Bluey's Quest for the Golden Pen is a wonderful experience for fans of Bluey and acts like an additional episode to the series. The game itself is a good experience; however, I genuinely believe it is not priced well for the content available and is better value on iOS and Android devices (despite my son wanting me to score it a 9/10). A lack of multiplayer also holds the title back for a series that is so family-orientated. Overall I recommend the game for younger children, just not on console.
Spilt Milk Studios has made such a cute, cosy game set in a fantasy world. I love all the named NPCs and all the different races that come to your store. However, the trash left behind by the titular Trash Goblin has left a bit of a stench on the Switch port of this title. I do genuinely recommend exploring the life of running a trinket store, just maybe not on the Switch.
One of the best Pokémon releases of all time, and the potential of what fans are able to build in Pokémon Pokopia has yet to be fully realised. One of the cutest and most adorable games is as you watch Pokémon live their lives in the environments you had a hand in building for them. Pokémon Pokopia is a must-buy for any Pokémon fan and that's not an understatement.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment builds upon the previous Hyrule Warriors games and implements the Zonai devices in such an ingenious way. Exploring the story of how Ganondorf took over Hyrule before being imprisoned in the depths underneath was a perfect way to utilise the MUSOU genre. Although there is a grind that is inherent to the genre, it feels more noticeable here when the majority of the cast are throwaway additions. If you enjoy the Zelda franchise, this is an exciting take on the franchise and well worth your investment.
This is the best the franchise has been in a long time, with more stage variety than ever because of the time-travelling gimmick of Once Upon A KATAMARI. While it can be hard to follow the talking while playing and the loading during the middle of the stage can be a tad annoying, overall it is an absolute delight to be rolling up everything in sight! If you’ve ever been curious about the franchise, this is the best way to start your journey of pure chaotic fun that’ll have you smiling the whole time.
This is the definitive way to play Yooka-Laylee and it's such a nostalgic dream experience for 90s 3D platformers fans. Starting each world off on their expanded edition, while adding more to do, has made Yooka-Replaylee flow significantly better. With more high-quality competition in the genre, I feel like Playtonic has done a lot to improve on what was already there; just maybe a new entry will build upon their work and place Yooka and Laylee on equal footing with the giants.
If you're a Pokémon fan, you're probably already playing Legends: Z-A, but if you're not, I can't help but recommend jumping in now, even if you're only able to play on the Switch. You've just got to get through the slow start and keep yourself entertained without voice acting. The best Pokémon game in recent years and hopefully a sign of overall improvements in the years to come.
A genuinely strong competitor in the party game genre, LEGO Party! has made a splash for players to cause chaos together. While there are a few things that could be worked on, like more content and slightly turning down the chance aspects, there was a fun night spent collecting golden bricks and building on the worlds. Grab some friends and family, customise your minifig, and strap in because you’ll end the night with a smile on your face.
Honestly, I feel like I'm nitpicking details with my negatives, because I genuinely found myself having so much fun exploring and living life in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar! The Story of Seasons franchise is an icon in the genre for a reason and you can absolutely see why it is beloved here, respecting the past release while modernising the title for a vastly expanded audience. Anyone who is a fan of cosy games that you can take at your own pace and play your own way, this is a must-buy for you.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion while fun, exploring around can feel very clunky to control with movement, melee hit ranges, and overall imprecise with aiming reticles. The story is serviceable, but the overall feel of running around in a powered mech suit fighting beasts, constructs, and other mech pilots is the real draw to this genre. If you're a diehard mecha fan, I can definitely recommend picking it up in the early stages; otherwise, it might be worth waiting for a sale if you're on the fence.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a title that is definitely for fans of the series and provides a new way to experience the story. While flaws exist, especially in the tutorial space that can lead to players not used to fighting games to just button mash their way through, there is still a lot of fun to be had at the core. If you're a fan of Demon Slayer and arena fighters, this is a very easy recommended purchase, but that's such a narrow field of appeal that I feel it's a missed opportunity to bring in new fans to the franchise.
As a Mario Party title, Jamboree does exactly what it needs to do by providing a platform for friendship destruction while adding in a few new features to test them. While definitely more of a party game, the majority of its features are able to be played online if you have a stable enough connection. For any fan of Mario Party, I’m sure you already have this title in your library, but if you’re on the fence, I can personally recommend it’s worth picking up, especially if you have kids in your household.
The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is an instant recommendation for Ace Attorney fans and a strong recommendation for visual novel fans. Finally having an official translation of Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit is the equivalent of Mother 3 for us Ace Attorney fans and having access to the additional content with the art, cutscene player, and the ability to switch between updated 3D models from the original character designer and the original pixel art makes this release just perfect for fans. If you’ve never played an Ace Attorney game, you’re missing out, and with Ace Attorney Investigations Collection completing the remaster of the franchise, you have no excuse to not give it a try.
SteamWorld Heist II is a splash of unique colour for tactical shooters that generally aim for a more gritty tone. Plenty of light-hearted humour, player agency given complete control, and the musical talents of Steam Powered Giraffe add so much character and charm that you can't help but love the down times as well as the tactical action. Thunderful Games has kept the heart of the SteamWorld series and released an almost flawless entry that I can't help but recommend to any fan of turn-based combat, robots, or the steampunk aesthetic.
The 3DS had limitations on performance, and this has come to negatively impact the remake of Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, especially in consideration of having their younger brother on the same system. While it's only showing up in how the levels are played and ghost designs, it's just enough to hold it back from an exceptional level. However, in saying that, there's still a really fun game here to explore, with a solid foundation of gameplay mechanics that were expanded on in Luigi's Mansion 3. I can't help but recommend picking up Luigi's Mansion 2 HD if you enjoy the franchise, even more so if this title would be the entry point for you.
Paper Trail is an adorable story that unfolds into being about making your own path in life and seeing things in a new light. Every little detail leads into adorable environmental storytelling that slowly unravels Paige's backstory in-between each area. While I am not usually a fan of puzzle games, Paper Trail enamoured me with its humorous characters and accessibility, providing the folds you have to do without giving you everything.
Intelligent Systems has knocked it out of the ballpark with their quality of life changes, updated music for each chapter, incredible humour, and an all-around perfect experience for Mario RPG fans. Truly, this is the definitive edition of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and an exceptional entry point for younger gamers to explore the world of RPGs while providing enough ways for experienced gamers to give themselves a challenge. I can't recommend Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door any more than this and it’s a must have for any switch owner or RPG fan.
Tamarak Trail has a unique take on the deck building roguelite genre; however, with the use of dice, you trade strategic choices for randomness. The campaign doesn't help keep you interested, and ultimately, it feels like a chore, especially when you come across the same enemies. Yarrow Games rolled the dice with Tamarak Trail and they ended up with a promising structure that lacks meat on the bone.
Rising Lords has an interesting world to explore, but it is for the most part locked behind a highly difficult campaign. With the struggles that come from just putting the game in sleep mode, the mediocre tutorial, and the overall poor performance, there's a feeling of an early access game given a full release too early. The bones of Rising Lord's are strong enough; with some effort and improvements, there's potential for new additions to the genre; however, the switch port just doesn’t hold up.
Ultimately, if you like WarioWare games, you'll enjoy WarioWare: Move It! because it is just more of what you’re expecting with all the same loveable cast. While there are some micro games that are difficult to work out what you have to do at first glance, there is still a lot of fun to be enjoyed with friends and family. This is a strong recommendation for anyone who has people to play this with on a night of fun together.