Considering how much their silver screened counterparts make, there’s a surprising lack of superhero video games. As such, MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order could very well become the next Switch million-seller. Potentially, at least – Nintendo seems unusually slow off the bat with advertising. Perhaps they’re hoping the license will sell itself.
No reviews are live yet, but early impressions are encouraging with word being that the combat system is deeper than Nintendo initially let on. If you’re a fan of the original two games it looks like you’re well catered for here.
Other notable new releases include a duo of shoot’em ups – Psyvariar Delta, which dates back to the space year 2000, and Moss’ Caladrius Blaze. The excellent Raiden V is planned for next week, too. On a related note, cult classic brawler THE NINJA WARRIORS is this week’s Arcade Archives re-release. It’s due a newfangled revamp, we hear.
As for games that have received the review treatment, gravity altering puzzler Etherborn is going down reasonably well. “Etherborn looks fantastic, sounds incredible and revolves around a brilliant game mechanic that initially feels like it’s going to lead to some clever puzzles but ramps things up far too quickly and engulfs you with frustratingly complex stages while you’re still trying to find your feet,†said Nintendo Life before dishing out a 7/10.
Both GameSpot and TheSixthAxis handed out 6/10s, meanwhile, concerned about the lack of replay value.
Then there’s the score-chasing vertical shooter Lost Orbit, which Nintendo World Report enjoyed. “Load times aside, it is a fantastic portable experience on Switch. Solid, ever-evolving gameplay and great presentation make this an easy pick up for anyone who likes high score games,†they said.
Video Chums has also been busy, covering Astro Bears Party – a rejig of the original Astro Bears, with new features for Switch – and the model train set puzzler Mini Trains. Both received 3/5. On Astro Bears: “It’s a simple and fun game that’s enjoyable in short bursts and makes a decent addition to anyone’s party game playlist.â€
The full eShop line-up can be found below, with other highlights being the cruise ship management sim World Cruise Story, grisly top-down shooter Redeemer: Enhanced Edition, eccentric party game Penguin Wars, and the colourful puzzler Mochi Mochi Boy. There’s also a belated conversion of Distrust, a survival game paying homage to The Thing.
New Switch eShop releases
MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order – £49.99
The search for the Infinity Stones is on in MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order, an action RPG exclusive to Nintendo Switch! Assemble your ultimate team of Marvel Super Heroes from the likes of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Spider-Verse, the X-Men and more to do battle against the forces of evil!
Psyvariar Delta – £23.50
First released in arcades in 2000, this enhanced version retains the classic BUZZ system that lets players enjoy the thrill of leveling up by avoiding direct hits and evading enemy attacks just enough to graze their planes.
Penguin Wars – £11.89
Join Riley and his friends on their journey to Gira Gira land. Collect items and earn candy to evolve your favorite character. You can also buy “Gira Skills” that let you learn special moves for each character. You can play one on one, two on two, or even play with different rules such as using bombs and other items against your opponents. Each character has a different skill set so make sure to use and master appropriate characters to help you on your journey.
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition – £24.99
Intensive top-down action: Subdue your opponents with a wide range of firearms and melee weapons such as knives, truncheons, fire axes, hammers, and much more.
Brutal close combat: Use your abilities as a mercenary to tame your opponents. You have at your disposal brutal fighting techniques, combos, charged attacks, and jumping techniques.
Unique kill system: Utilize three different types of kills to mercilessly eliminate opponents.
Systematic parrying: Defend yourself in battle with the correct use of blocking techniques.
Disarm-and-dismember system: Deploy unique fighting techniques to either disarm opponents or to sever certain opponents’ body parts and use them as melee weapons.
Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase – £6.27
Players rotate and drop the Soldam fruits to match colors. Keep connecting the same colored Soldam to form an entire row and erase. Use flanking methods to change the colors of previously dropped Soldam to your advantage. Strategize your next move and maximize that score.
UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure – £34.99
Robots are cool when they’re blinking lights and zooming by with their sleek metallic finish. In UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure, a whole horde of robots are on the loose and taking over Uglyville trying to make it “perfect!â€.
Arcade Archives THE NINJA WARRIORS – £6.29
THE NINJA WARRIORS is a side-scrolling action game released by TAITO in 1987.
Control the cyborg-ninjas, NINJA and KUNOICHI, as you take down the Demon King, Banglar.
Defeat the onslaught of enemies with kunai and shuriken as your weapons.
Archlion Saga – £4.49
Too many games in the dusty shelf waiting to be played? No problem, this pocket-sized RPG provides you an adequate experience! Here you go an adventure packed with emotion and accomplishment!
Astro Bears – £5.99
Get ready for the biggest cosmic comeback on Nintendo Switch! Astro Bears is back and shinier than ever, with loads of improvements, new Bears, planets and play modes to pump up the party… again!
