If you’re a huge fan of the old Sprint games or their many clones, I think you’ll probably enjoy NeoSprint. It does what it needs to, and it’s rather faithful to the core principles of the games that came before it. It’s also filled to the brim with things to do, and if you love to play “Spot the Atari References" then you can look forward to finding a lot to point at. For those without any real attachment to the series or publisher, this is an approachable casual racing game that could probably use a touch more complexity in its mechanics.

Fireside is a simple experience in a lot of ways, but it does what it does to a satisfying degree of quality. It feels a bit plain in terms of presentation, but the amusing characters, strong gameplay loop, and well-formed trading mechanics make it a hard game to put down. If you’re looking for a low-stress game to chill with for a while, you could do a lot worse than this one.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is an excellent game for single player content with varied and challenging stages, great music, and frustrating fun held back by a very annoying technical issue. If you get used to that, it is absolutely worth getting just to play solo. While the multiplayer modes had potential, it is embarrassing how they feel right now online.

In its current state, despite some quirks, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster on Steam Deck is a much better experience than the same release on Nintendo Switch. Not only does it run nearly perfectly even at 90fps, but it also can go above when playing docked. If you skipped the Switch release in the hope of a version with better performance, your wait has been worth it. The quality of life improvements in the Switch version already made that worth grabbing, but Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster on Steam is the one to get right now.

When I played Trails from Zero to Azure, I considered the duology as Falcom’s best Trails experience. Then I played Trails into Reverie and loved it so much, but I think Trails through Daybreak is the best Trails game. While I have no hesitation in saying Ys VIII is my favorite game in that series alongside Ys Oath in Felghana, I’m glad to have Trails through Daybreak alongside the Crossbell duology as the best Trails experiences available today. Trails through Daybreak on Steam Deck is my favorite way to experience Falcom’s newest masterpiece by far. Not only is this a fantastic Falcom game, but one of the best RPGs you can play in 2024, and knowing what released, you know I wouldn’t say that lightly. It joins Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Balatro at the top of my Game of the Year list right now.

KINGDOM HEARTS III is a lot more demanding compared to the other releases here, and it understandably struggles to hit a locked 60fps out of the box on Steam Deck. With a bit of tweaking, that is possible though, and having native KINGDOM HEARTS III on a handheld with rock solid performance, is excellent. If you held off on the games on PS4 or Xbox One before, KINGDOM HEARTS III is a solid PC release that has no issues running on Steam Deck including its cut-scenes. I enjoyed my time revisiting it on the go.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is not the best of the three KINGDOM HEARTS games releasing on Steam this week in terms of pure value, but it is still great for fans and worth playing if you’re going through the games one by one. It plays great out of the box on Steam Deck thankfully, but I don’t recommend buying this one on its own. I would recommend getting it through the combined bundle with all KINGDOM HEARTS releases right now.

Revisiting KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX on a portable natively has been amazing. The package is incredible value even today and it shines on Steam Deck. If you’ve never played a KINGDOM HEARTS game before, get KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX on Steam Deck. I need a bit more time to test the games outside KINGDOM HEARTS 1 and 2 in this package though.

I’m in two minds about Assassin’s Creed Mirage on iPhone 15 Pro right now. It is a great game and Ubisoft put in a lot of work into making it feel good to play with touch controls, but the performance issues hold it back right now. Since Assassin’s Creed Mirage is available as a free to try game, I recommend giving it a shot, but make sure you play until you get to experience some combat so you can properly judge how it will run on your own device. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a great entry in the series, and it is worth your time even if you are a newer fan to experience a modern take on classic Assassin’s Creed.

Sorcerian is a good game, albeit one very much of its era. The problem is that like all EGGCONSOLE releases, nothing has been translated in-game from the original Japanese version. Given how much text is involved with this game and how important it is to completing the game’s quests, that’s going to be a hard deal-breaker for many. If you can read Japanese, by all means – the game is enjoyable, and the quality of the wrapper here is as good as other the other releases in the EGGCONSOLE line-up. Everyone else should give this one a pass.

Railbreak provides an alternative to the House of the Dead Remake for fans of that series on Switch. It offers a decent amount of content, and the core action has a nice feel to it whether you’re playing alone or with a friend. The presentation is where it struggles, and it feels like it might be a bit much for the hardware. I also feel like playing with the sticks is a bit of a pain, but you can obviously only use touch controls when playing solo. If you want a quick hit of zombie-gunning fun, this will do.

Broken Roads has improved quite a bit since I played it in early April, but still needs a bit more work to be an easy recommendation. In its current state, I can recommend it, but it is a few updates away from being something special. It definitely needs a demo because I can’t imagine many people will give it a shot at its current asking price given the launch reception.

