A Nintendo Direct is due tomorrow and it seems reasonable to suggest that at least one new Switch 2 title will ‘shadow drop’ during the show. Call of Duty: Warzone, Hi-Fi Rush or a native version of LEGO Harry Potter Collection are our best guesses.
The Switch 2 is in for a bit of action this week regardless of anything being held back for tomorrow. From Arc System Works comes the short interactive story Dear me, I was, which features watercolour style visuals. Alternatively, there’s the four player table hockey game Handy Hockey for a fiver, which has Joy-Con mouse support. On that note, Nintendo has just added the SNES’ Mario Paint to NSO, which likewise supports the mouse.
There’s plenty of new games for the original Switch too. For RPG fans there’s MADO MONOGATARI: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, a dungeon crawler with links to the Puyo Puyo series due to the involvement of Compile. It has reviewed favourably with a few 8/10s dished out.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, from the team behind Blasphemous, has reviewed well too with scores including top marks from a handful of sites and a respectable 86% Metacritic.Admittedly, we were worried this was being shoved out the door before SEGA’s Shinobi reboot arrives, but this doesn’t appear to be the case.
IGN had this to say: “Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a game I’m going to be replaying for a long time. It looks and sounds incredible, and the fast but thoughtful combat is so damn satisfying that I had a hard time putting it down long enough to write this review.”
Sadly, the cosy adventure Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game – with fishing, farming, trading, and more – hasn’t fared as well – although the Switch version currently has the highest Metacritic score at 60%, despite reports of performance issues. Shame, as it initially sounded promising.
“Tales of the Shire has a lot to do in a sleepy, cozy way, from foraging to farming to cooking up elevenses and second breakfasts. I tried to play as much as I could, but the performance on Nintendo Switch saps the magic out of it and really dampens the fun,” warned Pocket Tactics.
This week also sees the release of Panic’s Time Flies – featuring a fly out to complete a bucket list – the solarpunk Cook Serve Delicious follow-up Cook Serve Forever, high school set beat’em up Troublemaker, the cosy Cornwall set metal detector adventure Morgan: Metal Detective, one-click-one-turn tactical roguelike Day of the Shell, Chinese fantasy top-down RPG Noctuary, and a new version of the rhythm action game Groove Coaster. Not a bad assortment.
There’s even a hefty dose of retro-inspired games. These include the arcade-style Game Boy Color platformer Yosei Wars (think Bubble Bobble, Rodland, etc), character switching platformer Pokettohiro (also developed for GBC), Kemco’s new RPG Astral Takers, an EGGCONSOLE release of 1987’s command-based adventure Manhattan Requiem: Angels Flying In The Dark, the PS1-style spy sim Spy Drops – with head-to-head multiplayer – and the hardcore 2D action platformer ION Shift, which is reportedly influenced by Katana Zero and Carrion. Flynn’s Arcade are publishing, who usually have a nose for quality.
New on Switch 2 eShop
Play with up to 4 players on one console.
Compatible with Joy-Con™ 2 mouse mode.
Also supports tabletop mode!
New on Switch eShop
With a beautiful watercolor touch, it depicts the life of a woman.
In her ordinary and modest life…experience her joys, her sorrows, her growth.
Witness the story she spins in a life woven by those around her.
New on Switch eShop
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game – £29.99
Welcome Home, Hobbit! – From the creative studio, Wētā Workshop, live the cosy life of a Hobbit in the wonderfully serene landscape of the Shire. Discover, decorate, and share in this idyllic corner of Middle-earth. Join friendly Hobbits and familiar faces awaiting your arrival in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings™ Game.
NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound – £20.99
From the acclaimed team behind Blasphemous, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound successfully unites the classic lore and gameplay of the Tecmo-developed (now KOEI TECMO GAMES) NINJA GAIDEN series from the classic era with the depth and intensity of the modern 3D entries. The best of both eras come together to create an epic and thrilling adventure.
