Nintendo is readying their newest Switch 2 exclusive, Drag x Drive (pronounced Drag and Drive, apparently), launching Thursday at a low price point of £16.99. It’s a futuristic take on 3v3 wheelchair basketball that uses the Switch 2’s mouse functions to wheel around the neon-hued courts. A few different mini-games feature, including a shooting contents and checkpoint races.
Reviews are starting to surface and are mostly mixed, resulting in a 62% Metacritic – a score doubtlessly far lower than Nintendo was hoping for. “Drag x Drive is a decent showcase for the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2’s JoyCon mouse, but frustrating controls and shallow gameplay leave a lot to be desired outside of its cheap-ish price tag,” said Destructoid.
Drag x Drive is up against another new sports game for the Switch 2 – EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26. This marks the long-awaited return of Madden on Switch, and word has it that this year’s edition is marked improvement over NFL 25, featuring changing weather and adaptive AI learning based on real player data. Nintendo Life awarded it an 8/10, noting that “For newcomers, this is one of the best Madden games I’ve played in terms of teaching you the ropes, and for the returning hardcore, the improvements on the pitch, and with regards to presentation, should impress where its predecessor felt a bit lacking.”
On the OG Switch there’s Bendy: Lone Wolf, a survival adventure spin-off from Bendy and the Ink Machine, starring Boris the wolf – who has become trapped in the corridor-like labyrinths of Joey Drew Studios. Expect something creepy rather than sinister. PQube are back with the mature (18+ rated) visual novel Iwakura Aria, involving the housekeeper of a Japanese mansion, and set in 1966. QUByte also return with Curse Rounds – a monochrome bullet hell shooter where curses can be used to your advantage. Mind Over Magnet meanwhile is a puzzler based around magnetism, designed by the host of the popular YouTube channel Game Maker’s Toolkit.
For retro fans there are a few things to consider. Clear River Games dishes up a double-whammy of the shoot’em up centric Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 and Vol. 2, priced at £31.99 each and featuring the likes of Zero Wing and Truxton. They’re available at retail if you prefer physical releases. This week’s EGGCONSOLE and Arcade Archive re-releases are standouts too, with the former being the 1995 RPG Nihon Falcom RPG Brandish Renewal, and the latter being Namco’s 1996 jet ski racer Aqua Jet – available on both Switch and Switch 2.
There’s also DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper, which sees a family of ducks tasked with beating 100 retro style mini-games. Although Wario Ware is an obvious comparison, the games here last around a minute each and have more elaborate mechanics. There’s a story mode split into chapters and a couple of multiplayer party modes. While many of the games are influenced by NES classics, the Russian developers have snuck a few meme based games in too, and there’s a wealth of secrets to discover.
Also launching this week are the side-scrolling racer Mad Skills BMX 2, the top-down time travelling puzzler GOST of Time, N64 era inspired platformer Hop ‘n’ Marty, arcade-style action platformer 1989 After the War, and the 2D cartoony co-op RPG Radiant: Guardians of Light.
New Switch 2 eShop releases
Arcade Archives AQUA JET
Arcade Archives 2 AQUA JET
“AQUA JET” is a marine sports game released by NAMCO LIMITED (current Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.) in 1996.
This game stood out at arcades at the time thanks to its large jet ski-style cabinet.
Savor the thrill of racing across shimmering waves under the blazing sun in a stunning, resort-like setting brought to life by the “System Super 22” hardware!
Team up with – or take on – friends and players from around the world online in fast-paced 3-on-3 matches in Drag x Drive (pronounced “Drag and Drive”!) only on Nintendo Switch 2.
Hold each Joy-Con 2 controller like a mouse for tight control of your wheelchair-like vehicle as you speed around the court!
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 – £69.99
Dominate the league in EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 26. Years of NFL game data powers next-level coaching, QB authenticity, and explosive gameplay. Every game is a new challenge on your path to becoming an NFL legend.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
New Switch eShop releases
Step into the inky nightmare of Bendy: Lone Wolf®, a thrilling survival adventure set in the twisted, rubberhose world of Joey Drew Studios. As Boris, the lone wolf, you’ll brave endlessly shifting corridors filled with monstrous cartoon creeps, deadly traps, and the relentless pursuit of the Ink Demon. Every day brings new challenges in this heart-pounding quest for survival and truth.
