All aboard the Switch eShop express. Our destinations include Tamagotchi Plaza, Boxville and the Riverside. Oh, and where ever Locomoto takes us – hence the train references.
The drip-feed of Switch 2 releases continues this week with Bandai Namco’s Tamagotchi Plaza. Part of the Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop series, it’s a collection of mini-games based around running stores in the titular plaza, with tasks including serving tea at the café and extracting teeth at the dentist. The Switch 2 version has mouse support along with three additional stores, with some offering local two-player. It’s out on the original Switch too.
THQ Nordic are also back with Locomoto, a cosy life sim set aboard a train with quirky animal passengers. The train can be customised fully, and it’s possible to stop at stations to meet the locals. The PC version, released in April, was well received. If you’re lamenting the lack of Animal Crossing news, you may want to investigate.
Then there’s the anticipated Ruffy and the Riverside, which looks like a good fit for Switch. This open-world action platformer involves swapping textures, changing lava to water, and so forth. Ruffy can also jump into walls and continue the adventure from a 2D perspective, not unlike Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. It’s looking very fun and playful.
We can also expect Forever’s tactical turn-based battler FRONT MISSION 3: Remake – first announced back in 2022 – apocalyptic dark fantasy city builder Against the Storm, the co-op war-preventing puzzler How 2 Escape: Lost Submarine, and the side-scrolling adventure Boxville 2 – which is set in a world constructed from cardboard.
There are a couple of vertical shoot’em ups to consider too, with the modern Exo-Calibre coming from eastasiasoft, and Fast Striker EX being a promising conversion of the modern (2010) NeoGeo game with the CGI visuals. £12.49 seems a very reasonable price.
We reviewed a couple of this week’s new releases, albeit on Xbox. CarGo! is a top-down delivery service sim focusing on time management, with each stage having a different city layout to navigate. We had a reasonably good time with it, although don’t expect it grab your attention for long.
Once Upon A Puppet meanwhile is a theatre-themed 3D puzzle platformer taking place in side-scrolling stages, in which a puppet and floating stage hand must work together. The Xbox version suffered from glitches and poor signposting, with environments cluttered or so dimly light that finding interactive items was a pain. Hopefully this version has seen additional work. It definitely isn’t a bad time, although it does take a while for the developer’s vision to shine.
This week also sees the paintball inspired top-down shooter Dungeons Of Paint, physics-based urban sandbox Bambas, a belated conversion of the 2015 isometric horror Stasis, Poppy Playtime‘s fourth chapter, and an EGGCONSOLE release of the MSX2’s 1990 RPG Mado Monogatari 1-2-3 – which includes characters that would later appear in Puyo Puyo, due to being developed by Compile.
New Switch eShop releases
FRONT MISSION 3: Remake – £31.49
FRONT MISSION 3: Remake is a tactical RPG set in a future where nations and corporations compete for dominance in a world shaped by powerful mechs called Wanzers. The game follows two diverging storylines based on an early choice made by the protagonist, Kazuki Takemura. Both narratives focus on a global conspiracy involving secret weapons, corporate greed, and nationalistic agendas.
Ruffy and the Riverside – £14.71
In Ruffy and the Riverside, you wield the magic SWAP to Copy & Paste textures – turn ice into lava or waterfalls into vines! Explore, fight, skate on straw bales, and unleash your imagination in this quirky open-world action game. Dive into an adventure that lets you literally change the world!
Locomoto is a cosy, life-sim adventure train game where you are the conductor! Customise, manage and expand your train as well as tend to your colourful, furry passengers. Board your train and embark on a journey through beautiful landscapes, all while enjoying the soft, lofi beats of an extensive original soundtrack.
Tamagotchi Plaza is set in Tamahiko Town on Tamagotchi Planet.
