It’s a perfect blend of 2D sprites and 3D environments, and everything from the character models to the tiny cups of coffee burst with personality - it’s one of the most beautiful pixel art games we’ve seen in a good while. Similarly, the music is wonderfully upbeat, and the combination of this along with the colourful visuals make for an incredibly pleasant gaming experience.

Overpass is an awkward, ornery racing game that stubbornly refuses to indulge your need for speed and instant gratification. It makes you work for every shaved second and clean section, with a unique brand of technical off-road obstacle negotiation that will have casual racing game players tearing their hair out - and a fair few hardened fanatics to boot. Given the lack of analogue triggers on the Joy-Con and even with this hardcore focus in mind, Overpass is simply too rough around the edges to win anything more than a heavily qualified recommendation. But a very specific sort of glutton for automotive punishment will lap it up.

Afterparty is certainly an acquired taste, but—like a fine wine or a good beer—it’s definitely worth the effort. From beginning to end, Night School's follow up to Oxenfree is a thoroughly enjoyable narrative experience that draws you into a hellish world that you (ironically) won’t want to leave. Branching paths and a smartly implemented drink system add plenty of options for replayability, and though the performance leaves something to be desired, Afterparty proves itself to be a visual treat. We’d give Afterparty a high recommendation to anyone looking for a good story to immerse themselves in; this is one that goes down real smooth.

Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late is a super slick, fast-paced fighter that manages to successfully straddle the line between being instantly accessible and welcoming for newcomers and in-depth enough to satisfy hardcore fight fans. Its line-up of twenty-one fighters are much more exciting than their anime stylings may suggest, and the Chronicles mode gives fans of the visual novel element of the game plenty to sink their teeth into. With the most comprehensive training and tutorial modes we've ever encountered in a fighting game, this is easily one of the most well-rounded, satisfying and instantly engaging brawlers on Switch and – even with an online mode which seems to be in need of some attention – there's plenty for fans of the genre to sink their teeth into here.

Aside from its compact size and some overwritten (but nonetheless beautifully-rendered) story scenes, there really isn't much to fault with Oddmar. Its cartoon-Norse universe is richly drawn and beautifully animated, while its classic 2D platforming is sharply executed. Of course, the game finds itself in a significantly more competitive field now that it's on the eShop, which lays bare the lack of anything genuinely new or exciting about it. But the simple fact that it provides such a pristine bite-sized example of the format is impressive enough.

Both the Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha and Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo collections are pretty close in value to one another. While Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is perhaps the better of the two due to the consistent quality of the Strikers games, we also harbour a soft spot for the Gunbird series on Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo, especially Gunbird 2. Sengoku Cannon is so poor it might as well not exist in the collection, but Samurai Aces Episode 1 and Gunbarich are stronger than Alpha's Sol Divide and Zero Gunner 2, so which collection is better is mostly going to come down to preference between the Gunbird or Strikers series. Another constant between them, sadly, is the high level of input lag and lack of bonus material to make the collection really stand out.

Murder By Numbers successfully manages to combine an entertainingly wacky series of whodunnit mysteries starring a properly entertaining cast of characters with some excellent puzzling that'll keep Picross fans happy for a good long while. There's an engaging, funny narrative at the centre of proceedings, and you'll find yourself rooting for Honor and SCOUT as they make friends and alienate people on their way to solving murders and finding out the truth behind SCOUT's mysterious past. This one's an easy recommendation and a genuinely delightful surprise.

It’s a little bit of a cop-out, but if you enjoy this series you are likely to wring a tremendous amount of gaming glee out of Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary. It’s vintage stuff and plenty of it. However, if you’re totally new to the series, you can expect to get viscerally frustrated by the old-school microcomputer cruelty exhibited by many of the levels; it’s also a little tainted by a terrible UI held over from its mobile game past. Still, the price is right and if you’re up for a proper challenge there are much worse ways to get your rocks off – or you could just wait a few years for Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary, which will most likely arrive on a Nintendo console many years after its initial release.

