When Maglam Lord is sticking to its visual novel elements, it’s rather enjoyable. You can choose your reactions and responses, building relationships and going on dates with the various other characters. The writing is decent, and the sense of humor is fun. Unfortunately, this is only half of the game. The other half is a somewhat dull action-RPG where you wander through uninteresting levels and engage in combat that turns out to be lacking in engagement. There’s an emphasis on grinding for materials to raise your strength, but nothing about the battles make this an enticing prospect. It’s not a very long game, but it feels absolutely interminable at times. Not without its charms, but hard to recommend on the whole.

The emulation of each game isn't completely spot-on, but they're all really playable and the assortment of control options is a nice touch.

Don't go in expecting much more than a non-threatening time waster, and you might have a good enough time with the pigs. Failing that, a bacon sandwich will probably set your sense of justice right once more.

Dungeon Defenders iOS is a deep, sometimes entertaining game… but the controls are a core, critical, nasty flaw that I don't think can be "fixed" or addressed in any meaningful way.

I just really wish that ideas like the random potentially timer resetting events and the energy 'gameplay' mechanic didn't make the choice harder than it already had to be.

Fading Fairytales is a very, very simple game that's great for newcomers who want to acclimate themselves to the strategy genre.

How much you'll enjoy Gun Commando will depend on how nostalgic you are for a shooter that recalls the bygone days of boot disks and Sound Blaster 16 cards.

Luxuria Superbia isn’t entirely reciprocal, but the rewards of giving yourself to its pleasures are great.

Forklift Extreme is fun enough, but it’s also very repetitive. It can also be very aggravating trying to get top marks due to how easy it is to bump some small object or another. I imagine if you’re a forklift fan, you won’t get burnt out on the whole affair as quickly as I did. Even with that in mind, I can’t say I didn’t have some fun with this one. It’s more intuitive to play than the countless Simulator games that have released on the Switch, but still nails down the feel of what it’s trying to get across in a sufficiently complex manner.

I really like how retro-ized the whole game is, and how the graphics and interface are designed to look just like a cocktail table arcade machine.

Though considerably shorter than I would have liked it to be, My Little Monster is a reasonable amount of bang for your buck.

Load it up, go mental with a machine gun during your coffee break, turn it off and forget. Sounds like pretty good escapism to me.

And while Puddle may have launched on nearly every platform this side of the generation first... it manages to finally land on iOS *still* leagues better than most of the competition. Don’t step-over this Puddle, jump in.

In the end, I think I'm just a bit disappointed that for how much Mortal Kombat X is a better-designed experience, very little of that improvement includes the actual gameplay.

Destroy All Humans! has an interesting premise that helped it stand out back when it first released in spite of not exactly being a top-shelf game. Oddly enough, that premise is still quite unique more than fifteen years later. But the things that were rough then feel even rougher now, and I’m just not sure it’s going to impress anyone coming to it for the first time. When the mayhem hits a high and you’re blasting away humans, their structures, and their defenses with your otherworldly weapons, it’s still a lot of fun. What happens between those bits isn’t as interesting, unfortunately. In fact, it can sometimes be outright dull. Add in some technical issues with this port and you have a rather lukewarm invasion all-around.

While you are partially at the mercy of random elements, there’s a great degree of agency in how your chosen heroes and their abilities work together. I think the core game here is just as good as titles like Slay the Spire or Monster Train, but the Switch conversion leaves a bit to be desired. Play it elsewhere if you can, but if you enjoy the genre and only have a Switch, you’ll probably be able to put up with this port’s issues.

Aside from the neo-retro presentation and moving some actions to separate buttons, River City Saga: Three Kingdoms delivers almost exactly what its concept suggests. It plays like one of the best beat-em-ups from thirty years ago, with all that implies. The farcical retelling of the Three Kingdoms provides a fun excuse for the action, and you’ll have a whole lot of goofy thrills if you opt to play it via the extensive co-op multiplayer options. I could do without the terrible platforming bits and I wish it had the courage to shake the formula up a little more, but those who love River City will find this scratches the itch well enough.

