While Nintendo definitely has platforming, role-playing, and kart racing perfected, their sports titles often have room for improvement. Poor single-player options, crude mechanics, and multiplayer modes that rely on wanton power-up usage rather than skill are common complaints, regardless of the sport represented.
Enter Mario Strikers: Battle League Football – known as Mario Strikers: Battle League in the US – from Next Level Games, the Canadian studio behind the Wii original. Review scores have been all over the place, varying from GamesRadar’s middling 2.5/5 to Nintendo Life’s 9/10.
It also gained several 7/10s, with common complaints being an undernourished single-player mode, sparse launch day content, and underwhelming unlockables. It has garnered comparisons to Mario Golf: Super Rush in regard to content – suggesting single-player gamers may want to mull over dropping £50.
The Switch also gets a belated conversion of SEGA’s anime tie-in Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles. Reviews aren’t live just yet, although the consensus for the Xbox One/PS4 versions was that it’s competent and authentic, albeit lacking slightly in depth.
It isn’t the only new release with a name that’s a mouthful – STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is also out now. It seems time has been kind to this cult RPG, with the Metacritic score currently at 82%. God is a Geek called it “a phenomenal Switch port” before handing out a 9/10.
Metal Max Xeno offers a wildly different RPG experience, throwing car combat into the mix. Allegedly it’s completely open – no matter the experience level, it’s possible to explore anywhere within the game world. Reviews will likely be live by the time you read this.
Other new releases include the ragdoll physics-based Pro Gymnast Simulator, PSone style fishing game Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia – from the creator of Fatum Betula – Game Boy influenced shooter Spacewing War, and Ampersat – a roguelike that combines modern and retro sensibilities.
New Switch eShop releases
STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords – £12.59
In this standalone sequel to the award-winning RPG STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic, the Sith Lords have hunted the Jedi to the edge of extinction and are on the verge of crushing the Old Republic.
With the Jedi Order in ruin, the Republic’s only hope is a lone Jedi in exile struggling to reconnect with the Force. Lead a diverse crew of unique allies, make difficult choices with far-reaching consequences, and decide your destiny. Will you follow the light side and save the Galaxy, or succumb to the dark side and bring it all down…
Mario Strikers: Battle League Football – £49.99
Aim for victory with teamwork, tackles, table-turning items, and score-boosting Hyper Strikes in Mario Strikers: Battle League Football on Nintendo Switch. Do whatever it takes to win in frantic local multiplayer and team up with other players online to become the world’s top club!
Pro Gymnast Simulator – £17.99
Enjoy controling every important movement of your athlete. Do your best to replicate real-world gymnastics or find your own playstyle. This game gives you unlimited expressive freedom.
Metal Max Xeno – £TBA
Humanity is on the brink of extinction and the last remaining survivors look to push back against the machines. Half a century ago of war against the mother computer NOA has reduced even Asia’s largest metropolis, TOKIO, to rubble.
Explore this desolate wasteland and battle your way through onslaughts of enemies. Salvage, modify and hit back using tanks, weaponry and faithful battle dog, Pochi, to reclaim a future for the human race!
Set in a devastated world called Dystokio, Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is a nonlinear, open world, JRPG with real-time battle and vehicle combat elements. Take control of Talis and search for other survivors who wish to fight back against the machines of NOA. There are no limits to where you can go, no matter your progression in the game.
Puzzling Perfection: A dozen dazzling donut dilemmas await you, that’s 144 puzzles to please your particular puzzley passions. To excite and delight there are mechanics galore; from splitters to pushers, mergers and cloners, randomizers, teleporters, and more!
Ampersat is a shooty, slashy, RPG-y game mixing old-school/retro and modern sensibilities. This is a handcrafted adventure with much appeal to fans of Roguelites. A labor of love from a solo developer, Ampersat distills some favorite childhood gaming experiences into a fresh, fun hybrid that sees you killing a lot of monsters, finding a lot of loot, freeing captured letters (um, what?) and growing from a world-weary warrior mage into a powerful smashing/blasting machine!
One Last Memory – Reimagined – £9.99
One Last Memory is an emotional story-driven 3rd person exploration game that heavily utilizes adventure game features. You play as an unknown man who re-discovers his own past and lost memories on his journey through the beautiful and diverse nature. On your way you will not only explore the intense and sad background story of the protagonist but also fight against his literally materialized fears.
A great combination of a relaxing exploration and an exciting adventure game filled with joyful, sad and breathtaking moments awaits you.
Connect the hose to your garden sprinklers and watch your flowers instantly grow, revealing a beautiful scene.
In a world where witch trials and witch hunts are commonplace, a tragedy occurs.
Bolstered by the power to rewind time via death, the heroine Anastasia throws herself to the flames to save those she loves… and to achieve sweet revenge.
