Pepper Grinder (Switch eShop)

$8.99 (-40%)

Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer. Channelling the spirits of several retro dig-based games, it may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality.

If any of that sounds interesting, we’d suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity - and there's a even downloadable demo if you're on the fence.

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Persona 5 Royal (Switch)

$20.99 (-65%)

Persona 5 Royal is the very definition of ‘required reading' for JRPG fans.

A deep and moving story, stylish presentation, amazing soundtrack, and decision-driven gameplay all combine to make for an unforgettable and exceptional experience that proves itself to be every bit deserving of the hype and praise it’s already received.

While those who have played this elsewhere may want to consider whether Switch's portability is enough to justify a full-price double dip, it suits the system perfectly. Persona 5 Royal easily stands as one of the very best RPGs of the last decade and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to miss out.

For even more from the series, you can also pick up Persona 4 Golden on sale for $9.99 (-50%) or Persona 5 Tactica for $23.99 (-60%).

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Switch)

$19.99 (-50%)

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 (now sadly disbanded) team didn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.

Prodeus (Switch)

$14.99 (-40%)

Prodeus is the kind of game that knows exactly what it wants to do and executes that vision flawlessly.

It’s not complicated and it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but every inch of this experience was clearly crafted with passion and talent. The intense firefights, expansive arsenal, metal music, and sprawling level designs all come together to make Prodeus feel like a game that’s just the right mix of retro and modern.

If you have ever been a fan of Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, or any of the indie boomer shooters of the last few years, you owe it to yourself to give Prodeus a shot. Even if you haven’t much been into the genre before, we’d say this is an excellent place to jump in and see what it’s about.

Quake (Switch eShop)

$3.99 (-60%)

Quake returns in a feature-rich remaster that delicately updates the classic FPS, adding lots of optional bells and whistles, packing in a ton of content, and delivering the definitive way to play this masterpiece in the process.

There's a wealth of online and co-op options here, a glorious new expansion to blast through from MachineGames, super slick performance in both docked and handheld modes, and it's all available at a cracking price point.

This really is a stellar port of one gaming's true greats and an absolutely essential addition to your Switch library.

And the sequel, Quake II, is also on sale for $3.99 (-60%).

Raiden IV x Mikado Remix (Switch)

$8.99 (-70%)

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.

Return to Monkey Island (Switch eShop)

$12.49 (-50%)

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)

$14.99 (-50%)

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.

Rogue Legacy 2 (Switch eShop)

$12.49 (-50%)

While not the first roguelike by any means, 2013’s Rogue Legacy — alongside classics like Spelunky and The Binding of Isaac — had a hand in making the now-plentiful genre the huge deal it has become. Nearly a decade later (not counting two years of early access), Cellar Door Games finally followed up on its breakout hit.

Rogue Legacy 2 builds upon its predecessor and, even for those who haven't played the first, re-establishes what made it such an enduring hit. While it’s not a game-changing revelation, it manages to follow up on everything that made the original great and makes it bigger and better.

Whether you loved the original Rogue Legacy (which is also on sale for $2.99) or never played it but like a good roguelike, this is a game you simply can't afford to miss.

Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch eShop)

$7.79 (-40%)

Sayonara Wild Hearts is the video game equivalent of Prince: it’s extremely short and its journey maybe ends a little sooner than you’d hoped, but it packs so many varied and beautiful ideas into its brief life and masters so many different styles that even though there’s a real disappointment it’s over so quickly, what it did give you will remain with you for an extremely long time. A true creative masterpiece.

SEGA AGES Out Run (Switch eShop)

$2.39 (-70%)

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.

Severed (Switch eShop)

$3.74 (-75%)

A joy to behold from start to finish, Severed is an almost perfectly executed action-adventure game with RPG elements, real-time combat, and a whole lot of slicing the body parts from various creatures. With beautifully designed dungeons full of rewarding puzzles and a pleasing combat system, you’ll likely find yourself wishing you could play more of the game when it's over.

That’s the only real downside – you’ll probably be finished with the main story after six hours and left wanting more – although wishing you could play more isn’t necessarily a complaint if you're a time-starved gamer with a backlog. If you have the means to do so, we heartily recommend putting that backlog to one side and giving this one a go.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (Switch eShop)

$14.99 (-50%)

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.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Switch)

$35.99 (-40%)

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.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)

$9.99 (-50%)

Shovel Knight was excellent in vanilla form, but Treasure Trove includes absolutely everything that developer Yacht Club has created for the game since its Kickstarter success back in 2013.

That includes the extra campaigns Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and the more recent King of Cards, plus multiplayer brawler Showdown which further increases the attractiveness of an already incredibly compelling package.

These games are fantastic odes to the glory days of 8-bit(+) platforming, and having the complete Shovel Knight experience in one spot makes this a must-have for Switch owners - especially those who have so far failed to dig into this game and its add-ons. Strike the earth!

For more from the series, you can also pick up Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon on sale for $11.99 (-40%).

Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Switch)

$5.99 (-80%)

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.

Signalis (Switch eShop)

$13.99 (-30%)

Signalis came out of nowhere to provide survival horror fans a near-perfect love letter to the long-running genre.

It is at its best when you're darting between enemies, using stealth and patience rather than brute force. While some of the combat encounters felt a little forced, the puzzles are just the right mix of challenging and approachable. The surreal imagery and unique storytelling structure add to the overall polish of a game that is the perfect length for what it is.

There have been an awful lot of homages to classic survival horror, but Signalis stands as one of the best.

Slay the Spire (Switch eShop)

$8.49 (-66%)

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 Mania (Switch eShop)

$7.99 (-60%)

Sonic Mania was a true return for the mascot's 2D 'Classic' guise. It celebrates the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts, and some delightful boss encounters, the development team poured a lot of passion and talent into this retro-styled project.

With new characters and modes added in the 'Plus' retail version (also available as DLC), some neat tweaks iron out some of the kinks present in the original release. Regardless of the version you pick up, Mania is one of the best 2D platformers in recent memory.

Sonic X Shadow Generations (Switch)

$34.99 (-30%)

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.