While Retro City Rampage DX’s story was somewhat short, its time on my Switch will not be. I still have plenty of side missions and collectables to grab, or I might just run down some pedestrians while riding the train. I love this game. And I think it loves me, too.

Dragon Quest XI S is one of the finest RPGs on Switch. With its classic yet refined battle system and plethora of side content, the game can easily keep you chugging along for 100 hours or more. While the world at large may not be all that open, it offers a lot of flair and interesting elements to experience. Everything from entertaining characters to amusing quests, it all comes together in a way such that the journey never slows down. I do feel that the game tries to hold your hand just a teensy bit too much. You can change it in the settings so that some NPCs will start lying to you, but even then, it was hard to really get lost. That is, however, a slight misstep in a game that I adored from beginning to end.

I had a ton of fun playing through RE4 again, and I’d never go back to the GameCube version now that I’ve used the Wii remote and nunchuk. RE4 was already an exemplary game it was first released, and now it’s even better.

Sonic Mania Plus took a well-made game and made it even better, with two interesting new characters and remixed levels. The new content seems a little more geared for the superfan rather than the newcomer, which at the end of the day, is totally okay because whether you bought Mania last year or you’re only just getting to it now, it is still worth checking out.

It expands on the previous game with new stages, more tricks, an excellent and varied soundtrack and more. It just doesn’t have much in the way of innovation.

Even if you’ve never played one of the recent Castlevania titles, and especially if you were bothered by the unbalanced design of the last two games, go out right now and pick up Aria of Sorrow.

With five difficulty levels and randomly generated ships, I can honestly recommend SteamWorld Heist to anyone. The world is rich, the combat is engaging and the portability of the Switch pairs perfectly with the short missions (even if the game is beautiful on a big TV). Plug in your headphones and play this game.

A Link Between Worlds is a delightful adventure that hits every high note a 2D Zelda game has ever produced while creating many new hallmarks of its own.

Donkey Kong Bananza tries a lot of new ideas, and the vast majority of them not only work, but revolutionize the idea of a 3D platformer. There are definitely problems along the way, and it is a long way from perfect, but I can’t argue with how much pure fun there is to be had in playing Donkey Kong Bananza.

The best features of past Mario Kart games are back, and when combined with the new ones in Mario Kart DS, the end result is the most impressive game to ever hit the Nintendo DS and also the best game in the Mario Kart series.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a whole new approach to the series. While it has created some downsides, I can't understate how great this game has come together. The overall flow has been expanded with Nook Miles goals, DIY projects, and very lively animal friends. What I'm impressed by is how I was never left without something to do, and how I could see the world improve around me. There are a few things that New Horizons could have explained better, but they are also part of the more free flowing future that the franchise wants. Even after all these years, there is a daily routine that I hold dear and makes me adore the various elements that glue this game together. It has been sharply dialed up to eleven, without disagrading any newcomers.

Possibly the best GBA title yet... Many fans yearn for handheld titles to compare with the polished, deep, lengthy experiences of console games; Mario & Luigi is one of the few to attain this ideal.

Fans who loved the first two games shouldn't hesitate in picking up Bowser's Inside Story. It features everything that makes the series enjoyable and adds onto it everything but the kitchen sink. Despite a few minor flaws, it's a game that features an ingenious game design synonymous with Nintendo games and is easily one of the best DS games of the year.

Wind Waker HD is an excellent remake of an awesome game.

While I could pick apart some specific nagging problems in Ori and the Blind Forest, whether it’s the combat or tiny platforming problems, my lasting memory of this recent replay and my previous Xbox One playthrough a few years ago is just the high moments. The bliss of exploring this world, combined with the deft storytelling and dazzling artwork, make for an enthralling adventure that stands tall as one of the modern classics of the Metroid-esque genre.

It becomes difficult to fully enjoy Phantom Hourglass if you are a Zelda vet. The lack of even an option for D-pad control tells me that Nintendo did not have their Zelda fan base in mind when they were creating Phantom Hourglass. And that’s okay, I guess. It’s still a decent game, but it’s also a game apart from the rest of the series. It just feels different, and I think it demonstrates that Nintendo is reluctant to sail into the murky waters beyond Wind Waker.

