Virtua Racing is by far the most impressive Sega Ages release to date, offering an incredible remaster that doesn’t just replicate the arcade game but actively improves its resolution and frame rate. Newcomers should be aware that it still only offers three tracks and one car, but those willing to accept this fairly meagre offering will find that the new 20-lap Grand Prix mode and the online leaderboards give it a much-needed boost of longevity. Not for everyone, then, but those who ‘get’ it will adore it.
Although the revamped artwork of the original GBA Friends of Mineral Town may be slightly divisive, it's still a gorgeous, loving remake of the game on Switch that's a lot more accessible and satisfying than digging out an old Game Boy. Resolution in both docked and handheld looks nice and crisp, while the framerate holds to an absolute rock-solid 60 FPS throughout. Accompanying this is an upbeat soundtrack chock full of accordions, synthesizers, and steel drums, offering up a nice companion to the visuals.
Though its roots as a handheld game occasionally resurface and there’s not a ton of new content added for this remake, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town more than stands enough on its own as a quality game that deserves a spot in your Switch library.
The Ace Attorney series has been ported plenty of times already, so it was only a matter of time before Mr Wright made his way to Switch. Thankfully, these new versions have fared far better than the ones that popped up on Wii, with enough optimisation – including resizing and cleaning up every frame to make them look better than ever both in docked mode and in handheld/TV modes. HD Rumble helps give those shaky moments of exclamation – including Wright’s classic lines, naturally – that extra bit of vibrating heft.
For more Ace Attorney-ing, the Apollo Justice and Great Ace Attorney Chronicles packages are also great.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a wonderful love letter to a classic series, keeping everything that made the original games what they were, but slapping on a fresh coat of paint for the HD era. There are a few creaking bones showing their age here and there, but only due to the developers’ desire to keep things as accurate as possible. The Switch version looks absolutely stunning and runs surprisingly well, so if you’re looking for a classic 3D platforming experience, you should definitely give this a look-in.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a ruthlessly faithful recreation of some of the earliest successes in 3D platforming. Levels are slick, gorgeous to look at, and recreate the feel of the originals superbly. Newcomers to the series may be put off by the steep difficulty spikes and little to no explanation of some of the finer mechanics, but it still manages to be a really enjoyable retread of some old classics, warts and all. This is definitely worth a look if you're a fan of 3D platformers.
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 as soon as possible.
Nearly two years on from its initial 3DS release, The Alliance Alive HD Remastered proved to be a perfectly competent port of an already fantastic handheld game. A well-written story – penned by none other than Suikoden’s creator, Yoshitaka Murayama – a smartly interwoven and complex system of gameplay mechanics, and a distinctive visual style make this a no-brainer for anybody looking for a consistently high-quality RPG experience on their Switch.
It may feel a little simple, given its origins on the 3DS, but don’t make the mistake of passing up on The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, it’s well worth your time.
Final Fantasy VIII's remaster proves to be just as weird and polarizing a release as it was when it first came out. Cool new ideas like Guardian Forces and Triple Triad are hamstrung by an absolutely wack story and the tedium of the Draw system, making for an experience that’s great in some regards and not so great in others.
Taken as a whole, however, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered proves to be a fun and enjoyable romp through the weirder side of the Final Fantasy series, notably bolstered by the new HD presentation and the inclusion of helpful quality of life features.
For fans of the original Pokémon Yellow, Red, and Blue, walking around this reimagined version of Kanto is a dream come true; seeing all the cities and characters come to life thanks to a new HD makeover and cutesy animations brings back memories of our first experiences with the franchise, fully realising the level of detail we imagined in our heads rather than the blurry pixels present on our monochrome Game Boy screens.
It isn’t just the overall art style that impresses, either; little details like Pokémon posters in bedroom walls, adorable Oddish vases in living spaces and paintings lining the walls of the much more majestic S.S. Anne make the world feel more alive than ever before.
