With an adorable cast and near-perfect performance, Alice Gear Aegis CS Concerto of Simulatrix makes a stunning visual showing on the Switch. But the graphical beauty isn’t tantalizing enough to disguise the game’s gacha roots. Mechanized maiden battles aren’t well balanced, resulting in little more than a grind for cute costumes.

Caverns of Mars: Recharged lingers on the low-end of Atari revivals. SneakyBox adds in elements like different types of weaponry and the ability to slow your descent, but none of these profoundly expand on a rather basic formula.

Catan- Console Edition does a decent job at adapting the game into a digital format, offering a high-definition sheen to the tabletop classic. Expect a serviceable base game that’s elevated when facing off again humans. Given the lack of any campaign or unlockables, playing against CPU-controlled opponents might give you a case of island fever.

From capturing monsters on the battlefield to producing heirs back at home, Record of Agarest War is an eccentric epic. Five generations of characters will do the fighting while your dialog responses help determine the qualities of your offspring, offer some novelty to an unevenly paced 140 to 160-hour campaign.

Some might take issue with Tiny Troopers: Global Ops’ vague stereotypes or its glorification of war. The real problem is the simplicity of the game, where you’ll face eight hours of near-continuous circle strafing. It’s incentivized by a multitude of upgrades, which not be enough of an incentive for enlistment.

Trails to Azure offers both closure to the Crossbell arc and an introduction to some of Cold Steel’s characters. But the game functions as more than just connective tissue for Nihon Falcom’s prolific property. Spending time with Lloyd and the rest of the Special Support Section exemplifies role-playing at its best, courtesy of compelling combat, a delightful cast of characters, and more geopolitical intrigue than a stack of history books.

Armed with a quartet of spells, Nobeta is one-witch-army, prepped to take down a castleful of antagonists. The presence of stamina and mana gauges means that the game draws from Souls-like formula. But this little enchantress offers more than your usual swing- and slugfest, extending the energy of a solid third-person shooter.

Meg’s Monster’s succinctness might put off traditionalists accustomed to role-playing epics. But give the game a shot, and you’ll likely find more laughter, tension, and sentiment than in most forty-hour journeys.

This Gal Gun spin-off threatens to outshine the series that inspired it thanks to taut, timeless, two-dimension action. Soloists can trade off between the gun-toting Shinobu and her melee-combo-using sister, Maya. However, having a partner for local co-op play makes Grim Guardians: Demon Purge truly shine.

If you’re not a fan of combat focused on the precisely-timed parry, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty isn’t going to change your mind. But masochists who are mesmerized by methodically studying enemy tells should find quite a bit of enjoyment in the game’s fantastical adaptation of Warring State peril.

A bit too often, Mystery Dungeon-style games lack a compelling impetus. void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium 2 provides one but requires a bit of persistence from players.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe delivers a feast for the retinas, where even the transitions convey vibrant exuberance. Play is just as adept as the visuals, with a multitude of modes prepared to swallow your recreational hours, whether you’re playing solo or with a group of friends.

Ryu Ga Gotoku’s games have often surveyed the stringent ethical code of its yakuza, where street violence and charitability go hand-in-hand. With Like a Dragon: Ishin!, the studio reflects on their organization’s chivalrous roots, where 19th-century samurai faced a period of political turbulence. Like the franchise’s best efforts, it’s wonderfully capricious, shifting from melodramatic to whimsical with the speed and precision of a master swordsman drawing his sword from its sheath.

Fans of Jeff Minter’s digital psychedelia will undoubtedly appreciate Akka Arrh once they learn to make sense of the on-screen bedlam. Fortunately, the steep learning curve is balanced by long-term appeal, positioning the game just south of classics such as Revenge of the Mutant Camels, Polybius, and Tempest 4000.

Jaleco’s diminutive ninja become a star across Japan in the 1980s. Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell helps to explain this accomplishment, offering a commendable update of the Famicom classic, with the deluxe version of the game bundling an 8- and 16-bit era anthology.

Dust & Neon provides some engaging twin-stick firefights across its fifteen-minute missions. Between the taut pace and tight play, this is an above-average action-roguelike mainly undermined by above-average pricing.

