While the Switch performance isn’t perfect, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a ton of fun throughout my time with Prodeus on Nintendo Switch. I love being able to sync across Steam Deck, my laptop, and Nintendo Switch thanks to the in-game account, and having access to the complete experience with no compromises on the content side on Nintendo Switch makes this an essential for first-person shooter fans. Games like Prodeus and DUSK are absolutely gems that you owe it to yourself to play if you, like me, enjoyed Doom back in the day. Now I just need a vinyl soundtrack announced to go alongside the physical release coming.

If you haven’t gotten Vampire Survivors yet, it is easily one of the best PC-only games you can buy in 2022. Having played more than 50 hours of it over the last few months, it really feels like a steal at even its newly increased price point of $4.99. It has remained in the most-played games on Steam Deck for months now, and Valve should just pay to have it pre-installed on every Steam Deck at this point. It is that good. If you do end up getting it, don’t blame me if you spend hours on it daily like I did when I got addicted to it. The soundtrack is absolutely worth grabbing as well. I’ve not grown remotely tired of it after all these dozens of hours with the game.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the Garbage Pail Kids and never really got into gross-out humor in general. That means this game is really not aimed at me, and I fully recognize that. I think people who enjoy side-scrollers and the Garbage Pail Kids (or similar gross-out comedy) will have a decent time with this. Others will likely find this game to be rather mediocre, particularly with how abruptly it ends. It’s certainly worthy of the Garbage Pail, and assuredly doesn’t belong in a garbage pail, but I think it’s mainly one for the fans.

The biggest problem with Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is that it all feels too thin. For all the different modes, it all mostly comes down to luck. You can tell this was derived from a game that is only one step removed from gambling. It puts on a decent performance of making you think you have a say in the outcome, but you really don’t. Perhaps as a lower-priced affair I could see this working better, but at the price point it’s targeting there just isn’t enough meat on the bones here in any sense. If you’re a big fan of the arcade version, you’ll likely be happy to have the game at home with all kinds of extras. I can’t imagine many others finding a lot to love here, however.

As a fandisc, Piofiore: Episodio 1926 is superlative. It goes above that and is more like a full sequel to the original game. While I can’t recommend this if you haven’t played the original, it is an easy recommendation if you did enjoy your time with Piofiore. I hope the few text issues can be addressed in potential future updates though.

I was really surprised at how good Sophstar turned out to be, especially given the reasonable price. It’s a very fun shooter that is easy to learn but with enough depth to please veterans, and includes enough modes, options, and extras to keep you playing for a long time. I wish the soundtrack had a little more kick to it and I suppose it doesn’t really do anything dramatically novel, but otherwise I am hard-pressed to find much fault in this game. A virtual must-have for shoot-em-up fans.

Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher sticks very close to the original Monster Rancher concept, perhaps too close. Adding in giant monsters and Ultraman appearances provides a bit of spice, but it would have been nice if there were more of an effect on the gameplay just to liven things up a bit for veterans. As is, it’s another Monster Rancher, albeit one with a little more charm than usual for fans of large rubber-suit creatures.

While I did enjoy a lot of Moonscars in the time I’ve put into it on Switch as of version 1.3.003 and the current PC build, it feels like an early access release that is close to hitting the finish line. There are a few things that need work like enemy HP, some areas looking too similar, and the unforgiving nature not pushing me to learn, but frustrating me in parts. In its current state, I’d recommend it assuming you’re ok with all of that and some performance issues on Nintendo Switch.

If you had told me that an indie horror game would be on my top 10 games of the year a few months ago, I’d have laughed because of how good 2022 has been for JRPGs but here we are. Signalis is a shockingly good horror game that I recommend to any fan of the genre. It has a superlative atmosphere, stunning art, and an excellent soundtrack.

Marvel Snap is an incredibly well-designed game. It’s perfectly suited to mobile thanks to how quickly the matches resolve, but the level of strategy is satisfyingly deep. The missions incentivize you to mix things up, and the steady stream of new cards ensures you’ll have plenty of options to choose from for such endeavors. The monetization is relatively low-pressure and the plateau point for free players is far enough down the road that it’s hard to call it unfair. I also love how well the cards represent the various heroes and villains in such simple terms, with the locations doing the same. The Snap mechanic is the brilliant cherry on top. A fantastic title, and one I can’t seem to leave alone.

