Sonic Mania is like a greatest hits album that your favourite artist may release, with a few new tracks as a bonus. It has a high level of nostalgia, gloss and polish and will really challenge your skill, reflexes and patience. There's quite a bit to get stuck into, but you may find yourself being frustrated. If you love the little blue chap and relish a challenge, speed along to the e-shop and pick this up.

forma.8 is Mixed Bag Games’ take on the Metroidvania genre. It combines puzzling and combat with the awe-inspiring exploration of an atmospheric alien world. Not diminished by any of its slips, it’s a compelling adventure of a little charming probe.

Namco Museum does a lot of things right - but despite the wonderful presentation, it’s still only focused on a limited audience. Putting a value on retro games can often be difficult given how easy it is to obtain and play these titles elsewhere; that said, Namco have put together an extremely desirable package that fits very nicely on the Switch. If it was cheaper it would be easier to recommend to everyone, but as it stands you’re only likely to pick this one up if you’ve got some retro-tinted specs like me. For those of us who do though, it’s a fantastic trip down memory lane.

Jydge is a fun yet difficult twin stick shooter brimming with customisation and content, it can be difficult at times but its varied mission types and unlockables should keep you busy for a good while.

Don’t let the bright kid-friendly colours or the cute Worms-sounding voices or the name fool you here. Putty Pals is challenging little platformer that uses its charm to draw you in and its gentle difficulty curve to keep you invested. It would be nice to have more variety throughout the levels, but it’s a fun, gentle puzzler with a steady challenge throughout.

Tumbleseed is a good pick up and play game that feels perfect for Switch, but will frustrate as much as it pleasures. While it certainly feels fresh and new, it’s simply going to be too hard for most to enjoy in any long term fashion.

Picross S is a solid entry to the series, offering a good place to start for newcomers as well as a whole bunch of new puzzles for veterans to sink their teeth into. The puzzles range from nice and easy at first to extremely tricky (the last level took me one and a half hours to complete on its own!) and the gameplay is very enjoyable. Perhaps best for those looking for something to do on their daily commute, Picross S is a definitely a decent option for puzzle fans.

Binaries offers a different take on the platform genre. By putting the player in control of two characters at the same time, it offers a mix of platform and puzzle that will be as challenging as the most hardcore games. Having its focus on gameplay and time attack, it’ll please those interested in arcade-like experiences.

Time Recoil is a quick-paced, enjoyable shooter-come-puzzler, which has plenty to keep players entertained. It's not quite a unique entity in the Switch eShop, which has a number of other games from the same genre, but it's definitely worth a play if you've got the funds for it.

A fantastic combination of the old and new. Small in content, but Knight Terrors gives a quality experience that you can pick up and play any time. It's really cheap, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that takes their Switch on the go a lot and wants something to pass the time.

Blaster Master Zero is fun while it lasts. With a bizarre story and fun gameplay, this is one Metroidvania-style game that can be played by both fans of the series and newcomers alike. The only complaints about this remaster are that it is short and rather easy, but the seven or so hours it will take you to get to the end are certainly entertaining while they last.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst isn’t a fantastic action-platformer, but it is a relatively enjoyable one and miles better than Mighty No. 9-Stages-of-Hell. With a cheap enough price tag and a decent amount of replayability, there are worse options you could choose on Nintendo Switch than this.

De Mambo is a game that definitely needs to be played with friends for you to get the most out of it. Although the solo mode is challenging and rather unique on the Switch, it can be beat in a few hours and doesn't offer much in the form of replayability. However, if you add a few friends to the mix and hit up the multiplayer modes you will find hours of fun with this game. With a simple to pick up yet difficult to master set of gameplay mechanics, it's not hard to find yourselves hooked on battling it out; vying to see who can become the De Mambo king (or queen) amongst your local circle of friends.

Thimbleweed Park is a beautifully crafted, if challenging world to explore. The puzzles you face can be daunting at times and may put some people off, but players who are able to be patient (or use the in-game hints when possible) should find it to be an enjoyable ride. Fans of the genre and of the game’s predecessors will no doubt love everything on offer here and, with 20-30 hours worth of content for those willing to fully explore, there is quite a lot to love.

