Raven’s Hike plays well, has some great level designs, and manages to feel fresh from start to finish. If you like tricky action games, you should give this one a shot. Just be warned that it doesn’t take long before it starts swinging hard.

Indeed, my biggest knock on Get Packed is that there isn’t a whole ton to the campaign. You can wrap it up in a single evening, and unless you’re interested in chasing high scores it’s over all too quickly. The minigames are actually pretty fun and help extend the joy a while longer, but I certainly hope to see more of the core content added via expansions or something in the future. An entertaining game to play with your friends or family, regardless of their level of skill.

If you’ve tried out the previous Sniper or Zombie Army games from Rebellion and bounced off of them, there is likely nothing here that will change your mind. Similarly, if you’ve enjoyed any of those games you will be happy with what you get here. Zombie Army 4: Dead War is more of what Rebellion has shown it knows how to do best: realistic playgrounds filled with plenty of action, stealth, exploration, and thrilling opportunities to exercise the capabilities of your arsenal. A solid port of a very satisfying game.

While the visual and performance cutbacks are ones I expected going from PS5 to Switch, Bugsnax not making full use of the Switch’s unique hardware capabilities is disappointing. I was hoping we’d get gyro control options or proper HD rumble to try and offer more immersion, but neither are present in this release. You do get the complete game with the Isle of Bigsnax right from the start though. If you already played Bugsnax on another platform, you should stick to that one to experience the new content, but for those who haven’t jumped into Snacktooth Island yet, the Nintendo Switch version of Bugsnax is a fine way to do so. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed putting in more than 20 hours into it on Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.

My first impression of this game was how pretty it was. It’s got a nice sense of style to it, and I love the odd creatures that inhabit this world. My second impression involved getting stuck in a piece of the environment and having to reset the game. My third impression of the game is that while it’s relatively short it somehow manages to wear out all of its tricks well before it ends, and alternates between being boring and irritating in its back half. That first bug wasn’t the only one to rear its head either. There’s something worth getting into here, but there’s just too much dragging the overall experience down.

While you are partially at the mercy of random elements, there’s a great degree of agency in how your chosen heroes and their abilities work together. I think the core game here is just as good as titles like Slay the Spire or Monster Train, but the Switch conversion leaves a bit to be desired. Play it elsewhere if you can, but if you enjoy the genre and only have a Switch, you’ll probably be able to put up with this port’s issues.

Revita isn’t doing a whole lot that we haven’t seen bits of in other games before, if not necessarily in this exact combination. But it’s doing all of it rather well, with reliable controls, challenging and fun boss encounters, enough randomness to add spice but not so much to make it all a crapshoot, and interesting choices to make with your character’s growth during each run. Those looking for their next roguelite action game to conquer will want to give this one some consideration.

Despite the fact that 2008 is longer ago than most of us would like to admit, there is still some fun to be had with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Some may have preferred a different version from the Wii one, but what it lacks in visual punch it more than makes up for with additional content and more focused level design. It’s an enjoyable, silly Star Wars adventure that probably isn’t going to flip the switches of anyone without affection for the brand, but will be a good enough time for fans to keep them from focusing on its many rough edges. A bit of a time warp, but not a bad one.

This is less of a billiards game and more a pack of billiards puzzles. You get one hundred stages, and there are different sets of rules you’ll run into as you go. Sometimes you’re on your own and need to sink all the balls. Sometimes you’re playing for points against the computer. It comes off like a poor man’s Side Pocket, and that is already a bit of a value meal on its own in modern times. As if to hammer the point home, it’s full of unnecessary boosts you can buy with the coins you earn, a three-star ranking system, and a really awkward UI that feels ill-suited for button controls. Throw in some bugs, and you’ve got a scratch.

