Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct has made a busy week for the Switch even busier, with a handful of games launching during the presentation. Specifically, Castlevania: Dominus Collection – which brings together three DS Castlevania entries, along with the arcade game Haunted Castle – farmyard sandbox Goat Simulator 3, and the hit Wario-inspired frantic platformer Pizza Tower.
Nintendo themselves have a new title imminent. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is the first entry in the series in 27 years, and unlike the vast majority of Switch first-party titles it’s aimed at a mature audience with an 18+ age rating. In this investigative adventure, you’re tasked with solving the murder of a high school student, with all the clues leading back to an unsolved murder that took place 18 years ago.
Then there’s Bandai-Namco’s GUNDAM BREAKER 4 – based around creating and customising Gunpla, before taking them into battle. Any parts broken off enemies can be added to your collection, and there are over 250 base kits to choose from.
The publisher behind the Hot Wheels Unleashed series is also back with Monster Jam Showdown, which appears far more promising than past Monster Jam games, with spilt-screen, numerous recognisable trucks, figure-of-eight tracks, and off-road races.
Retro fans may want to look out for Shadow of the Ninja Reborn – a remake of a NES action platformer similar to Ninja Gaiden, featuring simultaneous two-player – and the 2.5D side-scrolling shooter Valfaris: Mecha Therion. They’re joined by EGGCONSOLE XANADU SCENARIO II PC-8801mkIISR, an inexpensive re-release of the 1985 RPG sequel. Even the product description warns that the difficulty level is “significantly high.”
Gori: Cuddly Carnage is finally out too. We checked out the demo of this hoverboard based hack ‘n slasher in 2022 and came away impressed. The premise is as daft as they come, involving a cat riding a sentient hoverboard while slaying demonic unicorns. It might be worth waiting for reviews of this Switch version to drop though, as the screenshots look a little rough.
Other releases for this week include the roguelike Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire – which we previewed on PC in 2023 – fairytale RPG WitchSpring R, a retro-style demake of Super Dark Deception, Kairosoft’s Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story, and the afterlife cleansing adventure CRYPT CUSTODIAN.
New Switch eShop releases
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club – £39.99
Unmask the truth in a dark, twisted thriller for Nintendo Switch: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. Solve the tragic murder of a junior high school student, where a creepy clue recalls cold cases from the past and an urban legend about a killer with a disturbing modus operandi.
Create your own ultimate Gundam in the newest Gundam Breaker game!
In Gundam Breaker 4 you will create and customize your own powerful Gunpla, and put it to the test in thrilling combat missions.
Venture forth into Goat Simulator 3, the baa-rilliant sequel to 2014’s Goat Simulator that puts you back into the hooves of Pilgor the Goat.
Begin your whirlwind adventure on the sandbox island of San Angora. Lick, headbutt, and crash your way through an open world full of quests to solve, secrets to uncover, and NPCs to terrorise. We won’t tell you how to play (except in the tutorial), but provide the means to be the goat of your dreams.
If your dreams contain more than one goat, then we have good news! In Goat Simulator 3 on Nintendo Switch™, you can invite a friend in local or online co-op to explore the island as a duo, create carnage, and compete in mini-games. And don’t worry, there are plenty of customisation options to make sure you don’t wear clashing outfits.
Goat Simulator 3 first launched in November 2022, and since then has added a host of seasonal content, which is all included on Nintendo Switch!
Castlevania: Dominus Collection – £19.99
In addition to the three action adventure games from the Castlevania series, Haunted Castle Revisited, an redesigned version of the very first Castlevania arcade game, makes its debut! And you can also play it in its original format!
Experience the world of Castlevania like never before, with never-before-seen art and handy new features such as rewind, quick saves and much more!
The excitement of real-life Monster Jam™ events is ready to explode, thanks to the franchise’s most recognisable icons: the trucks. Grave Digger™, El Toro Loco™, Megalodon™ and many others… Drive the hottest rides in Monster Jam™ racing the current fleet, the legendary history-making trucks, and the wildest fictional beasts from the toy universe. Unlock dozens of trucks and collect countless different liveries!
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn – £17.99
It’s 2029. A vicious dystopian future. And it’s up to two warriors of the night to save the nation!
After 33 years in the shadows, prepare to see this legendary action adventure in a new light! Looking and playing better than ever before, Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is Tengo Project’s remake of a cult classic, that the fans have been waiting for.