Like A-Train 3D: City Simulator, I am an Air Traffic Controller - AIRPORT HERO HANEDA is another thorny transit sim set in the land of the Raising Sun. It’s not for everyone, but if you appreciate semi-realistic assessments where hundreds of lives depend on your decision-making skills, then you'll want to book some time Haneda.

Even if you adore C-tier action titles like Wet, Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico, and Stranglehold, Wanted: Dead will disappoint. The cutscenes are torturously bad and the derivative action is monotonous. Not even a collection of quirky mini-games can help save this ill-fated hack-and-slash/shooter hybrid.

Typically, you’ll see almost everything a dungeon crawler has to offer in the first twenty hours. But Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society shatters that standard, betraying your expectations at multiple intervals. The result is an experience that disrupts genre traditions as often as it obeys them.

If you’re craving some flashy, simple button-mashing action, Helvetii just might be worth a look. But a noticeable lack of balance and depth mar the attractive combat. You’re better off seeking out one of the dozens of better roguelikes out there.

Look past Alice Escaped’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical dialog, and you’ll find an expedition that’s worth taking, even in a crowded genre. A pair of tag-team characters and the freedom of being able to select your own new abilities endow the trek with distinction. But it’s the visual beauty that truly elevates illuCalab’s latest effort. This is one of the most magnificent depictions of Wonderland.

Peer past some forgivable anachronisms and Critical Games manages to capture the sanguine charms of early console role-playing games. Occasionally, attempts to capture retro appeal lack authenticity, becoming the equivalent of a mediocre ‘80s cover band. But here, Joshua Hallaran and the team hit almost all the right notes.

Boasting two additional stages that weren’t present in the arcade version, a trio of playable ships, and a gratifying alternative soundtrack, Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is a winner that should satisfy STG fans, especially if you don’t own the previous release.

There’s a plethora of proficient first-person shooters on Steam. Dread Templar offers an engrossing ten to fifteen-hour campaign with few blemishes. Sure, the experience might lack distinction, but it’s an efficient performer on most mid-to-low-end systems, making it ideal for Steam Deck owners seeking a fast and fluid firefight on the go.

If you’re able to look past a slightly stereotypical use of Japanese mythos and the lack of long-term enjoyment, Mahokenshi perennial deckbuilding provides enjoyment. Save for a few minor frustrations, this is one of the more accessible entries into the genre.

Instead of a confident stride forward, Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters demonstrates Idea Factory’s franchise taking another peculiar sidestep. The result is an experience that delivers amusing writing, but combat is clumsy and bolstered by overbloated systems. While the spin-off is one of the property’s better digressions, it’s hard to yearn for the proficiency Neptunia’s mainline entries typically deliver.

The concept of survival horror in a corporate setting is well-done. But too often, Psycho Yuppie mirrors the mistakes of a corporate giant by not providing enough guidance and limiting the use of the materials used to save your progress. Unless you’re a hardened adventure game aficionado, prepare to feel under-qualified.

Comprised of a base game and a rebalanced follow-up that didn’t add much innovation, this isn't a deep anthology. But Breakers Collection's fighting remain appealing 27 years later thanks to mechanics that are accessible to newcomers while fulfilling to those with more fighting game experience.

Although Wings of Bluestar’s difficulty can waver and play can be visually bewildering, there are some solid mechanics in Shinu Real Art's debut shoot-‘em-up. It’s the kind of labor of love that doesn’t quite hit the mark but is deserving of a refined sequel.

If you missed the original, let Graze Counter GM send you through a mostly manageable bullet hell. While it’s a brief trek, with different modes, unlockable ships, and even a quirky bonus game, this is a solid value for fans of the genre.

With an oddball mix of volleyball and gunplay, Hyper Gunsport absolutely shines with in-person groups. As a single-player experience without any online capability, other audiences won’t enjoy the same level of engagement, especially with a restrained number of teams and incentives.

If you have somehow overlooked the franchise, Persona 3 Portable makes an ideal entry point. Not only does this remaster showcase many of the features that will carry over and evolve into subsequent entries but flaunts a reasonable price and proficient porting. Unless longtime fans still have a working PSP or PS Vita, this is an impeccable way to revisit one of role-playing’s most relevant efforts.

