As the saying goes: good things come in pairs. The Switch not only receives two new Shovel Knight spin-offs this week, but also a duo of critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE 0 titles.
Shovel Knight: King of Cards adds a card-based mini-game to the NES-style Metroidvania, along with four new worlds. “As a standalone release, King of Cards easily trumps most other retro 2D platformers on the Switch eShop at the moment, and you certainly can’t go wrong by picking it up,†said Nintendo Life before handing out a lofty 9/10.
Four-player arena battler Shovel Knight: Showdown is going ‘down’ well too, proving that Yacht Club Games can make more than just 2D platformers.
“As someone who hasn’t played Shovel Knight since the original release, I found Showdown to be a very good return. It’s grown on me quite a bit, and if you’re a fan of competitive or co-op multiplayer games this could be considered a must. While offering less for the solo player, I’m confident the gorgeous pixel art, wealth of options, and unlockables will still prove satisfying,†said Pure Nintendo’s reviewer.
No reviews of the visual novel duo STEINS;GATE 0 and STEINS;GATE: My Darling’s Embrace are live yet, but as you may be aware, the former is generally regarded to be one of the best examples of the genre. The PS4 version’s Metacritic sits at 81%, including several 9/10s.
The Switch also gets the family-friendly co-op dungeon crawler Riverbond. “Riverbond isn’t the most in-depth game on the Switch this year, nor is it the best looking. It does, however, boast an interesting art style, and its gameplay is simple yet engaging enough that almost anyone of any skill level can give it a good crack,†was Nintendo Life’s verdict.
If Shovel Knight: King of Cards can’t satisfy your Metroidvania cravings, then SuperEpic: The Entertainment War has you covered. Starring an oddball raccoon and llama duo, it’s of the hack and slash variety, while also boasting a pleasingly daft plot involving a greedy corporation developing soul-sucking free-to-play video games.
Both Cultured Vultures and Nintendo Life found much to enjoy, and we’ll be giving it the review treatment ourselves in due course.
Then there’s Jamestown+, which we had completely forgotten about. This nonsensical co-op vertical shooter scored highly on PS4 back in 2015.
Nintendo World Report was smitten by this Switch iteration. “Jamestown+ is an incredibly competent and satisfying vertical shooter with a unique setting and a fair amount of content. If you enjoy unlocking new ships and replaying levels with your new toys and on higher difficulty settings, you can’t go wrong here,†they said.
Other Switch releases for this week include Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger (a franchise high note), ghoulish twin-stick shooter Dead End Job, FTP behemoth slayer Dauntless, Football Manager 2020 Touch, and the philosophical first-person puzzler The Talos Principle.
New Switch eShop releases
Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger – £17.99
From gold mines to saloons, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales. Live the epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws. Blurring the lines between man and myth, this adventure made of memorable encounters unveils the untold truth behind some of the greatest legends of the Old West.
Jamestown+ – £14.39
Set on 17th-century British colonial Mars, Jamestown+ is a neoclassical cooperative shoot-em-up for up to four players. Lush pixelart and an award-winning orchestral soundtrack immerse you in Raleigh’s battle to protect Britain’s last bastion: Jamestown colony. It’s designed to be an exciting experience whether this is your first shoot ’em up or your hundredth!
Arcade Archives FROGGER – £6.29
“FROGGER” is an action game released by KONAMI in 1981.
Guide a lost frog to the house on the other bank within the time limit.
There will be many obstacles to overcome on the way home.
Dead End Job – £13.99
Dead End Job sends you into a madcap, whacky world to bust up ghosts. It’s a procedurally generated, couch co-op, twin-stick shooter that straps a vacuum pack to your back, and puts a plasma blaster in your hand. For you, it’s just another day in the office.
You take on the role of Hector Plasm, a worker at Ghoul-B-Gone – ‘the Number One experts in paranormal pest control’ – as you’re tasked with heading to haunted offices, restaurants, and other everyday buildings before freeing them of unwanted guests.
Event Horizon: Space Defense – £6.29
You are under attack!
Set in the captivating Event Horizon universe, this hardcore game puts you in control of a massive space fleet at war with over twelve alien factions. Make the best decisions in two crucial phases: strategic building and adrenaline-fueled battles.
Cardpocalypse – £22.49
Make friends, play cards, twist the rules, become a Mega Mutant Power Pets master, and try to save the world in this single-player RPG about being a 90’s kid. On her first day at Dudsdale Elementary, 10-year old Jess accidentally gets everybody’s favorite collectible card game banned, forcing the kids to take their card battles underground. Troubles arise when mutants from the game invade the real world, and it’s up to Jess and friends to stop them.
GENSOU Skydrift – £19.79
A Touhou Project racing game is here!
