The most refined, purebred 2D shooter there is returns, perfectly preserved and bolstered by a range of alternate versions old and new, and a bounty of customization options.
A brilliant return to the series at its best that modernises the point-and-click form.
A melding of the established template and something just new enough, RedLynx's creation is a wonderful thing.
Yes, Raiden IV is not a typical shmup by contemporary standards, and won't be for everyone. Equally, all of these modes have been available in some form elsewhere. But as a single package, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix offers the Switch one of its best shooting game releases yet – and that is saying something on a console that has emerged as an unexpected star vehicle for the genre.
A touch too much repetition doesn't spoil this ambitious and elegant combo of run 'n' gun, tower defence, and roguelike.
Mortal Kombat X is many things. It is mechanically refined and stylistically muddled; it has a sometimes unpleasantly violent, sometimes charmingly hammy commitment to the traditional fighting game template. It has thrust the series forwards and succeeds in delivering nuance while offering a welcoming genre gateway for inexperienced players.
N++ is understated and sharp, while the music capably lends weight and momentum to the action. Certainly, most of the mechanics on offer will be familiar to platformer veterans, but the combination here is a superb blend.
Dimensions may be the best Lego game yet, but like the sweets at the supermarket counter, or those tantalising extras in the latest free-to-play smartphone game, it might prove most talented when it comes to causing friction between parent and child.
It looks great in 3D but there's no getting around the fact that the new Zelda adventure is very much like all of the others
There's plenty to do in this exciting and empowering simulation game, where automation is the key to your shining future
The legendary skateboarding sim is back in a brilliant rerelease that offers a portal to the past
It's easy to forgive Spintires: MudRunner exactly because it has such an eccentric charisma. It should be dull. It should be frustrating. It should be prettier. But it has its own strange beauty and offers something refreshingly unconventional in the driving genre.
You should play 11-11, and not just because it's a chance to enjoy a captivating piece of interactive storytelling. This game is important, because of the way it makes you think, without ever telling you what to think. Lest we forget.
Rival Megagun may fall short of the standards set by genre masterworks like Cave's Ketsui, Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Fighters Jet or Raizing's Battle Garegga. But those are some of the finest pieces of game design of all time, and failing to meet their lofty standards doesn't stop Spacewave's creation being a tremendously fun and rather distinct shmup that really does offer something fresh, and serves as a great demonstration of the Switch's multiplayer prowess in the process.
You can't beat the feeling of playing Magic with cardboard in your hands. Still, Arena presents a slick realisation in digital form, and one that should suit both old hands and newcomers.Will Freeman
Phoenix Point may not meet the legacy of its celebrated forebear X-Com, but then few games ever will. Elegant, atmospheric, and energetic, Gollop's latest remains remarkably hard to put down.
Overall, Capcom Arcade Stadium is a very good package filled with brilliant games, each updated with modern functionality. It doesn't rival the quality of original hardware or the likes of M2's sublime individual ports of arcade masterworks as seen with the release of Esp.Ra.De Psi, but at £30 for 32 games, it is well worth the price, warts and all.
While staying true to the series that it extends, Cotton Rock 'n' Roll / Fantasy brings so many different experiences in a single shmup that it may as well be a compilation release - and unlike the arcade versions, it is all presented in English language. The more time you give it, the more the replay value snowballs. The faults to be found are few and far between, while sharp level design and a joyful, even mischievous personality define Success' latest. Simply put, Cotton Fantasy has a lot of fun to give.
It might not be perfect, but if you have any affection for mecha and anime culture, classic action gaming, or shooters and run 'n' guns, Assault Suits Valken Declassified is very much worth strapping yourself into. The odd quirk aside, it's a very well-thought-through creation, defined by tight controls and movement, tidy level design, and a bounty of ideas. And then there's all those lovely archive materials. Tread carefully, though. This mecha is a beast.
This is a strange beast. It's devoted fan base might already be satisfied by the PC release, while the console crowd may need a little more help familiarising themselves with the conventions of train operation. There's a good chance that many a player will quickly be bored to the extreme by the gameplay, but for those of us looking for an alternative to intensity and drama,