Gunbird 2 is no better or worse than the first title, it's just more of the same. If that's acceptable to you, you'll be getting a great little shmup that'll keep you entertained for a good few hours.

Sally Face is packed with interesting puzzles that evolve throughout each episode in a way that keeps you engaged without dragging on. While there’s definitely a level of jank to the title, it feels intentional and adds to the atmosphere.

It's more expensive than the Variety Kit and although initially more impressive, is perhaps even more niche and surprisingly suffers from getting old much quicker. If you have a burning desire to unlock your inner Optimus Prime and have £70 that you want to throw down, then you'll be impressed.

Elden: Path of the Forgotten is a hard game, but it is far from frustrating and will please fans of the souls-like genre. The graphics, the soundtrack and the sound effects set the adventure very well, but I missed a narrative better experience, which would complement this game a lot. The bugs hindered me a little, but not to the point of making the whole experience bad. In general, Elden: Path of the Forgotten has some problems, but it's a great game.

Ninjin: Clash of Carrots takes the most standard aspects from the beat 'em up genre and adds its own twists by putting your characters on a non-stop run. Despite its short length, it's an entertaining adventure with lots of replayability for those who are completionists.

Shing! is a unique beat ’em up experience on Switch, with a good presentation and fresh gameplay ideas that are mostly satisfying. Local co-op, unlockable costumes, and online high score lists give it additional replay value for fans of the genre.

Sagebrush is a short narrative-driven experience that uses storytelling to great effect. Set on the site of a horrific mass suicide, players learn the story of the Perfect Heaven cult’s rise and demise at the hands of founder Father James.

Puzzle Wall captures the fun concept of Hole in the Wall, and makes for a great party game experience. It's not got loads of depth, but it's great for parties.

LifeGoesOn offers some thought provoking puzzling in amongst its mass-suicide. Levels do start feeling a bit samey as you get through it, but it's certainly worth a try.

#KILLALLZOMBIES is an entertaining high-score driven zombie mayhem experience. It has enough to justify a place in your Switch library, and has a pick-up-and-play nature which means you might come back to it down the line.

Azkend 2 is a puzzler which is addictive and retains your attention with the use of mini-games to break up the puzzles. With sixty boards to solve altogether, it doesn't outstay its welcome, but I fear it may be hampered by Switch's dense pool of games from the same genre on the eShop.

As part 2 of a trilogy, The Fall 2: Unbound is not afraid to mix things up from the original. It keeps the core interface from the original while redesigning itself into something new. Come for the puzzles and stay for the emotion. I cannot wait to see how the story ends.

If you're in the market for an auto- or endless-runner on Switch, you can't do much better than Chameleon Run Deluxe. While the high price point is a definite issue compared to mobile and the new levels aren't totally worth it, it's an ideal way to test your memory and skill, and enjoy yourself while doing it.

The Nintendo Switch has finally found itself a horror game to be proud in Layers of Fear: Legacy, fulfilling the promise of a corridor creeper that's full of ideas and filled with plenty of unsettling exploration.

Rabisco+ is an endearing precision puzzler. Although it’s short and a little on the easy side, it’s a very accessible game that plays great in handheld. Green Dinosaur Games has recycled its own prior work with much success.

Ghost 1.0 features strong gameplay hooks in the form of twin-stick shooting and enemy possession to keep players engaged to the end. Sadly, it's not quite up there with other metroidvanias on Switch.

Disappointing performance issues and an overall dated design make it a harder sell for new players, but Republic Commando’s unique, exhilarating Star Wars campaign is still a ton of fun in 2021, and one that nostalgic fans will get a kick out of alongside the Bad Batch animated series.

Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a must-have for hardcore Darius fans. However, given its shortcomings and steep retail price, it’s not as essential a purchase as the arcade edition of Taito’s shoot-em-up classics.

Atomicrops is a challenging twin-stick shooter with light sim elements presented in beautiful, bizarre pixel-art package. Lacklustre farming controls and frame-rate drops prevent the label of greatness, but at £13.49, it’s well-priced and definitely worth your time.

Balancing a 50/50 between overly simple indie and pro skater itself, Skate City doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before. However, its intuitive controls, presentation, and overall flow of gameplay make it endlessly replayable.

