Citizen Sleeper allows for multiple playthroughs, and even when looking through screenshots during my review there are characters and locations I never once encountered within my first playthrough. Because of the heavy story-driven nature of Citizen Sleeper, your enjoyment will be contingent on your appreciation of the sci-fi genre as well as how much brain space is occupied by thoughts of Turing Tests. While that itself will denote that Citizen Sleeper isn’t for everyone, for those that have even a slight interest in the genre, you don’t want to sleep on this one.

Even though it doesn’t bring much to the table in terms of innovation or surprise, Anuchard remains a solid and exceedingly colorful adventure that offers a fun, if fleeting, experience. The chapter-based structure lends itself well to the light and optional farm-building elements and the main narrative of bringing life back to the world and its inhabitants. If you’re looking for a fairly charming action RPG that’s more familiar than fresh, Anuchard might be just what the doctor ordered.

Overall, The Centennial Case is probably not going to knock anybody’s socks off, but it is at the very least an interesting mystery filled with enjoyable characters that is worth a few afternoons of an aspiring detective’s time. It may not be up to the standards of a big budget theatrical production, but the actors feel competent and the musical score adds an air of drama that makes it hard not to get sucked in at times. If you find yourself with a craving for a relatively simple set of mysteries to walk through and solve, this is likely a game to keep your eye on for a rainy day.

There are definitely some spots towards the end that feel like they were just thrown in to add some extra padding, like repeating quests you’ve already completed and even having to replay a boss fight. It can really take you out of the moment and halt the flow of the game. With the long distance between save points, difficult bosses, and sometimes frustrating platforming, this game will really make you ponder how much suffering you are willing to endure to reach full enlightenment.

Mini Motorways is simple and extremely addictive. Experimentation with how best to use each element is fun and satisfying when something clicks. And when it doesn’t, you simply pick that piece back up and try something else. It has been quite a while since a puzzle game so immediately conveyed its appeal to me and while there are certainly some small things I’d improve, it won’t stop me from continuing to play this for a very long time.

Off-putting controls, repetitive gameplay, and some pretty rough performance make Gibbon: Beyond the Trees unfortunately not really a recommendation on Switch. While the visual style is truly gorgeous and you feel as if you’re actually controlling a gibbon, the game just doesn’t hold up even for the short time you’ll spend with it. The danger gibbons face truly is an ecological crisis, but if you want to support that cause, a donation towards the Gibbon Conservation Society is far more satisfying than playing this game.

Vesper: Zero Light Edition is a tense, stunning, and cinematic platform-adventure game that any genre fans should add to their collection. Wait till the sun goes down, or whip out your own Drive Gun to absorb the light in your room, boot up your Switch on the big screen or undock your OLED and immerse yourself in the gorgeous colors, sublime sound design, and cleverly haunting world of Vesper: Zero Light Edition.

Dungeons of Dreadrock makes an admirable leap to Nintendo’s hybrid device. During shorter play sessions, the game shines and offers a challenging but fair puzzle-centered experience. The story is familiar yet enjoyable, and the basic controls translate well enough to the console space. It might not Dreadrock your world, but these Dungeons offer a pretty satisfying romp all the same.

All in all, there are very few negatives to mention in terms of the core gameplay. The controls and movement feel perfect. Stage progression is fair and fun, and the visuals are vibrant. Performance docked and handheld never skipped a beat. Super Mega Zero really is a package that continues to impress the further you dig into it. If you’re looking for something challenging and bite sized, this is a super fit on the Switch.

As someone who enjoys town-building mechanics in RPGs, like those of Ys VIII, Xenoblade Chronicles, or Dragon Quest Builders, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising relies too heavily on them, at the cost of telling an engaging story or offering compelling action gameplay. The too-frequent backtracking, mind-numbing side quests, and overall lack of variety make for an experience that is tough to recommend. An unlockable hard mode, 50 in-game achievements, and the promise that Rising saved data will yield bonuses in Hundred Heroes are feathers in its cap, but Rising on its own is just too much of a slog. Here’s hoping that Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes lives up to the success of being the number one video game Kickstarter of 2020 because its prequel certainly does not.

While I can say that the pacing and gameplay never fully clicked with me, it might for others. There’s quality in the world of Rosantica and things to appreciate about its story, art, and characters. That being said, this game has potential hidden under some lackluster stages and unbalanced combat. I would love to see another story told in this world with some further polish on the gameplay if Studio Thunderhorse was ever to make a second showing. Should the slower pace not be a bother to you, there’s a lot that Flynn Son of Crimson has to offer. But amongst a sea of similar genre entries on Switch, I’d be hard pressed to recommend this one.

I think this game is perfect for a hardcore Disney fan who wants an incredibly low-stakes game with very chill vibes where you hang out with your favorite Disney characters. Having this cool, cute Disney World has a strong appeal to it, and the final result is a polished game. I came out of this a little bored by the slow pace and limited gameplay, but in his review, Daan was more, ehrm, enchanted by the title on 3DS. Your mileage may vary.

