Though I wanted to love A Storied Life: Tabitha, its smooth and relaxing gameplay is let down by a frustrating narrative arc, which left me with more questions than answers - ones that a replay doesn’t seem to help solve.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a tale of two halves. I had a blast with the new single-player content, taking my time to trounce the Koopalings one by one, but the multiplayer element falls a bit flat in terms of replayability and variety.

The island of Awaji is simply beautiful and a joy to explore, though the story doesn’t hit quite as hard as I’d like. Still, the narrative is enjoyable enough, employing main missions that any Assassin’s Creed fan is sure to enjoy, and offering aggressive combat with some tough opponents that’ll test your mettle.

Kirby Air Riders is a visually stunning whirlwind of a game, filled with tons to do - if you like meticulously crafting vehicle builds and racing at breakneck speeds. It’s confusing for newcomers and difficult to look at, at times, but it’s sure to bring some people a ton of joy.

Sonic Rumble offers some chaotic fun in a first for the series, featuring matches with 32 players. It has an abundance of characters for you to unlock and features some of the iconic gameplay you know and love from the franchise, though the game does get repetitive rather quickly.

In its current state, Football Manager 26 Touch is difficult to play, as I experienced countless UI issues and more crashes than you’d expect from an Apple Arcade launch. The improved visuals are a great touch, but this game’s bread and butter is how well its menus work, and at the time of writing, I can’t help but feel disappointed.

Little Nightmares 3’s multiplayer aspect feels like a natural progression for the series, and it’s genuinely fun to play with another person, though the AI leaves a little to be desired. The world itself is eerie and atmospheric, while the puzzles are exactly what you’d expect from LN, albeit a bit repetitive.

Fans of Sonic and racing games should be excited about this game, but assume you’ll face some underwhelm at various points, and its price tag is much too steep.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles has some fun yet immensely difficult strategy combat, a gorgeous art style, and an intriguing story. I would recommend the game to anyone looking for a challenge; however, if you’re only interested due to it having Final Fantasy in its name, this probably isn’t the game for you.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion struggles under the weight of ambition, while also needlessly playing to as many people as possible. It all blends together in a painfully dull experience that feels as murky as it looks. While some mech action and unique mechanics make it at least interesting, it’s a mediocre time that I would only recommend to die-hard fans or those who wait for a deep sale.

Drag x Drive can be a lot of fun, but it can also be just as frustrating when it doesn’t want to play ball. For me, it seems more like a showcase of the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse mode controls than a game that stands out for its own merit. There’s likely an audience for this kind of thing; it’s just I don’t think I’m a part of it.

Tales of the Shire has a lot to do in a sleepy, cozy way, from foraging to farming to cooking up elevenses and second breakfasts. I tried to play as much as I could, but the performance on Nintendo Switch saps the magic out of it and really dampens the fun.

Super Mario Party Jamboree's Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds very little to the already incredible base game, and the Jamboree TV expansion is filled with gimmicky, lackluster game modes with the occasional nugget of gold thrown in.

A long-awaited remaster of an iconic turn-based JRPG, the Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster finally brings the beloved title to modern consoles, allowing even more people to enjoy its charm. Unfortunately, the remaster falls short in some areas, and not every change is for the better, but it’s still a great time for fans of classic RPGs.

FBC: Firebreak should be a slam dunk for Remedy, with a unique elemental combat co-op hook and action that unfolds in the coolest parts of the studio’s connected universe. Sadly, dull, uninspired missions and a failure to capitalize on Remedy’s imagination hold the developer’s first proper multiplayer outing back massively. There could be something special here with future updates, but I’m struggling to see a future for it.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a great time filled with farming, decorating, and forming friendships. The game really is fun, with an interesting story and plenty to do, but the performance on Nintendo Switch can leave a lot to be desired due to muddy graphics and pop-ins.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze continues the tough-as-nails platforming with new power-ups to help navigate the nastiest obstacles, as we’re treated to the best soundtrack in the series. However, the inconsistent difficulty makes for a less refined game and the bosses are dragged out to the point where fighting them becomes a chore.

