There really isn't a whole lot to Mr. Ninja, but the gameplay mechanics are solid and it's a fun time in either short or long bursts.

Pocket Creatures is a charming pet sim with a lively, sandbox world that promotes exploration and experimentation.

It’s easy to pick up, but the puzzles get quite tricky as you go. Nothing we haven’t seen before, but it’s well-made and wrapped up in an attractive presentation.

If you can tolerate the initial confusion, though, Metro 2033: Wars does have some enjoyable surprises to share, and unlike most surprises you get in the subway, these ones are mostly welcome.

I think if you’re planning on playing locally with friends, you’re better off buying the real thing. There’s just enough friction here that it’s not as good of an experience. If you think you’ll want to play alone or online a lot, then this is obviously the better choice. I can see a lot of room for improvement here in terms of options and making everything more approachable (why no touch controls?), but all in all this is a fair bit better than the option we had before on Switch.

Make no bones about it, the game is squarely hanging its hat on its chief gimmick. Still, that gimmick is so interesting and thoughtfully implemented that even with everything else riding the line of mediocrity, Adventure Land is well worth your time to check out.

If you played and enjoyed Monster Strike and are looking for something to spice up your love of slinging, you should give this one a try. It has a few new ideas that make for some exciting battles, and the graphics are certainly quite nice. Just be aware that as sweet as it is in the early stages, it gets a lot tougher as you go along.

In short: Sage Fusion 2 is a story worth experiencing. I just wish it were attached to a better game.

If you haven’t played any Rune Factory games before and are thinking about dipping your toe in, I’d probably recommend Rune Factory 4 Special ahead of this game. It’s more polished, has more content, and is a bit easier to play. But if you’re a Rune Factory fan and have already plowed those fields, you’ll find enough to like in Rune Factory 5 to make it worth your attention. It feels like the seed of a new era for the series, but it’s going to take a bit more nurturing before the harvest is truly ready.

If you're a fan of this genre, you could certainly do worse on the App Store, but you could do quite a lot better, too, so I'd really only recommend checking Space Qube out if you want to play around with the excellent ship editor.

There are two different characters with very different playstyles, and each has a handful of weapons that you’ll need to make clever use of. The twin-stick style shooting gives the game its own flavor to an extent, though it is a bit clumsy with the melee-focused character. All in all, it’s a tough game that will speak well to a certain subset of players who are willing to give it the necessary time.

Expectations aside, Dungeon Hearts can be great fun. Just don't let the battle music and cute little heroes convince you you're settling in for an RPG.

The graphics are great, the controls are nice, and there's a lot of content. The problem is that with the way things are set up right now, Flashout 2 feels like a free-to-play game, and not a particularly fair one at that.

Library of Ruina is an incredible, challenging, and long experience with fantastic characters and sublime music on Steam. The console versions have a lovely art and music gallery included with a superb new Japanese voiceover option, but the interface quirks and Switch-specific issues make it hard to recommend easily right now even after two patches. If you have a Steam Deck, play Library of Ruina with the trackpad on that for the current best portable experience.

While I enjoyed the story of this game and I certainly appreciate the on-going efforts to put together a strong class system, the dreadful dungeon designs, creaky engine, and dry localization all keep Soul Historica from being as good as it could be.

Relic Rush may not have the length or variety to propel it to the upper tier of iOS casual games, but it's still worth a shot for folks looking for a simple platformer to try.

On the one hand, putting a Puzzle & Dragons style collecting/evolving system in a tower defense game is kind of cool and definitely leads to a fairly unique experience. On the other hand, it also makes the game feel considerably less strategic since in the back of your mind you know you can probably win any level if you collect the right cards and upgrade them enough.

The highs of Lifeline are very high...the lows are disappointing.

Dead City still plays like a competent zombie-killer if you're willing to overlook the IAP and leaderboards. I imagine there is a select group of players that like moving from game to game in this sort of genre. If so, Dead City is for you.

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.

With the number of iterations the Ancient Battles franchise has had, I expected to see a marked improvement which for the most part I have, but nothing here goes beyond expectation.

It also deserves credit for treating its moral dilemmas with a remarkably even hand, making for some tough choices. That's one of the best things a piece of interactive fiction can accomplish, I think, and it's enough for me to at least somewhat recommend The City's Thirst, particularly to those who have already enjoyed stories set in this world.

