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Switch owners that are longing for a slower, more methodical approach to 2D puzzle platforming will want to give Candle: The Power Of The Flame a spin - even more so if they're seeking a tough challenge that's stacked to the rafters with whimsical charm and a striking art style. The title may well be home to some clunky controls and ferocious difficulty spikes from the moment you take control of Teku, but the immense sense of achievement married with what feels more like a piece of art than a video more than makes up for its shortfalls.
Ghost 1.0 is a lighthearted Metroidvania that adapts a sprawling sci-fi setting with some really creative takes on the genre. Even though it originally released on PC two years ago, it still manages to fit right into the Switch's growing library of quality sprite-based action adventures. If you're looking for a less somber journey after the harrowing depths of Hollow Knight, you could do far worse than Ghost 1.0 as long as the forgettable story and cringe-inducing humor aren't too off-putting..
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! isn't anything we haven't already seen before. Forging and selling weapons is fun once you get into the rhythm of it, and there's plenty within the potato world to work towards. This is a game that can be played for a few minutes or hours per day, depending on how much you enjoy the genre. What's frustrating is how this title has been adapted to the Switch. It's got a clunky user interface that doesn't really feel compatible with the Joy-Cons and even if you opt with the screen by itself as a touchpad it still feels difficult to complete the most basic of tasks. All up, this makes it the hardest version of the game to play. Overlooking these problems, it's still worth checking out if you're looking for a game of this type and one with plenty of humour - it's just far from spud-tacular.
Express Raider remains a fun 2-in-1 game, with the fighting stages standing head and shoulders above the shooting ones, which is something of an oddity considering the Wild West setting. As such we recommend it to anyone who was a fan of the original or who played the home conversions and want to have the original on their virtual arcade Switch museum. But if you have an itchy trigger finger, we recommend you buy a ticket to a more steampunk kind of Wild West.
Even though Ultra Space Battle Brawl has no extensive move-sets or combos, it still has plenty of appeal.
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.
There's nothing particularly revolutionary about Bomb Chicken, it's enjoyable predominantly because of its classic approach and how refined each aspect of the game is including the core bomb-laying mechanic. Each level is intelligently designed and has a great sense of flow. The puzzles and enemies are fair but challenging and the controls are precise and responsive. Unlike fast food, this isn't a cheap, quick and nasty solution that will leave you regretting your purchase - this is a blast.
If you own a Switch then there's no real decision to be made here: Captain Toad is still far and away better on Nintendo's latest system. That's not to say the 3DS version is a write-off, though, because that's far from the case. As seemingly one of the final few big-name releases for the system, Captain Toad pushes it to its limits to produce easily one of the best-looking 3DS games ever made. The 3DS may be preparing for retirement, but games like this are ensuring it's going out in a blaze of glory.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a hidden gem from the Wii U era that's been given a new lease of life on the Nintendo Switch, and rightly so. New levels and fresh multiplayer are welcome inclusions but it's a bit of a shame that we've lost four levels as a result – and for no apparent reason. Still, all being said, this is a wonderful and gorgeous puzzler fit for all ages, and one which you should definitely experience if you're yet to.
Sonic Mania was a true return to form for the mascot, in his 2D 'Classic' guise at least, and celebrated the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts and some delightful boss encounters, the development team poured a lot of passion and talent into the project. Sonic Mania Plus takes that solid foundation and - in all honestly - doesn't do a great deal to mess with it. The new characters and modes are welcome, and there are some neat tweaks which iron out some of the kinks present in the original release, but on the whole this is an enhanced edition of the game rather than a feature-rich update. If you've still not sampled the delights of Sonic Mania then this is clearly the version to get, but if you're an existing owner then the low asking price of the DLC update make this well worth a look; we'll take any excuse to dive back into one of the best 2D platformers of recent memory.
It plays a lot like the other Psikyo shmups that are on Switch, but that's no bad thing considering how well put together they are. Gunbird 2 also adds a risky close-range move and some new point scoring opportunities. Finding ways to improve your score adds replayability, but even if you have no interest in high-score chasing there's a lot of fun to be had here. There are multiple endings courtesy of the wacky cast of characters and a good range of enemies, while the frantic action and a number of options to consider when attacking make each playthrough an enjoyable experience, whether playing alone or with a friend. Gunbird 2 joins the growing list of great shmups on Switch, and shouldn't be missed if you're a fan of the genre.
All-Star Fruit Racing takes a unique karting weapon system, throws it into a blender with some cute presentation ideas and an unfortunate series of technical annoyances, and ends up with a pretty mixed bag as a result. This is a competent racer, and there's just about enough content to make you want to keep playing, but it never realises the potential that it could have had and doesn't really stand up to the heights that other titles can offer. It's just a little on the weak side to justify its asking price, so bear that in mind before jumping into a fruity purchase.
An emotional story that weaves big themes across its episodes, The Lion's Song is a poignant point-and-click adventure with excellent audio, a beautiful art style and great writing. The exploration of its subjects isn't muddied with obstinate riddles or ill-fitting mechanics and it's a satisfying, albeit brief, experience that is absolutely worthy of your time.
Despite its unyielding nature and curiously juxtaposing approach to its characters, Bomber Crew is a sometimes thrilling and constantly rewarding title. Favouring roguelite progression, strategy and resource management over frantic arcade-style combat, if you can get past the simple, cute visuals and steep learning curve you'll find a rich, intense and satisfying experience here.
This isn't for racing novices; the aids take away the challenge but turning them off makes things brutally realistic.
Overwhelming for newcomers and probably too generic for genre aficionados, Touhou Gensou Wanderer Reloaded is difficult to recommend to all but die-hard series fans. The beautiful hand-drawn presentation and high production values are hindered severely by a contrived and intrusive interface, unimportant dialogue with very little character development and derivative mechanics. It certainly looks the part, but there are more fun and interesting adventure roguelikes such as Crypt Of The Necrodancer on the eShop right now.
Squids Odyssey is the same charming package you might have played before. If you're a fan of the series, this Switch edition truly is the definitive way to experience it. It does lose touch controls when played docked, but this is an understandable design limitation of the core gameplay and far from a deal-breaking proposition. If this is your first time meeting old Winnick and his gang, you're in for quite a treat.
Playing 20XX has an addictive rhythm to everything. You dive into the level, find loot like upgrades and currency bolts, kill bosses to take their weapons, and keep pushing until you die. After dying we'd often suffer from that 'just one more run' itch that's so common in roguelikes and the formula fits an action platformer like 20XX perfectly. The procedural engine does a good job of mixing things up, but after a while you can start to see a little repetition, but that's easily overshadowed by the sheer variety and amount of upgrades and customisation.
Assault Gunner HD Edition is (at the time of writing) the very best mech game available on the Switch. It provides more than enough bang for your buck but sadly doesn't do it in the spectacular fashion one would expect when controlling a gigantic robot. We still heartfully recommend this to mech game lovers out there, but other players will simply not be converted to the genre by this one. The wait for the definitive mecha Switch game continues, and hopefully, DAEMON X MACHINA will fill that gap.
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.