Sengoku would go on to establish a franchise which improved drastically over time, but this debut title is one that should perhaps remain in the past, despite some neat ideas. It's not that you won't gain any enjoyment from it - in fact, with two players, Sengoku is a perfectly pleasant way to spend an evening - it's just that there are so many other superior examples of this kind of game available. Unless you have a strong nostalgic bond with the game from your arcade-going youth or you're a huge fan of side-scrolling brawlers then we'd recommend you save your eShop credit for one of the other ACA Neo Geo titles, or wait for the far superior sequels to arrive.

If you haven’t played Cave Story yet, you need to; it’s an essential title for any fan of Metroidvania style games. Its wonderful pacing, fantastic controls and charming visuals make it a must-have for fans of the genre, especially those that have yet to play it. If there was the equivalent of a required reading list for games, Cave Story+ would be on it.

It's a remarkably solid experience that combines a distinct aesthetic with varied gameplay, satisfying combat and fast-paced exploration, all centred around a story about the apocalypse.

All told, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has never been better; the enhanced versatility of the Switch lends the game a new sort of appeal and convenience that wasn’t there before, and the first DLC expansion is due out this summer. This is a charming, colourful, and sometimes challenging Metroidvania that will no doubt prove to be a memorable addition to your collection.

ARMS is polished, addictive, immensely rewarding and - perhaps most important of all - establishes a solid platform to create a popular and long-running series.

Where it falls short on that title is the absence of a meaningful single player option (beyond duelling with AI), which the premium shift in price perhaps merited. Apart from that the retro-tastic soundtrack keeps all battles thrilling along with a smart, convenient control-scheme that makes any spare moment accessible for play. It's certainly one to consider for those seeking local multiplayer thrills on their Switch.

Overall, Pokémon: Magikarp is a fascinating package. It has great style, but it severely lacks in gameplay. It feels like the epitome of a generic mobile title with a Pokémon twist, which is somewhat unfortunate. With no gameplay other than feeding the fish and playing "whose stat is bigger?", there's just unfortunately so little to the game. It's definitely something fun to play on the bus or the train to kill time, in a style similar to other mobile games that have you looking after animals or buildings, but it just lacks the depth that we've come to expect from the other Pokémon mobile titles such as Pokémon GO, Pokémon Duel and Pokémon Shuffle. While it's easy to recommend having it on your mobile device, it's hard to recommend paying for microtransactions.

The gameplay is as tight and enjoyable as ever, and there's a simplicity to the game engine which makes it incredibly appealing – while it lacks some of the improvements seen in recent fighters, this simplicity somehow makes for a purer experience and one which is more accommodating to genre newcomers to boot. Sadly, Capcom's attempts to add value to this likeable yet aging template fall totally flat.

For Disgaea fans this game is worth a purchase, especially as it includes all DLC from the original and plays beautifully on the go. For strategy RPG fans we still give it a hearty recommendation, but with the proviso that it's more demanding and tougher to master than many of its genre contemporaries. If you're up for the challenge and time investment, and can tolerate its zany characters and settings, then it's well worth adding to your Nintendo Switch collection.

Like a classic chocolate cake, Cooking Mama Sweet Shop is comfortingly familiar, dependably tasty, and not about to surprise or delight with any particular twists. It doesn't do much to innovate on the series’ successful recipe of touchscreen microgames and food-based fun, but what's here is solid, and the focus on sweets does play to the series' strengths — even if the 'Shop' side of the equation falls flat. It's also commendably accessible, and backs up its all-ages appeal with simple, easy to read gameplay that's perfect for younger and novice gamers. If you're not specifically into desserts, Cooking Mama 5 is still our pick for the better game, but if you're looking to take a baking break with life's sugarier pleasures, Mama's Sweet Shop is a pretty sweet place to be.

While Samurai Shodown IV wasn't the last game in the series, it is considered by some fans to be the best, and with good reason. The weapon-based gameplay is refined after the experiments of the first three outings and roster of fighters is unique and varied; add in the "Slash" and "Bust" variants and you've quite a few combat options to master. All of the Samurai Shodown games boast excellent presentation but this entry truly benefits from the increased storage available on the Neo Geo at the time; smooth animation and plenty of detail in the backgrounds helps to elevate the game above many other 2D releases of the period. While it's easy to grumble about the proliferation of fighting games on SNK's platform, this franchise has always set itself apart thanks to its focus on swords and other weapons, so if you're sick of Street Fighter and can't stand another King of Fighters then this might be just the tonic you need.

With its simple looks and extremely basic gameplay, Absolutely Unstoppable MineRun is at least appropriately priced. However, the game suffers greatly from the way it applies 'difficulty', demanding time and memorisation over skill across a modest number of levels. With one of the steepest difficulty curves we've ever seen and gameplay that's not very interesting or exciting to begin with, this game probably should've done its presentation justice and been released as an actual flash game.

Thumper is a fantastic video game, an extravagant rhythm experience that's also a brutal assault on the senses. It's extremely difficult, painfully so at times, yet we feel the need to persevere, retrying tough stages over and over again.

Proof that the 3DS still has life left in it yet, Echoes is a phenomenal Fire Emblem and a wonderful tactical title to tuck into.

Dark Witch Music Episode: Rudymical is a great idea on paper; the combat-based rhythm action is a nice change to the norm of the genre but is never pulled off to its full potential. There are fleeting, promising moments – the game’s art is as attractive as the series has always been and some sections of music flow along with your button presses in a very tight, satisfying way, but ultimately when judged against other rhythm action games it falls short. We’re not saying this is a bad game, it’s just rather underwhelming, and with other stronger rhythm action games already available on Nintendo Switch - such as VOEZ - this feels like a game that might appeal more to the fans of the series rather than the genre.

