It’s the Switch 2’s launch day! Fans wanted a more powerful system, and that’s exactly what Nintendo has delivered – with the Switch 2 being more of an evolution than a revolution. The system is said to be able to match the PS4 Pro, and word has it developers are happy with the specs. There’s a sprinkling of innovation tucked into the hardware too, with the Joy-Cons having mouse functionality, while the Game Chat feature allows players to socialise more easily.
Nintendo has however come under fire for game pricing – with Mario Kart World’s retail release clocking in at £74.99 – and the use of new Game Key cards, which don’t actually contain a full physical version of a game but rather the ability to download it. Vote with your wallet, folks.
We’re more concerned about the amount of genuinely new games available, both from today and on the horizon. Out of the 23 titles hitting the Switch 2 on day one (possibly 24 if FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time shows up) only around six of these are brand new, two of which (DELTARUNE and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma) are also launching on the original Switch this week. This leaves us with the system showcase Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Fast Fusion, and Survival Kids. Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer may qualify as a new release too, depending on your viewpoint.
Still, it’s hard to be disappointed with the line-up when the quality is this high. The bulk of games are conversions of very well received titles, which can now be played anywhere. Nothing stands out as a launch day dud, with even Ubisoft shying away from scraping together a mini-game collection or a casual party game. How times change.
From Nintendo themselves there’s the free-roaming racer Mario Kart World, the £7.99 mini-game laden tech demo Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and performance upgrades to both Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Zelda: Breath of the Wild – also priced £7.99. A trio of GameCube titles are coming to NSO too: Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soul Calibur 2, and the often longed for F-Zero GX. These are only playable on Switch 2 and feature performance boosts.
The third-party games generating a buzz are Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – which appears visually impressive, even in handheld mode – EA’s highly rated co-op adventure Split Fiction, Shin’en’s slick looking futuristic racer Fast Fusion, the anticipated final chapters of the Undertale follow-up DELTARUNE, and the RPG/life sim Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – which is a Switch title with a Switch 2 upgrade available.
Reviews of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma are live, and it seems to be going down well, even gaining a few 9/10s. “Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a big step forward for the series, making massive strides in both the production values and the way in which it has built upon the already vast number of systems with its compelling town-building hook,” said Hey Poor Player.
Konami has two titles due – Survival Kids, based on a forgotten Game Boy Color series, and a native release of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster. Square-Enix reheats an RPG too, with their 3DS revival BRAVELY DEFAULT HD Remaster. Then from SEGA there’s Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut which boasts new cut-scenes and an online battle mode, a re-release of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S with camera support and a new duos mode, and a conversion of SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS which doesn’t appear to have any exclusive features.
Capcom are behind the positively received tactical battler Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and the content stuffed Street Fighter 6, Koei Tecmo has dusted off 2022’s NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: Awakening, while Hogwarts Legacy sees a native release said to be close to the PS4 version. We imagine Fortnite will be based on the PS4 version too, although don’t quote us on that. Sid Meier’s Civilization VII adds mouse support, making it a welcome addition, while HITMAN World of Assassination has year’s of content to offer. It’s also great to see Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer in the line-up. We believe marks the first time the arcade version has seen a re-release.
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is tipped to make a launch day appearance, while No Man’s Sky is about to gain a huge Switch 2 update that’ll be free for existing owners. It’s currently discounted on the eShop, making it a neat launch day bonus.
In addition to DELTARUNE and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, a bunch of other games are lined-up for the original Switch this week. In fact, around 20 titles are due. Calm yourself, as these are mostly of the shovelware variety (quite literally, considering one new release is based around digging holes) and are presumably intended to woo new Switch owners.
Some of the more promising titles include the dark vampire fantasy otome The Red Bell’s Lament, Kemco’s pixel art RPG Covenant of Solitude, top-down shooter Narcissus, physics-based puzzler Q with VTubers, and an EGGCONSOLE release of the 1984 dungeon crawling RPG Mugen no Shinzou. There’s the top down looter shooter CyberCorp too, which we reviewed yesterday. It’s not bad at all, offering online play, and at around 8-10 hours it doesn’t drag on for too long either.
New Switch 2 eShop releases
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – £66.99 (£7.99 upgrade)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – £66.99 (£7.99 upgrade)
With higher resolution, improved frame rates, and HDR support, the expansive world of Hyrule has never looked better.
