I think I’ve made it about halfway through Resident Evil Village and I’m having a blast so far. The game plays wonderfully on Nintendo Switch 2 and combines a lot of the elements I’ve come to love about the series. If you’re looking to get caught up on the last game before beginning with Resident Evil Requiem, you really cannot go wrong with this version of RE8. The additional DLCs are included as well as the Mercenaries mode. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a daughter to rescue.

Demonschool is a very frictionless game that makes it easy to coast along and just see its story play out as you watch its characters interact with each other. If the writing clicks with you, then you’ll probably have a good enough time just taking in the vibes and laughing at the characters, but unfortunately it didn’t click with me at all. With its characters that annoyed me, story that undermined its own appeal, and gameplay that was streamlined to the point of dullness, I found myself bored the entire time I was playing. The striking and vibrant visuals are the only thing that really shines in a package that is otherwise utterly and totally forgettable.

At the end of the day, however, this is the definitive way in 2025 to buy a trilogy of some fantastic games along with its DLC, new content, and other upgrades. If you’ve been thinking about getting into the Atelier series and don’t know where to start, this is a great place to begin your Atelier journey. If you’re already a seasoned alchemist, it might be OK to wait to see what else Gust is cooking up - or hey, pick up one or both of the other Atelier games released this year.

All this makes it currently very difficult for me to recommend Two Point Museum wholeheartedly right now. While I adore the style, humor and general gameplay loop, it is now becoming a struggle to fully enjoy the game as it reveals its deeper layers. I wish to explore the depth of its gameplay and for that I will now refrain from giving the game a fully scored review. In part because it feels like I have just gotten the hang of its systems and controls in more depth. But also because I want to believe that the developers need a bit more time to optimize and finetune the game for the Nintendo Switch 2. In its current state, at launch, I would not recommend picking up Two Point Museum unless you’re willing to deal with its shortcomings in terms of both performance and presentation. I hope that the developers are able to take the time to get more acquainted with the Switch 2 hardware and use it to optimize the game. In particular I want to see them embrace the features that help a management game such as Two Point Museum thrive on Nintendo Switch 2. For now, this museum is, in my opinion, still undergoing renovations and I hope to see it reopen in the near future to make its exhibits shine. [Review in Progress]

Atelier Resleriana is in a lot of ways a love letter to the rest of the series. While Atelier Yumia was looking forward, Atelier Resleriana shows that Gust is more than willing to look back at the things that made the series beloved in the first place. While I really enjoyed my time with Atelier Yumia, I think Atelier Resleriana will be my favorite Atelier game of the year. This is a review in progress due to the fact I’m not quite done with the game and can’t speak to the completed story, but I think the gameplay and characters show just why so many fans like myself have fallen in love with the Atelier series. It incorporates classic Atelier gameplay with fan favorite characters while still including fresh gameplay ideas. While this was definitely made with existing fans of the series in mind, Atelier Resleriana is something that new fans can also appreciate as well.

Shuten Order is a game that takes so much time to say so little. There are so many video games in this video game, and yet not one complete video game. The multiple routes being able to happen in any order hurt the mystery-driven story more than they help. The varied gameplay styles are underdeveloped and rarely make it feel like you’re playing anything other than a linear visual novel. The writing is boring at the best of times and actually insulting to me as a queer woman at the worst of times. This game clearly wants to swing for the fences, but it doesn’t accomplish anything other than striking out every time it steps up to the plate.

Tamagotchi Plaza isn’t an experience I would recommend on Switch or Switch 2, and I struggle to find many redeeming qualities outside of its colorful world and quirky-looking citizens. The mini-games are much more often boring, repetitive, or inscrutable than fun, and the gameplay loop becomes recognizably thin within the first 30 minutes of the game. From what I’ve seen of the DS titles, there’s more charm and incentive to revisit or play through those than this modern reincarnation. While I’d think that younger players might be able to get into Tamagotchi Plaza, the lack of mini-game tutorials/directions is certain to push them away instead. No amount of Tamagotchi nostalgia would be enough to make this plaza a place you want to visit.

The nicest thing I can say about the Switch version, is that it was significantly worse a couple weeks ago. But even with the multitude of patches that were released during the review period, Trident's Tale still just isn’t really in a playable state on Switch.

Still, Sunderfolk is best enjoyed with friends, whether it’s online or on the couch. I’m looking forward to furthering my adventures with this game on Switch. It’s an incredibly neat idea and concept that feels right at home on a Nintendo platform. When I can navigate adult life to get a regular group together to play through this, I’ll hopefully be back with a scored review. [Review in Progress]

Atelier Yumia is a game I think you should experience, either if you are an experienced Atelier fan or are looking for a new entry point into the series. While I have yet to finish the game (hence why this is a review in progress)I am thoroughly enjoying everything new and old that Atelier Yumia has to offer. If this is the future of the Atelier series, the future is looking bright for Atelier fans.

