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Citizen Sleeper 2 is an excellent example of a polished sequel, continuing all the things that made its predecessor a beloved indie darling while building upon and expanding those systems with some new and interesting ideas of its own. The decision-driven narrative, tense RPG systems, and incredible soundtrack all come together to make for a game that is almost impossible to put down once you get pulled in. Newcomers who want to see what all the fuss is about will enjoy this as much as players who loved the first game - Citizen Sleeper 2 stands tall as a worthy follow-up.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure proves an innovative entry into the social sim genre. While borrowing from multiple powerhouse games, it brings a fresh experience that is likely to subvert the expectations of any Animal Crossing expats looking for their next cosy fix.
Ender Magnolia is an excellent Metroidvania that exemplifies the best of what the genre has to offer. Its combination of tense combat, interesting worldbuilding, and memorable art style makes for a compelling experience that we'd highly suggest to anybody drawn to games such as Hollow Knight or Blasphemous. It's downbeat, but anyone who isn't yet exhausted by Metroidvanias will find a lot to love here.
Tales of Graces F Remaster occasionally feels dated thanks to its visuals and limited map, but the unique structure of the plot and fun combat make it a worthwhile addition to the library of any JRPG fan. The characters remain the stars of the show, with more growth and change over the course of the game than we expected. If the frequent but short load times don't get in your way, it is easy to sink dozens of hours into this adventure.
If you enjoyed the original, then Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winters offers up more of the same brutal combat and stunning visuals, introducing minor yet welcome new additions like the whetstone and the grappling hook. Its basic environment layout can lead to a lot of excessive backtracking, which is a shame, but the world itself is so well-realised that we find ourselves compelled to recommend you check it out regardless. Just be warned; it's not for the faint of heart.
Strive is a bold step in a new direction for the Guilty Gear series. Its visual creativity and attention to detail without fault, Arc System Works has again gone above and beyond in its graphical evolution. True, there are some background clashes, but when all is said and done, it's dazzling. With all DLC characters unlocked, there's a lifetime of learning here, as well as tons of modes and bonuses to pore through.While Strive is perhaps only the first step for Guilty Gear's new evolutionary arc, and its sequels will no doubt improve certain aspects and find a way to better appease fans new and old, it remains undeniably solid. The most impressive aspect, though, is the strength of the port here, crafted with a kind of magic to perform near enough 1:1 with its multi-platform counterparts. And the soundtrack? Whether it's your heaven or hell, it most certainly rocks.
All of the games featured here are worthy of your time, then, making this one of the best retro collections you can get on Switch right now.
For those who enjoyed the original release back around the turn of the millennium, Star Wars: Episode I - Jedi Power Battles is just about the safest remaster you could imagine. The instant level unlocks and expanded character roster are both nice touches, but Aspyr's limited improvements leave this feeling very of its time. If you can get past the sluggish combat, painful platforming, and performance 'quirks', then this is a fun trip down memory lane; if you can't, then prepare for a lesson in what games felt like a long time ago.
Blade Chimera is an ode to a very specific kind of Metroidvania - the sort that eschews cryptic puzzles and an open-ended structure and revels in the simple joys of ultra-fluid movement and blasting through enemies with an ever-growing arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment. It may not particularly impress with its explorative or narrative aspects, but its striking, stylish identity and endlessly entertaining shoot-and-slash combat loop elevate this to the heights of the classics it's so clearly inspired by.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine way to play the 2010 original, but it's also lacking any real reason for fans to double-dip beyond waggle-free controls. It's less of a remaster and more of a port, to be honest, which would be all well and good if it wasn't being sold at such a premium. There's plenty of fun to be had, but we can't help but walk away from it with a slightly sour taste in our mouths. Our advice? Grab the superior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze instead.
