It’d be nice if the Shipgirl fights were more visually interesting, but Crosswave looks a little too much like a mid-tier Playstation Vita game for my tastes. All of the dialogue is fully voiced...in Japanese, which is something (and also diagnostic of most Vita games). On the other hand, Crosswave already features Neptune from the Neptunia franchise--and I have to assume that the other Goddesses will move in eventually. That’s probably not enough to keep me coming back, though. If you like anime-based visual novels, you might get something out of Azur Lane: Crosswave. For me, though? I like a little more “game” in my video games.

Should you find yourself looking for something to take you away from your own mobile screen (not the Switch screen, of course), give Land of Screens a look. It is on the short side, but the story is heartfelt and incredibly charming. You can play through any of the chapters a second time if you so choose, even though there isn’t much of a reason to do so. I could only think of a couple of times where you can make a choice in the game and the only thing it would affect is a handful of dialogue responses. As far as I know there aren’t any alternate endings, so there isn’t much of a reason to play through it again. It did leave me interested in the other games from the publisher already available on the eShop. If you are looking for a chill, short, impactful game with a great story, Land of Screens comes highly recommended.

Its core gameplay is initially attractive and mildly addictive, but the missions and enemies offer little variety or depth. You might enjoy playing with the different suits and upgrades, but unlocking any of the good stuff requires hours and hours of playing through the bland trial missions.

The ambition and scope of this lengthy indie epic is impressive, taking big swings and, despite the numerous inspirations, carving its own distinct path. If you want your Japanese-style RPG to do to New Jersey what Shin Megami Tensei does to Tokyo, then YIIK is the closest you’ll ever get.

A workable frame rate might have salvaged this uninteresting, watered-down 3DS version of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Instead, the game's single redeeming quality is marred by technical and gameplay problems, leaving it a shallow, unworkable execution of a good idea.

Titan Attacks is a fun little title, even though the amount of content isn't anything amazing.

If you haven't played Assault Horizon Legacy and you have a New 3DS, this is the version to get. The additions aren’t major, but this version is the definitive one, as long as you own a New 3DS.

Tedious, buggy, irritating gameplay.

Should you be into ‘80s arcade games and retro curios, TAITO Milestones is going to have some appeal. The gameplay on offer here hasn’t aged particularly well, but it’s always enjoyable to be able to compare contemporary video games to those that came before, just to see how far we’ve come. Even in the six years between the earliest release and the latest of these 10 games, you can see a massive difference in quality and performance. While the lack of extra features and presentation is a tough pill to swallow, the online leaderboards for each title add excellent replay value to games that are all about chasing high scores. Going into these offerings and not expecting stone-cold classics is sure to be a refreshing and educational experience, and you might even find a few old-school arcade titles to keep on rotation.

Despite all of the negative points to the game, the charm that made the original a favorite to many still shines through. As long as you don't start up the game expecting "Mario Kart DS," you'll get lots of fun out of Diddy Kong Racing DS.

The first Dragon Quest feels like a relic from the past with its incessant grinding and tiring dialogue. But it’s hard not to recommend: it does have that Dragon Quest appeal that many games in the series have, and the soundtrack and visuals (save the character models) give this release a great classic feel. There’s no doubt this 33-year-old game shows its age, but Dragon Quest presents a simple, straightforward experience that’s worth playing if you can forgive its dated flaws.

Stela feels like a golem, crafted from the bones and sinew of better titles. Sometimes, this can be a successful experiment: Darksiders, for example, may not contain a single unique gameplay concept but manages to forge its own path through its worldbuilding, characters, and art direction. Stela accomplishes no such feat, and so I spent most of my playtime wishing I was playing its inspirations instead.

Looks and feels a little dated (despite it being "new"), and control and gameplay issues combined make for a sometimes frustrating game.

Garage is a game that, to put it bluntly, feels unfinished. Everything from the less-than-tight gameplay (in a genre all about tightness and control) to its sloppily-missing Chapter 10 makes me feel Garage could have benefitted from more time in the oven. And it’s a shame the game came out this way too, because it has multiple positive aspects and the (missed) potential to be something greater.