Reynatis has great potential. I can look past a few flaws due to its gorgeous rendition of Shibuya, interesting story, and wonderful soundtrack. Unfortunately, with the PS3-esque character models, poor frame rate, and unintuitive combat, it doesn’t live up to some of the greats.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a fun time for Rugrats and platforming fans alike, featuring solid level design, a enjoyable story, and good enemy design. The game performs perfectly on Switch and is arguably more fun to play in handheld mode, though there’s something special about seeing 8-bit graphics on the big screen.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a lot of fun, boasting enjoyable combat, a sprinkle of charm, good humor, and a badass cat. However, falling through levels and frequent frame rate drops stop the game from achieving its true potential on Nintendo Switch.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a cute and captivating game, though it could do with a little refining. Fly your days away delivering packages, boxes, and bags while fixing up your broom, and get back to your witch training.

Underneath its unique plot device, Elrentaros Wanderings is a fairly standard JRPG, with interesting build mechanics but a severely lacking overworld and overarching story.

The Star Named EOS offers a lovely experience filled with puzzles of differing difficulty, on a background of hand-painted art and a delightful piano-filled soundtrack.

We had a ribbeting time with Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge as it offers a wholesome story with a goal to work towards - restoring the wetland and welcoming plenty of amphibians back to bask in nature.

Paper Trail provides a refreshing addition to the puzzle game genre, giving us head-scratching levels to work through while following the story of a young girl leaving home for the first time. While the puzzles might not be to everyone's taste, it's a lovely little entry to the Switch's library.

While the fishing core of Moonglow Bay might be a little lackluster, and exploration is underwhelming in places, there’s still a good time to be had with this cozy narrative-driven experience that touches on grief, loss, and new beginnings in a way that is almost certain to make your heart stir.

Princess Peach: Showtime turns the Mushroom Kingdom’s monarch into a digital Barbie, filling any role she’s given with personality and charm. Some levels place you on the edge of your seat, while others leave you praying for the interval. A very good game for a highly specific demographic - adult Mario fans, be warned.

Warhammer 40K Dakka Squadron is made by people who clearly love 40K, and Orks. But, while that leads to lots of initial fun, the game can eventually wear thin with repetitive levels and an incredibly dated aesthetic.

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore captures the intended retro charm with expert authenticity, warts and all. There's a great deal of energetic personality here, and the gameplay is straightforward fun, though the experience is slightly undermined by a lack of polish... but perhaps that's the whole point.

While it takes its time to build momentum, once it clicks with you Mario vs Donkey Kong is a rewarding and enjoyable remake, and another win for the Mario franchise. The simple gameplay gets deceptively tricky, and is supported by wonderful visuals: just make sure you stick with it.

Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal offers a way to play a classic Agent 47 experience on mobile with fantastic touchscreen controls and a few gameplay improvements. While the graphics are not as impressive as we might like in 2023, it’s still worth picking up for fans of the series and those wondering why the original is still so well-regarded all these years later.

My Time at Sandrock is a potentially delightful farming and crafting-based life simulator – but unfortunately, your time at Sandrock on Switch is a little half-baked for now, but has promise if updates can bring it up to speed.

WarioWare: Move It! is a festival of frantic fun, offering the sort of minigame madness we’ve come to expect from the series. However, the reliance on standing poses presents something of an accessibility issue, and one the game has little answer for.

Mail Time shrinks you down and immerses you in a beautiful cottagecore wonderland, but its tricky platforming and dizzying navigation make for an experience that’s sometimes cozy but mostly confusing.

Despite a couple of performance issues, the intriguing story, good character design, and consequences to your actions mean that Little Hope remains a solid horror game for you to enjoy on Nintendo Switch this Halloween.

Detective Pikachu Returns brings you back to Ryme City to solve crimes once again. While there’s a cute story and some light-hearted fun, the visual quality and price of the game let it down.

Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 ushers in a new era of horror games, though it remains true to iconic tropes from the genre, thanks to its use of jump scares and puzzles. Unfortunately, on mobile the game suffers from some performance issues that may hinder your time with the game. Still, the atmosphere and story are enough to keep you hooked. Or, you could play it on PC, where we would score it higher than a seven.

Paleo Pines is a delightful, dino-filled romp through the farming sim genre that skillfully blends real paleontology with cutesy, cottagecore aesthetics and motifs. It’s a little wobbly on the Switch but it’s still full of wholesomeness and charm.

While James might be a little stiff on his Apple Arcade debut, the experience and design of this game provide some authentic 007 hijinks in a world that true fans of the series are sure to appreciate. Considering it’s free to play for Apple Arcade users, it’s worth trying out if you’re a fan of stealthy titles like Metal Gear Solid or Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell.

Dragonheir: Silent Gods is an expansive fantasy RPG that’s probably the closest thing we’ll get to Baldur’s Gate 3 on mobile for quite some time. It’s got hundreds of unique characters, a deep story, and tons of dungeons to explore. Just don’t expect too much from the combat.

The Teal Mask adds a variety of interesting characters and Pokémon to the ninth generation, and while Ogrepon is the clear star of the show, there’s something to love about each addition. Plus, a focus on tradition and folklore add a richness to the area of Kitakami that is so great to see. But, wildly outdated visuals, inconsistent performance, and a litany of bugs mean that it’s genuinely hard to recommend this DLC, especially for nearly the price of a brand new game.

An unimpressive and incremental sequel to an already underwhelming game, Konami is in desperate need of doing something interesting with the Bomberman formula. Luckily for Konami, the time worn Bomberman gameplay is still a blast, and new online modes are sure to please longtime fans, but it’s hard to justify spending the full price of a retail game on a title that doesn’t do enough to earn that price tag. I’ll have to forget my dreams of a true reinvention along the lines of Pac-man Championship Edition DX+ for now.

This remaster of the DS fan-favorite brings the town of Sharance and its beloved characters to life like never before. Gorgeous visuals work alongside satisfying farming and fun combat to deliver hours of fun for newcomers, though there is very little here for returning players to warrant the price tag. Some additional changes to UI and the gameplay could have made this one of the best entries in the series.

While the unique monster-taming dungeon-crawling crossover gameplay that occupies much of Adore is surprisingly engaging, a lack of character and a bendy difficulty curve stop it from reaching its potential heights.

While engaging gameplay, roguelike concepts, and a big replayability factor bring Double Dragon back from the dead, Rise of Dragons’ late-game struggles and a skew-whiff lives system slightly detract from a promising revival.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening continues a long and dependable series in the exact fashion you’d expect, but playing it on Switch is a clunky and unintuitive experience, bringing a charming sim into the territory of irritating micromanagement.

With stellar multiplayer gameplay and an intelligently crafted difficulty curve, Manic Mechanics offers hours of engaging content to race through. While there is space to improve in terms of controls and boss battles, there’s enough here to add this one to your list of party night titles.

Pikmin 1+2 is a great accessible introduction to the beloved series for newcomers and a gem for existing fans, but the steep price tag and lack of features drive a hard bargain for a series that lets you jump in at any point.

Charade Maniacs is a visual novel otome game with some drop-dead gorgeous characters and an intriguing story. However, with fewer choices than I’d like and numerous ambiguous endings, it may leave you feeling a little confused.

Soulvars is a pixel art JRPG that’s definitely not a deckbuilder, no matter what the synopsis tells you. It’s beautiful to look at and fun to play once you get to grips with it.

Despite a solid core of zombie-killing action and a seriously impressive character creator, Undawn finds too many ways to dilute the action into something that struggles to move at an entertaining pace. With overwhelming UI, too many resources to keep track of, and grisly movement mechanics in place, this is one for those who desperately want to replicate the motorcycle-riding zombie-killing thrills of Days Gone and few others.

A modernised and remade classic – Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life – provides a very laid-back and pleasant journey through farming, raising animals, and finding a partner to spend your life with.

