Disintegration is a game of would-have-beens.
Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche is a brief yet amusing shooter. The silliness works well, and the varied weapons make you rethink every attack to keep shooter fans on their toes. The shooting is fun for those not normally skilled in either traditional or bullet-hell variants of the genre, but it really takes some effort to not complete the game in one sitting. This isn't a fantastic game in the genre, but it's worth owning if you're down for short and satisfying side-scrolling shooter jaunts.
Nintendo-only owners can see what all of the fuss is about
BE-A Walker: Battle for Eldorado is needlessly cruel. The number of things you have to monitor due to the fragility of your craft, combined with the ridiculous cooldown times, make for one of the most off-putting opening levels a game can have. If you're able to power through, the rest of the game is monotonous, even if you get lucky enough to grab enough funds to mitigate the constantly depleting meters. Combined with a lackluster story and absent fun factor, it'll take someone who really enjoys masochism to power through to the end of the game. With the multitude of better shooters on the system, it's easy to skip this one.
While not exactly a top-tier experience, it is recommended if you've gone through the slew of twin-stick heavy hitters the system already has on offer.
Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbo is a surprisingly good game. The title is designed to be difficult and played in short bursts, but along with the challenges and unlockables, it has addictive qualities that beg for just one more round to be played. The versus modes are nice, but the co-op option in every mode makes this attractive for a system that's seemingly designed for two players. While by no means a presentation powerhouse, the gameplay in SMSBST is solid enough to be worth a look, especially at its normal low price of $4.99.
If you can live with the issues, you'll find Maneater to be a ridiculously good time. The aforementioned issues are a shame, but the distinct nature of being a shark and the ability to deliver mayhem in a different way. It'll remind players of what was so appealing about open-world games in the first place. Thanks to Maneater's relatively short completion time compared to other open-world titles, it's well worth checking out.
Kunai is a solid game. The genre formula sticks to the blueprint well enough to not mess it up. The game is of a decent length, and it has the right amount of difficulty most of the time, but the kunai movement sells you on what makes the game enjoyable. For genre fans, this is well worth checking out.
Like its predecessor, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is astounding.
One Finger Death Punch 2 is the kind of game that fits the Switch so well. The game is easy to pick up for brief bouts of guaranteed fun due to the simple controls and pitch-perfect action. The amount of modes and levels gives a player a ton to work with, even before taking online leaderboards into account. There's little to complain about here, so the title should be in your collection unless you're averse to fast action titles.
If R.B.I. Baseball 20 were the only baseball title on the Switch, then it would be considered serviceable yet underwhelming.
The most difficult thing about Street Outlaws: The List is trying to find a reason to play it. Depending on the event, the controls range from serviceable to terrible, with a physics system that doesn't make sense. The lack of real challenge is offset by the overall length of the game, which seems far too long for what's being offered. Between the underwhelming presentation, a clunky but bare-bones menu, and lack of gameplay variety, even superfans of the show will find it tough to stick with this game for a significant amount of time.
Despite all of its flaws, Earthfall: Alien Horde is the only shooter of its type on the Switch.
Overall, Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun: Retro Brawler Bundle is a very good compilation. The games are classics, with enough oddball gems to intrigue anyone looking for the oddities in the Famicom lineup. A majority of the games here are translated Japanese titles, so much of this content will be new to most players. The upgrades in quality mean that you're ultimately getting a better version compared to a straight rom dump. These are still difficult games, and the lack of extras feels like a missed opportunity, but this is a great title to add to any retro fan's library.
Gears Tactics is a solid turn-based strategy game that has something for genre veterans and newcomers alike.
It's not exactly the top of its field, but Anthill is an engaging experience for short bursts. The simple nature of the game and the streamlined strategic elements make this a great pick-up-and-play title for strategy and tower defense fans, and there's a good deal of content to keep you busy for some time. You'll wish it supported docked play, and multiplayer modes would've been nice, but Anthill remains a title that's worth checking out.
In the end, Vitamin Connection is a fun and endearing addition to the Switch library of exclusives. The level of difficulty is there, but nothing feels impossible unless you're playing solo so beating each stage feels like an accomplishment. The long stages mean that stretches of gameplay can feel lengthy, but the overall duration feels just right, while the New Game+ mode and the ability to improve on each minigame gives the game some legs once you beat the campaign. If you want something that feels fresh in the co-op space, grab Vitamin Connection.
Depixtion is the nice middle ground between the simple Picross games and the more complicated ones that try to throw different genres into the mix. Veteran Picross players should be able to quickly pick up the concept of using different shades of color and different color layers, and it won't be too daunting for newcomers either. The puzzle selection in Depixtion can seem low compared to its contemporaries, but it will take some time to get through them all due to their layout. Overall, Depixtion is a solid puzzle game that fans will appreciate having in their libraries.
Battle Planet: Judgement Day is a shooter that's best played in short bursts with a friend in tow. The lack of objective variety can quickly dull your excitement, and the phantom attacks from enemies can be frustrating. The shooting is good enough that you can suffer through some terrible guns now and then, and the level design is enjoyable enough to merit a break from more involved titles.
If Contra: Rogue Corps were known by any other name, it wouldn't be so bad. The idea of a twin-stick looter shooter is intriguing, and the shooting can be decent even if the level flow isn't exciting. However, that reliance on the franchise name comes with certain expectations. The overheating guns, restricted co-op, and missing weapon sets run counter to what fans have come to expect from the series that's been around for over 30 years. If you aren't too discerning, this may be worth a look if it's in the bargain bin. If fans of the series pick up Rogue Corps, they will be disappointed.