The racing in Cruis’n Blast truly reflects the game’s arcade roots, focusing on fun over-the-top thrills over any sort of realism. As long as you are okay with that, you’ll likely have as a good of a time with this Switch version as I did. I do wish there was support for online multiplayer as not everyone is going to have willing players in their vicinity, but I guess if a casual player was going to join in on any racing game without Mario in it, it might be this one. It’s colorful, silly, fast, and stylish. Raw Thrills did just about everything it could to make this home version the ultimate way to go Cruis’n, and it certainly does a good job of scratching an itch.

The visuals are absolutely captivating, and are an excellent inexpensive way to showcase just how beautiful games could be on the new iPad. However, as a game, Dead Trigger just falls flat in terms of implementation offering the same dull freemium-based experience that we've seen before.

If you're a free to play gamer used to the often basic games that litter the Top Free chart on the App Store, Real Racing 3 is going to knock your socks off.

This is probably King's best game on iOS since Candy Crush, though it still falls well short of it.

Regardless, playing until you hit that "Now what?" point is pretty fun, particularly without the feeling of required IAP, which still makes Disco Zoo pretty easy to recommend checking out.

World at War Zombies was simply revolutionary for its time and, while Black Ops Zombies certainly improves on nearly every aspect of its predecessor, our expectations of what makes a great game have certainly changed. It's not enough to simply add a new map and a better visual paintjob and call it a day.

In the end, I’ve decided to give this game a slightly stronger recommendation than I otherwise would have simply because of how good the remaster quality is. As a first-person shooter, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion has never been anything more than decent, and it lacks much of the character of the first two entries. But I respect that Nightdive gave it the royal treatment to finish out this rather unexpected yet welcome set of remasters, and I think if you found a lot to love in its previous efforts with Turok you’ll find enough to carry you through this one as well.

Roboto has all the makings of a classic platforming game. It's one of the most visually impressive games I've seen in some time, and the gameplay itself is well designed and a lot of fun. If the controls and performance issues can be ironed out sufficiently, then Roboto will fall into the "must have" category of iOS platformers.

At the moment, it's a fun clone of Clash of Clans with great fanservice and idiotic AI. It has ever-increasing timers, premium currency, requires an online connection, and a bunch of other monetization tricks, just like CoC. If you hate that game, you're not going to have more fun here, but if you enjoy it and you like Star Wars, you're probably going to have a good time here in spite of its flaws.

If you love Transformers or Angry Birds, or best of all both, you'll probably get an hour or two of fun out of Angry Birds Transformers. Beyond that, you're going to have to have a lot of patience for timers and grinding coins.

These control issues don't render the game unplayable, but they create more frustrating mistakes than you may be able to deal with.

Just like how things went with the arcade original, Gravitar: Recharged sometimes feels at odds with some of the baggage it has to carry. In this case, it’s the baggage of being part of the Recharged line, where players will probably be trained to expect quick, arcade-style action with a focus on beating mini-challenges and racking up high scores. Gravitar: Recharged isn’t really that kind of game, though it incorporates many of those elements. Instead this is something you hunker down with and try to pick your way through, one aggravating death after another. Not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something with arcade roots but home game teeth, it might be up your alley.

If you're looking for a nice take on the Asteroids formula, don't hesitate to give Red Nova a look.

While Corporate Fury is a ton of fun to play, there are some issues in the game that really bothered me.

The graphics in Alice in Wonderland are a rich, cell-shaded affair that bring out the child-like madness of Wonderland beautifully.

Its destruction serves as the overall objective to achieve victory in Armada.

Recently making its way to the iPhone, Blast Off is nearly identical to its PSP counterpart, with the control scheme as the main differentiator.

A short but entirely enjoyable little top-down action game. The largely timing-based puzzles aren't too mentally taxing and keep the core of the gameplay at a fairly fast pace.

Military Madness: Neo Nectaris isn't much of a departure from the now 20-plus-year-old original game, but it holds up extremely well, especially with the new touch controls.

Overall, SuperFall is a great combination of casual ragdoll gaming with an extensive achievement/upgrade system that may lure in both casual gamers and hardcore completionists.

