If your plan to beat the cold snap is to settle with the Switch and a mug hot chocolate, then you’re in luck – there’s over a dozen intriguing new releases imminent on the eShop.
You may have caught our Little Witch Nobeta review already. For the uninformed, it’s a casual Souls-like that features shooter-style mechanics, essentially switching camera to a third-person view whenever Nobeta brandishes her staff. It’s both easy on the eyes and easy going, but at £45 you’ll likely need to commit to 100% completion (aka the New Game+ mode) to get your money’s worth.
Other full(ish) price releases include PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse – a remaster of the 2008 Wii original with upgraded visuals – Outright Games’ colourful and kid-friendly DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos, arcade style twin-stick shooter Tiny Troopers: Global Ops, and the neo-futuristic turn-based RPG Mato Anomalies. Dead Cells gains its anticipated Return to Castlevania DLC too, available in a new bundle.
Mato Anomalies is up against PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo from Square-Enix. It’s a slight departure for the publisher, being an investigative adventure with 360-degree environments. Quite promising, we reckon.
Then there’s ONI : Road to be the Mightiest Oni, a sprit sucking monster battler set in a small size world. It appears quite similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus visually. The first review score out the door is an 8/10 from Pocket Tactics. “Oni: Road to be the Mightiest Oni is a stunning adventure that offers a fresh twist on a classic story,” they said, although they did also warn of performance issues.
There’s plenty of other stuff to consider this week too including the twisted skull swapping Metroidvania Zapling Bygone, the deep sea adventure Pronty, The Arcade Crew’s strategic battler The Last Spell, Atari’s Caverns of Mars: Recharged, 2D co-op adventure Mari and Bayu: The Road Home, and the retro shooter Titanium Hound.
And if none of these take your fancy, there’s always A passive boy at the Huntress clinic – a visual novel about “naughty nurses” teasing a bedridden protagonist. Only on the Switch eShop, folks.
New Switch eShop releases
PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse – £39.99
“PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse” was released in Japan in 2008 as the fourth game in the PROJECT ZERO series. Following the remastering of “PROJECT ZERO: Maiden of Black Water,” the series masterpiece is being brought back to life with upgraded graphics.
Dead Cells Return to Castlevania Bundle – £28.49
Whether it’s the grimy corridors of a medieval prison, the breathtaking sunset from the ramparts or the creepy confines of an ancient graveyard, each path you take will lead you through a succession of unique levels, each one with their own enemies, level design and secrets to unlock.
When you first start exploring, just making it out of the first level might seem daunting, but you’ll soon get the hang of it and you’ll unlock something new to help you with your quest on almost every playthrough.
With so much to discover you’ll find it hard to stop yourself from saying the sacred phrase… just one more run!
DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos – £44.99
DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos gives you an all-new adventure where the Justice League go head-to-head with Mr. Mxyzptlk, a powerful prankster from the 5th Dimension. Have the freedom to play your way in action-packed missions, gruelling fights and daring challenges! Suit up as Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman and team up with other Super Heroes to take on some of the most powerful Super-Villains in the DC universe.
Become Happy Harbor’s hero – with unlockable Elemental Attacks plus iconic moves and armor, including Superman’s Heat Vision, Wonder Woman’s Truth’s Pull and Batman’s exploding Batarangs.
Embark on heroic side missions – and search Happy Harbor for clues that lead you to villains, bounties, and secret locations
Collect and upgrade – with custom outfits and the Artifacts of Justice, 30 powerful attack and defense items including Green Arrow’s Bow and Raven’s Cloak.
Mato Anomalies is a turn-based RPG that takes players on a journey across Mato, a fantasized neo-futuristic version of the Old Shanghai. Take control of the Dual Protagonists Doe and Gram to investigate strange anomalies around the city, or venture into rifts to battle demonic abominations determined to bring about the city’s downfall.
Team up with unlikely companions and unravel the dark secrets in this story of Duty, Hope and Justice.