Tsum Tsum Festival is not built to produce a competitive atmosphere, but is rather a heart-warming collection of mini-games. My husband, John, and I played most of the games in a cooperative mode because, frankly, it was way more fun. But if you’re going to have John on your team for Bubble Hockey, for the love of Tsum Tsum don’t have him guard the goal.

The only sour spot in the package is Bop It’s cumbersome motion controls.

Even if its originality is in question, Family Tennis 3D is competent and fun in small doses. It's rough around the edges, but because of how solid it is, I wouldn't be averse to the idea of simply playing this installed application for 10 minutes rather than digging out a cartridge just to play a bit of tennis.

The problems with Evolution are many, but in the end it still tells a cute story featuring charming characters.

With super simple gameplay, the only rewarding part of Weapon Shop de Omasse is its lighthearted story that isn’t all that memorable.

Ultimately, Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 is just okay. While the gameplay and controls are good enough, the story mode itself isn't anything to shout at.

While Ninja Usagimaru: The Mysterious Karakugi Castle had some levels that were way too hard, the formula and presentation still work. Most of the levels left me feeling clever, with only a handful leaving me feeling dumb. I would recommend this game to anyone that beat the first one, but this is not the place to start.

The Low Road is a fun, albeit brief point-and-click spy adventure. My playthrough was complete in two sittings over the span of a few hours and left me wanting more. If you’re looking for a good title from the genre, I can definitely recommend it, just be prepared to have that same yearning for a sequel that focuses more on interactions with characters and less on the environment.

Unfortunately, this version does have too many ugly blemishes to recommend over other digital versions available on other platforms. But if your only avenue is playing on Switch, you can still get definitely some enjoyment out of playing locally against your friends or against the varying difficulty levels of the computer. And hey, at least you don’t have to clean up the game pieces when you’re done!

Overall, Etherborn has its charms: a calming dynamic soundtrack, a smooth and simple art style, and a captivating performance by its narrator. But these are overshadowed by the thin layer of frustration caused by the loose controls and overly restrictive camera. There is potential here and if you enjoy more artful puzzle games like the ones this game has been heavily compared to, it’s at least worth a look. Just be ready for a few hangups along the way that might take you out of the experience.

River City: Knights of Justice is a game that tries a lot of new things and succeeds at few of them. Despite some clever ideas and a bolder approach to combat, the lack of progression, difficulty, and an engaging plot prevents this River City game from reaching its potential.

I didn’t really click with Astria Ascending, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s an inability to relate to characters that are functionally immortal, or the hackneyed story, or losing about 60 turns of combat in one dungeon thanks to Omni-Stun. But I found myself fighting to actually boot the game up, which is something I haven’t had from a review in a while. If you’re ready to go all-in on Astria Ascending… well, you probably already have. If not, there’s plenty of fish in the RPG sea on Switch and some more marlins coming before the year’s out. You’ll be able to get your fill.

Largely accomplishes what it sets out to do: deliver a good golf game with a variety of locations and 3D visuals. For gamers who are looking for a fun golf title to have permanently installed on their 3DS for pick-up-and-play action, Let's Golf 3D is an acceptable option. It doesn't have very much personality, but will satisfy the urge to hit the links on the 3DS.

While not the best 3D platformer on the market, it is definitely a massive improvement from "Enter the Dragonfly" and will provide gamers with some good fun.

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.

Fashion Dreamer is, I’m sure, something that could appeal to a certain person. If all you’re looking for is the freedom to play dress up with thousands of items and create cute outfits, you might want to pick up Fashion Dreamer. However, if you’re looking for a satisfying gaming experience, you’ll need to keep dreaming.

Go Vacation has remained the fun experience that it was ages ago. Naturally, it hasn’t aged well from a graphical perspective, but it does a lot of good in its totality.

If I’m not having fun with an RPG I’ve noticed lately that I have to force myself to play it. Monark started strong but my opinion of it dropped rapidly every time I spent an hour checking everything I had unlocked in the school; I had to be missing SOMETHING that would get me to proceed, right? If you’re feeling sharp and are okay with little to no environmental variety then Monark might be worth a look - there’s a demo for it - but it’s nowhere near the best RPG from this developer in the last six months.

