The Switch eShop is home to releases great and small this week, from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to Smalland: Survive the Wilds.
Machine Games’ whip crackin’ first-person adventure Indiana Jones and the Great Circle reportedly performs well on Switch 2, even in handheld mode. The Metacritic score currently sits at 84%, on par with the PS5 and Xbox Series versions. In fact, there no review scores lower than 8/10 at the time of writing.
“Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn’t just another dose of leftovers on the Switch 2. This is a fantastic port of an already exceptional game that makes use of the Switch 2’s unique features and still looks great even in handheld mode. If you haven’t yet had the chance to take this adventure on, then this is an absolutely fantastic way to do so,” said Hey Poor Player.
Call of the Sun’s sequel Call of the Elder Gods has gained positive reviews too, praised for mixing comedic writing with clever puzzle solving. “Out of the Blue has delivered another feast for the eyes and ears in a fun, chill puzzle game that still finds ways to balance the horrors of the beyond with the horrors of our own existence,” was But Why Tho’s verdict.
After a skint on PC in early access, the anime style mech RPG NITRO GEN OMEGA is about to stomp onto Switch. The draw here is that battles play out like an anime, with animation sequences forming attacks. Continuing the theme for this week, reviews are positive.
“Nitro Gen Omega captures the spirit of explosive 2000s mecha anime while delivering a surprisingly deep tactical RPG beneath its stylish presentation. Its layered management systems, strategic combat flow, and pilot relationship mechanics make every mission feel meaningful, while the fast-paced presentation keeps the experience engaging even during downtime,” said Noisy Pixel before handing out a 9/10.
From noughties anime to US ‘90s cartoons – Underling Uprising is inspired by Saturday morning shows, presented as an old school beat’em up with oddball characters. The first review to surface is from TheSixthAxis. “With a few friends sat on the same sofa, it’s the kind of loud, colourful, coin-op-like chaos that I have loved ever since playing Captain Commando in my local arcade,” read their review, although they did note input lag and frame rate issues.
Hitting the brakes somewhat is the off grid camping adventure Outbound. Despite showing much promise, the launch week reception has been mixed due to repetition and an open world that allegedly serves no purpose. Review scores vary from 4/10 to 8/10, with some critics finding solace in its chilled nature. It’s out on both Switch and Switch 2.
This week also sees the release of the acclaimed twin-stick shooter Sektori for Switch 2 – which gained a stonking 93% Metacritic on PC – the tiny but mighty crafting survival adventure Smalland: Survive the Wilds, blackjack roguelike Black Jacket, card based fighter Yomi 2, and the side-scrolling shooter Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition. Fans of that genre should keep some credits by for next week, as three shooter franchises return.
To celebrate twelve years of Arcade Archives, the latest release is the often requested Mr. Do! from 1982 – a colourful maze game similar to Dig Dug, that went on to gain several sequels and spin-offs. There’s a Console Archives re-release too: Master of Monsters: Disciples of Gaia, released by TOSHIBA-EMI in 1997. Hamster describes it as a war simulation game. While it does sound quite interesting, it’s worth keeping in mind that it’ll be untranslated. The same goes for this week’s EGGCONSOLE release, which is the 1985 circus themed murder mystery Meurtre d’un Clown.
Another retro package due is Rugrats Retro Rewind, which includes PS1, Game Boy and GBA tie-ins from the turn of the millennium. It’s safe to assume it’s a mixed bag. It isn’t a complete collection either, missing the first N64 game and Totally Angelica – which were complete bobbins, if memory serves. Maybe it’s for the best.
New Switch eShop releases
Smalland: Survive the Wilds – £31.49 – Switch 2
After centuries living underground, the Smallfolk emerge from their burrows to reclaim the Overland now that the giants have gone. Join the exodus as a vanguard in an epic adventure played at a tiny scale. Explore, scavenge, craft and build as you fight to gain a foothold in this hostile new world.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – £59.99
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade™. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
Humanity has lost the war. The wastelands are now crawling with rogue AI and scavenging war machines. You and your mercenary crew fight to survive, taking on contracts from the last remaining cities built high above the wasteland.
Plan your moves during the Planning Phase, then watch your strategy unfold in fully animated, anime-inspired combat sequences.
Dodge, fire, deploy coolant, or unleash special tactics using the game’s unique Timeline System, where every second counts and every action shapes the flow of battle.
Build your own home on wheels and live sustainably off-grid. Craft workstations and power supplies, source energy from the sun, wind, or water, upgrade and customise your vehicle, grow crops, and explore a colourful world with up to 4 players.
Outbound is an open-world exploration game set in a utopian near future. Start with an empty camper van and turn it into the home of your dreams – alone or together with your friends. Build and explore at your own pace. Scavenge materials, craft, and build in and on top of your vehicle with modular parts. Advance in technology and efficiently use energy to power your home. Adjust your playstyle to adapt to new landscapes and changing environmental conditions.
Call of the Elder Gods – £19.99
Call of the Elder Gods – £19.99 – Switch 2
Call of the Sea’s object and observation-based puzzles return with new depth. Scour richly-rendered environments for clues. Swap between Harry and Evangeline to solve complex, multi-part problems across time and space. Choose your own difficulty level with toggle-able hints, icons, and journal entries.
