In the end, Sonic Superstars is a fun, modern take on the classic 2D Sonic formula. Its solid moment to moment gameplay, fun new visual style, and great soundtrack make for a very fun experience. The game falters a bit in the new addition of Emerald Powers, which aren't fun to collect and aren't useful when collected. The major difficulty spikes in mid-stage bosses and end bosses make for a frustrating combat experience rather than a rewarding one. Still, Sonic Superstars manages to pull together an experience old and new Sonic fans-or 2D platforming fans in general-will get plenty of enjoyment out of.
Quantum Recharged is likely going to appeal only to the Atari faithful or die-hard retro game players. While it's a very simple game to learn and play, there just isn't that much in it to keep you invested for any long amount of time (unless you want to climb the leaderboards). It's great for a five minute burst, which fits well on Nintendo Switch. Yet, like a lot of the Recharged series, the new additions of things like "Mission Mode" highlight how there isn't much you can add to these older games. It's a fun experience that will likely have a limited appeal.
Convergence: A League of Legends story is a fun Metroidvania-style game fans of the genre should keep on their radar. Its smart platforming, tough enemies, and unique eye-catching visuals make for a really fun experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. Its lack of backtracking will definitely divide fans of the genre, who either will love the simple "you see everything in your first go" or become upset that there isn't a reason to go back. Convergence does also suffer from performance problems on Nintendo Switch, which, while not game breaking, will make your experience even harder. That said, Convergence: A League of Legends story is quite a fun time and a great way to get into the larger League of Legends universe.
Ash of Gods: The Way is a unique take on the deck building genre that fans of said genre should check out. It follows the usual "collect cards and build a better deck" that most deckbuilders follow but with the fun twist of leaning more into tactical strategy battles. Add in the potential to have different characters in a battle, which may change the rules of said battle, and you've got yourself a game that never has two of the same battles. Ash of Gods: The Way does make you feel like you're always at the disadvantage going into literally every battle, regardless of the deck you've built. Regardless, Ash of Gods: The Way is a fun enough take on the deckbuilding genre that you should definitely give it a look.
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a fine adventure game that adds in a unique supernatural twist to Sherlock Holmes. The game is at its best when you focus on the supernatural storyline and is at its most boring when it wants you to do anything else. The overall Switch port is quite poor, with poor graphics, constant rendering issues, and poor framerate ruining the experience. Diehard Sherlock Holmes fans that own a Switch may find some fun here, but for everyone else, maybe look elsewhere for a fun adventure rather than pick up Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute triumph that everyone should play. It's one of the few times we get a DLC to a modern game that absolutely nails the classic gaming franchise it took inspiration from. The game looks, sounds, and absolutely plays like a classic Castlevania adventure. The soundtrack will leave you jamming in your head for hours at iconic Castlevania tunes. Its overall shorter game length will ultimately disappoint you, as the DLC is so good you wish it didn't end as soon as it does.
Remnant: From The Ashes is a unique take on the Souls-like genre, blending 3rd-person shooting gameplay with the challenging combat of a Dark Souls game. It surprisingly works and offers something new to the endless Souls-like games that are out there. The issue with Remnant: From The Ashes is that if you don't like Souls-like games, this isn't the game to change your mind. Plus, the Switch port is rough to look at and harder to play due to technical issues. If you absolutely want a unique Souls-like experience and only own a Switch, Remnant: From The Ashes could be worth checking out.
Ib is a surprising experience people should check out if they want a pixel-art title with an extremely creepy atmosphere. Ib makes you feel uncomfortable around every corner and builds tension whenever you go near any painting. The puzzles, the main "meat and potatoes" of Ib are also quite clever, even if a few of them lose the cleverness for a trial-and-error approach. That said, Ib is an extremely short game that feels like it was made for a specific audience. If you hear pixel-art, horror-like titles and are excited by the sound of Ib, you may enjoy Ib. If those words don't immediately get you intrigued, then you might be best to look somewhere else for your next game.
Tiny Troopers Global Ops is a fine and simplistic twin stick shooter. It's a far more enjoyable experience with friends than playing on your own. That said, it doesn't do anything really special to make the experience standout. Its short overall length, even shorter missions and lack of replayability makes Tiny Troopers Global Ops a mixed bag to recommend.
While there's a relaxing tone to putting bikes together and I'm sure someone absolutely obsessed with motorcycles and motorcycle repairs could be intrigued by the title, Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 is such a broken, poorly optimized experience to find much fun in. I spent most of my time incredibly angry at the controls that constantly fought me and the ridiculous loading times to get into those controls. There are a lot of really great experiences to play on Nintendo Switch but Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 isn't one of them.