Ultimately, Spartan Fist is a pretty shallow experience for the most part. Visually, the game is really on point, and the pixelated graphics look great, especially when fountains of blocky blood (or rainbows, if you wish) fill the screen when you take down your foes. Sadly, the gameplay that forms the foundation of the experience just isn't up to scratch with this one.

A beautiful game with potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay, there's still no getting away from the fact that this is a 15-year-old GBA title at its core. The dungeon crawling genre has evolved over the years to try and make things feel less repetitive, and while Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX does add some features to try to modernise the process a bit, they tend to fall flat. It's still fun in bursts, it just gets samey after a while.

Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle goes well beyond a standard ROM compilation due to proper curation of the source material, and it successfully shines an overdue spotlight onto a sizeable selection of 8-bit Kunio masterpieces that most Western players never had the chance to experience. Contrary to what the tile may suggest, the NES games included end up being merely filler, while the real thrillers are undoubtedly the Famicom games, accessible to non-Japanese gamers for the first time here. A very large offering of varied single-player content complements nearly infinite multiplayer replayability, provided you keep it local, of course, as finding a game online is borderline impossible.

Bloodroots is an incredibly well-made action title that will keep you hooked with its excellent, flowing combat gameplay. The ability to use pretty much every item littering the world as a weapon means you'll be constantly experimenting to find the most efficient way of defeating your foes. Some lengthy load times and a few camera issues aside, this is a game that almost certainly belongs in your Switch library.

Hero must die. again is better than the sum of its parts, with its genuinely emotional premise and a strangely relaxing feel despite the time constraint. There are far worse ways to while away the hours.

Of the 16 Sega Ages games released to date, this sits nearer the bottom end of the scale. While it isn't quite as limited as the first Puyo Puyo, it's still very much a one-trick pony, and while it's entertaining enough for fans of the series, when you've got the far more feature-heavy Puyo Puyo Champions on Switch for only a couple of pounds or dollars more, this one is entirely unnecessary.

As a strategy game, Gambare! Super Strikers works well enough, but the novelty quickly wears a bit thin. The general gameplay is loaded with options to play around with, but a lot of it feels too reliant on luck, and we just can’t shake the feeling that it should be just a little bit faster. Still, if you’re a fan of the sport and want to get stuck in with the more strategic aspect of football, then this will definitely keep you busy for a while.

Kitty Powers' Matchmaker is a cute and inclusive dating simulator that does a great job of normalising love, regardless of gender, sexuality or appearance. While it doesn’t really hold up as a long-term experience, as a short term foray into the world of running a dating agency, Kitty Powers' Matchmaker really comes together. Dates are short and snappy, and it’s pretty rewarding to see a client end an evening with a new significant other. Mini-games are fun for a while, and grinding away to unlock new pages of the black book really opens up your options, but that gameplay loop can start to become a little too repetitive and a little too predictable after a while.

While the game's basic graphics are knowingly naff and amateurish, they're still, well, a bit naff and amateurish. There's a deliberate Flash game aesthetic at play here that helps with its speed and legibility, especially in handheld mode, but it's not pretty. True, the developer mixes things up and keeps you on your toes with new twists and additions – as well as a couple of bonus modes (including an endless Gauntlet mode and co-op multiplayer) – but you're still essentially pressing the same two buttons again and again. Thankfully, it's always an awful lot of fun to press those two buttons. One Finger Death Punch 2 offers a one-two combo that might be simple, but boy is it effective.

A brilliant presentation of a fantastic platformer, with a reasonable helping of extra features (some useful, others fairly throwaway). If you haven't played Sonic 2 before it's a must-have: whether it's worth buying if you already have the game in some other form, though, is questionable.

We’d give this one a high recommendation to anyone looking for an engaging yet undemanding game for their Switch. With that being said, those of you who have already played it on the 3DS may want to pause before buying it again, as the new features alone do little to justify the cost of entry once more. Either way, Rune Factory 4 Special proves itself to be a modern classic and a shining example of how good this genre can be; make sure to give it a shot.