I enjoyed exploring the various content and commentary which is what kept me playing the game.

A stylized shooter that feels very well implemented, delivers real challenge, supports all iOS devices natively, and costs $0.99.

A quintessential Korean action RPG. It has a lot of grinding, mixed with a decent storyline, and great sprite-based graphics.

The controls are precise and work terrifically, even if the campaign isn't particularly amazing, the survival mode is well executed.

If you're up for the challenge of unlocking all the modes with their high-score barriers, then I'd say hop in.

The early levels of Galaxy Express felt too easy and I often slammed down arrows without much thought. But once you reach harder levels and try to match the best scores (fewest arrows used), it becomes far more challenging and provides plenty of replay value.

Arcade Jumper is a fun game, especially once you've unlocked the double-jump. However, the restart delays are excessive and the constant returning to the beginning is wearing thin and may stop some players from seeing the zones full of sloping and tilting platforms, asteroids and fireballs ....and probably other stuff I haven't seen yet, because of constantly returning to the beginning.

The game has a cheery feel and the art style is perky, with wide eyed dragon babies blinking innocently while they wait for you to save their lives.

One of those games with a decent gameplay formula that could have been so much more.

The over-the-top violence and humor will simply not work for some people. However, I implore anyone on the fence to bite the bullet and check out this title. It strikes that hard sought balance of accessibility, appealability (again, for some more than others) and enjoyability with very little in terms of detraction, and it's certainly one of the better physics-based titles that I've checked out.

So math fans and strategy nuts, enjoy. Exponential Invasion, is, as it claims, a game of mathmatical warfare, and it's a clever one.

I'd rather pay more for the game up-front and know that gold drops are balanced. When they implement random players, I hope they also add some sort of "party management" system allowing inactive players to be dropped and replaced.

There's merit in a game where the buttons are integral to the world. It's just too bad that didn't quite happen here.

It's not bad, it's just okay.

Despite the control issues described above, the tilt controls do work -- just not as well as I'd personally like. Tread of the Dead still offers an interesting, if simple, gameplay premise buttressed by an ample amount of content.

This seems to be the perpetual theme of Wild Blood: every positive seems to be counter-balanced by an unnecessary negative. The controls, story, gameplay -- even the visual engine itself, all seem to work against the elements that Gameloft do succeed in implementing. It's a shame because Wild Blood has the potential to be a must-have iOS title. Unfortunately, as it stands now, it's a mixed bag.

If you're a big fan of hack 'n' slash side-scrollers, this game is a no-brainer. If you like supporting premium titles that eschew IAP, or games with responsive developers who actually listen to their players, you'll want to grab Fangz.

The runner clearly isn’t dead yet. Lub vs Dub proves the genre’s heart beats louder and faster than ever.

Joining Hands 2 is as enjoyable as the first one was. It's a bit slow to ramp up, but it does ramp up, and does so nicely.

In fairness, the asking price ameliorates most of those nitpicks. A distinctive blend of strategy and puzzle-solving flows through Shadow Vamp's blood. Sometimes it just takes a fair amount of flicking and slapping to find the vein.

Strike Force Heroes: Extraction is a fun little romp with digital Joes, but its problems keep it from having any proper staying power in a genre where almost everyone has several stellar examples already installed on their device.

I've no reason to doubt this game will be improved with updates, but as it stands right now, it's going to need a fair bit of work to fully realize the fantastic potential laying tantalizingly just out of reach.

That all said, Deadlings is challenging, entertaining, and oodles of fun.

Depending on how the changes and hopeful improvements pan out, this could be a game worth revisiting down the road, though it's certainly an interesting pickup for roguelike fans as it is.

If you come into LEGO Marvel Superheroes: Universe In Peril looking for a port of the console games, you're going to walk away more disappointed than usual. However, if you come into the game looking for something fun to play in its own right, I think this is a better game than usual from the LEGO people.

I’ll still recommend Oscura Second Shadow to anyone that loves the visuals from the screenshots or are looking for another platformer. However, it’s a far cry from being a mandatory experience.

