While I remain tickled that these NGPC ports even exist, though, I am beginning to long for different things, especially since these fighters all look more or less like the same game.

Decent but not exceptional.

Conception II starts with an interesting story, an engaging turn-based combat system and Star Children (enough said), but is often bogged down by its awkward dialogue and dull characters. If you can find it in your heart to forgive and forget some of these things, there is an RPG under it all worth playing, even if it's definitely not the best thing we have seen out of Atlus.

If you're looking to do some dungeon crawling and battling against creepy monsters from Japanese folklore book your trip to Hyakki Castle.

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.

There is a great satisfaction in slamming a terrifying metal bowling ball into loads of zombies and even though there isn’t much else added in terms of mini-games, it’s a fun little game that I can see myself picking up again and again to add some quick slaughter to my day.

I enjoyed the core concept of shooting alien ships in space with a customizable fleet of ships. That’s really fun. The problem is all the bulk surrounding it. Poor checkpointing, being unable to carry tech upgrades forward, and the persistent wish that I had more control over my own aiming all sort of dampen the experience. I like where this game’s head is at, but I’ve got a list of things they can improve if Xenoraid gets a sequel.

The most unfortunate thing while looking back at this game is how fun it could have been if they focused less on adding so many ideas and just focused on the idea of shooting and eating and making it accessible for all players. If they had done this and made the co-operative function of the game cleaner, this would be a game I would love to play to kill time when I had my friends around and wanted to play something easy but unique. Then the humorous ideas around the idea of eating, belching, getting too fat by overconsumption, and more would all shine even more with multiplayer.

Super Bomberman R Online is a welcome addition to the Switch library, and provides an engaging and lag-free online experience. The core Bomberman gameplay lends itself well to the battle royale format, and the fact that players can enjoy much of what the title has to offer without spending a dime is a nice bonus. Ranks, levels, and grades all provide incentives to shoot for, if you’re so inclined, but the grading for each season isn’t really explained anywhere. Another issue is that there’s no local co-op option; every player needs to have their own game and Switch console. Regardless, any Bomberman fan should be picking this one up. I can readily admit that I fall into that camp, and I’ve been having a blast.

The fact of the matter is that unless you are absolutely dying to play an insanely quirky Japanese game about cooking, you should stay far, far away from Cooking Mama.

Gal Metal is a game with bold choices. The Joy-Con motion controls are interesting, and tightly fit the ideas of the title. In addition, the idea to create your own jams upon existing layers works surprisingly well. That being said, for most, this will be a one-and-done deal. You will play through it and be done after an hour or five. Beyond this, there isn't much to the package, though I do find myself replaying tracks a tiny bit. It really depends on what you're searching for, but as a music game, it certainly knows how to entertain.

Dinosaur King is a good game. If you can get past the requisite level grinding and somewhat strategy-free nature of the battle system, you’ll find a decent Pokémon-type title with real dinosaurs and entertaining 3D battles.

Billy & Mandy has the beginnings of a decent fighting game, but its unrefined battle system is only suitable as party fodder.

Its difficulty ranges from challenging to brutal, and its track designs do not coincide with the behavior of the chariots meant to traverse them.

Baobabs Mausoleum is an episodic game, and while the first episode is aimless for the majority of the couple of hours it takes to get through it, the cliffhanger ending introduces actual stakes. Should future episodes take the time needed to flesh out the characters and give us the chance to explore Flamingo’s Creek, the potential shown in the game’s trailer might be realized.

The camera still proves erratic, the stages are small by modern standards, and anyone who cares to play this game has played it many times before. Platformers have moved on since 1999. Rayman hasn't.

Unless you are terribly nostalgic for the games in this package or a die-hard shoot-em’-up fan, I can’t fully recommend it when there are such better value propositions out there.

Overall, Sling Ming does have some solid working but don’t let its cute facade fool you as it’s as tough as nails. If you’re up for a challenge, then you’ll find this game to be a blast. To everyone else, you’ll have more fun with a character keychain and some string.

Overall, The Sinking City is a fairly okay detective game, with an intriguing supernatural mystery taking place in what is obviously a lovingly-crafted environment. It does some interesting things such as using bullets for currency, causing the player to have to weigh the options of fleeing from or killing a threat. The sanity effects caused by being in disturbing situations or using Reed’s investigation abilities too much are cheesy but mainly unobtrusive and add a charm to the game I did not expect. Nonetheless, even with these fun aspects, the significant technical problems and boring traversal of Oakmont make me hesitate to suggest the Switch be your chosen platform for visiting this doomed town.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction has one special feature that really sets the game apart: insane difficulty. Everything else is secondary. Only the extremely patient, skilled, or masochistic Yu-Gi-Oh players will love this game.