Guided by a small black cat, an amnesic little witch named Nobeta delves deep into a mysterious castle. Inside, dangers lurk around every corner. Encounter frightful enemies, powerful bosses, and magical puzzles in this unique soulslike, 3D action shooter!
Can you reach the throne and uncover the secrets of your past?
DARQ Ultimate Edition – £17.99
DARQ Ultimate Edition includes:
1) DARQ – Original Game.
2) The Tower DLC – Lloyd wakes up in his dreams again only to find himself in a Tower filled with many new mysteries, puzzles, and creepy creatures.
3) The Crypt DLC – Another loop of nightmares continues introducing new mechanics and puzzles in a crypt filled with dark surprises.
4) DARQ: Dream Journal: a 60-page graphic novel based on the award-winning video game DARQ. The comic sheds light on the events shown in the game and significantly expands upon the DARQ universe.
What is DARQ? What was the meaning of the game’s ending? What happened to Lloyd and why was he stuck in a dream? This comic answers all of these questions, and more.
Train Life : A Railway Simulator – £26.99
For the first time in a railway simulator, you are the driver and the company manager!
TAKE THE CONTROLS OF YOUR TRAIN AND TRAVEL EUROPE
Drive your passengers or goods across 10 countries and explore the countryside, towns, forests and mountains of Europe from your cab. Each locomotive has its own characteristics (power, braking, etc.), which you need to learn to control them expertly, while following the railway signs and adapting to the weather conditions.
BECOME A TRUE RAILWAY ENTREPRENEUR
As well as driving trains, you need to operate a successful company. Create your own company; buy and maintain your trains; hire conductors and give them new contracts; explore new routes; and optimize your Passenger and Freight activities. Make the right choices to earn money and grow your business!
“Know by heart…” is a game about accepting loss. The plot, the music, the intuitive gameplay and atmospheric mini-games work together to weave an illusion of briefly returning to one’s childhood and inevitably growing up, the feeling of time slipping through our fingers.
Players will be immersed into the quiet life of a provincial Russian town, where traces and echoes of the Soviet era can still be seen and heard.
Misha, the protagonist, is stuck in his monotonous, dead-end job, until one day the routine is shattered as his school crush returns to town. For the first time in years Misha regains hope of escaping the ennui of his daily life. A brief but tumultuous episode of the town’s life is interwoven with the story of a gang of childhood friends coming back together. It’s up to them to journey down memory lanes and rekindle their friendship, but their memories of the past and the very bonds between them become threatened…
ONI : Road to be the Mightiest Oni – £24.99
?One-of-a-kind, unique action!
The protagonist, Kuuta, attacks the enemy using his club. Kazemaru sucks the enemy’s spirit out of its body, and by destroying that spirit, Kuuta can then claim victory. Enjoy an all-new, unique co-op experience by playing both Kuuta and Kazemaru at the same time!
?A different way to level up!
Kisejima, where the game takes place, is divided into three areas with a variety of challenges ranging from fighting enemies to escort missions. The player can also level up by running away from pursuing monsters, like a game of tag, and collecting mushrooms that grow in clusters to purchase upgraded clubs.
<What is ONI : Road to be the Mightiest Oni?>
?Setting: Kisejima Island
The story takes place on Kisejima, a small island in the middle of the ocean. Here, it is said that the power that lies dormant within the local demon spirits can be drawn out by challenging them to trials, where ancient demons who were once defeated by Momotaro are summoned to battle. However, few have ever returned from Kisejima alive.
?Characters: Kuuta, a demon warrior, and his spirit partner, Kazemaru
Kuuta, the protagonist, is the only survivor of the Demon King’s army that faced Momotaro in battle. He and Kazemaru, a mysterious spirit that lives on Kisejima, team up to take on challenges of all shapes and sizes!
?Artwork by KENEI DESIGN
Kisejima may not be large, but the colorful artwork by KENEI DESIGN, with its dazzling green meadows, looming forests, and plains of floating megaliths, offers a unique emotional impact unlike any other action game. Its solo creator has invented a mini-world in which each and every location is marked by its own memorable appeal. ONI is an invitation for players to enjoy a small-world experience, for a change!
