It seems not a single publisher was worried about the newest Call of Duty potentially harming sales, with several big-name titles launching the same week as Black Ops 6. Even more amusing, then, to see that few publishers deem themselves worthy to go up against the Switch’s big winter title Mario & Luigi: Brothership, with this being one of the quieter weeks for the eShop of late.
Nintendo must also be proud of themselves, as we don’t see many games with pun-tastic subtitles these days. The Acquire developed Mario & Luigi: Brothership sees the duo sailing to different islands, helping locals, solving puzzles, and battling enemies. By working together, the two can enhance their brotherly bonds. Reviews went live earlier this week and mostly clocked in at 8/10, with the outliner being IGN who could only muster a middling 5/10.
“Despite a few lurches here and there and some so-so exploration, Mario & Luigi Brothership offers an enjoyable voyage with smooth sailing, and a punderful script that brings the laughs. It has a new developer and an extra dimension, but the same dedication to humor and brotherly love,” said Games Radar.
Another game reviewing well is the DotEmu published Metal Slug Tactics, with scores also in the 8/10 ballpark. Most critics did however agree that it’s tough going initially.
“While its roguelike elements could be a little more exciting, the minute-to-minute gameplay of a run is so fun that I found it easy to overlook this flaw as I leaped back into action to drop more bombs with a well-placed Synchronization. Overall, Metal Slug Tactics is well worth playing,” was Screen Rant’s verdict.
The Switch gains a new RPG too in the form of The Alchemist of Ars Magna, which is set in an alchemy academy and entails adventuring with relationship bonding and dungeon crawling where alchemy is used to enhance equipment. For reasons unknown, the eShop price is an eyebrow-raising £65.69. We can only assume it features a lot of text that had to be translated into different languages. Virche Evermore -EpiC: Lycoris- is another full price (£44.99) release arriving this week, appearing to be a visual novel with five tales and a central premise involving cloned memories.
Then there’s the fantasy multiplayer sandbox Tinkertown, the annual caterwauling update Let’s Sing 2025 – which features 35 songs and a new career mode – and the pixel art battler spin-off River City Saga: Three Kingdoms – a take on Romance of the Three Kingdoms with Kunio and other familiar Technos characters. It’s odd to think this can be traced back to Renegade on the ZX Spectrum.
Other releases for this week include eastasiasoft’s isometric 3D puzzler O.W.L Projekt, arcade style shooter Angel at Dusk – which has a skeletal theme – cutesy management sim Magical Bakery, an EGGCONSOLE release of the 1990 Micro Cabin RPG Xak II, and Monarchy – which looks uncannily similar to Kingdom: Two Crowns. Inexcusably similar, even.
New Switch eShop releases
Metal Slug Tactics brings the explosive charm and nostalgic fun of the cult METAL SLUG series to the tactical scene. Get ready for an intense ride through the best of both worlds: classic arcade action and roguelite tactical thrills. Jump into the combat zone and revive your METAL SLUG nostalgia in a whole new way!
Mario & Luigi: Brothership – £49.99
The brothers return for a new adventure on the high seas! Set sail with Mario and Luigi, exploring islands, enjoying action-packed encounters, and tackling turn-based combat in Mario & Luigi: Brothership on Nintendo Switch.
Come to Tinkertown – a relaxed and refreshing new multiplayer sandbox gaming experience! Grab a shovel, pickaxe, or sword and enter a realm full of treasures, magic, and dangers. A magical place awaits you, where you can let your imagination run wild. Create your little fantasy kingdom – from a cosy adventurer’s hut with a garden to small towns with their own parks.
Let’s Sing 2025 with UK Hits – £34.99
Standard Edition: The Let’s Sing 2025 Standard edition includes 35 songs and a one month free trial of VIP Pass.
Sing along with your family and friends to the latest hits, as well as a generous selection of all-time classics. Complete your journey to stardom with a brand-new career mode, or join the VIP ranks to gain access to even more tracks. Perform at home or online with a global cast of singers!
