There's no doubt about it, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the most refined and enjoyable platformers money can buy. The levels are all beautiful - not only because of their delightful new 1080p resolution, but also their structure; the characters move with fluidity and brilliant responsiveness, and the inclusion of Funky Kong brings balance for those who have less experience with brutally tough platformers.

At first, this doesn't quite feel like the reinvention of Mario Kart that people wanted or expected, but the more time you spend in the open world and racing with friends, you’ll uncover a mechanically rich kart racer full of secrets and joy. Mario Kart World refines and expands the formula in meaningful ways while upping the charm in many others. Few games have brought me as much laughter as Mario Kart World has done since launch. If you need a pick-me-up, this game is sure to bring a smile, and it feels like a perfect start to Switch 2's life.

Punch-Out!! on the Wii is an absolutely amazing new installment in the classic franchise with a ton of content for both new and old fans.

Bayonetta 3 cranks up the chaos, improves the combat, polishes the level design, and adds a ton of new mechanics to the mix, making for the very best entry in this storied series to date. PlatinumGames has absolutely nailed it this time around, carefully layering on more ways to engage enemies, piling on the OTT gameplay sequences, and giving us multiple protagonists without upsetting the balance of what makes these games amongst the very best examples of their genre. With excellent performance in docked and handheld modes, incredible visuals, non-stop action, and a hugely replayable campaign that's a joy from start to finish, this really is a huge celebration of everything we love about Bayonetta, an action all-timer and one of the biggest highlights of 2022, on Switch or any platform.

Over four years on and Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is still a ‘rasslin riot that’s well worth a play. Despite the passage of time, this colourful indie effort doesn’t show its age and fits the portability of Switch down to the ground. If you’ve played it already on Wii U there’s very little here to convince you to double dip (unless, of course, you’ve only played the 2013 version) - bar the ability to play in handheld mode - but if you’ve somehow missed this lovely luchador adventure, you’ll struggle to find a better platform to play it on.

A masterful, intricate work of fantasy which weaves together themes of history, magic, power, and corruption over a four-part story, Sorcery! is a pitch-perfect adaptation of the choose-your-own-adventure books from the '80s, and one of the best narrative games on Switch. A few bugs and issues here and there dent the experience, but it's hard to mind too much when the rest is just so good.

Heretic + Hexen is yet another slam dunk for Nightdive Studios. This new release revamps both titles with modern controls, bonus content, and thoughtful changes to the core design that make each game a delight to play. Granted, these are still FPS titles from the mid-'90s, so your mileage will definitely vary, but for returning fans and those with a particular fondness for old-school 'boomer shooters', you really can't go wrong. Now let's get a native Switch 2 port with 120fps please, Nightdive.

Mallo's second outing is another massive success; Fallblox constantly surprises, impresses and challenges in equal measures. Even in its difficult moments – and there are plenty – it encourages players to have fun and never significantly punishes errors. Fallblox boasts level design and creativity that many games can only dream of; developer Intelligent Systems' name has never seemed more appropriate.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was one of the best games on Nintendo DS. Now it is one of the best games on Nintendo Switch. If you're a fan of Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, AI: The Somnium Files, any of the games we've mentioned, or just of having a good dang time with a brilliant story and stunning art, then why are you still here? Go and get the game. Now. Go!!!!

Star Wars has finally come to Nintendo Switch. While it might not be in the form that appeals to everyone, that doesn’t make it any less accessible. With short and snappy missions, it’s perfect for bursts of short play on a commute or longer sessions in search of high scores and holocron shards. Switch-exclusive features such as the Career mode, the updated Galactic Struggle, an unlockable soundtrack and support for vertical play make this a fine addition to the platform’s growing pinball library, and a silly yet authentic ode to all things Star Wars.

Vastly expanding breadth at the cost of depth, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a worthy sequel to the 3DS original, even if it does lose some of that signature Level-5 weirdness in the process. Taking its cues from Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing might seem pretty unoriginal, but synthesising those ideas into a Fantasy-Life-flavoured version actually works, and we can't really fault Level-5 for giving the people what they want.

It's safe to say that if you're a fan of the franchise, this is a game you absolutely do not want to miss. And if by chance you've yet to experience the series, this enthralling title should offer up all the incentive you need to finally give it a try.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is everything fans could hope for in a sequel, as it improves upon every aspect that made the first Grapple Dog so great. Strong level design, a fantastic soundtrack, high gameplay variety, and lots of replayability make this one an easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent, pure platformer to add to their Switch library. It's the most fun platformer we’ve played in quite a while.

Trap Team continues the Skylanders legacy in style, serving up an excellent adventure with fun gameplay, lots of variety and top-notch production values both on-screen and off.

The ultimate M-KAI package, this three-strong historical evolution is the purest distillation of the developer’s vision for the shoot-em-up. Eschatos’ beautiful bombast will suck you in, fire up the adrenaline, and spit you back out with an instant just-one-more-go mindset. If that’s not worth diving into, why are you playing games at all?

