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.

In its current state, Super Meat Boy Forever is best on mobile, but the iOS version at least needs a bit more work. Despite the issues, I’ve loved most of what Super Meat Boy Forever has to offer, and it is hard to argue against it being worth the very low asking price right now. It took nearly a decade to hit the platform following its original announcement, but Super Meat Boy Forever for mobile is here, and the wait has been worth it.

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

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.

I think some people out there are going to really connect with God of Rock and love it to pieces, but I regretfully won’t be one of them. Even after spending a lot of time with the game I couldn’t get comfortable with it, and playing on the handheld screen with the tiny note board is just not a fun time. I think a lot of effort and thought went into this experimental game design, especially towards making it a satisfying multiplayer game, and it shows. But in the end, I don’t think the developer was able to make this recipe come together.

While the lack of voice acting is something that really disappointed me with how good other aspects are, I still recommend The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story to anyone looking for a quality action RPG with great music and lovely pixel art. As someone who loves Moonlighter, I hope Digital Sun keeps delivering on games like it and The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story going forward.

It is rare for me to pre-order the limited edition of a game I’ve gotten for review 2 minutes into playing it for the first time, but here we are. Coffee Talk Episode 2 isn’t a huge change or upgrade from the original, but it didn’t need to be one. It is an easy recommendation if you enjoy relaxing games, coffee, and want to brew up some for interesting characters. I hope we get more from this world in a few years in a potential third entry. For now, it is time to mix dri.. I mean brew coffee and change lives.

Apart from its entertaining four-player simultaneous multiplayer, Dogfight is the very picture of an average side-scrolling shooter. The mechanics are fine, the presentation is fine, the bosses are fine. The stages are a bit boring in how they unfold, it’s a bit too easy even when playing by yourself, and the game on the whole is over really quickly. Neither a bad game nor a particularly good one, and in a genre this packed I’m not sure that’s a great place to be. Unless you’re really married to the multiplayer idea, there just isn’t enough spice in this sausage to help it stand out against its competitors.

It’s understandable why Sherlock Holmes The Awakened isn’t as polished as some of developer Frogwares’ previous Sherlock Holmes releases on Switch, but the poor performance and various rough edges add up to make this a weak version of a decent enough mystery adventure. The horror aspects don’t land very well, but figuring out the what, where, and how of each case is still quite satisfying. Mystery fans may well be able to put up with its issues, but they’d be well-advised to grab it on another platform if possible.

Capcom has done right by the Mega Man Battle Network games with this collection for the most part. If you have happy memories of these games, you’ll likely be happy to revisit them again. The extras are welcome, though I think Capcom could have gone further here with things like save states or the ability to turn off random encounters. It’s great to see some of the lesser-tapped veins of the Blue Bomber’s history get a reissue, and you really can’t argue with the value in terms of how much there is to play here. Worth the pick-up for fans of Mega Man or RPGs alike.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a good port of a decent game from an era before we knew the blessings of even Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. It can’t compete in most little ways and even a lot of big ways. But there is a purity to it, being from that era. It isn’t trying to sell you gems at every turn. It has no DLC or any intentions of such. No unlockable skins or guest characters. You can log in every day and you will have nothing extra to show for it. Here is the game. Here is the adventure. Here is the ending. Thank you for your ten dollars (Er, um, five dollars if you happen to catch its very-soon-after-release sale price–Ed). That’s kind of lovely, even if there are a lot of parts of it that aren’t. It might be the tonic you’re looking for right now, because we frankly don’t see a lot of things like this on mobile anymore.

I’m very glad that Codebrew Games didn’t go all in with the social and life simulation elements here. Pocket City 2 is the perfect example of building on what people loved in the original game while adding a ton of optional quality content. I didn’t realize how much I’d end up just exploring my own city until I played Pocket City 2. It isn’t a super deep experience like the hardcore builders on PC, but that’s exactly what makes it good. This is a relaxing game that can be tweaked to your liking in terms of difficulty. As of this writing, I’ll be surprised if Pocket City 2 isn’t in our top 3 for the best iOS game of the year, and we are just in April. It isn’t often I end up gifting a game to multiple people a few hours in, but Pocket City 2 is that good.