Blast Brigade vs the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread does just about everything a Metroidvania-style game should, and that makes it very easy to recommend to fans of the genre. I don’t think it’s going to convince anyone who is tired of this sort of game, because apart from its sense of humor it’s not really doing anything unusual for the genre. But what it does, it does well. The graphics are good, the controls are solid, the pacing and progression is more or less where it should be, the boss battles are enjoyable, and the map designs are good. It’s always fun when something so well-made as this comes seemingly out of nowhere.

Super Mega Zero manages the difficult job of finding new depths to plumb in a sub-genre that has seen a lot of love over the years. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, another stage would come along and force me to come at things completely differently. The changing number gimmick combines with some truly inspired puzzle and platforming challenges to create a truly enjoyable, incredibly tricky action game. Throw in the extra collectible Pi items and speed runs, and you’ve got a game that will last you for a long while.

Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars doesn’t have much meat on the plate in most respects. There isn’t much depth to the action, and it’s over pretty quickly by the standards of Senran Kagura and especially Neptunia. The only area where it really goes beyond adequate is in the charming character interactions and amusing script. It would be nice if there was a little bit more here to enjoy, but I think for the fans of the brands, it’s enough. Those not already invested in either series will want to give this a pass, however.

As puzzle games go, this is perhaps as casual as it gets. You’ve got pictures of cats and other animals all jumbled up, and you need to rotate the pieces until they create the desired image. You get forty of these puzzles in all. They get more complicated as you go, but they’re all just a matter of patience and fiddling around until lines line up. It’s cheap and chill, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish it had a little more bite.

The controls are laggy. The load times are horrendous, sometimes as long as a minute and a half to start a simple exhibition game. It crashes sometimes. The AI for your teammates and goalkeeper is utterly incompetent. The classic controls ape the EA NHL Genesis layout, but map the A/B/C to B/A/X, putting a key action on the most awkward button on the controller. But the real kicker? Even when everything is going right, Bush Hockey League just doesn’t feel good to play. There’s so much obvious love put into this game by a team I am sure is full of big hockey fans, but that doesn’t change the end result.

Legend Of Ixtona isn’t a particularly great strategy RPG, but it’s not a bad one either. It’s short enough to plow through in a weekend, and just enjoyable enough to be worth doing just that. The weak AI makes it essentially a strategy RPG equivalent to a mindless button-masher. Those looking for any actual tactical challenge will probably want to keep on walking, but I think there’s a certain appeal to it if you get into the game’s story and quirky characters. That said, you can probably find better things in this genre on the Switch at a comparable price.

Feral Interactive have done a brilliant job here in bringing another true PC classic game to mobile devices. If you enjoy strategy games and don’t mind spending a bit of time adjusting to the interface, I can’t imagine anything better for you than Total War: MEDIEVAL II. I enjoyed my time with Total War: MEDIEVAL II on iPad a lot more than iPhone though. If I had a bigger screen on my iPhone, I might’ve enjoyed it more, but the iPad Pro version looks and feels amazing.

To sum up, I like every game included in this set, but I only truly love a few of them. That’s a problem in that I could just go and buy those few separately and keep twenty bucks in my pocket. I like the Arcade Archives quality, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with how flavorless the package comes across as a whole. It’s ten Arcade Archives games dumped in a box with a simple menu to choose between them. A better selection would make this an easier recommendation, but as is I think it’s only suited for Taito die-hards and those looking for an Arcade Archives sample platter.

Sumire is a game I’ve convinced a lot of people to play on Nintendo Switch, and I hope to do the same on iOS. Despite the few issues with the port right now, it is still worth experiencing if you enjoy emotional stories. The highlights initially may seem like the visuals and amazing soundtrack, but Sumire is a game I want to see more of in the future from GameTomo. I look forward to seeing how this version improves through updates, but I’m glad to have been able to play Sumire on another platform and still hope it gets a physical release on Nintendo Switch in the future.