The Alchemist of Ars Magna – £65.69
This is an alchemy academy RPG set at the Cagliostro Academy of Magic in the world of the continent of Arcaus, which is threatened by a crisis known as the Oblivion. The story follows the protagonist, Shin, his older apprentice sister Aria, the princess and aspiring alchemist Ceres, and his familiar Enri, who seeks the meaning of its existence. Together, they experience various trials and strengthen their bond as they face the threat of this world-ending disaster.
Virche Evermore -EpiC: Lycoris- – £44.99
The small country of Arpéchéle is surrounded by the sea and filled with black flowers known as Lycoris Noirges. Every island resident is cursed to die at the age of 23.
Many years of research have led to the creation of a “memory download” system, allowing the body to die while memories live on in a clone known as a “Reliver”.
The original story of Virche Evermore -ErroR: Salvation- followed a girl known as “Death” who brought an early end to any person she was involved with. With the assistance of others, she was able to discover the truth behind some of the dark workings on the island.
This fan disk allows you to explore five unique, all-new tales.
Unsolved Case: Killer Popularity CE – £10.69
This new collection of crime episodes is full of terrifying and bone-chilling murders, break-ins, and robberies. We believe you are the only one who can stop the perpetrators, but just in case, we’ve sent Paul to you for backup. Your faithful partner will be there to assist you or even bring you a new case.
Join the daring duck in Duck Run, an exciting adventure filled with dangerous traps and thrilling challenges across 40 action-packed levels. Your mission is to guide the brave duck safely through each obstacle while keeping track of your time. Jump, dash, and outsmart tricky hazards as the pace and difficulty increase, testing your reflexes and strategy. With simple and intuitive controls, Duck Run is easy to pick up but hard to master. Track your progress using the in-game timer and challenge yourself to improve your times. Can you guide the duck to safety in record time? Sharpen your skills and face tougher traps as you advance through this fast-paced, high-stakes adventure!
Unleash your strategic brilliance in this 2D side-scrolling strategy game, where you must build a base, manage resources, explore the mysterious forest and conquer your enemies.
Get ready for an enigmatic and challenging adventure with O.W.L Projekt, a 3D isometric puzzle game that will test your mind and logic skills. Controlling Elysion, a young being created in a mysterious experiment, you will face the enigmatic Watchers in a journey to escape and uncover secrets.
Armed with the powerful Sanctum Staff, Elysion can move objects and overcome obstacles, offering a unique and immersive gaming experience. Challenge yourself through 50 meticulously designed levels as you manipulate blocks, drag platforms, discover secret passages and climb ladders in rotating dioramas, with new mechanics introduced as difficulty gradually ramps up!
The Fine Art of Murder – £2.69
Step into a world where you control the unfolding narrative in this supernatural murder-mystery, inspired by the timeless gamebooks of the past. In this reimagined, interactive adventure, every choice you make shifts the story’s direction, leading to a variety of surprising and unpredictable endings. Delve deep into a haunting, fog-laden town as you uncover its sinister history, piecing together clues that keep you on edge at every turn.
Blackout: The Darkest Night – £11.69
Blackout is a non-linear interactive fiction game set in a dark modern universe, nfluenced by White Wolf’s World of Darkness, H.P. Lovecraft and weird shows like Twin Peaks. Walk the main character through his journey on trying to recollect his memories by making choices. Will you dig deeper into his past and unveil this whole new world hiding beneath the shadows? Or will you leave it all behind?
Live an epic venture in a hostile world full of dangers where you’ll have to showcase your skills. Prove your worth with your weapon and mastery of jumps in this action platformer. Fortunately, you’re not alone. The company of a extraordinary drone will help you solve puzzles necessary to progress in the adventure. His name is Suichi, and he has very useful abilities like being a flying platform to reach high places, launching peculiar bombs that can roll into the most intricate spots, or helping you find hidden objects to improve your health and other secrets.
Get ready for an all-new sequel to the party game that anyone can enjoy!
Share Joy-Con™, and up to 6 players can join in the fun!
