Lost Ember provides players with an open world to explore through the viewpoint of various animals. And although it can be effective, its high price and downgraded graphics mean the Nintendo Switch may not be the best way to play it.

SpellKeeper is an addictive puzzle game that finds the right balance between teasing the brain and comforting it. It presents a unique premise and enough content to keep puzzle fans busy for quite a few hours.

Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection is a decent experience for those looking for a horror-like game of cat and mouse set in the Jurassic Park universe. It does a decent job building tension with its gameplay, its surprisingly competent raptor AI, and its unique ability to switch up the puzzles. That said, deaths can feel quite cheap, especially when the game has you die for reasons you can’t understand (I’m telling you, I was completely under that desk before that raptor came in!). It also drags on a bit too long and doesn’t change things up nearly enough, making the experience become quite predictable. Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection provides you with some fun but ultimately a mixed time.

All in all, Senran Kagura Peach Ball feels less like a game than a poorly-crafted joke about anime, porn, and video games.

While AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected features some great 2D character models and animations, the gameplay simply didn’t provide a fun experience. Close-up first-person combat and first-person platforming has never been easy in games and AWAY doesn’t take any meaningful step forward in solving those issues.

Overall I enjoyed my time with Shadowgate. I found myself frustrated from time to time but still really immersed in the game. As admitted above I am not always the fondest of this genre however fans of the adventure point-and-click games may find more enjoyment. If you are a fan of the genre or just want to give the style a try Shadowagate certainly is a good starting point. The story is compelling and the music and graphics are great.

Though not without some issues, this is a fun game for friends and family looking to waste a night without going out. So grab a mic and drink, sit down, and have fun playing Let’s Sing Country.

Don’t let its children’s book aesthetic and promise of being “jump scare free” fool you. Clea is an effectively creepy survival horror game that requires plenty of patience and courage when you’d rather just run.

Potion Party is a fun game to play with others but isn’t anywhere near as fun by yourself. It is never too challenging but does just enough to make you think about every obstacle.

Overall, Hokko Life is a bland shell that wants to ride the coattails of Animal Crossing without doing anything to stand out or be unique. The game could be more polished, with lag and weird choices in camera zooms, though not outright terrible enough to get mad at. While the visuals don’t look bad, the music is forgettable. An average game at best, its $19.99 launch price means I can’t really recommend it.

Moonglow Bay failed to hook me, but as the debut game from a small studio, it’s a solid enough start overall for the subset of gamers who haven’t yet had their fill of titles like this. I hope the team can tighten their focus and gameplay mechanics for their next release.

Never 7 – The End of Infinity had some conceptual issues that spilled into its construction. That doesn’t make it a bad visual novel, even with limits on its visuals; in fact, enthusiasts might think it’s great. But to get all its 18 endings without a “Choose your own Adventure” style approach or NG+ feels like it would take…well, an infinity. So can I score this higher than a “Good” 7? Never!

You will learn to use every trick your crew can perform to survive, or you will die over and over and over again as I did. Even with no room for error, I still found Space Crew fun, making me want to beat its missions just to spite it.

Space Commander: War and Trade can be enjoyable for genre enthusiasts and people who really like some commerce mixed into their space-sim adventures. For the more action-oriented player, however, this one can become a bit of a grind. Good effort, but not what I would call a must-have game.

Metagal is a fun platformer. It could do with more content, but what’s there is an enjoyable ride with incentive to replay. At $4.99, it’s a bargain that’s worth checking out if you’re a platforming enthusiast or Mega Man fan looking for a little action on the side.

MISTOVER is an RPG that’s fun in the beginning but quickly becomes repetitive. While there’s a lot to do in the game, it’s also a lot to learn.

Overall, World’s End Club is a game that I’d say is worth playing at least once for the experience. It can be painful, but some moments genuinely surprised and impressed me enough not to hate it as much as I could.

All things considered, Rip Them Off is a good, unique tower defense game with a comically cynical viewpoint. It has a limited number of levels, but it is also not very expensive, making it an ironically good deal considering the subject matter.

In 1999, a portable arcade fighting game probably blew a few minds. Like many games of the era, time hasn’t been too kind to Fatal Fury First Contact. You can’t deny the charm, though, and its simplicity allows for a quick fighting game fix during breaks or right before bed. Serious fighting game fans may want to look elsewhere, but it’s not altogether terrible.

