The GameCube’s twilight years were a funny old time for Nintendo fans. Nintendo, and the gaming magazines of the era, were trying their hardest to get GC owners interested in the likes of Baten Kaitos, Geist, Odama, and Star Fox Assault – but none of these could match the excitement of earlier system sellers. As such, all four of these exclusives came and went without much fanfare.
One gains a second shot of success this week. Sorry to disappoint the three people who played Geist – it’s Baten Kaitos, and its sequel Baten Kaitos II – confusingly known as Baten Kaitos Origins in the US. Published by Bandai-Namco and priced at £44.99, this two game pack features improved graphics and ways that make progression easier. The product description notes that Origins has English subtitles only, which is presumably due to it never making it to Europe.
Konami emerges from the shadows with SUPER BOMBERMAN R 2 – a multiformat sequel to the Switch launch title. This’ll set you back £44.99 too, which is a higher price point than anticipated. A story mode, online play, a new ‘castle’ battle mode, and a stage editor all feature. Curiously, the ‘80s series DYNABLASTER makes a comeback this week too via German publisher BBG Entertainment. We say ‘curiously’ because the four Dynablaster games were merely rebranded Bomberman titles. Presumably, BBG was able to purchase the name.
On the subject of the ‘80s, there’s the faux Saturday morning cartoon first-person battler MythForce, which plays like a combination of Gauntlet and Overwatch and even features a cheesy theme tune. The cel-shaded graphics are very appealing visually. That’s joined by ‘80s cartoon tie-in Inspector Gadget: MAD Time Party – which appears to be a party game with a solo mode set in Metro City. Maybe we’ll see the adventure mode expanded on in the future.
Another (almost) full price game hitting Switch is Solar Ash from Annapurna Interactive – a surreal action adventure from the creators of Hyper Light Drifter. The PC version, from 2022, gained very ‘positive reviews’ on Steam. Then ahead of an Evercade release, the cinematic pixel art action platformer Full Void makes a pitstop on Switch. Think along the likes of Heart of Darkness and Flashback.
Then there’s the top-down roguelike shooter AK-xolotl – featuring AK-wielding Axolotls – Devolver Digital’s Gunbrella, starring a woodsman armed with a firearm that doubles as an umbrella, FMV adventure The Isle Tide Hotel, and the lavish looking Mega Man alike 30XX.
Retro Mystery Club Vol.1: The Ise-Shima Case, a faux 8-bit detective game inspired by Nintendo’s Famicom Detective Club series, should also be out any day now. Lauren was very much smitten by it.
We can also expect an updated version of Mugen Souls Z, the combat focused Roguelite Summum Aeternal, offbeat 2D platformer Retro Revengers, hyperactive smash ‘n crasher NASCAR Arcade Rush, the Punch Out! inspired Thunder Ray, and the Super Mario RPG influenced Another Crusade -which stars puppets resembling Geno. Shh, nobody tell Square-Enix!
[Update] F-ZERO 99 and the PC hit Wartales stealth launched on Switch following today’s Nintendo Direct.
New Switch eShop releases
99 racers, one winner! F-ZERO 99 delivers all the action of the original Super NES game, with the added twist of online play. Take on players from around the world and race to be the last machine standing!
Line up with 98 other F-ZERO machines and race to the finish in this thrilling take on the original Super NES game. Keep an eye on your Power Meter as you boost and bash, because speed is just as important as survival. Defend yourself with a Spin Attack and collect enough Super Sparks to breeze past the competition on the elevated Skyway.
The core F-ZERO 99 mode is just one way to race at breakneck speeds. Play to earn tickets that grant you access to Mini Prix and Grand Prix modes that appear on a set schedule, challenging you to compete and qualify in a series of races. Team Battle and the extra-tough Pro Tracks modes also rotate throughout the day. Alternatively, you can prepare yourself in Practice Mode and race against your ghost.
