Overall, qomp2 is simple yet thought-provoking. It’s challenging but not unforgiving. With its smooth controls and accessibility options, you can play this game however you want.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a splendid remake. The updated visuals and quality-of-life improvements add plenty to this already-fun title. The puzzles are interesting and challenging, with plenty of variety to keep you hooked.

Composer World is a no-frills approach to crafting songs. Despite the simple aesthetics, there’s a robust creation tool on offer here. It has its faults, such as the inability to change keys and the lack of a tutorial. However if you enjoy composing, this should satisfy anyone looking for a way to unleash their music into the world.

Fit My Cat is a great puzzle game that has no pressure. However, the controls can sometimes have their own mind, adding unwelcome frustration.

CLeM is a puzzle/adventure game for those who enjoy puzzle/adventures only to a certain point. Its simplification of exploration and inventory management allows the player to focus on the puzzles and the story, both of which hold up well over its short duration.

I generally like deck-building, turn-based strategy games, but I had a hard time really getting into Rising Lords. It isn’t bad—with special nods to the visuals and overall playing time—but the clunky controls and overly busy mechanics prevent it from being all it could be.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft does just enough with the original Tomb Raider games to make them a great fit for the Nintendo Switch. The ability to instantly flip between the original and remastered graphics is entertaining, but the real fun lies with the games themselves. And these are the three best Tomb Raiders ever made.

Golfinite is a cute little golf sim that sports a few neat ideas coupled with a retro style that looks and sounds nice. It’s a simple affair that could benefit from some tweaks or extras. I still enjoyed my time with it, for what it’s worth.

Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist is a fun, creative game, just maybe not for the Switch. It’s engaging and playable, but budding artists likely won’t enjoy the accommodations made for Joy-Con controls. If your goal in this adventure sim is to create artistic masterpieces, playing on a computer or with a drawing tablet is the best way to enjoy this unique game.

Despite its nearly 20-year-old origins, Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal makes for a fun, violent time on the Nintendo Switch. The aging graphics and cumbersome controls aren’t enough to hamper its core stealth action gameplay no matter what playthrough you’re on.

Spells & Secrets has potential, but the frame rate drops on the Nintendo Switch make it frustrating to play. Otherwise, the controls aren’t too bad, but the overall story and characters are lackluster.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is fun, but some significant issues (at least on Switch) make it fall slightly short of its predecessor. It might be better to grab this one on sale or when DLC arrives (hopefully with a performance patch). Creative types might not want to wait that long.

Starward Rogue presents a solid shooter experience with a rocking soundtrack and plenty of action as you blast your way through five floors of bullet-riddled mayhem.

Gorgeous from start to finish, The Cub is a short but hugely entertaining 2D platformer that has been crafted with love to be not only a fun game to play, but a fantastic piece of satirical art that does not pull its punches in its critiques of contemporary reality.

Hammerwatch II’s graphics and world design are amazing, and the soundtrack fits super well into each area. The gameplay is still a little frustrating, though. And with the very real chance of losing all of your progress, I wouldn’t say it’s worth it. It’s sad to see such a well-designed game ruined by such fatal bugs.

The Legend of Steel Empire for Nintendo Switch strikes a solid balance between its modern upgrades and its Sega Genesis roots. Despite its short campaign, the game offers plenty for shmup fans to uncover and master without completely overwhelming casual arcade players.

Overall, if you’re looking for something simple and chill that you can pick up and play whenever or tell yourself, “five more minutes,” then Pan’orama is a great choice.

I couldn’t help but think back to Minesweeper when playing Growth. There’s much more to this relaxing, nature-based, hexagonal puzzle game, but its reliance on a mixture of clever strategy and random luck will appeal to (or repel) the same crowd.

While the number of games in this collection pales next to many other Switch compilations, shmup fans up for a challenge probably won’t want to sleep on this one. Irem Collection Volume 1 offers some entertaining fun that will put your skills to the test. How about some love for Irem’s In The Hunt next?

A provocative and technical feat, Terra Nil stands out from games with a similar environmental setting. It requires you to think creatively and intelligently about the challenges faced by the natural world, and it leaves you with a realistic vision of what humanity needs to do to change the world for the better.

