Gato feels like a Metroid mini, not in a diminishing way either. At a tight 3-4 hours, you can see and pick up everything. Over that time you’ll have played a tightly-honed game that uses gated progression to steer you around a reasonably linear path. This isn’t a bad thing either, it’s Metroid boiled and condensed down to its essence. It adds just enough of its own personality that you want to uncover the mysteries of the facility as they unfold throughout the game.

If you haven’t played Rayman Legends at all, or even a Rayman game at all, this is a fantastic jumping on point. It’s gorgeous, the gameplay is fluid, and the progression is so satisfying. This is definitely the best way to play the game, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Aegis Defenders has a lot going for it. If you’re looking for a platformer that has heaps of old-school elements to it, that feel is captured well here. GUTS has managed to combine two different styles of gameplay well to make a fun game, helped along by interesting characters you’ll get to know along the way. Whether you play this in single player or with a friend there’s plenty to enjoy. Aegis Defenders is worth checking out.

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.

Pac-Man Museum + has plenty for Pac-fans wanting a more varied collection of the pellet-munching mascot. It's not unexpected that Ms Pac-Man is omitted. It's a shame that the Championship Edition is included without the DX upgrade. The majority of the games in the museum are enjoyable enough to return to.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a fitting follow up and upgrade on the previous 3DS game. It’s easy to grow fond of your island of Mii’s and their Hot Dog obsessed ways, helping to guide them through the ups and downs of a digital life. There is something for players who want to cover the world with their art and creations, or for players who just want to see what goofy things the Mii residents will get up to next. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is much more joyful than the potentially sarcastic saying it is titled after.

It's easy to have a love/hate relationship with Dragon Quest Builders. Mechanically, it's a brilliant experience, with some of the best gameplay and aesthetics of any game in the genre. But the decision to break the game up into four separate parts with no sense of progression between them is jarring at its best, and downright frustrating at its worst. It could have been so much more, but what's here is worth celebrating too. It might not be perfect, but it's fun, there's a tonne of content, and most importantly, the monsters are cute as heck.

Like Toy-Con Garage, Game Builder feels like it was made to be used by schools IT departments to help younger audiences learn how to program in a way which is easy to understand. It's encouraging to see Nintendo is sticking with finding ways to make programming accessible, hopefully even inspiring future game makers. Game Builder Garage makes programming more understandable as well as enjoyable. It can still be overwhelming, but they put the tools in your hands to try it out. I'll still miss Labo and its creative builds, but Game Builder Garage is an excellent follow-up.

Card Shark might not always play a winning hand, but it is an enjoyable game of cards. A story that pulls you in, an art style that is a delight, all the whilst making card games fun. You don’t even have to be into card games to get the most out of it, I’m definitely no wiser about playing poker. Card Shark is worth placing a bet on.

Death Squared is another game on the Switch that's not easy to play, but it is fun. Like other puzzlers on the console, it's not dependent on playing with other people but you'll get the most out of it if you do. Anyone can pick up and play this game, but they're going to swear and complain when they do, both at the game and the people they're playing it with.

Cook Serve Delicious 2 is the kind of food management the Switch could do with more of. It’s also a game perfectly suited for the Switch’s portability over the other versions. While there are other popular cooking games like Overcooked it is very different from CSD. CSD2 is the raging fire, containing a heap of dishes including previous free DLC updates that increased the size of the menu even more.

WarioWare: Get It Together! is another thoroughly entertaining entry into this wacky series. The introduction of multiple different playable characters has its pros and cons, but once over the initial adjustment period, their addition makes for plenty of replayability, refreshing challenges and the special blend of multiplayer chaos only Wario can provide. It’s not the strongest WarioWare game overall, but it’s another quality party option for your Switch collection.

Garden Story is a cute little adventure. When you get over the initial hurdle of the first boss, it becomes a more enjoyable time. Saving the world doesn't always have to be super over the top action. Garden Story shows you can do it by helping people and helping to rebuild a community in a more relaxed setting. While there are a few frustrations, if they're ones you can overlook, there is a charming game waiting for you.

You will die a lot in GoNNER. It’s part of the process, and the game doesn’t punish you for trying out new things, as a death usually just means you get to try again with new experience to take with you. I recommend GoNNER for anyone who appreciates a fun challenge, where the sense of progression is your own knowledge of the game.

My Brother Rabbit successfully tells a story about a loved one suffering from a potentially deadly illness. Its subject matter is inherently emotional, and manages to do so without being overly heavy handed. Hidden object and puzzle players will find something familiar with the gameplay. My Brother Rabbit’s story is interesting enough that you should give this a try regardless.

