Admittedly, the Game Boy emulation will probably turn off many potential players. That said, there’s fun to be had under the dated surface. I don’t think Save me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition is a great adventure, but the refinements have cemented it as a good one.

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a vibrant game, artistically, that tells a dark tale involving coming to terms with one’s loss, making amends, and being pushed into a place of power. It surprisingly did a great job with its unique combination of action, adventure, puzzle, rhythm, and role-playing genres blended together. It is a short game that offers replayability due to the decisions one makes changing the course of the story.

Keylocker is a great turn-based, rhythm JRPG, but there are a few problems that should be addressed. If Moonana would fix the crashing, the broken quests, and the soft locks in fights, I think the game would be just about perfect. Unfortunately, it’s not there yet.

Rusty Spout Rescue Adventure is an attractive looking game that’s taken a timeless formula and added quality-of-life options. I feared this would be a game I’d suggest passing on, but it’s now turned into a recommendation for fans of this game style. While not every choice is to its advantage, $6.99 gets you a fun story mode, multiplayer, an endless mode, and more.

Whether you’re a fan of The Dark Eye franchise or point and click adventure games: The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav is certainly worth your attention.

The Bubsy games have become unpopular as time has passed, but his collection does its best to make them more playable than they’ve ever been. You can relive the nostalgia of the first two 16-bit games, roll your eyes at that Jaguar entry, and experience the refurbished version of Bubsy 3D that makes the original no longer relevant, all with modern updates and extras. I’m happy to see Atari and Limited Run compile these games and make them available on modern hardware, even if they fall short of their titular “Purrfect” designation. Subjectively, their individual appeal might be narrow (one’s trash is another treasure), and some might not be convinced to join Bubsy’s small fandom. But collectively, this release does plenty right, and those with appreciative mindsets will find value here. It’s better than the sum of its parts.

While newcomers may find some shortcomings in the whole package, hardcore fans will still find it a delight. Sure, it feels rather dated, but this port of a Neo Geo Pocket Color classic still hits the mark where it counts.

The Last Spell is a fun and complicated tactical RPG. The gameplay alternates between building components and turn-based fighting, providing plenty to do here. It’s a lot to take in, especially initially, but there’s plenty of fun (and horror) to be had.

Sometimes you want a game to play while watching TV or just needing to kill time. The $39.99 price I feel is too much, especially with the crashes. But if it goes on sale, give Two Point Hospital a shot.

Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is an exceptionally difficult arcade-action game that’s best enjoyed when shared with a friend. This release’s gameplay and visual tweaks modernize the experience a bit, but it’s still likely to appeal solely to those accustomed to the challenges of early ’90s NES action games.

It’s not my favorite in the series, but Quell Zen is a game that puzzle fans should enjoy. It manages to be simultaneously relaxing and quite challenging.

Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell is simultaneously new and nostalgic. The arcade gameplay will be familiar to fans of NES-era titles, but the game’s modern features and obvious love for the source material elevate it above your typical 8- or 16-bit throwbacks.

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.

As far as party games go, Knight Squad has more going for it than you’d expect at first glance. It’s accessible, it’s frenetic, and it’s fun. The lack of online multiplayer and a worthwhile single-player mode will be easily overlooked when you’ve got your personal squad of knights seeking battle in your living room.

Super Blood Hockey varies away from traditional hockey games, though, it still is a ton of fun. It manages live up to it’s name as it is super bloody. The bloodiest hockey game I have ever played in fact. Luck for it the game has more to it than that, it is also really fun to play In some ways, the nontraditional gameplay allows for it to be more fun. There is some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Players wanting to get a fairly decent hockey title to play on the Switch should certainly check it out.

Creepy Tale 2 retains the dark and foreboding style of the original, with a longer story and mostly more intuitive puzzles to solve. If you’re a fan of point-and-click games with horror elements, check it out.

Warriors Orochi IV Ultimate is so big and messy that I would never recommend it as an introduction to Mosou-style gaming. If, however, you beat Fire Emblem Warriors or Hyrule Warriors and thought, “Wait…that can’t be it,” you will not draw the same conclusion here. Not by a longshot.

Diablo II: Resurrected gets enough polish and features to appeal to fans of the original release and to series newcomers. The exploration/combat loop is still fully engaging, with only a few remnants of its age interfering with gameplay on the Switch.

There are only small segments of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition that feel like a Lara Croft adventure, but the game is still quite fun once you accept this reboot of the iconic character. It’s definitely a trip worth taking, even if the Switch 2 version doesn’t offer everything it could have.

Chess Knights – Viking Land provides hours of puzzle-based gameplay using a twist on the usual chess formula. With some additional incentives to replay, and a little more finesse in the controls, this could be a must-have puzzle game. It’s still worth checking out, particularly anyone with a penchant for chess.

Dark Auction is a graphic novel with point-and-click adventure elements. You play as Noah, a man who enters an auction to avenge his father. Throughout the game, you’ll explore, chat, and complete orders, all while solving puzzles to uncover the mystery behind your father’s life and death.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers is a good third-person shooter that’s a little on the light side in terms of graphical style and humour, but don’t be fooled – there are many missions to conquer and plenty of characters to unlock as you seek your ultimate team. The fast-paced action should keep you busy for hours.

Blue Fire, albeit flawed, is a very enjoyable and satisfying platforming experience. It may not reach the heights of some of the games that inspired it, but that doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly enjoyable game that has plenty to offer.

A construction and management simulation with a broader appeal (thanks to three difficulty modes), Country Tales succeeds on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a fun title that can be addictively challenging as you strategize how to manage your time best. Just make sure to play it in handheld mode if you’re looking for speed.

Remember when Fire Emblem games focused more on story and combat than on fishing, construction, and class studies? So do the developers of Dark Deity, an SRPG that survives some annoying bugs and UI issues to provide a satisfying, briskly-paced adventure.

A good combination of beautiful, challenging and relaxing, Himno isn’t the most gripping game you’ll ever play, but it is well worth a go.

As a throwback to 8-bit platformers, Miles & Kilo works better than most. It also works as a legitimate reason to fire up your old Nintendo 3DS and remember how much fun action/arcade games were—and how cool that 3D effect was—the first time you played it.

Creepy Brawlers is a decent retro-inspired boxing game. It is a good mix of horror and boxing making it a fun alternative to the more common horror shoot-to-kill survival game.