Hit the open road with Mario and friends! Zip along courses on a vast world where everything is connected. Race around grassy plains, bustling cities, wide-open waters, big ol’ volcanos, and more…plus everything in-between.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – £59.99
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Play as V, a cyberpunk mercenary, and take on the most powerful forces of the city in a fight for glory and survival. In the Ultimate Edition, experience the original Cyberpunk 2077 story as well as the acclaimed spy-thriller adventure in the Phantom Liberty expansion — a high-stakes tale of espionage set in the deadly district of Dogtown.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour – £7.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is an interactive exhibit of sorts that offers an inside look at the suite of features and tech that power the games you love to play. Look, touch, and feel your way through the different exhibits!
Dive into the long-awaited parallel story to UNDERTALE! Fight or spare your way through action-packed battles as you explore a mysterious world alongside an endearing cast of new and familiar characters. Create your avatar, meet strange friends, and jump into the darkness: DELTARUNE is waiting!
BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster – £33.99
Follow four Warriors of Light on a journey to restore the elemental crystals in the HD remaster of the Nintendo 3DS RPG masterpiece, BRAVELY DEFAULT. Experience an RPG that brings new depth to classic, turn-based battles with the introduction of the “Brave & Default” system – featuring an array of options to customise your characters with over 20 unique jobs. The game also includes quality of life updates and two new minigames that leverage the dual mouse controls of Nintendo Switch 2.
Fast Fusion is the fastest antigrav racing game you may have ever experienced.
Race your anti-grav vehicle through brilliant tracks such as the beautiful Redwood Forest, the storm planet Tempesta or through the lofty heights of Yama Crest.
Use the exciting ‘Fusion’ ability! ‘Fusion’ lets you create hundreds of improved racing machines by fusing your favorite vehicles into new ones, with improved specifications and unique looks.
Risk it all by mastering the new antigrav hyper jump technology to get ahead of your opponents.
Be the last player standing in Battle Royale, Zero Build, Reload, and Fortnite OG, explore LEGO Fortnite experiences, blast to the finish with Rocket Racing or headline a concert with Fortnite Festival. Play thousands of free creator made islands with friends including deathruns, tycoons, racing, zombie survival and more! Join the creator community and build your own island with Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) or Fortnite Creative tools.
Embrace mind-blowing moments as you’re pulled deep into the many worlds of Split Fiction, a boundary-pushing co-op action adventure from the studio behind 2021 Game of the Year Winner, It Takes Two. Mio and Zoe are contrasting writers – one writes sci-fi and the other writes fantasy – who become trapped in their own stories after being hooked up to a machine designed to steal their creative ideas. They’ll have to rely on each other to break free with their memories in-tact, working together to master a variety of abilities and overcome diverse challenges while jumping between sci-fi and fantasy worlds in this unexpected tale of friendship.
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut – £44.99
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is the definitive edition of the critically acclaimed origin story, now on Nintendo Switch™ 2.
Fight like hell through Tokyo and Osaka entertainment districts as yakuza Kazuma Kiryu and cabaret club manager Goro Majima in an epic crime drama of intertwined fates that created legends.
Kiryu and Majima each have three unique fighting styles to dynamically switch between to creatively crack skulls with your fists, makeshift weapons and more. Anyone can enjoy exhilarating brawler action with easy-to-pick-up controls and a high skill ceiling.
Director’s Cut content gives deeper insight into key incidents and character backstories with never-before-seen cutscenes. Plus, the Red Light Raid online multiplayer mode lets you join forces with friends and choose from 60 playable characters to take down hordes of enemies.
Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition – £49.99
It’s time to hit the streets! Street Fighter™ 6 represents the next evolution of the Street Fighter™ series featuring three distinct game modes, innovative new gameplay features, and enhanced visuals for every aspect of the game.