Boost your Skill Rating by excelling in races and take on challenges to unlock customisation options. Make your F-ZERO machine your own with decals, plus alternate machine and boost colours. Complete achievements in your Pilot Card and receive different unlockable backdrops and display badges.
From the creators of the award-winning Hyper Light Drifter comes the high-speed and gravity-bending world of Solar Ash.
Set amidst a surreal dreamscape filled with long-abandoned ruins of great civilizations past, you play as Rei, a Voidrunner determined to stop at nothing to save her planet from falling prey to the Ultravoid’s path of eternal hunger.
Fight through mobs of grotesque creatures, grind rails with sheer delight, grapple to wild heights, take down enormous bosses, and surf the ashen clouds of shattered, bygone worlds swallowed by the void.
In this highly stylized action adventure unlike no other, will Rei persevere and make her way through the deadly encounters of this ravenous void in order to save her home? Will she learn the truth about these massive beasts that roam this strange land and uncover the mysteries of the Starseed and Echo?
The answer to these questions, and more, awaits you in the Ultravoid.
A century has passed since the fall of the Edoran Empire at the hands of an unprecedented plague that swept the nation. Now, the land is rife with mercenary work, banditry and thievery, with honor having become an almost entirely forgotten virtue.
Now, prepare to lead a group of unscrupulous characters in a massive open world where combat, death and a thirst for riches will dictate your day to day life. You are not the hero of this story, destined to usher in a new era of peace. Your goal is solely to survive and thrive in this harsh and hostile world, by any means necessary…
Only the bravest and most ambitious can hope to see their story written in the Wartales!
The latest title of the party battle games series SUPER BOMBERMAN R!
With new adventures and game modes, it has the largest content volume in the series’ history!
The game features not only offline battles that can be played with family and friends, but also online battles that connect players from all over the world, as well as a single player mode.
In addition to the well-known “Standard”, “Grand Prix” and “Battle 64” a new battle mode called “Castle” in which players are divided into Attack side and Castle side to battle for the treasure!
A “Stage Editor” function has also been added, allowing players to create their own stages for “Castle” and share them online with players around the globe.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster – £44.99
Two JRPG masterpieces return. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Baten Kaitos Origins are back with improved graphics and new features to aid game progression, making them even easier to play!
A long time ago, there was a great conflict between the evil god and the people. After a fierce battle, the people managed to seal off the evil god, but what was left behind was only a desolate land. The people thus chose to abandon the land and live in the sky.
Such fairy tales were passed down as legends. At this time, people had wings called Wings of the Heart and lived a peaceful life. It was an era of long-lasting tranquility. …But the collapse had quietly begun.
When a young man calls your name, the name of the spirit, the story begins to unfold. A story set on a floating continent in the sky, where thoughts and prayers intersect.
*Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is available with subtitles in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
Baten Kaitos Origins is available with subtitles only in English.
The thrill of NASCAR meets the rush of arcade racing in a new game that puts you in the driver’s seat of a completely new NASCAR experience with re-imagined, iconic racetracks in unmatched high-speed, wheel-to-wheel action!
An absent father must rescue his teenage daughter from an eclectic cult before their final night at the Isle Tide Hotel. Players investigate the strange events that unfold to save Eleanor Malone in this live-action interactive mystery game, where every decision affects the story.
How do you infiltrate the hotel? Will you coax your way into the cult? Do you discover the hidden lore, side quests and their dedicated endings or fail at any one of the ruthless narrative puzzles? Navigate a branching narrative with numerous ways to help rescue the daughter you’ve never met.
Set in a dystopian future, Full Void is a 2D Cinematic Puzzle Platformer telling the story of a young teenager alone in a hostile world controlled by a rogue AI. Fight your way through puzzles and obstacles to uncover the story that surrounds this broken, run down society, where only children are still free. But for how long?
