How’s about last night’s Nintendo Direct, eh? This week was already shaping up to be yet another busy one for the Switch with FF VIII Remastered, NBA 2K20, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, River City Girls and Torchlight II all due. Now we can add the free-to-start Super Kirby Clash, cult horror adventure Deadly Premonition Origins and the slow burning but wholly engaging Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition to that list too, along with the arrival of Banjo-Kazooie in Smash. Guh-ha!
Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers cross-save progression with Steam, and it also includes two DLC gift bags. Super Kirby Clash is a four-player MP focused battler, meanwhile, with boss battles and over 100 quests. It has amiibo support too, which unlock crafting fragments for new gear.
Detective horror mystery Deadly Premonition Origins may need an introduction too, this being the first time it has graced a Nintendo platform. The original gained infamously polarising reviews – it’s highly peculiar, creaky, low budget, and a tad laborious…but it’s all the better for it. It’s ambition and quirkiness shines through the cracks, making for an experience that won’t be forgotten soon.
Reviews of FF VIII Remastered – aka the one Square-Enix lost the original source code for – and the PSone revamp collection Spyro Reignited Trilogy went live at the start of the week.
“All of the improvements and enhancements give Final Fantasy VIII a much more modern feel without sacrificing any of its soul,†said Nintendo World Report before dishing out top marks.
Nintendo Life wasn’t quite as impressed, however. “Cool new ideas like Guardian Forces and Triple Triad are hamstrung by an absolutely wack story and the tedium of the Draw system, making for an experience that’s great in some regards and not so great in others,†was their opinion.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy has also gained mixed reviews. God is a Geek opted for 6/10, noting lag, unresponsive controls, and rougher visuals when docked. Nintendo Life didn’t find much to complain about, however, dishing out an 8/10: “The Switch version looks absolutely stunning and runs surprisingly well, so if you’re looking for a classic 3D platforming experience, you should definitely give this a look-in.â€
Reviews of WayForward’s River City Girls are glowing too, but we’re a tad put off by the £26.99 price tag. We’re guessing this is to put it in-line with the retail release, but still, that’s a tenner more than we anticipated. It garnered a stonking 9/10 from Nintendo Life, who compared it to the excellent Scott Pilgrim vs The World tie-in.
Then there’s the comical dungeon crawler Torchlight II. God is a Geek took the Switch version for a spin, resulting in an 8.5. “The Switch version feels right at home on the handheld, and the compulsion to rid the map of fog or find complete that rare gear set is as powerful as in any game of its type. Torchlight II is a superb addition to your gaming catalogue and an absolute blast alone or with friends,†was their verdict.
Space Cows also bares a comical theme, if that wasn’t evident by the name alone. It’s a brightly coloured twin-stick shooter with zero gravity combat. Creature in the Well might be worth a look too, mixing dungeon crawling with pinball. Could it be this year’s Yoku’s Island Express? Maybe.
New Switch eShop releases
Deadly Premonition Origins – £24.99
A mysterious serial murder occurs in Greenvale, a small town in North America surrounded by a beautiful nature. FBI agent York sets out with his “friend” Zach to face the case. Spend time with the town-people, soak your self into the nature and truth will gradually become clear. When you finally get to the truth, you’ll find yourself difficult to leave Greenvale.
FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered – £15.99
This product is a remaster of FINAL FANTASY VIII, featuring multiple enhancements including additional options to customise your gameplay experience and difficulty, such as:
Battle assist options (HP, ATB gauge, and Limit Break boosts)
Game speed boost (x3)
No random encounters
Spyro Reignited Trilogy – £34.99
The original roast master is back, and he’s on-the-go! Same sick burns, same smoldering attitude, now all scaled up in stunning HD. Spyro is bringing the heat like never before in the Spyroâ„¢ Reignited Trilogy game collection. Rekindle the fire with remastered versions of the original three games, Spyroâ„¢ the Dragon, Spyroâ„¢ 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyroâ„¢: Year of the Dragon. Explore the expansive realms, re-encounter the fiery personalities and relive the adventure in fully remastered glory. Because when there’s a realm that needs saving, there’s only one dragon to call.
Fifty Words by POWGI – £6.99
A brand new word search puzzle from POWGI. This time there’s no grid, no list of words to find and no wrong letters!
Asdivine Menace – £11.69
A century after the events of Asdivine Dios, peace has finally settled in. That is, until a visitor from another world suddenly shows up proclaiming the entire universe is about to be destroyed. Hearing this, Izayoi sets off in an attempt to reverse this seemingly pronounced fate with a trio of very idiosyncratic spirits as they criss-cross four worlds in search of an answer. But what is the answer they find…?
Spice and Wolf VR – £20.00
Kraft Lawrence is a traveling merchant who meets Holo, a beautiful woman who can transform into a wolf.
As they travel together they face many hardships, such as having to walk in the rain.
In order to avoid the sudden downpour, Holo and Lawrence take shelter in an old, abandoned water mill in the woods.
They huddle around a small fire and enjoy a slightly strange but relaxing time. You are able to share that time together with them.
Gnomes Garden: Lost King – £7.89
Go on an adventure through a world of secrets and mystical creatures in this exciting casual fantasy strategy game, Gnomes Garden.
Headliner: NoviNews – £11.99
A stack of news article sits on your desk, two stampers on each side – green to approve, red to reject. Your reporting team is hacking away in the background as corporate music plays through the loudspeaker. It’s time to make decisions. Will you endorse nationalized healthcare, even though your love interest is worried about increased wait times? Will you demonize the new synthetic alcoholic drink, even though your boss stressed they are an important investor? Will you support the current government, as tensions grow between the neighboring country?