After the war Japan experiences rapid economic growth, and in the cracks of society one girl gets left behind. With no future to look forward to, she grasps onto a thread of hope, a possibility of a new life, as the maid to the Iwakura household. However, the Iwakura family holds its own secrets, most connected to its heir Aria, and Ichiko finds herself sucked into another world contained within that mansion.
Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 – £31.99
With modern enhancements, leaderboards, screen filters, and quality-of-life extras, no threat stands between you and absolute victory. Got what it takes? Prove it on the battlefield!
This collection includes:
- Flying Shark
- Fire Shark
- Tiger Heli
- Twin Cobra / Kyukoku Tiger
- Out Zone
- Fix Eight
- Batsugun
- Dogyuun
Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.2 – £31.99
With modern enhancements, leaderboards, screen filters, and quality-of-life extras, no threat stands between you and absolute victory. Got what it takes? Prove it on the battlefield!
This collection includes:
- Zero Wing
- Hell Fire
- Slap Fight / Alcon
- Grind Stormer / V-5
- Truxton / Tatsujin
- Truxton 2 / Tatsujin Oh
- Vimana
- Twin Hawk
Curse Rounds is a frantic game where you must try to survive random rounds, accumulating a curse with each room from the 60+ available cards in the game, while killing enemies with your pistolflash and a variety of amazing shots. No two attempts are ever the same!
Build your own unique combat vehicle in an easy-to-use constructor. Jump into 6v6 team PvP battles in a ruthless post-apocalyptic world or take on waves of AI opponents in PvE missions. Fight under the flags of post-apocalyptic factions and they will reward you with new parts and special abilities!
EGGCONSOLE Brandish Renewal PC-9801 – £5.49
This is an action RPG released in Japan by Nihon Falcom in 1995 and is a renewed version of Brandish (1991). The player takes on the role of the bounty head Ares, fighting various enemies, overcoming jumps and traps, and aiming to escape from the underground labyrinth.
The game’s screen layout appears orthodox, but it uses a head-up view similar to car navigation, where the character always moves toward the top, and turning changes the orientation of the terrain. This rotating map allows players to view the terrain from multiple angles, but it also means that switches are sometimes placed in blind spots. If you get stuck, try rotating the map; you might discover an unexpected way forward.
Compared to the original version, this remake features enhanced sound, changes to the BGM, more visibility of pitfalls, and adjustments for monsters recovering health—making this Brandish even more enjoyable.
Wipe out the incoming Knights with your magic circles!
Strategic placement and perfect timing will determine your survival in this real-time action game.
Simple controls, intense tension — a game of thrilling decisions.
Challenge the world’s top players in the online rankings!
Darkness stirs once more, and this time, it’s spreading beyond the enchanted woods. Join the young wizard and her mystical cats as they journey across floating isles, ancient ruins, and forgotten realms in a brand-new bubble-blasting quest!
Match, pop, and cast your way through 200+ spellbinding levels packed with clever puzzles, elemental challenges, and powerful new boosters. Unlock hidden secrets, complete daily quests, and climb the global leaderboard to prove your magical mastery.
A charming bubble-popping adventure at a cozy Japanese carnival – perfect for Nintendo Switch™!
Welcome to Kimono Cats, a delightful journey through vibrant festival streets inspired by old Japan! Together with your adorable cat companions, you’ll explore festive landscapes, popping bubbles, playing lively carnival mini-games, and creating your dream village.
An attractive puzzle platformer where you use magnetism to escape a factory. Meet a cast of magnet characters and work together to solve logical conundrums.
Created by Mark Brown, owner of the popular YouTube channel Game Maker’s Toolkit (GMTK), Mind Over Magnet is a blast for players of all ages and skill levels!
Escape a dangerous factory using the power of magnetism. You must team up with three different magnet friends and use their unique abilities to solve more than 50 tricky single-screen puzzles.
