The Switch 2 gains four new releases this week. EA’s Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is however available on the original Switch too, which makes sense considering it’s merely a HD remaster of the 2D tactical garden-based battler. Did it need remastering? Probably not, considering the cartoony visuals haven’t aged much. It seems this is just a way to get it onto modern systems. The Switch 2 version does have mouse controls though, which is always appreciated.
“Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted’s attempt to remaster the original comes with questionable choices, but it’s still a good way to get re-acquainted with (or introduced to) one of the quirkiest puzzle-strategy games of the 2000s,” said IGN before handing out a 7/10.
Bandai Namco’s cherished Katamari series also rolls onto Switch (but not Switch 2, oddly) this week, with Once Upon A KATAMARI being the first new entry in fourteen years, complete with a fresh time travelling theme. We were worried it might lack some quirkiness, perhaps feeling a bit forced as a mandated release from higher ups, but many critics claim it’s a welcome return.
“Once Upon A Katamari feels like a confident step back into the series after having a crack at some remasters, and feels like a game that perfectly follows up on what those remasters set out to do. Everything that we all love about Katamari is still here and absolutely kicking,” said PSU.
Another new release reviewing well is the Switch 2’s PowerWash Simulator 2, which reportedly makes a bunch of smart improvements and isn’t just a sequel for sequel’s sake. “PowerWash Simulator 2 takes everything good about its predecessor and makes it shinier. New gameplay, equipment, environments, coop play and a home base dynamic will delight fans of the original,” was Impulse Gamer’s verdict.
From SEGA and Atlus comes Persona 3 Reload on Switch 2, which currently has an 80% Metacritic score. “Persona 3 Reload is an extensive and thoughtful remake of the original and unquestionably the best way to experience this modern RPG classic. Switching between daytime and nighttime activities is a blast, and the streamlined gameplay and slick presentation make even the smallest actions feel satisfying,” said Nintendo Life while noting the 30fps cap.
Lastly for Switch 2 releases, there’s FULL METAL SCHOOLGIRL – the latest zombie slayer from D3. Think along the lines of the Onechanbara series. Our cyborg heroine must storm a 100-story tower block guilty of using corporate slaves – or the working dead, as they’re known.
Arc System Work’s Double Dragon Revive hasn’t been too fortune with reviews thus far, as evidenced by IGN’s 5/10: “Double Dragon Revive comes off more like a tribute band for the series rather than a proper reunion tour. It doesn’t play the hits how you remember it, instead putting its own spin on things – from how it looks, to how it sounds, to how it plays. All of those aspects not only fail to live up to my admittedly mild expectations for a new Double Dragon, but after hours of its out of tune meandering, started to cement the idea that maybe we should put a little more distance between attempts to revitalize this series,”
We reviewed the Mega Man inspired Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit yesterday, finding it to be a fun and well presented package due to its FMV intros and outros. The difficulty level is pretty fair too, with the final stage being the right side of challenging. And yes, it has lots of swearing and poop jokes – something quite amusing to see in a NES game.
Other releases during this busy week include the escape plan hatching Chicken Run: Eggstraction, GameMill’s Crusin’ Blast-esque Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition – which offers spilt screen play – nostalgic pixel art adventure The Good Old Days, and Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed – based on the Netflix show and developed by the usually reliable Bamtang.
Then there’s the low-poly dinosaur massacring FPS Acre Crisis, workplace beat’em up Quit Today, co-op cooking-combat adventure SEDAP, the ecosystem creating god sim Reus 2, emotional action-adventure RPG Dreamed Away, and an Arcade Archives re-release of Taito’s 1987 night-time set flight sim Midnight Landing for both Switches.
New Switch eShop releases
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted – £17.99 (Switch 1&2)
The classic Plants vs. Zombies returns in glorious HD! DANG! After years in Crazy Dave’s attic, the original battle between Plants and Zombies is back – bigger, brighter, and crazier than ever before! Experience the game that started it all, now remastered with upscaled HD graphics and packed with new secrets to uncover.
Revisit the epic backyard standoffs you remember, but this time with new levels, fresh twists, and 15 years of never-before-seen franchise history at your fingertips. Relive the glory days of pea shooters, sunflowers, and brain-hungry chaos! Rejoin the ultimate garden defense and experience the backyard brawl that started a phenomenon – now back for a new era!
PowerWash Simulator 2 – £19.99 (Switch 2)
The jobs and water keep flowing in PowerWash Simulator 2. Play through a fresh new campaign, uncovering more of Muckingham’s mysteries. Plus, venture even further out to brand-new grime-coated locations like Sponge Valley, Power Falls and Lubri City.
Alongside new locations and jobs, you’ll also find a new job type. Multi-stage jobs will unlock different areas of a job – from vehicle interiors to entirely different rooms, your to-do list keeps growing.
