Diablo II: Resurrected gets enough polish and features to appeal to fans of the original release and to series newcomers. The exploration/combat loop is still fully engaging, with only a few remnants of its age interfering with gameplay on the Switch.
WarioWare has traditionally been one of the more bizarre entries in the Nintendo catalog, but it has always been a welcome one. And although the crazy microgame approach won't appeal to everyone, WarioWare: Get It Together! freshens up the approach just enough to make sure longtime fans will want to check it out.
A Night at the Races does an admirable job of balancing difficult, twitch-style gaming with a narrative that's unique to the genre. It's not for everyone, but those who are up to the challenge will find it a bit more rewarding than most high-speed platformers.
WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy is a port of a made-for-mobile, turn-based JRPG that should've stayed on mobile devices. It's not bad, but it's better played in short bursts where the game's lack of a solid hook and issues with repetition are more forgivable.
Telling a cautionary tale about society isn't usually the goal of an arcade sport game, but that's exactly what Golf Club Wasteland does. That it's also fun to play is a nice bonus, providing an oddly relaxing and challenging experience for puzzle and platforming fans alike.
If you've never heard of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams, that's no reason to ignore Cotton Reboot! You need not be a retro gamer to appreciate this shoot 'em up's excellent arcade/action gameplay, you just need to be a fan of cute, upbeat fun.
Corpse Killer – 25th Anniversary Edition offers us a trip back to gaming's horrific full-motion video past. It's an era we should study to make sure we don't repeat our mistakes, but it's far enough behind us now that I can admit some of those mistakes can provide a bit of goofy fun.
Papa's Quiz is not the most dynamic trivia game available for the Nintendo Switch, but it may be the best at making sure family members of all ages are on an even playing field. It's perfect for a couple rounds when family movie night's done but you're not yet ready for bed.
The very core of Epistory – Typing Chronicles is centered around words and story. The narrative and visuals carry over well to the Switch, but the typing combat gimmick requires the cumbersome use of an external keyboard or the built-in adaptation to Joy-Con controls. It's a fun, clever game, but one that's best experienced on the computer.
With refreshed visuals and a streamlined roster, Samurai Warriors 5 is perhaps the best Warriors game released for a Nintendo device since Warriors Orochi III Hyper. The crazy combat on massive battlefields has been streamlined, as has the between-levels management, making for an engaging game that should thrill both old and new fans of the franchise.
Akiba's Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is a rudimentary port that certainly shows its age, but the stripping-based combat and crazy story/quests are unique enough to provide a refreshing experience for action gamers who are open to its mature content.
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).