While the Switch is missing out on EA’s Dead Space remake this week, it does gain two other new re-releases.
Firstly, there’s the N64’s GoldenEye 007 – launching as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service, complete with online play – something the Xbox version lacks.
Secondly, from THQ Nordic comes Risen, a remaster of a 2009 European RPG that was reasonably well regarded on PC but ran poorly on Xbox 360, suffering from a botched port. If we recall correctly, the combat wasn’t up to much either. There was some potential though, and hopefully, this re-release can tap into it.
Remember though that this is a pre-Skyrim affair – most European RPGs from this time suffered from small budgets, and this was no exception.
Speaking of budgets, Ubisoft’s Oddballers also arrives this week, receiving almost no promotion whatsoever. It’s a comedic take on dodgeball where just about anything can be thrown at the opposition.
Then there’s Startup Company Console Edition, which sees you take the role of a CEO of an internet startup (streaming service, online retailer, dating site, etc) and expanded your presence online to maximize profits. We reviewed the Xbox One version and found it to be surprisingly in-depth, but a little soulless.
Wonder Boy is back in a new collection too. Yes, another one. This anniversary edition is an expanded version of last year’s Wonder Boy Collection, featuring 21 versions of six different games. How much Wonder Boy is too much Wonder Boy?
From the creator of Gunman Clive and Mechstermination Force comes Onion Assault, a retro homage with 3D visuals – which apparently plays a lot like Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo Life awarded it a 7/10, praising the presentation while scorning some finicky platforming action.
Flying under the radar somewhat, there’s Dance of Death: Du Lac Fey – a 3D adventure set in 1888, which sees our heroes – and their talking dog – on the trail of Jack the Ripper. That’s joined by another intriguing adventure – The Excavation of Hobs Barrow, the well-received English folklore tale, which features pixel-art graphics and a dark storyline.
Other new releases include the Metroidvania Clunky Hero, the top-down off-world agriculture sim Mars Base, and Uphill Rush Water Park Racing – which appears uncannily similar to Slide Stars and Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask. The third time’s the charm, eh?
New Switch eShop releases
OddBallers™ is a hilariously charming and totally bonkers multiplayer party game where each round is a new, absurd type of dodgeball.
Faranga needs a new hero – will you heed the call?
Delve into the gritty and atmospheric world of Risen, where every action has a consequence. Master the sword, learn the art of staff fighting, or become a powerful mage, forging your path across a land filled with mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters, and unimaginable treasures.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow – £13.49
Antiquarian Thomasina Bateman is writing a book on the barrows of England, documenting the treasures she finds buried within. When an intriguing letter summons her to the small village of Bewlay, tucked away in the remote countryside, she sets off by train with her assistant a day behind.
Upon her arrival, however, the mysterious man who summoned her is nowhere to be found. Her assistant never arrives. A stubborn landowner refuses access to the barrow, and the locals are wary of this woman who is traveling alone and (gasp!) wears trousers.
The excavation of Hob’s Barrow is off to a rocky start. And then Thomasina starts having strange dreams…
Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection
Featuring 21 versions of six of the most iconic Wonder Boy games ever released, this incredible compilation brings the influential platformer series to today’s hardware. Through the 1980s and 1990s the Wonder Boy series gained a vast cult following thanks to its distinct blend of energetic platforming, action-RPG elements, and even shoot ’em up gameplay. And now you can enjoy a diverse spread of the Wonder Boy games that have left a powerful legacy throughout gaming, from the 1986 arcade original to 1994’s Monster World IV.
Whether you’re a retro devotee wanting to catch up on this important piece of gaming history, a Wonder Boy fan looking to play your favourites on cutting edge hardware or are simply looking to experience the very best in nostalgic gameplay, Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is about as essential as it gets.
nOS new Operating System – £35.99
A revolution has come!
Enjoy every awesome feature of the nOS. Draw, write, calculate, organize your day and play around at your convenience. All the tools you need are here!