I hope the team works on fixing the issues and expanding on progression, because I want more from this world. Right now Infinite Guitars feels like playing an electric guitar with rusted strings. Despite being down on on Infinite Guitars in its current state, I’d definitely buy the soundtrack on vinyl and an artbook. Those aspects are lovely. It is just a shame that it was released with the story and some mechanics in this state with technical issues.

While it does have a few annoying sections, Subway Midnight is definitely worth experiencing if the aesthetic appeals to you. Just be warned that there are some sections that hold it back a bit. The striking use of color and rumble also makes it a great fit for the OLED screen on Switch. In fact, having experienced it on PC and Switch, Subway Midnight shines in handheld mode with a pair of good headphones.

Cannon Dancer is a fun action game for the short time it lasts, offering the extra dose of Strider thrills that you may have never known existed. It’s great to see it available on home consoles at long last. The problem is that it’s priced like a celebration, but the bare bones way it’s presented feels like anything but. With the same old Ratalaika emulation front-end and no extra materials or even any context for the game, it feels like the publisher has thrown a decent burger patty between two slices of Wonderbread and is charging the price of a steak. Really hard to recommend to any but the dedicated fans.

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.

If you’re willing to put up with its flaws, there are things to like about The Library of Babel. The story is interesting, the world is fascinating to immerse yourself in, and the puzzles are pretty solid. But it can’t be ignored that a significant part of the game is its stealth platforming, and it’s the one aspect of the game that really leaves something to be desired. It makes demands of the player that its mechanics are ill-equipped to live up to, and it makes me wish it would have just stuck to what it did well.

Vampire Survivors: Tides of Foscari with its fantasy focus, new characters, weapons, and lovely stage is an easy recommendation for any fan of the game. The base game was already too cheap for what it offers, and these DLC packs are a nice way to enhance the core experience while getting more to do for those who have been hitting 100% with prior content drops. I still hope 2023 sees the game get cross platform saves to let me go from Steam Deck to Xbox Series X to iOS and back. Right now, Vampire Survivors: Tides of Foscari is essential for everyone playing the game. Grab that Academy Badge and jump in.

Curse of the Sea Rats has a nice presentation and I like the multiplayer support, a rare sight in a game like this. Unfortunately, the dreadful controls knock this game on its tail before it even gets up to speed. Slow, fussy, and prone to losing out to animation priorities, the very act of moving your character around and attacking feels unpleasant. Even if you stick with it long enough to get used to all of that, the game that awaits you is a decidedly average entry into its genre. Let this one sink with the ship.

Melon Journey has charm to burn, with interesting, odd characters to interact with and a well-realized setting to explore. The writing is sharp and the soundtrack is great, both of which help draw you into the story. The actual plot leaves a bit to be desired, and it really doesn’t do enough to bring players new to the world up to speed. Normally I would find myself recommending it anyway, but at the time of this review the game is incredibly crash-happy. There’s something worth experiencing here, but you’ll want to wait for a few updates before diving in because at the moment it’s really hard to deal with.

Road 96: Mile 0 is best taken as a prequel to Road 96 than a sequel to Lost in Harmony, but it’s interesting to see these worlds connect and find out what came after and before the last time we saw its main characters. Performance issues and a clumsy user interface really hurt this Switch version’s playability, dragging the experience down somewhat. This is a trip worth taking, but the Switch may not be the best car for this road.

I’d imagine there are some challenges in getting a game of this age running nicely on modern hardware, but as it is right now it just isn’t fun to play the game this way. Perhaps it can be patched into shape, but for now I’d recommend checking this series out on mobile instead. The puzzles are absolutely worth playing, and it’s neat to check out all the little details in each environment. But this Switch version sometimes feels like it’s fighting you with its laggy nature more than it is with its challenges, so it’s hard for me to recommend with much vigor at the moment.

Rakuen: Deluxe Edition has a few different things to offer, with the titular Rakuen being the star of the show. It’s a bittersweet, deeply emotional story set in a rich, well-realized setting and it’s absolutely unforgettable. The visuals may be simple but they more than serve the purpose, and the soundtrack is outstanding. The other included items in this package are more like nice bonuses, but they are certainly quite welcome. If you enjoy a good yarn, grab a box of tissues and settle in with this over an evening or two.