Fight your way to the top with all new content and game modes exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 like Local Wireless One on One and Avatar Matches. Enjoy brand new party modes that utilize the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con™ controllers like Gyro Battle, and Calorie Contest where the player who burns the most calories wins! Play on the go with Tabletop Mode and access all three control types (Classic, Modern, Dynamic) on your Joy-Con.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Steer the course of history in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII. Featuring new mouse controls that offer a more intuitive experience, players’ decisions will shape the cultural lineage of their empire. Construct cities and architectural wonders, improve your civilisation with technological breakthroughs, and conquer or cooperate with rival civilisations as you explore the world. Whether you choose to follow history or forge your own path, create a legacy that echoes through the Ages when Sid Meier’s Civilization VII comes to Nintendo Switch 2.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – £59.99
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – £49.99 (Switch 1)
Choose from one of two protagonists whose destinies are intertwined by mysterious forces. Use sacred treasures to fight against the Blight’s many forms to restore the people, and even gods, to their natural glory. Take farming further, as you’ll manage more than a plot, rebuilding entire villages and cultivating new allies and resources along the way. Explore seasonal-themed villages heavily inspired by traditional Japanese culture, each with brand-new festivals and revamped fan-favourites, as well as charming romance candidates.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess – £32.99
The imaginative Japanese-inspired world of Capcom’s highly acclaimed game, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, comes to Nintendo Switch™ 2!
Experience a mystical journey that combines a unique blend of dance-like sword action and strategic gameplay, enhanced for Nintendo Switch™ 2 with multiple ways to play including mouse controls.
HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition – £54.99
HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition brings together the best of HITMAN, HITMAN 2 and HITMAN 3 including the main campaign, Contracts mode, Escalation, Elusive Target arcades, featured live content, Freelancer game mode plus all HITMAN 2 Expansion Pack & HITMAN 3 Deluxe Pack content.
NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: Awakening Complete Edition – £57.99
“NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: Awakening,” where players can truly experience the Warring States period with officers who make decisions for themselves, now has a complete edition that includes various add-on content that has been released.
Arcade Archives 2 RIDGE RACER – £14.99
“RIDGE RACER” is a racing game released by NAMCO (Bandai Namco Entertainment) in 1993.
Experience the essence of virtual reality using the 3D CG system “System 22.”
This game has four modes to choose from, including three difficulty levels – NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, and ADVANCED – as well as T.T. (TIME TRIAL), where you compete one-on-one against a rival car to achieve the best time. Additionally, a DX version featuring support for an H-shifter and clutch is also included.
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. Take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world.
Experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Make allies, battle Dark wizards, and ultimately decide the fate of the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it. Live the Unwritten.
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS – £44.99
Shadow the Hedgehog is back with Classic and Modern Sonic in SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, an all-new collection featuring two unique experiences!
Play as Shadow in a brand-new story campaign featuring never-before-seen abilities that prove why he’s known as the Ultimate Life Form! Speed through iconic stages from Shadow’s history, discover hidden secrets in an expansive hub world, and unlock new powers to take on Black Doom and save the world.
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS also includes a complete remaster of the highly acclaimed SONIC GENERATIONS, a time-traveling adventure featuring a greatest-hits collection of 3D and 2D Sonic stages, now with upgraded visuals and new bonus content.
Picture this: A dusty old attic, cobwebs, forgotten boxes and the faint smell of neglect. Four curious kids stumble upon an ancient, tattered map, sparking an unexpected adventure…
Setting out to sea upon their ramshackle boat, a sudden, ferocious storm hurls them into a hidden world brimming with danger and mystery. Now it’s down to you to help them work together and find their way home in Survival Kids – a fast-paced, co-op survival game for absolutely everyone!
Stranded on a series of unique islands, set upon the back of giant Whurtles, work together with up to 4 players online or 2 players in local co-op to explore, chop, craft, fish, cook and solve your way to safety – all whilst surviving everything the islands throw at you!
Master the island’s challenges, use the Harmony Stones to tame the storm and make it back home with an epic story to tell!
Enter a newly enhanced dimension of puzzle challenge when world-renowned Tetris® and Japan’s beloved Puyo Puyo series blend their legendary gameplay in the ultimate puzzle match. Stack, chain, and combo your way to victory in traditional Puyo Puyo and Tetris… or mix them together in this unique crossover.
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch 2 Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars – £44.99
A hero’s destiny is written in the Stars
The legendary KONAMI JRPGs Suikoden I and Suikoden II have now been remastered in HD!
New Switch eShop releases
The Red Bell’s Lament – £44.99
A ruthless battle between humans and vampires is about to unfold.
Throughout the story, the heroine will be confronted with various decisions to make.
In order to complete each mission, she must weigh her options carefully before making her choice.
