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.

Functionally, Silence works as a basic point and click adventure game, but I feel as though it shows growth beyond the well-trod genre expectations. A blend of traditional old-school mechanics mixed with advances in storytelling and gameplay variation allows Silence to stand above what I have seen served up over the last few years. Some lackluster audio and a missed opportunity with the bevy of characters detract slightly, but not overly so from this generally decent package.

Completing each of the 11 missions only took a few hours but my playtime increased dramatically trying to earn each of the different endings. In so many aspects I was left wanting more. I want to play more as the secondary character, I want to understand the story better, and in so many cases I just want to know what the hell is going on. Katana Zero is such a wild drug-crazed adventure that I just can’t get enough of and I will continue to be getting my fix of it for weeks to come.

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.

I find the game is best in short bursts. I think we’ve all played 3D brawlers that outclass Smashing the Battle in virtually every category. Having said that, I do find myself enjoying the game. It’s not perfect, but it has heart. Well, that and an impossibly voluptuous woman in ill-fitting battle armor.

Challenge is prevalent, but with lovely visuals and sound coupled with a well-crafted, though still terse, difficulty curve, this is an adventure worth working your way through. My only real qualms are with the controllers on the Switch and some frustration found in the late-game bosses. This is a gem of an addition to the Switch library.

Monster Slayers is a fun and deep adventure that lets the player decide how they want to approach it. Even with a complex battle system, the harsh difficulty curve may be enough to turn many players off once they’ve completed the first dungeon. At the end of the day, the sheer joy of building a deck that suits your own playstyle is what makes this game special. Monster Slayers is one game not to overlook, if you’re even remotely interested.

My Time at Portia is often times an overwhelming game as a result of its own ambition. This can cause it to be intimidating and more than a little confusing at times. The quality of its many systems range from addictive to annoying. However, taken as a whole My Time at Portia is a rich world full of activity that, when played at an appropriately chill pace, will yield many hours of charming fun.

Trüberbrook's cast of colorful characters and its presentation are truly a delight, which help to elevate the proceedings. The only problem I had on the gameplay side was, quite frankly, a rather big one. The title's inventory system could use a bit of a tune-up to make it fully come into its own. If you can overlook these problems, Trüberbrook offers up fun moments all the way through.

The incredible port by QLOC has kept everything that made Hellblade enthralling completely intact, and besides a low resolution it’s difficult to tell the difference between the Switch port and the original versions without comparing them directly side-by-side. Hellblade is just as good on Switch as it was on other platforms, so now’s the perfect time to pick it up if you haven’t already had the chance to experience the journey of Senua’s Sacrifice.

Ninja Village isn’t great, but it’s not totally bad either. While it is filled to the brim with the mobile game formula, there is a decent amount to do that can keep a player engaged throughout its 5-6 hour main campaign. I feel each player’s mileage will vary with Ninja Village. If someone is able to get really into town building or truly optimizing their clan’s combat potential, there may be something here. For the everyday player that stumbles across this, however, there are better alternatives out there.

Reigns: Game of Thrones delighted me with fun winks and nods and charming writing, but inevitably winter metaphorically comes and the going gets repetitious. Even with the quick burn, I love all the references and wish fulfillment on display as you get to live out the fanciful reigns of Queen Arya, King Tyrion, and many more. This is an excellent use of the Game of Thrones license despite some inadequacies.

What it lacks in gameplay variety, Way of the Passive Fist makes up for in its unique focus on defense and its accessible approach to difficulty. I enjoyed playing through the story mode and learning the different attack patterns of my opponents as each interaction felt like a mini-rhythm game. If you are looking for an arcade-style brawler that has achievements and a fun hook, there’s no need to be passive about downloading this one on the eShop.

As it is, I would recommend this game to those who like sci-fi rogue-likes and those who played FTL and wanted more story from it. There is a solid base here, but a little more variety in gameplay and a few more quality-of-life tweaks would take Out There from a white dwarf to a red giant.

