Don’t be fooled or mislead by Baba Is You’s simple visuals – this 2D puzzler is a game changer, literally. The rules of play can be changed at any time, pushing words around to create sentences that manipulate the world. It’s smart. Very smart.
So far it has yet to receive a review score below 8/10, with We Got This Covered settling on a 4/5 and Nintendo World Report opting for 9/10. “The degree of ingenuity and creativity in Baba Is You is breathtaking at times,†said NWR.
Another innovative puzzler launching this week is Claybook, set in a manipulative world formed of squishy clay. We recall being moderately impressed by the Xbox One version back when it was in early access.
This new Switch version garnered an 8.5 from Nintendo Enthusiast, who called it “a great pick-up-and-play gameâ€. VideoChums felt it deserving of a 7.3, meanwhile.
You won’t be solving any puzzles in RICO, that’s for sure. Plenty of door kicking and bad guy shooting, though. This roguelike FPS is going down well, gaining praise for its arcade-like sensibilities.
“It’s great fun in single-player, but when you head into each randomised set of rooms in co-op, you’ll shoot your way into an interactive buddy cop movie right there in the palm of your hands,†said Nintendo Life.
Review scores for the JRPG remake The Caligula Effect: Overdose – one of this week’s few full price releases – are all over the place, meanwhile. Pocket Gamer enjoyed the combat but despised just about every other feature, resulting in a poor 4/10. Digitally Downloaded, on the other hand, dished out full marks (5/5), calling it an “unapologetically smart and thoughtful gameâ€.
Square-Enix’s cult 1993 JRPG Romancing SaGa 2 is a cheaper alternative, launching at £9.99 (50% off for a limited time). It sold over 1.5 million copies on Super Nintendo back in the day.
Which brings us onto this week’s retro releases – Arcade Archives ELEVATOR ACTION from 1983, and the 1994 platforming sequel Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe and Mac Returns.
‘90s throwback FPS Apocryph: an old-school shooter also piques our interest, as does the surprisingly in-depth Motorsport Manager for Nintendo Switch, the cyberpunk adventure The Red Strings Club, and the hand-drawn action brawler Dusty Raging Fist.
If none of these take your fancy, perhaps something from the full list below will. There’s also a new release for New 3DS, but don’t ask us what it entails – the description is beyond cryptic.
New Switch eShop releases
The Caligula Effect: Overdose – £44.99
School is back in session! The Caligula Effect: Overdose boasts enhanced visuals and gameplay, including new characters, new scenarios, new endings, and the mysterious “Forbidden Musician Route”! Play as the newly-added female protagonist, develop and execute flawless battle strategies with the Imaginary Chain, befriend and recruit over 500 students to your cause, or turn the tables and sabotage the Go-Home Club’s efforts to return to the real world!
Motorsport Manager for Nintendo Switch – £11.99
In Motorsport Manager for Nintendo Switchâ„¢, the console debut for the series, you will build, customise, and lead your very own high-performance Motorsport team through 9 tiers of racing action, across three car classes to become number one. Race to win in this immersive management strategy title where real-time racing decision making and forward planning are the key to victory.
RICO – £17.99
Two cops, one case and only 24 hours to take them down… can you score the bust of a lifetime? Take the role of a loose cannon police detective and face off against criminal gangs in an exciting procedurally-generated action movie FPS. Join forces with a friend, online or locally, and take down those crooks in true buddy-cop style!
Romancing SaGa 2 – £19.99
Sit upon the throne of the Varennes Empire and control several generations of rulers in a valiant battle against the Seven Heroes. A dynamic free form scenario system – a hallmark of the million-selling SaGa RPG series – enables you to take command of a variety of protagonists along the line of imperial succession, and experience the history of a nation as it grows and changes based on your actions.
My Exotic Farm 2018 – £8.99
So, the aim of the game is to increase your money counter by selling eggs and other farm produce, so as to buy more livestock at the Farmers’ Market and purchase equipment for your farm from the Shopkeeper. Little by little as your farm builds up, you will unlock certain bonuses: a wind turbine, a totem, a guard dog, a jeep, a barbecue, etc.
My Arctic Farm 2018 – £8.99
So, the aim of the game is to increase your money counter by selling eggs and other farm produce, so as to buy more livestock at the Farmers’ Market and purchase equipment for your farm from the Shopkeeper. Little by little as your farm builds up, you will unlock certain bonuses: a fishing kit, a campfire, an Inuit totem, a guard dog, an iceberg, etc.
Teddy The Wanderer: Mountain Hike – £8.99
Meet the adventurous Teddy The Wanderer and visit his uncle who lives deep into the mountains. Join the unforgettable field trip and learn the basics of art, color mixing, and shape recognition with the world’s most charming bear!
Unit 4 – £13.49
Experience the ultimate platforming mayhem: perform impossible tricks, play with your friends and get ready to save the day!