You have the power
Brighten up your day and customize the nOS to suit your every need. Find your favorite setup and create the fantastic user experience you deserve.
Set up your own farm and fill it with farmhouses, sheds and granaries. Build roads and design optimal fields for your crops. Choose what you want to plant or sow: apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, corn, leeks, onions, peppers, pumpkins, sunflowers, tomatoes, wheat.
Remember to water them and keep them away from pests!
Running a large farm will teach you how to manage finances, recruit human resources and, most importantly, take responsibility for your crops and animals. Generate profits from your farm and get resources to grow it!
And remember: Two farms are better than one!
Wonderland Nights: White Rabbit’s Diary – £6.99
The four nations of Wonderland meet every year to agree on shared policies and enact their various schemes against each other.
You are the White Rabbit, and your job is to organize the schedule. Every decision you make affects the destiny of Wonderland!
There are personal vendettas to resolve and enchantments hidden everywhere, and did someone mention the dreaded intruder known as Alice?
Each decision you make affects the destiny of Wonderland, and political intrigue is everywhere!
Ginnung is a tight platformer with simple and versatile movement for you to master. Perfect your escape in 50+ levels, and slay the monsters in your way! Set in a mysterious world of Norse spirits and Gods.
Ginnung is a movement focused platformer with speed and tight controls. Run, wall jump and dash your way with speed, whilst fighting the monsters that await you. This world is not where you belong. Master the levels and movement to ultimatly escape your Ginnung with style!
You can dash in any direction and will reset upon touching a wall or the ground. Gain extra dashes by bouncing off any projectiles. You can also dash towards the ground to gain a small speed boost, which will grant higher jump. Use this to find secret routes and collectibles hidden in the levels.
You are hunted by the spirits of this world. Use your trusty weapon to slay all that is in your way. Including a refletion of yourself, which you will battle in intense boss fights.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree – £13.49
The Gods have abandoned Midgard. Once a prosperous land teeming with mythical beasts and beings, it now rots from the inside, tainted by unknown forces. Odin’s chosen guardians of the realm are gone. In their absence, the sacred Elder Tree they swore to protect is exposed to abuse and manipulation. Now, the only remnants of hope reside in Estra, the daughter of mankind’s last great leader.
With a heavy emphasis on narrative, Estra’s journey through Midgard is filled with Nordic lore, mysterious twists, and consequential decisions. Players will converse with a variety of characters and share in Estra’s discoveries as she learns more about her family’s past and the looming darkness spreading across the realm.
CLUNKY HERO is a story-driven, platformer metroidvania game, with a touch of RPG and tons of humor. If you’d love a platformer game where you have a strong storyline, can talk with characters, solve side quests, find and buy items, change weapons and wearables, with great hand-drawn-looking backgrounds, presented in a very comical way, then CLUNKY HERO might be the game of your dreams!
Get to know the curious hobby of a kitten named Sissa! She’s a very organized feline, and when she plays with her balls of wool, each needs to be pushed across the floor to the correct spot. Presented in cute and colorful 3D style, Sissa’s Path is a pushing puzzle game where you play as Sissa and move her toys around tiled floors.
Once all the balls of wool rest on the white circular tiles, the stage is cleared, and another increasingly complex hand-crafted puzzle awaits to challenge Sissa’s toy-nudging skills. Can you help her organize her toys?
Welcome to 2099, where all communication must use correct grammar. Anyone who uses incorrect grammar will accumulate bad credits that lead to getting fired, denied public service, or even jailed.
Play as a fresh graduate of theoretical mathematics who, because of some mix-up, now has to work as a grammar validator in the biggest grammar validation agency.
Use your grammar and management skills to work your way up from “Junior Passable Intern” to “Editor Extraordinaire.” Find and correct grammatical mistakes in documents, learn some new grammar rules, and beat your colleagues in a grammar battle. If you are doing well, you can upgrade your crummy apartment, adopt a pet, or ride a helicopter to the office. Everything is possible in Grammarian Ltd.