It’s hard to find much to object to in Gubbins, really. It doesn’t do anything dramatically different from other word games on a fundamental level, so if you don’t like that kind of thing I guess you won’t enjoy this? Otherwise, this is smooth sailing all the way. It has tons of charm thanks to its lively presentation, the extra twists give the gameplay a flavor of its own, and you can try it out for free, buy extra bits like more Gubbins a la carte, or pay one reasonable fee to get everything. I’ll happily take this game and all the gubbins and Gubbins that come with it.

Gorilla Gondola is a quality release, with responsive controls, good graphics and energetic music. The gameplay feels fresh and there's definitely skill involved with bouncing the gondola through the tight spots.

As a WarioWare-inspired affair, Atari Mania falls a little short of that series while still being good enough to be of interest to those enjoy quick-fire gaming. If we look at it as a celebration of Atari, it’s very well done. There are lots of little details in here for the true-blue fans, and the sense of humor hits the right spot as far as I’m concerned. The Switch version has some technical issues that mean you’re probably better off playing it elsewhere unless portable play is critical for you, but if the Switch is your only (or preferred) option, it’s playable enough to get into.

It's still a very fun game and one of the more accessible games in the 4X genre, and I'll never get tired of pretending everyone is their respective character from Clone High, but I can't confidently recommend this game to anyone who already has the first game, unless those graphics really mean a lot to you.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain wears its inspiration on its sleeve, and it is so dedicated to its core gameplay mechanic that it can wear a little thin before the game is up. It also suffers from some performance issues on the Switch. With all that said, I can’t say I didn’t have some fun zipping around on my broom, delivering packages to a bunch of quirky characters. This is one of those games where if you think the concept sounds good, you’ll probably like what you get well enough.

Overall, if you're a fan of mini-game collections and you're looking for a new fix, Flick Champions does a solid job of satisfying that need.

These no-frills rereleases of the games are highly enjoyable in a vacuum, but when measured up against similar games in the genre available on the Switch, they feel lacking. If you’ve checked off the big-pants games in the action-RPG looter genre on the system and you don’t mind the price, then and only then should you consider grabbing Dark Alliance II.

I think it's safe to say Crow is a mixed bag, but is still worth picking up because it so much uniqueness to offer. Because it does look so stellar, you can't help but wish those little design flaws (like trading a d-pad for your finger being in the middle of the screen at all times) weren't there.

There are two groups of players that should quickly fall in love with Call of Duty: Heroes. Obviously, series fans will enjoy the fan service that Heroes has, but I think fans of Clash-style PvP combat will also be intrigued enough with the heroes aspect to want to check it out.

It's just all disappointing because Zodiac's such a gorgeous game. And the interface in combat is super-slick. And the Zodiac system is really cool to play with. But what Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey fails to do is to make the player want to keep playing it. It fails to capitalize on the strengths it has, preferring to draw itself out into a boring trudge rewards you with too few bright spots over far too long of a playing time.

If I was more aware of the missing content this review may have been a bit easier to swallow. But expectations are everything, and if Breach & Clear expected what little it gave us to be OK for now… it expected wrongly. Sadly, though, some of us also expected the wrong thing.

The mini-games could have had a little more variety, depth, and/or difficulty, but the plot and presentation is the focus here and it's great.

Beautifully presented, a little campy but oh-so-worth that walk down memory lane, Blood of the Zombies will not go amiss in your library of interactive iOS-based tales.

The controls are responsive and well-suited to touch devices, but more importantly, Kairo brings something fresh and unique to the platform -- there's nothing like it, to the best of my knowledge, on the App Store. We need more games like it.

Last Inua is a decent experience, it just feels like it could have been a lot more than that.

F1 2016 is a great game if you only want to do Time Trials but a pretty frustrating one if you like racing against the AI. Codemasters has always had a problem getting the AI to work right in its F1 games, so I'm not really surprised to see the AI in F1 2016 having all these issues.

There’s a certain spice missing that keeps this from being genuinely great, but it’s an enjoyable enough romp for fans of challenging platformers.