While I doubt Lunark will go down in history as one of the all-timers of cinematic platforming, it’s well-made enough that anyone who likes this underserved niche should check it out. The presentation is on point, the story and setting are intriguing, and the mechanics feel like a close cousin to Flashback. This flavor of game isn’t going to be for everyone, especially those lacking warm and fuzzies for the specific era it’s paying homage to, but the target it’s aimed at is going to have a blast with it.

Some RTS fans are going to find GrimGrimoire a little too tedious at times even with the great new features, while those looking to enjoy the excellent visuals and solid time loop yarn will have to come to grips with the strategic elements. Still, I think there’s a lot here worth digging into. I like to think the audience is more receptive to things like this than it was in the late 00s, and that perhaps GrimGrimoire will get its due at long last.

The only aspect that might put some off, is in how Sid Meier’s Railroads isn’t as deep as many other games in the genre. Barring that, Sid Meier’s Railroads is an easy recommendation for everyone even remotely interested in train management and simulation games.

Xiaomei and the Flame Dragon’s Fist isn’t going to come for Streets of Rage 4‘s crown anytime soon, but it’s not really trying to do that. It speaks to a particular point in beat-em-up history that doesn’t see a whole ton of love these days, and anyone with nostalgia for those games will have a big smile on their face while playing it.

If you already played Norn9: Var Commons on PS Vita, I don’t think this is worth grabbing at full price, especially since it costs more than the PS Vita original did back in 2015. If you skipped it, Norn9: Var Commons on Nintendo Switch is the best version not only for its features, but also its localization. This is definitely a nice way to get Switch players into Norn9 while we are waiting for Norn9: Last Era.

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.

Brotato isn’t shy about where it’s drawing from, but that game also drew from roots that Brotato kind of brings things back around to. It is probably less epic than Vampire Survivors, and I very much doubt it will have a hundredth of its impact. But there’s an immediacy and focus to it that calls back to a type of game we used to get a-plenty and probably took for granted, and I can’t help but appreciate that. If that sounds good to you, then grab some of these fries to go.

If you’re hoping to experience Resident Evil 4 Remake on Steam Deck to have a great experience on a portable, it is essential. Having now played it on PC, PS5, and Steam Deck, the DualSense features definitely make the PS5 version my favorite, but Resident Evil 4 Remake is a joy to play on Steam Deck, and it plays without issues from the get go. It is fantastic to see a big budget release like this work out of the box on Steam Deck while managing looking and playing so well. The game itself has a few frustrating moments, but it still gets my highest possible recommendation for Steam Deck owners hoping to play it on the go.

The price point might make this a hard pill to swallow for those unfamiliar with the game already, but I suspect this is one for the super fans anyway. M2 has done its usual fine work with the emulation side of things, and Rainmaker has really packed in the extras to help increase the value proposition. The game itself is a good one, a strong deep cut from the Super NES library, and it’s nice to have the original experience in English after all this time.

Saga of Sins is basically functional, so if you come in with realistic expectations you might have an okay time with it. But the good ideas here deserved better than to set up a game I can only damn with the praise of “basically functional". Cool visuals, some interesting mechanics, and at least the start of a cool story, but there isn’t much else here that really lifts this experience out of being absolutely middle-of-the-road.

Train Life: A Railway Simulator has been a pleasant surprise on Nintendo Switch. While I cannot recommend it for docked play at all, it has been fun in handheld despite its visual cutbacks. Train Life: A Railway Simulator is a nice blend of traditional management games and more-involved train games. I’m looking forward to trying the DLC when I get time to come back to Train Life: A Railway Simulator in the future.

Session: Skate Sim is a great game I recommend on literally any other current platform. It is a shame about how it turned out on Nintendo Switch. I still found myself having fun on and off, but I cannot recommend Session: Skate Sim on Nintendo Switch in its current state. You’re missing out on too much of the atmosphere by playing a subpar version on Switch right now.

It might sound like I’m down on Kraino Origins, but the reality is that I’m very mixed on it. It controls well and I like the level designs. The bosses don’t match up to the levels in quality, and it really doesn’t take long to see everything here. I also feel like it cribs a little too much from Shovel Knight, and the end result is that it lacks a strong sense of identity. The graphics are good, the music less so. Yes, I’m all over the place on this one, but I do think fans of the genre will have a pretty good time with it while it lasts.

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.

