Ys IX: Monstrum Nox has the type of performance issues we shouldn't be seeing on consoles these days. When it's cooking, however, it provides a fully satisfying JRPG adventure for those seeking unique monsters to fight, vast environments to explore, and intriguing mysteries to unravel.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth may be yet another in a long line of retro 2D action/platformers available for the Nintendo Switch, but it deserves to be moved towards the front of that line. Fans of the genre will find plenty to like here, so long as they're willing to accept backtracking as a core gameplay element.
Beautiful Desolation is a deep, intelligent, puzzle adventure presented with a unique isometric view. It's an easy recommendation to sci-fi fans who prefer narrative over action, but the Switch is not the best way to explore this apocalyptic world.
The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection offers three intense, challenging, and mostly thrilling Ryu Hayabusa games for the price of one. Three may be one too many, but this is still a good deal for those seeking visceral, violent, video-game action.
Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited carry aspects of their age with them, but this bundle of two somewhat obscure RPGs still provides a deep, detailed, dungeon-crawling experience that is well-suited to the Switch handheld.
Rise Eterna is good enough to give tactical RPG fans something to enjoy while they await big studio releases, but its lack of difficulty and unfortunate UI issues will prevent other gamers from playing through to its unsatisfying ending.
Maneater certainly gives players a different point-of-view on the action/RPG genre. Taking a shark from its violent beginnings to an inevitable battle for vengeance makes for a unique gaming journey. Unfortunately, its nice visuals and sly sense of humor aren't enough to break up the monotony of undersea survival.
Knight Squad 2 improves upon the original with new features, a nice layer of visual polish, and a much-needed online multiplayer component. The arcade party action is otherwise the same as in the original, however, which could disappoint those who have to buy the game again to get these enhancements.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is massive. It's massively fun and massively rewarding. Fans of JRPGs can get delightfully lost in its deep story, its numerous characters, and its battle system that provides a ridiculous amount of options for customization. Just make sure you've played Trails of Cold Steel III (and have at least read up on I and II).
With its unique visuals, clever environmental puzzles, and non-violent gameplay, El Hijo is a welcome entry in the somewhat overlooked stealth/puzzle genre. If you don't buy into the gameplay before the repetition sets in, however, it can become an adventure that's easily abandoned.