Bite the Bullet is a decent run-and-gun game; the eating mechanic was a fun addition to the style. While long levels may seem like a good idea, it often felt a bit overwhelming. The level goals were also a decent addition to the genre; however, the length of the levels had me struggling to complete them. Fans of run-and-gun games may want to consider Bite the Bullet. Players who are not run-and-gun enthusiasts might want to steer away from this title.

Super Bomberman R Online offers your standard online multiplayer space for classic Bomberman battles, with premium perks available but quite a bit of waiting time.

If you enjoy simulation farming games and want to see some adorable dinos, then this game is a solid choice. However, you will need patience, or else you will have short playtime sessions.

WRC is overall enjoyable despite the steering issue. Managing the career mode and/or just doing the season is a fair amount of content and gameplay to take part in. Unfortunately, steering being a huge mechanic in the WRC8 makes it speed past the finish line a little behind the other racing titles already on the Switch.

On Your Tail is a charming title that suffers from terrible performance issues. It’s a pity; there’s a lovely tale, interesting characters, and fun gameplay on offer. Perhaps playing on the Switch 2 will deliver an experience closer to what the developers were trying to deliver.

Prominent amongst the PC gaming streaming scene currently, The Sinking City is a very good game that was awkwardly converted to run on the Nintendo Switch. It was unsettling for me to sit down for hours on end to review. It also launched during a stretch where a lot of new games are releasing to challenge my attention. But I’ll probably revisit The Sinking City during quieter times, and when it’s hopefully been patched.

Must Dash Amigos is an enjoyable title if you can overlook its flaws. Great for multiplayer, but not so great when played solo.

Tilt Pack’s simplicity is both its biggest strength and weakness. The game offers very little for those playing alone, but there’s a lot to enjoy if you’re playing with friends.

At its core, Infini is your basic puzzle/platformer. With its highly unique visuals/audio and absolutely bizarre storytelling, however, it becomes something much…deeper? Maybe. I guess that depends upon how you react to it, and I don’t think any two players will take it the same way.

At $24.99, I think Staxel’s priced a bit high, and I’d wait for a sale. But multiplayer can be lots of fun, playing with friends both locally and online. If you find the premise and presentation appealing, Staxel’s a cute, chill, but familiar title. It’s a game that can bore or relax depending on your thoughts about Minecraft and farming/new-guy-in-town simulators like Harvest Moon.

Panorama Cotton changes up the series’ cute-em-up experience by switching to a 3D action arcade style, but it introduces some problems along the way. The trippy enemies and color palette provide some quick fun, but they quickly wear out and allow performance issues to dampen the experience. Unless you’re a fan of the series, this isn’t a game you’re likely to finish.

Red Bow features an engaging story set in a creepy 16-bit world. The puzzles are fun without being frustrating. You’ll want to see it all; unfortunately it’s over rather quickly.

Ultra Foodmess is easy to play and enjoy. However, its limited features might mean that it’s only fun for a limited time.

The Ramp was made for a specific purpose and it serves that purpose. I just wish I had more fun doing it. However, if you’re into skateboarding and don’t care about all the extra stuff, you might want to check this one out. Otherwise, wait for the next Tony Hawk Remaster.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a 2D platformer adventure game in which you fight enemies and upgrade your abilities while searching for the evil pirate witch who turned your party into rats. Exploring new areas and defeating the witch’s crew is fun throughout the course of the game, and is definitely worth a play-through for those patient enough to deal with its difficulty.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is a well-made game with a classic first-person shooter look and feel. There is some story to be had, but we’re really here to kill freaky critters and save the world, right?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed is a colorful follow-up to the successful 2023 film. With engaging characters and excellent voicework, things look and sound pretty great. Unfortunately, pacing issues and frustrating combat mar the experience.

Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition is a game with a promising concept, yet it didn’t really do anything for me. I really wish I liked this game more since it is much like others of its genre that I enjoy.

The core gameplay and roguelite loop of Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade likely won’t hold the attention of rhythm game fans for long. Its J-pop charms, however, may be enough to win over Hello Kitty fans or those who just enjoy happiness in general.

My time with Braveland Trilogy was enjoyable however it still felt like there could have been a lot more done to add variety to the games. At the asking price of $14.99, it feels like a lot to spend on a so-so title, even if it breaks down to about $5.00 a game. It wasn’t a terrible experience but when Braveland had something going for it, not enough focus seemed to be placed into it.

Reynatis is a game with ambitions. Vaulting ambitions, unfortunately. Its convoluted story, annoying combat issues, and systemic glitches will turn away all but the most devout of action- JRPG fans. But if you’re in that category and you’re up for something new, there are enough clever approaches here to make this trip to alternate Shibuya worthwhile.