On the mysterious planet VELONE, aliens have tasked you with saving their dying home. A collision with an asteroid has disrupted the entire energy supply. Now it is your job to build and program hydraulic mechanisms that create and place valuable Velone stones, restoring power to a civilization in peril.
Use logical thinking to solve difficult mechanical puzzles and come up with new and creative ways to program the Velone stones and beat every level. Enjoy the endorphin rush when constructs execute your plan flawlessly and everything slots into place in one fluid series of motions.
Each solved level rewards you with new information about the planet Velone, its climate, population, technology, society and more
Welcome to Mars, adventurer! You have been selected to join the latest Mars colonization mission, establishing a permanent human presence on the enigmatic Red Planet. Your assignment is at Mars Base, located in the scenic Erebus Montes region on the Amazonis Planitia. Your job? Make sure that our nascent colony can sustain itself through agriculture. Achieve the impossible and convert the harsh Martian soil into arable land, to grow everything the colonists need to survive. If successful, you’ll mark the beginning of Human-Martian history.
pixelBOT EXTREME! combines the best of side-scrolling shoot ’em ups with an innovative color-based targeting system along with pixelated graphics, bombastic sound effects, and a soundtrack by the Lo-Fi band Phonotrash that harken back to the early days of hardcore 80’s arcade games.
Play as the rocket-powered pixelBOT as you shoot, fly, and dodge your way through 25 handcrafted levels while collecting orbs, weapons, and unlocking extreme challenge levels.
SHOOT, DIE, RESPAWN! And most importantly…
NEVER GIVE UP!
Classic old school platforming action from the creator of Gunman Clive and Mechstermination Force. Defeat the evil army by throwing onions, or lifting and throwing enemies. Old school gameplay inspired by 8-bit classics. Full 3D graphics with a unique artstyle and custom engine. 16 levels with a huge variety of different environments, obstacles, enemies and giant bosses.
Uphill Rush Water Park Racing – £8.99
How long can you surf while you perform crazy stunts, flips, and slide through everything in your path?
Master your surfing skills and bounce through roller coaster style corkscrews, loops, and more! Will you dare to try some seriously insane racing tracks? This is more than just fun in the sun in an amusement park. Do you have the skills to make it to the finish line and not wipe out? Test yourself with an epic and thrilling ride now!
TAKE IT TO THE MAX! Take the fun to another level! You’ll flip over our most thrilling water slide game when you choose from tons of rad “boards” like bathtubs, sharks, or jet skis, each with their own unique specs.
Follow the cat Catherine on her journey for the lost astrology papyri and learn more about her job as a witch’s assistant who brings good vibes to this earth!
Let Catherine guide you through the zodiac wheel, showing you the features of each solar sign. You can also learn about your cat’s sign!
7 Days to End with You – £10.59
You don’t know a single word in the language of this world.
Deduce the meanings of words the person before you uses to communicate with you.
Then try to understand them like a puzzle, one piece at a time.
You are free to perceive the meaning of the words you read.
Startup Company Console Edition – £12.99
Your company’s success depends on your ability to run and manage a website. You must develop and improve features while increasing hosting capacity and run marketing campaigns.
The city offers you offices in all sizes and shapes. It’s up to you to select the most suitable. It’s your job to organize and decorate the office while keeping your employees happy.
Your employees are a vital part of your success. As you grow, you must continue recruiting more people. Over time, your employees will start demanding more of you and the company. It’s your job to keep them happy, before your competitors send them a job offer they can’t reject!
There’s no website without stable and reliable servers. As your website attracts more traffic, you’ll have to move from virtual servers to your own fully featured hosting center.
The goal is obvious: become the biggest website in the industry. It’s up to you if you want to buy and merge your competitors or outrun them until they go out of business!
Poker Legends: Omaha Champions – £8.99
Gain precious experience and make your way in poker hand rankings! Feel the real casino atmosphere and show who’s the boss in Poker World!
Go head-to-head with the best bikers on the mountain trails!
Conquer them in a surprising style.
