World Heroes 2 may not be the best fighting game available on Switch, but it can still entertain.
Double Dragon gives you a number of ways to dispatch enemies, a few different attacks to deal with thanks to the use of weapons and the fighting generally works well. There are a few issues with the game, however, with the biggest two being its short length and its distracting slowdown. If you are just looking to clear the game, then there's little long term value here, although it is fun to go through again with a friend, battling the bad guys before your final showdown. Arcade Archives Double Dragon is not an essential download, but there's still enjoyment to be had from this old school title.
Art Of Fighting 2 takes the first game and improves on it in a number of ways.
Traverse USA is unlikely to be the Irem game people wanted HAMSTER to start with, but still works as something to dip into for a quick bout of highscore chasing.
Its simple nature means that it works well for those looking for a quick bout of "footbrawling" fun with a friend.
1080° Snowboarding will provide plenty of entertainment, particularly in two-player mode. The controls do a good job of making you feel like you are weaving, sliding and jumping your way down snowy courses, whilst sound effects, rumble and decent animation help enhance this experience. The main problem is the low number of tracks and competing against a single opponent makes playing the courses in Match Race similar to just tackling them in Time Trial. The tracks are very enjoyable to play, whether alone or with a friend, and the other game modes add some variety. This is still one of the best snowboarding games around, but if you're flying solo then you might want to consider something with a bit more meat on the bone.
Sitting in a vehicle moving along a set path as you take photographs might not seem like much fun, but Pokémon Snap quickly proves to be a highly enjoyable, if short-lived, experience. The quest to find a few more Pokémon or score better to open up new stages or get a useful item keeps you engaged for the game's brief duration and the variety of creatures and their actions keeps things interesting when replaying stages. There are only 63 Pokémon to find, and it can be cleared very quickly, but there's plenty of opportunity for new and improved (or funnier) photos with each playthrough. There may not be much reason for an immediate return once you have snapped 'em all, but whenever you do, this spin-off's inhabitants will surely bring a smile to your face.
The 19 (plus four) characters provide a good variety of options for the fighting and the battles are as fun as ever thanks to the usual range of offensive options and evasive manoeuvres. The fun out of bounds victories from the first Real Bout game have gone and there's been a change to the multi-plane system, but there's still plenty of fighting thrills to be had here. Real Bout 2 is ultimately a better game, but Real Bout Fatal Fury Special is still a solid fighter that can provide plenty of entertainment.
Initially seeming quite basic, Arcade Archives Moon Patrol becomes a lot of fun thanks to the various dangers encountered and discovering the different ways the limited controls can be utilised to clear these dangers. Working through the different sections is enjoyable and it is thrilling to clear a troublesome one.
Return to it after a while away (alone or with a friend) and Sengoku 2 will provide some decent sidescrolling slashing action.
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory is an entertaining game with a good presentation and the new lane system gives a slightly different feel to fights (mainly used for short-term evasion) that works well. There's been a reduction in characters, but there's a good range leading to plenty of enjoyable fights. The Real Bout games that followed would build on this however, so although Fatal Fury 3 is a competent enough fighter, it's not a must download title.
There's only eight levels, but there's enjoyment to be had from Arcade Archives Kid Niki Radical Ninja as you hop about and avoid attacks, take some enemies out on the left, then the right, jump to move forwards and smack some in midair too. The game can be challenging, but satisfying when you up your pace sufficiently to stop that timer hitting zero and the boss battles are fun too. If you are just looking to finish the game there's not much replay value once cleared, but there's a few ways to improve your score which adds to the replayability when combined with the online leaderboards.
The King of Fighters '96 offers the usual enjoyable team battles with a good range of fighters to pick from. This particular entry introduces some nifty gameplay changes to the series. Of course, all of this and more would feature in the ultimately better The King of Fighters '98, but it's a confident entry in the series nonetheless. If you're interested in the ongoing story then The King of Fighters '96 is still a competent fighter, and there's plenty of entertainment to be had in its hand-drawn brawls.
Slower paced than many shmups, Pulstar is still fun to play through as you avoid enemy attacks, take shots at your attackers and look for an opportunity to unleash a charged attack. Despite some elements blending into the background on occasion and moments of slowdown, the visuals in the game are well done. The music is great and enhances the experience greatly. A detachable pod would be a good option to add some choice to how you tackle the challenge and too often you must rely on memorisation to get through the dangers, but nevertheless Pulstar remains an tough yet enjoyable retro offering.
Playing through the arcade mode entertains, but the game works best in two-player mode and Street Hoop is a good option when looking for a quick bout of two-player fun.
Heroes of Monkey Tavern will certainly scratch your dungeon-crawling itch, especially if you're a fan of the seminal Dungeon Master, the game's biggest inspiration.
It would be better if there was a choice of selectable characters, but Robo Army is a well presented scrolling beat 'em up that offers plenty of entertainment
The King of Fighters '95 is a decent fighting game with a good selection of characters to pick from.
It's a short game, but Caveman Warriors still entertains as you work through the levels figuring out how best to deal with the threats encountered and then how to defeat the bosses. There's some good character designs in the game and fun moments - like the way scared foes flee in panic only to knock themselves out by running into a wall. It's not without fault however, with the over-the-top knock-backs from hits being the biggest irritant. There's some replayability in trying to track down all the fuses and then tackle the harder versions of the levels and the co-op play works well. If you've got some friends around and are looking to pass the time with some platforming action, then Caveman Warriors is a good pick.
Great visual design, varied levels and a number of different enemies make Spin Master an enjoyable game to play through. It can be cleared very quickly, but limiting your credits is a good way to ensure the challenge remains. Those uninterested in highscore chasing will find less replayablity in the game, but it's a fun way to spend half an hour whenever you do boot it up; it offers quick arcade thrills when playing with a friend, whether on a big screen or undocked with a Joy-Con each.