Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Switch)

price:$20.99/59.99

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a stellar example of an enhanced re-release done right - which is fortunate, as the original version was delisted when this launched.

Vengeance's comprehensive approach to improving the story and various gameplay systems of the original release makes for an experience that’s even more engrossing. Though we were disappointed by the lack of any performance gains here, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is still an extremely easy recommendation for any RPG fans.

Some may consider SMT to be “Persona without the heart,” but SMT V: Vengeance cleanly demonstrates that this old Atlus stalwart still has an abundance of fantastic gameplay and unique appeal. A wonderful game.

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Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)

price:$5.99/29.99

If you think Civilization peaked at IV, the sixth entry won’t change your mind, but we envy anyone who’s never played the series, as Civilization VI on Switch is a brilliant introduction. Watching — and influencing — how the world unfolds is as addictive as ever, and the boon of portability makes this a great way to play. Lack of online play is an obvious disappointment, but the core game works fantastically well on the handheld and we had an absolute blast; take our advice and get stuck in.

Sonic X Shadow Generations (Switch)

price:$19.99/49.99

In what can only be described as a monumental return to form for both hedgehogs, Sonic X Shadow Generations combines two excellent campaigns to create what just might be the very best 3D Sonic game so far.

The remastered Generations content remains a delight, taking you through some of the series' most iconic stages, but Shadow's new chapter represents the franchise's 3D gameplay at its very best. It introduces a bunch of awesome new abilities while showcasing some of the most creative stages we've ever seen.

Alas, there's still no Chao Garden, but we'll keep hoping and praying for its inclusion in the future. Based on this, though, the future of 3D Sonic looks bright.

Split Fiction (Switch 2)

price:$34.99/49.99

Split Fiction feels like a gift. Its sole aim is to entertain and bring players together by testing them at every turn. Hazelight gives us two distinct worlds, each filled with a huge array of activities for co-op partners to enjoy and argue over.

It serves as a surprising visual showcase for the Switch 2 and enhances the Friend's Pass feature, allowing our original Switch buddies to join in the fun.

STALKER: Call of Prypiat (Switch eShop)

price:$13.39/19.99

Call of Prypiat is the most refined experience of the STALKER trilogy. Everything from the HUD to the survival mechanics has been optimised to give the best experience for would-be Stalkers. Visible status icons and an on-screen quickslot view mean going into menus less frequently.

The shooting is still fantastic, with minor refinements of Chornobyl and Clear Sky's system making this the smoothest bullet thrower of the bunch. It’s worth noting that the generous assist options present on these versions mitigate the series' notorious fiddly aiming, too.

Steredenn: Binary Stars (Switch eShop)

price:$3.89/12.99

Steredenn: Binary Stars is a fantastic game that does a great job of providing an experience that feels simultaneously classic and modern. Its high difficulty, rewarding gameplay, endless variety, and beautiful presentation make this an essential buy for any fans of the genre, and a high recommendation for those who aren’t.

If you’re looking for a tightly made arcade game that can be played both in short bursts and for hours on end, here's yet another one for your list.

Streets of Rage 4 (Switch eShop)

price:$7.49/24.99

Streets of Rage 4 is the very best the series has ever been. Its hand-drawn graphics breathe new life into Wood Oak City and its inhabitants, the soundtrack is outstanding, and the combat feels better than ever.

Lizardcube, Guard Crush Games, and Dotemu managed to completely modernise the look and feel of Streets of Rage, expanding on the experience without losing sight of what made the original games so popular to begin with – and the handful of additions made to the action here serve only to enhance the classic core gameplay, resulting in one of the best side-scrolling beat 'em ups we've played in a long time.

And the Mr X Nightmare DLC is pretty tasty, too. A truly fantastic brawler.

Tales from the Borderlands (Switch eShop)

price:$14.99/24.99

Tales from the Borderlands is arguably Telltale Games' finest hour and easily one of the very best choice-driven narrative adventures available on any system. This is 10 glorious hours' worth of top-notch entertainment with a world-class cast, consistently excellent writing that manages to perfectly balance comedy and drama, non-stop twisted action and a cast of kooky characters that are a joy to spend time with.

This really is the best the Borderlands universe has ever been, and a game that everyone should experience at least once.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch eShop)

price:$13.74/24.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the best Turtles beat 'em up ever made. It looks delicious, sounds superb, and rekindles childhood memories beyond all expectations, time-warping you back to 1987.

Its combat system is so much fun to mine that you feel compelled to keep coming back to try new strategies, and with its awesome co-op multiplayer, the experience evolves again and again. Like many a beat 'em up, it does get repetitive as you enter the last third, but that’s more a fault of the concept than the game. Shredder’s Revenge really is an unprecedented, ahem, shell-ebration.

The Dimension Shellshock DLC adds new fighters and a Survival mode, too, and if you can't get enough of your Turtle-filled co-op brawlers, there's also Digital Eclipse's TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection, which features a boatload of Konami classics to keep you busy for hours.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (Switch)

price:$15.99/39.99

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is indisputably one of the best things Konami released in the Switch generation, meeting all expectations and then some. Bar absent difficulty settings for the arcade games, it’s an anthology that finally gets it totally right.

Digital Eclipse and Konami have done the fans justice, offering a comprehensive library that doesn’t hide content behind a paywall, while going above and beyond in terms of features and bonuses. With online functionality and rollback netcode being the icing on the cake, this is the gold standard for retro collections.

Tetris Effect: Connected (Switch eShop)

price:$19.99/39.99

Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best iteration of the classic puzzler yet.

