Rather than being outsourced, the Switch’s Metro Redux collection has been handled by the original team. As such, it feels as if it has been converted with a great deal of expertise.
Despite both games knocking on a bit (Metro 2033 is now ten years old), reviews are generally full of praise, with only a few minor complaints. Nintendo Life found the full-price package worthy of an impressive 9/10, stating that “Metro Redux is a top-notch first-person survival horror package that delivers countless hours of thrilling stealth combat all wrapped up in a superb story.â€
God is a Geek opted for an 8.5, meanwhile: “The Metro games brought me just as much tense enjoyment now, as they did on release. Sneaking past armed guards while tucked up in bed on a quiet night, is absolutely the best way to play these games. If you can get past the lighting issues, you’ll find a lot of fresh mechanics to love in the tunnels of Moscow.â€
In fact, most of this week’s major releases have gained glowing reviews. Be still thy beating wallet.
From Silver Dollar Games comes One Finger Death Punch 2, a sequel to one of the best Xbox 360 indie games. Destructoid awarded the two-button brawler an impressive 9/10. “Silver Dollar Games has wholeheartedly delivered on the promise of the original and managed to outdo my expectations spectacularly. One Finger Death Punch 2 is everything I love about the series turned up to 11, and it’s a fantastic example of how minimalist design can effectively carry a game, even when pared down to just two simple inputs,†they said.
Fantasy RPG Rune Factory 4 Special – a 3DS conversion – has gained a surprising amount of 9/10s too. “The hardest part of writing this review has genuinely been dragging myself away from the game long enough to do so. Odds are that once I’m done here, I’ll be right back to it. Let that stand as a ringing endorsement of the game if nothing else,†said DualShocker’s smitten reviewer.
It isn’t the only handheld conversion on Switch this week – Capcom has brought the GBA’s Mega Man Zero and ZX games together for a new collection. Scores for the six-game strong Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection are equally high, with just one review score below 80% on Metacritic.
Nintendo Life dished out another 9/10. “Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is everything that you could’ve hoped it to be. This is ultimately six great Mega Man games presented to you with a slew of customizable features, extra content, and quality of life updates. If you’re a fan of either Mega Man or sidescrolling action games in general, you owe it to yourself to give this release a go and see what all the fuss is about,†they said.
Samurai Shodown also makes its final pitstop on Switch this week. Due to being available on import for a while reviews have been largely forthcoming. Long loading times apparently let it down, but on the whole, it’s a decent enough brawler. It gained an 8.2 from IGN and an 8/10 from The Metro.
Then there’s Two Point Hospital, a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital. As noted earlier this week, the Switch version is going down as well as a spoonful of sugar, gaining slightly higher scores than its PS4 counterpart. “Another excellent PC-to-Switch port that revives the Theme Hospital with a heavy dose of humour and impressively involved business management,†was The Metro’s verdict.
Other new releases for this week include Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary – a mobile conversion – the tactical soccer game Ganbare! Super Strikers, fleeting 2D platformer Bucket Knight (which we reviewed today), and BE-A Walker…which appears to have much in common with Psygnosis’ often forgotten Amiga gem Walker. Oooh!
New Switch eShop releases
SAMURAI SHODOWN – £44.99
The battle cuts its way into the Nintendo Switch line-up! From its creation in 1993, the Samurai Shodown series has redefined weapon-based fighting games. 11 years after its most recent release comes a brand new addition on the Nintendo Switch! Experience the fighting game that took the world by storm!
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection – £24.99
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection brings together six classic titles in one game: Mega Man Zero, 2, 3 and 4, and Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent.
This bumper package includes not only the original games, but new features including Z Chaser mode, as well as Casual Scenario Mode and Save-Assist feature for players who wish to enjoy the story at their own pace.
