I’m not going to lie: this game drove me up and down the wall frequently with how hard it was. I was howling at times at the devilish stage designs, a pain matched only by the sheer relief of finally pulling them off. The controls here are spot on, so it really is about your ability to do what each set-up is asking of you. Because of that, and my own stubborn nature, I found myself unable to walk away from the game for very long even when things got ridiculous. Again, you really have to enjoy this kind of cruel platformer to get anything out of Mr. Run and Jump, but if that’s your flavor of choice, this is a very well made one.

Despite the somewhat rocky difficulty curve, Midnight Fight Express is an enjoyable spin on the beat-em-up genre. It plays a bit differently from the average entry in the genre, but once you get the hang of it you can pull off some wild sequences that just plain feel good. It’s only a few hours long, but it is immensely replayable thanks to having many unlockables, options, and leaderboards to jostle with other players on. This is one express brawlers fans will want to catch.

It wouldn't be hard for NHL 2K11 to claim the title of best ice hockey game on the iPhone, since the competition is sorely lacking. But it surprisingly goes above and beyond and offers a truly full-fledged NHL experience on a mobile platform.

If you've got any love for these super-hard score attack games at all, make sure to check this one out.

Plague Inc will snag your attention in all the right ways and keep it there long after you've come to terms with the fact you'll be indirectly responsible for human testing.

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

While Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons doesn't exactly hit the lofty mark it appears to be shooting for, it's still quite an impressive effort, and it certainly has a wow factor to it that will have you grinning throughout your first playthrough.

The multiple layers of platform provide a depth that's missing from many other single-layer running games. It's just a shame more people aren't playing the multiplayer mode, although that's a problem faced by many good, but lesser known games.

On the whole, Magnibox is pretty great. It sets out to deliver a charming platform puzzler experience, and it more than accomplishes that goal. It has a premium feeling, a relaxed pace, smooth controls, and so very, very many unique levels. While it could do a better job with its difficulty curve and introducing new mechanics, and while I have a special dislike of the swipe controls on iPads, the gameplay and unique feel more than make up for such minor issues. At its price point, Magnibox is well worth picking up.

An engaging affair that's well worth checking out if you're a fan of the series, or even a newbie like myself who just can't seem to put it down.

Burnout Crash perfectly embodies the horrid cliche of "Easy to learn, but difficult to master." It'll only take you a few tries to get a handle on the game physics, but actually learning the nuances of where to try to stack up cars on each intersection and how to position your own car to not mess up existing piles almost turns Crash an entirely unexpected physics puzzle game, especially if you jump into it expecting something like previous Burnout titles.

I know it's not the same sort of game, but if you like Angry Birds and its ilk, I think Cover Orange will be worth your while - there's just a spiritual similarity of sorts going on there.

This isn't innovative or the first of its kind, but Surfers does expand and evolve what we've come to know as the endless runner.

Overall, you’re not going to find anything particularly new or innovative with Demons, but to be honest that isn’t necessarily a bad thing with tower defense.

If you enjoy challenging action games, you've got no reason not to try this out, and even if you don't, there's not much to lose if you want to give it a go.

But it's still surprising how well Jelly Defense runs. It's as smooth as butter, even when the action gets intense.

Puzzle Bobble is a fun puzzle game and it more or less hit its concept out of the park early on, which means it’s still fun to go back to the early entries even today. The Super NES version might not be the definitive version of this game, but it’s certainly a step up from the NEOGEO option offered by Hamster. The only thing holding this back is the curious lack of save states, which dampens the joy of aiming for ever-higher scores and forces you to rely on passwords to make your way through all of the stages in story mode.

Ninja Cats vs. Samurai Dogs slowly became a treasured TD game for this player. Once I leveled up, I was totally hooked. This game has layers of strategic heart waiting to be uncovered. The tactical learning curve is steep, but once you get into it, you’ll never look at cats and dogs the same way.

