My primary impression of Welcome Tour is that it’s more robust than I had initially expected, and it provides a comprehensive, hands-on experience with all of the upgrades offered by the Nintendo Switch 2. I’m eager to return to the game in small bursts to finish off more advanced versions of the mini-games I’ve unlocked, while also being a good student and “studying” for the numerous quizzes that help you learn about the new console and features. Just as the name implies, this tour lingers and doesn’t overstay its welcome. However, it does feel like it may have served as a very effective pack-in title, perhaps just outside the pantheon of those I mentioned earlier. I get it, though: in a world where many don’t have the patience for or interest in multi-page manuals, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour fills a role. Ultimately, I come away with a better sense of the capabilities of my new Nintendo console, and that at the very least helps ease the pain of my poor wallet.

Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp is a good game for two distinct groups of people: those who went for 100% completion of the adventure game trilogy and those who want an incredibly brief RPG. If you’re in either one of those camps, then it’s worth signing up. Otherwise, stick to the adventure games.

It's not a perfect game, and one that will do itself favors by staying at a budget price, but it's easy to recommend to die-hard Frogger fans, or anyone else looking for a quick fix of fun on their 3DS.

In your adventures as Kay you ride boars, rescue animals, solve some interesting puzzles, and even befriend a dragon! Though the plot and dialogue are lacking, the combat gives a unique edge to this platformer. But with so much to compete with on the Switch, this game doesn’t really stand out in the crowd.

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.

Something like Metroid Prime 3 offers a better single-player experience (with far better visual appeal), and there are better online Wii games. Quantum of Solace is ultimately a passable shooter that, as a package, has been done better elsewhere.

I suspect I’m not in the audience that Cast of the Seven Godsends is targeting. I think speedrunners will get a lot of mileage out of this game, and if you somehow managed to enjoy Super Ghouls and Ghosts back in the day take the Cast out for a spin.

Hamsterdam has its charms and definitely some potential. The character designs are fun and Pimm’s stylish hamster-fu feels satisfying to use, but there’s just not enough variety to hold a player’s attention for more than maybe an hour. Dressing Pimm up in goofy hats or a Bruce Lee tracksuit adds a little spice, but the repetitive gameplay will likely catch up to you all the same. I think the developers of Hamsterdam are on the right track, and I look forward to any future games they make using lessons learned from this one, but I cannot see myself returning to the streets of Hamsterdam any time soon.

Ultimately, I’m not sure why Whipseey and the Lost Atlas exists. It does nothing new, and by looking so similar to such a recognizable video game character, it invites unflattering comparisons and almost sells you on a promise it doesn’t even attempt to live up to. While the backgrounds for the five stages do change, the platforming and boss fights are incredibly similar. To be certain, there are much more creative and worthwhile platformers on the eShop. The addition of “Lost Atlas” in the title attempts to add some mystery and intrigue to Whipseey, but even Kirby would spit this one out.

SkateBird was a game I anticipated since I first heard about it. A whimsical bird-focused take on skateboarding seemed delightful, but in execution, frustration dominated my playtime, whether it was struggling to find missions or battling with the loose controls. Charm is the saving grace that led to me having short-lived enjoyment. Overall, SkateBird is way more reminiscent of the janky but sometimes enjoyable games that came out in the wake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s success than the original product itself.

Cars for the DS is not a terrible licensed game; in fact, it is beautifully presented and even includes some clever mini-game ideas. But it never surmounts the feeling that these mini-games should have been a side offering to a real, main game that just doesn't exist.

It's a bad game-that's the bottom line-and you shouldn't spend a dime on it.

Legendary Eleven just kind of feels and looks like a fuzzy drawing of EA’s FIFA games. It’s passable at best, but is off enough to not be worthwhile if you’re seeking out some good old-fashioned arcadey soccer on your Switch. The only hope for Legendary Eleven is that developer Eclipse Games is going to update it over time, but as long as the base feels this raw and frustrating, I can’t recommend it.

