Darksiders Genesis takes most of what you love about the Darksiders games and gives them a fresh spin. While I do wish that it had maintained the unified world of its mainline brethren, the adventure is thrilling from beginning to end. The Switch port itself certainly has some rough spots, but is overall still a solid way to experience Darksiders Genesis. An oddly hidden mission reward system and horrible map may cause some confusion, but the music and character dialogue are all superb. Fans of the Darksiders franchise will almost certainly find enjoyment here and newcomers can feel at ease knowing that they don’t need to play the previous entries to enjoy this one.

Everything from the visual presentation to the core fighting system has stayed stagnant since the original GameCube game.

Despite its bells and whistles, Black Ops just can't escape the fact that the core gameplay just isn't fun.

If you like meta-commentary in your video games, ICEY might be right up your alley, but I found the narration to be overdone, overlong, and overly aggressive. I appreciate ICEY’s attempt to differentiate itself but…not like this. Not like this.

Is there anything I really liked about Emio? Sadly no. I can tell you that the artwork is nice, and the animation can bounce between stiff and puppet animation. The music is just nice elevator music, but I don’t really have any strong feelings towards it. It’s cool that its voice acted, even if I don’t speak Japanese. But I really wish I had more positive comments for the overall experience. This just did not land for me at all and that’s okay, it’s not going to be for everyone. I have observed online a plethora of praise for the ending, and its animated epilogue, so it’s divisive to say the least. I don’t think I am going to be the only person letdown by the edgy promises from the reveal. Just because something has dark themes like mental illness and domestic abuse doesn’t suddenly make it a great commentary on them. Games such as Mother 3 and Captain Rainbow being left unlocalized compared to the cavalcade of embarrassment in Emio is probably the biggest mystery this game has. Hopefully you’re left with a bigger smile on your face than I was.

It's just one of those games that really is best played in its original, simple Marathon mode.

Once I got the hang of drifting, I really started enjoying Hotshot Racing, but it will not sustain me as a solo player for long. Its utility (for me) will be multiplayer shenanigans, which is just fine.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is an incredibly impressive anime-inspired fighter. Visually, it surpasses my expectations of how I imagined it would play on the Nintendo Switch. If you are a fan of the series, this is a must-buy. If you aren’t but a fan of anime-related fighters, you’ll definitely enjoy this for the combat alone, and the Story Mode is deep enough for you to understand the characters, their relationships, and the journey they have been on. This is the first Demon Slayer video game, and developers CyberConnect2 have knocked it out of the park. I am very excited about the DLC and any possible further instalments.

I’ve always loved the Just Dance series, and I’m super excited that now I get to share it with my child, who’s now just getting to the right age for games. Just Dance 2026 is more of the same that we’ve seen over and over again, but in this case consistency is a fantastic thing.

An excellent strategy game with many interesting mechanics that make it unique in the DS library. Tri-Ace did a fantastic job of blending in various elements of the Valkyrie Profile series and successfully applying those elements into this genre.

The hardware that we have now completely blows out the circuit boards that were used in those stand-up cabinets back in the day, but inferior power doesn't make for inferior gameplay. In fact, seeing some of these games in their original forms is quite a hoot.

Puzzle games can run into the issue of reusing an idea one too many times, ultimately losing its luster, but with Semblance that was never the case. Seemingly around every corner was another new and interesting idea, keeping this wonderfully paced journey fresh beginning to end.

One surprising but welcome feature is an option for split-screen, local cooperative play. At any point another player can hop in and play right alongside you.

A few frustrating moments aside, I generally enjoyed my time with The Alliance Alive.

Ultimately, Trio of Towns is a typical Story of Seasons game, no more and no less. It fails to offer longtime fans anything new or interesting, yet still manages to provide the addicting core elements that attracts many to the series. Its heavy tutorials and minor annoyances often get in the way of that fun, so enjoyment often relies on a heavy dose of patience and acceptance. If you can get past these inconveniences, you’ll find a solid farming sim here, but I can’t help but feel like you’d be better off spending your time with other, better games in this genre.