Metro: Last Light Redux – £22.49
Metro: Last Light Redux is the definitive version of the critically acclaimed ‘Metro: Last Light’, available on Nintendo Switch for the first time. Newcomers will get the chance to experience one of the finest story-driven shooters of all time; an epic adventure combining gripping survival horror, exploration and tactical combat and stealth.
Metro 2033 Redux – £22.49
Metro 2033 Redux is the definitive version of the cult classic ‘Metro 2033’, available on Nintendo Switch for the first time. Fans of the original game will find the unique world of Metro transformed with incredible lighting, physics and dynamic weather effects. Newcomers will get the chance to experience one of the finest story-driven shooters of all time; an epic adventure combining gripping survival horror, exploration and tactical combat and stealth.
Rune Factory 4 Special – £32.99
Grow crops, raise monsters, catch fish, cook up tasty dishes, and craft powerful equipment. Live your live however you choose!
Become friends (or more than friends) with a charming and interactive cast of characters, and breathe life into the village with seasonal festivals and competitions.
Play though a special story alongside your spouse in the brand-new Newlywed Mode, and fall in love with your favorites all over again!
MADORIS R – £4.49
“Madori” means house layout in Japanese.
This is simple puzzle game and It has no time limit.
MathLand – £5.49
An evil pirate, Max, has stolen the sacred gems and has cursed the islands filling them with obstacles and traps. Help Ray, our pirate, find the gems and restore the natural order of things. Navigate your ship through the seas to get them, but remember: you will need a spyglass to discover new islands.
Solve fun math games to get them: addition, subtraction, numbering, multiplication tables, and division. The islanders need you!
Served! – £5.39
The game features different typical characters from the world cuisine, in iconic venues of local gastronomy.
Each playable character has his own attack corresponding to his cuisine to spice the game up.
Bon appétit!
Soul Axiom Rebooted – £9.99
From the studio that brought you Master Reboot comes a first-person story-driven adventure puzzle game, set in the beautiful, haunting cyber-world of Elysia. Collect unique hand powers, discover multiple endings and choose your own destiny as you unravel the mystery of your digital afterlife.
UnderHero – £15.29
Underhero is an RPG-platformer where the chosen hero has failed, and an underling of the evil king reluctantly takes his place as the new hero. Use timing-based combat to defeat enemies as you venture across the land, face off against quirky bosses, and save the Chestnut Kingdom from your own evil boss, Mr Stitches!
Dual Brain Vol.3: Shapes – £11.99
Solve the problem within the time limit and aim for a high score.
The high score in the game is registered in the online ranking.
Compete for scores with players around the world.
Voxelgram – £5.79
It is a 3D variation of nonograms/picross.
176 puzzles
18 dioramas
Boulder Dash® 30th Anniversary – £13.49
Gem Collectors, Dig This! Boulder Dash®-30th Anniversary™ finds our heroes, Rockford™, Crystal™ and others, facing a slew of new, exciting challenges in this legendary action puzzler. Dig through spectacular caves with 3D elements; avoid falling boulders; collect valuable gems and avoid nefarious enemies along the way. Discover treasure chests with rare collectibles and potent power-ups. With 260 exciting levels, 13 new, gorgeous worlds, and 10 playable characters, Boulder Dash-30th Anniversary is the best game in its 30 year history.
STAB STAB STAB! – £8.39
STAB STAB STAB is a brutal, physics-based, couch multiplayer fighting game where you stab your friends until they pop!
Play as explosive fleshbirds with razor sharp beaks
Visceral physics-based combat
Battle it out against your friends in versus mode
Spartan Fist – £11.29
Fight your way to fame, fortune and glory in this first-person puncher roguelite as you work to retrieve the fabled Spartan Fist. Playing as Emma Jones, a down-and-out detective working to earn her keep, you’ll tap your inner badass as you punch dudes so hard they explode. Navigate through an arena that’s different each time you play and delve into a whimsically gritty and colorfully punk pixilated world while fighting your way to the top.