The graphics, the driving mechanics, the tracks, the vehicles, and the play time in Asphalt 9: Legends are all very good. The game is fun to play and challenging enough to keep the player engaged. However, the micro-transactions and some frame-rate issues do interfere with the overall experience.

Shadow Corridor is a fun Japanese horror game. Perfect for Halloween and any late-night sessions alone or with a group of friends. The controls are smooth and easy to pick up, the jump scares are very effective, and the music elevates everything within this game. My main concern is the replayability the game promotes isn’t as strong as I initially hoped, but that doesn’t impact the overall experience too much.

Hell Pie has the beginnings of an entertaining game with a silly sense of humour and classic platformer action, which has sadly been scuppered on the Switch by a glitch that crashes the game as soon as you hit the second level.

RemiLore is a fast-paced satisfying rogue-lite game with randomized level maps, fun hack-and-slash moves, and smooth controls. If the save mechanic was better, this would be a top-notch game.

The very core of Epistory – Typing Chronicles is centered around words and story. The narrative and visuals carry over well to the Switch, but the typing combat gimmick requires the cumbersome use of an external keyboard or the built-in adaptation to Joy-Con controls. It’s a fun, clever game, but one that’s best experienced on the computer.

Overall, Aka is a solid attempt at the life sims genre, with it truly hitting the mark of being casual and cozy rather than being like the others within the same genre that are more-so grindy time and resource management games.

If you’re a die-hard South Park fan looking for a humorous game to play with friends, South Park: Snow Day could be a good choice for a short, mildly fun experience. However, if you’re seeking a lengthy, more enthralling adventure like the previous South Park titles, this game will fall short of your expectations.

Dragon Quest II is a classic RPG and one of the first in this long-running series. It’s fun, despite its simplicity and some grinding, however it suffers from some choppy graphics due to being a port of a port.

Whilst I can’t justify anyone purchasing this title, there was effort put in at least… The developer’s pride for an Advance Wars style game shined through, which I can appreciate. It has its issues whether it be a cluttered user interface, bad graphics, and similar environments, which can make it easy to overlook this title, and I can’t say you’d be missing much. If you are an Advance Wars fan, you might want to try looking elsewhere, that is, if you can’t overlook these points of concern (a good starting place might be Chucklefish’s latest hit – Wargroove).

While there are absolutely zero excuses for the missing multiplayer, I suspect Turok 2 might still draw a bit of a nostalgic audience on Nintendo Switch. Having a smoother, fogless experience (no $30 Expansion Pak needed) with modern touches like gyroscopic controls and a wealth of player options does help. But this game is uneven and dated, and it shows. Add in the cut multiplayer – I can’t stress that enough – and it makes Turok 2 just a so-so release on the Nintendo Switch.

I get that this is more like an interactive story than an actual game. But I’d like some more interaction and less story. The reality of Evans’s life is just a little too close to home for me, but this would be a good learning experience for someone trying to understand depression and other mental health issues.

Sentinels of Freedom is a turn-based strategy RPG where creating your own hero is enjoyable. However, the fun mechanics only last so long since this is just one chapter of the story.

The Long Gate bills itself as “…a challenging and elaborate puzzle game with puzzles based on real world physics and circuits.” If any of those words frighten you, stay away, as its elaborate level setup and first-person point of view complicate things even further. But if you’re within its target audience, it could be one of the most rewarding logic puzzle games you’ve played in quite some time.

I see Papetura having a broad appeal to both fans of cinematic puzzle platformers and graphic adventures. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, yet it feels fully realized. It grew on me, and I suspect I’m not alone. With attractive visuals, a captivating world, and more, this game is well worth your attention.

Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a chaotic mix of gaming tasks and music styles that will continue to surprise and delight players throughout…provided the required rhythm precision doesn’t turn them away first. Definitely don’t try it alone, and make sure your co-op partners—either locally or online—are fully up to speed as you progress.

Full Metal Schoolgirl offers a sharp, satirical look at corporate life. It’s humorous throughout, but the roguelike, action-oriented gameplay does become redundant. I’d rather my time slogging be spent in an actual office I’m meant to survive, not a virtual one I’m meant to destroy.

Rose and Camellia Collection offers a glimpse into an intriguing yet tragically under-developed world that has moments of great humour, but teases a much better game than it is. It is brief, inconsistent, and relies on its one unique (and undeniably fun) mechanic far too much to feel complete.

Riverbond coaxes you in with its charming feel and aesthetically pleasing voxel graphics, only to thrust you into a monotonous hack ‘n’ slash. With the plethora of other games that have interesting art styles and incredible looks, it is hard to let the gameplay here slide, even with its comedic relief and destructible environments as a backer.

