Due to the arrival of the Switch Lite, publishers are falling over themselves to get their latest releases on the eShop. It may even be the biggest week the Switch has ever seen.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Ni No Kuni Remastered lead the way – two very different role-players. Reviews of Ni No Kuni Remastered (also out on PS4) went live earlier this week, confirming what many had suspected – it’s isn’t a remaster, but rather a no-thrills conversion.
While reviewers preferred the PS4 version, the Switch release still gained praise, offering 100+ hours of play with very few comprises. Nintendo Enthusiast reported of performance issues, but this seems to be an isolated case – the rest of the pre-launch reviews are glowing, being a mixture of 8s and 9s.
Link’s Awakening, on the other hand, is indeed a full-on remaster. It’s full of the love and attention we’ve come to expect from Nintendo, giving the world a toy-like feel and adding significant extras such as a dungeon editor. Word has it an unprecedented amount of copies have been shipped to retailers – this could potentially be the biggest Switch release so far. Or since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, at the very least.
Reviews are now live, and as expected, it has garnered a heady mixture of 8s and 9s. “If you haven’t touched a classic Zelda game in a while, Link’s Awakening will almost instantly transport you back to the ’90s. It’s simple, in many ways, but the orchestrated journey still conveys a sense of adventure, and this new version is without question the best way to experience it. And more than anything else, it will put a smile on your face,†beamed Gamepot.
Untitled Goose Game is no less anticipated – Switch owners have been clucking to get their hands on it since its first reveal. It’s a premise as harmless and playful as they come, putting you in control of a horrible, horrible, goose who’s simply out to ruin everybody’s day. This includes stealing sandwiches and pushing people into ponds.
Then there’s AI: The Somnium Files, a sci-fi detective game influenced by Hideo Kojima’s Policenauts. VideoChums were left entirely smitten, praising the likeable cast, light-hearted humour, and branching storylines.
Sayonara Wild Hearts is off to great start too, gaining top marks (10/10) from TheSixthAxis. It takes elements from numerous much-loved classics – including Rez, Thumper, Outrun, and Space Harrier – to create a dream-like musical arcade shooter. Oh my!
“Truly incredible, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a pop-culture gem that celebrates music and games in a passionately individual way. There has never been anything else quite like it, and if you have even a passing interest in gaming’s inherent value you need to play it. And then play it again,†said TSA.
Fans of scrolling brawlers are well catered for too with Castle Crashers Remastered – one of the finest, and funniest, examples of the genre. We’re surprised it took this long to arrive on Switch. Lost Castle is a similar an action RPG beat’em up with roguelike elements. It apparently became a runaway success in Asia, selling over 1.5 million copies on PC.
The cult match-three puzzler Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns has also been treated to the remaster treatment. “Even with all of the huge AAA games flooding the shelves, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns manages to provide an addictive formula that’ll easily hold your attention for longer than most big budget titles and it’s a heck of a lot of fun, too,†said VideoChums before dishing out a 7.8.
Jet Kave Adventure is one of the week’s lesser-known releases, being a reasonably accomplished 2.5D platformer starring cavemen. Cavemen with jetpacks, no less. “At a little under $20, it’s a bit steep for what’s on offer, but if you’ve been craving a no-nonsense platformer that offers a decent selection of levels and looks pretty while doing it, you could do far worse – of course, you could arguably do a lot better, too,†was Nintendo Life’s verdict.
Rebel Cops is another coming out of the blue, announced just a few weeks ago. It’s a tactical spin-off from This is the Police, similar to XCOM and other strategy games. The £8.99 download allegedly offers around 15 hours of play, and has gained positive reviews scores so far including a 7/10 from Push Square. It’s up against Police Stories, a similar top-down affair with pixel art visuals also launching this week.
The Switch finally gets a top-tier realistic racer too, courtesy of Codemasters. GRID Autosport – originally released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 – offers a choice of graphics modes, difficulty settings (including video tutorials), and new control configurations.
Even though the Joy-Cons lack analogue triggers, the racer holds up well, with the majority of reviews clocking in at 8/10. “Despite some issues with the Switch’s controller restrictions, GRID Autosport is a fantastic port that sets the bar for the realistic racers on Nintendo’s hybrid console,†said God is a Geek.
There’s also Capcom’s Devil May Cry 2 – arriving at a reasonably £15.99, excusing the fact that it’s the least celebrated instalment – the ‘80s arcade racer Neon Drive, and the intriguing post-apocalyptic road-trip Overland.