I’m pretty sure that underneath these performance issues there is an interesting world ready to be explored. But the game’s problems run deeper than it’s graphical shortcomings. The pacing feels slow and doesn’t give the player many options to fully explore the world that is being presented. If Cloudpunk looks interesting to you, I’d highly recommend you look into other possible versions you might be able to play, because the Switch simply isn’t the place to explore the city of Nivalis.

Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia shows a distinct lack of passion not just from its poorly thought out gameplay and shoddily thrown together story, but also through its astounding lack of polish. Gameplay would frequently freeze before animations could play, key NPCs could be hidden behind level geometry, and you can even move around the map some 10 seconds before a loading screen finishes; I guess any speedrunners out there should take note of that. It all culminates in a game that feels like it was made as an excuse to put a box with the Bakugan name on a shelf in Wal-Mart. Champions of Vestroia is a total failure. If you’re not already a Bakugan fan, there is absolutely nothing for you here. If you are a Bakugan fan, then you deserve a game that respects your time and passion more than this.

There are a few good ideas sent to die here, and the overall premise of the game is great, but it's all mired in technical problems and awful mission design.

With dodgy controls and horrendous graphics, it's an experience that only the bravest baseball fans should attempt to endure.

Unraveling the thread to reveal the truth behind Lifeless Planets narrative is definitely its strongest appeal. Unfortunately, doing so often feels more like a chore than a joy. The platforming here feels ancient The planet itself, while absolutely capturing the essence of it decaying, comes off as uninteresting to explore. Add in some monotonous puzzles, and what you’re left with is a rather forgettable experience.

At a base level, what is present in Exorder is good. However, some frustrations take away from what could be an otherwise pretty good or even great game. SRPGs should be about planning out your next move and not figuring out how to fix your unit going to the wrong place because of the twitchy “snap” movement as you pressed A. If you are a fan of SRPGs and you have some patience to work around these shortcomings, then this might be a good pick-up for you, otherwise you may want to find one of the better titles on the eShop.

Overall Ganbare! Soccer Strikers isn’t the tactical soccer experience I was hoping for. There are many soccer games out there, with some fantastic characterization and design choices. I would forgive the visual style and lack of options if the strategy gameplay was fulfilling enough. But honestly, there is only a surface level of strategic options here that will keep players engaged for a long time. If you are picking this title up, be sure to play it with a friend to have some fun with it in the local multiplayer modes. But if you are looking for either a good soccer or a good RTS game, you unfortunately will not find it here.

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.

Blok Drop U is a fun, addictive puzzler at a bargain price that is no nonsense in its gameplay and presentation. It’s short and simple, and is enjoyable for what it is. It’s not lengthy, but it isn’t meant to keep gamers at bay for hours at end.

It is fun, uses real recipes, and has decent controls, but it only has 12 different recipes to prepare, which equates to about three hours of gameplay.

Offers a unique pick-up-and-play sport and a vibrant, winning presentation. It delivers strongly on what it sets out to do, and it's genuinely appealing to pick up and play casually or in short bursts.

In summary, Namco Museum Megamix is, for all its ambitions, an average classic games collection.

The game does have its charms, and presents a formidable challenge depending on what you choose to take on. The question will be how many people are seeking out this specific combination of elements, and the game simply isn’t going to be for everyone.

It's truly a mess, and in many ways it is a step backwards from the excellent Spider-Man 2 game released a few years ago. However, I do think the web-swinging mechanic is big enough and fun enough to make this game worth renting.

Input latency and levels that are too long without the ability to save keep Castle of Heart from being as fun as it ought to be. That being said, it’s certainly not a bad experience. It is quite nice to look at no matter how you play. If you can overcome the controller lag, Castle of Heart can quench the thirst for classic action platforming among diehard genre fans. For more casual players, mileage may vary.