Select New Releases

Operation STEEL ($9.99)

Despite the clear Gradius II homage going on in that screenshot, this is yet another one of those roguelite-ish affairs where the stages are procedurally generated and you have to upgrade your ship, which means a whole lot of grinding. I’m a bit burnt out on these, but I know some of you can’t get enough of them. Perhaps this is what you’re looking for today.

Dicefolk ($14.99)

This is a really interesting and well-made deck (dice)-building roguelite, with the usual strategy you would expect from the genre plus a few interesting twists like being able to control both sides in a battle. There’s a major creature-collecting component the game, which puts a further spin on things. I’ll be reviewing this one soon, but I’ve really enjoyed playing it.

Ylands: Nintendo Switch Edition ($24.99)

One of those Everything Bagel kinds of games, with crafting, exploration, survival, combat, and so on loaded in. You can play the game in Adventure Mode and have fun making your way through six distinct regions, or fire up Creative Mode to roll around in the sandbox a little. While the reviews of this game are quite mixed on Steam, that seems to be largely directed at a pricing issue that I’m fairly sure isn’t relevant here. I have some concerns about the potential technical performance here on Switch, but as I haven’t had a chance to play this version yet I can’t really speak to it.

DarkStar One – Nintendo Switch Edition ($29.99)

Here’s a blast from the past. DarkStar One is a space sim that first released on computers in 2006, which makes it… pretty vintage at this point. It has a bit of the ol’ Elite/Freelancer feel to it, with you rolling around space in your ship and engaging in trading, combat, and so on. It was decent then, it’s decent now, but you can certainly feel some of the weight of its age. Still, we don’t have a ton of games like this on the Switch so you might be interested in it anyway.

EGGCONSOLE Tritorn PC-8801 ($6.49)

This time around in the EGGCONSOLE line it’s Sein Soft’s 1985 release Tritorn, an action-RPG more than a little inspired by Namco’s Dragon Buster. As usual for EGGCONSOLE, the game is presented in its original Japanese form. I can’t speak to how big of a problem that is yet, but I’ll let you know once my review is ready to go. I’m hoping we get a more straightforward game again in this line soon, but I’m still engaged enough with all of these oddball releases to not mind it too much.

Arcade Archives Rastan Saga II ($7.99)

Some innocent soul out there is looking at this and thinking “Wow, I love Rastan! I didn’t know there was a sequel! Cool!", and let me just say that we have all been there once. Hopefully I can save some of you from the disappointment by letting you know that Rastan Saga II is nowhere near as good as the first game. It is, in fact, quite bad. Those big sprites are cool, the music is as good as you would expect from Taito, but the gameplay is clunky and boring. Rastan would get a little redemption in his third and final game, but this one is so bad I’m surprised they made another one. Hamster has given it the usual treatment, so if anyone out there somehow has happy memories of it… here it is.

Everafter Falls ($19.99)

Sure, another slow life game with a mysterious undertone. Never hurts to have more of these. The set-up here is that you had a chill life going on in Everafter Falls, but wake up one day to discover it was just a simulation. Slowly you begin your life anew, and it’s certainly a comfortable place to be. As you play you’ll start noticing some… unusual things. What do they mean? That’s up to you to discover, if you’ve got the gumption to do so. The game supports local co-op with another player, so you can even bring a friend along.

Cave Digger 2 ($14.99)

It’s like Cave Digger, but more Cave Digger. Do you want more Cave Digger? Here you go. That’s about as much as I’ll say about this one, because I did not want more Cave Digger.

Tavern Talk ($21.99)

We’ve had enough games like this by now that I can just say this is another game about mixing and serving drinks while getting to know the patrons of your bar. This game’s gimmick is that it is set in a fantasy world. Seems well-made for what it is, so if what it is is the “is" you’re after, you might want to investigate this further.

Garten of Banban I-IV ($1.99 – $9.99)

Four games built around a story where you’re exploring the mysterious Banban’s Kindergarten facility using a drone. A bunch of people have disappeared, and you need to uncover the secrets of the bizarre location. Solve the puzzles and make your way through the place room by room. Popular enough to have a metric ton of installments, but reviews of it aren’t terribly enthusiastic. Well, do what you will with it.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Not too much in the inbox so far, but if you want the fancy edition of Super Mega Baseball 4 or feel like playing some good ol’ Gynoug, it’s your day. There are a few things in the outbox, so you’ll want to perhaps give that one a closer look.

Select New Sales

Super Mega Baseball 4 Ballpark Edition ($17.99 from $59.99 until 7/2)
HunterX ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
HunterX: Code Name T ($11.89 from $16.99 until 7/3)
Retimed ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Caveman Ransom ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/4)
Prisonela DX ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/4)
Avenging Spirit ($2.99 from $5.99 until 7/4)
Gleylancer ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/4)
Gynoug ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/4)
Dusk Diver 2 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/4)
Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/4)
The Adventures of Panzer Collection ($4.49 from $8.99 until 7/4)
Little Witch Nobeta ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/4)
Aquadine ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 21st

Apollo Justice: AA Trilogy ($39.99 from $49.99 until 6/21)
Barbie DreamHouse Adventures ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/21)
Big Adventure Trip to Europe 5 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Demon’s Tilt ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Detective Agency Gray Tie 2 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Encodya ($2.99 from $29.99 until 6/21)
Fall of Porcupine ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Finding America: The Pacific Northwest ($7.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
First Time in Hawaii ($7.19 from $11.99 until 6/21)
I Love Finding Furbabies ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Itorah ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Just Find It ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Lacuna ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Magic City Detective Secret Desire ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Magic City Detective Wings of Revenge ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)

Maze of Realities Flower of Discord ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Maze of Realities Reflection of Light ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Mystery Box: Hidden Secrets ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Mystery Lover ($7.49 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Nature Escapes 2 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Nature Escapes 3 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Neko Secret Homecoming ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Pretty Girls 2048 Strike ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/21)
Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary ($2.79 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Ravva and the Phantom Library ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
RedRaptor ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Seven Pirates H ($23.99 from $39.99 until 6/21)
Super Crush KO ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Three Minutes to Eight ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Thunder Kid II: Null Mission ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
Turret Rampage ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Twin Mind Murderous Jealousy ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Twin Mind Nobody’s Here ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Twin Mind Power of Love ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/21)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new games, more sales, some reviews, and perhaps some news. Not as much news as this week, most likely. I am ridiculously tired today, and keep falling asleep on my keyboard. Not a great thing, but some days are like that. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Monster Hunter Stories ($29.99)

You’re going to see a lot of Capcom on this list, and I suspect it’s because the way it built its 3DS games made them easier to port than most. Monster Hunter Stories is the latest, and it’s a charming and enjoyable RPG based on the publisher’s extremely famous series of action games. While the game certainly has better performance on other platforms, this Switch version at least looks and runs a lot better than the very ambitious 3DS original. The price is nice, too!

Apollo Justice – Ace Attorney Trilogy ($49.99)

Okay, one of the games in this set was a Nintendo DS game rather than a 3DS game. But the other two are 3DS games, so I’m rounding up. The second Ace Attorney Trilogy is perhaps less agreeable than the first, and it’s clearly struggling with trying to respond to fan reactions on the fly, but there’s still a lot of good lawyering to be had here. Follow new protagonists along with original hero Phoenix Wright as they try to navigate the dark age of the law. A solid collection that does these games… justice. NO APOLOGIES!

Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold ($49.99)

It’s a little hard for me to separate this game from what it was here in Japan. This was supposed to be the next major multimedia hit from the company behind Inazuma Eleven and Yokai Watch, with games, NFC toys, an animated series, and more planned. And it belly-flopped hard. The toys were rotting bins here for ages. This was all the distant past by the time the game made its way to the West via the Switch, of course. There was no such push accompanying it. No, it was just a game, and you know what? It’s not too shabby at all. A bit mindless, but it’s an enjoyable grind.

Resident Evil Revelations ($19.99)

One of the higher-profile early third-party releases for the Nintendo 3DS, Resident Evil Revelations was also one of the more impressive-looking games on the system. Capcom seemed to be dissatisfied with the sales of the game on 3DS however, and it soon made its way to other platforms and found the success it deserved. That improved version is what we have here on Switch, and it’s still quite the game. Its sequel is also very good, but since that was never on the 3DS it is not allowed on this list. At any rate, despite Revelations being very much a spin-off, it plays and feels like a proper Resident Evil game. It goes on sale often, too.

Miitopia ($49.99)

There were a lot of Nintendo 3DS games that perhaps arrived a bit too late to land as well as they might have. Miitopia could be said to be one of those, arriving in Japan scant months before the Switch launch and a similar number of months after the launch in the West. This is basically Tomodachi Life made into a fantasy RPG, and it has that usual Mii charm fused with a decent casual RPG. As usual, half the fun is putting your friends, family, and anyone else you can make a Mii of into ridiculous situations. I feel like this slipped under the radar on the Switch too, so maybe that’s just its lot in life.

The Alliance Alive HD Remastered ($49.99)

A successor to The Legend of Legacy (also available on Nintendo Switch these days), The Alliance Alive sheds some of the quirkier aspects of that game in favor of making a more straightforward turn-based RPG. It still keeps some fragments of the SaGa inspiration driving the previous game, but it’s a lot gentler on the whole. A pleasant RPG to play through on the whole, particularly for those looking for something that doesn’t take a lot of fiddling or fussing.

Rune Factory 4 Special ($29.99)

Sure, the Story of Season games are a lot of fun, but you know what makes them even more interesting? Bolting them on to an action-RPG. That’s the idea behind the Rune Factory series, and this fourth installment proved to be one of the best of the bunch. You can find a few Rune Factory games on the Switch, and I think they’re all fun. Rune Factory 4 was my entry point to the series, however, and as such it has some special meaning to me. Share my nostalgia!

Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse ($19.99)

Yes, this was indeed a Nintendo 3DS game first. This is my favorite Shantae game, as it turns out. I think it hits the right balance between exploration and guiding the player, and it’s a change of pace from collecting genie powers. The story is also a lot of fun as basically any reason to put Shantae and Risky together more often is a good one. The whole Shantae series is basically available everywhere now, but if you’re only grabbing one this is the one you want.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($39.99)

Another Monster Hunter game for good measure. This turned out to be a good opportunity for Capcom, as the 3DS was a bit too long in the tooth by the time the Ultimate version of Monster Hunter Generations would have been ready for Western release. Instead, this is how we got the improved version of one of the quirkier entries in the series. I would recommend Rise over this game, but there’s a certain flavor to Generations I cannot deny that makes it feel distinct from its peers. And hey, for a 3DS port it looks really good.

Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack ($39.99)

In some ways the successor to Inti Creates’ Mega Man Zero games, the Azure Striker Gunvolt series is fast, challenging, and stylish. The Striker Pack includes both of the games that originally hit the Nintendo 3DS, and it’s a great way to get your feet wet before you dive into the newer entries in the series. The sprites look really good on the Switch, too. Just make sure you get a controller with a decent dpad, because you’ll be giving it a real workout.

And… 5 Nintendo 3DS Games We’d Like to See on Switch

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Look, I don’t know if Kid Icarus: Uprising would find more success on the Switch or not, but I do know the game would almost certainly play a lot better than it did on the 3DS. This game screams for dual-stick controls, and pretty much everything else about the it is so well-done that it’s a shame that the core gameplay had to fight against the very controls of the system that hosted it. I think it would make a great choice for the Nintendo Switch or whatever its successor ends up being.