Here’s the full line-up of releases:
New Switch eShop releases
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – £49.99
Help Link escape a strange land in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for Nintendo Switch. Befriend a colourful cast of characters, battle myriad monsters and explore perilous dungeons in this classic adventure – reimagined in a charming new art style!
Ni No Kuni Remastered: Wrath of the White Witch – £TBA
LEVEL-5’s classic tale is now on-the-go, as you follow Oliver’s journey as he embarks to another world inhabited by familiars and foes, in the hopes of bringing back his mother from a parallel universe after a tragic incident.
Untitled Goose Game – £17.99
It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose. Untitled Goose Game combines sandbox-style simulation with slapstick-style shtick and lets players loose on a sleepy village. Make your way around town, from the village green to the high street shops, setting up pranks, stealing hats, and generally ruining everyone’s day.
Rebel Cops – £8.99
Rebel Cops is a spin-off game from This Is the Police, which exclusively features the series’ turned-based tactical operations. Lead a rag-tag squad of cops in rebellion against their town’s new criminal power, and see how long you can hold out when you’re constantly short on supplies, and a single shot can cost a cop his life.
Reel Fishing: Road Trip Adventure -£26.99
Grab your rod, reel, and adventurous spirit as you join three friends on a summer road trip to remember! Visit a variety of fishing spots, from deep-sea fishing to freshwater stream fishing as you and the gang track down and try to catch the elusive Legendary Fish. Upgrade skills and abilities, craft rods, reels, and lures as you try to catch the big one!
Jet Kave Adventure – £17.99
Jet Kave Adventure brings everything you love about 2.5D platformers. Enjoy the skill-based action, challenging boss fights, clever secrets and thrilling set-pieces in a game where the Stone Age and science fiction collide.
Summer Sweetheart – £17.00
Summer Sweetheart is a game of Lovely Juliet. The main plot is played by real people. Voice actor part is assumed by the famous CV Asami Imai and Naomi Wakabayashi.
In the game, the player, in the first view, encounters with multiple heroines. This is a brand-new love story. The main line has multiple story-choices and endings. In addition, there are some personal stories about other branch-line girls.
Castle Crashers Remastered – £15.29
Hack, slash, and smash your way to victory in this Remastered edition of the popular 2D arcade adventure from The Behemoth! At 60FPS, Castle Crashers Remastered delivers hi-res visuals like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Up to four friends can play locally or online and save your princess, defend your kingdom, and crash some castles!
Angry Bunnies: Colossal Carrot Crusade – £0.00
There are 180 fun levels to enjoy, perfectly suited for short bursts of gaming. Use skill and logic to save bunnies from cunning fox. Collect carrots and get new bunnies.
Devil May Cry 2 – £15.99
Reprise your role as Dante, or play as the new femme fatale, Lucia, who prefers deadly throwing daggers to bullets and utilizes her speed with ninja-like reflexes. Build up your Devil Trigger gauge, then transform into a powerful demon with enhanced power and speed. While in demon form, Dante and Lucia can also utilize Devil Hearts – amulets that give them special powers like the ability to fly, super speed or even slowing down time.
GRID Autosport – £29.99
Step into a career as a pro-racer, mastering the world’s fastest cars to win motorsport’s most exciting races, from the hallowed asphalt of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the narrow city streets of Barcelona.
Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns – £13.99
The Original Match 3 RPG is back and better than ever before! Experience the game that started it all, now for the first time on Nintendo Switch! The totally remastered Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns features the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, the expansion Revenge of the Plague Lord, and a whole bundle of new quests, spells, classes and items created exclusively for this version!
Omen Exitio: Plague – £8.99
Zanzibar, 1896. Dr. Jake Huntington enlisted in the army to forget the loss of his wife. Yet something sinister and ancient is about to overturn his life forever. Shadows that inhabit the confines of reality seem to converge all in one point: a terrifying disease that threatens to exterminate the entire human race.
Neon Drive – £9.99
From beautiful cityscapes and ocean roads to exploding enemy spaceships, Neon Drive has it all. It’s inspired by the arcade games of the 80’s, but set against a futuristic backdrop of glowing cyber-grid, all in silky-smooth graphics. Neon Drive brings you 8 amazing levels, adding up to hours of enjoyment. Each level features multiple twists and perspective changes, keeping you on your toes (err, wheels) throughout the gameplay.
Paper Dolls Original – £15.29
Immersive graphics and a unique Eastern vibe bring this terrifying mansion to life. Experience a finely-crafted soundtrack, combining chant with folk and rock music, as you delve deeper into the darkness.
