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Fans of Hot Wheels will feel well served from a nostalgia point of view, and inspired by its huge number of new modes. Unleashed 2: Turbocharged combines furious arcade race challenges with childlike creativity, being able to build tracks any which way, and race them to breaking point. You can feel the Switch's lack of muscle, with a markedly smudgier feel than the grip offered by more powerful consoles, but as a racing experience bursting with customisation, modes, and creativity to mine, it's both an excellent successor to the 16-Bit Micro Machines legacy and sits firmly in pole position over its predecessor.
Though many doubted how well Borderlands 3 would work on the Switch, we're pleased to report that this is a well-built port that effectively squeezes down almost the entirety of Borderlands 3 onto Nintendo's handheld. The deep loot system, stable performance, goofy tone, snappy gunplay, and enormous amount of content all come together to make this one an easy recommendation, though those who prefer multiplayer may be disappointed at the diminished options here. Gearbox rightly deserves praise for the work the team put in here to make this happen; Borderlands 3 on the Switch is well worth your time.
The gameplay and tone of Company of Heroes hold up wonderfully more than two decades after its initial release, but the lack of any multiplayer options a launch makes Company of Heroes Collection feel sadly incomplete. The updated controls take some getting used to but still let you feel like a general moving their troops across the fields of Europe. Even with these flaws, though, this game is well worth investing in if you're an RTS fan looking to step back into a classic title. Fingers crossed for the planned multiplayer update.
Wild Card Football is an ambitious take on the sport, with a decent mix of modes and pleasing depth for those keen to go all in. The offline Season mode may keep a lot of Switch players going, but once you dive into the Ultimate Team-style 'Dream Squad' you'll eventually feel the pull to take your hard-earned fantasy roster online. That's where a lack of fluidity and clarity in gameplay can really bite. A sport as frantic as American Football needs a slightly slicker performance level than we found here. However it's only just short of a first-down, so if you're happy to live with the compromises then this may still be worth a punt.
Performance issues aside, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a hugely enjoyable action RPG that showcases a strong evolution of the very familiar Musou formula. Dynamic combat, rewarding exploration, loads of content, and an appealing art style all work in this one's favor, though be warned that the story can get a bit too verbose at times. All the same, we'd give this one a recommendation both to anyone looking for a decent action RPG to add to their collection and to any fans of Warriors games. Fate/Samurai Remnant is well worth your time - if you can handle the performance dips on Switch.
Cocoon is a fun and addictive puzzler. Its unique mechanics and gameplay had us glued to our screens, and it’s gorgeous to boot. Its lack of story is a minor disappointment, but if you love puzzles and aren't bugged by fast-paced combat, this game will be an easy favourite — even if it flies by all too quickly.
Detective Pikachu Returns serves up more of what delighted us first time around, with an endearing and exciting story packed full of fun and light-hearted silliness. We really do enjoy this gruff, coffee-addled take on Pikachu, he never fails to raise a smile when he goes off on one, and the game successfully straddles a very thin line in giving us an adventure aimed at younger players that long-time Pokémon fans and ancient gamers such as ourselves can also enjoy. If you can handle the inherent repetitiveness of most of the core gameplay, alongside some rather drab visuals, you'll enjoy this one.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai suffers from a chronic lack of focus. The vibrant visuals and fun combat can't make up for the fact that you'll spend hours doing little more than watching static images tell the plot of the anime. The result is a game that will frustrate action RPG fans with a lack of action and fails to do justice to the story it is trying to tell. Unless you're desperate for a new Dragon Quest game to play, you're better off just watching the anime and skipping this spin-off entirely.
We’ve got to hand it to Devm Games (Moving Out) for coming up with the concept. This is a joyous, eccentric platformer that’s not quite like anything you’ve played before. Though the controls can be frustrating, that’s also the point of this brief, uncannily gripping experience.
Horizon Chase 2 isn't going to set the world on fire. No matter how fun it is to fly across the highway at blazing speed, no amount of speed can disguise the fairly limited breadth of content available. In fact, that speed only makes courses blur together even more. Ultimately, you're left with a fun but shallow arcade racer that feels disappointingly shaky on Switch.