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.

Hob is a serviceable and congenial game. I enjoyed my hours with the game, but a lot of it is more fleeting, especially whenever I played it with the muddy portable visuals. Exploration is fine here, but a minor lack of ingenuity in puzzles and combat all coalesce into making this a satisfactory but not very memorable adventure. If you can play on your TV the whole time, the visuals can overwrite those ills, but if you play mostly on the go, problems will abound.

Mechstermination Force is the most consistently fun 2D boss rush game I’ve ever played, and yes that includes a certain other boss rush game launching on Switch later this month. Every encounter is unique and challenging but never unfair. Each boss is uniquely designed, and realized with an outstanding degree of care and attention. From the moment you boot Mechstermination Force, it is immediately fun, and that fun never stops. This is a gameplay loop distilled to its purest form, and it is an absolute joy.

Apart from a preference to the original character design and having to endure the dreaded music bug, I would still call Final Fantasy VII on Switch the definitive option to travel back to Midgar. The portability of the Switch and pick-up-and-play nature provides enough modern convenience to give old fans a reason to replay and new fans an excuse to try it. The battle between Cloud and Sephiroth brought mainstream appeal to JRPGs in the West back in the ‘90s, and it still has that universal appeal to be enjoyed by new generations of gamers to come.

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.

All in all, OVERWHELM is a fun and neat little roguelike with an unfortunate problem: it can feel unforgiving in the worst way. While it’s far from being unplayable or unenjoyable, it can simply be disheartening to be on an incredible run only to be cheaply killed by either a teleporting boss or a random overworld enemy. If you can get past that, there is an amusing game that I could recommend to roguelike fans.

It’s a unique and interesting experiment wrapped up in a cool, pixelated graphical style and an atmospheric soundtrack that suits the game perfectly. Rather than playing it and trying to accomplish what a game might typically expect from you, I recommend finding your own way to enjoy this one. Discovering the routines, following them, and learning about the different actions you can take throughout the town are the best ways to become acquainted with The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa.

While the storybook art style and writing boost the overall experience, there isn’t enough substance for me to recommend The World Next Door. I did enjoy aspects of what I played, but there is a brevity and incompleteness that holds it back from being more than just a unique experiment. The puzzle-based combat is a really cool idea that needed to be used more and in different ways. If this one sounds interesting to you, I would wait for some kind of discount before jumping in.

Azure Saga: Pathfinder is perfectly serviceable, and apart from my frustrations with the economy, there’s a lot to like here. It’s just not something I’m itching to go back to. If you need a JRPG fix for your Switch—and have already been through the boatload of them already available—Azure Saga might scratch that particular itch for you.

If you’re craving classic 3D Zelda, Darksiders is the game for you. Despite originally releasing almost 10 years ago, it has held up remarkably well. Even playing it my third time through, I still found it absolutely delightful. While its original weak points remain present in this remaster, so to do its strengths shine through. The customizable performance options, coupled with the Switch’s portability make this my favorite way to play an excellent game. Bring on Darksiders II and Darksiders III.

Quite simply, I had a ton of fun playing through Blaster Master Zero 2. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted in a sequel to a beloved game franchise of mine. The game progresses through and uncovers new abilities at a swift and balanced pace. The weapons are super fun to discover and mess with, and the very nature of what makes Blaster Master gameplay so excellent has never shone so bright and wonderful. If you love great retro games, you won’t want to miss out on Blaster Master Zero 2.

Although I would’ve liked more challenge in the campaign, I still had fun with Unravel Two right up until the very end. Yarny is an adorable character that stole my heart right from the beginning, and the unique puzzles that come from both characters being literally strung together made for a fresh spin on co-op puzzle solving. I feel like I missed out on something special by playing by myself, and I think that if you get the opportunity you should definitely play the whole campaign with a friend.

