Gods Will Fall is an interesting take on both the rogue and hard-game genre. Its reliance on randomisation of character stats, weapons and dungeon difficulty makes it perfect for short or long plays and helps to keep the player hooked with moments ranging from abject difficulty to hilarious ease.

On paper, GRIP sounds like a thrilling combat-racing experience. In practice, it’s a dull and outdated execution despite its content-rich package.

There’s honestly a good game to be found in Lifespeed. Unfortunately, the experience I had was plagued with too many problems and flaws to be one that I can say I loved. There’s a lot of potential in a lot of the ideas the game presents, but clumsy execution leads them to be squandered. It would be a delight to see the game with new improvements in the future, whether it’s an updated version or a brand new release.

Even being a $10 (or slightly cheaper with a MyNintendo discount) eShop title, there is simply not enough quantity or quality to justify a purchase – Chase tries its best to make the two-hour trek a grind. The characters are merely nothing more than hollow vessels for driving the plot forward. It is totally disappointing that there is no thrill or cognitive challenge to the game – this is one investigation not worth chasing.

This is simply one of those games that has an uncomplicated premise, with a variety of game types that affect the win conditions more than the game itself. And that’s exactly what a game like this needs to be. While I wouldn’t recommend the game by its own right, I see this being in a lineup of a bunch of local multiplayer games on the Switch with friends. On its own, there isn’t much there for you.

Skellboy, much like its body-part-swapping protagonist, tries a lot of different things in its visuals and mechanics to get me to like it, but ends up a veritable Frankenstein’s monster. The aesthetic is nice, but the writing isn’t; the visuals are lovely but create ugly performance issues; the combat is mechanically solid but not well-paced or structured. It’s certainly worth taking a look through what Skellboy has to offer, as there’s a beating heart underneath, but your mileage may vary with the inconsistent exterior.

But the game just feels so slow, overall, that these flashy ways of driving just end up feeling obtrusive to an already frustrating game. A lot of these ‘perform trick here’ areas are on the main track, which doesn’t sound like a bad thing at first. But this leads me into my second issue- there are just too many shortcuts.

Munch’s Oddysee is worth experiencing if you missed it the first time around, it's a unique puzzle exploration title that revolves around a passive-aggressive play style.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons really just needed a little more time in the oven. The foundations are there: solid dungeon design, a clean and colourful aesthetic, and a robust combat system. It just needs a little more though - something extra to do in the open world, some more finely tuned pacing and progression, and most importantly a proper QA run to make sure that everything actually functions. I can’t recommend you go visit the land of Valdi in its current state, but hopefully the developers can tweak some code and make this fairly competent adventure playable.

1-2 Switch is just light on great mini-games, it’s shallow and once you’ve played them all with a group of friends you’re unlikely to go back. Some games just boil down to dumb luck, the real games are few and far between...You’ll have fun with it, but probably just once.

In a year full of gourmet dishes, sometimes you just crave a little bit of junk food. Sonic Forces is that junk food. Quick, easy to consume, and fails to leave a lasting effect. You might feel a little gross afterwards, but you’ll probably go for more later anyway.

On its own, Astro Bears Party doesn’t have a huge amount to offer, but everything above is still extremely solid. Ideally, I’d see this game being pulled out alongside a bunch of other smaller multiplayer games, like Astro Duel Deluxe, or the bigger hits like Mario Kart. For the price, it does the job, but I honestly just wish there was more on offer.

Ultimately, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is not about what you can tolerate but what you can accept. If you think you can look past the broken in service of a great story, this might not be for you. If you can embrace and enjoy the tedium, the bugs, the weird tone, the absurdity - you may have a new favourite title. I’ll remember this one for a while.

All the charm from the movie has been stripped out and all that’s left is a bland ‘minecraft’ inspired open world game that happens to have characters from the movie. If you enjoyed kicking around in Lego Worlds there’s more of that here, especially for those with kids who might enjoy anything Lego. If you’re after the usual fun Lego game take on the movie prepare yourself to lower expectations dramatically.