However, when she’s face to face with vampires, one wrong move could lead to the worst possible outcome…
You are a CyberCorp fighter. In your hands lies a unique and dangerous technology – the Synth, a remotely controlled combat shell. Are you ready to take your weapon and return order to the streets of the city?
Narcissus is an adrenaline-pumping, top down, action-horror game that puts you in the shoes of the last survivor on a doomed spaceship. The clock is ticking, and danger lurks around every corner.
As you whip up late-night snacks and serve the occasional drenched customer, strange things begin to creep into your routine. A flickering light here, a whisper over the radio there… and those customers? They seem to know a little too much about you.
Keep the orders coming, keep your cool, and try not to look too long into the shadows. Behind every receipt and every soda pour, there’s a story waiting to be told. Will you crack the mystery behind the kiosk’s eerie past—or become part of it?
Load animals onto your ship and escape in this action-packed puzzle game!
But be warned—heavy animals will rock the boat and take up precious space.
You’ll need to balance species, weight, and space while aiming to rescue as many paired males and females as you can to ensure the survival of each species.
Classic block-pushing puzzles enter the third dimension with Bunny Cubed, a bright and colourful brainteasing adventure! Guide a hopping white rabbit through fields of grass and growing carrots where crates are scattered along dirt paths. Think strategically and have the bunny push those crates onto their designated squares. But be careful not to box yourself in or block the path!
The latest installment of the physics-based puzzle sensation ‘Q REMASTERED,’ which took off primarily among Japanese streamers, is now on Nintendo Switch™!
In Ashwood Valley, you’ll step into the shoes of either Luna or Draco – two magical siblings whose spell-casting mishap opens a portal to a vibrant world… and turns one of them into a cat. Now, it’s up to you to restore a ruined cottage, befriend quirky creatures, and uncover the secrets of the enchanted valley to break the curse.
Carrier Deck is a fast paced time management game where you will play as the Air Officer on board a CVN-76 in the midst of active war. You, alone, are responsible for all aspects of operations involving aircraft on the ship and you’ll need to work fast to ensure everything happens in time for the highest chances of warfare success.
You are a future artist! Solve puzzles and color the streets with your art!
Nurilogy 1000 is a logic puzzle game with simple rules.
Tales From The Arcade: Starship Murder – £4.49
The astro hauler the SS Persephone is falling apart. You – the on-board AI – are being reactivated to perform the necessary repairs. The crew claims that the captain died in a mysterious accident, the same one that conveniently erased your memory banks. Who is telling the truth and who is just trying to buy time to finish the job they started? Welcome, to Starship Murder.
Arcade-style top-down 2D action game. Sacrifice energy as you defeat foes and carve your path forward. As you take risks, adrenaline surges, unleashing Berserk. Keep fighting for revenge as the Cyber Ninja.
EGGCONSOLE MUGEN NO SHINZOU PC-8801 – £5.39
This game is a role-playing game released by Crystal Soft in Japan in 1984. Players take on the role of a hero cast into the Mugen Realm—a place neither heaven nor hell—on a quest to find the “Mugen no Shinzou” and escape. The adventure has a time limit, and the game ends if you exceed 30,000 in-game days.
Duck Life 9: The Flock – £12.95
Welcome to the newest chapter of the Duck Life series, Duck Life 9, where the ducks are still finding new ways to do what they do best – honing their skills and racing their way to the top! Touch down on the tropical archipelago of Featherhaven Island and set up shop in your own little town, ready to rise up the ranks and become the fastest flock there is!
Match Gloop’s color to the floors as you carefully navigate each stage. Watch your step, because touching the wrong color spells disaster! Shift between green, red, blue, and yellow by touching buckets filled with colorful ink to safely reach Gloop’s adorable kids and bring them back home.
Command monsters with the blood of a genie! Contract with creatures from four mighty tribes—dragons, fairies, beasts, and vampires. Assign jobs, combine tribe and job traits, and build your fantastic team. Master turn-based battles and uncover the full strength of Fort’s cursed legacy in this classic-style fantasy RPG!
Next week: Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, Y. Village – The Visitors, VIRTUAL GIRL @ WORLD’S END, Luminaria: Dark Echoes, Legendary Hoplite, Re:Fresh, Kingdom Rush Vengeance, and LABYBAN.