It’s a great shame then that these moments of enchanting brilliance are completely at odds with gameplay that quickly becomes off-puttingly frustrating. The addition of some sort of hint system would certainly broaden the appeal, but as it stands this is likely to appeal to only the most hardcore of puzzle fans. A game that masters the intricate balance between challenge and fun is a beautiful thing, so it’s unfortunate that a beautiful game like She Remembered Caterpillars falls squarely on the less favourable side of that equation.

Iron Crypticle boasts a fascinating power-up system that revolves around building up combo chains by collecting pieces of food dropped by enemies. It’s not articulated particularly well and can lead to some confusion at first, but once fully understood it proves to be a lot of fun. The pace of the game tends to be a bit slow, especially on early floors which don’t present as much of a challenge as later floors. However, branching paths, local co-op, multiple difficulties, and even online leaderboards help round out the overall package.

The simulation baseball options on Switch are depressing, especially since Nintendo and third parties are seemingly willing to cede that entire market to Sony with MLB The Show. If you’re looking for more of an arcade experience, Hamster/SNK do offer Super Baseball 2020, but if you want a little bit of a grounded experience, Baseball Stars 2 is a solid contender for now while the Super Mega Baseball series avoids starting its service time clock.

Overall, I’m impressed by Super Kickers League. It’s a fundamentally sound arcade soccer game, which is harder to nail than you’d think. A few tiny misgivings hold it back from being something in my permanent arcade sports multiplayer rotation, but it’s good enough to fill a weekend with some amusement. I’d love to see a sequel or future update refine and smooth over the rough edges.

Yoshi’s Crafted World is a stable, enjoyable adventure that brings enough of a twist to the expected Yoshi adventure to make it stand apart in a way no Yoshi platformer has done in years. It has a few blemishes along the way, but just break out the duct tape and stick that cardboard back up so you can romp your way through this delightful easy-going platformer.

Windscape is an incredibly ambitious game and developer Dennis Witte deserves a lot of praise for pulling it off as well as he has. While there are certainly areas, such as combat, where things have been kept simple, the vast majority of Windscape represents a thrilling adventure that is simply oozing with charm.

Super Treasure Arena has all the elements of a great arena shooter: fast and tight gameplay, intuitive controls, and clear objectives and challenges. To make this a worthwhile download though, it absolutely needs to be an online experience. It works locally because of how solid the overall experience is, but that should be a secondary option, not the primary way to play.

It’s satisfying to gain levels (love that classic Final Fantasy musical flourish!), open up new classes and class abilities, and overcome extremely challenging bosses and dungeons. These hooks are the staples of solid role-playing games, but the overuse of random elements means this game is likely to appeal only to fans of the Mystery Dungeon series or Final Fantasy fanatics—those who enjoy both will probably love this game— but even then, there is just so much trial and error, on top of largely ineffective grinding, that it leaves behind a very bitter taste, and this coming from someone who appreciates a good grind session.

Mahjong Solitaire Refresh marks a fantastic return for Sunsoft. Their puzzle games were always up on a pedestal, but this entry really brings one heck of a deal. With over 250 puzzles on offer, you will struggle to run out of stuff to do in this game. Add to that the fantastic controls and options available and you can be assured of a good time. While I wish the presentation was a tad sharper and the English a tiny bit better, the overall package really can't be disputed. If you're up for some classic puzzle action, Mahjong Solitaire Refresh is a safe bet.

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.

The difficulty is absolutely harsh and is sure to turn some off, but feels completely fair, outside of the rare fake chest which can quickly destroy an otherwise promising run. However, no matter how frustrating a death can be, I constantly found myself right back into it without a second thought.

Skyhill is not the most impressive survival game I’ve played, but it still manages to have its charms. While the story and translation may be lackluster, the art is still charming and it manages to shove a large amount of replayability into such a small package. A successful run may take you no more than around two hours, but you’ll likely find yourself going back for another crack either with different perks or on a higher difficulty just to see how far down you can get.