The Stanley Parable is an extremely worthwhile video game and, I would argue, one of the finest examples of meta-humor (as well as humor in general) in the medium. Just don’t read too much before you play it.

Parkasaurus satiated my dinosaur tycoon demands. For me, a dabbler in the management game arts, I found an enjoyable park designer where I had to balance finances and set up the coolest Jurassic Park-looking place I could muster. For my 4-year-old, he had a sandbox where he could screw around and set up whatever dream-like dinosaur scenarios he wanted to. We were able to do all this with a charming-as-heck visual aesthetic and a complex but workable user interface. Life finds a way.

Overall, Nintendo Switch Sports is an enjoyable return to the classic Wii Sports style that is incredibly fun to play both online and off, even if it does leave a little bit to be desired.

Despite its problems, Blast Brigade is fun if you don’t mind beating your head against the wall at times. While its linear nature doesn’t always do a good job of scratching the Metroidvania itch, what’s there is a solid action game with fantastic boss battles.

This is a wild and weird game that is a welcome addition to the Switch library. There is nothing else out there quite like Bugsnax and while the Switch version is not the best performing version, folks with only the Nintendo console or a desire for portable play shouldn’t have too much to complain about if they decide to journey to Snaktooth Island.

Revita offers a very solid roguelike experience, with a tough but interesting risk-reward system as its hook. The early moments of the game are fraught with uncertainty as very little is explained directly to you, but through trial and error you can gradually figure out how to extend runs and upgrade Memoria Station. Developing the hub area adds to the goals you can accomplish and the loot you can find in each dungeon. That said, there isn't much in the way of permanent stat growth outside of consumable metro tickets you can activate before a run, so it'll take patience, skill, and perseverance to make it all the way through the clocktower, and then again at higher difficulty levels. To make that goal more approachable, though, you can adjust the setting to reduce enemy damage or slow down time. Nonetheless, it will take many hours and many deaths to find every hidden secret and discover all that these darkened subway stops have to offer.

Playing Zombie Army 4 was a really great experience. The campaign stayed fresh from beginning to end with a fantastic climax. The additional levels from the included DLC are just as gripping as well. It’s a great game that you can play solo or with friends, and it does a great job combining horror and action. If the online ends up working as well as the offline does when the game releases, you will lose loads of hours in this world. With all of the customization that you can do for multiple characters, weapons, and abilities with much more paid DLC to come, it’s easy to imagine sinking tons of hours and bullets into this never-ending zombie war.

The Force Unleashed is a heavily flawed though still enjoyable experience from an era where Star Wars was trying to find its next identity. It tells an interesting story, even if its ultimate effect on Anakin’s perceived story arc means it's better left outside of modern canon. While its gameplay is linear, and repetitive, I can’t argue with the satisfaction of pulling down a section of the environment and using it to take out a whole group of stormtroopers at once. It by no means weaves its story into the greater universe with the expertise of something like Shadows of the Empire, but it almost certainly served as a gateway into better things like Jedi Fallen Order. As for this particular version, Krome Studios and Aspyr deserve immense praise for their efforts to preserve this oft-forgotten version. Outside of the missing bonus levels from the PSP version, this is the definitive version of this release. This is by no means a masterpiece, but it is an excellent version of a fairly good game.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but like any game like this, it gets old before too long.

With how barren the world of licensed baseball games have been on Nintendo systems, even if MLB The Show was a middling port with a token amount of modes, it would have been an oasis in the desert. Luckily, MLB The Show 22 on Switch is so much more than that. It has all of the modes of the 4K versions, including the wonderful March to October, Road to the Show, and Diamond Dynasty offerings. While the online and visual aspects falter at times, the good far outweighs the bad here, as MLB The Show 22 is one of the best sports games of its kind and the Switch version is an excellent way to play it portably and an acceptable way to play it on a television. Here’s hoping The Show is a perennial All-Star on Switch because I could get used to having an assortment of killer baseball games on Nintendo systems again.

Being an avid fan of Drinkbox Studios previous games, I can gladly say Nobody Saves the World is another successful addition to their catalog. It brings creative class-based gameplay with a hauntingly fun animated art style that runs like a dream on the Nintendo Switch. Despite the repetitive nature of Nobody Saves the World, the lows never outweigh the highs of completing quests, upgrading abilities, and mixing and matching new class combinations. The map size and story length aren’t overly large, so even if it wears out its welcome a bit, it isn’t as egregious as it could have been. Leveling up and crushing waves of enemies never stopped feeling good, even after this Nobody had rolled credits.

Overall, Chinatown Detective Agency is for sure one of the most unique and interesting adventure games I have played in a very long time, with its focus on using your own personal resources to bring yourself to a solution, providing a sense of satisfaction I don’t often find from mysteries. It is a game that is completely unafraid of letting you make mistakes and wasting your time and money, and this ties flawlessly into its well thought out setting and very memorable characters who will regard Amira with the results of your effort. The pixel art that makes up environments is gorgeous and expressive, with the nighttime streets of Singapore being my personal favorite to just spend time looking at. While it is disappointing how common the minor UI and audio bugs are, this is nothing that can’t be fixed with a few patches and does not take away from what is a mystery-solving experience that fans of this genre absolutely should not miss.