Is there anything I really liked about Emio? Sadly no. I can tell you that the artwork is nice, and the animation can bounce between stiff and puppet animation. The music is just nice elevator music, but I don’t really have any strong feelings towards it. It’s cool that its voice acted, even if I don’t speak Japanese. But I really wish I had more positive comments for the overall experience. This just did not land for me at all and that’s okay, it’s not going to be for everyone. I have observed online a plethora of praise for the ending, and its animated epilogue, so it’s divisive to say the least. I don’t think I am going to be the only person letdown by the edgy promises from the reveal. Just because something has dark themes like mental illness and domestic abuse doesn’t suddenly make it a great commentary on them. Games such as Mother 3 and Captain Rainbow being left unlocalized compared to the cavalcade of embarrassment in Emio is probably the biggest mystery this game has. Hopefully you’re left with a bigger smile on your face than I was.

I’m not done with Alain’s campaign to restore his kingdom and set the world to rights, but there’s no denying how exciting and captivating Unicorn Overlord has turned out to be. It’s a love letter to deep, complex tactical RPGs and will most likely appeal to those who appreciate the Fire Emblem and Ogre Battle franchises, but as someone who only has very sparse memories of the latter, I’m still enthralled by what VanillaWare has done here. The Switch performance is excellent, and the art style remains one of the clear strengths of this developer. I expect that I’ll need another 10-20 hours to see the main story through to completion, and even more to discover all of the secrets hidden around the world map. Once those tasks are complete, I’ll be updating this review with a final score. Until then, I feel confident in saying we’re looking at another candidate that’s sure to take home some end-of-the-year accolades.

Superstars should’ve been the new standard to live up to Sonic’s Genesis run, which just makes it sad that the game fails to even match the standard that was set over twenty years ago.

Gargoyles is a relic that should have remained set in 16-bit stone, sealed away never to return. I'm normally very supportive of the effort to bring back old and forgotten games, but even superfans of the TV series shouldn't be tortured by this unnecessary re-release.

Trine 5 is more of the same, though based on how the series’ fans have received it so well perhaps that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It stands to reason that if you liked the previous Trine games, you’ll still like this one, and that probably goes double if you’ve got three friends to play with. Unfortunately I don’t have three friends to play with, and I can’t deny the dull and frustrating experience I had with it. Between poor puzzle design and combat that doesn’t seem to belong in the game, there was simply nothing in Trine 5 that didn’t feel like a waste of time.

Ultimately, Infinity Strash is a lifeless husk of a video game that can’t be redeemed by an added post-game difficulty or the dozens of simplified and random stages of the Temple of Recollections. Spend your time and money on anything else with the “Dragon Quest” name on it instead, and leave this one in the Strash bin.

The biggest endorsement of Mineko’s Night Market I can give is that despite the issues I have with it so far, I really do want to spend more time with this game. I am very invested with the ongoing story; I love spending time in this world. I adore so many elements of this game, and I really hope that a future patch can address some of the technical issues with it. At its core, Mineko’s Night Market is an endearing life sim that deserves attention, but for the moment, technical issues make it difficult to fully endorse this game on Switch.

The common Gloomhaven community standard is to keep things secret - particularly the per-map side quests, which the game only reveals at the end of the map - so the Switch is fundamentally a great platform to play the digital version on. It can kill a lot of time; each map takes about 45 minutes to an hour, even with or perhaps because I was playing with someone who knew how to manipulate the AI. But I never felt the game dragged at all, and would vastly prefer this digital copy to having to schlep around something bigger than every game console I’ve ever owned.

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is frustrating because I feel like there could be a good game in here. In fact, if NIS decided to put out a sequel, I might be inclined to check it out because they have made a number of excellent RPGs in the past. It just feels like they threw in so many systems, meters, and mechanics that they forgot to put in something to compel you to keep playing. There are many better games out there in all of the genres that this one borrows from that despite interesting ideas, Monster Menu can’t come together to provide a satisfying meal.

Farming Simulator 23 is not a game for newcomers. My time playing was largely filled with confusion, and the in-game tutorials and guides do very little to point a new player in the right direction. It may appeal to core fans of the franchise since it is at least a portable version of the game, but the scaled-back features are likely to be what those players care about the most, and anyway the price tag of $45 is frankly a joke compared to the $8 this same version of the game costs on Android and iOS. Perhaps I’m wrong and there’s some X factor a hardcore Farming Simulator fan can tell I’m missing, but Farming Simulator 23 is a clear non-starter for newcomers that clearly lacks plenty of content that longtime fans have come to enjoy on more powerful hardware.

The daunting scale of Dokapon Kingdom is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The length of the story mode heavily depends on the people you’re playing with and how efficiently you complete objectives, but discussion of the game online tells me that it takes roughly 25 hours to finish a single playthrough—and that’s if you’re quick! This enables an incredible opportunity to craft an ongoing adventure with friends that devolves into spiteful chaos as time goes by, with tension higher than any other multiplayer game I’ve ever played.

So far, the vast majority of the visual upgrades and the new quality of life features make the Pixel Remaster for Final Fantasy VI a strong candidate for being the best way to experience one of Square Enix’s most compelling RPGs. I almost neglected to mention that a bestiary, music player, and gallery are all accessible from the main menu, rounding out the package quite nicely. I’m eager to see how summoned Espers look in all their glory, in addition to the always sublime Opera House scene.