Bravely Default

I’ve enjoyed all three Bravely Default games, but for my money there is only one truly great game in the series, and that is this first one. Both traditional and fresh at the same time, it was the exact tonic many RPG fans needed in the wake of the, er, creative choices of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. There are one or two gimmicks to the game that might be difficult to translate without all of the 3DS’s special features, but I think the game could more or less make the trip intact. It would be nice to have this landmark title available more widely, and the Switch would be a good host for it.

Super Mario 3D Land

If you’ve been reading all of these articles I’ve been doing, you are probably noticing a theme. I want all the 3D Mario games on Switch, and we’re so close that I can practically smell it. Super Mario 3D Land isn’t the best 3D Mario, but the post-game content in particular has that spicy flavor that I appreciate. I’m not sure if it would be best served as a stand-alone release or with some other Mario games in a new All-Stars package, but either way I’d love to see it.

Metroid – Samus Returns

This was one of those games that hit in the Nintendo 3DS’s endgame period, and as such I don’t think it quite got the attention it deserved. Sure, it has a few issues with its over-reliance on counters and some overly-long boss battles, but if you enjoyed Metroid Dread then you’ll probably like this audition for it. I think it would scale up really nicely, and a port might give the team a chance to make some little changes to address some of the criticism.

Shin Megami Tensei IV

We have Shin Megami Tensei III and Shin Megami Tensei V on the Nintendo Switch, and if you’re willing to deal with the Japanese Nintendo Switch Online apps and can read Japanese, we have the first two games as well. The one we don’t have is Shin Megami Tensei IV, and if Atlus put it out on the Switch I’d be more than happy to add it to my collection. If Atlus is feeling extra generous, Apocalypse could be packed in with it for the ultimate Shin Megami Tensei IV release. Both are very cool games that deserve wider exposure.

And that’s the list, friends. Are there any Nintendo 3DS games you enjoy on the Switch? Any you would like to see? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what you’re thinking! It’s always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing. As always, thanks for reading!

Dear Reader 5.0.0 adds in a Catalogue section to purchase all books from the game with rotating shelves and more. A new Puzzler difficulty setting is also now available in-game to play without worrying about time. Solitaire Stories version 5.0 adds in the Soulmatez story, the Jupiter event., and the Tiki Luau event today. With the updates done, head over to our forum threads for Japanese Rural Life Adventure here, Simon’s Cat – Story Time here, BEAST here, Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom here, Dear Reader here, Solitaire Stories here, and Warped Kart Racers here. For all other Apple Arcade related things, check out our dedicated Apple Arcade forum for discussion on the service and every game included here. What do you think of Apple’s newly released games and updates recently?

If you’d like to try the Japanese release next week, you can pre-order Pand Land on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. Pand Land launches on June 24th for mobile in Japan. An international release date is yet to be announced. I’m curious to see how this one does, and whether it hits Switch as a free to play game in the future as well. It is going to be interesting to see what Game Freak has in the works other than Pand Land and its project with Private Division. What do you think of Pand Land and will you be trying it through the Japanese release next week?

21 Letters (Free)

iTunes Description

21 Letters every day.

Build connecting words and score as high as you can. Once you run out of letters, or can’t make any more words, your daily round is over.

Share your score with your friends and family – since everyone has the same letters for any given day, every day is a competition!

Forum Thread: 21 Letters (by Shallot Games)

A Fragile Mind ($1.99)

iTunes Description

A Fragile Mind is a compact first-person point and click mystery adventure game chock-full of puzzles, secrets, and questions.

Waking up in a courtyard to the sound of an unnervingly familiar voice, you have no memory of how you got there.

You know the drill by now.

Solve puzzles, take photos, read strategically placed notes, press buttons, unlock doors, use items, escape!

Forum Thread: A Fragile Mind (by Glitch Games)

Astral Survivor (Free)

iTunes Description

The latest installment in the “Astral Stairways" series by Firedog Studio! This survival-type game emphasizes diverse combat styles and responsive gameplay, providing an exhilarating and seamless battle experience.

Explore richly detailed maps and utilize the skill tree upgrade system to create the most powerful character builds!

Embark on a brand-new storyline within the “Astral Stairways" universe. As a player, your mission is to save the goddess who was separated from the Starblade hero. Summon powerful followers to annihilate countless void monsters and prevent the world from being consumed!

Forum Thread: Astral Survivor (by Firedog Creative)

Fighters Legacy (Free)

iTunes Description

Unleash your fighting spirit and dominate in Fighters Legacy. A real relaxing fighting …

Game Features
Upon deploying fighters, they will fight for you. The auto-battle mode, skip and smash functions, are to free your hands to kill your time. If you are looking for an idle game, do not miss it. Finish daily quests within 10 minutes, and then focus on improving yourself tactically.

Forum Thread: Fighters Legacy (by PARKER-HANNIFIN HONG KONG, LIMITED)

HexGods: Arena of Destiny (Free)

iTunes Description

Strategize, battle, and ascend in HexGods! Craft your deck, conquer dynamic battles, and rise through ranks. Your legacy awaits in the HexArena!

Dive into “HexGods," a riveting strategy board game that challenges your tactical prowess and card management skills. With over 200 unique cards, from the common Silver to the rare Legendary, build your ultimate deck to dominate the HexArena. Start your journey with 48 unlocked cards, customizing your deck to suit your strategic preferences.

Forum Thread: HexGods: Arena of Destiny (by Tomaz Jerman)

Honor of Kings (Free)

iTunes Description

Honor of Kings International Edition, developed by Tencent Timi Studio and published by Level Infinite, is the world’s most popular mobile MOBA game. Dive into the classic MOBA excitement with 5V5 hero’s gorge, fair matchups; numerous battle modes and a vast selection of heroes allow you to demonstrate your dominance with first blood, pentakills, and legendary feats, crushing all competition! Localized hero voiceovers, skins, and smooth server performance ensure quick matchmaking, teaming up with friends for ranking battles, and enjoying all the fun of PC MOBAs and action games as you ascend to the pinnacle of honor! The enemy is nearing the battlefield—players, rally your allies for team battles in Honor of Kings!

Forum Thread: Honor of Kings (by Level Infinite)

Looped Interactive ($2.99)

iTunes Description

Guide Him and Her through the chapters of their story by solving peaceful mini-puzzles and find a way out of the loop.

Looped is a short interactive story in which you solve mini-puzzles to progress a peaceful story about love, rockets, and time travel.

This is a story of a love-at-first-sight so powerful it creates a wormhole in time. From the end to the beginning and back again, you follow Him and Her and help them with tasks along their way.

Forum Thread: Looped Interactive (by Studio Hamlin)

LUNA The Shadow Dust ($4.99)

iTunes Description

Inspired by the adventure games of old, LUNA The Shadow Dust is a moving tale of two playable companions drawn together in a hand-animated puzzle adventure, featuring a breathtaking original soundtrack and beautiful 2D cinematics.

To light a candle is to cast a shadow
Behind the shadow of reality, an enchanted world awaits illumination. Experience the magical journey of a young boy and his companion as they solve puzzles and trace back the memories of old, brought to life with visually stunning, wordless cinematics.
Enter the ancient tower that stands at the edge of the world and discover the hand-drawn cinematics, intricate puzzles and haunting music of this indie gem.

Forum Thread: LUNA The Shadow Dust (by ASH Software)

Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist (Free)

iTunes Description

Help the town with… art!

Take your art on the go with your handy foldable easel. Explore the charming puppet town of Phénix, get to know its residents and what makes them tick. Help them out with commissions, like drawing a new ad for Steve’s restaurant! Or why not buy a studio so you can work from home, just like the good old days?

Forum Thread: Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist (by Flamebait Games)

Shaporama (Free)

iTunes Description

Tilt your phone and explore unknown shapes.
Take a sip of water, coffee, beer or milk and let it flow.
Type the correct answer and solve the mystery.

Forum Thread: Shaporama (by Tim Kretz)

Subliminal Football Quiz ($0.29)

iTunes Description

Words and faces magically blend into pictures.

Football isn’t just about the words ‘PENALTY’ and ‘GOAL’, or the players ‘MESSI’ and ‘RONALDO’. There’s a whole lot more to it. Explore the lingo and history for a deeper understanding.

Bring your carrots! Super sight needed because there are 100 football terms to find.
Got your chocolate? Excellent memory needed to identify 100 football personalities.

Forum Thread: Subliminal Football Quiz (by Indest)

Vault of the Void ($6.99)

iTunes Description

Vault of the Void is a single-player, low-RNG roguelike deckbuilder designed to put the power into your hands. Continuously build, transform and iterate on your deck as you progress through your run – or even before each battle. Preview which enemies you’ll be battling before each encounter, giving you a chance to carefully plan your strategy. With no random events, your success is in your hands – and your creativity and skill define your chances of victory!

Forum Thread: Vault of the Void (Spider Nest Games)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest ($9.99)

iTunes Description

The forest beckons, will you answer its call? Choose wisely in this narrative adventure inspired by the legendary tabletop RPG set in the World of Darkness universe.

Transform into a Werewolf in this Narrative RPG Adventure

Dive into the secrets of Europe’s last wilderness in “Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest., a narrative-driven indie RPG that brings the classic tabletop experience to your screen. Play as Maia, explore your ancestry in the mysterious Białowieża Forest, and let your choices guide this adventure of dark secrets and fantasy within the World of Darkness universe.

Forum Thread: Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest (by Different Tales)

News

Holy Smokes, What A Nintendo Direct That Was

I went into this one with low expectations given we’re basically on the last year of the Switch’s life, in all probability. Well, it definitely leapt over that bar. The big first-party highlights were the new Mario & Luigi game, Brothership, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, along with our long-awaited first glimpse at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Other games from Nintendo on the schedule include Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, The New Denpa Men, and Super Mario Party Jamboree. Third-party highlights are probably Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D (and the announcement of 1&2 HD-2D!), Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, and Darkest Dungeon II. Well… a lot. Check out the Direct if you haven’t already, it really is looking like quite a solid year.

Four New Games Join Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack

Among the oodles of news bits from yesterday’s Direct was the announcement of four new additions to the Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online. For two of them, you’ll need to download a new app – the Nintendo 64 Mature 17+ app. Once you’ve got that installed, you’ll be treated to Turok the Dinosaur Hunter and Perfect Dark, a pair of first-person shooters that practically bookended the console’s output in that genre. The other two games are for the Game Boy Advance app. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and Metroid: Zero Mission are both great games, and I’m happy to see them available on the service. Just update the app and they’ll be waiting for you to play.

Select New Releases

Metal Slug Attack Reloaded ($9.99)

I think this was a follow-up or mutation of Metal Slug Defense? Anyway, tower defense with Metal Slug characters. Very simple and easy to understand, but the game gets quite challenging as you go on. I remember enjoying this for a while on mobile, and I think this is a fair price for the total package here on Switch.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Quest of Memories ($44.99)

Based on one of the more popular of the large number of anime/manga/light novel series about someone who gets isekai‘d into a fantasy world and ends up surrounded by beautiful women who marvel at how amazing he is, this is an RPG where you can use your favorite characters from Mushoku Tensei and go on some dungeon crawling adventures. One for the fans, to be sure. I don’t think it’s going to click for those without a significant investment in the brand, but maybe if you’re hungry enough.

Echo Generation ($24.99)

A turn-based RPG about normal 90s kids going on extraordinary adventures. The game has a voxel art style, which I’m sure most will have feelings about one way or the other. The developer also did Riverbond, and I know some people really dug that one. Echo Generation has been out for a while on other platforms, and I don’t think it really knocked anyone’s socks off but it seems to have found some fans. Maybe you’ll be the next one.