Isles of Sea and Sky is a superb puzzle game that is absolutely worth your time. It also feels right at home on Steam Deck, and manages to stand out with its gorgeous art, puzzles, open world, and blend of ideas. If you enjoy puzzle games, stop what you’re doing and get this now.

If my only complaint with a game is that it gets over too soon and I want more of it, I take that as a good sign. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a lovely and charming surprise that I enjoyed playing for about three hours. On paper, the voice acting and music with this aesthetic shouldn’t work, but the developers managed to pull through and deliver something special. You can also press a button to quack.

This new remaster of Monster Hunter Stories is easily the best way to experience an actual 3DS classic from Capcom. I always said Monster Hunter Stories was the best looking 3DS game, and it now shines on modern screens thanks to a remaster that did a lot more than I expected. While it isn’t as good as Monster Hunter Stories 2, Monster Hunter Stories is still worth playing for not only fans of the Monster Hunter games, but also fans of RPGs in general. It is obviously aimed at a younger audience so keep that in mind, but there’s no denying Monster Hunter Stories is excellent in just about every way.

Outside of including the middling 2010 Rocket Knight and adding in more save states, I can’t really think of many ways Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked could be better. If you know and love the games, you can pick up this set without fear and relive your happy memories. If you’ve never played them before, I think the three high-quality games in this set represent a solid value for fans of 2D platformers. I’m glad this turned out okay, both for fans of Sparkster and those who are about to become one.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t just the definitive version of a game I loved years ago, but one of Atlus' best RPGs in a long time. I always enjoy revisiting games I love every few years, but Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is just an incredible upgrade and release on its own. It is one of the best games you can play on Steam Deck in general, not just for this year.

Rider’s Spirits is one of those retro re-releases that feels like filler. It’s not very good, it’s not very bad, and there isn’t much of interest to it beyond the fact that we haven’t seen it localized before. If you’ve got a special hankering for a 16-bit racer that you haven’t played before, then you might enjoy this well enough to make it worth the pick-up. Most people will be better served running through Super Mario Kart one more time, however.

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED feels unreal in a good way. Not only is it one of Level-5’s best games in years, but it is a fantastic mech action game packed with tons of quality content. The fact that it even has cross platform save letting me take my progress across Switch and Steam Deck only sweetens the deal. I hope it gets a demo so that more folks can try and see why it is so good before committing to the full priced purchase though.

Hauntii is an amazing game that needs some more work on Nintendo Switch. The technical issues hold it back, but it is still worth your time and money. I recommend playing it on another platform if you have that option though. If you are ok with some performance issues, it feels right at home on Switch in handheld mode.

Those without pre-existing attachments are probably going to feel a bit lost here, and it’s hard to recommend the games to that sort of person as a result. That said, if you are a fan of this manga/anime, I think you’ll enjoy what’s on offer here. It’s all pretty modest in scope, but the characters are served well enough to satisfy. I think those who weren’t pleased with the canon ending of the series will find some additional joy here as you can choose a different path for our hapless hero. Not an especially ambitious or intriguing take on the genre, but good enough.

Those without pre-existing attachments are probably going to feel a bit lost here, and it’s hard to recommend the games to that sort of person as a result. That said, if you are a fan of this manga/anime, I think you’ll enjoy what’s on offer here. It’s all pretty modest in scope, but the characters are served well enough to satisfy. I think those who weren’t pleased with the canon ending of the series will find some additional joy here as you can choose a different path for our hapless hero. Not an especially ambitious or intriguing take on the genre, but good enough.

If you’re into the idea of a superhero-flavored turn-based tactical RPG, I can happily report that Capes won’t let you down. It brings powers into combat in sensible ways, and goes the extra mile of making sure things like cooperation between heroes is represented properly too. There are aspects of it that could use more polish, and you can feel where the budget perhaps wasn’t up to the ambition, but the meat of the game delivers quite nicely.

Whether you’re new to the game or are simply relishing a return trip to Rogueport, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a fantastic way to experience one of Mario’s grandest and strangest adventures. Even as someone who has enjoyed the quirky charms of the last few Paper Mario games, I must admit that replaying the game via this version has made me pine for a new game with a similar sensibility to it. I don’t know if we’ll ever see that or not, but for now this superb remake more than satisfies.

There’s a half-decent game buried somewhere in Arcadia: Colony, but the unreliable controls and overall bad feel of the fundamental mechanics make it hard to find. If you’re incredibly patient and find the idea of a character-swapping Metroidvania particularly appealing, you might enjoy it more than I did. Nevertheless, I find this difficult to recommend.

