The Switch 2 gains three new releases this week, all of which are reviewing well. Those sticking with the original Switch are well catered for too, making for a week where nobody is left out.
Yooka-Replaylee sees the 2017 Banjo-Kazooie inspired 3D platformer retold, featuring more content, new challenges, an extended soundtrack and a bunch of other improvements. Why remake something less than ten years old, you question? Our guess is that the developers weren’t left satisfied with the original, believing it fell short of reaching its potential. That, and it likely made sense to fix the first game before working on a full blown sequel.
Currently the colourful platformer revival has a respectable 75% Metacritic – a score that would be notably higher if it wasn’t for IGN’s middling 5/10. “It expands and improves upon so many areas that it leaves the original release in the dust. It took a long wait, but Yooka and Laylee finally have a 3D platformer worthy of the Banjo-Kazooie comparisons,” said Push Square before handing out an 8/10. IGN meanwhile felt it didn’t compare well to Donkey Kong Banaza and Astro Bot, suggesting it’s only worth playing if you’re nostalgic for the N64 era.
Bandai Namco sought Supermassive Game’s horror expertise for Little Nightmares III (out on both Switches), with the original franchise creators currently working on Reanimal for THQ. The Metacritic score for this one sits at 73%, with reviewers noting a lack of innovation and mild repetition yet generally enjoying the new co-op focus.
“Though much of this third entry may strike a familiar chord with players, the opportunity to engage in harrowing chases and solve grotesque puzzles together makes for a tantalizing offering that you shouldn’t be frightened of,” was Digital Chum’s verdict.
Then there’s the tactical RPG Disgaea 7 Complete from NiS America, freshly polished for Switch 2 and featuring countless hours of content. “The story is as quirky and fun as ever, and the bonus content is an absolute must for die-hard fans. Being able to play it on the Switch 2 on the go is also great, with the game looking and feeling fantastic in both handheld and docked mode,” said TSA.
Twisted fairytale adventure Bye Sweet Carole has gained mixed reviews so far, varying from an 8/10 to a 4/10. Critics seem to be impressed by its hand drawn visuals and dark narrative, but many felt there was room for improvement across the board. CGM even claimed that if you’ve watched the trailer, you’ve seen the best bits. “The game takes a demo’s worth of content and stretches it out over four painfully long hours,” they concluded.
Other new releases include the cosy puzzle adventure Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club, long time coming arcade shoot’em up sequel Sonic Wings Reunion, DotEmu’s fantasy roguelike Absolum, tactical RPG Rise Eterna 2, the rabbit-filled 2D precision platformer LAPIN, and the card-battling RPG Battle Suit Aces.
On the retro side of things, we can expect ROPOKO for Nintendo Switch – a remaster of sorts of a Sharp MZ-700 command-based adventure – a re-release of the DS/GBA isometric sci-fi shooter Scurge: Hive, an EGGCONSOLE release of the 1986 fantasy RPG Hajya No Fuuin, and an Arcade Archives re-release of Konami’s castle defending Battlantis. What an odd bunch.
New Switch eShop releases
Little Nightmares III – £34.99
Little Nightmares III – £34.99 (Switch 2)
You play as Low and Alone, best friends ever since they found each other in this lonely nightmare. They each possess their own iconic item: a bow for Low and a wrench for Alone. Working together, they’ve become adept at sneaking through hidden passages, hoisting each other over massive obstacles, and watching each other’s backs.
Whether you’re playing with a friend or an A.I. companion, you’ll depend on each other’s iconic items to create opportunities and to progress. The environment is full of clues and possibilities for imaginative children to exploit. Low’s arrows can reach high targets, cut through ropes, or down flying enemies, and Alone’s wrench is just the thing for crushing stunned enemies, smashing through barriers, or manipulating the workings of massive machines.
Yooka-Replaylee is the definitive remastered and enhanced version of the 3D indie platforming collectathon darling, Yooka-Laylee (2017). New remixed challenges and old favourites await as you embark to explore the huge, beautiful open worlds as the lovable buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the purple one) once more, all while backed by a beautiful orchestral soundtrack. Did we mention there is a map now? A shiny new currency? And tons of customisation options? The favourite buddy duo has never moved, looked, or sounded better!
Return to Hinomoto in style with the definitive version of the critically-acclaimed Strategy RPG Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless! In addition to the base game and all previously-released DLC, Disgaea 7 Complete comes packed with brand new features and content. Enjoy uncapped stats and unprecedented challenges in this impressive update to the Disgaea series’ latest and greatest title!
Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club – £34.99
Join Snoopy and the gang in an all-new mystery adventure packed with charm, clever puzzles, and heartwarming friendships! Step into Snoopy’s paws and detective hat as you explore the town, solve challenging cases, and uncover hidden secrets—with help from the lovable Peanuts gang.
Whether you’re investigating strange happenings at the school, chasing clues through the forest, each case is filled with brain-teasing challenges and unexpected surprises. Build your own team of four from familiar friends such as Peppermint Patty, Lucy, Marcie, Schroeder, Franklin and others—each bringing their own special skills to the case.
Crafted with passion by the dream team that redefined side-scrolling beat ’em ups, Absolum mixes top-of-the-class combat action with modern roguelite elements, bringing all the vibes of the fantasy arcade hits of the past into an immersive adventure set in the original world of Talamh.
Improving on the tactical RPG genre at the core of the first iteration, Rise Eterna 2 places you in the middle of an ongoing war between two families coveting the kingdom’s throne and a third force plotting its last act of revenge.
Set a few years after the events of the first game, play as Jacht – a devoted Athracian soldier on a mission to reclaim the Empire’s lost glory and slay the Destroyer.
SONIC WINGS REUNION is a sequel to the arcade-style shooting game SONIC WINGS, also known as Aero Fighters in the West. The previous version was sold in 1998.
Choose from up to 10 characters and destroy the mysterious organization “Fata Morgana” that has progressed into the modern world. The scenario changes depending on the combination of characters.
We Were Here Together – £10.99
It all begins with an emergency flare lighting up the sky and a distress call waking you from uneasy dreams. Your fellow Antarctic explorers are in trouble, and the two of you left at base camp must work together to launch a rescue mission. If only you knew what you were getting into…
From the research base camp you’ll need to figure out a way to get to the source of the distress flare. Once you’re through the frozen Antarctic wastes, you’ll find yourselves separated inside a medieval castle, facing puzzles, secrets, and dangers! You and your partner start out with nothing but your wits and a walkie-talkie each. Observation, smart communication and teamwork will be the only way to escape from the sinister Castle Rock.
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch – £19.99
“Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch” builds upon the turn-based tactical RPG experience with a roguelite progression loop, where death is just the beginning.
Assemble your squad of 5 from 9 hybrid-class characters. Level up during each run to acquire skills, experiment with dynamic team compositions, and forge new strategies every time.
Alfa, a rabbit burrow that five rabbits call home, is on the verge of collapse due to construction of the park above. Following a map charted by brave explorer Jorge, the five set out in search of a new home, Paradise.
Will the five rabbits be able to find a new burrow to rest their tired limbs in?
Join them for this challenging platforming adventure telling a heart-warming tale!
With art inspired by classic animated movies and a story from Chris Darril (Remothered series), Bye Sweet Carole is a narrative-horror game that has you embark on a dark whimsicle tale full of mystery, intrigue and secrets.
Set in the early 1900s, in an age where the women’s suffrage movement has begun to shake the British nation, young Lana Benton must follow the last known trail of Carole Simmons to find her best friend and uncover the dark truth behind the Bunny Hall orphanage.
As Lana dives further into the enigma, she will find herself poised between the real world and the fantastic kingdom of Corolla that, under the cruel influence of the terrifying Mr.Kyn, the insensitive owl Velenia, and the ravenous colonies of tar rabbits, is perishing. You must tread carefully between the two realms to find a way out.
Nora: In Search of Hidden Ingredients – £17.99
Part heartfelt story, part hidden object chaos — this is a magical adventure where nothing stays the same for long. Expect quirky surprises, enchanted doodads, and plenty of laughs along the way!
Nora thought life at the Magical Academy was going to be all sparkles and broomsticks… until it wasn’t! Now she’s back in her grandma’s old town of Lillyton, where claiming Granny’s house means solving magical puzzles, digging through piles of wacky objects, and outsmarting a cheeky Spirit who LOVES to mess with reality.
And Then There Was No Light – £1.79
This is a puzzle game with a nostalgic feel where you control a robot.
Connect the power source to the light bulb using blocks to open the door!
In a world of darkness, you are the ruler of a kingdom lost to shadows. On a quest to save your people, you have found the mythical creature called “Lueur,” a fiery companion who will light your way. But what kind of ruler will you be?
Every choice matters as you explore different strategies and play styles in Dawnfolk.
Lost in Fantaland is a Roguelite game with deck-building at its core, deeply integrated with board-game strategy mechanics. You will choose one of six unique characters and embark on a randomly generated adventure. Use your creativity to build your deck, and uncover the secrets of this world!
Super Mining Mechs is a side-scrolling action game with resource management and sim elements. As you tunnel through the earth and locate ores and other resources, you can send them back up to the surface to meet your mining objectives.