Overland – £21.59
Take care of a group of travelers on a post-apocalyptic road-trip across the United States in this turn-based survival game. Fight scary creatures, rescue stranded survivors, and scavenge for supplies like fuel, first aid kits, and weapons. Decide where to go next, whether it’s upgrading this wrecked car, or rescuing that dog. Just remember, there are consequences for every action. Get ready for close calls, dramatic escapes, hard choices, arguing about whether or not that dog gets rescued, and the end of the world.
Police Stories – £13.99
Unforgiving and tense, each mission tells a story of two police operatives – John Rimes and Rick Jones, filled with infiltrating gang hideouts, rescuing hostages, making arrests and other life-threatening situations.
Lost Castle – £8.99
Lost Castle is finally here with this impressive Nintendo Switch Edition!
Running at 60fps, including all content available elsewhere, play with up to four friends online or offline and experience an adventure enjoyed by 1.5 million players worldwide.
Inferno 2 – £4.49
The sequel to Inferno+, Radiangames’ critically-acclaimed twin-stick action-RPG, Inferno 2 boasts even more devious levels, more weapons, more upgrades and powers, more enemies, and more customization, along with more insane explosions and particle effects.
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – £53.99
One rainy night in November, a woman’s body is found at an abandoned theme park, mounted on a merry-go-round horse. Kaname Date of the Metropolitan Police Department arrives on the scene. He recognizes the woman. Suddenly, he hears a noise from inside the merry-go-round.
He breaks into the merry-go-round’s central column to find a young girl. And in her hands, she grips a bloody ice pick…
Hone your detective skills in this thrilling sci-fi murder mystery with 30+ hours of gameplay and multiple endings.
Enter dreams to solve puzzles and learn clues. With multiple outcomes and a 6 minute time limit, every second counts.
Discover the truth by interrogating suspects and using 3 special vision modes to investigate crime scenes.
Niffelheim – £13.49
Your avatar is a brave warrior who has fallen in battle. But instead of well-deserved peace in Asgard, his soul is trapped in the harsh world of Niffelheim. Survive in this hostile world, ransack the neighbor lands, explore dangerous dungeons and find your way to Valhalla!
Tyd wag vir Niemand – £7.99
Manipulate time to your will at any moment to solve challenges, avoid deadly traps and make it to the end of this strange journey.
Tyd wag vir Niemand is an indie abstract adventure filled with mystical environments that will put your abilities to the test and engage you in a world of mystery and wonder.
Spellworm – £1.49
Help Spellworm to eat his way through over 100 word search puzzles. Each puzzle has its own theme. You can chomp through shapes, colors, countries, planets and much more in your quest to feed the hungry Spellworm.
Zenith – £13.49
Zenith is an action RPG that combines that feel of the golden era RPG games with a generous dose of humor and parody. The game counts with a solid story which unfolds in a fantasy world populated by dozens of unorthodox characters. Adventuring, exploring ruins, accidentally unleashing the apocalypse, saving the world… you’ve done it all, and so has Argus. And, frankly, he’s a bit fed up with the whole thing. He used to be a wizard, which was fine and all, but he’s in his 30s now, and he wants to settle down, get some peace and quiet. But that’s not easy to get with all those spike-haired buffoons dragging their giant swords around and ruining the pavement. Specially when you’re trying to keep a dangerous artifact hidden from meddling heroes with a chosen one complex.
Island Maze – £2.69
When you’re a cube, even a simple island becomes a puzzling maze. It’s time to shine and bring out the best in you. Collect keys, climb steep walls and manipulate your surroundings to finally reach the portal.
Hidden – £8.99
You wake up trapped in a mental asylum for the criminally insane, which is governed and crawling with the most evil and insane murderers.
In order to escape you have to find three keys without being found and killed by the other inmates. You can increase your chances of survival by running and hiding from the other inmates.
Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning – £4.99
‘Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse: The Beginning’ is the first episode of an episodic adventure game set in an anthropomorphic animal society. Help Hank & Larry find food and loot to survive through the harsh zombie infested streets by convincing other animals to do the work for you!
Next week: DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, DRAGON QUEST I-III, FIFA 20 Legacy Edition, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Oliver’s Adventures in the Fairyland, STAR WARS: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, CONTRA ROGUE CORPS, Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX, Akash: Path of the Five, Northgard, and Car Mechanic Simulator Pocket Edition.