If you believe music is good for the soul, the Switch eShop has two soulful new releases ‘of note’ to consider this week.
Mixtape for Switch 2 comes from Annapurna Interactive and sees three teenagers spending one final night together, reliving their past through memories. While partying one last time, you’ll get to listen to The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Joy Division, The Cure, and more. Wax Heads meanwhile is a management sim involving a failing record store, tasking you with making recommendations, chilling with staff, and turning things around. It sounds rather similar to the recent Tiny Bookshop.
Taking us by surprise somewhat is Nightdive’s Blood: Refreshed Supply, a new version of the violent shooter, rebuilt using the original’s source code. Remastered cut-scenes, new scenarios, playable cut-content levels, online co-op and new weather effects all feature. It’s coming to Switch 2 for £24.99.
Another new release with online co-op is Kill It with Fire 2. Spiders are taking over the multiverse, and up to four exterminators can jump into a Humans vs Spiders PvP mode, or an 8-player PvP Spider Hunt mode. Forty five weapons and seven worlds feature, including the wild west, spider hell, and cyberspace.
Then there’s Duck Side of the Moon, an explorative adventure starring a duck astronaut looking for a new home. In the meantime, their spaceship can be customised, adding a garden and more. It seems fun and creative, judging by the screenshots and premise alone.
For RPG fans, there’s Axe Cop – a comical pixel art affair, with a story written by a five year old – and Kemco’s Akuma Rise, which is turn based and intended to be on the nostalgic side.
Other new releases include the tile-swapping co-op puzzler Lost Twins 2, hand-drawn 2D platform brawler Decline’s Drops, psychological horror Chorus of Carcosa, and the ghostly pixel art point-and-clicker Shadows of the Afterland.
This week’s Arcade Archives re-release is none other than Taito’s Arkanoid from 1986, also available on Switch 2 as an Arcade Archives 2 release. There’s a Console Archives re-release too – Nichibutsu’s 1986 mech shooter MagMax, which was presumably for the Famicom.
New Switch eShop releases
Mixtape – £15.99 – Switch 2
En route to their final party together, a perfectly curated playlist draws three friends into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories. Experience a variety of narrative vignettes exploring the pivotal moments that shaped them. Players will immerse themselves in the teenage wasteland by playing through a mixtape of joyful gameplay, from skateboarding and flying to taking photos after hours at an abandoned theme park, hitting baseballs, and putting on a fireworks show from the backseat of a car. It’s the greatest hits of the teenage experience, from the first kiss to the last dance.
Blood: Refreshed Supply – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – £24.99
Blood: Refreshed Supply™ follows Caleb, an undead gunslinger on a quest for revenge against his former demonic master, Tchernobog. Despite his once powerful position as a fearsome Cabal commander and one of Tchernobog’s “Chosen” few, Caleb and his fellow Chosen are betrayed by the dark god and slain for reasons unknown. Seeking answers and vengeance, Caleb rises from the grave to put a stop to Tchernobog and his murderous lieutenants once and for all.
Wax Heads is a cozy-punk narrative sim about working in a struggling record store. Chat to quirky customers with unique tastes, explore a handcrafted record collection, fall in love with bands (and their drama!), or just slack off with your colleagues – whatever gets everyone’s groove back!
You are the Exterminator on a crusade against the spider horde taking over the multiverse. Blast through the story campaign solo or with friends via online co-op for up to 4 players or jump into a frenetic Humans vs Spiders PvP mode for some laughs and screams.
Meet Malachai Nicolle, age 5, the narrative director of Axe Cop. He likes dinosaurs, warthogs, and Santa. Malachai pits Axe Cop and his team of strong fighters against the most deadly, disgusting, and horrifying bad guys his imagination can come up with.
Take on missions against his most devious enemies such as Bad Santa Claus, Dr. Stinkyhead, Dr. Doo doo and more! Axe Cop is great for casual and hardcore RPG gamers alike, offering plenty of strategy, quests and story for any gamer to sink their axe into!
Chorus of Carcosa is a psychological horror game inspired by the classic horror fiction of ‘The King in Yellow’ collection by R. W. Chambers. You play as a sculptor who is forced to abandon his place of comfort one night, when a blood-soaked neighbor knocks on his door.
Duck Side of the Moon – £16.74
Fly around as Doug, an overworked duck astronaut looking for a new homeworld. Crashed on a strange side of the galaxy, maybe this break is exactly what he needs! Whether you’re exploring or just soaking in the stars, this galaxy is yours to enjoy at your own pace.
Set in the demon realm of Adribune, this story-driven JRPG follows Kaine, a demon who awakens with no memories after washing ashore on a remote island. With the Overlord gone, rival nations clash and heroes from the Radiant Realm invade, seeking to dominate the Shadow Realm. Joined by three demon princesses and a strange mascot, Kaine searches for fragments of his lost past while fighting to protect a world on the brink of collapse.
Blackspot is a fast paced pirate card duel where every decision could make you a legend or send you to the bottom of the sea.
Draw your card. Read your enemy. Then choose to play it straight, run a bluff, or throw down a taunt. One wrong read and your streak is gone, but walk away too early and you will never know what you left on the table.
