The Great Ace Attorney feels like a passion project where Shu Takumi gets to explore his interests in Japanese history and classic literature, while developing a new cast with no baggage. His team also gets to flex their muscles with improved technology and a bigger budget, providing a keen sense of style that’s unlike anything else in the series. It shakes up the foundation of the Ace Attorney formula with a gripping story bolstered by interesting mechanical improvements. While Ryunosuke and Susato have a clear, contained story across the two games I would love to see more of their adventures in the future.

While there are a thousand or so indie games on the Switch already. It’s hard to look past The Messenger as a game that should be in everyone’s home menu. The gameplay is very responsive, and the game is a lot of fun as well. However, the lack of a challenge may be something that would turn platforming fans away from the game. Then, on the other hand, the dialogue is very witty, and it is worth reading every text box that pops up. There is definite room for improvement for a possible sequel, but The Messenger is definitely worth checking out.

Disco Elysium is strange, ground-breaking, and incredibly funny. No combat, not really an RPG, but something boldly new. A cacophony of internal personalities resting on the membrane of consciousness.

If this review has sounded a little contemplative, it’s a testament to some clever design that invites you into that headspace. Arranging the protagonist’s collection of belongings is a subtle but thoughtful way of telling a person’s life story without saying a word, and the act of doing so, as well as how you choose to do it, might just end up saying a bit about yourself. Unpacking is a calming, enjoyable journey through time that is as satisfying as it is self-reflective. Much like every object you unpack, this game itself is simple and unassuming at face value. The sentimentality you choose to attach to it, however, is up to you.

On a console seemingly packed with intense, time-consuming games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Shovel Knight, Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition feels like a breath of fresh air. With its endless possibilities and freeform gameplay structure, it can be as casual or intense as you want it to be. Coupled with the ability to undock and take it on the go without having to submit to finicky touch-screen controls, this might just be the best version of Minecraft on the market, and it is undoubtedly one of the best games currently available on the Switch.

Tropical Freeze is a pinnacle of modern 2D platform games, offering an immense challenge while improving on the original, much revered original trilogy. Funky Kong’s inclusion is clearly well-intentioned. If you know you’ll need it, Funky is a fantastic way to open the game to new audiences who might have bounced off the game’s difficulty.

There’s a reason Mario Kart sells as well as it does (just ignore that it’s bundled with the console this time). It’s truly a game anyone can enjoy, and with the addition of new Knockout Tour modes, integration with GameChat, and the free-roam map that fundamentally changes how Mario Kart works, there’s truly something for everyone here. We’ve never seen Mario Kart look, run, and sound this good. Mario Kart World is peak Mario Kart.

Bayonetta 3 brings plenty of the series charm and excitement back after all these years. It meanders a little more than the previous game but still keeps the pace with the wild bombastic (and silly) sequences to keep you on your toes. It may have been a long time between games, but there's enough to keep fans busy for some time.

Guacamelee is a tightly crafted, masterfully executed game that borrows and refines ideas from amongst the best in the industry that leaves you wanting more. Lucky for us, the sequel is just around the corner, and this is the perfect appetiser. If you haven’t played it before, don’t let this Switch port pass you by.

Nightdive knows what they’re doing with these releases, and it’s great to see Heretic and Hexen updated for a modern audience—whether that’s people discovering them for the first time, or people like me coming back after too many years. There are plenty of changes here for the better, though a few weird ones too, like some maps being different. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from having a great time if you’re a fan of the era.

There’s a lot of pinball games on the Switch eShop at the moment, and a lot of them aren’t great. Star Wars Pinball is not one of these games, it's yet again Zen Studios flexing its Pinball prowess and giving Star Wars fans an amazing array of tables to play, no matter what era of Star Wars you love. You could piece together all the Star Wars tables on other platforms, but then you’d be missing out the game's really fun career mode and Force Powers. The force is strong with this one.

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.

Capcom has lovingly crafted a collection of some of their best fighting game work. Everything runs as it should, and you can customise it to look how you want. It's adjustable for those who have been playing these games their entire lives, while still being welcoming to someone who just wants to see what all the fuss has been about.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the best in the series, gooey hands down. Its fully co-op compatible story mode constantly delights and innovates, taking full advantage of Luigi and Gooigi’s vacuuming antics, both old and new. Although the dedicated multiplayer modes ultimately aren’t going to sustain repeat visits, they are a sideshow to the story’s main haunt.