Atelier Ryza 3 has the difficult job of ending the story of the franchise’s break-out star, and it manages this task very well. At the same time, its ambitions feel like they’re a little too big for the Switch hardware at times, leading to some technical issues that might make you want to check out another version instead. It will be interesting to see where the Atelier series goes from here. This amazing journey we’ve been on that concludes with this dynamite RPG will certainly be a hard one to top.

With the proviso that the Switch version is the least impressive option in terms of presentation, MLB The Show 23 is a very easy game to recommend on its own merits. The improvements over last year’s version are modest outside of the excellent new Storylines mode, so it might be a tougher sell if you own MLB The Show 22, but that’s the nature of the yearly sports game beast. A solid-playing, well-rounded take on baseball with plenty to offer for any fan of the sport.

FurryFury: Smash & Roll is built on a reliable game concept and it executes it well enough. It’s priced right, too. It can be a bit of a frustrating grind to play alone, but if you can pull in a friend or manage to find someone online to battle against, the game really shows its true strength. I think the game is more fun to play on mobile, but this isn’t a bad way to play it either.

With a charming personality, stylish assortment of options and techniques, challenging battles with bosses and grunts alike, and spot-on controls, Have A Nice Death is another excellent entry in the roguelite genre for the Switch. Its teeth may be a little too sharp for some and its level designs get tired way too quickly, but I think anyone who has any affection for the genre will find plenty to love here.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania gets my highest possible recommendation at full price on Nintendo Switch and PC. I’m looking forward to playing it again on iOS whenever the update and DLC hit mobile through Playdigious. If you’re a fan of both Dead Cells and Castlevania, I don’t know why you’re reading this. You should’ve been playing it already. If you’re a fan of just one of those, this will convert you into the other. It is that good. Dead Cells was already amazing, but Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is superlative. Pure bliss from start to finish.

Despite the combat being a bit repetitive, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a highly enjoyable experience on the whole. The presentation is distinct and fantastically-realized, the story is well-written and genuinely interesting, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is solid. Action-heads looking for their next challenge aren’t going to get what they’re after here, but both fans of adventure games and the Bayonetta characters and world should be more than satisfied.

Storyteller feels like the perfect game to play over a few sittings with a cup of coffee in the morning. I enjoyed seeing how various scenes I tried putting together played out with lovely animations, but hoped to see more possibilities for solutions. In its current state, Storyteller is a short but great experience that I recommend to anyone wanting to experience something only possible through games. It also has been a joy to play in handheld mode on Switch. Storyteller is great, but it would definitely benefit from an expanded release that also sees a retail version on Switch.

Two Point Campus: School Spirits is a good DLC that feels a bit overpriced compared to the superlative Space Academy pack from late last year. In a vacuum, Two Point Campus: School Spirits is brilliant, and I still recommend it for anyone who has been regularly playing Two Point Campus, but it feels a bit lacking overall, and it is held back by the Switch version not offering a proper and stable experience. I hope Two Point Campus gets patched to be more stable as we lead into the next major DLC for the game in the future on Switch.

Ib does a lot with its limited set of characters and scope. If you enjoyed games like Corpse Party, Ib will fit right in with your tastes. Following its freeware launch back in 2012, it is great to see the game come to a console for the first time. 2023 has been a really amazing year for the Switch, but don’t let Ib slip past in that crowd. It is one of the best adventure games I’ve played in a while, and a joy to play on the go. Even given my general disinterest in horror, I had trouble putting it down until I finished it.

Flame Keeper may eventually end up being a great example of the roguelite genre, but in this unfinished form it’s just too slight to give too much attention to. You can easily see everything worth seeing in a couple of hours, and while that’s not bad bang for the buck, it’s not great relative to other games of this sort that you can pick up for a similar price. As I say from time to time, I can’t review an unknown future. I can only look at what is here in front of me now, and in that context Flame Keeper is just okay.

With a lot of great RPGs on the Switch to choose from, Mato Anomalies really shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar. That’s unfortunate, because there are a lot of promising elements here that could have added up to something neat. Execution is key, however, and that is where Mato Anomalies seems to fail in every category. Even without the significant performance issues, the underlying design flaws result in something that I really can’t recommend to anyone except those who enjoy picking apart misfires.