A great game to enjoy, with gorgeous visuals and a ton of really sharp physics puzzles to work through. I just wish I could have avoided the mind games that came along for the ride.

It’s a solid, but not spectacular, entry into the 3D platforming genre. I think if you’re a fan of 3D platformers, you probably won’t be disappointed with what you get here. Those less interested in the genre likely won’t find much to change their minds. I also don’t imagine it will stick in anyone’s memories all too often. It does its job, and maybe that’s enough.

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.

Maybe it's just a case of irrational expectations, but I was a bit disappointed in the overall package of Kotomon. It feels less like a music/rhythm adventure and more of a simplified platformer with frustrating controls and little in terms of variety.

In the end, Able Black's premise is probably stronger than its execution, but it's nevertheless an enjoyable little thought exercise in more ways than one.

A couple of hours of fun with only coin-hunting to keep you busy afterwards isn't substantial enough. If you want Mario on your iPhone, Super Mario Run does its best to approximate the trappings. On the other hand, if you're looking for a top-shelf auto-runner to play, it's-a not him.

For iPhone and iPod touch owners though, Diggin' Dogs is as entertaining as Where's My Water?, which is a pretty big compliment.

Journey To Kreisia is a solid RPG, but not much more than that mechanically speaking

I don't think this is a must-play or anything, but if you're into the surfing theme or really love endless runners, this is a pretty sound one, if not all that exciting.

Knights Of Pen & Paper 2 is close enough to the first game that you won't have a bad time playing through it, but as a sequel, it's pretty disappointing

This likely isn't going to be your new favorite game or anything, but it's definitely worth downloading for the novelty.

If you've got the right sense of humor, it's a must-play. If you're a fan of Japanese visual novels and are open to seeing the genre's tropes skewered, you really need to try My Horse Prince. But the gameplay is almost entirely empty, the story intentionally goes nowhere, and there are a ton of free-to-play monetization elements that pop up, often in annoying ways.

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

I think Wild Card Football is a decent starting point towards filling the void left by the long absence of NFL Blitz, but as it stands it doesn’t quite have what it takes to fulfill that role. This Switch version in particular struggles with some technical issues that will hobble anyone looking to take advantage of the online cross-play feature, which is a major problem when so much of the game’s experience rests on that mode. I think you can have a good time here, but you would likely have a better time on another platform. This might be the best football game the Switch has, but that speaks less for this game’s quality and more for the sad state of the genre on the platform.

Right now, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is a game I’d recommend on PC over Switch if you have that option. In its current state, it is a bit lacking on Switch. I’ve had fun with it over the last two weeks, but it does feel like this is more akin to an early access launch compared to the PC version. I’m surprised at how well it runs in some cases on Switch with good visuals, but it still needs some more work to be an easy recommendation.

In its current state, #BLUD is worth your time, but a few combat issues hold it back from being truly great. The designs, animations, and writing are definitely highlights, and I found myself pleased with #BLUD after playing it on both Switch and Steam Deck. I hope the few hitching issues can be resolved though. #BLUD runs a lot better than I expected on Switch, and feels right at home on the system.

Really, I think all the problems of Fractal Combat can be boiled down to two words: safe and uninspired.

DNF Duel: Who’s Next is an enjoyable one-on-one fighter that does its IP proud. While I wouldn’t recommend it over the likes of Dragon Ball FighterZ or Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, it serves as another solid entry in the genre on Switch. Those who have the option to play it on another platform would probably be better to do so, particularly if they mean to play online. The delay-based netcode and slightly muddy visuals are enough to make this version the clear lesser choice unless portability is a make-or-break feature for you. Still, taken on its own merits, this Switch version is not a bad game at all.

The fundamentals are sound, and the game has enough personality to differentiate itself from the pack. I imagine that genre fans that love a challenge should check it out, as the last two-thirds of the game offer enough difficulty to keep any veteran happy.

On the whole, Haunted House isn’t bad. Its greater focus on stealth gives it a bit of distinction compared to the typical roguelite action game, and the presentation is quite good. It doesn’t quite nail the pacing of its grind, and the isometric perspective can cause serious and fatal visibility issues at critical moments. Still, there’s something here that kept me coming back, even if it took more than a few gameplay sessions to push through it all. Hardly a homerun for the genre, but if you’re looking for something spooky to play during this Halloween season, you could do a lot worse.