This game had issues at launch, particularly it’s unbalanced combat system, but over a decade later these issues stand in stark relief. Ultimately, even if everything else were great, and the combat system worked exactly like they wanted, the game would still feel unfair. And in a 100+ hour JRPG, that constant grinding unfairness will poison any joy a game can create. There are times where I enjoy playing it, but always know a kick in the teeth is lurking around the corner.

While veteran players will almost certainly derive more multiplayer enjoyment from Switch 2 launch titles like Split Fiction or Fast Fusion, Survival Kids provides fun for the whole family, and it plays that role to a T.

All in all, it’s a decent game. To the dedicated gamers out there who love a hard challenge, Wooden Sen’SeY might be for you. It’s lovely to see the atmosphere that Upper Byte Studio has created, but is only lovely until you start dying more times than you can count.

The game isn't bad, far from it even, but the six month wait is a bitter pill to shallow. Not much has been added to make it truly different from other systems and the overall presentation could have been slightly better.

When it comes to Super Bomberman R, don’t expect any frills, bells, or whistles. This is a standard edition of a Bomberman experience, with a decent enough story mode and a pretty fun online experience whenever the connection was smooth. Nothing about this game reinvents the franchise, but hey -- as someone who has wanted a new entry in the Bomberman series for years, this game definitely fits the bill.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers proves that you can make an engaging licensed game with a great presentation and solid gameplay.

There isn’t anything really bad about Sniper Elite V2 Remastered, but there also isn’t anything that’s particularly good either. The Remastered port itself is underwhelming, so I don’t think there’s much reason for fans of the series to take the opportunity to relive their memories of the original. Newcomers wouldn’t be making a mistake to pick up this game, but I can’t think of anything in the game that’s really worth going out of your way to check out. I’m really interested in the idea of a shooting game that’s leveraged on methodical and deliberate actions, but the level design in Sniper Elite V2 undermines its stealth mechanics so much that it ends up feeling like every other shooter on the market, but now with far less health and much harder aiming.

While it’s not terrible, it approaches a level of bland mediocrity that is all too typical of today’s mass market gaming industry.

With all of that in mind, if you’re looking for a light puzzling experience you can just pick up and play semi-thoughtfully for a while Levels+ is better than other games of its kind that I’ve played on other devices due to the added complexity. As a budget-priced offering the question ultimately becomes whether this is the kind of game you’re looking for. If it is, and you understand that the goal isn’t to “win” but to challenge yourself to continue to try to up your score, I’d say this is a worthy purchase.

The Coma: Uncut is a good game with some jump scares and a creepy atmosphere, and I like it overall, but having to be exactly centered over any given icon to activate the action really puts a damper on the experience.

Lost Ember is laudably ambitious and enjoyable in parts, but it’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend. If you’re prepared for some eyeroll moments as you reset the game because your wombat got stuck in a boulder, you’ll be rewarded with the spectacle of battering through walls as a buffalo, or soaring through rainbows as a hawk. At such moments of wonder, that initial escapist promise of soul-wandering through the animal kingdom feels tantalisingly close. But, in the end, the game’s limitations break the necessary immersion, and bring you back down to earth with a thud.

It may not revolutionize handheld pinball, but Mario Pinball Land is fun while it lasts. Unfortunately, that is not very long.

The end result is a game as refreshing as it is frustrating. It deserves credit for its originality, but not for its controls and visuals.

Override Mech City Brawl asks a lot out of potential customers for a much more flawed game. Even if it were a budget title, the framerate valleys, constricting scale, limited customization options, and a completely dead online presence would make it tough to recommend. In its current state, you’d do best to walk past the smoldering pile.

Despite an overly simplistic story and maybe being a bit too laid back, I really enjoyed my time with Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice. It’s a well-paced platformer, with the right mix of stages when I’d get bored of the basic platforming. Although it’s missing some of the polish I’d expect from other platformers, there’s a good foundation here for possible greatness if Sanzaru continues to be given the opportunity.

