David Temple
Samurai Riot is a decent 2D action arcade game, it just needs some refinement. It looks good, it (mostly) plays well, and it satisfies the old arcade beat-'em-up desire. If the developers fix a couple annoying glitches, it'll be a solid options for genre fans.
Cotton Fantasy: Superlative Night Dreams is a bit pricey for the time it takes to get to the end. However, it's a shoot-em-up. It's not about getting through a story, it's about shooting baddies and getting a high score. Fans of shmups (and of the recently revitalized Cotton in particular) will have some fun with this one.
Watcher Chronicles offers enough of an RPG action platforming challenge to make you work for it, and provides enough satisfaction to keep you coming back for more (especially in local multiplayer). It doesn't take itself too seriously, it just lets the player(s) get on with enjoying the game.
If you enjoy platformers, Flat Kingdom Paper's Cut Edition is a good addition. It doesn't rank the highest on my list because of sensitive jump points which can oftentimes be frustrating. But when taken for what it is-a unique platformer with fun narrative and visual twists-it's worth the purchase.
Defend the Rook is a rogue-like tactics game that's challenging enough to make you earn your victories while keeping you ready to try again when it beats you. If you like strategy games, this entry is worth adding to your Switch library.
I can't really give Aztech Forgotten Gods a recommendation. What looked like a grand action adventure with interesting storytelling, exotic imagery, and cool gadgets, turned into a blancmange-several ingredients, but flavorless and unsatisfying. It could be worth the price-tag if it gets cleaned up and organized, but I wouldn't buy it at this point.
Castle Morihisa is a deck-building strategy game with plenty of pros and only a few cons. The cons do not weigh so heavily that the game isn't fun. It isn't the best at everything it tries to do (most which you've seen before), but it is an enjoyable game.
Guild of Ascension combines the familiar elements of a good ol' dungeon crawl with a newfound freedom of actions based on real-world time. There isn't a lot of story-telling, and a little polish which would help the tutorial and camera controls. But you get to engage in the progression of accomplishments with earning XP, gaining loot, upgrading weapons, accessing additional features, and defeating the baddies to win the day.
As an action/rogue-lite hybrid, Tunnel of Doom offers plenty of playtime and random arrangements to provide some uncertainty and challenge (no simple pattern memorizing). It's hurt by little variety, almost no story to engage the player, and limited visuals, but it isn't a bad option if you want a game to while away some time in darkened mine tunnels.
While not the best point-and-click adventure game in the land, Lone McLonegan is worth a playthrough if you're into the puzzle/adventure genre. The $9.99 asking price comes with pleasantly quirky visuals and music, slightly odd puzzle solving, and some funny dialogue.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a great game. I would like to give it top marks, but in spite of all the good design elements, cool soundtrack, and very good dialogue and voice acting, the Switch's cloud version connection issues are a problem I can't just overlook.
Monomals may look like a sleeper from an indie studio, but it hits a lot of the right notes for gamers looking for some action platformer fun with a musical twist. You get good game play, plenty of time and replay, and an outlet for your creative side.
Knights & Guns uses…well…knights and guns to change up the classic Space Invaders / Galaga 2D action gameplay, but is bogged down by its in-game economy for weapons and advancement. It's fun for some quick two-player gaming sessions, but is not rewarding enough for long-term engagement.
King's Bounty II is a good adventure game with better turn-based combat. There are plenty of elements to keep the player interested, but the story does not have the depth you might expect, and therefore doesn't warrant the $59.99 price tag.
Champion's Battle is, in short, fun. There is plenty to do and, even though the price-tag is a bit on the high side, it is a complete game. Any foibles are minor and easy to overlook if you just want to enjoy a card-based strategy RPG.
Unavowed is a solid retro adventure game. The story is not always evenly paced, but it is compelling with plenty of twists and surprises. The gameplay is simple, and the parts all work together to make a coherent whole.
As a single player game, the arcade racer Crash Drive 3 can feel a bit empty. But it'll very likely be a real hoot for the kids who just want to explore and goof around. As a multiplayer game, it can be a free-for-all blast.
I try to give each game a fair shake regardless of whether it’s new or a port, reboots, etc. So, all by itself, Destroy All Humans for the Nintendo Switch is a romp. It isn’t quite as long as I hoped, but playing a jet pack wearing, Elvis impersonator looking, little green (gray, actually) man from outer space with a Zap-O-Matic and a flying saucer capable of blowing up tanks is a barrel of fun.
Unfortunately, the good parts of Foodtruck Arena are mostly outweighed by the plain and unoriginal nature of the game itself and the sloppy controls. I was hoping for a spicy sportster, but ended up with a bland-mobile.
Cosmic Top Secret is a fun adventure/puzzle game. The odd presentation may strike some as just being weird, but I think it's quirky enough to be both different and engaging. If you are geared more toward action games, this may not be your thing. But if you like detective stories, this is a good option.