Returning to Arcadia Bay has been pretty disappointing for me. The magic that I felt from the game in 2015 is gone as playing the episodes in quick succession makes their flaws all the more obvious. I would be unsure about recommending the best port of this game now, but my feelings on the Switch version specifically are far less complicated. This is not a very good port, and the baffling difference in quality between the original game and its prequel only makes that more blatant. If I could rewind time, I would go back and avoid playing this port so I could simply live with my positive memories of the original instead of confronting the serious letdown the remaster has turned out to be.

It’s hard to fully rate these fan discs or compilations of post-game content because they’re so dependent on how well the base game clicked with you, or if you weren’t satisfied with the handling of a suitor and want to see them get their comeuppance. Later x Crowd is one of the better fandisc treatments on the Switch, however, with a good mix of modes and two games worth of fanservice. It’s a definite recommendation after clearing the original.

Golazo 2 is very different from modern football games - and that isn’t a compliment. It brings back the stiff and awkward controls, giving the impression that you’re playing on a very muddy pitch. The CPU, even on the easiest difficulty, feels one-sided at times. I imagine this being a fun pick up and play with a friend, but the poor controls and bizarre aesthetic aren’t making it easy for me to want to even try.

To a degree, Kaichu is what it set out to be. A modest Kickstarter success, this was never pitched to be a massive, huge game. Even still, it’s not something I’d recommend to the majority of people. Unless you’re really into the idea of a kaiju dating sim that is actually just a set of trial-and-error multiple choice quizzes with nice animation, there’s no reason to take Gigachu on a world tour of destructive dates.

Between poor writing and gameplay with less depth than a Mario Party minigame, Restless Soul simply doesn’t have anything I think is worth seeing.

From what I’ve played so far, I’ve been very impressed. From these 8 hours, I think that the world and creatures feel distinct from the games that inspired and it left me with an excitement that I haven’t felt since Pokémon Black and White. Not only the unique designs of the Coromon themselves, but mechanics like the potential-system and the way typings and skills work together sets Coromon apart from a simple ROM hack. There’s also a large selection of difficulty options that can be adjusted to make the game play more like a Nuzlocke or an easy mode; you can even actually catch opponents’ Coromon. The variety on display here is fantastic, so if you’ve been disappointed with recent Pokémon generations and are looking for a game that’s similar but has its own identity, Coromon is absolutely worth checking out.

It doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the other indie Zelda-like games that are available on Switch from a gameplay perspective. Titles like Death’s Door, Cross Code, and Blossom Tales offer a much more refined and unique take on the ideas Zelda is known for and run fantastic on Switch. XEL has little character to enjoy, there’s no story to keep you fully engaged, and gameplay feels contrived and repetitive. And that’s before we get to the frankly abysmal state that this game was released in. I was holding off this review to see if the game would be updated before its release, but quite frankly it seems that updating and fine tuning XEL will be an effort that I personally don’t think is worth it.

I can’t recommend Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, at least not in its present form. There are too many annoyances, too many unexplained systems, and not nearly enough lighting. If you really must check this out, I suggest leaving a FAQ open on your phone.

I do not quite understand what it is I didn’t see in OPUS: Echo of Starsong that so many others do. I normally believe it is bad form to talk about other reviews in my own review, but I cannot help but feel awkward and a bit guilty when I see the universal acclaim this game has gotten. Between a 90 on Metacritic and an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam, it would be dishonest for me to say that I think you will not enjoy Echo of Starsong. However, it would also be dishonest for me to pretend that I did. Basic probability says that you will likely love this game, but if the game’s random dice roll events have taught me anything, it’s that even the highest chance of success can still lead to a hollow tale of failure.

When designing a farm-sim there is a line between quiet cozy routine and abject tedium. Rune Factory 5 lands squarely in the latter. The occasionally enjoyable combat cannot make up for the unreliable farming controls, repetitive music, poor performance, ugly visuals, and lifeless world. One or two of these shortcomings could have been forgiven if Rigbarth was a world worth soaking in, but it's simply not. The mountain of issues amounts to Rune Factory 5 being lesser than the sum of its faults and one of the year’s biggest disappointments so far.

Bus Driver Simulator Countryside is, put simply, not good. If you can nail the long-winded button scheme and control the bus any better than I can, you might get something out of it. But even still, there's still not much. It’s slow-paced, laggy, and the environment just isn’t friendly to you. The curbs will just stop you in your tracks, and the other vehicles will just keep going as if you don’t exist. Everything is against you in Bus Driver Simulator Countryside, and in turn, I am against Bus Driver Simulator Countryside.

The boring music, the simplistic graphics style, the awful UI-elements and these new rules that make battles a slog to sit through have made this game one of the worst YGO experiences I’ve ever had. Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is a fantastic battle simulator that pays homage to the anime and gives you so many cards to experiment with. RDBR locks you into a system that doesn’t seem to understand what has made YGO so diverse and fun to play. If anything, I’m glad we got Rush Duels out of the way since next year will see the release of a proper YGO card simulator in the form of Master Duel. If this is all we hear of Rush Duel in the West, that will be fine by me. With this Battle Royale, everyone ends up being the loser.