While Skully definitely has its share of problems, I still had a fun time in this world. The camera is frustrating, but the twitch rolling and platforming mixed with the increasingly devious puzzles makes for a good gameplay combo. Even though the Switch version’s visuals are a little rough, which doesn’t play nicely with the overall visual blandness of the levels, the style of the character designs is appealing. Underneath Skully is a lot of charm, but enough issues pile up that pull it back into the mud.

A game that could have been great. But due to the glaring control issues and lack of player rewards, it becomes a chore rather than a game, and most players will probably be bored or frustrated if they bother to play it.

Seven Knights - Time Wanderer lands close to being a good streamlined JRPG, but the threadbare exploration and passable battle system aren’t enough to make it stand out among the crowd. If you’re a fan of the Seven Knights universe, it’s likely a must play, but if you don’t have that affinity, there isn’t much for you here.

I struggled reviewing Poison Control; it has real notable flaws and dramatically overplays its hand with some of the anime tropes. The game is repetitive, and feels like it overstays its welcome despite not being particularly long. And yet, there are still plenty of moments that earned chuckles and even laughter. I still felt the urge to fully explore every inch of the Hells. I still did the extra, and still had some absent-minded fun freeing the Belles from their worries. Hell, I even grew to like members of the tropey cast. But, the game is what it is. I think some people will really enjoy Poison Control, but you already know who you are. The rest of you will likely find it a bit dull and potentially off-putting.

A unique and meaningful experience, regardless of comparisons to those other titles.

While definitely not the sort of game that makes you spaz when you hear about it, Over the Hedge does deliver on the goal of all movie games. That is, to not be a complete pile of garbage.

This game probably wouldn't have been so harshly judged if the previous two Kim Possible games, also made by A2M, weren't much better than any other Disney game by comparison. But due to their surprising quality, it's even more disappointing that Kimminucator is so average.

While the stories presented in the episodes are actually quite enjoyable, the trial-and-error nature of fact-gathering coupled with the inability to skip conversations makes furthering the narrative a tedious and frustrating process.

But if gin rummy and Texas Hold ‘Em constitute the bulk of your card-game playing, you should shy away from this one.

If you are a fan of match-three games, you will enjoy the puzzles but not much else.

Ninja Shodown may be trying its best but it simply isn’t very much fun to play. The control issues are very difficult to get around and they rob you of the opportunity to really enjoy the gameplay. There are a number of modes to choose from that do vary up the details but at the end of the day there’s no escaping the fact that the core experience is pretty flawed. This all makes it very hard to recommend when there are so many other better multiplayer titles available.

Overall, Curse of the Sea Rats is a game I think has a lot of potential, but the samey characters and bugs hold it back from being what it seems like it really could be. If you’re really itching for a new metroidvania experience, or just really like rats for some reason, you could definitely do a lot worse than this one, but I sadly cannot say I would recommend you dash to the eshop as fast as you can for it.

TMNT Mutants Unleashed has some really good ideas that don’t coalesce into a great game. The combat is fine, but nothing to write home about. The social RPG concept is novel, but not well executed. It’s all the more frustrating because the writing for the relatively engaging plot is great. Part of me wished this game had some time to be refined because the framework of something totally radical is here. It just doesn’t make it out of the sewers.

The many changes made to the original formula in order to use the Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition engine totally transforms the game into something new. Limited controls and technology, as well as the sandbox-less gameplay, have made the title into an average, linear zombie-killing experience.

Phantom Trigger is one of those games that you play through once. You won't play it for the story, but the rewarding combat and flashy environments are here to entertain. These will keep you glued to your screen until the credits roll. The enemies and objectives don't really change for the most part, but at least they give you a reasonable challenge. The game is perfectly fine with those looking for something quick and flashy, but don't expect something you will remember months from now. With 6 hours on the counter, it’s over before you know it.

As a whole, I had fun with this one. I think better twin-stick shooters are out there on the Switch, but that’s mostly because Crimsonland is from a different era of an already fairly niche genre. But, if you’ve played those highlights already and want more, you can’t go wrong with this. It’s not bland by any means; just exactly what the experience you’d expect is. It’s mindless fun, with enough addictive strategy to keep playing. I loved weaving through the hundreds of enemies (whether they were zombies, spiders, or something in-between) so I could reach a power-up orb at the last second, to suddenly fry everything around me with a flame thrower. It’s a great time all around, and if you have the itch, give it a try.

