Get used to Mario Kart Tour’s unconventional control system and ignore its overpriced and unnecessary subscription service and you’re left with a fun, free mobile take on the series. It was never going to replace Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but by not including an energy system and promising regular new content Nintendo is at least offering a decent alternative to pass the time when you’re out and about without your Switch.

RemiLore proves itself to be a well-made and inoffensive loot grind of an RPG; consider giving this one a look.

If you're intrigued by Shadow Labyrinth's fresh approach to Pac-Man, I recommend giving it a shot on Switch 2. It provides an intriguing narrative in a foreboding world with varied environments throughout, and PUCK proves to be a compelling character. The short bursts of Pac-Man-style gameplay help mix up the experience, and this is very welcome since the game never really delivers a 'wow' moment. Much of it has been done better elsewhere, but this is nevertheless a promising new direction for an ageing franchise; one I hope to see continue in the future.

Gamers who already played Moon on the DS won't find anything different here, but for everyone else Moon Chronicles is easy to recommend.

A very interesting game indeed, I Am Dead isn't top-tier indie magic but it's a hide-and-seek sandbox that will reward you the deeper you go. It's refreshingly content-rich, what with the Grenkins to find and riddles to solve for committed players. An appealing sense of place and strong visuals are only spoiled by some misplaced attempts at quirkiness and some minor control issues. Overall, though, I Am Dead makes us long for the sweet embrace of the reaper. Wait, no. It's just a rather enjoyable game. That's it. Not that other thing. Good god.

L.A. Noire wasn't a faultless game back in 2011 and that hasn't changed in 2017, yet it somehow manages to be more than the sum of its parts. We suspect it will be regarded as a pioneering classic for the next few years regardless; few games treat the player to such a grown-up and mature experience as this, and that's important for the video game industry as a whole.

Would it be fair to call this game Titan Souls Lite? How much does the phrase “twin-stick shooter dungeon roguelike” intrigue you? Honestly, the price is probably a fair bet for providing several hours of solid, challenging combat mechanics. Just beware that the drip-feed progression can feel grindy, even for a shorter game – and that choice of camera takes something away from the whole experience, in this reviewer's opinion. Mana Spark is a game that shines brightly in certain areas, enough to perhaps hide the shortcomings it has as well.

Overwatch 2 is a lot of things, but a proper sequel to the original Overwatch is not one of them. Although a few new maps and heroes are welcome, and the gameplay itself remains just as enjoyably intense as it always was, there is nothing here that feels innovative or notable enough to justify that ‘2’ in the title. At this stage, Overwatch 2 feels more like a few updates Blizzard could have pushed to the original release. Couple this with the heightened focus on monetization and the absence at launch of the promised co-op story content, and you’re left with an experience that feels like it falls short of the potential it had. As a live service free-to-play game, perhaps time will eventually see this new release grow in fresh and unexpected ways to eventually prove itself a worthy sequel, but the game we have at launch feels just ‘fine’. At any rate, it costs you nothing but time to try, and it is just about as fun in a match as it always has been. As long as you’re not too bothered by what it could have been, we’d recommend giving Overwatch 2 a shot.

A sumptuous feast in multiplayer, but a bit bland and monotonous when going solo, Mushroom Wars 2 is nonetheless an accessible and deep and enjoyable real-time strategy experience. There is plenty to dig into, especially if you enter the online competitive arena. Although the game does show it's mobile roots on occasion as the single-player campaign is ironically ’by the numbers’, Mushroom Wars 2 is definitely a dish best served cold, and with a group of fun guys or gals.

P3P remains an enjoyable JRPG, but we would say this is easily the most skippable of the mainline Persona games on Switch at present. An engrossing story and well-balanced gameplay loop easily justify a purchase, though things like Tartarus’ repetitive floors, the visual novel presentation, and the lack of FES content hold this one back from the heights its successors reached. We’d give P3P a recommendation, though only after having played both P4G and P5R, and only if you still find yourself needing more Persona in your life. This is still a great installment for Persona fans and will be best appreciated by players who have that contextual series knowledge, but its rougher edges may put others off.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A should be celebrated for its fabulous real-time combat and its largely smooth jump to the Switch 2, but in condensing things down to one single location, it loses part of the Pokémon magic that Arceus and many other entries managed to amplify. I’ll forever find filling up my Pokédex fun, and for the Switch 2 generation, this is a good starting point for the franchise. But if the Legends series is to continue, it needs to recapture its personality and fuse that real-time system with a bit more freedom.

This Switch port performs just as well as one could hope, although we found the experience to be hampered a bit by iffy controls – an issue that disappears in portable mode, where you can navigate by using the touchscreen.

While we wait for the final episodes of Deltarune to come out hopefully sometime before the end of this century, Everhood 2 acts as a fitting substitute for those looking for a subversive and strange RPG that defies conventions. Its distinct mixture of comedic storytelling, unique aesthetics, and rhythm-based combat gameplay all make this one easy to recommend, even if it can feel a little shallow in places. We’d suggest you add Everhood 2 to your library at some point; the experience is certainly well worth it, although it’s best approached with an open mind.

Born of Bread is a fine spiritual successor to the Paper Mario games of old, with a lighthearted story, hands-on combat system, and charming characters all coming together to make for a worthwhile experience. That said, it can feel kind of rough around the edges with a long list of bugs (at least at launch), confusing level designs, and occasionally oddly paced story. We’d recommend Born of Bread to any fans of Mario’s traditional RPG adventures, as the positives here do outweigh the negatives, but just bear in mind that this loaf feels like it could’ve spent a little more time in the oven.