If someone told me that I would someday enjoy the frantic experiences of a twin-stick shooter, I’d have told them they were bonkers... yet here we are! It’s got well-designed characters with unique personalities and skill sets, as well as a tough yet fair difficulty curve. Being able to play with a single-stick is a fantastic edition for the Switch version, and while it’s a pain when big enemies are around, it really does work. If only the game came out a couple of months ago, I would have voted for it in our recent top 19 Switch games list.

Sonic Mania is the culmination of a huge amount of work, from people peerlessly passionate about Sonic’s 2D games. Sega took a risk allowing outsiders to take the reins of their defining characteristics and it’s resulted in the best Sonic game in decades. It’s not perfect – there are occasional glitches, some people might find the crushing deaths and general difficulty of later levels a little off-putting – but as after being disappointed with many of Sega’s past attempts at following up Sonic’s early success, Mania did what I had almost given up hope on being possible. Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games have proven they absolutely understand what made Sonic great in the Mega Drive days and have modernised this essence for a modern audience with a follow-up worthy of standing with the best in the series.

Nintendo’s bold gambit of trusting one of their most precious franchises with Brace Yourself Games has paid off in creating an essential Switch experience. Cadence of Hyrule is a wonderful musical adventure, giving The Legend of Zelda series a delightfully fresh perspective. Also, if you didn’t already know Danny Baranowsky, you do now. It’s a bloody good time to be a Zelda fan.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is Kingdom Battle but all grown up. The battle system has evolved to something more dynamic, and the game's overworld, characters, and presentation have been taken to the next level. You don't have to be a big strategy nerd to enjoy Sparks of Hope, as there are difficulty and accessibility options to let you enjoy just the funny story. Sparks of Hope has a lot of heart, is funny and fun to play, but that shouldn't be a surprise anymore.

With a heap of stages, designed to let you play a little or play a lot, a decent difficulty level and pretty visuals to match, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Some more variety in sight and sound wouldn't have been so bad, but the gameplay and continuous introduction of new gameplay elements forgive this.

The looming question over Samus Returns is whether it will join the ranks of esteemed titles such as the approachable Zero Mission, or the seemingly untouchable Super Metroid. I was in no rush to play it again after finishing it just once, but what MercurySteam have provided here is a solid game – one that easily surpasses the original it’s based on, yet still respects the vision of the creators who built it. It’s so exciting to say this, but Metroid is well and truly back and hopefully here to stay.

Occasionally, the gameplay changes up by throwing different mechanics every now and then, including one section where you assume control of a hamster to explore small nooks and crannies. However, these sections just feel tacked on and the hamster section felt fiddly and imprecise to control on the 3DS. These sections are irregular, allowing the focus to remain solely on the solid RPG mechanics.

Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park better than just more Super Mario Bros. Wonder with more stages and more Wonder effects? We’ll never know, but what is here is a fun package of minigames built into the Wonder mould, you’ll just need to navigate the slightly confusing way the modes are all laid out, but least you’ll have your friends with you to do so.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the Zelda game I’ve always wanted, putting Hyrule’s princess into the thick of it for the first time and coming up with incredible results. The gameplay loop is phenomenal, the story is lovely, and with any luck this will be the first of many adventures for the Zelda series’ leading lady.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed revisiting the origins of my favourite fighting boys in Yakuza 0: Directors cut. For longtime fans, this version offers the definitive way to revisit Yakuza 0, and for first timers, it's the perfect place to start.

Final Fantasy XII is a solid entry in the main series that has definitely been improved by updates made with the remaster. Elements of the game that were quite a shake-up at the time stand out much less given where the series has gone over the last decade. If you missed it the first time, this is the best version I could recommend thanks to the portability and all of the most up to date additions and improvements. More importantly, the game is fun. After countless hours of turn-based battles, it was a pleasant change. If you missed it the first time, it’s time to fix that mistake and grab Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.

Graphite Lab have crafted something really special on the foundation of a classic. A tight puzzle-platformer with an unique and expertly executed premise, qomp2 is a stroke of genius 50 years in the making.

The Binding of Isaac is a game where you’ll get out what you put in. There’s so much to uncover that fleshes out the simple mechanics into a deep and rich experience, but you have to work for it. If you’re someone who hates looking up wikis or guides to assist with playing games, then it’s definitely not for you. The portability of the Switch version makes it more enjoyable than those on other platforms, but the unfortunate Australian pricing of it complicates recommending it because it’s just too much.

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.