This Switch version of the game is decent enough, though it does make some expected concessions in its visuals when compared to the PlayStation 4 original. If you’ve set your mind on playing Crystar, this is a fine enough way to do it. There’s certainly something here to enjoy, with a twisting narrative that keeps on delivering to the bittersweet end. But you’re going to have to deal with some lengthy stretches of truly dull gameplay between those story nuggets, and I can’t really make a strong case that it’s worth it.

Disney Speedstorm in its current state on Nintendo Switch is a great kart racer held back by confusing in-game monetization. I’ve enjoyed playing Disney Speedstorm online with friends and randoms on both platforms, but Gameloft needs to do a better job with how unlocks and progression works for those unfamiliar with free to play mobile games. There’s a lot of potential here and there’s definitely fun to be had even in the early access release, but I was hoping for more. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

Dungeons & Doomknights is a decent 8-bit adventure with its tongue planted so far into its cheek that it threatens to burst right through. Nami Tentou has done a nice job packaging it for the Switch, improving on its sometimes too-threadbare earlier efforts. Some collision issues and its tendency to go a little too over the top are the only real flies in this ointment, but those who can get into modern NES games will likely come away satisfied with this one.

I always thought Cricket Through the Ages was a great short experience that was a lovely addition to Apple Arcade. As a standalone paid game though, it is a bit harder to recommend unless you’re buying it to play as a hilarious party game with friends. Thankfully the low asking price makes it an easier pill to swallow, and the Switch port is very good. I do hope the developers add more to it though in potential updates.

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.

While the idea of a smart-talking Pikachu who solves crimes is one that I think almost everyone can get behind, Detective Pikachu Returns is a game with narrower appeal. If you loved the first game and can accept that this is essentially a 3DS follow-up that fell between the couch cushions for a half-decade, you might enjoy this. If you have a Pokemon-loving kid, I think they’ll get a kick out of this entry-level adventure. Otherwise, this is harder to recommend to anyone with even the smallest amount of experience with the genre. Not everything aimed at a younger audience is going to work for us big kids, and I regrettably think this is one such case.

While the gameplay hasn't aged so well and there isn't an excessive amount of bells and whistles, the iOS X-Men is a totally decent conversion and an easy recommendation for fans of the original.

In terms of gameplay, this is a rail shooter that takes a couple of hours to play through and somehow feels like twenty. It’s too easy, and far too repetitive. Some may say that is the nature of the genre, but I’ve played plenty of rail shooters with more engaging mechanics than Gal*Gun Double Peace. If you do happen to get into it, there’s a lot here to do with multiple endings and extras to explore. But even with its goofy sense of humor and out-there premise carrying it forward, the flame flickers out on this game well before the candle melts down.

Its visuals are easily top-tier, the story is intriguing and the combat system, while a bit monotonous, is still engaging (particularly with a controller). Most importantly, it’s fun, and I think it’s worth playing simply for the visuals and story. Regardless, assuming you can handle the combat and violence, I highly recommend picking up.

For seven bucks you could purchase a handful of objects that instill the same sense of simple, gleeful play that The Amazing Spider-Man evokes at its very best, without any of the baggage. Like a an action figure. Or a jumping-jack.

At the end of the day, despite having to wade through some arguably murky IAP waters, 2K Drive is a ton of fun. It would have been a much stronger experience if it was just a premium game out of the gate, but despite a ton of confusion as to how you're supposed to actually unlock all the content, racing fans will most likely enjoy it.

If you're a Sonic fan that can deal with the differences from Sonic's '90s greatness, or if you just like fun platformers in general, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II has a lot to offer and is a worthy entry in this new era of classically-inspired Sonic games.

It's something that grognards, history buffs, and casual strategy gamers alike should be able to get into, and that's quite an accomplishment.

Quest of Dungeons is a very good roguelike and a fun game.

There are plenty of shooters to spend your time on, and although Tofu Hunter is a welcome free distraction for an afternoon, I wouldn't recommend giving it more time than that.