If you’ve enjoyed the recent string of retro arcade throwbacks that have been brought to the Switch by Flynns Arcade, you’ll want to look into Goliath Depot. It has a nice presentation, the gameplay mechanics are unusual and easy to grasp, and it has a lot of replay value packed into it. Chasing your way up a leaderboard is what keeps arcade-style games going, and Goliath Depot nails that aspect quite well.

I’ll certainly give Inti-Creates some credit here. Umbraclaw is trying some things outside of the developer’s usual wheelhouse, and they are interesting things. It almost gets there, but it ultimately feels caught between being some kind of roguelite and being a more linear action game. I also think the way the difficulty works here is a bit too manipulative in a way that doesn’t feel good. With all that said, Umbraclaw is still a nice-looking game that is very playable, and even if it fails trying something I will at least commend it for trying.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is an excellent remake, but not one to be taken lightly. In a change from Digital Eclipse’s usual documentary approach, this remake simply offers the original game with a fresh lick of paint and a few new optional features to make it more convenient (not easier!) to play. This is, at its heart, the same merciless dungeon crawling RPG it has always been. Whether that’s a challenge you want to tackle in the modern age is up to you, but there’s no better way to do so than through this fine effort.

SKALD: Against the Black Priory is a lovely surprise of an RPG. After a bit of getting used to it and some visual tweaks, I enjoyed my time with the game on Steam Deck using touch controls. If you’ve wanted an old-school RPG experience that’s built for today without compromising on the vision but one with some accessibility options, SKALD: Against the Black Priory is for you.

When I first played this year’s Alone in the Dark re-imagining, I thought it was a very good but flawed experience. After this week’s massive update, I’m glad I waited a bit longer to do my review because it is now in a much better state, and is worth your time even if you never played the original. Just be aware of the visual cutbacks needed to get this running on Steam Deck. I liked it enough to get it on PS5 for a replay.

Little Kitty, Big City is a game I didn’t think I’d enjoy much after a trailer, but I’m glad I got to play it on Steam Deck. It is a perfect game for portable play, and I have almost no major complaints about how it plays on Steam Deck. If you enjoy games like Untitled Goose Game or just want a fun and short interactive adventure, Little Kitty, Big City is for you.

Witch and Lilies is pretty excellent right now, but it looks like it will be worth buying in about a month or two based on its roadmap once more fixes and enhancements arrive. It plays well on Steam Deck already aside from some minor issues, and is shaping up to be a solid release for fans of yuri and dungeon RPGs. I can’t wait to see how it feels in a few months when I revisit it.

Ouros is a relaxing and great puzzle game that feels like something we’d see hit iPad a decade ago in a good way. It plays perfectly on Steam Deck with full touchscreen support, and has enough accessibility in its progression and hint system to be a great introduction to puzzle games as well.

If you have even the smallest shred of love in your soul for story-based games, play 1000xRESIST. Some of the best games of this sort feel like getting a fine dinner in a fancy restaurant. This one is like getting the whole damned menu brought to your table, plus a slice of fruit cake because there’s always room for dessert. An absolute masterpiece, and I am grateful that I got to experience it. Hekki grace.

This is becoming a pattern with EGGCONSOLE releases, but Golvellius is a cool game and it’s nice to see this MSX2 version made more accessible to players around the world. Unfortunately, the fact that the game in question hasn’t been localized from its original Japanese form means that a lot of folks who might otherwise enjoy playing the game will find themselves frustrated at not being able to make progress. If you’re feeling adventurous and patient, it’s worth the trip.

NecroBouncer has an interesting premise that it doesn’t do as much with as you might like, but it’s a perfectly adequate take on the somewhat well-worn roguelite action genre. My time with it was largely enjoyable, even if I don’t know that I’ll remember much about it in the long run. If you’re looking for a cheeky little roguelite to pass a few days with, this will certainly fit the bill.

Mullet Madjack is plain fantastic. It looks gorgeous, feels amazing, and is a sublime boomer shooter with an aesthetic we don’t usually see in the genre. If you have even the smallest interest in boomer shooters and like the 90s anime aesthetic, this one is worth getting. I recommend downloading the demo on Steam Deck and enabling gyro controls to see how you find the controls though as that’s the only aspect that might not work for everyone.

Arctic Eggs. What a game. What an experience. In this super busy month of quality indie games hitting non stop, I think Arctic Eggs will stick with me for a long time. While it isn’t ideal on Steam Deck out of the box, the community control layout made it my favorite way to experience Arctic Eggs. The soundtrack, aesthetic, and vibe are superb here. It’s time to fry eggs and change lives.

