RPGs and Metroidvanias are on this week’s Switch eShop agenda. Before that though, there’s a brand-new Mario game to consider. Fancy that, eh?
Super Mario Bros. 35 takes the Tetris 99 template and adapts it to Super Mario Bros, letting players go head-to-head until the last portly plumber is left standing. Enemies you defeat are sent to other players’ courses, and vice versa, while the item roulette dishes out random power-ups. Just like the recent Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection, it’s only available until 31st March. Oh, Nintendo!
Alwa’s Awakening, for those who missed it, was a neat 2D Metroidvania designed to mimic NES aesthetic. This week’s sequel – Alwa’s Legacy – powers up to the 16-bit era, while addressing the minor gripes players had with the original. It’s a better experience all-round, critics claim, leading it to become one of the highest-rated games of the week.
“Alwa’s Legacy is an excellent example of how to do a proper sequel; it takes everything that the original did well and builds on it, adds in a few new ideas of its own, and corrects the issues that were previously present. It may be a little on the short side, but Alwa’s Legacy is the special sort of game that only comes around once in a great while, reminding you of the kind of quality that’s possible when a dedicated crew puts in the time to make a polished and tightly designed final product,†said Nintendo Life before dishing out a lofty 9/10.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, there’s the sci-fi fantasy Metroidvania MindSeiz, which was well-received on PC. This too features 16-bit style visuals.
If you’re here for RPGs, rest assured that Ys Origin is worthy of your time. At £17.99 it isn’t particularly expensive either. It gained 8/10s from both Nintendo World Report and TSA.
“I found myself surprised by just how difficult it was to put this game down. It’s generally easy to figure out where to go and what to do next, the fast travel is very smooth, and the combat stays engaging throughout the playthrough,†said NWR.
Then there’s Orangeblood, an RPG set in futuristic Japan. Initial intrigue has sadly resulted in disappointment for many reviewers – scores are as low as 3/10, with Indie Game Website calling it virtually unplayable.
“Trading Standards need to swoop in and save the day, because the finished product in no way represents the advertised goods. What I want to know is: how? How did a game that looked so enticing end up being virtually unplayable? Should you decide to be brave and open up the settings menu, turning on the extra visual effects, you can – and this is not an exaggeration – barely make out what is on your screen,†they said.
Noisy Pixel was a tad more impressed, awarding it a 6.5. “Orangeblood has some really nice ideas, but the execution can feel lacking at times. However, the soundtrack and battle system is robust, which made getting through the game pretty entertaining at times,†was their verdict.
Other new releases this week include the WWII set strategic battler WARSAW, the presumably rockin’ Let’s Sing Queen, Kemco’s pixel art JRPG Liege Dragon, and Macbat 64 – and N64 style platformer launching for less than £2. Googly eyes, googly eyes everywhere….
New Switch eShop releases
Let’s Sing Queen – £32.98
Sing alone or share the stage with your friends in compelling game modes while you follow in the footsteps of Queen, the biggest rock band ever, with the legendary lead singer Freddie Mercury.
Let their music take you on a trip through different decades. Master “Bohemian Rhapsodyâ€, challenge your friends to a “Bicycle Race†or rock out to hits like “We Will Rock Youâ€, “Another One Bites The Dustâ€, “I Want To Break Free†and “We Are The Championsâ€.
Super Mario Bros. 35
Compete against other players near and far in Super Mario Bros. 35, an online battle game that’s available as an exclusive offer for Nintendo Switch Online members.
Enemies you defeat will be sent to other players’ courses…but this also works the other way around! Use the Item Roulette and four different strategies to try to outpace your opponents. Keep going until you’re the last Mario standing…or running!
Super Mario Bros. 35 launches October 1st as a digital-only title and will be available to download and play for a limited time until March 31st, 2021.
Red Crow Mysteries: Legion – £8.99
Your extraordinary gift is also your biggest curse. It is a burden you must bare. The ability to see things others cannot is an unbelievable challenge and responsibility. And evil never sleeps. Evil is never far away. He who has many names, has awakened again – hungry for victory and power. Can you pass the test and prove you are the one who will defend mankind when judgment day comes?
WARSAW – £17.99
In a city besieged by enemy forces, the only hope for freedom is to stand up and fight with everything you have. Muster every able body to join the Uprising, loot and salvage what you can to arm your resistance and take on the overwhelming enemy forces that dared invade your home.
Liege Dragon – £13.49
With Abigore, the Evil Dragon, coming back to life, the kingdom of Blaze was thrown into confusion. Yuran who has lost his memory witnesses a village being destroyed, and heads for the capital hoping to find something he could do in this time of destruction.
Here begins an adventure to find the Dragon Tools of the Three Heroes, to confront the revived dragon and bring peace to the world!