I like the graphics, what with the cel shading and the environments look nice. Unfortunately, after several hours with the game, I think I’ve seen every asset RICO is capable of showing me.

Attempting run after run, slowly getting more used to the game and making it further and further each time feels satisfying even if just for a fleeting moment. This feeling combined with the beautiful art and driving soundtrack made me eager to jump back in for my next go mere seconds after each death. If you’re in the market for a game you can pick up to play for a few quick minutes before getting back to work, Rotating Brave may be the game that can fit the bill.

With Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 2, Milestone has finally reached their true potential. They managed to make a decently fun motorcycle game that knows its target audience. The physics and individual gameplay elements are very much improved and will make potential racers grin. While I don't see myself going back to in the near future, I can't deny that the game is made well enough. Sometimes, that’s just enough to keep me entertained.

Overall, it's an enjoyable action-focused romp, but everything feels a little scattershot. This is a game that packs in a lot but doesn't stick the landing on all that much. The Princess Guide offers up a pleasant little brawler that overcomplicates at every turn and is never truly satisfying.

With the big Nintendo-related hack and slash franchises (Fire Emblem and Hyrule Warriors) already present on Switch, the Fate/EXTELLA titles don’t usually get a lot of attention. But the Fate series is sneakily popular, largely due to the popularity of the Grand Order mobile game, and fans of Fate will find a good time here. For everyone else, your enjoyment of Fate/EXTELLA: LINK will largely depend on your tolerance for anime stereotypes.

Degrees of Separation could be a much better game. A ton of work went into creating a bedtime story in game form, and it succeeds. Some of the puzzles are good, and some of the variety in game worlds helps introduce new experiences at a regular cadence. However, too many negatives just leave you underwhelmed. Whether it’s the lack of polish, the short playtime length, or the number of weird bugs that can leave you completely frustrated. As it is, there are too many good 2D platformers on Switch to recommend it unless you’re playing it with someone who really finds the presentation speaks to them.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Remastered is the best possible way to experience this N64 classic, either on your TV or in Handheld/Tabletop Mode (where it performs flawlessly). Turok influenced a lot of first-person shooters that came after it, and it’s still very enjoyable in 2018—thanks in large part to Night Dive’s boatload of options. You don’t wind up hunting a lot of dinosaurs, but you do manage to fight a Dimetrodon that has a minigun strapped to its back, which makes up for a lot.

Space War Arena is a game that may look casual but in truth is fully equipped for a much deeper level of play. It gets off to a pretty slow start, and I do wish I could have more direct control over my units in the field or alternatively that their AI was a little more robust. Regardless, Space War Arena is a fantastic game to play on the go, even without the joycons attached to your Switch.

I would still heartily recommend The Red Strings Club to fans of cyberpunk or crime stories or those who enjoy narrative games with a fair amount of choice and minimal gameplay. I’m not sure if I will be returning to this bar right away, but I’ll certainly be thinking about it.

Golf Peaks is an excellent bite-sized puzzle game for the Switch. It was a nice, serene, and challenging way to wind down and after playing through it, I’ll be keeping eye for new stylish puzzle games from this developer as they clearly understand how to make these things fun.

Logic puzzles don’t come more clever or rewarding than Baba Is You, and with that in mind, this is one of the best of its kind in recent memory. It just might stump you a lot.

It’s not groundbreaking and it’s fairly short. But it has a lot of potential, and I hope it continues to be supported. The online works well, despite being a bit basic, but the editor is pretty robust if you can get past the learning curve.

It’s a tragedy that the only MLB-licensed baseball game exists as a Sony exclusive. If you’re seeking a good video game where you can play as the Yankees or the Dodgers, get a PlayStation 4 or go dig up a copy of MVP Baseball 2005, a 15-year-old game that still runs circles around R.B.I. Baseball 19. I’m sure there’s some fan community updating the rosters for MVP Baseball on PC or something. Go play that. Don’t take yourself out to this ballgame. Don’t take yourself out with this crowd. For unenjoyable baseball video games, maybe it should be one, two, three strikes, you’re out. I don’t care if it ever gets back.