It makes things a little repetitive unless you have faith in your ability not to die – which is hard because Willy isn't the most resilient little guy, dying in two or three hits from pretty much every enemy in the early game, when the experience is in its formative stages. Despite these little drawbacks, we were impressed with Willy Jetman. It rises above its derivative title and offers an attractive, intricate, very much hand-crafted Metroidvania-lite experience.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is everything that you could’ve hoped it to be. This is ultimately six great Mega Man games presented to you with a slew of customizable features, extra content, and quality of life updates. If you’re a fan of either Mega Man or sidescrolling action games in general, you owe it to yourself to give this release a go and see what all the fuss is about. These are hard and occasionally frustrating games, but they offer up some rewarding, action-heavy gameplay that even today stands among the best of its class. Don’t pass this one up, it’s definitely worth the punt.

Metro: Last Light Redux is another strong entry in the Metro franchise that adds plenty of big-budget bombast to Artyom's adventures, but truly excels when it decides to stick to the more slow-moving, methodical stealth action of its predecessor. It may not quite hit the highs of Metro 2033 and is dragged down in places by some ill-advised boss battles and a few too many hands-off, on-rails moments, but overall, this is an excellent first-person survival title, presented in a fantastic port that's an absolute must-play for FPS and horror fans.

Metro 2033 Redux is a top-class first-person shooter/survival horror game, a breathless experience that's been almost flawlessly ported to Switch by 4A Games. Artyom's desperate, haunting voyage through the irradiated remains of Moscow is every bit as engaging today as it was when it first released back in 2010, and this Redux version benefits massively from overhauled AI, gameplay mechanics and visuals. In terms of first-person shooters or survival horror games on Nintendo's console, this is one of the very best.

Metro Redux is a top-notch first-person survival horror package that delivers countless hours of thrilling stealth combat all wrapped up in a superb story. These are two of the most atmospheric games you'll likely play set in a beautifully detailed depiction of post-apocalyptic Russia. 4A Games has delivered a port that stands shoulder to shoulder with Alien: Isolation as the very best we've seen on Switch so far – an almost flawless experience which should absolutely be right at the top of any FPS or survival horror fan's must-buy list. This is essential stuff.

While Samurai Shodown has taken a very slight visual hit as part of its protracted journey to Switch, the most important thing is that the core 60FPS gameplay remains intact. The downgrade is most noticeable when playing in handheld mode, but it's still incredibly enjoyable and compelling, especially if you appreciate fighting games that exercise your mind as well as your fingers. The single-player portion of the game is perhaps a little too lacking by 2020 standards and some of the ideas don't work as well as they should (Dojo mode, we're looking at you) but with its appealing cast of fighters, decent multiplayer options and a host of new gameplay ideas to keep things feeling fresh, Samurai Shodown is nonetheless a confident and assured update of a classic fighting game series – and bodes well for SNK's future attempts to resurrect its enviable stable of titles for the modern era.

The Switch is fast becoming the perfect home for roguelikes, and Kunai is in esteemed company. The game holds itself well and is great fun, even if it lacks any real innovation. The unique weapon combinations can make each run different and interesting, but the repetitive nature of each level means that Kunai's replayability could be in doubt.

Speedway Racing is a mostly competent but ultimately unexceptional attempt to emulate the thrills and spills of Daytona USA – a courageous endeavour indeed. But like the many faux sponsorship advertisements dotted around this game’s speedways, closer inspection drops the curtain to reveal some hard-to-ignore shortcomings. The fun we got out of it clearly demonstrates potential, but a severe lack of customisation options, absence of smooth 60FPS performance and the availability of better racing games on the Switch all conspire to put an unavoidable dent into the bodywork. This is still fun for a few days without ruining your bank account, but it is forever left-turning near the back of the pack.

Vitamin Connection is a kaleidoscopic mishmash of influences and genres – part cutesy shooter, part mini-game collection. Not all of its ideas stick, and there are a couple of points of friction caused by its tilt controls, but when it's on song, this is a charming sugar rush of an experience – especially if you're after a new couch-co-op game.