Moonstone Island ($19.99)

Take a Stardew Valley style life sim and mash it up with a creature-collecting turn-based RPG, then douse the whole thing in a rich card battling sauce. That’s the recipe for Moonstone Island, and it’s one that by and large works pretty well. Probably too ambitious for its own good at times, but I think if you like the basic concept then you’ll probably enjoy this well enough.

Scars of Mars ($19.99)

Must be RPG day today or something. This one has a science-fiction theme and the battles are real-time. They take place on a grid, too. Everyone loves grids! Honestly this one didn’t really catch my eye until I saw Acquire was behind it. That’s a developer who makes very interesting games, even if they’re not always good. I’ll have to investigate this one further, and I’ll let you know if it turns out to be something cool.

#BLUD ($24.99)

An animated hack-and-slash dungeon crawler that certainly has its look down, if nothing else. Some business about a vampire-killing hockey stick? Charm in almost equal measure to its rough edges, but if you’re willing to put up with some gameplay annoyances there is assuredly some good times to be had here.

Glyphs of Gitzan ($4.99)

A nifty little puzzle game where you have to push stone pillars into the correct positions in fifty stages of brain-teasing fun. The pillars carry symbols that will give you a hint as to where they need to go, so all you need to do is figure that out and then push them into place. No shortage of good, cheap puzzle games on Switch but it never hurts to have another one in the pile.

Fireside ($14.99)

One of those games where you chill, talk to other characters, help them with their stuff, and explore a relaxed world. Reviews for this one are pretty solid over on Steam, and I imagine it won’t have too much trouble finding an eager audience here on Switch.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Metroid got a lot of attention in the Nintendo Direct, and perhaps to celebrate that both Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered are on sale. NISA is also running some excellent sales, and if you want to catch up on its classics there is no better time. Meanwhile, in the outbox: a ton of games. Just check through it yourself and see what’s what, is what I say.

Select New Sales

Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/29)
Griftlands ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/29)
Metroid Dread ($41.99 from $59.99 until 7/2)
Metroid Prime Remastered ($33.99 from $39.99 until 7/2)
DNF Duel: Who’s Next ($14.99 from $49.99 until 7/3)
Death Road to Canada ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
River City: Rival Showdown ($17.49 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection ($14.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha ($14.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo ($14.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
The Silver Case 2425 ($17.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Saviors of Sapphire Wings/Sword City ($17.49 from $49.99 until 7/8)
Prinny 1-2 Bundle ($14.99 from $33.99 until 7/8)
NIS Classics 1: Phantom Brave/Soul Nomad ($9.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)

NIS Classics 2: Makai Kingdom/ZHP ($24.99 form $39.99 until 7/8)
NIS Classics 3: La Pucelle/Rhapsody ($24.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Raiden III x Mikado Maniax ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/8)
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails ($24.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles ($29.99 from $49.99 until 7/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 20th

1000xRESIST ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Adventure Bar Story ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Adventures of Ben: Rabbit Run ($11.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Aggelos ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Alan Wake Remastered ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Alien: Isolation ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Amabilly ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Anodyne ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration ($27.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Axiom Verge 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Balatro ($13.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Berzerk Recharged ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Blazing Chrome ($5.77 from $16.99 until 6/20)
Bob the Elementalist ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)

Bugsnax ($8.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Burnout Paradise Remastered ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Bustafellows ($5.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle ($15.99 form $39.99 until 6/20)
Castaway Paradise ($2.79 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Castle Morihisa ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
COCOON ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Contra: Operation Galuga ($31.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Crash Bandicoot 4 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($13.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Crossing Souls ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Dead by Daylight ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Diablo II: Resurrected ($13.19 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/20)

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut ($11.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin & Lion King ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
DOOM 1993 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
DOOM 2016 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
DOOM 3 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
DOOM 64 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
DOOM Eternal ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
DOOM II Classic ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
DOOM Slayers Collection ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Dragon Ball FighterZ: FighterZ Edition ($14.39 from $89.99 until 6/20)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($4.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Effie ($2.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Evil Nun: The Broken Mask ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)

Fearmonium ($7.79 from $12.99 until 6/20)
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Gargoyles Remastered ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Garlic ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Gates of the Mind ($6.74 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Goat Simulator: The GOATY ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Grounded ($27.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Hatsune Miku: Project DiVA Mega Mix ($19.69 from $39.39 until 6/20)
Highwater ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Homebody ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Huntdown ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Ion Fury ($6.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Jack Jeanne ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Kaiju Wars ($8.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)

Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
LEGO 2K Drive ($9.89 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Loot Hero DX ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Lost in Random ($4.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Mochi Mochi Boy ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Monster Hunter Rise ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
moon ($13.29 from $18.99 until 6/20)
Murder Is Game Over ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
NeonPowerUp! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Nexomon Extinction ($8.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: GP ($3.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Night in the Woods ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Onirike ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
orbit.industries ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Outer Wilds ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Pentiment ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Persona 5 Strikers ($17.99 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Pirates on Target ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Quake ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Quake + Quake II Enhanced Bundle ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Quake II ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Quantum Recharged ($5.49 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Return to Monkey Island ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Risen ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Rogue Legacy 2 ($14.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)

Rose & Camellia Collection ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Runnyk ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Samba de Amigo: Party Central ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Samurai Maiden DE ($37.49 from $74.99 until 6/20)
Sea of Stars ($26.24 from $34.99 until 6/20)
Shadows of Adam ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter ($4.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Slay the Spire ($8.49 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Sonic Frontiers ($20.99 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Sonic Origins Plus ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
South of the Circle ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/20)
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Starward Rogue ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Streets of Rage 4 ($11.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)

Super Mega Baseball 4 ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Super Mega Zero ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Super Planet Life ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Tempest 4000 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
TES V: Skyrim ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/20)
TES V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition ($34.99 from $69.99 until 6/20)
TEVI ($26.24 from $34.99 until 6/20)
The Case of the Golden Idol ($10.79 from $17.99 until 6/20)
The Forgotten Land ($2.09 from $14.99 until 6/20)
The Lara Croft Collection ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes ($6.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
The Wonderful 101 Remastered ($17.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
TMNT: Cowabunga Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge ($16.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)

TMNT: Wrath of the Mutants ($20.09 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Tomb Raider I – III Remastered ($22.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Trek to Yomi ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Tunic ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition ($52.49 from $69.99 until 6/20)
Unlife ($6.59 from $10.99 until 6/20)
We Love Katamari Reroll ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Wolfenstein II New Colossus ($5.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Wolfenstein Youngblood ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
WRC Generations ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Zomborg ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with… oh wow, tomorrow is Thursday. Lots of new games, then. We’ll be looking at those, plus whatever sales and big news items roll in over the course of the day. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, Free Oxenfree II: Lost Signals on mobile through Netflix is my favorite way to play it. Night School exceeded my expectations from the original game and delivered a more mature story despite the supernatural and thriller elements. In a lot of ways, Oxenfree II feels like a reflection of the studio making it with its scope and polish. This is a game I recommend to everyone with a Netflix subscription, and I hope it gets a physical release on console in the future so I can add it to my collection with the first game.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Free Despite launching on other platforms before, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon arrived on Netflix with new content included. It has some aspects that don’t work as well as others, but Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is an amazing puzzler bringing in challenging gameplay, tons of polish, and gorgeous visuals to mobile. It is immediately one of the best puzzlers on mobile through its Netflix release.

The Case of the Golden Idol, Free The most recent of the games included here, The Case of the Golden Idol from Color Gray Games and Playstack is phenomenal, but it might not be for everyone. With that out of the way, it is one of my favorite detective games ever, and the Netflix mobile version includes the base game with all DLC making it an insanely good addition to the service. This one is special, and I urge you to just download it and not read much about it.

Hades - NETFLIX, Free Hades on iOS is just incredible. While it has some minor issues, I have no hesitation in recommending it for anyone with a Netflix subscription. The wait for Hades on mobile was very long, but Supergiant Games delivered an excellent version of one of the best games in years with no compromises on iOS here. Just note that while the other games in this feature are also on Android, Hades is just on iOS right now.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Free TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is a Streets of Rage 4 level release, and if you don’t know what I mean by that, play both games immediately. Jokes aside, I adore TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge and I was super happy to see it come to mobile in a fantastic conversion through Playdigious and Netflix. It is a modern take on a classic Konami style beat ’em up that delivers in spades with its gameplay, visuals, music, and fanservice for TMNT fans.

Kentucky Route Zero, Free Kentucky Route Zero was one of the most fascinating games I played. It took so long for all the acts to release, that I ended up not even having my older saves through the years as I switched computers. The adventure blends surrealism, gorgeous visuals, amazing music, and memorable characters to deliver something that you will either love or drop after an act or two. The Netflix release brings the complete experience with all updates and improvements over the launch version. It also happens to have one of my favorite musical moments in any game. If all of that sounds good to you, give it a shot on iOS or Android through Netflix.

IMMORTALITY, Free Immortality from Her Story developer Sam Barlow is Sam’s best work yet according to most, and while I prefer Her Story, Immortality is a superlative experience for those who enjoy the FMV interactive film genre. The only issue with the mobile version is that you have to download a lot of data in-game. Keep that in mind and you’re good. It is another one of those “Perfect for Netflix" gaming experiences, and I’m glad it did make its way to mobile after its initial launch on console and PC platforms.

Katana ZERO NETFLIX, Free Katana Zero is one of the best games on the service, and a fantastic, and near-perfect, conversion of a magnificent indie. If you have a Netflix subscription, and you likely do if you are reading this, drop everything else and play Katana Zero right now. It is that good. If you don’t want to play it, listen to the soundtrack, but still, go play it now. It is action-platformer perfection.

Into the Breach, Free I’ve been wanting Into the Breach on iPad for years ever since I played FTL from the developer. It seemed like the ship had sailed, but Netflix revealed that Into the Breach is not only coming to iPad, but also iPhone and Android in a new version that would see added content patched into existing versions. Into the Breach on any platform is an essential, but having it on an iPad with such a great port is everything I wanted. This is pure turn-based strategy greatness.

Poinpy, Free Poinpy from the creator of Downwell is one of the best games on mobile right now regardless of paid games, subscriptions, or free games. Instead of going down like the developer’s prior release, you sling yourself up and this release feels perfect to play in short bursts or long sessions. The gameplay is everything you’d want, and there’s a lot of depth included. Poinpy was one of the first “essential" games in Netflix, and even with so many more games added to the service, it is in our top games feature. Hopefully more people check it out.

And there you have it. Some changes and additions to the service warranted a new list, and I hope you find something new to play with your Netflix subscription here. If you’ve enjoyed a game on Netflix that you think I should’ve featured, let me know in the comments so more people will discover great games on the service. If you’d like to see us feature more games in subscription services or anything else, let us know. Thanks for reading.

Fantastico Studio goes on to add: “Thanks to the valuable feedback from our community of players, we have worked hard to enrich the gaming experience both graphically and in terms of gameplay. The pixel art has been completely overhauled, making every detail pop with vibrant color and clarity. The gameplay has been meticulously rebalanced, and the new synthwave tracks are electrifying, setting the perfect mood as you blast through waves of enemies. One of the standout additions is the hardcore boss rush mode – a true test for any seasoned player." Sounds pretty fantastico to me! See what I did there? Black Paradox Reloaded will launch on Steam in October and can be wishlisted now, with console and mobile versions to follow sometime afterward. No dates just yet for the mobile version but it’s something I’ll be keeping a keen eye out for.