While this Switch port doesn't offer a great deal over existing versions in terms of features, it delivers the one key ingredient that its rivals cannot: portability. Sure, some will argue that Tetris Effect: Connected's unique brand of synesthesia only really comes alive when played on PSVR or an Oculus Quest headset, but we'd argue passionately that this game benefits far more from the ability to pick it up and play whenever, wherever.

Just as the Game Boy and Tetris combined to create an irresistible, world-conquering fusion back in 1989, Tetris Effect: Connected found the hardware that allowed it to truly shine, making this an utterly essential purchase for all Nintendo Switch owners. Don't forget those headphones.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Switch)

price:$19.99/49.99

The Switch isn’t short of games that have already taken a bow, or several, on other hardware, but Skyrim might be the one that most deserves another look from both hardy Elder Scrolls adventurers and absolute beginners alike.

Despite its age showing, with countless little cracks in its already fractured façade, it still delivers a palpable sense of space that few games before or since have managed. May its dancing northern lights never dim.

The Messenger (Switch eShop)

price:$3.99/19.99

2D side-scrolling action games like The Messenger may be a dime a dozen these days, but you’d be missing out on something special by passing this one up.

Featuring a surprisingly long campaign, an incredible soundtrack, and tight, challenging level designs, The Messenger stands as a shining example of great game design and the very definition of a modern classic.

The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition (Switch eShop)

price:$2.99/29.99

Croteam, the creator of The Talos Principle, was previously known primarily for their silly (but fun) Serious Sam titles. The Talos Principle shows a remarkable maturity and depth of scope that's perhaps surprising, but in a very good way.

It poses interesting questions, allows the player to progress at their own pace — mostly in a non-linear fashion — and is a hugely satisfying piece of game design. Utterly entrancing and highly recommended.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (Switch eShop)

price:$5.24/14.99

Whether you played this back in 2012 or are completely new to the series, Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season One is a masterpiece of video game storytelling.

It features some of the best voice-over performances you’ll find on any gaming platform and sets the stage for a grand, multi-season odyssey of tragic proportions. However, this is also a satisfying and poignant collection even if you never play the subsequent episodes.

Even if you lost patience with Rick Grimes and TV series adaptation of the comic books, this remains an incredible interactive adaptation of Robert Kirkman's world of walkers.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Switch)

price:$14.99/59.99

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a masterpiece, and being able to take such a grand and engrossing adventure on the go is something well worth celebrating.

The Switch's Complete Edition is a truly impressive achievement, and although performance isn't perfect, it's still an incredible and impactful role-playing experience.

CD Projekt Red set the bar for modern RPGs back in 2015, and this port is a startling reminder that it has arguably yet to be bettered. One of the most impressive ports on the system.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (Switch eShop)

price:$4.99/19.99

While utilising the ruleset of a more traditional CCG system might put off some players, the on-brand approach to turn-based combat in Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is still a positive addition to the world. Because with such an involved and intricately designed story — and such an interesting world to explore beyond the confines of Geralt — Thronebreaker offers the opportunity to lose yourself in the Continent like never before.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Switch)

price:$15.99/39.99

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Nintendo Switch is a rock-solid port of a pair of genuinely fantastic remakes.

These really are two of the very best arcade sports titles of all time, revamped, reworked and re-imagined for modern audiences with all the graphical bells and whistles, collectibles and game modes we've come to expect in this day and age.

With flawless performance in both docked and handheld modes and visuals that still look the part after a few necessary concessions here and there, this is one collection we highly recommend you kickflip right into.

Two Point Campus (Switch)

price:$7.99/39.99

Two Point Campus is a masterclass management sim game bursting with creative new ideas and a wholly original approach to success. Its wholesome ‘invest in students and they’ll invest in you’ strategy is a beautiful way to put a positive spin on an otherwise NPC-exploitative genre.

Dampened only by some technical issues, it still manages to be a standout amongst its peers and shine brightly at the top of the class.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider (Switch eShop)

price:$9.34/16.99

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an absolute triumph in 'neo-retro' game design. It boasts fluid combat with plenty of variety in environmental and enemy design and an art style that looks like it beamed straight over from the early '90s.

While its overall short length might be a bit of a sticking point for some, those looking for an action title that is not only a fantastic experience but also feels like an authentically retro one will find this to be an absolute no-brainer.

Windjammers 2 (Switch eShop)

price:$5.00/19.99

With Windjammers 2, Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way. The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevvy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings.

Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, but this is another banger from Dotemu — an all-time classic improved upon, an arcade classic refined for a new generation.

World of Goo (Switch eShop)

price:$7.49/14.99

World of Goo is a true classic, and it's revered for good reason. 2D Boy's game is instantly accessible but with plenty of depth; it's paced out perfectly, with a steady stream of new tricks and techniques to learn, and its puzzles can be solved with forward-thinking, quick reflexes or a mixture of both. Wrapped up in a unique, pleasantly apocalyptic presentation, with co-op support and a harder 'OCD' mode for added replay value, this is a complete puzzle package.

If you've played it previously, the Switch incarnation might be worth a second go for its portable pointer controls and on-the-go co-op, but if it's your first time in the World of Goo, it's absolutely a must-play.

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut (Switch 2)

price:$34.99/49.99

Yakuza 0 is the best of the traditional-styled Yakuza games, with the most complex story and interesting characters of the lot. It's also the ideal place for newcomers to get started with this weird and wonderful series.

The new multiplayer mode in this remastered Director's Cut is a little throwaway, for sure, and the fights do get repetitive (turn-based Yakuza FTW), but otherwise, this is a phenomenal 4K/60 port of an epic adventure that's now probably our favourite way to get down on the mean streets of 1980s Tokyo and Osaka.