Colt Express is a great port of a fun game, and it's one that's very easy to recommend both to those who enjoy board games and to mobile gamers in general. The art is fantastic, the gameplay mechanics work great, and there's plenty of content to keep you playing the game for a long time to come.

Even in this improved form, Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX has a lot of rough edges that you’ll have to learn to accept if you want to enjoy it. It has a few small technical issues, a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop that feels like it needs a bit more spice for its runtime, and very tight timers that don’t always pair well with the procedurally-generated maps. Still, those tight timers can sometimes lead to a satisfying level of tension, especially when things really start to come apart and you make a last-minute escape. There’s a real charm to Firegirl, even if you’re going to get a little roasted in pursuit of it.

The price is a bit on the stiff side given the game is as brief as it was in the 16-bit era, but taken as a whole this is as it ever was: fun, feel-good, and something you’ll want to come back to now and then in the future.

In terms of its core mechanics, this is probably one of the better side-scrolling beat-em-ups I've played on iOS in a while, so the potential is there if the tech and balancing issues can be sorted out.

Ultimately this is one for diehard Monopoly fans only, who are in the market for a quick and dirty arcade version of the app they've undoubtedly already got on their iPhone or iPad. For anyone interested in a digitized board game, this is just too anemic and pandering to satisfy.

It's a really unique and artistic experience that's well suited to the platform. The crashing problem and the physics engine, however, can make it a bit of a chore to play, so we are hoping they can be tweaked in the updates.

As an overall experience, it doesn't offer much new to the table, but it does expand on the ideas of the original in a way that changes how you'll approach it.

Every element in Rogue Sky just seems to fit perfectly together. The mission-based gameplay and levels work well with the controls and are enhanced by the visuals and music.

While it gets the core gist of the Spelunky formula right, and does some rather cool things, the game suffers from its short development time, leading to a lack of variation in level designs. Also, the game just doesn't have the tight platformer feel necessary for what the demanding difficulty requires to give the player a good shot at succeeding.

Exclusively looking at the gameplay of Angry Birds 2, this is the best Angry Birds yet. Throwing in additional randomization spices things up a bit, the "boss fights" are really neat, and all the other little additions here and there (Like fans, flowers that spit blocks for some reason, and other strange things) make playing the game a ton of fun.

Where End Night fails is in providing a reason to keep playing. The pretense toward randomness is promising, but once you've improved your stats and put together your final cure there's really not much call to replay the game.

We’re not exactly starving for choice when it comes to Metroidvania-style games on Steam, and nothing Noreya: The Gold Project does should push it to the front of your wish list. Indeed, there are a lot of obvious flaws here that pull the adventure down. At the same time, it hits the basics well and there are a few really interesting elements that, when combined with the strong atmosphere, might just hook you.

The ramping difficulty unnecessarily lengthens all but the shortest duration games, but the overall gameplay gives you just enough control over random elements that most board gamers won't lose focus.

Jones is, on the whole, a great saviour of kitties, and Jones On Fire is a fun runner. It lacks a bit in the longevity department, but with a little love and a few more environments it could be positively gripping.

Its simplicity is what makes it work, so as long as you aren't looking for your next deep iOS gaming experience, Daddy Was A Thief should fit the bill.

And sure, this isn’t Double Fine’s best effort, yet it remains more interesting and charismatic than most puzzle-adventure games that pop-up on the app store, regularly. Making it worth every beat of your adventurous heart… assuming your heart is as big as mine.

In spite of all of my problems with the game, it's still really fun while it's rolling along.

The early experience can be very frustrating as you get a feel for when you should press on and when you should head back to town. Then you settle into a groove, and it feels good in a fairly mindless way. Then it starts to get a little repetitive, because the game never really tries anything too different and there certainly isn’t much in the way of a plot to keep you going. Grinding-as-lotto makes it an easy game to pick up and put down, and the absence of plot or direction means it’s one of those rare RPGs that you truly can digest in small bites over the course of a long period of time. It serves a very specific need, but if you have that need it does a great job of handling it.