It’s a substantial step-up from the absolute mess that was WWE 2K18 for Switch, and there’s plenty of chaotic enjoyment that can be had here, especially if you’ve got a few friends that enjoy the acquired taste that is professional wrestling. It’s silly, it’s over the top, and it’s just a bit of mindless fun, much in the way that real wrestling is. The repetitive nature of the single-player modes means I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for solo players, and the aggressive monetisation limits the options available for party play, but there’s still a decent game of wrestling under the hood.

Despite its flaws, Solo: Islands of the Heart is an interesting experiment which weaves its puzzler gameplay and mature themes together well. Some design choices and technical issues hold the game back from being truly remarkable, but going in with an open mind and allowing myself some vulnerability delivered an emotional trip I hadn’t quite experienced from a game before.

Under Par Golf Architect is less than the sum of its parts. Each element of the game feels a little undercooked. Together it just about holds up, but the cracks aren't hard to find. However, the game’s got a pleasant presentation. It’s just a little bit silly, and that works if you can put up with spending a bit of time in the rough.

We used to read instruction manuals in the back of the car on the way home for fun — we didn’t buy them, they weren’t as complex as this — but we’ve already been sold on the Switch 2, so we don’t need convincing again. There are worse ways to spend the same money Nintendo is asking for this, but there are also better.

Harvest Moon: One World has a few good things going for it, but ultimately it’s a disappointing entry in the farming RPG genre.

There’s enough here for me to offer a cautious recommendation for those willing to forgive its flaws, perhaps with the caveat that it may be worth waiting for one more patch to iron out the last of the kinks.

Legend of Kay Anniversary seems very much to be a product for fans of the original PS2 release. Being a remaster means there’s not a huge amount of changes, if any other than the camera, meaning a lot of the shortcomings of the original are still here. And for the price tag of $45 AUD, it’s hard to recommend unless you really are a fan.

SkateBIRD is a game you'll want to love, it's hard to be let down by it. Unfortunately, all of the issues keep this game grounded. Get it for the bird, not so much the skating. Developer Glass Bottom Games made a cute indie skating game, and it seems they're still supporting the game so it could address some of the issues. For now, SkateBIRD's appeal depends on how much you like to commit to a bird-based skating game.

There aren't a lot of card games on the Switch, and even fewer in which you have to breed sheep; Shephy succeeds in being the best the Switch has to offer on both fronts. It's easy to pick up, fun to play, and more strategic than you'd expect for a sheep-based solitaire. While the translation efforts leave something to be desired, it's good enough to get the gist of what's going on, and there's very little standing in the way of just how fantastic this game can be.

Frustrating combat, unreliable platforming and a swag of other minor issues made this game a struggle to play. Castle of Heart is a tough game to review; in all the hours I played I never ended a session happy or feeling like I accomplished something. Every time single time it was closing the game in frustration and anger and dreading to have to go back to it, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

Has-Been Heroes is a reasonable game to play on-the-go thanks to the portability of the Switch. But the game itself tries something different but in the process, falls apart. Perhaps with more intuitive controls, or a more compelling sense of level design, Has-Been Heroes would be a great game. But in its current state, Has-Been Heroes is unruly to play, generic to look at and quite simply not fun. It’s disappointing as there is potential here, but Has-Been Heroes squanders it.

I have to be honest and say I was disappointed with Hover. It feels like the game is fighting against you in most places when it gives off the feel of being about freedom of expression and movement. I really hope it can be built upon because the passion for the project can definitely be felt through a lot of the game, but the cohesion of all the parts just doesn’t work as well as it could.

It’s hard to recommend Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure on Switch. It’s a good game don’t get me wrong, but with the Switch Tax in full effect from the Steam/PS4 versions, and with Mario Odyssey just around the corner, it's best to either grab this on another platform, or wait for a heavy discount if portability is a must for you.