If you didn’t care for the tone or gameplay of the first game, Void Terrarium 2 isn’t going to change your mind. It’s similarly dark and heart-breaking in its narrative, and while the gameplay has certainly been refined it hasn’t been dramatically overhauled. It’s simply another Void Terrarium, but when you consider how singular and odd that game was I can’t say there isn’t room for one more like it.

A couple of ifs get in the way of Alice Gear Aegis CS being all it could be. If we had the context to enjoy the story content. If the online multiplayer population was big enough to more easily find matches. Anyone out there who remembers Virtual On and doesn’t mind the mecha-girl aesthetic will likely enjoy themselves grinding out all the unlockables in single-player, if nothing else. Hopefully the online population situation will improve so that this game can really take wing.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure finishes filling in a critical gap in the series, and it does so with style. This twelve-year old game has been given a little extra spit polish in the transition to Switch, helping a great game shine its brightest. Taken together with Trails from Zero, this is one of the strongest RPG experiences you can get on the Nintendo Switch and is arguably still the high point of the Trails series today.

WWE 2K23 is shockingly good on Steam Deck despite the few issues I ran into. If you skipped the last few years of WWE games, WWE 2K23 is worth your time. It feels like an enhanced version of WWE 2K22 that improves in all the right ways and brings some long overdue features. Just don’t come into this expecting as much of a jump in quality as you had with WWE 2K22 from prior games. In its current state, WWE 2K23 is an excellent wrestling game with tons of content, but one that is let down by its online servers.

Folks who enjoy solving Picross puzzles but need a slight change of pace will want to check out Tents and Trees. It’s not a complete reinvention of the idea, but it’s distinct enough that it might be the breath of fresh air a weary Picross veteran needs. The controls are comfortable, the look and sound are cozy, and there are tons of puzzles to solve. A fine effort.

The Last Spell is another example of a really good game that is brought down a bit on Switch by a few small but significant issues. While its roguelite-meets-tactical RPG gameplay is a real winner, the fussy controls mean that it’s very cumbersome to do the things you want to do. It’s a game I would definitely encourage folks to check out, and if the Switch is the only way you can do so, then that’s just how it is. But if you have a computer, you’re almost certainly better off hitting it up over there.

If the original game completely turned you off, Octopath Traveler II obviously isn’t going to change your mind. But if you felt there was something to its concept but found its execution a little lacking, I think you’ll find this sequel much better. Those who loved the first game aren’t likely to find anything to complain about here, as it’s smart enough to retain what worked in the original. A safe follow-up and very confident RPG overall, but not one so over-confident as to ignore areas to improve upon. A few nasty difficulty spikes are the only real gum in the works, but it’s still an essential pick-up for RPG lovers.

In its current state, Company of Heroes 3 is an easy recommendation with the caveat about non standard controls. While you could always use a mouse and keyboard to play it on Steam Deck, I’m impressed with the community layouts, and have enjoyed Company of Heroes 3 quite a bit thanks to one specific layout I used. I assume we will get proper controller support when it hits consoles later this year. Until then, Company of Heroes 3 on Steam Deck is a solid base, and I’m glad that it didn’t fall short of my expectations like Age of Empires IV did at launch.

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.

Meg’s Monster is a fantastic narrative experience. While it’s not the most mechanically rich RPG around, it’s not really trying to be. It’s here to tell a story, and it does so wonderfully. The characters are memorable, the plot is engaging, the presentation is sublime, and it’s on the whole just a hard thing to dislike at all. I haven’t been on an emotional roller coaster like this one in a while, and I’d handily recommend it to anyone looking for a touching story to play.

If you enjoy seeing developers try out new things, we haven’t seen something as interesting as Give me toilet paper in a while now when it comes to making great use of the Joy-Cons’ sensors. I hope the developer can expand upon this with new levels or bring us more games like this in the future.

If you enjoy the likes of Ace Attorney, Paranormasight is an easy recommendation. I’m not a big horror guy, but it was good enough for me to see through to the end. It plays really nicely on the Switch, and I really appreciate the inclusion of touch controls. Just be aware that the game does like to whip out the occasional jump scare, so if you’re the sort that throws whatever is in your hands when you get startled, keep a pillow near by. Your Switch will thank you, both for sparing its life and playing this slick game on it. More like this please, Square Enix.