A pure hand-drawn pixel art adventure that will keep you on your toes from the very beginning, with a few jump scares and a thrilling atmosphere but still suitable for all ages as it does not feature any gore or violence.
Retro Mystery Club Vol.1: The Ise-Shima Case – £8.89
Solve a murder case from Tokyo to the fabulous landscapes of Ise-Shima, rendered in beautiful 8-bit pixel art with illustrations by Kiyokazu Arai.
Immerse yourself in the world of mystery adventures and experience the thrill of solving puzzles and unraveling mysteries in this retro-style adventure game.
Embark on a journey unlike any other as you play as a detective tasked with solving the case of a missing pearl. Explore the traditional villages and stunning landscapes of Ise Shima as you gather evidence, interview suspects, and solve puzzles to uncover the truth.
Unravel the mystery of a murder in Tokyo and the mysterious black pearl known as the Indigo Moon. Explore and investigate key locations, gather clues and make choices, as you work to solve the case with your partner Ken. With 9 episodes and an epilogue included in the “cartridge”, you’ll be fully immersed in the story.
Kiyokazu Arai, the original illustrator of prominent cult detective games in Japan and Famitsu’s long time trademark artist, brings out his pencils one more time to take care of the character design, rendered in beautiful 8-bit style pixel art.
Sho, a young man who spends his days in an exploitative company in modern Japan, is reincarnated into a parallel universe as Shaw, due to an accident!
While the job given in his new life is ‘Unemployed’ and hardships continue with a bad luck party, one day he acquires the ultimate job as a Sage, suddenly becoming the strongest with ultra rare passive skills!
Aiming for the long-awaited mellow life he finds himself in a battle to defeat the Overlord after meeting the Hero Viola.
With exceptional passive skills that for example can change the future by returning before Game Over, get rid of enemies in turn-based battles by summoning spirits or managing mana plants, or even use the skills of monsters!
Complete quests and raise the guild rank so you can challenge deeper dungeon or other adventuring parties, too! With other elements such as a battle arena and the dungeon where treasure chests are automatically generated, your adventure against the Overlord’s Army will surely be an unparalleled quest to finally gain a calm, modest life!
Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of Central Japan lies Ludens Castle, where five friends, the Retro Revengers, get isekai’d into a strange land that threatens the existence of not just their games, but their world too.
Embark on a journey with Ossan, Mao, Taicho, Matchan and Notchi as you harness their newfound abilities bestowed upon them by the Retro Goddess. Meet companions from the past, defend yourself from enemies, and overcome the bosses blocking your way to the Demon Overlord of Triple-A.
Explore diverse stage environments and different powers with each companion, all in beautiful 16-bit pixel art and accompanied by retro music. Master the characters’ different powers as you traverse diverse environments full of unforgiving enemies in this retro-style platformer.
With the stages and their mechanics changing as you progress through the game, switch between the characters to find the fastest way through each level. The upbeat music and a narrative bursting with references and Easter eggs will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end!
Play as Rai Reysend and his companions through a series of comical events and epic battles to reveal the mystery of the cosmic barriers that were created after a meteor shower. Will you be able to save the land and uncover the truth?
Escape Academy: The Complete Edition – £26.99
Escape Academy: The Complete Edition includes Escape Academy PLUS the Escape From Anti-Escape Island DLC AND the Escape From the Past DLC, for a total of over 20 masterfully hand-crafted escape rooms, designed by experienced experts in the field of REAL LIFE escape rooms!
You’ve just arrived at Escape Academy, a school where promising students train to become the ultimate Escapist.
Explore the campus of Escape Academy and get to know the faculty, a colourful cast of characters, each an expert in the art of Escape. And some with secrets yet to be uncovered…
Experience the entirety of Escape Academy alone in single player OR through two player cooperative play. Available in local or online split screen.
30XX combines the crisp controls and fluid movement you love from action platformers of yore, the replayability of a modern roguelike, and co-op play into a single gorgeous package.