Persona 3 Reload – £54.99 (Switch 2)
Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour “hidden” between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.
Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.
FULL METAL SCHOOLGIRL – £39.99 (Switch 2)
The battlefield is a 100-story skyscraper. The evil CEO awaits on the top floor. Each floor changes its structure every time you enter, and there is also a trap-like security system. Own the battlefield on each floor to reach the top.
Once upon a time a katamari rolled through both past and present.
In this story across time, the adage endures: Let The Good Times Roll!
Now onward through new worlds to roll up thy heart’s desires and to restore the stars!
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition – £24.99
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition delivers high-speed racing and adrenaline-fueled action straight from the arcade to console!
Choose from licensed supercars and tear through intense, cinematic tracks packed with shortcuts, stunts, missions, and explosive surprises. Race solo or go head-to-head in thrilling 2-player split-screen. With drifting, nitro boosts, and precision driving, this is the ultimate pick-up-and-play racing experience for fans of pure, unfiltered speed!
The Double Dragon series has defined the belt-scroll action genre ever since it hit the arcades in 1987.
Now it returns as Double Dragon Revive, thanks to the passionate support of retro game fans over the years!
Chicken Run: Eggstraction – £34.99
After surviving the daring events of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the gang is back in a brand-new adventure, and it turns out nuggets weren’t the only thing on the menu – chickenkind is still in danger!
Take control of Molly, Rocky, Frizzle and the gang as they sneak, scurry & scramble through five tantalizingly treacherous fortified farms to liberate captured chickens.
But don’t count your chicks until they’re hatched – you’ll need to outwit bumbling security, dodge watchful CCTV, and topple an army of loopy poultry villains.
Dora: Rainforest Rescue – £34.99
Oh no! Swiper got his paws on the Super-Duper Duplicator, and now his clones are causing chaos everywhere. Dora and Boots must fix the Duplicator and restore the vibrant Alebrije Tree.
Join them and their amigos, Tico, Isa, Benny, Big Red Chicken, and Ale. Run, jump, and swing through five locations, collecting Magic Leaves and pods. Unlock new places and objects. Solve riddles, use clues from friends, and use Map to guide you! ¡Qué Aventura! Stop Swiper from swiping while playing solo or team-up in local co-op mode.
Pacify, weaken and capture supernatural monsters by yourself or with friends in this fun co-op horror.
You just got hired at Paranormal Activity Helpers Incorporated (PAH Inc). It sounds corny, but the pay is great. They just want you to check out some allegedly haunted locations. You will most likely never be in any real danger, and they have tons of work right now. They even have room for a few more, if you have any friends that need a job. Start helping with the paranormal investigations today!
Sports Camp: A 35-Game Adventure – £29.99
Welcome to Sports Camp, the ultimate party game packed with over 35 unique and unexpected activities. Forget traditional sports—jump into sheep roping, walking roll ball, hovercraft, and more in a vibrant summer camp adventure.
On a rainy summer night, Théo wakes up in his bedroom and realizes his parents and his sister Louise have disappeared. The true nature of the world lays itself bare. Ghosts, Phantoms and Revenants haunt Théo inside the catacombs and dark places where he searches for his sister. Always a step behind and never able to catch up.
What happened? What does it mean? Why is this place so familiar?
Become a God once again in Reus 2 by taking control of mighty giants whose command over their elements allows you to shape worlds, create an ecosystem of resources and enable human civilizations to thrive. Your choices will determine the fates of these fragile human beings, whose autonomy may lead them to great heights.
Key Features:
– Over 40 crazy quests. Some may seem very strange; you never know what to expect.
– Find all 30 funny hats.
– Throw bombs into portals, blow up rocks, and incinerate your enemies!
Ila’s beloved kitty, Coco, has mysteriously disappeared, and she’s determined to bring him back home! Explore a whimsical small open world as Ila, a spirited young witch-in-training flying on a magic Skatebroom. Uncover hidden stories, collect valuable items, and improve your magical flying abilities.
SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure – £17.99
SEDAP! is a co-op cooking-combat adventure that combines the chaos of a collaborative kitchen and the wonders of adventuring into an unexplored world. Embark on an exciting culinary journey, whip up delectable delicacies, and serve your way through a fantastical reimagination of Southeast Asia!
The story begins on an ordinary morning when you arrive at the company as usual, only to discover that all your colleagues believe you’re about to resign. They see you as a traitor to the company and gang up on you. To figure out what’s going on, you embark on a journey to protect yourself with your briefcase. After witnessing the darkness within the company, you decide to quit by defeating the company!
In 1992, following a series of mysterious deaths caused by wild animals, as well as strange sightings of cryptids in the sparsely populated and underdeveloped Amazon region of Acre, a special operations brigade from the Brazilian Military Police was sent to the area to gather intelligence. However, the situation took an unexpected turn for the soldiers, who soon found themselves cornered in the midst of a jungle infested with hungry dinosaurs.
