We've been stung before with ports of console and PC games - especially those lauded for the size and intricacy of their worlds - but Panic Button has proved, once again, that it really does know how to do the right games justice within the constraints of Switch's hardware design.
GODS Remastered is an odd remaster. The brand new visuals help give this incarnation of Ancient Greece a far more agreeable presentation with a proper lighting system, some much-improved character models and a soundtrack that helps do justice to the unforgettable original. But peel away those cosmetic changes and you’re left with a once brilliant action-platformer that has not aged well.
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a faithful port of the original that brings every slash of Chaoseaster and every bloody execution to Nintendo Switch in all its glory. While still the inferior entry in the Darksiders trilogy, this first outing is still a robust action-platformer full of satisfying melee combos, open-ended levels and a suitably over-the-top story. Easily one of the most underrated franchises to appear in the previous generation, Darksiders is a solid port that finally unleashes the Apocalypse in handheld form.
It’s not often we recommend you play a Nintendo Switch game on a different platform, but there’s simply no way we could advise you to pick this up right now in its current state.
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid isn't some cheap tie into a quarter-century-old franchise – at least not in sense of its core mechanics and gameplay. With a smooth 60fps in all formats on Switch, lots of modes to play through and support for ranked and casual bouts online, it's a decent fighter, even without the licence. However, an ugly yet suitably contemporary approach to content accessibility leaves this game feeling frustratingly spartan to anyone who doesn't invest in a rolling number of ongoing season passes. This seems to be the way all fighting games are going – just look at Dead or Alive 6's awful DLC setup – but it's not a welcome direction.
Windscape isn't an antidote to the everlong tropes of modern action-RPGs – simply because it still needs to rely on enough of them to tie its own systems together – but it does present a relaxed and engrossing alternative that's designed to give players of any age or skill level the chance to explore, battle and craft at their own pace. The deepness of that crafting system belies its apparent simplicity, and with all manner of stories to uncover across its hand-crafted lands, you're left with a first-person adventure that very much belongs on Switch.
Unravel Two was already a wonderful little game, filled with heartfelt moments of poignant storytelling and challenging platforming puzzles, and now it has a fitting new home on Nintendo Switch. Even with a few downgrades to the visuals, Unravel Two is far from an inferior experience when played on Nintendo's hybrid system. Full of charm and character, it's one of the best co-operative platformers you can play anywhere, and another robust Switch port that was well worth the wait.
It's an enjoyable little JRPG with a serviceable battle system and enough genre tropes (including exploration, the occasional puzzle and the odd fishing mini-game) to at least satisfy veteran genre fans, but it's an adventure in dire need of an 'X factor' to help it stand apart on the eShop.
While Nintendo Switch has yet to get a proper, full-fat golfing sim to its name yet (come on The Golf Club, get your act together), it does have a handful of fun and rewarding alternatives to tee off on. Golf Peaks is one such memorable trip down the fairway, taking that classic pastime and infusing it with an isometric puzzler that's as fun and engaging as it was on mobile. Much like the original, this Switch port's only real letdown is the fact it's simply over too quickly. Let's hope Golf Peaks 2 is on the cards one day.
RICO is simple, moreish fun in arcade FPS form; a literal corridor shooter that makes every gunfight a glorious exchange of bullets as you fight your way to the words 'Room cleared' over and over again.
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame isn't the groundbreaking reinvention the franchise so desperately needs, but it's still a step in the right direction.
Nintendo Switch is enjoying a growing number of turn-based tactical games, and Hard West is another welcome addition to that strategic throng.
Hell Warders isn't the prettiest of games you'll play on Nintendo Switch – even in docked mode its visuals really struggle to shake off that last-gen sheen – but look past its unoriginal Gothic aesthetic and there's a competent (if uninspiring) Tower Defence game to be had. If you're planning to tackle this alone, it's best avoided, but if you want to hook up with the admittedly small number of people playing online, the occupants of hell certainly won't slay themselves.
Rad Rodgers Radical Edition serves up a hefty slice of side-scrolling shooter action and Metroidvania-esque exploration.
Trials Rising is the (mostly) full package you've been waiting for. With its huge list of tracks to tackle and all the races and trick-based stunts you could ask for, RedLynx has served up the best instalment in the series since Trials Evolution. With a killer soundtrack, tons of customisation and an impressively deep tutorial mode, it's only really let down by a tutorial-free Track Editor. The drop to 30fps might put off those also playing on other platforms and the drop in visual fidelity can be hard to miss at times, but despite its blemishes, Trials has proved its right at home on Nintendo Switch.
