Shadow Labyrinth offers a fresh look at a beloved franchise, throwing you into a dark new world where danger lurks around every corner. It's one of the best Metroidvanias I've played for some time, offering enjoyable combat, good boss fights, and a mysteious world with a story that begs you to unfold 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.

No Sleep For Kaname Date is a unique futuristic detective game that successfully carries the torch of a beloved series. While wacky and perhaps a little sillier than its predecessors, it certainly offers more of what we love, packed with puzzles, quirky characters, and a bizarre mystery just waiting to be unraveled.

Donkey Kong Bananza elevates the 3D platformer genre with highly engaging mechanics, an almost entirely sandbox environment, and buckets of charm. This isn’t just the game that I’ve wanted to play for years without even knowing it, but it’s the first truly must-have Nintendo Switch 2 release. As I’m writing this, I already can’t wait to go back for more.

Patapon 1+2 Replay is a weird but wonderful rhythm game that I’d highly recommend for veteran fans and newcomers alike, providing hours of portable fun and a dose of nostalgia.

Hogwarts Legacy’s Switch 2 version is the best trip to Hogwarts you could have on a handheld console, and a huge improvement over the first Switch’s port of the game. The core problems of Hogwarts Legacy still exist, but in any case, it’s an impressive version that looks beautiful docked or on the go

Sonic x Shadow Generations is a must-have on the Nintendo Switch 2 for fans of the Blue Blur and The Ultimate Lifeform, letting you revisit classic levels from the franchise’s long history. There are a couple of minor performance hiccups, but nothing severe enough to impact your enjoyment.

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.

Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 offer more of the extraordinary boss battles, mind-bending minigames, and side-splitting dialogue you’ve come to expect from Toby Fox. There are some frustrations, especially if you want to see all the possible endings and uncover all the secrets, but for the most part, I had a great time dealing with the Dark World’s latest dilemma.

Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 offer more of the extraordinary boss battles, mind-bending minigames, and side-splitting dialogue you’ve come to expect from Toby Fox. There are some frustrations, especially if you want to see all the possible endings and uncover all the secrets, but for the most part, I had a great time dealing with the Dark World’s latest dilemma.

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.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Nintendo Switch 2 port offers you a new way to play in the form of fluid motion controls, which has quickly become my favorite way to enjoy the combat in Night City. One of the best RPGs of the last decade is right at home on the new console, and I highly recommend both new and old fans give it a try.

Aside from an issue with characters clipping through walls, Hitman: World of Assassination performs really well on Nintendo Switch 2, making it a must-own for existing fans and an approachable entry point for new players with all of the freedom it affords you.

Mario Kart World might not completely reinvent the steering wheel, but it’s still a bold new vision for the 30-year-old series that takes some big risks with the classic formula. That said, thanks to some visually stunning new tracks, incredible karting tech, and a soundtrack that keeps my head bopping at all times, it’s already my favorite Mario Kart game to date, and I can’t wait to spend the next few years drifting and wall riding in Knockout Tour, Grand Prix mode, and beyond.

Elden Ring: Nightreign lays the foundations for an incredibly promising multiplayer experience. The rush of completing runs and banding together to banish Nightlords is nothing short of euphoric, as FromSoftware finally makes teaming up with friends a mostly painless experience. The world of Limveld could do with fresh ideas, but it’s a world that I’ll be coming back to again and again.

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.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remastered is every bit as fun as the original, reminding people that it’s not just Crash, Mario, and Sonic who had great games in the ‘90s. The modern graphics are a delight, the controls are smooth, and the levels remain both difficult and joyful; this isn’t a game to sleep on if you enjoy platformers.

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.

Despite its late arrival, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is easily one of the best platformers of the Switch era. It’s equally imaginative and challenging, providing a template for how to reinvigorate a series without losing touch with what made it so special in the first place.

While it was difficult to imagine how Nintendo could top previous 3D Mario adventures, Super Mario Odyssey is nigh-on perfect in almost every way. With the help of Cappy, Mario has never been as fun to control, reaching new heights and, in the hands of a skilled player, accomplishing impossible skips. You need only pick up a controller to see why this is the best modern Mario game ever.

Infinity Nikki truly is the coziest open-world game I’ve ever played. Fashion-forward, fantastical, and full of whimsy, it seamlessly takes all your favorite elements from the best RPGs, life sims, and dress-up games, combining them into one unforgettable adventure, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure twists and distorts the well-loved series into something almost unrecognizable, playing on fans’ nostalgia to sell a half-baked story with terrible graphical performance.

Stray is a gorgeous open-world platformer that works fantastically on the Switch, despite some understandable graphical limitations. It features a wealth of exploration and verticality only fitting for a sure-footed feline protagonist, as well as a sense of coziness despite the harsh, robotic dystopia.

With tight battle mechanics, engaging puzzles, and new characters that become more endearing as the story goes on, Mario & Luigi: Brothership has all the hallmarks of a great RPG. It’s still no Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but it’s not far off.

The Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC continues the trend of evolving the ideas from the base game, with a massive map to explore, great new characters, and some of the best boss battles so far. If you’re a fan of either game, it’s a must-play.

Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch is sure to delight old and new fans alike, bringing the series to Nintendo systems at long last. Discover the Yakuza series in this remake of the first game where it all began with Kiryu and Majima in Kamurocho's dark streets.

Fear the Spotlight is a love letter to iconic 90's horror games, and although it delivers a juicy dose of nostalgia with blocky graphics and a tried-and-true narrative, it transports everything we love about the oldies into the modern age.