Since they fell out of vogue, I'm always excited to see a new 3D-platformer, no matter the shape or form. Clive 'N' Wrench isn't my favourite of the genre, far from it. But props to Dinosaur Bytes Studio for throwing their hat in the ring. I'm keen to see what they get up to in hopefully less than ten years.

The Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection, much like Jurassic Park itself, is bringing history into the modern age. Not all of these games are outright relics; the Game Boy versions may benefit from being smaller games. While in Jurassic Park, it meant accidentally unleashing killer Dinosaurs, in the case of this collection, it is unleashing some frustrating retro games onto an unsuspecting public.

Drawn To Life: Two Realms is likely to serve a niche, but unless you’re hankerin’ for more as a long time fan - or are really starved for some puzzle platforming - beautiful artwork and some occasional brilliance can only get you so far.

If you want a shooter that has depth, there is plenty to enjoy here, the length sadly will make the experience end far to quickly for most players.

As the Adventure Time TV series is coming to a close, it is likely there are only so many more opportunities to make games based off it, so the series could really do with a ‘win’. Pirates of the Enchiridion is not one of these games. It is a very average RPG with Adventure Time characters marred by performance and technical issues that sink this ship down to the bottom of the flooded Kingdom of Ooo.

Storm Boy is very difficult to recommend. There are some nice (but very limited) visuals and music, but there is also very little content combined with minigames that serve no purpose, to the point of feeling incomplete. The selling price isn’t high, but it’s cheaper to pick up the original novel for the Kindle, and you’ll own a classic book too.

Scribblenauts Showdown is an incredibly disappointing attempt to resurrect the Scribblenauts franchise. It’s neither a fun party game nor a fun Scribblenauts game and is hard to recommend to anyone unless you’re incredibly desperate for a party game on the Switch.

On paper, this Trilogy remasters sounds like a done deal. All the points are there to let a new generation of players enjoy these games - warts and all. However, what we really have is an insult to the legacy of these games, to fans of the series and the word Remastered. These ports should be avoided unless you're a diehard fan. Because these games always had a level of jank that you could put up with, and those fun games are still here if you fight through the pain. But for anyone else, trust that GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas were terrific games and play their legacy in everything else they inspired instead. I don't think there are any amount of patches that can help the Switch version of this Trilogy.

I don’t like using this word much, but Vaccine seems like a cynical cash grab. A game that is designed to cash in on the nostalgia of games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, while mixing together elements from today’s school of game design with disappointing results. The presentation feels okay, but the art and style of the game feel awfully run-of-the-mill and generic. Vaccine is tone-deaf to the games it's trying to emulate and misses the mark in almost every department.

There's no reason to buy FIFA 20 on the Switch unless you can find it cheaper than FIFA 19 or you're a mad football fan in need of the latest rosters.

I’m sure that the game will receive updates over time, and it could possibly be a good game eventually. That will require a lot of work however, and the fact that the game released in the state that it did is mortifying. The game costs almost double of Minecraft and doesn’t contain half the fun. I’m not sure why the game exists outside of the idea that maybe some fans of Ark: Survival Evolved may also enjoy this for some reason. When the Switch gets almost 30 games every week, it’s easy to recommend that you open up the Recent tab on the eShop, pick a number between 1 and 10, and chance are you’ll find something better than PixARK.

It’s hard to deny the ambition that Hollow brings to the table, and it’s certainly carving out its own niche on the Switch too. Despite this, Hollow feels like an exercise in tedium. Some players may be able to suffer through the slow moving yet brief story, but ultimately it’s an average experience that even genre fans will struggle to enjoy.

I feel bad calling this a bad game as I can see the makings of a good game in here, it's just unfortunate that all the technical issues completely destroy whatever chance this game has of being even remotely playable. I like to be the optimist and hope that with a future patch these issues can be resolved but at this point, I'm not sure if 2K is going to put the effort into it. Hopefully, 2K give it a decent shot with their next attempt if they try for another wrestling game on the system, be it WWE 2K19 or the ever hoped for follow up to No Mercy, heck I'd take an Allstars 2 at this point. Until then our hopes for a decent wrestling game on a Nintendo system will be just that, hopes.