Doctor Who: Edge of Reality is a bit like a hastily put together reunion show. They’re hitting all the beats you’d expect, and you’ll see every fan favorite make an appearance, but the story itself feels like cobbled together, mediocre fan-fiction rather than something from one of the most celebrated science fiction shows of all time. The gameplay itself is inoffensive if not horribly inventive, and makes a decent attempt at implementing some nice variety. This Switch version, however, is just not very fun to play. It is poorly optimized to a damaging degree and turns what could be a meandering but enjoyable experience into one of the more rough experiences I’ve had on the platform. There is some fun to be had here surfing along the great wibbly-wobbly, but it’s probably better done on a different system.

Comparing Tokyo 2020 to Mario & Sonic is not only unavoidable, it’s also just weird. Mario & Sonic released in November 2019, and while Tokyo 2020 was always going to release a little later it was delayed a full year due to the real life Olympics being postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than a year and half gap between the two video games, it’s bizarre that the one that had so much longer to be worked on ends up feeling more rushed and lacking in comparison to its counterpart. Tokyo 2020 would be tough to recommend on its own merits, but placed next to Mario & Sonic there really doesn’t seem to be any reason to choose the “Official” Olympic Games.

I genuinely enjoyed my time with Guardians of the Galaxy, but I couldn’t bring myself to continue playing the mess that it is on Switch. While my high-speed internet connection should be easily able to run this game smoothly, it is clear that this version was an afterthought. The characters, story, music, and gameplay are all completely up my alley, but having to play the game in this sluggish way—and of course having to play via an internet connection—made for quite a miserable experience. I’m 100% I will pick up Guardians of the Galaxy somewhere down the road, but the Cloud Version should be skipped by anyone even remotely interested in what’s on offer here.

Although I can’t entirely fault the story in Warp Frontier or the voice acting performances, it was hard to engage in the narrative at all due to the frustrating puzzles and low-quality feel that the game presents. The almost randomness of solving puzzles to advance really did make for a negative experience overall that I can’t see many wanting to return to.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a decent arcade racer with a whole bunch of additional content that helps pull it out of mediocrity. The single player campaign is set up for greatness but ultimately fails to amount to anything beyond basic races and time trials. The customization is incredible, if a little hard to come to grip with. Hopefully, the upcoming post-launch update will clear these issues up. For now, there is a lot of potential. Check back around the time that patch hits for my final scored thoughts on the game. In the meantime, if building tracks and customizing cars can make up for some rough edges in other departments, Hot Wheels Unleashed may be worth checking out.

With no handholding of any kind, Wildbus expects you to experiment and piece together how to actually navigate its world and solve its mysteries. After a lot of initial frustration, it's possible to figure out how to actually reach the Land of Light, but I took no pleasure in doing it. If Wildbus is wacky and odd for the sake of being such, then that might be the only way of deeming it a success. For anyone looking for a legitimately fun video game, don't go anywhere near this bus. The only ones who should be paying this fare are those who truly have a craving for something bizarre.

Heart Chain Kitty on Switch is a very rough port of a pretty rough game. What results is just uncomfortable to play. It would be one thing if the underlying experience of Heart Chain Kitty outside this Switch version was some sort of hidden gem, but it isn’t. Heart Chain Kitty is technically a fully functional 3D platformer, but not one you’ll actually enjoy.

2021 is quickly turning into an argument for the Switch being a top 3 RPG console ever, and we’re only at the end of #JRPGJuly. NEO: The World Ends With You is living up to the hype I was feeling when it was announced and then some as it took everything I already loved about the original and made it work on a single screen in the modern day. Don’t miss it.

I still have a lot more to see and do in Cris Tales, but the strengths heavily outweigh the weaknesses so far. There's no getting around the frustrating load times, but these are primarily disruptive during dungeons. The lack of an autosave function is a curious omission, forcing you to save frequently lest you fall in battle and have to replay a particular segment. Fortunately, you can save anywhere on the overworld map and save spots in towns and dungeons are numerous. I'm excited to see how it all comes together, so please look forward to the full review posting soon, I suppose in a future slice of time.

The gameplay was lacking in variety, there were no other people to play online with (I even double checked to see if the game was live at all, which it was, but nope, everything should be working). It just doesn’t feel like either a Wave Race game, a good skateboarding game, or even a good online multiplayer game. If this was a free-to-play title, I may even be a bit more lenient with it, but at half the price of a full retail game, I honestly can’t even recommend it for a laugh. I’m calling it. It’s time to abandon ship.

I can't describe Beasts of Maravilla Island as anything less than a disappointment on the Nintendo Switch. While performance on the console absolutely breaks the experience, what little is there to begin with feels lackluster and basic. The creatures and its world are without a doubt the highlight of the game, but even so interaction and creativity in your photography is limited from every angle.