Just like how things went with the arcade original, Gravitar: Recharged sometimes feels at odds with some of the baggage it has to carry. In this case, it’s the baggage of being part of the Recharged line, where players will probably be trained to expect quick, arcade-style action with a focus on beating mini-challenges and racking up high scores. Gravitar: Recharged isn’t really that kind of game, though it incorporates many of those elements. Instead this is something you hunker down with and try to pick your way through, one aggravating death after another. Not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something with arcade roots but home game teeth, it might be up your alley.

I think Switch owners have gotten used to dealing with performance issues. It regrettably comes with the territory, even when it doesn’t seem like it should be a problem. If you think you can push past some “worse than Metal Slug 2" slowdown, random bits of stuttering action, audio issues, and lengthy load times, Shootas, Blood & Teef is fun. You have a nice variety of weapons, the levels are fun to navigate, and the shooting is tense and satisfying. But if you have access to another platform, you may want to pursue it there instead. This Switch version just isn’t up to snuff.

Now that it has launched on all consoles with online crossplay support, there has never been a better time to check it out, and I’m shocked at how good it feels to play online on Nintendo Switch. With most fighters, you usually have great experiences on PlayStation and Xbox systems with Switch being a subpar experience. With Them’s Fightin’ Herds, the Switch version is a fantastic port of an excellent fighting game.

If you’re looking for a polished and good introduction to 4X games, The Battle of Polytopia is more than worth it. If you, like me, weren’t sure how The Battle of Polytopia would play with a controller, download the free demo to see how you find the UI. The developers have done a good job with the scaling across docked and handheld, and having full touchscreen support for handheld meant I had a much easier time moving to Switch.

While God Damn the Garden is affordable and isn’t completely without merit, I didn’t find it enjoyable at all to play. Irritating, perhaps. Frustrating, definitely. I know it has its fans, but I just can’t see any reality or circumstances where I would recommend buying or playing this over similarly affordable games on the eShop like DOOM or QUAKE. Yes, even if you’ve played those a million times before.

Should you play Persona 5 Royal? Yes, of course you should. Should you play it on Switch? If you’re looking for the handheld experience or only have a Switch, absolutely. It’s a stellar port. If you’re playing on your TV there are probably better options in terms of visual fidelity, but this is a great way to enjoy one of the shining stars of the JRPG genre regardless of how you go about it.

Aquarist is probably a really enjoyable game on PC. On Switch, its severe interface problems combined with a few technical issues makes it really difficult to just chill out and enjoy the simple pleasures of building the aquariums of your dreams and taking care of your fish. Nearly unreadable text, especially in handheld mode, combines with clumsy controls that were obviously designed for a mouse, and the result is very hard to recommend.

As a WarioWare-inspired affair, Atari Mania falls a little short of that series while still being good enough to be of interest to those enjoy quick-fire gaming. If we look at it as a celebration of Atari, it’s very well done. There are lots of little details in here for the true-blue fans, and the sense of humor hits the right spot as far as I’m concerned. The Switch version has some technical issues that mean you’re probably better off playing it elsewhere unless portable play is critical for you, but if the Switch is your only (or preferred) option, it’s playable enough to get into.

Don’t take my score to mean this is an average game. It most decidedly is not. It’s very niche in both its gameplay and appeal, and I think you’ll have to be just the right person in just the right mood to enjoy it the way I did. There are probably more rough edges than smooth edges here, but if you’re looking for a stealth game that does things very differently from the norm, this will certainly fit your needs. It even has a decent story attached. I’m glad this remake exists and I’m glad NISA localized it, even if I think it is going to struggle to find an audience even more than its stablemate Way of the Samurai.