I don’t think the backlog will ever let me see every suitor’s ending in Jack Jeanne, but the ones I did reach were worth the extreme amounts of effort I had to put in. And it's nice that we have a proof of concept for "replicating physical performance in a rhythm game" like I asked for last month. Still, hopefully there’s a nice long break before the next rhythm novel because I definitely need one.

It's a pretty big step up from "Advance Wars 2," and the new dual-CO tagging system adds a new dimension to the strategy that actually works quite well. [JPN Import]

ANIMAL WELL is really unlike anything I've played. At first glance it looks like a stylish and gorgeous metroidvania that harkens back to a retro feeling. But under the hood, the game juggles so many ideas at once that slowly engrossed me into the experience. By the end, it felt like I've seen what the future of the metroidvania genre could hold. Even though it drops a few balls while juggling all these mechanics together, such as the boss battles. Still, ANIMAL WELL is a brilliantly put together game that I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to get lost in a small but intricately designed game. I am quite convinced that both designers and players will be delving down deeper into this well over the coming years.

A visual and aural masterpiece. The game has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a next-generation game including bump mapping and 480p support on the visual end, and five channel surround sound via Dolby Pro Logic II on the aural end.

The Switch release plays just as smoothly as any modern game. No frame drops are present and it works beautifully in handheld mode. While there is no new content with this release, it still feels right at home on the Switch. If you’ve played Bastion in the past or if you’ve missed out on the previous releases, I wholeheartedly recommend Bastion for anyone looking for a fantastic action RPG.

Overall, if you are looking for a deeply emotional and relatable story about the joy and challenges of love and everything that comes with it, Florence is definitely a game you cannot miss. With its simple gameplay, lovely art, and powerful soundtrack, anybody can pick it up and find themselves connected with the story of Florence and Krish. It’s a happy story that takes some sad turns, but in the end it provides a wonderful message of hope for the future. With a short run time of around 45 minutes to an hour, this is the perfect game to show to your family in order to convince them of just how games can be used to artfully tell a tale of adulthood.

I have no problem recommending the Cloud-version of The Forgotten City, but as with any streaming version your mileage may vary. What will probably not vary is your enjoyment of this game, because as far as narrative driven adventures are considered, The Forgotten City absolutely deserves to be remembered for a very long time.

In general Persona 4 is deserving of its spot on the list of best JRPGs ever made, but it absolutely shows its age. Those coming from Persona 5 will likely find many of the systems they're familiar with are present but in a much clunkier fashion. The bland dungeons and sudden difficulty spikes might also turn off new players, but if they can push through those they may find a thrilling murder mystery featuring some of my favorite narrative moments in the Persona series. Add this to an extremely likeable cast of characters like Kanji Tatsumi or Yukiko Amagi, as well as one of the most catchy soundtracks to ever be put into a video game, and you may well find yourself falling in love with Inaba. Despite all of its flaws, you might find that in the end you're actually sad to leave.

If you’re looking for more Picross on Switch that’s more than just your standard issue Jupiter releases, Tents & Trees is amazing, making for a novel twist on a logic puzzle game staple. With the excellent style and the ample daily puzzles, this is one I’ll be revisiting for a long time.

There's a lot about Sea of Stars that I want to shout from the rooftops about. Were I to do that here, though, I'd be robbing you of the joy of discovering an RPG experience for the ages. I've come across a miniscule number of video games I have the urge to immediately replay after finishing, and almost none that take 20-30 hours to roll credits on. Sea of Stars, though, is a near flawless take on the turn-based RPG. At times it wears its SNES inspirations on its sleeves (and proudly), but it evolves the combat to a level of perfection. Every aspect of the game is fun, or emotional, or tantalizingly brain-teasing, and I haven't been able to put it down even after rolling credits a dozen hours of playtime earlier. You'll smile, laugh, and maybe even cry as you help Valere and Zale complete their mission, but there's one thing for certain: you'll never forget it.

It’s a long summer’s read, but it may be too intense for some: it certainly was for me.

Hollow Knight’s cryptic lore doled out in pieces leads me to believe I saved Hollownest in my ending, but an after-credits screen shows a 73% completion in 27 hours of play. I may have finished, but I’m far from done. I still have tons of upgrades, optional bosses, a true ending and a mantis to overcome. And I’m itching to jump back in.