Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct – which was certainly one for the ages – saw the surprise release of Metal Slug Attack Reloaded. This isn’t a new game, but rather a mobile conversion of a tower-defence game that appears to re-use a bunch of Metal Slug assets, promising easy-to-learn controls. The £8.99 asking price isn’t too outrageous for anyone curious, although bear in mind that Metal Slug Tactics isn’t far off.
Then on the NSO service, ‘mature’ titles Perfect Dark and Turok made their debut. We’ve seen some complaints regarding Turok’s control scheme, so you may need to give it time.
As for scheduled content, there’s a new version of the voxel turn-based action RPG Echo Generation; brazenly influenced by Stranger Things. We had a rough time with the Xbox One iteration when it launched a few years ago, becoming trapped in a boss room with no healing items and no way to backtrack. This version, subtitled Midnight Edition, has been reworked with improved combat, fast travel, a quest log, and more.
DarkStar One gains a belated Switch release too, dating back to 2006 and originally released early in the Xbox 360’s life. It’s a space shooter with light RPG elements and a solar system to explore. Ships can be customised, and it’s possible to play as a pirate, trader, mercenary, bounty hunter, smuggler or assassin. We’d be very surprised if it doesn’t run like greased lightning on Switch.
Sticking with conversions, there’s Ylands – a low-poly survival/resource management sim based around shipbuilding and seafaring. From the publisher behind DayZ and ArmA, no less. It’s up against the landlocked Cave Digger 2, which appears similar, only with a bigger emphasis on exploring with online buddies. That and scratching around in the dirt.
Meanwhile, the inclusive comical adventure Times & Galaxy involves a robotic news reporter intern hired to cover mundane stories on various alien planets. By asking the right questions, meatier news stories come to light, improving your reputation and chances of becoming a full-time employee.
Then there’s the chess-based roguelike The Ouroboros King, an EGGCONSOLE release of the 1985 PC role-player TRITORN, the dice rollin’ and monster capturing Dicefolk, procedurally generated horizontal shooter Operation STEEL, and island hopping creature-collecting lifestyle sim Moonstone Island.
New Switch eShop releases
Metal Slug Attack Reloaded – £8.99
METAL SLUG, the classic action shooter, retains its detailed 2D pixel look and is now a tower defense game with beginner-friendly controls!
Help familiar characters grow, and build the strongest deck. Use all sorts of strategies to crush enemy bases! The game also features “ANOTHER STORY”, which fans won’t want to miss, and “GALLERY” Mode. War it out with players all over the world for the highest title!
Echo Generation is a turn-based adventure game with a supernatural twist. Strange things are afoot in Maple Town: A mysterious crash leads you on a spooky adventure through your hometown. Battle monsters, complete quests and unearth secrets to reveal a conspiracy that transcends time.
The Ouroboros King combines the strategic depth of chess with the build variety and replayability of roguelikes. Assemble a formidable army, discover powerful relics, and buy surprising gadgets to defeat the Coven.
Ylands: Nintendo Switch Edition – £22.49
Embark on great adventures in a relaxed atmosphere. Build a ship, befriend animals, dive underwater, fight enemies, enjoy stunning low-poly views and discover the rich lore of Classy Adventurers Guild.
DarkStar One – Nintendo Switch Edition – £26.99
Jump into the shoes of young Kayron, an aspiring pilot whose heart and mind are filled with thoughts of vengeance for his father’s death. It is up to you to uncover a web of betrayal and ancient threats, gather a trustworthy crew to confront the ultimate menace of darkness, and return hope to a universe on the brink of intergalactic war.
Yet you have a powerful weapon at your disposal: The long-range fighter, the ‘DarkStar One’, your father’s legacy. Put alien weapons and technology to good use and customize your spacecraft to be prepared to venture out into a myriad of alien worlds to trade cargo and services.
Embark on an interplanetary adventure as the first robo reporter for the Times & Galaxy, the solar system’s most trusted holopaper. You’re just an intern, but if you can get the scoop, write great stories, and impress your colleagues, maybe you’ll get to keep your job!
We’re assigning you stories that put the hyper in hyper-local news! On any given cycle choose to cover shuttle crashes, intersolar cat shows, even space ghost funerals. It’s up to you!
Between assignments, you’ll have the chance to get to explore the Scanner and get to know a diverse and colorful cast of friends and rivals, including your fellow reporters, the editorial staff, pilots and ship’s crew.
Pogo Stick Champion is a 2D platformer game that pairs a relaxing aesthetic with challenging gameplay.
Use a pogo stick to bounce your way through each level to reach through the end of the stage while avoiding hard falls and pits. As the difficulty increases you’ll encounter lasers, circular saws, spikes and other deadly obstacles, but don’t worry all levels unlocked, so you won’t get stuck!
Love Elysium: Secret of the Goddess – £17.99
Take part in the lottery and embark on the vacation of your life alongside your best friend: Yuina, where you’ll also be a judge in a beauty contest. On the island you will be joined by the competitors – the artistic Eimiko, serious and elegant Haru, commanding Tomoe, and flirty Aimi. Get your flirt game on, the competition starts now!
