When Nintendo adds classic games to their online service, we cover them in a series called Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew. That's the show where we look at what classic magazines said back when the games first came out. But what happens if there are no classic reviews to pull from?

In an attempt to cover every single game available on the Nintendo Switch Online, we've created a new page devoted exclusively to games that received zero English-language reviews. Sometimes it's because the game came out before magazines were issuing reviews, while other times it's because the game was a Japanese-exclusive until just recently. We're going to recap and explain the situation for each of the review-less games in this brand-new episode. If you don't see the game you're looking for in the normal Review Crew episodes, then chances are good that it's here.

Based on the popular arcade game of the same name, City Connection is an early classic for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Published by Jaleco, this is a solid port that is easy to pick up, play and, most importantly, have fun. Anybody can get into City Connection, which made it a favorite in the early days. Unfortunately, like many NES games released between 1985 and 1988, City Connection came out right before we saw scored reviews in magazines like Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and Game Players. This is a trend you'll see repeated throughout this list of games.

If it's not an early NES game released during the review dead zone, the other big reason why a game would be on this list is because it's a rare Japanese game that only recently came to the United States. That's exactly what happened with Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia, This is an odd mix of Side Arms-style shooting and turn-based strategy, all kept together by an engaging sci-fi plot. The unique thing about this series is that, although there are seven games in the Daiva Story, they aren't sequential stories. Each installment actually tells the same story in a slightly different way on multiple computers and consoles. It's a unique idea that doesn't quite translate here, but Daiva Story 6 is still worth playing on the Switch.

Now here's a completely unexpected surprise. Back in the earliest days of the Famicom, Shigeru Miyamoto developed a sinister play on the maze genre called Devil World. Never heard of it? That's probably because it never came to the United States. It did come to Europe and Australia, but not America. Not even on the Virtual Console. That makes this one of the coolest releases on the Nintendo Switch Online service, and definitely a game you should check out. It's a horror-themed riff on Pac-Man, where we control a dragon who has to navigate the Devil's twisted maze. What makes this game tricky is that the play field is always in movement, with a force field around the left and right sides of the screen, keeping our hero trapped. The goal is to collect items, defeat the Devil's minions and survive through dozens of challenging levels. Yes, it's simple, but that's also what makes it so damn addictive. Unfortunately, there are no English-language reviews from the era, largely because it didn't come to America and few magazines were giving games proper reviews in 1984. But even without reviews, the prospect of possibly playing a Miyamoto game for the first time should be reason enough to give Devil World a chance.

While the original Donkey Kong and even Donkey Kong Jr. managed to get at least one review, Donkey Kong 3 was not as lucky. Released in 1986, this hit store shelves before most of the American magazines (like GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly), and the European press had their hands full by the time it hit their shores. It's still worth checking out, if only to see the evolution of the franchise. It's also one of the rare appearances of Stanley and his super-sprayer.

Just in case you were looking for the game with the most ridiculously long title, here's Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day. While you may not recognize the name right away, this is actually part of the Kunio-Kun series, the franchise that gave us both River City Ransom and Crash ‘N the Boys: Street Challenge. Part beat ‘em up and part sporting event, this is basically a race from one side of the city to the other. The idea is to trip up the competition as much as possible, all while successfully navigating the urban terrain to come in first. This game was previously released as part of the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle back in 2020, and while I loved the concept, this was not one of my favorite games in the compilation. Sadly, there are no English-language reviews to turn to, but I suggest you give it a couple of runs and then forget about it. That's pretty much what happened when I played it three years ago.

The Mother franchise has had a rocky relationship with the United States. The first game we got in the series was the 16-bit sequel, EarthBound, which sold poorly and was met with mixed reviews. As it turns out, Nintendo had originally planned to release the 8-bit installment and even went as far as to localize the game in the early 1990s. However, seeing the low sales of role-playing games in the West, they opted against the release. This long-lost game would remain buried until 2015, when Nintendo finally released the 8-bit game to the Wii U Virtual Console under the name EarthBound Beginnings. Seven years later, they made it available through the Nintendo Switch Online service, where you can play it right now. Sadly, because it only came out a decade ago, there are not classic reviews for this 8-bit EarthBound.

While not one of the early sports games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (like Baseball and Golf), Ice Hockey still came out at a time before most American magazines were reviewing games. It was also ignored by the European press, though that may have something to do with the UK's general lack of interest in the sport. Whatever the reason, Ice Hockey remains one of the few early sports games to not get at least one English-language review back in the day.

