Matt Gander 
Early Black Friday deals have caused a commotion in this week’s official UK physical release chart, with fifteen games in the top 40 being re-entries. There was just one new arrival though – EA’s MySims Cosy Bundle at #8, which also took a respectable #6 in the Switch chart. The single format charts did see …
The new Evercade Alpha bartop arcade-style systems launch this month, available in Mega Man or Street Fighter II variants. This isn’t the reason behind spending time with 2022’s Irem Arcade Collection 1 though. Ever since seeing screenshots in ‘90s gaming mags I’ve had a hankering for Irem’s In The Hunt, and this is one of …
If you’re a fan of Lemmings and other ‘rescue’ style puzzle platformers, pencil 6th February in your 2025 planner – Moons of Darsalon is due out that day, set to launch on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox formats. After becoming lost and stranded during interplanetary mining missions, the ‘Darsanauts’ now need to be found and rescued. …
After the mundanity of working 9-5 in a heaving city takes its toll, adventurous redhead Isla heeds the call of nature. Fresh air and picturesque views aren’t the only reason she’s strapping on a backpack and kitting out her 4×4 – her brother Kai also enjoys mountaineering and has recently gone AWOL after trying to …
After a three-year hiatus, the MXGP series returns this week, refreshed by Nacon and Kylotonn. We can expect advanced physics, user-friendly controls for beginners, 20 tracks from the 2024 calendar plus every official bike. Kylotonn’s WRC games were generally well received, but their last game – the online focused Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown left …
A new gameplay trailer for Ruffy and the Riverside has been released, showing off some of the imaginative touches we can expect. It’s a 3D platformer featuring a 2D bear protagonist, in which it’s possible to swap textures to assist in traversal and puzzle solving. A waterfall, for instance, can be swapped with vines in …
Fans of Epyx are well catered for next week. Not only are Atari issuing a new Epyx multi-game cart for the Atari 2600, intended for the recent Atari 2600+ console, but Pixel Games UK are also bringing a new collection to Switch. Due November 28th on the eShop, The Epyx Games – Sports Collection contains …
Considering the incredible popularity of The Sims, it is surprising that EA hasn’t tried to cram The Sims 4, or even The Sims 3, onto the Switch. This week provides a little something for long-time fans – MySims: Cozy Bundle brings together the Wii hits MySims and MySims Kingdom. This series was a slight departure, …
Here’s a remaster different from most. Back in 2002, the colourful Claymation side-scrolling shoot’em up Platypus launched on PC before making its way to PSP in 2006. It’s about to gain a remastered re-release which isn’t merely a HD iteration – original creator Anthony Flack has been working with the Sheffield-based Claymatic Games to rebuild the …
The popularity of the auto-shooting genre doesn’t seem to be on the wane, with 2-3 typically launching weekly. With stiff competition in mind, it definitely helps to have a unique selling point or at least attempt to incorporate something new. Simply being a cheap download offering similar thrills to Vampire Survivors no longer cuts it. …
For whatever reason, an official UK retail chart wasn’t published last week – or at least not made public. However, this week’s chart reveals that Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood debuted at #3, while Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions took #12. Both have taken a tumble this week, with Brotherhood exiting the top ten already. The top …
This deckbuilding top-down hack ‘n slash presents an alternative take on the French Revolution. How alternative, you ask? Well, there’s a cosmic humanoid dwelling within the lower levels of Paris, spawning brain-controlling flower blossoms. Referred to as Lady Bliss, this entity descended from space during the King’s coronation. Playing as skilled swordsman René, renowned for …
Microsoft begins to fight back this week, starting their holiday campaign. The anticipated UE5 powered survival shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl – originally revived in 2018 following a cancellation in 2012 – comes to Xbox Game Pass, as does the bigger than ever Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. If early impressions are to go by, …
When famous landmarks are transported into space by a cackling skull-shaped UFO, it falls upon not the army or even superheroes to retrieve them, but rather the planet’s sports stars with their powerful backhands and precision slapshots. It’s a simple premise, but enough to facilitate a jaunt around the globe, with this being an arcade-style …
This hand-drawn Lithuania developed RPG commences in a magical realm full of floating platforms, giant mushrooms, and demonic monsters. Magic users known as Veds protect this world, guided by mystical creatures and a powerful witch. No sooner than being introduced to this fantasy setting, we’re flung into the near future where a shady corporation is …