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.

If you're looking for an atmospheric zombie shooter, this one's an easy recommendation.

Tumbledrop isn't particularly original, but if you're a fan of these types of games you likely have several similar ones on your phone already.

Coco Loco isn't a strikingly original game, even without the checklist of familiar interface elements, but it is one of the most thoroughly solid and entertaining physics puzzle games I've played in some time.

It's a game worth playing, a story worth experiencing. And it will leave you wanting more.

Despite my misgivings, Sentinels of the Multiverse is entertaining. It has an aura of desperation in fighting a superior enemy and really drives home the threat level of the 4 included bosses.

It might seem a little pricey given its 8-bit origins, but I can promise you that when you're coming out the other end of Dragon Quest 3, you'll feel like every penny was well-spent.

There's 5-star potential that Rust Bucket can still reach, but until then, this game has to settle for being merely very good, though it could be one of the best roguelikes on the App Store at some point.

Despite these minuscule glitches and gripes, I really enjoyed recklessly driving around REKT!'s eye-catching sandbox arena. Landing complicated stunts and achieving higher scores (all while unlocking cars and cosmetics) kept the game feeling fresh and satisfying. Its controls were a pleasure to utilize and I never felt that I was being cheated out of a high score by the game itself. Every mistake felt like it was solely my own. My biggest complaint with the game is the lack of another arena or game-mode. However, isn't that a fantastic complaint to have? For 2 bucks, you can't go wrong with snagging it.

I wouldn’t quite put it over Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition as far as Switch Warriors games go, but it’s not far from that mark at all. If you enjoyed the Hyrule Warriors games, give this one a go. Link isn’t here, but you’ll still have fun.

The appeal here is the same as it has always been with Minter’s Tempest games and variants. There aren’t a lot of games similar to Tempest, and it’s still a lot of fun. Every new stage brings its own shape and therefore its own required strategies, making for a game that constantly feels fresh and challenging. Online leaderboards give the score attacking a stronger sense of purpose, and the presentation makes the whole thing feel like an experience as much as a game. Oddly while the in-game controls are incredibly responsive, the menus appear to be suffering from some sort of lag. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning. If you come for the pure gaming thrills that a Minter jam always promises, you won’t be disappointed.

ANNO: Mutationem is a good port of a great game. The flaws from the original are still present here, but the gameplay perfectly suits the Switch’s hybrid nature. It also can look absolutely stunning on the OLED display in handheld mode. If you aren’t sure about the performance or how it looks when played docked, I’d recommend downloading the free ANNO: Mutationem demo on the eShop. I’m glad ANNO: Mutationem finally arrived on Switch and hope it gets a physical release in the future.

I applaud the creative spirit behind Once Upon a Jester, and I had a decent time playing through it. I’d love to see these characters again, and I hope to see more from this developer in the future. The game thankfully reaches its conclusion before the novelty wears out completely, but some parts of it get a little repetitive even within that span of time. It’s an affable affair, and its quirky charms are worth experiencing even with a few shortcomings in tow.

Like the original game itself, Tomba! Special Edition isn’t perfect, but it’s a very difficult game to dislike. This is a game that feels eternally in search of its due, and perhaps this multiplatform release might help make that finally happen. If you’re looking for a platformer that’s a bit different from the norm, or are an old Tomba fan in search of a way to rekindle your happy memories, this is a good pick.

While Infinity Blade II was a refinement of the original, Infinity Blade III takes the familiar Infinity Blade formula and tweaks it to the point of perfection. There's far more content, even more customization, additional systems to delve in to, and best of all, huge dragons.

While not for everyone, RoboSockets is definitely one of the more interesting falling block games that I've seen in a while. Its strong mix of innovative gameplay and robot presentation really work for the genre… a genre that is typically synonymous with being quite drab.

While each of the individual gameplay elements isn't particularly groundbreaking, Avatar's major achievement is the sense of immersion and scale that Gameloft has managed to create in an iPhone game.

A slick, mellow game that rewards both your time and your skill. It won't appeal to everyone, but it can (and should) reach a larger audience than the average racing game.

Give Deep Loot a little time to sink in, and I think you will be suprised at what you can bring out of it.

Whatever the case, I'm going to go ahead and say this is the best LEGO experience on iOS to date, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with the wookiee.

As someone whose only experience with Warhammer 40,000 is through games, I still adored the writing, combat, and music in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. It has also been a joy to play on Steam Deck especially with the newest major update. If you skipped out on it at launch to wait for a few updates, I can safely recommend Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader right now. I hope it does well enough to get a nice physical release in the future.