Bloodroots – £15.99
Betrayed and left for dead, Mr. Wolf is hell-bent on finding his killer and enacting revenge – alone, and vastly outnumbered.
Thankfully for Mr. Wolf, the world is your weapon in Bloodroots – a relentless action game that unfolds across the sprawling Weird West. You’ll choreograph spectacular, ultra-violent combos by making use of everything around you, from hatchets, to ladders, to…carrots? It’s improvise or die, as Mr. Wolf fights his way to the center of the mystery: why was he betrayed?
Skull Rogue – £2.69
Skull Rogue is a rogue-like RPG inspired by the classics. Start with an ordinary skeleton and skill up to an incredible warrior. Dive into a world of eternal battles and endless progression. The further you are, the harder and more unique your enemies become…and so do you!
BE-A Walker – £7.99
You are the pilot of a battle mech BE-A Walker (Biped Enhanced Assault Walker). Your mission is to defeat the hostile natives to protect the colony population. But annihilation of the native race is not the only way to stop the war. Choose your side and make the decision that suits you best: to be a human, a true son of Earth fighting for survival of your race and killing whoever stands in your way, or to be a humanist who’s trying to protect the poor natives, victims of the greedy invaders.
Ski Sniper – £4.49
Discover all the sniper weapons including a crossbow!
Complete objectives to get special rewards.
Watch Your perfect shot trajectory from the special bullet-camera perspective.
Admire bullet damage in the X-Ray mode.
Bucket Knight – £4.49
Even knights still have to pay taxes, loans and alimony. Help an unnamed but brave knight in his sacred mission to find the Holy Grail (and make some money). Explore dungeons, slay enemies, avoid traps, stay alive and get rich!
Ganbare! Super Strikers – £9.99
Ganbare! Super Strikers is an innovative mix between Tactical RPG and Soccer. Win matches to level up and earn new equipment that will allow you to learn special abilities, boost your players’ stats or protect yourself against altered status effects.
Create your own Soccer team to take on the many rival teams in story mode! Can you join the National Japanese Soccer team to become the best soccer player in the world!?
Profane – £14.99
Profane is a 3D boss rush Bullet Hell based on time. This means that you have to face every Boss and defeat them before your time runs out! Time is money and health, so acquiring abilities or being damaged will reduce your remaining combat time. You better watch out!
Heaven Dust – £5.89
When you awake, you find yourself in a mansion, where was the secret research center, is now a maze full of horrible zombies and deadly traps. You’ll have to escape by overcoming your fears, collecting items, solving innovative puzzles and revealing the cruel truth.
Kingdom Rush Frontiers – £11.00
Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Tap your troops through an epic (mis)adventure as you defend exotic lands from dragons, man-eating plants, and ghastly denizens of the underworld -all with flashy new towers, levels, heroes, and more goodies to help you crush your foes to a pulp. (Don’t worry, we’ve still got all the good ol’ stuff from the last game, too. It’s vintage now.)
Hero must die. Again – £35.99
You are the hero, your last memory is fighting with the demon Guile and felling it, thus saving your world. However, you seem to have died in the process and now you cannot remember her, the one for which you went alone to fight the demon. Due to your great deed, the gods have given you five more days to put your affairs in order, but time will quickly take its toll and you will grow weaker as the days pass.
Wanderlust Travel Stories – £13.49
In a bar, on the world’s most remote island, a group of strangers share their stories. Step into their shoes and experience travel from distinct perspectives. Wanderlust Travel Stories is a book that you shape. If you’re seeking something a little bit different it is for you—and if you can read this, you have all you need to get started.
MouseCraft – £8.99
MouseCraft is an A to B puzzle game where players help Schrödinger, the crazy cat scientist, in completing his mysterious, mice-powered invention. Pile up Tetromino bricks to create a safe path for as many mice as possible, gather collectibles, fight enemies, use different types of blocks, blow up things and avoid environmental hazards in 80 handcrafted levels!