There’s no overarching commitment, there’s nothing more to it than the puzzle itself, and because of all of these factors, Unitied excels as a puzzle game. Although it may have started its journey on other platforms, it’s definitely found its place right at home on iOS.

Knotmania regardless is a fun idea that manifests itself into a solid, well-made game. It's certainly a unique experience to behold, and can be quite satisfying when you tackle a tricky level.

Odium To the Core is not for everyone. Some players will not have the patience to even pass level two. It is not your typical mobile title by any stretch of the imagination. If you are up for the challenge, however, give it a try. For anyone else, the game is worth having on your mobile device for the art style and aesthetics if nothing else. It is really a great demonstration of parallax scrolling and cool graphics to take in and chill to.

It remains a highly entertaining multiplayer action game with plenty to offer even players who don’t pay a cent. The Switch port is solid, and looks and plays as good as you would hope. There are bits of the UI that betray its roots as a touch-screen game, but it works well enough. A bit of an old dog, but one that still has many good days ahead of it.

Don't get me wrong, the lack of multi-player does not take the shine off the overall package here. It is a smartly produced and full experience as it currently exists, and the value proposition is assuredly there.

I've never played anything like it. In some ways a successful loop feels like a Rube Goldberg machine, where the momentum from one clip launches the next, over and over ad infinitum.

I'm looking forward to the forthcoming chapters of the series, but my ultimate judgment of the series will depend on how Skygoblin handles the larger themes in the world and the continued development of the characters, especially Lina, a confident and intellectual woman who is clearly central to the plot, but who spends this game waiting for Bwana and Kito to get their act together.

A sweet gaming experience that I think other shooter fans would enjoy. I loved the change in perspective from average shooters and the Pixar look of the game's characters and settings.

If you have Apple Arcade, Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition is one of the best additions to the service in a long time despite a few issues. The game itself is great, and while I hope some aspects can be tweaked on iPhone and iPad, I have no hesitation in recommending you play it assuming you’re ok with the ecosystem lock in for progress. If you’d like some more flexibility on that front, I recommend buying it on Steam Deck or any other platform you prefer. In an ideal world, I’d be able to bring my progress over to Apple Arcade instead of having to start over, but this won’t be an issue for newcomers. If you’re new to it, Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition is excellent.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania retains the core appeal of the series: cute ball-encased monkeys rolling around devilishly challenging stages at high speeds. It ventures just far enough from the specifics of the original games to be considered a truly faithful remake, but those who aren’t intimately familiar with those games or are willing to adapt will find an amazing wealth of aggravating appeal and ridiculous stunts. It’s a great place to get acquainted with the series if you haven’t before, with plenty to offer veterans looking for something closer to the mark than the likes of Banana Blitz.

Playing this game may even tell you something about your own character. How confident and greedy are you – will you gamble for the high score, or flip?

Tale Tapper is sometimes frustrating, but ultimately the juice is worth the squeeze.

A fun take on the runner genre. For about a buck, you get pretty much endless entertainment, especially since you can pick your favorite puppy out of eight to customize the playing experience.

Long Gone Days sometimes feels a bit too ambitious, but when it hits hard, the few issues I have with certain aspects don’t matter as much. This is a special game that pulls from a few genres, but one that manages to tell an interesting story that is worth your time. It might not be for everyone, but I am excited to see more from the developer going forward.

What begins as a plummet from the heavens and through Earth’s core transforms into a much more bizarre tour. Skydrift is quiet, its only sounds ambient, like the whooshing suck of wind or the brief cry of seagulls.

It's a high quality spin on the mini-golf genre with some really thoughtful twists.

I have to give Goo Saga a solid recommendation, ironically enough. I have my qualms with the upgrade system, but the core game here is more than strong enough to recommend on its own. And the progression issues may not matter as much if you are particularly skilled, or if completionism is not a factor for you at all. But if you want a platformer with a fun premise and great production values, do check out Goo Saga.

It's rare to find a game that embraces such an enjoyable mechanic.

