Olija has a wonderful story to tell that takes influence from some of your favorite seafaring adventures. While the technical hiccups can be disappointing and the major portion of the gameplay can feel unexciting, the boss fights and story sections bring to life a drab and dreary world that I would thoroughly enjoy seeing more of after the patches roll out.

A lot of people missed Tadpole Treble the first time around, but it’s definitely worth doubling back to now that it’s been rescued and brought to Switch. There will be moments of frustration (thanks, piranha) but I spent more time smiling and bouncing to the music than I have in most of the games I’ve played in the last year.

The main story of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy takes upwards of 30 hours to complete, but filling out the item and monster guides and seeing your way through every companion’s individual stories will add a dozen or more hours to that total. Three initial difficulty modes, in addition to two unlockable ones, let players tailor the experience, and a paid season pass promises to add costumes, recipes, and new areas to explore. The slow beginning of the first Ryza game is remedied somewhat here, and the ability to fast-travel from anywhere to almost anywhere else is pure bliss. The story’s lighter fare, doubly so for the side quests, won’t appeal to everyone, but the solid battle system, intuitive but deep crafting system, and decent overall gameplay loop were all enough to hold my attention and then some. Even though the concoction might not have come out perfect, it absolutely Ryza’s to the occasion.

Through it all, Cyber Shadow knows why people have fond memories of NES-era action platformers, whether it’s the thoughtful level layouts, unforgettable boss battles, or eye-catching visual embellishments. This is not a game for the faint of heart, but more for the persistent. I came away from this retro romp satisfied, primarily because it harkens back to the classics while still carving out a distinctive game that rightfully deserves to enter the pantheon of stellar 2D ninja games that includes the likes of Ninja Gaiden and The Messenger.

There are a lot of good things in Empire of Sin. The combat has a lot of room for variable play styles. The diplomacy systems make every play through unique. I love the neighborhoods they crafted. This is a game built around the idea that emergent gameplay is fun, and it is. That’s why the technical problems are such a bummer. Empire of Sin is a good game, but the Nintendo Switch is the worst place to play it.

It is kind of impressive that one person was able to create a Switch wrestling game that runs well part of the time when two teams at a major pub couldn’t even pull that off. However, Wrestling Empire isn’t quite “so bad it’s good” territory, nor is it the worst. It’s basically the small indie wrestling company bringing in a guy with TV exposure to sell tickets. And with more competition coming in the short and hopefully longer terms for Switch wrestling games, it’ll be one of those “Oh yeah, that happened” games in short order.

If you can get a friend on the couch with you, Double Dragon Neon is a big, dumb, fun dose of 80’s nostalgia.

BIT.TRIP BEAT is an excellent game that still holds up a decade later. I highly recommend this game to anyone interested in the legacy of Commander Video, searching for a bite-sized experience, or those who seek a rhythm-based challenge. Though you should keep in mind that this release is marred by a pretty significant bug.

The game is packed with options and at its core is a very fun experience marred by a lack of polish and technical issues. I still found myself rooting for this game when I would find hidden record players that would kick on fantastic techno beats to galvanize my robot scrapping pursuits. All the guns feel and sound unique, and it's a real joy to find a rare drop, upgrade your character, and unlock new passives for your class. Hopefully in a few months’ time, this game will be an easy recommendation for fans of the genre as it has the makings of a hidden gem in the Switch’s library.

Mars Horizon is a low barrier to entry space management sim that is easy going enough to be something played while sitting on the couch with a show in the background. Its systems are light enough to not be overwhelming, and even if they become too much for you, a well-defined tutorial does a good job of holding your hand as you get a grasp of things. The core problem and one that brings this down from a great game to simply fine is just how little control you get over actual launches. If there was more agency in that side of things, then this would be a no-brainer recommendation.

Still an incredibly polished and fun beat ‘em up that has truly stood the test of time. While it’s slightly annoying that playing with the other characters requires you to replay entire levels and that the online features and a full playable fighter are currently locked behind Ubisoft’s ridiculous server sign-in, in the end this is still a great title deserving of its re-release. The combat is quick and fluid, the soundtrack is truly incredible and the multiplayer mode with friends makes the game even more fun.

I understand why someone would enjoy Unto The End. I’m sure that some players out there like being kicked in the teeth with their hands tied behind their back. That, personally, sounds like a bad time, much like Unto The End wasn’t a good time. If I wanted to play a game that didn’t function as described, I would at least play a game that kind of wanted me to like it.

Moving forward, any developer looking to create a point-and-click adventure would do well to look at The Journey Down as an example of the genre done right. My recommendation before you decide to pick up the first chapter is to ensure you’re committed to the long haul. By the end of the first chapter, you’ll be left wanting more, and it only gets better from there.

Moving forward, any developer looking to create a point-and-click adventure would do well to look at The Journey Down as an example of the genre done right. My recommendation before you decide to pick up the first chapter is to ensure you’re committed to the long haul. By the end of the first chapter, you’ll be left wanting more, and it only gets better from there.