Endless Ocean Luminous continues the relaxing series, changing a few things but keeping the core mechanics in place. It’s easy to lose yourself in this environment, though newcomers like myself might enjoy it moreso. I genuinely enjoyed my time in the water and will continue diving for some time to come.

My first impression of the Writhe wasn’t the greatest; after playing several rounds on each level, I started to enjoy it more. While it certainly lacks content, what is there is solid. However, the asking price of $9.99 is a little steep for the content available as of now.

If you are looking for a stealth game of any sort, or are considering getting into Assassin’s Creed, this game is a must buy. Despite the few issues like unnoticeable graphical improvements and a slow beginning, Assassin’s Creed III Remastered features solid gameplay and a story underneath its surface that more than quantifies the investment. The sheer amount of things to do will lead to you investing hundreds of hours into this game.

With more polish on the audio, the levels, and the enemies, Metal Mind would stand a better chance against all of the other big indie rouge-lites and rouge-likes. Unfortunately, the game just isn’t there yet.

Zombie Driver is everything you’d expect from a game called Zombie Driver – zombies and driving and guts splattered all over your screen. Its great.

Cannibal Cuisine is a game I had my doubts about. Within a few levels, I was enjoying my time playing as long as players can swallow the idea of cannibalism for their next game night.

Claybook is admittedly ambitious. It’s also quite a nice looking and unique game, with commendable user features. Yet it struggled to command my attention, lacking elements to maintain interest beyond a few minutes at a time. The community creations do help here to an extent, but the overall experience needs to be tightened, and perhaps reigned in a bit.

As open-world action RPGs go, Biomutant has some appeal. And if you’re into it, there’s a good level of replayability with the skills balance and hero-type selections. Most players, however, are likely to lose interest before reaching the end.

Liberated tells a poignant story through a beautifully drawn series of comics that seamlessly integrates simple but captivating gameplay.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics doesn’t do much to stand out from other turn-based tactics games, but it treats both the genre and the show—and therefore the fans of each—with the respect they deserve.

Sisters Royale is a colorful, tongue-in-cheek take on the classic shmup format. On the upside, you get to play through the game as five different player characters. The down side is it doesn’t take very long to play through, so the replay value is in trying to beat your last score and to run through the levels on harder settings.

Colossus Down offers an interesting art style and comedic writing, that all fit well in the wider context of the game. Sadly, it just isn’t enough to carry you through the repetitive and uninspired gameplay. Making it difficult to recommend to newcomers, and established fans alike.

The tactical RPG Redemption Reapers doesn’t have any serious issues, but it does suffer from the little death of a thousand paper cuts. With a few minor adjustments, this could be a really good game. As it stands, it’s just an OK game with a very good soundtrack.

Although it seems clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, A Knight’s Quest forms its own footprint. Despite a few minor setbacks, A Knight’s Quest does a great job delivering a fun, light-hearted adventure. Its funny storytelling sets it apart and makes a welcome addition to the Switch library. Genre fans should certainly check this one out.

Hungry Baby: Party Treats lacks a complete campaign offering, but the atmosphere, treats, party mode, and performance make this a must-own for anyone looking to get an affordable party/puzzle game.

I liked Vambrace: Cold Soul, but it’s certainly not for everyone. It requires more patience than many gamers can afford, and that’s even among those who are already into roguelikes. If you can settle into its groove, however (and won’t lose it when you’re sucker-punched right out of that groove), there’s some good, challenging fun to be had here.

RPG Maker MV provides plenty of tools, but the least possible direction on how to use them. The tutorial is embarrassingly bad, and a help section is nonexistent. Unless you’re experienced with this series, skip this Switch port.

While I can appreciate the wonderful gameplay and can truly be impressed by the fact the game was made by one person, it’s simply not enough of an experience to justify a purchase. The game’s nonsensical story is extremely hard to follow to the point where I just stopped caring. It might be impressive looking, but frequent glitches, enemy desponds, and broken checkpoints frustrate the experience. It’s also over way too soon. Maybe if it goes on sale and more of the major glitches are fixed, then I would say try it out if you’re interested in first-person shooters and action games. For everyone else, it might be best to leave Bright Memory Infinite alone.

Overall, Aquarist is a solid business simulation, but the clunky controls ruined the experience. Playing this game on the PC is probably the way to go.