Engage with hordes of monsters in turn-based battles, and make use of Sorcery Stones to learn skills! Attack enemies as a team using Unison triggered by the bonds between the allies. There are even more to enjoy in this magical adventure, such as various quests, weapons to upgrade, and a monster guide to complete!
Electronic Super Joy 2 – £9.99
Electronic Super Joy 2 is a brutally hard platformer, set in a world of brain-smashing electronic music. Run, jump, smash & slice your way through a world of giant monsters, spinning lasers & secret doggos.
Includes the bonus worlds of the Derp Dragon, and The Groove Wizard’s Tower, + all the content from the Gold Edition!
Quell – £5.99
Quell has been critically-acclaimed for its 80+ levels of ingenious gameplay, gorgeous art style, and haunting soundtrack.
The objective is simple: slide a droplet around a layout of obstacles, traps and pathways, until you have collected all the pearls. Underneath this simple gameplay lies a world of intricacy!
Quell’s appeal lies in its gentle, soothing mood, which makes it a great way to unwind.
Try Quell today, and fall in love with this enchanting experience…
103 – £4.99
Play through 103 simply by looking at objects to piece the story together. The more that you observe the environment, the more you understand. Primary instructions and simple riddles are given through two picture frames which direct you to progress.
103 focuses on having a smaller, detailed environment that you can explore. Read messages, solve puzzles, view pictures and objects as well as experience events and encounter characters that all help you understand what happened.
Make a Killing – £4.99
Make a Killing is an emotionally confronting, anxiety provoking single-player survival horror game. Played in a first-person perspective, the player takes on the role of protagonist Cole, a man that travels to unhallowed grounds in hopes of saving his brother Jace. Crippled by debt, Jace has been blinded by the pursuit of payout collecting untouched gold deposits, only to fall into the hands of accursed mass murderer Ira King. Despite his noble intentions, Cole has become ensnared in a game of cat and mouse with Ira in an arrangement that will bring about the end.
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan – £13.49
When a mysterious illness befalls the queen of the Eagle Kingdom, a famous healer is summoned to Eagle Castle to examine her.
The Healer’s quest takes a sudden turn when the infant prince vanishes under mysterious circumstances. The queen is accused of practicing dark magic and thrown into the prison tower.
According to the kingdom’s law, sorcery is a crime punishable by death. The desperate King, believing his wife is innocent, begs the healer to find a way to exonerate the queen.
The protagonist has only one day to reach the ruins of the Swan Kingdom and unravel the mystery behind the ruling family’s curse. Only then will she manage to find the young heir to the throne and save the queen from her execution.
Will the healer be successful in saving the queen? Will she rescue the little prince from the clutches of dark magic?
Logic Puzzle Collection: Sudoku – Permudoku – Nonodoku – £0.89
Logic Puzzle Collection is a puzzle game that offers three distinct styles of logic puzzles. In the Sudoku mode, the player is tasked to fill out a 9 x 9 field with numbers from 1 to 9, such that each row, each column and each 3 x 3 sub-field contains exactly one occurance of each of the numbers 1 to 9.
Birthday of Midnight – £4.99
From the creators of Midnight, Midnight Deluxe, and 36 Fragments of Midnight comes another round of golf-like action fun!
Macbat 64 – £1.79
Embark on a journey with the lovable bat Macbat, as he ventures through 9 colourful platforming levels to obtain the keys to the water factory to restore water production. Featuring a playful artstyle reminiscent of the Nintendo 64, Macbat 64 will fly right to the hearts of all 90s platformer fans.
The Last Days – £8.99
Can you defeat the enemy and save the earth? An ancient enemy returns and the fate of the world is in your hands when you play The Last Days. Learn about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, and discover clues left by advanced civilizations eons ago.
You’re long overdue for a vacation, so you head out to the Bahamas looking for the refreshment of sun, sea, and sand. Your diving excursions reveal mysterious artifacts strangely out of place. Can you piece together the clues in time?
Powertris – £4.49
Powertris is a tribute to logical classic games.
By placing blocks, the player must pay attention to whether both sides of the system are connected with the sockets on the edges of the screen.
During the game, the player will have to make quick decisions as well as use special blocks.
Orangeblood – £15.09
Hey you! Do you like hardcore adventures where you take on the role of an even harder-core badass tasked with beating the crap out of a bunch of demons? Well, so do I, but sometimes it’s fun to try out something a little different, you know?
These four cute Asian girls couldn’t care less about little photo stickers… They’d rather play with some 7.62x39mm rifles and filthy, filthy cash!
Use simple controls to take down evil gang members and killer robots! In New Koza, you can purchase randomly-generated and extremely powerful guns, 24/7.
