It’s pretty hard to mess up Puzzle Bobble, and thankfully that hasn’t happened here. It’s also rather difficult to add to it, however, and I think the fact that Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! has managed to do so fairly well is to its credit. For puzzle fans it’s an easy pick-up, built around a time-honored core concept and loaded with things to do. Those who like to play games with their family will also want to give this a look as it’s a surprisingly good party game, too.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story is a game I definitely recommend on another platform. In its current state, the performance is a bit too variable for my liking on Switch. If it sees more optimization through updates, I’ll feel differently. Right now, it is an excellent platformer with polished gameplay and level design, but one held back by technical issues on Switch. I hope this does get fixed because the genre perfectly suits Nintendo’s hybrid system. This is definitely one of Riot Forge’s best releases so far, which makes the Switch version all the more disappointing.

It’s top shelf. Handily among the very best of the generation, and a decent case could be made for putting it pretty high in the list of all-timers. Unless you really didn’t care for Breath of the Wild, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t buy this. It’s dozens of hours of high-quality entertainment for most, and hundreds of hours of fun for some. An outstanding toy. A fantastic piece of art. Great in all the ways the previous game was, but somehow pushes the boat out even further in immensely satisfying ways. A genuine must-have for Switch owners, and a great reason to pick up a Switch if you somehow haven’t already.

LEGO 2K Drive is an excellent blend of Forza Horizon, Sonic Racing, and LEGO, but one that unfortunately also has some of the bad aspects of free-to-play games included. Had LEGO 2K Drive been a free game, this wouldn’t be a problem, but it is a full-priced game with more expensive editions available. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves over time, but right now it is a very good game held back by its monetization.

Ratalaika did a fine enough job bringing Cyber Citizen Shockman to the Switch, and it’s neat to have it in English after all this time. If you’re already sold on the game itself, worry not – it has been done proper justice. I just personally don’t find the game to be all that enjoyable, even taking its age into account. I know it has its fans, but I’m not one of them. Still, if you want to dive into an era of gaming that doesn’t pop up all that often these days, this will certainly take you there.

It’s been great seeing so many new games that throw back to the classic arcade era and actually seem to get it. Murtop is another one. Its roots may be a little too obvious, and I continue to bemoan the lack of online leaderboards in games like this, but it has a great presentation, plays well, and has an enjoyable scoring system to learn and master. That’s pretty much what I’m looking for in a game like Murtop, and as a result I can heartily recommend it to fans of vintage arcade games.

I ended up enjoying Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo more than I expected. It is a more traditional otome game, but one that never overstayed its welcome. I remain impressed with how creative the developers and designers get with bringing aspects of the setting into the game’s interface as well. If you’ve been wanting more like Hakuoki on Switch, Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo is worth your time and money.

Strayed Lights has a lot going for it thanks to its exquisite presentation and inventive combat mechanics. Unfortunately, its ideas start to lose their shine well before you reach the end of this several-hour-long adventure. It’s still a fun, unique game, but I couldn’t help but feel it suffers somewhat from being all dressed up with no place to go. If you really like the look of it, feel free to give it a chance. There is certainly something to it. That “something" got a little too played out a little too quickly for my liking, however.

No experiment should end after a single trial. I’ll probably look into the next couple of releases from Kairosoft before wandering off again, but I can at least say with some confidence that Zoo Park Story hasn’t made me rethink why I stopped reviewing this publisher’s games. It’s okay. If it was your first Kairosoft game, you would probably have a blast. But I feel like this concept could have made for a far better game than what we got here.

Skinny & Franko: Fists of Violence is a competent beat-em-up with some design issues that keep it from being more than that. It’s brash and doesn’t really care who it offends, but is so odd about how it goes about those things that it almost comes off as nonsense in English. I can at least say that in terms of theme there is nothing else quite like it on the Switch. It’s not fit to even pick up Streets of Rage 4‘s dry cleaning, but those looking for a brawler with a quirky style and unusual setting might have a good enough time here.

Wild Dogs isn’t without its issues. The bosses drag on a bit too long thanks to their high HP, some of the gimmick sections aren’t terribly fun, and the game just can’t get out of the shadow of the game it’s paying homage to and lacks much identity of its own as a result. It’s also single-player only, which is unfortunate given how much of an appeal point that was for Konami’s shooter. But it gets enough of that Contra energy right that fans of the series will likely have a good time stomping through it, and maybe that’s enough.

If you don’t mind a slower-paced puzzler, Gematombe might be of interest to you. Its fundamental rules and gameplay mechanics work well, the art style is vibrant and appealing, and it offers a lot of ways to play. Those looking for a speedier affair might find this one a little plodding for their liking, and its lack of any sort of online multiplayer or leaderboards also hurts it a little. Not bad for a first attempt, but I could imagine a sequel that builds on things and really takes it to another level.

Whether you’re a hardened veteran of the shoot-em-up genre or a newcomer looking for a good entry point, Terra Flame is a solid choice. It looks and sounds great, the gameplay is nice and snappy, and the mechanics are interesting to play with. Just making your way through the eight-stage campaign is a pleasure, but with additional difficulty settings, thoughtful scoring mechanics, an intense Caravan mode, and online leaderboards, there’s plenty here to keep you coming back for more.