Library of Ruina is an incredible, challenging, and long experience with fantastic characters and sublime music on Steam. The console versions have a lovely art and music gallery included with a superb new Japanese voiceover option, but the interface quirks and Switch-specific issues make it hard to recommend easily right now even after two patches. If you have a Steam Deck, play Library of Ruina with the trackpad on that for the current best portable experience.

PO’ed: Definitive Edition is just what it says it is. If you’re going to play the game in any form, this is the best way to do it. Nightdive doesn’t miss often with its KEX Engine reissues, after all. But do you really want to play PO’ed? That’s the difficult question. Even in its era, it wasn’t exactly a barn-burner of a first-person shooter. It’s a very bizarre, unique game, and if that’s your jam then by all means give it a go. Hardly essential reading, but I’m sure someone out there is thrilled to see it.

Idea Factory and Compile Heart have a little lemonade stand that works for them here, and I’m not going to knock them for it. Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is yet another Neptunia game, and it doesn’t have much going on that we didn’t see in the last couple of action-RPGs in the series. The story is amusing if you’re into meta-humor, and while the whole thing feels like it was made on a meager budget, it’s fine for what it is. This Switch version is more solid than some of the other Neptunia ports on the platform, so if you’re a Neptunia fan looking to take this game on the go, here it is.

In the end Emerald Beyond is another SaGa game that is preaching to the choir, but it’s a choir worth joining if you think you’ve got the patience for it.

As long as you know what you’re getting into, I think you’ll find Musashi vs Cthulhu to be a decent little time-waster. It does what it sets out to do well enough, and although it gets repetitive in a hurry, I think it’s fine for the small snack price it’s selling for.

Qualia is a visual novel that can’t seem to settle on what it wants to be. A sweet little romance with a quirky premise? A piece of science fiction? An excuse for lewd scenes that have been cut from this version? At times it is all of these things, but it fails to nail down any of them to the degree that I would have preferred. It’s not entirely without its charms, but Qualia ultimately doesn’t live up to its potential in any regard.

I think Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes does a good job of carrying out its goal of giving Suikoden fans a new game with a similar sort of appeal. There are some pacing issues here, and its commitment to the bit means those without the necessary nostalgia might feel a little annoyed at times, but overall this is an enjoyable RPG that hits some notes these ears of mine haven’t heard in a while. Unfortunately, this Switch version suffers from too many technical issues to recommend with any real vigor. Play this game, but I wouldn’t play it here unless you really have no other option.

If you’ve never played a Warriors game before, Samurai Warriors 4 DX is superb value and a fantastic game to start with. Some aspects are dated compared to newer Omega Force games and the price should’ve been a bit lower though. That aside, it is incredible to finally have it on PC over a decade later, and it is almost perfect on Steam Deck out of the box. I hope it can be optimized a bit for a locked 60fps because I always love playing Warriors games on a portable, and Samurai Warriors 4 DX on Steam Deck is an amazing version of one of my favorite Warriors games.

Hatsune Miku – The Planet Of Wonder And Fragments Of Wishes is a game I recommend on a big discount if you like Miku. I try to play just about every Hatsune Miku game I can across platforms, and Hatsune Miku – The Planet Of Wonder And Fragments Of Wishes would’ve been easier to recommend if it cost about half of what it does and didn’t have a constant scrolling issue. As a short adventure game for Miku fans, it gets the job done, but the asking price makes it a non starter right now.

INDIKA was a fresh adventure experience that continuously surprised me throughout with how its narrative flowed, and one I’m definitely going to replay on PS5 when it releases there. As a fan of walking simulators, this is one of my favorites in the genre, and I’m just shocked it even exists. It might even be one of my favorite games 11 bit studios has published so far.

Crow Country joins Signalis as one of the best survival horror games in recent years. It is shockingly good, and I can’t wait to revisit it when its next update arrives. I urge you to at least try the free demo. It feels perfect on Steam Deck. What I thought would be a nice throwback horror game ended up being one of the best in years for the genre, and a standout title in an already amazing 2024 for games.

Gigantic: Rampage Edition with cross platform play and with how well it plays on Steam Deck is worth your time if you have people to play with despite the few issues I have with certain aspects of the experience. I worry for the online population, but this is a solid base at a low asking price. I just hope some sort of story mode can be added as future DLC or in an update.