A good game for hardcore platform gamers. It's fast-moving and challenging, with simplistic retro graphics and some heavier than usual background music.

There isn't a whole lot I could say about Lunar Flowers that I haven't said already. Most of the people out there know that they're part of the target audience, and the rest, know to avoid it.

Looking beyond the simple equation of playtime for money, though, I'm not sure that the game does itself any favors in coupling such a long playtime with so deliberate a difficulty curve. I love this series and I think the gameplay mechanics are a blast, yet even I found myself wishing for the end to come well before it did. There's a great game in Cally's Caves 4, one that surpasses even the thrilling heights of the previous game. Unfortunately, it's served in a giant casserole dish with a lot of less savory bites, and you can't really pick out the lima beans here. In the end, the game taken as a whole isn't nearly as consistent in its quality as Cally's Caves 3. It's still more than worth a go, but make sure you're prepared for a lot of filler along with the killer.

AK-xolotl blends aspects of Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon together with its own charm to be something that has a lot of potential, but it feels a bit lacking in its current state when it comes to balance. It is a lot of fun despite that, but I think it will be a lot better once some of its updates hit.

If you're put off completely by retro themes or runners by now, I wouldn't blame you, and you might not get as much out of the game as I did. I think this is a pretty solid recommendation for most anyone else, though.

Clap Hanz Golf in its current state will feel a bit grindy after you’ve played for a good amount of time and just want to unlock everything that’s left. Despite that, it is definitely worth your time and I hope it continues to get regular updates in the future with maybe even a real-time multiplayer mode.

Razion EX is another high-quality shoot-em-up in the Switch’s library, with a distinct flavor all of its own. While it’s not the most fully-featured of releases, it has all of the important options and modes you would want in a game like this. The different difficulty modes are well-balanced, and whether you’re going for score or survival there is a good time to be had here. Shoot-em-up fans of all sorts will find things to appreciate in this game.

Not quite a main course but heftier than a snack, Mazes Of Karradash is a great little bit of adventuring that should slot nicely into any RPG fan's busy schedule.

Pixelbite and Polarbit have succeeded in bringing some of the best aspects of Reckless Racing into Reckless Getaway while offering a very different gameplay experience.

Knife That Guy is a simple arcade game with just one really good core mechanic, fleshed out through its assortment of different characters and items.

Jet Dragon isn’t going to be for everyone, but those with an open mind and a love of simulation games will likely be pleasantly surprised with what they find here. Those looking for a slick dragon racing game with dragon drifting and such are going to be less pleased, since that aspect of the game aims more at the strategic than the action-packed. If you’re looking for something different that has a lot of meat on its bones and you have an Apple Arcade subscription, I recommend giving this a look.

If you're looking for a simple, yet addicting slicing game that actually has a point beyond an "endless mode," this is it. Despite the fact that there are a few questionable design decisions, this is basically one of the most fully featured slicing titles on the market.

While the two games in A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection were and are a bit clunky, if you learn to take them on their own terms they’re both a lot of fun to figure out. Both games are well-emulated and while the list of features isn’t very big, the wrapper has what you need. Those who want less friction in their adorable Boy-Meets-Blob game should probably look to the previously-released reboot title, but if you’re willing to put up with some quirks for the sake of adventure, this set is worth looking into.

It plays and controls well in a nice and frantic pace that should keep you on your toes for long play sessions. Super Hydorah is a very pleasant tribute to the classics of a bygone era.

In many regards, The Seed plays out very much like its namesake. Small-time gameplay elements eventually flower into complicated contraptions that require analysis, foresight and precision to succeed. It's this growth in gameplay and scenery that's showcased through the entirety of the (all too brief) game that makes it fun to play.

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.

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is if nothing else a unique experience, and it’s nice to see it make a relatively unscathed trip to the Switch.

Block Block Block makes the best of its ruleset, and rarely wastes a step.

Though you will die a lot, and dealing with the black holes ain't easy. But do at least give this a download, it's got some cool ideas and a too-friendly business model.

