If you like Pokémon and you have a 3DS, chances are you've downloaded this already as it's free, but if not then now's the time to grab it.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a comprehensive audio-visual update of a classic series opener, with great characters, a world that you’ll want to explore, and deep combat with a wealth of options. The updated style runs best on Switch 2, with only the odd stumble in docked performance.

What we have here is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding action platformer which lives up to the quality as expected from the studio. Its minor quibbles do little to tarnish what is a charming game and all-round rewarding experience. The ride does end a little too quickly and veterans of the genre may desire a bit more of a challenge, but on the whole this is a great little game which confirms the studio as being perhaps the best in their field.

Mini Ninjas is obviously a game that was created with children in mind, and in the 'good, clean, wholesome fun' department, it truly excels. Of course adults used to more meat on the bone in their action titles might find it a bit lacking.

If you enjoy platformers but never got into Sonic games, give this one a shot – you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Chess Ultra is a welcome arrival on the Nintendo Switch; it's a visual treat, while also soothing you with pleasant music as you engage in a tough match. There are plenty of options and variety for online and offline matches, with the former being particularly enjoyable if you're able to get into a real-time contest. With Tournament play and some well constructed Challenges on board, along with Tutorials for newcomers, it ticks most boxes. It's another checkmate for the Switch eShop.

This has all the charm of the base game, but with a challenging new stand-alone mode that adds quality and value. The opening challenge won't be for everyone and those early runs can be pretty unforgiving, but once you see those unlocks rolling in and with an upgrade or two under your belt, you'll soon wonder why a Turtles roguelike hasn't been on your wishlist from the very beginning. With these added bells and whistles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is still totally tubular, dude.

Demon Slayer: -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles is a very solid action game, presenting a gripping story and thrilling action combat alongside an art style that almost perfectly matches the popular anime. Though combat can sometimes feel a bit shallow and the performance isn’t always perfect, we’d still give this one a strong recommendation, even to those who don’t have any background with the anime or manga.

Final Fantasy VII is a relic of its time, but that doesn’t mean it’s to be respected any less; if you can look past the obviously antiquated elements, this is a well-paced, engaging RPG that’s still fun to play today – it’s more than worthy of your time.

All of its various elements just click together well, creating a solid game that will be hard to put down as you struggle your way to the deepest recesses of Isaac's basement.

Rave Racer isn't the perfect racing game, by any means; there's not a lot of content and no career mode, but the on-track action is as pure and exhilarating as any you'll encounter in the arcade racing sub-genre. And, in case you were wondering, yes, the game still has the bug which has allowed players to totally smash the game's course records.

With a sci-fi twist on an old formula, Songbringer is almost a breath of fresh air. Occasional stereotypes aren’t as welcome as all of the new ideas the game brings forward, including a tongue-in-cheek style of humour to accompany a truly unique experience and a gorgeous visual style. With so many options and routes through the story, this is a game begging to be replayed for months to come.

Eastward proves itself to be a memorable and enjoyable mashup of many beloved classic titles, combining each of their elements together to forge something that feels distinct and engaging. Creative gameplay sequences, a heartwarming and emotional story, and a killer art style all combine to make this one easy to recommend. That being said, we’d also offer a word of caution that this is a slow burn kind of game; if you’re not a patient player, Eastward’s sometimes lethargic pace may take a lot of enjoyment out of the experience. Wherever you may fall, Eastward is indisputably a game worth checking out, and we’d encourage you to give it a shot.

Four years on, and Kero Blaster is just as engaging and rewarding as it was when Pixel first unleashed from within the Japanese indie scene. It doesn’t just look like the classics that made the genre such a pillar of gaming three decades ago, it confidently recreates the deep mechanical prowess of Contra and its ilk, with just a sprinkling of modern persistent systems to make it more palatable to newcomers and replayable far beyond those first few hours of froggy firefights.

Darkest Dungeon 2 may not be the sequel that ardent fans of the original wanted it to be, but its unique approach to that hard-edged, brutal roguelike gameplay is compelling all the same. A memorable art style, tons of replayability, and lots of mechanical depth make this one an easy recommendation to any roguelike fans, even if it can be a little grindy at times. If you’ve been looking for yet another tough roguelike to add to your collection, Darkest Dungeon 2 is certainly worth your time and your money.

Cris Tales offers up a satisfying take on classic JRPG tropes while sprinkling in some interesting new gameplay ideas and an incredible art style. Though some aspects of combat can be frustrating and the pacing can occasionally feel like it’s wasting your time, we’d still give this one a recommendation to anyone looking for a cool new RPG for their Switch. Cris Tales does just enough to stick out from the pack and assert itself as a title worth adding to your library; JRPG aficionados should definitely give this one a shot.