If the game sounds interesting to you, by all means, it's worth checking out, especially at such a reasonable price with no particularly nasty IAP. Just be aware that the game gets quite frustrating in the long run, and not in a very fun way.

If you don't find yourself even slightly amused that a vertical shooter now exists revolving solely around the font Helvetica, you're probably better off sticking with some of the other more colorful shooters out there. However, if you're the kind of person who smugly lists Helvetica first whenever defining the font-family attribute, you need this game.

Guerilla Bob does a great job raising the bar for how a top-down dual-stick shooter should be packaged.

If you're the hardcore music and rhythm gamer that likes to master songs on lower difficulties before mastering them again on higher difficulties, you can easily enjoy this game for a few more hours in free mode.

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

The location-based MMO is a genre still growing into its own. Location-based anything is still quite new -- only since we've had GPS technology in our phones has it really caught on. Please Stay Calm is a fun example of where the genre is today, but ultimately it feels like a novelty.

It feels most at home on the larger screen of the iPad, where you can set the device down and put all your fingers to work, but I was surprised at how well it works on the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch using two thumbs to fire.

I certainly didn’t have a bad time going through A Void Hope. It has a lot of things going for it, from the slick presentation to the strong atmosphere to the decent puzzles. At the same time, the toothless challenge, sometimes-clumsy platforming set-ups, and less-than-satisfying story progression and resolution manage to hold back the game from being as great as it could be. I think it’s worth playing if you like the look of it, but I can’t see many people revisiting it after the initial four or five hour playthrough.

If you’ve not played Monster Rancher before and are wondering if these new ports are worth your time and money, the answer is yes with a few caveats. While I’m pleased with the controls, visuals for the most part, and new features, these two games are quite dated. The asking price might turn some people off given the visuals and screenshots, but I’d definitely look into getting one or both of the games in Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX when discounted as a curiosity. For longtime fans, Koei Tecmo has done a good job of retaining the original aesthetic while implementing a nice compromise for the CD-generation system for monsters here.

Rangers of Oblivion is bound to entice those with limited experience in the genre, and it’s a great opportunity to dip your toes in the field. But the lack of truly terrifying monsters and subtitles that regularly deviate from the words coming from your speakers, it’s difficult to truly immerse yourself in the world NetEase and GTArcade has attempted to build. There’s plenty to see and do, but only newcomers may want to stick out the ride.

Tamarak Trail has a solid presentation, and the mechanics are sturdy enough to hold your interest for a few hours. The UI is a little fussy, but the bigger issue here is that the combat-heavy nature of the game and the way the battles play out mean you’ll probably fall back on a few reliable tactics. Some games in this genre can be replayed nearly endlessly, but Tamarak Trail petered out after a few runs for me. I think if you’re really fond of the deckbuilding roguelite genre, you’ll have enough fun with what this game offers despite there being many better choices for this sort of affair.

Party Hard Go finally hitting mobile feels like a big deal since the game was so iffy on hitting mobile. And here we are. It's a unique game, from its ultraviolence, to quasi-stealth gameplay, to its...well, unique themes, let's put it that way. It's a one-of-a-kind game, nowhere near excellence, but if you've been intrigued to give it a shot, why not do so now on mobile?

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.

Thexder is certainly one of the easier games in the EGGCONSOLE line to pick up and play. Learning how to handle the transformation and flying the ship takes some practice, but that’s really the only tricky part of the controls. With that said, the game is very hard. Enemies will glom on to you and chew through your energy at rapid speeds if you let them get close, and it can be hard to shake them off. You’ll have to be very patient and make careful use of save states and rewind if you want to see the game through. If you’re okay with that, this is worth trying.

But as a ridiculously cute time waster with a stupidly catchy soundtrack, Baby Monkey knows what it's doing. Dynamically generated levels and a challenging difficulty curve will keep you entertained while you drive your friends insane playing the song on loop.

If you remember the Scott Pilgrim game, this is it. The 2010 game on your Switch. No more, no less. Improvements that could have and perhaps should have been made are not part of the package. If Scott Pilgrim is new to you, this is a competent, energetic River City Ransom-inspired beat-em-up with a memorable, charming presentation and enough secrets and Easter Eggs to keep you invested for a while. There are better brawlers on the Switch, but none of those will let you beat up a telekinetic vegan until he explodes into a pile of Toonies. That’s worth a couple of points at least.

