I can’t help but wish Nintendo offered a skew for the game in the West similar to what has been offered in Japan, where players had the chance to buy the otherwise Switch Online-only NES/Famicom replica controllers with the game in a package not too dissimilar to what we see with controller bundles for Super Mario Party. As a freebie with a controller, this game would feel like a neat curio, and while still not wholly satisfying as a standalone experience would likely offer just about enough to satisfy as a pack-in title. Otherwise, this feels more like a first-round knockout than a championship-winning shot at glory.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is an underwhelming port of a great game. The addition of a single new mode and a handful of hardware features isn’t enough to justify the steep asking price, especially given its online matchmaking limitations. Had Sega offered a cheap upgrade path for existing Puyo Puyo Tetris owners, it would be much easier to recommend.

Mouse P.I. for Hire hits a lot of the right notes with its fast first-person gameplay and brilliant rubberhose-style animation. But on Nintendo Switch 2, the constant frame drops and other technical hiccups hold it back from greatness.

Another Code: Recollection is a modernized way to experience two brilliant puzzle adventure games, but its slow pace makes it harder to recommend to those who aren’t already fans of the genre.

Sonic Superstars brings the series’ 2D formula back in spectacular fashion. It’s brought back physics and momentum that are strikingly close to the Genesis / Mega Drive originals, and combines them with original zones that all offer fun, unique gimmicks. However, boss fights are tedious, and the lack of online co-op stings.

Throne and Liberty is at its core an old-school player-versus-player MMO with a defined focus on world and large-scale group combat. While graphically stunning, an average combat system and a potentially divisive monetization model hold back this otherwise extremely competent MMORPG.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is frustrating. I’ve never seen a game that looks as brilliant as this, but the game’s art direction is let down by so-so combat, awful AI, and weapons that just aren’t satisfying.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a satisfying spiritual successor to World War Z and a moreish co-op zombie shooter with enough new mechanics to stand out. The shift towards larger, more open maps and the addition of vehicles are both enjoyable twists that add more gameplay possibilities than ever and, although the campaign is a little brief, there’s plenty of room for the game to grow like the studio’s previous effort.

Directive 8020 is a welcome evolution of Supermassive’s The Dark Pictures Anthology survival horror series, offering a more forgiving gameplay experience, improved visuals, and new stealth elements. While the core of the gameplay remains, fans may feel divided on these new additions, as the game leans into more traditional survival horror elements than previous titles, but doesn’t quite hit the mark when weighed up against other heavyweights in the sci-fi genre.

Like any game in Grasshopper Manufacture’s offbeat catalog, Romeo is a Dead Man isn’t for everyone. On the surface, it’s a hilariously violent action game with bizarre pop culture references, and the story might alienate players who are more used to titles with straightforward narratives. But dig down a little, and you’ll find that Romeo is a Dead Man deals in immensely rewarding combat, irreverent and varied art styles, and above all, a ton of soul, all in spite of a short runtime.

While it makes for a fun, relatively short co-op jaunt, Little Nightmares 3 doesn’t live up to its predecessors. Puzzles lack complexity, the story lacks heart and, though it’s still a grim world for our protagonists, the fear factor just doesn’t pack enough punch.

The appeals to nostalgia can’t save Life is Strange: Reunion from seeming like a low-budget cash grab that clumsily undermines the narrative of not only the previous instalment, Double Exposure, but also the beloved first game in the series. It mostly functions on a technical level, albeit while looking pretty hideous at times, but its egregious plot leaves me wishing I could "rewind" this sloppy new entry.

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is honest-to-goodness, pure golfing fun. Better than any recent Mario Golf title, and with enough depth to satisfy those looking for a richer experience, it's a game suitable for a surprisingly wide audience. There are tons to see, do, and unlock, but the game is certainly hampered by extremely slow per-character progression.

Wizard with a Gun promises a sandbox survival experience, but it relies slightly too heavily on its crafting mechanics as you get set up which takes away from the combat side of the game. It's got a few flaws for sure, but it's still fun as long as you're prepared for a bit of repetition.

