Griffin Vacheron
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a polished little gem, but the word "little" is key. While not brimming with content (it clocks in at about 7 hours), its brain-bending stages are a welcome dose of EAD Tokyo goodness, even if it does lack co-op. Short but sweet, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker isn't a must-play, but you're unlikely to regret buying it.
Hyrule Warriors is mindless fun, with surprising detail and depth. It's not pure Zelda though, and if that's what you're expecting then you may want to prepare yourself first. Despite ample shortcomings, it's one of the better Musou titles in recent memory.
There's nothing wrong with a concise game that delivers a targeted and fun experience—just don't expect to be blown away.
Toukiden 2 is without question a fun game, but so is Dynasty Warriors. My ultimate takeaway is that Omega Force has touched on some pleasant RPG charm and exploration of world and character here, but perhaps hasn't gone far enough; instead, the game flirts with such elements before falling back on familiarity.
ARMS is without doubt a mixed bag, but its laundry list of upside and paid-off risk-taking do render it worthwhile if you crave creative and purely fun local multiplayer on Switch. You'll want to convince your friends to go motion or button-only across the board of course, and while ARMS' online modes seem stable, somehow I suspect the Ranked Match will seed more frustration than enjoyment for most players. That is, if the formidable challenge of Grand Prix at higher difficulty is any indication.
Ultimately I'm not sure that fusing action and strategy for the latest Valkyria was a wise move, especially when the latter ultimately feels tacked-on in comparison with the depth found in previous games. Throw in gameplay that feels wholly isolated from Revolution's original, compelling, but also convoluted and overwrought plot and narrative delivery, and overall pacing and flow end up becoming a weak point despite their success during individual sections.
If there's never another arcade-style hoops title for Switch, then Playgrounds certainly meets my bare-minimum needs. It could have been so much more though, and as such I'm hoping Saber Interactive comes back with a fleshed-out second attempt (maybe another sport?) sometime down the road. In the meantime, Playgrounds delivers the outrageous exhibitions you're looking for - just don't expect it to provide much else.
Beyond its core, though, The Final Challengers' value prop is pretty bad, and with no real modes outside of Arcade to makes this edition particularly appealing, there's little reason to need it. It's true there's online play, which does feature a clever point-based ranking system, but the former is not new and the latter is not so compelling as to drive player investment. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will make a fine gift for a youngster or acquaintance Street Fighter celibate, but it's probably not worth your time until the price goes down otherwise.
All in all, if you're a die-hard fan you're probably going to buy this, and may have already. The graphics won't disappoint, and if you've stayed away from the series and are just returning now, you may even be blown away. Yearly participants won't be nearly as impressed, though, and short of an (admittedly impressive) fresh coat of paint, the cons far outweigh the pros for this year's chair-bashing, knee-dropping pro wrestling encounter.