Balan Wonderworld will leave you with a sense of wonder. A nagging sort of wonder. The kind of wonder that makes you wonder. Wonder how a game could so masterfully miss literally every opportunity to treat its players with a modicum of respect. Wonder how a very well known publisher could stomach having it in their library. Wonder what in the world happened with the Switch version. Wonder where your $60 went.

The Nintendo Switch version of Apex Legends is the most disappointed I’ve ever been in a port. I was so excited to play it. Playing a lower resolution, lower frame rate version of the game was something I would have been fine with. It isn’t just a lower resolution and frame rate version, though. Apex Legends on Switch drops frames at the first sight of game play, and it’s an uphill battle, to say the least, when trying to play against other versions that have definite advantages. Even if this was the only version of Apex to exist, it would still be a bad game from a performance perspective. If you do only have a Switch, download it to see what all the hype is about. The game is free, and maybe the performance issues aren’t a big deal to other people. Whatever you do, make sure to turn cross play off.

Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory had its share of boss encounters that seemed unbalanced, but I never felt as frustrated as I did with Revenants. I found myself much less interested in the characters or plot of Fallen Legion Revenants, and it’s probably safe to just say I liked everything about this game less than its predecessor. I’m honestly disappointed. If developers YummyYummyTummy announce another Fallen Legion title, I promise they’ll get my attention, but I’m going to have to wait a little longer this time before I let myself get excited.

To summarize, it’s a little hard to slam-dunk recommend any of these three packs. The collection of games as a whole is nice, with very few true stinkers. If you haven’t dabbled in any of the other Capcom collections, maybe it’s worth seeing the wider assortment of genres here. Strider (in the second pack) and Progear (in the third pack) are the two clear standouts to me, especially since they aren’t also available in another more fully featured package on the platform. I hope Capcom builds out Capcom Arcade Stadium more, because at the very least, it’s a really cool place to mess around with different arcade cabinets.

As much as it pains me to say, Commandos 2 is not the game I was hoping for. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by modern games that built upon this predecessor, perhaps it was the clunky translation to console, or perhaps it was simply my impatience with the frequent loading times. Whatever the reason, this legend of the genre fell well below my expectations. If you are a fan of the original game, then by all accounts this remaster does wonders for the visuals and would probably be an easy recommendation. In this case, do yourself at least the favor of avoiding it on Switch.

Ultimately, Gods Will Fall just isn’t very fun, and even if you can stand the sub-standard gameplay, you might see the game crash and one of your characters killed as a result. Unfortunately, it’s just much more likely that you will fall than any of the actual gods.

Red Colony very much feels like a first draft of a game, from graphics, to script, to programming, that was somehow released on the eShop as a finished product. This would be like buying a puzzle, finishing the border, and declaring it completed. Frankly, I’m not sure how anybody could look at this game and think it was ready for prime time. If the bugs weren’t there, it might get by on its “so bad it’s good” appeal, but in its current state, it’s a disaster. Homie Rollerz, you finally have some competition.

It is kind of impressive that one person was able to create a Switch wrestling game that runs well part of the time when two teams at a major pub couldn’t even pull that off. However, Wrestling Empire isn’t quite “so bad it’s good” territory, nor is it the worst. It’s basically the small indie wrestling company bringing in a guy with TV exposure to sell tickets. And with more competition coming in the short and hopefully longer terms for Switch wrestling games, it’ll be one of those “Oh yeah, that happened” games in short order.

I understand why someone would enjoy Unto The End. I’m sure that some players out there like being kicked in the teeth with their hands tied behind their back. That, personally, sounds like a bad time, much like Unto The End wasn’t a good time. If I wanted to play a game that didn’t function as described, I would at least play a game that kind of wanted me to like it.

It’s hard to recommend Endurance, particularly at the price, given that so much of it feels unfinished, and cheap. It is very possible to brute force through the game, solely using credits to restore health, but there is little satisfaction here. Plaudits to the sole developer for creating the game, but this alone is not enough to warrant any type of recommendation.

YesterMorrow could have been a real solid platformer, but it was released far too soon; more work is needed to bring it up to a point where it can be enjoyed. There are moments where YesterMorrow’s tight controls, level design, and artstyle all come together and shine. Unfortunately, the mountain of technical issues and the empty world eclipse any hints of excellence. At the end of the day, YesterMorrow is an incomplete, broken game, and broken games are neither for yesterday or tomorrow.

Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia shows a distinct lack of passion not just from its poorly thought out gameplay and shoddily thrown together story, but also through its astounding lack of polish. Gameplay would frequently freeze before animations could play, key NPCs could be hidden behind level geometry, and you can even move around the map some 10 seconds before a loading screen finishes; I guess any speedrunners out there should take note of that. It all culminates in a game that feels like it was made as an excuse to put a box with the Bakugan name on a shelf in Wal-Mart. Champions of Vestroia is a total failure. If you’re not already a Bakugan fan, there is absolutely nothing for you here. If you are a Bakugan fan, then you deserve a game that respects your time and passion more than this.