News

Check Out Today’s Nintendo Direct Presentation

We can do that amusing thing where I try to pretend I saw the Nintendo Direct already. Maybe I can use some rumors to guess at things, suggesting that I already know about certain RPGs or adventure games getting ported to the platform. But it’s an old joke, and we both know I haven’t seen it. If you haven’t, you can watch it right now! I bet there are some cool games in it. We’ll talk about them tomorrow, for sure. I mean, 40 minutes all on games coming to Switch in the back half of this year? There must be some great stuff in there!

Select New Releases

As I have mentioned above, I’m writing this before the Nintendo Direct presentation. You’ll be reading this after, I’m quite sure. Right now when I look at the new release schedule for today, it is (extremely suspiciously for a Tuesday) empty. There will almost certainly be some shadow drops following the Nintendo Direct, and I will catch up on them tomorrow. Regretfully, that’s the best I can do. See you back here tomorrow, hopefully with some tasty new games to dig into.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

I don’t know how much we’re going to have to allocate to buying some new releases today, but just in case there’s anything left in your pocket, Capcom is looking to fish it out. Good sales on Resident Evil games, and some really good sales on the fighting game bundles. The outbox is even bigger, with sales from the likes of Thunderful and Limited Run Games coming to a close. Buy what you must.

Select New Sales

Chico & the Magic Orchards DX ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/24)
CounterAttack Uprising ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Hot Lap League Deluxe ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Rogue Glitch Ultra ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/1)
Cleaning Queens ($2.99 from $5.99 until 7/1)
Skater XL ($29.99 from $39.99 until 7/1)
Rytmos ($4.50 from $15.00 until 7/4)
Bang-On Balls Chronicles ($9.99 from $24.99 until 7/8)
Everdream Valley ($9.99 from $24.99 until 7/8)
Railway Empire 2 ($39.99 from $49.99 until 7/8)
Figment 2: Creed Valley ($6.24 from $24.99 until 7/8)
Tools Up! ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Ready, Steady, Ship! ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/8)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection ($29.99 from $59.99 until 7/8)
Shinsekai Into The Depths ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection ($9.99 from $29.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil 0 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil 5 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil 6 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Onimusha: Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Devil May Cry ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Devil May Cry 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Devil May Cry 3 SE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Ultra Street Fighter II ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($19.99 from $59.99 until 7/8)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/8)
Street Fighter 30th Collection ($9.99 from $29.99 until 7/8)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 7/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 19th

20 Minutes Till Dawn ($3.49 from $4.99 until 6/19)
Arzette: Jewel of Faramore ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Cloud Gardens ($3.59 from $17.99 until 6/19)
Corpse Killer 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Cosmic Star Heroine ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Crowns & Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Cthulhu Saves Christmas ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Curious Expedition ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Curious Expedition 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Deathwish Enforcers ($16.09 from $22.99 until 6/19)
Devil Slayer Raksasi: IoD ($4.89 from $6.99 until 6/19)
Double Switch 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX ($2.69 from $17.99 until 6/19)
Game Type DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Get Packed: Couch Chaos ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Giga Wrecker Alt ($1.99 from $24.99 until 6/19)

Jurassic Park Games Collection ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/19)
LEGO Bricktales ($10.49 from $29.99 until 6/19)
Lonely Mountains Downhill ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Night Trap 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Paper Cut Mansion ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Pictooi ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Pig Eat Ball ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Piggy Gambit ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/19)
Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Saturday Morning RPG ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Savage Age ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Save Me Mr Tako: Definitive ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Say No! More ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Shapeshooter ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/19)
Shoot 1UP DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)

Source of Madness ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
SteamWorld Build ($17.99 from $29.99 until 6/19)
SteamWorld Dig ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
SteamWorld Heist ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
SteamWorld Quest ($4.99 from $24.99 until 6/19)
The House in Fata Morgana ($27.99 from $39.99 until 6/19)
The Last Hero of Nostalgia ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/19)
This Way Madness Lies ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Togges ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Wavetale ($10.49 from $29.99 until 6/19)
Weapon of Choice DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Worldless ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the actual news from the Nintendo Direct, plus new releases and sales. I’m keeping my expectations in check given where we’re at in the lifespan of the Nintendo Switch. Hopefully future Shaun enjoyed what he saw. I’ll know when I am him, I suppose. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

You can read what Jared thinks about the game in our Game of the Week feature here and head over to our forum thread for more discussion around the game here. Check out the official website here. You can buy Afterplace on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. You can wishlist Afterplace on Steam here. Apple also did a feature on the design of Afterplace in an interview with Evan. Read it here. Have you played Afterplace yet on iOS or Android and what do you think about today’s update?

TouchArcade (TA): Can you tell us who you are, your role on the game, and what your favorite pizza toppings are?

Remy Siu (RS): My name is Remy Siu and I’m the Creative Director at sunset visitor 斜陽過客. My role on 1000xRESIST was guiding the vision, working as a writer with the writers, leading voice-over direction, working directly in Unity building the game (lighting, level flow, audio implementation, etc.), finding money, doing tax credits, and anything else that needed to get done. We’re a pretty small team, so we all wear a bunch of hats!

My favourite pizza toppings are anchovies – if there is anchovy pizza, you bet I’m going to be ordering it.

TA: How did 1000xRESIST get started?

RS: I started on the prototype in March/April 2020, very soon after Canada entered the COVID-19 lockdowns. I was working on a game about retail theft previously, a kind of millennial Breaking Bad set during the dawn of the HDTV era, but the surreal nature of the lockdown pushed me to put that aside and start something new. That new thing was 1000xRESIST.

The prototype of 1000xRESIST covered the first communion in Chapter 1. It was more dreamlike than the final version, partly because I was working on it mostly between the hours of 1am-6am. Had a lot of trouble sleeping during the pandemic!

After finishing the prototype, we were very lucky to find a publisher in Fellow Traveller and funding with the Canada Media Fund. We started the company right into production, throwing away the prototype and beginning everything from scratch on June 1st, 2021.

TA: How would you describe 1000xRESIST, in ten words or less?

RS: A narrative adventure where you experience the cruelty of time.

TA: What were some of the inspirations for the story and setting of 1000xRESIST?

RS: A lot of the story and setting was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This feeling of being alienated from the recent past was something that I wanted to explore. A deep nostalgia for…last year. There was also a lot of death in our lives during development – we are at the age where our grandparents started passing. A major mentor in our community passed. Our dear pets. This feeling that time and history was marching forward relentlessly.

TA: I know one shouldn’t choose their favorite child, but which of the sisters is your favorite and, without spoiling, why?

RS: Knower is my favourite sister to write.

I was speaking to a friend of mine about this, and we’ve been “outcast artists” in more traditional arts organizations before, and it’s this thing you have to learn, to play the system to try and achieve something. All the while, being very worried about being absorbed by that system, and perpetuating things you don’t like about it. I think I ultimately failed at this, because I ejected myself and really wasn’t able to make much of a difference in the end.

This tension of being inside an organization, trying your best to survive in it, but then maybe being eaten by it – that was something I really loved about writing Knower. It’s not clear what her intentions are, or her inner desires.

TA: Is the Moodle real?

RS: Hahaha, I don’t think so! Not YET, anyways. Pinki Li, one of the writers, is the one who came up with the recipe and name. Would love to see someone try to make Moodle, as described. Maybe we should try it and release an actual recipe!

TA: Light spoiler, but what’s the deal with the pigeon?

RS: Unfortunately, I must leave the majesty of the pigeon a mystery.

TA: Outside of the character we directly follow, who was the most challenging one to write and why?

RS: Bang Bang Fire (BBF) was always very challenging to write. We cast the actors before beginning the bulk of the writing, so it helped to have Felicia’s voice in our heads. However, BBF-isms are always difficult to come up with. This kind of awkwardness and willingness to say these strange things, as if she’s communicating 100% intelligibly in her mind. These BBF-isms are somewhat based on how a friend of ours talks. Just these strange and hilarious ways they would give us information. When in doubt, we would always try and recount examples that cracked us up to understand how BBF might say something.

TA: What are some of your favorite games? Have you been playing anything recently?

RS: Some of my favourite games: Final Fantasy 7 OG, Final Fantasy X, Grim Fandango, EverQuest, Star Wars: Galaxies (pre-NRE), Portal 2, Kentucky Route Zero, Nier: Automata, Outer Wilds.

More recent favourites: Perfect Tides, Videoverse, The Case of the Golden Idol, Norco, Pentiment, Unreal Life.

What am I playing recently? I play a lot of From Software games with co-op mods, with my friends. I’m still trying to get through FF7: Rebirth. And like everyone else, I have many many indie games that I want to get to, especially now that I have more time (?).

TA: Bloody Sister, Blue Communion, Inside Sunrise, or Dark ‘n’ Sinful? What’s in those, anyway?

RS: This is a dangerous question, as all these “drinks” are meant to be injected directly into you intravenously, hahaha. Don’t want to provide any recipes. Maybe I can say that Bartender is a real maverick and is willing to try anything.

However, for fun, if we were to compare them to real world cocktails:

Bloody Sister = Bloody Mary
Blue Communion = Sapphire Martini
Inside Sunrise = Tequila Sunrise
Dark ‘n’ Sinful = Dark and Stormy

TA: This is your free space to say anything you want to our readers. The floor’s all yours!

RS: I want to thank everyone who has been supporting the game so far, telling others about it, making podcasts, writing articles, writing posts, long forum analyses, videos, fan art, etc! Since the game is somewhat of a strange object, the word of mouth has been so important. We’re so grateful to all of them! Hekki grace!

A big thank you to Remy for his time and answers, and to the Bens of Fellow Traveller for helping set up this interview. 1000xRESIST is currently available on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys a good story-based game. Seriously, I won’t shut up about it and it’s starting to annoy the people around me. It’s that good. Thanks for reading, everyone!

If you’d like to buy one of the limited controllers, you can sign up on the official website to get notified of when it goes live here. Check out the official Backbone website here. While this will be only on the official website, other Backbone One controllers are available on Amazon and more retailers. While this one looks excellent, I’m going to hold out for a translucent purple controller if we get one. What do you think of the new Backbone One – Post Malone Limited Edition controller, and will you try and order one next week?

Reviews & Mini-Views

RAILBREAK ($19.99)

As regular readers know, I’m not really into horror games in general. Just not my thing. Survival-horror in particular isn’t something I’m into outside of a few of the Resident Evil games. As such, I have very little experience with the Outbreak series. Judging by how many installments there are however, they seem to have found a decent-sized audience. Well, the latest release in the series on the Switch is a spin-off in a genre that is much more enticing to me: an action-packed rail shooter. You know, like that one SEGA game. Alex Kidd or something.

You can choose from several different survivors, each with their own parameters. Head out on your own, bring a buddy for co-op, it’s up to you. If you’re playing handheld you can use touch controls which is a lot of fun, or you can use the analog sticks to point and shoot. Less fun, but it’s fine. There are six scenarios to play through and a handful of extra modes, which adds up to a fairly meaty experience as this kind of thing goes. The gameplay itself is pure House of the Dead-style undead blasting, with (intentionally) terrible voice acting and gore for miles. The pacing is brisk, and you don’t get much time to pick up the many items and power-ups that are strewn about.

Visually, the game looks okay. The character models can look a little plasticky and cheap, and it sometimes feels like the Switch is struggling when things get hot. There are probably better places to play this game, in other words. But if this is your only option, it gets the job done well enough. Honestly, my first impression of the game wasn’t great. I think I was expecting too much. Once I gave it a little time, I found myself enjoying just how… sincere it is? ‘Sincere’ feels like the right word, yes. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and it goes for it like Wile E Coyote after the Road Runner. Like that beleaguered hero (HE IS A HERO), it never quite catches what it’s after, but the journey itself is entertaining.

