Far fewer games than usual are hitting the Switch eShop this week. We can only assume that indie publishers didn’t want to tangle with a triple threat of Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort – three of the best-selling franchises of all time.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a Switch 2 exclusive priced £41.99, featuring 12 sports, online play, and an island to explore – complete with photo opportunities. Review scores are clocking in at 8/10, with the main complaint being that the new sports aren’t quite as refined as those returning.
“As the 20th anniversary of Wii Sports approaches, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort delivers the fifth and finest iteration of the series to date. The 12 sports provide a good variety, and while some of them continue to have the same (deliberate) control quirks that have remained for two decades now, the overall package is rammed with content regardless of whether you enjoy local or online multiplayer, or prefer to play alone,” said VGC before handing out a 4/5.
Final Fantasy Resonance meanwhile is a return to classic FF games, being the first entry in the series to fall into Square-Enix’s 2D-HD line, combining all the things that the franchise is celebrated for. It’s coming to both Switch formats. “If you’re left cold by the modern Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy Resonance returns you to a simpler time, offering old-school action and a decent narrative, while wrapping it in a delightful visual wrapper,” was TSA’s verdict.
On the subject of comebacks, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 marks the return of the franchise on Nintendo hardware – with the last entry being Ghosts on Wii U. This year’s edition takes us to Korea for a more emotional tale, and word has it that it sees the franchise back on track with a belter of a campaign. As for MP, it seems some sacrifices were made to help keep the framerate up when playing online.
ONE PIECE: Grand Gourmet sees yet another franchise return on Switch, available for both Switch and Switch 2. This is a cooking management sim featuring pixel art, arriving at a modest £15.99. Two of the newer Cotton games are about to hit Switch 2 also – this being a cutesy shooter series with bullet hell tropes – while SNK’s FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves likewise gains a belated Switch 2 release, arriving at £19.99. Can it give Street Fighter 6 a run for its money?
Other releases include the frozen world set survival game Frostpunk for Switch, Arc System Work’s hero sacrificing strategy RPG DEMONS’ NIGHT FEVER, children’s novel series tie-in Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest, and the Switch 2 asymmetric horror Beyond the Dark: Nightwatch – in which one player explores a house while another assists using surveillance.
Retro fans will want to check out this week’s releases from Hamster, as they’re both corkers. Arcade Archives ACE DRIVER VICTORY LAP is a 1996 3D racer from Namco, while Console Archives RAIDEN PROJECT is the Japanese version of the cult PS1 shooter collection – an early release for the platform, arriving in 1995. It managed to gain a Western release through Ocean, of all companies.
New Switch and Switch 2 releases
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE – £49.99 (Switch 2)
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE – £49.99
Return to the pixel‑art world of FINAL FANTASY, evolved from its classic roots. Travel with companions bound by fate and call on Visions to aid you in battle to uncover the truth behind a force that threatens to bring everything to ruin.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort – £41.99 (Switch 2)
Play 12 different sports using intuitive motion controls in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, only on Nintendo Switch 2. Head to the island resort of Wuhu Island, and use the Joy‑Con 2 controllers as bows, rackets, handlebars and more!
Frostpunk is a society survival game where heat means life and every decision comes at a price. In an entirely frozen world, people develop steam-powered technology to oppose the overwhelming cold. You face the task of building the last city on Earth and securing the means necessary for your community to survive.
Cotton Reboot! – £26.99 (Switch 2)
Welcome to Cotton Reboot!! This wonderful game series was born in the arcades all the way back in 1991, and then made the jump to the classic Japanese home computer Sharp X68000 two years later. That was the first time we got to meet the young witch Cotton and the fairy Silk, who set out to save Fairyland. Since then, these characters have become some of the brightest-shining mascots of the entire cute ’em up genre. Now it’s time to return to this fantastic game, completely renewed and enhanced!
Cotton Reboot! High Tension! – £20.69
Cotton Reboot! High Tension! is the latest game in the long-running Cotton series. These classic cute ’em ups have existed ever since 1991, when the first game was released in the Japanese arcades. Then as now, you play as the young witch Cotton and her faithful (?!) fairy friend Silk. The original game has a modern remake called Cotton Reboot!, and Cotton Reboot! High Tension! is the natural sequel and evolution of that very remake. Magical!
Skeletons are invading, and your only defense is a toaster and a chicken! Embark on a whimsical adventure through a land plagued by pesky skeletons! Uncover weird and wacky weapon synergies to fight back against the bony baddies. Along the way, you’ll gather a rag-tag group of heroes who will aid you on your mission- will you have the guts to stop the necromancer’s plans and save the world?
Enemies? Allies? Kill Kill Kill! The more death you bring, the stronger you become! Stat-Raising Strategy RPG is here!
Based on classic grid-based strategy games, this entirely new SRPG features the Peon Exploitation System—a brutal combat mechanic where you mercilessly sacrifice your own allies.
The more misdeeds you commit, the more vicious your army becomes, and the greater your advantage in battle!
Regain the lost power of the Devil, Giga Super Death, who was transformed into a baby, and crush the false god wearing a mask of justice!
ONE PIECE: Grand Gourmet – £15.99 (Switch 2)
ONE PIECE: Grand Gourmet – £15.99
ONE PIECE comes to life as a restaurant management sim game!
As a new staff member, work alongside the Straw Hat Crew to turn the second location of the renowned Baratie floating restaurant into the greatest restaurant of the seas!
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest – £24.99 (Switch 2)
Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest – £24.99
Embark on a variety of quests to gain favor with your Clan and battle others in turn-based combat to strengthen your cat and grow your legend. Learn new combat moves to take down your rivals. Encounter a wide range of enemies, including mice, squirrels, badgers and more, all leading to epic battles. Forage the land and find materials that can be used to craft items in your den. Travel across iconic territories including ThunderClan’s dense forests, RiverClan’s marshlands, ShadowClan’s dark pine swamps, and WindClan’s open moors. Your adventure will also take you to the famed sacred locations The Moonpool and The Island. Climb trees, pounce through undergrowth, track scents, solve environmental puzzles, and uncover the mysteries of StarClan itself.
Beyond the Dark: Nightwatch – £17.99 (Switch 2)
Beyond the Dark: Nightwatch is based on asymmetric cooperation: each player has a different role, tools, and information. The Explorer moves through the house, searches for clues, opens new passages, and faces danger head-on. The Overseer uses cameras, documents, utilities, and surveillance tools to understand the situation and guide their partner.
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves – STANDARD Edition – £19.99 (Switch 2)
SNK’s beloved Fatal Fury series first hit the market in 1991, spearheading the fighting game boom of the 1990s that swept the industry thereafter. Now, the latest in the series—FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves—is set to arrive on Nintendo Switch™ 2 !
Next week: Village in the Shade, The Séance of Blake Manor, Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy, 9 R.I.P. sequel, Dog Man: Bark in Action, ANOMALITH, SNØ: Ultimate Freeriding, Pardon My French Toast, Hello Kitty Party Land, STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, The Last Cat in the Universe, Meiji Tokyo Renka Twilight Kiss, Kowloon’s Gate Suzaku, The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem, Goodboy Galaxy, Queen’s Domain, Pinballoid Crush, and Tarot Tokens.