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Tiny Barbarian DX is an indie gem. Old-school challenge mixed with modern conveniences make for a package that's hard to put down. Checkpoints help make use of the Switch's portability and old-school difficulty makes you want to play it on your TV at home; it offers challenge and charm in spades. The gorgeous pixel art, great soundtrack and co-op are all positives in the adventure; once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down, if you're willing to pay the price. At its budget retail price we found Tiny Barbarian DX to be a bit light on the content side, as the game can be completed in six hours or less, depending on skill levels. If you're going to pick this one up we recommend skipping the eShop download and going for the physical edition as it at least contains some cool stuff - as Nicalis is becoming known for - to add value to your purchase.
If you need a 2D platforming fix you can't go far wrong with Pankapu. While the polished, crisp, beautiful presentation and gameplay are engaging enough, it is nevertheless slightly let down by a few elements that affect the beat by beat and overall flow of the game. The charming characters and parallel narrative are intriguing, and while the resonant themes, fantastical atmosphere and wonderful locales enchant and are especially vibrant on a big screen, the controls aren't quite tight or precise enough considering the challenging level design an enemy combat. An enjoyable game, if not quite as strong as it could have been.
If the game was considerably cheaper you could potentially justify a purchase for having quick, easy-to-set-up fighting rounds; as it stands, though, this may well be best left alone.
Squareboy is a decent beat-em-up, if a little on the short side. The Switch version is definitely the better version of the game but perhaps doesn't quite do enough to justify the cost when a free option is available elsewhere. This isn't a bad game by any means – in fact, we had a rather enjoyable time playing through the story levels – but its flaws and inability to stand out from the crowd stop it from being a sure-fire hit.
A genuinely creepy creation, Oxenfree combines a clever story and smart dialogue mechanics with superbly sinister music to leave a deep and lasting impression on the player, one that should encourage an all-important second playthrough. Fans of Stranger Things and Poltergeist will love the direction this game takes – if not to hell and back, exactly, then absolutely to some other place where horrors abound, just waiting for an invitation into our world. It's yet another Switch essential.
Even if you're not a 2D 'shmup' veteran, or are looking for something a little off the beaten, sidescrolling track, there is plenty to enjoy here - we have tight controls, plenty of unique monstrous bosses to defeat and exploration of a broken but beautiful submerged world. While it lacks a few options, has occasional boss fight difficulty spikes and is not the relentless action that some genre fans prefer, Earth Atlantis has enough old school shoot 'em up substance to back up its glorious and organic style.
Tumblestone is an excellent puzzle game that definitely deserves to be played by fans of the genre. Aside from maybe Puyo Puyo Tetris, you are unlikely to find a puzzle game that offers quite this much content and such an addictive nature. The lack of any online functionality is disappointing, though, and whilst the Switch's portability could have made this the definitive version, this odd omission takes away a nice feature unnecessarily. If you haven't played the game before, though, or aren't fussed about playing online – this is still a very solid choice.
Unbox gets everything right in theory, but fails to actually deliver on the majority of its goals. The character design, the core ‘unboxing' mechanic, and the collecting side to the game could have been great but there are just too many problems standing in the way for it to be truly successful. We can't help but feel that the game just needed an extra dose of love and attention on the technical side of things because, if that was at the standard of the creativity and fun of the characters and ideas, it would have been a great experience and a whole lot of fun. As it stands, it might not be quite worth your time.
Whether you've handed a Joy-Con to a friend or are playing solo, Metal Slug X provides quality "fun and gun" action.
Stardew Valley offers its players a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don't all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn't necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren't, there is a decent chance this game might just surprise you. For the asking price the risk couldn't be more worth it.
Picross S is the epitome of a one-trick pony, it knows exactly the kind of experience it's going to deliver and it does just that. Those of you that loved the Picross e games will find plenty to love here, as this is essentially just another 300 (well, 150) puzzles, now with local multiplayer support. Still, it all comes off as being a bit bland, while the absence of Micross and mission systems seen elsewhere makes Picross S feel like a lazy sequel. We give this a recommendation to fans of puzzle games, or anybody looking for a slower paced game for their Switch. Just don't go into this one expecting a comprehensive, ultimate entry in the series.
Despite its intimidating outer layer, Culdcept Revolt is something of a hidden gem that deserves the attention of anyone with an interest in card collecting, strategy, or even just board games in general. It's wildly addictive, and boasts a robust single player component as well as both local and online multiplayer to satisfy any craving for its unique, genre-blending mechanics. While Revolt's unflinching dedication to these core mechanics does hurt its story somewhat through repetition, new players will be welcomed by a wonderfully-implemented tutorial, while returning cepters have plenty of new tweaks and features to check out. It demands patience, and a lot of luck, but if you like the sound of a monster-fighting twist on Monopoly then you should take the hand you're dealt and check this one out.
Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy feels rather comforting, the video game equivalent of a warm blanket.
Regardless of which side you fall on, Axiom Verge is a fantastic example of how to do a Metroidvania right, and we couldn't be more pleased with it.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime caught us by surprise; we were expecting a great multiplayer party experience but ended up with something much more than that. If you have a great bunch of friends and the necessary controllers, be sure to gather everyone round for some challenging but hilarious teamwork. If you don't, or if you prefer playing alone, load the game up anyway and enjoy an intense, strategically-minded campaign with a warm and welcoming exterior. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime deserves to be played and should most definitely be on your eShop wishlist – we're in love, for sure.
Astro Bears Party plays more like a tech demo that is a few days into development rather than a complete package. The concept is a neat idea, but it seems as if the developer got the absolute basics up and running and then decided to halt work to rollout the title. The amount of content in this game is so underwhelming, as a result, that it's hard to justify putting any real cash towards it. At best this is perhaps suitable for a few short rounds of multiplayer, or for any younger people who are new to video games. Otherwise you should look elsewhere if you are seeking a new party game on the Nintendo Switch.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a classic, and this new version is arguably the definitive version. Yes, Bowser's Minions is a harmless but shallow add-on, but the Superstars are the real attraction.
At its best, Tower of Babel has some great auto-running action that will have you flying around the screen at breakneck pace, firing yourself to the top of the speed-running leaderboards. Unfortunately, though, the whole thing is let down by some game-breaking issues and a rather lacklustre aesthetic that maybe answers the question of why there has been so little mention of the game prior to release. A frustrating case of a game that could have been excellent but shoots itself in the foot with its many problems, Tower of Babel is best left for another day.
Unfortunately, the third entry in the Physical Contact series looks like it should probably be the third one that you consider avoiding.
Overall, then, Binaries is a decent puzzler that is definitely worth the time of players who can't resist having a ‘100%' icon plastered over their save file and enjoy speed-running through dangerous levels. It doesn't tend to innovate past its main theme, though – instead relying on more obstacles, spikes and guns to make things trickier. If you're desperate for a puzzle game that will have you trying to complete levels over and over again (before feeling a huge amount of satisfaction when you finally complete one you've been stuck on), then this may well be for you.