Treat cavities at the Dentist. Make the perfect pair of glasses at the Eyewear Shop. Create table settings of sweets and drinks to fulfill customer orders at the Afternoon Tea Shop. Help serve Tamagotchi at 12 unique shops and grow your shops’ reputations, enticing new Tamagotchi to visit your shops!
You are the Viceroy – a leader charged by the Scorched Queen to reclaim the wilderness and discover lost riches for the Smoldering City, civilization’s last bastion against the Blightstorm that destroyed the old world. Unlike most survival city builders where your focus is on a single city, in Against the Storm you must build a vast, prosperous network of settlements populated by diverse fantasy races, each with their own specializations and needs.
The wilderness holds many hidden dangers, and never-ending storms will batter your population into submission. If your settlements should fall, then the expedition may end – but not the game. Against the Storm is a roguelite city builder, meaning you will carry forward the resources, upgrades, and experience of your past expeditions each time you set off for a new journey into the wild.
How 2 Escape: Lost Submarine – £10.99
Put your communication and puzzle-solving skills to the test as you and a partner work together to prevent the start of war! Each of you has a crucial role to play that requires logic, coordination, observation and, above all, communication!
As player one, your job is to locate and investigate the inside of the submarine, where you’ll explore and interact with the environment.
Your friend is tasked with using the dedicated free companion app* to gather additional information so you both can solve the puzzles together.
Welcome to Once Upon a Puppet, a 2.5D puzzle-platformer that unfolds within a vibrant world of theater. Take part in a magical tale that combines classic platforming with puppet-inspired gameplay, in a captivating story of friendship, self-discovery, and redemption.
Wear the glove of Nieve, a Stagehand exiled to the Understage, and wield control over Drev’s strings, a Puppet magically bound to her. As they journey to return to the Frontstage above, they will retell forgotten stories, uncover shadowy secrets, and learn their fate is interwoven with the kingdom of theater itself.
Meet the Ex-Calibre Knights, elite pilots in state-of-the-art exo-mechs, defending peace, justice and hope across the world! The Exo-Tech corporation is dedicated to developing advanced weapons and defenses to aid humanity, but when AI drones go haywire and start attacking the populous, it’s up to you to take control of the Ex-Calibre Knights and restore order by any means necessary!
Take flight as one of 3 pilots, each with unique shot types and melee weapons, and engage in vertical scrolling shoot’em up combat against swarms of automaton enemies. Take down screen-filling bosses and chase high scores, earning bonuses for maintaining high health and not losing lives along the way. Challenge player rankings in leaderboards for each of 4 unique play modes!
Boxville 2 continues the adventure of cans living in a box city. Two friends were setting up fireworks for the city celebration, but a mistake caused chaos and one friend went missing.
Boxville 2, from Triomatica Games, is the next part of an adventure game about cans living in a box city.
Two can friends had an important job from the mayor to set up fireworks for the city’s celebration. But due to a mistake, the fireworks went off wrong, causing chaos in the city. Worse, one of the friends went missing. Now, the main character, a red can, has to explore different areas and secret spots in Boxville and even travel outside the city to fix everything and find his friend.
The 2015 critically acclaimed sci-fi horror masterpiece is coming to Nintendo Switch™.
STASIS is an isometric, point-and-click, sci-fi horror adventure game. It intertwines a gruesome narrative with retro adventure gameplay. Combine items, interact with computers and solve puzzles while experiencing the gritty atmosphere.
CarGo! is a chaotic couch co-op for up to four players. Working as a team of couriers try to collect and deliver as many goods as possible while keeping an eye out for time, traffic and roadworks!
Are you ready to start your journey in logistics? As a fresh delivery driver, you’ll take on various transportation tasks across the many islands of Carchipelago. Help the numerous warehouses get their required goods, no matter how strange the order. With chaotic gameplay and tight time limits, CarGo! will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Dungeons Of Paint is a classic top-down shooter inspired by paintball.
Explore dark dungeons, blast baddies, and leave a trail of colourful paint in your artistic path of destruction. Grab different guns, and take down waves of enemies with ricochets of bouncy paint projectiles.
