If you want to play a licensed baseball game and you only have access to Nintendo Switch, MLB The Show 25 will do the trick. This version is an adequate representation of the pristine gameplay design and mode variety the series has been consistently delivering for years, but every aspect of it feels compromised on Switch. Here's hoping Switch 2 is a better destination for MLB The Show 26.
Depending on how you play the story, you'll solve Verity's dilemma in a few hours. I had moments where I thought I had everything figured out and just needed to trigger the right dialogue options, but even still I wound up getting surprised more often than not. Expelled is a tightly wound narrative puzzle game that makes me excited that it's labeled "An Overboard Game" because hopefully that means Inkle makes a game like this every few years to wrinkle my time-loop-loving brain and completely delight me.
If you've never played Suikoden II and consider yourself a lover of Japanese-made RPGs, you should already have this game pre-ordered. This is a game that belongs on the podium near the '90s classics from Square Enix. I'm not nearly as hot on Suikoden I, but the first game is more like the NES Final Fantasy entries to Suikoden II's SNES Final Fantasy entries. It's cool to see the evolution, but we all know what game has ascended to all-timer status.
While I'm a little less over the moon about this game in 2025, I'm still very happy that Oath in Felghana is out on a modern console in the west. From the era of its release, it's one of the best action RPGs of its style and even to this day, it's still a very enjoyable one. I might recommend some of the later Ys games ahead of this one, especially if you want a more true 3D adventure, but if your goal is to check out the highs of the storied Ys series, Oath in Felghana is a must-play.
It's not much more than a classic RPG, but the quality still shines through decades later. This might not have the archival material of some of the video game museum games that have come out lately, but it feels of a similar disposition as them because this is taking a titanic landmark game and giving it the tender loving care it deserves so it can be enjoyed by even more players in the current age. There might have been better RPGs made in the past 35 years, but most of them likely wouldn't be as good as they are without Dragon Quest III leading the way.
It's all the more frustrating because the writing for the relatively engaging plot is great. Part of me wished this game had some time to be refined because the framework of something totally radical is here. It just doesn't make it out of the sewers.
The combat is a great addition to the video game aspect that definitely filled in a hole for me in the experience. Nomada Studio continues their penchant for making gorgeous games that are packed with emotional resonance. Now that they've told game stories about parents and pets, we'll see how they can make us all cry next.
Bakeru is an enjoyable romp that consistently delivers lighthearted action with a lot of charm even if it gets a little repetitive the deeper you get into it. Good-Feel clearly learned a lot from working with Nintendo because this game deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Nintendo's lighter fare. This isn't quite the Goemon spiritual successor I felt I was promised, but Bakeru is still a good time (especially for younger players) and I hope that Good-Feel both continues working with Nintendo and continues to work on projects like this.
The turn-based tactics of it all are still so delightfully crunchy and awesome, featuring new objectives, unique bosses, and oodles of content. However the constant returns to the bar to rest and the strained simplicity of the water travel hold this back from being such a slam-dunk instant classic as its predecessor. This is a sequel that is bigger and better in a lot of respects, but is also weighed down by superfluous additions.
I did not closely follow the pre-release period of Darkest Dungeon II, but my expectations were just that it would be an enjoyable but derivative sequel. I’m thoroughly impressed that the reality of Darkest Dungeon II is much more ambitious than that. This is a game that does not supplant the original, but instead stands next to it, offering up an experience that is familiar but very different. I wish more sequels of this type took the relatively big swings that Darkest Dungeon II has made. The meticulous pre-planning prevalent in the first Darkest Dungeon is incredible, but so is greater focus on in-the-moment reactions in the sequel. Darkest Dungeon II is an impressive, well-crafted game that will absolutely pound you into the ground with death and detritus, but also will reward your strategy and perseverance.
If you're looking for a fun mechs-vs.aliens narrative to enjoy on your Switch, Megaton Musashi W: Wired absolutely rocks. But if you're here solely for robot combat, you're best looking elsewhere.
As someone who enjoyed Monster Hunter Stories when it came out on 3DS seven years ago, I'm happy it has a new home on Switch, even if it's not a full remake. It's well worth diving into if you missed it the first time around, especially since the relative simplicity makes it a decent entrypoint for a younger audience into this world and genre (especially since it has so much voice acting). If you are looking for something more complex, you can always try Monster Hunter Stories 2 or just go on hunts in one of the many other available Monster Hunters.
I wish I was more engaged in the story, because the potential of bouncing between 17 worlds and criss-crossing replayed stories sounds cool. It just doesn't coalesce into something all that fun. Maybe the SaGa series is something best left to ports and remakes.
Lasting in the ballpark of 8-10 hours, Tales of Kenzera is a well-paced Metroidvania that is a blast to play, featuring novel unlockable abilities, a good challenge, and most of all, an incredible story. Just be ready to shed a tear or two, especially if you're in my shoes of being a parent to a young kid because hoo boy - that whole father/son element is played to perfection. The story is a true triumph and the gameplay supports it perfectly.
In a world where the Switch is filthy with TMNT arcade games across the Cowabunga Collection and Shredder's Revenge, Wrath of the Mutants is a distant third place. It's fine in the sense that if you get three buddies to play through it with you, you'll probably have a good time. But beyond that camaraderie, this is a middling port of an okay game.
Picross Logiart Grimoire is not a full-on replacement for Jupiter's past Picross S games, but it's a wonderful addition to their library. If you've been put off by the presentation of Picross S, this might be the entry to bring you back to Jupiter's delightful world of nonogram magic. If you're like me, a loyal soldier who shows up for every single one of these Picross games no matter what, the new presentation might seem like it's just the same old with a new wizard hat, but this is one of the best Picross games that Jupiter has put out, largely because it feels new and has a nice sense of progression.
Even in the moments playing a character class I didn't enjoy as much, I still had a good time, especially since most runs are far less than an hour. This game seems to recognize its kitchen sink gameplay concept approach and lets you fiddle with whatever aspects work best for you. Here's hoping BUCK doesn't just stick to animation in the future because their game design is rather intriguing.
If you're into unique and creative takes on platforming, Pepper Grinder is well worth jumping (or rather, drilling) into. I'm not the biggest fan of the boss fights (especially the one that currently glitches out), but overall, this is a good grind from start to finish. I'd love to see more takes on drill-based platforming along these lines, though the tight package developer Ahr Ech has put together is a concentrated blast of fun.
Optimally it's best played in handheld, but no matter how you play it, the gameplay is rock solid. Additionally, the way it treats baseball history with the Storylines mode is incredible. Now if only the video wasn't so compressed and I didn't have to worry about the game or server crashing at any point.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a solid port of an interesting but flawed game. If you want to explore some dungeon-like areas, rock some SaGa-like combat, and listen to some beautiful music, then it's worth journeying through Avalon. Otherwise, this remains a game I think is neat but wouldn't necessarily emphatically recommend to most aside from the specific group I just described.