PixWing is utterly gorgeous, and the production values are fantastic. Seriously, I fell in love with the look of this game from the first screenshot I saw, and the fact that you get to dig in and explore the world is an amazing experience.

So, Telltale has another hit on its hands, and as long as you have even the slightest interest in the character of Michonne, you should definitely be playing this miniseries.

With some improvements on the technical side, Warhammer 40,000: Bowgun would be a game I’d recommend to any first-person shooter fan. As it is, it’s still a lot of fun, but you’re going to have to deal with fits of jerky controls, audio stutters, and varying framerates. Those who have come to get used to gyro aiming might also be frustrated by its absence here. Nothing that can’t be tweaked with some patches, but here and now the Switch version is enjoyable but hard to recommend over playing Boltgun on another platform.

If you skipped ONE PIECE ODYSSEY on its debut platforms, the Switch version with all DLC included is an easy recommendation for those who like One Piece. The DLC included makes this a better value proposition as well. I enjoyed the game before already, but it was great revisiting it in a very good conversion for Nintendo’s hybrid system. We need more ports like this and Ace Combat 7 from Bandai Namco Entertainment.

A flawed but admirable port of a game that fundamentally isn't touch-friendly. If you're still on the fence, just know that this game requires commitment. There's gold here, but Baldur's Gate keeps its treasure for the dedicated and does not tolerate dabblers.

I find Layton's Mystery Journey to be a must-have adventure. It makes so much sense as a mobile game that I can't believe it took more than ten years for this to happen. The puzzles are good, the story is interesting, and the presentation is outstanding. Even without buying any of the DLC, the game is stuffed to the gills with content. If this is the level of commitment we can expect from Level 5 on mobile going forward, I'm pretty excited for their future releases. I'll tip my top hat to this kind of quality any day of the week.

Overall this is a surprisingly well constructed game and nitpicks aside, you owe it to yourself to dig into the game and ask why aren't there more big name Poke-clones out there.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Forges of Corruption keep the party rolling with a set of new stages that show off a slightly different design intent than those of the original. The new weapons and enemies are appreciated, and the level design makes the most of both. I do wish there was something more interesting going on visually here, and the difficulty curve isn’t as smooth as it was in the base game. Still, those looking for more Boltgun challenges to tackle will find them here.

At least for me, the freemium systems are well worth wading through to enjoy what I think is the most complete Sims experience yet that we have on mobile.

As adventure games go, Another Code: Recollection is a good one even if I don’t think it quite reaches the level of great. Fans of the originals will likely be thrilled with this, as I don’t think anyone expected any of CING’s works to get this kind of treatment. Newcomers looking for a decent adventure game will find one here, complete with some clever puzzles that occasionally get a bit too clever. It didn’t change my mind on Another Code, but I don’t think it was really supposed to do that anyway.

Some of the voice acting could be better and a few of the puzzles have that usual adventure game problem of requiring some incredible leaps of logic, but generally speaking Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments does a wonderful job of making you feel like you are living the life of the gentleman detective himself. The cases are interesting to solve, and piecing things together really does make you feel clever. The actual overall narrative is somewhat lacking, but the moment-to-moment plot is compelling enough. The port to the Switch is solid, but you should as usual expect some lengthy loading times here and there. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or adventure games in general will likely enjoy what they get here.

It might not blow (ha!) your mind if you're tired of the runner genre by now, but AdvenChewers had enough heart and variety to keep me interested for quite some time.

I definitely recommend checking out Monster Hunter Now if you’ve enjoyed the recent entries in the series or are a newcomer looking to see what Monster Hunter is all about with the lowest barrier of entry. In its current state, it isn’t as deep as proper console and PC Monster Hunter games, but it does its job at giving you bite-sized hunting action on the go when you’re out and about with a lot of love put in for Monster Hunter. I hope the combat gets more depth through updates, but I’m pleased with the launch state of Monster Hunter Now and will be playing it regularly and checking out updates whenever new content is added.

It takes a bit of patience to get over the initial learning curve, but once you do, you'll find it hard to put down.

Star Trucker surprised me with its blend of truck simulation and its setting in a way I didn’t think was possible. This feels like a game catering to what I enjoy a lot in automobile simulation and exploration games. While it might not be for everyone, I’ve enjoyed playing Star Trucker quite a bit ever since I got review code on Steam Deck. I hope the developers optimize it a bit more for Valve’s handheld though.

At the end of the day, Pirate Legends is a terrifically fun game, its biggest hindrance being what seems like an excessive paywall (for your Flying Aces).

