It still has some of the flaws inherent in many of the other Lego titles on the market but, at its core, it’s a strong title with solid gameplay and humor. Most importantly, it’s a licensed game from a developer that clearly knows and appreciates the license, and that frequently shines through. With a script co-written by classic Avengers scribe Kurt Busiek and a plethora of new heroes and villains to play as, Marvel fans of all ages will find a lot to love.

Heroki is a charmer despite its flaws. There are some genuinely fun moments of puzzle-solving gameplay to revel in. The approachability of Heroki’s gameplay also works in its favor. The game feels like it’s meant to be serene and calming, offering a stolid trip through Heroki’s world for players of all skills to engage in. I’d have loved to see the injection of new ideas more frequently throughout the game, but Heroki still warrants your attention if you’re looking for an adventure game that does things somewhat different from the norm, but feels familiar enough to quickly step into and start playing.

Old School Musical‘s laser-like focus on delivering a remix of the classic titles of yore with modern rhythm gameplay is a real delight. Don’t hesitate to add it to your collection.

It does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of classic NES shooters while bringing them into the modern day with upgradeable weapons and health boosters. Throw in a handful of modes that encourage replay, a stellar cast, brilliant production values, and a killer soundtrack, and Kero Blaster is a modern classic. It could stand to be longer, but this is a game that will keep players hooked. Go give it a download!

It’s highly unlikely that Victor Vran will be remembered as a groundbreaking title a few years down the road, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a really solid game here and now. The core gameplay is built on the solid foundation of its genre’s forefathers while adding some of its own ideas to make its titular hero feel a little more agile in combat and exploration. The presentation is also quite solid, though some might disagree on how it chooses to balance the campier and more serious sides of its take on Gothic horror.

Hit detection is squishy, player movement is twitchy, and the field is littered with random weird thingies that cause damage for no obvious reason. Oh, and because of the side-scrolling perspective, trying to chop through brush directly below invites getting hit, because players can’t slash down.

The Messenger is a real accomplishment for the fledgling Sabotage Studio. There are development teams that work for years trying to come within the same hemisphere of quality that The Messenger comfortably resides at. Its gameplay is both polished and electric, fostering a constant desire to push forward and discover every secret that its world contains. While some of the writing isn’t executed as well as it could be, the sum of The Messenger‘s parts absolutely makes up for this single, flawed fragment. It’s an essential title for anyone’s library of Switch games and I really hope at some point it gets a physical release.

If you’re a fan of fart humor, there aren’t a lot of options on the eShop, outside of South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Sigi: A Fart For Melusina doesn’t quite fully commit to the joke, but that doesn’t make it a terrible game; it’s just a hard one to recommend when Switch has so many other terrific platformers to choose from that last quite a bit longer. Still, the controls are tight and the old-school visuals are mostly charming. Some might admire the fact that Sigi doesn’t linger, but with a difficulty level that stays low and doesn’t ramp up until the very last boss fight, there just won’t be enough here for most players to justify a purchase.

Admittedly, Little Dragons Café is a harder sell because of its tech problems, but it honestly does enough interesting things with its gameplay and narrative to warrant sticking through to the end. It’s rife with Wada’s requisite unique design flourishes and sensibilities. In Little Dragons Café, he’s produced a game that is full of heart. Rin and Ren are both easy people to sympathize with and pull for. Draco is similarly compelling, along with the rest of the cast. Watching the shop grow and working towards the end goal of reviving the kids’ mother is absolutely worthy of your time. It’s just a matter of how patient you can be towards Little Dragons Café’s hiccups and blemishes.

For some, the gameplay might prove too simple and the comparatively low fidelity visuals might pull people out of the experience and distract them from what the game does well. While part of me would definitely love to see Lifeless Planet re-imagined with a more modern engine and an extra layer or two to the gameplay, I can’t deny I found the game plenty compelling as it is. So, for those interested in a no-frills, story driven sci-fi adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome, Lifeless Planet is well worth a closer look.

If you’re the kind of gamer who loves old-school games, post-apocalyptic style, and gameplay that really challenges your reflexes, Hyper Light Drifter – Special Edition is absolutely the game for you. If, on the other hand, you prefer your RPGs to be a little more slow and steady, this may incite a little more controller rage than you’d like, regardless of the game’s beautiful trappings. Even then, though, it’s hard not to like what the developer has done here, and for that, this is definitely a game worth a look.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 is a stunning achievement by Capcom that should be a compulsory buy for platformer and retro gaming enthusiasts alike. Its presentation is as good as it gets, with its bevy of extras and historical content acting as icing on an already succulent cake. There are some blemishes in the emulation of the SNES X games, and the second half of the series doesn’t live up to the quality of the first, but as a whole these compilations represent some of the greatest run and gun shooters to ever grace a gaming console— which seems to be par for the course for the Blue Bomber!