One Night: Burlesque isn’t one of those indies where the fantastic gameplay spawns a cult of followers who keep it alive in tournaments. There’s very little actual “game” here. But if you’re a fan of visually innovative storytelling and want a movie-length experience, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

I’ve genuinely attempted to click with Berzerk: Recharged (and the Recharged series overall). But, after many weeks, it’s clear I never will. This game doesn’t deliver what it promises, which is a “revival of an arcade classic.”

It’s probably not good that the most distinctive element of Arcadian Atlas is its jazzy soundtrack, but it’s still a decent tactical RPG that provides enough challenge and intrigue to overcome a few missteps. Genre fans will get their money’s worth.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a splendid return to form for the series. The developers have done a terrific job with an original story and a visually impressive title that’s well implemented on the Switch. The smooth gameplay, terrific map system, and satisfying combat and exploration make this a must-play for genre fans.

Overall, Pixel Cafe is a charming cafe time manager with great pixel art. The chill Lo-fi rock soundtrack fits well with the mood, scenes, and themes of each cafe you work at. I’d say its price, $12.99, is fair as the game is pretty well done and has a good amount of content.

Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier is a pleasant little diversion with a dash of sarcasm, a pinch of difficulty, and a sprinkle of silliness (leave out the salt; our hero has some issues with that ingredient for some reason). What the game lacks in depth, it makes up for with simple fun.

If you really like the action RPG genre, Gothic II Complete Classic is a decent historical entry. I found elements which engage and disappoint in equal measure. Ultimately, the frustrations overpowered the attractions, and I was just as happy to put the game away.

Overall, Tevi is a beautiful-looking side-scrolling metroidvania with bullet hell and RPG elements. A heavy load of dialogue slows things down initially, but there’s a deep game hiding beneath the surface with satisfying action and gameplay.

The Jackbox Party Pack 10 lacks the broad appeal of other party games, with too many of its games dependent on specific types of players. While it will probably find an audience during holiday vacations, kids on winter break, and so forth, fans who didn’t grab this release at launch might consider waiting for the right sale. Meanwhile, new players should check out one of the earlier entries.

The strategic gameplay of Alina of the Arena is enjoyable and replayable with the starting class, cards, abilities, and weaponry you can receive during each run. The game isn’t that difficult if you’ve played roguelikes before, but still manages to be fun.

Roots of Pacha is a single player or co-op farming/life simulator in which you build relationships, a village, and human history. Taking place during the stone age, you and your clan settle on new land and work together to make a village. Farm, cook, fish, craft, and more in this fun and relaxing game that’s sure to keep you entertained for hours.

As far as action RPGs go, Astlibra Revision is one of the most surprising I’ve played in quite some time. Outside of the occasional gap where neither the story nor gameplay seem to be progressing, it engages (and challenges) the player in multiple unique ways throughout its somewhat lengthy duration.

Crymachina boasts a dark, imposing world populated by monstrous machine enemies that uses classic sci-fi themes to examine deep existential questions. However, it doesn’t offer you any agency through a story that is unsatisfyingly similar to the studio’s last game.

EA Sports FC 24 is ambitiously big. It features an astounding number of real-life players and teams, and no shortage of content. It’s about as authentic as you can get on the Switch. Despite a few graphical blips and an overwhelming menu system, this is an easy title to recommend to fans.

SteamWorld Build is another great entry in this long-running series. This latest outing encouraged me to give simulations another go, taking a series I enjoy and introducing me to a genre I’m not usually fond of. The relaxing style and intuitive gameplay make this an accessible and interesting title for all players.

Born Of Bread is a visually appealing 2.5D adventure RPG with quirky characters. Its in-depth structure is simple to grasp and fun to play. However, a few glitches and hiccups may slow you down.

9 Years of Shadows’ pixel graphics are gorgeous, its story is compelling, and its boss battles are worth the slower moments you have to wade through to get there. It’s a fun adventure that offers enough surprises to keep Castlevania fans engaged throughout.

Evil Diary is a straightforward, retro, action/adventure game that never gets terribly difficult. You get to shoot aliens and zombies (who doesn’t like shooting zombies?), and the soundtrack is good. Other than that, it’s a bit of a lightweight game.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the Mario game we didn’t know we wanted. This long-running series is no stranger to new mechanics and Wonder adds to the list with a completely fresh take while staying true to its roots. Simply put, it’s a joy to play.