The only major complaint that I have with Deltarune is that its creator doesn’t know when it will be completed. He has talked about putting a development team together, but we’ll have to wait and see if that ever comes to fruition. Nevertheless, I’m eager to take a second look when this sequel, or spinoff, or whatever this is, is fully realized—I just hope this happens sooner rather than later.

Swords and Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon is the ultimate version of an already fantastic game. This side-scrolling RTS went really unloved on the Wii U, which is such an absolute shame. From beginning to end, Ronimo Games delivered a highly entertaining gameplay experience that most can enjoy. While the single-player campaign could have been a bit more brief, there are many good times to be had. You will be in awe of the game's various mechanics and how it manages to keep you so thoroughly engaged.

Challenging bosses, fun gameplay, and solid controls make this a tough one to pass up. The remixed Campaign+ might not be enough of a reason for previous owners of the game to jump back in, but the plethora of online leaderboards should entice the high-score chasers among us. The local multiplayer and ease of play are perfect reasons to bust this one out for group gaming sessions, too. Assault Android Cactus+ is an easy recommendation for Switch owners looking for an exciting arcade experience.

Even without prior knowledge of the Persona series, it’s hard to walk away from this game without criticizing the quality. A boring story, uninteresting characters, and a soundtrack that begs you to play with the sound turned off are just a sample of the myriad reasons to avoid The Caligula Effect. For a select niche, the incredibly fun combat system may be worth overlooking all of the faults, if at least for a few hours. While I had a terrific time beating my opponents into dust, everything else is just too egregious to recommend to anyone.

I desperately want to love Treasure Stack, but as it is right now, it’s a colorful sketch of a video game at best. Simply, there just isn’t much of anything to do and a frustrating interface and a seemingly absent online landscape (including crossplay with Xbox One and PC) makes the future for this heavily online-focused game look bleak. Maybe someday this could be a richer, fuller experience, but it isn’t right now.

Even with my misgivings with the port, don’t dismiss Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, as it still is a terrific title with an amazing soundtrack and creative use of platforming. I enjoyed my time coming back to it, and all the joy that the Wii version has is brought over, minus co-op. The stellar soundtrack, adorable art style, creative contextual levels, and new ideas are all welcome. It just doesn’t feel definitive by any means. I could tell they were trying to address the difficulty complaints, and they definitely delivered on giving the player the tools to make a harder experience. But ultimately, it comes down to how hard you want to make it for yourself. I wouldn’t call it Extra Epic, because of these shortcomings.

Warplanes: WW2 Dogfights is a perfect example of how not to port something to Switch and is somewhat damning to the mobile game environment in general. You cannot simply throw a freemium cell phone game on the eShop, break the progression system, and expect it to meet the expectations of that market. What passes for a game on a cell phone often comes in well below the bar of an dedicated game system.

All in all, while I was honestly a tad skeptical by its initial concept, I found myself slowly falling in love with it and having a good time slowly going through each level and playing multiplayer with my friends. If you’re a fan of mindless arcade fun, I’d definitely recommend adding it to your library.

The trial-and-error gameplay of Shred! 2 is solid, and there’s always a sense of achievement and hard work once a level is finally cleared. Seeing the camera pan out as a large jump is executed is also a really cool feeling. There’s plenty of levels to choose from and the customizable options give the experience a nice, personal touch. Moving with the controls never felt quite perfect, but doesn’t render the game unplayable. Shred! 2 is simply a pretty solid, fun game that has its moments once you look past its issues.

Ace Attorney remains one of my favorite franchises of all time, and I have loved the opportunity to play through the trilogy again on Switch. Though it lags a little in the middle with some less-than-stellar cases in the second game, the Ace Attorney Trilogy is still an incredible story with wonderful characters, memorable plots, and satisfying mysteries to solve. With little more than a new coat of paint, the Trilogy collection manages to be the perfect way to experience the story of Phoenix Wright whether you’re a rookie lawyer or a great ace attorney.