Toodee and Topdee delivers on the promise of its brilliant concept. It can be a little hard to wrap your mind around, but once you start thinking in 2D/top-down hybrid design, the puzzles are a delight and if you get stumped, you can make use of the assist options. This is a remarkable puzzle platformer on Switch that stands out from the crowd.

Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness is a delightfully unique twist on old-school retro brawlers that does enough to keep repetitive gameplay fresh enough, especially if you have friends to play with locally or online. It has a ton of content and a wild number of endearing collectables that should supply you (and hopefully your friends) with enough retro love letter magic to carry you right back in time to the 1980s and 1990s styles it evokes so wonderfully.

I first played 13 Sentinels on PS5 after the Switch version was announced because I feared that the Switch would be the inferior way to play it, and my time with this port has left me feeling like I made the wrong decision. 13 Sentinels fits on Switch so well that it feels like it was made for handheld systems—which, in fairness, it kind of was. A Vita version was originally planned before the game was delayed so much that the idea of releasing a new game on Sony’s dying handheld was laughable. Because of that, this version feels like 13 Sentinels is finally where it was meant to be all along. This game is wild and weird in all the best ways, and there has never been a better time to play it than right now.

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.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is far better than I could have imagined. Its ruined yet beautiful world carries a tone of wonder and amazement throughout the entire game, and HAL Laboratory undoubtedly stuck the landing while transitioning the series’ gameplay into 3D. Though I am disappointed in the small number of copy abilities, the game’s issues are mere bumps in the road compared to its many triumphs. It is the only game I can think of to make me cry from the sheer joy of how cute and heartwarming it can be, and it is in my opinion the best game Kirby’s name has ever been on.

This is a game that understands on a seemingly effortless level what makes the genre work. It is able to build on those concepts while still staying entirely true to that core experience. Simultaneously, it offers an incredible package in terms of visuals and sound. I have some minor complaints about the camera in conjunction with the movement system, and some very select boss design issues, but overall it's hard not to absolutely love Astrodogs. Even with a couple blemishes this is easily one of the best games of this type currently available on Switch.

Happy’s Humble Burger Farm is an incredibly unique experience, taking place in a really well thought out world that has had a frankly absurd amount of work put into the lore of its fictional fast-food mascots. For those looking to have a fun horror experience with a bit of a more humorous slant, this is definitely a title you should be giving your time. However, I cannot fully recommend the Switch being the platform for you to do so. The somewhat clumsy adaptation of the controls, especially in menus, has the unfortunate effect of saddling some of the game’s more fun aspects underneath some extra frustration not present in the PC version of the game. If you absolutely have no other choice, there’s still a fun game to be found here, but it is a weaker version than the original.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake is precisely that, a remake of one of the most iconic and best rail-shooters of all time. In terms of core gameplay and story, there isn’t much; however, the touch-ups are all that was needed for a perfect refresh. To add to this, the gyro controls are surprisingly great and the best way to play. Grab yourself a joy-con and a willing partner, and shoot your way through bullet-hell in THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD.

Let’s Play Oink Games is an incredible value for money. Each game in this collection is very well designed. While not each one is great for every situation, especially with local play for titles like Startups and Mr. Face, every game is completely different from the other. And heck, the game will be supported with free updates over time that add even more games to this collection. I’m hoping that titles like Nine Tiles Panic, Insider, Hey Yo, Modern Arts, and Troika will be added eventually. Oink Games makes some of the most fun board games you can buy and by having them this accessible, I’m certain I’m going to be playing them for years to come.

I went into this review with a little bit of trepidation. I adored Chrono Cross the previous times I’ve played it, but it’s been a good decade or so since I last did so. I was just as riveted playing the game on Switch now as I was years ago, enjoying building a different party and exploring the world in a different way. The speed-up and toggles for enemy encounters and battle boosts were welcome in this playthrough, mostly because I could toy with elements and characters more than I did in the past. While Radical Dreamers isn’t much more than an alternate history curiosity, the fact it is actually localized and legitimately available outside of Nintendo’s long inactive downloadable Satellaview network is incredible. Chrono Cross is a wonderful game - hands down my favorite PlayStation RPG - and the Radical Dreamers Edition is the best and friendliest way to play it.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was ultimately a nostalgic yet surprisingly fresh experience that for the most part holds up well on Switch. The films covered in previous games feature entirely new takes, while certainly throwing in some references to those classic titles. My personal experience, unfortunately, was marred with a significant progress blocking bug. In the isolation of this pre-launch period it is impossible for me to know how widespread this issue will be. Hopefully, it will be patched in the near future, especially if it’s not exclusive to one platform. All I can say for now is that while I thoroughly enjoyed Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, I do have to recommend a little caution.