Lone Ruin is the equivalent of one of those mediocre made-for-Netflix films. It looks good and offers some unexceptional action but nearly everything here feels copped from superior works. Factor in an extremely short running time and you’re better served with one of the many other twin-stick roguelikes on the market.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider harks back to a halcyon time before obligatory DLC and mandatory day-one patches. The demanding side-scrolling action relies on trial and error, where persistence permits players to topple apparently impossible challenges. It’s also a welcome reminder that the latest hardware isn’t necessary for a rousing experience.

Twelve years after the original release, this port of Toy Soldiers feels a bit dated. Sure, there’s some mild gratification found in gunning down the game’s mechanical infantry. But between the infuriatingly resistant bosses and the negligible improvements, you’ll want to think twice before enlisting.

Beyond the adorable 3D character models Frontier Hunter: Erza's Wheel of Fortune doesn’t do much to evolve the genre. If you are ok with that, expect a normative blend of action and exploration, augmented by light cooking and crafting components. [Early Access Provisional Score = 73]

The major publishers have seemingly abandoned the thrills of vehicular mayhem. Turbo Sloths revisits the chaotic sub-genre, providing the control of oversized asphalt rollers with jet engines strapped to them. The result is a bit unpolished but curious and compelling enough to occupy a few weekends.

Using a lightning gun to tackle an armada of antagonistic robots is entertaining for a few hours. But unlike most contemporary takes on arcade action, the gameplay doesn’t evolve enough to sustain long-term appeal.

Sail Forth’s simulation of ocean waves and its accessible approach to sailing are top-notch. But the rest of the world isn’t as meticulously realized, resulting in low-stakes tedium across your exploration of the high seas.

Please Be Happy employs the perspective of a solitary fox girl to examine the callousness and kindness of the human spirit. In Studio Élan’s talented hands, the method is a stirring success, filled with evocative prose, stunning visuals, and a skillful soundtrack.

At about two hours, Jitsu Squad’s campaign is succinct. Typically, that kind of conciseness is accompanied by a comparable amount of polish. But here, there are a few too many blemishes to recommend the game for Switch owners.

The Crackpet Show offers respectable roguelike action for up to four cooperative players. But the game’s real strength is its send-up of reality television, depicting mutant animals engaging in fierce firefights to earn social media likes.

For Rick and Morty fans, High on Life is a day pass to Roiland Amusement Park, where wisecracks complement the alien bounty chases. For anyone who isn’t enamored by the brand of humor, the aspiring thrill ride will be decidedly middling, with uninspired gunplay.

With a captivating storyline led by a splendid ensemble of characters and combat systems that remain involving throughout a 30+ hour playtime, Chained Echoes nails the tenets of any respectable RPG while rethinking many of the genre’s more creaky conceits.

Adventure Academia: The Fractured Continent’s storytelling might not be exceptional but it’s hard to find deep fault any of the game’s other attributes. Art is eye-catching and alluring, while traditional instrumentation offers a treat for the ears. But the most remarkable element is the game’s RTS-style battles, which offer an appreciated break from the norm.

Samurai Maiden is at its best when the game depicts a gentle caress or two hands demurely interlocked. But between those moments of heartfelt affection are long stretches of tepid action, which flirt with frustration across the game’s final hours.

The Rumble Fish 2 is a dishearteningly barebones port of the arcade game, lacking modern conveniences like lobbies, and being able to play in the original aspect ratio. Given the price (and the decision to resell characters included in the original game), you’ll want to think twice before getting into this fight.

Railbound delivers an absorbing collection of deceptively simple puzzles that will push your cognitive abilities. Brains might become sore but eyes will be soothed by the adorable visuals.

All the elements for a first-class blend of twin-stick shooting and engaging exploration are present in The Knight Witch. But a few blatant blemishes and frustrating encounters mean you might not fall under its spell.

Lackluster role-playing combined with exploit-laden five-on-five matches means that Soccer Story is a substandard contender.

Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S offers a sizable collection of puzzles and the lure of a serenade by the twin-tailed songstress. For vocaloid fans, that privilege will probably push the game toward requisite stratus. But just make sure you have a controller handy. Apparently, Miku doesn’t like mice.

Donut Dodo feels like finding a forgotten ‘80s arcade game, right down to the screen ratio and plucky chiptune soundtrack. Sure, developer Pixel Games sneaks in a handful of modern conveniences, ensuring that the game doesn’t feel like yesterday’s baked goods.