For the most part, Mineko's Night Market will be enjoyed by people who like to curl up with a compelling narrative and relaxing tasks. It's fun gathering materials and discovering secrets. And did we mention you can PAT THE CATS?! Without sneezing! What a joyous, allergy-free delight. As for whether it was worth the long wait, well, we recommend holding off a little longer for another of its nine lives – one with some patchwork to address the snags on Switch.
Gloomhaven's gameplay is deeply challenging and dense, and it almost always manages to provide a satisfying payoff in equal measure if you are able to look past its menus and control flaws (and can stomach its load times on Switch). It isn't for the faint of heart, but those who stick with its complex, card-centric tactical gameplay will find a great strategy game.
After years of lazy, half-hearted Legacy Editions, EA Sports has finally delivered a football game on the Switch that offers full feature parity with other consoles. A much-needed engine upgrade trades frame rate for fidelity, but Switch owners finally have a port they can be proud of, rather than feeling like an afterthought.
Existing fans will feel so well served by this release that there needn't be any hesitation in picking it up. Those dipping their toes for the first time should know that it operates in a way that has aged differently to other classic first-person shooters. Whereas Doom's combat and fluidity remain free and immediate, its axis of movement more realistic and its stage layouts more controlled, Rise of the Triad functions around its own, unique design parameters, where violence and abstraction reign supreme. Learn its maps, the versatility of its weaponry, and how to make best use of its playground elements, and there's a game here with the capacity to enthrall.
If you’re looking for a quick jaunt through a beautifully haunting 2D world then Afterdream is a solid choice. While it’s a shame the game doesn’t lean into scares quite as much as we’d have liked, the atmosphere makes up for this and the puzzles should keep you engaged from start to finish.
It isn't often that war is a cozy affair, but Wargroove 2 manages to pull it off. We loved the game's colourful, vibrant art and playful writing, and there is enough depth and variety in the main campaign to satisfy most tactics fans while the Conquest mode will offer an even greater challenge for those seeking it. It doesn't change much from the previous game; it just tightens up some of the existing mechanics and adds a couple of extra wrinkles to an already great formula. It's a brilliant sequel, and yet another worthy successor to Advance Wars.
Disgaea 7 offers up yet another enjoyable entry in the long-running series, offering up a more refined take on the famously in-depth gameplay systems. New mechanics such as Jumbification add some interesting wrinkles to the SRPG battles, while new modes like competitive ranked online bring even more playability to a game that'll take you hundreds of hours to see to completion. Perhaps best of all, Disgaea 7 is very newcomer-friendly, though we will add that the very deliberate and measured approach to min-maxing isn't for everyone. Whether you're looking for an excellent new RPG to sink a lot of time into or you've been a fan of Disgaea since the PS2 days, Disgaea 7 is a worthwhile entry that we'd recommend you pick up when you can.
TY The Tasmanian Tiger 4's return is once again a bittersweet moment for longtime fans of the Aussie video game mascot. On one hand, it's great to see this series that's now more than 20 years old showing some signs of life with another enhanced release, but the fourth outing feels like a step back compared to TY's best 3D adventures. There's still plenty to like about the Switch version of Bush Rescue Returns, though, especially if you embrace the level design and collecting. Here's hoping this Aussie legend can appear in 3D for a future outing.
This genre's lineup on Switch has changed a lot since the original in 2018, and this feels primitive. Slaps & Beans 2 offers a long, adventurous campaign with a lot to see and do, and will remain a treat for dedicated fans of the duo. But, the combat, overshadowed by its novelty interludes, should be more fulfilling and less repetitive.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster is a worthwhile release, though it feels like a bit of a mixed bag. Despite some cool ideas here, both games epitomize the 'flawed masterpiece' while the changes and updates made for this remaster are minimal at best (though obviously welcome). This package is easy to recommend to any fans who want to venture further into Monolith's back catalog and are looking for something a little unconventional to scratch that RPG itch. Just recognize that this isn't something that you need to rush and play immediately and that both games are very much products of their time, with design elements that feel outdated in a modern context.