Never Alone: Arctic Collection consists of the original Never Alone that was released on the Wii U in 2015, as well as an additional set of downloadable content. While some of the gameplay in this puzzle-platformer feels rather imprecise and the mechanics are a bit dated, there is a redeeming dimension in this Arctic Collection (already observed in the original) in the way it portrays and inform the player about the Iñupiat people of Alaska and translates the barren Arctic landscapes into the game.

OlliOlli World delivers a fantastically fun and motivating experience based on skateboarding in a 2D environment, fully in line with its predecessors. Joining an excellent level design and magnificent artwork and soundtrack, OlliOlli World pushes players to perform in a creative and daring way through its skillfully designed levels and the result is a game that fits perfectly, whether on a television screen or on the Nintendo Switch screen.

The Caligula Effect 2 improves on several aspects of the original, namely the combat system, and brings an exquisite story with many captivating elements, very well written characters, as well as a stunning soundtrack. At the same time, its level design could use improvements, and even though the soundtrack is indeed one of the game's top assets, some of its tracks are repeated to the point of exhaustion, which only leads to saturation. Overall this is an enjoyable experience which could have turned out better if some of those elements had been addressed.

The lack of creative freedom and imposition of constricting rules when it comes to key decisions, as well as its short lifespan and slow pace, make The Unexpected Quest a lackluster game, whose lack of touchscreen controls further contribute to aggravate.

There are plenty of game modes and the visual component is very close to a real poker game. At the same time, the required internet connection makes this a much less convenient handheld experience on the Nintendo Switch, and it's difficult to understand why the visuals are so downgraded when compared to a television screen, but crossplatform play between different formats is a point in its favour.

This is no frantic action game, rather its experience is about diving and tracking different maritime species, with a background plot that helps the players know more about the main character. The gameplay is relaxing and contemplative, and it has a relevant educational pillar, though there could have been a lot more done here to further advance the exploration aspect of the game, not to mention that the graphics feel rather sub-par, which is disappointing in a game that depends so much on its visual dimension.

The gameplay mechanics, which benefit immensely from touch controls on the Nintendo Switch screen, will grab the players right away and those with creative skills will feel even more stimulated by how the game advances. A real gem of a game that contributes to enrich the Nintendo Switch catalogue beautifully.

Super Animal Royale brings something new to the battle royale genre, namely an approach that keeps a frantic and action-packed gameplay while making its world accessible to all age groups by toning down the raw violence found in other similar games. The experience is marvelous for anyone who's looking for a thrilling time, especially with the added advantage of multi-platform crossplay.

Shin Megami Tensei V brings the main series back after six years, much to our delight. If the game's plot and level design could use a bit more work, its excellent combat system that keeps all that's good from the previous games and adds very welcome improvements, open world exploration and soundtrack make this an instant classic and an absolutely indispensable game with RPG fans.

The difficulty curve is accessible enough to let everyone in and the game doesn't impose anything too harsh on an unsuspecting audience. At the same time, Bob Help Them is too simple for its own good. There are many puzzle games available on the Nintendo Switch with more ambitious challenges and audiovisual production, which makes it difficult for Bob Help Them to stand out for players beyond the core target of puzzle fans.

PAKO Caravan picks up the successful formula behind a timeless mobile classic and presents it in a fun, modern package that will appeal to everyone who enjoys simple, quick experiences. With a great variety of levels and a lovely art style that fits its purpose entirely, Pako Caravan is one of the best new clothing that an old formula could ask for.

Stilstand is a game that evokes particularly poignant emotions in the time we live in, where the social isolation caused by the global pandemic has highlighted the importance of addressing mental health issues linked to loneliness and depression. With its comic book art style and impeccably written plot, Stilstand's only major sin is to be over so quickly and giving us few reasons to pick it up again once finished, seeing as it does a stellar job at everything.

Dying Light: Platinum Edition is a fantastic conversion to the Nintendo Switch, one which shows that it's possible to bring a technically ambitious game to this platform while delivering an engaging experience. With very competent mechanics, solid gameplay, and a demanding difficulty level, this version of Dying Light also includes all the additional content that has been made available since the game's original release. A true gem and a real example of what Nintendo Switch conversions should aspire to.

Its combat is less appealing, though, as there are too many random encounters and the combat mechanics end up becoming too repetitive, so there's a clear difference between the game's exploration and its combat. Overall this is a lovely game with a strong personality, and fans of JRPGs who don't mind a lot of random encounters will find plenty to enjoy.