Caverns of Mars: Recharged – £8.09
Caverns of Mars: Recharged takes the easy, addictive appeal of the original game and adds more caverns, more challenges, more weapons, modern graphics and leaderboards. And it would not be a Recharged title without an amazing new original soundtrack.
In Caverns of Mars: Recharged you descend into tunnels beneath the surface of Mars in a mad dash to destroy the reactor and furthest depths of the enemy’s base. Dodge debris, clear out obstacles, and blast enemies, all while conserving ammunition as you descend at high speed into enemy territory. Your ammo is limited and enemies are plentiful, so make every shot count.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo – £15.99
Shogo Okiie, an ordinary office worker, visits Kinshibori Park in the dead of night with his friend, Yoko Fukunaga, to investigate a well-known local ghost story: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo.
Shogo doesn’t quite believe Yoko when she talks about how the Mysteries are connected to the Rite of Resurrection and doesn’t pay it much mind – that is, until strange events begin to unfold before his very eyes.
Meanwhile, several others are making their own investigations into The Seven Mysteries…
Detectives investigating a series of strange deaths, a high-school girl seeking the truth behind her classmate’s suicide, and a mother who has sworn revenge for her lost son.
Their desires and motives intertwine and interplay, with the Seven Mysteries of Honjo at the core, leading the story towards a battle of wits and curses.
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops – £15.99
Global Warfare!
Attention! The Tiny Troopers are BACK in Global Ops, a fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter!
Your mission? Lead an elite squad of battle hardened specialists through an epic campaign of 40+ missions across 6 theatres of war!
Take your troopers into explosive battles through scorching deserts – dense, sweltering jungles and the coldest of frozen tundras!
Draw a Stickman EPIC 3 – £8.99
Played over 100 Million Times around the Globe and a winner of 5 Webby Awards, DRAW A STICKMAN is back and more EPIC than ever before!
Your creativity will be maximized in the all-new Draw a Stickman: EPIC 3! Embark upon an exhilarating new adventure to defeat the Corruption: solve fun puzzles, outsmart crafty monsters, and discover an all-new world! So grab your freshly penciled Hero—it’s time to be EPIC!
Mari & Bayu: The Road Home – £15.29
Mari & Bayu: The Road Home is a cooperative 2D ant-venture. Help Mari to get back home and finding her brother Tom, after going astray in the world. Experience the journey of how Bayu, her magical friend, develops the strength in finding all of his kidnapped family, while helping Mari to gain confidence in getting back home.
Immerse yourself in a mesmerising and emotional story of feeling lost and finding your way in life.
Enter your antigravity racecraft vehicle and engage in thrilling combat races and get to the podium at any costs! Use the power ups to your advantage and use pads to activate your stun gun, missiles or boosters to get to the finish line first! Neckbreaking race circuits are waiting to be raced on in high speed antigravity racecrafts. Choose between 10 different racecrafts each with its advantages and disadvantages. Upgrade your vehicle to your personal fit and create the ultimate racing machine!
Acclaimed game designer Roberta Williams revives Colossal Cave as a retro, point-&-click, cave exploration puzzler. Based on the original 1970’s design by Will Crowther & Don Woods, the origin of adventure games, this 3D update maintains its vintage charm, while revitalizing it for modern gamers.
Embark on a timeless journey through a sprawling cave system packed with treasures, creatures, mazes, and wits-defying puzzles. The great grandpappy of adventure games will test you and tickle your problem-solving skills as you unearth its plot and secrets. Through cunning trial-and-error you will crawl through tight squeezes, encounter impressive caverns, collect inventory, locate treasure, thwart dwarf attacks, all while keeping your eye on the score before your lamp goes out.
Cities are usually concrete jungles, noisy and stressful.
But you can also entertain yourself by looking at how they are organized, finding interesting details, and seeing life unfold. Then you can see that they are also vibrant and full of life.
