As far as retro compilations go, Legacy Collection is a fine addition to Capcom’s robust Mega Man offerings. With ten games to play through, all available additional content unlocked for them, and extras like online play available, there’s enough here to keep players busy for many, many hours. While it has been a while since the Battle Network series was wrapped up, these games remain fresh and innovative all these years later thanks to the unique battle system at its core. We strongly recommend Legacy Collection and hope that you’ll add it to your collection on Switch.

While I might have gone into Deluxe a virtual blank slate, it left me shocked at what a fun game it is. The stages feature clever (albeit relatively easy) challenges and set pieces that make each one a delight to explore. With the ability to pop in and out friends at will, it’s also simplicity itself to turn Deluxe into a proper multiplayer romp. If minigames are more your style, Merry Magoland takes the already solid selection from Return to Dream Land and spruces it up with new additions and a cohesive party experience. Rounded out with Magalor’s Epilogue and a bunch of other post-game unlockables, Deluxe lives up to its name and then some. This is a must for Kirby diehards and platformer fans in general.

It’s hard to imagine, but twice now Metroid Prime has proven itself to be a timeless work of art. First in 2009 when updated for Wii, and now in 2023 with Remastered on Switch. The storytelling, design work, and tight gameplay are as good as anything else produced in the last five years. This reworking is a glorious love letter to the original and the perfect way for contemporary and returning players to enjoy Metroid Prime. Now it’s just a question of whether or not Metroid Prime 4 can live up to this gem, and if we’ll eventually get Metroid Prime 2 and 3 Remastered. Go download this. Treat yourself. It is Valentine’s Day, after all. This is a game that’s easy to love.

I played CDA so you didn’t have to. Well, actually, I played CDA because I thought it would be great but it turned out to be one of the most disappointing things I’ve ever played. I have no interest in booting up a second and third playthrough to trudge through the mire of the other storylines and don’t recommend you trudge through even one of them. Play something else.

Sonic Frontiers deserves credit for being a true departure from previous series installments. The open-zone structure is a great concept that frees the developers up to experiment with Sonic’s speed and abilities in new ways. Where the game comes up short is in its stale rehashing of classic stages, a control setup that could stand to be simplified, and performance woes that suck players out of the gameplay experience. With plenty of DLC and patches on the way, hopefully Frontiers can become a better version of what came out at launch. In the interim, it’s a buggy affair that entertains and frustrates in equal measures.

As a whole, Gunvolt 3 is a solid entry in the series. The gameplay is challenging but supported by precise controls that, when mastered, will see players flying across the screen clearing out whole waves of enemies. Striving to get top Kudos rankings in each stage can quickly become addicting. Although the bloated storyline can become tedious at times, and the lack of a properly playable Gunvolt at all times are disappointing, this is still a game that Gunvolt and action game fans won’t want to miss out on.

Fans new to the series will get the most from Sonic Origins, but even diehards will find plenty to love if they can get past the shortcomings. Here’s hoping SEGA eventually returns to Sonic Origins and makes it the proper celebration of the Blue Blur that it should have been.

Shredder’s Revenge is a triumphant return for the Ninja Turtles. For all the reinventions and expansions of this classic property, there’s nothing quite like the original. Seeing the spirit of both the cartoon and Konami’s classic games so faithfully reproduced here was wondrous to behold. At the same time, Tribute Games has also managed to one up the games that came before it with a sharper combat system that allows for all sorts of creative ways to take down foes. Boss fights lack some of the nuance to defeat that rank and file grunts provide, but the spectacle of these battles makes up for that. Shredder’s Revenge is available via the eShop, but there are a number of ways to get hold of the game physically, as well. No matter how you play it, the heroes in a half shell are worthy of your time.

So far, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the best thing I’ve played this year and quite possibly might wind up being my game of the year. It’s a really fun, gorgeous, and creative game that was a delight to play, and I’d love to see HAL develop a sequel (or just another entry in the series) in the same style. Do yourself a favor and add this game to your Switch library.

Despite there being room for improvement graphically and in some gameplay elements like the Pokédex entries, gameplay is really solid overall. But it wouldn’t be worth playing if the story was a bore, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the themes.

Kingdom Two Crowns is easily one of my favorite games and keeps me coming back again and again even without updates. It’s a game where starting fresh can feel great, but progress and advancement is rewarding. It took an already engaging and memorable game, Kingdom New Lands, and developed it into a well balanced multiplayer experience. It’s three versions in one are a stellar deal and the Norse Lands DLC is so much more than a cherry on top. For fantasy, strategy, and indie fans, Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands is a must.

Overall, I am very pleased to see the Pikmin series getting more attention and finding a larger audience. The slow and steady, steps-focused progression makes the game the app a great motivator for easy exercise. But Pikmin Bloom is best described as an app that gets you walking more, rather than a hit new game. It has plenty of thoughtful features that will likely have you checking in on it daily, but its various minor flaws leave me a little disappointed that the precious little Pikmin didn’t quite get the app that I think they deserve.

Animation is the art of movement and Omno is clearly a work of art, but isn’t the masterpiece I was hoping it to be. Despite that, it is still an impressive feat. It is no surprise that the game reached three times its funding goal on Kickstarter. The game is beautiful and enjoyable. It brings new elements to the growing genre of peaceful games. I especially loved the long list of new creatures to interact with. However, minor details left me not quite falling head over heels.