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! does not come to Switch with a swathe of bells and whistles or make a host of changes to Game Freak's weirdest mash-up. It's a simple port of the Apple Arcade version — which, in itself, made very few changes to the 3DS original — but with a game this great, that's no bad thing. Sure, not much has changed since 2016 (even less since 2023), but this charming hybrid card-racer is absolutely worth taking for a ride wherever you can. Giddyap.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a stellar example of an enhanced re-release done right. Its comprehensive approach to improving the story and various gameplay systems of the original release makes for an experience that’s even more engrossing than the already excellent original game. Though we were disappointed by the lack of any performance gains here, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is still an extremely easy recommendation for any RPG fans. Some may consider SMT to be “Persona without the heart,” but SMT V: V cleanly demonstrates that this old Atlus stalwart still has an abundance of fantastic gameplay and unique appeal.

If you think Civilization peaked at IV, the sixth entry won’t change your mind, but we envy anyone who’s never played the series – Civilization VI on Switch is a brilliant introduction. Watching - and influencing - how the world unfolds is as addictive as ever, and the boon of portability make this a great way to play. Lack of online play is an obvious disappointment, but the core game works fantastically well on the handheld and we had an absolute blast; take our advice and get stuck in. Also, give Phillip II a wide berth – true to his word, he’ll get your wealth one way or another!

There is a decade of gaming evolution here, including what is arguably the pinnacle of Capcom's fighting game craft. Perfectly preserved and presented, everything is beautifully formed and wonderful to play. Assembled with real clarity in regards to fan expectation, Capcom has thoroughly delivered the goods, from its ton of bonus features to its rollback netcode, with years' worth of combative nuance to explore, learn, and exact in the online arena. Oh, and The Punisher is awesome, too.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the absolute pinnacle of the series and despite being over five years old this 'impossible' Switch conversion does very little to degrade the experience. Long-time franchise players and military aviation enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by the fan service at every turn, from craters on the ground to airplanes, liveries, callsigns, and emblems shouting out to previous entries - all ready to play all on the physical cartridge (strangely exclusive to Europe) with nothing to download if you take that route. We understand the genre is uniquely niche, but if this is your first foray into the franchise, this conversion is a perfect gateway into this rich, revered series. You get tons of content and an epic single-player campaign wrapped up in triple-A presentation that now delivers the most comprehensive portable experience ever delivered by Project Aces.

Shotgun Cop Man can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste in terms of raw, precise gameplay. Using your guns for both traversal and combat with a simple but effective twin-stick setup is a stroke of genius, and it makes for an effortlessly rewarding experience that you'll want to play again and again. While not overly difficult in itself, nailing the optional objectives is key to achieving 100% completion, and it's here that you'll find challenge and satisfaction in equal measure. It's funny, it's violent, and it's polished – and we suspect it will go down as a cult classic.

If you’re keen on trying out Level-5’s long-awaited sequel, this is absolutely the best way to play on Nintendo systems.

CA roguelike at heart with a rhythm-game soul, Crypt Of The NecroDancer is a sublime experience that’s a must-play for fans of the genre(s). Its upbeat, uptempo take on dungeon crawling is infectious, and there’s enough content here to last even the savviest of spelunkers for many, many dance-fuelled dives into the depths — if you’ve never tangoed with the COTN, this fully-featured Switch edition is the perfect way to jump in.

Return of the Obra Dinn lives up to the hype, and then some. It’s a beautifully crafted and intricately constructed detective mystery unlike anything you’ve played before with a harrowing narrative at its centre. Unravelling its secrets takes time and requires patience, but you’ll be glad you allowed the story to play out at its own pace. What we have here is a thoroughly unique experience that will stay with you, and is among best this genre has ever had to offer.

Deltarune is a game that can feel odd to recommend, as it’s both difficult to convey in words what makes this game feel special and… well, it still isn’t done. Its goofy and subversive narrative, innovative battle mechanics, and killer soundtrack all combine to make this one worth the purchase in its current state, even if it is unfinished and the visuals still feel a tad underwhelming. At any rate, I’d suggest you pick this one up; there’s no telling when the story will finally wrap up, but the release of the latest two chapters has done a lot to round out what once felt a little anaemic.

SteamWorld Heist is an entirely different proposition to its predecessor, and that's no bad thing. Its quirky blend of a 2D perspective, allied with turn-based strategy and skill-based attacks, is a surprisingly addictive combination.

Bayonetta has attitude, and while you may occasionally cringe at this one's mixed messages in empowering its heroine, it serves up a great deal of frenetic action — your controller of choice won't know what's hit it.

While Digital Extremes hasn’t quite perfected the formula it needs to make Warframe completely accessible - the sheer number of interconnected systems and customisable elements suggests it never quite will - it still offers a co-operative third-person shooter with all the MMORPG elements you never thought you’d see running on Nintendo Switch. From the impressive visual fidelity Panic Button has maintained, to the sheer breadth of content you can access for free, Warframe represents another milestone for the console.