Little Kitty, Big City may not be a high profile hit with huge accolades like Stray, and it doesn’t aspire to that kind of photorealism, but what you do get is a breezy, cute, colorful, and fun sandbox to explore. The animal friends are diverse and expressive without having a lot of physical facial expression, which is a testament to the writers’ skill. This cartoonish game is uncomplicated in the best ways, and while there’s a little stumbly-ness in some of the movement, it doesn’t detract from this brisk, entertaining experience.

I walked away from Megaton Musashi W: Wired feeling very optimistic for the forthcoming onslaught of Level-5 games due out in the near future, but it was also a reminder of their strengths and weaknesses. The presentation is incredible, complete with a compelling story and charming characters. The action-oriented parts lag behind, though. The mech battling is totally fine hack-and-slash fun, but it rarely exceeds that. If you’re looking for a fun mechs-vs.aliens narrative to enjoy on your Switch, Megaton Musashi W: Wired absolutely rocks. But if you’re here solely for robot combat, you’re best looking elsewhere.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD does not reinvent the original by any means. If the mission based gameplay structure bothered you on 3DS, it won’t be any better here. While that particular issue largely goes away as the game goes on, I would have liked some quality of life updates for multiplayer. That being said, this is without a doubt the definitive version of Dark Moon. The love and care with which it has been remastered deserves calling out. Tantalus has done an incredible job here. The original work of Next Level Games really shines as their animation and underlying art direction remain unchanged. This is easily the best way to play Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak is a standout entry in this long-running franchise that I affectionately refer to as the best RPGs you've never played. Van is a charming and vocal protagonist who gives as good as he gets, and rest assured, he isn't shy about giving a loving head patting when the opportunity arises. Those who have played earlier Trails games will enjoy the returning characters, mentions, and nods to earlier events and people, but even if you're an RPG player unfamiliar with the Trails games, you'll find plenty of reasons to sink your teeth into this latest one. It's no surprise that the hero of Daybreak has a proclivity towards indulging in cakes and pastries; he happens to star in one hell of a sweet adventure.

It’s probably not fair to say that the Rocket Knight Adventures games are bad, because when they were originally released (1993 & 1994) they were probably very good, and in fact while doing research on the series, I was surprised to find they were reviewed quite favorably. This was, of course, during a time when degree of difficulty was a positive thing. I don’t think they hold up particularly well, but perhaps I should be grateful that they’re being preserved somehow, a window into the 16-bit era that I grew up with, but have mostly left behind. I suppose if you’ve been itching to revisit Sparkster’s adventures, this is the best way to do it.

Despite my disappointment with the side games, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the most I have enjoyed playing a new Super Monkey Ball game in twenty years. The failures of Banana Mania have not been repeated, and the high skill ceiling of the spin dash combined with the extensive replayability of the optional objectives means that I am probably going to be playing this game for the next twenty years just the same as the GameCube classics. Even as the modern descendant of Super Monkey Ball’s original developer Amusement Vision, Ryu ga Gotoku Studio has outdone themselves here. This is not simply a return to form; this is proof of the bright future that Super Monkey Ball might have.

As a narrative 1000xRESIST is perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments of the year so far, with a tale that will stay with me for quite some time. It paints in a canvas that is similar to stories like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and reminded me so often of rebellious worlds like that of Umurangi Generation. As a game however, and in particular on Switch, it falls short at times. Visually in particular, but also the trappings of the narrative adventure game that can get a tad repetitive over time without too many moments that shake up the gameplay. This all does not subtract from the astonishing writing and performances in 1000xRESIST and I urge those who are looking for boundary breaking storytelling to truly dive into this world blindly. It may even help you find the strength in these times to learn what it means to resist.

Echo Generation is a fun, unique way to spend 8 or so hours, and I don’t regret my time with it at all. It’s a charming experience full of engaging gameplay and fun secrets to discover, and should a sequel ever come out I’ll be first in line to discover those secrets as well.

The world feels lived-in thanks to a narrowly focused daily life sim that pairs well with combat that is the most robust work they’ve done to date. Minor user interface issues aside, I find myself thinking about the next time I can boot it up, batter some bad guys (or baseballs), and see whether I can make good enough use of my time to progress the story further. I’ve appreciated witnessing the growth and refinement of Yeo’s development prowess, and this is their best work to date.