Despite some apprehensive dalliances with repetition, I loved ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. The sublime style drips with funk, and the cadence of roaming through floors using my presents to try to avoid failure and find my ship parts is one that made for a charming experience. It didn’t matter if I saw some of the same things several times over my multiple playthroughs. The whole thing is spectacularly goofy and weird, even if I eventually do figure out why the hell the yeti has a pencil.

If the final mechanic had been the core mechanic the entire way through, perhaps Anodyne would be worth the time investment it asks of you. Hopefully some of the lessons learned making it will be applied for its upcoming sequel, and the small bits of potential it does have can shine.

The sheer enjoyment of flinging guards into each other or through a high-rise window to their doom doesn’t really get old, but the striking use of color and perspective truly set this game apart. If you don’t mind the gratuitous body count and related blood splatter, Ape Out is a funky and fresh take on the top-down action genre. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to rock out with my Ape Out.

While the gameplay itself is fun and the simple presentation and aesthetic fits, not being able to set your own game length, choose which stages to play, or really alter any of the mechanics dramatically takes away from the experience. Making matters worse is the absence of a single-player mode. Not to put too fine a point on it but I don’t think Battlloon does enough to stand out in an ever-more crowded Switch eShop. For some cheap and quick entertainment, it barely does the job, and even then I think you’re better off just letting this one fly away.

X-Morph: Defense is a terrific pick up for someone who enjoys twin-stick shoot-‘em-ups but is looking for some more variety other than just blasting everything on screen. The tactical strategy required to complete levels added solid replayability and allowed me to try multiple ways to creatively destroy the human race. Other than the piercing guilt of destroying my homeland of Canada, I had a really fun experience with X-Morph and can place it firmly on my recommended list.

This easygoing platformer gives the flexibility of selecting any level regardless of order and is forgiving when facing obstacles within each stage. The difficulty doesn’t cap out too high, so players looking for a real challenge might be disappointed, but the fun mechanics and combining powers were enough to capture my attention. The entire adventure only lasts a few hours but manages to stay fresh from beginning to end.

RemiLore just doesn’t have enough variety to stay interesting for more than a few minutes. Though the characters are mildly entertaining with an impressive amount of dialogue to flesh out their interactions, there’s just too much you need to put up with to get to the good parts of the game. Rogue-lite and Action RPG are two crowded genres, and RemiLore unfortunately decided to tackle them both without covering even the basics of what makes either interesting in the first place.

Even with a few issues, Trials Rising is an excellent experience on Switch, filled with a slew of creative levels and a lot of reasons to replay and tweak your experience. Sure, the version on Switch might not be as pretty as other versions, but it’s just as playable, aside from a few handheld framerate problems. Steady your hand and get to navigating the peaks and valleys of the world of Trials. Just make sure you’re connected online.

Awesome Pea lacks any compelling hook or element that separates it from other platformers. Presentation-wise, it manages to emulate what you might see on the Game Boy, but it’s less interesting and fun than the majority of that console’s lineup. What I find a little baffling is that despite its brevity—my playthrough lasted less than an hour— Awesome Pea has a three-stage demo on the eShop, and that demo will tell you everything you need to know. Awesome Pea seems to go all in on nostalgia and loses its shirt in the process. If you absolutely must, go ahead and try the demo, but there are much better budget titles for your time and money.

We’ll likely revisit Tetris 99 sometime later when these features get added, but for now I’d still recommend downloading it and giving it a try. “Free” is a pretty tough price to beat, and given how many hours I’ve already sunk into the world’s weirdest battle royale, I can still say there’s a lot of fun to be had in what little Tetris 99 has to offer.