Railbreak provides an alternative to the House of the Dead Remake for fans of that series on Switch. It offers a decent amount of content, and the core action has a nice feel to it whether you’re playing alone or with a friend. The presentation is where it struggles, and it feels like it might be a bit much for the hardware. I also feel like playing with the sticks is a bit of a pain, but you can obviously only use touch controls when playing solo. If you want a quick hit of zombie-gunning fun, this will do.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

EGGCONSOLE Sorcerian PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)

Just once I would like to see a Sorcerian reissue get localized into English. The last time this game saw an English release, and the only time, was with the MS-DOS release in April of 1990. That’s unfortunate, because Sorcerian is both historically important and a lot of fun for a game of its time. Sadly, it has a fair bit of text that you’ll need to be able to read in order to understand the quest goals and puzzle clues, and it’s all in Japanese. There’s a nice little guide in the wrapper that can help you get started with the game, but it’s not really enough this time.

Sorcerian is a good game, albeit one very much of its era. The problem is that like all EGGCONSOLE releases, nothing has been translated in-game from the original Japanese version. Given how much text is involved with this game and how important it is to completing the game’s quests, that’s going to be a hard deal-breaker for many. If you can read Japanese, by all means – the game is enjoyable, and the quality of the wrapper here is as good as other the other releases in the EGGCONSOLE line-up. Everyone else should give this one a pass.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Some Shovel Knight sales, presumably to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the game’s release. Buy ’em if you don’t own ’em, they’re all pretty good. If you can only get one, Treasure Trove is essential. A few decent games in the tiny outbox, so give that a look too while you’re out and about.

Select New Sales

Fur Squadron ($3.14 from $6.99 until 6/22)
Bloo Kid ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/24)
Bloo Kid 2 ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/24)
Cyber Shadow ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Dig ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Treasure Trove ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/28)
Freud’s Bones: The Game ($3.89 from $12.99 until 6/29)
Among Us ($3.00 from $5.00 until 6/30)
Brutalism22 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 6/30)
Frogvival ($2.99 from $9.99 until 6/30)
Bakeborough ($1.99 from $5.99 until 6/30)
Where is Drake? ($2.99 from $9.99 until 6/30)
Venatrix ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/1)
Block Buster Billy ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/1)

NIGHTGHAST ($1.99 from $3.49 until 7/1)
Exit Slum 11 ($1.99 from $2.50 until 7/1)
Cats & the Other Lives ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
Rough Justice ’84 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/5)
Godlike Burger ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/5)
Unrailed! ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/5)
Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/5)
Warpips ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/5)
Inkulinati ($18.74 from $24.99 until 7/5)
My Horse Stories ($2.99 from $7.99 until 7/5)
Baking Time ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/5)
Froggy Bouncing Adventures ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/5)
Xeno Crisis ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Tiny Little Farm ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/6)
The Forest Quartet ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/7)
Sigi ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/7)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18th

Batman Arkham Trilogy ($35.99 from $59.99 until 6/18)
Freedom Planet 2 ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/18)
Frogsong ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/18)
It Takes Two ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/18)
Mortal Kombat 1 ($27.99 from $69.99 until 6/18)
Penny’s Big Breakaway ($19.79 from $29.99 until 6/18)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more… whatever we can find. Sales, for sure. It doesn’t look like there are any new releases lined up yet, and I don’t know if I have anything in the review queue. Well, that’s a problem for Future Shaun. Present Shaun is going to head out and play some games. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!

FANTASIAN, Fantasian isn’t going to be for everyone, but it is certainly a powerful monument to what possibilities Apple Arcade held. A full-on proper RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy, packed with gorgeous sights and challenging battles, Fantasian was so big it had to be delivered in two parts. Composer Nobuo Uematsu did his magic with a very unusual but cool soundtrack, and the presence of a number of Final Fantasy veterans could be felt all throughout the gameplay systems. Handily the best RPG on Apple Arcade, and one of the finest original mobile games in the genre. -Shaun Musgrave

Hello Kitty Island Adventure, While Apple Arcade now feels like it brings in more “+" games rather than bespoke exclusives, we still get those once in a while. Hello Kitty Island Advenutre from Sunblink is easily one of the best newer releases on the service. While originally expected to be just a take on Animal Crossing, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is so much more, and it keeps getting regular updates to make things fresh for players. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is one of the best reasons to stay subscribed to Apple Arcade right now.

Ridiculous Fishing EX, Sure, Ridiculous Fishing EX just came out, but I’m more than comfortable putting it on this list. The original Ridiculous Fishing was already one of the best mobile games ever, and this remade and juiced up release just piles more goodies on top. It’s always nice to see games that understand the strengths of a platform and the ways its users like to play on it, and Ridiculous Fishing EX completely gets it as far as mobile is concerned. You’ll probably burn through the main story quickly, but this EX game has plenty more for you to enjoy after that. -Shaun Musgrave

Sneaky Sasquatch, Sneaky Sasquatch was a somewhat thin game when it launched, but this is a fine example of just how much a game can grow over time. The developer must be bonkers here, because there has been a constant stream of cool new stuff hitting this game. At its core, this is a game about the titular sasquatch and his daily life. At first he was just sneaking around swiping food, but now he does everything from taxi driving to politics. If you like open-ended life sim style games, give this one a shot. Its scope is positively admirable. -Shaun Musgrave

Mini Motorways, As a big fan of Mini Metro, I was extremely excited to see a follow-up arrive in the form of Mini Motorways. Would it be able to maintain the same appeal despite the shift in theme? Could it be different enough to justify its existence? Would it hook me the way its predecessor did? The answer to all of those questions is an emphatic yes. A terrific fast-paced puzzle game that sees you trying to run roads all over the map until everything gets way out of hand, Mini Motorways is tense and fun in all the right ways. It looks and sounds great, too. -Shaun Musgrave

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, The people at Game Freak aren’t just about Pokemon, and if you need proof of that then look no further than Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, a unique hybrid of solitaire and horse racing. It isn’t something that should work at all, but it’s somehow completely sublime. Pick your horse, train them up, and then play solitaire during the races to push them to victory. Use some special skills at the right moment and you can turn the tides of any race. Cute, clever, and hard to put down, Pocket Card Jockey is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon or wait in a line-up alike. -Shaun Musgrave

WHAT THE GOLF?, I kept flip flopping on whether I wanted to include What The Golf? or What The Car? here. I decided to go with the former as I’ve played that a lot more. Both games are excellent additions to the service, but What The Golf? is the better overall package. If you do get Apple Arcade, play them both so consider this list entry as me cheating with two games instead of one. What The Golf? has humor, great levels, fun gameplay, and tons of quality content. It is worth your time even if you have no interest in golf.

Sayonara Wild Hearts, Some of the best mobile games are the ones that offer up fairly simple mechanics with a strong narrative, and dress it all up in some of the most stylish sights and sounds a screen can deliver. Sayonara Wild Hearts is one of those games. It’s a rhythm game, but between its dazzling visuals, amazing soundtrack, and confident story-telling, it’s quite unlike any game in that genre you’ve likely played. Developer Simogo and publisher Annapurna Interactive individually have an amazing track record on mobile, and this collaboration easily lives up to the reputations of both. -Shaun Musgrave

Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat, If you want a more standard rhythm game experience, you can’t go wrong with Bandai Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat. Tap your fingers to the beat of a list of songs that includes everything from the Indiana Jones Theme to the Sesame Street song. It’s always getting new tracks added across a variety of genres, and while there are bound to be a lot of songs you don’t know here, they’re all worth playing. A great version of a genre classic, this has been one of my quiet favorites of the Apple Arcade line-up since the minute it was added. -Shaun Musgrave

Grindstone, If there’s a poster child for Apple Arcade originals, Grindstone just might be the best choice. This is a terrific puzzler packed with things to do, the sort that normally cajoles you to buy IAP or watch ads on mobile. Yet here, the game is blissfully free of such things, allowing you to enjoy the pleasures of the matching puzzler genre in a very pure form. It’s enjoyable to play and has charm to burn, making it a perfect fit for those little pockets of time you need to fill. -Shaun Musgrave

There you have it. I know Apple Arcade right now feels very different to how things were in the first two or three years, but there are still many excellent games on the service. Hopefully you find something you like if you do end up subscribing to the service in the near future. If you think I should’ve included something that you like a lot, please let me know in the comments below. As usual, thanks for reading.

Bright Reappear, $0.99 Holy smokes, this is a big-pants update. I’m awarding the coveted UMMSotW prize to this, because it’s a dramatic overhaul of a game I already enjoyed. There are some new heroes to use: Red Panda and Orc, each with their own elimination method. This adds a lot to the game all on its own, but there are also some improvements to the UI, some expanded or upgraded features, and a ton of bug fixes. Wow! I love having new reasons to fire up games I haven’t touched in a while.

Jetpack Joyride, Free Hm, the update notes for Jetpack Joyride are getting a lot thinner lately. Not sure what to make of that. Anyway, it’s time for a new event in the game. It’s pirate-themed, so collect those Golden Skulls and get your goodies. I think we’ve had this event before, so it’s not really anything to go running up and down the street shouting at the top of your voice about.

PiKuBo - 3D Nonogram Puzzles, Free I already wrote about this one in its own article late last week, but I’m including it here again because it’s my party until the party is over. At any rate, this new update for puzzler PiKuBo has two main elements to it. First, a new puzzle pack of thirty-six puzzles you can buy for a buck. Next, some UI adjustments to make it easier to read the clues on the bricks and get into puzzles a little faster via double-tapping on them from the menu. A nice update all around, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more puzzle packs for this one for a long time to come.

Disney Magic Kingdoms, Free Yes, I suppose it is about the time for a new update for Disney Magic Kingdoms. Despite it being very summer-like outside, this is apparently a spring-themed update. Characters from Pixar’s A Bug’s Life will be joining the park, along with new attractions and all the usual goodies that come with each event. Flik, Dot, and Atta have to show Hopper the door when he makes an unexpected return. Sure, that’s fine. I feel like A Bug’s Life tends to be overlooked, and to an extent I understand. But it’s one of the best kid-friendly adaptations of The Seven Samurai I can think of, and that is worth something.

MARVEL Future Fight, Free Marvel’s First Family takes the spotlight in the latest update to Marvel Future Fight. Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards join the playable roster, and I don’t even know what Franklin’s powers are anymore. I remember when he was a beyond Omega-level mutant who could bend reality itself, but I’m pretty sure he got nerfed. Or was he un-nerfed? Why have I wasted so many words on Franklin Richards, anyway? Sigh. New Tier-4 (get it?) advancement and uniforms have been added for Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, and the new Multiverse Saga story has kicked off. There are also some new collectible Emblems. Every time I think this game is heading for the door, it orders another drink. Well, I won’t complain.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure, I’m not sure if the license handcuffs them from saying exactly what this event is or if there is some other reason, but Kitty and friends are celebrating Pride Month in the game’s latest update. The Paper Parade has arrived, and Tuxedosam is building his own float. Help him out by collecting Paper Crafts and add them to the float. You’ll be rewarded for helping out, and since this is a single-float parade you’ll be making sure the whole event goes off as best as it possibly can.

Sonic Dream Team, More levels! That’s what I like to see from a Sonic Dream Team update, and that’s what we get here. Specifically, more Sweet Dreams levels. There’s also a new Jukebox mode. You can collect music tracks from across the Dream World and listen to them. Finally, there’s a new special level waiting at the end of the Sweet Dreams Zone, and it’s a very spicy meatball. Bring your A-game if you plan to tackle it, because it isn’t fooling around! Not bad, not bad at all.