Skip this, wait for the global Tony Hawk's Shred Session and when you see something that feels simplified for mobile, realize it was for a good reason.

I think there are plenty of better choices in the genre on iOS, but if you've exhausted the usual suspects and are looking for something else decent, Secret Files is worth checking out, warts and all.

Fans of Adventure Time or anyone looking for a bit of a different runner should check this one out.

Unfortunately, Epic Eric is a little on the brief side. The 45 levels can be beaten in short order by skilled players.

Perhaps those with a lot of patience will absolutely love Phantom Rift, and maybe I'm just more impatient than the teenager I was when I fell in love with this style of play in the MMBN games. But Phantom Rift could just be so, so, much better, even if what it does well it does really, really well.

Fans of gamebooks, especially those who may have been pining recently for a more typical entry into the genre, should certainly give this a look.

Come in, play a level, and come back a while later when the game feels fresh again.

Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition is a very good port of an incredibly good game.

Some parts of Blocky Raider are a little too similar to Crossy Road, but for the most part, it's an enjoyable game that has a lot going for it. Having said that, I fully expect to go back to my Crossy addiction in a week.

Taken as a sequel to Strike Wing, it's a major success, expanding on it in almost every way and offering a much bigger experience for your money.

If you love any of the associated franchises, it's worth giving the game a go, at least for a little while, but it's too bad that the lessons learned in the core Kingdom Hearts games seem to have been ignored here.

Hero Generations assuredly has a feel of its own, and although it's occasionally a double-edged sword, the generational aspect of the game does present interesting challenges and tough choices.

The core idea is really good, and there's fun to be had with it. But the actual execution leaves something to be missed. The combat is entirely mismanaged. The design shows a lot of good ideas, but having to deal with enemies shooting at you the whole time that you're trying to solve the puzzles is absolutely suboptimal.

Overall, Voyageur is an ambitious attempt at a procedurally generated sci-fi interactive fiction whose lengthy playthroughs end up hurting it rather than helping it. There's plenty to explore and plenty to do, so it's worth at least one trip down the galaxy; unfortunately, you might not feel like going through it again after it's done.

If you decide to pick up The Bonfire, it might be for the spirit of discovery and adventure, or it might be for the artistic quality and simplicity. It may even be for the fact that so many great games seem to be comparable to this one. Whatever your decision is predicated on, there is so much here to enjoy.

Do you like singing karaoke? Do you like Queen? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, you’re golden. Otherwise, you’re probably better off skipping it. As for me, I love karaoke, I love Queen, and I’m quite pleased with the selection of songs included here. The nature of the band means there’s more variety than you would expect from a single-band title, and there are really only a couple of notable songs absent. Sorry, Flash Gordon fans. In terms of the UI and the way the game works, there’s no change here from previous titles. There doesn’t really need to be, though.

The Mercenaries series is probably never going to win any prizes for originality, but it does what it does quite well. To the developer’s credit, each game gets a little better. Mercenaries Blaze is no exception, and its new 3D backgrounds help bring the presentation a little closer to the game most players tend to associate this genre with. Setting all that aside, this is a meat-and-potatoes tactical RPG that offers a decent story, satisfying character building, and enjoyable battles. It’s a fairly lengthy affair, so you get a good bang for your buck. I’ve been happy enough with all of the games in this series, and Mercenaries Blaze keeps the tradition going.

Antonball Deluxe includes a few different games that revolve around a similar theme, and they’re all reasonably fun. The multiplayer game, Vs. Antonball, can be a riot with the right bunch assembled. If you enjoy your brick breakers, you may want to give this one a look. On the other hand, if you find this type of admittedly vintage gameplay to be old hat Antonball probably won’t change your mind.

Labyrinth Legend is one of those games that is nice to play when you want something relatively mindless to pass the time with. In that respect, it does what it does well. It’s engaging enough to keep you from getting bored, but it doesn’t demand a lot of heavy decision-making or tests of dexterity. The story isn’t very interesting, the setting is as generic as it gets, and I can’t really say it has any special gameplay mechanics to set it apart. This is not a game that will live in my memory very long now that I’ve completed it. But I can’t say I didn’t have a good time slowly digesting it over the course of a few evenings.

