The Switch paves the way for new releases, all thanks to Mario Tennis Aces’ arrival – easily the biggest release of the week. In short: it’s the game that Mario Tennis on Wii U should have been. It could even be seen as an apology for that half-baked effort.
The rest of this week’s new releases strike us as a peculiar bunch. JRPG The Lost Child hits the PS4, Switch and PS Vita, gaining mixed reviews due to borrowing too many ideas from similar games. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle meanwhile finally finds its way to the UK. It didn’t gain the most positive reception from fans when it was first announced, due to being DLC orientated, but critical reviews are positively glowing.
We’ve also rounded up reviews of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on Switch, despite launch day still being a week off. Consider it an early heads up.
On the download services Grab the Bottle is now within reach. It’s a physics-based puzzler priced at an alluring £3.99. We awarded it 6/10 yesterday. While challenging, it’s merely a case of failing puzzles repeatedly until finally stumbling on the solution.
The Xbox Hub was seemingly in agreement, giving it 3/5. “Trial and error becomes tiresome,†they said.
Slime-san Superslime Edition on Xbox One and the PS4’s New Gundam Breaker may be of note too. Twitch platformer Slime-san went down well on Switch, resulting in an impressive 82% Metacritic. And who can resist giant battling robots?
Finally, The Lords of the Fallen receives a belated ‘Complete Edition’. The fact that the retail release will only set you back £15 caught our attention. A sensible price point, given the game’s age. You may even be able to find it for slightly less online.
New release showcase:
Mario Tennis Aces – Switch
Reviews:
8/10 – Nintendo Life: “The presentation is spot on, and the core tennis action is absorbing whether you’re trading simple strokes or firing off special shots”
7/10 – Videogamer: “Mario Tennis Aces is a good tennis game let down by an Adventure Mode that often feels as though it’s cheating you”
7.0 – God is a Geek: “Mario Tennis Aces will provide you and your friends with a really good time, provided you don’t spend too long in the story mode”
The Lost Child – PS4, PS Vita, Switch
Reviews:
8/10 – Nintendo World Report: “The vast majority of the game can be traced back to another JRPG that probably did it better, and if you can’t get passed that, than you probably aren’t going to enjoy it”
4/10 – Digitally Downloaded: “The fact that it’s the perfect introduction to the dungeon crawler genre also makes it the perfect first example on the new hardware”
5/10 – Push Square: “It’s a game that pays more than a passing nod to numerous other RPGs – Pokemon, Persona, and other Shin Megami Tensei titles – but sadly, never approaches the quality of any of them”
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle – PS4/Switch
Reviews:
9/10 – GameSpot: “Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system”
8.3 – IGN: “BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle’s mixture of fighting games leads to a surprisingly approachable entry point into the genre”
3/5 – US Gamer: “BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle is a solid fighter. I like the idea of streamlining some of the cruft that the BlazBlue series has acquired over the years and making a game that appeals to new players”
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana – Switch
Reviews:
9/10 – Nintendo Life: “With fun, fast-paced combat, likable characters, and an enjoyable story that takes full advantage of its beautiful shipwrecked setting, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a top-shelf action RPG”
8.5 – Nintendo World Report: “Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was my first foray into the Ys universe and despite the goal of making it off the island, I find myself wishing I hadn’t left at all”
4/5 – Twinfinite: “With its streamlined combat system and compelling narrative, the latest entry in the Ys series is another solid addition to the Switch’s growing library and should definitely be on every JRPG lover’s list”
New digital multi-format releases:
Grab the Bottle
Anima: Gate of Memories – Arcane Edition
Haimrik
New on PSN:
New Gundam Breaker
Kona VR
ACA NEOGEO STAKES WINNER
ACA NEOGEO SUPER SIDEKICKS 2
Arcade Archives 10-Yard Fight
Arcade Archives MOON PATROL
The Exorcist: Legion VR
Tales of the Tiny Planet
Rooms: The Unsolvable Puzzle
VRobot
Antiquia Lost
SURVIVE! MR.CUBE
New on Xbox One store:
Slime-san Superslime Edition
War Thunder – Early Access Starter Bundle
Rise of Insanity
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD
Battle Knights
New Nintendo retail releases:
Mario Tennis Aces
The Lost Child
Vegas Party
Minecraft Bedrock Edition
Flashback Collector’s Edition
Tennis World Tour
Next week: The Crew 2, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, LUMINES REMASTERED, MXGP PRO, Bloodstained, Omega Labyrinth Z, Harvest Moon Light of Hope: Special Edition, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, Tour de France 2018, Far Cry 3 Classic Edition, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gold Edition, Diablo III Eternal Collection, Epic Loon, Magical Brickout, de Blob, Nier Automata – Become as Gods Edition, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.