Tales of Symphonia Remastered is still a great action JRPG and an important one in establishing the now long-running series, but there are better ways to experience it than this.
Akka Arrh is a super cool game which is impossible not to like, and very difficult to put down.
Void Scrappers is an absolute no brainer if you like quirky shooters and actually sits quite nicely alongside other genre-mates.
Metroid Prime Remastered is the best remaster on Switch to date by some margin, which is saying a lot. Still essential after all these years.
Issues with the combat aside, there is much to enjoy in what Untold Tales have served up with Atone.
It is fantastic that titles like Raiden IV x MIKADO Remix are still being released, and even missing TATE mode it's a recommendation.
Hyper Gunsport is great in couch co-op and versus modes, where the fast paced and fun action takes you back to the golden age of gaming.
Persona 4 Golden on Switch is the best possible version of Atlus's finest blend of dungeon crawling role player action dark murder mystery.
Persona 3 Portable has a script that's sharp as a tack, and one which makes you identify and fall in love with the quirky cast of characters that you interact with, as well as feeling very much in control of your protagonist.
Papetura is short and undemanding, and with controls that have made the leap well to the Switch from its point and click Steam origins.
Breakers Collection may not have a ton of content, but it is as comprehensive as you could wish, and is incredibly fun to play.
Dragon Quest Treasures is just an infinitely likeable game, that had had me beaming from ear to ear from the word go.
The Rumble Fish 2 has the promise of online play with rollback netcode – which should make this perfect for going online and getting absolutely smoked by a Japanese kid who has probably forgotten more than you will ever know. Superb.
Orbital Bullet is reasonably easy to beat, but is also instant blasting fun, with a cool rotating mechanic, excellent visuals and a thumping soundtrack.
Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals is undoubtedly the best way to experience Inertial Drift. This is a game that is relatively easy to pick up, very difficult to master, but remains utterly compulsive.
Fifty years is a long old time to remain even slightly relevant in the games industry, and whilst this package probably wont win too many new fans, it gives retro fans a great walk down memory lane.
If you can overlook these issues, and are a fan of stuff like Rune Factory, Stardew Valley or even the slept-on Level 5 title Fantasy Life – the latter a definite kindred spirit in terms of its JRPG tropes, action, farming and jobs – then you will get a lot out of Harvestella.
Buddy Simulator 1984 may not have the best RPG mechanics in the world, and you may as well forget about playing it in docked mode due to the level of text input involved early doors, but see past these minor gripes and this Switch port of a 2021 Steam belter is absolutely worth your time.
Outside of the lengthy modes discussed, it's just what you want out of a football game: a damn good game of footy. I don't care what they call it next year, if it improves on this then I will be there on day one.
There is much to see and do with The Cowabunga Collection, and whilst the games are arguably all eclipsed by the recent Dotemu reboot, there are still some blinding retro classics and so many extras to enjoy that this collection is a great value trip through your childhood console and arcade memories.