Persona 4 Golden Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $9.99

Persona 4 Golden remains a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing RPG that, for the most part, has stood the test of time.

Although its visuals might be a bit dated, the gameplay and story presented here do more than enough to justify the purchase, while all the tweaks and additions that came with this ‘Golden’ edition round out most of the rougher edges from the initial PS2 release.

If you're looking to give the Persona series a shot, Persona 5 Royal is a good place to start, but P4G is an excellent entry in the series and one that we would recommend you pick up when you can.

R-Type Delta: HD Boosted Switch

Price: $24.99 / $13.99

A true arcade game that never was, and confined to the PlayStation until now, shoot-'em-up fans will adore what’s in store. A seminal work that has never looked better, R-Type Delta, with its boundless creativity and exacting design, stands out not just amongst its peers, but as perhaps the best R-Type the series ever produced.

Yes, it’s still crazy tough, and no quick restarts or scene-skipping is painful, but this new HD revamp is by far the best way to play it. If you’re itching for a shoot-'em-up experience of note, this will make your year.

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Raiden IV x Mikado Remix Switch

Price: $29.99 / $8.99

Raiden IV is not a typical shmup by contemporary standards, and won’t be for everyone. Equally, all of these modes have been available in some form elsewhere. But as a single package, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix offers the Switch one of its best shooting game releases yet – and that is saying something on a console that has emerged as an unexpected star vehicle for the genre.

Reanimal Switch 2

Price: $39.99 / $31.99

With Reanimal, Tarsier Studios delivers its darkest, boldest work yet. Expanding on the Little Nightmares formula with non-linear exploration, striking audiovisual design, and bombastic set pieces, this is an imaginative horror experience that confidently delivers its vision while offering accessible co-op play that fans of the developer have long clamoured for.

Red Dead Redemption: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Switch 2

Price: $49.99 / $24.99

This Switch 2 update, on paper, gives us the basics and no more. You've now got mouse controls for fine-aiming, and the expected resolution and frame rate increases look and feel very nice indeed. Remember the journey into Mexico, that magical bit with the music, the showstopping part? It's all the more magical when you can see the very dust in the air, the shimmering heat haze in the distance, now as clear as day thanks to pristine visuals. HDR helps things pop in comparison to the older port, that's for sure.

There's still no multiplayer, but it now feels as though the game is being presented on a Nintendo console in a manner befitting such an epic slice of gaming history. With slick controls, DLSS, HDR, volumetric effects, options to personalise mouse mode, 60fps that felt flawless, and a resolution bump that's got it looking super sharp, this is a gem that still feels modern, immediate, and relentlessly replayable on Switch 2.

Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2

Price: $79.99 / $63.99 (Deluxe Edition)

Resident Evil Requiem sets a new benchmark for a series that has been pretty consistently great for the last decade or so.

By combining classic survival horror with the more action-focused gameplay of RE4, the result is an experience paced to perfection. Add in a lore-heavy narrative and copious easter eggs, and you've got what might be the ultimate expression of Resident Evil.

There are a few minor visual hiccups along with some inconsistency in frame rate during busier moments, but the fact that we've got a brand-new flagship RE game running well on Switch 2 should be celebrated. The lack of a Mercenaries Mode feels like a missed opportunity, but we've got our fingers crossed that it eventually shows up. An excellent video game.

Return to Monkey Island Switch eShop

Price: $24.99 / $7.49

Return to Monkey Island reaches into your heart, rips out your desire to know THE SECRET, and clenches it in front of your face. As hard as it would be to concede that The Secret of Monkey Island™ might always have been a MacGuffin, it’s agonising to contemplate that your 30-year longing for the Monkey Island 3 might be just the same.

Return presents to your transfixed gaze a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun. All the way through, you will hope, achingly, that the big reveal is coming – and then…

River City Girls Switch eShop

Price: $29.99 / $14.99

Not since Scott Pilgrim vs The World was released nine years ago have we played such an entertaining, satisfying beat ‘em up. Whether you’re playing alone or teaming up with a friend in co-op mode, River City Girls is a visually superb, aurally fantastic, out-and-out love letter to the genre. Fans of River City Ransom and other Kunio-kun games will adore how it respects the past but makes it relevant today, while those new to the series will simply find a hugely enjoyable and infectiously cheerful scrapper.

Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked Switch eShop

Price: $29.99 / $20.99

Rocket Knight Adventures is a series comprising two fine games and one stellar, timeless piece of work. While the sequels are above average for '90s platform gaming, it’s the series debut that really informs this review’s score. Rocket Knight Adventures is a title that sits comfortably alongside Gunstar Heroes in the pantheon of exceptional games overlooked in their heyday.

It does everything an arcade action adventure needs to, and more, outdoing a vast number of actual arcade games in the process. Its constantly evolving stages, incredible variety of scenarios, and driving cinematic soundtrack make it one of the best of its kind. If that’s not the very definition of underrated, we don’t know what is.

