Space Crew: Legendary Edition falls into the category of a "certain type of game for a certain type of player." If you haven't played a challenging space sim, then I really don't think Space Crew is for you. It's hard and very unforgiving, with lots of systems you need to understand and control. However, if you're someone who loves challenging space sims and you're looking for something new to play on your Nintendo Switch, then Space Crew: Legendary Edition is likely a decent game you'll enjoy. It really depends on the type of player you are.
My time with Astroneer was a pleasant experience that let me enjoy a more chilled out base building game. It lets you explore these worlds and discover everything it has to offer without ever holding your hand, nor providing challenges to make you feel stressed. That said, the chill gameplay style ultimately is the game's long-term demise. After your first 10 to 15 hours, there's no real reason to continue on to other worlds. Besides the setting changes, there's nothing that new or challenging about going to other worlds. If you're looking for a fun game to play with your friends, then Astroneer can be a good pickup. If you're looking for the next long-term gaming experience, you might want to look elsewhere.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Youropa is a special puzzle game that manages to do enough memorable things to keep you interested and invested. Smart puzzle designs make the game a fun challenge to complete, along with clever new abilities you unlock as you play. The big miss here is its painting mechanic, which it describes as an important aspect, but rarely ever uses the feature. Youropa offers plenty of variety to keep you playing throughout its adventure.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is one of the best retro gaming collections to come out in years. Obviously the developers absolutely loved the series, because every single moment of this collection is bursting with Ninja Turtle love. From including some of the best home console and arcade games, to including the most in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the games, The Cowabunga Collection sets the new standard for how retro collections should be. While the collection includes a few less than stellar games you should probably avoid, there are 8 great games to jump in to and have a great time. These are some of the best games to appear on a Nintendo (or Sega) console in the past and a great way to revisit these classics again today on Nintendo Switch.
Redout 2 is a blast play for long-time F-Zero fans. Its blisteringly fast gameplay and brutal difficulty make it feel right at home with some of F-Zero's more recent outings. The game demands precision, insanely fast reflexes, and the willingness to fail and try again. Redout 2 does this with just the right level of frustration, but also rewards and entices you back for more. It's definitely not for newcomers to the F-Zero-like genre, as it's easy to get frustrated and consistently lose races. It also doesn't help that this Nintendo Switch version currently has a few visual and gameplay hiccups; they don't ruin the experience but ultimately hinder it a bit. Regardless, Redout 2 on Nintendo Switch is a must-play for F-Zero fans.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series does a great job of grouping two beloved but not well known games together in a package that works well on Nintendo Switch. The games have a charming visual style and a gameplay simplicity that I greatly appreciate. That said the game does have some unforgiving late game platforming that randomly pops up for no reason, some annoying voice over work, and a lackluster celebration for, you know, what's supposed to be a series milestone. There's enough fun to be had with Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series to recommend this game to anyone who enjoys 2D platformers or someone who's looking to rediscover two classic games deserving more attention. Hopefully, this will lead to Klonoa seeing either a new game or the Game Boy Advance games being remade.
Kao the Kangaroo is a fun reboot that should get your attention. The save-system bug aside, Kao the Kangaroo is a simple and fun 3D platformer that anyone can enjoy. Yes, it doesn't provide much of a challenge and once you've played through you will have seen everything on offer. You're not getting the next Mario Odyssey-like game in terms of quality; it's clearly a developer trying to punch higher than it can really go. That said, the game itself is a lot of fun and a refreshingly easy take on the genre. If you're looking for your next easygoing platformer or just something that anyone in the family can enjoy, you should check out Kao the Kangaroo.
Research and Destroy does enough to be a fun turn-based strategy game. The unique gameplay elements truly make you strategize completely before acting on the battlefield. There's also the great drop-in and drop-out multiplayer, creating a new level of chaotic fun. It does lack replayability, as you're shown everything on your first runthrough. That said, if you're a fan of turn-based strategies, this is one game you should check out.
Mega Man Battle & Fighters feels right at home besides its console, mainline counterparts. The controls are super tight, the visuals are extremely pretty, and the boss battles are equally challenging but rewarding. Mega Man fans will feel right at home with this set of fighting games. That said, the localization is completely non-existent, making it pretty much impossible to understand anything in the game (including menu navigation). Deal breaking? No, but keep Google Translate open at all times. For people who aren't fans of the Mega Man formula, Mega Man Battle & Fighters doesn't do anything different that might pull you in. It's a Mega Man-style game through and through, so if that isn't your thing, you might want to look elsewhere.
NBA 2K22 is another good entry in the fantastic NBA 2K series. Its reworked shooting mechanics, impressive visuals on Switch, and loads of NBA content will keep any basketball fan's attention for hours on end. While many modes received no noticeable additions, and there's a heavy desire for spending money on microtransactions, NBA 2K22 is still a must-play for Switch basketball fans.
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.
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.
Kirby's Dream Buffet does enough things right to be a great experience both solo or against friends and family. The super colorful and attractive dessert stages are a blast to play on and the main gameplay concept is easy to grasp but hard to master. There's plenty of rewards to unlock , so don't worry about running out of things to try to get. While not the easiest Kirby game you can play and a few mini-games completely missing the mark, Kirby's Dream Buffet is an absolute delight. For $15, there's no reason to miss out.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War might be one of the most technically impressive games to come to Nintendo Switch in quite some time. With all the action on screen, the game manages to maintain a smooth and consistent experience regardless of how many enemies or online players are present. It's a goofy, campy title that knows it's goofy and steers into that goofiness throughout your adventure. It's also unique in that it's as much fun to play by yourself as it is to play with friends, although I have to admit playing with friends makes the experience a little more hysterical. While the character movement is too janky for its own good, this doesn't ruin the experience at all. Put simply, if you're looking for a good zombie shooter to play by yourself or with friends, then Zombie Army 4 must absolutely be at the top of your list.