ARK: Survival Evolved is hard to recommend on two fronts. The Switch Version is an ugly technical mess, and if it does run well the game happens to be unwelcoming and an unfun grind to obtain the actual draw cards to the game. As a big Dinosaur fan, both issues disappoint me so much. True it would be awesome to ride Dinosaurs around and taming them, but not on this console. If this warning isn’t enough at the very least check out the mobile version (which looks better and has a better interface) and see if the game is for you. At the end of the day, ARK is playable, parts of it are even fun, but all the game and technical issues drag this behemoth-sized game back down into the tar pits.

I believe Poisoft is capable of creating something much better. It’s such a shame. What’s presented here isn’t awful, but it’s not necessarily good either. Giving the game more time to develop would have benefitted it greatly. In its current state, Vroom in the Night Sky feels more like an alpha build rather than a full release.

Absolutely Unstoppable Mine Run is not a bad game. It’s solidly built and runs with little issue, it’s fun to play in short bursts and the multiplayer is remarkably fun for all involved. That said, the issues it does have are so frustrating that I doubt I’ll be playing much of it unless all of my other games suddenly stop working and I’m desperate for something to play.

Drop It: Block Paradise!, in its current state, is a broken mess of a game that made me genuinely fear for the well-being of my console. It's sad to see an interesting concept dragged down by poor execution and a buggy release.

I derived no enjoyment from playing the broken Troll and I, or in writing this review. Do not buy this game in favour of the many wonderful Switch eShop titles on offer representing a significantly better return on time and monetary investment.

While Mario Bros. is one of the less exciting classic games out there, everything else in this release set a new standard for retro re-releases.

While Switch already has a lot of games available to suck up your time, Tumblestone should be on your radar if you’re a fan of tile matching games. It’s a unique enough take on the genre, and while Puyo Puyo Tetris will fight for your attention, coming in at $20 makes it’s great value for money.

Not a Hero is a game that initially draws you in with a host of colourful characters, semi-humorous writing and an amazing soundtrack. Once you begin to look beyond that, the difficulty spikes, uninspiring environments and characters doing seemingly what they want despite your input to prevent this from being a game I could recommend.

I do enjoy playing a good, solid party game with my family. Though Party Crashers does miss the mark as a good, fun party racing game. With some additional love and care, Party Crashers could be great fun, and we’ve seen Giant Molecule do good party games before with Party Golf. I am sure that the partying won’t stop in the near future, and I do hope whatever comes next from these party animals will be a step in the right direction.

In short bursts, Big Bash Boom is a reasonably fun depiction of T20 cricket with splashes of arcade action but lacks the same level of polish and content seen in the Don Bradman and Ashes cricket games - for the same asking price. Knowing Big Ant’s track record with post-release updates, Big Bash Boom will keep improving with time, but it’s not there yet.

Although not the deepest shooter you’ll encounter, Screencheat‘s terrific point of difference makes for a hilarious couch multiplayer game overflowing with more memes than you could poke an invisible stick at.

Planetarian won’t be for everybody, but don’t mistake it for just another story of dating waifus or shock horror. planetarian is here for those who crave a good read, a short story with a tremendous amount of heart and sincerity that will leave you with something to ponder for years to come. It’s as heartwarming as it is heartrending, and it’s bound to leave even the most hardened readers shedding tears by the end.

Scolding myself for buying a game like Smashing the Battle will do nothing to smash the patriarchy and, to be honest, I actually enjoyed it in part. I mean, I played through 62 levels, read some poorly-formatted text, and forgot about the world for a few short hours. It may have produced more remorse than stimulation and there’s a strong sense of repetition across the entire package, but Smashing the Battle certainly is a video game about robots, armour and the absence of both.