All of the benefits of level grinding found in the classic Pokemon games are either removed or cheapened in this title. Without anything to look forward to, it's hard to deal with the monotony of the dungeons.

The series is screaming for reinvention, and even the introduction of Wii control was not enough to invigorate it.

Angry Birds Trilogy is only a decent port of a game that has become a well known commodity. While this version of Angry Birds is virtually unchanged from its free iOS/Android equivalents, if you are a huge fan of Angry Birds, a 3DS rendition may be just what you want. The game is packed with content, and will leave you with plenty to do for many hours.

Despite the appealing online component, I can’t recommend Path of the Ninja 2 to anyone mildly interested in Naruto or portable RPG’s, as there are better examples of both on the DS.

American Fugitive hits most of the bullet points you look for in a functional open world game, but some glaring omissions, sparseness to the world, and a lack of developed characters keep it from being GTA in the boonies you might hope for. This far into the Switch life cycle, you can find better alternatives for your open world fix.

Monkey Pirates is meant to be played with people and it truly comes together when the right crowd gets together.

Where Mario Sports Superstars ultimately falters is it simply didn’t do much to stand out. I’m sure that some will get enjoyment out of this game, but the lack of charm made me not motivated to play it.

Ratatouille is not really much different in gameplay than most other movie-licensed games; in fact, it may be a bit better since it mooches off an obscure and great source material, Chibi-Robo.

So despite its (extremely) simplistic design, PokePark Wii is technically proficient and amazingly fun for a Pokemaniac like myself.

If 400 puzzles sounds like more Sudoku than you could ever want, much less need, I highly recommend Nintendo's own "Brain Age" as a superior alternative. It includes only 100 puzzles, but the interface is significantly better, and you get all the Brain Age stuff in addition to Sudoku, which is really just a side offering in that game.

When you add camera issues to the mediocre graphics and unreliable controls, you end up with a final package that is somewhat disappointing.

Cube Tactics provides the eShop with a much needed strategic experience that is both challenging and rewarding.

If you can get past the underage ogling thing, Gal*Gun 2 is a fun, if short, game. Once you beat it, you can start a New Game+, which keeps all your phone contacts and goggle/gun upgrades, but the only real motivation for replaying Gal*Gun 2 is to pick different responses and see where the story winds up. Otherwise there’s not much meat on these underage bones. I don’t know if I can recommend Gal*Gun 2.

While most adults may have a hard time finding enjoyment, the game's character and goofy nature makes for a great experience for the younger demographic.

It’s pretty clear that Honey Parade isn’t putting their A team on the Switch stuff. If you’re a Senran fanboy like myself, Peach Ball is probably worth it. If you just like video game pinball, there are better, more cost-effective options out there.

Hmm. If you need to distract a rich kid for thirty seconds while you rummage through his backpack for money. If you're a nurse caring for an incontinent who is captivated by the color yellow. Maybe if you're stalking somebody on the development team. In those instances, perhaps a rental is justified. Otherwise, steer clear.

Atomic Betty is quite short, clocking in at just under two hours, with absolutely no replay value. It features a password save, which is quite simply inexcusable.

All flash and no substance, something that the Viewtiful Joe franchise has never been about. Gone are the side-scrolling levels and intense action of the first two games; in their place is a bunch of mush that Capcom is trying to pass off as a Smash Bros. clone.

Abyss is fun while it lasts, but could better itself with a more complex design. I enjoyed my time with it, but have no plan to return. I wouldn't regret delving into Abyss, but I sure wouldn't want to stick around too long.

Jett Rocket II is a solid game that offers a lot in a seemingly small package.

I think the game’s title of Perception works out to have a double meaning, obviously concerning your main character’s lack of sight, but it also applies well to whether you’re likely to enjoy the game as a whole. If you’re in it for the action or actual horror you’ll very likely walk away disappointed. But if you like a slow burn of suspense, periodic things that will make you jump, and some stories that will reveal themselves to you slowly and through a variety of means as you wander an ever-changing house, it will offer several hours of enjoyment. I’ve never played a game quite like it, and there’s something to be said for a title working earnestly to challenge gamers with something new, even if it may not have hit all of the marks it was likely aiming for.