SOLAS 128 is a surprisingly addictive and enveloping puzzle game that amid its simple art style will put players at the centre of an enormous challenge of interlinked levels. With a learning curve that's both high and balanced, and a demanding but fair difficulty level, SOLAS 128 is easily one of the finest puzzlers on the Nintendo Switch catalogue.

Astria Ascending is a rather unusual RPG in the sense that it's visually similar to a side-scrolling metroidvania, but its gameplay is that of a turn-based JRPG. With that in mind, and while its plot feels rather sub-par, Astria Ascending features a very fun combat system, engaging and complex character progression, and an absolutely astounding visual world. Fans of JRPGs will have plenty to enjoy here, including committed completionists.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl bring the fourth generation of the Pokémon series to the Nintendo Switch and they might perhaps take this job too seriously, in the sense that these remakes demonstrate a lack of creative freedoms taken in the conversion process. While many of the elements that made the original games popular are still here, it would have been very positive to take a few steps forward to make the experience more in line with contemporary standards. As it is, it's still a great game, and one that fans will appreciate for being able to enjoy in a new, more immersive format.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl bring the fourth generation of the Pokémon series to the Nintendo Switch and they might perhaps take this job too seriously, in the sense that these remakes demonstrate a lack of creative freedoms taken in the conversion process. While many of the elements that made the original games popular are still here, it would have been very positive to take a few steps forward to make the experience more in line with contemporary standards. As it is, it's still a great game, and one that fans will appreciate for being able to enjoy in a new, more immersive format.

Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave / Soul Nomad is a compilation that brings back two tactical RPGs from the 2000s that deserved to be presented to a wider audience. Unfortunately there was little effort in treating these two games to a more modern format in order to make them more appealing to today's audience, and even though both remain fun and captivating for the players who are familiar with them, there's no additional value to gain from this rather expensive set.

Despite its extremely simplified visual world, the game does its job competently and benefits from a fitting soundtrack too. Unfortunately OctaFight is limited to a local multiplayer experience that does not include any single player or online multiplayer components. This leaves out many potential players and it becomes even harder to understand when the pandemic is growing significantly once more, which calls for more online experiences amid a return to home confinements.

One of the most popular games in the Star Wars series lands on the Nintendo Switch and if this conversion of Knights of the Old Republic doesn't bring anything new from a technical and gameplay point of view, the work was masterfully done and it delivers the original game to everyone who wanted to play it on the Nintendo Switch. Those who are less versed in the Star Wars universe and unfamiliar with the original work won't feel the same appeal, as this effort is mostly targeted at long-running fans.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a fighting game with platform elements that delivers a simple but fun experience, drawing from Nickelodeon's rich character list, and gives the fans an engaging but accessible fighting system. Its performance needs improvement, though, as fluidity problems become too common, and there could have been a greater effort to go into Nickelodeon's catalogue, especially when it comes to the audio environment. A package of fun action that's mostly directed at Nickelodeon animation fans.

While Ayo's level design and presentation of mechanics are indeed competent, and its visual world looks quite attractive, the game's controls fall way behind expectations. Due to a poor execution, it's often quite difficult for the game to translate player's inputs into actions, and as such it's difficult to recommend Ayo the Clown to a child who's just discovering video games.

Crysis Remastered Trilogy is the premiere of the three Crysis games on a Nintendo console, following last year's release of the original game. By all measures, it could hardly have gone better. The three games are a marvel to play and to behold, and their conversion has been technically flawless, with a fluid and smooth experience throughout. Overall, this is a fitting incarnation of a trilogy so relevant within the world of FPS games. The only thing that could improve this experience would be a multiplayer mode.

Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a remaster that does a lot of things right, and which shows that the series still has the ability to deliver a good amount of frights. While the opportunity to implement a more functional control system was not taken and there are some technical performance issues, the overall effort is a work that's very satisfactory to explore, especially thanks to its high quality level design.

With its memorable boss fights, a balanced combat system and a very interesting weapon management mechanic, Ultra Age's gameplay comes out on top when faced against its dated visual environment and lack of an interesting plot. Hack and slash fans will find this a very interesting and enjoyable game.

This version could certainly benefit from some additional content, but most of all its technical performance falls below the expected threshold, with frustrating moments becoming too frequent as the screen gets more populated. While it's commendable that the game's entire content was transported to the Nintendo Switch, its execution ends up harming the overall gameplay experience.

Gynoug is a 2D shooter that first came out 30 years ago but despite being a very competent game with a tough and demanding difficulty level, it has received very little attention as far as re-releases go.