Honkai Impact 3rd, Free Look – close enough, okay? Shaun wants a hot dinner tonight. There’s a new S-Rank PSY-type Battlesuit available in the game, the Lone Destruction: Shadowchaser. Also in this update: a new main story chapter, a new event, a couple of new outfits, some new weapons, and some new stigmata. Most of this stuff is connected to that new Battlesuit, so I sure hope you like it or else there isn’t a whole ton in this update for you. Enough to keep you going until the next one, at least. Maybe that’s all it needs to be.

Merge Mansion, Free Taking the position of the obligatory free-to-play matching puzzle game update for this week is Merge Mansion. You can look forward to a whole new area this time around, the Secret Society. That sounds very… super-villain. What is Grandma up to this time? This update also includes some improvements for Secret Supply, seeds in special events for the month, and does some of those oh-so-lovely bug fixes and enhancements. Alright, moving on.

Diablo Immortal, Free Okay, Diablo Immortal seems like a good way to bring this to a close. The new summer update, titled Writhing Abyss, is officially on. There are two new PvE challenges, four new Helliquary bosses to tackle, and a new Runes progression system included. There is also a new Phantom Market, and some recurring events. Also some new stuff to blow real money on, but that’s the nature of the beast, isn’t it?

That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!

You can pre-install Honkai Star Rail 2.3 from the title screen after logging in on both mobile and PC platforms. The Honkai Star Rail 2.3 download size is around 12.7GB on iOS and 21.3GB on PC. If you’ve not gotten it yet, you can download Honkai Star Rail on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail recently and what do you think of 2.3 so far?

And in a lot of ways it IS that, but it’s also so much more, and it’s hard to understand that just from screenshots or trailers alone. Perhaps that’s why this game still seems so under the radar despite originally releasing almost two years ago and having nothing but gushing praise from those who have played it, as well as critical acclaim from reviewer-types. Well, let this game’s arrival on Netflix be your catalyst to get this one directly on your radar screen. Not under it.

What’s most surprising to me about The Case of the Golden Idol, at least in my early time with it, is that this is really a puzzle game first and foremost, but dressed up in classic adventure game attire. The logic-based deduction is done so perfectly as you start sussing out the clues and info surrounding a dozen separate murder scenes, and it’s almost unbelievable how well working through the puzzles really burns an impressive amount of information into your brain without you even realizing it. I kind of wish this game was secretly teaching me a second language or something with how well it imparts information.

At the end of the day this is a game that truly makes you feel like a detective, and the way it leans into its absurdity, and silliness, and even darkness as a complex narrative is formed is ultra satisfying. The Case of the Golden Idol is a really unique game and one that will hopefully find a greatly expanded audience now that it’s essentially “free" for Netflix subscribers.

Select New Releases

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance ($59.99)

Oops, Atlus did it again! It played with our hearts, released an enhanced version game. It might seem like a rerun, like it’s not worth another buy, but it’s not that simple! Okay, so yes, it happened again. Atlus released a game, and now it is releasing a special shiny version of that game that you’ll have to pay full price for even if you own the original. Is it worth it? Our pal Mikhail assures me it is, so long as you enjoyed what you played in the base game. I haven’t tried it yet, but given how much I enjoyed the vanilla game, I’ll be looking into it as soon as possible.

Monster Hunter Stories ($29.99)

Well, we already have the second game on Switch. Might as well add the first one, too. I have a lot of fondness for this game despite some of its rough edges, and I think it holds up really nicely. It was originally built for a considerably more limited console, but it still manages a bit of spectacle. Curiously though, this Switch version doesn’t run as smoothly as one might expect. It’s not bad, but if you were hoping for silky smooth gameplay due to this being a 3DS transplant, you’re going to have to readjust your expectations.

Railbreak ($19.99)

An on-rails shooter where you get to blast away zombies? This might be the only zombie usage I’m interested in these days. This game knows exactly what it’s aiming at, and it might do a better job of it than the actual remake of that game you can buy on the eShop. I’ll be doing a review of this one soon, so I’ll let you know for sure.

Bug & Seek ($14.99)

This seems like a pretty neat thing for those who are into bugs enough to play a slow-life game built entirely around them. Catch up to 220 real-life bugs, fill out a compendium and insect zoo with them, and try to restart the troubled economy of BuggBurg. There are lots of interesting NPCs to interact with, and even a big mystery to solve. I’ll give it credit for putting a different spin on this well-worn genre.

Agnostiko Origins ($24.99)

An action game set in a steampunk version of 1890s Philippines that leans heavily into Pinoy folklore? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested, but it’s an unknown developer and the price is a little high. The trailer looks really rough, but not exactly in a bad way? I don’t know. I’ll have to investigate further.

The Great Adventures of Nedmapagmahal ($19.99)

Your guess is as good as mine.

Froggy Bouncing Adventures ($4.99)

This is exactly what the title says. You get sixty levels spread across four worlds, and there are twenty hats you can unlock for the frog. That settles the five-dollar platformer for today.

A Fragile Mind ($5.99)

Another first-person escape room-style puzzle adventure from the entertaining folks at Glitch Games. If you’ve liked the other titles from them, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you’ve never played one before but like to solve puzzles, you might like this one. A world of options in front of you, I say.

Bunny e-Shop ($12.99)

A trade war has erupted between monsters and humans, and you’re a rabbit spirit just trying to run your online store in all this mess. You sell carrots and radishes, which seems like a very rabbit-like thing to do. One of those business sim games, though the aesthetic and theme are obviously going to be hit or miss depending on your tastes.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Quite a lot of new sales today, with some indies that used to be on sale every other week but recently haven’t popped up. Well, here they are! Perhaps the bigger concern is what is happening in the outbox, and I’ve done something a little different from usual here. The big MEGA HYPER TURBO RAD TO THE MAX sale is finishing Monday, so if you’re going to grab any of those games this weekend is the time to do it. Check both lists!

Select New Sales

Demon’s Tilt ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/21)
Super Crush KO ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/21)
Thunder Ray ($8.24 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Danmaku Unlimited 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Golazo 2: Soccer Cup 2022 ($3.19 from $15.98 until 6/28)
Gaokao.Love.100Days ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/1)
The Sinking City: Deluxe ($9.74 from $64.99 until 7/4)
A Knight’s Quest ($3.74 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Vambrace: Cold Soul ($2.99 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Pumpkin Jack ($6.89 from $29.99 until 7/4)
Green Hell ($3.74 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Hotshot Racing ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Towaga: Among Shadows ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Rigid Force Redux ($3.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
MONOBOT ($3.89 from $12.99 until 7/4)

We Need to Go Deeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
UNABLES ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/4)
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Flooded ($3.24 from $12.99 until 7/4)
Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/4)
Alekon ($2.39 from $15.99 until 7/4)
Hello Kitty & Friends Happiness Parade ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Embr ($3.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Just Die Already ($2.99 form $14.99 until 7/4)
Sifu ($15.99 from $39.99 until 7/4)
Hell Pie ($7.49 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Arkanoid Eternal Battle ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
The House of the Dead Remake ($6.24 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Watch ($3.59 from $5.99 until 7/4)
Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo ($3.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)

Gigapocalypse ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/4)
The Quest for Excalibur Puy du Fou ($5.99 from $29.99 until 7/4)
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch ($13.99 from $39.99 until 7/4)
Silver Chains ($1.99 from $24.99 until 7/4)
My Universe: Cooking Star Restaurant ($1.99 from $29.99 until 7/4)
Zombie’s Cool ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/4)
Beholder: Complete Edition ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Velocity 2X ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Phantom Doctrine ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Q-Yo Blaster ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/4)
Thief Simulator ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
For The King ($4.99 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Motorsport Manager ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Hard West ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Truberbrook ($1.99 from $29.99 until 7/4)

Pumped BMX Pro ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/4)
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Ancestors Legacy ($9.99 from $39.99 until 7/4)
Cooking Simulator ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
Highrise Heroes: Word Challenge ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/4)
Panzer Dragoon Remake ($2.49 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Hue ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/4)
Bomber Crew ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
American Fugitive ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
The Swindle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Runbow ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/4)
Human: Fall Flat ($5.99 from $19.99 until 7/4)
DragonFangZ: TR&DoT ($9.99 from $24.99 until 7/4)
Slime-san: Superslime Edition ($2.39 from $11.99 until 7/4)
Syberia ($1.99 from $12.99 until 7/4)
Adventure Field Remake ($3.24 from $4.99 until 7/5)
Frowntown ($8.44 from $12.99 until 7/5)
100 Demon Fantasia ($6.49 from $9.99 until 7/5)

Sales Ending This Weekend (Including Monday)

CLeM ($3.99 from $15.99 until 6/15)
Game Dev Tycoon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Owlboy ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/15)
Advance Wars 1 + 2 Reboot Camp ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Aeterna Noctis ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/17)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Arcadia: Colony ($9.98 from $14.99 until 6/17)
Astral Chain ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bayonetta 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bayonetta Origins ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bravely Default II ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Chasm ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/17)
Cirrus Business ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/17)
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/17)
Daemon X Machina ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)

Dark Souls Remastered ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/17)
DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Dragon Quest Builders ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Dragon Quest Builders 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Dragon Quest XI S: DE ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Fashion Dreamer ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Figment 1 + Figment 2 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/17)
Fire Emblem Engage ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Kirby & the Forgotten Land ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Live A Live ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)

No More Heroes 3 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Splatoon 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Summum Aeterna ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/17)
Super Adventure Hand ($9.74 from $12.99 until 6/17)
Super Mario Odyssey ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Triangle Strategy ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Xenoblade Chronicles DE ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)

That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new games, more sales, more reviews, and I have a sneaky suspicion there might be a lot of news as well. My hospital visit today went as well as it could, so I’m afraid you’ll all have to put up with me a bit longer. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!

Steam Deck Game Reviews & Impressions

Monster Hunter Stories Steam Deck Review

Last month, I did a preview on Monster Hunter Stories’ remaster covering early parts of the Switch, Steam Deck, and PS4 versions. Since then, I’ve been able to experience the game more on all three platforms, but I decided to focus on the PC version for my review, because it is by far my favorite version, when played on Steam Deck.

Following its debut on 3DS, Monster Hunter Stories saw mobile versions that were dramatically better when it comes to visuals and performance.You can still play Monster Hunter Stories on iOS and Android, and it is even in Apple Arcade, but those versions aren’t worth your time as of today. After the success of Monster Hunter Stories 2 on Switch and Steam, Capcom wants to expand the audience of this series, and what better way to do that then bringing the original to more platforms? Well, Capcom surprised me by not only bringing Monster Hunter Stories to Switch, PS4, and PC, but also bringing the West content we never got, a new gallery, voice acting, and more. Capcom also finally brought Monster Hunter Stories 2 to PlayStation today.

If you’ve not played Monster Hunter Stories at all through its prior releases, it doesn’t really play like a traditional Monster Hunter game. It is more of an RPG set in the world of Monster Hunter that features monsters, hunters, and basically was a fantastic game on 3DS that I enjoyed more than every Pokemon game with its turn-based combat, gorgeous visuals even back then, and memorable characters. For the remaster, I expected Capcom to just bring the mobile version of Monster Hunter Stories to current platforms. Instead, we have visual improvements, performance improvements, the addition of content never released outside Japan, voice acting, a new gallery, and more.