Metroid Prime Remastered is an amazing return of Metroid Prime and one of the best video games released for Nintendo Switch. Its masterful remaster takes an already amazing game and enhances every detail for modern audiences. Its amazing graphics, improved environmental and character details, smooth gameplay presentation and modern control scheme make Metroid Prime Remastered perfect for anyone wanting to get into the series or longtime fans looking to get back into its high point. There's really nothing bad to be said about Metroid Prime Remastered. It's one of the best remastered games Nintendo's ever done and at $40, it's an absolute steal for the high quality experience you're going to get. Don't hesitate for a moment, go out and buy Metroid Prime Remastered.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a fun game fans of the 3D platforming genre should check out. It's easily one of the best licensed games to come out in a number of years. Visually, the game looks like an episode of the TV show, with super vibrant colors and worlds that are full of life. There's also the great humor found within the game, reminiscent of the early seasons of SpongeBob when the jokes felt clever. That said, it's not without its faults. Ultimately, the puzzles and combat-two major areas of gameplay throughout Cosmic Shake-aren't great. The puzzles are incredibly simplistic and never change as the game goes on, and the combat just feels off throughout the entire game. Neither thing is a game breaking element, but they do take away from a fun experience. In the end, if you're a fan of 3D platformers or fan of SpongeBob SquarePants, there's enough fun to be had in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake that you should check out.
Retro Goal is a solid game that does simple soccer well. It's got a simple control scheme (thanks to its simple gameplay) and offers a surprisingly in-depth management element. Its simplicity is the only negative I can bring out, as you experience everything the game offense incredibly quickly. Your long-lasting enjoyment of this game will likely depend on your love of soccer. If you're like me and aren't a big soccer fan there are a few hours of fun to be found in Retro Goal.
Orbital Bullet is a fine rougelike run 'n gun game that can be fun for a few hours. Its circular stage design and rougelike randomness offer a wide ranging experience every time you play. That rougelike element will ultimately be the make-or-break for anyone's enjoyment of the game. In my experience, it's usually more unfair to you when you start a run, giving you the worst weapons, stages and enemies to fight. It also does nothing new that a few dozen other games haven't done before. Orbital Bullet can best be described as an average experience designed for those who truly love roguelike games.
Space Tail comes across as an forgettably mediocre game. While its art direction and strong story start seem to lead to a potential great adventure, the game mechanics you use are fundamentally broken or just boring. This makes the entire experience feel dragged out and not fun. It's a game that I played for this review and ultimately will never go back to. While it is by no means a bad game, Space Tail is a game I can't recommend for people. There are plenty of better games on Nintendo Switch for you to check out.
Trash Sailors has its fun moments and extremely unique art style to help visually stand out. Plus, like every co-op game in this genre, it can be quite hilarious to play with friends as chaos ensues and everyone is yelling at each other to do tasks. Yet a key gameplay aspect of Trash Sailors is completely broken. The combat doesn't work and isn't fun, despite it being so integral to the gameplay. Add the fact that it's unplayable in single player mode and you've got a very mixed experience that may not be worth your time. Until these issues get fixed and combat is completely overhauled, Trash Sailors may be more trash than treasure. Especially when much better co-op experiences exist on the Nintendo Switch.
Sonic Frontiers takes a huge gamble on changing up its entire gameplay presentation and the open-zone approach mostly works. It's a blast running around in these open zones discovering all there is to offer. There's also plenty of variety in the side quests and minigames, although you won't truly love the throwbacks unless you're a long-time Sonic player. That said, Sonic Frontiers suffers from being glitchy, where you run into graphical issues at nearly every section. It also suffers from major pop-in issues, with noticeably fuzzy visuals and downgraded graphics from other hardware counterparts. It's also a weird game, even by Sonic standards. There's still a lot of fun to be had in Sonic Frontiers and I recommend checking it out.
Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection is a decent experience for those looking for a horror-like game of cat and mouse set in the Jurassic Park universe. It does a decent job building tension with its gameplay, its surprisingly competent raptor AI, and its unique ability to switch up the puzzles. That said, deaths can feel quite cheap, especially when the game has you die for reasons you can't understand (I'm telling you, I was completely under that desk before that raptor came in!). It also drags on a bit too long and doesn't change things up nearly enough, making the experience become quite predictable. Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection provides you with some fun but ultimately a mixed time.
Fault StP Lightkravte is a visually impressive visual novel with some nice, well-written story elements. Your enjoyment is going to completely depend on your familiarity with the Fault series. While it tries to be welcoming to newcomers, it's obvious that various story and character elements are calling back to a previous entry in the series, which goes over the head of newcomers. Fault StP Lightkravte isn't a bad game by any means, but it definitely isn't going to be the visual novel that gets you into the genre.
Dorfromantik is a unique puzzle game that people looking for a chill experience should check out. Yes, it has some weird control scheme decisions that take away from the fun, relaxed experience. That said, Dorfomantik does what every good puzzle game should do: offers smart simplicity. It's a simple to understand but increasingly challenging game that people must check out. It's a relaxing game for people looking for a chill experience and honestly, it's a refreshing change people should enjoy.