Aesthetically speaking, Trine 2: Director's Cut borders on perfection and deserves nothing less than to be framed and mounted, but the unfortunate news is that this quality does not permeate the game as a whole. Uncomfortable controls and puzzles that don't actually adhere to sensible solutions, but instead allow you to force your own answer on them, mar the experience and slow the game down in a significant way. It's not likely that this release will win new fans to the genre, but anyone who already enjoys physics-based puzzle platformers will definitely want to check this one out. Or maybe everyone should just buy this game simply to look at the environments. Have we mentioned how good it all looks?

Despite its technical flaws and short gameplay, we found ourselves unable to put down Terra Nil on Switch. The simple act of rebuilding a broken and polluted world is so satisfying and well-crafted. From the moment you put down your first wind turbine to watching your airship remove any evidence of your hard work, the game gives you a sense of hope for our own climate crisis without needing to explicitly say a word. This is pure relaxation in video game form and is worth picking up, particularly once that promised first patch is rolled out.

Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack is a game that’s easy to recommend, but with the caveat that you don’t go into it expecting to spend very much time playing it. The eye-catching visuals, generous humour, and excellent level design stand as a testament to the raw talent present at DrinkBox, but the short runtime leaves the experience feeling rather half-finished in some ways. Even so, it stands as a lesson in the value of understanding and executing a concept well; there’s nothing here particularly new to 2D platformers, but it’s so well-done that you hardly can fault it for any lack of innovation. We’d give Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack a strong recommendation to anybody looking for a new game to scratch that 2D platforming itch, though you may want to wait for a sale before jumping on.

The storyline is immersive and genuinely well-delivered and will give gamers of all ages plenty to enjoy. The omission of online multiplayer is a huge downer though, and it stops this game from being something truly exceptional. There's a lot to love, but it'll be a largely solo eXperience.

If you're a simulation nut you'll get the most out of this game, but strategy fans and even minigame lovers should not walk away disappointed.

The DSi's lack of multitouch severely hampers attempts at emulating musical instruments – particularly a piano; even though this erases any hope of learning chords or playing anything complicated, however, it doesn't prevent the game from demonstrating the simplest way to tickle the ivories.

If you enjoyed Gunslugs 2, rest assured that its predecessor offers just as many explosive thrills.

While the stealthy, ranged formula is still intact, those far more open maps allow for greater player agency and more systemic moments as you unleash hell from up close and afar. Improved stealth, an unoriginal yet satisfying XP system for cheap rewards and some ridiculously fun multiplayer modes make this a real series highlight that runs like a dream on Ninty’s hardware, but dumb AI, a rather boring storyline and a rather worrying focus on gratuitous gore all conspire to sully the experience somewhat. Having said that, there are few things in modern video gaming that are as perversely satisfying as popping a Nazi's testicles from halfway across a battlefield, so break out your M1 Garand and get reducing the Reich’s virtual headcount, because this game is well worth a look, despite its shortcomings.

A fast-paced hack-and-slash with fun, combo-heavy combat and an anime-after-dark aesthetic, Nights of Azure 2 is a great time. Strong characters, endearing interactions, and an interesting plot kept us excited to play more throughout, even if the repetitive missions and environments make for an experience best enjoyed in smaller chunks. There are some noticeable performance issues in handheld mode, and a few interface woes reflect a lack of overall polish, but if you’re looking for an enjoyable action romp with plenty of blood-sucking style, this is an excellent choice.

Overall, while it does have its flaws and the gameplay itself isn't terribly exciting, City Interactive have done well to create an enjoyable adventure game with Crime Lab: Body Of Evidence.

All in all, Is This Seat Taken is solid pick-up-and-play puzzler. It may not do anything new or unique, but the condition-meeting gameplay loop is primed for anyone after a low-stakes distraction. It won't keep you occupied for hours on end, but it'll do an almighty job of reminding you that your seating preferences are not to be scoffed at.

SpiritSphere DX is possibly the closest we may ever get to a tennis game based on The Legend of Zelda series. In fact, in contrast to similar offerings currently available on the Switch eShop, this is a good budget pick. It's got a small but challenging campaign mode with three difficulties, a decent amount of local multiplayer options for up to four players and does a sound job channeling the spirit of retro games.