The best way to sum up Rainbow Six Shadow Vanguard is that it's very competent in every area, but far from the killer app that many might have hoped it would be.

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.

The game ends up being a roller coaster ride that starts fun, becomes frustrating, then gets enjoyable again until it cedes to tedium, taking one last-minute hairpin turn into frustration depending on your party build.

Like a top notch student handing in a rush job, Mittens sags not under the weight of what it does wrong, but all that it could have done much better.

If you’re into the idea of some slightly more approachable shoot ’em ups from the past, you might want to look into Over Horizon X Steel Empire. While it’s really just two distinct games, the two versions of Steel Empire differ from each other enough that I think you’re getting a decent value here. I really wish ININ and Ratalaika would do more to make these releases feel like they aren’t just dropping off the assembly line into a decent emulation wrapper, but if you’re only here for the games you’ll be well-served with this set.

Beyond the technical flaws, the biggest problem Bassmaster Fishing 2022 has is in where its attempts at realism clash with its more arcade-ish elements. Realistic fishing tournament goals run counter to the more casual reality of how lures work. The graphics look great but your boat behaves like an air hockey puck. A whole lot of waiting around and finding good spots, but a minigame-like focus when it comes time to catch the fish. This conflicted approach means that both fans of sim games and fans of more casual fishing experiences are going to have to accept some compromises. Nevertheless, fishing fans will likely find enough to enjoy here to make it worth the trip.

My one knock on the game involves the physics. They feel stiff.

Letterbox is one more play on traditional word game mechanics, and it isn't quite cool enough to overcome the creeping sense of familiarity.

Given how rarely Falcom seems to let the original Wanderers out versus Oath in Felghana, it’s nice to have a chance to play this game again. It’s grindy and there are parts that don’t quite work, but that Ys flow that runs through just about all of the games is present and accounted for. This release only offers Japanese language support in-game, so make sure you know what you’re getting into if you decide to pick it up. If you’re okay with that, then this is worth the spin.

Caverns of Mars: Recharged is another solid entry in the Recharged line, though perhaps not the most revelatory of the bunch. It’s a good straightforward action game with a pleasing presentation and a variety of options and modes to maintain your interest. It sacrifices some of the unique elements of the original game in favor of a more crowd-pleasing design, but how much that bothers you is going to vary from person to person. It doesn’t let down the Recharged name, but it’s also not the first one I’d recommend.

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.

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.

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.

Coldfire Keep isn’t going to overthrow the likes of The Quest as the premier iOS dungeon crawler, however it still offers an experience worth playing through.

Potion Permit is a great game that brings together interesting elements from franchises I love into its own charming package. The mobile version on iOS at least, should’ve been better though. Right now some interface elements don’t feel tailored to touchscreens, and the text size is too small almost across the board. I was also hoping to also see it target a higher frame rate on newer devices like the iPhone 15 Pro. Given this was done by the excellent Playdigious who have released some of the best mobile ports, I expected better. Right now Potion Permit isn’t best played on iOS, but this mobile version isn’t a bad way to play MassHive Media’s simulation RPG, especially at its low asking price compared to consoles.

The overall feel and pacing of the game -- a bit more relaxed than the typical shooter out there -- combined with the ethereal audio stylings deliver an experience that might come across as a bit of an oddity to the typical gamer as compared to most of his other iOS releases, or certainly most other shooters out there.

The energy system runs out a little too quickly and takes a little too long to recharge, and the upgrades--despite being priced reasonably well if you're willing to watch some ads here and there--take a bit too long to make a difference. But for the most part the game looks and feels awesome while you're playing it, and I suppose that's the main thing that should matter.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! has a lot of potential, but it is lacking for online play right now. If you have folks to play with locally and like the IP, this will be a good purchase. The team at CyberConnect2 did a great job translating Demon Slayer to this setting, but I hope there’s more added through the year and the online is improved.

If you’re on the hunt for a well-built 2D action game, particularly one you can play with a friend, then Grim Guardians: Demon Purge will likely satisfy. It’s a highly experienced developer working in the genre it’s best known for, and the resulting level of quality is hardly a big surprise. I think it’s more for the fans of the developer than the fans of the property it draws its themes from, and I do wish it had a little more bite to its challenge. An enjoyable romp, but nothing all that special.