Overall, Super Solitaire is good, though it lacks alternate modes and thus presents basically one simple card game at a relatively hefty price. While it features reasons to replay, it’s essentially the same formula every time. There are plenty of alternatives on the eShop for much cheaper. Fans will enjoy it, but it’s more appealing on sale.

Fans of the original are sure to enjoy this excellent, faithful update with quality additions and improvements. Yet, I’m even more excited for those who’ve never played this one. Beyond the notable balance and pacing successes, this game excels with characters, locales, and plot developments. With little to complain about and much to celebrate, Super Mario RPG is a delight, one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played on the Switch. Not to be missed.

Grace of Letoile has a fun, turn-based battle gimmick that’s unfortunately underused throughout the game. Thankfully, the brisk story and engaging characters push the game along when combat starts to feel redundant, making it a worthwhile side quest between your more epic adventures.

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.

Dave the Diver is successfully combines two very different genres. The deep-sea diving is action packed, full of exploration and a great soundtrack. The restaurant-sim side is put together in a way that’s challenging without being overwhelming. I highly recommend this title!

Howl combines challenging turn-based gameplay, creative visual effects, and a somber story to produce a unique strategy puzzle game. Built-in repetition and a lack of instruction do slow things down, but, taken in smaller doses, there’s enough here to compel most puzzle fans through to its resolution.

While WarioWare Gold on 3DS remains my favorite for solo play, when it comes to multiplayer parties, it’s hard to overlook Move It! It’ll keep you returning to it as you discover all the microgames, experiment with every mode, and shoot for hi-scores. Expect lots of smiles and laughter with the time-proven format. Fans will want this entry in their libraries to enjoy the hysterical hijinks.

Overall, My Time at Sandrock is a decent game that could be great with some further polish. If it gets another patch, $39.99 is a fair price, as there’s lots to explore in this large, addictive game.

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.

Gordian Quest is an ambitious fantasy RPG that offers a vast campaign, exciting auto-generated maps, and turn-based combat that offers near endless hours of gameplay with its broad selection of battle decks.

Terra Alia: The Language Discovery RPG is an OK game that does an OK job of introducing you to the vocabulary of your choice from 10 available languages. Its story and combat system are not compelling enough to attract those uninterested in the education component, but the language gimmick offers a unique experience that can reinforce players’ outside lessons.

The initial fun may soon give way to want; want of less linear design, more balanced difficulty, and (ironically enough) more color, to name just a few things. Colored Effects is fair enough for its budget price. But I’m curious what the developer can do with future releases that’ll hopefully be more fun and polished.

Fashion Dreamer is an open-world fashion game in which you can dress up yourself, other players, and NPCs with the aim to grow your brand and following. If you like choosing outfits, creating your own clothes, or styling hair and makeup, this game delivers that. While it lacks a story and any real challenge, Fashion Dreamer holds up as a good fashion game.

Overall, Enchanted Portals has the potential to be a wonderful game. Unfortunately, it missed the mark with clunky controls, slow loading times, and dull gameplay.

While the Alphadia series is among the best of the KEMCO-published games I’ve played, there’s little doubt they are showing their age. And the minor updates in this package don’t do enough to elevate this beyond your wishlist for a future sale.

With circuits spanning new and old entries in the series, Wave 6 marks a well-balanced end to the Booster Course Pass. From humble beginnings on the SNES to the most recent Tour courses, this collection feels like the perfect combination.

Overall, Tales of Mathasia is a cute game and certainly does an excellent job explaining addition and subtraction to a younger audience.

Firefighting Simulator – The Squad is a fun sim game with satisfying sound effects and simple gameplay. However, the levels get repetitive.

Long Gone Days is an RPG with a very smart story. It’s a bit of a shame, then, that the gameplay elements are elementary. If you allow yourself to get attached to this somber world and its young cast of sympathetic characters, however, the experience will be well worth your time.

Bish Bash Bots takes the tower defense formula and shakes it up. The ability to directly take out enemies on the field coupled with the usual deployment of defensive towers makes this a unique title. Add cute, cartoony graphics and extra incentives like costumes and missions, and you’re in for a good time.

A finely crafted game in almost every respect, Gunbrella mixes engaging puzzles with exciting action, well-rounded characters, and a dark, intriguing mystery that infects the entire dystopian world.

Any potential Wartales displays as an outlaw fantasy RPG is negated by frequent crashes. There’s fun to be had with party management and a robust turn-based combat system, but until the stability issues are addressed, the game’s not worth the frequent backtracking previous save points.