All told, this is yet another excellent port of Minecraft, nothing more and nothing less. With that being said, we would strongly recommend that you pick up this version, as the versatile setup of the Switch allows this to be the most easily accessible and playable Minecraft to date. That convenience factor is the only real notable difference, however, so it’s up to you whether that justifies paying for another version of Minecraft. If you want to play the best portable version of the game, however, look no further.

While Street Fighter and King of Fighters continue to dominate the one-on-one combat genre, Garou: Mark of the Wolves will be remembered as an undisputed high-point for this style of game. This is the work of a company at the height of its powers, with an intimate understanding of hardware which was - by 1999 - almost a decade old. The controls are tight, the cast is varied and appealing (if a little small) and the visuals rank as some of the best examples of hand-drawn artwork ever seen in a video game. It therefore goes without saying that Garou is an essential purchase for each and every Switch owner, even if you don't consider yourself to be a fan of the genre.

BYE-BYE BOXBOY! is a fitting farewell to our favourite monochromatic cuboid. Clever, but not too challenging puzzles, a decent if not toe-tapping soundtrack and an adventure that ends before it becomes tiresome make for a winning formula, especially considering the low asking price for a HAL Laboratory title. If you’re itching for something to do on your 3DS and want the most bang for your buck, you could do far worse.

NBA Playgrounds is a flawed game, but a fun one. Single player modes are playable but can feel like a bit of a slog for all but the most hardcore fans. Multiplayer fares much better, delivering an enjoyable local multiplayer experience that we’re hopeful can be recreated well online. If you’re thinking of picking this one up, then, we recommend you do your homework and proceed with caution; perhaps wait until the online multiplayer is live, too.

One of the most famous Neo Geo shooters is now a essential purchase on your Switch, especially at this price.

Its status as a hard-to-find title may have amplified its status with collectors, but in reality this is actually a very average racing title which lacks longevity and won't keep you occupied for very long. The range of different vehicles is a nice touch and the game controls well, but outside of cutting seconds off your time and finding every shortcut there's little to keep you coming back for more.

All told, Tumbleseed is a game that will certainly divide opinion. The absurdly high difficulty demands that you put up or shut up; if you don't take the time to be patient and focus on improving your skills in controlling the seed, you will not find much enjoyment here. However, if you're willing to stick it out and put in the time required to 'git gud', you'll find a deeply rewarding game with nearly unlimited replayability between the daily challenges and the constant tease of getting a better score. If you consider yourself a skilled and patient gamer, give Tumbleseed a shot. If not, perhaps something else might be a better choice.

World Heroes Perfect stands out from other fighters thanks to its unusual cast and vibrant atmosphere, and is without a doubt the best version in the entire series. The action is fluid and responsive and the simplified super move system makes it easy to understand for newcomers. The only real criticism is that while World Heroes Perfect refines the franchise after some inconsistent early entries, it was never iterated upon and even by 1995 standards it was hardly pushing the envelope of the genre. Fans of the series will no doubt be pleased, but those coming to the series without any prior experience many want to check out titles like King of Fighters '98 and Samurai Shodown IV before investing in this.

Stunningly stylish and with an irresistibly kinetic sense of motion, Kamiko is a true gem. It's a quick ride, to be sure, but gorgeous pixel-art visuals, a lush soundtrack and three very different characters with plenty of speedrunning potential make it well worth coming back to. A uniquely appealing, action-packed package for less than the price of a prayer plaque, this is an easy recommendation for any Switch owner.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is almost like three games in one. You get two classic puzzle games as well as a fascinating amalgamation of the two. There's no shortage of modes, and the offerings make for a game well suited to both newcomers and old pros. Support for all of the Switch's various control options, with the exception of the console's touch screen, good online play as well as up to four player local multiplayer make Puyo Puyo Tetris a no-brainer for Switch-owning puzzle fans out there. Even if you aren't exactly crazy about puzzlers, the pick-up-and-play nature of this title makes it worth a look if your'e taking your Switch on the go.

While this game is a great set-up for hilarity, it's regrettable that it can't always execute its own punchlines. However, it's an excellent title if played with the right crowd. It's a great selection of party games, and is worthy of a place in a Switch library accessed by groups of friends. Due to the nature of its controls, however, don't expect much in terms of portability.

We want it to be clear that the version we played for this review was the full Switch eShop release. We've been told that the game runs much smoother on PC in the launch period, so you might want to make that your platform of choice if you want to check this one out – and honestly, you should. There's nothing groundbreaking to be found here, but it's a decent game with interesting ideas that unfortunately aren't fully fleshed out. We just can't fully recommend the Switch version in its initial form, and it's disappointing that this one falls under the category of games released in a sub-par state that leave owners hoping that promised updates will save the day.

Given its advanced age and the fact that SNK released so many sequels and other fighters, it should come as no great surprise to learn that Fatal Fury hasn't aged all that gracefully. The big, bold sprites still look great but the animation is poor, and the fact that you can only play as three characters drastically curtails the game's long-term appeal. SNK would refine the series as the years went on, culminating in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, perhaps one of the finest one-on-one fighting games in existence. Fatal Fury is therefore interesting as a historical piece or purely for nostalgia, but newcomers should probably avoid it and pick a more worthy example of the genre.