While the assortment of new eShop releases is smaller than usual this week, the fact that a new Mario game is amongst them means it’s still a more exciting week than most.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (£49.99) has surprised many – it’s smart, unique, delightfully silly, and very pleasing to the eye.
The current Metacritic score of 85% places it just outside the ten highest rated Switch games released so far, and a few positions higher than Splatoon 2 (with 83%). Not that this means a great deal…aside from the fact that Kingdom Battle is another reason to purchase a Switch.
Joining the unlikely crossover on the eShop are Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack (£31.49), League of Evil (£7.19), ACA NeoGeo Zed Blade (£6.29), and Sky Ride (£6.29).
Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack features the 3DS’s Azure Striker GUNVOLT and Azure Striker GUNVOLT 2 in one package, complete with all DLC and a few improvements such as a new UI. It hasn’t seen a complete visual overhaul, though – only certain aspects have been given the HD treatment.
League of Evil meanwhile is an 8-bit style action game with a level designer. It originally released on mobiles back in 2011 where it gained a cult following. Nintendo Life reports that it’s more than deserving of a Switch conversion, praising the tight controls, bold visuals, and challenging difficulty level.
Sky Ride is a conversion likewise, this time of a PS4 title. Despite the reasonably accomplished visuals, it’s apparently a bit of a mess. We’re talking Vroom in the Night Sky level of awfulness here.
A demo of VOEZ also hits the Switch this week, while Shantae: Half-Genie Hero gets new DLC, titled Pirate Queen’s Quest (£8.99).
Over on 3DS there’s just one new release – Parascientific Escape – Crossing at the Farthest Horizon (£4.99), the third instalment in Circle’s well-received puzzle/adventure series.
We were expecting to see Culdcept Revolt (3DS) and Astro Bears Party (Switch) hit the eShop this week, but both are absent from Nintendo’s schedule. They may still make it to their respective eShops before the week is out, mind.
As for discounts, the majority come courtesy of RCMADIAX, with their New 3DS and Wii U back catalogue dropping to 93p per game. Nano Assault EX and Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure on 3DS also see a price drop, falling to £6.35 and £6.99 respectively.
Next week: Monster Hunter Stories (3DS), LEGO Worlds (Switch), The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+ (Switch), and ACA NeoGeo Blue’s Journey (Switch).