While the gameplay isn’t for everyone, the world is intriguing and delightful to discover. Those who are fans of visual novels, social simulators, and battles against mysterious monsters will enjoy Loop8: Summer of Gods.

There is a good game buried somewhere in Lego 2K Drive, but it’s not here yet. Fun racing mechanics, a large world, and great characters prop up this release, and kids are sure to have a blast. But dire Switch performance and a litany of monetization methods in a full-price release mean that parents should keep this well away from their kids. If you’re desperate to play it, buy it on PS5, otherwise, buy Mario Kart folks.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! is a great entry for newcomers, plus the story mode and multiplayer expand upon the gameplay in fun, if inconsequential ways. Puzzle Bobble vs Space Invaders is a great new addition, but it also leaves me wanting for an entry in this franchise that truly brings in some new ideas.

While full of classic Metroidvania mechanics and stunning visuals, Convergence lacks a certain originality to make it to the higher echelons. Still, the combat is tight, and the story is forthcoming with fully-voiced lines, making it an engaging experience for anyone looking to learn more about the world of League of Legends.

The first entry into The Dark Pictures Anthology, Man of Medan still holds up as a tense, cinematic horror experience where every choice matters. Unfortunately, the Switch’s ageing hardware holds this version’s performance back, but it’s nonetheless an impressive port with some welcome additions, and still captures the souls of all who board this ship.

In terms of a free-to-play live service game, Omega Strikers is engaging enough to persuade new players and keep them scoring. While we’re hoping for new game modes and ways to explore the exciting roster of characters, things are certainly off to a solid start for Odyssey Interactive’s debut title.

In terms of a free-to-play live service game, Omega Strikers is engaging enough to persuade new players and keep them scoring. While we’re hoping for new game modes and ways to explore the exciting roster of characters, things are certainly off to a solid start for Odyssey Interactive’s debut title.

A cult classic reborn on the Switch with all its original quirks, including its flaws.

Teslagrad 2 is an iterative sequel that brings some smart new ideas to the table. Its stronger focus on speed, momentum, and platforming feels great, but it comes at the cost of more confined puzzles and often feels looser than I’d like. Still, the movement, presentation, and great use of Lumina’s powers make this another solid entry in the series.

Nuclear Blaze arrives on Switch with extra content and provides a Metroidvania-like experience that gets immersion right. While the game world nearly makes up for what the story lacks, and the gameplay offers up the odd moment of frustration, this one easily finds itself in the better half of Switch titles of the genre.

A gorgeous fantasy Metroidvania with a lot of promise, let down by its repetitive combat and bewildering story.

Animal Shelter Simulator gives us a glimpse into the life of a shelter owner, complete with rescuing and nurturing pets, and all the daily tasks that go with it on Nintendo Switch. It may be a little ruff around the edges but it’s nothing to sniff at if you’re a fan of a simulator story.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakening continues to show why it’s heralded as one of the best mystery adventure games of all time, though its dodgy performance on Switch lets it down considerably. Still, I implore you to play the game on a different platform, where I’d happily score the game considerably higher.

Call of Dragons is a solid strategy MMO but it lacks innovation, though this didn’t detract from my enjoyment. However, the voice acting isn’t synchronised, so it can feel a bit discombobulating at times.

Road 96: Mile 0 is a fantastic addition to the world of Petria, and one that puts an emotional story of two teenagers’ friendship at its core. Stellar performances, an intriguing narrative, new musical ride segments, and a fantastic soundtrack help to bring everything to life wonderfully. However, performance hiccups and UI issues occasionally get in the way of the fun.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a truly beautiful Metroidvania-like, with stunning, hand-drawn characters, a charming story, and an intriguing world. Unfortunately, its sluggish controls and input delay hold it back, making this swash-buckling bonanza feel more punishing than it needs to be.

How We Know We’re Alive is a beautiful-looking and -sounding story that lasts around as long as a TV show. Just like an episode of TV, it draws you in quickly, but its brief runtime does mean that, by the end, you may not be invested enough for the payoff to hit.