Overall I’m actually very impressed with Tallowmere and would recommend it strongly to any roguelike fans out there looking for a great way to spend some time on something a bit light but still challenging. In many regards, though the style of play is very different, it reminds me of Quest of Dungeons, a sort of gem of a title hidden in an unassuming package. If you like to constantly feel like you’re on top only to have the rug pulled out from under you, Tallowmere delivers a high-quality challenge at a budget price.

At first glance SubaraCity appears to be a somewhat generic iOS puzzler ported to the Switch, but after just a few rounds its apparent that’s not the case. A relaxed and casual take on the classic block-matching genre, there’s a level of charm I found to be enduring with its simplistic nature and easy to grasp gameplay. There is a level of strategy needed, as just one or two wrong moves can sink an otherwise promising run. Unfortunately though, with just the single game mode there’s a good chance the legs fall out from underneath it sooner rather than later.

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.

Let’s Sing Country is a totally fine karaoke game that has a pretty lacking tracklist. It has made the conversion to Switch just fine as it’s easy to read the lyrics even in handheld mode and the mobile phone app means you don’t need microphones to have fun. However, there’s just not enough songs to make it worth buying for most would-be singers.

Kill It With Fire is fun. While it’s just about as bare bones as you can get and totally lacks the variety you’d want from a more long-term experience, there’s just something about repeatedly murdering spiders in various ways that puts a smile on your face. For those looking for something simple to mess around with on occasion (or as a way to vent stress) you’d do well looking into this one, while those looking for something more full-fledged should probably keep moving down the line.

Not being able to control Kanii or Kumade or explore their world at all makes it very difficult to connect with the story of Goodbye World. While its message about the challenges of independent game development are increasingly poignant, the packaging around that theme fails to captivate. The metagame Blocks, on its own, is equally plain, and the feeling I'm left with after rolling credits is largely one of disappointment. In spite of its interesting conceit, parting with Goodbye World isn't really sweet sorrow.

Slightly better than your average game that comes with an unintentionally comedic story. It's no shock that MMBN6 isn't trying to win over new fans, and on a system all but dead there isn't much need to innovate. It is what it is and fans of the series who aren't sick of the formula yet will love it.

Trailblazers is has well defined visuals and plays great, with an interesting mechanic that unfortunately doesn’t support the weight of a full game. Had the paint mechanic been merely one element in a grander design, things may have turned out differently. As it is, Trailblazers stands as a great proof of concept for what may hopefully evolve into a deeper title in later releases down the road.

Gameplay is what makes or breaks a puzzle game, and that's where Mr. Driller 2 falls flat. It can't seem to decide if it wants to be an action game or a puzzle game.

If you're not offended by anime girls with ridiculously bouncy watermelon breasts in various stages of undress, there's an enormous game packed with hours of shallow-but-enjoyable narrative, tons of retro-style beat-'em-up fun, and a few guilty pleasures along the way.

Ultimately Space Crew does have some notable moments and gameplay ideas, and it’s astounding that Runner Duck, a very small team, developed a game of this scale. But the core gameplay loop loses its luster far too quickly and drags on for far too long to give a full throated recommendation. That’s not to say this game doesn’t have its place; if you’re interested in space sims, but the complexity or difficulty of other games in the genre has put you off, then Space Crew may be for you. If you’re a vet of the genre looking for another dazzling adventure, though, then stay far, far away.

Overall, I think Punch Club is a neat experiment of a game, but it needs a little more story and gameplay variety and a little less repetition. The first rule of Punch Club is obvious (right?), but the second rule is put on some headphones and your favourite podcast. You’re in for the grind of your life.

Kersploosh! has some opportunities for fun, but the game is over before its concept gets a chance to shine.