Unlock new excavation sites on the planetary map as you progress. Explore new depths, collect all the elements, complete missions and upgrade your mech to dig faster and carry more collectibles!
Battle Suit Aces is a charming card-battling RPG. You’ll recruit, befriend, and upgrade your mech pilots on a heartfelt hunt for fabled alien superweapons: the Relic Suits. Command them across monster-infested galactic wilds through danger, tragedy, and comedic sci-fi shenanigans.
Featuring a compelling single-player campaign and optional multiplayer modes, the game provides an authentic cowboy experience. Players will navigate diverse locations, upgrade weapons, and strategise in fast-paced gun battles, ensuring an adrenaline-fueled adventure.
Battle Puzzle 2048 – Wicked Witches – £4.49
Battle Puzzle 2048 – Wicked Witches brings a spellbinding twist to the classic 2048 puzzle game! Slide tiles to combine matching numbers, build powerful combos, and take on a colorful array of supernatural foes. Face off against crafty witches, playful vampires, and adorable girly demons, each armed with unique abilities like hexing tiles, draining health, or summoning chaos on the grid.
Meganoid: Chronicles is a classic brutal platform game where you will not escape death! You will need to bring your best game skills to complete the short but challenging levels.
Each challenging level can be completed within a few seconds, making the pace of the game pretty fast, but the difficulty level ramps up swiftly and completing a level on the first try will be a rare event
Meganoid: Chronicles tells the story of the Meganoid family tree going all the way back to Grandpa’s time and is a throw back to the age of tomb raiding and lost civilizations.
ROPOKO for Nintendo Switch – £9.29
ROPOKO for Nintendo Switch™ is an interactive fiction-style adventure game. Players become the robot Ropoko and must escape from a maze-like laboratory with the help of “Doctor.” Learn words through conversations and use the vocabulary you’ve acquired to solve various puzzles!
The Nintendo Switch version is an enhanced adaptation of the original MZ-700 version, improving playability with features like word selection, auto-mapping, hint functions, and gamepad support, making it easy to enjoy in any play environment.
Neffy –Moonlight Labyrinth X– – £12.79
“Neffy –Moonlight Labyrinth X–” is an action‑puzzle game where you team up with the cat‑eared Neffy to explore enchanting maze environments. Originally developed for VR, this version has been optimized for the Nintendo Switch™ so that even more players can enjoy the experience.
In Next of Kin: Fidelity, you follow Bjorn, a man haunted by a past that refuses to let go. A single event from his childhood still clings to him like a shadow.
Every night, he wakes up drenched in sweat, trapped in the same nightmare over and over again. But what is it that’s haunting him – and how, or who, can set him free?
Giddy up! Play as Barbie™ and Barbie in a new open-world adventure through Canterbury Trails Park with your horse, Lucky.
Become a Junior Ranger and help give the already amazing park a fresh new look for everyone to enjoy. Gallop through wildflower fields and other beautiful landscapes. Tackle fun side missions with friends, capture amazing photos, dig up ceramics, and search for the mystery horse. Find chests filled with collectibles and add sparkle to Barbie and Lucky’s looks.
Take on the role of acclaimed bounty hunter Jenosa Arma on a shocking and dangerous mission. Our heroine has been contracted by the Military to recover a top-secret science laboratory on an obscure distant planet.
To her surprise, the cause of the disaster is a notorious virus known as “Scurge”, which has the ability to enslave all things to its destructive will. Powered by bio-protective armor, Jenosa is able to resist but not destroy “Scurge”.
She must use her agility, her weapons, and her wits to contain and ultimately defeat the cruel virus before it spreads.
EGGCONSOLE Hajya No Fuuin PC-8801 – £5.39
This 1986 fantasy RPG by KOGADO STUDIO is a representative early work. Popular for authentic field-based party play, its unique world earned it the “interdimensional software” moniker. Complex monster lore, intricate history, and a “Completion Certificate” campaign captivated users.
This game’s biggest highlight is its high difficulty, which requires not only growth through combat but also listening to many people and solving numerous mysteries. You’ll converse with townsfolk and those on the field, and later even monsters. Carefully heeding their advice will be a significant aid to clearing the game.
Gathering information with companions and solving mysteries to save the world—this is a true old-school RPG. An indispensable title for discussing classic Japanese RPGs.
Next week: Pokémon Legends: Z-A, BALL x PIT, The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes, Lumo 2, Chickenhare and the Treasure of Spiking-Beard, Charming Hearts, Kotenok, GHOST TRAVELER: Adventures in Edo, Time Treker, and RANDOMAX.