Lucy Dreaming is another fine addition to the Switch’s excellent library of point-and-click adventure games. The sense of humor is on point, the story is engaging, the puzzles are fair and well-designed, the presentation is good, and the interface is about as competent as you can get for a game of this sort on a controller. It manages to thread the difficult needle of being a love letter to the genre while still being its own game, and as long as you don’t have an issue with adventure games you’ll probably enjoy it as much as I did.

I’ve played worse turn-based tactical RPGs than Redemption Reapers, and perhaps some of my disappointment was on me for expecting more. But I can’t help but feel like there could have been something special here if the story was properly fleshed out and its various design choices worked better together. Instead we have a game that pushes against you in a lot of unpleasant ways, almost to the point where it feels like it wants you to stop playing. With how many solid entries in this genre the Switch has in its library, it’s hard to recommend this one with any real vigor.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of higher effort than it may initially appear as, with a laundry list of improvements both obvious and subtle to bring a game that was already solid to begin with up to the modern standards of the series. As with many other Kirby games, it offers a wide array of things to do and mechanics to play with, and the multiplayer option adds some spice for those who can make use of it. It’s a very workmanlike game in many regards, and it’s not likely to convince those not already charmed by the pink puff. But that is often the role that Kirby finds himself occupying, and it’s one that he wears as smartly as he does his little red shoes.

I hope we get more DLC for PowerWash Simulator of this quality, and that Square Enix releases a complete physical release with all DLC included. If you have PowerWash Simulator already, downloading the PowerWash Simulator: Midgar Special Pack is a no brainer. It is superb even if you aren’t a fan of Final Fantasy VII. The attention to detail in each of the stages included is amazing. If you don’t have PowerWash Simulator, the PowerWash Simulator: Midgar Special Pack warrants a full game purchase. It is that good if you like Final Fantasy VII.

Punch Kick Duck is a blast to play, and a wonderful treat for the eyes and ears. It’s great to see Shaun Coleman take on another genre and put his unique spin on it, and the results are as good as I could have hoped. I hope our paths intertwine again in another ten years so I can see what he does with the single-screen platformer genre or something. For now, I’ll just keep enjoying this great slice of beat-em-up action. Perhaps you should, too.

Despite the lack of any compelling, original features, I had a really good time making my way through Planet Cube: Edge. It has its fundamentals down pat and the level designs are pleasantly challenging without getting too ridiculous. Checkpoints are frequent and restarts are swift, so even when it turns up the heat it never feels too unfair. Definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of platformers where you die a few hundred times, but unlikely to change any minds on the matter.

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

I can’t imagine many people will get much fun out of grinding their way through the RPG in this set, but the action-RPG is tolerable enough. I have to commend ININ for translating these games just on principle, and for the most part Ratalaika’s emulation does the job. That said, there are some bugs with some of the emulator options, and I can’t imagine this set being a good value for most people. Sometimes things that are lost are better off unfound.

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.

If you happen to be a Ninja JaJaMaru fan, you’ll love The Great Yokai Battle + Hell. It’s the best game in the series, and not by a little. It’s also packed to the gills with loving references to previous JaJaMaru games and the JalecoVerse in general. If you’re coming to the series for the first time, then this is the one to get. It’s a fun arcade-style action game with lots of hooks to keep you coming back again and again. Not exactly an all-timer, but it’s a very enjoyable game that punches well above this franchise’s historical weight class.

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.

Despite its difficulty in explaining its complex systems, Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is a fantastic RPG that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre. Its systems are immensely satisfying to learn, its labyrinth floors a treat to explore, its encounters challenging and interesting, and the story is outstanding. It is, to an extent, a game that gives back the more you put in, but the patient player will find a bounty of rewards here for their efforts.

Is this really the end of Theatrhythm? If so, Final Bar Line goes out with a massive bang. Including DLC, the total tracklist numbers around half a thousand songs, drawn not only from the diverse assortment of games in the Final Fantasy series but also the larger Square Enix library in general. Even if you don’t touch the DLC, you’ve got a whopping 385 songs to enjoy here. The new tricks in the charts add a bit of excitement even to the old familiar songs, and the refreshed presentation looks great. If you like music games or Final Fantasy, you’ll want Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. If you like both, you probably already bought it.