Storyteller has an alluring concept and some great visuals but doesn’t engage you fully until it’s almost too late. While providing some laughs and including some solutions that modernise fairy tales and tragedies for today’s audiences, the puzzle aspect doesn’t boggle the brain consistently enough for my liking.

While maybe a little too challenging on regular difficulty, Pronty joins the legion of engaging Metroidvanias on Switch, offering engaging aquatic combat and exotic underwater locations. There could be more exploration elements here, but those who come just for the gauntlet will be glad to greet some genre-defining bosses.

Grimm Guardians: Demon Purge is a competent and gorgeous Castlevania-lite with satisfying action and a great two-player mode. It’s also got its tongue firmly in cheek, and I had a fun time blasting through gigantic bosses and exploring this world. I just wish it offered a little more variety in gameplay and had a little more of what makes the Castlevania series so fun to explore. Maybe in the sequel…

Digimon World: Next Order is very much a Marmite game, you’re either going to love it or hate it. In my case, I had a wonderful time, love digivolving my cute lil crew, and will definitely replay it for a third or fourth time at some point.

Like a red wine stain on a stark white dress, Blanc spoils its pristine visual style with a combination of frustrating controls, stubborn camera angles, and restrictive puzzle solutions. I love walking through the beautiful wilderness as the adorable animals, but when I try and think of good gameplay, I’m drawing a blank.

Tomb Raider: Reloaded has much potential thanks to featuring a videogame legend, but janky controls that suffer from sluggishness and delays ensure it’s not a smooth experience.

Trek to Yomi is an ambitious journey revolving around love, honour, and, above all, revenge. An ode to classic Samurai flicks, its gameplay is simple, but its striking aesthetics and clear focus on cinematography is what truly sets it apart – unfortunately, it’s also where it struggles the most due to the performance limitations of the Nintendo Switch.

Roller Drama provides a short experience that gets your wheels turning, but has a couple of bumps in the road. I recommend it for those of you who want to play roller derby from the comfort of your own home.

Lone Ruin is a roguelike with style but it lacks in originality, making for an overall experience that’s worthwhile for fans of Hades and Diablo, but one that doesn’t quite match up to the epic scale of those adventures. Still, anyone with a love for dungeon crawling and fast-paced combat will have a blast here, and for the price, the replayability is a real boon.

I absolutely love the story and characters in Persona 3, but Portable isn’t the optimal way to experience them. I can recommend this version to visual novel fans and those looking to experience the game on a budget. If I were rating Persona 3 FES, you would see a much higher number.

Fire Emblem Engage has so much to love, yet feels a little empty. With tight and tricky combat, gorgeous graphics and art, and vibrant character designs, its first impression is a good one. But as the story progresses, things feel a little soulless. It’s good and it’s bad, and how much you like it just depends on what you want from it.

A charming aesthetic and a few fun ideas are held back by repetitive gameplay and some performance issues. Anyone wanting to play something spooky might get their kicks, but there are much better rogue-likes for anyone who wants to enjoy some action.

A fun twist on the platforming genre, Togges does a lot with a little and presents a charming world full of secrets to explore, and a satisfying gameplay loop at its core. While improvements to controls and visuals would be nice, there’s still a lot to love here for fans of classic titles like Pikmin or Super Mario.

Romancing Saga Minstrel Song Remastered is a simple yet welcome rejuvenation of a classic JRPG. With no dramatic overhauls, just some additional content and quality-of-life improvements, it’s still a stroll through the past, but one that’s easy to access, priced reasonably, and packed with stuff to do. It never feels essential, but it’s still a lovely time.

Like a loveable puppy that’s peed on the carpet, it’s hard to be mean to Wobbledog. The adorable pet sim has a distinct personality and loads to do. I just wish it wasn’t quite so aimless, and that the performance and controls on Switch matched the heart that the core gameplay so clearly has. You’re a good boy Wobbledogs, but you can be better.

