All told, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a great time-sink game, featuring mindless but fun action gameplay that offers up the potential for dozens - if not hundreds - of hours of content. Though it certainly feels like a game that's too bloated in places, it manages to balance the Zelda and Dynasty Warriors elements well. Group all of that with stellar presentation and impressive portable gameplay, and you've got a game that does a great job of doing something new (and weird) with a classic Nintendo property. We'd give this one a recommendation, especially to fans of the Zelda series who have always wanted there to be some sort of 'anniversary' game. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition may not have a ton of depth, but it's way more fun than it has any right to be, and you'd be missing out by not picking up this complete edition.
All told, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 feels like a letdown compared to the stellar presentation of its predecessor. Missing features and lower quality games easily make this the more skippable of the two, although that doesn't necessarily mean that this is a bad collection. We'd recommend this to any fans of the Mega Man series – 9 and 10 just about justify the collection on their own – but those who are looking to get their feet wet may want to pass on this and just get the first collection. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is good, but it's not great, so think twice before taking the plunge.
Digital Eclipse did a great job with all the details in Mega Man Legacy Collection, presenting the original games in their best possible light, while tossing in a handful of extra features and challenges on top to sweeten the deal.
Nihilumbra is the kind of game that clearly has grand ambitions, but it seldom has the chops to properly pull things off.
All told, Yonder is that kind of game that has value, but only a very specific kind of gamer will be able to find it. Yonder isn't a bad game by any means, but it's clear that it tries to do too much at once and doesn't stop to make sure that anything is that fun in practice. Mediocre gameplay mechanics aside, it's a relaxing game to play with your coffee in the morning, and the presentation value is a definite plus. We'd recommend this to anyone looking for a relatively shallow game that doesn't take a whole much of a time investment; for what it is, Yonder is a decent game, though it's hardly a must-play.
Discovery is that kind of 'meh' game that leans a little hard on unoriginal ideas. It's not that there isn't room for more games in the sandbox genre that Minecraft pioneered, but these games need to bring something fresh or innovative to the table if they are to stand a chance of forging their own identity. [OpenCritic note: Mitch Vogel separately reviewed the Wii-U (6) and Switch (5) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Lumines Remastered is a luminary of the puzzle genre and feels perfectly at home on the Switch. Intense and immersive puzzle action, psychedelic visuals, a killer soundtrack, and a bevy of content and modes make for a premier puzzle experience that should not be missed. Lumines is an addictive experience that is positively a delight to play, and we would highly recommend it to both veterans and newcomers of the puzzle genre. There's something here for everyone, and considering the relatively low price tag, Lumines Remastered is very much ‘required playing' for any Switch owner.
Shining Resonance Refrain is the kind of game that can put on a solid performance, but it's also abundantly clear that it doesn't quite have the pipes to hit the high notes; it's a good game, but not a great one. A fascinating setting, live action combat system, and eye-catching cel-shade visuals are all balanced by a slightly dampening feeling of mediocrity that never seems to go away. Fans of RPGs will find plenty to love here, it's a well-rounded, content-rich game that understands its audience well, but it's also a very safe RPG. We'd ultimately give Shining Resonance Refrain a recommendation, especially if you're a newcomer looking for a good RPG to show you what the genre is all about, but veterans may be a bit disappointed with the final product.
Octopath Traveler is a special RPG, the kind of game that keeps an eye on the past while walking bravely into the future. Indeed, we'd even go so far as to say this is the best RPG you can find on the Switch to date, all elements of this game link together perfectly to make for a harmonious and immersing experience that you'll find difficult to put down. We'd recommend Octopath Traveler to both fans and newcomers of RPGs; the game does a fantastic job of straddling that line of accessibility and depth, satisfying both camps with its dizzying amount of content. Classic-inspired gameplay, an orchestrated soundtrack, and a unique approach to storytelling make this a game that you won't want to miss. This is an absolute must buy.
Mugsters is a decent action puzzle game that will no doubt prove to be satisfying to a certain kind of audience. Goofy, physics-based puzzles, fun multiplayer, and a solid amount of content are definite positives, though these are hamstrung by the poor camera and grindy repetition of the gameplay. We'd give this one a light recommendation, as there's plenty of enjoyment to be found, but this is by no means a must-play.
All told, Mega Man X Legacy Collection is a fantastic re-release of several must-play gaming classics, presenting them as authentically as possible while still including a few modern features on top that help to improve the overall experience and keep it from feeling antiquated. Throw in the new X Challenge mode and an enormous archive of museum content and this stands as the definitive way to play the Mega Man X games in the modern era. Four fantastic games, a bevy of extra content, and the ability to play at home or on the go make this one an easy recommendation.
It's difficult not to be a little disappointed in Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2, although Capcom deserves credit for doing the best it could to polish up the weaker games in the series. At the end of the day, putting lipstick on a pig can only do so much, and these games unfortunately don't hold up quite as well as the first four entries in the series. Even so, X5 and X6 are pretty good, and though X7 is a hot mess of confused design, X8 has plenty of fun moments. If you liked the first four games in the series, you'll probably enjoy these four enough to justify the price, but bear in mind that this is easily the most skippable of the two collections.
Overall, Spheroids can be best described as a game that's uninspired and unimportant at its best and a back alley dumpster fire at its worst.
On the whole, Iconoclasts is a memorable, thought-provoking, and enjoyable take on the Metroidvania genre which manages to stick out from the crowd with its chipper presentation and deeper storytelling style. Couple those elements with some of the best 16-bit spritework we've seen and a killer lineup of awesome boss encounters, and you've got another must-have for the Switch library. It may have been eight years in the making, but this one has certainly been worth the wait; don't miss out on this one.
All told, Salt and Sanctuary is just about what you'd expect it to be: it's more or less a 2D Dark Souls, but with a little more emphasis on less. Salt and Sanctuary does an admirable job of hitting all the right beats that it needs to provide a challenging and fun action adventure that will no doubt provide a solid bang for your buck, but it doesn't do a whole lot to stand on its own two legs; this is a game that can only thrive on the scraps generated by the overwhelming popularity of a much better game series. We'd give this one a recommendation to any Dark Souls fans - this is a decent way of capturing that game's spirit - but those who've never been interested won't find much new here to entice them.
Dead Cells is a masterclass in excellent roguelike design, mixing together nonstop intense action sequences, gorgeous vistas, and an addictive loop of unlocks and rewards into a beautiful experience that no Switch owner will want to go without.
All told, Picross S2 is exactly what you would expect it to be: a safe sequel that offers more of the same while making few changes.
Overcooked 2 is a fantastic sequel to a co-op classic, building on the gameplay ideas from before in meaningful new ways while polishing up what was already there.
If you haven't already gathered, Okami HD is an utterly fantastic piece of software, and we feel you'd be doing yourself a disservice to pass on it. For a mere twenty bucks, you can have access to a 40-hour adventure that emulates Zelda wonderfully, adds in plenty of memorable mechanics, features one of the most memorable art styles in gaming, and is completely playable on the go, to boot. Though it may be showing its age a bit visually and its combat is sometimes a little on the easy side, Okami is an important, fun, and notable landmark in gaming history — and one of the easiest recommendations we can make for your Switch library.
Minit is a perfect example of a game that introduces a creative new concept, explores it thoroughly, and then ends before things get stale. This may be a short game, but you're almost assured to have a blast for every bit of it, with funny dialogue, creative puzzle design, and moderate amounts of replayability all being a plus. We'd recommend this to anyone looking for something a little different than the norm, along with anybody who's looking for a title that takes after the older Zelda games. We really enjoyed our time with Minit, and we'd encourage you to take the plunge on this one.