Aragami is a perfectly adequate stealth game. The gameplay loop is short, as it often is in stealth titles, but that loop generally works well. Enemies exhibit nothing in the way of complex behavior, but that doesn’t make pushing through a group of them, silently killing as you go, any less satisfying. Aragami is a stealth game out of time that could have been quite beloved in 2006. Today, however, it will have to settle for pretty all right.

The small player base online may be a good reason to hesitate on buying Central Fiction on Switch, but it is nevertheless a stellar fighting game to have on the go. This remains one of Arc System Works’ best releases, and with flawless performance in handheld mode it’s never been easier to take the fight with you to a friend’s house. Though you may have already picked up Cross Tag Battle last year, you’d still do well by checking out this fully-featured mainline entry. Central Fiction is the best BlazBlue has ever been, and this may be the right time to join the battle if you haven’t already.

As a package, Holy Potatoes! We're In Space?! doesn't know when to slow down. While I found the experience busy at moments, I can't deny that I had quite a solid time overall. The strategy and management elements are fantastic hooks that kept me glued to the screen for a stupid number of hours. There were some frustrating moments, particularly towards the end of the game, but it always managed to put a smile on my face. Just a lovely thing!

FFIX is reminiscent of a simpler time, boasting a strong narrative and quality of life features that make it easy to get into. I just wish it had a better presentation, one that a game of this quality truly deserves.

Shoot-’em-up fans need to have this game on their radar. It’s a beautiful trip through bullet hell before a date with the Devil Engine.

All in all, Fishing Star: World Tour was a surprisingly fun little game. While I do think that the progression and localization could use some work, the actual title here leaves me pleased overall.

Steins;Gate is already one of the most dynamic visual novels, and the added anime cutscenes of the Elite version makes it worth exploring. If you can handle a main character who is extremely delusional and doesn’t have a filter… you’re probably comfortable dealing with me. Either way, Steins;Gate Elite is the best pure visual novel we’ve got right now.

It’s competent and well-made but ultimately uninspired. This is a game you will have fun with and then completely forget about. There are better platformers on Switch, but this one is worth a look if you feel the need to test yourself every time you see a gap or spikes that beg to be jumped over.

Despite the technical problems, Q.U.B.E. 2 is still an incredible game that I had trouble putting down. I can’t remember the last time I played a puzzle game with so many unique elements to keep track of, and it’s definitely rare that I’ve played a game with so many puzzles that are so consistently well-designed. Out of the 80+ puzzles, I wouldn’t say a single one was bad, and none of them were so obtuse that I needed to give up and find a solution online—although some definitely stumped me for a while. If a patch or two comes out to fix the performance problems in the late game, then picking this up will be a no-brainer.

Even with all the options available for changing up the difficulty players will likely find themselves getting tired of playing the same sixteen levels over and over. Add this to the fact that LOVE was already available on Switch as part of its sequel, and there’s unfortunately really no good reason to spend your money on this game outside of supporting the developer. If you’re itching for a precision platformer of this type, you’re really better off looking into kuso instead since you’ll get almost everything that LOVE offers anyways.

For the asking price and the amount of developer-made levels available at purchase, Block Quest Maker is still perfectly enjoyable in short bursts, and better yet if you have a creative bone that you want to itch by making your own adventures. Just don’t expect a long tail of community driven content like some of its more well-known contemporaries.

If you can make hay out of the physics and not run into the maddening frustration that dominated my playtime, then Pumped BMX Pro might just stick the landing. But if you want something that’s more freeing and interesting, you’re better off checking out any one of the other similar games hitting Switch in 2019.

Overall, the combination of these two games will, without a doubt, keep you occupied for a while. A learning curve can be a barrier initially, but once you learn the ropes, you’ll just want to keep skating forever. Although the second game is the better of the two, the difference isn’t stark enough to warrant skipping out on the first. These both fit the textbook definition of perfect on-the-go games – while not the most visually impressive games out there, they are perfect for both quick bursts of fun or hours of intense focus and mastery.