Play Blackjack against the restless souls wandering the hellish afterlife. You play for their coin, and you’ll need lots of them to bribe the ferryman and escape. But watch your bet because this isn’t your regular game of Blackjack.
Underling Uprising is a new take on classic “brawlers”. Enjoy Beat ‘Em Up gameplay mixed with inspirations from those vibrant ’90s cartoons. Fight across the world as the Underlings, a group of scientifically enhanced experiments, each with their own unique powers. You only have one mission at hand: Stop the mad scientist that created you!
Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship – £12.99
Command the last ship against relentless waves of zombies in a mystical world. Build turrets, lead your crew, upgrade the ship, explore, gather resources and discover powerful artifacts.
Roots and sprouts is a garden game where the player will explore an island with different species of plants and trees. Each day you’re uncovering this new environment and its history. You will gather some seeds from the vegetation and re-plant them close to each other to get hybrids. Day after day, you will cross-breed the plants to create some new ones, to finally find and restore the ultimate tree : Yggdrasil.
Yomi 2 is a fighting game in card form. Learn your character, practice combos, and read the opponent’s tendencies. Yomi captures the feel of fighting games such as Street Fighter and Fantasy Strike and was created by a lead designer of both.
Sektori is an intense, fast paced twin-stick shooter infused with hard hitting techno music. Choose your upgrades carefully and create powerful builds to take on the relentless enemies and epic bosses on a constantly evolving battlefield. Sektori is a game that requires your complete focus, a game where the high-adrenaline visuals, music, and gameplay come together to transport you into another state of consciousness.
Middle Evil: The Priest – £5.39
A righteous young priest arrives at a remote village in the Middle Ages to cleanse the local church from evil infestation.
Take up your holy weapons to battle with skeletons, ghosts, vampires, and other invading demonic creatures. Get assistance from the villagers and the underworld alike, sing prayers, and work divine miracles.
Can you survive 7 nights of onslaught and rid the church of demonic possession?
Run a convenience store solo in this frantic action game!
Dash around the store handling tasks while customers keep pouring in!
Feel the exhilaration of handling one task after another!
XIII A final Game of Tarot – £4.49
Death comes for everyone, and now it’s your turn — but you didn’t expect it to want to read your future. Play your cards the right way and keep your Karma balanced — the closer to zero, the better. Try to achieve the highest score possible in this Roguelike!
Perfect Tides: Station to Station – £17.59
You are Mara Whitefish, aspiring writer in the year 2003. No longer an adolescent, you’ve left your island home of Perfect Tides to attend university in The City. The fast tracks of adulthood lie ahead.
Menace from the Deep: Complete Edition – £17.99
Explore the grim world inspired by Cthulhu Mythos and collect memory fragments to uncover the secret society. Experience the gritty atmosphere through your multiple runs, upgrade your cards to shape unique strategies and most importantly – try not to lose your sanity.
EGGCONSOLE Meurtre d’un Clown PC-8801 – £4.15
Released in 1985, this adventure game puts you in the shoes of a detective dispatched from Scotland Yard to solve a murder case. The game uses a command-entry system, primarily utilizing “noun + verb” inputs, and supports both Kana and English.
As the company’s second mystery adventure title, it follows its predecessor in receiving high acclaim for its writing. The ever-shifting scenario and its dramatic twists are absolute must-sees. The way the foreshadowing throughout the game leads to such unexpected connections is a narrative journey you won’t want to miss.
Slip into the paws of a mischievous little cat and turn a cozy seaside town upside down. In Pawbay, every alley, rooftop, shop, and secret corner is full of playful ways to stir up trouble. Sneak, climb, swipe, and pounce your way through a charming world where curiosity always leads to chaos.
Better yet, you can enjoy the full adventure solo or with a friend in local 2-player split-screen co-op. The town may be lovely, but that will not stop you from becoming its most unforgettable little menace.
Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition – £13.49
A side-scrolling shooter sensation returns, bigger and bolder than ever before! Blending traditional arcade gameplay with scorching HD visuals and rocking audio presentation, Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition is laser-focused on bringing everything the genre is known for into the current generation, from its sophisticated sci-fi narrative to strategic weapon juggling and rewarding power-up mechanics inspired by genre classics.
Dynamic score-linked difficulty, a challenge mode that rewards skillful performance with bonus features, devastating limit attacks and a pumping soundtrack with 30 original music pieces are just the beginning. Online scoreboards, stunning weapon and boss effects, rebalanced difficulty and a new gallery mode are now included. This is the ultimate realization of Söldner-X 2, fully revised and reborn!
Next week: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, R-Type Dimensions III, STARBITES, Tales of ARISE – Beyond the Dawn Edition, FZ: Formation Z, Bubsy 4D, Rune Dice, Farming Simulator 26: Nintendo Switch Edition, Heroine Anthem Zero 2 : Scalescars Oath, Atomic Owl, Table Flip Simulator, King of Tokyo – Richard Garfield, and The Frog’s Adventure.