It’s a mini GameCube reunion! Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD roll onto Switch this week – two franchises which debuted as key GameCube launch titles.
Word has it Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the pinnacle of the franchise so far, stuffed to the brim with content, features and multiplayer modes. Review scores are a heady mixture of 8s and 9s, with only a smattering of 7s to bring poor Luigi down. “Developer Next Level Games has expanded on the Poltergust’s abilities in meaningful ways, adding more variety to the action and puzzles alike. Gooigi might seem a little shoehorned, but it’s a great excuse for cooperative multiplayer on a system built for it†said EGM before dishing out an 8/10.
If only Super Monkey Ball had received the same treatment. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is a simple conversion of the 2006 Wii original, adding only online leaderboards. Critics agree that by ditching motion controls it feels more a like contemporary Super Monkey Ball, but now the mini-games feel out of place. For instance, one is whack-a-mole, something clearly intended to be played with a Wii remote. Using a joypad, it feels both awkward and pointless. One step forward, one step back. At £35, this package a little overpriced too.
At £29.99 each, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 likewise seem overpriced. Both add motion controls but suffer from unsteady framerates, making them better played elsewhere. Still, they’re serviceable enough. Currently, RE5 is faring better with critics, feeling more like a natural progression of the mechanics seen in the much-loved RE4, rather than the gung-ho shenanigans of RE6.
Two classic Disney games also make a comeback, available in one handy package. Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King brings together two 16-bit hits, along with a bunch of modern-day improvements and features. The Game Boy versions are present, too. Sadly, it seems only Aladdin really holds up nowadays – The Lion King has its fair share of problems, mostly linked to its brutal difficulty. Continuing the theme, at £31.49 it’s rather expensive too.
The £44.99 asking price for VAMPYR may also prove tough to swallow. Nevertheless, this appears to be a decent conversion, giving the Switch another worthwhile horror adventure.
Then there’s Earthfall: Alien Horde, a rejig of last year’s Earthfall with new Switch exclusive features. It’s Left 4 Dead with gangly grey aliens, essentially. We quite enjoyed the Xbox One version, and this conversion appears to have had quite a bit of extra work put into it. Good job.
Others to consider include the pixel art arena shooter Xeno Crisis, madcap party/puzzle hybrid Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, the Bioshock alike Close to the Sun, and the time-consuming JPRG Disgaea 4 Complete+. Possibly Spirit Roots, too – this attractive 2D platformer is arriving at half-price on the eShop, currently available for a bargain £3.14.
New Switch eShop releases
Luigi’s Mansion 3 – £49.99
An invitation to a swanky hotel holiday with Mario and co. – how could Luigi refuse such an offer? However, this dream getaway soon turns into a nightmare when ghosts start to run amok and his royal ghoulishness King Boo traps Mario and friends inside paintings!
Mountain Rescue Simulator – £35.99
The danger hides behind a beautiful mask; nature entices all of us to venture in her mountains. The hikers and winter sports enthusiasts sometimes travel beyond their means and find themselves in precarious situations in which life often hangs by a thread. Nature holds out a welcome hand, then at the last minute pulls it away.
When this danger calls – it’s down to you become a lifesaver in Mountain Rescue Simulator! Now you and your team are in demand! Use your special vehicles such as helicopters, quad bikes or snow cat to rescue people. Take care of broken bones or rescue lost hikers!
Door Kickers: Action Squad – £13.49
Door Kickers: Action Squad is a crazy old school side scroller action game that puts you in the role of a SWAT trooper and sends you to deal with the bad guys in Nowhere City USA.
Disgaea 4 Complete+ – £44.99
When the ruling powers of Hades are revealed to be corrupt, Valvatorez must spark a rebellion to bring them down! Armed to the teeth with dynamic, over-the-top gameplay and a horde of special features, this is the ultimate Disgaea!
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King – £31.49
Two of the most beloved Disney games of all time make their long-awaited return to modern consoles in Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King!
This unforgettable package of Disney classics is filled with tons of new features, enhancements, game modes, and display options, plus multiple versions of the games!
Close to the Sun – £24.99
It’s 1897. Deep in international waters, the Helios stands still. Dark clouds loom overhead as unforgiving waves crash against the hull. Colossal effigies of gold, decorated with magnificent finery, stretch as far as the eye can see.
Born of Nikola Tesla’s vision, the Helios serves as a haven for the greatest scientific minds. An unbound utopia for research, independent from state and isolated from the gaze of society. Free to push the boundaries of matter and time.
Journalist Rose Archer steps aboard the Helios in search of her sister Ada. She quickly discovers not all is as it seems. Grand halls stand empty. The stench of rotting flesh lingers in the air. Silence. A single word is painted across the entrance… QUARANTINE!
Ghost Parade – £34.99
Your walk home takes an other-worldly turn as you become lost in a dark, mysterious forest. Join a mystical battle to protect the supernatural inhabitants from those who are trying to level their home for profit. Team up with 30 ghostly companions – each one lending its unique magical ability to help you on your way. Explore beautifully realized environments in this spine-tingling scrolling action adventure brimming with surprises and original character designs. Working together, everyone has a ghost of a chance to safely make it home.
Harvest Moon: Mad Dash – £23.99
Harvest, fish, milk, and more as you fulfill orders to complete each level, but watch out for molten lava, raging boars, and other obstacles!