Gunbrella is a gritty noir-punk action-adventure set in a world dependent on a rapidly diminishing natural resource.
Fill the rain-soaked boots of a gruff woodsman on a quest for revenge, entering an unfamiliar town armed only with the titular Gunbrella, a high-caliber firearm that doubles as an umbrella.
Your hard-nosed investigation soon becomes entangled with the inner workings of a creepy cabal of ghouls and gangsters, cops and cultists, and the fallout of corporate exploitation.
From your small office, you will monitor anomalous activity through CCTV cameras.
You have to monitor the controlled location and apply countermeasures in case of manifestations of the anomaly.
But be careful, if you miss too many anomalies, then your life will be in danger!
A Roguelike Space Adventure with an Epic Twist.
Across the galaxy, gravitational fields are weakening, causing planets to implode. Good thing the boys and girls at the Rio Grande Corporation came up with gravity boots. With them, traversing surfaces on every planet is a walk in the park.
All is well until the corporation kidnaps your roommate, Gary. Your rent isn’t going to pay itself, so you just have to go after him. With your new sidekick, Newton, you go on a one-man rescue mission to uncover the mysteries of your roommate’s disappearance and what lies beneath the Rio Grande Corporation.
Battle your way through ever-changing galactic environments on your jetpack and gravity boots and get Gary back in this exciting space action adventure!
Inspired by Indonesian philosophy and folk art, Faerie Afterlight is a beautifully stylized 2D Metroidvania game filled with an abundance of heart, courage, camaraderie, and a delightful soundtrack that perfectly complements the game’s lush world.
Players will take simultaneous control of Kimo and Wispy as this unlikely and inseparable duo ventures deep into Lumina’s infested caverns, plunges into its deep seas, and explores its ghostly cities to reclaim the scattered, broken shards of Light, bringing balance back to the world. Along the way, the pair will solve puzzles, befriend locals, engage and enchant enemies, and face off against fierce Titans to gain powerful new abilities that will grant them greater access to Lumina!
Fresh Start is a relaxing single player game, in which you embark on a mission to clean up the world and restore nature to its fresh and colorful shape. Watch as the world changes in front of your eyes as you help animals, solve puzzles and grow plants around you.
Travel all over the world and give it a Fresh Start it deserves!
Inspector Gadget: MAD Time Party – £32.99
Metro City has fallen into the hands of the evil Dr. Claw and his M.A.D. agents. To save the city, Inspector Gadget must travel into the past using a time machine. Unfortunately, it breaks down and his ancestors find themselves teleported to the present.
Your mission: Explore Metro City and compete with your ancestors to collect the time machine’s missing parts. You will need to complete mini-games to unlock the bolts needed to repair the machine. Play against three Gadget’s ancestors to earn the bolts.
Visit iconic places from the famous original series, meet characters such as Chef Quimby, Penny, and the M.A.D. agents, and use the inspector’s various gadgets to fight back against the M.A.D. forces.
The aMAZEing Labyrinth fully updated: for more than 35 years, the simple and unique gameplay of the board game has inspired more than 20 million people worldwide.
In search of mysterious objects and creatures, players roam the labyrinth as a magician, witch, fortune teller and sorcerer’s apprentice. Whoever finds the way first wins. Luckily, they can use magic to move the walls of the maze. On the way through constantly changing paths, however, each player must first reach secret locations. The mystery cards reveal whether the next target is a ghost, a bunch of keys, an owl or something else. The first to discover all the secrets and return to their starting point is the winner. The random arrangement of the maze cards makes each game different. Endless fun guaranteed!
Undisputed goddess Chou-Chou is back for an all-new adventure as she attempts to conquer the twelve Zodiac worlds with the help of new and returning frenemies! This beloved sequel to Mugen Souls features free-roaming battle maps in strategic turn-based combat, a level cap of 9999 and the ability to deal billions of hit points worth of damage! As Chou-Chou, you can charm enemies to transform them into shampuru minions, customize party members’ appearance and abilities, create new peons and much more!
