If Picross historically hasn't been your cup of tea, there is absolutely nothing in Picross S Namco Legendary Edition that's going to change your mind. Much like the last 10 or so releases in Jupiter's never-ending puzzle series, this is effectively little else than an extensive level pack that should offer another 20 to 30 hours of puzzles to solve-only this time around it's Namco stuff that you're uncovering. But let's be real, what else did this release need to be? Picross is already just about as highly polished as it can be, and the introduction of too many supplemental mechanics would just come off as gimmicky. Picross S Namco Legendary Edition isn't designed to be anything to blow you away, then. It's simply another great entry in an exhaustively lengthy series. If Picross is your thing, this one is definitely worth a look.
Paper Trail is one of the finest puzzle games you can buy for the Switch right now. The storybook narrative, compelling visuals, and cleverly designed conundrums, all come together to make for a chill and enjoyable experience that you shouldn't miss, and you'd do well to keep an eye on what Newfangled Games does next. We'd give this one a high recommendation to anyone looking for a low-stakes yet sufficiently challenging new addition to their puzzle library.
Slayers X is an enjoyable but basic entry in the boomer shooter genre that manages to satisfy without excelling in any one area. The levels are fun to explore, the gunplay feels good, and the gags can be amusing in small doses. Even so, little things like the increasingly grating sense of humor and lack of gyro controls drag this one down a bit, while the core gameplay feels just a little too vanilla. We'd give Slayers X a recommendation, but with the caveat that you should probably first play through a few other old-school shooters before getting around to this one. It's pretty decent, but this isn't a top-shelf example of the genre.
Megaton Musashi W: Wired proves to be a strong return to form for Level-5, offering up addictive mech-battling action that feels like the most slept-on release of the year. Its heartfelt story, dumb-but-fun combat missions, and in-depth character progression offer up an experience that's tough to put down, even if some elements-like the lackluster online-drag it down a bit. If you're at all a fan of action RPGs or that distinct Level-5 charm you can find in all the beloved company's games, we'd encourage you to pick up Megaton Musashi W as soon as possible.
Corn Kidz 64 feels like a genuine title from the N64 era and we commend the developer for their ability to successfully recreate that retro experience. A perfect length, good pacing, and varied design all work in this game's favor, though its sluggish controls and awkward camera hold it back from greatness. All the same, it's only seven bucks-we'd give this one a recommendation to anyone looking for a decent new 3D platformer for their library.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the epitome of a flawed gem-the kind of game that does a lot of things right and we're sure will command a dedicated legion of fans, but has legitimate problems that are tough to overlook. The expansive narrative, gorgeous spritework, and addictive combat all help make it an easy recommendation to any classic JRPG fan, but bear in mind that it can feel dated in its design philosophy and that the Switch version has a lot of performance problems, at least at launch. If you can get past those issues, this is an enjoyable and immersive RPG that mostly achieves what it set out to do.
The Gap may suffer from some overly basic puzzle design and visual ticks, but this is ultimately an enjoyably mysterious narrative that's still worth the few hours it takes to see through. Its launch price feels a bit high for what’s on offer here, but we’d suggest scooping this one up the first time it goes on sale.
Freedom Planet 2 is an excellent achievement by GalaxyTrail, setting a high bar for quality that will be tough to beat if we're ever lucky enough to get a 'Freedom Planet 3'. A compelling story, well-designed levels, tons of gameplay variety, and gorgeous visuals all come together to make this an absolute must-play for fans of high-speed platformers and a certain blue hedgehog. Freedom Planet 2 exudes quality and passion in just about every way imaginable.
Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. It may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality. If you think you'd be interested, we'd suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity (and there's a even downloadable demo if you're on the fence).
Rebel Transmute is probably the best Metroidvania you've never heard of. Though its visuals are just okay, its skillful blend of high difficulty, obscure narrative, and rewarding exploration all make for a thoroughly great entry that no genre fan should miss out on. New Metroidvanias are certainly a dime a dozen, but releases like Rebel Transmute demonstrate that there's always room for one more good one. We'd recommend you pick this game up if you're a big fan of the genre, particularly if you want something that scratches that Hollow Knight itch-Rebel Transmute has got it where it counts and is certainly worth your time and attention.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a decent, though unspectacular, dungeon crawler that does a good job of defying some traditional RPG tropes. Mechanics like the elemental system and the randomized character progression help this stand out from the pack, while its simple dungeon-crawling format carries the basic, but satisfying gameplay for dozens of hours. Still, it doesn't take very long for this one to feel like it's overstaying its welcome, and more could've been done to sand its rougher edges. Legend of Legacy may not be the best example of this genre, but it's still an enjoyable release for the dungeon-crawling cognoscenti.
