This week’s Switch eShop line-up features dozens of familiar faces. Or in other words, the Switch eShop is about to be swamped with more belated conversions.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (£49.99) leads the way. Critics claim that it’s a great way to experience one of the Wii U’s lesser-known titles, featuring some deceptively challenging level design. Review scores are mostly a mixture of 8s and 9s so far, putting it alongside some of the system’s finest.
It also gained Eurogamer’s ‘recommended’ badge earlier today. “Retro Studios displays mastery of the 2D platformer in this exquisite sequel,†was their verdict.
Obscure horse racing sim ACA NEOGEO STAKES WINNER (£6.29), and Arcade Archives 10-Yard Fight (£6.29) – an American football title from 1983 – are this week’s arcade re-releases, both striking us as somewhat niche.
Cast of the Seven Godsends (£9.99) also provides arcade-like thrills, influenced by Ghouls n’ Ghosts. The Xbox One and PS4 versions gained middling reviews due to stale mechanics and a general lack of polish, so it’s probably best to approach with caution.
Atmospheric 2D puzzle/platformer Nihilumbra (£5.99) – which hit PC in 2013 and Wii U in 2015 – fared better amongst journalists, even gaining a lofty 9/10 from Nintendo Life. Together with a low entry point, we imagine it’s worth a look.
Going back to the arcade theme, the cheapy cheap (£1.79) Timberman VS is a competitive multiplayer woodchopping party game, featuring retro pixel art. It reminds us of Super Hot’s hidden tree chopping mini-game.
Then we have the side-scrolling physics-based adventure game Animal Super Squad (£8.99), and the 3D optical illusions puzzler Perfect Angle (£8.99), which entails lining up objects perfectly to create images with shadows and such. Those who played through Resident Evil VII may notice some similarities.
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! (£7.19) makes the jump from PS4, meanwhile. This bullet-hell avoid ‘em up has received a remix for its Switch debut, with new music, improved visuals and 50 new stages. L.F.O. -Lost Future Omega- (£5.89) offers a similar psychedelic experience, albeit one more music orientated.
The humble Wii U gets a look-in too, with not one but two new titles – the NES era influenced retro shooter Shadow Archery (£TBC), and the low budget FPS Masked Forces (£2.69), complete with Call of Duty: Ghosts-esque artwork.
As for Switch discounts, we’ve rounded up some of the more alluring deals below:
Aegis Defenders – £11.24 (-25%)
Axiom Verge – £13.49 (-10%)
Bleed 2 – £12.14 (-10%)
Caveman Warriors – £10.52 (-10%)
Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today – £10.79 (-20%)
Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge – £10.79 (-20%)
Neon Chrome – £7.79 (-40%)
Neonwall -£8.09 (-10%)
Rocket League – £11.25 (-25%)
We reviewed Caveman Warriors at launch. If you can get a friend or two together, this Metal Slug/Joe & Mac hybrid is worth a look.
Next week: Shantae: Half- Genie Hero Ultimate Edition, Super Chariot, Immortal Redneck, and Hyper Sentinel.