Pocket Clothier – £8.99
Ever wanted to run your own clothing store? Now you can! Let your inner fashionista flower as you cultivate a quaint corner shop into a world-class super brand!
Wuppo: Definitive Edition – £13.49
After losing its home, one lonely Wum must travel the length and width of the world to find a new place to live. From the metropolitan haven Popocity to the cavernous Bliekopolis, our Wum will discover magical places and encounter strange creatures. But this Wum is no traditional hero and only by using wit and charm can it succeed in this massive journey.
Super Kirby Clash – £0.00
Head into battle with Kirby! Go on quests and fight powerful bosses in Super Kirby Clash, an exciting action-packed free-to-start* adventure, available to download from Nintendo eShop only on Nintendo Switch!
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition – £44.99
The battle for Divinity has begun. Choose wisely and trust sparingly; darkness lurks within every heart. Master deep, tactical combat. Join up to 3 other players – but know that only one of you will have the chance to become a God, in multi-award winning RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Battle Supremacy – Ground Assault – £17.99
Battle Supremacy – Ground Assault features exactly what the name suggests – huge content – never ending lines of modern combat vehicles, huge environments with realistic weather, online multiplayer and countless single player missions and drills.
Space Cows – £11.69
Space Cows is a cheesy twin-stick shooter featuring weaponized toilet plunger and intense zero gravity combat. Shoot, dash and wobble in slow motion to save cows and lay vengeance upon an evil corporation.
River City Girls – £26.99
There’s trouble once again on the mean streets of River City, but this time the boys are in over their heads! In this all-new entry in the legendary beat-’em-up series, hot-blooded heroes Kuni and Riki have been captured, leaving it to their hard-hitting girlfriends, Kyoko and Misako, to serve up some payback.
The Long Journey Home – £26.99
Fin and the Ancient Mystery – £4.49
This 2D adventure game will give you a chance both to brandish a sword and put your brain to good use. Not only will you have to fight for dear life, but also solve entertaining puzzles to stay alive! A
Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher – £8.09
SPLIT SCREEN SINGLE PLAYER TWIN STICK RISK ‘EM UP – You will be controlling two ships simultaneously. The devil is in the details. The left side is invincible, however shooting and moving consumes your LINK. In order to restore it you must recover MATERIAL on the right side. MATERIAL multiplies your overall score so use it with absolute discretion. On the right side you are recovering resources and will need 12 PARTS to extract and mark your leaderboard position. Don’t doubt yourself. Push yourself. You will be rewarded and you will be tested.
Gurgamoth – £7.99
Gurgamoth is the perfect mix of party chaos and competitive strategy, ideal for sitting around on the couch with a couple of friends.
Torchlight II – £17.99
Torchlight II takes you back into the quirky, fast-paced world of bloodthirsty monsters, bountiful treasures, and sinister secrets – and, once again, the fate of the world is in your hands.
BARRIER X – £2.59
For this game, “fast-paced†is an understatement!
Barrier X will be an ultimate test to your reaction and the ability to make lightning-fast decisions!
Just follow these simple rules: don’t stay on Red, shoot your enemies, and feel the speed!
Wand Wars – £16.19
Wand Wars is a fast-paced, top-down, magical sports game. Players ride brooms over ancient arenas, cast arcane spells and turn opponents into adorable chickens.
Remothered: Tormented Fathers – £TBA
Remothered: Tormented Fathers is the pure and realistic survival horror video
game. A game by Darril Arts, directed by Chris Darril, developed by Stormind
Games.
Gun Gun Pixies – £44.99
Tiny but mighty aliens have come to Earth to learn about humans and save their own mother world!
Be stealthy and defeat squids and bosses as you help the two pixies complete their missions and repair their social issues with their planet Pandemo!
Himno – £4.99
Himno is a non-violent, no death platformer. Use wall-jumps, slides & dashes to reach new heights in randomly generated maps!
Super Jumpy Ball – £4.99
Super Jumpy Ball is a simple & fun 2D platform game for 1-8 players, inspired by retro platformers. Faced with clever level design and challenging obstacles, players must find their way through each level while bouncing, wall jumping, avoiding spikes and spike balls.
Creature in the Well – £13.49
Creature in the Well is a top-down, pinball-inspired, hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. As the last remaining BOT-C unit, venture deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, haunted by a desperate Creature. Uncover and upgrade powerful gear in order to free the city of Mirage from a deadly sandstorm.
NBA 2K20 – £49.99
NBA 2K has evolved into much more than a basketball simulation. 2K continues to redefine what’s possible in sports gaming with NBA 2K20, featuring best in class graphics & gameplay, ground breaking game modes, and unparalleled player control and customization. Plus, with its immersive open-world Neighborhood, NBA 2K20 is a platform for gamers and ballers to come together and create what’s next in basketball culture.
Hyperforma – £8.09
Hyperforma is a captivating story about a lone explorer who makes his journey into the relic cyberspace “Ancient Network”, an artefact of a mysteriously vanished civilization of the past, hoping to reveal the secrets of its masters.
The Battle Of Mahjong – £8.00
“The Battle Of Mahjong†is the best longan game, players can know more about the quintessence of Chinese culture and the fun of mahjong through the challenges from the game. Every missions have certain connections, once you’ve won all the battles, the hidden characters and different functions are waiting for you! Are you ready for it? A free single user game for you to play until the end! Chinese and English versions are out now, come and join the battle today!
New on 3DS eShop
Squarcat – £1.49
High in the sky, mysterious lands hover. There lives a Squarecat and adventure begins here! Your task is to reach the finish line by solving different puzzles.
Space Intervention – £1.49
Save our galaxy from the invasion of an alien race.
Next week: DAEMON X MACHINA, Blasphemous, Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan, Star Wars Pinball, Rest in Pieces, and Ellen.