Nintendo Life

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Mario vs Donkey Kong serves up a slick return to the 2004 GBA adventure that finds fresh fun in cooperative play. Yep, the new co-op mode really is the star of the show this time out and, alongside two new worlds, 'Plus' versions of each level, a Time Attack mode, and fancy new looks and sounds, there's plenty to dig into and enjoy with a core puzzle/platforming setup that has aged quite well. Just be aware that, if you're a more seasoned player looking for platforming challenges, this game finds its strengths as an experience for younger gamers or as a co-op title to enjoy with your kids. Taken as such, it absolutely earns a recommendation.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slick return to the roots of this franchise that serves up clever 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat, and neat puzzles, all mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open things up to newcomers and casual players. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands and the team hasn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Another Code: Recollection's biggest addition to the original DS and Wii experiences, besides the slick new graphics and fully explorable 3D environs, is its all-new navigation and puzzle aids. With the obtuse nature of some puzzles now a triviality — should you find yourself stumped — there's now no difficulty spikes or annoying moments to hold you back from a two-part tale that's very much worth diving into for fans of slow-burn point-and-click titles. Their pacing could have done with some more work, but this collection is as good a return to Ashley's world as fans could have hoped for.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Super Mario RPG is here in all of its weird, wonderful glory for a new generation to experience, and sets a new standard for how to do a faithful remake right. Delivering a beautifully preserved, pure experience for fans of the original and an accessible entry-point for genre newcomers, the game's infectious charm, writing, and polished gameplay do so much to elevate this beyond what might have been merely a simple RPG starring Mario.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

WarioWare: Move It! is another great entry in this long-running franchise that brings back the motion-controlled mayhem whilst giving you plenty of ways to enjoy its loony fun with family and friends. There are lots of fun modes to dig into and unlock here, the microgames are as daft and colourful as ever, and, as long as you can make peace with things not being quite as fun solo, it's really hard to knock the chaotically silly vibe of this most excellent party game.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

In a year overflowing with outstanding new RPGs, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is among the very best of them. This revival of a PlayStation classic does a thorough job of mixing modern game design and artistic elements with old-school sensibilities to make for one of the most impressive RPG releases of 2023. A lengthy, player-driven story, thrilling combat system, gorgeous new visual style, and remixed soundtrack all come together to make this one of the easiest recommendations we can make to any RPG fan. If you’re even vaguely interested in picking this up, we’d encourage you to do so as soon as you can; Star Ocean: The Second Story R is comfortably the best entry in this series.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

If you've never played any of the Metal Gear Solid titles before, or indeed their MSX2 ancestors, then the Master Collection on Switch is a perfectly fine way to experience some of the most iconic games of all time. That said, Switch owners have undoubtedly been stung by Konami's decision to cut MGS 2 and 3's frame rate down to 30, and although moment-to-moment gameplay still feels satisfying, it's a frustrating approach that we're hopeful will be patched at a later date. As for the overall package, there's a lot here that will keep you entertained, but the way it's been presented feels less than ideal. Still, it's a compilation well worth investigating if you're itching to play (or replay) the Metal Gear Solid saga.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is, quite simply, the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. This is the slickest, sharpest, and smartest that two-dimensional Mario has felt since 1991 and in its Wonder Flowers, badges, and online aspects, it serves up an endlessly inventive and impressive platforming adventure that we've been utterly hooked on. With local co-op and online fun adding to the replayability factor and nigh-on perfect performance in both docked and handheld modes, this feels like 2D Mario with its mojo back, and one of the very best platformers we've played in quite some time.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Murder on the Orient Express is impressive in its ability to breathe new life into a well-trodden story. Microids Studio Lyon has found a cute gap in the story to slide in its new character, Locke, without her getting in the way. Her tense and serious segments free up Poirot for a bit of comic relief, and the whole game sits with a relaxed atmosphere and pleasant presentation. Puzzles are mixed, but there are enough good ones to drive another enjoyable trip through Agatha Christie’s classic story of mystery, justice, and moral ambiguity.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

We had a few issues with Sonic Superstars — the local co-op could have greatly benefited from split-screen support, and the online Battle Mode feels incredibly shallow and tacked on — but this is the first original 2D Sonic game that feels truly authentic to the Genesis titles without aping the classic pixel-art style, and for a lot of longtime fans, that's frankly an absolute miracle. Zipping through the 12 zones in the excellent campaign made us feel like kids again, but it will also prove a great entry point for new players looking to see what all the fuss is about. Developer Arzest's reputation has taken a beating in recent years, but this is a triumphant effort from the studio and a great return for '2D' Sonic.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

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.

• SWITCH
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

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.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

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.

• SWITCH
• 8 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

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.

• SWITCH
• 3 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Even when everything's working, MythForce isn't much more than a bad port of a fun but uninteresting game. That being said, we can't possibly recommend it in its launch state. We don't take half-baked efforts lightly, and this feels even less than that. With some patches and updates, MythForce could potentially turn things around, although we're very far from optimistic. As things stand, avoid the Switch version of MythForce.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch manages to deliver this superb game's Story and Towers modes in a state that's playable, but only if you've got plenty of patience. There are frame rate issues, big resolution dips, input and timing problems related to performance drops, missing content, game-breaking bugs in Invasion mode, long loading times, and unresponsive menus. If you are a huge Mortal Kombat fan whose only option is Switch, you may be able to press through all of this. However, if you have any other option, we suggest you stay away from this one for now.

• SWITCH
• 9 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

Despite its relatively unchanged look, F-Zero 99 is unexpectedly refreshing. Though it may not be the return for the franchise that fans hoped for, it's a triumphant and welcome look back at Captain Falcon's first game with a clever twist. F-Zero is simply suited for the -99 style structure in ways that Tetris, Mario, and Pac-Man aren't; it was already an elimination-style battle royale, just a small one. Adding more players doesn't just feel perfect for F-Zero, it feels natural. This isn't the definitive way to play F-Zero, but it is a brilliant take that supplements what worked so well in the original with thoughtful additions that make chasing victory utterly addictive.