Enjoy a collection of 30 intuitive and easy-to-play minigames!
Spend quality time with friends and family and have a blast!
A quirky combination of roguelite and city builder mixed into one! Sitting atop a vast network of mystical caves is your little gnome village. Send out your team of gnomes on rogue-lite runs to bring back resources so you can expand your tiny kingdom. As you grow your village, you’ll unlock new abilities, uncover new biomes, and take on bizarre creatures and extraordinary vegetation lurking underground.
In a peculiar and macabre universe, little Arthur faces his greatest fears, nightfall is what scares him the most, in this brief period of darkness his syndromes transcend the limits of the psychic, monsters are always on the prowl, will this time he escape ?
Dodge fire, grab items, and blast away at throngs of enemies…A faithful return to the origin of shmups.
The closer you attack your enemies, the more HP recovering and bomb charging power-ups appear!
Obliterate oncoming projectiles with your charged attack, and get up close and personal with enemies to hammer away at them from close range.
The best offense is a good offense!
MIYAMOTO is a beautifully styled Japanese-themed card game. Build your deck with cards earned after each battle, and strategically place unique pieces to claim victory.
Magical Bakery is a single-player cooking and management game set in an enchanted bakery that sells all sorts of sweets and pastries, with a twist—they may contain traces of magic!
Experience a life full of magic, challenges, and the joy of creating sweets that will leave a spellbinding impression on your customers. Become the ultimate magical baker and prove yourself worthy of inheriting the Magical Bakery!
Inspired by classic 70s and 80s sci-fi, Bioframe Outpost is a 2d sci-fi action adventure game, dedicated to exploration, experimentation, emergent gameplay and narrative. Its unique, photography-based approach to non-linear exploration and action gameplay offers a fresh take on Metroidvania gameplay.
EGGCONSOLE Xak II PC-8801mkIISR – £5.39
In 1990, Micro Cabin released the action RPG Xak II in Japan, set three years after the battle with Badu from the previous game. The story begins with Latok Kart, who lives with his mother, setting out on a journey to the town of Banuwa after hearing rumors of someone resembling his missing father.
This installment stands out for its emphasis on higher action gameplay compared to its predecessor. While the previous game’s attack method relied on body slams, this time, players can swing swords, shoot force shots, and the introduction of jumping adds a sense of depth to the field.
Equipped with your trusty video camera and unwavering resolve, you set on a mission to document the whispers of the past and capture evidence of the restless spirits wandering inside.
The deeper you venture, the more the asylum twists and contorts around you. The escape route you meticulously documented vanishes, replaced by an endless maze of despair. The playful curiosity that led you to Crimson Asylum has morphed into a desperate struggle for survival.
Jetpack Kiwi is a classic 2D side-scrolling shoot ‘em up game featuring 20 challenging levels, endless hordes of enemy spaceships, and 5 epic bosses.
The aliens have arrived and they’re up to no good. Only you can stop the aliens and their thirst for conquest.
Choose between multiple characters to play, each one with a unique special attack ability. Complete the game in single player mode, or with a friend in local co-op multiplayer.Let the battle begin!
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next – £27.76
In River City Saga: Three Kingdoms, we had our beloved hero Kunio as Guan Yu wander throughout the warring states of feudal China.
The story picks up from the aftermath of the Battle of Red Cliffs and continues on until it reaches its historical climax at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. With a total of 100 unique River City characters, the story will not end without a crazy, comic twist.
Next week: Tetris Forever, LEGO Horizon Adventures, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake Petit Island, Slam and Roll, Little Big Adventure – Twinsen’s Quest, NAIRI: Rising Tide, Debut Project: Cooking Café, DESERTED, Voodoo Strikers, Heretic’s Fork, JankenUp, Miniatures, Bullet Runner, Dorfs: Hammers for Hire, Meowsterpiece Museum, Goblin Slayer -ANOTHER ADVENTURER- NIGHTMARE FEAST, A Good Gardener, Great God Grove, Access Denied: Escape, and Cat Clean Ocean.