I enjoyed Diamond and Pearl back in the day, I enjoyed Platinum a little while later, and I enjoyed Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl here and now. It hits the notes most would want from a Pokemon game, and with this being a remake and Legends being right around the corner, I think its conservative approach can be forgiven.

Pickpawcket succeeds where it counts, with challenging gameplay that rarely dips into frustration.

The highs of Space Age are really high, and I appreciate the ambition and the beauty. But this game is disappointingly flawed; not irredeemably so, but I felt a bit let down after my high expectations.

If you’re interested in Mario Strikers: Battle League for multiplayer, you’ll likely be happy with what you get here. The core gameplay is fast and highly enjoyable, and the game has just about any kind of multiplayer set-up you’d want covered. Those looking to play alone will unfortunately find the game lacking in things to do, with its main solo content easily completed within an hour or two. Pair that with a light roster and very little in the way of interesting things to unlock, and you end up with a solid game that feels like it could have been so much more.

Micromon is probably one of the best dollars you can spend on a Japanese-style RPG in the App Store, and if you're even slightly into monster collecting, you're going to get a fantastic amount of value out of this game.

Garden Story has a lot of problems running on Switch, at least in its current form. They range from extremely lengthy load times to outright crashes, and I’m afraid to say that I ultimately wasn’t able to complete the game due to the latter. I’m sure it will be patched eventually, but it’s being sold right now. If those problems can be sorted out, I think this game will appeal to fans of things like Blossom Tales or Ittle Dew, but for now I can only recommend proceeding with the greatest of caution.

There’s a lot of emotion in the game’s couple of hours, and I think its appeal entirely hinges on whether or not the situation and the struggles the characters face resonate with you. Personally, I couldn’t relate with a lot of it, but I could at least appreciate its sincerity. If nothing else, it’s a well-made window into a difficult time in the lives of two people.

It's worth a shot if you're a fan of Square's classic RPG series, but in trying to stretch out to two different camps, I fear it may not entirely please either.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain follows the pace of its predecessors very closely. So much so that you wouldn’t realize there was a gap of nearly fifteen years between this installment and the last one. Like the previous games, it’s a fun distraction if you’re looking for a “brain training" game. Hardly essential, certainly light on things to do, but if you like this sort of thing you’ll likely get some mileage out of its new competitive aspects.

The inclusion of two multiplayer modes was an unexpected, but pleasant surprise.

Some levels will have you at wits end trying to unravel (pun very much intended) the correct maze of ribbon needed to collect all the various colored circles.

A fun shooter with a silly premise, and worth picking up if you can ignore the ads rotating on the main menu.

The whole thing happens to the beat of an original techno soundtrack – make sure to wander into the music menu and play with the different songs. They take Current from a pretty interesting Puzzle Bobble clone to something really cool.

Darkly cynical fun, but fun nonetheless.

But, if you love match-3 puzzles then this cute and colorful cross-genre platform / puzzle game may tickle your fancy.

This is a bland, boring racing game compared not only to previous iOS Need For Speed titles, but also other racers already on the App Store.

Compelling enough that even the sometimes-imprecise controls can add to the overall sense of accomplishment when completing levels.

It's tough to give TheEndApp a hard time about its striking similarities to Temple Run. On one hand, a good deal of its gameplay mechanics are simply derivatives made popular by the popular endless runner. On the other hand, there's a reason why that combination works so well. TheEndApp deserves at least some credit for recreating the experience and, more importantly, doing it well.

Don’t expect to be playing this one months down the line, but if you’re looking for somewhere to spend a couple of minutes—or even a couple of hours—Flyro is a suitable enough place to spend them. Just don’t count on this to be your next Jetpack Joyride.

It's certainly a novel game, and if you can get into a score competition with your friends, you'll probably get a lot of mileage (centimeterage?) out of On The Line

I think it's a game best experienced in portable format these days, but even with that in mind, it's still really only for those looking for a return to the most simple of times.

I feel like all of the pieces of an interesting, fun game are laying around here somewhere, but they just never really come together the way they should, leaving the adventure lacking as a whole.

This is pure arcade blasting action on your phone or tablet. But, for me, with its pernickety jumping challenges, Jump'N'Shoot Attack stops being fun and becomes tiresome very quickly.

There's a lot of little frustrations that I have with Full of Stars, especially as the charm of the concept of space chaser meets interactive fiction wears off after you continue to fail against the difficulty presented. Still, it's a game that compelled me to sit down and fight against it to try and beat it. And with the promise of future content teased with additional pilots, and a long-term meta-game as you upgrade Blue Sector, along with the rewarding feeling of beating a tough level, there's a lot to like about Full of Stars, even if this game wants to beat you down to the core of your soul, too.