Here, the cities are set up on islands over calm and clear water.
In this tiny fantasy building experience, it is easy to do and very relaxing, just like a 3D jigsaw puzzle.
Carefully observe the island, try to memorize it, then shuffle the blocks. Swap blocks to reproduce the desired island and the city will emerge.
There is no time limit, logic challenges, or resources to manage, so you can calmly focus on the core mechanics while listening to a soothing soundtrack.
A 2D exploration adventure game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery.
Inspect the area around you, discovering items and disarming traps to find your way out of the strange gallery.
Escaping a Fireworks Factory?Nyanzou&Kumakichi: Escape Game? – £4.07
Today Nyanzou and Kumakichi are at a local fireworks display.
They are moved by the beautiful fireworks.
As one might expect, Nyanzou starts saying he wants to make his own fireworks.
This time around, Kumakichi tries to take charge to keep the damages to a minimum, but will things work out?
Come enjoy this fireworks-making escape game!
Solve mysteries while making fireworks to escape.
This game takes place in the memories of an ordinary man.
It’s a third-person action-adventure ball game.
Play as an alien hive-mind who murders bosses, steals their abilities and wears their skulls.
Zapling Bygone is a twisted metroidvania where you murder your foes and steal their abilities by wearing their skulls.
Make every inch of the alien planet your playground as you learn its secrets and use them to your advantage. Take advantage of Zaplings sticky tentacles to fluidly jump and climb around the world.
– A passive boy at the Huntress clinic – – £14.90
A passive boy at the Huntress clinic -“” is a visual novel game in which female doctors and nurses play around with the protagonist who is unable to move due to an accident.
This Bishojo Game originally released in 2018 under the “”Peony”” brand has been reworked for the “”PandaShojo”” platform for players of all ages worldwide to enjoy.
This roguelike dungeon exploration bullet hell puts your reflexes to the test in random dungeons that keep you guessing!
Dodge, dart and defeat hordes of enemies through procedurally generated dungeons. Collect unique loot as you better your odds of surviving each playthrough with rare items to power-up your character for the next run!
Hordes and powerful bosses look to make your life a living (bullet) hell. Level up and loot where you can in order to make it to the end! Achieve greatness against all odds and grant that elusive final wish!
Ninjas are not well known for mining! But now it’s time to use those famed ninja skills for collecting precious gems! There are 60 challenging levels for you to solve and defeat all the bosses guarding the treasures.
Leap from wall to wall and floor to ceiling as your ninja skills are put to the test in an increasingly complex underground labyrinth of sweet, sweet jewels (and stars).
Ninja Miner already has over 50,000,000 plays on the web! So it’s time for Super Ninja Miner!
Super Ninja Miner includes all the best content from the original game, plus brand new features and levels, boss fights, redrawn handmade graphics, and a remastered soundtrack.
Fragment’s Note+ AfterStory – £9.89
With the power of Miu, a girl claiming to be his daughter from the future, protagonist Yukiha manages to secure a better fate for himself.
“it’s gonna be a new future from here!”
Taking Miu’s words to heart, Yukiha and his chosen partner set off on their new path together.
However, it seems that the journey won’t be as smooth as they thought…
In “Fragment’s Note+ AfterStory”, you can enjoy the story that follows the events of the previous title, “Fragment’s Note?”.
The sequel contains a continuation for each of the main heroine’s routes; Mischa, Haya, and Eri.
Join them to see what kind of future Yukiha’s choices will create!
THE APOCALYPSE HAPPENED…
In a desperate move to end all wars that have been rampaging the world for decades, the mages provoked The Cataclysm. Massive balls of pure magic obliterated nearly everything. A strange purple mist propagated everywhere, with hordes of bloodthirsty mutants coming at night.
Our only hope is now to banish all magic from this accursed world by casting The Last Spell, requiring several days of uninterrupted incantation whilst a few strained Heroes try to protect those damned mages.
