Nintendo has spent the last few months pointing out the difference between Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders, clearing up any potential confusion as to why two character-driven racers are launching on a system barely six months old. The main reason appears to be that Kirby Air Riders is more combat oriented, with a wider range of mechanics – and not just power-ups – to deal with other racers on the track, making it more skill based. Think along the lines of comparing WipEout to F-Zero and you’ll get the gist.
Other noteworthy releases for this week include THQ’s SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide – which sees SpongeBob and Patrick caught in a battle between Neptune and The Flying Dutchman – the anticipated tactical indie RPG Demonschool, Big Ant Studio’s Cricket 26, and the Kung Fu Panda-esque action platformer Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury. QUByte are also readying Saborus, in which you play as a chicken trying to escape from a slaughterhouse.
A few games are bouncing around from format to format too. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is coming to PS5, and should be in better shape than when it launched on Xbox Series a year ago, while also benefitting from PS5 exclusive features. The Switch’s MySims: Cozy Bundle comes to PS5 and Xbox Series – with a PS5 retail release planned for this week, despite being announced barely a week ago – while Bandai Namco’s One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is making the jump to current systems, the Switch 2 included.
Then on the retro (and modern retro) side of things there’s the PS1 shooter revival R-Type Delta HD, the lavish looking pixel art run ‘n gun Neon Inferno, horror movie turned 2D hack ‘n slash Terrifier the ARTcade Game, and a re-release of Lucasarts’ wild west FPS Outlaws.
We can also expect eastasiasoft’s latest shooter StarLightRiders: HyperJump, the simarcade style JDM: Japanese Drift Master on Xbox Series, twin-stick shooter Sektori, action-rogue-lite on wheels Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road, and an Xbox Game Preview release of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault. Chompy Chomp Chomp Party comes to Xbox too, which you may recall from the days of the Wii U.
New release trailers
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PS5)
Kirby Air Riders
SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide
Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster
Neon Inferno
Cricket 26
MySims: Cozy Bundle
R Type Delta: HD Boosted
Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury
JDM: Japanese Drift Master
Terrifier the ARTcade Game
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
Saborus
Demonschool
StarLightRiders: HyperJump
The Last Shot Arcades
Sektori
Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road
Fantasy Aquarium
Bus World
New multiformat releases
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide
- Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster
- Neon Inferno
- Cricket 26
- MySims: Cozy Bundle
- Terrifier: The ARTcade Game
- Demonschool
- StarLightRiders: HyperJump
- The Last Shot Arcades
- Kiosk
- Saborus
- Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury
- Sektori
- One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
- Remnants of the Rift
- Secrets of Blackrock Manor – Escape Room
- Pad Quad
New on PSN
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- R-Type Delta HD Boosted
- Where Is Billy?
- The Berlin Apartment
- Mel The Cat
- ZOO MANAGER SIMULATOR
- Morsels
- Richie’s Plank Experience
- Cube KaBAAM
- Top Shot Pool
- Lamplighter
New on Xbox Store
- Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (Game Preview)
- Football, Tactics & Glory – Treble Deluxe Edition
- JDM: Japanese Drift Master
- NeonBlast
- Sailing the Winds
- Chompy Chomp Chomp Party: Ultimate Tournament Edition
- Croc’s Dynamite Blast
- Diamond Painting ASMR
- Drizzlepath: Picturae
- Empire Invasion
- Fantasy Aquarium
- Solid Void Art Nonograms
- Aery – Peace of Mind 4
- A Maze Against Time
- Burger Master
- Castle Heroes
- Save Room – The Merchant
- Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road
- RoboHero
- Spikeball Smash
- The Cute Whale (Xbox Series)
- Slide Stories: Neko and Friends
- Wiz Quest: Crystal Power (Xbox Series)
- Bus World
- Cat God Ranch
New Switch retail releases
- Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2)
- Little Nightmares Enhanced Complete Edition (Switch 2)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide (Switch 2)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide
- Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury
- Once Upon a Katamari
- Nice Day For Fishing
- Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home
Next week: Project Motor Racing, Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok, Bee Simulator: The Hive, Street Racer Collection, The Last Case of John Morley, Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons, Schildmaid MX, Brotherhood, Torii, Star Ores Inc, Super 3D Maze 16, Emoji Battlefield – Origins, Wild West: Hidden Objects, and Pools.