Pac-Man World Re-PAC isn’t rendered unplayable by these performance problems, but they do mar an experience that needed all the shining up it could get to help make it palatable to newcomers. If you can look past the quirks of the original game’s design, if you can overlook the obvious technical issues, and if you can ignore the fact that you can find a lot of better 3D platformers on Switch at this price or lower, you will likely get some fun out of this release. It really should have been better, though.

Despite the fact that 2008 is longer ago than most of us would like to admit, there is still some fun to be had with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Some may have preferred a different version from the Wii one, but what it lacks in visual punch it more than makes up for with additional content and more focused level design. It’s an enjoyable, silly Star Wars adventure that probably isn’t going to flip the switches of anyone without affection for the brand, but will be a good enough time for fans to keep them from focusing on its many rough edges. A bit of a time warp, but not a bad one.

I really love War of the Zombie. I just wish it didn’t have so many flaws and broken features. The game is clearly a victim of its own lofty ambition to create as comprehensive a squad based tactical RTS game as possible on the iOS platform for under $3. It is extremely playable but it has a tendency to fail you in rather inopportune ways.

As long as you’re able to gather your buddies onto the couch for some gaming fun now and then, you’ll have a good time with Action Arcade Wrestling.

Ultimately, The Teal Mask isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. If you were able to get past the technical flaws of the base games, you’ll probably enjoy yourself well enough here. The main story isn’t as good and there’s something lost with the more linear structure, but the photography is fun and the basic loop of Pokemon remains as entertaining as ever. We’ll have to see how the second part of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero goes to make any final judgements, but for now this is really just for those who loved their time with Scarlet & Violet and want to keep the good times rolling.

After a few content updates, GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon has the potential to be an essential in the genre. Right now, it still feels like an early access game and one that has annoying technical issues on Nintendo Switch. Its biggest draw is the aesthetic and combat, but it needs to be polished and tweaked in its current state to be an easy recommendation when you have much better games in the genre on Nintendo Switch priced similarly.

Code Mystics has handled this version of Biomotor Unitron with its usual level of quality. All the same features, all of the same flaws, but overall the best official way to play this game. This is a simple, straightforward RPG in most respects, with an interesting customization system to keep you engaged. In modern times it may be too limited and grindy for some, but if you like the idea of slowly cobbling together a killer mech to take the top spot, Biomotor Unitron may be of interest to you.

TOHU does a lot of things right and doesn’t really do anything seriously wrong, but I found myself feeling very ho-hum about it in the end. The art is really nice and I enjoyed many of the puzzles. But as pretty as it is, there’s something very “generic point-and-click adventure" about the game that keeps it from truly standing out. Touch controls work well enough but note that if you’re playing docked you’re going to have to deal with a relatively annoying cursor-based interface that doesn’t work all that well with a controller. There’s so much obvious love put into this game, but I’m not sure all that personality is enough to make this anything more than a fairly standard take on a well-worn concept.

As it is, it's not a bad little platform shooter, and there is something awesome about Honest Abe toting a flamethrower, but it's not Ravenous and Wobblyware's best work.

As neat as it is that the stylish combat of Devil May Cry translates well to the mobile version, it still has a tendency to feel repetitive and button mashy.

Piclings is still a lot of fun based solely on the ability to create your own levels. This novelty alone means I'll be playing the game for a good long while until I run out of funny ideas for levels.

The constant push for purchases more or less ruined the experience for me.

If multiplayer was working properly, Tank Riders probably would have been a game worth checking out. The controls, while annoying, were workable, and the different types of weapons offered some variety in taking out opponents. Unfortunately, without multiplayer, all you're left with is the too-short single player campaign which can be completed in a few hours and simply doesn't have enough content to carry the whole game.

With decent visuals, a great cohesiveness of thematics, and a good amount of content and replayability elements, N.Y.Zombies 2 is worth checking out for any horror fans.

My technical issues due to playing on an "older" device aside, brevity is the beauty of Smash the Office. The game is mostly mindless, but that makes it the perfect time-waster when you just want to smash things--real things, things you have to soldier through every day for eight hours and a lunch break--for a few minutes here and there.

