After what feels like aeons, a new first-party Switch release is finally upon us. We are, of course, referring to the original Switch – Nintendo’s attention has been turned to their latest console mostly this year. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a brand-new game too, and not a re-release or HD conversion. We really are living the dream.
For those who haven’t sampled the series, Tomodachi Life is a social sim in which you create Miis and watch them interact in a town of your own design. You get to care for your Mii, give them personality traits, and then watch their relationships develop.
Reviews are live, and impressions are positive, although a few critics noted that you need a good imagination to get the most from it. “Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a worthy sequel that I can’t put down. It’s weird, surreal, and a great evolution for Nintendo’s iconic social simulator – even if it feels repetitive at times,” said GamesRadar.
Over on the Switch 2 there’s Capcom’s sci-fi shooter PRAGMATA, 1930s animation-influenced retro FPS MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, comical food-themed RPG Dosa Divas (also on Switch 1), the fruit merging party game Fruit Mountain Party, and the golf course creating Under Par Golf Architect.
PRAGMATA has arrived to rave reviews, almost on par with Resident Evil Requiem. Critics relished its mixture of combat, puzzle solving, and explosive set-pieces. “It’s nice to see Capcom apply its considerable skill and craftsmanship to a fully new franchise, and the results are excellent. It’s gorgeous, packed with ideas, plays like a dream, and has a story that will take you on an absolutely wild ride from start to finish,” was Nintendo Insider’s verdict.
Turns out MOUSE: P.I. For Hire isn’t just a pretty face either, gaining numerous reviews in the 8/10 ballpark. “Mouse: P.I. for Hire is absolutely excellent. The presentation is stellar, with graphics that accomplish their goal of creating an interactive version of a 1930s cartoon. The soundtrack is good enough to convert players into fans of big band jazz. The shooting and platforming feel right, while the game clocks in at the right length,” claimed Worth Playing.
Culinary adventure Dosa Divas, meanwhile, currently has a 78% Metacritic on Switch 2. This includes a 4/5 from GamesRadar: “With a skilfully written story in a small but immersive world filled with charm, emotion, and more than a few blush-inducing jokes, Dosa Divas takes a warm and meaningful approach to linking food, family, community, and memory. You’ll be sweet on this.”
There are plenty of other new releases out this week. These include the civilisation discovering puzzle adventure Gecko Gods, pixel-style visual novel Decollate Decoration, sci-fi precision platformer Nullstar: Solus, and the vertically scrolling RPG Death by Scrolling – published by the newly reborn MicroProse.
There’s Cleaning Up! too, which we reviewed earlier this week. True to its name, it involves cleaning various homes and businesses, armed with a vacuum cleaner and other tools. Some light challenges also feature, such as ghosts to avoid while cleaning a haunted house.
For retro fans there’s a re-release of Taito’s toybox platformer Spica Adventure – available in a bundle with Parasol Stars – an Arcade Archives re-release of the 1985 racer Konami GT, an untranslated Console Archives re-release of Koei’s historic battler Ishin no Arashi, and an EGGCONSOLE release of Psycho World – which you may know as the Master System’s Psychic World. There’s a new modern Mega Drive game too, in the form of the side-scrolling shooter ZPF – which appears to push the 16-bit hardware hard. We only recall Ristar looking this bold.
New Switch eShop releases
PRAGMATA – £49.99 – Switch 2
PRAGMATA—An original IP from Capcom. It is the near future, and protagonists Hugh and his android companion Diana, must work together as they make their way through the cold lunar research station.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream – £49.99
Become the caretaker of an island full of silliness, drama, love, friendship and unexpected surprises in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for Nintendo Switch. Create anyone you want and watch their wild and wacky lives unfold!
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire – £24.99 – Switch 2
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is an action-packed first-person shooter that draws inspiration from the classic cartoons of the 1930s. Its black and white rubber hose visuals are drawn by hand, frame by frame, delivering a striking vintage aesthetic. Unravel layers of corruption with a thrilling noir-fueled detective story, lively environments to explore, an original big band jazz soundtrack, and a fully-loaded arsenal of cartoon weapons and devastating power-ups.
Dosa Divas – £15.99 – Switch 2
Outerloop Games delivers Dosa Divas – a spicy narrative turn-based RPG. After years apart, sisters Samara and Amani journey with their ancient spirit-mech on a mission to defeat a rotten fast food empire and reconnect communities with their traditions. Platform through vibrant villages, battle corporate goons, reconcile with loved ones, and eat one last meal together before saying goodbye.
Fruit Mountain Party – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – £13.49
The mega-hit 3D puzzle game “Fruit Mountain” — where you merge fruits to make them bigger — is now a party battle game for everyone!
