up. Those after a journey back to the wild world of '90s PC adventures will find the nostalgia trip they're after, warts and all.

Overall, I find myself really loving Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted. Its cute and quirky character designs are infectiously charming, and the gameplay is simple but effective. The graphics are easy on the eyes and help make the character designs shine. It’s a bummer that there were problems with the controls at launch, but even with those issues, it wasn't enough to prevent the game from being a botanical blast.

Blazblue Entropy Effect X's convolution will be a turn off for some, and for others a dream. There are some questionable design decisions in its lack of a visual combo counter, diminutive sprites, and stop-start upgrade screens, and the average action gamer will feel swamped by its narrative and overload of possible configurations. At the same time, it’s an undeniably impressive in scope: a mathematical formula of character building that's as flexible as it is complex. Boomers should probably step away, but for those who live to mine roguelikes to the nth degree, it’s something of a treat.