Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles may not be the greatest game to bear the iconic license, but its uniquely chaotic arcade action deserved to make a comeback. There are better Star Wars games either already on Nintendo Switch or those we’re patiently hoping will receive similar remastered ports, but it’s hard to deny that there’s mindless fun to be found here that, despite its repetitive gameplay loop, proved a welcome distraction.
It is the companionship between the cat and B-12, as well as the revelatory discoveries that they find together, that make Stray such an endearing experience. Whether playfully leaping across rooftops or simply finding somewhere to curl up and take a well-deserved snooze, the originality that fuels the game’s creative concept rightly helps it to stand out from the crowd.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition has delivered the second chance that Monolith Soft’s epic sci-fi RPG deserved to find a wider audience. With its deeply emotional storytelling and world-building, I still see Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as the pinnacle of what the developer has long worked to achieve but this unforgettable space opera is close behind it thanks to its astounding technical execution and thrill-inducing battle systems.
After Princess Peach’s turn in the spotlight, Princess Zelda readily demonstrates that she is more than capable of saving her own kingdom. Grezzo should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved here, delivering a complete reinvention of what awaits us in a top-down adventure across the kingdom of Hyrule with an experience in which past and present collide that succeeds in repeatedly subverting your expectations.
With fourth-wall-breaking gags, a riotous storyline and a thrilling turn-based combat system, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has it all. This fan-favourite GameCube classic has long deserved a second chance to take to the stage, and this is the perfect opportunity to marvel at its quirky treasure hunt – whether you’re returning to Rogueport or searching for the Crystal Stars for the first time.
Endless Ocean Luminous is worth the plunge, and, along with other experiences like Nintendo Labo and Game Builder Garage, demonstrates a commitment to broadening what Nintendo Switch can offer beyond simply being a “games” console. It’s a welcome change of pace from the regular bustle of modern-day gaming experiences, offering a relaxing underwater diversion that shouldn’t be overlooked.
After her scene-stealing role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it was about time that the Mushroom Kingdom’s royal star had the spotlight placed on her own heroic prowess for a change. Princess Peach Showtime is more often a box office hit than a flop in delivering the experience it sets out to achieve, and, just like the best shows, it had us applauding for an encore as the curtain fell.
Even 20 years on, Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s ingenuity in its puzzle design shines through – its Toy Box delightfully crammed with surprising gameplay elements that I haven’t seen in the puzzle genre since. Now that Mini-Marios are a hot ticket product once more, we can only hope that we won’t have to wait so long for another fun-packed puzzling adventure for the whole family.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder left me spellbound. Nintendo remains at the top of its game, and the Flower Kingdom is the perfect playground for its sprightly reinvention of what we have come to expect from setting out on a 2D side-scrolling adventure with Mario and his pals. This world of wonder comes crammed with the most whizz-popping surprises, making for a kaleidoscopic trip to the Flower Kingdom that is simply unmissable.
Despite faltering in its plot delivery and the absence of meaningful decision-making, Fire Emblem Engage once again allows Intelligent Systems to demonstrate its unparalleled strategic brilliance and unquestionable dominance in the genre. It isn’t a game that is lacking in heroic ambition, in many ways evolving its own formula triumphantly beyond what was achieved with Fire Emblem: Three Houses but otherwise disappointingly falling short in others.
What Monolith Soft has achieved with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 went far beyond my expectations. The developer’s masterful approach to character development and world-building results in an unforgettable adventure that is set in a world that is just as remarkable to explore. It is the emotional storytelling that makes it an unmissable journey that’s worth undertaking, elevating the experience to not only be considered as a Game of the Year contender but an all-time classic that will be remembered for decades to come.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is just as magical as it ever was, and, in being remade, has lost none of the charm that made the original so special in the first place.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is unrivaled in its scope and execution on Nintendo Switch to resoundingly deliver strategic perfection, whether at home or on the move. With a memorable cast of characters each with their own motivations – complemented with remarkable voice acting – it is the meticulous worldbuilding that elevates it to become one of the best games available on the portable home console. More than that, it's Fire Emblem at its very best.
Only you can save the newly-crowned Emperor's life in this Diablo-like action RPG that stays true to the Warhammer license.
The two-game LEGO Harry Potter Collection offers great value for those wanting to relive the young wizard’s brick-based adventures on Nintendo Switch. It’s practically bursting with content, but the improvements offer little more to those that have experienced their magic and charm before.
In essence, Radiation Island is a zombie-infested survival adventure game on a budget. It is yet another mobile game that has washed ashore on Nintendo Switch and one that fails to ever become a memorable experience on the portable home console. It has clear potential but ends up feeling incomplete, in needing more content to help keep the player both engaged and motivated.
NORTH carries an important message that it wants to impart, but whether it manages to successfully convey it to the player is debatable. The cyberpunk atmosphere helps it to stand apart from other games on the Nintendo eShop. But, with the developer having exerted more effort to create unpredictable and trippy scenes, you soon come to the realization that it is reading the letters sent from brother to sister that beat at the heart of the experience. In comparison, everything else feels meaningless.
The end result is that Fimbul is a soulless experience that never amounts to much more than something that will forever represent the developer’s unrealized vision. Throwing the unpredictable bugs, glitches, and wayward problems that are present on Nintendo Switch into consideration, it’s hard to not come to the conclusion that you’d be better off simply leaving it to someone else to prevent Ragnarök from happening.
I never thought that I would ever have the chance to play Final Fantasy IX on a Nintendo console, and, with Nintendo Switch, Square Enix has perhaps found the perfect place to experience the genre classic.
There are fleeting moments of brilliance to the puzzle design in The Gardens Between, but, between them, the pace meanders to the point where my interest started to wane. There can be no doubt that it’s unlike anything else that you will have played before, but, in turn, the wondrous idea that lies at its core never feels like it blossoms into something that manages to enter its stride.