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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.
6180 the moon is a dreamlike journey through the stars, where every individual component of its delicate soundtrack, minimalist visuals and graceful gameplay mechanics work together to form an extremely compelling experience. [OpenCritic note: Conor McMahon separately reviewed the Wii-U (9) and Switch (8) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
There's no getting away from the fact that Not a Hero: Super Snazzy Edition is a reissue of a game that's already been out for years on other platforms, so if you've already emptied its virtual clips before there's not much here to coax you back in (bar the fact you can now enjoy it on a portable console). However, if you've yet to sign up to BunnyLord's mayoral bloodbath you're in for an ultraviolent treat. With an enjoyable, if brief add-on campaign to boot, this little side-scrolling platformer is a blast whether played on the go or blown-up on your TV. Canvassing has never been so much fun.
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.
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.
A confused, messy stealth-puzzler with flaky physics and dodgy controls. Hello Neighbor's attempt to do something fresh with a classic cinematic concept is to be applauded, but the execution falls flat. A massive missed opportunity.
Flipping Death does share plenty of DNA with Stick it to the Man! - ranging from the floatiness of its platforming to the ability to read the minds of other characters - but that doesn't stop it from being a far superior offering in almost every way. We're still not quite sure why Death is possessing the souls of the living and sorting out the loose ends of the dead, but it makes for a memorable black-humoured adventure that deserves to haunt your Nintendo Switch immediately.
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.
There's a chance Crush Your Enemies' toilet humour and machismo gags won't be for everyone - in fact, if you're easily offended this definitely isn't for you - but beyond its irreverence lies another successful attempt to transform the often complex RTS into a digestible format. The game's seemingly unnatural difficulty spikes can get a little tiresome, especially when you're overwhelmed so quickly, but with plenty of nuance stemming from its simple mechanics (and a really catchy little soundtrack), you'll soon find yourself managing your barbarian horde like a true chieftain.
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.
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.
Mixing the shapely looks of Thomas Was Alone with the speed of 10 Second Run Returns and the brutal difficulty of Super Meat Boy, Flat Heroes fits the Nintendo Switch like a glove. If you're playing solo you've got a solid (and lengthy) Campaign as well as bot support for its mini-games, but it's the electric excitement of the game's local multiplayer mode where Flat Heroes right-angled, platforming madness makes the biggest impact. Don't be a square - get this in your digital collection right now.
Cycle 28 disguises itself as a solid arcade shooter with minimalist aesthetics but slowly reveals itself to be something far beyond that. It successfully manages to engulf the player in the mystery that led to the player character's current predicament and entices you to seek the truth, find answers to questions you didn't know existed and attempt to break the cycle and… who knows, maybe freedom and a happy conclusion? We rarely get to play video games where each 'Game Over' offers the possibility to solve a mystery, so we kept coming back to it again and again - and so will you.
There's a lot to like about Tanzia. It's an indie game that's set its ambitions high, boasting DNA from action-RPGs, 3D platformers and more. It's very much a throwback to a time when those genres were very different beasts, but it's a love letter riddled with many of the problems modern iterations have shed. However, if you can look past the fact it often looks and plays like an HD remaster, you'll find some creative monster designs and a fantastical world bursting with heartfelt charm.
WarioWare Gold is proof that there's life yet in the venerable 3DS line of handhelds. The microgames on offer are some of the series' best, and the fully-voiced cutscenes in the Story mode are hilarious. Challenge mode will give you plenty of reason to come back and the unlockable souvenirs are our favourite in the series to date. We would have loved to have seen this on Switch as well, but it's clear this game was designed for the 3DS from the ground up. With its absurdist humour, wonderful voice acting (courtesy of Charles Martinet, naturally), immensely satisfying gameplay and stern challenges - many of which will make even the most seasoned players' palms sweat - WarioWare offers something for everyone. If this does turn out to be the 3DS' swansong, then it's going out on a high.
A certain historical perspective and a touch of nostalgia will go a long way to helping you appreciate Titan Quest and its quirks. That core loop of killing satyrs in four hits before finding rare loot that destroys them in one is as compelling as it ever was. Disappointing visual glitches and the occasional crash give the impression that everything is held together with nothing more than sticky tape and a prayer, but it was never enough to stop us playing. Handheld mode is a massive boon for any RPG and, as long as you're not expecting miracles, this Switch port delivers the core experience well enough to warrant investigation.
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans is a love letter to the career of both Italian actors and arcade side-scrolling brawlers. If you find yourself in either camp, this is a highly recommended option. If you happen to be on both groups, this is truly a no-brainer – even the relatively high price is more than justified by the quality and quantity of content that will keep you smiling, at least while the ride lasts. It's a shame Bud Spencer passed away back in 2016 – we believe he would get a kick out of seeing this game in action, bringing the duo's trademark slapstick comedy into a whole new medium and generation. Kindly slap us some beans, please.
If you're a fan of the original, you'll likely enjoy the minor tweaks and upgrades on offer, but don't dive in expecting a 'remaster'. You get couch co-op and a healthy framerate, although it doesn't look great on a TV and the original's excellent English voiceover is AWOL. Despite modest enhancements, the 3DS origins of this six-year-old game are plain to see, which may put off newcomers. It's a solid hack-and-slash experience, as it always was – we just wish it did more to earn that 'EX' addendum.
While Nintendo Switch doesn't have many real-time strategy games to its name at the moment, Element could well be the flashpoint that finally shows just how well the genre can work when reinterpreted in the right way.
If you're planning a get together for some mindless fun with three friends who are seeking quick rounds of colourful, straightforward and light co-op dungeon crawling action, NoReload Heroes is a sharing platter that can be devoured in just a few bites, but will still leave you wanting more.