BATTLESLOTHS – £8.19
Grab a hoverboard and get moving. Defend your pizza from other players and fight for slices from across the map in this fast-paced, competitive twin-stick shooter. Choose from an arsenal over 15 weapons ranging from swords to nukes to exact death and revenge upon those who would claim any slice unspoken for. Learn to take advantage of unique map conditions to get a competitive edge over your opponents. You’ve never seen sloths move this fast (then again, you’ve never had a pizza party with a hungry sloth before.)
Edgar – Bokbok in Boulzac – £14.39
You are eccentric outcast Edgar, living in the woods with your chicken and beloved squash crops. Unfortunately, a sudden disaster forces you out of your shack and towards the bright lights of the big city, Boulzac, where an 800 year old fire rages beneath the surface, and weird things are afoot.
Vasilis – £4.49
Vasilis is a game which focuses on characters and story. It is divided into five chapters in which the player will deal with riots, cults, and cruel war events.
The game is inspired by Ukrainian political events from 2014.
Puzzles for Toddlers & Kids: Animals, Cars and more – £6.99
This puzzle game is extremely easy to use and was tailored with great care to be played by children of all ages.
It is battle-tested and 100% frustration free.
It contains different difficulty-levels for entertaining a wide range of age-groups.
Balloons and Bubbles can be popped at the end of each puzzle, adding extra fun to the game.
Portal Dogs – £4.49
As king of the dogs, your mission is to find all your loyal subjects and guide them to the portal. The second you wake up another dog, he will simultaneously follow your movements. You succeed by finding your way to the portal. You are mastering the mission if you save all your loyal subjects, find the golden bone and get to the portal.
ARCADE FUZZ – £1.79
TTV3 is a fast-paced maze wanderer minigame with procedural maps and audio, with original gameplay and aesthetics.
WARPZONE DRIFTER is a physics-based drifting minigame. Moving tentacles, limited time, procedural levels and the inability to break are elements of the challenge.
Put your reflexes to the test with these gems of the Brazilian underground game development scene.
Hayfever – £13.49
In Hayfever, the player takes control of Thomas – a young postman with a strong work ethic. There is just one tiny little issue… Thomas suffers from terrible (and we mean TERRIBLE) allergies.
It is up to the player to use Thomas’s allergies to help him traverse a dangerous world, turning his weaknesses into strengths! Different allergens have different effects on Thomas – radically changing how he interacts with the world. Regular pollen allows him to build up a big sneeze to propel himself through the air. Smog, on the other hand, makes him swell up like a balloon. Peanuts… Well, peanuts are a WHOLE other story.
The Unholy Society – £9.00
The Unholy Society, a quirky 2D adventure game mixed with action elements, is inspired by ’80s and ’90s movies, comic books, as well as everything else that fits into the categories of “iconic” and “pop culture”.
Farmer Sim 2020 – £13.49
Farmer Sim 2020 will let you become a real farmer! Take yourself in an awesome open world and start enjoying this great farming simulator. Harvest different types of crops, manage your livestock – cows, sheeps, turkeys, pigs. Experience the farming life, transport woods, hays, etc…
This Farmer Simulator will allow you to play with many machines, tractors, combines, trucks, trailers, plows, seeders, etc…
The next-gen graphics will completely immerse you in the real farming world.
Two Point Hospital – £34.99
BUILD, CURE and IMPROVE! Design stunning hospitals, decorate them as you like, cure very unusual illnesses and manage troublesome staff as you spread your budding healthcare organisation across Two Point County.
Two Point Hospital includes two DLC – “Bigfoot” and “Pebberley Island”
Next week: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, Breeder Homegrown: Director’s Cut, Save Koch, AvoCuddle, I am Ball, Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly, Murder by Numbers, ibb & obb, Dude, Stop, Bleed Complete Bundle, and Wunderling.