If you enjoy beat-em-ups, particularly the ones from the late 00s/early 10s era like Scott Pilgrim or Castle Crashers, you’ll probably enjoy what Jitsu Squad has to offer. It’s a bit short on technique and I do wish the unlockable tag team mode was simply there from the start. Four players to go with the four characters would have been nice as well. But it gets a lot more right than it gets wrong, and its big, silly energy is hard to deny.

In another time and place, Elderand would be a game I could easily recommend to anyone. But in a market where we’ve seen the same ideas pop up so often, it just doesn’t really bring anything novel to the table. If you’re okay with that, by all means proceed. It has a few technical issues and the boss battles are a bit limp, but otherwise it’s a very well-rounded take on the genre. On the other hand, those who have slaked their thirst for meandering around a map looking for abilities to help them meander more will probably want to give this one a pass. Decent, but decent only gets you so far these days.

Process of Elimination tries something new with its unusual mystery-solving mechanics, and I appreciate that even if I don’t think it really came together as well as I’d hoped it would. The story is really good even if it can be predictable at times, mostly thanks to its interesting cast of characters. Indeed, I sometimes found myself wishing it was more of a straightforward adventure game as the strategy segments sometimes work against the flow of the story. Still, there’s a lot here to like for fans of high-stakes whodunnits.

In its current state, I’d only recommend Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical on Switch if you want to play it on a portable and don’t have a Steam Deck. If you want to play on your TV or monitor, consider getting it on another platform for a much better experience. It doesn’t feel polished on Nintendo’s handheld right now, and that holds this otherwise excellent but flawed experience back.

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the first game. If you liked it, you’ll love these two games. I would probably recommend newcomers play the original Rhapsody first even if it isn’t totally necessary to enjoy these sequels, if only so that you can fully appreciate all the little character nods and connections. Those who are looking for an RPG with teeth will want to keep moving, but I think if you’re in the mood for some pure low-friction fluff there aren’t many better choices in the Switch’s RPG selection.

If you like strategic puzzle games that require tight planning and careful use of a limited set of options, you’ll get a lot of out of Howl. It squanders its decent story set-up, but if you come for the gameplay you won’t likely be disappointed. The intriguing presentation pulls you in, tickling your imagination while you learn the ropes and get to the real meat of the game.

There’s a certain nostalgic charm to Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. There is a particular flavor to games from the PlayStation 2/GameCube/Xbox generation of consoles, and this game is absolutely steeped in it despite the nips and tucks made by Aspyr in the porting process. And it’s really in that capacity that I can most confidently recommend it, when I think about it. Are you in the mood to time travel back to 2002 and play a thoroughly rough-edged yet genuinely earnest action game? Here you go. If on the other hand you lack that proclivity, this might be a bit too much Jank-o Fett for you.

Angry Birds Epic is for the most part enjoyable, but it’s let down considerably by its endless IAPs and continual nagging.That said, it’s a great introduction to the RPG mechanics for those who want to dip their toes in a little and try something new.

As a Star Wars fan it’s no question for me that Tiny Death Star is worth playing despite the added heartache. However, I fully understand that for others, it may be closer to a toss-up as to whether it’s worth the time investment.

The game's multiplayer is seamlessly integrated, and all that's missing is the ability to curse at the other player and attempt to slap their controller out of their hands.

For pure entertainment dollar by dollar, I'll take Caylus over most board games in the App Store. It's an obscenely good game, which makes its flaws all the more frustrating.

So, I'm sure the very perceptive among you have figured out how disappointed I am with FIFA 16 UT. EA has turned the best football series on the App Store into a game about menus with the occasional basic ball-kicking.