The Eternal Castle [Remastered] creates interactive art with this arcade-style platformer, but its old-school nature comes with both charm and flaws. While it is a one-of-a-kind experience with a co-op option, those seeking robust gameplay options should look elsewhere.

There's a lot of fun to be had with Immortal Redneck's clever blend of procedural room generation and tight-ish gunplay. It's ability to reward you the more you fail is a hard hook to jump off of, especially when there's a new adventure waiting for you each time.

Absolute Drift: Zen Edition is easy to pick up, but can be tricky to master. Once you get the hang of the drifting, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had with high scores to chase, even without an online multiplayer component.

Farming Simulator is not something that you can recommend for everyone but there is something here that offers a really unique and enjoyable experience. If tycoon games of any variety tickle your fancy, I’d like to think you’ll find something in Farming Simulator that you’ll enjoy for a fair amount of time.

Thunder Force IV will continue to delight shoot-em-up fans. The concern, though, is whether you'll want to fork out for this rather than getting the more cost-effective Sega Retro system.

When we think of eShop titles, we want something to give us an experience that we've never had before. Super Daryl Deluxe does that in droves. A more fluid combat system would have got it a higher score, but this one comes well-recommended.

Overwatch makes a great addition to the Nintendo Switch library, but its weak performance and FPS issues do dampen the experience. While certainly not the prettiest or most technically competent version of the game, diving in for a few games alone or with friends has never been easier.

One Step From Eden is a lot of fun with its unique combat and deck-building capabilities and would be perfect for anyone who enjoyed Slay the Spire. I just wish it was a little more forgiving and with a very slow unlock rate you have to put in a lot more than what you get back.

Amnesia is a horror classic that has lost a little of its bite over the years, but can still provide some genuine scares. Performance issues do bring this version down, but the games are still worth experiencing for new players.

Gunbird is a faithful port of a solid 90s shoot-em-up. Its fantastic range of difficulty levels means that most gamers will be suitably catered for, but there are undoubtedly stronger examples of the genre currently available on Switch.

Authentic pinball almost to a fault. Not the best video game version of pinball, but it is consistent at providing a realistic simulacrum of pinball. This won’t be for everyone, but you won’t find a purer digital pinball experience elsewhere.

Riptide GP: Renegade is a throwback to racers of the past but performs just like a video game should today. What accounts for a story is just awful, but the careers mode itself provides a well-paced water-based thrill ride.

Sonic Forces isn't a particularly bad game, it's just a game that never seems to find it's true potential. An overly complicated story and some design flaws stop Sonic Forces just shy of greatness, leaving a decent enough experience to enjoy.

The extra time taken to bring Yooka Laylee to the Nintendo Switch has been worth it. The game runs extremely well on the Switch and feels well polished. A few design issues, however, means that this spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie is good but not quite great!

Voxelgram is a very playable take on the Picross phenomenon and its twist gives some highly attractive results. However, the game inevitably sacrifices some of its playability with the jump into that third dimension and the control challenge that emerges.

Unlock the King is an inventive take on the classic game of chess. It will certainly help if you are familiar with the rules of chess, but the game challenges you a new way, unlike any other variation you might have experienced.

Those craving a slightly more mainstream take on the classic point-and-click adventure games of old will have a good time with Beyond a Steel Sky. It doesn’t outright amaze, but is no doubt a solid piece of sci-fi made playable.

Unepic has plenty to enjoy, whilst far from perfect and lacking in areas the game does enough right and is self-aware enough that this adventure is worth your time.

Greak: Memories of Azur is a fine example of a 2D platformer on Nintendo Switch, with beautiful aesthetics and some interesting takes on gameplay. It’s let down by its lack of cooperative play and simplistic combat.

Pode is a sweet puzzle-platformer about two different beings working together to fulfil their dreams. It can be frustrating at times due to camera problems, but it is a worth adventure to be shared with a friend.

The Coma: Recut comes recommended, but beware: while you do expect a bit of clunkiness in the controls for a horror title, as it adds to the effect, the unresponsiveness of the buttons at key moments where you need to either hide, dodge or dim your flashlight can make this a challenging experience at times.