In its current state, Returnal perfectly suits the Steam Deck, and it runs quite well given the hardware, with visual cutbacks. While it isn’t as nice as playing on PS5 of course, I’ve found myself enjoying Returnal on the go quite a bit thanks to the suspend feature and sublime core gameplay. It also helps that Returnal on PC arrives at a lower asking price with all prior updates included from the start making it a super-polished version of one of Sony’s best exclusives in years.

The Switch has a lot of options available for platforming fans at the five-dollar price point, ranging from excellent to terrible. Go! Go! PogoGirl comes in on the positive end of that spectrum thanks to its enjoyable gameplay and strong level layouts. It doesn’t redefine the genre or anything, but it’s also unusual and well-executed enough that even weary platforming fans shouldn’t get bored with it.

Nadir has some good ideas and it certainly pulls its weight in terms of its presentation, but a number of gameplay issues and technical problems end up tossing this one into the limbo between heaven and hell. There’s certainly the seed of something very cool here, but whether or not the developers will be able to nurture it into reaching its full potential is a gamble you may not want to take up.

Take an amazing game, make some sensible improvements, buff up the graphics, and you’ve got an easy game to recommend. Metroid Prime Remastered is a gold-star reissue of a game that deserves that kind of royal treatment, one that any fan of the series should hastily add to their Switch collection. And if you happen to be new to the game, know that it’s a high-quality action-adventure even compared to today’s games, a true masterpiece that I am envious you will be exploring for the first time.

While I wasn’t really sold on Marvel’s Midnight Suns pre-release, it has continued to impress me more as I played through the story, and it is chock full of a ton of optional content that will keep you busy for a very long time. It wasn’t a great experience around launch on PC, but Marvel’s Midnight Suns is well worth your time right now, and a joy to play on Steam Deck. It already felt like a perfect fit for Steam Deck from the start, and it has finally been fixed for Valve’s portable system with a recent update.

I think Helvetii could have been a pretty good action game, and to an extent it can still be enjoyed that way. Its visuals and basic gameplay mechanics are well-done and fit together in a pleasing way. Its roguelite elements are less satisfying, with insufficient variety and a balance that leads to a fair bit of unpleasant grinding, putting undue pressure on the combat system that it simply can’t carry to that extent. There are things to appreciate here though, and I can see folks who are more forgiving of the game’s weak points having a nicer time than I did.

With the interesting draining and upgrading mechanics, a striking presentation, and a surprisingly fair level of difficulty, Drainus stands out in a very competitive genre to offer a different kind of deal for players. While it isn’t directly comparable to the likes of Ikaruga in specific ways, I get the sense it will have a similar wider appeal to the one that game enjoyed. On the flip side, the lack of online leaderboards and lower emphasis on scoring mechanics might hurt the game with the hardcore fans of the genre. Overall, however, it’s an amazing effort with a lot of obvious thought put into its design that pays off handsomely.

Happy Game is an essential for fans of Amanita Design’s games as long as you’re ok with disturbing and creepy images and characters. It has all the polish of the developer’s prior releases, but a completely new style that showcases how talented the developer is. Even with its short runtime, I have no regrets recommending Happy Game to any fans of horror and puzzle games who are up for trying something different.

While the lack of gyro support is disappointing, PowerWash Simulator is a very good conversion for Switch. The only downside is the long load times in its current state. Barring that, it is a fantastic way to experience PowerWash Simulator, and a perfect fit for portable play. I hope it gets a physical release in the future with all DLC content included and I’m looking forward to the Final Fantasy VII DLC pack. Out of all the “Simulator" games on the eShop, this one is special.

The Pathless‘ mix of Breath of the Wild‘s exploration, Journey‘s wonder, and Giant Squid’s own signature feel make it well worth checking out. I’m glad it has gotten a conversion that’s better than expected on Switch. If you’ve not played it before and would like to own and play it on a portable, The Pathless on Nintendo Switch is an easy recommendation.

Experiencing it again on Nintendo Switch has been great as this is the first time Life is Strange 2 is playable on a portable. Thanks to a competent conversion by the same studio that handled the Switch port for Life is Strange: True Colors, Life is Strange 2 is an easy recommendation for fans of the series and newcomers who want to play it on the go.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake looks and sounds like a modern game, but it very much plays like something from the PlayStation 2 era. Fortunately, it plays like a good 3D platformer from that era. I think fans of the show or the classic SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom will be satisfied with this effort, while those hoping for something grander may be unimpressed. It’s good enough to be worth playing for fans of 3D platforming games, even if it may not thrill those who aren’t so into the genre.