Like with seemingly every Lego game, if you’re not into the source material, buyer beware. But if you’re into Star Wars and want to relive the thrill of The Force Awakens, this is the best way to do so.

PictoQuest is an endearing Picross-style RPG that might not offer the depth and breadth of similar Picross games, but it makes up for its simplicity with an adorable presentation and smartly-implemented RPG ideas. In some respects, it doesn’t go all that far, but being based around what I’d term as a relaxing puzzle game, it doesn’t really have to.

Freedom Finger is a delightful and devilish romp through outer space and fleets of Chinese and Russian enemy ships. It’s presentation adds flavor and the dialogue options and online leaderboards improve replay value. The story elements and excessive swearing may be offensive to some, and the abrupt stage endings feel unsatisfying, but the overall package is an entertaining one. It’s not one of the best horizontal shooters I’ve played, but it’s definitely the weirdest. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something that’s challenging and quirky and worth going through more than once.

Gunbrick: Reloaded is just super fun and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging but not punishing puzzle platformer. The standard levels and boss battles are charmingly difficult and the new isometric mode is a blast, the game just left me wanting more. Nitrome continues to show some great support for the Switch, and I personally can’t wait to see what they have next up their sleeve.

Batbarian is a tight package that blends 2D pixel art Metroidvania with a modern day humor aesthetic. It may be a mouthful but it brings a lot to the table. The art and music style bring the jams of the retro age as well as its storytelling and humor bring a modern sensibility. Despite the occasional difficulty spike (which can be adjusted with assists), Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials is a game worth trying out. If only to see what’s really going on in that cave.

Dust & Neon manages to combine several common game tropes in a new and interesting way, with a surprisingly fun reloading mechanic that makes it stand out in a crowded field.

Once I rolled credits on Bahnsen Knights, I hadn’t felt like I played a game as much as I participated in a very simple visual experience that wanted to be more than what it was. The mechanics here are all ideas that never pan out to anything substantial, which makes me think this actually was more of an experiment–trying out inconsequential mechanics before releasing something more cohesive. That’s the hope at least because as of right now, Bahnsen Knights is a game that speaks at you instead of to you. It’s got interesting ideas but nothing concrete….yet. I’ll be keeping an eye on LCB Game Studios and Chorus Worldwide Games because Pixel Pulps is something I would be interested in, if fleshed out more. This just ain't it.

OFF is among the curios of independently developed video games that appears to have had a noticeable impact on the indie landscape. It's worth playing as a reminder of how far smaller, more unique RPGs have come in the last two decades, but its gameplay and story aren't captivating enough to warrant a full recommendation. While I respect how its niche-ness is part of its identity, you really need to value that aspect prior to diving in. My overall impression is that I'm happy to have experienced it and glad to have another piece of video game history on the Switch eShop. But once I've turned it OFF, I'm ready for something with more meat on the bone.

If you’re looking for a solid, retro-influenced, first person shooter on Switch then this game is worth a look. Just be prepared to die and restart a lot.

With a large variety of extra collectibles, four-player simultaneous multiplayer, single-player trophy achievements, a level editor, and three difficulty settings, Marble Saga: Kororinpa is a huge offering in a tiny package.

A definite must for fans of the series. However, if you're looking for a serious 3D fighting game, this game won't be for you. While the game is beautiful and features abundant fanservice (the clean type), the unbalanced game mechanics make for little more than a party game to be enjoyed with friends. [JPN Import]

Devil May Cry was the pioneer for character action games and despite being released 18 years ago, it still manages to stand tall among more contemporary counterparts. It certainly shows its age, most specifically in the dated platforming and at times jarring camera changes. Yet, when it comes down to pulling off combos and looking cool as hell, it hits the mark, still feeling fresh all these years later.

Not much time is required to get through the levels since each level only takes a few minutes to complete and there are not many. The replayability comes from the difficulty spike with each new world, and the fact that there are plenty of items and abilities that can be unlocked and adjusted for each new run through. Along with this the co-op aspect makes it a very enjoyable game to spend an hour or two playing with friends.