Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition on Switch 2 is an impressive port that still feels fresh even considering its age. It’s performance is great, especially in handheld mode. If you did already play it on a different platform, specifically if you grabbed the Special Edition, then the omissions mean you could skip this version and not miss anything. But if this would be your first time following Dante, Nero, and V on this new adventure, it’s a great way to play it.

I appreciate the idea behind 33 Immortals and did experience fun runs, but it gets to be tedious and relies too heavily on others for success.

My Little Puppy is about the journey one dog makes to finally reunite with the person he loves, and it’s filled with touching moments.

Mousebusters continues Odencat’s trend of pairing adorably detailed, charming spritework with an interesting story. It won’t last long! It’s not terribly difficult. But it’s quite entertaining while it lasts.

Lover’s Enigma is a great game for folks who are looking for a dark, unsettling mystery with a touch of romance. Especially since the artistic direction is so memorable and well-suited to the tale being told. However, I found it more thrilling than romantic, with some of the relationships feeling rushed or like they didn’t have the strongest foundation to them. It’s also still a bit buggy, though hopefully that will still be addressed in the next few weeks.

Tavern Talk Stories: Dreamwalker is another solid installment in the drink-making visual novel genre, though I admittedly enjoyed Coffee Talk Tokyo a bit more.

Momento may not be as momentous or genre-defining as Unpacking, but it is a charming organizational puzzle game.

Stray on Switch 2 is a step up from the adventure on the original Switch version of the game, though it probably still isn’t the ideal way to step into the cat’s paws. It does look better! It runs better! The frame rate is more stable. The mouse controls feel more like a gimmick and aside than a truly viable way to play, unfortunately. Also, it’s still not the prettiest and best way to play. But it is better than what we had, which is nice.

One Move Away isn’t what I expected, as it’s more about the physics of packing and arranging things rather than the puzzle of getting items in proper spaces. I expected something along the lines of Unpacking meets Tetris. What’s here isn’t bad and can be both fun and challenging! But there are a few frustrating levels toward the ends of characters’ campaigns and needing to account for actual safe travel isn’t fun at all.

Schrodinger’s Call is an atmospheric and emotionally engulfing visual novel that lets us work out mysteries while offering closure. This is all accompanied by striking, surreal visuals. By chronicling people’s lives and last thoughts at the very end, we get opportunities to learn about who they really were and how their choices shaped the world. By listening, maybe we’ll even see how Mary being there as the last confidant influences them too.

Q Collection is a fascinating set of scenarios and sandbox stages, though the Switch control limitations sometimes make it feel like it isn’t the ideal environment for the games. Q Remastered is great for seeing what the most basic version of the experiences should feel like. Q2 Humanity is the experimental one that almost feels a bit more forgiving due to the multiplayer element. Q with Vtubers can feel a bit weird, in a good way, due to the influence from outsiders who played the game. If you enjoy physics-based challenges that sometimes might annoy the heck out of you or make you feel like an immediate genius, it could be worth a try, but make sure you come in with a stylus at the start.

Maybe after a few patches Starbites will be passable, but I think this budget RPG isn’t ready for Switch owners right now. Its story and combat feel pretty basic and don’t reinvent the wheel. The fact that it looks so poor both docked and undocked, doesn’t run well, and straight up crashes out when moving between some areas means I’d recommend waiting for a demo or a sale on another platform rather than grabbing it for the Switch.

Mina the Hollower is a a robust game that is a joy to play and proves Shovel Knight wasn’t lightning in a bottle for Yacht Club Games. The story is interesting. The heroine is capable. The combat challenges a player and gradually builds up in its demands. The world is strewn with secrets.

LumenTale: Memories of Trey may have a few quirks on the Switch, but I like Beehive Studios’ take on the Pokemon concept. The combat system is solid and encourages you to think about every character’s moveset. The character design is great. I love that it offers its own take on Secret Bases. The mystery behind what’s going on with Trey and the world can be pretty interesting too. A few minor issues aside, it’s an interesting addition to the monster taming and training genre.

Crimson Waves on the Emerald Sea: Amaranthine Moon is an otome game with engaging storylines and character development. It’s a fascinating look at how vampirism can affect a love story while, at the same time, showing how someone could fall in love even while dealing with high stakes situations like a murder mystery. It’s very well executed and Crystal Game Works has grown as a developer. Unfortunately, there’s an odd inconsistency between the gorgeous character art for portraits and the event CGs, which causes the latter to stick out like a sore thumb whenever one of those moments comes up.