I had an enjoyable time playing OTTTD despite its sometimes clumsy controls and overwhelming battles. Skirmishes can often be difficult to focus on and it’s hard to make a comeback if you don’t get a good start, but matches are quick enough that starting again doesn’t feel like such a setback. And the added depth the game’s mechanics gives players plenty of options to play with. If you’re up for a tower defence game that freshens up the formula, OTTTD could be for you.

To summarise the contents of the DLC together, there are two new characters with their own skills, two text-based adventures, some shirts and one quick level. For those that purchased the game physically, this DLC is an included bonus. The eShop version isn’t as generous, so I would leave it up to you if you believe the $15 asking price is worth it to you or not.

To summarise the contents of the DLC together, there are two new characters with their own skills, two text-based adventures, some shirts and one quick level. For those that purchased the game physically, this DLC is an included bonus. The eShop version isn’t as generous, so I would leave it up to you if you believe the $15 asking price is worth it to you or not.

Despite a few streaky edges through slips along the way, cricket fans will appreciate Cricket 19's dedication to the sport's idiosyncrasies without a trading card pack in sight - a rarity for sports games. With the World Cup on now, and the Ashes series coming soon, playing Cricket 19 in handheld with the real deal on the big screen is a tantalising prospect.

Rogue Singularity is a very specific callback to a point in 3D platform gaming. For those familiar with this era, you’ll get a big hit of nostalgia. It also plays just like those games. For better or worse, bad cameras are still bad. Just like back in the 90s, 3D platformers can be fun. Think about how groundbreaking Mario 64 was. Rogue Singularity captures that fun and distills it into a focused challenge that’s not a bad way to spend some spare time.

Squidgies Takeover is a delightful little puzzler with a too-cute presentation that hides some real brain-busting ideas behind it. Each of the game’s levels has an original idea and new way of playing, and there are multiple reasons to go back with leaderboards and further feats to complete to fully conquer the game. You’ll have to find the right way to play the game for yourself, but once you do, you’ll be sending all the Squidgies to their new home in no time.

Music Racer is a great concept but unfortunately fails to deliver on either of its namesakes. The lack of precision note placement results in a disconnect from the music that can’t be overlooked despite all the flashy lights. It has its moments, but for the most part, this is just an interactive music equalizer that doesn’t offer much of a compelling reason to hop along for the ride.

So, like, well done Hyper Jam. It’s mirror polished, competent and great fun. It’s maybe not quite complex enough to devote your life to mastering but I think it nails the best quality a game like this can have - I pulled my non-gamer housemates out for a few rounds and they were able to pick it up and even start beating me within fifteen minutes, so I spent an hour practicing on bots afterwards to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. That’s how you know you’ve got some good multiplayer on your hands.

Just don’t think too hard about Piffle. It’s cute and colourful and is pleased as punch to offer an endorphin rush at every turn. If you want a time killer at the bus stop, you can sure do a lot worse. That said, I feel that mobile games like this one need to do more than be ported across to Switch and sold, minus ads and microtransactions - there’s very little to make the proposition of purchasing this game appealing over playing for free on your phone. But hey, look. That cat is round. Haha.

Little Big Workshop is like running a business. No, that’s not a metaphor. Build yourself up from a humble 5 figure sum to a table-trotting titan of industry. Just watch out for crashes along the way. Yes, that one was metaphorical. And literal.

It’s been a long wait to get our hands on Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! on the Switch as the game went through Early Access. It was well worth the wait! CSD3 manages to keep the formula interesting once again, although for fans of the series it might mean not everything you enjoyed made it over. Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! is a solid, enjoyable cooking sim that will keep you busy for many hours. It’s like an all-you-can-eat that you’d actually want to eat at.

Working your way across the islands will only take a few hours, depending on how you go with the puzzle and orb hunting. Down in Bermuda offers a relaxing time to just potter around Bermuda and find your way back home to the life you left behind. Being an Apple Arcade game first and Switch game second, it does make it a harder sell if you have access to Apple Arcade. Down in Bermuda is worth checking out if you enjoy interactive puzzles and a charming cel-shaded island item hunts.