Featuring 5 different dungeons, and 20 different challenges, Dungeons Of Paint is a radiant paintball action-adventure!
Remember when the streets were your playground, where every curb, puddle, or sidewalk became part of an epic mission? Bambas! brings that magic back, offering a sandbox game that lets you relive those carefree adventures with its innovative control system.
Bambas! isn’t just a game—it’s a celebration of urban culture. Break stereotypes with its non-linear narrative and environmental storytelling, where every corner hides tales waiting to be uncovered. Discover hidden spots packed with secrets and meet characters who’ll take you on unexpected journeys. Lace up and step up—because in this game, every stride is an adventure of its own.
Ascendant is a dungeon crawler with heavy Rogue-like elements. You will encounter 3 challenging biome specific enemies types as well as a new boss on every floor! Open soul chests to acquire items with magical attributes. Many of these items synergize with each other to create powerful combinations.
Robot girl’s dream RobotBattleChampionship – £10.49
This game is a 2D RPG game featuring a robot girl who has lost her memories.
You can choose actions such as going out, working, and participating in tournaments, and enjoy encounters with unique humans and robots.
The ending varies based on the actions you take, the choices you make, and the outcomes of your battles.
Pixel Game Maker Series Princess Pomu and the 5 Moons – £10.59
Simple but satifying combo system and weapons. Punch your enemies or take their weapons, but be careful, not every enemy can be beaten the same way!
6 unique weapons and tons of abilities to be unlocked to help you in your violent journey.
Classic 2D Metroidvania progression, collectibles and exploration, uncover more about Illeh’s lore and everything behind the Qmen’s invasion in a fictional world.
Zombies are everywhere! Arcade-inspired shooter, where relentless waves of undead creeps shamble, sprint, and swarm at you in a cramped room! Your only chance? A wild arsenal of weapons and just enough skill (and blind LUCK!) to keep the hordes at bay.
Meet a diverse and achingly familiar cast of characters to converse with in person, over text, and through email. Get to know them, build relationships, flunk group projects, and watch how their individual personal stories unfold alongside yours.
You can choose between 4 game modes with different scoring systems and designs.
This game features six stages of excellent 2D arcade game play with over 40 unique enemy types, super smooth 3D scrolling backgrounds, huge CGI bosses.
Surely we know a lot of things, but we don’t know surely India.
I have never seen such a racing game!Indian people are surprised by it too!
Arisen Force: Life Devotee – £14.50
Dive into a challenging action RPG with stunning HD pixel art and stylish, fast-paced combat—experience Journey to the West like never before in a bold new reimagining of the legendary tale!
Team up with your “other self”, Honno-chan, as you parry, pummel and pulse your way out of your darkest nightmare in this one-of-a-kind “parry heaven” action game!
Use your nightmare’s strength against it with your trusty parry move! Stun foes, send away projectiles, and stop threats right in their tracks by chaining parries!
Honno-chan will defeat any foes you stun automatically. Leave them to her and focus on the defense!
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4 – £15.89
Brace yourself for the darkest chapter yet in the epic Poppy Playtime saga.
You are pushed deeper into the undiscovered depths of the Playtime Co. factory, far below anything the world knew. Here, you’ll encounter terrifying new threats and discover shocking revelations. Can you outwit the unnatural new creations lurking in the shadows? Can you survive here long enough to eventually unravel the mysteries behind the experiments? Every step will test your courage, every puzzle will challenge your mind, and every corner may be your last.
Get ready to tackle clever puzzles, slippery blocks, and a very friendly minotaur! Minos Dungeon is a pixel art puzzle game that combines logic, strategy, and a good dose of creativity—perfect for those who love solving problems in a fun way.
The rules are as simple as possible – dig the hole. Dig deep. Deeper than you can even imagine.