Essentially most of the experience ends up feeling like a grindfest, and how much grinding you have to go through depends on how much money you care to spend. If that wasn’t enough, the developer tracks and stores your gameplay data, IP address and any interactions you have with customer support. Don’t think that playing offline is a clever way of avoiding big brother, you can’t get past the title screen without an internet connection so portable for most is not an option.

It’s a cute RPG that’s not super demanding and can easily be played while you watch TV or lie in bed. There are a few places where it’s not super clear what you’re supposed to do next (find all the Mysterious Grasses before visiting the fairgrounds, kids, and those Grasses are all in the Twin Mountains) but overall it’s pretty straightforward. And there's swimsuit DLC coming in July, so that's cool.

Overall, the game isn't a complete travesty, despite all of its issues. It controls well enough, and is generally fun to play in short spurts, but I can't really recommend it to anyone that's not a child, as it's just a bit too basic.

TurtlePop, but as it stands, this is all far too convoluted to be something worth sinking a lot of time into. Charm can only go so far when strangled by numerous and conflicting ideas.

At the end of the day, the gameplay isn’t likely to compel you to spend the 5-10 hours needed to see the story through. Everything this game does is done better elsewhere, so dive back into the bottomless eShop sea and fish up another adventure. This Giraffe is better left on safari.

Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D is not a well rounded rhythm game, but it has plenty going for it.

All the pieces are here for an excellent entry level space sim but the horrible economy just drags the entire experience to a halt and makes it feel like much more of a grind than it ought to be. With some very small changes Space Commander could be excellent. As is, it will have some appeal to enthusiasts like myself, but for most there will be other space sims on Switch that will scratch the same itch much better.

Tube Slider had a lot of potential and new ideas, but the game is somewhat lacking in execution.

KickBeat is a game I could’ve enjoyed a lot more if the soundtrack had more varying genres.

Overall, Pier Solar is just an average JRPG at best. Perhaps some of its novelty was lost due to it being a downloadable title rather than an actual, physical Sega Genesis cartridge. It’s really hard to recommend unless you’re absolutely starved for an RPG on the Wii U.

All said, for the price of admission, Red Game Without a Great Name has more to offer than its lacking title would imply. With the likely frustration factor as you get further in it seems mostly suited to playing in shorter bursts, the levels are generally very quick to either complete or fail at before it takes you right back into the action again. If you enjoy some challenge and undoubtedly some aggravation in your gaming, it’s not a bad budget title to check out.

Mistover’s tense dungeon exploration and positional RPG combat are incredible. In the best of circumstances with a good team, this is one of the most fun dungeon crawlers I have ever played. Regrettably, those best of circumstances are not a guarantee, and the random generation of characters can rob the game of so much of its appeal. The inconsistency brought about by RNG drags the game down from excellent to merely pretty good. Anyone looking for a more consistent or relaxed experience would do best to stay away, but there’s still a worthwhile thrill for anyone willing to put in the time to get a truly great run going in Mistover.

The Road to Guangdong is paved with good intentions, but ultimately it’s much more of a bumpy and boring ride with a few pleasant stops along the way. Had the focus been less on the driving and maintenance of the family car and more on the family and their relationships, the handful of hours it takes to see the story to completion would be much more of a pleasure cruise. If you’re willing to overlook the time spent behind the wheel of Sandy, there’s a worthwhile and unique narrative to uncover here, but Road to Guangdong is a difficult recommendation nevertheless.

Ultimately, this mishmash of genres fails to conjure up the magic of its forebears or carve out a space for its own limited bag of tricks.

Gamers experiencing the wacky mascot for the first time may enjoy it.

A worthy entry to the series. However, the port was clearly pushed out to get a few thousand more copies sold, rather than to improve upon the original game.

Even though the aesthetic, soundtrack, and intelligent dialogue create a package that looks outstanding, Rip Them Off fails to come together in its puzzle gameplay. While utilizing trial-and-error can have its merits, Rip Them Off’s method of having the player learn a mathematic language that it then changes constantly just doesn’t make for a fun gameplay loop. Lacking hard solutions and ramping up difficulty before you’ve been properly taught makes Rip Them Off a puzzle title that is hard to recommend.