While its platforming mechanics are still a tad unpredictable at times – and the huge gaps between save points still rankle – Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy's quality nonetheless shines through. Weaving melee combat, environmental puzzles and plenty of platforms with a fun and interesting take on Egyptian mythology, it's an action-platformer that really holds up well, despite the years on its clock. Its camera might still be a bit rubbish, but with a new lick of HD paint, this is a hidden gem that deserves a little time in the limelight.
Smite was a great and fresh take on the MOBA formula back in 2014, and it's only gotten better thanks to a consistent amount of new gods, themed events and eSports support. So Switch players are getting this game in its most evolved form, with a roster that's pushing three figures and a vast number of modes to unlock and enjoy. It does have a higher difficulty curve than the likes of Arena of Valor, and there's a slow grind to earn skins via the Season Pass, but the game itself is one of the best entries in the genre and it's right here on Switch – a cause for celebration and no mistake. However, until the game goes to free-to-play for all users, that paywall is going to hamper its chances of online success.
While mostly similar to the version that appeared on 3DS in 2017, the Nintendo Switch iteration of Cursed Castilla EX is still well worth a play. Perfectly designed for bite-sized runs on the go, its careful balance of skilful challenge and easy-to-learn controls means almost anyone can pick it up and start throwing swords in vigour. Whether you're a retro fan looking for a love letter to classics such as Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts or a newbie looking to see what the fuss is all about, this is a great little adventure.
Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds spends a little too much time reminiscing over the past than looking forwards and carving out its own journey, and as a result, it doesn't really bring anything new to the table at which its inspirations sit. Still, while its random QTEs do make battles more of a game of chance than they need to be, there's enough heft to the story, the characters, and the beauty of its setting to help save it from disappearing into obscurity. With a build that runs well on Nintendo Switch, this is still a worthy adventure for '90s JRPG fans.
While Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics doesn't quite capture the intensity of the tabletop game it's based on, it still does an admirable job of doing something a little bit different with the tactics genre. By focusing more on story and the horror aspect of its lore, you get to experience intense close-quarters battles and ranged skirmishes while building on an unknown threat that could appear at any time, and in any form. Pacing problems and a lack of environmental variety can affect how well this all comes together, but if you're looking for a more focused tactical/strategy title on Switch, this Lovecraftian odyssey awaits.
Somebody, somewhere, thought we needed an answer to the question of ‘Could Santa take Jesus in a fight?'. We didn't, and we still don't. With such a wealth of fighting games on Nintendo Switch – and with a port of Mortal Kombat 11 on the horizon – a cheap and poorly executed example such as this simply doesn't make the cut. Even without its questionable choice of characters, you're much better off spending your money on one of the many other 2D fighters available on Switch.
Despite a limiting always-online requirement and a current lack of support for docked/tabletop play, Lightseekers rescues itself from by disaster thanks largely to the robust nature of its card system, the support for scanning in physical cards and the sheer depth of tactics available to different skill levels. Thankfully, it's also free-to-play and the the ability to earn digital cards at a steady pace via in-game challenges will keep players coming back for more each day. It's great to finally have a proper CCG on Switch – even if it's not properly optimised for Nintendo's hybrid console quite yet.
DYING: Reborn - Nintendo Switch Edition really can't decide if it wants to be a puzzle-solving escape room title or an unsettling descent into the nightmare of survival horror. In the end, the former takes over and the latter occasionally pops its head up for a half-hearted ‘boo'.
Almost two decades on, Onimusha: Warlords lives again thanks to a handful of truly impactful changes.
Everything really does deliver on its abstract concept, but only if you're willing to boot it up with an open mind. There's no action, or even a cohesive plot. There are no XP bars to fill or loot to collect – just a universe and you, and a desire to determine just who ‘you' really are. The basic textures and colours (and the hilarious way creatures just roll about like possessed statues) might stifle some, but Everything's worth is more than skin deep. It's a risky game – some will love it and some just won't get it at all – but it's an experience well worth undertaking, regardless of where you end up.