Can you and your friends try to clear all the levels to restore the broken lighthouse?
Race with Ryan – £34.99
Ryan’s World has come to life, and it’s every bit as colorful, fun and fast as you imagined. So pick a racer, head to one of six magical locations, and step on the gas to show your friends and family who the fastest racer really is.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD – £34.99
Hold onto your bananas, because Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is rolling your way! Experience the magic of one of the most beloved titles in the series, now remastered in HD!
VAMPYR – £44.99
London, 1918. You are newly-turned Vampyr Dr. Jonathan Reid. As a doctor, you must find a cure to save the city’s flu-ravaged citizens. As a Vampyr, you are cursed to feed on those you vowed to heal.
64.0 – £2.40
Beware! This game is really hard!
If you like challenges or you don’t mind losing A LOT, this game is for you.
Agony – £17.99
Agony throws you in the midst of hell where you strive to stay alive and solve the riddle behind the mysterious Red Goddess; architect of this place of sorrow and pain, and the sole entity with knowledge of how escape… but there is more to the story than it seems. Haunted by nightmare creatures, You will gain the ability to possess demons and other souls to find a way out of hell.
Delta Squad – £5.99
Just when you think the world is safe and it’s okay to take a break, a new threat emerges. Having already survived an alien invasion in FullBlast, the Delta Squad must now do battle against General Rumanovsky, a maniacal overlord who will stop at nothing to achieve global domination.
Mononoke Slashdown – £6.29
Control Kagemaru the ninja, using ninjutsu arts, kunai daggers and the katana to defeat ghosts and monsters in this 2D scrolling action game!
Flan – £8.99
As the girl advances, she meets a frozen black knight.
Together, you can come to the truth!
A fantastic view of the world like a picture book and beautiful 3D graphics,
And please enjoy the beautiful sound that stirs your imagination and listens to you.
Earthfall: Alien Horde – £17.99
Earthfallâ„¢ is a 4-player co-op shooter where you team up with friends or play alone to save the world from invading aliens. Search for over 20 different kinds of weapons, or use 3D printers to print your own! Automatic turrets, deployable barricades, or mounted guns let you set up defenses to channel the enemy into kill zones. Battle your way through 16 epic levels that tell the continuing story of humanity’s struggle to survive. Every playthrough is a unique experience, with dynamic spawns and reactive enemies for maximum replay value.
Otokomizu – £7.19
Hovering in the sky over Edo City with a loincloth!
This jet pack firefighting 3D action game has the most mysterious operation feeling ever!
Perseverance – £4.49
You play as Jack Cutter, a father who is struggling to keep his family together. He’s a ‘go-to’ guy in his hometown of Grey Ville. Research conducted in the nearby military base gives the town a mysterious aura. Residents prefer to stay away from it. Things take an unexpected turn when one of the experiments goes horribly wrong and the area is quarantined.
Polyroll – £8.09
Kaiser Kiwi has kidnapped your roly poly friends and taken them to his Frigid Castle.
Only Polyroll can save them!
Sky Gamblers – Storm Raiders 2 – £17.99
Unlock, upgrade and customize the legendary planes of WWII. Get into the cockpit and prepare to takeoff. Become the master of the skies!
Resident Evil 6 – £29.99
Blending action and survival horror, Resident Evil 6 is a dramatic horror experience that cannot be forgotten. The game spans various areas across the globe starring multiple playable characters, including fan favorites and new faces.
Resident Evil 5 – £29.99
One of the most popular Resident Evil titles can now be played on the go, featuring Chris Redfield and his partner Sheva Alomar, as they venture to the heart of Africa to investigate an outbreak.
Spirit Roots – £6.29
Your destination is on the outskirts of the stellar system, where a hundred years conflict created a unique situation: the small remaining parts of the two fighting planets had to be stitched together to create a surviving larger one. Welcome to the Stitched-Together Planet!
The Big Journey – £4.49
The Big Journey is a beautiful, casual jump ‘n’ roll adventure. Tilt the world to roll around and explore a beautiful world with Mr. Whiskers.
Windmill Kings – £8.99
The evil black wizard has installed a clone on your throne and exiled you from the kingdom. Come, Exile. The time has come to take your kingdom back!
Or challenge your friends in custom 2-player battles ranging from skirmish to all-out war.
Yuri – £10.99
Yuri is a platform game with a unique atmosphere. You’ll need dexterity, curiosity and the ability to go with the flow to help Yuri overcome all the obstacles and reach the goal of his mysterious journey. Explore an exuberant and sensitive world, full of secret passages and buried memories.
Xeno Crisis – £15.99
Xeno Crisis is an arena shooter in which one or two players take control of battle-hardened marines embarking on a deadly mission to confront an alien menace and get home alive! Run and gun your way through thousands of adversaries as you explore the devastated research outpost, searching for survivors, and ultimately facing the origin of the outpost’s demise.
Next week: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition, One Person Story, Disney TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL, STURMWIND EX, New Super Lucky’s Tale, The Mims Beginning, Just Dance 2020, Construction Simulator 2 US – Console Edition, Ships, puzzlemen, Juicy Realm, Incredible Mandy, MONKEY BARRELS, Super Street: Racer, Garfield Kart Furious Racing, Skybolt Zack, Headsnatchers, and JUMANJI: The Video Game.