It took us a little while to get to grips with Party Hard 2. After getting arrested a dozen or so times for using our knife a bit too much, we slowed down a bit and found that there’s actually an abundance of options available to you once you look out for them. There’s a lot of creativity on display here (if you ignore the fact that the game is basically a condensed Hitman), and while it can get frustratingly tricky at times, it’s nevertheless a fun way to let off some steam.

The game's mechanics are simple enough for gamers of all ages to enjoy, but there's also enough depth and replay value to keep those looking for a slightly more varied gameplay experience coming back for more.

Feels like change for change's sake. Much of what worked in the previous game has been retooled here, often with disappointing results, but the core experience hasn't changed.

Haven is a beautiful game about a relationship that is best in its quiet moments. The conversations and tenderness between Yu and Kay, its two leads, are the lifeblood of the game, and everything else is secondary. Its interesting combat system would benefit from a bit more signposting, and the flying traversal is a fun sci-fi addition to the game that works more often than it doesn't. Still, it's a wonderful experience, especially in co-op, but perhaps one to get on sale.

Repetitive gameplay elements and some occasionally awkward controls bring down the Dark Knight’s latest, and the lack of an explorable open world feels like a step back from its predecessor, but fun writing, excellent co-op, and lots of LEGO charm are more than enough to seal the deal for DC devotees.

Spellbreak is up against some pretty tough competition in the ongoing battle for your time and attention, but it’s an enjoyable romp that ultimately holds its own. The magic-based combat system proves to feel distinct and interesting next to other genre peers, and you’ll find likely yourself eagerly playing matches long into the night once you get a handle on things. That being said, there’s an undeniably strong sense of ‘vanilla’ to Spellbreak that threatens to kill it in its cradle, and that’s not even considering the performance problems. Either way, it only costs you some space on your SD card to see what this one’s all about, so there's really not much excuse to pass on it. We’d encourage you to give it a download and try it out; this isn’t the game to convert you if you don’t like battle royales, but it’s a respectable example of the genre in action.

The intuitive and responsive controls do a solid job of allowing players of all skill levels to enjoy the game and although many enemies are repeated throughout the five levels, the unique bosses offer up plenty of incentive to keep coming back for more.

If parachuting onto an island with 99 other people (or, alternatively, staring at a black hole for hours) is your exclusive definition of Battle Royal(e), we can be fairly certain that you weren't around at a time when Kunio’s 8-bit, 4-player multitap-enabled Famicom rumbles coined the expression. If you're a fan of Kunio and want the most up-to-date entry of the series' fight-and-exploration games, WayForward’s utterly brilliant River City Girls should be your first port of call. If, however, you grew up with the Famicom Kunio games and are lucky enough to still have your friends around from those simpler days, River City Melee Mach!! is a reasonably priced nostalgia trip that's worth going on.

If you take it for what it is, this isn't a bad game, and the fun of dashing through the earlier levels mostly outweighs the bad. Griptonite has certainly captured the spirit of Shinobi games in this release, but falls short of creating an all-time classic to revitalise the canon.

It's a simple, clear experience with strong gameplay that reminds us why we love the Mario Bros. in the first place.

Picross: Lord of the Nazarick certainly proves to be an odd addition to the Picross canon, but it proves itself worthy through the consistently excellent puzzle design and rewarding gameplay, which is every bit as great as that which has come before. That being said, there are also some notable shortcomings in this release, such as a shoehorned and useless ‘story’ and a notably smaller number of overall puzzles. Despite the Overlord elements, this in some ways feels like a sloppier and lesser release than the remarkably focused entries that preceded it. Fans of Picross that are rabid for more puzzling action can’t go wrong here, but if you’re looking to dip your toes into this series for the first time, we’d recommend you take a look at Picross S3 first.

The inclusion of innovative features such as Visual Chat, the abundance of action, some witty dialogue and the presence of many traditional Phantasy Star elements help to secure this a decent score, and there is a lot to enjoy.

For the most part, Hyrule Warriors Legends is exactly what you'd expect from a 3DS port. The visuals are downgraded and the co-op and challenge modes are absent, but otherwise this is a close match in terms of pure gameplay; it's actually surprising how well the core mechanics have been transferred over to Nintendo's handheld despite the yawning technical abyss which exists between it and the Wii U. In that respect, Hyrule Warriors Legends can be considered a success; it faithfully replicates its domestic parent on weaker - but more portable - hardware.

If you’re the type of player who doesn’t mind very much grind in their games, or you’re looking for something rewarding, but relatively mindless that you can dump a lot of hours into, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a solid purchase that’s sure to entertain. If you’re not in either of those camps, we’d caution you to think about it a little more before taking the plunge, as this could easily prove to be a disappointing experience if you come into it with the wrong mindset.

Despite minor flaws with presentation and control, UnderHero proves itself to be a rewarding experience that frequently surprises with its ingenuity and writing. This isn’t exactly a ‘go out and buy it now’ kind of gam, but if you like the sound of it, you likely won’t be disappointed by the content on offer here. It's not perfect, but a well-paced story, engaging combat system, and beautiful world make UnderHero a game that rarely disappoints, and we’d recommend it to anybody looking for a good ‘deep cut’ for their Switch library.