Prove your mountain bike driving skills. Get unique trophies through competition. Compare your results with the best and take part in various events.
Drive through the various mountain and forest trails! Discover new locations, and compete with friends at local multiplayer!
Japanese Escape from The Room with Sturdy Door – £7.49
The 13h Japanese Escape Games series!!
Game system
This game is an escape-the-room game (mystery-adventure game)
*Point the screen with a cursor to solve riddles, and this game goes on
Story
You wake up in a room you don’t recognize
The only way in or out is blocked by a sturdy door
Cubic Light is minimalistic puzzle game where you need to put blocks to activate the entire image.
Grab the block, define the color if necessary, and put it into the correct place. You need to activate all the cells to complete the level.
Meet a challenge every 5 levels – you need to define the color of the blocks yourself.
Mind the color, number of cells and the direction of the blocks. The block should be of the same color that is the cell you place it on. Some blocks can be of no color (white) so you should color them before placing,
If you messed up you can always restart the level.
Welcome to Garden of Pets! In this game, you get to raise and care for your very own virtual dog in a beautiful garden setting. Choose from a variety of different breeds, including retrievers, poodles, and more, and give them a unique look with a range of customizable features.
Santa Claus Goblins Attack – £8.99
Santa Claus was preparing the list of gifts to deliver on Christmas day. During the night the reindeer were grazing and were startled by the presence of something frightening. They immediately fly off taking the sleigh full of presents with them.
The next day Santa’s friend “Frozen” brings the news that an army of Goblins is attacking the planet. Without his sleigh, Santa uses his old war plane and heads towards the horde of Goblins.
Gardenia is a FPP gardening simulator with elements of platformer, crafting, adventure, exploration and more!
Discover a beautiful place that is carefree and full of holiday peace. Find treasure and magic mushrooms that will give you access to the most interesting locations. Collect raw materials that you will use on the magic crafting table. Arrange the garden space at your discretion. Make friends with fancy inhabitants and find treasures!
But remember, your main goal will be to solve the mystery of who is behind the pollution that appears on the island.
Magic Klondike is a classic card game for people who love to spend time on solving puzzles.
You can choose different combinations of backgrounds and card covers.
Enjoy the game!
Kindergarten Buddy Edition – £17.09
Kindergarten Buddy Edition brings all the fun (and Janitor attacks) of both Kindergarten and Kindergarten 2 into one unholy package! Learn to share. Help Cindy bully an innocent girl. Get other kids expelled. Take some pills. Dive into the Nugget Cave. Collect and battle Monstermon cards. Talk to the old woman who lives in the dumpster. Hide some contraband. Play dodgeball. Discover how magnets work. Help an heir oust his brother from the family empire. You know…all the fun things you did while you were in Kindergarten! So go on and enjoy an endless stream of terrible Mondays and Tuesdays and see if you can make some friends– I mean buddies along the way.
A roguelike, dungeon crawler, card game that is played using only two buttons: Right and Down! Choose your hero and explore randomly generated card dungeons, gather powerful artifacts to get new abilities, and fight against increasingly mighty enemies! Will you make it to level 50?
Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey – £14.99
1888. The Ripper stalks London’s streets.
Play as Arthurian immortals Sir Lancelot Du Lac and Morgana Le Fey on a thrilling quest to stop history’s most infamous murderer and save the city.
Team up with Whitechapel local – Mary Jane Kelly – as you explore the capital’s underbelly, meet the intriguing characters who live there, and work with them to solve the crimes. But remember, every decision you make will influence their fates.
Next week: Trek to Yomi, PowerWash Simulator, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, Life is Strange 2, Puzzle Bobble S-Tribute, Metal Black S-Tribute, Rhythm Sprout, Gunscape, Albacete Warrior, Cuddly Forest Friends, Fashion Police Squad, DRAINUS, Monster Girls and the Mysterious Adventure 2, Radiantflux Hyperfractal 4.0, Gloom and Doom, Active DBG: Brave’s Rage, Sakura Cupid, Helvetii, and Pets at Work.