In the end Nightmare Boy offers up something thoroughly different from a visual standpoint and can be quite challenging, just not always for the right reasons. If you give it some time it does pick up momentum and you can get into a groove but when you hit the spots where you’re not sure where you’re going, things understandably drag quite a bit. Probably only recommended for the most die-hard Metroidvania fans who have blown through what’s already available on the system, show patience with Nightmare Boy and some fun can be had with it.

It's a dry, repetitive game with glaring design flaws and even some programming bugs.

All the great graphics and soundtrack can't hide the fact that Disney Universe is one of the most disappointing releases of the year.

Elite Forces: Unit 77 is a game that had potential thanks to its great touch screen controls. But decisions like forcing the player to start all over again when one character dies, the lack of additional game modes, and bland missions make this title a modest, slightly rushed effort that could have been something special.

Spore Hero is sure to win over fans of the Spore franchise, thanks to its deep creature creator modes, vibrant presentation, and unforgettable characters. Unfortunately, the whole package feels basic despite its ambitions; the fighting is too elemental in both controls and ideas, the adventure mode feels like one big fetch quest, and the missions become bland and repetitive.

Reynatis is ultimately a frustrating experience. I adore many of its characters and concepts, and when the combat works, it’s incredibly fun. But when it doesn’t, it’s maddening. The boss battles can be particularly aggravating, with some enemies relying on stun-locking attacks, which wouldn’t be as much of an issue if not for the game’s poor performance. I wish the game had been given another year of development, as it’s releasing with squandered potential. I truly hope future patches address some of these issues, as I’d love to return to the game with renewed enthusiasm, especially with the upcoming DLC collaboration with The World Ends With You. If the game’s core concepts interest you and you can look past the performance issues, it’s worth checking out. Just play it on another console or PC, where these problems will hopefully be less prevalent.

The different disciplines may work in the real world, but not so much as Need for Speed ProStreet presents it in video game form. While racing game fans will find a decent NFS game behind the hip-hop facade, most people shouldn't bother with it.

Unfortunately, the Switch version fails miserably when it comes to delivering that gameplay to the player. It says a lot about the quality of the underlying game design that I kept coming back despite regularly running into issues. I’d love to speak more positively about Hell Pie, and I may very well wind up picking it up on another platform, but the compromises on Switch are going to be too much for most players. I sincerely hope this port can be salvaged through updates because I firmly believe Hell Pie is a very good game, and this version just doesn’t do it justice.

A less-than-stellar multiplayer package coupled with an impressively addictive solo racer, Kirby Air Ride both entertains and annoys.

For everything it sets out to do and accomplishes relatively well, Ultra Hyperball presents the same challenge in terms of recommending it that some of the other indie multiplayer games have had. If you and (probably more importantly in terms of long-term play) your friends buy into the hook of the game and will invest in getting the hang of the timing and controls there’s the makings of some fun local play. The problem is that having the right group of people is more key to the experience than the game itself. With simplicity can come accessibility but it doesn’t always equate to long-term challenge. At its relatively low price point, people will just need to decide whether it's something that looks appealing to eat up some hours on your own and with the other people you play with.

Underfeatured for the price. It's not bad, but it's just not worth thirty bucks.

Ultimately, Honeycomb Beat’s greatest asset and biggest shortfall is its inherent simplicity. The game is great to pick up and play anytime, but players may bore quickly depending on how much time they want to spend contemplating the puzzles. While its shiny presentation helps pass the time, its lack of interesting game modes does not.

While the background tunes are enjoyable and obscure, they don’t match similar title like Lumines(which seems to have been an influence). If you want to experience old-school gaming with a new-school twist, Space Invaders Extreme is EXACTLY how you do it.

Build-A-Bear is a fantastic idea, but that idea best left in the real world. This virtual version of it is a wasted effort.

DBZ: Extreme Butoden has good intentions, and overall is a polished fighting game. I just wish the execution was a bit better.

I really wanted to like Legends of Ethernal, but it nearly ended up being the most frustrating 2D game I played this week. It’s a very modern experience in a lot of ways, but it also drug up some very unpleasant memories of NES games that were designed to not be beaten in a rental period.

It is truly one of the powerhouse titles on the DS, and everybody should give it a try - especially Naruto fans.

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.

Game & Wario is a very disappointing outing for a series that has pushed new hardware in zany yet inventive ways a number of times before.

Much of the enjoyment of what my friends and I affectionately call “Settlers” or “Sottlers” (don’t ask) is the social element of chatting, taunting, teasing, and laughing while gathered around a table. One potentially neat thing is that you earn experience points while playing, and by leveling up you can unlock new tile, game piece, and table themes, but earning some of these bonuses can take a lot longer than you are likely to want to play. Catan on Switch doesn’t have that, so unless you really enjoy playing board games against A.I. or have the patience to wait for potentially unsatisfying online competition, you are better off building the largest army or longest road somewhere else.

