Pocket Tactics

Despite its chill and charm, SkateBird fails to capture the basic essence of a skateboarding game, leaving you wanting something more.

Despite some minor issues, WarioWare has never been better, and the joy of experimentation, fantastic presentation, and a wealth of options and unlockables, means there’s a veritable treasure trove that fans of the series will happily plunder for months.

Ni No Kuni II looks incredible on Switch, but the price it pays in terms of poor performance is too high, resulting in an experience that you're better off having on any other platform.

Kitaria Fables feels like a short and sweet game stretched needlessly long, robbing the game of a lot of the fun it’s cutesy art style promises. But fans of similar genres, and people with a lot of time and patience, might well fall in love with this game

Eastward is a beautiful love letter to old school RPGs and arcade games, bursting with unique characters, amazing attention to detail, stunning retro-pixel artwork, and a moving story that is bound to stay with you

Poking around the many secrets and hidden moments is a joyous romp that much bigger games could learn from, using a smaller scale to its advantage to produce memorable and distinct areas that are a delight to discover and explore. This could well be the best photography game of the year, and one of the best indie games of the year, that I can’t recommend enough for anyone looking for a compact adventure that achieves everything it sets out to do.

I’d say there’s a great Sonic game here, and newcomers will find plenty to love. But if you own it already, maybe wait for a sale.

A tranquil, minimalist town-builder with a beautiful, illustrative artstyle and serene sound design. Townscaper is a perfect game to unwind with and achieves exactly what it sets out to do.

Travis has never looked so good or felt as slick to control, while Fu and his minions serve as memorable antagonists throughout. When I look back on the series I’ll always remember the outstanding, insane action, and this latest entry could well be the best it’s ever been.

Despite a few teething issues with performance, Marvel Future Revolution is a must play for Marvel fans everywhere. The open world is a joy to explore, and the customisation makes for a personable experience.

While a tough opening was a rough adjustment, and a bit more enemy variety would have been appreciated, Axiom Verge 2 eventually opens up into a satisfying and thrilling game that successfully carries the legacy of the outstanding original entry.

Road 96 is a fantastic coming-of-age and socio-political tale, told in an interesting way that only video games can deliver. Stick your thumb out and hitch a ride with this fantastic adventure, and make sure to turn the music up loud.

An endearing adventure is now more accessible than ever, translated with fantastic visuals and competent controls. Monster Hunter fans and younger audiences alike have a great adventure to enjoy through this well-realised world, and a charming story to discover as well.

A great dating-sim, dungeon-crawler hybrid that takes you on a journey of self-acceptance, love, and facing your fears - all while smooching some cute swords. It’s a short but sweet tale that will leave you wanting more.

A short but sweet game that offers simplistic gameplay, but enough pleasant atmosphere and charm to get you through. It's slightly expensive for what is on offer, and the controls could be better, but plenty of players will find something to love here.

My Friend Pedro: Ripe For Revenge is a simple, fast paced romp through an action-heavy, techno-fueled fever dream that will leave you with a craving for bananas… And revenge.

Overall, Neo: The World Ends With You achieves an impossible task of both paying proper respect to the original title but also reinvigorating the franchise with a gigantic new dose of energy and ideas, that make this feel like one of the smartest and most stylish RPG titles you can play on Nintendo Switch.

My Time at Portia makes for a strong mobile title with plenty of content and quality of life changes, but lacks charm and polish.

Spiritfarer on Switch is an unforgettable, moving experience that offers up a deeply emotional narrative, stunning visuals, heartfelt characters, and a message that will stay with you forever.

Showing no signs of slowing down, these two most recent entries in the Ace Attorney series present a strong enough story, and enough great new characters and mechanics to make the titles feel as fresh as ever. The time period makes for some interesting twists and the earnest protagonist and rookie-lawyer Ryunosuke is a delight thanks to witty writing and fantastic presentation. A series high point and a great entry for newcomers to boot.

Cris Tales on Switch is a unique gem of a game with stunning visuals and music, interesting mechanics, and a beautiful story. It is only held back by load times and its somewhat frustrating combat.

Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed on Switch is an odd little title with some really unique and interesting ideas, but overall falls short with its visuals, combat, and clunky controls.

Some smart changes to controller issues and pacing problems make this the definitive way to play this classic Zelda title. But sadly, some repetitive elements and backtracking haven't changed at all. However, with an engaging story, well-realised characters, and some brilliant items and dungeons, Skyward Sword HD is a delightful adventure for fans of the series and beyond.

A fun beast slaying experience that new and existing fans of The Witcher will enjoy, even if loading times are a little slow

Dripping with style and absolutely stuffed with incredible combat, Boomerang X offers a rewarding blast of action with every moment of gameplay. It somewhat lacks replayability, but what's already there is staggeringly well executed. Boomerang X is one of the best action games of the year.