Stick It To The Man somewhat feels out of place on a Nintendo system. It’s a platform game based on a universe made up of darker themes and a large cast of wild and wacky characters; the story, along with the humour, is certainly twisted and won’t appeal to everyone. For those who do enjoy something more obscure from time to time, what’s on offer is a brief but relatively well-crafted title that incorporates several other sub-genres within it to create a weird and wonderful world.

If you do some soul-searching and decide that you''re not Steve Tyler's biggest admirer, then you will probably end up disappointed with the game when you finally get to play it.

The Lunar Remastered Collection respects the enhanced PS1 versions while also making a few tweaks to modernise parts of each game. While not all changes are entirely successful, and there are other aspects that haven’t aged particularly well, we can’t deny that Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue are bursting with charm and wit that many RPGs today lack. They might not revolutionise the genre, but if you’re looking for a good time and have a little patience, you can do far, far worse.

If you appreciate clever puzzle design and want a stress-free game to wind down with after a long day of work, this is for you.

While its core systems don’t rewrite the rules of the genre, Fernz Gate’s wholesome RPG mechanics will whisk you back to a 16-bit era where plucky little sprites and enchanting chiptunes were the order of the day. While it’s been launched a little too close to Octopath Traveler, don’t let its poor timing rob you of its enjoyable wares. If you’re looking for an RPG built to make grinding actively more enjoyable, this could be the next retro-style adventure for you.

Beach Buggy Racing is a decent kart-racer; the driving is fun, the items are bonkers, and you’ll likely be playing it for some time. Perhaps enjoyed best in small bursts, and without the expectation of it being a mega-serious racer, the game does offer some easy-to-play fun for both solo players and groups of family or friends. It can’t steal Mario Kart’s pole position and it suffers from a couple of little niggles but for a fraction of the price it does offer an acceptable alternative.

Nidhogg 2 is a prime example of how simplicity isn’t always a bad thing; this is a deliciously compelling couch multiplayer experience that’s both approachable and in-depth, potentially leading to dozens of hours of fun. The weak single-player offering and online lag are certainly low points, but the trippy visuals, chill soundtrack and frantic gameplay all combine to make this a recommendation for those of you looking for another great title for playing with friends; solo combatants may wish to exercise some caution, however.

While it might seem like our gripes outnumber the improvements in Xeno Reborn, this is still a weird, unique, and overall enjoyable entry point into the Metal Max world. Squad-based, single-player tank-centric games (set in a post apocalyptic world) are few and far between, to put it mildly, so this is still worth your time. And to their credit, instead of simply moving on to a sequel (which they’re doing as well in Metal Max: Wild West), Cattle Call and 24Frame took the time to improve on the foundation laid by Metal Max Xeno, to ambitious if flawed results in Xeno Reborn. You can’t fault the teams for the effort made, and whether they were totally successful or not, the whole of Metal Max Xeno Reborn is still greater than the sum of its parts.

Launch instability issues aside, it may be a bit derivative, but Summum Aeterna ultimately ticks enough boxes to be worth your while. Smooth combat, tough difficulty, and an interesting seed system all come together to make this one worth investigating.

Hitman World of Assassination - Signature Edition is a stunning collection of games that sees Agent 47 at his absolute best. With multiplayer aspects woven seamlessly and smartly into the mix, tons of ways to approach every mission, and some of the best level design in the biz, this is a bonafide belter, no questions asked. However, this Switch 2 port — as things stand at launch — does need some work to fix its stuttering issues, especially in docked mode, as they are just a little too notable for comfort. Still highly playable, but with some performance problems, then. Let's hope we see improvements in the form of a patch or two ASAP.

If you’re looking for a new fighting game experience and you’ve somehow managed to avoid Skullgirls over the last seven years, then Skullgirls 2nd Encore is as good as any opportunity to do so. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table to distinguish it from the other iterations of the update that dropped back in 2016 – and some new characters would have really helped sell its arrival on Switch – but with its catchy jazzy soundtrack and memorable character animations, it’s still one of the most underrated fighters to emerge in recent generations.

You’re being treated here, not to a replica of 16-bit graphics, but the genuine article, and that in itself carries a wonderful charm. With varied locales and great music, River City Girls Zero cleverly all takes place in pseudo real-time, the sun setting into night and eventually dawning again as you near end of your journey. It's an endearing romp across a quaintly rendered Japanese urban landscape that continually offers new places to scrap — from fairground rides and collapsing buildings to nightclubs and sun-drenched bays — all becoming especially colourful in the last hour. While it’s very much a game of its era, River City Girls Zero is still rewarding for those interested in experiencing one of the saga’s more creative entries.

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX is a great jumping-in point for newcomers to the series. It's a welcoming start to the Dusk trilogy which hits the ground running whilst dialling back the traditional time limit aspect of the game, gently easing players into its core alchemy as well as firmly establishing the gameplay loops and systems which are carried on throughout the two follow-up games. It's never really going to satisfy the most ardent RPG fan as its exploration is too contained and controlled and its combat not ferocious or engaging enough for battle-hardened players. For everyone else, its alchemy is a thing of depth and beauty which creates a satisfying core to which all these lesser elements feed into in a satisfying manner. With a strong – if rather small-scale – story backing the whole thing up, Atelier Ayesha is an easy recommendation for those looking to get invested in a light and breezy, warm-hearted JRPG series.