Poor resolution and performance make moving through the world an annoyance. And unfortunately that’s the entire gameplay loop. Even just catching a glimpse of an enemy can be hard from far away given the resolution, and effectively navigating the halls of the shrine to escape is much more difficult at twenty frames per second. So while I could forgive some of the more repetitive encounters and lackluster voice acting, everything compounds into a very unimpressive showing. This isn’t necessarily a bad game, but I’d strongly suggest playing it elsewhere if possible.

Unfortunately, Nun Massacre also adheres to some conventions of the survival horror genre that were perhaps better left in the past, such as a limited three-item inventory and excessive backtracking. I found the backtracking in the middle of the game especially egregious, finding myself running in circles taking items from one visually similar part of the multi-level school to another. During this stretch the encounters with The Nun became less terrifying, and honestly, more annoying than anything, which had an adverse effect on the tension and mood of the experience. That said, it’s an experience seeing through (after a couple of hours of trial and error, a playthough will take roughly 30 minutes). There are multiple endings that recontextualize the story and leave quite a bit to the player’s interpretation. One way or another, Nun Massacre will leave an impression.

The running time is around five hours, and there are four different endings depending on how much you do in the final act. The game was already getting really frustrating with the clunky platforming by the third chapter, so it was really a massive slog at the end. By the time you reach the end there isn’t much of a reason to go back and try for the other endings since they aren’t that much different. There are some cool ideas here, but the execution never fully loads in.

Crystar is an excellent story wedged between way too much repetitive and meaningless combat inside gorgeous yet long-winded dungeons. The non-stop button mashing fights add no value or depth to the story except for the simple reason to progress. Unfortunately, what initially started with a shocking plot and opening unfolded quickly into a tedious gaming experience.

While I'm not intimately familiar with the first game, Andro Dunos II is an enjoyable shmup with a novel but intuitive weapon system. The lack of online leaderboards is unfortunate, but the core gameplay and the interesting ways in which the stages scroll and enemies weave in and out, often appearing in the background first as a warning, makes for a satisfying way to spend a few hours. With a tough boss rush, three difficulty options, and a couple other secrets to unlock, it's fairly easy to recommend this one to those who enjoy a good side-scrolling shooter, with yours truly sitting firmly in that camp. It may not be revolutionary, but Andro Dunos II plays well enough and seems a worthy successor to its original iteration.

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

I found it a nice palette cleanser between longer and more involved games given its approachable design and simple puzzles, so if that's what your in the mood for, Kraken Academy might be worth a campus visit. A free demo on the eShop is also available for anyone on the fence. Ultimately, it's nowhere near a failing grade, but the only A I'd give is for effort.

You can feel the passion in the intricacies of the systems, character art, the gorgeous pixel animations, and the charming flavor text. Unfortunately, you can also feel that Dark Deity feels like a rough draft rather than a finished product. This is most evident in the UI elements and menus that are poorly laid out, confusing to navigate, and frequently unresponsive. For a genre as menu heavy as Strategy RPGs, it is very unfortunate that this could not have been cleaned up before release. But that’s not all. Tutorials are bizarrely small text windows and some text isn’t formatted properly, especially when displaying non-English languages. I’ve come across a bug where I couldn’t move a unit during a turn multiple times, and loading times between chapters lasted much longer than expected for a game of this scope. Music lacks oomph during battles and the level up sound is more of a whimper than a fanfare. This severe lack of polish does not eclipse the brilliance peaking through but it does dim it.

This is the game that solidified my faith in Arc System Works as a developer, and they’ve only proven themselves more and more in the years since. Admittedly part of me would’ve preferred a sequel that also included the cast of Persona 5, but I’m not complaining about getting a chance to revisit one of the finest fighting games I’ve ever played.

There’s a lot of game here, and there are a lot of places they can take this franchise. DOTM is a fun time, and one I’ve greatly enjoyed.

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

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.

Chocobo GP is a totally fine kart racer, featuring a good deal to unlock and more than 20 characters. This isn’t the new gold standard for the genre, but it’s still a fun ride, especially with the syrupy sweet story and good deal of Final Fantasy references. The true potential is in the potential of the titular Chocobo GP mode, which is also the stand-out feature for the entire game. The fact it’s accessible with the Lite mode might give it a longer tail. Some of the season pass content rubs me the wrong way, but the base game is satisfying enough that it’s a good time even if you don’t shell out real-world money to race as Cloud.

Hundred Days is the definition of the saying: “You can’t rush perfection.” It does a phenomenal job as a strategy game by making you live through the hardships of the winemaking process. The game provides you with all the tools you need to create a great wine, but also teaches you how hard this actually is, and how little control you do have over it. This gameplay loop of figuring out how to improve your wines, and fighting against the overwhelming odds makes Hundred Days an absolutely unique experience on the Switch. I do hope that the game will be updated with additional controller options over time, because I can see myself playing Hundred Days for far longer than that title suggests.

