A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away STAR WARS: Hunters was announced. Three years is a long time in game development circles, at least. After a few setbacks, the Zynga published PvP arena shooter is finally out this week on Switch (in addition to mobiles) as a free-to-play release.
Early impressions are positive, gaining praise for its arena design, soundtrack, and pleasingly short yet entertaining five-minute battles. Also: the fact that it features two Jawas in a trench coat.
The first critical review comes from Nintendo Life, who awarded it an 8/10. “Star Wars: Hunters might not bring anything particularly new to the ever-increasing field of class-based shooters, but there’s a lot of fun to be had here. If you can look past the fiddly menus and ‘Arena Pass’ trappings that have haunted so many in the genre, Hunters offers a level of tactical PvP gameplay that is simple to grasp and entertaining enough to warrant mastering,” said. They were also impressed with the game’s performance, with the stylised visuals working in the Switch’s favour.
The Switch also gains Downward: Enhanced Edition – a first-person parkour platformer with exploration, and a story involving Earth’s demise. Think along the lines of Prince of Persia meets Mirror’s Edge. While it hits all formats this week, it dates back to 2017 – it has been in PC early access for quite a while. We’ll be taking a closer look soon.
Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge is one we were able to squeeze in a review of. It’s a chilled experience in which wetlands must be restored to help create a thriving frog refuge, harvesting plants to create produce and spending cash to dig ponds and place decorations. There are over 500 frogs to find and catalogue too. It’s a bit more business-minded than we expected, but it does make good on the promise of delivering a relaxing time.
Then there’s Democracy 4: Console Edition, which is described as a sandbox for testing out your political ideas. You’ll get to select cabinet ministers, introduce new laws, deal with random events, and lay out a manifesto for a winning campaign. If that sounds appealing, it’s probably a safe purchase considering it’s the fourth entry in a series.
Two unexpected retro re-releases are also upon us. Rider’s Spirits sees the 1994 Super Famicom (SNES) racer arrive in the West for the first time, looking similar to Super Mario Kart but apparently featuring a bit more depth to its drifting model. Garage: Bad Dream Adventure meanwhile is a warped Japanese point-and-click adventure, first released on PC in 1999 and originally published by Toshiba.
Other new releases include eastasiasoft’s monochrome platformer Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo, puzzle adventure Airhead – which true to its name, has a hero with an inflatable head – and the mini-game package The Smurfs – Village Party. There’s Kittey 64, too – another one of those faux N64-style platformers, although this appears a bit too advanced for the ol’ N64. Where’s the fog and smudged textures?
New Switch eShop releases
Downward: Enhanced Edition – £8.99
Downward will let you set off on humanity’s final adventure, to seek out an explanation for the apocalypse that changed the Earth as we know it.
Taking advantage of parkour techniques and of the mysterious power you are given, you will traverse astonishing and dangerous ruins of past civilizations, all to find the legendary artifacts meant to control the deadly calamities that came to this world.
You won’t be alone in this, but what can you do? This world is not for humans anymore…
STAR WARS: Hunters™ will connect players in real time via cross-play to battle in settings inspired by iconic Star Wars locales. Players will join squads of all-new and authentic characters, including daring Bounty Hunters, heroes of the Rebellion and Imperial stormtroopers, in an action game that immerses players in a fast-paced and visually stunning Star Wars galaxy.
Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge – £16.75
Kamaeru is a cozy farming sim about collecting and raising frogs, farming, and preserving nature. You play as a kind soul helping an old friend restore the wetlands of your childhood by transforming them into a safe haven for friendly little frogs. With the help of the game’s cast of welcoming NPCs, you will photograph and breed frogs to increase your reputation, decorate your refuge, and plant native crops to help your amphibian abode thrive!
Democracy 4: Console Edition – £22.50
Democracy 4: Console Edition is the ultimate sandbox for testing out your political ideas. We all think that we could do a better job ourselves in running a country compared to politicians, but is that really true? With one eye on the budget, the other on the polls, and somehow finding time to watch out for terrorist attacks at the same time, you will find that staying in power while changing society for the better is a tougher job than you ever imagined.
The Smurfs – Village Party – £34.99
Papa Smurf has decided to organize an exceptional party!
To do so, he asks all the Smurfs to get involved with the preparations to make the party unforgettable!
Walk around the village and invite all the Smurfs scattered around the world to the event, but be careful with Gargamel as he has heard about the party and will do everything to spoil it…
In party-game mode, gather your friends and family for Smurf-tastic hours of fun through 50 mini-games inspired by the cheerful spirit of the Smurfs.
In adventure mode, dive into a thrilling journey filled with quests, meet over 100 iconic Smurfs, and explore 10 different regions, from the Smurfs’ Village to Gargamel’s territory.
Drop planets around an eclipse to merge same planets into new ones. This might cause the extinction of some civilisations but it’s okay, we asked them first.
The 360° gameplay makes for an interesting new experience and new strategies.
Unlock upgrades, new events and additional game modes.