The game never develops into a solid experience, thanks to a host of design flaws that clash directly with the impressive technology.

Samurai Warriors: Chronicles does not bring a lot of big changes to the core gameplay, but the extra features and tweaks make it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the series, as well as someone who has never even played a Warriors game before.

Graded on the "it's only a DS game" scale, it's not a bad effort. But where is the track editor? Where is the online play? Why is the main single-player game so repetitive and soulless?

Everything about the game feels like it needs just a little bit more polish, especially the tilt sensor. What could be a very innovative and fun mechanic to add to a platforming game ultimately falls short of its goal and only manages to hamper the gameplay.

Though the game lacks depth, it is, however, a good introduction to the controller and a decent party game for kids. For those who already have their fair share of Wii Remotes, Wii Play: Motion isn't worth paying for.

Mega Man Star Force, despite all the changes they have made to the Battle Network formula, still feels, plays, and looks like its ancestor.

Even though game is lacking on extra stuff, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary is still Namco's best compilation package ever.

In the end Brawl isn’t necessarily a bad game, it’s just a hodge podge of ideas that individually may work but somehow when they’re mashed together it doesn’t seem to congeal. There’s obviously been effort to inject some personality into things but at the same time, what makes each character distinct ends up detracting a bit from the ease of handing someone a controller and having some fun. With the voice work, it’s also obvious that the single-player story mode had some investment but the glorified tutorials with somewhat bland play and wonky AI failed to leave a very positive impression. Just from top to bottom the overall effort plays out as pretty average, though its stuttering periodic performance issues make it more difficult to redeem.

I'm mostly disappointed in Super Cane Magic Zero. The fun, dumb world and deep RPG mechanics could have hooked me, but the punishing repetition and clunky combat kept me angry through almost all of my playtime. An extremely specific group of hardcore goofballs could have fun with Super Cane Magic Zero, but most players can find a better use for a group of friends.

Aka’s heart is in the right place, and it may have an audience with players looking for a breezy, slice-of-life game. Unfortunately, playing the game offers too little of an incentive for how challenging it is to control your red panda friend. While it may be true that a good deed is its own reward, such a proverb doesn’t lend itself well to the medium of video games. There are some worthwhile moments to be had in this world, but they’re just too few and far between.

Dokapon Journey is a good game, and while it is heavily inspired by its console cousin there are enough differences that keep it from being a shameless console-to-portable port.

While the most dedicated players will find a game containing dozens of hours of grinding and challenge to overcome, most are likely to encounter repetitive and simplistic gameplay with no major story to reward their endeavoring. Many will no doubt find the final main game dungeon to be too great an obstacle to overcome. Without nostalgia to buoy its lackluster gameplay loop and online functionality, Crystal Chronicles is one caravan ride you may want to skip.

While Gardening Mama comes very close to being a leader in the series, glitchy controls and gameplay that can become tedious and boring hold it back from being a truly enjoyable title.

Unfortunately, especially where control and complexity come into play, what works well in mobile is generally pretty mediocre on the dedicated gaming hardware of the Switch where the competition has set the bar far higher. If you’re truly bored of Mario Kart and looking for something to kick around for a while, or are less bothered by floaty controls than perhaps it will scratch an itch for you. Nonetheless I would have a difficult time recommending it for the majority of gamers out there.

Not a terrible game, and it does have redeeming features, but the game design is rather lacking in ingenuity and variety. Most players will find this game to be too repetitive and too easy.

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.

Overall, the game looks nice, but there's nothing truly beautiful about it. The gameplay and story are solid, but nothing really stands out.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While its children’s book license and wealth of tutorials clearly mark it as a game intended for younger players, its frustratingly difficult battles, annoying checkpoint system, and lack of level mapping make it a tough nut for even experienced gamers to crack.

Though similar to many other titles in the rhythm genre, Helix is a unique experience and feels more like real dancing than DDR ever has. The soundtrack is enjoyable and fun, and will keep you grooving until the end.

The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun is a light-hearted side-scrolling game with some entertaining gameplay. There's not much for those unfamiliar with the series to care about, but it is a fantastic game for any video game fan that also enjoys The Secret Saturdays.

It’s a nice way of reliving games of yore and allows a new generation of gamers to rediscover some of the great games of the 16-bit era.