Techland not only ported Dying Light to Switch well, but also added touchscreen support for menus and motion controls. In terms of features, this is one of the best big game conversions I’ve seen for Switch and it would be great if we actually saw more publishers and developers put in this much of an effort into their ports. While the Nintendo Switch version isn’t as good as other platforms in almost every way on a technical level, it is absolutely worth getting if you’ve wanted to experience the game and want it portable or only have a Nintendo Switch.

As a tower defense game, Siegecraft TD does a good job with its established gameplay and decent visuals engine. Toss in its great multiplayer system and it becomes a game that really stands out.

This has never been the strongest single-player KOF, so I'm not sure it's worth suffering the finicky controls if you're only going to play against that vile, cheating CPU.

I suspect many people will be happy to see that LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham has reverted back to the old style, and I think I'll go ahead and agree that it was probably the right call for this game.

What the game does well (the visuals, the way it tells the story, and the challenging and satisfying nature of most puzzles) it does really well.

So, if you enjoy puzzle games, hidden object games, crime-solving games, or all of the above mixed in one, I have just the right number of dead bodies for you.

The action is quite familiar to anyone who has played a few games of this genre before, and the game suffers from a few pacing issues that are made worse by how straightforward it tends to be mechanically. Still, that does little to diminish how excellent the game is overall. The strength of its main characters and the desire to see just what is coming next makes Eastward a very tough game to put down.

If you didn’t care for the tone or gameplay of the first game, Void Terrarium 2 isn’t going to change your mind. It’s similarly dark and heart-breaking in its narrative, and while the gameplay has certainly been refined it hasn’t been dramatically overhauled. It’s simply another Void Terrarium, but when you consider how singular and odd that game was I can’t say there isn’t room for one more like it.

This is a very fun action-platformer with excellent mechanics and some interesting twists that will at times have you laughing and other times have you reeling in shock. It has some bugs that the developer will probably fix, and you can feel some unrealized potential in various aspects as the game runs its course. But if you come to it because of the idea of a game built around an umbrella that is also a gun, I can promise you won’t likely be disappointed with what you get.

Archetype delivers one of the most robust, beautiful, and most importantly fun FPS experiences that can be had on the iPhone.

If you haven't had enough of the LEGO games yet, LEGO The Lord of the Rings will satisfy you.

There's plenty of content to play through, with 80 levels currently in the game and more coming in updates. Burn the Rope is definitely worth a look if you're interested in a unique puzzle game, and if you aren't afraid to spin your device around in public.

A huge improvement over the original, and I just can't believe how hooked I've been on it since it came out. It's just pure, simplistic, fast-paced, arcade racing fun.

At its core, Crowman & Wolfboy operates like many runner games have before it. But with a unique visual style and a believably haunting world, it's worth checking out, if only to see how slick the animation looks in action.

The simple fact is Space Chicks is an awesome endless runner with great presentation, highly approachable controls and just enough platforming elements and difficulty to keep players coming back for more.

Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal is one of the easiest recommendations ever. I finally see why many consider it one of the best games ever, and while it is too soon to say if it is my favorite Hitman game, it is close. If you’re new to the franchise and want a great way to taste the world of Hitman on mobile, there isn’t anything close. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal on mobile and Hitman: World of Assassination on PC and console platforms are both the best entry points into the series, and both masterpieces. If you have a newer iPhone or iPad, don’t even think twice. Just go buy Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal.

If you enjoy games like Angry Birds or Crush The Castle, but want something slightly different, Siege Hero is for you. The first person perspective is a neat change, and seeing how they differentiate themselves from the competition in future updates will be interesting to see.

Overall, Pascal’s Wager feels great to play despite its quirks. The combat is great and more than makes up for the graphical flaws and dubious voice acting, the character swapping mechanic is new and interesting, and it is delightfully dark. Despite its problems, I can’t wait to spend more time with it, and very much look forward to where it’s taken in the future. It has without a doubt exceeded my expectations and, with a little help, could readily meet my hopes. All it would take is a bit of polish, a few fixes, and a lot of editing.

Just like the Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star release from Imagineer, Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU is a solid fitness-focused game that does a great job of bringing Miku to the world of Fitness Boxing to try and appeal to her fans. While it is a competent fitness game with its daily workout, customization, and tracking, I feel like it would be better as a complement to something like Ring Fit Adventure or your own other exercise routine rather than being the sole exercise you do during the week.

Cartoony, easy on the eyes and smoothly animated, Velocirapture looks like some twisted children's television show's iOS game spin-off. While hardly the deepest gaming experience around, Velocirapture remains one of those engaging sort of titles that are perfect for the long minutes in someone's waiting room.