MADO MONOGATARI: Fia and the Wondrous Academy – £44.99
MADO MONOGATARI began as a series of primarily first-person dungeon-crawler RPGs created by Compile for the MSX and PC-98 during the 80’s and 90’s. Since then, MADO MONOGATARI has made a name for itself with its unforgettable characters and dungeon-crawling gameplay. Notably, the renowned puzzle series Puyo Puyo is a spinoff of the MADO MONOGATARI series.
Day of the Shell is a fast-paced tactical roguelite, where each turn is played in a single click.
The gods have brought down their wrath on humanity, and only a few remote islands remain. A lonely monster huntress has risen to challenge and appease the gods, traveling through what’s left of the world.
Noctuary is a visual novel RPG that fuses rich storytelling, fast-paced action, and deep character progression. Step into the dual roles of Fancia Dream and Alina Nightsong, two bright-eyed Illuminators training to become legendary Arborangers – guardians of light in a world teetering on the edge of shadow.
GROOVE COASTER FUTURE PERFORMERS – £39.99
Groove Coaster is a rhythm game where you play along while racing down tracks that twist and turn to the music.
With dynamic sound and light effects, you’ll feel completely immersed—as if you’ve stepped into a world of music and are performing right inside it!
Morgan: Metal Detective – £12.99
Relax, explore and experience that childlike sense of wonder as you skip around the island. Traverse the island at your own pace, steadily solving the mystery your Grandpa couldn’t.
Each of the residents of Glasden has objects they have lost, and Morgan must search the island with her metal detector to find these lost treasures. Each of these quests asks you to engage and really think about the potential location of the lost item. On returning, each of these characters rewards Morgan with a unique cassette tape which you can listen to whilst you’re exploring. This music and the detailed audio soundscape throughout Glasden helps to place you in this magical environment. Lose yourself in the quests and lovely audio.
The ultra-popular Japanese VTuber group hololive takes on the world of traditional Japanese card games in Holo’s Hanafuda!
The Aquarium does not dance – £16.75
Navigate your way through an aquarium overrun by gruesome creatures known as creepies and unravel its hidden mysteries. With each riddle you solve, you’ll find yourself one step closer to uncovering the chilling truth of Bianca Aquarium. Your choices affect the outcome of the game, so choose wisely.
Go on a summer vacation to the Cloudy Valley archipelago!
Take your time to explore the archipelago, dive into the blue sea among the fish, find treasures, and climb to the heights to appreciate the landscapes.
Go to school, make new friends, beat old enemies up, solve world-class problems (like grades and girlfriends), and don’t let your mom down by getting arrested or worse – flunking out!
As Budi, the new transfer to one of Indonesia’s finest high schools, literally fight your way to the top of the social food chain through the school’s annual student fighting tournament, aptly named Raise Your Gang.
Troublemaker is all about smooth and over-the-top combat in Indonesia’s greatest adolescent combat arena. Punch, kick, break, smash, or gently swing Budi’s way up to the top with more than 30 iconic moves.
As a member of the counter terrorist Spy Drops team, you are tasked with neutralizing a threat that could plunge the world into digital darkness, while you unknowingly get tangled in a deeper conspiracy.
Dropped behind enemy lines, your covert ops are to infiltrate infrastructure and undertake secret ops. While onsite you also need to make use of the Dream Catcher to extract intel from the minds of soldiers to discover the location of the next targets.
Spell Disk is a rogue-lite action game with a unique synergy building mechanic so that your runs can never be the same. Strategize and create your own spell combo synergies to blast through enemies on your way! Each run is unique, so you must plan out how to build your power.
In this hardcore 2D platformer game, players take control of alien creature navigating a vast and menacing space ship. The objective is simple: survive against all odds. The ship is crawling with hostile soldiers, deadly turrets, and laser drones that are constantly on the lookout.
You are the Lord of Hell, tasked with judging mortals who arrive for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, you even have the power to resurrect certain individuals—changing the course of fate itself.
