While it's not as strong a game as Tropical Freeze, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great way to introduce younger or less skilled players to the wonderful world of Donkey Kong Country. However, those familiar with the game already through its two previous releases may struggle to find much value in another revisit, even if the visual improvements are numerous but sparse.

There’s no denying that Life Is Strange: True Colors does things a little differently from previous games while retaining that signature look and feel that we’ve come to expect from the series. Overall, it’s a solid effort from Deck Nine and a considerable step up from their last take on the series, Before The Storm.

Although the campaign is only a small slice of the larger package in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, it’s great that it counters its ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ length with a bit of replay value and some memorable missions you’re bound to want to play again. Raven Software’s more subtle approach to Cold War espionage feels like viewing Call of Duty through a new, exciting lens.

With Observer’s original atmosphere intact, System Redux is an exceptional refinement and redelivery of one of the generation’s most underrated titles. The loss of Rutger Hauer felt even more profoundly exploring these tenement halls again, but his offbeat and quirky role as Daniel Lazarski will live on for another generation.

There is heaps to do here regardless of whether you’ve played before, and the sheer volume of content on offer here is staggering. Yes, it’s slightly less easy to pick up and play than Monster Hunter World, but what Generations Ultimate lacks in polish and pizazz it makes up for with unbridled depth and longevity.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a strong reimagining of a horror classic, smartly expanding on both combat and exploration from the original in clever ways. Despite such a strong and positive change in the fundamentals of the game, the locked and stuttering 30fps mode on consoles is a baffling choice for an otherwise stellar remake. Even so, this is Fatal Frame at its best and well worth any self-respecting horror fan's time.

Whether it’s the super-catchy theme song, the nostalgia-evoking gameplay, or simply the very basic fun of hunting new Snax to transform the Grumpuses, Bugsnax is a game that is well worth your time. Its simple yet addictive challenge of catching the cute yet strange creatures coupled with some wholesome storytelling delivers a well-rounded and fun adventure.

FIFA 19 is really solid overall with what feels like more changes than we've seen in the last few years combined.

The Crush House is a clever and entertaining spin on reality television - one that has its tongue firmly in cheek, but which also speaks to deeper themes in the metanarrative I'm working hard not to spoil here. It's repetitive and a little unfair at times, but also compelling and enjoyable - and there's a real thrill to getting good footage.

Cat Quest III is a succinct, super-adorable action RPG that builds on its predecessors with even more variety, accomplished visuals, fun twists and an absurd dictionary of puns. If you're after an adventure that offers everything you'd want from a modern RPG in a bite-sized format and less than 10-hour runtime, this is fur you.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD makes great efforts to improve the original to make it the definitive way to play the series’ origin story. Whilst the game's initially poor pacing has improved, the game can still be slightly tedious and repetitive. Putting that aside, the dungeon design, item ingenuity, and some of the boss battles are series highlights that no Zelda fan should miss.

Teardown is a fun and ballistic sandbox for people intent on watching the world burn. Its war chest of tools and curated mods offer near limitless possibilities in the coolest game of its kind since Minecraft.

Tombi! Special Edition is a great example of how something like LRG's Carbon Engine can be used to help preserve a game accurately and respectfully while also modernising the experience enough to make it compatible and palatable for future audiences. The bonus materials could be better-presented, and the game's original blemishes remain by virtue of its preservation, but it's a great way to re-live an underappreciated classic in the genre.

Tell Me Why is a Dontnod game throughout its every part, right down to its bones. Although those bones might be bare, it has a lot of soul. With care, Dontnod dive into discomfort and drag us with them throughout three concise episodes that explore the power that comes coupled with familial ties, both bound by blood and by the metaphysical, as well as memory and all of its heartbreaking deceptions.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a one-way ticket to the turn of the millennium. It's a complete, beautiful love letter to not only Tony Hawk himself as an icon but to a time when both the series and the sport of skateboarding itself were most pure and fun. As a bundle, and with the multiplayer providing even more longevity, this game offers unrivalled value.

