GOOD - Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is a massive improvement over the other entries of the Atelier series on the Switch. The colorful visuals, exceptional crafting system, and gameplay enhancements make this a fun and rewarding experience in its own right. However, the overly simplistic story, uninspired level designs, and other minor issues keep it from reaching greatness. This is the perfect introduction to the Atelier series and a good place to jump in.
Thief Simulator gives you the skills to turn you into a burglar – something that’s quite unique on the Switch. The game is easy to pick up and play, requiring some patience and skill to master.
GREAT - Duck Game is a quirky gem that has stood the test of time. Once released on a failure of a console, it has managed to find new life on the Switch with its fun gameplay and fantastic game modes. In the end, this game is a true work of poultry.
GOOD - Puyo Puyo Champions is Puyo Puyo, plain and simple. It offers half the content of its predecessor, with a price that is definitely fair for what’s being offered. If you’re looking for the Puyo Puyo experience and want to save on money, then this is the game for you. But if you have the money, then it might be best to spring for Puyo Puyo Tetris.
GOOD - My Time At Portia is a charming attempt at the Simulation RPG genre. While it has its fair share of flaws that make the game difficult to get into at first, the experience beyond the entry point is nothing short of rewarding. There’s a sincere charm to this game that you don’t often find.
MEDIOCRE - Undead’s Building is a neat and quirky concept that just wasn’t taken far enough. The gameplay gets stale fast, and the lack of content doesn’t help that. There are some charming aspects, but this one needed more development time to become something truly special.
GOOD - Claybook lives up to the creative freedom that it promises, but lacks some polish that it really needed. The creative mode goes above and beyond what you expect from it, with the well-needed community feature. However, the mixed visual quality, lack of music variety, and other small issues should be well noted before you delve into its artistic world.
MEDIOCRE - Blood Waves might satisfy some zombie aficionados, but most gamers have seen and played better games in this genre. The lack of polish, tedious grinding, and high difficulty make this game an easy one to pass up. For the $10 price it’s not horrible, but with so many other great games near the same price point, it’s hard to recommend this one.
GREAT - Whether you’re looking for a serious Final Fantasy experience, or looking to have a fun time with an adorable fluffy yellow bird, you’re going to need this game in your Switch library. The game features bright and colorful graphics and charming characters, and yet somehow manages to marry them with challenging gameplay. Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy is a great fit for the Switch!
BAD - Awesome Pea is an action-platformer that lacks any form of passion. Zero creativity, poor music, and forgettable level designs make this one an easy “NO” for most gamers.
GREAT - Rico is a high adrenaline action FPS that plays well and features plenty of single player and co-op content. If you’re looking for competitive PvP you’ll have to look elsewhere, but for everyone else this one’s a blast!
GOOD - Treasure Stack is a fun puzzle game that plays it safe and doesn’t draw outside the lines. It’s great to see another developer run with the Wario’s Woods concept, but unfortunately it fails to outdo that game, which Switch Online members can play right now via the NES app for free.
WORTH CONSIDERING - #Killallzombies is a fresh take on the Zombie survival genre. The fun twin-stick gameplay mixed with the random quirky style makes for a memorable experience. However, difficulty spikes and a lack of game modes hold it back from being a truly great game.
GREAT - Piczle Colors is a fresh and fun take on the puzzle genre. The new gameplay element is fun for beginners, and there’s a hefty amount of content to back it up. The game may be too easy for experts at this type of game, but for everyone else this is a great starting point.
GREAT - Dragon’s Lair Trilogy is a collection of beautifully animated arcade classics that stand the test of time. They were great back in the day, and they play great on the Nintendo Switch. Everything from the classic arcade games has been preserved in the trilogy collection, and it even has some extra features, customizable options, and deleted scenes not used in the arcade versions.
WORTH CONSIDERING - FutureGrind has a fair amount of effort in some places but comes up short in others. The gameplay is simple yet creative, the tracks are challenging, and the backgrounds and music really draw you into the game’s world. On the other hand, there’s a severe lack of content and the game never goes far enough with its premise.
MEDIOCRE - Xenon Valkyrie+ is a bit of a mixed bag. It has plenty of cute visuals and fun gameplay, but it falls short in more important aspects like its level designs and replayability. If you just want some short fun then this would be worth considering. Everyone else should probably pass.
WORTH CONSIDERING - As a piece of visual art, Mind: Path to Thalamus is an experience that will have you in awe. The game side of things isn’t as rosy, with trial and error gameplay and a very weak and tacked on story. If those aren’t important to you then this one is definitely one to consider.
GOOD - Rain World is one part cute, one part creepy, and another part frustrating survival game. The controls are not easy to master, and some will no doubt find the punishment of death in this game unforgiving. Still, those that like a challenge are sure to find something to like!
MEDIOCRE - Gear.Club Unlimited 2 attempted to make a console sequel from a mobile game but didn’t put in enough effort to do so. The game looks beautiful, and there is a hefty amount of content to unlock. But the heavy controls, unbearable loading times, and overall mobile feel of the game ruin what could have been an amazing experience. Oh, and it’s way too expensive for what you get.