Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a terrific option for fans of the tactical RPG genre who are looking for a title with a more retro feel. It provides that feeling of nostalgia while still making its own unique mark. Wonderfully written dialogue and a plethora of customization options will provide hours of entertainment for those who get sucked into its world.

Astral Chain is the most ambitious game Platinum has ever made, and is for the most part a success. It would be tempting to use the old idiom, “jack of all trades master of none” but specific elements of Astral Chain excel far too greatly to refer to Platinum as anything other than masters. The combat, story, and music are some of the best you’ll find on Switch. That being said, there are clearly areas in which less focus was placed. Given your character’s role as a police officer, I found the gradual de-emphasizing of the investigation mechanics to be a tad disappointing. A few areas of the visual design could also use work, but they’ll hardly affect enjoyment of the game. Ultimately, what we’re left with is one of the most exciting and original action games on Switch, if not the most.

While problems with this port and a lack of modernized tweaks make Grandia less of a slam dunk to recommend, this is still a relatively hidden gem from the late ‘90s that is worth trying or rediscovering. The graphics might not be as pleasant, the writing might have some cringey moments, and odds are you’ll come across a few out-of-place bugs, but Grandia’s battle system helps to overcome those drawbacks alongside its endearing characters and world. At the very least, Grandia stands tall next to its other late ‘90s contemporaries. So much so that I can envision the plucky star Justin trying to convince Cloud and Barrett from Final Fantasy VII that he’s an adventurer who rightfully deserves a seat at their theoretical table of classic, genre-defining RPGs.

Eight-Minute Empire belongs to that class of board games that tries to hook you in with a quick burst of fun in hopes that maybe you’ll want to play multiple games or bring it out for a more relaxing evening. Ultimately, though, the gameplay loop just isn’t all that interesting. The limited number of turns and actions for each game means you don’t actually do that much before the game ends. With friends, this title probably has more longevity, but playing with A.I., even with a handful of difficulty modes, didn’t hold my attention for very long. If you’re looking for a board game that’s accessible to a fault, you could do worse than Eight-Minute Empire. Fans of the physical version should enjoy this one, but I’m spending those eight minutes elsewhere.

Bear With Me: The Complete Collection is stuffed with the kind of character and world building you could hope for between the morose plush protagonist, the well crafted characters, and the mystery you work to unfold through its chapters. If you can push through slow early moments, inconsistent writing, and some muted vocal delivery, there’s a lot to uncover and enjoy even if it won’t always have you in stitches.

Overall, the SEGA AGES version of Puyo Puyo is the definitive way to enjoy this arcade classic. The original package is still here in all its glory, but the additions that M2 has added make a somewhat dated game fun and accessible. Whether you are a diehard fan of Puyo Puyo or a newcomer curious about the series, the SEGA AGES port is the best way to play the original title and should not be overlooked.

This is Space Harrier, virtually the same arcade game from nearly 40 years ago with a couple of tweaks and additions from the original home ports and the 3DS 3D Classics release. M2, as per usual, made a great port and this might be the best version of Space Harrier, but that’s all it is. Minimal bells and whistles are on display here and unless you want to have this on hand to play while you play Shenmue 3 on another console, plunking down quarters for this doesn’t seem all that worthwhile.

If Pantsu Hunter had fully committed to being a visual novel like its final chapter instead, I’d probably like it a lot more. Unfortunately as it is, it relies too much on extending its runtime through cheap instant death puzzles without clear solutions to make me feel like I could appreciate the few things it does right.

This is an enjoyable, thought-provoking, and stylish RPG that stands on the shoulders of the developer’s previous efforts. Pacing issues and a lack of variety hold it back from being truly great, but Oninaki is absolutely worth a playthrough, if you’re not averse to the solemn subject matter. The stellar combat feels almost like hack-and-slash, and the overall story compels you through the experience. If this is the reincarnation of Tokyo RPG Factory, they’ve come back less a factory and more an artisan.

Quench is at its best when you’re working your way through the various puzzles and taking in the sweet, enjoyable scenery. The worst parts show themselves when you move through that scenery, though. The technical aspects sorely drag it down despite some ingenuity in the puzzles and a wealth of charm.

Even though Hue struggles to hold up as a puzzle game due to its simple but tedious tasks, I can’t bring myself to say I really hated the experience. The game commits so fully to its art style with strong, screen-filling colors that pop against each other that I wanted to keep playing to see more of it. I do wish that this art style had been applied to a game that’s less frustrating overall, but despite the disappointing puzzles I’m still pretty happy with the time I spent in Hue’s bright, bold environment.

Mutant Year Zero is yet another example of the ongoing debate between portability and performance. The graphical difference between the Switch and PC versions can’t be understated; the lack of detail has a marked impact on the overall experience. Having said that, the amount of time you could easily sink into this amazing tactical-RPG could be significant, and so maybe the graphical sacrifice is worth being able to play on-the-go. While Mutant Year Zero may be best played on its original platform, I would still recommend this version to anyone wanting to play on Switch.

