Polished, fun and incredibly weird at times, Taiko no Tatsujin is nothing short of a blast to play on the Switch. The translation isn’t great and the motion controls don’t quite work, but everything else here is a pure delight. The core gameplay is simple yet addicting, and the party games make this a title you can enjoy with just about anyone.

I liked Shinobi a lot, even though the experience was very quick. The controls felt good and tight, there were some clever enemies (especially towards the end) and the entire concept of being a ninja is a real cool idea. Shinobi is a fleeting experience, but not one that I don’t regret having.

Shinsekai: Into the Depths really shows that you can’t assume a mobile port will be a subpar experience. Even with the tedious resource gathering and rough fall damage, this is a great Metroidvania that will surprise with how well it presents underwater platforming and exploration for a 2D experience.

It’s not difficult to find new games that are designed with the 16-bit era in mind, but it is rare to find ones that develop new and enjoyable game mechanics. While the writing could have benefited from some additional depth, the expansive party and combat options provide hours of entertainment, making Cosmic Star Heroine a worthwhile addition to your Switch library.

A fantastic representation of the comic book. The story is compelling, if short, and the gameplay is fun for the most part.

There is certainly a lot to love about Puzzle Quest’s remastered return on Switch. The RPG-meets-puzzle battle system is just as deep and memorable, but almost everything else feels like something straight out of 2007. On the whole, that’s fine, but I can’t help but be dismayed by the bland visuals and presentation. But even failing that, you can just pick one of the 13 classes and romp your way through excellent and distinct battles. Purely based on its battle mechanics, Puzzle Quest is excellent, but it’s held back by the forgettable flourishes.

This is a very cool puzzle game that I recommend to anyone who wants to explore artwork in unique, ponderous ways. In lieu of going to a modern art museum or something, maybe just kick back with a glass of wine and bounce around these three puzzle types and soak in some art.

I found Resident Evil Revelations to be a great fit for the Switch. The campaign does a great job of keeping the player on the edge of their seat, the Raid Mode is a fun bonus and a blast to play through, and the new motion controls feel very intuitive in handheld mode. The fact that it's an HD remaster of a 3DS game does hold it back a little, with inconsistent graphics and frequent loading rooms - but all in all it still feels great to play. Whether you've experienced it before or it's your first time playing, Resident Evil Revelations is a superb action/horror title that is worth exploring. 


Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a beautiful application of a roguelike system with a 2D dungeon crawler format married perfectly to a town-building system and overworld that invites exploration and grinding gems to uncover more things to do outside of combat. This is a no-brainer for classic Zelda fans or anyone looking for co-op fun, and it’s absolutely been the best gaming experience so far for me in 2021.

Eastward delivers so well on the writing and soundtrack front that it’s easy to forgive its otherwise simplistic gameplay. The fully realized world has its charm, but it hardly breaks the mold anywhere else. While it doesn't do anything necessarily offensive, it does demand more when the rest of the game is so well done. It’s clear Pixpil have got the writing chops down, now let’s tighten up some of the stuff around it.

If you're looking for a solitary campaign and online experience, then Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the game for you. If you want chaotic multiplayer party fun, wait until Mario Kart on Wii U.

Having played both Gato Roboto and Gunbrella, I’d say that the former is the stronger overall experience, edging out the latter because of its progress-halting bugs (which may be mostly hammered out during the game's launch). The atmosphere and movement abilities of Gunbrella are excellent, but the lack of enemies and opportunities to use the titular weapon are a bit disappointing. If you prefer more of an adventure-game bent to your action-platformer, then Gunbrella is definitely worth a look, even if its rain-shielding, double-barreled frame could use a little more polish and a lot more target practice.

It does away with additional playable characters and gimmicks, instead focusing on refining the classic Sonic gameplay while adding a few twists of its own.

From the hundreds of trinkets to the passersby's stupid comments, LEGO City has me smitten. I’ve finished the story and gathered a handful of collectibles, but LEGO City Undercover will stay in my Switch for a good long while.

The amount of content in AlphaBounce is immense.

A damn good shooter. The film noir story is excellent and knows how to poke fun of itself very well. The only real problem is the length. Sadly, the game is quite short, even if it is a roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Even in spite of some bouts of repetition, PixelJunk Eden 2 is a wonderful experience. It’s serene just exploring and engaging with the visually intriguing gardens while backed by a killer soundtrack. The various gameplay mods that come out of the different Grimps and Spices are clever in how they usually alter the play style just enough to make you approach each level in a different way. This is one of the most mindfully aware games I’ve ever played. It’s well worth sitting down with if you just want to be in the moment and clear your mind.

The MMZ Collection is a great value, as there are four games here that will last you a really long time.

Overall, if you are the type of gamer that enjoys tough puzzle games then The Magic Obelisk will impress with its unique concept and wonderful presentation. For everyone else, the difficulty and control issues may be too much.

The core gameplay mechanics are set in stone and the addition of a set of achievements really helps propel the game from the mediocre range of racers.

Overall, I had a really surprisingly fun time with ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun. It has a good sense of difficulty and nailing everything was satisfying. Next to that, the grand sense of style is unmatched by most that I play in the genre. The big bummer is that it took only a few hours to fully complete the roughly 100 levels in the package. An endless mode would made me really happy, and would've made ATOMIK something I could return to. Still, what’s here is made with care, making for an enjoyable experience.

Never Give Up is clearly inspired by games like Super Meat Boy, right down to details like blood from previous failed attempts splattered across the levels. That’s a bar that many indie developers aspire to, but this is a game that’s mostly worthy of that lofty comparison. Switch owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to platformers, but this is one that stands out as worth playing.

Void Bastards was everything I wanted as a huge roguelike fan. The first-person shooter aspects are surprisingly competent, gameplay loop is perfectly challenging, always keeping you on your toes, and the aesthetic and sound design are out of this world. Some hitching and frame rate issues on packed ships aren’t enough to knock this one down a peg, as the mix of Rogue Legacy and Fallout on offer here is necessary for the libraries of any and all roguelike fans who own a Nintendo Switch.

Lost in Random definitely can hold its own against other titles and feels like a premium experience, but on it’s way there the balance between randomness and thought out design may have gotten a bit lost.

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.

Rune Factory 4 provides an infinite amount of gameplay that doesn’t end once the main story does.

It’s apparent that Phantasy Reverie Series was a budget job, but it stays in its lane and delivers two excellent games in one okay package. And yet this so-so port is maybe one of the greatest gaming gifts of the year. Thanks to it, I was able to reconnect with the simple pleasure of Door to Phantomile and also be introduced to the wonder that was Lunatea’s Veil for the very first time. After about eight hours spent across both titles, I’m reminded of how special these games are, in the whole grand pantheon of platforming icons there is still nothing quite like Klonoa. Thoughtful, intricate levels built around simple gratifying mechanics wrapped in a world that is dreamy and whimsical, yet with an undercurrent of melancholy.

It’s good to see that Sympathy Kiss is strong on the technical end, it just didn’t click with me. If you’re a little more amenable to dealing with people at the office, you’ll be able to get through it quickly and easily. I’m more of the kind who wants to interact with as few people as possible in the run of a day.