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.

Almost There is perhaps the most aptly-named game in recent memory. I love platformers more than most other genres, and have spent my whole gaming life jumping across 2D plains. But this game just doesn’t meet the expectations set by others, nor does it have enough depth (in content or control) to give it any legs. Instead it leaps toward a completely different direction, but doesn’t stick the landing.

If you want something short with a little kick of humour, then Cinders is probably right up your alley. It’s nice, but not much more than that.

While Torna’s story unfortunately turned out to be a huge let down, the gameplay does more than enough to pick up the pieces. Ultimately, exploring the world of Alrest is still a delight, and any excuse to re-enter this gorgeous universe is one worth taking.

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.

Tetris 99 is pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get, and I think that’s what makes it work so well. There’s no need for complex battle systems or extra modes; no one asked for this game, but here it is at no extra cost, so it manages expectations well by giving just one, solid game mode. You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by getting into Tetris 99.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a great point and click adventure game. Over the course of the game you’ll be pulled out of the moment as they reintroduce characters with little context, or mention moments you never saw if you missed the original game. Despite this and some frustrating controls and movement, the game is worth checking out if you don’t already have it on another platform. Genuinely humorous and fun adventure games are far and few between, so if you’re willing to overlook some manageable issues it’s definitely worth a look.

If you have the patience and desire to fail often and learn from your mistakes, Downwell is well worth falling into.

Pikuniku is a strange little game. It’s unique, hilarious, and extremely fun, but it shines most when it’s played with a friend. It’s a little on the short side, and some of the campaign’s level design is basic at best, but there’s no shortage of charm on display, and it’s hard not to walk away with a smile on your face.

Wargroove has given us the closest thing we’re going to get to a new Advance Wars. Nintendo could’ve brought the developer onboard and branded this as an Advance Wars spin-off and made long-suffering fans very happy. I am very happy what we got with Wargroove, if anything I want more of the characters and that gameplay. Who knows, maybe through the campaign creator there’ll be even more stories shared through the community that do the proper story justice.

Bowser’s Inside Story is a colourful, innovative and witty RPG adventure with a thoroughly engaging combat system; one of the best Nintendo DS games is now one of the best Nintendo 3DS games. Bowser Jr.’s Journey is a welcome - if light - addition to the package. However, most importantly, the main game remains the ultimate Mario & Luigi experience for many more reasons than introducing us to Bowser’s love of fried chicken and cheese.

Like Valiant Hearts, this game is tough to put a score to. Games like this tell important stories and attempt to use video games as a medium to help educate as well as share experiences from devastating wars. My Memory of Us does a good job of retelling and reimagining the Nazi occupation of Poland. It falters at points, especially the moments when the game around the story is frustrating. Yet it’s hard to ignore the visual style they’ve chosen, coupled with an affecting soundtrack.

Fitness Boxing has an admirable goal like Wii Fit before it; to help you get fit. While it isn’t a replacement for full exercising or getting down to the gym, Fitness Boxing will make you sweat to reach your daily goals, and the motion controls demand you make an effort to punch your calories away. The amount of content available is limited, and the amount of songs on offer to box to is a letdown. If you’re looking for a 20-60 minute game workout you can do at home then Fitness Boxing is more than capable, it’s just a shame it’s not more appropriately priced.

If you have a love for punishing old school platformers that provide no handholding and really test your endurance, there may be something here. For those of us who aren’t gluttons for punishment though, you’ll likely find this adventure too archaic for its own good. There’s no shortage of excellent side-scrolling adventures on the Switch that pay homage to the great games of old whilst providing a modern twist, but unfortunately, Battle Princess Madelyn leans too hard on design choices that were perhaps best left in the past.

At the end of the day, traditional JRPG fans will get a kick out of this quirky mobile adventure, especially if you’ve been itching for something since Xenoblade 2. Similarly if you are a Tales fanatic, all of the DLC bits and bobs are included in the package. But if you are expecting something out of the norm, this probably isn’t the game for you.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is certainly an oddball that I enjoyed. Suda51’s penchant for Western culture, mixed in with toilet humour and one-liners, makes for an enjoyable time. The game itself is very “samey” throughout the whole adventure, but looking past that and discovering a game that is very well-written, self-aware and funny makes it just beyond the cusp of recommendation.

Horizon Chase Turbo’s modern take on the arcade Outrun racer is a fast and fun colour-drenched experience barely diminished by a few crashes along the way.

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.

Despite a cool concept on paper, Double Cross spreads itself too thin trying in vain to emulate the platforming action of Mega Man and the investigative intrigue of Phoenix Wright to do anything original. Instead, Double Cross is a derivative, flat game with tepid combat and very little actual investigating to do.

If you’ve played New Super Mario Bros U at all before, there’s not a whole lot of reasons to go back. It’s still terrific 2D Mario title, and it’s aged gracefully, with only the slightest of nips and tucks along the way. Just don’t go in expecting anything more than what you got in 2012. On the other side of the coin, if you’ve never played it before - you’re in for a treat. It’s a more accessible Mario if you need it to be, and if not, the difficulty is still there if you’re a longtime fan. Still, a new, New Super Mario Bros. after all this time would have been nicer.

Everspace: Stellar Edition works as a fun space combat game and as a run-based rogue-lite, it even comes with DLC not available with the original game so there are lots to do as you make your way across the universe. Getting into dogfights (the space fighter kind, not the horrible kind) and flying through large shipwrecks scratches an itch that the Switch has left itching for too long, and fortunately, there’s plenty of hours you can sink into it (that said I would also love the Rebel Galaxy follow up!). While it doesn’t run and look as great as other versions, it still runs pretty well and besides some minor hard to see visuals, it’s great for handheld too. If Starlink wasn’t enough space fighting, definitely check out Everspace.

The options for the games, whilst interesting, are not where they should be, especially given some of the more recent classic collections. And finally, there are the games. 150 games listed is technically accurate, but still factually wrong; whilst a lot of the games included are fun to play with still, there are a lot, mostly the sports games, that are not, so the overall collection just feels less. Fans of Atari, or anyone who grew up with those games, will find a lot of enjoyment in the collection though, so it is not all bad.

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.

My Hero One’s Justice is far from a bad game, but it’s also not an amazing game. There’s not a lot here that blows me away, or makes me want to play for hours and hours. A lot of the draw for me is the story mode, and mission mode, but once those are finished… I’d probably forget about the game. I’m really hoping to see the next game expand on what’s here, for what is a really interesting world and concept where the game ironically does it no justice.

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.

Yo-kai Watch Blasters was very disappointing for me as a Yo-kai Watch fan because it just doesn’t carry the charm of the mainline games. It’s dull to play and that signature wit and wholesomeness was missing from the writing. While there’s plenty to do in the game, even after you’ve completed the story, it didn’t keep my attention long enough to see it all through. It might be worth checking out if you’re desperate to play something with friends, but otherwise you can treat this one like the yo-kai Dimmy and ignore it completely.

Yo-kai Watch Blasters was very disappointing for me as a Yo-kai Watch fan because it just doesn’t carry the charm of the mainline games. It’s dull to play and that signature wit and wholesomeness was missing from the writing. While there’s plenty to do in the game, even after you’ve completed the story, it didn’t keep my attention long enough to see it all through. It might be worth checking out if you’re desperate to play something with friends, but otherwise you can treat this one like the yo-kai Dimmy and ignore it completely.

If you’re looking for a new type of mayhem to unleash on your unsuspecting friends, Conduct Together is definitely for you. You could say I’m… all aboard.