F1 24’s fantastic Career mode overhaul is the evolution the series’ single-player content needed. New elements like playable real-world drivers, secret team meetings, and on-track objectives all add much-needed depth. Unfortunately, some rather pedestrian AI and minimal updates elsewhere make F1 24 a mild upgrade overall.

Phantom Abyss is a mediocre-at-best roguelike 3D platformer. If you’re desperate to grind an unforgiving game, then you may want to give this a go, but, if not, then this may not be for you.

Manic Mechanics is the perfect game to sit down and play after a long day, that is, if you need an adrenaline boost. The couch co-op’s simple premise is equally exhilarating and frustrating, resulting in a game you just can’t put down.

The Invincible deploys its source material brilliantly in terms of style, aesthetic, and story, however a lot of slow parts, empty spaces, and over-simplistic mechanics and puzzles mean it never really hits truly stellar heights.

At its best, this blacksmith action adventure endears with great characters, engrossing action, and retro simplicity. Attempts to chase industry trends often hold it back.

Lego Horizon Adventures is a funny platformer that avoids adapting the source material’s complex lore and opts for simple, repetitive levels that become tiresome quickly. However, despite heartfelt vocal performances and beautiful world design, Lego Horizon Adventures fails to reach its full potential.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered delivers a welcome visual overhaul to The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness with excellent character models, detailed textures and revamped lighting working together to wonderful effect. The modern control schemes across the collection are frustratingly cumbersome but some great quality-of-life improvements and the excellent photo mode features make this remaster a must for longtime fans.

Enotria: The Last Song’s stacks of gameplay systems and offbeat terminology make for a fairly convoluted soulslike experience. However, it brings some cool ideas to the table when it comes to combat and traversal. That, and it’s a simply gorgeous world set against a backdrop of Italian folklore, makes for an incredibly compelling experience. The relatively short length compared to most soulslikes also makes it a digestible game that's worth playing at least once.

Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer gets a lot right, and it’s an addictive, well-thought-out boxing experience with a virtual workout planner that's perfect for beginners. At its best, you can tailor it to create an engaging daily workout, and even I struggled to keep up with its harder difficulty levels. However, it suffers from the same issues as many movement-based games that came before it: it’s easy to cheat yourself out of the experience based on shoddy movement controls.

Code Vein 2 is the very definition of a dream sequel. It improves on almost every aspect of the promising yet flawed original to deliver a surprisingly unique soulslike experience. The shift to an open world is (mostly) successful, experimenting with different builds is a breeze thanks to the revamped Blood Code system, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with this world, its characters, and the tragic stories they tell. If it wasn’t for the game’s shoddy performance on console, I’d say Code Vein 2 is a must-play.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is another great entry into a relatively overlooked stealth franchise. While the game feels a little more like an expansion pack to Sniper Elite 5 rather than a full-fledged sequel, it still hits the highs of the previous entry with great level design and satisfying sniping. Meanwhile, the new Propaganda Challenge mode offers a nice arcade-style distraction.

High on Life 2 boasts an inventive FPS campaign that kept me hooked throughout its runtime thanks to varied level designs and excellent setpieces and bossfights. But skateboarding and its effect on both the speed of the game and the pace of the combat were the real stars of the show. And while there are some groan-worthy jokes, I found the humor to be stronger this time around, mostly thanks to some less obnoxious characters. However, a litany of performance and glitch issues holds it back from true greatness.

King of Meat delivers heaps of content at a reasonable price. It’s a lot of fun when you’re exploring a great dungeon with friends, but the cumbersome platforming means that others can be a slog. The level making and character customization options are top-notch, too, though you’ll have to put up with no shortage of annoying dialogue as you play.

With a strong focus on visual upgrades, this rebuilt take of the 2015 horror romp can feel more like a remaster than a remake. Still, if you've never played the original – or you're a seasoned Blackwood Mountain survivor seeking the game's definitive version – Until Dawn is an easy recommendation.