Here’s the games I have reviewed so far on the Nintendo Switch 2 in this genre, from best to worst. Note: If multiple games have the same score, they will be sorted alphabetically.

Classic Games / Remakes (GameCube era or older)

Game	Genre	Original Platform	Grade
Star Fox	On-Rails Shooter	Nintendo 64	A+
tl;dr Star Fox is a faithful family-friendly remake of Star Fox 64 that gets pretty much everything right. It preserves the excellent gameplay of the original game while giving it an absolutely stunning makeover, adding in a bunch of new features, expanding on the original game’s story, revamping the multiplayer mode, and overall setting a standard for others to look to when anyone wants to see how to do a truly phenomenal remake of an absolute classic. This is a must-have game, and a showpiece for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade	Action-RPG / JRPG	PlayStation	A-
tl;dr Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a truly ambitious remake of one of the most impactful videogames ever made, reworking it to be a more action-focused JRPG. This is a stunningly-gorgeous game, one of the best-looking games to release on Nintendo Switch 2 so far, in a port that makes shrewd compromises that sacrifice little. And while I have my nitpicks about the story and gameplay, it’s hard to complain about a $40 showpiece title that’s a truly praiseworthy port of such a major game. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan on Nintendo Switch 2, consider this an absolute must-have.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG	PlayStation	A-
tl;dr Final Fantasy Tactics is a genre-naming game for the “Tactics-style” Turn-Based Strategy RPG genre, and for good reason, it’s outstanding, and it is presented here in the best version we’ve ever gotten of the game, albeit not the definitive version, nor one without its own flaws and frustrations. Still, the original game has aged well, and the new quality-of-life improvements and voiced dialogue makes this game even better. If you enjoy Strategy-RPGs, consider this a must-buy.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined	Turn-Based JRPG	PlayStation	A-
tl;dr Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a remake of a family-friendly PlayStation and Nintendo 3DS Turn-Based JRPG that addresses all of the complaints I had about that game and adds multiple improvements to boot, as well as a stunning new presentation. As a remake this game is astounding, and as a JRPG it is a game that you should absolutely get your hands on, even if you didn’t enjoy previous versions of Dragon Quest VII. And the improvements the Nintendo Switch 2 version gets to visuals and performance take it a step above the Nintendo Switch version too!
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter	Action-RPG / Turn-Based JRPG	PC	B+
tl;dr Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a full remake of a 21 year-old classic that reworks the game from the ground up with massive improvements to gameplay and presentation. Some elements of the story and character customization still feel a tad dated, but overall this is a superb blend of Turn-Based JRPG and Action-RPG, and a great entry point for anyone curious about the Trails franchise.
Yakuza Kiwami	Action-RPG	PlayStation 2	B+
tl;dr Yakuza Kiwami is an Action-RPG focusing on the criminal underworld of contemporary Tokyo, with an extremely detailed world that begs to be explored, and an excellent story with some excellent twists and turns. Unfortunately, the inconsistent combat and an extremely linear early game hinder this otherwise excellent experience. Still, if you can put up with its flaws, I still think this game is absolutely worth playing. It’s a mixed bag, but that mix is mostly very good.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac	3D Platformer	PlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCube	B
tl;dr Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a remake of the family-friendly 2002 multiplatform 3D Platformer that’s a genuinely good remake of a game that has aged much better than its predecessor, with improved controls, improved game design, and improved level design, making for a solid entry in the genre. It’s not very original, and it’s not a timeless classic, but if you’re a fan of 3D Platformers, this is definitely a game you should consider picking up.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4	Action / Strategy / Tower Defense	PlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCube	B
tl;dr Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 follows in the footsteps of 2020’s Remake / Compilation of the first two games by bringing together and modernizing the next pair of games in the Skateboarding franchise in much the same way. This release unfortunately lacks content from the original games and drops the open-ended gameplay of Pro Skater 4. And the graphics and performance on Nintendo Switch 2, while good, are underwhelming. That said, the core gameplay is still excellent, the three new levels are very good, and the addition of custom goals to the create-a-park mode is potentially huge. The result is an uneven and at times disappointing game that is nevertheless overall excellent, and an absolute must-have for Tony Hawk fans on the go.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Management Simulation	PC / Mac OS	B-
tl;dr RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a Management Simulation that combines the original two RollerCoaster Tycoon games into one experience, letting you manage and design your own theme park. The gameplay here has aged poorly in some places, and the controls and interface design are poorly-adapted to gamepad controls, though thankfully the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition includes superior Mouse Mode controls. In any case, the core game still shines through with some great detail and control over the operation of your park. If you’re a fan of this genre, this game may still be worth playing, but you’ll want to have a lot of patience for its problems if you do.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Management Simulation / Action-RPG	Nintendo DS	B-
tl;dr Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, a ground-up remake of a Nintendo DS game, is a family-friendly Management Simulation and Action-RPG in the “Farming RPG” style game that modern players may know best from Stardew Valley. While Grand Bazaar is a decent entry in that genre with a few unique elements like its titular bazaar, this is mostly a by-the-numbers entry in the genre. If you enjoy this style of game, you may find Grand Bazaar to your liking. But for most players this will be “just another Farming RPG”.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Turn-Based JRPG	Super Famicom	C+
tl;dr Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is the second time a remake of this 1992 Turn-Based JRPG has come to Nintendo Switch (and now Nintendo Switch 2), but this remake is far more extensive, giving an overhaul to the graphics and soundtrack, as well as brushing up the localization and making the game more user-friendly. The result is a much better, much more well-rounded game… but one that’s still pretty dated. Fans of the SaGa series will definitely want to give this a look, but I think most players are better off playing other JRPGs.
Arcade Archives 2 Air Combat 22	Combat Flight Simulator	Arcade	C
tl;dr Air Combat 22 is a Combat Flight Simulation game that’s decent but somewhat repetitive, and at $15 for a game that’s 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. Fans of the genre still may find this worth checking out, but I expect most players will find it’s not worth the expense.
Arcade Archives 2 Aqua Jet	Watercraft Racing	Arcade	C-
tl;dr Aqua Jet is an Arcade-style Watercraft Racing game that’s enjoyable to play, but sorely lacking in content and with no multiplayer mode, which makes it even harder to justify this nearly 30 year-old game’s bloated $15 price tag. Unless you’re starving for this sort of game or have nostalgia for its original release, skip this one.
Arcade Archives 2 Rave Racer	Arcade Racing	Arcade	C-
tl;dr Rave Racer is a great Arcade-style Racing game in the Ridge Racer franchise, but it’s woefully lacking content, is missing the original release’s multiplayer, and at $15 for a game that’s 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. This is a great game, but there just isn’t enough here to justify the price.
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer	Arcade Racing	Arcade	C-
tl;dr Ridge Racer is an incredible, iconic Arcade-style Racing game, but it’s woefully lacking content, has no multiplayer, and at $15 for a game that’s over 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. This is a truly great game, but there just isn’t enough here to justify the price.

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