At first glance, it's easy to write off Joy Mech Fight as that weird 8-bit fighting game with the crazy characters. But look again, because this game is more than just crazy mech characters. As hard as it is to believe, this is actually Nintendo being so impressed by Street Fighter II that they had to make their own one-on-one fighting game, their first since Urban Champion. The gameplay is simplified and the graphics are understandably archaic, but you can see the Street Fighter influence in every fight. What's cool about this game is how Nintendo went all-in when developing it, not only giving us cool backgrounds, but also loading the Famicom cartridge with 36 different characters, which was the largest roster in a fighting game until The King of Fighters '98 rolled in with 38. Much like Downtown Nekketsu March, there aren't any English-language magazine reviews for Joy Mech Fight. But don't let that get in the way of checking out one of Nintendo's weirdest fighting games. This is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

The final two games coming to Nintendo Switch Online this month are both titles that never found their way outside of Japan, at least on the Super NES. The more recognizable of the two is a Magical Drop II, a Data East puzzler that's vaguely reminiscent of Puyo Puyo and the Puzzle Bobble (or Bust-A-Move) series. I couldn't find any English-language reviews of the 1996 Super NES port, but Next Generation did give the original Neo Geo version 3 stars out of 5. They concluded that "Magical Drop II comes on strong, but as the game moves on it can be quite monotonous. Magical Drop II is, however, still a solid puzzle game that is likely to trap more than one person into hours of play." Super Play liked the original Magical Drop on Super NES. They gave it an 85% and called it a "brilliantly enjoyable puzzle game. Magical Drop is a must for competitive puzzle fans." It sounds like this sequel will be a fun addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Mighty Bomb Jack is yet another classic arcade port that falls into that review dead zone. Released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, this Tecmo game is tough and frustrating and incredibly obtuse, but it still maintains a legion of fans who put in the time to (eventually) see the platformer's greatness. I have never been that impressed with Mighty Bomb Jack, which makes it all the more frustrating that we don't have reviews to see who is right. Give it a shot on the Switch, but be warned – Mighty Bomb Jack hasn't aged particularly well.

And here we have another Nintendo game that was monumental for the Famicom, yet didn't get an American release at the time. The Mysterious Murasame Castle is an overhead action game in the vein of The Legend of Zelda, starring a samurai character named Takamuru. When an alien takes over the four lords, it's up to our hero to fight through the four neighboring castles to collect the four gems and defeat the alien once and for all. The emphasis here is on the action, and The Mysterious Murasame Castle has a lot of it. While it looks a lot like Zelda, this is a much faster and linear game that forces you to race through the levels before time runs out. There's no open world or adventuring, just fast-paced action and intense levels. Similar to Devil World, there were no reviews when this game was released. Sites like Nintendo Life and Bordersdown reviewed the game when it was re-released on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 3DS and generally liked it, but this is a serious about classic magazine reviews, not internet reviews published in 2014. That said, Nintendo Life and Bordersdown are right, The Mysterious Murasame Castle is great fun and worth discovering on the Switch.

Mystery Tower is one of those early Namco games that only made its way to the United States in the last few years. It's a bit of a platformer that is mixed with puzzle elements. The idea is to figure out how to escape more than sixty unique rooms, which is usually accomplished by picking up items and dodging enemies. It's the kind of game that probably would have done well had it been ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in the mid-1980s, but Nintendo and Namco's contentious relationship likely kept that from happening. Thankfully, we're able to play it now on the Switch.

The final game coming out on May 26 is Ninja JaJaMaru, which is making its North American debut after 36 years. Just like Magical Drop II, there are no English-language reviews from back in the day, but it is worth noting that is a spin-off of sorts to an arcade machine known in the States as Rad Action. Trust me, there is not a single game title that is more '80s than Rad Action. I double checked. And if that doesn't get you excited to see what Ninja JaJaMaru is all about, then nothing will.

If the Konami shoot ‘em up wasn't named Gradius, then chances are we didn't get it in the United States. That is sadly the case when it comes to Pop'n TwinBee, one of two games in the TwinBee series to find its way to the Nintendo Switch Online Service. This is a 16-bit upgrade with faster gameplay, better graphics and cooler bosses. Unfortunately, we didn't get any of that until 2020, which means that there are no American or European reviews to talk about. Maybe Famitsu liked it.

It's not that Pulseman was never released on the Genesis in the United States, but rather that it never got a proper cartridge release. Similar to Golden Axe III and Mega Man: The Wily Wars, this action game from the primary character and art director of Pokemon was only available through the limited and expensive Sega Channel. That's a shame, because a lot of people missed out on one of Sega's best 16-bit games. Fifteen years later, we finally got a second chance to play Pulseman, thanks to the Wii Virtual Console. Now it's on the Nintendo Switch Online service (for Expansion Pack subscribers), and it's just as good as it was back in 1995. Unfortunately, most critics skipped over reviewing Sega Channel exclusives, which means that there are no English-language reviews from back in the mid-1990s. But don't let that stop you from checking out Pulseman, because it's a real winner.