Delivery From the Pain – £11.69
In 201x, an anti-cancer research institute announced the discovery of the key to eternal life. In response to this breakthrough, Faith Energy Company concocted a vaccine-driven startup, the “Human X Plan.” However, the vaccine failed, with disastrous results: All infected humans were turned into zombies. The area where you live has been severely affected. To survive, and uncover the conspiracy surrounding the Human X Plan, you begin your journey.
During your travels, you will meet the poor, beautiful mother and her daughter in the police station, the doctor at Smith Hospital, the cunning liar, the developmentally and physically disabled man, the jealous beauty, and the twin brothers with distinct personalities. Do you want to see them all survive to the end? At what cost? What secrets will you uncover in the abandoned tapes, newspapers, magazines and files that you find along your way? Will you gain the wisdom AND discover the password necessary to escape?
Square Keeper is a game turn-based puzzle where each card gives the player the possibility to execute different actions, like a sword swing, shooting with a bow or simply walking.
The protagonist is trapped in a dungeon with many rooms filled with different enemies and traps.
To escape you have to be able to analyze your options correctly and defeat the enemies so that the room’s gate opens.
There’s many rooms waiting to be discovered and solved. Play your cards well!
Sokocat – Combo, brings two games from the series, Sokocat Islands and Sokocat Dungeon, a puzzle game that requires the player to push stone blocks to the correct position to reach the end of the level.
Sokocat Islands brings a tropical themed adventure; solve minimalist puzzles while listening to the sea and a relaxing soundtrack. Sokocat Dungeon, in the other hand, brings a mysterious adventure, Kitten Jone (the cat) now has to find artifacts in the dungeons of a castle.
Enjoy the Islands, avoid the traps in the Dungeon and keep pushing the blocks to the right spot to succeed. Hope this cat has 9 lives.
Zeus Quest – The Rebirth of Earth – £8.99
This is our latest ‘Family Remaster (v3)’ which has made the game perfect for all the family, adults and kids alike!
Help Zeus save the planet in one heck of a crazy and hilarious family adventure. A classic point and click adventure game safe for kids. It combines Greek Mythology with Sci-Fi in a funny way! Fully animated @60FPS, vector graphics and a huge plot.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles – £49.99
Relive memorable moments from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime through the eyes of its protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado!
Follow the story from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc—where Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps— to Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train featuring the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku!
Face off against demons from the anime series with stunning graphical effects faithfully recreating iconic battle techniques in full 3D!
The Wizard and The Slug – £4.99
A fugitive wizard meets a forest slug and a strange friendship is born.
Together these adventurers traverse an oddball fantasy world, unraveling the mystery surrounding an ancient curse.
Play as the fastest, most agile slug in video game history together with a spellcasting wizard companion. Jump, dash, and shoot your way through this action 2D platformer with a unique health system plus an assist mode for increased accessibility.
A unique mix of fun and epic, this quirky and silly tale offers creative and fun platforming action gameplay.
Lost Ruins is a 2D side-scrolling survival action game, where you play as a young girl that has awoken in a strange and foreign place without her memories. With the aid of weapons, spells and tonics, and the guidance of the magical and mysterious Beatrice, you will explore a dark and dangerous world, battle hideous monsters, and topple incredible bosses.
Invaders from the Planet Mavros have descended on Earth to claim it as their new home, and it’s up to you to stop them! Spacewing War is a side-scrolling shoot’em up inspired by handheld genre classics. Presented in 4-tone pixel art style, this action-packed space adventure blends light-hearted sci-fi storytelling and deceptively simple mechanics with the depth of weapon-juggling and tons of secrets to discover.
Play as Jake, a loving husband and grieving widow who is granted the knowledge to summon dozens of succubi by a mysterious man. Work with those succubi, make them fall in love with you… and sacrifice them to create a vessel for your wife’s soul.
It all starts with a letter… A letter with a familiar handwriting and bearing a signature none other than hers—Luna, the love of your life gone too soon. In the letter, she asks you to perform otherworldly rituals to bring her back to life!
A mix of dating, management and alchemy simulations in one game.
Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia – £4.99
A strange little place full of fish from all around the world. Nobody is quite sure why, and it seems like most people don’t really care to find out. Go ahead, sink your lure and see what you can catch. Made by the creator of Fatum Betula, so you know you can expect something unexpected.
Gameplay
In Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia, you play as a young kid who decided to fish at the lake. You’ll find yourself simply fishing the day away and trading them in for a yummy meal or some new gear.
Next week: JUMANJI: The Curse Returns, Horgihugh And Friends, Final Vendetta, Plunder Dungeons, Cloud Gardens, Neko Secret Room, Autonauts, Zorro The Chronicles, OVERLORD: ESCAPE FROM NAZARICK, The Hand of Merlin, Dadish 3, Thunder Kid II: Null Mission, Later Daters Premium, and Ye OLDE Cribbage Club: A Later Daters Game.
