Who would ever guess that there would be a super-fun twin-stick spin-off of an iconic shoot 'em up in 2024? Well, it's here and Raiden NOVA is one of the best surprises of the year, especially if you're a fan looking for something new.

Doggie Ninja The Burning Strikers may not offer much in the single player department but competing with 4 friends provides some truly exciting and ridiculous arcade sports action. I give it 4 exploding goals out of 5.

As far as co-op games go, PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is a thoroughly enjoyable title that's jam-packed with variety and nifty mini-games.

In the end, if you enjoy simple and challenging shoot 'em ups then you'll have a blast with Binarystar Infinity in all its minimalist glory.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is a worthy successor to the original and I'm very happy that Inti Creates and Koji Igarashi decided to make this sequel. With a cool co-op mode and a wonderful new cast of playable characters, it's one fun retro-inspired game.

With its many rewarding elements and intuitive gameplay, Achilles: Survivor makes for a great cathartic game to wind down with for sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed Red's Kingdom and I can safely say that it's currently one of the best indie games on the Switch. If you like cute and casual experiences then it's definitely a must-play game.

With awesome gameplay and the best DualSense utilisation I've ever experienced, Rogue Flight is one excellent 3D arcade shooter.

Old-school gaming fans will find a lot to love about Horizon Shift '81 as it feels like a long-lost static shooting arcade treasure.

Listening to upbeat tunes as you complete puzzles while watching bubbly characters cheer makes Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S+ delightful.

Those who relish a challenge and love Sega Genesis shoot 'em ups will absolutely dig what the retro-inspired Super XYX has in store.

Venba is a short, impactful, and beautifully presented look into the lives of an immigrant family that'll likely stay with you for a long time.

If you're looking for a satisfying overhead stage-based puzzle action game then Mad Age & This Guy is definitely worth checking out.

With its oodles of elements and adorable character art that I absolutely love, Roguematch: The Extraplanar Invasion is a wonderful game.

If you enjoy 2D gameplay then the clever Roguevania setup of Little Noah: Scion of Paradise will keep you hooked for hours upon hours.

Umbraclaw's unconventional nature will surely perplex many gamers but once you get it, it's hard to stop playing with this cat.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the jam-packed HunterX and look forward to whatever game ORANGE POPCORN creates next.

It's hard to believe that this series has been around for 15 years but BIT.TRIP RERUNNER proves that it's still a ton of fun nowadays.

My gaming chum and I had a blast with The Jackbox Survey Scramble and plan on playing it much more. Survey says? Great game.

I'm very happy to have finally experienced Ninja Five-O and if you enjoy retro 2D ninja-based action games, you're sure to love it, too.

If you're looking for a unique arcade-style experience, you can't do much better than 3D Don't Die Mr. Robot, especially if you love fruit salad.

Card-based combat doesn't get much more satisfying than in Slay The Spire and its roguelike campaign is quite a rewarding challenge.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is simply one of the best roguelikes out there so if you enjoy Zelda-style games, you won't regret it.

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next is one of the best co-op games out there and it's so funny that it'll make you say Barf!

2D ninja action games don't get much more fully-featured than Ninja Issen: The Scroll of Dimension and its arsenal of skills is great fun.

Machiknights: Blood Bagos may be simple at its core yet stomping around with a friend while decimating your foes just feels awesome.

Odd assortment of games aside, Tetris Forever is a wonderful document for an iconic series that fans will definitely appreciate.

Arcadegeddon's unique glitched-out virtual world and slick movement controls make it stand out in a familiar genre and it's a ton of fun.