Over 100 stages of puzzle after puzzle filled chambers that appear before you ceaselessly.
A novel puzzle game that anyone can have fun solving, but also makes anyone scratch their head and ponder!
“Chop, stir, and sauté your way through the bustling solarpunk city of Helianthus. You play as Nori Kaga, a food cart chef aspiring to make it big like her role model, the Culinary Queen, Chef Rhubarb.
“Cook Serve Forever” is a brand new, story-rich cooking adventure from the creators of “Cook, Serve, Delicious!”
In Time Flies, you’re a fly. Your life is short – but your bucket list is long. Learn an instrument, read a book, become rich, get drunk, or make someone smile. And if you don’t feel like pursuing your goals, you can just relax, clean your wings, and listen to music. Make the best of the time you have, because we’re all going to die.
EGGCONSOLE Manhattan Requiem: Angels Flying In The Dark PC-8801 £5.39
This title is a command-based adventure game originally released in Japan by Riverhill Soft in 1987.
This is a well-known mystery adventure game for PC. The standout feature is the sheer volume of data: during investigations, you can inquire about details such as names, occupations, family members, ages, blood types, and places of origin. This vast amount of information adds depth to the characters and setting, helping to build a realistic world. Even if you repeat the same command, you might trigger new developments. This combination of extensive data and mature atmosphere makes it noteworthy as one of the first truly adult-oriented games.
Expand your kit, position, fuse, and stow summoning stones to build a brilliant Clowder of Cats! Your choices alter the tale’s end – forge your own path!
Choose a champion and hone their skills en route! Learn devastating abilities and unlock unique upgrades across branching paths. Lead your feline battalion to glory!
Escape Game: The Odd Crime Scene – £7.49
This is an escape game (riddle solving adventure game).
The game progresses by selecting screens with the cursor and solving various tricks.
Revyse, a young apprentice studying under his master, Volgrim, crosses paths with Aurora—a mysterious girl who has lost her memory. As their destinies intertwine, they face trials, forge bonds, and confront powerful enemies threatening their world. Awaken the ancient art of summoning, uncover hidden truths, and shape the story through your choices.
An action game where you attack enemies with whips and magic!
In addition to attacks, players can also place magic balls (wind pins) in the air.
Twist a whip around the wind pin and use the recoil like a pendulum to jump high!
Fire more wind pins while jumping and use the whip to rise higher and higher.
There are enemies that you can’t defeat unless you practice well, so try your best and practice.
SCP Foundation: Universe Horror – £9.99
Dive into the terrifying world of the SCP Foundation: Universe Horror, where anomalous creatures and paranormal phenomena threaten reality itself. As a member of the secretive Foundation, your mission is to contain, study, and survive encounters with the unexplained.
Explore dark, eerie facilities filled with hostile SCP entities and unravel chilling mysteries hidden behind locked doors. Every step could be your last — because in this universe, horror lurks in every shadow.
A group of brave heroes must gather the fragments of the Magic Crystal to face the evil Black Knight and thus prevent the destruction of the kingdom.
Be prepared to discover a huge open world to explore, with secrets and surprises in every corner. Embark on hidden dungeons, forge bonds with villagers and help them solve their problems, discover useful items to progress in your adventure, release imprisoned heroes, and unite them to your cause.
Will these little heroes be able to restore peace to the kingdom?
Jump, dodge and grab every tooth in a level to unleash a powerful lightning blast and save the captured fairy!
Join Hanoka, a brave fairy on a mission to rescue kidnapped tooth fairies from the clutches of mischievous junk food monsters in this fast-paced platformer inspired by many arcade classics.
Next week: Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, GRADIUS ORIGINS, Fruitbus, Ritual of Raven, Cozy Cooking: Tiny Tastes, Mortal Glory 2, CASE RECORDS: Fear of Abduction, Turbo Kid, Alien Breakout, and Slopecrashers.