Game Type DX is the shoot ‘em up equivalent of an indie pop-punk album. It’s succinct, spirited, and aims a middle finger at the suits. Best of all, it’s priced at six dollars.

There are no safety nets, so Lunistice can feel like an extended tight-rope performance on its sky-high platforms. You’ll fall repeatedly, but with such an affordable price-point, it’s difficult to become too peeved.

Orbital Bullet is undoubtedly a novel roguelike action-shooter. But the frustration overpowers the sense of fun as enemy attacks become relentless in subsequent stages.

If you are yearning for controller-tossing difficulty and can tolerate a bit of imprecision, Aeterna Noctis offers an expedition that will test your reflexes and just as often, your patience.

With its simplistic sprites and standoffish pricing Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo delivers a weak first impression. But a collection of different ship types and a difficulty level that changes on the fly means that danmaku devotees shouldn’t automatically overlook Yuki “HEY” Shouhei’s effort.

With support for cooperative play and AI assistants capable of helping with your daily tasks, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom adds several welcome new features. But mostly, the game succeeds by capturing the heartwarming charm of Fujiko Fujio's source material.

One of the more timeless tactical role-playing games from the SNES library, Tactics Ogre: Reborn enriches its storyline with full voiceover and streamlines some of the repetitive elements. As such, only the battlefield sprites reveal Reborn’s age.

Apogee’s latest feels like a celebrative orgy of game violence. You’ll slide chainsaw-leg first through clusters of enemies, plunge down and destroy foes like a homicidal Spider-Man, or just reduce them to a pulp with a robust arsenal of firearms. It’s in Early Access, so there is still some uncertainty about the kinds of creative carnage the third act will bring. But there’s already more than enough hyperkinetic, over-the-top action to warrant a go as Johnny Turbo. [Early Access Score = 84]

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration offers a comprehensive interactive history that meticulously chronicles the company’s remarkable beginnings and eventual sell-off. But due to licensing issues, expect to see some series gaps in the package’s collection of playable games.

Innovative and thoroughly polished, NeverAwake is ideal for shooter fans seeking a Burton-esque excursion.

With dual weapons systems right out of Taito’s Ray series and visuals that resemble PC Engine classics, Moon Dancer should delight fans of retro shooters.

Literally and figuratively, there’s a lot to dig in Dome Keeper’s mixture of excavation, resource management, and defense stages.

It’s been seven long years since the last entry in the fault series. While much has changed in the world, fault – StP – LIGHTKRAVTE delivers the same kind of heartfelt payoff it did in 2015. Only now, the presentation is approaching top-tier.

Chaos;Head Noah and Chaos;Child are two magnificent entries in the consistently compelling Science Adventure series. Unfortunately, both are burdened by a few blemishes at launch.

Now sixteen years old, Kamiwaza needed modernization rather than a feature-for-feature remake. There’s fun to be found, but at a $40 price, you might feel like a victim.

Everyone’s favorite otaku-dad returns for another bout of hyper-kinetic boss butchery. While Suda51’s impish charms continue to delight, performing menial tasks isn’t quite as comical anymore.

The Battle of Polytopia’s streamlining of 4X strategy makes things accessible, but also limits the kind of variability that makes campaigns enjoyable across multiple plays.

Potionomics’ different ingredients blend together well, mixing everything from deck building, resource management, and even options for romance into its shopkeeping simulation. Hopefully, the developers can temper the bitterness associated with the in-game competitions.

Whoever owns the rights to Bally-Midway’s cherished coin-op, probably wouldn’t have made a better game than Terror of Hemasaurus.

Persona 5 Royal builds on the beloved 2017 role-playing game, with an experience that represents a new watermark for P-Studio. It's the rare reworking that truly justifies a second (or maybe even third) purchase.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef's hand-drawn art is fantastic and the action is suitably frenzied. But do yourself a favor and play it on another platform.

Cultic might look like a '90s FPS, but a variety of play styles, weapon upgrades, and a fluid framerate on modest hardware, makes the action feel modern.

Nitro Kid can be an enjoyable, roguelike deckbuilder, but don’t expect the urge of “just one more run” to hit as hard as its contemporaries.

Sure, Arkanoid recently received another sequel. But Shatter Remastered Deluxe has it beat on gameplay while coming in at one-third the cost.