Farmagia offers a fun and solid experience for fans of the fantasy genre. With great art and entertaining dialogue, this game is the perfect fit for those longing for a magical adventure. Although it is not necessarily a great farming game, Farmagia works well as a bridge for players who might want to try a more action-oriented adventure. On the other hand, seasoned players of action RPG games might feel frustrated because of how simple combat is in Farmagia. Still, we believe the game's positive aspects make Farmagia a great example that, when done correctly, even the simple feels fantastic.

Bear Box Media has been able to capture the unique controller's brilliance by adapting the classic word guessing game, Pictionary. Admittedly, Scribble is unlikely to win over anyone seeking a more traditional video game experience, while its appeal is perhaps a little limited by its genre. What is on offer, though, can be enjoyed by everyone.

With such a tight run time, Full Void’s ideas don’t have time to wear thin, but neither do they have chance to develop much depth. As a modern game, it’s far more player-friendly than Another World, its main inspiration, and looks and sounds fantastic. It also brings fresh ideas to the table, rather than simply retreading the old for the sake of nostalgia. However, it lacks a compelling narrative arc, which could have made it feel truly cinematic.

RPG Time: The Legend Of Wright is a beautifully imaginative, charming RPG. Protagonist Kenta’s childlike glee paired with some inventive storytelling techniques and fantastic presentation make it feel like more than just a one-and-done title. The six-ish-hour campaign has enough to explore to bring you back for another go, even if the storyline sometimes feels slightly sporadic and unconnected. It’s not perfect, with a soundtrack which quickly grates and narration that threatens to do the same, but it remains a charming childhood homage, and a gentle reminder for every player to keep their imagination alive.

If you give yourself over to Warhorse’s muddy opus, it will reward you with a hundred hours of grueling and enjoyable trial and error. It’s buggy and rough around the edges on Switch, but Kingdom Come Deliverance is a singular RPG experience. The pacing and constant juggling of mechanics is not for everyone, but invest the time and you’ll experience an engrossing, grounded adventure.

WayForward set out to push the DS to its limit, and by Odin's beard, it succeeded with thunderous applause.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a delightfully stylish origin tale that sees young Bayo take her first steps on the road to becoming the bad-ass Umbra witch we all know and love. This is a graphically stunning fairy tale with plenty in the way of atmosphere and charm. However, long-term Bayo fans beware, it's also a game that's aimed squarely at a young/casual audience, introducing plenty of fun puzzle and combat mechanics but never really evolving them to a point where they become in any way challenging. Repetition creeps in later in the game and, although it ends with some stylish boss sequences and some nice shoutouts to the main series, it feels like a little challenge, inventiveness and puzzle and combat experimentation could have made this one absolutely essential for all ages.

Overall, I find myself really loving Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted. Its cute and quirky character designs are infectiously charming, and the gameplay is simple but effective. The graphics are easy on the eyes and help make the character designs shine. It’s a bummer that there were problems with the controls at launch, but even with those issues, it wasn't enough to prevent the game from being a botanical blast.

Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter is a solidly crafted game that does a lot right in offering a classic, arcade-leaning space shooter experience.

Heron: Steam Machine isn't going to win any awards, but it has a clean cartoony look and offers a great 5-minute pick-up game that will have broad appeal. The game has a solid play mechanic with a great arcade feel to it backed by bouncy music - for 500 points that's not half bad, and if you like puzzlers it's definitely worth a look.

PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff might not be one of the more well-known card games out there, but its simple rules and strategic gameplay should make it very appealing to card game fans looking for something a little different.

Atelier Escha and Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX gets off to a pretty turgid start with exposition-heavy scenes punctuated with lots of tutorials; however, once it gets its bearings, it's another satisfying tale with two strong lead characters to choose from, a great cast of supporting characters and that deep and satisfying alchemy sat right at the centre of it all, pulling the weaker strands of its gameplay together into a satisfyingly unified whole.

Some patches may improve this experience, and it's a solid entry for those with a New 3DS that fancy some Terraria on the go.

Detective Pikachu Returns serves up more of what delighted us the first time around, with an endearing and exciting story packed full of fun and light-hearted silliness. We really do enjoy this gruff, coffee-addled take on Pikachu, he never fails to raise a smile when he goes off on one, and the game successfully straddles a very thin line in giving us an adventure aimed at younger players that long-time Pokémon fans and ancient gamers such as ourselves can also enjoy. If you can handle the inherent repetitiveness of most of the core gameplay, alongside some rather drab visuals, you'll enjoy this one.

Mortal Kombat 11 finally realised a true Mortal Kombat experience on Nintendo hardware, and with Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Nintendo Switch players get to experience this full expansion in all its glory. The five-chapter-long Story mode isn’t essential, but it does a nice job of weaving the non-third-party DLC characters into the narrative, with Shang Tsung still managing to steal the show. The three additions to the roster certainly won’t set it alight, but Fujin alone does bring a few dimensions to the party. It’s a fun expansion, but the asking price is still a little too high at launch.