In this thrilling action-adventure, you will use your striking katana along with a wide variety of weaponry that has greatly expanded from the NES original, as well as the acrobatic finesse of a ninja to face the onslaught of powerful enemies. Although, the challenge does not end here! 6 complex, expansive, and masterfully designed stages test your skills through devious traps and challenging platform puzzles.
Critically acclaimed as one of the best 2-player co-ops of its time, Shadow of the Ninja—Reborn lets you play together locally as the legendary ninjas Hayate and Kaede.
Humanity has been destroyed – and it’s up to Gori, along with his deadly but wise-cracking sentient hoverboard, F.R.A.N.K, and morose A.I companion, CH1-P, to slay the evil Adorable Army with lethal combos.
Fuelled by insatiable demand, ‘Cool-Toyz Inc.’ created ‘Ultra Pets’. The ultimate companions that never hunger, never require bathroom breaks and are impervious to the ravages of time. Little did anyone expect the mutation that transformed these perfect pets into twisted toys straight from your nightmares, hell-bent on wiping out humanity.
Master explosive weaponry and devastating combos in an epic battle to prevent the Adorable Army from conquering the galaxy, and rescue Professor Y, their missing creator and only human who showed Gori and his friends love. Push your combat and platforming skills to the limits as you fight your way through twisted landscapes filled with environmental hazards, razor-sharp adult humour and a bone-crunching, pulse-pounding soundtrack.
These reluctant heroes must track down and obliterate the generals of the Adorable Army, and with the help of a wild cast of unlikely allies – discover the truth about Cool-Toyz Inc. and unravel the secrets of this thrilling, action-packed hack ‘n’ slash adventure. Get ready to unleash the cuddly carnage!
Step into the shoes of Pluto, a mischievous cat who has just died, and landed in the afterlife’s palace. After a brief and disastrous meeting with the Afterlife Guardian – Kendra – you’re banished from the palace and sentenced to clean… FOREVER!!!
Explore the vast grounds that surround the palace, battle beasts with your trusty broom, and gain new abilities to expand your world. Hang out with doomed ghosts, solve puzzles, discover secrets, and… organize an ambush to break back into the palace!
Super Dark Deception is a fun retro take on the hit horror game, Dark Deception! This is the first chapter of the game and contains the first 4 levels. All future Super Dark Deception DLC chapters are included in the price.
Missing a hoop costs the player a life, as does colliding with obstacles. Feathers can be used to purchase different eagles with unique attributes such as speed, extra lives, or better maneuverability.
Fragrant Story and Papaya’s Path – £5.99
Expanded campaigns from the 2022 game and its 2023 update offer dozens of unique battles. Conquer all story biomes in about 10 hours, then track your progress and go for 100% with about 30 hours to complete.
Featuring pixel art, music, and sound effects by William Kage, plus musical guests Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoshimi Kudo, and Bulby. Companion 8-bit mode offers cabbage-colored challenges reminiscent of a bygone handheld from the same era.
Get the key and pass the levels by timing the puzzles correctly with good timing!
It is very important to get the right time.
Can you beat 40 challenging levels, with unique platforming mechanics that change with each new biome?
A chill puzzle adventure awaits in SokoPenguin, a top-down pixel art block-sliding game where you take the role of a cute penguin and overcome a wide variety of single-screen challenges to help him reach his igloo! Master 100 levels of gradually increasing complexity as you slide power blocks onto their corresponding switches to power a drawbridge, then proceed to the goal!
Enjoy relaxing tunes as you figure out how to move the blocks and slide crates or other obstacles away and retry levels as many times as it takes the get the penguin back home!
WitchSpring R is a story-driven RPG with a unique gaming system blending elements of simulation, item collection, and adventure. Discover the perfect combination of fairytale-like graphics and deep worldbuilding! Accompany Pieberry, a young witch running from a Witch Hunt, as she embarks on a grand adventure!
Marble Abduction! Patti Hattu – £10.49
Marble Abduction! is a brand new kind of rolling experience. Hand-crafted levels, intuitive and customizable controls, the highest visual quality and reliable and robust physics make for a truly out-of-this-world marbling experience!
KAMITSUBAKI CITY ENSEMBLE – £3.39
Set in the rubble and ruins of a world destroyed, the AI girls who have awoken in the aftermath want to use their magical songs to rebuild what was lost.
How did the destruction happen? Why do the girls exist? All will be revealed when the music stops, and it’s up to you to find the truth.
This is a puzzle in which dice are connected to form blocks that fit together on the board.
Blocks are erased when they are a multiple of 10 in both the vertical and horizontal directions.
Three modes are available, from an easy mode with a fixed number of moves to an arranged mode with a completely different playing style.
