Lost Harmony is an audio/visual triumph with a few gameplay quirks that trip it up here and there.

LEGO 2K Drive is an excellent blend of Forza Horizon, Sonic Racing, and LEGO, but one that unfortunately also has some of the bad aspects of free-to-play games included. Had LEGO 2K Drive been a free game, this wouldn’t be a problem, but it is a full-priced game with more expensive editions available. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves over time, but right now it is a very good game held back by its monetization.

One Epic Knight just doesn't stand out enough in a growing field of Temple Run inspired games.

Really, the only reason to avoid this game is if you don’t like Zelda-style games or can’t deal with a game that can’t stop cracking jokes for even a split-second. In which case, I’m not sure why you’re even looking at a game called Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir is impressive if only for the fact that a new lick of paint and a few tweaks here and there leave it feeling so close to a modern game in so many ways. It will at times betray that illusion with some frustrating progress-blockers, but for the most part this is a great choice for fans of adventure games or even just a good mystery story. Mages has done a fantastic job of updating the game’s presentation, too. This isn’t the kind of game we’re used to seeing from Nintendo, particularly when it’s reaching into its classic library, but I’m glad it’s finally available to a wider audience.

Fans of the film won't be disappointed with how Backflip Studios handled the IP.

Nono Islands isn’t the best or most original game Illusion Labs has ever come out with, but it’s still a damn good one.

Let’s Build a Zoo is a dangerous game. When I decided to take a break from playing The Centennial Case on PS5 to spend a few minutes with Let’s Build a Zoo on Switch, I ended up putting in over an hour and barely realizing it was 1:30 AM. It is a perfect fit for a portable as well, but hope the UI issues can be addressed over time with updates. If you can deal with the small text and some interface elements, this is an essential. I like the controls, gameplay, writing, and never got tired of the music. While I’m sure it runs better on more powerful systems, I don’t think I’d trade portability for anything else with Let’s Build a Zoo, and I hope it does hit iPad in the near future.

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.

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.

Silent Hope isn’t going to light your world on fire or anything, but if you enjoy a good dungeon crawl action-RPG, it’s assuredly worth looking into. Its lack of any immediate fancy flourishes might make it seem forgettable at first, but give it time to unfold a little and I think you’ll appreciate the finer details of its design. It’s the kind of game that is all too easy to slip in and out of, and I like to keep at least a few games like that living on my Switch at all times.

Ultimately, The Cruel King and the Great Hero is still worth playing for those who are attracted to its cute storybook stylings. RPG fans will likely find less to be enthused with here, thanks to its plodding pace and somewhat banal battling. I can’t help but feel there may have been a better vehicle for this charming little fairy tale, but I’m nevertheless happy I got to experience it.

Trinity Trigger would’ve been an easier recommendation had it been cheaper. This might be my favorite Furyu release since The Alliance Alive, and I recommend it for any fans of Secret of Mana who would like to play a game inspired by that classic, but the price point and paid DLC makes it a hard pill to swallow. Once it gets discounted, Mana fans should consider this.

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.

While it may be easy to start the descent in Journey Below, it's a far harder task to reach the bottom - and even more difficult to put down.

If you're the kind of person who wants a highly detailed in-depth baseball game, Flick Baseball isn't the game for you. Everything in Flick Baseball seems to be optimized for quick pick up and play sessions that focuses more on being fun than overly technical or difficult.

The quirky art style melds extremely well with the high-quality 3D environments, and the game ran consistently smoothly for me. Fleeced is worth every penny of its asking price.

The unlimited lives option is great, as it's still a challenge to complete the levels, but you can keep re-trying and your weapon power-up's don't reset when you die.

If the premise appeals to you, download it and give it half an hour. At that point, if you're jazzed and really rockin' it, you've just made a friend. On the other hand, if you're feeling irritable or frustrated at that point, you should just delete the game and move on.

A difficult game to evaluate. Its challenging gameplay and numerous options in terms of power-ups and vehicles doesn't make it a particularly approachable game. Yet it's those exact features that make it a delight for fans of trial-and-error score-chasers. In that regard, assuming you know what you're getting into, Stunt Star is well worth a recommendation.

The campaign is fun, but it really has nowhere to go but through the same paths again and again. And the multiplayer—the multiplayer has so much potential, but it's crippled by the lack of online competitors.

Eets Munchies is a satisfying and complete puzzle game, and given the included level editor you could spend a ton of time playing around in its world. I kind of wish some of the puzzles were a bit more inventive and a tad less remedial, but the latter arenas will have you satisfyingly scratching your head.

Ultimately, however, as a puzzle game fan, I find SideSwype scratches a very similar itch to Threes!, but doesn't do it quite so satisfactorily.

Revolution 60 would make a terrific animated movie, but as a game, I'm left a little cold by it.

Overall, Bottom of the 9th is a very well designed and enjoyable game that does an excellent job capturing the strategy and fun of baseball. Games are quick, unlike baseball itself, and can be very short indeed if the home team scores early. Fans of the sport will certainly enjoy this one, as will competitive gamers of any stripe. Check it out and make sure to visit our forums for more on the game.

Those less experienced with the genre may not enjoy it as much, as the difficulty and complexity ramps up considerably as you go. I can’t say I found myself loving the game at any point, but its raw enthusiasm sure made me want to. Still, love isn’t everything. I liked Indigo 7, and perhaps that’s enough.

As an overall package, Hot Wheels Unleashed is better than you might have expected. It does its license justice, and the racing action is more than competent. I’m not really a fan of how much luck plays a role, in terms of what cars you get from the Blind Boxes, in how well you’re able to tackle the campaign. If you get bad pulls, grinding for more chances can take forever. I also feel like some of the longer courses are a little too long, running for several minutes in some cases. Again, there is a big update coming very soon and likely more to come in the future, so some or all of these points could eventually be fixed. I can only review what is in front of me, and that’s a game that is quite good but with its fair share of flaws.

While I hope it gets a demo at some point on mobile like on other platforms, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a gem of an FMV game, and one of my favorite Square Enix games in over a decade. The story is fantastic and the actors were amazing across the board. All of this was elevated by its magnificent soundtrack. Having hit mobile with all updates included and controls well, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story on iOS is the best portable version of the game. My favorite version is still the PS5 release, but I’m very pleased with how The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story turned out in its mobile debut. Hopefully the few issues I have can be sorted in updates.