While The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a beautiful game and aesthetically unique compared to other RPGs, it's the core gameplay and super slow pacing that stops this from being something I'd recommend over more standard RPGs that do almost everything else better. I'm sorry, Yuu, you're probably one of the most adorable protagonists I've ever played as, but that just isn't enough!

Alas, I wanted to love Young Souls more than I did, but the barely serviceable port gets in the way of what should have been a great experience. While there are some odd design choices in terms of how equipment is acquired and the fact that there isn’t enough to spend your money on, the minute-to-minute gameplay is certainly better than your generic beat-’em-up. These foul-mouthed twins had me cracking up on multiple occasions, but the software closing unexpectedly had me cursing just as often. There’s definitely potential with this one, but it’s probably worth exploring other platform options if you have them. Even though you can see the heart and charm that goes along with these two souls, a bit more polish would have gone a long way.

Aztech Forgotten Gods stumbles its way into being something special. It certainly has faults both technical and simply in terms of design. At the same time it is also incredibly bold when it comes to its ambition. The unique elements of its design are executed very well, and it's only in that final pass of polish that its limitations are truly evident. Even then, I struggled to put Aztech Forgotten Gods down once I started playing it. As I said at the outset, Aztech Forgotten Gods is perfect imperfection. While I can’t ignore its faults, I found myself significantly more enamored with its successes.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve now reviewed eleven games from the same developer in the last two years, but I’d really like to see them take some more risks with the endings in these romance games. Variable Barricade seemed like it would be the time, but the ending did leave me feeling a bit baited. But I accept that I’m part of a very small minority compared to the rest of the audience, and if you’re looking for romantic hijinx with a side of gritted teeth then climb over the barricade.

I desperately want Undying Moon to be a linear, level-based adventure where I can see all the levels and fight all the bosses without enduring the tedious rigmarole that roguelites require. Keep the randomized level layouts! Keep the randomized paths and boss encounters if you have to, but just let me play your beautiful game without all these roadblocks. Eventually, I just got sick of Undying Moon. It was more frustrating than compelling, in part because it does so much right, but its wings are clipped right out the gate by its grind-heavy, roguelite trappings. There are better roguelites out there (Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, for example), but I’m sorry to say none of them look nearly as amazing as Undying Moon.

If you're looking for a brutal platformer that won't treat you with kid gloves, Will You Snail is one of the most unique games you'll find on Switch. I've played my fair share of titles in the genre, but I've never really seen anything like this. The diabolical Squid is as annoying as it is crafty, and seeing how it conjures up spikes, laser beams, and other instruments of death according to your own movements feels incredibly fresh. Even though I had to drop the difficulty a few times to make my way through, Squid always brought it back up eventually to keep the game challenging. However you choose to play it, the ability to alter the challenge at will makes Will You Snail eminently approachable. You'll probably grow to hate Squid pretty early on, but that just makes it all the more satisfying to shut it down. I've Snailed and lived to tell the tale, and it's absolutely worth playing through, just not at a snail's pace.

Video games as a medium have come a long way since the early aughts, and that’s the lens you have to view Bloodrayne through to enjoy yourself with it. The presentation is grimey and dark, which feels befitting of its tone, but it rarely looks good or interesting. Rayne as a character is a cardboard cut-out of female action stars of the time, and the story would be laughably bad if it weren't there already. As well, the action has aged poorly with its unrefined hack and slash nature, even if you can wring a few drops of fun out of it. It’s hard to recommend Bloodrayne to anyone other than people who've played it and have a fond nostalgia for it.

At the end of my day in The Wild at Heart, I am really happy with the adventure I had. I am going to continue to explore to my own heart’s content, and I look forward to finding every last treasure, missing cat, deep lore page, and mysterious secret. I wish there had been a little more care put into how the difficulty was handled, but even so, this was a really pleasant time. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Wake and Kirby, as I expect that there is a lot of room for them to continue to grow into young adults, and there is room to perfect what is otherwise an enjoyable experience.

It’s hard to have an in-depth breakdown of Breakout Recharged because the core structure is so simple. But that uncomplicated nature is an asset. The developer knew to keep the focus on the fundamentals - multiple game modes to keep things fresh, a way to play with friends, leaderboards, and a clean look. If you’re not a fan of brick breakers, then this won’t convert you. But if the last one you played was Arkanoid, then you’re in for a fun revisit.

Glee-Cheese Studio’s motto is to develop innovative games with a strong artistic identity. With A Musical Story, they have done exactly this. It plays and looks like no other rhythm game out there and, to me, is close to faultless. I am very excited to see what they will produce next. Here’s hoping for an album release of the soundtrack on streaming services… Please!

Triangle Strategy doesn’t reinvent the strategy RPG genre, but it polishes it to an HD-2D shine. Each facet of the game complements the others, and at every turn I was left waiting with baited breath to see what would happen next. A new game plus mode unlocks after rolling credits, making it all the easier to dive back in and uncover paths yet untrod, and the second I had completed one route I felt that overwhelming rush to see what I had missed. The grid-style, turn-based combat lives up to the best of its predecessors, and while it may lack the customizability of a job system, the cavalcade of recruitable party members is a worthy replacement. Whether you’re in it for the story, the gameplay, or the aesthetics, the total package is one for the ages, and from any angle the strategy is clear: add Triangle Strategy to your Switch library. Maybe tell friends and family to end their turn; you’re going to be busy for a while.