The Assassin’s Creed Rebel Collection more than makes up for the iffy start Assassins' Creed 3 on the Switch suffered from. While favourite Assassin's Creed games are a more personal preference, Black Flag is still one of the best games in the series and helped give the franchise a breath of fresh air after the lagging Desmond saga. Rogue may not be as big as Black Flag, but still has plenty to offer as well as a different take on your usual Assassin’s Creed game. If you’re looking for a game that will last you a while with a nice big open world within a decently priced package, then the Rebel Collection is worth plundering. (Buying, not actually stealing)

It’s always going to be a tough ask going up against the near-perfect Mario Kart 8, but Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is an excellent kart racing alternative for those looking for something different. It looks great, packs plenty of great content and offers and quality kart racing experience. There’s certainly a learning curve, and some cheap AI and painful loading times can be frustrating, but there’s a lot of fun to be had here regardless of whether you have nostalgic memories for the 90s original or not.

Ultimately, despite its flaws as a remaster, Ace Attorney Trilogy is still the same set of phenomenal games it has ever been. Even after all this time, it’s easy to see how these games have influenced so many people so deeply. Newcomers will definitely feel frustration at some of the ways these titles have aged, but will surely exit with just as much of a full and rich experience as those who played them over a decade ago.

While Mario + Rabbids plays a lot like X-Com, it's not that game at all, aside from the turn based strategy part. The game is a surprising and charming tale with a ton of humour and cheerful soundtrack inspired by the 90s. You'll not only find yourself liking a Rabbids game, but probably loving it. Up there with the best on Switch.

While there were some very tense moments, and a few too many Try Again screens with too much swearing from myself, Mechstermination Force is fun. Boss battle games like this aren’t usually my kind of game, but with the Contra style run and gun style gameplay and inventive battles I was won over. If you like a challenge there’s plenty here to knock you around as you learn more each time. There’s easily a few hours in saving the world and for a good price too. It’s not without its flaws, but it doesn’t matter so much when it’s as fun as it is along the way.

With the Switch release, the game has improved somewhat with its performance, however it still has long loads, just not as frequently. If you don’t mind stepping back in time, with regards to the gameplay, compared to the recent Lego titles, you will find enough humour and variety here to entertain you or your little ones.

Mario Party Superstars is the greatest hits reunion tour of some of the best parts of Mario Party history, and it does a fantastic job of bringing the magic and wonder of classic boards and minigames into your living room. Still, it's hard to shake the feeling that Superstars could have been — and could still be — something more. It's right on the verge of becoming the definitive Mario Party experience, and everything it does, it does right. If you're content with the content on offer already, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better party game than this, either on the Switch or on any other platform.

All up, Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure is a fun game to play with a group of people in the quick match modes and not s’bad with 2-player co-op in story mode, but playing by yourself just doesn't have the same level as fun about it, not being able to trash talk and laugh with your cohorts. It’s not terrible but just not the same.

New Pokémon Snap manages to defy the odds and live up to the original game, despite being released so much later. It's not just for those with nostalgia for the originals either; this is a way better game than the original and should get newcomers excited too. The only thing that gets in the way is the game's progression system, which is at odds with the mood of the rest of the game. It was worth waiting 22 years for this; The best Pokémon spinoff game in a very long time.

So the question remains: does Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance justify its existence? I’d argue it doesn’t. I mean it’s a good game, SMT 5 always was, and it’s better than the original version of the game. I can’t fault it for what it is, but I can fault it for what it isn’t. It isn’t a DLC, and it isn’t a big enough change to justify charging $20 more than the last game, and both of those things are frustrating. If you’ve played it before, you can probably skip it, otherwise, enjoy playing the best version of an already good game.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe, as a port, is excellent. It’s refined, adjusted, and perfected to the best degree it could be. As a game, Pikmin 3 leaves a little more to be desired; its combat could use a lot of work, and its puzzling elements (while good) could be improved somewhat too. But where it lacks in decisive game design, it makes up for in spades and spades of unbridled charm. It’s a strong base for what could be a wonderful Pikmin 4… maybe some day.

Overcooked: All You Can Eat is an easy sell to co-op players who revel in chaos. If you’ve already forked out for the two games and their DLC, this is likely salt on the wound. It’s hard to recommend getting this game if you’re going to go it alone. It’s doable, but this is a game that really excels with others to join. It’s been out for a while now, but with the birthday update it’s the icing on the cake.

Boyfriend Dungeon is not only an enjoyable and inclusive dating sim dungeon crawler, but it’s also a thoughtful game on relationships. I had a nice time getting to know the variety of bladed partners, and I’m sure dating sim fans will enjoy it too. The Dunj delving might lack variety, but getting to know the characters is worth the effort. Whether you’re new to dating sims or a regular romancer, you’ll have a fun time in the dunj with your new fling.