Twist & Match – £2.69
Challenge your spatial visualization skills and make optimal moves to build combos! With its intuitive controls, Twist & Match is easy to pick up. Yet its frantic gameplay will keep you hooked and have you come back to it again and again for intense game sessions!
The Red Strings Club – £13.49
The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone to take down a corporate conspiracy.
Alien Cruise – £8.69
Control four vegetable pilots to save different planets occupied by the enemy! Each planet comes with unique characteristics along with a wide variety of obstacles that block the pilots’ way! Utilize various weaponry to prove the vegetables’ strength!
Apocryph: an old-school shooter – £11.99
Apocryph is a FPS set in a brutal dark fantasy world. It takes its roots in old-school fantasy shooters, so prepare for intense sword-and-sorcery FPS action amidst forgotten castles, evil shrines and decrepit dungeons!
Arcade Archives ELEVATOR ACTION – £6.29
“ELEVATOR ACTION†is an action game released by TAITO in 1983. As a Spy, your goal is to infiltrate the building and escape with all the confidential documents. Use elevators to crush enemies, attack them by shooting down lamps, and more.
Blood Waves – £8.99
Using destroying traps, defensive barricades and close and long-range combat weapons, repel the attacks of the living dead.
Bad Dream: Fever – £8.99
Enter the feverish dream and experience its abstract world. Recognize the degradation of your environment and adapt to it. Act with caution. There is a malicious virus waiting for you at each step. Avoid the ink and everything should be alright.
Baba Is You – £11.29
Baba Is You is a puzzle game where you can change the rules by which you play. In every level, the rules are present as blocks you can interact with; by manipulating them, you can change how the level works and cause surprising, unexpected interactions!
BombFall – £5.00
You are the bomb. BombFall is a fast-paced arcade game where you play as a bomb falling through the sky.
Bonds of the Skies – £11.69
Times are changing, and the existence of the Grimoas has become less relevant in everyday life. The young Eil is in the middle of his Coming-of-Age ceremony when suddenly his town is attacked by a demon and engulfed in flames. In the midst of this confusion, Eil enters into a pact with the Air Grimoa, Nogard, in order to save everyone.
Claybook – £13.49
In the game, you step into the shoes of brave kids who bring the Claybook to life. Each chapter of the book challenges you with unique obstacles and puzzles. You possess clay blobs and morph them into different shapes to overcome tricky situations. Each shape has its strengths and weaknesses, and some even have special powers.
Elevator…to the Moon! Turbo Champion’s Edition – £12.19
You are a space cadet, rudely commanded by the President of the World to “Liberate” a Moon Elevator, evoking the wrath of the world’s most powerful AI. Will you crack under pressure trying to hold this broken Space Elevator together?
Dusty Raging Fist – £8.09
Dusty Raging Fist is a fast-paced 2D action game. Play with up to 2 of your friends in local co-op mode. Call upon your support characters to gun down enemies. Collect and utilize Elemental Powers and Guardians to aid you in your quest.
Dungeons & Aliens – £3.59
Have you ever wondered what would happen if a classic fantasy world was attacked by pulp science fiction monsters from outer space? Now you can find out! Dungeons & Aliens is an action game with space mutants, brave dwarves, and awesome magic. It combines swipe and slash mechanics (proven to be effective on both aliens and fruit) with Joy-Con steering and simple tower defence (as easy as placing vegetation to stop the undead). All this makes for a fun and colourful adventure!
Golf Peaks – £4.49
No understanding of golf is required – just grab your controllers and conquer the mountain peaks by making your way to the hole, however not in the usual skill-shot based style. Instead, plan your strategy and use action cards to move the ball! Solve over 100 enjoyable yet challenging puzzles accompanied by relaxing music and minimalist, eye-pleasing graphics and conquer the summits!
Hook – £1.99
“Hook” is a relaxing, minimal, puzzle game. It is more of a game-like experience than a challenge. No menus, no achievements, just you and a puzzle. The player is surrounded by calming sounds and music.
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe and Mac Returns – £7.03
Grab your club and get ready to go on a wild, prehistoric adventure with the Cavemen Ninjas – Joe & Mac! You helped them get their girls in the first game, now get ready to help rescue them again!
Not Not – A Brain Buster – £1.79
Downloaded 10 million times on mobile, this Top 1 Puzzle game in 14 countries (including UK, USA, Australia and Canada) has been remastered. This misleading expert aims at crushing your brain’s ability to think properly. Can yours handle it?
New Switch demos
Block-a-Pix Deluxe
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
New on New 3DS
Love Hero – £0.87
Hospital recovery begins. She will be treated soon.
Next week: Unravel Two, Fate/EXTELLA LINK, SYMMETRY, Azure Saga: Pathfinder DELUXE Edition, Grand Prix Story, Horror Stories, Reptilian Rebellion, Witch & Hero, StarDrone, and Super Phantom Cat: Remake.