Slipstream has a lot to offer fans of SEGA’s old Super Scaler arcade games. It’s not shy about its source of inspiration, but it is dutiful in doing justice to that game. There are a variety of modes to play and sights to see. You can even play with friends in local multiplayer. Just be aware that the game plays like something from the time and place it pays homage to, so you very much have to take it on its own terms mechanically. Perhaps the biggest problem is that it never really manages to escape being one big reference and become its own thing. Even with that in mind, arcade racing fans likely won’t regret picking it up.

Be warned: Kombinera is quite tough. It starts getting demanding fairly early on, and figuring out the trick to each stage and successfully pulling it off aren’t an easy matter even in the initial set of stages. Simply reaching the end is an effort in and of itself, and trying to complete all of the various additional objectives, target times, and achievements will take a lot of practice and patience. There are three hundred levels in all, making for a monster-sized puzzler. If that all sounds good to you, then you may enjoy this game at least as much as I did.

As an overall experience, Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between is going to appeal a lot to some people and not at all to others. Personally, I loved what it was going for. Unfortunately, this version of the game suffers from some pretty severe tech issues in some of the Journeys. I ended up having to quit out of the train Journey because the framerate dove into the “seconds per frame" range. The highway had no issues. I’m hoping this is the result of a bug that can be fixed, but in its current state I have a lot of trouble recommending this game on the Switch. Play it, but perhaps not on this platform.

If you enjoy the LEGO games, this is one of the best ones ever. If you fell off the series because it felt like it was treading water, this might be the one to bring you back. And if you’ve never played one before, here is a great place to start. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a fantastic game, and serves as proof that TT Games can still serve up some surprises in this long-in-the-tooth franchise. It also runs very well on the Switch relative to other LEGO games, which is just another feather in its cap.

Dedicated wrestling game fans will find enough in Big Bang Pro Wrestling to get their kicks, and Code Mystics has done its usual fine work in bringing this NEOGEO Pocket Color game to the Switch. We even get an English version of the manual. It’s quite a bit of fun for a game of its time and place, but it certainly feels of its era in many ways. It’s that side of it that keeps it from being a must-play, as the wrestling game genre has seen a lot of strides since the year 2000. Nevertheless, this is a rather neat curio and one I’m happy to see get its shot in the West after so long.

This Switch version of the game is decent enough, though it does make some expected concessions in its visuals when compared to the PlayStation 4 original. If you’ve set your mind on playing Crystar, this is a fine enough way to do it. There’s certainly something here to enjoy, with a twisting narrative that keeps on delivering to the bittersweet end. But you’re going to have to deal with some lengthy stretches of truly dull gameplay between those story nuggets, and I can’t really make a strong case that it’s worth it.

The appeal here is the same as it has always been with Minter’s Tempest games and variants. There aren’t a lot of games similar to Tempest, and it’s still a lot of fun. Every new stage brings its own shape and therefore its own required strategies, making for a game that constantly feels fresh and challenging. Online leaderboards give the score attacking a stronger sense of purpose, and the presentation makes the whole thing feel like an experience as much as a game. Oddly while the in-game controls are incredibly responsive, the menus appear to be suffering from some sort of lag. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning. If you come for the pure gaming thrills that a Minter jam always promises, you won’t be disappointed.

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.

I can genuinely say that I haven’t had such a good time playing a game from start to finish as I did with Kirby and the Forgotten Land in quite some time. It put a grin on my face from the start, and it kept me happily engaged to the very last drop. Then I pulled my son in and we played through everything again in multiplayer. It’s one of the better Kirby games, and deserves a place of honor among the upper canon of Nintendo Switch titles.

Apart from its attractive presentation, Super Nanaru is a bit plain as a game. That’s especially the case for those of us who have been playing mobile games for a long time. The large sprite makes the platforming a little awkward at times, and the game’s penchant for dirty tricks is something you’ll either love or hate. Infinite lives and generous checkpointing means even the toughest stages are surmountable, but that doesn’t make it any more tolerable when, say, a bus drives in front of the platforms you’re hopping across and completely obscures them. I can’t say it doesn’t have its charms, but it ultimately didn’t do a lot for me.