If you like word games and dungeon crawlers, Cryptmaster will likely be one of your favorite games in years. It oozes humor, charm, and constantly keeps you engaged with its striking aesthetic and mechanics. I also like how the developers cater to those who play with a controller here, though I recommend a keyboard for the smoothest experience.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER feels like a weird sequel in how it didn’t end up being what I hoped for, but still had me glad it exists and enjoying it more or less all the way. The music, art, and interactions elevate this to an essential for fans of 2064: Read Only Memories, but I still like the original game more.

I don’t know how Simogo keeps doing it, but Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, like every other game I’ve played from the studio, gets my highest possible recommendation. It is one of the best games I’ve ever played on Switch and Steam Deck. If you have the smallest interest in unique experiences and like puzzle games, buy Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and grab a notebook. You will not regret it.

Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer remains a fantastic boomer shooter, and is the most 90s thing (compliment) on the eShop right now. I hope it can see some performance improvement for docked play and gyro support added in potential updates though.

If you enjoy rail shooters or Cotton a lot, you’ll probably find enough in Rainbow Cotton to enjoy to make it worth your while. It’s as good as it can be, given the source material. That’s really the catch here; this is an excellent version of a deeply flawed game, and despite its fixes and improvements it’s not really enough to save it from being the worst shooter in the Cotton series. Not entirely without its charms, but not a game I can muster much enthusiasm for either.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! has a lot of potential, but it is lacking for online play right now. If you have folks to play with locally and like the IP, this will be a good purchase. The team at CyberConnect2 did a great job translating Demon Slayer to this setting, but I hope there’s more added through the year and the online is improved.

My Time at Sandrock is an excellent life simulation game that improved on everything in My Time at Portia. It is bigger and better, and the recent updates have made it one I can recommend on Nintendo Switch as well. If you held off on it after hearing how rough things were at launch, you can now grab it. It isn’t as good as My Time at Sandrock on Steam Deck, but it is worth getting for handheld play now.

Given how rarely Falcom seems to let the original Wanderers out versus Oath in Felghana, it’s nice to have a chance to play this game again. It’s grindy and there are parts that don’t quite work, but that Ys flow that runs through just about all of the games is present and accounted for. This release only offers Japanese language support in-game, so make sure you know what you’re getting into if you decide to pick it up. If you’re okay with that, then this is worth the spin.

It’s unfortunate that a niche series has finally made a return after so many years in a market that should be more receptive to its charms, only to make some big changes that significantly weaken the overall package. There’s still something to Endless Ocean Luminous, things you can’t find in this exact form anywhere else, but the loss of a properly designed world to explore and the sometimes tedious nature of the tasks it requires of you make this a difficult game to recommend with much vigor.

I absolutely recommend Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, and the Switch version was a lot better than I expected, but the Metroidvania aspect isn’t as well-realized as the rest of the game. You’re here for the narrative, music, art, and voice acting more than the Metroidvania bits that felt too linear.

Surmount ended up surprising me constantly, and I will be playing the daily challenge and getting back to it often on both Switch and Steam Deck often. If the premise sounds good to you, I recommend downloading the demo for sure. You will not regret it and the climbing mechanic is just so good.

As a value add to Netflix, Braid, Anniversary Edition is an amazing boost to its gaming catalog for newcomers to the puzzle-platformer, and another fantastic game on the service that likely wouldn’t have hit mobile alongside other platforms. Playing Braid, Anniversary Edition has been just as much fun as it was experiencing the Xbox 360 version years ago, and I hope it gets a physical release in the future. I also hope the mobile version sees some touch control improvements in potential patches though.

Right now, I can see myself playing Foundry daily for a session or two solo or with others as a nice way to chill. It has a solid base already, and I hope to see it improve even on Steam Deck support with the many patches and content updates planned to arrive in the future. If you’ve wanted a solid base building and automation experience that is a lot of fun even early on, Foundry is worth checking out. [Early Access Review]

Footgun: Underground is a clever spin on a formula that is getting to be very well-worn indeed. Even setting the sheer novelty of blending soccer moves with the roguelite action genre aside, the actual mechanics are fun to learn and take some technique to apply well. It’s not as immediately enjoyable as some games in the genre, but take some time to learn the nuances and unlock some of the more interesting abilities and you’ll be well rewarded.

In its current state with the visual issue caveat, I recommend TopSpin 2K25 if you really like tennis. It could’ve been better, but I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve put into it. I’m not sure if this will become a yearly series for 2K, but I’m glad to see TopSpin return. I look forward to seeing what future updates bring for the game.