If you love challenging puzzles, some of which feel like you need to be reading the developer’s brain to figure out, you’ll have a field day here. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t frustrating sometimes. Hidden breakable walls become so hard to spot that you start whacking every surface you come across. Logical leaps that probably made sense to someone during development but don’t work out so well for a player trying to figure things out. It can be utterly exasperating. But I still kept on playing it until I reached the end, which I think speaks to the underlying appeal of this game.

There is a lot of potential here and despite the glitches and bugs I encountered, Metallic Child is worth getting if you’re a fan of action games and are after something new on Nintendo Switch. After a few updates addressing these issues, Studio HG’s newest release will be an essential for fans of action games and roguelites.

Headland is worth considering if you’re looking for some simple monster mashing enjoyment, but don’t expect it to tax your skills or wits in any serious fashion.

If you’re a hardcore Metroidvania fan who is hungry for something new and don’t mind a challenge, you’ll get what you need from Astronite. If you think it looks charming or something about its premise hits you right, you probably won’t regret the purchase. But I can’t really recommend Astronite with much vigor to the general player who is getting a little weary of this sort of affair.

If you like platformers, particularly the precision type, you’ll probably have a really good time with Panic Porcupine. Sure, it’s resting its hat on another game, but it’s doing so deliberately and with a wink. The controls are good, the physics are familiar, and the level designs are superb. It has all the hallmarks of a pretty great indie platformer, and I’m going to go ahead and conclude that it is exactly one of them.

In the crowded iOS racing genre, there's a growing collection of decent racing titles that either focus on killer visuals or innovative gameplay (with the best succeeding in both). Table Top Racing falls in the former category with a fun visual style that does a good job eliciting feelings of nostalgia. Whether that's enough to differentiate itself from the pack is a matter of opinion, but as far as racing titles go you can do a lot worse.

Don't go away from this review thinking that this is by any means a bad game, but it's impossible to give an unqualified recommendation for a game that a lot of people are going to find boring.

Solar Flux HD will have you back fighting entropy in no time at all.

The idea is great, the execution of the main mechanics is exactly where it needs to be, but I really feel like certain elements, especially multiplayer, could really bring this game to the next level. Even as it stands, however, Joust Legend is definitely worth your time and money.

If you skipped Where Cards Fall on Apple Arcade, it is a fine experience on Nintendo Switch. While the lack of touchscreen support is very disappointing, I like the controller scheme in place, and the rumble feedback is also appreciated. Where Cards Fall is a lovely puzzle game that could’ve been better without some of the slow cut-scenes. I get that they are part of the intended experience, but I feel like they’d have been better without any interaction as just movies in between the levels.

Dragon Quest Treasures is an enjoyable action-RPG with an interesting treasure-hunting gimmick that is boosted by how it uses elements of the series. It’s perhaps a little on the easy side, and there are aspects of the game that feel thinner than I would prefer. Still, I think it’s a solid choice for fans of Dragon Quest or younger players who are dipping their toes into the action-RPG genre. It’s a bit of a trifle, but it’s a well-made one that sits well in the proverbial stomach.

SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories is a game for a specific kind of SPYxFAMILY fan, and even if you fit the bill, I’d recommend waiting on a discount for this one. It is good to see more casual anime games like SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories from Bandai Namco Entertainment for sure. Just keep in mind that you will only get the most out of SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories if you play it slowly over time soaking in the vibes daily rather than going through it in a single weekend where it will feel very repetitive.

Though the context-sensitive controls should work well, we felt that they haven't been executed as well as they could have.

Succeeds in making this brilliant arcade formula seem fresh and new once again. And that's a truly impressive feat.

A neat variant on jumping games, which I'm throughly enjoying despite the jumping genre being so saturated.

In the end, however, Shin Megami Tensei is easily one of the best RPGs we've seen on the iOS platform yet, and it deserves your attention in spite of some of the flaws specific to this port.

It’s a shame there is a bit of a cloud over this release due to the previous collection’s existence, because this really is an amazing package for Wonder Boy fans. It’s hard to ask for more without involving Konami, and I wouldn’t have expected that to happen. Having so many ports included is fantastic, the emulation is where it should be, and you get a fair amount of extra to help round out the package. It’s unfortunate that those who bought the prior collection are left with an inferior product, but otherwise this is an anniversary-worthy release.

Even though I was frequently aggravated by the inability to purchase practically anything from the over-priced IAP economy, I still had a blast just rolling my boulder time and time again down the omninous, yet colorful mountaintop.

A pleasant serendipity. Not too frantic and not too dumbed down, the port just seems to fit. I'd love to see other developers look at this game and make the mechanic a deliberate iOS design choice.