When it comes down to it, Andro Dunos 2 is a faithful ode to a particular era of shooters that is a few options and features away from being all it can be. It’s perhaps a bit too faithful, as it can feel a little bit pedestrian at times. The mechanics are easy enough to pick up for newcomers, but require just enough strategy to apply to give more skilled players something to chew on. The lack of online leaderboards takes some of the wind out of the score attack sails, and the disappointingly minimal display options fall below expectations. Still, fans of the original and shoot-em-up fans should find enough to chew on here.

So no, everything is not awesome. Everything is the same as ever. Everything is boring and expected.

Ultimately, this is a pair of good remakes of two very strong games, and I can only hope this time we don’t have to say good-bye to Klonoa again when it’s all said and done.

Sympathy Kiss probably won’t knock anyone’s socks off, but sometimes it’s nice to get a game that colors inside the lines with a fair amount of skill. The office setting and highly grounded plotline work as a useful anchor for the often unusual characters you’ll be meeting, and with a total of eight routes to play through there is bound to be a favorite dude here for anyone’s tastes. Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness; it’s a very ordinary visual novel in just about every regard. Come in with those expectations, and you’ll find this a decent enough treat.

It feels like the kind of game that our touchscreen devices were made for, and looks gorgeous to boot.

A little rougher around the edges maybe, but a ridiculous, ageless thing that can be enjoyed by anyone. And that's okay.

While the visual and performance cutbacks are ones I expected going from PS5 to Switch, Bugsnax not making full use of the Switch’s unique hardware capabilities is disappointing. I was hoping we’d get gyro control options or proper HD rumble to try and offer more immersion, but neither are present in this release. You do get the complete game with the Isle of Bigsnax right from the start though. If you already played Bugsnax on another platform, you should stick to that one to experience the new content, but for those who haven’t jumped into Snacktooth Island yet, the Nintendo Switch version of Bugsnax is a fine way to do so. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed putting in more than 20 hours into it on Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.

Life is Strange: True Colors is one of the better newer game ports in recent years on Nintendo Switch. In a lot of cases, there are big caveats to buying a newer third party game on Nintendo Switch. For Life is Strange: True Colors, there have been downgrades, but they are smartly done to preserve most of the experience and deliver an excellent portable experience. Life is Strange: True Colors has already seen further improvements following launch with a recent update. As the franchise’s debut on the Switch platform, Life is Strange: True Colors is just about everything I wanted from a port.

It's sexy, fast-paced fun.

My current favorite futuristic racer in the App Store. The camera angle, the well done tracks, the visual effects, the excellent sense of speed - they all come together to deliver what really does feel like a "console" title on the iPhone.

It's pleasant but shallow. That said, I recommend Color Zen unequivocally, and I'd easily plop down more money for even more content, especially if it gets more difficult.

With a charming personality, stylish assortment of options and techniques, challenging battles with bosses and grunts alike, and spot-on controls, Have A Nice Death is another excellent entry in the roguelite genre for the Switch. Its teeth may be a little too sharp for some and its level designs get tired way too quickly, but I think anyone who has any affection for the genre will find plenty to love here.

I’d easily recommend this to those looking for a well-told, emotional story with an interesting presentation, but if you want something that pushes back with its mechanics, it may not be the right game for you.

Ultimately, Blue Reflection: Second Light is another high-quality effort from Gust. Its unique setting, strong character work, and attractive presentation are the highlights here, but it doesn’t outright drop the ball in any categories. If you’re looking for a cozy, low-stress RPG to spend some time with, Blue Reflection: Second Light makes a compelling case. Those who, like me, caught on to Gust with the Atelier Ryza games will certainly want to check this game out. It has many of the same charms, but with enough differences to make it stand on its own.

Pigs in Trees only has one mode, based on a simple concept, but this drawing arcade game is so well delivered, that it deserves to be successful. We're already looking forward to the Spring levels.

While I think the 'hardcore' nature of the gameplay will appeal mainly to the hardcore fans, the supplemental league ghosts and leaderboards do a good job of providing additional goals that might appeal to a wider audience.

If you’re craving an Etrian Odyssey-like experience on Nintendo Switch and like the aesthetic in Mary Skelter Finale, you will have a lot of fun with it. While it doesn’t push the envelope like Mary Skelter 2 did compared to the original, Mary Skelter Finale is a competent and quality DRPG for Nintendo Switch. It also helps that the Western release has a lot of free DLC available further building on the characters. This is easily one of Compile Heart’s best games.

I'm really sort of shocked by how much I find myself enjoying this game. The difficulty curve seems great, Jetpack Joyride already proved that this payment model works, and I love how they take the foundation that worked so well for Halfbrick but created what feels (and, really, is) an entirely new game around it.