EGGCONSOLE TRITORN PC-8801 – £5.39
Released in Japan by SEIN SOFT in 1985, this side-scrolling action RPG follows the adventures of the brave warrior Tritorn. Players take control of Tritorn as he battles numerous monsters to restore peace to the island of Luwanda, which is under the control of the tyrant Pay-Valusa.
Faces of Illusion: The Twin Phantoms – £13.99
“A young journalist witnesses the kidnapping of a theatre star, Beatrice Le Brun. The ambitious girl then undertakes her own investigation.
As it turns out, the main suspect is one Charles Delacroix – a world-famous illusionist who mysteriously vanished some time ago.
When the journalist and her young associate – Beatrice’s brother – follow the kidnapper, more and more of the truth about the abduction and a mysterious romance come to light.
Is it all just smoke and mirrors, or true magic and pure evil? What really hides in the underbelly of the Parisian Theatre? Discover the identity of the kidnapper and thwart his plans before it’s too late!”
The Wayfarer’s Inn is a safe haven to a colourful cast of characters inspired by TTRPGs. Get to know their unique personalities, and help them find a place that feels like home.
Serve an ever-growing menu of magical drinks to your patrons, but choose carefully, as your choice will alter their fates.
Cave Digger 2 is a 1-4 player adventure game taking place in an alternative weird west dieselpunk world. The player is a prospector who begins their adventure in a seemingly abandoned camp with a goal to extract valuables from the caves, to trade them for new tools, upgrades, and locations in order to advance their frontier exploration. To unveil the secrets of the Valley (game area), the player follows the breadcrumbs left by a previous explorer known only as Clayton.
Dicefolk is a tactical roguelite game based on customizable dice and monster-catching mechanics. On your adventure as a Chimera Summoner, you’ll meet dozens of unique and powerful creatures that you can recruit to create the perfect team
You wake up to discover your previous life was nothing but a simulation. You’ve no memory of this place, your quaint animal neighbors, the refreshing wind and fragrant flowers, the little farm you had tucked away just outside town, none of it. But once you spend a little time with your forgotten friends and your helpful pet, doesn’t Everafter Falls just feel perfect? Isn’t it where you always wanted to be?
You have been appointed as commander of a humanoid unit on a top secret mission: Resuce the survivors trapped in a Mars research facility that has gone dark, and return them to Earth.
Take control of four humanoid units in a 3×3 grid during real-time battles. Makes split-second decisions as you command characters to fight, flee or execute your own stratagems on the battlefield. Strategic timing and firm decisiveness will be key to overcoming these trying conditions, all the while running against the clock!
SEKIMORI GAMI – SAIEN – £16.99
SEKIMORI GAMI – SAIEN is an otome game.
It includes the “Standard Edition” where the protagonist’s face is hidden, and the “Sakurabito Edition” featuring the protagonist’s face graphic, both in one package.
After completing the main story, a special additional scenario becomes available.
Rainbow Ascend: Anime Girls Go Up – £7.99
Prepare to defy gravity, leap across vibrant landscapes, and flip through enchanting environments in the ultimate parkour jump simulator! Immerse yourself in the heart-pounding world of “Rainbow Ascend: Anime Girls Go Up,” where you guide anime-style girls through a thrilling free-running adventure.
Leap, vault, and sprint through diverse anime-inspired settings, each presenting its own unique obstacles and challenges. Your journey through this non-stop obstacle course isn’t just a game; it’s a captivating parkour odyssey.
Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life-sim set in an open world with 100 islands to explore. Make friends, brew potions, collect Spirits, and test your strength in card-based encounters to complete your Alchemy training!
Mushoku Tensei jobless reincarnation Quest of Memories – £35.54
Partner with characters of distinctive personalities while developing the Skill Tree freely, and fight through strategic battles that will test your wits.
New game modes including Roxy’s episode, Roxy’s restaurant etc. are included as well!
Sylphiette, Ghislaine and Geese, who did not rejoin in the original anime, can now team up in the game!
Form a strong party with your favorite characters and enjoy battles in another world!
Glyphs of Gitzan is a block-sliding puzzle adventure spanning 50 unique stages of increasing complexity. Take the role of a young explorer and navigate levels in top-down pixel art style, pushing stone pillars across tiled floors to align them with rows of glyphs. Glowing symbols on each pillar hint at the direction its light will emanate. If you can light up all the glyphs with the pillars in each hall, you’ll be able to proceed to the next tricky chamber. Can you unlock all the secrets of Gitzan?
Make friends, trade and chat at the campfire, weave connections, and explore a serene magic-filled world
Blow up loads of enemies, destroy huge bosses, find weapons, and upgrade your load-out between levels. Combat the electronic legion across 20+ procedurally generated levels!
Next week: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, NeoSprint, Frogun Encore, FROGUE Gigantosaurus: Dino Sports, Tchia, Cape’s Escape Game 9th Room, A Street Cat’s Tale 2: Outside is Dangerous, Flying Tank, planetarian: Snow Globe, How to Sing to Open Your Heart Remastered, Whacking Hell, Nocturnal Visitors, Last Night of Winter, Yori’s Journey: Forgotten Origins, Vera Blanc Supernatural Mysteries, Magnus Trilogy, Fortress Challenge – Fort Boyard, and Radiant Tale -Fanfare!