Yurukill: The Calumniation Games should've been a home run on Nintendo Switch since it blends two genres that perfectly suit Nintendo's hybrid console. Sadly, it doesn't feel as polished as it should, and ends up being a missed opportunity given the potential with the setting.

Sonic Origins offers the best way to experience these classics on PC through Retro Engine ports including a new one for Sonic 3 & Knuckles with bonus museum content and cut-scenes, but Sega needs to fix the filtering issue that makes this look blurry and also address some of the bugs that hold this back from being as good as it should be. Having recently been verified on Steam Deck by Valve, Sonic Origins is also excellent on Valve's new handheld system where I played it for review alongside the Switch version.

Cotton 100% has great music and lovely enemy and boss designs, but it doesn't have the same polished gameplay that some other games in the series have. It still deserves a spot in your Nintendo Switch collection.

The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection on Nintendo Switch is good value with three games and a lot of DLC and modes included, but the variable image quality and performance across the games on Nintendo Switch leaves a lot to be desired.

While it is definitely dated in some ways, I ended up enjoying my time spent with it a lot more than expected. The way it blends multiple genres together and manages to keep your attention almost all the way is commendable given the game’s age. If you’re ok with some dated mechanics, there’s a lot to love in this treasure hunting mystery adventure RPG.

SD Gundam Battle Alliance on Xbox Series X is gorgeous and it is great to have a Gundam game back on Xbox after a generation of skipping the platform. While it needs better balancing for solo play, I've enjoyed my time with it quite a bit online and offline. I look forward to keep coming back to do a few missions as a break from other games.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central from Sega is worth your time if you like the songs included. It has a lot of fun game modes, and even plays great in handheld mode with the colors shining on the OLED display. I hope it gets some quality of life and motion control improvements after launch alongside some classic songs added though.

Despite not matching up with the best entries in the series, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a great game and one I can’t wait to keep playing daily on Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Violet feels like a giant step in the right direction for the franchise in most ways, but also a step back in others. While I still consider Pokemon Legends: Arceus a more polished experience, there is no denying the quality of core gameplay, new mechanics, and music in Pokemon Violet. The whole experience is held back by abysmal performance and poor visuals though. 

No More Heroes 3 on Nintendo Switch was one of the best games of 2021 despite its technical issues. On PS5, it is massively improved when it comes to visuals, performance, and load times. If you enjoyed it before and want to replay it or are new to the series, No More Heroes 3 on PS5 is a fantastic experience that had me smiling from start to finish. Even a year and multiple playthroughs later, No More Heroes 3 is a goddamn great game.

While the option to buy them both separately like on PC would've been good, Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3: La Pucelle: Ragnarok / Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is a very good package, after the most recent Switch patch, offering the best way to experience games I never played before. Quality of life features and bonus content would've definitely made it a better collection though.

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge on PS5 is worth your time if you're a fan of Castlevania, and enjoy Inti Creates' signature gameplay. It also supports 120hz and PS5 Activity Cards on the system with near instant load times.

Sonic Frontiers is one of the most fun games I've played all year with a superlative soundtrack. It managed to successfully blend open world elements with Sonic mechanics which is something I didn't think would work, but here we are. Despite the visual issues and some design-related annoyances, I'm looking forward to replaying it and hope it gets some quality of life improvements in future updates.

The Guinness World Record winning Clockwork Aquario has gorgeous visuals and great music but some mechanics that aren't fully realized. If you're interested in this as a fan of Westone or arcade games, you will find a lot to like here assuming you're ok with how short it is.

Yurukill: The Calumniation Games on PS5 attempts to bring two genres together, but falters on both fronts. The adventure parts don't hit the highs of genre greats, and the shoot 'em up stages are a bit too basic for me. The setting and presentation are great, and Yurukill has potential, but it would've been better had the developers stuck to building it in a single genre.

Front Mission 1st Remake is an easy recommendation as of today. I liked it at launch, but the updates have made it better, and there’s even a free demo if you aren’t sure about the genre or game. While the Switch is no stranger to quality tactical RPGs, I’m glad that I finally got to play Front Mission through Front Mission 1st Remake. I’m looking forward to getting a copy of the physical release in the future, and also playing Front Mission 2 Remake this June.

R-Type Final 2 is a good but flawed horizontal shoot 'em up that suffers from multiple technical issues on Nintendo Switch but one that is still worth playing elsewhere.

Sonic Frontiers on Switch is visually downgraded compared to other platforms, but I can still recommend it to anyone looking to experience Sonic's newest outing on the go. Having now played through it on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck, Sonic Frontiers remains one of the most fun games of the year with a superlative soundtrack. 

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers on Nintendo Switch is a fun game with great gameplay, humour, a ton of content, and customization but one that is better played on another platform unless you absolutely only want to play on the go.

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection on PC is a barebones conversion but one that fixes the few technical issues seen in the Nintendo Switch version making it a great way to experience this excellent game.

Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening is a great release in Koei Tecmo's long-running series, and one that feels right at home on both Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch thanks to smart controller support and touch controls on Switch. While the game needed a bit more work on both systems, I've enjoyed playing through various scenarios in handheld mode on Switch and also on Steam Deck.

Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ is a great release for Darius fans with its varied modes and stages, but a hard sell for newcomers who should get the Darius Cozmic Arcade and Console Collections instead as more accessible introductions to the series.

Big Bang Pro Wrestling is an easy recommendation for fans of wrestling games on Nintendo Switch, and is another quality conversion from Code Mystics. While it might seem dated in some ways, this is the closest to Fire Pro Wrestling on Nintendo's hybrid system right now.

Rune Factory 5 is an ambitious entry in the series that does many things well, but one that suffers thanks to a plethora of technical and structural issues. Despite it building on Rune Factory 4 in some nice ways, Rune Factory 4 Special remains one of the best games in a very long time while Rune Factory 5 feels like it needed more time to reach its full potential.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R on Nintendo Switch is a mostly great port, but one that is lacking when it comes to online stability compared to other platforms. With smart changes to the environments, the developers have done a fine job with making it look good on Nintendo's hybrid system. If you're after a content-packed anime fighter, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is well worth your time.

Touken Ranbu Warriors is the most accessible musou on Nintendo Switch, and one with great visuals, solid performance, and a lot of content for fans of Touken Ranbu. It will not satiate those looking for a very deep Warriors game, but is a solid entry for newcomers and one of the better Warriors games on Switch.

A year later, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin on PC is a great game held back by technical issues. The game itself has excellent combat, variety, brilliant music, and a lot of heart. Stranger of Paradise and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line are my current favorite Final Fantasy spin-off games, and I hope to see the former improve through potential updates on PC.

River City Girls Zero is an interesting look back at the origins of the characters newcomers have grown to love in River City Girls, but one with a few annoyances. The new music and art sprinkled into this release definitely help make it worth experiencing for fans.