Stacks On Stacks (On Stacks) is a simple concept that's made even more fun with silly and fun presentation — and being able to play it with someone else at the same time. Stacks never lets itself get stuck on one idea for too long, which is good, but you'll blast through the entire game, possibly in a lazy weekend. Stacks of fun while it lasts.

Mediocre combat, fuzzy visuals. But with the expansions complete, this is a very very solid 50 hour adventure now, and unlike some other DLC-ified games I’ve played, both of The Outer Worlds’ slot very neatly into the original story without feeling unnatural. Now is the time to sink yourself in if you’re a newcomer, and if you’re returning, Murder on Eridanos is a good bit of fun that plays straight into the game’s strengths.

Starbase Startopia is a fun little alien management game. If you're after a new management sim, it could be an excellent comfort game. For newcomers to management games, Starbase is a little too alienating, but if you're just curious how it runs, it runs alright.

As the first release by Sbug Games, Webbed is a brilliant romp that’ll make you proud of the Australian video game scene. The sets and characters have a lot of charm and swinging around the bush and launching Buddy the spider feels great. Webbed should definitely be on the radar of Aussies and non-Aussies alike!

Rooftop Renegade is a wild ride for speed runners and fast-paced platformer fans. The fastest times and higher rankings are hard won and feel rewarding when you beat the CPU hellbent on slowing you down. It might look even better on other platforms, but it runs pretty smoothly on the Switch, and the futuristic backdrops look good without distracting from all the action. It may not be for everyone. If you aren't into getting the best time or speed running in general, your mileage here is limited. But there is plenty to enjoy, and the unpredictable challenge is worth checking out.

There is new content here, and the UI has been updated, but I'm still unsure why this Deluxe version of the game exists. If you have the non-Deluxe version of the game, you're not missing anything. The developers had five years to make the game run better, or at least passable. You're better off playing this on anything other than the Switch; at least it would work despite its shortcomings.

Monster Jam Showdown faithfully recreates the dual-steering controls and physics of driving a monster truck — for better or worse. However, the game's story mode quickly devolves into a grind-heavy experience with events that all end up feeling the same. It's faithful to a fault.

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is a game aimed at a younger audience, and while it looks the part, it ultimately feels like a bit of a chore to play through. The content is fairly barebones—there are 50 levels, but aside from a few gadgets and the occasional interesting boss battle, the core gameplay is rather dull and stiff. You’d really need to be a big Dog Man fan to look past its shortcomings.

Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a fun party game from the small development team at Turtle Flip Studio. Not only is an enjoyable time with a group, definitely the more the merrier, but there’s something of value for solo players too. There are some technical issues that can pop up, and the Single Player mode can be surprisingly strict on unlocking levels, but overall Which Way Up is a blast.

Splatterbot is a fun, brief multiplayer game solely developed by a one-person team at Hey! Kookaburra. The game works best in short bursts with friends, and it never presents itself as anything grander. Sometimes it’s nice to have a solid party game that’s easy to pick up and play.

Cook Serve Forever takes a nice breather from the hectic menu management of the main trilogy while still keeping the spirit of the series. While Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard! is still in the oven, this side adventure is still a fun time.

Replanted seems like a great version of the game, and having not played the game for so long and never on a home console, I felt right at home (without a zombie in it) back in the neighbourhood with this one. There's a few small things to fix up, but overall Plants vs Zombies Replanted is a fun time, and it'll be "one more time" each time you play it.

The game certainly won’t get the tick of approval from older kids, but for the really young audience, it’s a winner. The bright, colourful, and fun aesthetic of Gabby’s Dollhouse is captured perfectly. Overall, the game is quite short, taking only a few hours to finish, but kids will keep coming back to explore. Credit to the team for absolutely hitting the brief.

If you fit into a very specific type of player, PGA Tour 2K25 on Switch 2 could still be great for you. The core golf is excellent. It’s just let down badly by the packaging around it.