I’m pretty sure that underneath these performance issues there is an interesting world ready to be explored. But the game’s problems run deeper than it’s graphical shortcomings. The pacing feels slow and doesn’t give the player many options to fully explore the world that is being presented. If Cloudpunk looks interesting to you, I’d highly recommend you look into other possible versions you might be able to play, because the Switch simply isn’t the place to explore the city of Nivalis.

Bounty Battle is a disappointment from start to finish. It completely squanders a sincerely impressive character roster with a mixture of convoluted gameplay and poor technical performance. If you're looking for indie Smash Bros., you're better off grabbing the Undertale and Cuphead costumes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and making the Shovel Knight Assist Trophy the only item.

Even then you will still have to contend with the Switch version being an unbelievable graphical downgrade compared to the other versions of this game, and if handheld mode is really your argument for picking up the Switch version, I will be blunt and implore you: Don't. Jump Force: Ultimate Edition goes to show that maybe not every single game should be ported to Switch. While the core gameplay and ideas presented probably wouldn't feel at home regardless, the Switch version really shouldn't be the way to experience this game. If you are looking for a portable version of Jump Force I'd recommend putting some manga in your backpack. It will probably last you longer.

Tiny Racer offers nothing that you haven’t seen before or does anything special that requires you to play it. It feels like a game that was created in about a week without any attention to details or a specific goal in mind aside from ‘let’s make the cars tiny’. Honestly, it even failed in that regard. It’s been said that Nintendo allows practically anything on the Switch eShop nowadays and Tiny Racer has strengthened that belief for me.

Unless you’re extremely against the principle of free-to-play games, Pokémon Café Mix is a delightful little puzzle game with some neat ideas and an adorable visual presentation. It’s a gentle game for tough times.

There are better games out there, folks. I appreciate Liberated’s attempt to blend comic storytelling with action sequences, but hopefully somebody will take this baton and do it better.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a simple case of a mediocre game on mobile just not holding up on an actual console. Concessions made for mobile play just don’t make sense here. Not to mention when blown up to a TV or even the modest size of the Switch’s screen, Blades is pretty ugly. It's a downright joke when compared to the actual full Elder Scrolls game already available on the platform. Unlike other Bethesda mobile offerings like Fallout Shelter, Blades is a simplification of a complex game rather than a game built with mobile limitations in mind. When you take away the reason for those limitations, you’re left with an ugly mess of a game with nothing to justify its own existence.

Pong Quest wasn’t just a mediocre game, it was an infuriating one. Wonky enemy AI, a terrible special ball and HP system, and a lack of content made the game feel like a chore to play, as opposed to being a good time. When I wasn’t bored with the lack of substance to this game, I was aggravated by every enemy encounter and the core battle mechanics. When the best part of the game is the classic local multiplayer Pong experience from nearly 50 years ago, that should say a lot about the quality of the game. If you really want to play the original Pong on Switch, that should be the only reason you should be picking up this title.

Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a great concept with terrible execution. The idea of an open world to explore and goof around with friends is hampered by awful controls, an empty world, tedious gameplay, and a boatload of glitches. There are far better options for party games on Switch that will give you much less frustration, guaranteed. While the aim was clearly to deliver a goofy package, it seems the package never quite arrived.

In terms of what is on offer for a veteran gamer or someone who is familiar with the franchise, you will find this is a lacking option with not a lot of change, variation, or improvements. Motion control issues hamper the experience for anyone going for full completion, and the rest of what you see will remind you of one of the Wii-era titles in the series straight from 2007. As a family game, Cooking Mama: Cookstar offers a serviceable experience for your children for an evening.

My Hero One’s Justice 2 feels less like a sequel and more like an obligation - and that’s when it actually works. With the first game’s roster already a bit out of date by the time it launched, there was an obvious need to expand the lineup with characters from later in the show’s run. The roster now stands at around 40 fighters featuring characters through the end of the Shie Hassaikai arc in the fourth season of the anime. If you were really concerned with having the latest heroes and villains to play with in the arena, then I suppose your prayers have been answered. For anyone else, My Hero One’s Justice was already a tough sell, and now that I can’t even get past the title screen without the game freezing I cannot recommend this lazy sequel at all.

I suspect once the text skipping patch is live, that’ll be what draws me back into the Masquerade. It’s still an intriguing world, and it’ll help me to see more of it once I can get past the redundancy quicker. If you like darkness and blood in your visual novels, take a bite out of Coteries of New York.

Overall Ganbare! Soccer Strikers isn’t the tactical soccer experience I was hoping for. There are many soccer games out there, with some fantastic characterization and design choices. I would forgive the visual style and lack of options if the strategy gameplay was fulfilling enough. But honestly, there is only a surface level of strategic options here that will keep players engaged for a long time. If you are picking this title up, be sure to play it with a friend to have some fun with it in the local multiplayer modes. But if you are looking for either a good soccer or a good RTS game, you unfortunately will not find it here.

Between it’s poor writing, sloppy controls, and lackluster exploration, Bookbound Brigade has a lot of missed potential. With how long and difficult a linear corridor in the game can be and exploration overall taking a backseat, it doesn’t succeed very often as a Metroidvania. Meanwhile the bad characterization and juvenile writing kneecaps a framing device that could’ve been interesting enough to make up for the bland gameplay. I can’t see myself ever returning to the game, and I don’t have much reason to say anyone else should bother with it either.

