The original Hand of Fate was a game I had heard a lot about, but never got around to. The Switch is encouraging me to go back and pick up a lot of these titles, and this is one worth grabbing a hold of. Just be sure to watch the cards and choose your battles wisely, and you’ll have a tale that will live on through the ages.

Looking at the colorful art, smooth animations, and strong level design, someone clearly loves Heroki. It isn’t me, but Heroki can be a great fit for younger players or those looking to unwind. Heroki is a light breeze perfect for between naps on a long summer road trip, just don’t expect to remember it when something else blows by.

Another World remains an utterly brilliant game. No matter if you use the classic or modern visuals, the game has a true alien feel to it. In addition, the trial and error gameplay is as addicting as it was those many years ago. While the game is extremely short, I did find myself continuously loving how the production value stayed intact. That is something worth celebrating.

While Super Volley Blast is a local multiplayer game to its core, it’s a nicely crafted one that also has enough of an attempt at a single-player story to be entertaining there as well. This is a good arcade sports experience and is very much worth checking out if you want some good Switch multiplayer escapades.

All in all, It’s amazing to see such a creative and relaxing game make the jump from Wii to Switch. I would possibly make a few changes to cater to those who played the earlier version of the game, but I’m still glad to see it here painting the eShop red.

This is a fine classic game for its low cost. The visuals and splat paint style gives the game a punk-ish style that keeps it feeling fresh. However, the main issue I have with recommending it is the frequent lag that occurs at the beginning of the levels. Hopefully, this is a situation that can be fixed in the future, but for now, let's leave the ink guns to the squids.

Fill-a-Pix is disappointing even if Lightwood Games brings its puzzle game-making competency to it. It’s packed with content, but it’s hard to really care to do more of these slow, painstaking, and weirdly easy puzzles. I’d much rather dive back into Pic-a-Pix to play any new DLC they put out for it. In lieu of Fill-a-Pix, go buy Pic-a-Pix Deluxe.

Drawful 2 is still just as fun as the first, and more fun with the ability to create personalized prompts in games. But if you’re looking to get more bang for your buck stick to the first title, because Drawful 2 doesn’t seem to live up to changing much in the way of a sequel. It provides more of the same fun, and it’s hard to fault it for that because the base game is a wild time at parties.

It’s clear that a lot shown in Figment is not what the focus of the experience, it’s the puzzles, which don’t always stick the landing. A handful of exceptions crop up, but not nearly as many as I would have liked. Check out Figment if you’re interested in taking on a puzzle adventure indie, with some cute visual touches, and can handle a little puzzle fatigue.

Bomb Chicken is an expertly crafted experience inside and out. Every single part of it is just so dang charming, from the audio and visual composition to the design of each level packed to the brim, delightful collectibles and hidden areas to explore. The only potential problem I could see with certain players is the overall difficulty, so consider this a fair warning - this game is very difficult, and can be quite punishing (but also very fair). If that sounds like it’s up your alley, you won’t want to miss out on this wacky and explosive platformer.

It’s an elegant game packed with serene melodies, a simple yet deep combat system, and a stunning world to explore. The end result might not be the modern classic so many hoped for, but Octopath Traveler is an excellent RPG that’s only major sin is a loose story structure.

Mushroom Wars is a fun take on the real-time strategy genre that would be perfect for portable play if it weren’t for some technical issues. Pacing can be a real annoyance, especially early on, but gradually fades as you progress further into the game. On the bright side, it is simple to learn, and its bite-sized levels are very addicting once you get going.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker remains the fun game it was before, though there is no need to play it twice. Most of the original content is present in this release with the Odyssey content being the exception. The sheer variety of puzzles and fun gameplay mechanics deserve to be experienced at the very least. It doesn't really matter if you do that on Nintendo 3DS or Switch as both run quite excellent.

Sonic Mania Plus took a well-made game and made it even better, with two interesting new characters and remixed levels. The new content seems a little more geared for the superfan rather than the newcomer, which at the end of the day, is totally okay because whether you bought Mania last year or you’re only just getting to it now, it is still worth checking out.

Missions tend to be repetitive, but the thrill of executing them flawlessly is equally as satisfying as it is devastating when a crash whips out your entire crew. Roguelite elements throw a great wrinkle to the gameplay, but do come at the expense of light grinding when losing members of the crew or plane. Although not without blemishes, it presents an interesting and challenging take on simulator that requires quick thinking and even faster reactions.

When it comes to DLC, Nintendo has cultivated a reputation for providing substantial content, and here Ubisoft continues that tradition. The humor that was spot on in Mario Rabbids translates perfectly to the Donkey Kong franchise. With all the great titles on the horizon it can feel difficult to circle back to a one year old game, but Donkey Kong Adventure is a can’t miss experience that so far ranks as one of the best for 2018.

20XX offers a quick dose of Mega Man inspired gameplay that doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. The controls were clearly refined to be authentic and tight. What the game does lack, however, is content to come back to after mastering the quick 20XX runs.

Apart from the dated combat, Shining Resonance seemed to have the right elements to be a success but just missed a certain chemistry to really hook me in. Fans of previous titles in the series and seasoned RPG players may find the enjoyment that alluded me. I wouldn’t tell you to avoid this game, but there’s a whole lot I would recommend before it.

Runbow is a fantastic, colorful, energetic platformer with great style and plenty of content for both solo and group players. At the very least, it is definitely worthy of a spot in your great multiplayer games folder.

The rough edges stand out mostly because the game can otherwise become an engrossing way to evaporate free time. Mileage may vary based on your ability to enjoy the game’s music, but with its highly customizable difficulty and excellent representation of the tracks as note patterns, this game will welcome in anyone who can find themselves lost in the music.

I find myself having a hard time recommending Atomine to anyone but those looking for a repetitive game and feel like the different ways in which you shoot the enemies isn’t enough to sate your interest in a twin-stick shooter. I understand there are those who appreciate the feedback loop of going through a run, seeing how far you can go, and then trying to do better in your next run, but that alone wasn’t enough to keep me engaged in this one.

All in all, Pocket Rumble’s goal of being a fighting game for everyone was accomplished. This is great for newcomers and veterans of retro fighters as this one is easy to learn and hard to master. Just keep in mind, if you’re looking for anything to collect or any sort of progression besides just ranking yourself up, you won’t find it here. The authentic retro style and addicting gameplay, however, is still worth your time– especially if you want something that you can pick up and play in quick and insanely fun bursts.

Overall, Lost in Harmony, while providing a couple hours’ entertainment, is a well-designed runner with great music. It is a definite hit with people who love this genre, though the integration of the rhythm isn’t stellar. I won’t be getting lost in the game for a second play-through, but I enjoyed my time with it.

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a fun collection of titles filled with nostalgia value, presented in a wonderful looking HD package. It runs well and overall is a perfectly competent platformer. If you can forgive that some aspects of these games haven’t aged well in the last 20 years, then this can be a pretty fun throwback experience.

It’s a little bit sad that a DS game from 2008 is still the best paleontology-based video game on the market—Fossil Hunters does not scratch that itch.

A must for its versatile local multiplayer, but even aside from that, this is wickedly cool.

Some patterns can absolutely destroy you without proper notice, forcing you to play over and perfect certain levels. While that side can be little irritating now and again, it can't be denied the amount of effort Q-Games put in.

Tennis World Tour is an underwhelming product in more ways than one. While it promises a professional tennis game, the way Breakpoint went about it isn't making me happy. There isn't really a star cast of tennis players, the gameplay has some extremely weak elements and the overall feeling is one a lack of care.