999 is stunning. It sports a captivating plot driven by a fantastic cast of characters, a satisfying mix of puzzles and interesting mathematical, scientific and philosophical quandaries to ponder.

Within its common-sense (and, thanks to Wii Fit, well-known) limitations, Fitness Boxing is a breezy, energetic success that gets your blood pumping.

This is a fun tower defence game with enough unique features and strategic elements to keep it interesting and a sense of humour to set it apart from its competitors.

With Cuphead just around the corner, we can’t help feeling sorry for Mechstermination Force. It's certainly less of a head-turner, but it's a more approachable take on boss rush platforming, with less of an emphasis on twitch-based, pixel-perfect precision. It's peppered with ingenious design and amusing writing and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with it. We'd recommend it as a more accessible alternative to (or appetiser for) Studio MDHR’s upcoming game. If you enjoyed Gunman Clive, this is a great expansion on the concept and well worth investigating.

While it's not perfect - there really shouldn't be slowdown in a game with 8-bit pixel art, and it can be frustrating to try to figure out where to go next - anyone looking for a challenging, satisfying action adventure will likely get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Gynoug hasn’t quite got that special extra spark that turns a great game into a spectacular one, but even so it’s still a unique and thoroughly enjoyable thirty-year-old shmup capable of standing proudly next to any other sold on the eShop, and yet another affordable retro re-release sitting in that perfect middle ground between modern convenience and hardcore authenticity.

Hitman 3 is a fantastic conclusion to one of gaming's truly great trilogies and, with this Cloud Version, Switch players get to join in the fun in an experience that delivers the goods – so long as you've got the bandwidth to handle it. The expected, unavoidable technical shortcomings of streaming a game over the internet – input lag, visual dips and framerate issues – are all present and correct to some degree but, on the whole, if your broadband setup is up to the task, you'll find that a perfectly playable version of a slick and addictive stealth title awaits.

If you were a fan of the original outings, you will certainly like this upgrade but if you are venturing into the realm of Fairune for the first time, heads up: you might have just discovered the perfect lazy summer afternoon game of the year.

It's innovative and interesting enough to hold your attention, and despite the somewhat repetitive gameplay, it never feels like a chore.

Pokémon Rumble World takes the basic beatdown gameplay the spin-off series is known for and combines it with fun connectivity features that give it a uniquely social feel.

Rogue Trooper stands out for two big reasons: it's one of very few decent third-person 3D action games on the Wii and it's a good quality game based upon a licensed property.

It feels like it’s been a long time coming and thankfully, any concerns fans may have had ahead of a Switch release can be laid to rest by Death himself. Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition is a visual feast, offering little to those who have already played through elsewhere but holding nothing back for the purists and new players alike. Age-old camera issues remain, but if you’ve been waiting to get on board with Death and his Horsemen, this late-to-the-party package is an easy recommendation.

There are plenty of modes to enjoy here, most prominently the online multiplayer which allows public and private rooms. Taking your learned game out into the world is a rush, even when you realise everyone's ten times better than you — cross-platform multiplayer is apparently in the works for next year. The central career mode is a blast, too, with its different challenge types each teaching you different skills that you'll need for the main racing events. Ring runs that see you rolling through, well, rings, checkpoint gates that you have to skip — it's all clever stuff. Marry this simple but full-featured gameplay with an enormous skill ceiling to the rock-solid 60 fps frame rate and you're onto something of a winner. There's even a Daily Track mode so you never need to stop. Super Impossible Road is a strong effort and a pleasant surprise.

If you're a gym addict you probably shouldn't throw out your membership card just yet, but for everyone else looking to get fitter, this is a fantastic way to do it that won't bore you senseless. Play it properly and you'll definitely feel it the next morning – a sure sign that it's at least doing you some good – while the compelling adventure mode with its RPG elements will ensure that you'll keep coming back for more.

Despite its modest, hack-and-slash origins, Wulverblade manages to pack in a lot of content, depth and unlockable elements, and these allow it to transcend the usual limitations of the genre.