This really comes down to whether you consider the Genesis version of Tinhead to be worth five dollars. It’s not a bad game, though it can be aggravatingly difficult. But it’s also not a particularly good game beyond its well-done visuals. The kind of thing you would end up renting when you arrive late to the rental shop on a Friday night and have to choose from what’s left. It’s very typical of Western platformers of the time, with massive levels full of mysterious bits and bobs to collect and some unclear visual cues. QUByte’s presentation does the game no special favors, but it’s serviceable enough to enjoy Tinhead‘s merits, such as they are.

If you like bridge construction games or are a big fan of LEGO bricks, you’ll likely find enough to love in LEGO Bricktales to overcome its performance and gameplay issues. I would gladly trade some of the beautiful visual flair for a smoother framerate, so I hope the improvements the developers are working on bear fruit. I’m not sure what can be done about the controls, so you may just have to put up with them if you’re dedicated to playing the game on a console. A great idea, a passable execution, and overall an okay game that at least has something different to say about the venerated toy brand.

Endless Memories is the kind of game that probably would have cleaned up in a less-crowded Metroidvania landscape. It’s a decent game whose biggest sin is being unable to properly manage its own size. Massive games in this genre can work (see Hollow Knight) but they need to take some precautions lest their sheer size and backtracking requirements end up boring the player. If you don’t mind a game that probably should have gotten off the stage hours before it actually does, and can cope with the fact that bad luck might leave you fighting goliaths with a butter knife, then feel free to give this a go.

Now, I’m not going to say this is a must-have, and there are better twin-stick shooters on the Switch to be sure. But for your eight bucks, you get a rather robust bit of B-movie (maybe D-movie) action with decent atmosphere and solid shooting gameplay. It can be a little grindy if you want to upgrade everything, but with added modes (including a very enjoyable local co-op mode for up to four players) and interesting environments to explore, even the act of grinding isn’t so bad. I had a better time with Splatter – Zombiecalypse Now than I was expecting to, and that’s always a lovely surprise.

Those looking for a decent challenge will find it in simply trying to solve the puzzles that open the doors that allow you to progress, but those looking for some extra spice will find it in trying to track down all of the collectibles in each area. There is also a hard mode that is less kind with where it respawns you if you should perish. But generally, I think most people will have the best time by simply enjoying the ride through this rather gorgeous game. Go for those collectibles if you’re feeling it, but otherwise, just enjoy that nice chew of observing your surroundings and solving some puzzles. Youropa has a real vibe, and if you’re into what it’s laying down you’ll have a great time with it.

I only have a few knocks on C.A.R.L., and they’re not huge ones. There’s one particular level that is an outright pain in the butt, and not in a fun way. The bosses lack spice, and are overall far too easy to fell. The game’s humor is trying hard, and that’s always going to be a subjective thing. If you don’t plan on scouring for all the secrets, the game could feel too short. But as mentioned, none of these are big issues for the game. It’s a fun, energetic platformer with sharp level designs and a lot of personality. Certainly worth a go for fans of the genre.

I remember thinking how No Man’s Sky was a fantastic experience for exploring planets and listening to brilliant music right from the start, but seeing how many were understandably let down by the initial release. Since then, it has continued to only get better and better while releasing on more platforms. It now more than ever justifies its asking price. As someone who owns just about every version of the game physically and digitally, No Man’s Sky is one of the best Switch games of the year, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves over time alongside the other versions of the game.

If you loved Horizon Chase, you’ll love Horizon Chase 2. If you’ve never played the first game, you can easily jump in with this sequel and have a great time. It’s in some ways an expected sequel, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that when there was so little to complain about in the first game. I had actually let my Apple Arcade subscription lapse, but I signed right back up again for Horizon Chase 2. It did not let me down. Now all we need is to get the online population a little more active. Hopefully that’s an issue that will solve itself with time.

Dropsy prefers to show, not tell. Its symbolic approach to just about everything makes some things harder than they really need to be. It can be really difficult to figure out where to go or what to do because the game just isn’t big on guiding you. Whether that is a problem or not is up to the individual. But you will spend a lot of time wandering around even if you more or less figure out what to do, resulting in a game that feels very bloated. There’s something nice about how positive Dropsy tries to be, and I think, as a result, it is worth putting up with its flaws.