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de Blob 2 keeps many of the same characteristics found in the original game, with both the brilliant - and the not-so-brilliant - features mostly staying intact. The cameras can still be occasionally fiddly, and things can feel a little too easy in places, but brand new 2D sections and a slightly more refined-feeling overall experience put the sequel just above the original in our pecking order. Either game should go down well – especially with a younger audience – but this one just about splashes its way into first place.
Freedom Planet may have started as a mere Sonic rip-off, but to view the game as nothing more would be an enormously reductive judgment. Despite its ho-hum story and occasional difficulty spikes, Freedom Planet manages to rise above and become more than the sum of its parts, imbuing a well-trodden gameplay style with fresh ideas and concepts. We'd recommend that you give Freedom Planet a try, even if you've sampled the superb Sonic Mania; it's clear that a substantial amount of care and work went into making this game, and it's an excellent love letter to fans of action platformers.
BlobCat strongly models itself after one of the best games to hit the Dreamcast and Game Boy Advance, and since there isn't really anything else like it out there, anyone willing to squint their eyes might be able to scratch that ChuChu Rocket! itch a little here. A wide-eyed look shows an overall rough package, though — from functional-if-unremarkable visuals to a lack of CPU opponents in the multiplayer suite, all the way down to bizarre inconsistencies with how menus work. BlobCat is here for you if you need it, but doesn't quite reach the level of the genuine article.
Little Dragons Café is an endearing feast for the eyes – and extremely unique in its concept – but can lose some of its charm after too much time spent waiting on technical issues like load times. Hopefully, some of these problems can be fixed with a future patch or update. Still, Yasuhiro Wada is the master of turning a simple game into a living, breathing story – and you can expect to experience that same level of care and detail in his latest adventure. It feels as if he is inventing a brand new genre of game all over again – just as he did with Harvest Moon. For those who seek a laid-back experience on the Nintendo Switch, this game will lovingly fill the void, even if it's a little rough around the edges.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate may lack the smoothness and accessibility that made Monster Hunter: World such a smash hit, but it more than makes up for it by being a sort of ‘greatest hits' collection of the high points of the series, giving you hundreds of hours of content to play through. Couple this with the HD visuals, easy to use multiplayer, and the ability to play the full experience on the go, and you've got a game that will easily appeal to both veterans and newcomers alike. It may not necessarily represent the future of the series, but Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an utterly fantastic experience in its own right and a worthy follow up to the 3DS original, and one that no Switch owner will want to be without.
2D side-scrolling action games like The Messenger may be a dime a dozen these days, but you'd be missing out on something special by passing this one up. Featuring a surprisingly long campaign, an incredible soundtrack and tight, challenging level designs, The Messenger stands as a shining example of great game design. We'd highly recommend you pick this one up; it's the very definition of a modern classic.
There's no denying it - this is the most accessible 2D fighter we've played in years. If you're new to the often impenetrable world of twitch-style brawlers, this serves as an ideal way to learn the craft and feel powerful without too much work. Not every one of its crossover fighters gels as well as the others, but it's still an empowering experience for beginners and intermediate fight fans. However, if you're looking for a purposefully nuanced combat system with a bit more bite, you're probably best sticking with BlazBlue's mechanical purity.
Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition finally puts Heart Machine's obtuse yet engaging throwback where it belongs - in portable Nintendo form - and it makes for the definitive version. With a handful of exclusive features, a two-year-old game suddenly feels new and fresh - and with a silky smooth frame rate and every boss, secret and upgrade from the original here for you to experience, the Nintendo Switch's indie library just got even better.
While its fun for a time in single-player, Claws of Furry is definitely a brawler with two-to-four player fights in mind. With an abundance of enemies on-screen at any one time, it's the kind of game that's going to be twice as fun with someone sat next to you.
If you have no interest in retro gaming and aren't willing to look past its limitations, Night Trap's repetitive nature is likely to confuse and irritate you. Come at it with an open mind and an enthusiasm to discover (or relive) the brief period when we all foolishly thought FMV was the future, and you'll find a charmingly silly game accompanied by a host of wonderful features that elevate it to more than just a remaster, but a digital museum piece commemorating a unique time in gaming history.
In many ways God Wars is like a new Picross game; it's more of the same. The Japanese folklore narrative offers a slight twist, but the script is painfully dull and repetitive. If you're dipping your toe into the genre or only have time for one of these, we'd sit tight to see what Intelligent Systems has up its sleeve with the upcoming Fire Emblem: Three Houses. If you're a strategy junkie after a fix, it gets the job done with all the mechanics and systems you'd expect – but nothing new or novel.
The Banner Saga 2 expands on the series' existing foundations with more of the same. There's no drastic overhaul to the text-based elements or battle segments, and similar systems are in place when it comes to managing your caravan party, fighting enemies, and talking your way out of a tight spot. If you've played the original, you'll know exactly what to expect. Subtle refinements make this a sequel that truly lives up to the standards of the first entry, however, paving the way for the final chapter.
From the beginning, this series has very much been about the journey to the destination in both a literal and figurative sense, and now we've arrived at the end, it's clear that this was the strongest point all along. The development of characters and the gradual progression of the story naturally have less emphasis this time around, as this is the end of the saga, but what you do get is multiple endings with fitting outcomes. Now all that's left is for you to decide whether or not this game and series are for you, much like the many choices present within the games themselves.
It's still an awkward fit for console controls, but the game beneath them is worth the effort nonetheless.
Space Ribbon is not without merit – and the closer it inches into F-Zero's slipstream, the better it gets – but a terribly humdrum beginning, lacklustre implementation of items and a central mechanic which forces you to slow down to speed up makes it a tough proposition. There's fun to be had if you persevere but considering how the alternatives provide pretty-much instant diversion, this makes you work too hard for it.
Shio is a lovely surprise which offers up a precise and beautiful platforming experience. Although it lacks the level of polish as something like Celeste, if you've already conquered that mountain (or – sacrilege! – you're not a fan of its pixel aesthetic), this is a tightly crafted, technical platformer in a similar mould that's well worth a look.
All told, Tiny Hands Adventure manages to provide an okay platforming experience, but not one that we'd particularly recommend you jump for. The current price puts it in the same ballpark as plenty of other much more polished platformers on the eShop, and considering the forgettable presentation and uneven level design, there's not much here that's worth your time. You could do much worse than Tiny Hands Adventure, but you could also do much, much better - especially on Switch.
Spectrum is a fiendishly challenging, super-stripped-back action-platformer that shows its smartphone origins a little too evidently. It's fun in small doses, but it doesn't quite feel fleshed out enough for a modern Switch game.
Followers of melancholic-looking puzzle titles who like to sit down and cosy up on a rainy Sunday afternoon and test their brain with some slow-paced, solo gaming sessions will want to give this one a spin. The title does a good job of churning out challenges that will keep you entertained for hours at a time. However, if a deep story that whisks you off your feet with a meaningful narrative, tight plot and likeable characters is more your bag, then Flood of Light isn't the title for you. We recommend spending your cash on something like Candle: The Power Of The Flame to scratch your 2D Puzzler itch.
A slice of Viking strategic combat right out of the heart of Scandinavia's indie development scene, Bad North joins the likes of Element at the vanguard of a new wave of smart yet intrinsically accessible real-time strategy titles. With enough enemy variance to convince you you're playing an interactive episode of the Vikings TV show, this endlessly entertaining sea of bitesize battles will teach you to fear - and love - the sound of the oncoming horde.