It’s short course list, lack of online play, and easy computer opponents mean that the game will have a short life span unless you bring some friends over to play it with you. Even so, with it’s amusing and easy to pick up and play mechanics, its multiple controller options, and easy on the eyes graphics this is a solid WiiWare release which is worth investigating.

Barring a slight lack of replay value, there's not much this inexpensive little DSiWare title does wrong.

The 3D is almost inconsequential, but the result is a tough, well-constructed puzzle title with plenty of content.

Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai is a game that, for the most part, is fun to play and nice to look at. It tries to deliver a varied gameplay experience, and although it isn’t too hot when it comes to the 3D levels and shallow mini-games, it makes up for this with tightly crafted 2D levels that can be deviously challenging.

For all its sins, there’s the makings of a stealth-tactics classic in The Stone of Madness. Its grisly sensibility, rock-hard difficulty, and inconvenient bugs at launch mean it’s not a game for the weak-hearted, but 20+ hours with its rich, system-driven drama produced many delightful escapades worth admiring - even if a good number ended with us back in our cell miserably plotting our next attempt.

With lots of short stages, it’s a great pick-up-and-play title, making it a positive purchase for 3DS owners who take their system with them on the go.

For Trek-starved fans with Nintendo consoles, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova does a good job — far better than you might expect — of channelling the show's spirit and appeal into a light, kid-friendly co-op adventure with plenty of puzzles. By tapping into those Trek tenets of friendship, cooperation, and problem-solving as a team, Tessera Studios has created something far closer in spirit to the series than any dry space sim, even if (much like the inexperienced crew running the Protostar) it can often feel a little rough around the edges. It's not set to stun, then, but it shows plenty of promise, especially if you have young cadets eager to enlist.

Although we're certainly in the company of undead kings, Defend Your Crypt doesn't have grand ambitions. Instead it aims to deliver a solid puzzle title with a unique twist on the tried and tested 'tower-defense' formula.

On its trip down the river, some of Dordogne’s design ideas feel stodgy, performance is sometimes flaky, and it leans into its clunkiest gameplay elements as it nears the end. But to get hung up on these points is to miss a truly touching story bringing a beautiful world to life in sound and images. There’s a lot to reward you here if you can navigate the obstacles and just go with the flow.

Players might be put off by the short length and lack of multiplayer -- which means it probably won't get as much playtime after the first runthrough by anyone but high score junkies, but if you're a fan of the genre it's worth a look.

That said, if you like Just Dance and simply must have the additional 40 songs that come with this latest package, it’s a perfectly serviceable, inoffensive experience. As we said last year, there’s nothing here that’s going to convert non-believers, and the lack of meaningful improvements with this one makes it even less of a recommendation, but the quality-of-life changes from last year remain intact, at least.

Amoebattle is a pretty solid gaming experience that's unfortunately let down by an almost painful soundtrack, as well as a tendency to pad out levels in a way that feels artificial. If you can get beyond those things, however, you'll find a well-controlled and intuitive experience that brings out the best of the RTS genre without over-complicating it.

Viral Survival does pretty much exactly what you would expect from a high score game on WiiWare, but refreshingly the games are actually kind of fun.

The Beggar's Ride is a cool little game to play if you just fancy a few hours of escapism.

While its adventure mode-style exploration could do with a little more meat on its bones, we all know why we’re here - the Punch-Out!!-style bosses. The exploration sections fail to do the eye-catching visual style (and the story) much justice, but those brilliant big bads more than make up for it. Sprinkle in an '80s-style synth soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in Hotline Miami and you’ve got a rough-yet-ready new contender on the Switch eShop.

The Sims 3 provides the first open-world experience in the series for a Nintendo handheld, and does quite a good job of it, with enough options, subtlety, neighbours and mini-objectives that there's always something interesting to do. However, the content is limited to a somewhat narrow framework, and overall it's not immersive enough to provide anything much more complex than the original PC game.