The pacing is all over the map, and even at its best it feels more inspired than inspiring, if you know what I mean. In spite of the fact that these are remastered versions, they come across very much as creations of their times and places. You may find something to latch onto here, but it’s just as likely that you’ll be turned off.

An average tower defense game with small twists on the gameplay that don't particularly propel it above mediocrity.

1968 is a rather uneven game in terms of its mechanics, its difficulty, and its presentation, but it all tends to shake out on the positive side of things.

Magnetized has the ability to excite and frustrate you in the same moment. With a slightly more polished design, it really could have been a must have puzzle title. But as it stands, hardcore puzzle fanatics will most likely get the most out of it.

Beyond Space is a fun shooter that will supply a couple of hours of shallow enjoyment. The linear story, lack of customization and multiplayer certainly don’t knock the current space shooter king of the throne. Still Beyond Space has the controls, and looks that make it worth considering if you are looking to blast lasers into enemies in space.

Kids and adults alike will love it, and it’ll definitely keep you entertained for countless hours.

RAD Boarding is incredibly well-made as a game, but everything around the game feels like it needed some tweaking and time in other people's hands to be changed and improved.

The idea of the open world RPG has greatly expanded over the last several years, and it’s perhaps that aspect where Kingdoms of Amalur has lost a bit of shine. But I think there’s a certain charm to its big-but-not-too-big areas, and the impressive amount of polish and high quality of the creative components combined with the satisfying combat make for a solid adventure that will keep you busy for quite a while.

For now, WWE Immortals is a great new option for fans of Injustice, and it's a great experience for those who are simply fans of the WWE.

There are fifty levels to play through, and each one presents a different shape and a different challenge to overcome. If you get into what it’s laying down, Akka Arrh will keep you busy for a while. Not just in beating the levels, but also in improving your scores. The tricky thing is whether or not you will get into it, as it’s a lot more demanding than the likes of Tempest 2000 without really being more fun. Atari and Minter fans will probably enjoy it well enough, and those who want to play a very unconventional shooter might dig it too. Others may find its complicated gameplay mechanics just a little too much for a little too little.

This relaxed take on making games means free games for you, Mr. or Mrs. Consumer, so if Unpleasant Horse sounds interesting to you at all and you can stomach the unpleasantness, then definitely give it a download.

None of these things are revolutionary; Ballistic SE doesn't rewrite the twin stick shooter or bring us a brand new perspective on the genre. Instead, it's an incredibly solid, well-balanced game that makes up in entertainment for what it skips in flash.

On the whole, everything that makes up Into the Dim feels kind of sloppy, but that doesn't stop it from being a clever little dungeon crawler.

Overall, Death Come True is one of my favorite FMV experiences for sure. While I was hoping for more polish in the localization with the lack of subtitles for many things, the story was excellent and I enjoyed my time across the game with its multiple endings. Hopefully Izanagi Games can patch in subtitles for the bonus content and some of the in-game text because Death Come True deserves better. While this isn’t a visual novel or adventure game that Danganronpa fans would be hoping for, I’m glad to see Kazutaka Kodaka try out new things in his first released project with Too Kyo Games.

Calling To-Fu 2 a sequel seems a little off. While it's not just about the game's artistic direction, To-Fu 2 doesn't offer enough new stuff to really make it feel like anything but an expansion pack to the original. It's a good thing the first game was good and the core formula is certainly worth repeating, but don't expect anything new or special here.

Escape from Doom has enough depth to keep you raiding tombs for hours, even though you might not want to log those hours all at once.

Halcyon is one of those games that's something of a Zen experience to play, but is also downright maddening, both due to the difficulty in the latter levels as well as the "Ok, just one more time!" spell it casts upon you.

It's the game I've continually been coming back to.

A competent continuation of the franchise featuring solid wit, devilish puzzles, and one of the most inventive adventure game characters: Scoggins. If you're a fan of Puzzle Agent, there's no need to skip this.

It's not quite the experience the first game was, but it comes awfully close, and that's enough to put it in the top tier of shoot-em-ups on the App Store.

Some people may have lost their taste for pure tower defense, but for those of us with an appetite there is still meat on this dinosaur's bones.

This game is perfect for anyone with a love of stories, puzzles, and fixing things alike, but I highly recommend everyone take a quick peek at it. There’s an even balance between story and puzzle so I doubt you’ll find it lacking in any one area. Assemble With Care is truly one of the best apps I’ve played in far too long and really left me wanting more even though the story was wrapped up quite well. No matter if you’re still in your parents’ house or already having children of your own, I feel confident in recommending this game to each and every one of you.