With the recent discourse about violence in video games, the launch of Friday the 13th: The Game comes at an inopportune time. It certainly earns its mature rating, with a level of gore and violence that would make most people sick to their stomach, but for fans of the horror genre, this is their bread and butter. The experience of being Jason Vorhees is captured perfectly, and all of the feelings of panic and dread are still felt even after hours of playing. If you enjoy being scared out of your pants on a consistent basis, be prepared to scream.

While it can be frustrating to just barely overjump something or miss hitting an enemy while you’re racing through, this only encourages players to retry for a better score. The game’s difficulty is perfectly balanced for either jumping from level to level to progress through the story, or to step it up a notch and go for a perfect score on every world. At the time of writing, we were not able to use the online leaderboards, but once the game is released it should step up the competitiveness and require players to think strategically about their moves to rack up level bonus on top of their time score.

Pillars of Eternity’s reputation for quality is well deserved. It’s definitely worth checking out, whether on other platforms or when the Switch version is fixed up. For now, the version on Nintendo’s latest is an interesting curiosity with some pretty heavy issues. And it’s not the first time I’ve seen that phrase used in relation to an Obsidian-developed game published by another company.

Is Turok 2 better than Dinosaur Hunter? I don’t know if I’d call it better, but it’s certainly different. Personally, I prefer the original game but I appreciate how different this sequel is, even if I’m not a huge fan of every single point of divergence. Certainly, the level design leaves something to be desired, and while Turok wields a healthy armament by game’s end, there’s a cruel practicality to virtually every weapon. The Cerebral Bore is great, but it’s a one-enemy gun. Dinosaur Hunter had the Particle Accelerator and Fusion Cannon, both of which wiped out entire landscapes of enemies. This may be a consideration for Turok 2’s more closed, corridor-heavy environments, which is another thing I don’t love about it. However, the enemy designs and overall uniqueness of the environments really is special.

I believe 505 Games did an excellent job porting Terraria to the Switch and made the most of the buttons, triggers, and joysticks at their disposal. but after so many hours of playing with mouse and keyboard, it is hard to adjust. Though, being able to play Terraria from the comfort of my bed may be worth the effort.

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.

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.

Pix the Cat really works on the Switch platform. It’s a quick pick-up-and-play game that will run you five minutes per attempt, which is perfect for a handheld. It looks great on the big screen too, but a word of warning: the game suffers from the Switch’s lack of a compelling D-Pad. You can play the early stages with an analog stick or the unreliable D-Pad on the Switch Pro Controller, but before long you will need to make lightning quick directional decisions that are slightly better with the Joy-Con’s directional buttons. It’s not a major problem, but it’s not great. If you’re okay with that one potential drawback, it’d be hard not to recommend Pix the Cat for anyone who loves a good high score chase.

Subdivision Infinity DX is a functional 3D Space Shooter that handles great but does absolutely nothing to define itself. It serves as yet another example of a game that in the mobile space exhibits above average effort, yet falls firmly into the realm of mediocrity when ported to a full console. There is certainly some fun to be had here, but it is all fun that has been done better by other 3D space shooters on Switch.

The Switch port of Doom 3 is faithful, and the game is a blast. While it may begin to wear thin after you kill your hundredth fire-throwing imp, there’s something incredibly rewarding about the gunplay in the Doom series. Doom 3 might not have been received as warmly as the beloved reboot that we got in 2016, but it deserves its place in history and would be a fine addition to any Switch library.

Whether it’s because I can play it untethered from the television or how it eschews the alien threat for a relatively more grounded espionage take on the genre, I found the break-up between on-the-ground missions and reconnaissance activities fresh if uneven, and the removal of dice rolls for hit rate removes obfuscation that for me made combat a much more rewarding endeavor. If you’re someone like me who liked Mario + Rabbids but wished there was more depth or don’t particularly love sci-fi themes, Phantom Doctrine is a worthy alternative.

Hamsterdam has its charms and definitely some potential. The character designs are fun and Pimm’s stylish hamster-fu feels satisfying to use, but there’s just not enough variety to hold a player’s attention for more than maybe an hour. Dressing Pimm up in goofy hats or a Bruce Lee tracksuit adds a little spice, but the repetitive gameplay will likely catch up to you all the same. I think the developers of Hamsterdam are on the right track, and I look forward to any future games they make using lessons learned from this one, but I cannot see myself returning to the streets of Hamsterdam any time soon.

Wolfenstein Youngblood takes everything you know about the series and turns it on its head. Unfortunately the result is something that many fans of the series weren’t asking for. Instead of an over-the-top story filled with addictingly fun gameplay, we got a diluted adventure filled with punishing enemies that require grinding to overcome. Add in microtransactions, no way to communicate, and muddy graphics and you’re better off passing this one by.

I admire Solo: Islands of the Heart for its ambition, but virtually every aspect of the game falls short of the noble goals of making an introspective puzzle game centered on love and relationships. The narrative is limited and mildly antagonistic, the block puzzle gameplay transforms into a disaster once the magic staff is introduced, and the serenity of the islands and graphics are dragged down by a middling port to Switch. If you really want someone to question your decisions on love, go see a therapist. This isn’t the game for that.

Ultimately, Forager has potential, but a little more scavenging is needed to take it from an appetizer to a main course.

A fresh graphical look makes the Picross experience more interesting but the anime tie-in isn't newbie friendly.