In the mystical land of Gensokyo somewhere in Japan, humans and yokai live together in strange harmony.
One day, some girls notice that their spirit energy is weak.
Yokai specialist Reimu Hakurei and her friend Marisa Kirisame spot someone running off on a racetrack…
SuperEpic: The Entertainment War – £14.99
In a not-too-distant future dystopia​, a single videogame development company, ​Regnantcorp, controls an Orwellian society by enslaving the population with their addictive free game​s.
As a rebellious racoon, along with your llama steed, you’ll explore a surreal castle-like office full of enemies, challenges, secrets and corporate pigs.
Break into their headquarters, uncover the conspiracy and save videogames!
Shovel Knight: King of Cards – £7.99
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Make way for Shovel Knight: King of Cards, the grandest adventure in the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove saga! Step into the gilded boots of King Knight as you leap, Shoulder Bash, and twirl your way to a kingdom of your own in this regal prequel. Gather cards, take on challengers, and build a deck in the all-new card game, Joustus! Travel through strange worlds, gather new subjects, best the Joustus Judges, and become King of Cards! World-class platforming, exquisite visuals, a story with heart, action-packed stages, masterful music, glorious new bosses, and more await you in Shovel Knight: King of Cards.
STEINS;GATE 0 – £26.99
A new story in the critically-acclaimed STEINS;GATE series. From the depths of despair–explore a whole new world line. Your favorite characters return alongside a brand new cast!
STEINS;GATE 0 continues the time travelling theme – but adds artificial intelligence as its central hook.
Help a group of young students bend time to their will and prevent the onset of World War 3.
Beautiful artwork and engaging story for an unforgettable experience.
Tells the story of an ‘Alternate Worldline’ – what happens if players failed the original story.
Interact with the story using your smart phone – answering (or not!) your phone, and your responses, will determine the outcome to the story.
STEINS;GATE: My Darling’s Embrace – £26.99
Fall in love with the lab members all over again in this sweet and slapstick romantic comedy!
Follow Your Heart
Explore the private life of Rintaro and your favorite lab members in a series of “What if?” scenarios.
Love Isn’t a Science
The hard science of STEINS;GATE takes a back seat to let the slapstick story run wild!
Shovel Knight Showdown – £7.99
Shovel Knight Showdown is the ultimate platform fighting experience, where you can duel with up to 4 players and scramble after gems as your favorite heroic or villainous knight from the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove saga. Gather your pals for endless multiplayer clashes, or choose from more than 16 playable characters in Story Mode, each with their own unique story to tell. Master every move, explore a vast array of items and locales, and discover new revelations in Shovel Knight Showdown!
Dauntless – £0.00
Battle for survival at the edge of the world. As a Slayer, it’s up to you to hunt down the boss-sized Behemoths that are devouring the land. Team up with millions of players as you master challenging co-op battles, craft deadly weapons and powerful armor, and forge your legend as a Slayer of Ramsgate.
Football Manager 2020 Touch – £29.99
The fast-track to footballing glory…
Football Manager 2020 Touch is the speedier way to experience life at the helm of the world’s greatest football clubs. Whether you’re on the move or in front of the TV, how you get to the top is up to you.
Your role may be streamlined but your choice of club is certainly not with 116 leagues and 51 nations to set up home and craft your footballing philosophy at. Will you take a lower league challenge or jump straight in at one of the game’s elite?
Riverbond – £17.99
Embark on a heroic journey to complete missions, battle adorable enemies, and smash everything into tiny cubes! Will you and your friends be the legendary heroes of Riverbond?
Fishing: Barents Sea Complete Edition – £25.99
Take the helm of your very own fishing boat in Fishing: Barents Sea and explore the vastness of the Norwegian sea in search for the best fishing zones. Start with the little boat inherited from your grandfather, catch fish and earn money for upgrades as well as bigger and better boats. Enjoy the beautiful Barents Sea and make your fishing industry dreams come true.
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition – £26.99
The Talos Principle is a philosophical first-person puzzle game from Croteam, the creators of the Serious Sam series, and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (Infinite Ocean). Assume the role of a sentient artificial intelligence placed within a simulation of humanity’s greatest ruins and linked together through an arcane cathedral. Players are tasked with solving a series of increasingly complex puzzles woven into a metaphysical parable about intelligence and meaning in an inevitably doomed world.
BATTOJUTSU – £4.99
Simple Fighting Game.
Player need to push buttons faster than the other players.
Player can choose 3 difficulty level and Player can play easy.
Next week: Travel Mosaics: A Paris Tour, JDM Racing, Rift Keeper, Dual Brain Vol.1: Calculation, Farabel, and 60 Parsecs!