Like a Dragon Gaiden feels like a love letter of a game for Kazuma Kiryu. I was initially disappointed when Sega announced this release because I thought Yakuza 6 was a perfect send off, but Like a Dragon Gaiden proved that the team still has it in them to deliver a compelling story for Kiryu, and still make brawler games that feel great to play. I expected Like a Dragon Gaiden to be an appetizer for Infinite Wealth in January, but it ended up being so much more. Just don’t play it unless you’ve already experienced Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

2360: Battle for Cydonia does a great job in keeping its Mech combat fresh, be it through a huge range of interesting weapons and items to unlock, or its engaging mission objectives, and will undoubtedly be a staple on our devices for a while to come.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs boasts an outstanding all-round presentation; the graphics gorgeously rendered and animated, with some of the larger, more recognizable dinosaurs from the movies providing some additional visual treats.

iPhone gamers on the go will find Train Conductor to be a game particularly well-suited to quick, pick-up play sessions. It's right into the action and in moments you're in the heat of the connecting track shuffle.

Poker Pals delivers a fun interpretation of poker, with desirable asynchronous play and random match-ups for people without many online friends. It has a high replay value and should come with a warning about time-consumtion, due to the constant, but pleasurable interruptions when it's your turn.

The heart of Corpse Granny is trial and error, and it works as long as you like to play in bite -sized bits and puzzle your way through how to solve each level. This game is chock-full of personality, and it also uses OpenFeint to track scores and such so you can compete with your friends.

A rare treat: a puzzle game filled with variety, but trusting in its players enough to get out of their way.

I have no problem with encouraging players to spend some cash on premium items that are not necessary for normal gameplay. The restrictions in Spice Invaders do not fit that example, especially since all these design choices are solely made to encourage folks to spend money (rather than designs that encourage fun).

This Could Hurt isn't quite what we'd been hoping for when it comes to the next generation of iOS platformers. That said, the game still plays great and you could still get at least several hours of enjoyment out of it, just set your expectations accordingly.

It's mature, old school design. Very rough around the edges, and certainly not showpiece for the platform. Ugly, in fact. But it's also a lot of fun, and interesting enough that, given my resistance to cheating, I have a feeling I'll be squatting my way through for another solid three or four weeks.

It's just too bad it suffers for design decisions that have nothing to do with the puzzles themselves.

It does everything you would expect from such a title. No more, no less. If there are any complaints that I have about the game, it's probably the occasional sluggishness and the fact that Burrito Bison seems to have a habit of periodically crashing on my iPhone 4S. That said, it's still a pretty sweet port.

For now, players have over 100 levels and a way to create an infinite amount more to play locally solo or with friends for $1. If you want a fast-paced game that demands digital dexterity, Finger Tied is an easy recommendation.

It might take a little adjustment to get into the interactive fiction swing, but it's well worth learning the language.

Anyway, Help Volty is a strange game set in a strange world, for sure, but that's the best part; you can't figure it out and you can't help but want to continue because you want to try. It's neat.

If you're looking for an accessible RPG that'll give you a lot of bang for your buck, give this one a look.

Set against the overall iOS gamebook landscape, it's hard to recommend unless you're a big fan of the genre.

Tiny Space Adventure is really enjoyable, visually striking, and provides players with just what they desire - a good solid platform puzzler with no unnecessary clutter.

Tiny Dice Dungeon is generally fun to play and it's packed full of interesting ideas, even with its shortcomings. It's assuredly rough around the edges and the balancing needs more work,

The average player with no connection to the license who only goes for the occasional table can probably find more interesting choices, however, and veteran pinball players are likely to find it just a bit too simple to solve to be truly satisfied.

As far as free-to-play RPGs go, Etherlords is well worth it for the curious.

There’s little reason not to at least try Adventure Xpress and if you’re wary of freemium to begin with, this one is certainly worth checking out.

I definitely recommend that Tilt to Live fans check out Gauntlet's Revenge: it's really quite different from even the Gauntlet mode you know from the original Tilt to Live, but for fans of the series' style and tilting gameplay, this is a fresh way of enjoying things that will prove to be a real test.

If you enjoyed Heavy Metal Thunder, the sequel is a no-brainer purchase.

Gunslugs 2 is a unique run 'n gun game, for better or for worse, but considering that not many developers are trying to take the modern run 'n gun crown, if shooting enemies by the hundreds sounds like a rollicking good time, then check this out.

If you ever thought of playing an adventure game, this is the rosetta stone that has been out of print for too long, go get it!