Mario Golf: Super Rush may eventually be a great game, but for now it has to settle for being a good one. The new modes help liven up the gameplay in a way that some players are sure to enjoy, and the Golf Adventure gives you something to do beyond the usual stuff. I can take or leave the new swing meter, but I can easily imagine opinions being all over the board on that point. Ultimately, however, I can’t ignore the relative lack of courses and online options available in this launch version of the game. You’ll have a good time going on tour here, but you could have an even better time by picking up the Nintendo 3DS game.

A faithful rendition of a Trials-style game, but it would have been nice to see a little more innovation in the environmental art or at least more of its own style instead of a nearly direct clone of Trials.

Stela is a beautiful, cinematic game that does a great job keeping you curious and scared since the beginning. While it could do a better job when it comes to guiding the player through the game or making the gameplay mechanics a little more intuitive, Stela is one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Futuridium EP is a very good game that so tantalizingly sways on the verge of being excellent. Should a future update make this title more accessible to the average gamer, it will be one of the true "instabuys" of 2013.

Everything about Piggy Adventure just reeks of quality.

As long as you don't mind a short experience, The Great Prank War is consistently fun from start to finish.

Backed with some solid gameplay, I think Tengami more than proves itself worthy of a place in the adventure fan's library.

Unless you’re completely burned out on the Darkest Dungeon variety of RPG, you’ll probably find something to like in Circus Electrique. The theme is strange enough to catch your attention, the mechanics are solid, and the added gameplay elements don’t ruin anything with their presence. The moment to moment dialogue is well-written, but the story as a whole could have been more interesting. I also think the difficulty curve could be a little smoother. Otherwise, it’s a somewhat unusual take on a concept that is becoming a bit well-worn by now, and worth checking out for fans of the genre.

The over-the-top silliness and the bright, colorful graphics feel reminiscent of an old Saturday morning cartoon. The game's just difficult enough to make it challenging and simple enough to engage in without requiring too much of a forethought.

Cubed Rally Redline is a great excuse to get back into the bouncy, blocky world of its predecessor without just doing the same old thing. It's a simpler sort of game, but the simplicity just makes it that much easier to get hooked.

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.

If you're a fan of violent, bloody, horror themed games, you'll find a good distraction in this one.

Remnant: From the Ashes on Switch is downgraded compared to other platforms, but is a much better port than I expected with DLC included. It feels like a good blend of The Division with souls-like elements, and the online has worked very well in the times I’ve tried it on Nintendo Switch. This is definitely one of the better third-party late ports to Nintendo’s hybrid system, and it even has a physical release, which is great to see.

This is a rough port of an excellent game, and while you can still enjoy it in this form, it’s probably the absolute worst way to do so.

I've actually had a surprising amount of fun with Truckers Delight. Mobigame did a great job of nailing the feel of endless retro racing games, and the difficulty ramps up nicely requiring quite a bit of concentration as you dart between oncoming cars in your 18 wheeler.

For the most part, Commando Jack offers a fairly standard tower defense game that doesn't change the formula too much. Obviously, the big outlier is the inclusion of a first-person mode, which I think does a lot to differentiate it from the hordes of other tower defense titles on iOS.

After the Missile Command novelty wears off, there isn’t much to this game besides the survival fest and some eerie music.

Don’t take my score to mean this is an average game. It most decidedly is not. It’s very niche in both its gameplay and appeal, and I think you’ll have to be just the right person in just the right mood to enjoy it the way I did. There are probably more rough edges than smooth edges here, but if you’re looking for a stealth game that does things very differently from the norm, this will certainly fit your needs. It even has a decent story attached. I’m glad this remake exists and I’m glad NISA localized it, even if I think it is going to struggle to find an audience even more than its stablemate Way of the Samurai.

The controls can be a point of frustration.

If you want a comparable experience to the console titles that you can carry around in your pocket, then you will probably end up disappointed in this effort. If you want a gorgeous looking Batman title filled with all sorts of nice fan service and simple combat that won't bust your brain with strategic depth, then Arkham City Lockdown delivers this really well.

I like puzzles. So there was nothing stopping me from continuing through each of the 120-plus levels. They kept me entertained, but I just never felt like any of the puzzles were a real challenge. Puzzle games should offer you the chance to believe that you’re doing something slick or outwitting the game.