While it doesn’t necessarily revolutionize any of the genres from which it draws inspiration, NeuroVoider still manages to be an exceptionally enjoyable game. Not only did the developers create a mechanically fun game, but they added in a layer of highly enjoyable and deep customization options that is the true heart of the game; no matter what your play-style is, there are countless ways to create unique variations of it. Considering the joy of replaying the game, its issues with occasionally cheap boss fights do little to distract you.

Those looking for a retro throwback will find a lot to enjoy in The Adventures of Elena Temple. With its tight gameplay and clever puzzles, it’s probably a much more enjoyable experience than revisiting the games it’s based on. Unfortunately, the option to play the game on multiple systems ends up being little more than a gimmick, and the experience is over a bit too quickly. It’s a fun game while it lasts, but the inclusion of online leaderboards or the ability to conveniently toggle between system modes would have made the experience less likely to be forgotten.

It’s a bold, unique title that does so much within its sparse confines. Experimental games like Minit deserve to be embraced by fans and I hope that those of you reading this will soon count yourselves among those who give it a download.

Remastered is a stunning addition to the Switch library that absolutely shouldn’t be missed. Puzzle fans will likely delight the most from the game’s mechanics, but even those who have been turned off by puzzle titles in the past should consider giving Lumines Remastered a look, as it does enough different to warrant any gamer’s attention.

For all the time that has passed, Limbo remains a benchmark of the genre that few other games have come within sniffing distance of. It’s nearly unparalleled in terms of presentation and design, and this latest port to Switch has maintained everything about the game that makes it special. While some might lament the lack of any additional content, I wholeheartedly beg to differ. Limbo is a game that doesn’t need a single bit added, removed, or rearranged. It’s a classic in every sense and deserves to be played by as many people as possible.

Overall, Treasure Tracker is a real gem of a game. It’s also beautiful; I was stunned by it on Wii U, but the visuals have only gotten better on Switch. It’s bright, cheery, and wildly creative from an aesthetic standpoint. Each stage is like a diorama, making the game feel like the player is interacting with toys, rather than lines of code. The soundtrack isn’t especially varied, likely because most stages don’t require a lot of time to beat, but I’d have appreciated a few more tracks to spice things up.

The core mechanics are perfectly competent and generally fun, the story is a little more solid by the end, and the music is genuinely great throughout. In other words, the adventure proves to be a fairly enjoyable one by the end, it just happens to be punctuated by moments of frustration throughout.

In looking at Tanzia as a whole, there’s no question that this game is a labor of love for the two principal developers, a fact most evident during the closing credits. It’s also a game that left this reviewer wishing there was more: more spells, more potions, more places to explore, and more plotline, both in terms of the characters already introduced and the wider world of the game. The endgame does hint that there may be more to come, but for now this appears to be it. Still, what is there now is a lot of fun, and if you’re looking for 10 or so hours of RPG goodness you could do a lot worse. Worth a look.

That’s a small grievance against what is otherwise a very fun, solid game. Runbow manages to stand out by virtue of its unique color-changing hook, fun presentation, and sound gameplay. Throw in lots of characters to choose from, including many familiar Nindie favorites, and the game’s lure is undeniable.

Overall, Milanoir is a very fun title. It has a deliciously dark and entertaining storyline, something that even the most expensive AAA games would kill for. It’s also home to some of the most creative use of a pixel art style seen in recent memory. The environments and characters look authentic to the period and drip personality, making all of the twists and turns of Piero’s adventure that much more irresistible to watch unfold. There are some mechanical issues that hold Milanoir back, but don’t let that stop anyone looking for a more unique video game experience from giving it a download from the eShop.

Regardless of what you’re looking for, Lost in Harmony does a good job finding different ways to appease players of different interests and skill levels. It’s also filled with catchy music and solid controls and, in the rhythm genre, there’s not much more you can ask for.

While the core gameplay is enjoyable, it would have benefited from a few more features and better all-around balancing. The story offers at least some level of intrigue, but the effort needed to unravel it outside of the game doesn’t really feel worth the effort, though I can imagine at least a few dedicated cyber sleuths getting a kick out of it. Considering all of this, we’re really just left with a solid retro-inspired indie shooter based around an interesting nugget of an idea, something that ultimately really isn’t all that uncommon these days.

While Fortnite is deservedly garnering a ton of attention, don’t let Paladins slip past you. It has fun characters, a fair progression system, wildly addictive combat, and a vibrant look that makes each battle a real rush.

The game is short and let down by some noticeable issues, but beyond that, it’s a beautifully strange experience many will at least find interesting, with a fair few probably considering it brilliant.

As has become tradition on Nintendo consoles, Yoku’s is an indie title that stands on level footing with some premium offerings in the eShop. Don’t let this one roll past you as you scroll through the different games on offer for Switch, as it’s a genuine delight.

The visual references, music, and dialogue not only highlight the developer’s taste in movies, but they also give the game an extra layer of humor and charm. The silly, over-the-top violence is also a part of this, and while this might turn some off to the game, I think most gamers will get a kick out of the discrepancy between the cutesy visuals and the ridiculous brutality.