As a historical relic, it’s wonderful to see this game come out on Switch, but aside from nostalgia and completionism, I can’t recommend Dragon Quest II to most people. In a world where the Switch also contains the modern marvel that is Dragon Quest XI, the stronger sequel Dragon Quest III, and the more compact and straightforward original game, this should be the lowest entry on the totem pole. Also, the story here heavily inspired Dragon Quest Builders 2, which is also a great game. Dragon Quest II isn’t a bad game; it’s just 32 years old and might be the weakest entry in one of the most legendary RPG franchises of all time.

The biggest drawback to the game is a lack of single-cartridge multiplayer.

All in all, The Bunker was a fun ride. It grabbed me in the beginning with it’s presentation. The great cast, and direction of the movie shown showcased a lot of effort that paid off. There wasn’t a moment I ever cringed, or raised an eyebrow. It’s short, and replayability is pushed for because of the insertion of collectibles and a branching path ending. But I didn’t find these enticing enough to come back. Once in the Bunker, was enough for me.

If you’re gearing up for some hardcore precision platforming with a relentless streak, Skelattack is good for that, even more so thanks to its cute presentation and great soundtrack. It offers no quarter, however, and if you’re committed to anything less than a minimal death trip through this adventure, a bad time is likely on your horizon. For as good as the controls can feel, the only real lifeline is frequent checkpoints, but that doesn’t make the frustrating design and punishment much better. I wish Skelattack reminded me more of the great things of its Konami progenitors or its modern inspirations. Instead, this game just makes me want to go pick up a Castlevania or dig up Super Meat Boy again.

While Master of Disguise may look like a Wario platformer on the surface, the game is plagued by terrible pacing, obfuscated level design, and unsatisfying controls. If you're not going to do a Wario game right, Nintendo, don't do it at all.

Beast of the 5th Sun is unfortunately yet another mediocre licensed game. It has some good ideas and tries valiantly to present the cartoon universe in video gameform, but only fans of the series will be able to fully enjoy this title.

Overall, the game is good, though not great. The puzzles are interesting and the story is intriguing. The visuals are solid and the audio's OK. If you're into fun puzzle games with gripping mysteries, James Noir might be one to look into getting.

Tanzia is a fine game for people looking for a light action-RPG that engages the player with its simplicity. The story beats are interesting but the combat, music, and quest design are largely uninspired. In so many words, Tanzia could use a little more time in the alchemy cauldron.

While it is far from the best match-three game on the market, this game definitely is enjoyable, and holds up for the few hours it takes to play through the story.

For those who have a dedicated group to play with online there are hours worth of fun to be had overcoming the more difficult challenges. However, If you’ll need to rely on random players the fun can only go so far without any form of communication. And if playing solo is your only option, I’d highly suggest thinking twice because quite frankly playing alone is not very much fun at all.

My Pet Shop is surprisingly well-polished for a game aimed at a younger, casual audience.

For what it's worth, SNK Heroines is a fun fighting game with (local) multiplayer options but, like so many fighting games, lacks a real single-player hook. I suspect your enjoyment of this game will depend on whether you have a stable roster of real-life friends because it seems like online play is currently borked. Maybe they can patch it? There are DLC characters coming down the pipe, so the roster will improve but there’s not a ton of reason to keep coming back for solo play.

A fun puzzle game for a little while, but after playing for more than a few hours it becomes tedious and tiring.

Christ, staying up and watching late-night weekend Cinemax or even renting any given title in the “Wild Comedy” section at any mom and pop video store gives you more than that. Where’s the filth?

If you can deal with repetitiveness and some really forgettable music, then perhaps you might want to look into this one.

Midnight it a fun little puzzler and it will do the job for the people in search of one.

Rogue Trooper Redux is for those with a distinct taste. I can't deny the problems found in its cover mechanics, and the visual upgrade isn't that grand. That being said, the hectic 13 missions remain a fun romp to get through. The campy story and amount of upgrades only elevate what the developers tried to pull off. Rogue Trooper requires a more aggressive gameplay style than I remember, but I can't really say that I'm bothered by it.

Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that’s also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you’re looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.

Overall, Shelter Generations is engaging aesthetically and has the ability to evoke nature and human emotion; there is also a spiritual leaning to the game that may appeal to some people. Ultimately, however, the minute-to-minute gameplay, especially in Shelter 2, is a little boring and repetitive. As a cat might when stalking its prey, tread carefully with this one.

All in all, Nihilumbra is a fun platformer, which allows for those who are new to puzzle games and those who are well versed in them to enjoy the game equally. With the creative and unique elements that are used in each puzzle, it is definitely a nice game for its price.

A hide and seek for the digital age, Invisiballs delivers intense moments of fun but needs four for optimum play.