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While it might seem odd for Omega Force to opt to port the five-year-old Dynasty Warriors 8 over the more recent Dynasty Warriors 9, it's by and far the right decision for Nintendo Switch owners. Not only is Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition the best version since Dynasty Warriors 5, it comes to the hybrid platform offering more stable performance than the versions that once graced PS3 and Xbox 360. Even when its framerate takes a knock when playing co-op, it's a remarkably robust port boasting an obscene amount of content fresh out of the box.
With its pop-culture pastiche, serious love for '80s synth and usual passion for jousting, Super Hero Fight Club: Reloaded is certainly one of Nintendo Switch's most unusual multiplayer offerings. While it's not the most original concept, it does get extra points for the clever use of power-ups and hazards, making it a couch-play experience that will frustrate you and make you punch the air in triumph all at once.
Omega Strike is a fun and enjoyable little 2D Metroidvania with some side-scrolling shooter sensibilities. It doesn't do anything particularly new or interesting – and its ‘unique' character-swapping concept was done a lot better by Broforce – but if you're looking for a modern tribute to Metal Slug that's fun and challenging in a very familiar way, then Omega Strike is likely to scratch that common itch. Just keep those expectations in check as this isn't the most original or exciting example the genre has to offer.
Within its common-sense (and, thanks to Wii Fit, well-known) limitations, Fitness Boxing is a breezy, energetic success that gets your blood pumping. For the one-time price of a month's gym membership, it delivers some light CV and takes pointers from Just Dance and various rhythm games to provide a convenient and engaging workout. It's no substitute for hard hours at the gym, but there's certainly potential to tone up those arms and shed a few of the mince pies you put away while watching Groundhog Day over the holidays. It would be a mistake to buy this thinking you're getting a game or some magical antidote to your spare tyre. However, it kept us coming back and if you're after a reason to justify cancelling that direct debit to Gold's, this is as good as anything you'll find on a console.
Donut County will no doubt prove to be a divisive experience, but those that are looking for a relaxing and often funny puzzle game will find an enjoyable experience that has just enough charm to justify its existence. With that being said, this is hardly a game that feels like it justifies the relatively high price tag; three hours max of content is a tough pill to swallow regardless of how enamored you are with the concept at its core. We'd recommend you wait for a sale or put some gold points towards this one; it's a cool experience that you'll definitely want to check out, but know that you're not missing much if you choose to skip it.
Not to mix historical context here, but Carcassonne on the Switch feels Spartan; it is bare of furnishings that would make it truly shine.
There's no shortage of charming, artistic puzzle-platformers on Switch and Koloro is certainly a good one; there's much to like in its simple mechanics and narrative, and there's satisfaction to be found in its puzzle-solving. The problem is that you've almost certainly seen everything it has to offer somewhere before and, as much as it engages your grey matter while you play, it's unlikely to stay with you in the same way the games it evokes do.
Uncanny Valley's desire to hark back to the simpler days of survival horror is commendable, especially in those early moments where you're flitting between abstract nightmares and a security job that feels increasingly isolated. However, the sheer openness of its non-linear plot means it's all too easy to jump large sections of the story as you stumble on one of the game's secrets too early on. Still, with a strict consequence-based system that rewards and punishes you in equal measure, Uncanny Valley has a lot of potential. It's just a shame it doesn't fully live up to it.
Mana Spark is a game that shines brightly in certain areas, enough to perhaps hide the shortcomings it has as well.
V-Rally 4 is an old-school rally game at heart, for better and worse (but mainly the latter). If you stick with it you'll eventually start to master and enjoy it, but the slippery handling and unforgiving ‘no mistakes allowed' rally races make getting to that point a real slog. On top of this, its numerous performance issues are so severe that they aren't just ugly, they're downright distracting: the result being that although this is now the best rally game on Switch by default, pretty much every aspect of it leaves acres of room for improvement.
Too much hand-holding in games can be a problem, but Battle Princess Madelyn goes in the opposite direction with its main Story mode and is just as annoying (if not more so) as a result. Thankfully, its alternative Arcade mode really does save the day, stripping away all the convoluted and confused exploration and leaving nothing but pure, unfiltered arcade action goodness. It's just a shame its main mode – and perhaps the key reason the developer wants your £15.79 / $19.99 – is so frustratingly unhelpful and awkward to play. Still, fans of Capcom's Ghouls ‘n Ghosts will most definitely want to check this out.
If you like Fallout Shelter and you want something with a few less smiles and a few more painful deaths, Sheltered will tickle that morbid itch. Managing its multitude of interconnected systems requires a deft touch, and while its difficulty isn't for the faint of heart, there's a real sense of accomplishment in keeping your growing troupe of survivors alive for days on end. While not as effective as other forays into the well-trodden post-apocalypse, as well as being a victim of its own procedural generation at times, there's still a morbid curiosity to its pixel art survivalism.
On an eShop that seems to become more rife with Metroidvanias by the day, Sundered seems to fall somewhere in the middle to front of the pack. Though the repetitiveness means it doesn't hit the same kind of highs that Dead Cells or Hollow Knight reach, Sundered still manages to offer a delightfully creepy, challenging, and content-rich experience that genre fans are sure to enjoy. If you're not a fan of procedural generation, stay well away from this one; otherwise, we'd encourage you to give it a shot.
It takes a little while for Aaero's mechanics and its combo system to click, but once they do there are fewer better rhythm games out there. Its fantastic soundtrack exudes cool from every pore, and the way it integrates with gameplay (while running beautifully smoothly while docked) makes it one of the most immersive experiences you'll find on the Switch.
Quantity over quality has never been exhibited so perfectly as it is here. Having 150 games is undoubtedly impressive, but when the vast majority of them are barely decipherable, let alone playable, you're probably only really left with around 15 titles that will hold your attention for more than a minute.
It really doesn't matter that Firewatch came out over two and a half years ago, because it's just as engrossing and enchanting as it was the first time around. From the warm glow of its forests in the morning summer light to the subtle tension of exploring a rocky gorge in the isolating silence of night, Shoshone National Forest is a character in its own right. With a story that's both funny and heartbreaking – and enhanced by some brilliant performances by its two central actors – this is an essential purchase, irrespective of whether you're playing it for the first time on Switch or simply using it as an excuse to revisit an old favourite.
There isn't any other game on the eShop quite like Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, which is both a good and bad thing.
Beholder's dystopian world provides a grimly satisfying management playground to work in. It's got plenty of heart – albeit a rather scorched black one – and it forces you into making genuinely interesting moral and ethical decisions, which should be enough to see you through the tiresome grind, muddled signposting and rather flakey controls.
Despite having a year extra to work on its own addition to the genre, Visual Imagination Software's agricultural offering fails to outdo Farming Simulator at its own game.
We're very careful when we use this word, but Gris is a masterpiece. Its jaw-dropping visual style and heart-wrenching score combine for one of the most emotional pieces of interactive art you'll ever play. It may be too short for some, its puzzles may be on the simple side and the lack of any real challenge may not be to everyone's taste, but this is a game focused more on fragility than ability and as long as you're willing to go along for the ride, it's one that will stick with you for a very long time indeed.