As Chou-Chou and crew navigate between worlds in their spacefaring ship the G-Castle, they’ll need to cooperate with new ultimate goddess Syrma to put an end to an ancient evil that’s recently awakened. Explore expansive worlds packed with field challenges, face off against enemy ships and meet loads of memorable characters, all presented in the anime-style “moe” aesthetic that fans adore!
This updated version of Mugen Souls Z includes all prior extras while faithfully adapting the content of the Japanese original, making it the definitive way to experience this cult classic JRPG!
Summum Aeterna is a Roguelite game that combines world crawler mechanics never seen before in the genre with a fast-paced combat system and a unique 2D art style.
Taking the role of the King of Darkness, a mighty, powerful, and badass warlord condemned to eternal life, you’ll explore uncharted worlds populated with treasures, traps, hordes of enemies and powerful bosses.
Explore wild territories, descend into the most dangerous deeps of Aeterna, and fight your way to the end of each world… If you can!
In a faraway land, the yokai are suddenly rising and running out of control. A small human village is in danger, but Akaoni, a short-tempered red ogre that lives in it, is going on a rampage to defeat the yokai!
Akaoni will run, jump, and bash with his trusty kanabō on a journey to stop the yokai menace, hoping to also find a missing old friend. Along the way he will met Blu, a small onibi that will help him in his adventure for selfish reasons, allowing Akaoni to use the elemental powers of his enemies!
The cutest, deadliest and ONLY top-down roguelike shooter featuring AK-wielding Axolotls. Blast your way through the animal kingdom with an arsenal of kick-ass guns, mighty power-ups and even raise an army of trigger-happy baby axolotls.
While cute in appearance, the Axolotl is packing some serious heat and will shoot down anything that stands between them and their next meal. Blast a path through a variety of biomes and conquer randomly generated rooms with a dastardly boss at the end of every biome.
Find Axolotl eggs and raise new powerful Axolittles by turning them into highly specialised little killing machines. Take their firepower to the next level by cooking up permanent, stat-improving recipes. Turn your enemies into ingredients, eat everything and become unstoppable.
Can you flee from fellow student Makina Sabuki–gone mad with jealousy–in the now-dim, dungeon of a schoolhouse? Don’t be fooled–Makina doesn’t just prowl the hallways; she breaks through walls, kicks through glass, and even crawls through maintenance hatches… There’s nothing she won’t do to hunt you down in the survival horror game Love Love School Days complete edition.
Try this candy-matching puzzle game. Enjoy the sweet adventure full of candies and try to finish all levels. Be rewarded with delicious candy combos.
Super Brawl Rush is a beat’em up set in the scorched post-apocalyptic lands of the near future. Fight your way to the top between swarms of bloodthirsty thugs, mutants and cultists.
Viola’s life in the virtual fantasy world of Asaph might be perfect, but it’s also perfectly boring.
Dissatisfied with a lack of strong enemies to fight, Viola turns her attention to a business proposal brokered by her guild mistress, Maidie. Maidie plans to start up a maid café, and she recruits cute heroines Viola, Neve, Fion, and Eleri to lend her a helping hand! Viola agrees to her offer, and a brand new chapter of her life in Asaph begins.
Join Viola as she works as a maid, and watch her embark upon a brand new adventure.
Teocida+Estigma presents two completely bizarre 2D puzzle games, each with unique characteristics.
Teocida is a psychological horror platform puzzle game with dark and psychedelic visuals.
Classic and straightforward gameplay with simple and intuitive controls, uncomplicated mechanics, and progressively challenging puzzles.
Explore the enigmatic corridors of a distorted microcosm filled with symbolic landscapes of faith and erotic nightmares.
Estigma is a puzzle and action game with a surrealistic horror aesthetic, where anything can kill you!
