It’s the start of a new era – this Friday sees the arrival of the Nintendo Switch, along with a handful Switch eShop titles. Curiously though, Nintendo has omitted Switch games from this week’s eShop download schedule.
We’d wager this is because they’ve already issued press releases detailing the four digital launch games – the F-Zero alike FAST RMX from Shin’en Multimedia, prequel campaign Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and the content crammed Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. They’re joined by first-party effort Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!, developed here in the UK by SFB games. This endearing co-op puzzler is set to cost £17.99. A demo version will also be available at launch.
A ‘Nindies Showcase’ video is planned for tomorrow, covering all the above. Will any other indie games appear on the Switch eShop come launch day? We’d like to think so – even one or two more would help the line-up look less barren. [Update] Oddball Japanese motorbike racer Vroom in the Night Sky and the portable play only music game VOEZ now confirmed for 3rd March.
On the Wii U eShop The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild arrives on Friday for £59.99. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE arrived for £49.99 on the eShop while Paper Mario Splash launched for £39.99, so that premium price tag for BotW is a tad hard to swallow. We suggest going physical for this one – £47.99 from Tesco Direct appears to be the best price online currently.
Over the weekend subscribers received the latest issue of EDGE, in which Link’s latest was awarded a resounding 10/10. “Plenty of games promise to let us go anywhere and do anything. Few, if any, ever deliver so irresistibly. 19 years on Ocarina is still help up as the high water mark of gaming’s best loved and greatest series. Now it may have to settle for second place†read their verdict.
The Wii U gains one other new release – retro shooter Ghost Blade HD (£8.09), which has generated a buzz within shump circles. Two pieces of DLC are also due – the Zelda: BotW expansion pass (£17.99) and the Minecraft Fallout Battle Pack (£2.39).
As for Wii U discounts, expect to see Wicked Monsters Blast! HD PLUS (£7.19), The Rivers of Alice: Extended Version (£3.59), Spy Chameleon (£2.24) and a dozen different RCMADIAX games. Our ‘Caps Lock’ key can’t take the strain.
The 3DS isn’t without a new release or two either. Brave Dungeon (£4.49) is the latest pixel-art RPG to leave Japan, while Circle’s Parascientific Escape: Gear Detective (£4.79) offers a time-manipulating murder mystery to solve.
We have SEGA to thank for the majority of 3DS discounts, which include Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (£14.99), Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure (£19.99), SEGA 3D Classics Collection (£16.74) and Super Monkey Ball 3D (£7.49).
Almost all of SEGA’s 3D Classics range are down in price too. Fourteen games in total, including 3D Streets of Rage 2, 3D Out Run, 3D Gunstar Heroes, 3D Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master and 3D Altered Beast for a mere £2.24 each. 3D Ecco the Dolphin meanwhile is down to £2.09. None of the Sonic the Hedgehog games are in the offer though, oddly.