With the purity of its twitch platforming mechanics and the clever way developer Demimonde exploits user-generated platforms, Octahedron: Transfixed Edition certainly lives up to its new subtitle. The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission – especially if you're partial to some big EDM beats – and if you've ever enjoyed the likes of Downwell, Crypt of the NecroDancer or Celeste, this TRON-loving indie is likely to entrance you.
Nippon Marathon isn't not going to be everyone's tastes – those eye-wateringly janky visuals (whether by design or not) and the nature of physics-driven racing are an acquired taste that most people are going to tire of, fast. However, look past the surface and there's a multiplayer experience here that will appeal to fans of Gang Beasts and the like, who just want a silly party game that cares not for seriousness in any form.
While Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition doesn't make an major changes to the original game that launched over a decade ago, it does combine practically every piece of exclusive content into one wholesome package. With the benefit of some improved visuals in both cutscenes and gameplay, it's very difficult to recommend this JRPG classic on any other system than Nintendo Switch thanks to how well it performs in both docked and handheld modes. If you've ever slept on this classic, there's never been a better way to rectify that error.
Pang Adventures offers a tense and instantly enjoyable ode to a timeless arcade romp, and one that's bound to engage and reward players who enjoyed it 30 years ago as well as those discovering it for the first time on the eShop. The support for online play is a real bonus, as many puzzle games of this ilk are want to simply plump for couch-play only, but for all its colourful chaos you are left hoping for something a little less predictable. Fans of the original will love it, but they may also lament the fact that more hasn't been done to update this classic series.
While it might seem odd for Omega Force to opt to port the five-year-old Dynasty Warriors 8 over the more recent Dynasty Warriors 9, it's by and far the right decision for Nintendo Switch owners. Not only is Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition the best version since Dynasty Warriors 5, it comes to the hybrid platform offering more stable performance than the versions that once graced PS3 and Xbox 360. Even when its framerate takes a knock when playing co-op, it's a remarkably robust port boasting an obscene amount of content fresh out of the box.
With its pop-culture pastiche, serious love for '80s synth and usual passion for jousting, Super Hero Fight Club: Reloaded is certainly one of Nintendo Switch's most unusual multiplayer offerings. While it's not the most original concept, it does get extra points for the clever use of power-ups and hazards, making it a couch-play experience that will frustrate you and make you punch the air in triumph all at once.
Omega Strike is a fun and enjoyable little 2D Metroidvania with some side-scrolling shooter sensibilities. It doesn't do anything particularly new or interesting – and its ‘unique' character-swapping concept was done a lot better by Broforce – but if you're looking for a modern tribute to Metal Slug that's fun and challenging in a very familiar way, then Omega Strike is likely to scratch that common itch. Just keep those expectations in check as this isn't the most original or exciting example the genre has to offer.
Uncanny Valley's desire to hark back to the simpler days of survival horror is commendable, especially in those early moments where you're flitting between abstract nightmares and a security job that feels increasingly isolated. However, the sheer openness of its non-linear plot means it's all too easy to jump large sections of the story as you stumble on one of the game's secrets too early on. Still, with a strict consequence-based system that rewards and punishes you in equal measure, Uncanny Valley has a lot of potential. It's just a shame it doesn't fully live up to it.
If you like Fallout Shelter and you want something with a few less smiles and a few more painful deaths, Sheltered will tickle that morbid itch. Managing its multitude of interconnected systems requires a deft touch, and while its difficulty isn't for the faint of heart, there's a real sense of accomplishment in keeping your growing troupe of survivors alive for days on end. While not as effective as other forays into the well-trodden post-apocalypse, as well as being a victim of its own procedural generation at times, there's still a morbid curiosity to its pixel art survivalism.
It really doesn't matter that Firewatch came out over two and a half years ago, because it's just as engrossing and enchanting as it was the first time around. From the warm glow of its forests in the morning summer light to the subtle tension of exploring a rocky gorge in the isolating silence of night, Shoshone National Forest is a character in its own right. With a story that's both funny and heartbreaking – and enhanced by some brilliant performances by its two central actors – this is an essential purchase, irrespective of whether you're playing it for the first time on Switch or simply using it as an excuse to revisit an old favourite.