If you do manage to suffer through the game, including its frustrating final boss, you’ll be rewarded to another manga cutscene, another beautiful David Liu cutscene (which I would like as a desktop background), and another McDuffee song. And then, and this is truly the best part of RCGZ, you unlock the ability to play the Intro, Outro, and End Credit sequences from the main menu. You can also flip through scanned pages of the original game’s Japanese instruction booklet if that’s your bag. I haven’t played too many games where the bread is the best part of the sandwich, but here we are.

Atelier Sophie 2 does not reinvent the wheel nor blow me away as far as RPGs go, but it did lull me into a peaceful, coma-like state of gratification. This game severely lacks intensity or high stakes and I think that’s kind of the point. It’s a warm bowl of soup when the weather outside is frightful.

Having The Ezio Collection together in a single package like this is the ideal way to experience these games. These are incredible games that, while showing their age, remain a joy to experience. There are absolutely weaker moments that feel a bit repetitive, but there are also plenty of reminders as to why these games are so highly revered. Assassin’s Creed Revelations in particular is easily one of the best entries in the entire series. This Switch release certainly has some drawbacks, and it's arguable that a straight port of the original games at a higher resolution might have yielded better results than this down-port of the remasters, but the net result remains positive. Performance is overall a significant improvement over the original releases and still a superior way to play. It’s unfortunate that Ubisoft has decided to work their way backwards through the original Assassin’s Creed story arc with their Switch releases, but even if you haven’t played the original, this trilogy holds up incredibly on its own.

As we come to the end of another card-filled yarn, my final impression is a positive one. Both Voice of Cards entries present an accessible RPG form for newcomers and enough meat on the bones for veterans. While I was left wanting a bit more length for the first game, The Forsaken Maiden simply feels like an experiment that didn't fully hit the mark. Part of that could also be blamed on a new voice for the narrator/GM, which sounds younger and less weathered or seasoned. Dividing the focus into multiple smaller stories may have hurt the overarching narrative, but this is still an RPG worth playing, with secrets and replay value for intrepid card sharks. I'll be interested to see how, and how quickly, Square Enix follows up with another Voice of Cards title. It seems like this series won't soon be silenced, and that's a good thing.

Grapple Dog has some neat ideas, and it keeps them coming throughout the campaign so it continues to mix things up along the way, but it doesn’t really stand out in a major way. It’s an enjoyable game, but it doesn’t do any one thing exceptionally well. If you’re a platformer freak like I am it’s definitely worth a look, but there’s not much here to put it above some of the great examples of the genre on Switch.

SOL CRESTA is an intense and deep vertical shooter entry on Switch, and genre enthusiasts would be doing themselves a favor by adding it to their libraries. In-game achievements unlock new content, such as Caravan Mode, online leaderboards, and the aforementioned Sound Test. Even finishing the final stage on normal difficulty is a steep challenge that requires a fair measure of skill, particularly with swapping formations and the slowing of time that this ability grants. If this is the level of quality we can expect from future arcade-style shooters courtesy of PlatinumGames, I’ll be demanding as many as we can get, until Kamiya-san blocks me on Twitter.

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.

Action Arcade Wrestling is a fun pick-up-and-play arcade wrestling game to play with a friend. It won’t hold your attention for too long. Still, with the massive pool of customizability and readily available downloads from the AAW community, there is enough here to wet a wrestling fans’ appetite. If only it had the same depth with its available modes, it would have gone from a good game to a great one.

Ocean’s Heart is a tremendous experience even with some rough edges. It’s evocative of the likes of Minish Cap in all the best ways and succeeds at being more organic and open than a lot of similar games. I’d love to see this game’s foundation build and grow because the promise is immense, but even if this is the peak of Ocean’s Heart’s developer Max Mraz, it’s still an enjoyable game.

If you can laser focus on the strategy elements, and maybe favor diplomacy over direct conflict, there is a playable though still rough experience here. But if you’re looking for satisfying Warriors combat, there are plenty of better options already on Switch.

As sure as the sun rises and sets (and wait until you see that in game), the Switch eShop will receive more and more titles hoping to cash in on NES-fueled nostalgia; don’t let that stop you from picking up the immensely satisfying throwback that is Infernax. Even though my mace and armor are dripping with demonic ichor, I’m still ready to charge back in.

Overall, Welcome to Elk! has a lot to say about the stories that make up our lives, told through charming character designs, clever writing, and a delightful soundtrack full of acoustic guitars, banjos, and other rural sounds that make spending time in Elk feel nice even when it gets sad or uncomfortable. Characters like Beth and her daughter Freddie are memorable, and moments such as the fate of Beth’s husband will likely stick with me for a long time. Frigg’s experience feels genuine and grounded even during moments of whimsy. At the end of the day, the game’s message is that sometimes a good story is just that: a good story. It really doesn’t need to be anything more.