While time has somewhat diminished the freshness of Hotline Miami’s creative violence, both games still offer some of the most addictive and rewarding experiences you can play. Sure, the Nintendo Switch versions don’t bring anything particularly new to the table (even the touchscreen aspects were present on PS Vita), but if you’re looking to experience these games for the first time (or again) on a portable platform, this is the place to do it. The pixel art visuals and synthwave soundtrack have aged incredibly well – especially in the seven-year-old original – and while the lack of a map editor stings to this day, its brutal story missions are as engaging as they day they were released. Hotline Miami Collection still kills the old way.

Cannon Dancer is an undeniably polished product and has Yotsui’s action-cinema aspirations stamped all over it. Speed, dynamism, and full-bodied combat snap will keep bringing you back for more. While visually inspired and boldly artistic, it's a concise affair, as was Strider, buoyed by a refined control scheme and consistently interesting stage developments. While the finale is no Third Moon, and could have been improved with a few adjustments, it still qualifies as the Strider sequel you always wanted but never knew.

This rerelease of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is an interesting one because it doesn’t really do anything that we didn’t see when it originally came out 10 years ago, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Rather than of a rebuilt game with shiny bells and whistles that clutter up the core experience, we’re instead treaded to a faithful rendition with updated visuals for a modern console generation. It’s the easiest way to experience the game if you haven’t before, and it’s a great way to pay it another visit if you have. As its lifecycle crawls to a close, the Nintendo 3DS has become somewhat of an archive, collecting franchise favorites and housing them all in one place. With the rest of the mainline Ace Attorney series already available on the 3DS eShop, it was just a matter of time before Apollo Justice had his day in court.

A passionate love letter to a bygone age, 198X celebrates 2D, arcade-based gaming brilliantly and wraps it up in some of the best hand-drawn art we've seen in years. The soundtrack is also exceptional, and, in terms of pure presentation, it's really hard to fault what's on offer here. 198X's biggest weakness is its brevity; you can finish it in around an hour, but the experience will remain with you for long after the credits have rolled. While we're sure many people will consider the game's shortness a cardinal sin, we'd still recommend you give it a try if you're a fan of '80s and '90s gaming, appreciate lush 2D artwork and desire an experience which firmly lodges itself in your consciousness – even if it doesn't last all that long.

Strive is a bold step in a new direction for the Guilty Gear series. Its visual creativity and attention to detail without fault, Arc System Works has again gone above and beyond in its graphical evolution. True, there are some background clashes, but when all is said and done, it’s dazzling. With all DLC characters unlocked, there’s a lifetime of learning here, as well as tons of modes and bonuses to pore through. While Strive is perhaps only the first step for Guilty Gear’s new evolutionary arc, and its sequels will no doubt improve certain aspects and find a way to better appease fans new and old, it remains undeniably solid. The most impressive aspect, though, is the strength of the port here, crafted with a kind of magic to perform near enough 1:1 with its multi-platform counterparts. And the soundtrack? Whether it's your heaven or hell, it most certainly rocks.

The 3DS doesn't yet offer much choice for those who favour lengthy adventures over quick-fix pick-up-and-play games. However, if you are such a person, Tales of the Abyss should quench your thirst.

Putting aside a few jumps in difficulty and a rather disappointing multiplayer mode, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is without a doubt the best attempt at capturing the thrill of the movies in digital form to date and a real service to fans who grew up watching the films and cartoons.

In summary, though, fans of arcade shooters should pick this up without a second thought - it's a welcome and long overdue return of a true classic.

Sally’s Law is an example of an already great game being improved and adapted to fit its new home. The adorable characters, heartfelt story and progressive mechanic of relying on each other is both a technical and thematic success. It is a short game, and once you’ve played through to get all the photos there’s just the co-op mode to go back for, but Sally’s Law is as much of a cherished, emotional solo experience as it is one you’ll want to share.

Easy Come Easy Golf is, all taken into account, very easy to recommend for fans of golf games, and a great Nintendo debut for the Everybody's Golf series. It's enjoyable and polished golf with some fun twists while offering a huge amount of content to unlock and solid multiplayer options. Even with minor performance hitches and some iffy audio, we found ourselves having plenty of fun and kept coming back for a few extra holes. It's certainly under par, in a good way.

A very strange and unique game. Perhaps it is not one that will keep you glued to the screen for hours at a time, but it really is addictive and will have you coming back often to try and better that elusive high score which you set the day before. With friends around the proposition is even more attractive.

While we’ve seen plenty of games that have similar themes and mechanics, the way they’re presented in Death Squared makes for a rare experience. Having a game that is cooperative at its core but imminently playable as a solo experience is a boon, but it must be said its wily charms are exponentially more effective when sitting next to a friend or loved one whilst you giggle at each other’s faux pas. If you want your puzzlers to be thought-provoking with a dash of dry humour, you can’t go wrong with Death Squared.