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.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow sticks to the standards of the adventure genre enough that you have to have at least some interest in the genre to enjoy it, but provided you do it is an absolute treat. The setting is the star here, and what a star it turns out to be. Add in some reasonably challenging but fair puzzles, excellent production values, and a good interface, and you’ve got another great release from Wadjet Eye Games.

Despite some performance issues on Switch compared to the PC version I played, a nice gyro control implementation helps elevate the Fashion Police Squad experience on Nintendo Switch. It is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to try out a unique take on the boomer shooter subgenre.

I enjoyed swapping between my old laptop and Steam Deck while playing Dead Space without any issues. Despite a slightly rough launch day, Valve’s Proton fixes have made Dead Space a survival horror essential for Steam Deck owners, and a true tech showcase for the platform.

Risen is certainly of its time and place, but depending on your inclinations there isn’t anything wrong with that. I do wish the framerate in this port had been locked down rather than allowed to run wild, but otherwise this is Risen on your Switch in all of its late aughts glory. It’s not a game that will make things easy on you, especially in the beginning, but if you stick with it you’ll find it gives back a lot more than what you put in.

Trek to Yomi is something I would hesitantly recommend to fans of Kurosawa flicks or those looking for a stylish action game. It plays most of its gameplay cards too early and ends up being rather tedious for such a brief affair, but it’s worth the squeeze, if only barely, to see its various sights. That said, if you have any other options besides the Switch to play it on, I’d suggest doing so there. This is a game that is all about its visual presentation and the compromises the Switch version makes detracts from that.

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

The overall plot of Wonderland Nights is reasonably interesting, but the stunningly poor voice acting and simple gameplay mechanics make it hard to stick with long enough to reveal that whole story. It reminds me a lot of one of those old flash games where you combined various items to see the results, playing over and over again until you got the ending you were after. The art has a unique and striking style, but the rest of the presentation is quite weak. It’s a mildly amusing game to poke at, but it could have been a lot better.

Demolish & Build Classic is another in a too-long series of PC ports that don’t do enough to optimize or adjust the experience for the Switch. There’s a good idea at its core, but significant performance issues, fiddly collision detection, and a clumsy UI keep it from achieving the promise of that idea.

Fire Emblem Engage is a more single-minded entry in the series than we’ve seen in a while. A lot of the things people may have loved about Three Houses don’t return here, and the battles are left to carry the load. The more focused design is by choice and I respect that, but it didn’t mean the characters and story had to be as diminished as they are. It’s fortunate that the battle mechanics ratchet things up this time, with the new Emblem system and the returning weapon triangle adding compelling strategic layers. Fans of the tactical aspect at the core of Fire Emblem will find a lot to like, but it’s a shame that the overall package isn’t as strong.

It’s hardly surprising that Motorcyle Mechanic Simulator 2021 is as unpleasant to play on the Switch as it is. Most of these simulator games are, simply because they’re built around PC play and the proper considerations haven’t been made for the Switch’s input methods and display. If you can get your head around the terrible controls and user interface, you might have fun taking apart bikes, fixing them, and putting them back together again. But at the very least, I’d wait for a deep, deep discount.

It’s a fun game to play, but it gets repetitive after a while because very little changes from session to session. There just aren’t very many variables in play in Void Prison, and the ones that are here feel a little more random than I’d prefer. You can be doing everything right only to have an enemy pop in next to where you are standing and bounce you out without any recourse. Void Prison is best enjoyed as a little snack here and there, a few sessions at a time. In that capacity, it certainly earns its meager keep.

Persona 4 Golden is shining its absolute brightest in this Switch port, and it was already a truly brilliant game that any fan of the genre should play. The fact that you can get an RPG this great for such a low price is wild, and Persona 4 has always been a great game to enjoy on a portable. If you already played through it on the Vita, I’m not sure you’ll find enough here to make it worth another scoop, but if this is your first time tuning in to the Midnight Channel the Switch version is an incredible way to experience it.