Cave of Illusions: Twistyland – £2.69
Play a horror board game, rolling the dice and exploring each part of it with new gameplay, puzzles, vivid and surreal environments and the creepy clown Vasilus stalking you and leading you into the Cave of Illusions. Explore Quirky Quacker Love Tunnel, Giddy-up Carousel, Hippity Hop Hut, Tip-Toe Treat Trail, Titter Toy Store, Shenanigan Shingles and finally Cave of Illusions.
You are a mysterious operative, an antihero walking the fine line between life and death. Your targets are the criminals who rule the city from the labyrinth of filthy streets. But there’s a catch: every shot, strike, or step you take sets time in motion. The faster you move, the faster the world collapses around you.
REDEX is a pixel-art survival shooter where you battle waves of enemies in fast-paced side-scrolling combat. Collect coins to buy ammo, grenades, armor, and more from vending machines, then trade rare gold for permanent upgrades and new characters.
“Merge Match March” is an RPG that combines merge puzzles and battles, where you command an army led by heroes to protect the kingdom from monsters.
Merge three weapons to evolve into a unit, then send these units into battle to defeat the monsters!
Tayutama:It’s happy days – £24.99
The Tayutama Fan Disc brings you the lovey-dovey days of a couple in love!
In a little gnomey village, in a whimsical forest… A Gnome Grandpa awaits his family to gather ‘round for his 100th birthday.
Explore the forest’s lush greenery and find his tiny gnome kin trapped in curious places.
Solve puzzles, collect family pictures, enjoy the hand-drawn artwork, and help each gnome find their way back home.
SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator – £16.75
In SuchArt you are a genius artist living in the year 2130. Make the best of the space studio you own. Create art with a large variety of tools, sell your works, get famous and upgrade your studio! Let your imagination run wild and create the art of your dreams!
In the grim aftermath of the initial outbreak, a lone fortified camp offers a chance of survival. As the newly appointed checkpoint officer, your duty is critical and brutal: meticulously screen every desperate soul seeking sanctuary for the slightest hint of the zombie virus.
The year 2135, the world is ruled by AI Corporations, humans are slowly being replaced by robots and machines, and the most powerful humans are now looking for ways to transfer their souls into robots, for eternal life. Doctor Robotus is kidnapped in front of your eyes, can you become the savior?
Transform a humble village into a thriving medieval city. Build farms and markets to keep your people fed and prosperous, and secure a steady flow of wood and iron. Raise walls and watchtowers, fortify the gates, and prepare your defenses for the siege to come. Adorn the streets with decorations to lift morale before the night falls. Develop a fantasy bastion where life flourishes under the sun!
Sub-Structure 17: White Knuckle Ascent – £7.19
In White Knuckle Ascent, speed is your best friend—and gravity your worst enemy. Trapped in the depths of a massive underground megastructure, you’ll need sharp reflexes, clever inventory management, and a serious lack of fear of heights to make your way up through a labyrinth of decaying industrial zones, mutated flora, and things that definitely don’t want you to leave.
Death Frame is a psychological horror experience where reality fractures with every step. You play as the estranged child of a notorious serial killer, returning to the mansion you’ve inherited after years of silence. Within its rotting walls, you uncover paintings that pull you into fragmented memories and surreal dreamscapes—each revealing a piece of your father’s madness, his victims, and maybe… your own bloodstained legacy.
Be charmed by the cute and colorful world of Shroomtopia! Relax in this wholesome slow-paced puzzle game while exploring serene landscapes and solving diverse challenges. Manipulate the hexagonal soil and blend the colors. Only you can bring nature back to life!
Unleash your creativity with a built-in level editor. Become a level designer with this intuitive but powerful tool.
Re-Live The Good Old Days!
Delve into a nostalgic metroidvania-style adventure. Explore creepy underground caverns, rescue your friends, and unlock new abilities and pathways.
Encounter a changing cast of characters and retro pop culture references as you face fearsome challenges. Enter a lost world of lovingly-crafted pixel graphics reminiscent of classic 80’s adventure films.
Shape your own story, replaying to uncover multiple endings with the game’s unique circular story structure.
Next week: DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home, Majogami, Tales of Xillia Remastered, Simon the Sorcerer Origins, Space Chef, Two Point Museum, Silver Bullet, Asterix & Obelix – Mission Babylon, Detective Dotson, Nuclear Gladiators 3000, 7th Domain: Tree of Chaos, Toziuha Night: Order of the Alchemists, Dungeon Minesweeper, D.C. Re:tune, Halloween 1985, Cauldron, Cardboard Town, Seer’s Gambit, and PAW Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship.