The PSone classic Final Fantasy VIII celebrated its 20th anniversary this week. For reasons beyond us, Square-Enix has marked the occasion by re-releasing Final Fantasy IX instead. Guess we can’t grumble too much – FF XI is something of a fan favourite, after all.
Available now for £16.99, this HD re-release includes seven game boosters including high speed and no encounter modes, and a new autosave system.
This week sees another surprise release – Tetris 99, a new take on Battle Royale. It’s a free download for online subscribers, pitting you against 98 other Tetris players at once.
There’s also The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, a 2D adventure entailing two lonely hearts brought together through a mutual misunderstanding. Review scores are a mixture of 7s and 8s. “The brief length can make it feel a little less ambitious, but I can’t say I was let down by this whimsical short story of a video game. Lovely art, a cute story, and solid puzzle platforming help make The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince a pleasant ride,†said Nintendo World Report.
That’s joined by The King’s Bird, a hardcore precision platformer that’s also on the receiving end of 7s and 8s.
As per usual, a few belated conversions also make their merry way to Switch. The very good Iron Crypticle combines elements from Smash TV and Gauntlet, while OlliOlli: Switch Stance brings both OlliOlli games together in one package for a reasonable £13.49.
First-person shooter Modern Combat Blackout – first released in 2014 – makes the jump from mobile, meanwhile. Even though the Switch is short on shooters, we still suggest approaching with caution.
Here’s the full round-up of new eShop releases, including one for 3DS.
New Switch releases
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince – £19.99
Plucked straight from the pages of an ancient fairy tale, The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince tells the story of two lonely hearts brought together through a mutual misunderstanding. Transform between the wolf and the princess to solve puzzles and evade traps, collect flowers and petals to unlock fragments of memories, and weave through the dark and dangerous forest to guide the prince toward a cure. But be warned…an all-seeing forest is no place for a blind prince.
TETRIS 99 – £0.00
99 players…but only one will remain! TETRIS® 99 is the iconic puzzle game as you’ve never seen it before. Can you pick the right strategy to best 98 other players online* – all at the same time?!
Tokyo School Life – £12.99
Tokyo School Life is a heart-warming visual novel that allows you to experience a charming summer love story. As an exchange student freshly arrived in Tokyo, you’ll make the acquaintances of Karin, Aoi, and Sakura; three girls with whom you will be spending your vacations. Learn about their quirks, Japanese culture and find your soulmate before the end of the summer!
TOUHOU SKY ARENA -MATSURI- CLIMAX – £26.99
Enjoy dramatic battles in the sky with the “Fired-up Battle System”, which changes abilities to the song that’s playing. Play Local or Network Battles up to 4 players. Play bombardment battles anytime, anywhere, with anyone.
Alchemic Dungeons DX – £7.29
Alchemic Dungeons DX is an expanded and improved entry in the series. This deluxe version includes new characters, items and dungeons; even the background music has been enhanced!
Alvastia Chronicles – £11.69
After encountering the man who killed their parents ten years prior, Elmia and her brother Alan set out to avenge their deaths as they fight to stem the tide of monsters flooding into the upper world, and restore peace to Alvastia.
Arcade Archives FRONT LINE – £6.29
“FRONT LINE†is an action game released by TAITO in 1983. All alone, you must use pistols and grenades to take out a group of hostiles. You can also combat the enemy by climbing into the blue tanks and armored vehicles on the battlefield.
Cinders – £17.99
A mature take on Cinderella that’s all about player choices and shaping the famous fairy tale in any way you like.
Captain StarONE – £9.19
Became the hero “Captain StarONE” in this game blending action and ‘inaction’. You set your strategies and combos, then multitask as the game carries out your attacks. Watch the battles unfold and be ready to jump back in to guide our hero!
Astrology and Horoscopes Premium – £7.99
Get details and general information about Zodiac Signs like: About Love, Health, Likes / Dislikes, Problems / Solutions / Planet Ruling, Symbol, Color, Star-Stone and famous people.
Degrees of Separation – £15.49
Degrees of Separation is a 2D puzzle platformer in which duo Ember and Rime must use their contrasting powers to manipulate heat and cold to overcome obstacles. Through cooperation, they will learn about each other and the fate of their worlds.
Duck Hunting Challenge – £8.99
Pack up your gear, call on your canine companion, and get ready for one of the best hunting trips ever. Duck Hunt Challenge features an engaging Career mode, as well as a fun Quick Hunt mode — allowing players to test their skills and earn new weapons, camo and more. Along with this trusty hunting dog, players will get to travel the US, upping their skills and unlocking new challenges.