Hauntii does a fantastic job of providing a smaller scope adventure across an enigmatic underworld. Collecting stars and haunting varying enemies gave a sense of discovery around every turn. It’s beautiful in its delivery and make-up, but that’s what also holds Hauntii back: its restricted scope. It doesn’t dream big enough for what could have been. The gameplay, while fun and engaging, is super limited. Haunting and shooting aren’t enough to keep you hooked. When reflecting on my time with Hauntii, I think about the music and the art, and less so on how it played. Hauntii is a breathtaking experience, but it just doesn’t do enough with it. This game makes a compelling case for videogames as art, but it stops short when it comes to the actual mechanics.

As someone who enjoyed Monster Hunter Stories when it came out on 3DS seven years ago, I’m happy it has a new home on Switch, even if it’s not a full remake. It’s well worth diving into if you missed it the first time around, especially since the relative simplicity makes it a decent entrypoint for a younger audience into this world and genre (especially since it has so much voice acting). If you are looking for something more complex, you can always try Monster Hunter Stories 2 or just go on hunts in one of the many other available Monster Hunters.

We drew a lot of comparisons between the Partner Showcase and today at NWR between Vengeance and Persona 5 Royal, but they’re not quite the same. For one, the PlayStation 4 version of Royal launched a year and a half before the game became fully multiplatform, while Vengeance is day and date. Still, having played both, if you held an Evoker to my head I’d probably say I think Vengeance is the better enhanced version. There’s plenty of gameplay changes, and the new character is integrated better than the gymnast in Royal. If you missed Shin Megami Tensei V the first time, Vengeance is the best way to experience a great RPG.

Horizon Chase 2 is a great game, but it’s quite the masterpiece that its predecessor was. That said, this is a no brainer if you loved the arcade racing goodness of Horizon Chase Turbo, because that part, at least, has not been modified in this sequel.

Xtreme Sports is an interesting curio, an artistic ancestor of WayForward’s heroic half-genie franchise, and a somewhat frustrating Game Boy Color game that may not be all that fun to play in the Year of our Arceus 2024. It also, and this may be a deep cut for many of you, reminds me of the Survivor parody Total Drama Island, which often involved some degree of extreme sports challenges.

Overall, Master Key finds solid ground to share with other notable indie Zelda-like games, feeling very much like a minimalist version of Tunic. The countless secrets of its world and the way in which it encourages you to search and reflect on every screen give it a remarkable sense of vitality. I know I haven’t seen all that its dense map has to offer, but I’ve still thoroughly enjoyed my time with Master Key and look forward to eventually diving back in to find what I missed.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is every Zelda Dungeon, Resident Evil Mansion and Escape Room honed to its finest edge and plays with the player as much as the player plays the game. In a year already stacked with impressive indie games, this will be the one that is going to haunt me for years to come. I could not be more excited about seeing others experience it for themselves.

Really the only issue I have with Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is that the game is pretty short, when I just wanted to play around in this world more. It’s about 2-3 hours of gameplay, and while I’m glad this particular case wasn’t dragged out longer, I got to the end and just wanted more. Another case, more time with these characters, anything. That said, while I wish we had more Duck Detective, I’m happy that I got to spend time Duck Detecting as it is, and really hope I can get more adventures of Eugene McQuacklin someday.

Paper Trail is a series of gratifying problem solving that challenges the player to think differently by bending their brain with every page turn. It isn’t often I run across a game that’s so thematically cohesive, but between the puzzle structure, storytelling, and crisp and colorful world, this is an experience that feels like every detail was considered in its development, especially for those who get regularly stymied by thought exercises. Paper Trail is a present that’s just as much fun to unwrap as it is to play with, and ranks in some of the better gaming experiences I’ve had this year.

Your enjoyment of Wizardry in 2024 is going to depend a lot on the amount you’re willing to put into it. I quickly became obsessed with taking a quick run into a new corner of the dungeon every night before going to bed. But a lot of that was built on an existing interest in old western RPGs, an understanding of Dungeons & Dragons mechanics, and a willingness to look up the older rules. The game itself isn’t really interested in helping you with any of that. Instead, they’ve made some smart adjustments to smooth out some of the aging gameplay while still staying very true to the original. It is also worth noting that every quality-of-life change can be toggled on or off, so if you want this to play exactly like it did in 1981, that is an option. You can even swap to the dungeon layouts from the later console ports. This is an extremely faithful update of an important game. And if you’re willing to give it the opportunity, you find it is just as addictive today as it was forty years ago.

Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling might be the first fandisc on the Switch that manages to do to the original what Pokemon Platinum did to Diamond and Pearl: the second attempt completely subsumed the original. There are even reminder points as to what happened with each of the suitors in the original six paths, so newcomers - or people like me who played the original at launch 30 months ago - can jump in and quickly pick up what is being laid down. And with the improved text, it’s a no brainer to pick up the sequel.

The story of Surmount on Switch is a sad one, a pleasant, cute, challenging, uncomplicated, and fun bite-sized adventure that gets completely cratered by insurmountable show-stopping bugs that completely throttled my momentum and made me ask several times “what am I wasting my time for?” I have to balance giving the developer a chance to produce a minimally disruptive experience and a guidepost of whether to spend hard earned money on a game. Regretfully I have to recommend you find your sense of adventure elsewhere, whether giving the PC version a flyer or turning to a much more serious title like Jusant.

The greatest achievement of Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER is that it helps to conjure up nostalgia for its much more effective predecessor. The sequel really feels much more like a robust piece of DLC than a full-fledged release. Fans of the original who go into it expecting a similar amount of content and playtime will be sorely disappointed. While the retro-looking aesthetic and FM synthesis-filled soundtrack are noticeable high points, there isn’t much else that makes the journey worthwhile. If you’ve already played 2064: Read Only Memories, you may get a bit of a kick out of NEURODIVER, but you’d probably be better served replaying the original, which overshadows its follow-up in almost every way. As likable as most of its cast is, they simply don’t get enough time to shine, leaving the adventure of Luna and co. feeling flat and incomplete.

Athenian Rhapsody is much more than just another creator’s take on Undertale. Through effective comedic writing, a world that is filled to the brim with surprises, and an attractive presentation, developer Nico Papalia has crafted an experience that stands on its own as both an homage and a reimagining of what Toby Fox accomplished almost a decade earlier. The idea of each playthrough being transformed into its own object and gaining a tangibility is an intriguing one, reinforcing the power of decision-making in a world of unknown consequence. The vibrancy of Athens comes as much from its nature and biomes as it does from its inhabitants, and it was ultimately a sincere pleasure to spend time here. As a lover of both Earthbound and Undertale, I found in Athenian Rhapsody another experience that felt like home, complete with characters randomly exploding more times than I could count.

Biomutant is one of those games that isn’t going to appeal to everyone. Even the people like me who enjoy it, won’t argue that it's flawless. But it is an ambitious game, developed by a small team that is happy to try new things and take risks. Biomutant is one of those AA games you would have picked up on the Playstation 2 and absolutely loved as a kid. When you return to it as an adult, it may not hold up that well, but the underlying things you loved about it would shine through. This is that sort of low budget experiment that we so rarely see these days, and I can’t help but enjoy it. Beneath its flaws is an interesting open-world action RPG that manages to hold up fairly well on Switch.

ANIMAL WELL is really unlike anything I've played. At first glance it looks like a stylish and gorgeous metroidvania that harkens back to a retro feeling. But under the hood, the game juggles so many ideas at once that slowly engrossed me into the experience. By the end, it felt like I've seen what the future of the metroidvania genre could hold. Even though it drops a few balls while juggling all these mechanics together, such as the boss battles. Still, ANIMAL WELL is a brilliantly put together game that I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to get lost in a small but intricately designed game. I am quite convinced that both designers and players will be delving down deeper into this well over the coming years.

It really hits the classic Hotline Miami tropes. Kickass techno music that enhances the action? Check! Fast paced shooting and response action? Check! Limited but expressive pixel art? Check! Unfortunately, after that, it all comes to varying degrees of skill, to the point that progression can be entirely halted if you get on tilt. I personally had to step away from the game because the more frustrated I got the more time I wasted making stupid mistakes, and with OTXO, those are the ones you just can’t make.

Sokobond Express is pretty much exactly what you see. If you enjoy slightly abstract but “think-heavy" puzzle games, there is a lot to enjoy here. It is easy to pick up and play while looking to pass the time for a few minutes. Though its difficulty spikes and slightly too revealing hint system are at odds with its design, I found it to be a delightful puzzle experience that even taught me a few things about atoms and ions. While I am not head over heels for it, there was certainly some chemistry to be found.

If you come in looking for an exciting third-person action title, you’ll find a passable game here. If you’re just into vaguely Biblical video game fan fictions and want something with slightly less “dude bro” energy than Dante’s Inferno or Darksiders, this is probably up your alley. But if you just want a bizarre fever dream to show off the incredibly beautiful yet abstractly unsettling worlds a video game can create, El Shaddai is absolutely your game.