Matt Gander 
Clear River Games are bringing Taito’s retro collection Operation Night Strikers to Switch and Steam at the start of August. The Steam page is live while the Switch eShop page is typically tardy. Featuring four games, the focus here is on Taito’s arcade shooters. Included are the light gun games Operation Wolf and Operation Thunderbolt, the …
Being a lighthouse keeper must be an arduous task; one with a heavy burden. Not only is there the need to keep everything functional, but also to regularly look out to sea and monitor passing vessels and sudden changes in weather. Now factor in additionally having to run a traveller camp, including assigning roles, cooking …
With a name like that, this couldn’t possibly end well. This short visual novel introduces us to four characters, all of which are led to an untimely demise due to the precarious situations they find themselves in. That, and the decisions made by yourself along the way. Featuring an 18+ age rating, the colourful cast …
This week’s UK retail (physical) chart has a few fresh faces, along with surprise resurgences. The highest charting new arrival is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, debuting at #2 in the all formats top 40. It was able to claim no.1 on PS5, but had to settle for #3 in both the Xbox …
It’s the middle of summer, yet this week’s assortment of new releases closer resembles a typical week during October or November. If only we had the temperatures to match, helping us to feel less guilty about playing video games inside on a hot and sunny day. RoboCop: Rogue City was one of the biggest hits …
Inflation isn’t just rampant on the UK high street – it’s rife on the otherwise calm Minami Lane too. The docile citizens are eager to spend cash in the noodle bars and convenience stores peppering the street, but the prices must be set perfectly. This means not just making goods cheap enough for the cash-strapped …
If you’re thinking of taking the Switch on holiday or are perhaps looking to beat the heat by sitting in the shade, then this week’s eShop line-up has you covered. By which we mean there are plenty of new releases to get stuck into. It’s particularly pleasing to see Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + …
Not much is going on within the latest UK retail chart, with no new arrivals to speak of. That’s no surprise considering not even the Switch saw a single new physical release last week. Mario Kart World has however returned to the top of the chart after being temporarily dethroned by Death Stranding 2: On …
Even prior to playing Music Drive it was clear that it offered an arcade-like experience, with it featuring low poly 32-bit era style visuals and a focus on reckless vehicular combat. It’s the kind of game where you only need to look at a screenshot or two to see what you’re in for. However, I …
The birdman is back! Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is out on all formats this week (including Switch and Switch 2), and due on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Developed by Iron Galaxy, and not Vicarious Visions like it’s predecessor, it sounds like quite a substantial overhaul that adds a lot of new content including …
Horror games were seldom seen on handhelds during the ‘90s, with even Capcom cancelling a Game Boy Color conversion of Resident Evil due to the belief that it would cease to be scary when played on a small screen. Skip forward to 2025, and the humble Switch is on the receiving end of horror games …
New indie publisher Current Games has snagged the rights to release Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights on PS5 and Xbox Series. This arcade-style racer has been in early access on Steam since 2024 and is due a major update on 24th July – adding more tracks and a single player career mode – to coincide …
The Switch (and Switch 2) are well and truly taking us back to the past this week, with many new releases being either retro compilations or modern retro-style games. From ININ there’s Irem Collection Volume 3, which brings together the 2D arcade scrolling shooters Mr. Heli/Battle Chopper, Mystic Riders and Dragon Breed with optional rapid-fire …
The developers behind Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 are currently working on Full Metal Schoolgirl for D3Publisher. In fact, they’ve been working on it for a while – it’s due out October 23rd on Switch 2, PS5 and PC. Much like Earth Defense Force before it, we shouldn’t expect a cerebral experience. Taking place …
After a dull couple of weeks (1980’s Crazy Balloon, anyone?) Hamster are pulling out the stops for their next two Arcade Archives re-releases. This week – 3rd July, specifically – sees the release of Namco’s 1995 flight shooter AIR COMBAT 22 on all formats – including Switch 2 and Xbox Series. It was the sequel …