Namco Museum is a compelling throwback to the glorious coin-op era, boasting a library that presents many shared experiences that are a perfect fit with the Nintendo Switch mantra to let you play anywhere, at anytime, and with anyone. Some duds detract and, maybe, the price is slightly too high, but Pac-Man Vs. alone soon easily makes this a retro collection that you won't want to miss out on.
Death Squared is available on other platforms, but it, incredibly, feels at home on Nintendo Switch – in tandem with the simplicity of handing a Joy-Con to another play to quickly get them in on the action. If anything, this is a game that I will remember for the trash talking alone.
As it stands, the unique serpentine physics in Snake Pass makes it stand out from the crowd, and that should be applauded. Gratifying when it all comes together, it regularly treads some nail-biting moments that only add to what amounts to an enjoyable experience that will leave you as wide-eyed as the game’s slippery protagonist.
Miitopia will win you over with laughter, but not in the same baffling ways as Tomodachi Life once did. There’s little chance that you will play a wackier game this year, but Miitopia‘s undoing lies in how quickly repetition sets in. Quirky but lacking depth, there’s untapped potential for a grander adventure if Nintendo choose to revisit the idea.
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star packs plenty of promise, but falls short in certain areas. Gratifying combat can’t outweigh an experience that is too readily prepared to let players sit and read through great lengths of text. When you eventually get to the action it can be spectacular, there just isn’t enough of it.
Summer is Splatoon 2‘s for the taking, Nintendo building on their refreshingly original idea to produce a sequel that makes improvements across the board. It won’t take long for the game’s tentacles to wrap around you, gleefully inking your turf for hours on end. With Li’l Judd lifting a flag to indicate the victor, Splatoon 2 presents a clear win for Nintendo.
Ever Oasis presents a wonderfully captivating tale that, despite the sizzling desert heat, enchants like no other. Magical, entrancing and beautifully presented, it’s playful looks may scream with a childlike appeal but, make no mistake, this is an RPG with tremendous depth that all ages will enjoy exploring.
ARMS can be seen as the boldest move that Nintendo has made in some time, and an absolute knockout experience to play.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers‘ greatest success is how well suited it is to Nintendo Switch. Setting the console in Tabletop Mode, detaching Joy-Con and passing one to a friend, it’s a reminder that there simply isn’t any experience like it, let alone the fighting legacy that it now becomes a part of. Whether a play on nostalgia or not, the result builds to a definitive version of a fighting great.
After looking to their past, Intelligent System has made a daring strike forward. The result is a resounding strategy experience, with Shadows of Valentia not only delivering a sensational remake but one of the greatest tales that the Fire Emblem series has ever told.
TumbleSeed is unlike anything that you have ever played before and exemplified the experiences that we all want to see on the Nintendo eShop. The game's creative spirit is as brave as the heroic seed that inhabits it, with an addictive loop that promises to keep you forever tumbling.
Puyo Puyo Tetris is a puzzle masterpiece. Ideal for short bursts and extended sessions, it comes alive when other players join the riotous puzzle fray. Packed with content, prepare to become addicted.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe captures that rare magic, an unbeatable experience with friends and family that perfectly demonstrates how the concept that has driven Nintendo Switch is a complete game changer. Thundering over the finish line, that helps this to effortlessly rank as the best Mario Kart game ever made.
New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers kickstarts a genre's presence on Nintendo Switch that I would like to see plenty more of. Shallow in execution and with little to keep you returning once you have built up your town from scratch, this largely average city builder needs to re-examine its foundations.
With plentiful content in a range of energetic music styles, VOEZ astounds and enchants in equal measure to deliver a rhythm game that deserves your attention.
Super Bomberman R is an absolute blast and the perfect party game, but even in the explosive mayhem, it struggles to justify the price tag it has been slapped with.
Snipperclips revels as a hilarious social experience, making you feel young at heart as you uncontrollably giggle when you spend time with it. Always better with friends involved, it is an early must-have hit for the Nintendo Switch.
Graceful Explosion Machine basks in its gloriously vibrant neon bullet hell, delivering a joyously chaotic experience that will often have you panicked but is unendingly gratifying as you destroy the enemies that surround you.
Quirky as ever, Yo-kai Watch 2 is more iterative in approach than revolutionary, coming packed with the same charming character and wacky moments that many came to love in the first game. The wider world and multiplayer aspects are the key successes, but LEVEL-5 needs to be more daring to make the next adventure stand out.
Never one to be lost in the spectacle of its unbeatable production values, Just Dance 2017 discovers a welcome home on Nintendo Switch. With the console lending the chance to dance anywhere that you like, the Just Dance faithful will be happy with this iteration. But Ubisoft still needs to find more ways to playfully reinvent what we have come to expect from the series.