The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III drops JRPGo fans into the middle of a massive story arc and then has a tendency to meander. However, it provides more than enough thrills and compelling moments to make this an adventure worth taking.

While other compilations are more robust, Super Bomberman Collection is still a blast with its seven games on offer. The solo gamer in you will have fun in smaller sessions, and grab some friends for a local battle or couch co-op (no online play), and you’ll have an even better time.

Infernax is a truly retro experience that takes the best elements of the past to create a fun time in the present. It’s tough but fair and a blast to play. Highly recommended for fans of action-adventure platformers like Castlevania.

It will keep you busy for hours trying to craft better gear and foraging throughout the map for that much-needed material. Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is a cutesy, time-consuming monster for the Switch, and it’s worth getting.

As far as hidden object games go, Hidden in My Paradise does a great job of remaining challenging and fun. It’s a game anyone can enjoy. And considering its inexpensive price, it actually offers a lot more than what first meets the eye.

A strikingly beautiful game, Chants of Sennaar takes you on a journey through a number of finely crafted cultures that challenge your puzzle skills and absorb you fully into the looming secrets of the labyrinth.

Spiritfarer is a game that brightens death, a dark and touchy subject. When playing, you will learn to say goodbye to the ones you love, and to enjoy every moment with those around you.

Timespinner is an absolute joy to play. There’s so much to love, with a compelling and mysterious story involving exploration. The interesting time mechanics, coupled with an amazing soundtrack and pixel art style, make this game a welcome addition to any Nintendo Switch library.

While it can be fun to run around smashing stuff and listening to a cool soundtrack, Ape Out is a bit of a one-trick pony. When you boil it down, it’s a maze runner with a smash-the-bad-guys element. Don’t get me wrong—the theme may be simple, but the game is fun to play. It’s challenging enough to keep you entertained for several hours so go let your inner monkey run wild for a while.

To The Moon is a game I can tell someone put a lot of passion and heart into.

Retro Bowl certainly gets close to scratching that itch for a retro-style football game. The game is addictive, and you can play many games in one sitting. Including scenarios between games requiring you to choose options that affect the players’ morale is fun. There is a bit of smoke and mirrors when you start to look under the hood, though. You can only play offense, and the defense is played out via text messages on the screen. Player career stats are only tracked as long as you coach that team. And the scenarios tend to repeat themselves after a while. However, the game is affordable. And with the amount of time I spent playing Retro Bowl, I certainly got my money’s worth and then some.

Is This Seat Taken? is a terrific little indie outing that will make you smile. The logic-based puzzles feature groups of fussy people who know what they want. It’s satisfying to help them find their place while following a sweet story about fitting in. Well done to the developers!

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.

The Switch 2 port of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is nearly perfect. It looks beautiful, plays wonderfully, and will keep tactical stealth gamers engaged for playthrough after playthrough. We need more games like this.

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a unique experience that’s literally a book in game form. Mixing drinks and changing lives proves to be a blast as you interact with many interesting characters. There’s loads of reading to do here but as long as you’re ready to read a novel while you play, this is one book, er, game that you won’t want to put down.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a turn-based, roguelike adventure that will help skeptics understand the appeal of such games. Frustration is part of the fun. And although the gameplay can feel unfair, every attempt to beat it is a joyful run.

Super Mega Baseball 4 has a bit more competition on the Nintendo Switch than it used to with the likes of MLB The Show 22 and MLB The Show 23 but it’s still the king of arcade style baseball games. Since MLB has moved beyond the R.B.I. Baseball series, there’s really not much else in this genre. If you’re looking for a fast, fun, easy to pick up and play baseball game, Super Mega Baseball 4 is gonna be right up your alley!

Alien Isolation provides an utmost emotionally pulling experience, and runs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch. The game truly is a testament to what can be done by third-party developers and porting studios.

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a story driven puzzle platformer that focuses on atmosphere and character connection. The puzzles are varied but generally easy, keeping the experience smooth and well-paced. While it’s polished and engaging, its short length and light challenge may leave some players wanting more.

While it’s reliance on randomness can make the game annoying at times, Loop Hero is a rare treat Switch owners should check out. It’s unique blend of RPG adventure and deck building mechanics provide you with a gaming experience you won’t find elsewhere. It’s addicting gameplay loop keep you going back for more and constantly making you say “just one more turn.”

Blending fun territories and weapons with easily accessible features, a variety of gameplay modes and a solid solo offering, this installment makes for the kind of game that does the Splatoon name proud.

The RPG element has been overblown, but it provides just enough incentive for you to get up and move. More importantly, it’s engaging enough to keep you on top of it well after you’d’ve lost interest in other exercise apps. The Ring-Con itself is a quality accessory that’s easy to use, and the whole package provides mostly accurate readings and feedback.

Mario Kart has been the king of kart racing for a long time. These latest additions only serve to further cement this title, with stunning visuals and engaging gameplay that bring a smile every time; it’s just that good.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World breathes new life into this fantastic platformer. Whether you enjoyed the original outing or missed it the first time around, do yourself a favor and check out this game.

Shovel Knight: King of Cards is a master-class in platforming, design, pixel art, and much, much more. Offering a good amount of new content, as well as the all-new card mini-game, Joustus, you have an overall package that is hard not to recommend, even if good portions of this feel wholly the same as the original Shovel Knight and its successive releases.

Zen Studios has brought the usual amount of quality care in updating Pinball FX3 with this latest DLC pack. While the table trio varies in enjoyment, even the “worst” is still really solid. Williams Pinball – Volume 5 is a very good collection, one that could likely be considered a must for big enthusiasts.

Knights and Bikes tells an emotional story of friendship and family in a way that perfectly captures the experience of childhood adventures.

Satisfactory puzzle-platformers are many on the Nintendo Switch. But the transformative and unique A Boy and his Blob, while easy, rises well above most of the competition. Time has been kind to this game, both in presentation (graphically and musically) and general design. If you haven’t had your fill of it yet, add this one to your Switch collection.