Dungeons of Dreadrock is a well-designed puzzle game that cleverly builds on its formula throughout its brief run. Those of you looking for a good game to wind down with before bed may want to give this a look, though we would encourage investigating the smart device version if you're happy to play on mobile.

For players that want to add some exercise to their gaming routine, or Wii Fit junkies looking for a next generation fitness fix, Your Shape Fitness is an excellent choice. It takes a different approach from Nintendo's efforts, focusing on a huge variety of traditional exercises rather than mini-games, and does what it sets out to do very well.

While Nintendo has definitely changed its stance in the last few decades, this game feels like a blend of old-school mechanics and new-age thinking; it's an homage to the challenge and style of old games, while simultaneously presenting itself stylistically as being something more contemporary. If you're looking for a game that will be different each time you play it, look no further.

While the multiplayer has lost a considerable amount of its magic due to the much lower number of max players, everything else has been very well done: with over 150 tracks and the ability to create your own, achievements, and online multiplayer with up to five others, it captures the feeling of TrackMania perfectly, and will hopefully gain a completely new fan following.

We've been stung before with ports of console and PC games - especially those lauded for the size and intricacy of their worlds - but Panic Button has proved, once again, that it really does know how to do the right games justice within the constraints of Switch's hardware design. Hob: The Definitive Edition retains all the qualities of the original, with only a reasonable downgrade in its visuals serving as a caveat. With a cel-shaded art style helping negate the effect of this aesthetic sacrifice and all the improvements genuinely helping elevate Hob's overall quality, Hob becomes the latest 3D platformer to secure a well-earned place among Switch's most exciting new additions.

Those who enjoy meditative, slower-paced puzzles free of failures and time penalties will find their time with Liight very well spent, but those who prefer faster, more urgently challenging gameplay might be less impressed.

Darksiders II is very, very good. In paying homage to the Zelda series - while adding its own unique flavour - the team at Vigil has crafted a game that will appeal to those looking for a grittier take on the action-RPG dungeon crawler, while helping Nintendo fans scratch that Hyrulian itch for the time being.

With so many games featuring death and destruction, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a breath of fresh air. Much like Pokémon Snap, its focus on observation is a welcome change of pace, and it never feels like the underlying message is being shoved down our throats. At 2-3 hours in length, our only wish is that it lasted a bit longer, but with its relaxing tone and simple gameplay, this is one we suspect you’ll go back to again and again.

Given the presence of Thunder Force IV in the Sega Ages series, it’s fair to say that Thunder Force AC isn’t as big a novelty as other Sega Ages arcade games, like Virtua Racing or G-LOC. This doesn’t necessarily matter, though; it’s still one of the better shoot ‘em ups of its time, and the addition of a new mode aimed at less experienced players gives a much-appreciated entry point for gamers who’ve always been interested in the genre but felt intimidated by its generally high level of difficulty. Whether you’re a shmup fiend or a complete amateur, there’s fun to be had here.

With a clever gameplay hook, enjoyably uncluttered level design, and a beautiful storybook presentation, I and Me is a delightful package. It’s an admittedly brief experience, and players looking for a stern challenge won’t find their puzzle-solving skills seriously tested here, but if you’re after a perfectly pleasant way to pass a few evenings on the Switch, I and Me are both a great choice.

The versatile and responsive controls are the star of the show, giving these simplistic minigames much-needed longevity.

Iron Galaxy may have run into some trouble porting Chronicles of Mystara to the Wii U, but it certainly doesn’t show in the final product. This is a title not to be missed.

This is how retro compilations should be done. Although the emulation has a few little hiccups along the way and single Joy-Con multiplayer is sadly missing, the overall package here is wonderfully presented. Rather than just slapping a rudimentary menu over a bunch of old ROMs, it’s clear there’s been a lot of effort made here to catalogue an often forgotten period in one of Japan’s most important game developers. As with all compilations there are a few misses, but the quality is generally high, and the supporting museum mode is an absolute treasure trove for retro enthusiasts.