This is a new puzzle game that tests your puzzle and simple math skills.
Dive into a nostalgic gaming experience with Ninja I & II, a brand new 2-in-1 game. This exciting title combines the fast-paced action of “Ninja” and “Ninja II” into a single package, bringing back the classic charm of the 1980s gaming era. Developed by Softinary Studios, Ninja I & II challenges players with a series of Quick Time Event (QTE) based mini-games that test reaction speeds, button mashing skills, and precise timing.
Each stage in Ninja I & II features unique control schemes and intuitive gameplay, ensuring that every mini-game offers a fresh and engaging challenge. Enjoy the thrill of competing alone against a CPU with adjustable difficulty levels or take on a friend in exhilarating multiplayer battles.
A mysterious signal. A missing crew. And a long buried secret. As Commander Abe Douglas, explore massive oceanic biomes, battle monstrous creatures, and uncover a mystery that threatens not only your crew, but your own sanity.
Five different sceneries, a hundred kittens to rescue in each, and only one person to take care of it all. (That person is you!)
Keep your eyes open for ears, tails and noses – kittens are small, and there’s a lot of them around ^^
The puzzles in this game are an exploration of how far the interactions between a seemingly simple collection of objects can be taken. Each puzzle is designed to teach a new idea or interaction that was hidden in plain sight all along.
EGGCONSOLE XANADU SCENARIO II PC-8801mkIISR – £5.39
This is the sequel to “Xanadu” released in 1985 in Japan. Like its prevous title, it is a side-view action RPG. The player once again sets out to defeat the King Dragon “Galsis,” who has been resurrected despite having been defeated before.
The combat system features real-time weapon attacks through physical contact and manually guided magic. The game retains the dual experience points system for warriors and mages, allowing players to develop their characters’ unique traits based on which experience points they focus on. Additionally, weapons, armor, and magic have their own experience points, increasing in effectiveness with use. While these systems follow the previous game’s mechanics, this installment introduces new elements such as traps with upside-down icicles, poison that doesn’t decrease karma when consumed, maps requiring high action skills, new bosses, and monsters. These features elevate the difficulty to a level that many RPG fans will find challenging and satisfying.
Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire – £16.75
Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire is an action-farming-roguelite set in Transylvania, the homeland of Dracula and his rebellious lastborn son, Voltaire. An epiphany results in a change of heart for the young vampire: abandoning blood in favour of a plant-based diet out of spite to prove to his father that neck-biting is not the only way for vampires to thrive.
The Elder Vampire doesn’t take kindly to such ideas, but with the help of uncle(s) Frank and Stein, Voltaire slips away from his father’s gaze. Once on his own, he embarks on a creepy, cute odyssey full of veggie recipes, a plant-based lifestyle, and hand-drawn art celebrating the gloriously macabre!
Valfaris: Mecha Therion – £16.50
Therion returns as the hunt for Lord Vroll continues. Pilot an advanced machine of death and destruction in this explosive 2.5D side-scrolling shoot ‘em up, and sequel to the critically acclaimed Valfaris. Strap in and unleash mecha hell!
After escaping Valfaris, Therion’s hunt for the evil Lord Vroll has taken him across the galaxy. As the final, inevitable showdown looms, Therion harnesses the awesome combat ability of his secret weapon – Mecha Therion!
A formidable suit of weaponised metal, Mecha Therion can be equipped with an array of devastating firepower, including enemy eviscerating favourites such as Bringer of Mayhem, Skysplitter, and Therion’s trademark Hellwraith.
Leo: The Firefighter Cat – £19.99
Use your fire hose, axe, and special powers to tackle various challenges. Save your fellow cat citizens from forest fires and floods, or even toxic waste! Battle mischievous spirits, and put out fires threatening the city – it’s a non-stop adventure! Zoom to the rescue in cool vehicles, such as a fire truck, boat, seaplane, helicopter and more. You’ve got all the gear to act fast!
Head back to the fire station to unlock new outfits for Leo – there are tons of costumes to make him the coolest cat on every mission.
Koi-Koi is a classic Japanese card game with bright graphics, an intuitive interface. Test your luck and strategic fortitute in this traditional Japanese game.
Two players compete to complete Yaku matches using cards in your hand and on the field to earn points.
Once a set has been completed, the player can end the match and cash their points or they can choose to continue (calling Koi-Koi) risking it all to double their points.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash – £39.99
A colorful cast of pixel-art Umamusume are all in line and ready to compete in the Slapdash Grand Prix, a school festival featuring four zany events! Which team will run, shoot, and eat their way to gold and glory?
