All in all, this is a game that is trying to set itself apart from the classic conventions of the genres it is placed in, and while it is an interesting experience, I think it follows too many of those old-school mechanics that were made to eat up your coins, not give you a pleasant time.

I’m blown away by Disney Illusion Island. In a sea of hard-as-nails Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight or Metroid Dread, it stands out as being just as well-crafted but skewing towards a different, gentler experience. This is the platonic ideal for an entry-level platformer because it is filled with smartly designed gameplay that takes well-worn tropes and makes them more approachable for everyone while still providing a nice romp for those experienced with these types of games. If you’re a parent who wishes your child would cut the crap and start playing Symphony of the Night with you, maybe start them here and then work your way up to fighting Dracula with some pit stops like Ori and Guacamelee along the way. Here’s hoping the quality of this game leads to the Quackshot remake of my dreams.

Overall Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a fun action horror adventure to play through, with the specters of Mt. Hikami providing an interesting backstory and a fun combat experience. While the characters are more bland than I had hoped, this doesn't necessarily take away from the story all that much. Some control issues do get annoying over time, but even they couldn't stop me from continuously returning to the beautiful and creepy environments of the mountain. If you're a fan of horror games with a bit more of an action feel, you could certainly do a lot worse than Fatal Frame, and now might just be the perfect time to dive in.

Kirby Star Allies is good, at times enjoyable even. It’s lacking in the single-player experience, though, especially compared to Kirby’s recent outings on Nintendo 3DS. The multiplayer is fun, but the focus on it might leave some fans in the cold. As someone who enjoys everything Kirby, I was left somewhat flat until the end of the campaign and the post-game. On my second run with friends, I did see the true potential of the game.

Farming Simulator - Nintendo Switch Edition does exactly what it sets out to do: The franchise makes a solid splash on the system with the benefits of last year's release. The vast amount of tasks and pure variety in how you can farm is staggering. The tasks rely on realism, which makes them a little slower-paced and decidedly not for everyone. Personally, I found managing my farm the most engaging. It sees you buying materials, employing workers, and constantly expanding your empire. You won't get there on the short term, but it makes the journey worth it in the end.

After all is said and done, the LEGO Harry Potter Collection really is a fun game and with this being the definitive collection, it is the best way to play. Of course, you can get this on Xbox One or PS4, but you can only take the Switch version with you when you go see the next Fantastic Beasts film.

The scope is impressive, though, as a large amount of variables make The Escapists 2 a dense, packed game. That all becomes too overwhelming, sadly. It just feels like a niche product that a small group of people that adore the concept are going to sink a ton of hours into while many others just bounce off of it. For an open sandbox game that relies on the user to enjoy the experience utilizing their imagination, the journey to the goal just isn’t enjoyable enough. My hope going in was that I would be spending time coming up with creative ideas to fool guards and bypass security. Instead, what I found was that I would often pray that my first plan would work so that I would have to go looking for more tape and files.

The gameplay is a little shallow, but the real draw of Project X Zone is the localization as something like 90 characters are represented and the dialogue between them is a real hoot.

Taken on its own, without the history of the franchise and the desire to see it be more, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is a great RPG. There's a wide variety of content, the gameplay is fun and polished, and the presentation of the remake is charming and warm. While it's easier to recommend to newer Pokémon fans than those who played the Nintendo DS originals, taking another trip around a much more visually striking Sinnoh region turned out to be more satisfying than I anticipated. I'm certainly not in a hurry to leave it any time soon; that's for sure. However, with Pokémon Legends on the horizon, this one-two punch of Pokémon titles could be a winning way to close out one year and welcome in another, with a blast from the past followed by something we haven't really seen before. That's a Jigglepuff double-slap I can get behind.

There are several extremely frustrating issues with this incarnation of Animal Crossing. That said, what was written in the beginning of this review still holds true: the core game is still extremely charming.

Cubello is definitely shallower and less sublime than Orbient, with at least one glaring design flaw and unfortunate sound design. Nevertheless, it can still be a fun diversion, and it does manage to present a unique sort of puzzle gameplay.

Dirt 2 is by no means a bad game, but when compared to other games on the platform – more specifically from Firebrand themselves – it feels a little stale.

Overall, the game is very short. It's feasible to finish the game with close to 100 percent on your first playthrough in five hours or less.

It's Mr. Pants is a puzzle game that doesn't entertain because it requires far too much effort to just get into the groove of it.