Sonny is just a solid casual RPG. The battle-based structure makes it easy to play this one for just a few minutes at a time. It's got challenging battles, but it gives you plenty of options to try and get a leg up on any tough enemies and battles. It's easy to play and dive into, but has a surprising depth to the combat. It's lacking a few things, but is overall a cohesive, well-made game that fans of the original Flash games and newcomers should both enjoy.

In the end, Tower Dwellers never really escapes the shadow of its inspiration, which is a particular problem when said inspiration is cheaper and more lengthy.

It's not going to do much for those who are weary of the genre, but fans should be fairly pleased with this outing.

I feel like my one complaint with Silverfish DX is that it’s kind of shallow because it is just that one game mode. It’s a good game mode, and it’s well-made. But, it’s still just an arcade high score chaser, and while surprises come in the form of enemies that you discover for the first time, you’ll get the gist of the experience rather quickly. It becomes about iteration and improvement on high scores. Perhaps you’ll love that, but just be aware of it when you’re coming in.

While the content is a bit light, I still whole-heartedly recommend Greedy Dwarf for any fans of fast-paced, reflex-oriented platformers.

Its biggest strength and weakness is in its diversity and although it'd be nice if it took a little more time with its more innovative mechanics, the fact most every level is wholly its own is a decent trade-off, even if it does feel like some great ideas get left behind.

Legacy Of Dorn: Herald Of Oblivion is an enjoyable, creepy adventure with a great setting and a fun combat system.

If you're looking for some interactive fiction that has a fair bit of action but still feels like it's doing something fresh with its premise, Cannonfire Concerto is likely going to be your jam. It's interesting playing a less direct role than usual in a story like this, and I like that you're allowed to decide just how deep in the muck you want to be.

It’s a clever idea that works pretty well on the touchscreen, and there’s plenty of content to keep you engaged in the form of extra modes with slightly tweaked game mechanics.

As platforming games go, this one is certainly a grand spectacle, a quirky display of comedy and silliness rolled into one.

Does Ayo the Clown reinvent the platforming wheel? No, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a little easy, a little short, but it’s creative and a solid example of the 2D platforming genre.

This is the first dual stick shooter in a while that's been entertaining enough to hold my interest, as the gameplay is fast-paced and the style is the most absurd I've seen since MUST.EAT.BIRDS.

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

It does a reasonable job of that most of the time, however. For just a few bucks, you get several hours of fun auto-running platforming that looks and feels like a Sonic game of this sort should. The difficulty curve could certainly use a little straightening out in places, but it's still quite engaging even when it's too easy, and not insurmountable when it's too hard. Overall, Sonic Runners Adventure is an easy game to recommend to Sonic fans and those who enjoy auto-runners. Past that, it's going to depend on how much you appreciate a slick presentation over tight level designs. If nothing else, it's the best original Sonic game on mobile. That's got to be worth a golden onion ring or two.

Primal Flame could start a whole new genre if it wanted. A 'la Flappy Bird and it's 101 clones, I wouldn't be surprised if this ushered in a wave of ‘Strike-a-match-and-avoid-evil-falling-leaves’ games because it completely sucked me in. Like the proverbial moth to the flame, you could say.

Dawn of Isles is a gorgeously crafted mobile MMO. With a delightful art style, plenty to see and do, and countless rewards and achievements to reap, it’s a true testament to how far mobile graphics have advanced in such a short time.

Fans of Puzzle Quest and Magic: The Gathering will likely find Orions 2's gameplay pretty irresistible. The learning curve is a bit steeper than the aforementioned titles, but after a few rounds with the card battles, you'll find yourself right at home.

With 64 levels to play and more promised on the way, Catapult King really does give you a lot to do. And that's before you mention the dragon fights that come later down the line. Wait, did I mention those?

Glider is just a great little game with a lot of personality.

