Metroid Prime 4: Beyond delivers three-quarters of a great Metroid Prime game. It captures so much of what makes the series so fondly remembered by fans. I would hate for people to miss the opportunity to experience it, but it's a shame that some parts don't feel like they respect the player's time. For all my grumblings, I was still on board for most of this intergalactic adventure, though some late-game obstacles bring you to the finish line with a little less of a smile. Beyond gives the world more Metroid Prime, for better and for worse, but there is still plenty here that makes the journey worthwhile.

There is a lot of love in this collection. It is great to see almost everything from the first twenty years of the franchise on display, from all the great stuff to all the really rubbish stuff. However, it still feels a bit like a work in progress. I have had this game for a few weeks, and the Switch versions only just got patched to match the other versions, and there are still things to tidy up. This is a fun collection, and the jank is part of the charm. It always has been with Mortal Kombat, but there shouldn't be new jank added to it, it's got enough.

Kirby Air Riders is a fascinating game that walks the line between being a chaotic, unfocused mess and one of the most enjoyable party games and single-player campaigns on the Switch 2. For better and for worse, it’s a true successor to the GameCube’s Air Ride, taking everything people loved – and hated – about that game and ramping it all up to 11.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment builds upon what made its predecessors so appealing. Koei Tecmo have clearly worked very closely with the mainline Zelda team to create an authentic, canonically significant adventure that ties in perfectly with Tears of the Kingdom. Despite some repetition around side-quests and minor grind, Age of Imprisonment explodes onto the Musou scene and sets a new standard for the hack ‘n slash genre. Zelda fans and Musou fans alike will find a lot to love in Age of Imprisonment.

It's a hard sell at the price of $30 AUD. With little to do on DK Island but to appreciate the nods to the past, Emerald Rush needs to add enough to give players something to do, which it does, depending on how much you enjoy time-based smashing challenges through layers you’ve seen before. Hopefully, there will be a sale on the DLC at some point; otherwise, I could only really recommend it for those who love Donkey Kong Country or roguelite side modes.

For what it’s worth, Once Upon a Katamari feels most similar in tone to Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari. It doesn’t try to reinvent the formula, but it never needed to. The unadulterated joy of rolling a ball and collecting random stuff in a level never gets old. Being able to play it in both TV and handheld modes is a bonus, and the soundtrack slaps. Once Upon a Katamari is a perfect blend of humour, whimsy, silliness, and most importantly, fun.

Star Wars Outlaws is a wild space adventure. It feels like a part of the Star Wars universe as opposed to just trying to shoehorn Star Wars into a mismatching game. If you get overloaded on big open-world games, that is still a risk here, although finishing the game isn’t dependent on getting too bogged down either. Star Wars Outlaws is another great game to show off what the Switch 2 can do when devs get the opportunity to make it work for the hardware.

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.

I had my doubts about the whole museum thing, but the never-ending charm of the Two Point world carries you through it all. There are so many things to unlock, systems to manage, and options to tinker with — perfect for anyone thinking about getting into the genre. There are no mouse controls, which is a bummer because the UI can be a little clunky, but you’ll get used to it over the many hours you’ll spend with this game. It could even be 1 a.m., like it was for me.

Persona 3 Reload is a visually impressive remake that honours the original in many ways and enhances it in presentation. The graphics and animation are among the best the series has delivered so far, giving new life to a classic. However, if you’re someone who values brisk pacing, rapid story progression, or immediate action, you may find yourself frustrated with how slowly things progress early on. The payoff was worth it for me as an enjoyer of the series and the genre, and I had a great time playing Persona 3 for the first time. I definitely recommend it to fans of Persona 5 who may not have played earlier entries in the series.

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.

Two games in, it’s clear now that the Legends subtitle is for experimental ideas and gameplay concepts. Pokémon Legends: Z-A experiments a lot, taking big swings with its action combat system and smaller, more focused world, but it’s a very successful experiment and hopefully a sign of great things to come for the Pokémon franchise. Minor quibbles aside, Legends: Z-A very quickly became my favourite Pokémon game in the modern era, and probably the best Pokémon game in years.

The original Yooka-Laylee brought us a 90s platformer in a modern skin, but it also carried over a lot of the bad habits of the era. Instead of trying to be its own game, it tried too hard to be a Banjo-Kazooie. Yooka-Replaylee now knows more clearly what it wants to be: a modern platformer that evokes the past rather than being dictated by it. Everything here has been improved: the controls, the game world, the graphics, and the camera. I forced myself through the original release, and when I reached the end of this one, I was like, “Oh, it’s over.” Playtonic listened to feedback, reflected on their work, and have made something really great here.