Gravity Oddity isn’t exactly a high-end action platformer, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s just a bit of fun, with the traditional arcade challenge to move around, do stuff, and not die. Genre fans will enjoy the interesting obstacle course layouts, order-of-operations paths to figure out, and challenging baddies to shoot.

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails, is a great game with solid world-building and an amazing soundtrack to back it up. The characters are enthusiastic and fun, and the gameplay, while somewhat simple, is enjoyable nonetheless. A couple of very minor design issues have carried over from the original PSP version, but they don’t take much away from the game.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a welcome return for our mystery-solving duo. Although it comes across as simple in many ways, you’ll still find enjoyment if you’re in the mood for a relaxing game with a good story.

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.

Glitch Busters: Stuck On You is a fun multiplayer game with smooth controls, vivid cartoon graphics, and upbeat music to enjoy. If you need a new party game for your next game night, this title is a solid option.

Easy Japanesey is anything but. This educational game attempts to teach Japanese vocabulary and character recognition, but it provides little in the way of instructions or context. It also barely provides a user interface and is, therefore, as much fun to use as a fast food self-checkout kiosk.

Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos is an open world farming game that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Harvest Moon series. While there are cool new features that fans will enjoy, Winds of Anthos has a few issues when it comes to performance and gameplay. However, it can be a lot of fun if you’re patient enough to make it through the prologue and can get the hang of managing your energy.

A stunningly well-executed game, Cocoon takes you on a physics-bending adventure that has you leaping between worlds to solve puzzles that guide an endearing little alien home. It absorbs you fully into its unique and beautiful corner of space until its orb-based mechanics make more sense than reality.

Ebenezer and the Invisible World brings a fun, holiday-themed premise and palette to Metroidvanias, but not much else. Annoying issues and gameplay repetition will bring out the Scrooge in some gamers, but Metroidvania fans may see it through to redemption.

Crowns and Pawns is a high-quality game that impresses in many ways by embracing the best of classic point-and-click design. There is even replay value, as different decisions lead to different puzzles—something noteworthy, indeed. Interesting reading and easter eggs to other genre classics are the icing on the memorable cake. Don’t let some user interface issues detract, as this is an adventure worth seeing through to the end.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is a Musou game for players who just can’t get into Musou combat. By relying more on narrative, puzzles, and RPG stat building, it certainly has a broader reach for action gamers. The new formula still becomes repetitive, however, and performance issues on the Switch may start to nag after a while.

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.

In the end, Sonic Superstars is a fun, modern take on the classic 2D Sonic formula. Its solid moment to moment gameplay, fun new visual style, and great soundtrack make for a very fun experience. The game falters a bit in the new addition of Emerald Powers, which aren’t fun to collect and aren’t useful when collected. The major difficulty spikes in mid-stage bosses and end bosses make for a frustrating combat experience rather than a rewarding one. Still, Sonic Superstars manages to pull together an experience old and new Sonic fans—or 2D platforming fans in general—will get plenty of enjoyment out of.

Sunshine Manor is uniquely spine-tingling just in time for Halloween. The terrific visuals and excellent soundtrack, not to mention the ghostly plot of exploration, create a creepy-yet-fun vibe.

The visuals and roguelike elements of World of Horror combine to create a wholly unique experience for Switch users. The gameplay loop does become repetitive rather quickly, but the short gaming sessions and changing relationship between events make this a successful and scary diversion from the norm.

PAW Patrol World provides a 3D adventure meant for preschool kids who enjoy the franchise or just want a simple game to play. Though it can be repetitive and won’t pose a challenge to even younger gamers, its open world mechanics and side missions—not to mention all the collectables—still leave room for plenty of enjoyment.

If you’re a fan of retro action/platformers, then you’re in for a treat with 30XX. It’s a fun game with a good amount of customization and level variety. Play alone or with a friend, and blast your way through ever-changing levels and tough bosses.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is a difficult SRPG to push through if you have no previous experience with the series. But you’ve got to start somewhere, right? And once you get into the flow of it, you may find yourself losing a month or two to the game’s unique elements, tricky systems, and joyful charms.

TY the Tasmanian Tiger 4: Bush Rescue Returns is a strong platformer with a uniquely Aussie charm. A lot of care has gone into bringing TY’s fourth outing to life on the Switch, with delightful audiovisuals that immerse the player in the outback.