At this point, Vampire Survivors DLC is a lot like Dead Cells DLC where it is hard to not recommend buying any of it. Vampire Survivors Operation Guns, like the Emergency Meeting DLC, is a must-have regardless of whether you are familiar with the source material or not. It enhances the game and made me play a lot of Contra Hard Corps on Nintendo Switch Online today. It is an essential purchase if you like Vampire Survivors given the value and quality.

Cyber Citizen Shockman 3 closes out this quirky trilogy on as high of a note as it can muster, and one that I suppose is appropriate given what came before. I think it’s the smoothest game of the three to play, but it’s a bit irritating that it more or less pushes out the interesting elements of the first two games in favor of a very plain design. Still, there’s just enough of that early 90s CD vibe here to carry what is otherwise a rather bland side-scrolling action game. If you’ve played the first two, you might as well see it through with this one.

Get the requisite people in place for the four-player local multiplayer, and Armed and Gelatinous is pretty fun. It gets a little repetitive after a short while, but as long as you play it in managed bursts there are good times to be had here. I feel like the core concept isn’t quite as balanced as it should be, but growing to be a giant blob with guns sticking out of every bit of your bloated body is enjoyable enough that you might not care. Popping another player who has hit that size and stealing all their artillery is definitely a good feeling. There’s something to this game, even if it doesn’t quite stick together the way one might hope.

El Shaddai has always been a game that divided opinions, and that’s just as true of this HD remaster as it was for the original version. The beautiful presentation carries a lot of the load here, and the story certainly has its charms. The repetitive gameplay is the biggest issue here, as it fails to offer both the diversity of moves and expanding arsenal of many of its peers in the character action genre. For me, the good outweighed the inadequate here, and nothing was really outright bad about it. But if you think a game needs to get by on its mechanics, you might want to pump the brakes on this Ascension.

A certain type of player is going to love Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition, but it’s important to keep in mind what these games are and aren’t. They’re fundamentally not all that different from their original PSP incarnations, and the new localizations aren’t great. Beginners will want to proceed with caution, as despite the colorful look and school theme these are extremely unforgiving experiences. If you feel like modern dungeon crawlers aren’t nasty enough or just miss the friction of the classic Wizardry games, this is going to be right up your alley.

If you already played Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, this remake isn’t really worth buying at full price. If you’re new to the game, I recommend this remake as your first experience. After a few updates and improvements on Steam Deck, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is definitely worth grabbing. I’ve enjoyed revisiting it after many years, and the co-op feature has been a nice surprise, though I still think it works best as a solo experience.

In its current state, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist in Steam Early Access feels more like a lengthy demo. What I’ve played is amazing and it absolutely shines on the Steam Deck OLED right from day one. I cannot wait to play more of it and see how it evolves through updates in the early access period. If you enjoyed Ender Lilies, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is essential already as long as you’re ok with the content included in the early access version so far. [Early Access Review]

While Rusty’s Retirement is definitely better suited to playing on PC or Mac (this has its own issues), I’ve enjoyed dipping into it on Steam Deck. I hope it eventually gets proper Steam Deck support letting you play it like a normal idle game rather than one that’s designed to be played at the bottom of your screen. This may go against what it was designed for, but that’s the only path I see forward for it on Steam Deck. As for what it aims to do, Rusty’s Retirement is excellent and definitely worth buying right now. It is a few small updates away from being perfect right now.

Another Crab’s Treasure is superb. It has a few polish issues holding some areas of it back, but I can’t recommend it enough at its asking price right now. I’ve already spent nearly 25 hours with it across platforms, and can’t wait to keep doing more as I play it on Steam Deck and PS5. Just avoid the Switch version for now. Another Crab’s Treasure feels like this year’s Lies of P at a smaller scale, and that’s about the best compliment I can give a soulslike right now.

Loop Hero feels like a game that was always intended for mobile, and the conversion from Playdigious is almost perfect. At a fraction of what it costs on other platforms, not only does Loop Hero feel right at home on mobile, but it is the best version of the game. It is going to be a mainstay on my iOS homescreens for a long time. I just hope portrait mode can be added eventually because it would make Loop Hero absolutely perfect on mobile.

Dadish 3D takes the series into the third dimension with a surprising level of competency, and while it isn’t without its flaws it’s a really strong little 3D platformer for those looking for one. “Little" is a key point here, as it feels very pick-up-and-play thanks to its concise, well-paced stages. There are some growing pains here to be sure, particularly with the camera and gauging distances, but I have faith Dadish will overcome them in future installments.