Mosaic was a game I wanted to love. Adventure titles that offer deep storytelling are some of my favorite experiences in the genre, and Mosaic had everything lined up to be truly special. Unfortunately, a little bit too much monotony, a control scheme you will be fighting throughout, and major performance issues make this a game that will have you looking for a way to alleviate your frustrations. Hopefully a patch comes to fix the performance issues in what could have been a fairly decent experience.

The eShop listing for Squidlit advertises that it “ does everything it can to be as accurate to the original hardware as possible,” and while that may be true, I can’t think of a Game Boy title that would be less appealing or enjoyable than Squidlit. There are only one or two interesting uses of its core gameplay mechanic and no discernable challenge in any of its stages. If your favourite genre is retro platformers in that familiar yellow-green that feature squids for protagonists, Save me Mr Tako is an infinitely better game. Even if you have a religious attachment and nostalgia for all things Game Boy, Squidlit just ain’t it, Chief.

It is clear that there was ambition behind Lumini’s development. A living, breathing world, combined with an effective soundtrack was certainly impressive, but the boring gameplay and abundance of performance issues ruin any sort of enjoyment of the game. If you are looking for a game that scratches that Journey or Pikmin itch, there are many stronger and more interesting options on the Switch eShop.

Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch is a fine offering for the system. The game focuses on the principles of the Nintendo DS outings, and does so with grace. I think it is a shame that more games were not included in the total package. The new parts of the experience were rather good, but it would've been better if most of it was new. Still, I can't deny having a good time with challenging myself at the same mixture of minigames. Besides that, playing Brain Training is a great start to the day. It allows me to mentally reset, try some hard-hitting challenges and get on with my day. For now and then, the Nintendo Switch version is rather ideally made.

Princess Maker might be a series worth keeping an eye on, but Go! Go! Princess is one to avoid. The only positives are aspects it lifts from the mainline games, yet they’re poorly implemented here. This digital board game works best as a solo experience, but if you’re playing it that way, you might as well just get Princess Maker 3.

Farming Simulator 20 is a bit of a disappointment. As a newcomer to the series, I couldn’t manage to find a hook to keep me playing before I was overwhelmed by the poorly explained gameplay loop, and with the draw distance as bad as it is, I can’t imagine long-time fans of the series having a good time on Switch either. Agriculture is the backbone of society, but Farming Simulator 20 will not be the backbone of the Switch’s library any time soon.

Ghost Parade has a few sound intentions, but the game's quality is well below par. The game runs dreadfully, and none of Ghost Parade's elements are exactly fun. There are passable moments found within the combat and story, but all of that feels few and far between. As a platformer, it fails to make even a slight impact. Not even on an ironic level can I say I had fun with the journey.

The Bradwell Conspiracy feels like a waste. The game pulls you in on a high, but falters every step of the way. The puzzles can be entertaining, but the Substance system is frustrating and cumbersome at its absolute best moments. The story makes a big deal out of various themes, but there are only fleeting moments where it all matters. I think that the biggest problem of The Bradwell Conspiracy is that getting through it is neither fun nor rewarding. There are so many frustrating moments to be had that I would simply rather play something else.

Pine is a brilliant idea backed by some truly wonderful systems. Other elements of its gameplay fall short but would ultimately be forgivable if it would just run reliably. No matter how much I wanted to enjoy Pine, I always found myself ending my play session in frustration as a stared down another loading screen, found a key character glitched into an inactive state, or an entire village simply blipping out of existence. Pine feels like a very promising alpha, not a game that should be sold as finished. The presence of Pine on the eShop is baffling. While I earnestly hope it improves, I simply can’t recommend it in its current form.

Thief of Thieves would be a boring game in the best of conditions, but the Switch version only serves to make a bad game worse. It’s incredibly short, clocking in at less than five hours, but I still found myself struggling to care to keep going long before I reached the end. From the bland, underdeveloped gameplay to the buggy port, Thief of Thieves spent so much time focusing on the comic book’s style that it didn’t bother including any actual substance.

The four-player boss battle game is a free-to-start Switch game that carries Kirby charm but less complexity in an already decidedly uncomplicated series.

Newt One is just a flawed experience. It clearly had some time and love put into it, but it doesn’t feel finished. Everything is working against it. It has an interesting art style, but lacks the animation and visual effects that supplement it. The premise is about restoring color to the world and bringing back music, but the music doesn’t match the levels, and is missing sound effects. Newt’s story is weirdly paced, and has a lot of unnecessary details that don’t add anything to it. In short, unnecessary details trip up Newt One from being something interesting.

Hopefully someday Remothered: Tormented Fathers on the Nintendo Switch is improved through one or more patches, because I do think that fans of the genre will enjoy the game, just on a different console.