Make allies (or enemies) in the new Competitive mode in which players battle 1-on-1 over five challenging rounds! Invite a friend to help you collect Jetfish in a 2-player Jetfish Hunting mode and beat the global highscore together! Destroy friendships in the classic Party mode, where “beary big†legends are born!
BATTLE & CRASH – £4.49
BATTLE & CRASH is a Car Battle Action Game in which you take out car after car in a battle royal to achieve victory.
Caladrius Blaze – £22.49
Caladrius Blaze is a vertical scrolling shooting game developed by Moss.
Distrust – £8.99
A helicopter crash left a group of explorers stranded near an Arctic research station. The survivors will have to resist the nightmares of dead frost and hunger. As they try to escape the dangers of the long dark polar night and find the way to the shelter of the abandoned station, all they are doing is sinking deeper into a nightmare scenario.
Eagle Island – £17.99
Join Quill & his owl companion Koji as they uncover the secrets of Eagle Island! Brave scorching deserts, lost tombs, sub-zero mountain tops, & lush jungles as the duo tracks down the Guardian Eagle Armaura in order to save their friend!
Etherborn – £14.24
Etherborn is an elegant leap in the gravity-puzzle genre; an environmental puzzle platformer built on exploring and understanding gravity-shifting structures.
Growtopia – £0.00
Growtopia is a popular MMO game where everyone is a hero! Play together with wizards, doctors, star explorers and superheroes! Discover thousands of unique items and build your own worlds!
Let’s Go Nuts – £7.99
Adorable adventures await in a cartoonishly cute experience full of charming little squirrels, quirky monsters, and limitless nuts to collect. Save furry-friends in single-player adventures, or run until the end of time in endless mode. Grab a friend for local co-op and save woodland pals together, Let’s Go Nuts is a nutty experience!
JumpHead: Battle4Fun! – £8.09
Compete to see who is the greatest Jump Champion by landing on as many heads as possible, each one earning you points.
Jim is Moving Out! – £11.99
Jim is Moving Out! is a physics-based game, where players have to pay attention to the environment, carefully plan their next move and be ready for everything!
LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity – £7.99
LOST ORBIT centers around the exploration of space. Players take control of a lone astronaut who sets off on a dangerous journey to rejoin his civilization, armed with only an improvised set of equipment and a relentless spirit. Without the help of his ship, Harrison will need to use his jetpack to boost, dodge and barrel roll through deadly obstacles to find his way home.
Mini Trains – £5.39
Mini Trains transport you in a cozy playroom with the best railways tabletop ever, packed with 40 different layouts. You will be challenged to build tracks in situations that constantly get more puzzling.
Mochi Mochi Boy – £4.99
Mochi Mochi Boy’s Slime friends have been captured by the devil. It’s up to Mochi Mochi Boy to rescue them by solving devious tile puzzles inside the devil’s tower!
Umihara Kawase Fresh! – £34.99
In Umihara Kawase Fresh!, Kawase carries a fishing lure with “rubber-band action.†The lure can be used as a grappling hook to swing from platforms, as a winch to raise or lower herself while suspended, as a bungee cord to slingshot herself in any direction and as a weapon to stun or defeat enemies. Features a large explorable map, more than 75 unique quests, time attack mode, dozens of unique recipes to collect and prepare, more than 50 unique enemies and bosses, unlockable alternate playable characters and more!
Tarot Readings Premium – £7.99
The tarot reading is a pack of playing cards used in parallel for divination in the form of tarotology and cartomancy. With our game you can have the full tarot experience!
Royal Roads – £7.89
The princess embarks on an exciting adventure to hunt down the evil witch and turn back into her true self! Get ready for vibrant locations, exciting levels, fun characters, simple gameplay for any age, great music and a storyline you’ll never forget! Adventure awaits on the Royal Roads!
World Cruise Story – £8.99
Deck your own ship with everything from lavish suites and first-class restaurants to casinos and hot tubs! You call the shots as you travel the world, visiting every country on the map–even entertaining royalty with tours truly fit for kings!
New Switch demos
Bot Vice
The Tower of Beatrice
Next week: Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, BATTLESHIP, Pawarumi, Fantasy Strike, Rise: Race The Future, Run the Fan, High Noon Revolver, Gunpowder on The Teeth: Arcade, PICROSS LORD OF THE NAZARICK, TERRORHYTHM (TRRT), Raiden V: Director’s Cut, Songbird Symphony, Zombie Driver Immortal Edition, Fobia, KILL la KILL – IF, Remothered: Tormented Fathers, Seeders Puzzle Reboot, Titans Pinball, and Tetsumo Party.