Though showing it's age a bit and not perfect, De Blob 2 is an entertaining title that is worth checking out and is sure to put a smile on your face for most of the experience.

Sparkle Unleashed is a fun and addictive puzzle game with plenty of content to keep you playing for a good 6-8 hours. Its downside is that it reuses content to keep its longevity going which can be a bit disappointing.

Hover is a delight to play and a great example of the open world genre, set in a futuristic and oppressed hub. Featuring numerous missions and interesting online capabilities, it's worth your time.

Cat Quest is a purr-leasing experience that pits cats against dragons in table-top action adventure. The combat provides engaging feedback whilst the cat-izens offer plenty of – mostly humorous – cat-based puns that both draw you into the world of Felingard.

A Little Lily Princess is a character driven visual novel with great art and wonderful music. The life-simulation aspect is a bit random but if you’re a fan of a good story you’ll want to pick this one up.

Enigmatis 2 is a fun point and click with personality. Voice acting is a bit rubbish, and Switch needs the full trilogy. It's a nice entry point, though.

More Dark is a game that plays on nostalgia for the 16-bit era, whilst providing you with a modern challenge worthy of any puzzle platformer, even if it does turn the frustration dial to 11.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is as much educational as it is relaxing. It’s a short experience but it is one that you can learn a lot from as well as having a wonderful time.

Candle: The Power of the Flame is a great title for fans of adventure and puzzles. It could be improved with a hint system, though, as some of the tougher sequences are a little obscure.

My Big Sister is an enjoyable and affordable horror game with a well-written story, but can’t quite decide if it’s going to be a horror game or visual novel. It is a short experience, but one that will satisfy you if you’re willing to give it the time.

The classic indie platformer VVVVVV plays around with what seems to be a simple gravity-inverting mechanic. By evolving on the concept, it creates a platforming experience that, while short, may prove challenging for even the hardened platformer aficionados out there!

Batman: The Telltale Series brings together some of the franchise's most iconic heroes and villains, weaving a story that is intriguing and thrilling for the most part. It can be predictable at times, and the game engine is well past its sell by date, but fans and newcomers alike will love what Telltale have crafted here.

A puzzle-platformer that puts story first, What Lies in the Multiverse switches out the challenging obstacle-filled fare we’re used to with this genre in favour of a well-polished narrative adventure that’s engaging to the end.

Titan Quest falls short when it comes to some technical aspects. Even so, it still manages to deliver a very engaging experience where you won't notice the time pass while you hack n' slash your way through enemies searching for better loot.

Dexter Stardust is a short and straightforward adventure that plays on its charm. With witty moments, an enjoyable storyline, and great production values, this could be the beginning of a successful franchise.

Kirby Star Allies sees the pink resident of Planet Popstar debut on the Nintendo Switch in a game that is fun but somewhat lacking in challenge. If you are looking for an entertaining platformer that can be enjoyed by all the family then this game is the perfect option. The Nintendo Switch has been a haven for some of the greatest, taxing indie platformers recently - Kirby Star Allies provides a pleasant palette cleanser for both young and old to enjoy.

A charming little indie game about a clunky, bumbling robot with a conscience, Jettomero is a relaxing experience with a beautiful and versatile art style. Whilst the procedurally generated gameplay loop can get repetitive, the zen atmosphere created in Jettomero is worth visiting if you need a change of pace after a long day.

Wales Interactive continue to deliver on their niche market genre with an engaging plot for this whodunnit murder mystery. Some overacting and the clunky mechanic for the shapeshifting prevent it scoring higher.

Fight’N Rage is a thoroughly enjoyable beat’em up; it’s well balanced gameplay grants no small amount of fun. The only downsides are content locked behind difficult tasks for casual players and poorly done fan-service that takes away from the story’s tone.

Nintendo has delivered a sports game far too light on content with Battle League, missing an opportunity for a memorable series revival. Thankfully, the top-tier animations and chaotic gameplay make for a great time regardless.

Severed Steel brings a fresh new feel to the FPS genre without overcomplicating the controls. It’s a furious blast through impressive environments and a rush from start to finish with very little to get in your way.