Automachef fails to really shine in any particular regard, and the control issues push an overall all right game towards mediocre territory. There’s so little depth to the puzzle solving that even now I struggle to really say anything about it that I haven’t already said. The best solution is too often to just brute force your way through the puzzles with little finesse or cleverness. Perhaps there’s an intentional meta-joke at play commenting on automation being able to push its way into jobs that humans could handle with more artistry, but all it leads to is a game that’s as rote and monotonous as the average job that could be done by a robot.

If Pantsu Hunter had fully committed to being a visual novel like its final chapter instead, I’d probably like it a lot more. Unfortunately as it is, it relies too much on extending its runtime through cheap instant death puzzles without clear solutions to make me feel like I could appreciate the few things it does right.

I admire Solo: Islands of the Heart for its ambition, but virtually every aspect of the game falls short of the noble goals of making an introspective puzzle game centered on love and relationships. The narrative is limited and mildly antagonistic, the block puzzle gameplay transforms into a disaster once the magic staff is introduced, and the serenity of the islands and graphics are dragged down by a middling port to Switch. If you really want someone to question your decisions on love, go see a therapist. This isn’t the game for that.

I really love the core gameplay of Dr. Mario World, but it’s so frustrating to play on my phone that I can’t help but think it’s a bit of a disappointment. If this game ends up on Switch later down the line then I’d be first in line to play a version that’s been properly optimized for the system it’s running on, but as of now I just don’t want to go through the trouble. If you’ve got a device that’s powerful enough to run Dr. Mario World with no problems then you’re in for a real treat if you give it a try. But if you’re like me and are waiting until the time is right to buy a new phone, then the time probably isn’t right to try Nintendo’s latest mobile game either.

Stranger Things 3: The Game won’t appeal to fans of the television show as it’s a frustrating experience that reminds you of all of the high points of the third season but never actually reaches them itself. Instead you are stuck with a bunch of dull fights to get through, bland puzzles to solve, and reading pieces of dialogue from the show without any sort of performance by the actors. Don’t tarnish your memories of the third season by playing this.

The biggest issue with Wet Dreams Don’t Dry is its Mature rating as it has a sense of humor that would only appeal to the most basic of teenagers. If the concept of having sex isn’t the funniest thing to you, then you won’t find much to like here. Beyond its failing humor, all that is left is an uninspired adventure game that isn’t particularly fun to play since the puzzles are never interesting to figure out. Even a franchise like Leisure Suit Larry deserves better than this.

What little merit PixARK has is thoroughly overshadowed by how blatantly unfinished it is. It’s astonishing that a Minecraft knock-off would be listed on the eShop at a higher price than Minecraft, but it’s truly mind-boggling that the actual game is in such a sorry state. Do not play PixARK.

All told, Shalnor Legends isn’t trying to hide its source material, but this opens it up to serious criticism because it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself. If you are going to make a Zelda-like, it’s important to either have a compelling hook or be great. Blossom Tales and Reverie are much stronger titles in this genre that found a way to be similar but also different from Nintendo’s legendary franchise in their own ways. Shalnor Legends pales in comparison to any Zelda game. The use of “Legend” in the title is the only real link between these worlds.

If you’re not a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, I can only recommend this if you’re desperate for the Tetris 99 experience against computers. There are better, fuller Tetris games out there - even Puyo Puyo Tetris is a fuller experience (and comes with a whole lot more).

Between Joker, Mementos, Stage Builder, and Shared Content, the 3.0.0 update is the most excited I’ve been about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since launch. Tools to create and share user-crafted content are always my favorite features in any video game, and Joker is the perfect realization of both a beloved series and a unique and fun fighter. The Stage Builder alone could add hours of new experiences to Ultimate, and I’m incredibly excited to see what features and characters are still to come before all five new challengers have been released by February of next year.

As it stands now, it’s impossible for me to recommend Our World Is Ended. The older version of the game we’re getting is missing a lot of quality of life improvements. Little things in the text set off my editor senses. The plot quickly derails and is so overbearing with the focus on fanservice that I wanted to scream. Maybe PQube should try again with the Judgment 7 version next year, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

Xenon Racer doesn’t have anything that makes it particularly unique, so even the best port would still be mediocre. The one way it truly manages to go above and beyond is by doing its best to hide its shoddy port right up to its pre-rendered gameplay footage in the intro that was clearly recorded on a different system. If you’re in a desperate fix for a new racing game there are worse options than Xenon Racer, but make sure you pick it up on another system, because even the added portability on Switch can’t make this version worth the cost of admission.

In general, this game is just flat out unenjoyable. It’s sad how this Lego game is completely devoid of the unique humor and style which made previous Lego games so enjoyable. This personality and flair, which has been a staple of the Lego video game brand, being absent from this latest title is disheartening. I’d recommend avoiding The Lego Movie 2 Videogame unless you have to play absolutely everything Lego. Even then, there are just much better games in the series that deserve your attention.

For all the quality software coming to Nintendo Switch, this one just really messes with my head. I'm really trying to understand what the game is trying to accomplish. Does it want to be a puzzle game or a racing game? I say this because the various game elements are at odds with each other and never form a complete whole. The entire title is one of the biggest messes I've seen in awhile.