Purple Lamp’s best SpongeBob adventure yet pairs a fun ghost mechanic with the show’s trademark humour, but the original Switch version struggles to keep up.
The real appeal of Toy Story: Retro Roundup is seeing how wildly the same games could differ across consoles, with useful rewind and save features making these old favourites easier to revisit. Some handheld releases feel dated, but Toy Story 2 and the bonus A Bug's Life make this a worthwhile trip back.
Bluey’s Happy Snaps captures the charm of the show with its colorful visuals and simple photography mechanics that even young kids can pick up quickly. Exploring each area in search of the right shot is fun, though the experience feels a little too short and the activities lack much depth. Younger fans will get the most out of it, while older players may find their interest fading before long. It’s a charming family game, but I often wished there was more to see and do.
Epic Mickey has always had limited mechanics, and Rebrushed does not change that. However, it offers a charming and unique world along with a strong sense of Disney nostalgia, which is still enough to keep players engaged. The game looks sharper on the Switch 2 and runs at nearly 60 FPS, making it the best version to choose for Nintendo fans.
Kingdom Hearts Collection finally gives Nintendo players native versions, with most titles running smoothly at 60 FPS. However, inconsistent performance in III and 0.2, minimal Switch 2 specific enhancements, and the missing Melody of Memory keep this otherwise comprehensive package from being definitive.
Octopath Traveler remains a polished and compelling turn-based RPG, with excellent combat, flexible progression, and distinctive HD 2D presentation. The Switch 2 version improves clarity and responsiveness with 60fps, but the absence of an upgrade path makes the technical enhancements difficult to justify for returning owners.
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered makes a strong technical leap on Switch 2, pairing smooth 40 FPS gameplay with VRR, portable-friendly visuals, and extensive features. Docked image quality and inconsistent HDR presentation hold it back, but the free upgrade and complete content package make this a substantial modernisation.
Silent Hill: Townfall's first-person perspective, oppressive atmosphere, and layered storytelling give it a distinctive identity, while environmental puzzles are thoughtfully designed. However, forced stealth, restrictive combat, and inconsistent PC performance often disrupt exploration. Its focused psychological horror works best when the game trusts atmosphere over confrontation.
Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave refreshes the series with four intertwined stories, compelling tactical combat, and smart time travel mechanics. Its varied protagonists and flexible progression shine, though repetitive side combat, a weaker central avatar, and missing story recap hurt the pacing. Still, it offers a distinctive and engaging Fire Emblem experience.
Torneko's Mystery Dungeon retains the tense, methodical appeal of classic roguelikes, with satisfying resource management and meaningful risk. Its straightforward systems, thin narrative progression, and demanding structure may feel dated, but modern quality-of-life options and a faithful Switch 2 presentation make it an engaging archival release.
The Sinking City 2 delivers strong Lovecraftian atmosphere, impressive visuals, and satisfying survival horror mechanics, but its momentum falters in the latter half. Repetitive enemies, frequent encounters, and forced evasion undermine the otherwise engaging combat and exploration, leaving a promising sequel that falls short of its excellent opening.
The Blood of Dawnwalker makes an impressive debut with compelling writing, meaningful day night mechanics, and versatile combat. Repetitive enemies, awkward traversal, and technical roughness undermine its ambitious open world, but Rebel Wolves establishes a promising foundation for the new IP.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword successfully modernises the series without losing its identity, pairing precise combat and satisfying Issen mechanics with strong historical fantasy storytelling. The semi-linear structure and mundane side activities occasionally disappoint, but polished presentation and rewarding mastery make this a confident revival.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is an impressive Switch 2 port that preserves the game's expansive world and striking visuals with surprisingly few compromises. Its 30 FPS target is a clear limitation, but generally stable performance and excellent handheld presentation make this a compelling portable version of FromSoftware's masterpiece.
Pokemon Pokopia: Bubbly Basin expands the game's strongest qualities with engaging underwater exploration, meaningful quality of life improvements, and a substantial collection of new content. Its limited story and steep price hold it back, but the new biome adds welcome depth for players invested in the base game.
Lies of P: Complete Edition delivers an exceptional soulslike experience with rewarding combat, intricate level design, and outstanding world-building. Although the narrative loses momentum and the Quality mode disappoints, the excellent Switch 2 port preserves the game's strengths, making it one of the platform's finest action RPGs.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Switch 2 finally gives Nintendo players the quality-of-life features previously exclusive to the PC version, including speed-up options and the ability to disable random encounters, while also delivering crisp 4K visuals in docked mode.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game pairs expressive visuals with a deep, rewarding combat system that captures the spirit of the series. Sparse production values, a thin roster, uneven balance, and an underwhelming Story mode hold it back, but its strong fundamentals make it a promising fighter.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced delivers breathtaking Caribbean vistas and phenomenal, expanded naval warfare powered by a modernized engine. However, the remake struggles on land; its sluggish, RPG-inspired foot combat, inconsistent parkour, and lackluster stealth AI fail to match the groundbreaking standards set by contemporary genre-defining remakes.
Rhythm Heaven Groove masterfully revives the franchise's brilliantly surreal, audio-driven charm with vibrant visuals, catchy tunes, and stellar four-player multiplayer. However, the experience is slightly marred by occasional docked-mode input lag, overly complex secondary directional controls, and a repetitive, underwhelming RPG mode that misses the mark.