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.

Grimvalor is the best Metroidvania you’ll find on a mobile platform, but doesn’t move the bar for the subgenre at large.

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.

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.

Seen as a first episode, it offers a strong foundation that, if followed up on by more ambitious level design and greater focus on its strengths, could be a real Wild West legend.

A neat twist on an old classic, but lacking in variety and challenge.

Bardbarian has a great genre-bending idea and amusing aesthetic but suffers in the execution.

A beautiful anime-style RPG, that is a joy to explore, though certain aspects can feel overly simple.

Despite boasting three of the most beloved platformers of all time, Super Mario 3D All-Stars too often resembles a hurried re-release as opposed to an act of careful curation

Still, Sproggiwood is a clever, fast-paced RPG disguised by a tawdry facade. Is it particularly deep? No. Is there too much grind to it? Yes.

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.

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.

Ni No Kuni II looks incredible on Switch, but the price it pays in terms of poor performance is too high, resulting in an experience that you're better off having on any other platform.

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.

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.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin can be confusing to start with, but getting past the initial hardships opens up beautiful levels and satisfying gameplay.

MicRogue is a game where, even if you fail seven times in a row, chances are you’ll have failed each time on the eighth or ninth stages. Even when you’re losing it doesn’t feel like you’ve lost much at all.

Beholder is pithy, with small sketches of character and darkness. Sadly, submission to the game's mechanics means much is lost in the God of efficiency.

A roaring cosmic escapade that would make Bowie proud, The Artful Escape tells a beautiful story of artistic integrity and brings it to life with show-stopping visuals that never relent. It’s a slightly better story than a game, however, and I hope the Switch version gets a tune-up down the line.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 surpasses the original with a fun light-hearted story. Though slightly repetitive at times, returning fans will find more of the same casual puzzling fun.

A brilliant Apple Arcade exclusive with a killer battle system, let down by hit-and-miss visuals and a slightly naff plot.

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.

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.

A love letter to the music of Kingdom Hearts and a fab way to summarise the story, but it can get rather repetitive at times.

This goofy physics based puzzler has its best jokes in the first few minutes of gameplay, and wears its schtick thin at just about the same time it turns into a real game. You can approach it as a silly timekiller or as a serious Angry Birds-style slingshot challenge. Give it a try for something fun that requires little attention, have a good laugh at the first few levels, and then play as long as it continues to be amusing - if it grabs you, there's a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay later on.

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.

Thomas Was Alone is a middling puzzle-platformer that overcomes its gameplay troubles by the sheer force of its charm.

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.