The appeal of BBG Entertainment’s Astrosmash remake is not in what it modernizes, but in what it retains from the original. Although it looks good and runs great on the Nintendo Switch, its best feature is how accurately it recreates the feeling of playing it on the Intellivision in the early ’80s.

Bokura is a clever co-op game that makes use of an unusual play structure and innovative puzzles to deliver a story about friendship and contemplations about the human existence that stays with you.

While I very much appreciate the efforts game developers put in to entertain (and maybe educate) us, Ultimate Games’ Castle Renovator falls flat in early every way. If one of the selling points is that you can “Choose the shapes and designs of flags and pennants,” you know you’re in trouble.

For history buffs, especially the military history wonks, Company of Heroes Collection falls in “must-have” territory. The game has multiple difficulty levels so you can ease your way into it and replay for a while to test your skills, and the Switch control system doesn’t get in the way as much as you might expect. If you like a good RTS or you like a good WWII game, this is a very good title to have in your Switch library.

Quantum Recharged is likely going to appeal only to the Atari faithful or die-hard retro game players. While it’s a very simple game to learn and play, there just isn’t that much in it to keep you invested for any long amount of time (unless you want to climb the leaderboards). It’s great for a five minute burst, which fits well on Nintendo Switch. Yet, like a lot of the Recharged series, the new additions of things like “Mission Mode” highlight how there isn’t much you can add to these older games. It’s a fun experience that will likely have a limited appeal.

Silent Hope is a simple action RPG that provides plenty of fun even if it doesn’t pose a substantial challenge. Paying all playable characters equal attention will lead to redundancy, but shifting your focus to just a few will help the quick combat and hero customization to carry you through.

Touhou: New World is the refreshing, fast-paced RPG you didn’t know you wanted. If you’re after something a little lighter and a little different, this one might be worth your time.

Despite a few bugs and oversights, The Making of Karateka has become one of my favorite releases in 2023 and should be considered unmissable. Playing this interactive documentary, packed with history and fun remastered works, can’t help but make one wonder what Digital Eclipse plans next. How about a deep dive into Mechner’s later work, The Last Express?

Whatever the season, Xtreme Sports can offer a bit of fun in the virtual sun. But, you’ll likely play for just a few minutes here and there, spread out over time. The small number of events leads to a repetition, making it struggle to maintain interest. The extras in this Switch port barely register, too.

Dynablaster adds a modern sheen to the original Bomberman gameplay. Key-collecting mode is fun, and there’s some multiplayer value. But this release—originally intended for the Intellivision Amico—doesn’t otherwise do enough to justify its asking price on the Switch.

If you’re a fan of RPGs, then Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles will be up your alley. You’ll enjoy the graphics and fun music with simple gameplay mechanics.

My Little Universe is an adventure game in which you explore 9 different planets to restore them back to their original environments by collecting materials and expanding resources. You can upgrade your tools, fight monsters, and discover new materials in this casual tycoon-like game.

A relaxing and satisfying cleaning simulator, Fresh Start channels a serious environmental messages through a simple, if repetitive, tour of a planet.

A Tiny Sticker Tale is a cute game in which you play as a little donkey who explores new areas, collects many stickers, and helps people along the way. The explorative puzzle/adventure gameplay is super fun, and not too challenging; its simple style makes it easy to complete, leaving you feeling accomplished and happy.

BBG’s remake of the Intellivison’s Shark! Shark! works better as a multiplayer game than a solo experience, but you have to be into its simple, chill vibe. Younger/newer players will stick with the game longer than those seeking more frenetic battles and challenges, but it’s priced accordingly.

If you’re a hardcore fan of Deadliest Catch, you might—might—eke some enjoyment from the video game version’s lazy simulation of the tasks. However, you’d have a much better time just watching the show with a controller in your hand, and pretending. You might get a more responsive experience, too.

The ball is still in play in Pinball FX, and we hope it doesn’t wind up in the drain early. While fun, it’s a clear step back from FX3 visually on the Switch, and in terms of content. New players should still have a blast, but for existing fans, Zen Studios has let us down.

Super Bomberman R 2 is a fun return to the world of bomb-toting multiplayer madness. It’s easy to recommend for the Battle Mode alone, but there’s also a solid Story Mode to keep you entertained, despite some design flaws.