If you already played Monster Hunter Stories, the new content and upgrade to visuals and performance makes it worth the asking price for sure, but don’t bother unless you want to replay the full game. It would’ve been an easier game to recommend on consoles at least if there was a physical release on PS4 and Switch (without a code for Monster Hunter Stories 2). On PC though, the first Monster Hunter Stories makes its debut through this release, and it is a fantastic port that shines on Steam Deck.

Since playing the game for preview, I wanted to see if anything would change, but that build is basically the final game everyone can play today. The PC version of Monster Hunter Stories lets you adjust window mode (windowed, fullscreen, and borderless), resolution (864×486 to 4K), frame rate target (30fps to 144fps), toggle v-sync, toggle anti-aliasing, and adjust shadow quality (low, medium, high). You can also adjust brightness.

Monster Hunter Stories held 90fps very well with everything set to high aside from shadow quality which I turned down from the start on my Steam Deck OLED. Load times are near-instant as well. It only supports 16:9 gameplay, but does have Steam Cloud support.

While I’ve praised a lot of Monster Hunter Stories so far, it still feels dated in its visuals in ways. I didn’t expect this to be addressed since this is a remaster and not a remake, but it is worth keeping in mind that this release will not change your mind if you bounced off the game on 3DS. It is still an excellent RPG, but its roots are very much felt here despite how good it can look on modern screens.

This new remaster of Monster Hunter Stories is easily the best way to experience an actual 3DS classic from Capcom. I always said Monster Hunter Stories was the best looking 3DS game, and it now shines on modern screens thanks to a remaster that did a lot more than I expected. While it isn’t as good as Monster Hunter Stories 2, Monster Hunter Stories is still worth playing for not only fans of the Monster Hunter games, but also fans of RPGs in general. It is obviously aimed at a younger audience so keep that in mind, but there’s no denying Monster Hunter Stories is excellent in just about every way.

Monster Hunter Stories Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Steam Deck Review

When I got an email about Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I immediately knew I wanted to play it based on its premise. Having now played it, I’m glad I did because it is fantastic. My only real complaint is that I wish there was more of it, but this mystery adventure game has been a lovely and charming surprise. Given the short length, I decided to play Duck Detective: The Secret Salami on both Switch and Steam Deck to see how it feels on both portable systems.

The mystery and adventure genres are full of some great games, but I love it when a developer tries to do something different. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami isn’t mechanically amazing or anything, but it excels in its setting, charm, voice acting, and music. As I made my way through the story filling in the blanks, I ended up hoping Duck Detective: The Secret Salami would go on longer. I already knew it was a short game when I got my review code, and while the price is justified given the quality here, I hope we see many more games from the developers in this series.

On Steam Deck, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami runs at 16:10, supports Steam Cloud, and runs at a locked 90fps on Steam Deck. I have no complaints with how it plays here, and you can even use touch controls. On Switch, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami also plays great, but the lack of touch support is my only complaint. If you were hoping to have a good portable experience with Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, you can’t go wrong with both Switch and Steam Deck.

If my only complaint with a game is that it gets over too soon and I want more of it, I take that as a good sign. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a lovely and charming surprise that I enjoyed playing for about three hours. On paper, the voice acting and music with this aesthetic shouldn’t work, but the developers managed to pull through and deliver something special. You can also press a button to quack.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5

Isles of Sea and Sky Steam Deck Review

When I first saw Isles of Sea and Sky gameplay, I knew I had to play it. I was hoping it would be fine on Steam Deck as well. Not only does it play great on Valve’s handheld, but I ended up thinking about it constantly even while playing other games. It has that draw where I want to just quickly boot it up to try and make some progress.

Isles of Sea and Sky is an open world puzzle game that starts off with you just pushing blocks. Even in its opening moments, you start seeing how much freedom you have in-game, and things start to get complex quite fast with mechanics and changes. One thing I love about the puzzle games that opt for a more open structure, is being able to come back to puzzles later on and still make progress by taking another path. Isles of Sea and Sky excels at this, and it feels like a gorgeous puzzle box full of blocks to stimulate your brain with, and one that has crisp and colorful visuals.

Even if you’re new to puzzle games, I recommend Isles of Sea and Sky because of how approachable it makes everything despite the depth. It feels like an old school puzzle game in the modern era, but one with quite a few modern features.

On Steam Deck, Isles of Sea and Sky hasn’t been tested by Valve yet, but it works perfectly. You can change window mode only when it comes to graphics. There’s also a streamer mode option that adds a space in the interface for an avatar or video for those streaming the game. I had no issues running the game. It plays at 16:9 and is capped at 60fps, but it does support Steam Cloud. I imagine it will be Steam Deck Verified soon.

Isles of Sea and Sky is a superb puzzle game that is absolutely worth your time. It also feels right at home on Steam Deck, and manages to stand out with its gorgeous art, puzzles, open world, and blend of ideas. If you enjoy puzzle games, stop what you’re doing and get this now.

Isles of Sea and Sky Steam Deck Review Score: 5/5

Broken Roads Steam Deck Review

It sucks when you’re excited to play a game and it ends up falling short, but that’s exactly what happened with Broken Roads at launch. The Australia setting, voice acting, and music were good, but it was too buggy and linear. It has been just over two months since I started playing Broken Roads on Steam Deck, and it is in a much better place with the newest update. I wanted to do a quick review covering how the current game feels on Steam Deck after recent updates.

Broken Roads is a modern take on traditional party-based RPGs with elements of Disco Elysium and Wasteland, but one that doesn’t live up to its inspirations by the end of it. The Australian setting, voice acting, music, and visuals are highlights for sure. The narrative will be hit or miss for a lot of people. The one constant throughout my different save files and attempts and seeing how varied things can be in Broken Roads, has been the combat not feeling fully realized, and also some of the quests. The moral compass in-game feels tacked on in parts because I sometimes felt like I had no real freedom to do or say what I wanted even early on. As a concept, I like what it could be, but it needs some more work here.

Broken Roads on Steam Deck is a bit of a mixed bag in some ways, but plays well. You can’t change any settings barring forcing windowed mode and the resolution with a few refresh rate options. Broken Roads supports 16:10 800p and 90hz natively, but it can’t hit that 90fps beyond the opening portions. I’d recommend capping it from the quick access menu. Aside from that, it plays well out of the box with full controller support and even has a large font option to make it better in handheld mode. I didn’t try Broken Roads docked on my monitor so I cannot comment on how it feels there. I ended up capping it to 45fps at 90hz when playing.

Broken Roads has improved quite a bit since I played it in early April, but still needs a bit more work to be an easy recommendation. In its current state, I can recommend it, but it is a few updates away from being something special. It definitely needs a demo because I can’t imagine many people will give it a shot at its current asking price given the launch reception.

Broken Roads Steam Deck Review Score: 3.5/5

Umbraclaw Steam Deck Impressions

Shaun already covered Umbraclaw on Switch in his review, but I wanted to cover how it felt on Steam Deck. As with many of Inti Creates’ PC ports, on launching the game, you’re prompted with a button configuration option for whatever controller you’re using. This lets you map buttons as you please before jumping into the game.

Once that’s done, Umbraclaw basically runs at a locked 60fps. On Steam Deck and the Steam Deck OLED, I found no way of running it higher than 60fps. Some prior Inti Creates PC ports have supported 120fps, but I don’t see an option for that here when playing on the Deck itself. Umbraclaw plays at 16:9 or is stretched. It looks great out of the box, but I recommend manually changing it to 720p or 1080p. The frame rate stays the same but you might find the increased clarity better.

Umbraclaw has DualSense button prompt support on Steam Deck when using a DualSense, but I found no way of changing button prompts when playing using the Deck’s own controls. You can rebind keyboard and controller buttons, toggle v-sync, adjust resolution (seemingly capped at 1080p), and frame rate. Note that on Steam Deck the frame rate option doesn’t seem to work, and it is capped at 60fps as I mentioned above.

If you aren’t sure if Umbraclaw is for you, I recommend trying the free demo on Steam. I ended up liking it more than I expected going into it. The stained glass meets painterly aesthetic shines on the Steam Deck OLED display for sure.

News and Trailers

Not a lot of news this week following the Summer Game Fest 2024 bonanza, but there are a few bits of note. The highlights are below. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now available on all consoles and Steam. Alongside the launch trailer, Atlus also has a very weird and hilarious Slipknot interview as a part of the collaboration. I never thought I’d see Slipknot’s Clown being interviewed on the Atlus YouTube channel, but here we are. Watch both videos below:

Fallen Aces Episode One is out now on Steam Early Access from New Blood Interactive. Yes, it is finally here and only $9.99 (how?). Watch the launch trailer for it below:

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO had a new gameplay features trailer go up confirming an offline multiplayer mode and a lot more including Custom Battle, Episode Battle, and showcasing new gameplay of course. Watch it below:

Digital Extremes released a new TennoCon 2024 hype trailer ahead of the event set for next month. If you missed my interview with Creative Director Rebb Ford, read it here. Watch the video below:

Caves of Qud got its Spring Molting Update, the last major update before 1.0, this recent week on Steam bringing a change to the UI to be friendly for mouse and gamepads in addition to more new features. Watch the trailer for it below:

Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX is in the works for Steam as an enhanced version of the original game with 20 characters with unique playstyles, online multiplayer, Challenge Stages, Custom Knight, and more. Watch the announcement trailer below:

New Steam Deck Verified & Playable games for the week

Catching up with basically two weeks of new Steam Deck Verified and Playable games has resulted in a bigger list than usual, which means more surprises.

• AMANATSU Perfect Edition – Unsupported
• Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure – Verified
• Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles – Verified
• Chivalry 2 – Playable
• Command & Conquer: Generals – Playable
• Cryptmaster – Playable
• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! – Playable (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT Steam – Verified (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami – Verified
• Dungeons of Hinterberg – Playable
• F1 24 – Unsupported
• INDIKA – Verified
• Machinika Museum – Playable
• Mashiroiro Symphony HD Sana Edition – Unsupported
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite – Playable
• Nine Sols – Verified (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Out of the Park Baseball 25 – Playable
• Outcast – A New Beginning – Playable (via TouchArcade reader Mor)

• Quest Master – Verified
• Rabbit and Steel – Playable
• Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER – Verified
• Reus 2 – Playable (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends – Verified
• Rotwood – Playable
• SAND LAND – Playable
• Scars Above – Playable
• Selaco – Playable (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Still Wakes the Deep – Playable
• Tchia – Verified (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Thank Goodness You’re Here! – Verified
• The Lullaby of Life – Verified
• The Red Lantern – Verified
• The Rogue Prince of Persia – Unsupported
• The Shell Part II: Purgatorio – Unsupported
• Truxton 2 – Playable
• Vigor – Playable (via TouchArcade reader Mor)
• Void Crew – Playable

Steam Deck Game Sales, Discounts, and Specials

Instead of sales, I’m going to use this space to recommend checking out the newest Steam Next Fest with many demos for upcoming games. I’m going to be playing quite a few demos tonight. The ones I recommend are Fumes, Hookah Haze, Blade Chimera, Metal Slug Tactics (no controller support yet), Blue Prince, Maid Cafe on Electric Street, LOK Digital, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, #BLUD, and Wizard of Legend 2.

That’s all for this edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. As usual, you can read all our past and future Steam Deck coverage here. If you have any feedback for this feature or what else you’d like to see us do around the Steam Deck, let us know in the comments below. I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for reading.

The Shovel Knight Dig Wicked Wishes DLC begins in the Hoofman’s Guild Hall where you climb the ranks after clearing challenges to collect relics and buffs while facing off against new bosses and enemies.