Egglia Rebirth has everything you’d want to see in a JRPG on Switch. It has the developer pedigree of the Brownie Brown founders, the music of Yoko Shimomura, visually pleasing 2D visuals, and a superb localization. It’s a shame that the gameplay itself is somewhere between overly simplified and frustrating, largely thanks to the mobile influences that still seep into this Switch release. If you have a high tolerance for mobile fluff, then Egglia Rebirth might still be worth a look, but be prepared for countdown timers and weirdly high difficulty spikes to dirty your pleasant nostalgic jaunt.

There’s a storyline, but since all of your characters are mute character portraits, all the dialogue and interactions come from the Inn’s colorful cast, most of whom I didn’t care for. I just don’t see the appeal of DGE. In the very crowded marketplace of JRPGs, there are way better choices out there.

Rise of the Third Power, whether in 2022 or 1992, will still slot into the middle of the pack for SNES-inspired RPGs. The combat and overarching story are clear highlights, but there's undeniable bloat that hurts the pacing and the character portraits, for the most part, would be better left on the cutting room floor. While a babystep up from Ara Fell, which I awarded a 7 out of 10 in 2020, Rise of the Third Power doesn't quite do enough to earn a full-throated recommendation. That said, it's still a fairly enjoyable classic RPG experience with interesting characters, a simple but fun battle system, and some humorous dialogue.

Overall, The Artful Escape is a standout in terms of visual and sound design, with a story that feels relatable even if you yourself don’t have a famous folk-singing uncle. With a runtime of only about three hours it’s a brief experience, but those hoping to find a challenge to overcome will be disappointed in the shallow gameplay it has to offer. Francis’s story is memorable and powerful, and the environments he shreds through are truly a sight to behold. People who enjoy the aesthetics of artists like the late David Bowie should absolutely give this game a look, especially if they also happen to be musicians themselves. You might learn a bit about what you actually want for yourself in life and become inspired to visit a Cosmic Extraordinary of your own.

As a veteran player of these games and real life skateboarder it’s easy to appreciate what these games do. While they seem like simplified Tony Hawk games, there’s a lot more depth in the grinds and flips with a surprising amount of accuracy. That being said, OlliOlli World improves on the blueprint laid out in previous entries in almost every way. The animation is impressively overhauled, the level design is intricate while evolving, and the gameplay is as smooth as butter with even more ways to flow. There’s something to be said about iterative evolution but this is on another level of progression that makes the older games harder to go back to. Trust me, I tried and it was a grind.

If you’ve been hoping for a little more combat and a little less walking back and forth between points on a map, Wonder Labyrinth would make a wonder-full way to spend five or six hours.

There’s a lot of minor gameplay features for players to explore and try out, but even just fighting through the stages and bosses is satisfying enough on its own. If you’ve ever played a Gunvolt game of any kind, this is a fairly good one of those, even if you’re likely to forget about it after putting it away. Not every game needs to be memorable to be a worthwhile experience, though. If you’re looking for an action-heavy palette cleanser with some kicking visuals and solid gameplay, Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 would make a strong addition to your Switch library.

An astoundingly smart improvement on the tried-and-true Pokémon formula. It’s not without its blemishes, largely in the dreadful visuals, but the foundation laid here is what I hope the Pokémon franchise pivots to more in the future. It twists the focus just enough to make the experience of filling out a Pokédex more engaging, all the while filling battling and catching with way more variety. Legends Arceus doesn’t quite catch them all, but it’s satisfying the whole way through and makes me thrilled for the future of Pokémon in a way I haven’t been in years.

When you’re going back-to-back-to-back with one genre of game, they can start to run together. I’m glad Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani avoided the urge to lock portions of the game behind completion, and hope this happens more in the future—though hopefully the next romance game I play will have a little more sunlight in it.

Shadow Man is not a great game in 2021, but in 1999, it was ambitious and inventive, and being able to experience this game as it was meant to be released and played is valuable and enjoyable.

When RPGolf Legends is flowing, it’s incredible and greater than the sum of its parts. I adore how you’re filling in a golf course through various countrysides while also fighting bears and snakes and junk. The boss battles that deftly mix combat and golf are tons of fun. But then you might hit a wall where you just need to grind, whether it’s by pounding down enemies or golfing on loop, and the whole experience suffers. Still, I’m heartened that we live in a world where we have multiple options for retro-ish golf RPGs and they’re both pretty good.

It’s ultimately a little too loyal to its inspirations. Despite being a brand new game, it often feels incredibly dated. It isn’t downright bad by any means, just like going back and playing the original God of War on PS2 isn’t bad either. But that design is really only excusable in the context of its time. Blackwind will have some appeal to hardcore fans of early 2000’s action games, but without those rose tinted glasses, there isn’t much here to help it rise above mediocrity.

