Between Joker, Mementos, Stage Builder, and Shared Content, the 3.0.0 update is the most excited I’ve been about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since launch. Tools to create and share user-crafted content are always my favorite features in any video game, and Joker is the perfect realization of both a beloved series and a unique and fun fighter. The Stage Builder alone could add hours of new experiences to Ultimate, and I’m incredibly excited to see what features and characters are still to come before all five new challengers have been released by February of next year.

Functionally, Silence works as a basic point and click adventure game, but I feel as though it shows growth beyond the well-trod genre expectations. A blend of traditional old-school mechanics mixed with advances in storytelling and gameplay variation allows Silence to stand above what I have seen served up over the last few years. Some lackluster audio and a missed opportunity with the bevy of characters detract slightly, but not overly so from this generally decent package.

Completing each of the 11 missions only took a few hours but my playtime increased dramatically trying to earn each of the different endings. In so many aspects I was left wanting more. I want to play more as the secondary character, I want to understand the story better, and in so many cases I just want to know what the hell is going on. Katana Zero is such a wild drug-crazed adventure that I just can’t get enough of and I will continue to be getting my fix of it for weeks to come.

As it stands now, it’s impossible for me to recommend Our World Is Ended. The older version of the game we’re getting is missing a lot of quality of life improvements. Little things in the text set off my editor senses. The plot quickly derails and is so overbearing with the focus on fanservice that I wanted to scream. Maybe PQube should try again with the Judgment 7 version next year, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

I find the game is best in short bursts. I think we’ve all played 3D brawlers that outclass Smashing the Battle in virtually every category. Having said that, I do find myself enjoying the game. It’s not perfect, but it has heart. Well, that and an impossibly voluptuous woman in ill-fitting battle armor.

Challenge is prevalent, but with lovely visuals and sound coupled with a well-crafted, though still terse, difficulty curve, this is an adventure worth working your way through. My only real qualms are with the controllers on the Switch and some frustration found in the late-game bosses. This is a gem of an addition to the Switch library.

Monster Slayers is a fun and deep adventure that lets the player decide how they want to approach it. Even with a complex battle system, the harsh difficulty curve may be enough to turn many players off once they’ve completed the first dungeon. At the end of the day, the sheer joy of building a deck that suits your own playstyle is what makes this game special. Monster Slayers is one game not to overlook, if you’re even remotely interested.

My Time at Portia is often times an overwhelming game as a result of its own ambition. This can cause it to be intimidating and more than a little confusing at times. The quality of its many systems range from addictive to annoying. However, taken as a whole My Time at Portia is a rich world full of activity that, when played at an appropriately chill pace, will yield many hours of charming fun.

Trüberbrook's cast of colorful characters and its presentation are truly a delight, which help to elevate the proceedings. The only problem I had on the gameplay side was, quite frankly, a rather big one. The title's inventory system could use a bit of a tune-up to make it fully come into its own. If you can overlook these problems, Trüberbrook offers up fun moments all the way through.

The incredible port by QLOC has kept everything that made Hellblade enthralling completely intact, and besides a low resolution it’s difficult to tell the difference between the Switch port and the original versions without comparing them directly side-by-side. Hellblade is just as good on Switch as it was on other platforms, so now’s the perfect time to pick it up if you haven’t already had the chance to experience the journey of Senua’s Sacrifice.

Ninja Village isn’t great, but it’s not totally bad either. While it is filled to the brim with the mobile game formula, there is a decent amount to do that can keep a player engaged throughout its 5-6 hour main campaign. I feel each player’s mileage will vary with Ninja Village. If someone is able to get really into town building or truly optimizing their clan’s combat potential, there may be something here. For the everyday player that stumbles across this, however, there are better alternatives out there.

Reigns: Game of Thrones delighted me with fun winks and nods and charming writing, but inevitably winter metaphorically comes and the going gets repetitious. Even with the quick burn, I love all the references and wish fulfillment on display as you get to live out the fanciful reigns of Queen Arya, King Tyrion, and many more. This is an excellent use of the Game of Thrones license despite some inadequacies.

What it lacks in gameplay variety, Way of the Passive Fist makes up for in its unique focus on defense and its accessible approach to difficulty. I enjoyed playing through the story mode and learning the different attack patterns of my opponents as each interaction felt like a mini-rhythm game. If you are looking for an arcade-style brawler that has achievements and a fun hook, there’s no need to be passive about downloading this one on the eShop.

As it is, I would recommend this game to those who like sci-fi rogue-likes and those who played FTL and wanted more story from it. There is a solid base here, but a little more variety in gameplay and a few more quality-of-life tweaks would take Out There from a white dwarf to a red giant.

Xenon Racer doesn’t have anything that makes it particularly unique, so even the best port would still be mediocre. The one way it truly manages to go above and beyond is by doing its best to hide its shoddy port right up to its pre-rendered gameplay footage in the intro that was clearly recorded on a different system. If you’re in a desperate fix for a new racing game there are worse options than Xenon Racer, but make sure you pick it up on another system, because even the added portability on Switch can’t make this version worth the cost of admission.