A familiar adventure that pulls from the likes of Zelda and Pokémon for its setting and story, Cassette Boy is nevertheless a smart puzzler with a great visual style. The dimension-shifting mechanic never gets old, putting a fresh and literal spin on traditional isometric questing.

With a polished, colourful visual style and an excellent, reactive soundtrack, Skybolt Zack is a game with a unique feel and rewarding gameplay for players who are up for the challenge. It can be brutally unforgiving, however – and, given the tight level design, the cost of making just one tiny mistake can often feel overly punitive. It’s not for everyone, then, but for those players who do get their heads around Skybolt Zack’s fast pace and colour-based mechanics, there’s definitely enjoyment to be had here.

Gear.Club Unlimited is a highly entertaining racing game that sits firmly at the casual end of the realistic racer spectrum. It can be a thrillingly immediate experience, particularly on the go, where you can blast through one of its sweeping courses in just a minute or so. Switch owners hoping for a Gran Turismo or a Forza to call their own will have to wait a little longer, however. What was a commendably rounded console-like racer on mobile seems just a little bit lightweight on Switch, while a few ill-fitting parts have survived the console rebuild.

It’s rare to see Amiga games surfacing at all, so it’s a real treat to have two of the very best available on Switch, along with entirely enjoyable Mega Drive and SNES efforts. We know we’ve harped on this, but it really is a baffling shame that Super Turrican 2 was left off the set, given that it’s still a joyous and impressive experience and that its inclusion would have made this compilation basically complete. As it is, though, Turrican Flashback is still a lot of fun with plenty of gameplay to offer, and a nice window into a type of game you rarely see anymore. Except in Gunlord X, we suppose.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville Complete Edition more than lives up to its name. A huge amount of content, lots of replayability, and an overall charming aesthetic make this an easy recommendation for anybody looking for a solid new shooter for their Switch. That said, just bear in mind that it often runs into performance issues and that the single-player offering can prove to be a little repetitive in the long run. If you can get past those issues, this release will surely prove to be worth both your time and money.

Spidersaurs is a fun ride while it lasts, as well as a strong love letter to Contra, all delivered with WayForward's signature style. While it is very short and suffers from some minor issues following its transfer from Apple Arcade to consoles, it’s still a good time and a strong purchase for anyone itching for some classic run-and-gun action.

It’s nice to see another relatively uncommon Sega game getting the Sega Ages treatment, but while it’s still perfectly playable after more than three decades, the arcade version of Monster Land suffers from frustrating combat and a general lack of spark. Its importance in the evolution of the action platformer can’t be denied, but it’s not quite as addictive as other Sega Ages games, and while the emulation is as flawless as ever, the underwhelming extra modes mean there’s less incentive to keep coming back time and time again. Still, sometimes it's nice to play a game that has a bit of history behind it, and this is one such game; it may not be anywhere near as refined as Wonder Boy's more critically-acclaimed adventures, but it's still an entertaining way to spend an hour or two.

Windbound is most certainly not the Zelda-lite adventure that you may have expected it to be, but it still manages to pull off an impressively well-made survival experience that’s fun to roam around in for a few hours. The open-ended progression, pleasing art style, and relaxing pace make this one an easy recommendation for fans of the survival genre, though it’s held back from greatness due to issues with repetition. Still, it’s tough to go wrong with what’s on offer here; you might want to give this one a look.

Unholy Heights is a blend of tower defense and management sim that doesn't over-complicate either element. Although some might wish the gameplay was deeper in certain places, there is a good seasoning of inner complexity that should keep many engaged. Add to that a charming, not-so-evil evil motif and some goofy (if not always the most grammatically correct) flavoured text, and it can be easy to get hooked - if you don't get frustrated by the spiking difficulty curve.

The cross-buy option makes Futuridium EP Deluxe an easy choice for Wii U and New 3DS owners. If you only have the portable, however, then it's still well worth a purchase - it's one of only a small number of downloads on the updated hardware that truly shows what it can do in unison with Unity. It's fun, flashy and just occasionally frustrating, and also a welcome part of the New 3DS library.

There’s very little wrong with Flight Control but it does feel a little thin. The additions of a new airfield and two-player mode are very welcome, but given the game’s origins as an addictive single-player score attack game it’s a shame more wasn’t done to boost this aspect: the removal of leaderboards hurts the game immeasurably.

It may be short, and it may not quite deliver with its puzzles, but Fire Tonight is a rather lovely ode to the '90s that pulls off a lyrically-inspired narrative with panache. Maya and Devin's retro-styled love story is something we'd like to see more of in future, and if you're looking for a game you can tick off the list in an evening, and if you've got affection for the time era it depicts, you'd do well to spend your time in their world for a bit.

While its fun for a time in single-player, Claws of Furry is definitely a brawler with two-to-four player fights in mind. With an abundance of enemies on-screen at any one time, it’s the kind of game that’s going to be twice as fun with someone sat next to you. While its Rogue mode feels like nothing more than a tokenistic doff of the cap to gaming in 2018, the Arena mode is a big selling point all on its own if you’re looking for a new regular entry in your couch-play rotation.