While some may find fault in the unoriginality of his adventure, the Ultimate Pacifier still takes a comfortable spot in the pantheon of superhero babies.

Nintendo Switch is really racking up a decent selection of shooters. Warface isn’t particularly pretty, and its approach to content access means you’ll likely spend most of your time playing with rented items and weapons, but it’s still brought solid asymmetrical online FPS action to Switch in a way no other shooter has managed thus far. It might not have the slickness of the bigger boys in the genre, but with stable performance in both modes and a huge amount of content (both now and in the future) the likes of Payday 2, Paladins, Fortnite and Warframe now have another rival for your online hours.

Its inherently enticing gameplay and relatively short nature gives it great pick-up-and-play appeal, and while single player mode likely won't keep you enthralled for hours on end, its multiplayer very well might.

Chants of Sennaar is as defined by its peaks as its valleys. For every moment of mind-blowing, brilliant puzzle design comes an inversely frustrating moment stymied by '90s adventure game logic. The game's ability to teach a player aspects of a language is awe-inspiring, and its way of guiding players along with as little information as possible is intensely rewarding—when it works. Even though it isn't for everyone (or consistently excellent), it's constantly impressive. If you're interested, we recommend checking out the free demo for the game that's available on the eShop, which will help let you know whether or not this game might be up your alley.

Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition is a strong port of one of the better entries in the Tales series. Flashy combat, gorgeous graphics, and a meaty epilogue all combine to make this one a worthwhile purchase, even if lingering issues like an overlong story, spongy enemies, and underwhelming DLC can drag things out too much. If you’re looking for a solid action RPG or want a good entry point to see what the Tales games are about, I’d suggest you pick this one up when you get the chance. Some issues aside, Arise has got it where it counts, and provides a good foundation for future series entries to build upon.

Those not looking to take a trip down memory lane may be left wanting more, though in pure gameplay hours this offers a reasonable return on investment. The no-thrills plotline and gameplay outside of combat could have been fleshed out, leaving this one short of its full potential. I Am Setsuna could be the perfect complement to your Nintendo Switch, but if you're not foaming at the mouth with nostalgia it's certainly an optional purchase.

An interesting combination of kingdom management and point-and-click adventuring that doesn't always form into a cohesive whole. Yes, Your Grace has a flavour all of its own, though, and you'll genuinely come to care for the royal family at its core.

Is Rune Factory 5 for you? Well, that depends. Do you like RPGs or farm sims? If you answered yes to either or both, then you’re sure to find something you’ll love in this release. Even so, it might be worth waiting for a modest sale before you take the plunge. The relaxing pace, RPG elements, and charming aesthetic make this a compelling experience, but issues with poor performance, disappointing visuals, and sometimes clunky gameplay hold Rune Factory 5 back from greatness. If 3D visuals aren’t a dealbreaker for you, we’d recommend you pick up Rune Factory 4 Special first, as it’s cheaper and oddly feels more modern in some respects. Despite flawed execution, we’d still give Rune Factory 5 a recommendation — if its precise and unique genre blend really clicks with you, you'll forgive many a flaw. Just know that it doesn’t truly excel in any area.

Ultimately, Fighting EX Layer: Another Dash is a fighting game fan’s fighting game — its primary audiences are 'refugees from Street Fighter V' and 'people who have nostalgia for Street Fighter EX'. Players in these two groups will find themselves very much at home with this game, especially since the fighting engine is so solid, and some of the characters are just offbeat enough to make it interesting. But considering it’s so dependent on online play, with barely existent single player content, it’s difficult to recommend to more casual players. It is, however, free to download, so you've got nothing to lose by giving it a try.

At a mere 500 Nintendo Points, JellyCar 2 comes with a lot of content to chew on, from hefty main courses to long distance jumping and multiplayer.

Misc. A Tiny Tale is a charming and delightful first effort from Tinyware – albeit with some wobbles in execution. It sticks very close to classic ideas and struggles with graphical fidelity on Switch, but none of that can undo the charm of the characters and the retro vibe straight from the GameCube era. Until Chibi-Robo hits Nintendo Classics, this will serve all your miniature robot helper needs.

Chain Blaster may be flawed in that its campaign is short and not entirely difficult, but it’s still a whole lot of fun. It’s the type of game that reflects both the advantages and flaws of an arcade-based genre, but it does so with an irresistible style. Fans of shoot ‘em ups, especially of the bullet hell variety, should definitely give this one a shot.

The Atelier Dusk Trilogy DX edition rolls three very solid entries in the long-running franchise into a fantastic pack for fans of the series and for anyone who's interested in jumping into their addictive world of alchemy for the very first time. These DX versions pack a handful of quality of life updates that make blasting through these games a breeze if you're returning to them and just want to skip the narrative in favour of collecting, crafting and battling monsters and all three perform pretty much flawlessly – aside from some occasional stutter in Ayesha – in both docked and handheld modes. If you're a fan of the Atelier series you'll already know whether or not this trilogy release is for you, but, if you're thinking of jumping in for the first time rest assured this as solid a place as any to get acquainted with the Atelier franchise.

Arcade fans looking for something irreverent and over-the-top are advised to stock up on zombie repellent and download this one for some shooting fun!