Sonic is back in a mixed bag of mixed bags, though the positives outweigh the negatives for the most part. Combat can be engaging, depending on the enemy, and zooming across open zones takes a while to get old. Still, if you’re looking for infallible performance, the Switch version might not be the best port of call.

A flawed but beautiful JRPG with farming sim elements, Harvestella boasts a unique and emotive narrative, gorgeous art direction, and an ambitious range of mechanics to explore. It’s slow to start but, with a bit of patience, blossoms into something truly memorable.

A reimaging of a dormant series that straddles the line between homage and invention, but delivers an entry that doesn’t go far enough in either direction. Oddworld: Soulstorm still has plenty to please fans and it looks gorgeous at certain points, but it’s often an exercise in frustration geld back even further by load times, control issues, and brutal level design. Plus he can’t fart anymore, come on man.

Let’s Build a Zoo reminds us why tycoon games were once an industry monolith, but also why the genre couldn’t stay at the top forever. Morality mechanics, plenty of animals, and an appealing visual style all make this Zoo one you want to visit, but some tired systems and a slightly clunky Switch control scheme means you might not stick around for more than a few breeding seasons.

While the core gameplay of Desta can deliver hours of entertainment thanks to nuanced core gameplay and a likeable lead, the touch controls can be a little frustrating and those looking for a challenge may be hard-pushed to find one out of the gate. Still, this game knows its demographic and those who belong to it are almost guaranteed to feel right at home in the dreamscape streets of Desta’s London.

Despite a slightly gimmicky appearance and card packs finally being pulled for all-out gacha mechanics, the well-executed risks of Cross Duel outweigh the issues by offering a selection of varied game modes, each with its own nuance, and a new way to play with the beloved cast of over twenty years of anime adventures.

A remake of an iconic yet obscure horror classic, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is an atmospheric survival spookfest with plenty of jumpscares and puzzles to explore. While it may rely a little too heavily on backtracking and frustrating chase sequences, it’s an enjoyable blast from the past and deserves a place in any horror fan’s Switch library.

While acting as a steady starting point for kids who can’t tell their Pac-Men from their Space Invaders, Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a remaster that struggles to make itself feel necessary, with no improvements outside of graphics and mechanics to enhance the original Pac-Man World’s formula. There’s some fun to be had, but perhaps not enough to warrant a remaster when including a port of the PS1 title in a collection might have made more sense.

We Are OFK is sort of a visual novel that presents itself like you’re watching Netflix. The story is good, the voice acting is great, the characters are excellently flawed, and the cast is effortlessly varied. However, performance issues, tacked-on gameplay elements, and the weirdly indifferent emptiness I was left with at the end made it struggle on a fundamental level.

An incredibly detailed and accomplished game that deftly balances combat with managing your very own occult village, Cult of the Lamb is an amazing game that deserves to be played. But no amount of humour or depth of mechanics can save the consistent and disappointing performance. I pray to Cthulu that some patches can bring this essential title up to snuff on the Switch.

While Coromon takes some of the needless complications of the Pokémon series away, it also leaves out some of the most engaging mechanics, and only stands on its own two feet in certain moments. It’s sure to engage anyone looking for a fix of old-school monster-taming RPG goodness, but don’t expect any innovative elements.

Wrapping a rhythm game around a heartfelt indie works wonders for Loud, elevating the gameplay and delivering a short but sweet musical experience that’s well worth the price of admission. Occasionally clumsy controls and a brutal difficulty curve are an issue, but rhythm fans will get a kick out of this one.

If you’re looking for a point-and-click, or narrative-driven adventure, with helpings of edge, sharp satire, and deep deduction-based gameplay, Gamedec makes for a riveting addition to your collection. However, the occasional issue with controls and performance does need addressing in a patch, and those looking for an interstation with a bit of heart will find nothing but a husk here.

A charming but troubled post-apocalyptic title that I had fun with despite its best efforts, Metal Max Xeno Reborn is a good game dragged down by some silly design choices and a lacklustre presentation. But if you know this is your bag and have a little patience, there’s something really rewarding in here.