Provided you don’t mind the fact that Nuclear Blaze ends just when it feels like it’s really getting going, this is an enjoyable action game I wouldn’t be shy about boosting. It looks good, plays well, has a lot of clever ideas, and really great pacing. There are some moments of frustration, but they’re fleeting and add texture to the experience. I wish there were more to it, but that’s really mainly down to how much I like what is already here.

Afterimage is in that zone where nothing is outright horrible about it, but it’s just a little boring and plain. The strongest points in its favor come from just how much of it there is and the great art design. Add in some generally poor image quality, some clumsy interface choices, and the aforementioned lengthy loads and you end up with a game that is a little tough to enthusiastically recommend. This might be worth investigating on another platform if you’re a Metroidvania die-hard, but this Switch version isn’t the game at its best.

The higher buy-in price this time around means that I’d probably still recommend West of Loathing first to someone new to this series. That said, if you’ve already played that game the odds are good that you’re more than willing to pony up for Shadows Over Loathing. I ended up enjoying it just a little less than West, but that’s likely down to it being more of a known quantity to me now. Overall, another clever, well-written RPG that feels like a breath of fresh air in the same way its predecessor did.

Smile For Me is a unique experience, and one that adventure game fans looking for something a little different should really enjoy.

While I hope it gets a demo at some point on mobile like on other platforms, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a gem of an FMV game, and one of my favorite Square Enix games in over a decade. The story is fantastic and the actors were amazing across the board. All of this was elevated by its magnificent soundtrack. Having hit mobile with all updates included and controls well, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story on iOS is the best portable version of the game. My favorite version is still the PS5 release, but I’m very pleased with how The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story turned out in its mobile debut. Hopefully the few issues I have can be sorted in updates.

I enjoyed my time with A Light in the Dark quite a bit on Nintendo Switch and hope to see more from the world. It is rare for visual novels to feel this grounded and real. Hopefully it gets a physical release in the future.

Disney Speedstorm in its current state on Nintendo Switch is a great kart racer held back by confusing in-game monetization. I’ve enjoyed playing Disney Speedstorm online with friends and randoms on both platforms, but Gameloft needs to do a better job with how unlocks and progression works for those unfamiliar with free to play mobile games. There’s a lot of potential here and there’s definitely fun to be had even in the early access release, but I was hoping for more. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

Fans of Magical Drop will likely be satisfied with what Magical Drop VI offers, especially after what happened last time. That being said, I think more casual players can probably get their itch scratched more efficiently by grabbing the Arcade Archives release of Magical Drop III or popping in on the Super NES Switch Online app to play Magical Drop II. This is a good effort and it’s an impressive effort in many regards, but I can’t help but feel that in the attempt to add more things to do, the developers may have packed in too many things you have to do. Still, the core gameplay is done properly here, and that’s really what matters at the end of the day.

Labyrinth of Zangetsu is an odd thing. It looks very distinct, but its gameplay couldn’t be more time-tested. It is so faithful to its source of inspiration that I would hesitate to recommend it to newcomers to the genre, but I think if you enjoy games like Etrian Odyssey or Stranger of Sword City, you should consider picking this one up. Not the longest or most unique of games, but Labyinth of Zangetsu was a surprisingly enjoyable time for me.

Teslagrad 2 does justice to the well-liked original with a sharp presentation, some new mechanics to master, and more magnetic physics-based riddles to solve. It suffers somewhat from feeling a little too familiar at times, and it can’t quite escape the long shadow of the first game. The game also suffers from some technical drawbacks in this Switch version, and although none of it is really enough to spoil the game, I would still recommend playing it on a different platform if you can. Overall, an okay port of a pretty good game, but not one I’d recommend with the same vigor I would have for the first.

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is one of those remakes that maybe does too much in some ways while doing too little in others, but the quality of the original games shines through brightly. I have some mild issues with the visuals and technical performance, but what is great about these games, the tactical gameplay, can’t really be hindered by that kind of thing.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series isn’t an unqualified success. Some technical problems and the continuing font tomfoolery hold this set of games back from being all it could have been. Still, the improvements here are sensible and well-implemented, and while I’m not sure these are the definitive versions of each game, they are certainly going to be definitive enough for most. Short of keeping a menagerie of consoles and handhelds at your side, there’s really no better way to enjoy these all-time classics. A hearty recommendation to fans and newcomers alike.

It’s best to think of Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- as a bundle of three games from one series, each with their own stories and distinct mechanics. All three of them are fairly enjoyable as long as you’re not looking for something too deep or difficult. With cute characters, gameplay that doesn’t throw out a whole lot of obstacles to just zoning out, and just enough to chew on to keep things from getting boring, this package is every inch the follow-up to Brave Dungeon you would expect it to be.

In its current state, Super Meat Boy Forever is best on mobile, but the iOS version at least needs a bit more work. Despite the issues, I’ve loved most of what Super Meat Boy Forever has to offer, and it is hard to argue against it being worth the very low asking price right now. It took nearly a decade to hit the platform following its original announcement, but Super Meat Boy Forever for mobile is here, and the wait has been worth it.

If you like platformers, particularly the precision type, you’ll probably have a really good time with Panic Porcupine. Sure, it’s resting its hat on another game, but it’s doing so deliberately and with a wink. The controls are good, the physics are familiar, and the level designs are superb. It has all the hallmarks of a pretty great indie platformer, and I’m going to go ahead and conclude that it is exactly one of them.