It’s not often that a classic like Windjammers is able to make a comeback such as this. Obscure software has a tendency to fade into the abyss over time, but Windjammers 2 has taken the fine work Dotemu did with the original game and expanded upon it both intelligently and exponentially. Windjammers 2 has bold, exceptional visuals and an expanded suite of moves and abilities that turn each match into legitimate thrill rides. Solo players won’t get quite as much from the gameplay here, but when played with others Windjammers 2 truly shines. This is the rare sequel that tops what came before it—definitely consider it the next time you head to the eShop.

Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise takes all that was innovative, fun, and satisfying from the original Happy Home Designer, fixes what made the game complete, and expands on the original game altogether creating a DLC expansion that, despite a few set backs, is well worth it for any owner of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Tetris Effect: Connected came out as an eShop exclusive. I downloaded it at midnight the night it launched and played until about six in the morning. It was so mesmerizing and fun that I couldn’t stop playing it until I’d seen and heard every stage it had to offer. That might make it sound like the game is on the short side, but assuming most players take their time with the campaign, I can see it stretching out to six or seven hours to complete. Throw in the various modes and multiplayer, and Tetris Effect: Connected will keep players coming back to it for a very long time. I can’t recommend it enough—it’s a must-have for Switch owners.

Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition is a perfect combination of adventure, management, and cuteness that is addicting in the way all the best management sims are, but still brings a lot of originality to the genre. It’s relaxing and a must-play on Switch for any wholesome gamers.

Although we have yet to even see Prime 4, I have no trepidations saying that if the series sticks to 2D in the future, this is the mold—the perfect mix of classic and modern mechanics and pacing. You owe yourself the opportunity to play this game. Dread is a powerful reminder of the importance and quality of one of Nintendo’s greatest franchises.

If you’re like me and playing Diablo II: Resurrected with fresh eyes and no pretext to speak of, I give it a strong recommendation. I expect that fans who fell in love with Diablo II the first time around are also going to get quite the thrill out of this enhanced version of a genuine classic.

Curved Space is a fun modern take on the twin stick shooter genre but doesn’t offer many new advances that players might expect in this day and age of video games.

Although not a perfect remaster, seeing Sonic Colors get ported to contemporary hardware was a welcome surprise. The Sonic series continues to struggle with finding a way to incorporate gameplay hooks that don’t amount to shallow, pointless gimmicks, but in Colors SEGA discovered the perfect mix. With Ultimate, that balance has been restored for a new generation of players to experience. Hopefully, SEGA takes cues from Ultimate as it works on that mysterious upcoming 3D Sonic sequel. For those who played the original Colors, there’s plenty of reason for a double-dip with Ultimate, and for those who have yet to give it a try, this is the best 3D Sonic game there is. Give it a play.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles isn’t just a reminder of why the series as a whole is beloved, but also a reaffirmation that video games can be capable of so much more as an entertainment medium. Straddling the line somewhere between book and interactive movie, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles takes players through case after case packed with wonderful characters, stories, and clever brain teasers. Although adventure games/visual novels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, if you’ve been looking to try one for the first time or give them another shot, this is the game. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a blast.

In terms of performance, Master Collection is at its best docked, but Nintendo’s version of the compilation has unmistakably had the most sacrifices made to get it running. That said, Master Collection plays fine despite the hardware shortcomings, running far more smoothly after a couple of updates post-launch. If you’ve never experienced these games, or if it’s been a while since you’ve played them, definitely consider giving Master Collection a download.

For those like me whose teenage years were spent returning to Tony Hawk 1 and 2 repeatedly, it was a genuine thrill to come back to both. Odd as it sounds, I found myself choked up hearing the familiar music and remembering skating on these stages in their original, far more pixelated forms. For new players, however, the experience will be equally as special, and in 20 years they’ll likely be just as enthralled to slip back onto a skateboard for another go as I was.

Skyward Sword HD is a brilliantly designed game, full of dungeons packed with clever puzzles, numerous plot elements that serve to enrich the franchise’s lore, and a control scheme that is as refreshing now as it was in 2010. This is a must-have for Switch owners on a very long list of must-have games—don’t let that stop you from rushing out to try Skyward Sword HD today.

Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 2 provides a great way to hunt alongside favorite monsters from the franchise in a charming world with an interesting story to discover.

This is a quality effort by Nintendo and Camelot. The series’ whimsy is here in spades and whether played solo or with friends, Super Rush offers hours of fun. Plus, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the killer golf uniforms that much (although sadly not all) of the cast is sporting. (Jakks Pacific should keep these new looks in mind for future toys.) There is something lacking when looking at the game as a whole, however, with the blame spread evenly across the small roster, limited course options, and underwhelming absence of online rankings and tourneys. Super Rush is no hole-in-one, but it hits for par at the very least and will only keep getting better as it’s expanded upon with DLC in the coming months.

Unto the End does a great job at capturing the struggle of survival and returning home, but is the struggle worth it? There isn’t a huge epic within Unto the End. There is no dialogue and the story is simple. The actual game in length is fairly short, but the repeated deaths due to brutal combat significantly lengthens the experience, if you even finish it. The story’s depth comes from the player’s emotions as they struggle to master the gameplay mirroring the hero’s struggle to make it home. But not everyone plays a video game to feel that kind of frustration. I sure don’t and though there were aspects to like about Unto the End, the combat was overall what ruined the experience for me.