A love letter to the PS1-era JRPGs of old, Earthlock: Festival of Magic is perfectly at home on the Nintendo Switch, delivering a by-the-numbers but solid turn-based battler with an engaging underdog story.

The Fox Awaits Me leads players on a satisfying and thrilling journey. Despite players having relatively few choices, there is plenty of content to unlock, for those who can tolerate a mountain of cliches and a few annoying performance issues.

Aragami is a fun, challenging stealth-action title with plenty to offer in terms of singleplayer and multiplayer. Although its performance on Nintendo Switch isn’t the greatest, the game has plenty of replay value, and has a stunning design and soundtrack.

With its humorous spy theme and its satisfying, varied puzzles, Agent A is great fun. Admittedly, it’s currently cheaper and probably more at home on mobile, but it’s still a solid point-and-click addition to the Switch library.

Neon Chrome was a good twin-stick shooter when it first came out last year and thankfully it holds up well on Switch. Thanks to flexible straightforward gameplay and the randomised replayable nature of the game it's definitely worth a look for any fans of shooters looking for a smaller title to kill some time.

Chaos on Deponia is a modern classic in the point-and-click adventure genre, but still fails to solve the issue of nonsensical puzzle-solving, even if the characters, setting, and story are endearing and charming from top to bottom.

Despite lacking polish and being short to play through, Burnstar provides challenging puzzles and infinite replayability thanks to the competitive aspect of online leaderboards, as well as its local co-op mode.

If you have an inkling for retro platformers, Squidlit is a must-have for the Switch. The overall aesthetic perfectly captures the essence of what made the Game Boy successful, although it is let down by the gameplay elements, which offer little challenge.

Skellboy is an exceptional indie title that, unfortunately, suffers from some pretty severe performance issues. Unique mechanics, stunning visuals, and enjoyable gameplay are held back by this one asterisk, but if you can fight through it, there are so many positives.

Wonder Boy Returns Remix holds up impressively despite a number of flaws that mostly serve to inflate the challenge. This remix polishes down some of the harder edges and slaps a decent lick of paint on top.

Wenjia is a visually stunning title with a unique realm-shifting mechanic. The contrast between the two realms is hauntingly beautiful, but the story behind this world will ultimately go down as a missed opportunity for more.

Runbow is a frantic platformer with a twist. With tons of funny multiplayer modes, it is a very funny party-like experience, even though its single player counterpart is a little pale in comparison.

My Hero One’s Justice is an incredibly feature-rich tie-in to the popular My Hero Academia manga series. Its take on the anime 3D arena fighter is adorned with explosive battles, though is blemished with technical issues.

Road Redemption isn't pretty, but it is fun. You'll likely have some good fun with this Mad Max-a-like, especially with a friend in tow.

Soul Searching is short, sharp and symbolic. It amalgamates excellent audio with engaging scenery to provide the perfect backdrop for an exploratory, non-combative adventure, leaving some reflecting on life long after the credits roll, and others failing to see what it was all for.

Not only is Etherborn a solid puzzle-platformer, it’s also a work of art. The inclusion of a challenge mode counteracts the relatively short length, so there’s replay value, too.

Freshly Frosted looks the part, and packs in plenty of addictive and varied puzzles. It’s a shame that some of the details are less refined, but puzzle fans should find this an enjoyable and satisfying challenge.

Old Man’s Journey takes form as a simple and short point and click adventure, which doesn’t offer much variety when it comes to gameplay or puzzle design. Still, if a superb art style and poignant narrative is enough to keep you interested, then it’s definitely a worth acquisition.

Retro-inspired arcade rhythm games with glorious chiptune music.

If WRC 8 had been better optimised for the Nintendo Switch, the game would have received a higher score. That being said, it is a thoroughly enjoyable rally experience that any racing fan should purchase.

Worbital is a bizarre blend of real-time strategy and Worms, in space. Sadly falls flat in presentation and variety, but is a blast to blast through in an afternoon. Just be warned; it’ll make your head spin!

Colt Canyon offers an interesting take on the western genre which works extremely well as a roguelike adventure. Pixel art, twin-stick shooting, and a well-crafted soundtrack combine effortlessly, it’s just a shame that it is as challenging as it is.