Coffee Talk Tokyo is another serving of the same experience Toge Productions served up before, and it’s still quite delicious. It is an acquired taste, as those who aren’t fond of visual novels might not vibe with it. But those who appreciated the storytelling and low-pressure approach of the original will enjoy this pretty follow-up.

If you loved the original Birushana otome game and wanted more time with the supporting cast, then Birushana: Winds of Fate would be a must-buy visual novel. Three out of the four new main routes range from pretty great to amazing. The epilogues for the last entry’s love interest are brief follow-up stories that explain what happened next to assure you the “best” endings really did turn out happy. If you weren’t a fan of the original game though, then maybe look into Homura: The Crimson Warriorsinstead.

Zero Parades understands its position within gaming culture. Like the protagonist, Hershel Wilk, it’s weighted down by a complicated past, but willing to move forward. The game is at best when ZA/UM’s trying to do new things, both with its mechanics and its writing. With the latter, it triumphs. However, while I still deeply enjoy its mechanics, both new and familiar, a part of me wishes that the game was bolder and willing to differentiate itself even more from its predecessor.

Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn Edition is as strong of a JRPG on the Switch 2 as it was on the PS4, and the port works perfectly. It runs so well, and it’s a delight to play in handheld mode. This also being the full and complete version of the game with the expansion and cosmetic DLC also helps it feel like a strong new staple to the system’s RPG library.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is not only an unusual platformer, its experimental nature can make it feel like an entirely new type of experience. I’m delighted by the idea of popping in and out of levels to investigate new finds about creatures and learning about what to expect from them based on an array of interactions. Especially since each case feels quite different from the other, turning every character into a puzzle to solve. It feels like a casual, relaxed sort of safari.

I genuinely enjoyed some of the characters and the decidedly low-key gameplay, but they never quite saw the level of thematic exploration I really wanted. Still, I can’t deny it succeeded in getting me to slow down and appreciate the moment it was presenting. If you can handle this level of weapons-grade nostalgia, or even just dig the music it’s borrowing, you may well find something to appreciate about Mixtape.

Nitro Gen Omega feels totally original, even if it takes a little adjusting to life as a mecha mercenary.

If you want to do well in Wax Heads, you need to pay attention to the people, writing, art, and music around you. There’s a line in the tutorial that suggests “records are like puzzle boxes,” and that’s very true. You never know when taking the time to actually look at the LP itself or investigate the back notes could result in finding exactly what the customer is looking for. Which, in turn, makes the experience all the more satisfying for you as a player.

You can immediately see where Studio Aurum learned from past mistakes in Monster Crown: Sin Eater. This isn’t to say the experience is perfect now. But it is far stronger than the previous game in many ways. With the feedback the team will likely get from this entry and a little fine-tuning, I could see a third entry turning into something special.

While InKonbini: One Store Many Stories is pleasant, I wish there was more impact associated with some of my actions. It is very much about the vibes of working at a desolate convenience store in a small town filled with warm people. However, I’m not sure if it was tied to bugs or the idea of ensuring every shift is comfortable, but it seemed actions made during my shift often didn’t matter or like knowledge I had and certain situations never took effect in certain situations. I suppose I would have liked a little more agency, not to mention more time engaging in certain sorts of assignments in that role.

At launch, HoloVillage: Our Cozy Days is too broken and limited to recommend to folks looking for a Hololive Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley sort of experience. There’s too little interaction with Vtubers. The grind is real. The game might just freeze or break on you. For a game that should be packed with personality, thanks to all the performers represented in it, it’s instead incredibly bland. Maybe in a few months, patches could improve some of the issues and you might be able to play without fear of being frozen in place. But it is not at that point right now.

Whereas Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley felt like you got to experience a new story in Moomin lore, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is closer to an interactive storybook game. It puts its own spin on a beloved story while maintaining the original spirit of Tove Jansson’s work, making it a delight for fans regardless of familiarity. I’m not sure if Hyper Games will continue the series, but I would be interested to see what it comes up with next.

The thing is, I can think of ways Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy could be fixed. Give everyone immediate access to all characters, and make the Character Tickets unlock the additional costumes. Fine, have the Abilities on the gacha banner, but perhaps offer an option to outright buy the four unique skills for each character in the shop. Instead of making the story feel so reliant on going through multiplayer battles, instead tie them to the Challenge mode so we don’t need to wait around for a full party or invest in a competitive mode we might not enjoy. Focus on making it enjoyable and not so reliant on other people and RNG to succeed. Of course, the amount of retooling means we’ll probably see the title fail, rather than get adjusted and relaunched as something that feels far less greedy. But hey, at least we got some great music and fantastic character designs!