Headland is a cute game with a heartwarming narrative that is just simply enjoyable. It doesn’t hit high highs and the only real brushes with low lows are the dregs of the combat. I’d most recommend it if you have a younger gamer in your household looking for a charming romp with a positive message about creativity.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an incredibly enjoyable and wholesome experience. Its characters are so charming and endearing; its graphical style and world design encourages creativity and wants you to color the world back in. The soundtrack is stellar and completes the package on display here. It's a game that can be enjoyed for all ages and if you decide to pursue all the sidequests, complete the decorating minigames, and find all of the collectibles, you can certainly spend a lot of time in the world of Chicory. My only gripe is a personal one—that I didn’t play this game last year—because without a doubt it makes for a wonderful late addition to the best of what 2021 had to offer. I cannot wait to see what Greg, Lena, Em, Alexis and Madeline will make next, because Chicory can’t be described as anything other than a piece of modern art.

Astroneer is a small package that packs a lot of punch. There’s so much to dig into and explore that it’s easy to lose hours upon hours without batting an eye. Despite the learning curve, I found myself putting on my headphones and zoning out to the sweet soundtrack and some mindless digging. I wish that the systems were explained a little bit better but some light reading and personal discovery help this underrated indie shine.

As far as if this DLC is worthwhile, it is if you want to play Super Nintendo Aladdin or have fond memories of the Jungle Book game. Aladdin holds up as a great platformer of the era, but Jungle Book simply does not. All of the museum extras are incredible, but might not be as worthwhile unless you’re interested in the history and legacy of these games. Combine this DLC with the original content and it’s an excellent historical collection that paints a cel-animated picture of a specific era of Disney video games during a time when adaptations of animated movies were much bigger events.

Bonfire Peaks is a stunning game that I feel will attract many for its aesthetic alone. A large portion of those will stay for the gameplay, but I can fully relate to players who become frustrated with the movement controls and difficulty spike later on. Aside from the gameplay grumps, the world in which Corey Martin has created tells an isolated yet beautiful tale of a man looking for closure by burning his things, and I am glad I got to experience this.

Dungeon Munchies surprised me with its poor level design and platforming but shined in its story and characters. I wanted more from the characters and would probably have really dug this as a visual novel. As it is, however, the drifty platforming with floors that feel like ice are a slog. Combat wasn’t bad, but I always generally wanted more of the better parts of the game, like the slick soundtrack. By the end of my time with Dungeon Munchies, I certainly wasn’t full. I felt like it deserved more and could be more, maybe a little more time in the oven.

Okinawa Rush attracted me the moment I played it and dragged me in with its visceral, fast paced powerful battles. You won’t find a developed story or a stellar soundtrack, but sound design in combat is top tier, with each hit feeling like it’s forceful enough to crush skulls. If a dark, gruesome brawler that empowers you to be a badass is what you’re itching for, then Okinawa Rush is just the right scratch for you.

After all these years, I’m still a zealot for the Picross S (and its predecessors) even if innovation and evolution is slow paced. Seeing touchscreen support added after more than four years of Switch releases is great to see, and hopefully more upgrades and updates will come to Picross S8 and more in the future. Until then, here’s almost 500 new puzzles that are at the same solid level of execution as the thousands Jupiter has made in the past.

If you like a good set of murder mysteries featuring a consistent cast of characters, Danganronpa is one of the best places to get that experience, and this sequel is no different in that regard.

While none of the problems are significant enough to truly prevent someone from enjoying this game, the fact that such fundamental problems from a previous version have not been addressed makes it difficult to justify this version over any others. I think it’s worth seeking out and trying Danganronpa for yourself, but I can’t recommend doing so by playing a port of the mobile version running poorly on Switch.

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

Now that a third of the game isn’t enough to make my inner English teacher want to have someone at the publisher see me after class, I think there’s a decent effort in Cupid Parasite. There’s still typos which I’m becoming more sensitive to, and the controls are a bit irritating if you’re trying to do anything beyond advancing text, but it’s a unique take on the legends of Cupid.

Across its 10-15 hours, Life is Strange: True Colors tells an emotional story of a girl trying to find a new home while also reconciling with both her unique powers and her traumatic past. There isn’t much in the way of puzzle-solving, but intrepid players will enjoy going back to completed chapters and scenes to make new choices and see what happens. It’s easy to miss a conversation or an object with which you can interact, so it’s worth being thorough. There are hidden memories to unlock in each chapter, too. Despite a few abrupt time skips and scene jumps, Alex’s story is one worth hearing; it culminates in a captivating climax, even if the resolution pulls its punches a bit. Color me eager to see more Life is Strange titles come to the Switch in the coming months.

Trash Quest is far from a piece of eShop garbage. It's actually a brief but delightful and welcome addition to the Metroidvania stable on Switch. Online leaderboards that track your clear time, among other things, adds a heaping of replay value. Still, it's not much of a challenge to complete the game with a 100 percent rate, so enjoy the experience while it lasts. If you're dumpster diving for a palette cleanser in-between some larger titles this holiday season, do yourself a favor and consider helping a raccoon on its Trash Quest.