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, because there’s real treasure waiting for you in the ground. Start digging and miracles will happen. You have no idea what could be under your lawn.
Everything you find can be sold and used to upgrade your tools or buy new equipment to help you dig faster and find more.
Turn a ramshackle blacksmith shop into a successful enterprise in a challenging and endlessly varied world! Deal with local bandits, merchants, priests, as well as French and English soldiers. Manage workers with various quirks, improve facilities and tools to create better merchandise, decorate your smithy to attract high-paying customers!
Burn rubber through the neon-lit streets of Retropolis in Retro Drive: Revamped, an indie arcade racer steeped in ‘80s nostalgia. Dodge deadly laser gates and outrun relentless police as you chase friends across vibrant, retro tracks. Master high-speed challenges in a thrilling time capsule of arcade fun. Packed with pop culture nods, this gem delivers pure, addictive racing action.
Floor Plan Puzzle (Red Room Simulator) – £4.49
This is a fun, meditative puzzle game with a mysterious twist. Construct floor plans strategically to earn higher scores while unraveling the eerie secrets hidden within each layout. Each puzzle is randomized, offering a fresh challenge every time you play.
With multiple endings, a built-in tutorial, and quietly atmospheric gameplay, it’s perfect for players who enjoy mindful logic puzzles, exploration, and a hint of the uncanny.
Oirbo is a 2D action-platformer adventure that takes place on a huge spacecraft divided into interconnected areas. Search in every section for the pieces that make out the history of the journey and enhance your skills and components to get to new heights.
Explore a massive spaceship to find answers, but beware of the army of robots that are coming for you; avoid them; fight them, or simply outsmart them in this futuristic hand-drawn adventure in space!
Strange Hunting Grounds – £14.99
A pioneer of the “Frenzied Attacks × Deep Growth” genre! Experience thrilling and unpredictable battles in roguelike dungeons that will draw you into a world of excitement. When the protagonist and her friends enter the ‘Strange Hunting Grounds’, they transform into adorable SD characters and face off against hordes of rampaging monsters in a world consumed by madness. Against a backdrop of swirling purple mist and multiple moons, you can enjoy the satisfaction of defeating hordes of monsters by evolving, synthesising runes, and upgrading equipment.
Flower Shop: The Complete Story – £14.99
Struggling student Steve is shipped off by his dad to his uncle’s farm for the summer so he can learn responsibility.
Take control of Steve as he spends a summer in Fairbook, working on the farm, making new friends, and maintaining old relationships. You can raise and sell your own crops, spend time with local girls, and schedule activities for your week in advance.
The game features nine different endings that change based on your decisions throughout the game. Will Steve become a good, responsible farmer, find love, or both?
Bee Flowers: Save the Garden – £4.49
In the third chapter of the Bee Flowers series, you’ll guide bees through stunning environments while solving logic puzzles on a hexagonal grid. The goal is simple: connect paths to deliver pollen to the flowers. The gameplay is accessible, but the challenges increase as you progress.
EGGCONSOLE Mado Monogatari 1-2-3 MSX2 – £12.09
This RPG was released in Japan by COMPILE in 1990, the story follows a young girl aspiring to become a sorceress. It features three episodes depicting her graduation exam from Mado Kindergarten and her entrance into a magic school.
The game is a 3D dungeon exploration RPG, with random encounter battles using a command-based system. You’ll use spells like Fire and Ice to attack enemies, and can even hear voice lines like “You did it!” or “DiaCute!”, adding excitement to the gameplay.
Featuring comical characters such as Puyo Puyo, Draco Centauros, and Zoh Daimaoh, and unique phrase-based stats like “Super energetic!”, it’s the classic origin of the Mado Monogatari series.
Next week: Irem Collection Volume 3, Dragon Eclipse, No Heroes Here 2, Fool’s Pub, Dead of Darkness, Into The Emberlands, Battle Rockets, Music Drive: Chase the Beat, Slender Threads, and Beat of Life.