Little Nightmares III continues to deliver on gross, slimy and twisted horrors. This creepy adventure manages to keep the scenery fresh enough the third time around, while still feeling familiar in good ways. If you liked the previous games, then you’re likely to enjoy diving in, even if this title is a little more of a slow burn than its predecessor. If this is your first nightmare, it’s a good jumping in point too.

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 are tremendous games and remain among the best Mario experiences. The packaging here on Switch between the two games is a little mixed, with controls never quite matching the originals and odd graphical quirks that ideally should be fixed. However, the games themselves do all the talking, and playing them again is an experience you simply need to have.

Overall I loved Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian. As a first time player I was so impressed and enjoyed my time with Risa, Slade, and all the friends they made along the way. Whether you enjoy combat, crafting, exploration or story-focused games, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian has something for you. You’ll be intrigued by the mystery of the town's destruction and all those who come together to save it, repair it, or destroy it, while an incredible soundtrack and beautiful visuals help immerse you in the rich world The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian has to offer.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom didn’t sell as well as Breath of the Wild, and if you have to pick only one, you’ll probably go with the latter. But if you haven’t played it at all, now’s the perfect time to check it out at its silky smooth best on the Nintendo Switch 2. Hyrule in Tears is a world worth exploring again.

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.

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.

It really can’t be overstated how significant it is that we have a working, portable, fully-fledged edition of Madden on the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s incredible that the game works as well as it does. There are trade-offs such as lower resolution and lower frames than other consoles, but those don’t allow you to play the game portably this well. The on-field action is smooth, and every mode allows for significant investment. I highly recommend picking this up, especially to see EA continuing to support the Switch 2 with its sport games.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World takes the best Kirby game ever made and builds on it, cementing the game’s place as the turning point for the series towards loftier goals. Improved graphics and a bump in frame rate make the game’s already excellent art style look and feel even better, and the new stages, while more of the same, are even more fun than the base game. It’s a brilliant game made better in just about every way, and well worth the upgrade.

I have been playing farming games for quite a while now, going back to the original Harvest Moon on the Super Nintendo. I can honestly say that Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar likely will rank in my top five games in the genre. There is plenty to do in the game, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, and most importantly of all, it is not a chore to play. I never played the DS original of this; however, I am confident when I say that this is a definitive version of the game and well worth checking out.

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 nothing inherently wrong with Drag X Drive — the control scheme is engaging and fun — but there’s no getting past the fact that, aside from those controls, this is just a very bare-bones and drab-looking basketball wheelchair game. If the controls aren’t enough to keep you hooked, there’s really nothing else here to hold your attention. The game feels like it was split off from a bigger concept or a package of games, and while Nintendo has expressed a desire to make cheaper, smaller titles, could they at least make them less empty in both atmosphere and features than this one?

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S does add to the original PPT2 in a few small ways to squeeze out a little extra life out of this five-year-old game. However, it’s not enough to justify forcing fans to fork out again, not when you can just purchase the original Switch version. Not offering an upgrade path to the Switch 2 version feels like a needless shakedown of Puyo Puyo fans, especially when there’s no real benefit to online players. If you don’t own this game already, then I would still recommend Puyo Puyo Tetris 2’s Switch 1 version. It is a real shame that Sega has made a great game hard to recommend.

I hope Nintendo handles future Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + New Content releases in a more organised and organic way. It’s overly complicated to play through the different modes, with caveats everywhere, which means some modes don’t get the proper Switch 2 Edition treatment. Mario Party superfans will enjoy the new modes for the main board games, but the Jamboree TV additions—aside from the mouse games—are a bit average. Jamboree was a solid and complete package, and this just splits it all up and breaks the flow.

Patapon 1 + 2 is a great overall collection. Bringing back a couple of unique titles from the PlayStation Portable provides a rhythm experience that is difficult to find anywhere else. There are some significant improvements to the visuals, however as a remastered collection, it lacks much else beyond that. The games are demanding, and there will be a lot of repetition and planning that may not be for everyone. However, there is not anything quite like the feel of successfully finishing a level and keeping the little Patapons happy.

Given the current climate in the video game industry, it’s hard to know if we’ll ever see another Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater collection. THPS 3+4 was a miracle to get made at all. This reimagining of the classic Tony Hawk games is still a joy to play, even if there have been some compromises. Now, it’s time to live in (potentially foolish) hope for a remake or remaster of Tony Hawk’s Underground!