Hob is a serviceable and congenial game. I enjoyed my hours with the game, but a lot of it is more fleeting, especially whenever I played it with the muddy portable visuals. Exploration is fine here, but a minor lack of ingenuity in puzzles and combat all coalesce into making this a satisfactory but not very memorable adventure. If you can play on your TV the whole time, the visuals can overwrite those ills, but if you play mostly on the go, problems will abound.

Mechstermination Force is the most consistently fun 2D boss rush game I’ve ever played, and yes that includes a certain other boss rush game launching on Switch later this month. Every encounter is unique and challenging but never unfair. Each boss is uniquely designed, and realized with an outstanding degree of care and attention. From the moment you boot Mechstermination Force, it is immediately fun, and that fun never stops. This is a gameplay loop distilled to its purest form, and it is an absolute joy.

Apart from a preference to the original character design and having to endure the dreaded music bug, I would still call Final Fantasy VII on Switch the definitive option to travel back to Midgar. The portability of the Switch and pick-up-and-play nature provides enough modern convenience to give old fans a reason to replay and new fans an excuse to try it. The battle between Cloud and Sephiroth brought mainstream appeal to JRPGs in the West back in the ‘90s, and it still has that universal appeal to be enjoyed by new generations of gamers to come.

In general, this game is just flat out unenjoyable. It’s sad how this Lego game is completely devoid of the unique humor and style which made previous Lego games so enjoyable. This personality and flair, which has been a staple of the Lego video game brand, being absent from this latest title is disheartening. I’d recommend avoiding The Lego Movie 2 Videogame unless you have to play absolutely everything Lego. Even then, there are just much better games in the series that deserve your attention.

All in all, OVERWHELM is a fun and neat little roguelike with an unfortunate problem: it can feel unforgiving in the worst way. While it’s far from being unplayable or unenjoyable, it can simply be disheartening to be on an incredible run only to be cheaply killed by either a teleporting boss or a random overworld enemy. If you can get past that, there is an amusing game that I could recommend to roguelike fans.

It’s a unique and interesting experiment wrapped up in a cool, pixelated graphical style and an atmospheric soundtrack that suits the game perfectly. Rather than playing it and trying to accomplish what a game might typically expect from you, I recommend finding your own way to enjoy this one. Discovering the routines, following them, and learning about the different actions you can take throughout the town are the best ways to become acquainted with The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa.

While the storybook art style and writing boost the overall experience, there isn’t enough substance for me to recommend The World Next Door. I did enjoy aspects of what I played, but there is a brevity and incompleteness that holds it back from being more than just a unique experiment. The puzzle-based combat is a really cool idea that needed to be used more and in different ways. If this one sounds interesting to you, I would wait for some kind of discount before jumping in.

Azure Saga: Pathfinder is perfectly serviceable, and apart from my frustrations with the economy, there’s a lot to like here. It’s just not something I’m itching to go back to. If you need a JRPG fix for your Switch—and have already been through the boatload of them already available—Azure Saga might scratch that particular itch for you.

If you’re craving classic 3D Zelda, Darksiders is the game for you. Despite originally releasing almost 10 years ago, it has held up remarkably well. Even playing it my third time through, I still found it absolutely delightful. While its original weak points remain present in this remaster, so to do its strengths shine through. The customizable performance options, coupled with the Switch’s portability make this my favorite way to play an excellent game. Bring on Darksiders II and Darksiders III.

Quite simply, I had a ton of fun playing through Blaster Master Zero 2. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted in a sequel to a beloved game franchise of mine. The game progresses through and uncovers new abilities at a swift and balanced pace. The weapons are super fun to discover and mess with, and the very nature of what makes Blaster Master gameplay so excellent has never shone so bright and wonderful. If you love great retro games, you won’t want to miss out on Blaster Master Zero 2.

Although I would’ve liked more challenge in the campaign, I still had fun with Unravel Two right up until the very end. Yarny is an adorable character that stole my heart right from the beginning, and the unique puzzles that come from both characters being literally strung together made for a fresh spin on co-op puzzle solving. I feel like I missed out on something special by playing by myself, and I think that if you get the opportunity you should definitely play the whole campaign with a friend.

It’s a great shame then that these moments of enchanting brilliance are completely at odds with gameplay that quickly becomes off-puttingly frustrating. The addition of some sort of hint system would certainly broaden the appeal, but as it stands this is likely to appeal to only the most hardcore of puzzle fans. A game that masters the intricate balance between challenge and fun is a beautiful thing, so it’s unfortunate that a beautiful game like She Remembered Caterpillars falls squarely on the less favourable side of that equation.

Iron Crypticle boasts a fascinating power-up system that revolves around building up combo chains by collecting pieces of food dropped by enemies. It’s not articulated particularly well and can lead to some confusion at first, but once fully understood it proves to be a lot of fun. The pace of the game tends to be a bit slow, especially on early floors which don’t present as much of a challenge as later floors. However, branching paths, local co-op, multiple difficulties, and even online leaderboards help round out the overall package.