There's some microgames that are fun to play and others that feel too difficult. All the levels are varying degrees of uneven. In the game developer level where all the microgames are based off of video games, there are some that I never failed at because they're so easy even at higher speeds.

As a TRPG, Chroma Squad is decent but lacking the depth to give complete satisfaction. As a vehicle for Ranger fans looking to live out all sorts of fantasies, on the other hand, it's fantastic. It jabs without being mean-spirited. It gives you the options you want. It tells a big, silly story with melodramatic twists and turns, and it never misses a cue when it comes to the fanservice-style elements you might want to see. I've played a lot of games based on Super Sentai/Rangers, and this is far and away my favorite. A great deal of the enjoyment comes from my affection for the theme and the goofy yet earnest approach Behold took in presenting it, however, so make sure you account for that. At the very least, as a game, it's overall more well-designed than Knights of Pen & Paper. It applies much of what made that game good to a new genre, and it is unmistakably crafted from the same hands.

It really hits a great stride once you get a few hours in and have the majority of the map memorized and still have a few bosses to defeat before unlocking Hunter mode. This is also a good game to share with a kid as most of the tunnels are safe enough for a kid to navigate and you can switch in for the more challenging boss fights. If you are a fan of pretty games or spelunking or just a good old bullet dodger, you’ll want to pick this one up!

The writing and atmosphere are top-notch, and as long as you come into it knowing those things are the focus I think you’ll get on well with Haven.

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife makes a number of additions and improvements to the base game, while maintaining the qualities that earned it a lot of fans on other platforms. The combat is fun and deep enough to keep you engaged, and the platforming and other action elements are well-handled. I also really enjoy the game’s presentation, with some excellent pixel art and great audio. On the whole, it doesn’t venture too far outside of the increasingly established lines of this particular sub-genre, but it does everything it does well enough that it should be of interest to anyone who enjoys 2D Souls-likes.

It’s stylish, fun, and has plenty of gameplay modes to enjoy on your own or with other players. There’s value in this version beyond its Apple Arcade counterpart, and I think if you enjoy these kinds of intensely challenging arcade-style experiences you’ll have a good time here.

Despite the minor issues I have with the game’s iOS version, Hindsight is an essential if you enjoy emotional narratives. I love how it constantly has you interacting even with simple swipes as you experience great narration, music, and a memorable story. If you enjoy short stories, Hindsight is absolutely worth your time and one of my favorite stories in gaming this year. This is also my favorite game from Joel McDonald now, above Prune.

Like a donut, Donut Dodo is a small, sweet confection that you’ll likely chew through in a few bites. But the delicious taste will having you reaching back into the box for another, and you’ll likely come back for more here and there as you go about your other business. Given the highly reasonable price point, this arcade game-that-wasn’t is a more than fair pick-up for those pining for the quarter-munching days of the 80s.

When you’re out zipping around on the water and flinging yourself about like an ocean-bound Spider-Man, the sheer glee is palpable. Indeed, the game could have been twice as long and I doubt I would have tired of that core gameplay. Alas, it finishes up fairly quickly. A grand time while it lasts, though.

I think Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 could have been better than it is, particularly with regards to performance and game options. Still, when I take what is in front of me for what it is, it’s an easy title to recommend. You get a bunch of absolutely top-tier games to play and some really cool extra materials to dig through. Sure, there isn’t much new here for people who have played these games before. But for those craving Metal Gear on the go, or those who somehow haven’t dug into these titles in the past, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a fantastic value.

I love the vibe, I think the premise and basic loop is clever, and while I wouldn’t call it my favorite builder on the platform I think it is a good one. The performance issues are more or less par for the course on Switch with this genre, but that doesn’t make them any more welcome. I think if you have the option to play it elsewhere then you might want to do that, but this Switch port is good enough to do the job if you don’t.

They Need To Be Fed 2 is familiar but worthy followup to They Need To Be Fed, and both are great little platformers. If you're new to the series, hop straight into the sequel. You won't be missing much that can't be found within. If you're already a fan, you know what to expect: the struggle, the achievement, the inevitable death. A hundred meaningful deaths or more, with hundreds of dangerous jumps in between.

Capcom has done right by the Mega Man Battle Network games with this collection for the most part. If you have happy memories of these games, you’ll likely be happy to revisit them again. The extras are welcome, though I think Capcom could have gone further here with things like save states or the ability to turn off random encounters. It’s great to see some of the lesser-tapped veins of the Blue Bomber’s history get a reissue, and you really can’t argue with the value in terms of how much there is to play here. Worth the pick-up for fans of Mega Man or RPGs alike.