Perhaps The King’s Bird’s brilliance shines through on other platforms. Maybe speedrunners will find the level timer an irresistible challenge. I might even Git Gud myself if significant updates round out the edges, but for now, I’d recommend something a bit more polished.

Taken as a whole, Evoland: Legendary Edition should probably be viewed as just including Evoland 2, since that game is, for the most part, totally alright. I’d look at the first game as a nonessential bonus. It’s a solid gag, but that’s about it. The second game also veers into that humorous minefield, but at least it can precariously hang with decent action-RPG elements and amusing writing.

I found myself enjoying the light fare that is Pocket Academy since it has just the right amount of depth and accessibility that make it a quality management simulator. It’s not super engrossing, and you can get the full experience in probably a weekend’s time. This is cool for those who like management games but don’t have the time to get truly involved in much deeper, more detailed games of a similar nature.

There’s a solid foundation for gameplay once you’re in the skies chasing fish and fighting pirates, but every minute that you’re not dogfighting your way through the clouds to chase exotic creatures is so frustrating and dull that I just can’t bring myself to spend any more time searching for Amelia’s elusive Skywhale.

Reverie gets a solid overall recommendation from me, and it’s up there with strong eShop action-adventure games like Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King. Like a wonderful dream, Reverie is over a little too soon, but it leaves you with some pleasant memories.

The brief length can make it feel a little less ambitious, but I can't say I was let down by this whimsical short story of a video game. Lovely art, a cute story, and solid puzzle platforming help make The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince a pleasant ride.

Away: Journey to the Unexpected is a thoroughly abnormal game that triumphs when its oddities all click. When you’re rolling out there switching between your little boy, robot bounty hunter, and drunk wizard and blazing through battles against colorful foes, it’s excellent, but when the repetitive areas and roguelite malaise starts to creep in, it falters. If all works out, by the time you hit that point, you’ll be rolling the credits.

For now, I’ll recommend Odallus to those itching for the atmosphere of early Castlevania games and those relishing a good dose of difficulty. More casual fans may want to look elsewhere.

With Oniken, what you see is what you get, and your first impression of the game is probably spot on. If you miss your friendly, Tecmo ninja man, you might want to give this one a look. For everyone else, leave this one in 20XX.

Even with its many flaws, the superb voice acting and serviceable story were still an entertaining playthrough. A linear horror-mystery thriller is a bit niche, but if that’s what you’re into, Observer is a title still worth picking up. If nothing else, it gives us a glimpse of what the Switch is capable of, and it will hopefully be the beginning of a trend of pushing the handheld to its limits.

The spirit of it is wonderful, but if you want to check the series out, I’d more recommend you wait for the sequel to come out in March.

Robothorium is a terrific Switch title if you’re looking for that casual dungeon-crawler that you can play in cruise control. It’s not overly difficult, and the dungeons are all pretty similar, but once you start a battle, it provides that comforting feeling of familiarity. It may seem like a number of games that have come before it, but the developers clearly know the recipe that made those titles so enjoyable and have come up with an experience worth feasting on.

When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is one of the better bridge building games on Nintendo Switch. While I am quite disappointed that you can't share any challenges online, the content that is there is super enjoyable. The more than 30 levels are easily replayable multiple times, and it is fun to play around with the Sandbox Mode. What helps is that the controls feel built with a controller mind, instead of just trying to add in a less inferior scheme. Overall, Hugecalf Studios created a game I will gladly tinker with once in a while, which is an accomplishment in my book.

Battery Jam is an addictive local multiplayer title with colorful visuals and a polished presentation. But as enjoyable as the gameplay is, it’s difficult to recommend it over other multiplayer titles when the amount of content here feels so paltry and limited. The lack of online multiplayer would be easier to excuse if local multiplayer had a little more meat to it. With that said, it’s still a very competently made indie game that’s fun to play in short bursts. Just don’t expect too much depth from the gameplay.