I came into Dicey Dungeons with high hopes and I was thoroughly blown away. It’s so smartly designed in how the classes and equipment all work together to create consistently unique and creative instances where you have to squeeze the usefulness out of almost every play style and strategy. The episodic design fits it very well, because it makes the early parts far more approachable, while keeping the variety up enough that even later episodes slow you down, you still have so much to enjoy. Dicey Dungeons is an amazing game that I’d almost call a roguelike game for people who don’t like roguelikes. You do have to like turn-based combat, though. And dice.

While I remain tickled that these NGPC ports even exist, though, I am beginning to long for different things, especially since these fighters all look more or less like the same game.

Grindstone is an example of a game which hits all the right notes and keeps up a quality in gameplay throughout that many struggle to maintain. The divine gameplay mechanics give a wonderful sense of control in spite of the randomness of how enemies fall, and the inputs of buying equipment or using currency to give temporary boosts gives ample opportunity for improvisation if things don’t go quite your way. I only wish there were more to play.

Your enjoyment of Super Meat Boy Forever will be determined entirely by your particular enjoyment of masochistic platformers. If you played Super Meat Boy 1.0 and thought “man, I wish this were way harder,” Forever may be just what you’re looking for.

While I might recommend the board game over the video game overall, the video game is a worthy complement. It’s also a good local and online multiplayer experience (especially with crossplay with the Steam version), which gives Wingspan an added benefit in 2020. No matter what year it is, Wingspan is a remarkable adaptation of a tabletop game that is certainly one of the best of its kind on Switch.

If you are a fan of over-the-top violent sword swinging, inappropriate humor, and cleavage shots, this is the game for you. For a casual gamer who isn't necessarily all in on the carnage, this would probably be a pass. However, it’s a solid mindless distraction for the over 20 crowd. No More Heroes 2 certainly fills a niche that is typically left void in the realm of Nintendo.

Boot Hill Heroes, though an honorable attempt to make a retro RPG in the rarely-used Wild West setting, fails to hold up to modern standards. It also isn’t a close enough homage to let those misgivings slide. A fine combat system and an on-point soundtrack aren’t enough to get past the bland gameplay, trope-filled story, and old-school jank.

The frequent slow down significantly hurts my ability to recommend Wildfire on Switch. The back half of the game features a near constant lag that had me hoping for the experience to end. There is fun to be had still; I liked going back through early levels trying to puzzle out how to make it through while completing the optional challenges. However, the amount of joy I gained from those experiences doesn’t negate the fact that Wildfire just runs poorly on Switch. If you’re interested, it’s probably better to play this on PC.

I like Monster Sanctuary for what it tries to accomplish, I just wish I liked the execution as much as the concept. I could see the threads of its attempt weaving into a better cohesive whole, but instead each different ingredient feels incomplete or misses the mark of what makes each genre it pulls from so compelling. There’s still fun to be had if setting expectations right and wanting a unique twist that is no muss, no fuss, but I was hoping for more that Monster Sanctuary wasn’t quite there to give.

The bottom line with Collection of SaGa is that RPG aficionados, with or without prior experience, should add these classic titles to their Switch library. It's great to see the saga of SaGa find a home on Switch, even if a little mental assembly is required to enjoy them.

It’s a better Wii Fit, in the sense that Fitness Boxing 2 trims the fat (ha!) that were the slow exercises and loading times. But much like Wii Fit, I cannot guarantee that it will maintain your interest for long or present enough new features over time. At the very least, you won’t have to stow away a balance board in a closet somewhere after punching out.

Once I got over the initial hump and learned its systems, Evolution genuinely surprised me with its depth of strategy and breadth of content. The Switch version leaves a lot to be desired in terms of performance, and for now, despite my usual misgivings of the platform, I’d honestly recommend the mobile version. But if Evolution wants to survive on Switch in the wilds of the eShop, it would be wise to take a queue from nature and find a way to adapt.

While it is impressive Taiko No Tatsujin Rhythmic Adventure Pack was made available to the Western market for the first time, it ultimately feels like a lackluster package that only a handful of people will get enjoyment out of. The story mode is too simple and repetitive to be worthwhile, while the Taiko mode’s minimal localization and lack of translations feel half baked, especially to those who don’t speak Japanese. While Rhythmic Adventure 2 is clearly the better game, neither one comes with a recommendation, especially on a system that is home to some fantastic RPGs and rhythm games.

Even though the game includes 20 tough-as-nails challenge stages, which all over the same objective of destroying all enemies and not getting hit once, the amount of value for Bit.Trip Fate as a standalone title isn’t high. The gameplay does have a few neat tricks in it and the simple twin-stick controls work well enough, but ultimately Fate fails as a decent shoot-’em-up, and it’s going to be fans of the Bit.Trip aesthetic that will get the most enjoyment out of this one. If you’ve never gone on a Bit.Trip, don’t start with this one. But if you’ve enjoyed some of the other entries in the series, maybe you’ll want to tempt Fate more than I did.