Load up a shotgun so powerful you’d burn yourself to toast if the gas leaked and some brand-new fireproof sneakers, find a group of psychotic yakuza thugs, and personally deliver a handwritten invitation to BEATDOWN TOWN!
Smoots World Cup Tennis – £8.99
Customize your appearance! Create your Smoot with your own style, and chose amongst lots of fashion complements and accessories. Prepare for a hard season Beat the 66 tournaments in the World Circuit to be the top 1 in the SMOOT ranking. Defeat all your opponents and be a reference! Improve your skills while playing. The opponents are tough and you must be prepared. During the season, you will be able to unlock different funny mini games, letting you improve your skills. Improve your skills by playing different mini games around the world. Play local multiplayer games with your friends, up to 4 players.
Farm Builder – £8.99
Farm Builder is strategy puzzle board game in which you have to construct farms, roads and surround windmills and water-towers in order to score points.
Nubarron: The adventure of an unlucky gnome – £8.09
Gnome, one of the merry and lucky inhabitants of the forest, lost his lucky hat. This unfortunate event turns out to be a little bit more important than it may seem at plain sight. Gnome’s hat was the source of his luckiness and with it gone an unpredictable thing happened. The stormy Cloud formed on top of Gnome taking the place of his hat.
Gnome wanted his luck back. And so, a shakespearean drama began…
Ys Origin – £17.99
Enter the World of Ys and discover one of the greatest japanese A-RPG of all time.
Following a devastating demonic invasion, the twin Goddesses use their magic to bring the inhabitants of legendary Ys safely into the sky. While the demons work to construct Devil’s Tower and reach the humans’ new abode, the Goddesses disappear. As a mighty warrior or a cunning mage, you must seek the Goddesses in Devil’s Tower. With your swordsmanship and spells, can you banish evil from the land of your ancestors?
Candy Raid: The Factory – £3.99
Candy Raid: The Factory is a retro top-down puzzle and exploration game. You play the candy-happy witch Candy as she uses her elemental powers to solve puzzles and unlock secrets in her never-ending quest to sate her sweet tooth.
Hot Shot Burn – £13.49
Grab some popcorn, invite up to 4 friends, and experience crazy couch battles full of ridiculous flukes and insane skill shots. Can’t invite friends to come over? No problem! Just set up a game night and seamlessly play online.
Pick your hero, from an ass-whooping space wrestler to deadly moth assassin and one very confused fluffy alien. Each character has unique skills and playstyles, so find your match and get ready to explode your friends and loved ones for a galactic audience of screaming fans.
MindSeize – £17.99
Fast-paced combat and extensive exploration awaits, inspired by a wide range of Metroidvania-classics!
Private investigator M.C. Fox is chasing a dangerous criminal organization called The Ascended on unexplored planets, who appear to seize minds of various strong-willed individuals across the universe. A confrontation between M.C. and their leader severely injured him, leaving the investigator crippled and the mind of his daughter seized. This leaves him with little but one choice: Hunting down the leaders of The Ascended with the help of his trusted crew and a robotic body called MAG: The Mind-Action-Gear!
Detective Case and Clown Bot in: Murder in The Hotel Lisbon – £9.99
A strange murder has occurred in the Hotel Lisbon. A man committed suicide with 14 stabs to the back, while at the same time peacefully drinking his coffee. This case, with contradictory facts, could only be solved by the amazing Detective Case and his sidekick Clown Bot.
Alwa’s Legacy – £13.99
Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, mystic items and ancient secrets. Upgrade your magic and choose your own path in this non-linear adventure game brimming with exploration.
Bacon Man: An Adventure – £7.99
Take on the role of Bacon Man, and battle through the food groups to confront those who’ve condemned him. Clear his name, and reclaim his rightful place on the Meat Throne.
Unlock The King 3 – £0.89
New sequel of the successful Unlock The King, now with 3D boards based on Rubik’s Cubes. An originally designed puzzle game inspired by Chess.
Projection: First Light – £15.99
Projection: First Light follows the adventures of Greta, a girl living in a mythological shadow puppet world, as she embarks on a journey of self-enlightenment with the assistance of legendary heroes from each culture she explores.
Accompanied by atmospheric visuals and an ethereal soundtrack made with antique instruments used for shadow puppet performances, Projection: First Light takes players on an inclusive voyage through the history of shadow puppets as it evolves through Indonesia, China, Turkey, Greece, and 19th century England.
Next week: FIFA 21 Legacy Edition, Street Racer Underground, Space Grunts, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix, Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders, 9th Dawn III, Charterstone: Digital Edition, Filament, Piofiore: Fated Memories, Torn Tales: Rebound Edition, Puddle Knights, I Am Dead, Aery – Sky Castle, Game Dev Tycoon, Falcon Age, Neighbours back From Hell, Home: Postmortem Edition, Ikenfell, and The Survivalists.