This time, it’s a fruit battle!? Jump into versus mode with up to 4 players!
With items and wild surprises, it’s a chaotic battle full of laughs!
Under Par Golf Architect – £17.99
Design world-class golf courses by terraforming rough wasteland into lush fairways for smooth drives and pristine greens to ensure a true roll for every putt. Raise and lower terrain and lay the course for rivers and lakes to craft breathtaking landscapes that will fill your golfers with awe. Every course you create is a masterpiece waiting to be explored!
Explore a mysterious island chain through the eyes of a tiny, but mighty, gecko in Gecko Gods – a serene puzzle-adventure built around curiosity and movement.
Wander freely through sun-soaked ruins, hidden caves, and ancient temples as you uncover the remnants of a lost civilization. Thanks to your gecko agility, you can scale walls, cling to ceilings, and reach areas no one else can. The world is your playground, and there’s no wrong way to explore it.
Between puzzles and platforming challenges, relax by sailing your little wooden boat from one island to the next. Each stop offers new puzzles, secrets to uncover, insects to snack on, and peaceful moments to enjoy. There’s no combat, no rush – just gentle adventure and a world full of quiet wonder.
From the arcade legends, TAITO, experience this formerly Japan-exclusive 2D action jump & run filled with charm and cartoonish delight on modern consoles for the very first time! Reminiscent of the parasol from Parasol Stars: Bubble Bobble III, this yellow parasol will become your favorite accessory and best weapon. Use it to take down a wild mix of enemies that come straight out of a toybox!
A STAR-STUDDED DOUBLEFEATURE!
PARASOL STARS:
The legendary bubble dragons Bub and Bob are back… in human form!?
AND…
SPICA ADVENTURE:
Join Nico, a little girl clad in all pink and armed with an extraordinary parasol, on a dangerous yet colorful journey through space!
Explore the haunting, dreamlike fantasy world of BEFORE I GO, a punishing Metroidvania where you embody the innocence of an inner child on an allegorical odyssey towards death acceptance. The end is inevitable, but will you brave the journey?
Pumuckl and the Crown of the Pirate King – £34.99
There’s always a lot going on in Master Eder’s workshop – especially when the kobold Pumuckl has to tidy up. But while tidying up, he finds a strange bottle, a ship in a bottle, and something is moving inside! With nerve-racking curiosity, Pumuckl opens the bottle containing the ship. Before he can shout “Darn bottle thing!”, the kobold is sucked into a magical vortex – directly onto the ship inside the bottle!
A Storied Life: Tabitha – £12.99
An elderly loved one has died, leaving you their estate and a letter encouraging you to sell any valuables. But when a mishap spoils their soon-to-be-published memoirs, you set out to repair the damage, piecing together their hidden past using the items you inherit.
Anthology of The Killer – £7.19
Join protagonist BB as she collects material for her zines in a mysterious world of drinky birds, secret rooms, dream resorts, waterparks, bort dolls, immersive theater, beachfront novelty shirts, police men, serial killers, art freeports and unorthodox medical treatment. Nobody’s getting out of here alive!
A chill world of puzzling challenges awaits in Pengilo, a physics-driven platformer where you fling a bouncy penguin through charming winter landscapes. Across 50 levels, collect stars and grab the key to unlock the exit, mastering precision launches to escape every frosty challenge!
Angel Rhapsody is a 2D shooting game.
Demons have possessed all kinds of things—hamburgers, sushi, Mount Rushmore, Mona Lisa, and more! Drive them back with an angel’s bow.
Make mountains of trash disappear in seconds, and enjoy the satisfying feeling of turning messy spaces into organized and clean environments. This is a simple cozy game to unwind with, and spark some joy.
Vacuum, brush, mop, spray – there are many ways to make a place sparkling clean. As a new Cleaning Gig Worker, you will take on variety of requests – declutter a hoarded-up apartment, spiffy up old haunted mansion while avoiding ghosts, or solve puzzles in an ancient temple and find (and clean) the treasure room. Who knows, some of these might even seem familiar 😉
Hyakki Fantasia Mini Game Selection VOL.1 – £4.49
Quick and easy to jump into yet irresistibly addictive for those determined to collect every last Magic Stone. Conquer every mini-game and uncover all the intertwined destinies recorded in this “Chronicle of Illusions.”
Lucky Tower Ultimate is an absurd adventure that will bamboozle you in its difficulty, while enchanting you with its absurdly funny charm. Be prepared to perish at the hands of the uncompromising Tower’s traps and monsters countless times before you can even think about escaping to the local village – and only then can progression be earned.
