The Switch certainly doesn't have an overabundance of 3D platforming games, let alone those that consist of multiple small levels as opposed to larger, more open spaces, like Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie. Ultimately, Renata and her Frog-shaped gun make for a goofy but capable pair, and I ended up being surprised by how much I liked their adventure and how it kept pushing me to finish just one more stage. You can unlock a two-player duel mode, but there's more than enough reason to return to every level solo to perfect your performance. I agree that what the world needs now is love, but a little Frogun wouldn't hurt either.

MADiSON is a genuinely terrifying psychological horror game and does its job very well, making it stand out in the genre on Nintendo’s hybrid platform. Unfortunately, this is dragged down by the poor inventory system and unclear puzzle direction, causing far too much backtracking. Aside from these gripes, MADiSON expertly uses every tool at its disposal to unsettle you and create a horrifying experience I am keen to return to again.

Train Valley is a fun train-routing puzzle game with a dash of strategy thrown in courtesy of the ability to construct your own rail network. It feels like a mashup of Conduct Together with the train routing of something like Mini Metro, where you are constantly connecting stations together and finding the optimal routes. The addition of the pause mechanic makes the game much more relaxing and less hectic, and is great to get a short train-puzzle fix. The more in-depth economic railroad simulations might be my ideal speed, but this was a fun break from them and I enjoyed my ride through Train Valley.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 represents another step forward for Inti Creates and their retro-inspired flavor of jump-and-shoot, slash-and dash action games. Even if the emphasis on story won’t land for everyone, the lightning-fast gameplay is filled with lasers, explosions, and that fun brand of chaos that just seems to hit right. The third Gunvolt entry is an easy recommendation for fans of the series or its spinoffs, and even if the amount of content and challenge aren’t that robust, the visual spectacle certainly helps make up for it.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the best playing game in the series. It is challenging yet excellently paced. I rarely found myself over or underleveled. The world unfolds naturally and effectively rather than through tedious field skill gates.

If it was Live A Live that allowed Takashi Tokita and his work on Chrono Trigger to soar, then of course it was worth it. In this present day chapter, for my money, I'm looking ahead to the next Square remake.

There are a few things Mothmen 1966 does well: its pixel art and overall aesthetic are fantastic. The developers' attempt at recreating the feeling of playing a very old PC game is completely successful, and is likely the thing I will remember the most about the game. The issue is that this is not enough to get around a general clunky feeling to gameplay and a story that doesn't feel all that unique or memorable in the end. If you enjoy a slower paced, more text-based approach to horror, or just want to feel some nostalgia for DOS era games, it may be worth giving Mothmen 1966 a look. However, without these very specific desires, I find myself struggling to enthusiastically recommend it to anybody else.

Bright Memory: Infinite is a solid FPS and the kind of game the Nintendo Switch needs more of. Despite the few technical and graphical issues, the action, controls, and epic, high-octane combos make for a truly enjoyable, yet frustrating short experience. If you are craving a solid FPS action game on your Nintendo Switch, you can’t go wrong with Bright Memory: Infinite for the time being. Just make sure you’re here for a good time, not a long time.

From what I’ve played so far, I’ve been very impressed. From these 8 hours, I think that the world and creatures feel distinct from the games that inspired and it left me with an excitement that I haven’t felt since Pokémon Black and White. Not only the unique designs of the Coromon themselves, but mechanics like the potential-system and the way typings and skills work together sets Coromon apart from a simple ROM hack. There’s also a large selection of difficulty options that can be adjusted to make the game play more like a Nuzlocke or an easy mode; you can even actually catch opponents’ Coromon. The variety on display here is fantastic, so if you’ve been disappointed with recent Pokémon generations and are looking for a game that’s similar but has its own identity, Coromon is absolutely worth checking out.

Endling - Extinction is Forever tells a sad story that is guaranteed to suck you in and trigger any maternal/paternal instincts you may have. Herobeat Studios has done a great job conveying an environmentally conscious story through the eyes of the lives affected most, and seriously delivers a brutally honest view of how humankind is harming the environment and natural ecosystem. Despite the repetitive nature of the gameplay, Endling is a powerful tale with a lasting, dare I say “forever,” effect.

It doesn’t differentiate itself enough from the other indie Zelda-like games that are available on Switch from a gameplay perspective. Titles like Death’s Door, Cross Code, and Blossom Tales offer a much more refined and unique take on the ideas Zelda is known for and run fantastic on Switch. XEL has little character to enjoy, there’s no story to keep you fully engaged, and gameplay feels contrived and repetitive. And that’s before we get to the frankly abysmal state that this game was released in. I was holding off this review to see if the game would be updated before its release, but quite frankly it seems that updating and fine tuning XEL will be an effort that I personally don’t think is worth it.

All in all, Cloud Gardens is definitely a title that leans more towards experience than game, but its classification matters much less than how it feels to play around with its tools or the positive message it espouses. By focusing on creating and elevating green spaces, we can return our world to one where nature is in harmony and a balance is struck between humanity’s footprint and mother nature’s embrace. Spending a few minutes or even a few hours experimenting with Cloud Gardens feels like a worthwhile endeavor.

For the Contra diehards among you, Spidersaurs is a great game. The difficulty can be brutal at times, but I’m sure I’ll power through the higher tiers eventually.