If you are a fan of the arcade game and just want to play it at home, then yes, Wrath of the Mutants is a full win. Buy it, be happy. For everyone else, it’s impossible to deny the fact that both Shredder’s Revenge and the Cowabunga Collection are available on the Switch at comparable prices and offer considerably better takes on this exact concept. Indeed, given how many exceptional beat-em-ups there are on the platform, it’s very hard to recommend this one. It’s okay, but “okay" doesn’t really cut it at this stage.

Lunar Lander Beyond is… fine. I wish I could say it’s more than that, or that it has the capacity to do more than preach to the Atari choir, but I don’t think it’s quite there. Some of its attempts to add some complexity to the concept don’t really click, and while the graphics and sound are pretty good, it feels like the core gameplay can’t fully live up to the level of ambition seen in other aspects. Still, if you have the requisite fondness for Atari and/or thrust-based spaceship games, you’ll likely enjoy your time with this well enough.

1992-released vertical shmup Dogyuun is a stunner of a game with its environments and design. I hadn’t played it before this release in any form, and didn’t even bother checking out any footage of it barring that trailer. It floored me with its gorgeous visuals for the time and music. I think it is now one of my favorite Toaplan shmups with its setting and unique mechanics. Dogyuun makes me wish Bitwave did galleries and museum modes in these releases because I want to see more of this art. If you only want to grab one of the games from this bundle, Dogyuun is my favorite.

Toaplan’s 1993-released vertically scrolling shmup Grind Stormer, considered a successor to Slap Fight, has been one of the biggest surprises so far from Bitwave’s releases. I’ve enjoyed experiencing it for the first time, and the quality of life features helped make it easier to play through initially. While the visuals and music are excellent in Grind Stormer, the gameplay is the real star. Grind Stormer also includes the V・V regional version which is worth checking out. I just hope the few small audio issues get resolved in updates.

Twin Hawk is an 1989-released vertical scrolling shmup from Toaplan that has an alternate World War II setting. This one is a bit different to Toaplan’s usual shmup settings with its visuals and the real star is the music of the package aside from the gameplay of course. Overall, I did enjoy my time with Twin Hawk, but I hope the sound emulation can be improved a bit because having heard Twin Hawk’s music before playing it, the end result here is a bit lacking. Aside from that, I recommend this release, and love how well it plays on Steam Deck. It definitely made me interested in the Evercade version if I ever decide to get one of those.

Originally released back in 1992, Truxton 2 is a sequel to Truxton, and it has gorgeous visuals. It is also quite difficult, but really has been the game in this set I’ve revisited the most since getting access to it. As a vertical shmup, Truxton 2 has excellent gameplay, and I’m glad to see the audio issues get addressed quite a bit with updates following the launch. It isn’t perfect, but I’m pleased with the current state of Truxton 2, and it plays flawlessly on Steam Deck with Steam Remote Play Together support.

Some of the quests and open world activities felt repetitive, but on the whole Sand Land is one of the better adaptations we’ve seen from the publisher. Whenever Bandai Namco Entertainment announces a new project like this, I never know whether it will be worth my time or not. Thankfully, Sand Land ended up delivering and is worth your time on Steam Deck. I definitely recommend trying out the free demo if you aren’t sure it is for you.

Hydlide II isn’t the greatest of games even by the standards of its own series, and those coming to it with no nostalgia, nearly four decades later, are probably not going to have a very good time with it. The relatively low amount of text means the language barrier isn’t as big of an issue here as it is in some other EGGCONSOLE releases, so you probably could play through it if you have a mind to. But I doubt many but the most stubborn and dogged of gaming historians are going to try to do that.

If you enjoy logic puzzles, you’ll likely find Sokobond Express to be a treat. It has a nice, simple presentation that makes all of its elements clear at a glance, chill music to listen to as you mull things over, a solid difficulty curve that eases you into the boiling pot, and has some educational value to boot. As path-finding puzzlers go, Sokobond Express is a superb example.

While Picross -LogiartGrimoire- doesn’t do anything revolutionary from a mechanical standpoint, its new framing for the puzzles makes this the best entry point for the series in quite a long while. If you’ve never played a Picross game before, I think this is the one to start with as far as the Switch releases go. If you have played a Picross game before, you probably picked this up the minute it released anyway.

Ikki Unite is a game with two faces. If you play it in the form I assume it was intended by heading online, it has a powerful identity of its own despite being clearly inspired by Vampire Survivors. If you play alone, you’ll find a very challenging game that isn’t quite as fun as the game it draws inspiration from. You can tell the developers really considered how to make this game feel like Ikki despite hopping on to a popular genre-of-the-moment. I’d recommend this to fans of this kind of game, provided they’re okay with playing online. After all, the rebellion that slays together, stays together.