A Void Hope isn’t Elden Pixel’s finest project yet, but it is certainly its most interesting one. Even if its gameplay and story feel shallow, it does a great job of immersing you in its creepy and dark world—this is the kind of game that you’ll probably never play again after you finish it, but you’ll always remember it. It's worth picking up if you’re at all a fan of this studio’s previous work or if you’re interested in trying something that deviates from the norm a bit.
Penny's Big Breakaway is a tremendous achievement by Evening Star, expertly combining tight controls, excellent level design, and a raft of creative ideas, all while throwing in a hefty dose of pure speed. Though the Switch version can feel a little rough around the edges at times, this is still an easy recommendation to make to anyone who considers themselves a fan of Sonic, 3D platformers, or both. Penny's inaugural adventure has got it where it counts, and if you're looking for a challenging, yet approachable new 3D platformer to add to your library, it doesn't get much better than this.
It may have taken over ten years to finally come out, but Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a new high-water mark for the storied roguelike franchise. Its masterful blend of uncompromising difficulty with a wealth of content to overcome makes for a game that'll easily keep you satisfied for dozens of hours as you learn its tricks. Combine that with some cool online features and a charming art style, and you've got a game that's an easy recommendation for any roguelike fans out there. This is a tough nut to crack, but the experience is well worth it.
Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons may not be the greatest nonogram puzzler available on the Switch, but this is certainly another worthwhile and enjoyable entry in the genre-especially for fans who also love a good farm sim. This is ultimately little more than a nonogram puzzle pack themed after Story of Seasons, but really it doesn't need to be anything else, even if it would be interesting to see how farm sim gameplay elements could be more directly integrated into the gameplay. As long as you're not too bothered by a game experience that feels a little less polished than the Picross series, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is an easy recommendation to any puzzle enthusiasts out there.
Bandle Tale is a solid crafting RPG with some really interesting ideas, although it doesn't always execute these ideas as well as it feels like it could have. An expansive crafting system, stunning art style, and hilarious writing all work in Bandle Tale's favor, but the gameplay can sometimes come off as overly frustrating and tedious. As the (unintentionally) final entry in the Riot Forge project, Bandle Tale serves as a decent capstone to a really great idea, and we'd recommend it to anyone out there looking for a chill and immersive new life sim to add to their collection.
Eastward: Octopia may not bring many new ideas to a crowded genre, but this is an impressively well-executed expansion that nicely ticks all the boxes for a satisfying and relaxing farm sim. Although it has some rougher edges, the decent gameplay variety, interesting story, gorgeous visuals, and surprising amount of content all come together to make this one an easy recommendation to any fans of the original Eastward. Even for those of you who fell off your playthrough of the original for one reason or another, we'd encourage you to consider coming back for Octopia-this is a much better-paced game and, some performance issues aside, it's lost none of the charm that made the original so popular.
Mameda no Bakeru is a sweet, snappy, and satisfying linear 3D platformer that feels like a wonderful callback to a genre that doesn't get a ton of representation these days. Although it's really easy and has some performance problems, the gameplay variety, snappy combat, oodles of collectibles, and gorgeous art style all come together to make for an adventure that you won't want to miss out on. As long as you don't mind trawling through a bit of Japanese, we'd recommend you give this one a shot if you're willing to import it.
If you’re looking for a simple, fun, somewhat shallow arcade-like game for your Switch, Knights of the Rogue Dungeon is definitely something that’ll satisfy that need. It's over quickly, but this is an overall enjoyable experience—though we’d recommend you try the iOS game first to see if this is really for you.
Chico and the Magic Orchards DX is an excellent callback to simpler days, featuring authentic retro visuals, tight level design, and a surprising amount of variety for such a small package. It’ll only last you a couple of hours at most, but anyone who misses the days of the OG Game Boy will want to give this one a look. It’s lots of fun, plenty charming, and a great use of a fiver.