Relive the experience of a simple 80’s arcade action-puzzle featuring a cute mascot traversing a dangerous meat wonderland.
Having been a blockbuster, DYNABLASTER® is a game for the strategic thinker whose smart tactics will instil fear in his competitors – playing online or local against others or against the computer. In this captivating action game, destroy your enemies with cleverly placed bombs. Playing in groups of up to 4 players total, he who survives longest wins! You always have to be on your toes and be extremely swift. But being fast is not enough. You need top place bombs with strategy to effectively kill your enemies.
In qrth-phyl you manoeuvre around, and within, three dimensional stages, leaving a persistent tail behind you that you must avoid. The stages are algorithmically generated and adapted according to how you play. Hidden in the game are documentary elements that chart the development and inception of Blockade/snake/worm videogames from 1976 to today.
Lies as a Starting Point – £7.20
The story progresses around a conversation between the main characters Kanata and Nozomi on a train, and the story branches into three different routes (junior high school, high school, and college) by tracing Nozomi’s past.
The heroine and protagonist differ depending on the chapter.
The heroine and the main character differ depending on the chapter. Reaching the true end of each chapter reveals Nozomi’s past, and the grand finale is reached.
Corbid! A Colorful Adventure – £10.79
Have fun helping Corbid to overcome the mazes to be crowned champion. Eat, mix and shoot colors to solve the puzzles of Corbid!
Enjoy the colorful worlds full of creatures with different abilities that you will have to play with to advance and solve the mysteries found in the gardens.
HexaWars is a twin stick shooter where you attempt to defeat all the shape enemies on each wave stage. The overall goal is to see how long you can last in the game, attempting to beat your previous high score. It has a very retro arcade feel that is meant to bring countless experiences of play. The gameplay is simple to grasp and will continue to get gradually harder throughout. It is a fun challenge to try and see how many boss’s you are able to defeat every 10 wave’s of enemies.
Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party – £34.99
Swim across the wide waters with the Shark Family to enjoy the Fin-tastic Festival where you can watch performers sing, dance, and rock! Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party.
Sing and swim to fin-omenal songs from original videos including Baby Shark Dance and more.
Journey through iconic ocean locations, like Tropical Bay, Ocean City, and more.
League Of Champions Soccer 2024 – £7.99
Live the new Champions European League Soccer Competition like real players do.
Choose your team and play the matches of the real draw until the final.
Served by superbs 3D graphics, animations and sounds, League Of Champions Soccer 2024 is based on a highly realistic physic engine in which soccer moves have been coded by soccer fans for soccer fans .
Bright Side: Riddles and Puzzles – £7.20
Who is lying? Who will survive? Which way is safe?
Watch unusual stories and solve tricky riddles with your friends or solo.
Boost your creative thinking skills and make your free time more interesting. Choose video, listen to the story, analyse information, pay attention to details and make quick decisions because you don’t have much time to answer.
Compete against your family or friends, score as many points as possible and become the riddle master!
Step into the ring and experience the adrenaline-pumping action of our retro arcade boxing game, but with a modern twist! Get ready to throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts as you face off against a roster of colorful and eccentric opponents. The game features meticulously crafted HD animations, bringing each character to life with stunning detail and fluid movements.
Next week: Mortal Kombat 1, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails, Avatar The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance, Bud Spencer & Terence Hill – Slaps and Beans 2, You Suck at Parking, Persha and the Magic Labyrinth -Arabian Nyaights, Rayland 2, Paperman: Adventure Delivered, Days of Doom, Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission, Super Adventure Hand, Mermaid Castle 2, Livestream 2: Escape from Togaezuka Happy Place, Aireo FlightSimulator, Warriors of the Nile 2, Kind Heart Defenders, HammerHelm, Sugar Tanks, Cyber Citizen Shockman 2: A New Menace, Whateverland, Cry Babies Magic Tears: The Big Game, and RAINBOW HIGH: RUNWAY RUSH.