Being able to access your shared worlds across platforms is nice, but for a game that offers cross play and has Microsoft account linking, I really wish it was full cross progression and cross play like you’d expect from a modern game with online components. I can see myself coming back to Grounded to play with friends online, but I’m leaning towards playing it more on PS5 with the faster load times, better performance, and more.

A Tale of Paper: Refolded takes a decent enough swing at the cinematic puzzle platformer genre, but this Switch version is probably the worst way to play it. From the usual technical issues that often come with an Unreal Engine game to a bevy of bugs that lead to a frustrating amount of resets, A Tale of Paper‘s numerous issues pile up to make it hard to recommend in this form. Those who are interested in the premise would do well to try it out on other platforms instead.

This is about as straight forward a take on Sokoban-style puzzles as you can get. There’s a cute theme here where you’re an alien pushing livestock into your tractor beam instead of being a guy pushing crates into designated squares, but that’s really the only distinctive feature of the game. Oh, and you can unlock hats. From an audiovisual standpoint, it comes off like the five-dollar game that it is, but the actual gameplay does what it has to. If you’re a Sokoban fiend that needs another fix, this will tide you over. Others are unlikely to find much charm in it.

Being limited to only two players keeps Ready, Steady, Ship! from being the next party fix for Overcooked fans, but there’s enough enjoyment to be had here that those who don’t mind the smaller player count will find it worth their while to check out. It’s a little awkward and glitchy, but that’s really only a problem if you’re shooting for the best performance in each stage. Otherwise, it’s an added bit of tomfoolery in a game that only benefits from such things.

Keeping the legacy of Flash games alive is important, and in that sense I’m glad Rose & Camellia Collection exists. But its slight nature and clumsy controls make it hard to recommend with much vigor despite its charming presentation. Apart from adding some standard button controls I can’t imagine someone making a better Rose & Camellia collection than this, so if you loved the series on your computer back in the day by all means go for it. Otherwise, I’m not sure there’s enough here to chew on at the price it’s commanding.

Slice & Dice isn’t just one of my favorite games of 2024, but one of my favorite roguelikes in many years already. I’m looking forward to playing it daily on iPhone, and think anyone with a remote interest in roguelikes should download the game and try it for free immediately.

Sometimes a game doesn’t have to do anything too fancy to satisfy, and that’s more or less where I’m at with Mimi the Cat. It’s a fairly straightforward take on the Sokoban-style crate-pusher puzzle game. Mimi’s trying to reach her scratcher in each stage, and you need to guide her there. This will often involve pushing boxes around and stacking them so that Mimi can cross gaps or climb up to where her scratcher is, and there are a few stage gimmicks sprinkled in to keep things fresh along the way. It’s not doing anything new and it comes off as very low-budget, but if you enjoy these kinds of puzzles it will scratch the itch.

If you love Legacy of the Wizard for the NES and are curious about trying a slightly remixed version of it, then EGGCONSOLE Dragon Slayer IV is something you’ll want to check out. If you’re fully new to the game, I’d probably recommend the Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 set instead. The NES version included there is just as good as this one if not better, and you get more games to go with it. With that said, this isn’t a bad version by any means, and the language barrier is rather minimal by the standards of these releases. An odd game to be sure, but not one that is impossible to love.

I won’t belabor the point here. Freedom Planet 2 takes everything Freedom Planet did right and does it better, while also making sure to improve on the things it didn’t do well. It’s still not a perfect game by any means, and it can’t quite escape the orbit of Sonic the Hedgehog. But maybe it doesn’t have to? Maybe it isn’t meant to? Perhaps it’s just fine if it’s a really great riff on Sonic‘s gameplay. It knows what it wants to be and executes on that amazingly well. If you like 2D platformers, you’ll want to put this game on your shopping list.

There’s a lot to like in Terra Memoria, especially in the game’s outstanding presentation. It’s clear its creators are fans of the RPG genre, and the foundation is here for something really great. Unfortunately, after a solid start the game doesn’t really build on things very well. Characters are paper-thin, the combat system quickly stagnates, and it all starts to feel like you’re just going through the motions. There’s enough gas in the tank here for me to recommend it to fans of the genre, though.

Moonglow Bay has a lot of good aspects to it that unfortunately are balanced against some balancing and pacing issues. All of this is overshadowed by the game’s buggy, unpolished state here on the Switch. Between framerate issues, crashes, collision mess-ups, and other bizarre bugs, it’s hard to properly get into the world the game is trying to build. I’m hoping the game can improve with some updates, because there is something here that compelled me when the problems weren’t pushing me away.