Barring the font that makes some aspects of Horgihugh and Friends feel cheap, the only problem I have with the release is the price point. While an expanded version of a game should cost more, the price point for the North American version is a bit too much for it to be an easy recommendation right now. There are so many quality shoot ‘em ups for half of the asking price, that I can’t recommend this in its current state without that big caveat. The retail release being more expensive is understandable given cartridge costs, but this is definitely too expensive for what it is on the eShop.

If you’re looking for a polished and good introduction to 4X games, The Battle of Polytopia is more than worth it. If you, like me, weren’t sure how The Battle of Polytopia would play with a controller, download the free demo to see how you find the UI. The developers have done a good job with the scaling across docked and handheld, and having full touchscreen support for handheld meant I had a much easier time moving to Switch.

Strayed Lights has a lot going for it thanks to its exquisite presentation and inventive combat mechanics. Unfortunately, its ideas start to lose their shine well before you reach the end of this several-hour-long adventure. It’s still a fun, unique game, but I couldn’t help but feel it suffers somewhat from being all dressed up with no place to go. If you really like the look of it, feel free to give it a chance. There is certainly something to it. That “something" got a little too played out a little too quickly for my liking, however.

Its more modern selection of titles will probably appeal better than the first volume, and shoot-em-up fans in particular will find a lot to like here. There are a couple of outright clunkers in the selection, but I’ll at least grant that they are interesting clunkers. Certainly more good than bad, and if you enjoy playing arcade classics I think you’ll get your kicks here. That said, if only a few games in the list appeal to you, there might be some merit in checking out the individual Arcade Archives releases instead.

If Madfinger can fix the crashing and save-game deletion issues with a patch, they're still left with a repetitive, but lovely looking shooter. There are hints of true quality in the boss fights and some minor sections of the campaign, but the majority relies on a simple, corridor design that's hard to find engaging for very long.

If I have to say who this game is for, it’s probably best matched up with people who enjoy adventure thrillers and also like shoot-em-ups. Even for that somewhat narrow range of players, it’s more of a good game than a great one.

It's a quick and dirty port of the four-year-old PSP version of the game, which itself was based on a thirteen-year-old Playstation game. For fans of the original, you'll get pretty much the exact game you expect, albeit with some performance issues on some devices.

The level designs are solid and moving your little mole around in them is pleasant. You’ve got a very typical hub structure, a lot of familiar types of levels, and various secrets tucked away for you to find. While the character designs and music let down the overall presentation a little bit, the graphics are bright and colorful, and everything runs quite smoothly. This probably isn’t going to rock anyone’s world, but if you enjoy the genre I think you’ll have a lot of fun going through this one.

Despite my issues with the performance, and I’m more annoyed by technical issues than most, I ended up adoring Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. It joins Monster Hunter Stories 2 as my two favorite monster collecting games. It has heart, charm, and one of the best gameplay loops in a monster collecting game. I hope we see some patches improving the performance though, because that’s the only thing holding this back.

A note on in-app purchases: the free, ad-supported version of Beastie Bay is robust and enjoyable and, as far as I can tell, in no way different than the paid version. $4.99 strips the game of advertisements and lets players use their iDevice's portrait mode. Portrait mode is, admittedly, the superior way to play Beastie Bay, but there's an inordinate amount of well-designed, well-executed fun to be had for free.

Homo Machina is yet the latest example of how even within some pretty narrow constraints in terms of setting and mechanics, it's possible to craft a pretty excellent world that is both amusing and rewarding. You might even learn something along the way, but kids, please don't use it as assistance for your upcoming biology test, because something tells me you're not going to pass it if you do.

Clickers are all about progression, and keeping the player interested for as long as possible. Nonstop Knight hits that point way too soon.

Whether in your own crypt before you go to sleep, or at a family dinner with ghoulish relatives, Le Vamp is a charming, clever runner worth checking out. If your last flirtation with the genre was with something like Punch Quest [Free], this may just be one worth sinking your teeth into.

Lunar Racer is already a fun title which I'll be playing for a while, but it feels like it could be much more. Here's hoping for more levels coming, an extra game mode planned & the possibility of online multiplayer mode.

Cannon Cat is precise and easy to play, it's fast, and it's a lot of fun.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a game worth getting for anyone looking at grabbing their next relaxing experience on Switch. I was afraid of technical issues given recent games from Marvelous on Switch, but this is the best Story of Seasons on the platform, and well worth its asking price. As someone completely new to this entry, the developers have made it feel good enough to be a brand new game as well.

If the developer can sort out the Game Center and control overlay problems, I really wouldn't have anything to complain about with Double Dragon.