Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is another solid effort from Tengo Project, and in some ways is the most substantial improvement over its predecessor of any of their releases yet. Whether or not you should pick it up is really going to depend on how you feel about that original game, because the core is still very much in line with that NES title. Those without any prior experience will find an enjoyable but not essential action game here, one that very much subscribes to an 8-bit design sensibility.

Pepper Grinder is an enjoyable, unique platformer with a zippy pace, interesting mechanics, and some cool level designs. The boss battles are a bit clunky and only subtract from what is otherwise a very tight experience. It’s also worth noting that the game is quite brisk in its run-time, so do take that into account before buying. I personally think it ends a little too soon, but that’s not a terrible problem for a game to have.

To be good at Kid Tripp, it's simply a matter of having a strong memory, quick reflexes and a dump-truck load of determination. If you're up to the challenge, Kid Tripp is a sometimes brutally hard, yet incredibly rewarding little platform runner.

Astlibra Revision is an outstanding game, and one I didn’t even see coming. It takes a little time to get going, but once it does this is a genuine ride that you won’t want to get off of. You can sometimes feel the game’s patchwork nature at times, but that doesn’t do much to hurt what is otherwise an amazingly fun experience. If you like action-RPGs or just are in the mood for a bonkers story, you have to play Astlibra Revision.

Along with quite a number of stellar box-climbing puzzles, Robo5 boasts a compelling story about a robot seeking its identity. It also has a visual style that's downright charming, in a steampunk sort of way.

As it is, iBomber Attack's biggest complaint may be that its too simple.

When I actually play the game, I find a remarkably enjoyable soccer sim. And the Ultimate Team parts, upon reflection, aren't that horrible.

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.

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.

It’s pretty hard to mess up Puzzle Bobble, and thankfully that hasn’t happened here. It’s also rather difficult to add to it, however, and I think the fact that Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! has managed to do so fairly well is to its credit. For puzzle fans it’s an easy pick-up, built around a time-honored core concept and loaded with things to do. Those who like to play games with their family will also want to give this a look as it’s a surprisingly good party game, too.

Is Trails into Reverie a conclusion to Cold Steel? Is it a conclusion to Crossbell? Yes, and yes. Newcomers will want to stay well away from this one until they do their homework, but series fans will probably find this to be a refreshing chapter after the too-long Cold Steel saga, and a useful loose-ends tie-up before moving into the next major story arc. Some framerate dips and a few clear bugs that I expect NIS America to resolve soon dampen the fun a little, but overall this is another solid entry in the series and a nice bounce back from Trails of Cold Steel IV.

In the end, Shovel Knight Dig checks off two boxes for me: the desire for a Shovel Knight-ish experience on my iPhone, and the desire for more games like Downwell. It’s not flawless by any means, but it’s a great game with a lot of things going for it. I’m truly impressed with how well Nitrome was able to adapt the essence of Shovel Knight into such a different format without losing the satisfying elements of the pineapple and pen it was trying to smash together.

Mentally challenging and hugely engaging, TwoDots will definitely interest fans of the original.

As mindless games go, this one hits the perfect balance between easy enough to play without much attention and hard enough that it's not actually mind-numbing.

Momonga's Pinball Adventures is already a winner. In part for its impressive look, certainly, but the charm and challenge of the game are a big part of what makes it so loveable.

In short, Chaos Rings 3 is a big, meaty evolution of the series that makes a lot of changes. Some of those feel like natural progressions from the older games, while others are obviously coming in from other sources, but the game on the whole is richer for having all of them.

For a game that can’t even hold a locked 60fps when running at 1080p on PS5, Earth Defense Force 6 on Steam Deck runs and looks a lot better than I expected. The game itself is a fantastic sequel to Earth Defense Force 5, and it might be my favorite game in the series yet. I’m looking forward to replaying many missions with friends and also getting the DLC packs in the near future. The wait for Earth Defense Force 6 in the West was long, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.

So far, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is the summer vacation we all needed after a busy release season. At least I needed a break after putting in tons of time into Trails through Daybreak, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and still playing Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree. Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail looks great on Steam Deck and Xbox, it sounds incredible, and I can’t wait to see where things go later on. I just hope we get more voiced dialog added.

There's heaps of defense-type games, but Zombie Gunship stands out because of it's stark realism.

It's hard not to recommend The Hero simply due to its terrific style and over the top humor.

Saving Yello successfully wraps quality graphics and sound, interesting gameplay, varied power-ups, decent game physics and a cute fish into this entertaining fish-flinging game.

About as testing as a coloring book, to be sure, but not without its enjoyment.

G-Darius HD is a full-featured port of a terrific game, and a great way to experience this classic for the first time. The capture ball mechanic and beam dueling add some fun twists to the familiar mechanics that just about anyone can appreciate. Just keep in mind that this is still a Darius game, and as such will not go easy on you. With all of the options and extras included in this version at your fingertips, you just might be able to pull it off.

Barring some minor hiccups in performance, Trombone Champ is a true champ on Switch. It perfectly suits the system and the multiple control options, and is a joy to play. I know this year has been great for quality game releases, but if you own a Switch and want to try something interesting when it comes to music games, Trombone Champ is exactly what you need. I hope we get some Nintendo collaboration songs in the future as DLC.

While the first game felt a bit short, this new one has almost two or three times as much to offer. The mechanics can get a little repetitive after a while, but seeing all of these familiar characters in a slightly more natural setting than usual is a solid hook that pulls the game through its slower moments. A great sequel for fans of the first, and a compelling spin on the Pokemon formula for those who missed the original.

Really, the only thing I don’t like here is that you’re left to adjust the scaling yourself. It would be nice if there were preset modes to get perfect scaling rather than having to tweak with the analog stick until you get it just right. Not the end of the world, but it’s something annoying you have to do for each game once. Otherwise, this is a fantastic set with lots of great games at an affordable price. The

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.

If you enjoyed the previous Sniper Elite games, this one is a no-brainer. Sniper Elite 4 carries forward all of the strengths of the previous games and adds in a number of improvements, making for one of the finest stealth action experiences you can get on the Nintendo Switch. Admittedly, there aren’t a whole lot of traditional stealth games on the system, but I think that even if there were this would still be worth checking out. The only real miss is in its rather bland story, but the little stories of your own that you make as you play compensate for it. Overall, an enjoyable experience of the type and quality we don’t see often on the platform.