Hardly a "must own" game, but it's surprisingly good stuff considering it's based on a big-budget movie.

A fine installment to the series. However, it remains a very basic platformer whose ideas lack originality and, in many ways, feel a little out of date.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 is a better version of last year's game. It fixes some of the flaws in the previous version, and adds new modes on top of it. This is what you should expect from an annualized sports game, and while it introduces some problems of its own, it offers a solid soccer experience for the 3DS.

Even with Elliot Quest being a homage to my least favorite Zelda game, I still found it to be an enjoyable experience. If you have a version of it already, don’t expect to find something new. The release on Switch seems meant for a new audience that weren’t Wii U owners, as opposed to a new experience for existing fans. Elliot Quest has a familiar feel that makes it a great title if you’re looking to dip your toes into the Nindie experience on Switch.

While I’m ultimately coming away from World to the West more disappointed than I expected, I admire the expanse and ambition. It’s a gorgeous game with some delightful, puzzling moments. This is still a cool game, just one with some flaws that hold it back from being exemplary.

I wanted to love Runner3, but it’s too frustrating of an experience to ascend to any higher commendation. I’m confused as to how the response to the eminently accessible Runner2 was to make its sequel bitterly hard with no recourse. My enjoyment was consistently interrupted by too much frustrating repetition, an aspect that soiled my affection for the overall style and excellent character selection (Dave, Shovel Knight, Charles Martinet, and Eddie Riggs!).

The quality of the port to Switch and the variety and depth of modes and options on offer in NBA 2K20 is incredible. That makes it such a shame that microtransactions infect the story-driven MyCareer, dragging that down to mediocrity or worse. Fortunately, the intriguing though repetitive MyGM mode and the flexible and engrossing MyLeague mode make up for the online-only options. Throw in the WNBA teams and NBA 2K20 is likely the best iteration of the series on Switch even with its caveats.

John Wick Hex is an example of what can be done when someone approaches a movie-based game from an outside-the-box perspective, taking an action movie more naturally at home in that type of game genre and molding it wonderfully to a more methodical, tactical experience. Small nicks like the imperfect replay system or underwhelming story are insignificant in the face of just how satisfying it feels to embody Baba Yaga, and it’s a laudable effort that I hope gets reiterated and refined in a potential sequel.

You can feel the passion in the intricacies of the systems, character art, the gorgeous pixel animations, and the charming flavor text. Unfortunately, you can also feel that Dark Deity feels like a rough draft rather than a finished product. This is most evident in the UI elements and menus that are poorly laid out, confusing to navigate, and frequently unresponsive. For a genre as menu heavy as Strategy RPGs, it is very unfortunate that this could not have been cleaned up before release. But that’s not all. Tutorials are bizarrely small text windows and some text isn’t formatted properly, especially when displaying non-English languages. I’ve come across a bug where I couldn’t move a unit during a turn multiple times, and loading times between chapters lasted much longer than expected for a game of this scope. Music lacks oomph during battles and the level up sound is more of a whimper than a fanfare. This severe lack of polish does not eclipse the brilliance peaking through but it does dim it.

Fans of Fatal Frame who want to experience this lost title in the series will likely find enough atmosphere and story to keep their interest, but newcomers may find some of the game’s shortcomings to be a turnoff as their first experience. That being said, you can put a hat on your character that’s a big Camera Obscura, so in a way, maybe it all balances out in the end.

Deliver Us the Moon is an excellent narrative adventure that comes to Switch mostly unscathed. The docked experience is pretty smooth, and all things considered, the concessions here are fairly light for a Switch port. The handheld experience is fine when navigating tight space station interiors, but gets extremely blurry anytime you enter a more complex environment or step out onto the surface of the moon. It isn’t unplayable in these moments, but the difference was enough to catch me off guard. Still if you’ve waited this long to play it on Switch, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. This is an enthralling story that is definitely worth experiencing.

Like the skill trees, the combat system is surprisingly Diablo-esque.

Puyo Puyo and Tetris are still incredible puzzle games and the fusion of the two is oftentimes electric. The expansion of multiplayer via GameShare is awesome. Stll, the value and cost of entry for this Switch 2 game is a barrier for entry. This is a great game let down by the harsh realities of a new console launch.

I applaud Bury me, my Love for shedding light on the horrific and traumatic situation faced by refugees as they leave their lives behind in search of safety and salvation. As a narrative experience, it tells a meaningful and powerful tale, but the form and delivery on Switch simply don’t lend themselves to being player-friendly or engaging.