When we remember that Gothic was one of the earliest truly open-world 3D concept games, we can at least give a nod of appreciation for the pioneering effort. With the time that has passed, Gothic Classic is mostly a reminder of how far we have come with game design and system capabilities.

If you put Zelda’s action-RPG system, Paper Mario’s platforming, and a heavy dash of voxel graphics into a blender, you’d likely get something resembling Skellboy. At times, admittedly, the game lacks polish and can drag quite a bit, especially in the beginning. Nevertheless, it brings new ideas to the platforming and RPG genres, while looking pretty stellar to boot.

Spirit of the North is an atmospheric, evocative adventure game with puzzle/platforming elements that—despite being clumsily implemented in parts—are ultimately rewarding if you stick with it.

I see great potential in Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories! I do think that there will be patches to fix the frame rate, and maybe even DLC chapters continuing the story.

Overall, Warlocks 2: God Slayers is not perfect, but it definitely plays like it. With extensive replay incentive, charming quirks, in-depth customization, and satisfying combat, it is hard not to recommend this title. It is a fun metroidvania package, and one worth a try even if the genre isn’t your favorite and/or hasn’t stood out.

Ultimate Racing 2D is a simple game that gets the core features of the top-down racing genre just right.

12 is Better Than 6 provides quick, intense battles coupled with a great soundtrack and visuals. I had an enjoyable time in the Wild West – much more than expected. A few tweaks could go a long way, but as it is, I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for something unique in the twin-stick genre.

Narratively, Starbites is a breath of fresh air for RPG fans. It’s well-paced and engaging from start to finish (albeit with some exploration redundancy), and the turn-based combat is well-implemented. On the Switch, however, the visuals are a polluted mess. If you’re willing to wait for the delayed Switch 2 version, do.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a good game. Although billed as a spiritual successor to the Suikoden games, you don’t need to have played them to enjoy this JRPG adventure. You do need some patience, however, as performance issues and its “traditional” ways continue to trip up the Switch version.

There would be a good story to be had if Tharsis was developed to involve more than just trying to survive a few rounds. The theme of surviving on a spaceship and figuring out how to keep everything—and everyone—together should make for a good game. Unfortunately, Tharsis fails on too many points to be really worth playing.

This game has a few sizable issues that hold it back from greatness. But for genre fans, Trüberbrook succeeds thanks to its sci-fi plot, quirky voice-acted characters, and exceptional aesthetics.

While it does exhibit a lot of absurd charm, this HD remaster of Munch’s Oddysee simultaneously holds up both with its unique characters and world while also showing its age in varying degrees in its gameplay.

Space Pioneer offers an addictive arcade experience that feels incomplete. Although the upgrade system is surprisingly deep, the rest of the game suffers from being too shallow to set itself apart from the pack. As far as isometric, twin-stick shooters go, this one is just okay.

Though it is rather easy, Stitchy in Tooki Trouble should appeal to younger gamers or those looking for a simple, quick platforming romp.

I can’t really give Aztech Forgotten Gods a recommendation. What looked like a grand action adventure with interesting storytelling, exotic imagery, and cool gadgets, turned into a blancmange—several ingredients, but flavorless and unsatisfying. It could be worth the price-tag if it gets cleaned up and organized, but I wouldn’t buy it at this point.

Gripper combines adrenaline-pumping race sections with top-down boss fights. The high difficulty provides a challenge, though the gameplay sometimes works against itself to make it a little too difficult. The impressive soundtrack stands out, however this title is unlikely to have you coming back to after your umpteenth deathstroke.

Ritual: Crown of Horns offers fast-paced action that fans of difficulty will adore. People looking for a casual experience or those who want a story and controls that make sense will probably be left looking for more.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a great game. I would like to give it top marks, but in spite of all the good design elements, cool soundtrack, and very good dialogue and voice acting, the Switch’s cloud version connection issues are a problem I can’t just overlook.

Classic NES platforming fans, rejoice. Venture Kid succeeds where even Mega Man’s creator failed when trying to capture that classic Blue Bomber feel. Even with minor flaws, Venture Kid will scratch the itch for Mega Man, and if you’re lucky, scrub the memory of Might No. 9 from your brain.

WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy is a port of a made-for-mobile, turn-based JRPG that should’ve stayed on mobile devices. It’s not bad, but it’s better played in short bursts where the game’s lack of a solid hook and issues with repetition are more forgivable.

On paper, Crash Drive 2 should run out of gas, but with Joy-Cons in hand, it succeeds in spite of itself. It’s not for multiplayer that it’s a success – the lack of local support ensures that – but it triumphs as a solo romp, as there’s plenty to accomplish and laugh at.