Fledgling Heroes ends up in a sad state: a simple but fun game that’s all too short, and attempts to make up for its length by padding it out with pointless challenges and promoting a larger community that will never materialize.

Ultimately, Incredible Mandy is a long ways from being the game I thought it would be. Despite that, and despite the controls, the combat, the overly-taxing particle effects and bare environments, it is a fun game. While the overall experience was not what it could have been, I still enjoyed running around the varied landscapes, solving puzzles, and admiring many an expansive view. While I have a hard time recommending it, if you happen to enjoy adventures, puzzles, and have also exhausted your backlog, it’s worth a shot.

If you're in love with the Ace Combat series and don't mind a rather short campaign, then you may enjoy having a copy of the game with you at all times on your phone. If you don't have any particular ties to Ace Combat games, you're probably better off exploring the few other aerial combat games or waiting to see how Gameloft's HAWX turns out.

So yeah, there are some problems with Sleep Furiously. But the concept is so good it’s easy to recommend anyway.

There are some minor technical issues too, but nothing outside of the ordinary as far as Switch ports go. It’s worth a punt for genre fans for its creative ideas and lovely visual style alone, but the Switch may not be the best place to enjoy it.

With there seeming to be no end to the endless runner genre on iOS, it's nice to see a high quality one released every once in a while. Captain Antarctica is in no way perfect, but it's fun while it lasts, and has plenty of features to keep you hooked for a while.

If you’re new to the world of Tales of Arise, the bundle of Tales of Arise with Beyond the Dawn is an essential. If you already have Tales of Arise and beat it back in 2021 or last year, this DLC is very good if you’re dying to spend more time in the world and with the characters. I like the cast a lot, and while this DLC feels a bit too disjointed as a part of the full package, it is still a good time. I wish the new costumes were included in the asking price though because the $30 for Beyond the Dawn was already a bit much. Having those additional paid DLC costumes included would make this an easier recommendation.

Paradigm Paradox is a shorter than expected visual novel given Otomate’s usual fare, but I enjoyed many aspects of the experience. Going against the norm is risky, and I applaud the developers for trying that here, but the pacing issues hold Paradigm Paradox back from being an easier recommendation. It isn’t the best otome visual novel I’ve read recently, but is worth checking out if the premise interests you. Just don’t expect the quality of Piofiore or Cafe Enchante here.

If you're a fan of the action-adventure genre, or if you want a fun game with a bit of old-school charm, you'll probably dig Ninja Gaiga.

Once you've played through Skyhill, you've seen basically everything you need to see. In fact, the same criticism could be levied even if you've only experienced half of it, since there just isn't much here in general to fiddle around with after you've picked up the gist of the crafting system. But since the atmosphere and gimmick are so well implemented, that alone makes this a zombie survival game worth checking out.

Whether you've played a Glass Tower game before or are new to the series and looking for a new puzzler, Glass Tower 3 should be a title worth looking into. It's taken the success from earlier games, incorporated a ton of requested features, and then fleshed it out with enough new levels to keep you busy for quite some time.

Given the lack of competition, hockey fans looking for a mobile fix have little choice but to skate up for this one, and the core gameplay makes it more than worth your time and money. Still, I'd love to see less second period slacking and more third period hustle from these boys in the future.

The developers promise us new levels in the future (called "Courses, heh), and I have to say I am looking forward to the chance to spend more time with this unique title.

Liqua Pop's base gameplay is so solid and unique that, with just a few additions, it could be one of the premiere matching games around. As it is now, it's still a novel game with plenty of enjoyable points, and although it's missing some variety, I still think it's worth checking out.

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.

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.

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.

It’s best to think of Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- as a bundle of three games from one series, each with their own stories and distinct mechanics. All three of them are fairly enjoyable as long as you’re not looking for something too deep or difficult. With cute characters, gameplay that doesn’t throw out a whole lot of obstacles to just zoning out, and just enough to chew on to keep things from getting boring, this package is every inch the follow-up to Brave Dungeon you would expect it to be.

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

I have to commend Adore for trying something different and largely succeeding with it. Adding action to the monster-catching formula is always a fun twist, and depriving the player of a method of direct attack in an action RPG certainly freshens things up. There’s something really special at the core of this one, but it feels like it just couldn’t carry that spark all the way to the goal. If you’re intrigued by the premise, I can give it a mild recommendation.

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.