Scott Pilgrim EX Switch 2

Price: $28.99 / $23.19

It’s easy to get retro fatigue when every month brings another wave of throwbacks. Scott Pilgrim EX, however, is a reminder of why this genre became so popular in the first place. The spirit and execution come together in a way that feels fresh rather than forced.

There’s real pick-up-and-play value here, whether you’re going solo or just messing around with friends. You don’t even need to be a fan of Scott Pilgrim to enjoy it. After all, getting a bunch of friends together to battle the forces of evil with martial arts and giant turnips is about as universal as it gets.

SEGA AGES Herzog Zwei Switch eShop

Price: $7.99 / $2.39

There aren't many games from three or more decades ago that you can truly say have stood the test of time, but Herzog Zwei is such a perfectly-balanced strategy offering that it's genuinely hard to pick fault or suggest how it could be improved or enhanced.

Sure, the unit AI can be a little basic, the online play is a bit jerky and the split-screen mode in multiplayer cuts off a lot of your viewing area (and also reduces the ability to launch sneak-attacks) but the core gameplay is utterly fantastic, and remains just as addictive and engaging today as it was back in 1989, when the game first arrived in Japanese stores.

In single-player, the varied map types and scalable difficulty mean that Herzog Zwei will keep you entertained for weeks (if not years) but when played with another person — be it locally on the same console or online — this game is elevated to a whole new level of greatness. Even if RTS titles aren't your cup of tea, we highly recommend you give this one a whirl because, outside of spiritual successor AirMech, there really hasn't been a game quite like this since.

SEGA AGES Out Run Switch eShop

Price: $7.99 / $2.39

If you originally missed out on the 3DS port, this is about as essential a retro release as you can get. Out Run has always been an infinitely playable game, and the new unlockables and online rankings only increase its longevity further.

Those with the 3DS version will have to decide whether it’s worth buying what’s more or less the same game again in order to play it on their TV, but for everyone else with an interest in retro gaming, it’s a must-have.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $9.99

If you haven’t gotten around to it by now, the Switch version is certainly the best way to play Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse. Tight gameplay, detailed visuals, and charming writing combine to make this a Metroidvania that is a must-play for any fans of this genre or the series.

This gets a strong recommendation to anybody who hasn’t played it yet and we would still encourage veterans to consider double-dipping. Though there’s nothing groundbreaking about this re-release, it’s the same great game that it was and the few minor additions are a nice bonus.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens Switch eShop

Price: $29.99 / $14.99

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is the culmination of everything WayForward has learned since that initial release a little less than two decades back. It pulls some of the best elements from the titles that came before it – such as the dungeons and fast transformations – while adding in several cool new ones too, like the collectable cards and lovable new characters.

A short-but-sweet runtime, well-drawn visuals, a catchy soundtrack, and a well-designed map make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for the next must-have Metroidvania for their Switch.

Shotgun Cop Man Switch eShop

Price: $9.99 / $4.99

Shotgun Cop Man can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste in terms of raw, precise gameplay. Using your guns for both traversal and combat with a simple but effective twin-stick setup is a stroke of genius, and it makes for an effortlessly rewarding experience that you'll want to play again and again.

While not overly difficult in itself, nailing the optional objectives is key to achieving 100% completion, and it's here that you'll find challenge and satisfaction in equal measure. It's funny, it's violent, and it's polished – and we suspect it will go down as a cult classic.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI Switch

Price: $29.99 / $5.99

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.

Slay the Spire Switch eShop

Price: $24.99 / $6.24

Slay the Spire is an endlessly addictive roguelike card-battler that’s a perfect fit for Switch; a beautifully balanced game that arrived on Nintendo's system with all the benefits of an extended period of Early Access on PC. Its combination of ferocious battles, entertaining chance encounters, and selection of three impressively different player characters make every run to the top a nerve-wracking and totally absorbing affair.

Massively inventive sets of cards combine majestically into hugely destructive combos and attack and defence options fuse perfectly together, enabling you to use the information provided by the brilliantly transparent Intent system to strategise endlessly against hordes of foul monstrosities.

Sure, you’ll eventually see every enemy and chance encounter, and yes, there are a few frame rate niggles here and there, but overall this is one dungeon crawler that will live long in our system memories.

Sonic X Shadow Generations Switch

Price: $49.99 / $17.49

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: $49.99 / $32.49

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.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster Switch eShop

Price: $29.99 / $14.99

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster brings back this 1995 'Doom clone' in style — another resounding success for Nightdive Studios (who also handled the excellent Quake and Quake II remasters, among others). It returns LucasArts' curious, nostalgia-laced FPS with loads of new bells and whistles, including enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and a wealth of accessibility options.

This is easily the best way to experience Dark Forces and revisit an oft-forgotten era of Star Wars before the prequel trilogy - and before the sequel trilogy booted the Expanded Universe out the 'Legends' airlock.