[Pa!nt, a magical world where doodles come to life]
An ordinary notebook becomes the stage for a special adventure with your touch. Become the owner of ‘Moony,’ a small, cute octopus friend born from a drawing, and explore a puzzle world full of color and imagination!
Doll Defenders is a tower defense action game set in the “Male Doll” multiverse where you’re tasked with protecting a sacred statue from invading monsters, all while meeting heroes and unlocking special scenes and animations on your way to the final showdown.
Master a dozen weapon types or stick to the ones that fit your playstyle. Fight it out against enemy waves across 3 different worlds and 15 unique levels with 8 hunky characters to rescue!
Rearrange the world. Reunite the twins. Rediscover wonder.
Abi and Ben are lost but not alone. In Lost Twins 2, you’ll shift entire pieces of the world to guide them through a beautifully handcrafted puzzle adventure full of cozy charm and clever surprises.
GAMEPLAY
– Catch demons and train them for battle.
– Fuse them together into more powerful species.
– Craft weapons and armor that teach new spells and passive abilities to them.
– Earn extra turns in combat by exploiting enemies’ weaknesses.
– Explore a massive world full of rewarding sidequests, minigames, and puzzles.
Re-write your legend through verse and blood, and bring respite to the tragic youth of Kalevala by besting mythical creatures, monsters, spirits – and even Life and Death themselves – in battle.
Perform rituals, navigate treacherous lands, and learn from every misstep to become stronger.
Take control of Akita, a brave hero equipped with high-tech thrusters, and navigate through a series of challenging floating islands. From freezing snow-capped peaks and mysterious ancient ruins to futuristic cloud cities, every world offers a unique visual spectacle and a fresh set of deadly obstacles. Master the art of mid-air hovering, dodge giant rolling boulders, manoeuvre through massive spinning gears, and solve intricate platforming puzzles.
A challenging and heartfelt precision-platformer. Use powers of Astral Projection to complete a dangerous coming-of-age pilgrimage. Master tight controls, overcome challenges, and let your spirit guide you to the journey’s end.
EGGCONSOLE DEEP DUNGEON MSX – £5.39
Experience a classic RPG masterpiece from 1988, brought to you by Humming Bird Soft.
The mission: Rescue the abducted Princess Etna. As the hero of this tale, you’ll receive the King’s blessing (and some gold) to equip yourself in the Town of Doll before braving the unknown. Inside the dungeon, danger lurks around every corner. When steel meets claw, you’ll need to master the command-based battle system—victory favors the strategist!
Decline’s Drops is a beautiful hand-drawn 2D platform-brawler, in which you play as Globule, a wooden boxing-gloved Puppet who seeks revenge for her destroyed Garden.
Each world, each character has been meticulously designed and crafted, made with love, passion, and care.
Dive into 6 worlds, each one of them being a subtle satire of our own world. From the destruction of the environment to the exploitation of the animals, through the pollution of the seas and the impacts of high consumerism, Decline’s Drops, without being a moral speech, has a lore focused on these different aspects of our modern society.
Start with a knife and a handful of rations in a hostile land swarming with enemies. Use your radar to explore over 100 areas, gather resources, clear outposts, find new gear, and craft upgrades at workbenches.
Level up, unlock new blueprints, and face off against brutal bosses and challenges.
His famous father is aging. His mother is dying. And his big sister is on the moon. So it is up to Avery “Aphid” Cavor to stop the villainous Lady Bug from wrecking the town of Victoria with her horde of monsters!
Run, shoot, swim, and fly. Explore huge levels. Fight big bosses. Earn upgrades.
Relive the early days of 2D platform gaming with this modern action-adventure game.
In Trusted Hands is a narrative-driven repair shop simulator where fixing phones turns dealing with people’s private lives. Messages, photos, and hidden files can surface during repairs, placing you in the middle of secrets you were never meant to see.
Barbarous: Survivor’s Quest – £4.49
The land is overrun by hungry orcs, skeletons, ghosts, rats, and other dangerous creatures, and only the strongest will last! Fight through wave after wave of enemies, face powerful bosses, and upgrade your hero to become unstoppable.
Every run is a new challenge! Choose your upgrades wisely and shape your build as you progress. Open treasure chests, gather experience, and stay in the fight as the enemy waves grow stronger.
Shadows of the Afterland – £12.95
Madrid, 1960. A chilling incident unfolds at the city’s old zoo, leading to a mysterious death that propels a soul to the threshold between the world of the living and the afterlife. But when the transition goes awry, the soul arrives with the memories of Carolina, one of the pioneers of the Madrid police force, who has not yet been born.
Step into Carolina’s shoes and immerse yourself in a detective mystery to unravel the enigma shrouding these events. Explore the wacky realm of the afterlife, teeming with unique characters and with its own rules.
In your quest for the truth, you join forces with César, an elusive former ghost agent. Persuade this enigmatic ally to accompany you on a transformative journey to confront the sinister forces lurking in the world of the living. As you gain César’s trust, you’ll have to solve tricky point-and-click puzzles, harness the power of magic, navigate between worlds and even possess the living.
Next week: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, NITRO GEN OMEGA, Call of the Elder Gods, Outbound, Rugrats Retro Rewind, Smalland: Survive the Wilds, Sektori, Black Jacket, Yomi 2, Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype Definitive Edition, Zombie Rollerz: The Last Ship, and Underling Uprising.