While there are some interesting aspects of Polygod to explore, I more often wanted to just stop playing than go back in to explore more.

The developers made little effort to adapt Rayman 2 for the handheld, transforming a brilliant game into a mushy blur.

Tron Evolution is a serviceable licensed game that doesn't do anything bad, but it also doesn't do anything great. The short adventure will likely entertain fans of the franchise, but outside of that, it's not worth playing.

If you've never played a Worms game before, only own a Wii, and want a low barrier for entry, then I highly recommend this game. However, if you've ever played a Worms game before, or own any other video game system released sometime in the past decade, find a Worms game for that system, as it is probably way better than this neutered Wii version.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash isn't good in the slightest. While the game can be decent in passing, it’s a horrible value when you stop and think about it. There is just one stadium, limited online options and less features than the previous two entries.

The game has a balance of both decent and not-so-great content. Spy missions are just not fun, while the racing is only decent.

Outside of the obvious omission of a map, the simple act of playing Darksiders III is fun, challenging, and rewarding. The Switch port, save for the expected visual downgrades, is on par with the originally targeted systems. The only problem is it never ran particularly well on those systems either. If anything the Switch version actually improves on some elements of the original performance, but it can still be a bit of a rough ride. This was always a game that required more powerful hardware to push through its shortcomings and the Switch obviously can’t totally deliver on that. At the same time, with slightly faster loading and solid handheld performance, I’d probably still take this over going back to the original Xbox One version.

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

I find myself having a hard time recommending Atomine to anyone but those looking for a repetitive game and feel like the different ways in which you shoot the enemies isn’t enough to sate your interest in a twin-stick shooter. I understand there are those who appreciate the feedback loop of going through a run, seeing how far you can go, and then trying to do better in your next run, but that alone wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in this one.

Bleach: The Shattered Blade will only appeal to fans of the show, and barely at that. It's mediocre as an extension of the anime, and even worse as a video game. Though the Wii motion controls work like they are supposed to, they simply don't fit with the fast pace and repetitiveness of this style of fighting game.

But my favorite comedian can’t save this rushed DS tie-in. I’ve heard good things about the movie, but I can’t recommend the game.

I never thought I'd say this, but not even cleaning up poop can save The Sims 2 (GBA) from being a pile in its own right. Sure, it's got an award-worthy presentation and cool mini-games, but when the central gameplay isn't worth its weight, I simply can't recommend it in good faith.

Exile’s End is not great. It’s just mediocre and it’s not optimized for the Wii U. While I got a kick out it, I suspect many of you will become bored or frustrated. Even I started leaning on online maps to find everything (breakable walls are rarely differentiated).

Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo is a good first attempt at a loot mech game from Arc. I think some of the issues could be worked out in a sequel, which coincidentally - or not - launched just after the Switch release of Operation Tokyo. It plays well on a handheld with the short missions, just pop the volume down a bit and move the headphones over to something else.

Princess Maker is a tough series to get into. The horrible translation is enough of a barrier to entry on its own, but the total lack of tutorials to explain the complexity of the different stats only serves to make the game very difficult for newcomers. If you manage to get over that steep learning curve, there’s a surprisingly deep simulation game waiting on the other side, but it is a tough sell with a mediocre localization of one of the more middling entries to the series. Hopefully Princess Maker 2 Refine will eventually come to Switch with a better localization, since I can hardly imagine enjoying Faery Tales Come True if I didn’t already have experience with its predecessor.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons is a flawed game in any form, but the Switch version’s particular failings will likely push it over the edge for many. There is a fascinating and fun concept at its core that is executed well, however its surrounding elements just aren’t all there. The world isn’t fun to explore and large gaps of emptiness can be found throughout. Glitches and performance problems abound, especially when playing docked. All that being said, I can’t completely write it off in general. There are the bones of a fun and inventive game here. I had a blast playing an earlier demo on PC but the Switch just isn’t able to deliver that. While I can’t recommend the Switch version, this may still be worth checking out in some other form.

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.

When compared to the other, more powerful consoles, the Switch version of Alan Wake Remastered feels like a step down visually: in terms of muddy graphics and visual detail. The Nintendo Switch doesn’t struggle against it, but concessions had to be made. Fortunately, there’s an added director’s commentary to soothe that blow. When compared to the original Alan Wake, though, the Switch port is absolutely comparable. There’s similar gameplay and visual treatment that we’d seen back in 2010, which isn’t a bad thing, though you may not want to revisit it too often. Porting an Xbox 360 game to the Nintendo Switch isn’t necessarily a big feat, but at the end of the day, at least we now have another fine way to play this fantastic game.

Aragorn's Quest is, at its core, a decent interpretation of the franchise. But it is dragged down by too many small flaws and gameplay that can only be described as derivative.

How on earth doesn’t this game have a simple auto-save feature?

The effective control scheme and funky art style are enough to float the game above mundane, and fans of the series will be mostly content with the game's presentation. However, players will find the repetitive mission-oriented gameplay, with little payoff or progression, to be problematic and uninspiring.

Blocky graphics combine with lighthearted gameplay for what works best as a party game.

Beholder will certainly capture your attention for quite a while with its dark premise and complex relationships. Keep in mind, though, some of the controls don’t work as intuitively as you’d expect, and some of the actions you have to do can be a bore. If you can see past that, this is a fantastically-designed management-sim with layers of art and complexity.

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

A fun platformer that ends up feeling more like Prince of Persia DS than Assassin’s Creed. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the DS could use more action games like this. Sadly, the adventure lasts about a weekend, and there are no real unlockables after beating the game aside from an extra difficulty mode.

Buildings Have Feelings Too! stands on its own in terms of a city management game of this style, and it’s that uniqueness that makes it something worth taking a look at. Some performance issues in load times and frame rate dips are an annoyance, but otherwise if you’re someone who likes the strategy of city management titles, but are looking for a less serious experience, then this is definitely right up your alley.

This game is worth ten bucks at the most. If you pay any more than that, you're doing a disservice to developers striving to provide above-average experiences to gamers.

Camera and targeting issues aside, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is a very fun game, especially for fans of the franchise. Both in terms of story and gameplay, it finds a middle ground between Burst and Shinovi Versus.