Radiant: Guardians of Light – £17.99
Explore a hand-crafted fantasy world alone or with a friend in local co-op. Defeat legendary bosses, master unique combat abilities, and uncover the ancient secrets of the elemental spirits. Choose your powers, build your gear, and fight your way through forests, ruins, and magical realms.
From cinematic storytelling to frantic battles, Radiant invites you to relive the spirit of arcade action, reimagined for the modern age.
Mad Skills BMX 2 is a fast side-scrolling racing game for BMX fans and arcade lovers. Race on hand-made tracks, do tricks, and beat tough bosses. Unlock bikes, customise your rider, and play with friends in local versus mode.
You play as the clone, created to serve a greater purpose. Your job is to face challenges, bypass obstacles, and solve puzzles to retrieve the pills for the old man. Every time you go back in time, you’ll encounter your past self, repeating all your actions exactly. By working with your past selves, you solve puzzles to get the pill. Remember: you’re your best ally and worst enemy!
Hop ‘n’ Marty is a retro 3D platformer for the modern age.
Journey through sprawling worlds, from the house of a giant to the desolate streets of a classic horror game.
Find all of the different collectables and meet the eccentric inhabitants of the each world. Some may even help you on your quest.
Rescue the captured pygmies who have been trapped in cages and bring them back to safety.
Each world in Hop ‘n’ Marty offers an entirely new style and new challenges to overcome, so there really is something for everyone.
TetroMosaic, RacY: AutomatA – £6.99
Throw blocks to fit them together precisely and discover the secret and spectacular hidden illustrations.
Play at your own pace: pause each block to place it precisely or throw them quickly to chain combos, fill the bar, and earn stars.
Test your ingenuity and train your mind!
Your once-sacred homeland now lies in the grip of a demonic invasion. Wielding two fully customizable weapons, you’ll fight back with precision and power—dodging, parrying, and blazing through relentless enemy hordes. With hundreds of upgrade combinations, adapt your playstyle and push back the darkness. Shatter enemy cover, deflect incoming fire, and emerge as a true slayer of demons.
An atomic war has reduced the world to a toxic heap of ruins and chaos.
As an ex-agent named Sebastian Beck, you’ll face off against 7 dangerous criminals and traverse 7 levels filled with enemies and traps to overcome. The game also challenges you with a unique mechanic where the environment becomes increasingly hostile due to radiation—reach regenerating refrigerators that serve as life-saving checkpoints.
Use your blade, grenades and shotgun to fight your way through this dangerous world, in glorious 1980s arcade style.
Play as Val, a brilliant mechanic from the slums who won’t stand for the injustices she witnesses daily. While the Queen’s chosen elite flaunt their wealth, ordinary people work night and day to keep the springwork foundries running – all while the ministries breathe down their necks. Every aspect of life in Riveton is regulated, and your rations will be cut if you so much as think about protesting.
Despite this, there is beauty in this last city on earth. People try to make the most of life even while facing resource shortages and the oppression of the Queen’s regime. Val is determined to help them.
Sci-fi, bloodthirsty bunnies, and the powers of a goddess at your disposal. This is Bunny Battle Nemesis. Experience intense action, explosions, and chaos as you defend the Bunny Kingdom from certain doom at the hands of a vengeful demigod and her army of mercenaries.
Faye Falling is an artistic, emotional experience that explores death, suffering and meaning through top-down action RPG gameplay inspired by genre classics. Immerse yourself in a diverse, ethereal world filled with puzzles and secrets presented in luminous pixel art style.
Get ready to sneak into the city’s most overprotected museum… all for food! In Rogue Raccoon, you play as a fast and cheeky raccoon on a clear mission: clean out the food court, one hidden snack at a time.
DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper – £10.99
100 microgames, fun and increasing difficulty—what more do you need for an interesting adventure?
DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper is a compilation of 100 very different microgames lasting less than a minute! Cowboy duel, house building, tomato sorting, barrel ride, sea battles, jungle adventures, typical daily life of a mad scientist and more!
Next week: Discounty, Herdling, CORE.SYS, Peachy Derby, Knightica, Heart of Ice by Dave Morris, HeistGeist, Antarctica 88: Remaster, Dragon Detective: A Friend from the Shadows, Grit and Valor – 1949, and Lost in Loss.