It's the kind of game you can turn on and go for a quick coin run in, or get lost for an hour trying to acquire a new level. It's aesthetics are retro enough to draw in a crowd, but not overly cloying to the point where it feels like it's a knockoff. It definitely has room for improvement, but it hits a sweet spot for sure (it even has scanlines and a monitor overlay effect!). A lot of love was poured into the creation of this project, and it shows.

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.

If you were already a fan of the original game, then the new goodies in Alien Space Retro are certainly worth checking out.

A solid tower defense game which rewards intelligent play, has a lot of depth and improves on the aesthetics of its earlier version.

There's no barrier to entry here, with one exception: this isn't a game that's ever likely to get a color blind mode. Otherwise, though, anyone can play Blendoku, and play it freely. All you need to be able to do is drag a square from one position to another.

A smart, simple, and endearing platformer. The core mechanic might sound a little abstract, but don't let that get in your way.

In the end, it’s an enjoyable platformer with great production values and good pacing. In my mind that’s more than enough to be worth a recommendation.

What it adds up to is a fresh version of Asteroids with a few additions and alterations to keep things spicy for those who have exhausted the original while still retaining the core elements that made the game worth revisiting forty years later in the first place. Asteroids: Recharged is a great score attack game, but even those who can’t get into chasing those higher numbers will find enjoyment in clearing its tough set of challenges. Another solid success for the Recharged line, a series of games I’m increasingly finding worth paying attention to.

Connectrode is everything I look for in a puzzle game. The game design is smart, and strikingly creative.

While it certainly succeeds at creating a collection of games that are just as much fun if not more so than its previous title, the dreaded star currency makes a return.

Give Feral Fury a little time to get its teeth in you, and you'll find an excellent, challenging action game that's well-worth playing for hours on end.

Cave Bowling is a fun physics game that comes packed with everything we've come to expect of Donut Games. My only real nitpick is I wish it came loaded with Game Center, as Donut Games' web-based scoring system leaves much to be desired.

In its current state, Terra Nil is excellent, but it is held back by some bugs and glitches that required me to to replay specific portions of levels. It has a solid base for sure, and I look forward to playing it on and off over the coming weeks and months once patches arrive. I was already impressed with the concept and visuals in the reveal and demo, but I’m glad to see Terra Nil actually deliver in the final release. This is definitely an essential if you have a Netflix subscription despite the issues I ran into.

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.

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.

Even with the controls, I haven't stopped playing Stealth Assassin which is a testament to what a quality game it is. So if you've dreamed of being a stealthy killer and can put up with some control wonkiness, at the very least give Stealth Assassin's free version a look.

The simplest way I can put it is that Mad Skills Motocross is pure fun.

Even if you have an adverse reaction to IAP, Lock 'n' Load still offers a decent amount of content with more that can be eventually unlocked (even if it takes a long time).

Yearly sports games are always hard to recommend without caveats given how they sometimes don’t change much between releases, but Visual Concepts has gotten to a stage where the WWE 2K games are really good for the most part. WWE 2K24 has a few issues on Steam Deck holding it back, but is otherwise a very good portable wrestling experience. It is worth grabbing if you skipped the last few games for sure.

Fallen could potentially become a great franchise as more episodes are delivered, but a few things, especially the jumpy camera angle changes and poorly translated dialogue, could stand to be improved.

If you’re after a more-relaxed and romantic slice-of-life story with some comedy sprinkled in, Lover Pretend is an otome game for you. This is definitely one of Aksys Games’ more interesting otome releases, and I hope there’s more to come from the cast and story in a potential fandisc or sequel. We need more slice-of-life and comedy in otome games.

The bottom line is, Gangstar Vegas is a great open-ended game, with lots of variety and lots to do, and will keep you playing.

Really, I know what Storm Casters is: a turbo-speed hack 'n slash game that's kinda shallow, but knows it and embraces it.

If you've been looking for a new endless runner, look no further than Swift Revenge. With a solid graphical style that's easy on the eyes, extremely tight controls, and a solid amount of variety, you'll have no problems spending an afternoon taking your revenge out on Doctor Crow.