Dungeon Stars – £7.79
Delve deep into hundreds of dungeon levels to liberate your fellow heroes, rescue pets, gather gold, pilfer potions and discover magical loot. The goblin hordes will try to stop you. Fearsome creatures will try to eat you. Prepare yourself to face the ever-changing challenges of the star portals. With grit and determination, you may create a team of amazing adventurers with enough guts and glory to destroy the Conqueror Worm!
The Golf – £8.99
With support for 1-4 players, enjoy at your pace by yourself or have an exciting competition with your friends and family. You can play with either the controller or by swinging the Joy-Con.
Ghoulboy – £8.99
Ghoulboy is a retro-inspired style action platformer that combines the action-RPG genre with hack ‘n’ slash gameplay.
FINAL FANTASY IX – £16.99
Experience the adventure once again with characters and pre-rendered movies featured in high definition, as well as a new booster system with a selection of various modes such as “high speed” or “no encounters”!
Guess the Word – £1.19
Create words from letters as fast as you can! Your teacher will give you hints!
Hexa Maze – £17.99
Tricky puzzles to test your brain power: work your way from level to level by cleverly fitting the colorful hexagonal blocks into the templates. With four different levels of difficulty, this puzzle will be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike. Are you stuck? Useful hints will help you to get moving again.
Iron Crypticle – £7.49
Grab loot and gobble up food to build up your XP. UPGRADE your abilities to help you face the challenges of the lower floors! UNLOCK new weapons and magical items as you progress. Collect magical gauntlets to power your explosive ATOMIC FIST!
Mindball Play – £13.90
Challenge your family and friends to a fun action packed racing game for all ages. Gather around the TV for split screen, create an online party and race your friends, or play by yourself and take on the time trial leaderboards.
LOVE – £2.29
LOVE is a reductive platforming game with a retro aesthetic and a focus on a challenging difficulty. It has an custom respawn system, 16 levels, 12 track soundtrack, competitive scoring, and a simple-to-use level creation feature.
The King’s Bird – £17.99
Escape into a world kept secret by a tyrant, and discover the truth about your freedom. The King’s Bird is an artistic, momentum-based game that seamlessly combines precision-platforming with physics-based gliding.
Minesweeper Genius – £4.99
Inspired by the classic computer game from our childhood – as well as sudoku and picross – Minesweeper Genius is a brain teaser that will challenge your mind and logical thinking.
Modern Combat Blackout – £19.99
Jump into the crossfire as the latest Modern Combat raises the bar for FPS action on Nintendo Switch!
NEKOPARA Vol.2 – £9.89
This newest edition will feature a new opening movie and theme song, all-new hand-drawn art from NEKO WORKs, and new fully voiced story scenes. The game’s gorgeous graphics are all in high definition for a truly complete experience.
Pet Care – £1.19
Do you know what else a bear has to do with honey, and maybe you can guess what the horse eats? Meet our animals and match the right food that cat, mouse, dog and other pets eat.
OlliOlli: Switch Stance – £13.49
Making its Nintendo Switch debut, OlliOlli mixes addictive one-life gameplay with over 120 tricks and grinds to pull across 50 deviously crafted Levels, 250 Challenges, Spots Mode and Daily Grind. Not enough for you? Complete all Challenges to unlock the super skilful RAD Mode!
Nice Slice – £3.00
Slice gives you a knife and an endless supply of stuff to cut – the smaller the pieces, the bigger the score. With simple controls adapted especially for Nintendo Switch, sharp wit, cheerful visuals, and original and satisfying gameplay, Nice Slice is a cut above.
Space Lift Danger Panic! – £3.99
This new Director’s Cut version features 32Bit graphics, sound and a completely new game mode, more than doubling the content found in the original. Space Lift Danger Panic! is sure to surprise you!
Strikey Sisters – £8.99
Say hello to a fantasy themed arcade action brick breaker! Featuring cute characters, silly humor, powerful magic, crazy boss battles, and even a local 2 player co-op mode!
Tales of the Orient – The Rising Sun – £12.99
Prove your skills in Challenge mode with limited moves. Experience the excitement of building an ancient Japanese village in this engaging Match 3 game.
New Switch demos
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!
Aperion Cyberstorm
DAEMON X MACHINA
Mega Mall Story
Yoshi’s Crafted World
New on 3DS
Pinball Breaker – £5.99
Pinball Breaker is a breakout game which combines the game mechanics of a traditional breakout game and a flipper game. Play through 15 exciting levels as you aim for a high score.
Next week: Aragami – Shadow Edition, Hell Warders, Trine 2: Complete Story, STEINS;GATE ELITE, BlazeRush, I wanna fly, X-Morph: Defense, Almost There: The Platformer, My Arctic Farm 2018, The Journey Down Trilogy, Raining Coins, Rotating Brave, Devil Engine, and YUMENIKKI -DREAM DIARY-