I really wanted to like Hot Lap Racing, because the Switch could really use more good racers. While I can’t say that I never hated it, because sometimes I did, I think overall it’s decent enough. I could see this developer going on to really good things in the future by building on this foundation. But in the end, I think it doesn’t quite succeed in its goal to ride the line between sim and arcade-style racing. The two contrasting tastes are not mixed in a pleasing way here, and when you throw in some performance issues it makes for a racer I can only lightly recommend.

I was expecting something with a little more depth.

I could see myself recommending Virgo Versus the Zodiac if it weren’t for the technical issues in this Switch version, but they’re the worst sort as they interfere with the gameplay in a very real way. Perhaps the developer will patch it some day, but in its current form as of this writing, I can only commend the writing and suggest players perhaps check it out on other platforms.

For other fans of the cult hit, I have a hunch they will share that feeling. Alas, if you don’t have a strong attachment to the film there probably isn’t enough here at this time to warrant a purchase.

Mikado Defenders is a lot of fun.

On the one hand, it's a competent enough pinball platformer that has a few neat ideas here and there. On the other hand, there's that Magic Mike cat in the background.

Naught Reawakening is far from a bad game. It has got nice graphics, an engrossing atmosphere, and a brilliant soundtrack. I went in to it without any particular expectations, and found it a bit boring at first. Then I started to like it, and it really grew on me. But the gameplay got very repetitive, very quickly.

If nothing else, I appreciate how far it goes towards realizing its lofty ambitions, I just wish the whole thing didn't feel like it was going to come apart at the seams at any moment.

Sorcerian is a good game, albeit one very much of its era. The problem is that like all EGGCONSOLE releases, nothing has been translated in-game from the original Japanese version. Given how much text is involved with this game and how important it is to completing the game’s quests, that’s going to be a hard deal-breaker for many. If you can read Japanese, by all means – the game is enjoyable, and the quality of the wrapper here is as good as other the other releases in the EGGCONSOLE line-up. Everyone else should give this one a pass.

Ghosts 'n Goblins Mobile is a technically-sound port of a good, classic game that really isn't well-suited for touch-based controls. There are some quirks with the options that are likely to be addressed in a future update, but the biggest problem with the game is that it probably shouldn't have been picked as a candidate for a mobile port to begin with. It's already a severely difficult game, and adding even a little frustration on top makes it too much. That said, for the price of it, it's hard to tell anyone not to buy it if they're interested, but just be aware that you're probably not going to get too far unless you're incredibly stubborn or a virtuoso with virtual controls.

Ultimately, Redout 2 is a solid futuristic hovercraft racer. It’s fast, challenging, beautiful, and loaded with content. The Switch version dulls some of the visual shine and framerate issues can affect the gameplay, so you’re probably better off playing the game on other platforms unless the portability is a make-or-break feature for you. Given how infrequently we get games of this type that are even a little good, you may want to bite on it despite its technical issues.

The over-the-top weapons and graphical effects look great, but even those aren't implemented perfectly. Regardless, outside of those features you're still left with a competent arcade dual-stick shooter.

Sometimes a game doesn’t have to do anything too fancy to satisfy, and that’s more or less where I’m at with Mimi the Cat. It’s a fairly straightforward take on the Sokoban-style crate-pusher puzzle game. Mimi’s trying to reach her scratcher in each stage, and you need to guide her there. This will often involve pushing boxes around and stacking them so that Mimi can cross gaps or climb up to where her scratcher is, and there are a few stage gimmicks sprinkled in to keep things fresh along the way. It’s not doing anything new and it comes off as very low-budget, but if you enjoy these kinds of puzzles it will scratch the itch.

If you played Cut the Rope, you're not going to be surprised by the puzzle variety.

If you enjoy rail shooters or Cotton a lot, you’ll probably find enough in Rainbow Cotton to enjoy to make it worth your while. It’s as good as it can be, given the source material. That’s really the catch here; this is an excellent version of a deeply flawed game, and despite its fixes and improvements it’s not really enough to save it from being the worst shooter in the Cotton series. Not entirely without its charms, but not a game I can muster much enthusiasm for either.

For Sword And Poker fans who have been waiting years for a new installment, this is something of a bitter start to the Konami era of management.

The repetitiveness and lack of content is a downfall that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give the game a try, only that you shouldn’t expect for it to extend beyond one bored train ride to work or a single rainy afternoon indoors.

Keeping the legacy of Flash games alive is important, and in that sense I’m glad Rose & Camellia Collection exists. But its slight nature and clumsy controls make it hard to recommend with much vigor despite its charming presentation. Apart from adding some standard button controls I can’t imagine someone making a better Rose & Camellia collection than this, so if you loved the series on your computer back in the day by all means go for it. Otherwise, I’m not sure there’s enough here to chew on at the price it’s commanding.

It is nevertheless a pleasant little romp, well-suited for a lazy afternoon. Its relatively low difficulty makes it a good fit for people who are new to the genre, and the art style's broad appeal helps in that capacity. Veterans will likely want to give this a pass and devote their attention elsewhere, however.

The farming side of things is a little better than the RPG side of things, but there are so many games on the Switch that offer a more satisfying experience, it’s hard to recommend this one. Add in a bevy of bugs, and this lands firmly in the so-so bucket.

If DevilDark had a more cohesive story accompanied by randomized maps and a little more complex battle system, it would be at the top of my list on iOS. As it currently stands, the visual engine and sense of progression are enough to merit a recommendation, but there is potential for it to be much more.

This is about as straight forward a take on Sokoban-style puzzles as you can get. There’s a cute theme here where you’re an alien pushing livestock into your tractor beam instead of being a guy pushing crates into designated squares, but that’s really the only distinctive feature of the game. Oh, and you can unlock hats. From an audiovisual standpoint, it comes off like the five-dollar game that it is, but the actual gameplay does what it has to. If you’re a Sokoban fiend that needs another fix, this will tide you over. Others are unlikely to find much charm in it.

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

Even with the quick advancement to end-game and its pretty simplistic play style, I’d argue that TourStar might be worth a purchase beyond its paywall just for the potential to purchase contest entires. Unfortunately, until that system is actually working and all the other kinks are ironed out, I have a hard time really recommending it.

Yes, Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes is worth playing. If you have a recent iPad or an iPad mini, it's probably worth playing on iOS, though you might want to hold out for a few bug fixes. With those in hand, this could easily be one of the best puzzle strategy games on the platform. Without them, it's simply not.

A Tale of Paper: Refolded takes a decent enough swing at the cinematic puzzle platformer genre, but this Switch version is probably the worst way to play it. From the usual technical issues that often come with an Unreal Engine game to a bevy of bugs that lead to a frustrating amount of resets, A Tale of Paper‘s numerous issues pile up to make it hard to recommend in this form. Those who are interested in the premise would do well to try it out on other platforms instead.

It’s a shame WRC 10 The Official Game is such a technical mess on the Switch, especially in handheld mode. Just about every other element of the game is solid, but I can’t imagine most players wanting to put up with a game that looks and runs as poorly as this does if they have any other choices. The best case you could make for this particular version is that you can take it with you, but the sheer amount of flaws you have to look past is not insignificant. If you only have a Switch, truly love rally racing, and are exceptionally forgiving of technical issues, then you might want to give this a look.

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