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.

Even if you're staunchly against the practice of companies continually re-packing and reselling old games, you can't deny that taken as a bundle, the 32 titles in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium represent a solid per-game bargain.

Refinement along the troublesome fringes would take a good game and make it fantastic, but even still, F.I.S.T. is a fun ride. Contrary to the aforementioned buzz, though, truth be told, it isn’t quite at the same level of Metroid Dread (but what is?). This team is clearly onto something, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their next effort in this space gives Samus a real run for her money.

The OlliOlli World VOID Riders DLC is a welcome addition to a fantastic game. If you have already exhausted OlliOlli World, this will give you more reason to return for new score challenges, cosmetics and mechanics. The music adds new catchy lo-fi beats and the writing remains wholesome throughout. One of the most positive things to be said about VOID Riders is that it reminds you of how great OlliOlli World is and continues to be.

At the end of the day, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes met my expectations, though after the stellar first impression from its demo covering the first four chapters I did make the mistake of hoping for more. The sheer scale and depth of this game’s commitment to matching Three Houses’ style and structure made for a very pleasant surprise that sadly made it even more disappointing when the ending fell as flat as it did. Almost overnight I went from not being able to get enough of the game to wondering if I had it in me to play even one more of the game’s three story routes. Three Hopes is a must play for diehard fans of both Fire Emblem and Dynasty Warriors alike, but I almost wish that it had committed less to the scale of its story so that its poor final hours weren’t so much of a bitter pill to swallow.

I can’t recommend Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, at least not in its present form. There are too many annoyances, too many unexplained systems, and not nearly enough lighting. If you really must check this out, I suggest leaving a FAQ open on your phone.

My main Monster Hunter Rise file went into Sunbreak north of 230 hours, and I put another hundred into a hunter on an alternate profile that was used for review purposes. I don’t think I’ll double that time on my main before the next Monster Hunter comes out, but it might get close. Sunbreak is a must for anyone who’s ever stared down a Rathalos and lived to tell the tale.

The upgrades to Sonic Origins, such as restored content and infinite lives, are few, and most have been covered by previous releases of these games or even fanmade options that could’ve been enjoyed with those ROMs from the Steam release. The only thing that I think this collection truly accomplishes is making some great games available on modern consoles, and that is the absolute bare minimum I can ask. These games—with the possible exception of Sonic 1—are great, and this is a perfectly playable version of them. Sadly, we’ve seen the potential of what a Classic Sonic collection could be, and Sonic Origins absolutely does not live up to that potential.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is certainly an oddity, but it’s not without its charm. It definitely shares some characteristics with the Zero Escape and Danganronpa games, even if it doesn’t quite hit the same highs.

As an excuse to hit up the sources on Wikipedia to read about the actual war that formed Japan’s political system for more than half a millennium, Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei does a really good job. As a romance… four out of five isn’t bad, I guess? But the presence of that fifth one made me bail out far faster than normal for one of these games.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with the gameplay, which remains just as enjoyable now as it did almost 30 years ago, but Reshrined feels like a missed opportunity to add in new elements or mechanics. While the inclusion of an online leaderboard is welcome, the lengthy, poorly-localized cutscenes are not. If you go in not expecting anymore more than what the Super Nintendo games did and can tolerate some odd design choices, then busting these ghosts might make you feel good. Otherwise, wait for a sale or light some incense in hopes that one of the original Pocky & Rocky games shows up on NSO.

Pac-Man Museum + is a lot to chew on, as there are many upsides to this package. The selection is good, there’s plenty of replayability, the leaderboards are nice, and a few stand-out titles can be found within. Plus, you really can’t beat the entry price being so low. But sadly, it’s a package that is bogged down with a handful of control issues and a lack of options. In a collection celebrating a character via a customizable arcade, it’s unfortunate there isn’t as much care put into the customization of the player experience. Will I still be playing it often? Absolutely. A handful of these titles both promote Pac-Man’s historic legacy, while standing on their own. Others, however, get lost in a game that is ironically all about mazes.

I do not quite understand what it is I didn’t see in OPUS: Echo of Starsong that so many others do. I normally believe it is bad form to talk about other reviews in my own review, but I cannot help but feel awkward and a bit guilty when I see the universal acclaim this game has gotten. Between a 90 on Metacritic and an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam, it would be dishonest for me to say that I think you will not enjoy Echo of Starsong. However, it would also be dishonest for me to pretend that I did. Basic probability says that you will likely love this game, but if the game’s random dice roll events have taught me anything, it’s that even the highest chance of success can still lead to a hollow tale of failure.

Overall I found that with Firegirl there was a wish to recreate a 2D-Metroid escape sequence as a full videogame. But the developer hasn’t seemed to grasp why such a sequence works so well. If a player has gained familiarity with an environment and is then tasked with finding the exit under new conditions and a countdown, it creates tension and excitement. A player will rely on their gained knowledge and skill to beat the timer and is left with a rush of relief and feeling of success. However in Firegirl there is no set-up and the game quickly devolves into frustration because of a disorienting layout, repetitive gameplay and the occasional bug or visual glitch. While there’s definitely an idea here it seems that Firegirl is unable to escape this Switch port unscathed.

NirvanA Initiative gets close to the levels of the original but just falls slightly short.