The Last Spell is a tactical RPG with roguelite elements in which you have to defend a city against hordes of deadly enemies.
During daytime, prepare your Heroes, carefully choose how to rebuild your Haven and position your defenses. Over the night, exterminate all the monsters coming at your walls with a large range of weapons and skills. Then heal, level up, and repeat until the Magic Seal is broken.
The complete Felix The Toy experience is now on Nintendo Switch™! Explore a world from the perspective of a small toy. At exactly 6:12 p.m the human race vanishes into thin air. A sentient fast food pack-in toy named Felix is thrust into a mysyery that spans across a city and even space. Explore deserted locations such as a bowling alley and a shopping mall as Felix unravels the mystery. This simple platformer contains no violence and is therefore a great choice for all ages.
Park cars, trucks, snow plows, gritters, cars & caravans, busses and even a super-quick snowmobile! Discover mountain roads, beautiful chalets, hotels, ice skate rinks, ski slopes and slaloms!
Package Rush gives you the handle over a fleet of delivery cars.
MAKE NO MISTAKE
Avoid disappointing your customers. Avoid any obstacles on your way…including your other delivery drivers. A single misstep can run your empire into the ground.
UNIQUE TOOLS
Enjoy unique card effects that can help you out whenever you need it. More time, points and so much more awaits your every whim. You can even control TIME and pause whenever you feel overwhelmed.
Hike Trip is an relaxing open world walking simulator that’s easy on the eye and ears! Listen to the birds sing and wind blow as you make your way through the Forest. All of the sounds and tracks are highest possible quality & the game has been optimized to ensure you will have a great time!
Pack your stuff and head out to the wonderful Forest. Explore many locations, secrets, buildings and much more the mystical forest has to offer.
Mythology Waifus Mahjong – £4.99
Solve mahjong puzzles and fight against the prettiest girls! Match the tiles in groups of three to attack, will you manage to inflict enough damage or will you get defeated?
Enjoy this mythological-themed mix of classic mahjong and combat.
Pixel art and HD CGs will unlock with your progress, you can view them in the gallery.
In Neon Blast, the gamepad is used to control a ball that can be recoloured via colour fields and destroys blocks of the same colour. Furthermore, there are sliding stones and skull fields that cost a life. A level is solved when all destructible blocks are destroyed, the faster this happens, the more bonus points you get.
EvilUP is an adventure for roguelike and RPG fans! Fight with the bloodthirsty monsters, explore the dark corners of the labyrinths, and improve your skills and character development.
Offering challenging quests, various equipment, numerous types of enemies and random generation of levels will make your every attempt unique.
You are Titanium Hound pilot and a kind of cop who wants to protect and serve, helping commoners who were unlucky to get in the middle of gang wars. Abominations, hacked drones and crazed gangsters are just the tip of the iceberg you are trying to break down without full understanding the scope of the problem. You are prepared much better than any regular police unit, but even so your hands are often tied, especially when it comes to questioning corporate regulations.
Dive through four hundred years of technological advancements into the underwater city of Royla, where humanity once found a new home. That is until this future Atlantis was beset by fierce monsters mutated by toxic marine waste. Take on this unprecedented threat as the sea guardian Pronty, and fight alongside your javelin partner Bront to take down the mutants, discover the truth behind the creatures’ sudden invasion, and uncover the secrets behind Pronty’s origins.
Next week: Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, Session: Skate Sim, POST VOID, Alice Gear Aegis CS Concerto of Simulatrix, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure, FUR Squadron, Off The Tracks, Sixtar Gate: STARTRAIL, Link The Cubes, Tanky Tanks 2, NONO ADVENTURE, SUBWAY MIDNIGHT, Loop, IDEA, The Guise, Flame Keeper, Life of Delta, The Wreck, Terminal Velocity™: Boosted Edition, Vernal Edge, Tents and Trees, Tricky Thief, Backbeat, Loot Box Simulator – Heroes of the Dark Age, and Peppa Pig: World Adventures.