Sometimes it's easy to understand why a game didn't come to America. That's not the case when it comes to Sin & Punishment on the Nintendo 64. Originally released to positive reviews in Japan, this on-rains shoot ‘em up was Nintendo's answer to the Panzer Dragoon series. What's more, it was also the newest game from Treasure, a company known for hit after hit on Sega consoles. But even with all that star-power, Nintendo opted against releasing the game outside of Japan. Because of this, Sin & Punishment became a bit hit with importers and routinely topped the list of great N64 games that never came to the States. And then, in 2007, it finally found its way West on the Wii's Virtual Console. Now it's on the Nintendo Switch Online: Expansion Pack service, which means you no longer have to pay an arm and a leg for the Japanese cartridge. That's great news, but sadly there are no English-language reviews for Sin & Punishment.

After introducing console players to the power of polygonal gaming, all eyes were on Nintendo (and Argonaut Software) to rush out the hotly-anticipated sequel. For a while, it looks like that is exactly what is going to happen. Nintendo announces Star Fox 2 and even shows it off at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, along with other FX Chip games like Comanche and FX Fighter. Unfortunately, much like those other games, Star Fox 2 gets canceled, with a lot of the ideas getting rolled into the true follow-up, Star Fox 64. And that was the end of the story until Nintendo released their Super NES Classic Edition plug ‘n play system in 2017, which came with the near-complete version of Star Fox 2. Two years later, it hit the Nintendo Switch Online service. As such, there are no classic reviews available for this 16-bit treat.

Star Soldier is one of the few shoot ‘em ups available on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Despite being better known for its 16-bit sequels (many of which flourished on the TurboGrafx-16), this is still a solid start that came out at the tail end of the 1980s. This is one of those games where the magazines of the time did cover it, but not in a review capacity. GamePro and Nintendo Power were not handing out scores at this point, which is one of the big reasons why Star Soldier is not in a typical Review Crew episode.

Much like EarthBound Beginnings, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is one of those Japanese-exclusives that we didn't get until years after it first came out. America's first introduction to the game formerly-known as Super Mario Bros. 2 came with the release of Super Mario All-Stars, a 16-bit compilation that upgraded all of Mario's 8-bit adventures and put them on a single Super NES cartridge. Believe it or not, it wouldn't be until the Wii's Virtual Console before we actually saw the release of the original 8-bit version, still using the Lost Levels name. Since then, it has bounced to the Wii U Virtual Console and now the Nintendo Switch Online. It's certainly interesting, though nowhere as good as the original. And with the release of Super Mario All-Stars on the Switch, you can now play it two different ways. While the critics share their thoughts about The Lost Levels in the All-Stars reviews, there are no English reviews for the original 8-bit game.

Here we have yet another Puyo Puyo game on the Nintendo Switch Online. To be fair to this 16-bit classic, this is the installment many puzzle fans point to as being the Puyp Puyo peak. That said, if you've played Kirby's Avalanche or Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, then you already know what to expect. Personally speaking, I think it's great to have this Japanese version on the Switch, but we are in yet another situation where there are no English-language reviews. Don't let that stop you, because Super Puyo Puyo 2 really is worth the hype.

That's right, one of the most iconic football games of all time didn't even get a single review. At least, not on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in America in 1989 (and not at all in Europe), this game came out right as magazines like GamePro, Nintendo Power and Electronic Gaming Monthly were coming out. And while some of them did talk about Tecmo Bowl, none issued a proper review (including a score). As such, there's no way for us to include it in the Review Crew section.

As fans of classic shoot ‘em ups can attest, Konami can be an incredibly frustrating company. Here's a publisher with several of the greatest action game franchises of all time, yet most were held back from a hungry American audience. I don't know if they worried that TwinBee, Salamander and Parodius would oversaturate the market and pulls sales from Gradius or if something else was going on, but we missed out on a lot of genuine classics. TwinBee is a great example of that. Although it first hit the Famicom in 1986, it didn't come to America until 2018. That is unacceptable. With such a long wait, it's no wonder there weren't any reviews for TwinBee.

At first glance, you might think that Vs. Excitebike is nothing more than a port of Excitebike with a working track editor. Think again, because Vs. Excitebike is so much more. In fact, this is about the closest thing we have to a proper sequel to the early NES classic. For starters, the game comes with all-new tracks, new modes, a two-player option and even a full campaign. Best of all, Nintendo completely reworked the track editor, not only making it substantially easier to use, but finally allowing you to save your creations. Unfortunately, we did not get this game in the United States until the Virtual Console, which means that there are no English-language reviews for this classic. That's a shame, because this really is a fantastic update to one of Nintendo's first must-play racing games.