Decollate Decoration is a pixel-style visual novel adventure with point-and-click and command selection gameplay. As a girl who has become a ghost, you must influence your beloved through conversations, poltergeist activity, dream visits, and even curses. Because he lacks spiritual awareness, direct communication is nearly impossible, requiring careful experimentation and strategic choices. The branching narrative features six different endings, with each playthrough lasting around 15 minutes. Additionally, the game features a prologue and epilogue side stories, a save function, an ending list, and unlockable bonus illustrations, encouraging replayability and full completion.
Dive into a fantasy world where champions face off in an unforgiving tournament. In Smash it Wild, every match counts, mixing volleyball and dodgeball in tactical turn-based gameplay. Upgrade your players, kit them out with powerful items, discover unique synergies and do your best to survive this roguelike competition where defeat means starting all over again.
Find My Frogs is a cozy hidden object game where you search for frogs and toads in a peaceful, animal village. Explore charming spots, uncover secrets, and help Uncle Froger gather everyone for a family photo!
Activate Nullstar Protocol! When a world dies and its nullstar is up for grabs, corporate vultures descend to tear apart the corpse. Solus is one of the scavenger drones sent to the surface of the dying world, to find the nullstar among the wreckage of a megastructure belonging to an age long gone.
Nullstar: Solus is a precision platformer where speed is of the essence, as your drone races down into forgotten, overgrown chambers and corridors, facing ancient dangers and forgotten hazards in its quest for the most powerful energy source in existence.
Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination – £13.49
Take part in an expansive choose-your-own-adventure horror story, where you’ll uncover the secrets of an anachronistic corporation reigning over a post-truth world. Solve cryptic riddles, make difficult choices, and escape the depths of SMYRNACORP with your mind intact, no matter the cost.
You have been assigned to guard a dragon girl set to be executed at the end of 5 days and have the ability to kill her instantly at any time with the push of a button in this multi-ending visual novel.
Cipher Monk: Ancient Calculus – £4.49
In Cipher Monk: Ancient Calculus, numbers are not just numbers — they are mysterious symbols from an ancestral system that you must decipher. Drag, rotate, and position the pieces correctly to reveal the hidden answer in each puzzle.
She seeks refuge from her constant, restless thoughts in a remote cabin. There are no distractions in the profound silence and isolation, but the eerie sound of the cold wind weaving through the trees keeps her awake. In the dark stillness of the night, the silence has begun to take on physical form.
Without a Dawn masterfully immerses the player in introspection, intertwining psychological and philosophical elements to create a narrative that blurs the line between reality and fiction.
Welcome to Death by Scrolling, an action game set in the chaotic depths of Purgatory, inc. now under new management! Choose your character—each with unique perks and abilities, and race upward through endless levels. Battle bizarre monsters, dodge death itself, and collect gems to pay the Ferryman’s exorbitant fee! With each screen inching upward, time is never on your side. Outsmart the Reaper, grab power-ups, complete quirky side quests, and shop from vendors mid-run. Stay alive, pay your dues, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll cross that river.
EGGCONSOLE PSYCHO WORLD MSX2 – £5.39
Released by Herz in 1988, the true essence of this action game’s appeal lies in the sense of omnipotence gained from switching between eight psychic powers in real-time. It goes beyond simply shooting enemies; the thrill of instantly cycling through diverse abilities like fire, ice, sonics, and levitation to suit the flow of battle is addictive. There is a special satisfaction in seeing your own ideas lead directly to success—whether it’s choosing the right element for an enemy’s weakness or freezing a foe to use as a platform to reach higher ground.
Apocalypse Day: Survival Z – Craft & Build – £7.99
Apocalypse Day: Survival Z – Craft & Build is a third-person survival adventure set in a stylized post-apocalyptic Southwest United States. From abandoned cities in Arizona to dense forests in Utah, ruined farmlands in Texas, and the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico, each region presents new dangers and new opportunities.
For Luna the Bell Tolls – £23.99
Once every five years, a special chime echoes through the school in this town.
Luna, a transfer student and an art-loving girl, laughs it off as “nonsense”—but she holds a hidden past.
ZPF is a retro-inspired horizontal shooter for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Blast your way through a cosmic gauntlet of epic boss battles, addictive scoring, and hidden secrets in a thrilling arcade-style adventure through fantasy, sci-fi, and alien-themed worlds.
Next week: High on Life 2, Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors, Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, KAZUMA KANEKO’S TSUKUYOMI, Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster, Reptilian Rising, Traysia, Nagi no Koi, Dark Light, Sky Escort, Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch, Foreign Sun, Drop Duchy – Complete Edition, Joy Piano, GluMe, Dragon Is Dead, Cozy Snow Friends, and BAD END: If you play, you’ll die?