Yooka-Replaylee demonstrates resoundingly what needed to be fixed with the original game, offering an experience closer to Banjo-Kazooie rather than Banjo-Tooie, and being a better game because of it. Smart quality of life adjustments streamline exploration and progression, sharpening the pacing. Not all changes are equal, however, as Rextro still feels like a bit of a slog, and I still wish there were more worlds to explore. But the overall improvements to the experience are undeniable. With strong performance, great presentation and clever tweaks, Yooka-Replaylee delivers on the promise that Playtonic made so many years ago. It feels like the true successor to Banjo-Kazooie that we always wanted.

New Pokemon Snap really captures what has made Pokemon popular for so many years. It gives a new life to so many Pokemon that we've known and loved over the years and provides a relaxing relief from the plethora of action games on the market. I don't know if a lot of the padding was necessary, but I still enjoyed every second of my time with the game.

Courtesy of some really great hand-drawn art, it’s hard not to adopt the game’s most excellent and bodacious attitude through osmosis. But OlliOlli World’s strength, as it has always been, is in its low barrier to entry and the fact it’s just so damn fun to pick up and play.

F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow is a very competent, very good-looking foray into the Metroidvania genre with solid platforming and exciting, demanding arcade combat. Torch City is a wonderfully-grim place to get lost in and it's rendered gorgeously, despite some awkward signposting at times. Most of all, it nails the sense of exploration and steady progress that's a hallmark of the genre and it does all of that with a kick-arse rabbit in a mech suit for a protagonist. If this is the level of quality that studios backed by the China Hero Project are going to deliver then the program has more than made a case for itself.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami sets out to be a quick, breezy mystery and at this it excels. It’s full of fascinating characters with interesting relationships, set in a world brimming with detail to inform your investigation and when at its best makes you truly feel like a detective on the case. While I feel it’s fill-in-the-blanks system could be a smidge more helpful, that’s a small blemish on an otherwise excellent little mystery title that’s well worth settling in with one afternoon with a cup o’ joe and a sleuthing mind.

House Flipper 2 is a genuinely impressive effort to spin an awkward, viral oddity into a more structured and goal-oriented game that builds on the moreish qualities of the original while honing its visual language and hugely expanding on its possibilities. It's just as good on PS5 too, with solid performance and mostly-intuitive controls making it a great choice of platform for budding flippers out there.

Even though it’s not the ‘Expanded and Enhanced’ version we were hoping for, Grand Theft Auto V on current-gen is the best way to play the game on console. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles showcase their finest traits, improving load times drastically while adding minor technical improvements that make the experience that much better.

New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe is another great Wii U game to make its way to the Nintendo Switch. Despite the fact that it's full priced and feels a little bit later than it should have been, it's still a great game that would make a great addition to any collection.

Hardspace Shipbreaker is a sci-fi-inspired sim that puts you in the role of someone that spends their time working in low orbit pulling apart and salvaging old spaceships. And with all great sims, the premise is only a part of the appeal with the end result delivering pure low-orbit job immersion.

Minecraft Legends is the best Minecraft spin-off yet, offering a wholly unique experience, lathered with a lovingly crafted layer of Minecraft infused paint. From a moreish campaign to ridiculously enjoyable versus mode, Minecraft Legends has something for everyone, and I suspect many will love what it has to offer.

Rising is without a doubt the best Trials game yet. The community this series has garnered over the span of two decades finally gets a little of the limelight and, quite frankly, serves as the lynchpin of this game. The gameplay is as tight as ever while the tracks themselves are scintillating, showcasing the developer's creativity which is, even at this late stage of the Trials saga, first-rate.

Eternights is an ambitious and mostly successful swing at the dating-sim/action genre that delivers a cool world and likeable characters with robust combat options and a refreshing take on who you can love at the end of the world.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp leverages its already strong foundation with some very nice quality of life improvements to offer an almost definitive version of a Game Boy Advance classic. However, limited multiplayer options and uneven difficulty modes stop it from being the best that if could be.