Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes carries enough of Three Houses to appeal to that game's fans even if they're not into the hack-and-slash of Musou games. Warriors fans should like it, too. If your Fire Emblem fandom reaches further back than the 3DS, however, you'll once again have to grin and bear all the fluff.
Yurukill: The Calumniation Games combines puzzle solving with bullet hell action to create a unique gaming experience. Its dark premise is handled with humor and an engrossing mystery that'll push you quickly to a rewarding end, and various difficulty settings will make sure fans of both genres can get there.
The action adventure game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising manages to carve out its own identity while serving as an introduction to the lore of the forthcoming Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes JRPG. Basic combat, tedious fetch-quests and linear town-building may put off those seeking a solid challenge, but the game's sprightly action, jovial spirit, and spunky characters will carry casual platformer fans through its relatively short play time.
Touken Ranbu Warriors is a purposeful regression of the Warriors franchise, focusing on the characters and story instead of the Musou-style combat. It works as a lark, especially for fans of the Touken Ranbu franchise. But at the asking price, there are much better options available (and forthcoming) for those who enjoy the 1 vs. 1,000 gameplay mechanics and strategies.
Legend of Ixtona is a by-the-numbers JRPG with turn-based battles fought on an isometric grid. The ability to hire customizable characters and invest in your village adds some unique elements, but not enough to fully overcome the generic gameplay, graphics, and story.
The fun and nostalgic creative choices of '70s ear Bush League Hockey aren't quite enough to make up for its clunky gameplay and bad AI. Its 4-player local multiplayer may appeal to hard-core hockey fans, but consider it a healthy scratch for everyone else.
Basically an officially licensed version of What the Dub?!, RiffTrax: The Game succeeds as a creative/comedy party game by adding the familiar voices of the RiffTrax crew. A few gameplay tweaks improve the dialogue riffing formula, but more movie clips and some variation in the game's rounds would keep the fun running longer.
The House of the Dead: Remake successfully moves to the Switch everything you loved about the on-rails shooting arcade game…except the controls. It's fun to play with a friend provided you both understand that the very act of aiming and shooting will be an exercise in frustration.
TAITO Milestones is a no-frills package of ten '80s-era arcade games, most of which are available separately in the Nintendo eShop. If you don't already own the ones you want, it's a decent collection with some obscure gems that may become your new favorites. A couple, however, don't make a smooth transition from their arcade controls to your Joy-Con.
The Last Cube is a challenging (but fair) logic game that can be enjoyed by both casual and hard-core puzzle solvers. The interesting visuals and strict focus on the puzzles create an atmosphere in which it's easy to stay lost even when frustration starts to set in.
Triangle Strategy pushes heavily into its narrative, perhaps to the detriment of its turn-based combat. That will turn some away. But for those who are willing to push through, you'll find the game worth (nearly) every second you put into it. Excellent level design, diverse character abilities, and a tense political climate generate an engrossing experience for JRPG fans.
Remember when Fire Emblem games focused more on story and combat than on fishing, construction, and class studies? So do the developers of Dark Deity, an SRPG that survives some annoying bugs and UI issues to provide a satisfying, briskly-paced adventure.
Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is another worthwhile entry in the Pinball FX3 library. Although it's not the best deal Zen has to offer, the machine is good enough to appeal to fans of pinball in general or Indy himself (with visual presentation options to accommodate both groups).
Treasure Temples is a solid option for those seeking low-pressure puzzle gameplay. The redundant visuals and lack of a narrative are easily overcome by clever levels, fun boss challenges, and a unique two-explorer approach to puzzle solving. It's just too bad that "two-explorer" does not equate "two-player."
Ignore the retro RPG trappings of Rise of the Third Power; this is a great game regardless of whether you're approaching it for nostalgic purposes. Its story is just fresh enough, its turn-based combat unique enough, to keep you firmly planted in 2022, not 1992.
Monark has a refreshing battle system that will appeal to turn-based strategy gamers, but the dated graphics and overall redundancy make it a hard game to recommend at its full asking price. As with the game's dangerous Mist, enter with caution.
Heaven Dust 2 offers around 10 hours of isometric action/puzzler fun. It's meant as an homage to Resident Evil, but it stands up well on its own even if you've never played one of those games or the original Heaven Dust. Just be prepared for plenty of backtracking and puzzle confusion along the way.
Ghost Sync is another solid entry in KEMCO's long line of retro JRPGs. Although the story isn't terribly compelling, its female protagonist and unique battle elements are engaging throughout. Use Ghost Sync when you need a diversion from more demanding, intense gaming sessions.
With Shin Megami Tensei V, Atlus has done a solid job of updating the series over to the Nintendo Switch. The new gameplay elements are mostly welcome, and press turn combat and demon fusing elements are better than ever. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the story, which never even begins to get interesting.
If you're the type who likes to relax with the calming sites and sounds of an ocean life documentary, Beyond Blue will allow you to get more interactive with it. The educational and narrative moments don't fully gel with the undersea exploration, and the visuals get murky on the Switch, but that won't matter when you're exploring these deep, safe waters.