Put the universe into a jar in Classic Mode or experience how the game must’ve felt like before gravity got invented in the Anti Gravity Mode.
Korean Rail Driving Tour LRT Busan-Gimhae – £17.99
This game is a railroad simulation game that allows you to experience actual railroad operation based on video footage of the driving direction of an actual train.
Anyone can enjoy the feeling of being a train driver just by operating the accelerator and brakes.
Enjoy “Real” video of Korea’s beautiful scenery!
Quick, grab that Bubble Booster and get going! The stars are falling and the moon is watching your every move. It must be planning something. Investigate the fallen stars and find the gems that are hidden away inside them. Their power will let you free Kitty Island from the moon’s assault. Your friends are counting on you!
Kittey 64 is a retro-inspired 3d platformer with modern controls and design.
Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo – £4.49
What is a recklessly adventurous kid to do when he ends up stuck between life and death? In Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo, you’ll have to exploit your ghost form to solve a multitude of tricky platforming puzzles if there’s any hope of returning to your home amongst the living. Explore 50 single-screen puzzles in black-and-white 2D pixel art style
Brainteasing stages start out simple but gradually increase in complexity and challenge. Keep trying puzzles as many times as it takes and find your way back to the living world!
In Let Me Sleep, you are a helping hand to a guy so tired that he can never get enough sleep.
…Which is not surprising, considering that he’s trying to rest in a house full of horrors and monsters!
Be a helpful force in his life and solve spooky puzzles and perform tasks that are sometimes dirty… for the sake of helping your friend sleep safe and sound, of course.
MyRummy® is the modern version of the traditional card game Rummy, which gives it both its name and rules. MyRummy® itself has already become one of the essential classics.
The game is extremely easy to learn. Place your tiles and arrange them cleverly in runs and groups, bearing in mind their colours and numerical values. This continues round for round. Perhaps a joker could help you? Whoever is the first to use up all their tiles is the winner.
You play as Seiji Maruyama, a middle-aged yakuza recently released from prison. Old tropes are here but you can choose to not follow them. The question is — does anything really matter that much now?
Challenge your mind and help the cats in this minimalist and relaxing puzzle game!
Welcome to the enchanting world of Cat Pipes! A game that will challenge your mental skills as you help adorable cats find their way through soothing and captivating puzzles.
Garage: Bad Dream Adventure – £16.99
“Garage: Bad Dream Adventure” was originally released as a PC adventure game in 1999. In this game, the player character enters his inner world through a psychotherapeutic machine. He is turned into an odd-looking biological machine and searches for a way to escape from that world. Because of its unique world setting, it is described as one of the top 3 warped games or bizarre games.
HighScore Anomaly Underground – £3.39
The timer will start once you are ready to play. The correct decision will move you up a level and the incorrect decision will reset you back to the beginning. Observation is key.
If you don’t find anomalies, choose the elevator that states no anomalies otherwise choose the elevator that states confirm anomalies.
This is a short game however, this does depend on the player for how high they want their highest score to be.
Cybercube is a fast-paced platformer in which you control a cube and must navigate challenging obstacles. You will be tested across 55 levels with mesmerizing backgrounds, each offering a unique combination of challenges. These include switching layers, changing directions, and maneuvering around deadly obstacles, each with distinct mechanics. The game also offers multiple core designs for your cube, which can be unlocked by completing higher levels.
Airhead is an adventure through a sprawling interconnected world, where you must explore, evolve and overcome intricate puzzles to succeed.
You play as Airhead, a small Body and the round inflated organism it uses as a Head. And while Head is slowly but surely deflating, you have a chance to save its life.
To do so, you must use air tanks to keep Head inflated while you explore Airhead’s metroidvania-style world, searching for amazing abilities and upgrades that will unlock new areas and puzzles for you to overcome.
On your adventure, it will be up to you to uncover the true connection between Head, the air tanks, and the technology that litters the world, so you can save Head no matter the cost.
Simply get the toy into the delivery box!
Solve the puzzles by moving the bolts and making the platforms move
Highly addictive with many challenging levels to complete
Face unimaginable challenges, dealing with demanding customers and crows trying to eat your crops. Learn a variety of culinary recipes with the wide range of products you can grow on your grandparents’ farm.
Take care of the animals and catch some fish, so you can relax when you leave your recipe burning in the pot.
Oh, and don’t forget to end your day resting under the trees you planted yourself.
The original Rider’s Spirits was first released on 1994 exclusively in Japan. Now this timeless racing classic is finally available worldwide for the first time!
Play head to head against the computer or locally with a friend and compete in a wide variety of racing tracks and game modes. Choose from an array of wacky racers, each with their own unique attributes, and show off your riding skills. And if things get ugly, use all kind of crazy items in order to get advantage and be the first one to cross the finishing line!
Next week: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Monster Hunter Stories, Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked, Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic, Hidden Cats in Paris, Path to Purge, Xonix, Astrune Academy, Froggy Bouncing Adventures, Railbreak, Railway Islands 2, Neon Noir, Chopper Strike, and Anime vs Evil: Apocalypse.