Forests, Fields and Fortresses – £4.99
Forests, Fields and Fortresses is a mix of a puzzle and a board game in which you have to build your kingdom. Try on the role of a ruler, piece together your lands and ensure the prosperity of your people.
In the Puzzle Mode, play handcrafted levels with a small number of pieces of territory. Your goal is to place them in such a way as to earn the required amount of gold.
In the Adventure Mode, start the game with a random map and an endless supply of pieces of territory.
Survivors Heroes is an engaging survival game that offers an intense experience in a post-apocalyptic world. You will explore devastated locations, fight for resources, and survive under constant threat, facing mutants, wild animals, and brutal gangs of survivors. With unique heroes, dynamic gameplay, and a world full of dangers, this game offers an intense and captivating experience. Survive, evolve, and face the final boss to prove you can handle any challenge.
Dive into tactical naval warfare against enemy fleets!
Get behind the guns of a submarine and lead it into thrilling battles against formidable enemy convoys! Use your torpedoes to sink enemy armadas and rise through the ranks to become an admiral of the U-boat fleet.
Island Survival: Craft, Build, Grow – £11.99
“Island Survival: Craft, Build, Grow” transports you to a remote, uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean. After a devastating shipwreck, you find yourself stranded on this isolated landmass with only your wits and survival skills to rely on.
Ruthless Carnage Hotline – £7.99
Step into the neon-lit, crime-ridden streets of Ruthless Carnage Hotline. As a lone vigilante, you’ll embark on a relentless rampage through 13 challenging levels, each more intense than the last. Choose from 5 unique playable characters, each with their own distinct arsenal of weapons and combat styles, and wreak havoc on the criminal underworld.
Embark on a journey deep into the forest, in medieval times, in search of a princess locked away in a castle. Unravel puzzles, which will challenge you on this journey in search of the princess. Find your way to solve each challenge that will lead you closer to the red castle.
Unravel ancient riddles, take a journey through forgotten lands and find the knight’s way to his lady. Will you be the champion?
The dragons have been popping peglins and stealing all of your gold for as long as you can remember. Enough is enough. It’s time to venture through the woods, conquer the fortress, and delve into the heart of the dragon’s lair to take back what’s yours and teach those dragons a lesson.
The enemies are tough, and if you’re defeated your run is over, but you’ve got powerful orbs with special effects and incredible relics that influence both your enemies and the physics you’ll use to defeat them.
Aim carefully to survive in this unique turn-based RPG!
PICO PARK 2 is a 2D action-puzzle game where working together is key! We’re now back with more levels than in the last game!
As with the previous iteration, this game can be played locally or online from two players all the way to eight. All levels can be played no matter how many players you have, so jump in with your friends and take ’em on!
Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story – £17.99
A game where you run a sweets shop with the popular manga character Doraemon.
Let’s make Doraemon’s favorite dorayaki and create a store that will be the talk of the town.
First, make the sweets, set up the shelves, prepare the tables, and get ready to run the shop!
“Q2 HUMANITY” is a completely new sequel to the “Q” series.
In the previous “Q” series, players cleared levels by using what they drew in a very simple physics-based puzzle game.
However, “Q2 HUMANITY” is a game where you not only “draw”, but also utilize “character abilities” to tackle over 300 stages.
In addition to basic abilities like jumping, grabbing, throwing, and punching, there are characters who excel at throwing, can double jump, set off bombs, and even manipulate gravity, with a total of 18 characters each possessing unique special abilities.
Peppino Spaghetti, a surprisingly agile and powerful fat balding italian, is on a mission to destroy the titular Pizza Tower in order to save his restaurant from annihilation. Follow him through his rampage across the many wacky floors of the tower, collecting toppings and beating up monsters!
PLAY as Peppino Spaghetti, the supersonic italian middle-aged man! And sometimes Gustavo. EXPLORE up to 5 floors leading to many levels, discover all of their secrets! FIGHT some monsters and other weirdos! DESTROY everything in your path, including those stupid rats. BECOME the Pizza Tower!
Next week: BAKERU, Gimmick! 2, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, Sunsoft is Back! Retro Game Selection, Aero The Acro-Bat 2, Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU, Scotland Yard – Hunting Mister X, The Holy Gosh Darn, Badminton Time, Animal Water Pang, The Backrooms: Survival, What Happened – Through Worlds, HOLYHUNT, V-HUNTER PUZZLER DX, and Billy’s Game Show.