Freedom Wars Remastered is a welcome addition to the Switch that revives one of the PS Vita's most unique and enjoyable games. Its core gameplay is challenging and satisfying in equal measure, with plenty of customisable options and upgrades to keep you hooked. Sadly, the story often gets in the way of the fun, especially near the beginning, while performance upgrades on the Switch are kept to a minimum - understandable to an extent, but a shame nevertheless. Still, for both new and returning players, Freedom Wars Remastered is worth checking out if you enjoy battling giant monsters.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is hardly a revolutionary RPG, but it stands as an excellent reminder that sometimes less is more. The brisk pacing, thrilling combat, and cutesy visuals all come together in a wonderfully enjoyable and simple action RPG. This is an experience that makes no compromises and holds nothing back, and even if it's clearly less ambitious and expansive than many of the later entries in the series, there's also something very satisfying about playing through a game where its reach did not exceed its grasp.
Lollipop Chainsaw RePop's zombie-killing mayhem is just as childish, stupid and fun as it was in 2012. This remaster brings with it a streamlined experience and decent visual polish. Unfortunately, RePop suffers from poor optimisation, lapsed musical licenses and an extra mode that brings nothing new to the table. If you can, seek out the original.
Perhaps all the timed daily tasks and events made more sense in a mobile context, and it's possible they could hook you here if you have endless patience and affection for these crews. For dedicated Trekkies content to multitask with their Switch on their lap, Star Trek: Legends may well deliver compulsive delights - the audio-visual feedback as the numbers go up is satisfying, as is the thrill of pulling an Epic or Legendary character. Ultimately, though, while collecting your favourite crewmembers sounds like a fun mission, the bland battles involved - and the chronic load times between them - aren't enough to make this a worthwhile journey. Legends isn't terrible, but it is just your favourite Star Trek characters phasering each other until one of them disintegrates.
Antonblast is a great tribute to Nintendo's Wario Land series with its madcap action and focus on gameplay variety. The cartoonish visuals, high replayability, and overall spectacle of the experience make this one well worth a recommendation, though we'd temper this by saying that it really needs some work on its Switch performance. Whether on Switch or elsewhere, we'd suggest you pick this one up if you're at all a fan of Nintendo's other Italian mascot and are looking for a well-made and fast-paced new 2D platformer-Antonblast has got it where it counts and is well-deserving of a spot in your library.
We liked much of Chernobylite and this is a playable port with a fairly solid frame rate, but too many things held us back from scoring it any higher - the graphical downgrade, the tedious death loop, and most egregiously, the multiple crashes that we experienced throughout. We never lost any progress but almost a dozen crashes in the 15-20 hour runtime are worth noting.
Pine, then, is part of the video game world, but it’s far from 'just a game'. With appealing visuals and a haunting atmosphere, it demands patience and introspection. For those eager to explore its ideas of loss and moving on, it’s worth a look; for others, it might feel like the world’s saddest gardening simulator.
Considering Power Rangers games have more often than not been middling-to-poor, Rita's Rewind is a pleasant surprise. It's been given a lump sum of love and attention from a development team at one with the source material. And, if its obvious polish wasn't enough, it's a game that really understands the arcade format and goes all out with dazzling Super Scaler action stages that work well to stave off the genre's naturally repetitive nature. There are a few aspects to the combat that could have been tweaked, but with its humour, lengthy 15-stage campaign, multiplayer hijinks, and heavy-duty '90s charm, Rita's Rewind is probably the best Power Rangers game we've ever played. It's pretty Morphinomenal.
The result is fun enough while it lasts, but is never wildly exciting enough to ensure you'll come back to it time and time again after the Championship mode is completed.
Though it's an improvement on its predecessor, Fairy Tail 2 is still the epitome of a middle-of-the-road licensed game. It doesn't do anything exceptionally great or innovative, nor does it have any issues or shortcomings that significantly drag it down. Despite poor plot pacing, shallow mechanics, and some lacklustre performance, the lively combat system, rewarding exploration, and heartwarming character interactions ultimately make this one worthwhile. We'd recommend Fairy Tail 2 to franchise fans who played the previous RPG, though newcomers should be more wary of jumping straight in. It isn't a 'run out and buy it immediately' release, but you likely won't be disappointed if or when you do get around to it.