Mighty Dungeons is hard to recommend in its current state.

While Blitz Brigade offers an enjoyable experience in team-based FPS gameplay, the overall experience is still clouded by freemium add-ons that add unnecessary annoyances.

While a good space sim at its core, Strike Wing is still a game of tempered expectations.

A solid attempt at an overly exhausted genre, but nothing exceptional, despite its fun factor.

A lot of hard work has certainly been invested into SXPD and its with no doubt that this game has got a lot of clear potential, but due to its repetitive nature and lack of depth it unfortunately misses the mark just slightly. I

It’s hard to strike a freemium balance with puzzle games like Super Monkey Ball Bounce.

It doesn't do anything novel or well enough to stand out from the pack, but taken apart from that pack, it's a fairly solid effort.

I find myself incredibly conflicted about OK Golf. There's a lot of cool things about it, but there's just some aspects to the game that other golf games have already gotten right, and there was no reason for OK Golf to go around messing with the golf formula. I'm interested to see what future content and updates bring to improve and diversify the golfing experience here, because there is a great game somewhere in here with some fixes. Until then, I have to say OK Golf is just...okay.

Even with its flaws, Within the Blade is a solid 2D stealth game that pays homage to classic ninja games while also doing a bit more towards the actual concept than most of those past hits ever attempted to. The pixel art looks slick, the mechanics are enjoyable to learn, and the overall game is a really good time. While the stages can get a little dull in their layouts and the story doesn’t really go anywhere interesting, the moment-to-moment action makes this one well-worth picking up for ninja fans looking for their next shadow dancing partner.

The biggest problem with Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is that it all feels too thin. For all the different modes, it all mostly comes down to luck. You can tell this was derived from a game that is only one step removed from gambling. It puts on a decent performance of making you think you have a say in the outcome, but you really don’t. Perhaps as a lower-priced affair I could see this working better, but at the price point it’s targeting there just isn’t enough meat on the bones here in any sense. If you’re a big fan of the arcade version, you’ll likely be happy to have the game at home with all kinds of extras. I can’t imagine many others finding a lot to love here, however.

You get about five or six hours of fun here, and while Intrepid Izzy may not keep pace visually I think it hangs well mechanically with similar games in the genre. It controls well, the suits add some fun gimmicks to play with, and the level designs are generally enjoyable to make your way through. The boss battles can be a little annoying, dragging on a little longer than needed, but combat is rather good overall. If you enjoy the Monster World or Shantae games, you might want to give this one a spin.

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.

Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars doesn’t have much meat on the plate in most respects. There isn’t much depth to the action, and it’s over pretty quickly by the standards of Senran Kagura and especially Neptunia. The only area where it really goes beyond adequate is in the charming character interactions and amusing script. It would be nice if there was a little bit more here to enjoy, but I think for the fans of the brands, it’s enough. Those not already invested in either series will want to give this a pass, however.

It's a beautiful, well-told story, and an experience that isn't like much of anything being made today. It's worth a look for the sake of novelty alone. And while I can't say they'll all live happily ever after, winning your way through the game's brief tale is a satisfying experience on its own.

While I did enjoy a lot of Moonscars in the time I’ve put into it on Switch as of version 1.3.003 and the current PC build, it feels like an early access release that is close to hitting the finish line. There are a few things that need work like enemy HP, some areas looking too similar, and the unforgiving nature not pushing me to learn, but frustrating me in parts. In its current state, I’d recommend it assuming you’re ok with all of that and some performance issues on Nintendo Switch.

While the quality of Breakout: Recharged is generally good and the new additions help spice things up, this one didn’t quite click for me the way the last couple of Recharged games did. Power-ups aren’t a huge game changer here thanks to the existence of Arkanoid, and Breakout is just never going to play as well as it needs to without a paddle or spinner controller of some sort. Fans of the original or the Recharged line as a whole won’t be disappointed, but those looking for a good brick breaker can probably find better options on the Switch.