Watch the Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon Paradox Pack DLC trailer below:

This DLC pack adds new characters, challenging stages, relics, items, cheats, and more. If you have an active Netflix subscription, you can grab Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. Make sure to read my interview with Yacht Club Games discussing Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, the developer’s other releases, working with Netflix, and more here. We featured it as our Game of the Week when it launched. If you have Apple Arcade, you can grab Shovel Knight Dig on the App Store here. Both games are also on PC and consoles as a paid release. If you watched the showcase, what do you think of the announcements and will you try the DLC for the two games on mobile?

TouchArcade (TA): Since Warframe hit mobile back in February, it has gotten quite a few updates bringing it up to speed with all the other platforms, and to improve the mobile version in general. How has it been for the team to not only ship updates on all platforms simultaneously, but also deliver feature updates to mobile?

Rebecca Ford (RF): So yesterday was June 11th, and we kind of hit a point where we thought about what we are doing with the playability on the iOS platform. We have all these optimizations and improvements that just haven’t shipped yet like auto aim, performance improvements, and we’re trying to decide to make the best next swing for the mobile client. Is it about content parity or is it about all these optimizations? We’re making a plan right now to make sure that even with something like Jade Shadows and with all the stuff that’s for TennoCon, that we’re not ignoring some of the core playability problems. We still have a team cracking away at it. We’re working with partners and we’re working with getting everything going so it’s just a bit more approachable.

TA: How has it been for the team looking at the response from players on iPhone and iPad specifically after launch?

RF: It’s kind of been all over the place. You have a 10 year old game that suddenly launches on a new platform, and I think I have a bit of a veteran problem where I know what I use it for which is, login and grab my systemic things, but then you have this opportunity of an entirely new market that have an entirely new experience with the game, and it’s kind of exposed some problems in Warframe’s early game. We always get exposed to that, but it’s done once again, and it’s kind of put me in a position just as an individual where now I actually am playing more mobile games just to understand them better.

I can’t look at Warframe as anything other than Warframe. For instance, I’ve gotten really into Honkai Star Rail just to understand. I’m not looking at it for anything other than the mobile client. It’s not like we’re gonna add gacha to our game or anything. It’s kind of radical and eye-opening in terms of the usability differences in a game like Honkai Star Rail where you just tap and it’s so well optimized and beautiful, and then you have Warframe where you really asked to touch a lot all the time to play the game. We had someone on our team do a spy mission and it was a radical paradigm shift mentally still I think.

TA: Have you had a chance to try out some of the recent big iPhone 15 Pro ports like Death Stranding and Resident Evil 4 Remake?

RF: No, but god’s willing I will as soon as possible, because Resident Evil 4, especially the remake, is one of my all timers right now. Playing that as soon as possible, would be incredible, but no I haven’t touched it. Have you?

TA: The reason I bring it up is Capcom is going to launch Resident Evil 7 biohazard in a few weeks on iPhone and iPad, and they seem to have done an actual new interface for the mobile version. Resident Evil 4 and Village just had a ton of buttons on the screen which was a mess for touch controls. I think they probably just had to ship those for folks who don’t use a controller. This is the first time they seem to be doing something bespoke for the platform. I was just wondering if you tried them. You know the Backbone controller, right? Everyone uses that on their iPhone. When they shipped a special Death Stranding Edition controller, I thought it would be a really nice experience on the phone in general, but it is a mess for touch controls. Thankfully, Warframe is good with touch controls.

TA: Speaking of the Backbone controller. Are there any plans to do a Warframe themed Backbone controller?

RF: I don’t know (laughs). I wish I knew.

TA: Before we get to Jade Shadows and TennoCon, the big question everyone is asking about mobile is what about Android? Back in February, the plan was to have it go into testing on Android this year. Can we expect a date for that at TennoCon?

RF: We are pretty aggressively reviewing the mobile version as it is on what’s already out there. As a team, as a business, we have to decide what state we want mobile to be in before we add more. We’re very bullish usually about getting everyone in and getting going. I think by TennoCon we will have decided which is usually a good sign that TennoCon forces us to make decisions in a good way. So we will know by then. I don’t have anything to announce right now, though.

TA: Next week’s Warframe Jade Shadows update is a huge one for the game. How has it been for the team through the last week and leading into launch next week?

RF: It’s gonna be a very cathartic update for us because this is one of the longest concept to execution updates we’ve ever done. We were talking about Jade shadows as far back as late 2022 and early 2023. We actually intended to ship this last year, and then with some delays and with the scope of Whispers in the Walls, we had to move it. We did intend to ship it last year. So for me, I’ve been waiting over a year for players to experience this in some way. The feeling for the team is, “it’s finally here!". We’re actually excited to time it, at least I am, to TennoCon because having an update before that, while difficult to achieve in terms of development, it’s great for the community because it gives you such a touch point to talk about something that just happened, and then look to the future. Everyone is very excited, nervous, and a little bit terrified because of some of the places that this quest goes narratively, so fingers crossed.

TA: I’m glad you brought up the narrative. I’m not up to speed with the latest Warframe story and updates. When I talked to friends about the game, and brought up Jade Shadows when it was dated, they all told me to stop reading about it and just go play the game to get caught up for spoiler reasons. Even the Jade Shadows website has a spoiler warning. How do you deal with updates like this and for folks who are either still early into the game or new to Warframe in general and was there any consideration for making this quest approachable for newer players as well?

RF: Yes, and no. We were deciding whether or not we would put it right after The Second Dream or right after The New War, and then we made the decision to put it after The New War because we wanted to go a little more heavy, I think, with themes that might be a little off-putting early on in the game especially with just some conceptual themes that we were exploring. So for us it was important to put this a bit later, but we do trust our community to follow our lead and not spoil it. We hope that works out usual. There will be some cases where things get spoiled, but ultimately we made the decision. It has to be later in the game. It’s a shorter quest, but it pays off a lot more if you’ve built up a relationship with Stalker to that point. So that was one of the more important things.

TA: Jade obviously has an amazing design, and you said you were waiting for a year for players to experience this quest. I wanted to know how Jade compares to your favorite Warframes in the game right now.

RF: I will be fully honest. The reason this took such an endeavor to release was because of Jade’s visual design. Our character artist, Michael Skyers, came up with this Warframe. We saw what we were working with, and we just went okay now is the time to do a Stalker quest because there’s such opposites. Stalker is this vampiric edgelord and then Jade is this Angelic presence with all of her nuances. For me, the fact that she can fly around puts her top rank right now in terms of actual play design, but once you play the story it’s gonna be pretty hard to dethrone her for me for a long time. She’s my tentative current number one Warframe for lore reasons, as well as her kit. So in this regard, it’s gonna be hard to dethrone her.

TA: Another question I asked you last time was about more Warframe merchandise. Jade’s design is perfect for a nice statue like the OverWatch collectors edition one. Is that something we can expect at TennoCon because I saw some merchandise teases on the website?

RF: For merch for Jade there’s some surprises. There is a Stalker statue and there’s a Stalker ball cap. I will say the one thing we did do, (at this point Rebecca showcased some art via screen share on the call), and have coming in Jade Shadows, is we worked with an artist whose art I have in my house. We have this artist that we reached out to, Eileen Kai Hing Kwan (shown below), and she does this beautiful artwork and we worked with her to do three custom art pieces for this quest that we will also be selling in limited editions at Tennocon. They’re gonna be beautiful prints of art pieces from the quest. She is a fantastic artist, and they will also be available for free in game. We’re giving these posters in-game for free, and then we’re doing a limited edition series of prints for them at TennoCon. Her work is just incredible, and I’m so excited that we get to put her work in the game and my house is decorated with this as well as you can imagine.

TA: You mentioned you’ve been waiting a year for this update to ship, and it’s a big one. I wanted to know if you could share some interesting anecdotes from development leading into launch next week.

RF: Both of these anecdotes will make sense after the quest. The first anecdote, so in 2023, Steve said something publicly that was a direct reference to this update, and players have no idea. It’s haunted me ever since. I have been haunted by Steve saying something about this and that is horrifying to me. For a year I’ve lived with this nightmare.

The second anecdote is that Megan sent me a video of her watching the quest playthrough, and it was just 90 seconds of her crying. I’m not laughing at that, I’m laughing because hopefully players see what we were going for, and fall in love with the story as much as we did making it. Steve has haunted me for a year and Megan’s reaction to the quest was a 90 second video of her watching it and just crying, and that’s a true story and I have the video as proof.

TA: What are your thoughts on Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail so far without spoilers?

RF: It’s gonna be a pick-me-up update it looks like. It doesn’t seem to be super high stakes, which I actually really like. So it’s very much the beginning of a new adventure. I love the world, the tone, and the theme. The Pictomancer looks super cute, the Viper looks super badass. I looked at some gear sets and they look pretty cool. I haven’t read any of the previews from the level 100 job changes. I haven’t looked at any of that. I’m a Black Mage main and it seems like it’s pretty intensely being discussed right now. So we’ll see how I feel. What about you?

TA: I’ve been avoiding the story stuff because I’ve been slowly making progress into Heavensward’s patches and I finally reached and put in about 15 hours into the main story of Stormblood on Steam Deck which is really cool. I’m very interested in the new visual upgrade, and to see how it runs on Steam Deck and consoles, also for new music from Soken of course.

RF: I’m actually going to Japan to see The Primals. I’m so excited for Tokyo Game Show. That’s gonna be fun, or I’m hoping to go I should say. The graphic stuff is really interesting, because in a work capacity, we have a really similar problem to them where we have a 10 year old game. We have PlayStation 4, but they are clearly much more complex with their MMO, you have to load so many player avatars, where we have a maximum of 50 in our relays. Looking at their graphics update stuff has been fascinating. I sent it to Steve Sinclair who was a graphics programmer, he’s now our CEO. I was kind of asking him about the graphics overhaul, you can see what they’ve done with character models and lighting, and everything. We were looking at it, because we’re coming to a point now where we need to be looking at some of our graphics like our operators for instance. Those are now 10 years old so the texture work, and the rendering and everything we used for those, I would love to revisit in the same way. We already did an engine overhaul. We enhanced our renderer and we support GI lighting as recently as last year. So we’re always updating our graphics engine and programming, and all those things, but there are pieces where it’s gonna matter a lot to the players when it comes to their characters. It’s a shared struggle across long-running games.

TA: Have you been playing anything else aside from Final Fantasy XIV and Warframe lately?

RF: Honkai Star Rail. I’ve literally been playing it because I am just fascinated by it. My dearest colleague, AKA my work wife Pablo, is a die-hard Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail player and plays them so much. So finally, I decided to play Honkai Star Rail because whatever, and I’ve been playing every day. Just to see and learn. Balatro, I play until I fall asleep. I play Balatro so much. It is the best. Balatro is probably my most played game of the year, which is saying something. I’m obsessed, it’s so good.

TA: When I was watching one of the recent Devstreams, you mentioned Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. I’ve had loads of people tell me to watch it. Why do you like it so much and why should I watch it?

RF: You should watch Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End because it is a beautiful reflection on what time passing means to your identity, and what it means to the life you can live. It is pure art, and I love it so much, and I tried to tell someone in the office to watch it, and I couldn’t stop crying as I was talking to them. It’s got it all, Frieren is the best, and she’s so cool. It’s not what you expect because it’s so much more than just an anime. I love it so much. It’s just so beautiful.

TA: Okay, I’ll try watching one episode this week.

RF: Watch the first two episodes. You have to do it back to back. That’s it.

TA: As usual, for my last question, what coffee Are you drinking today?

RF: I had an iced vanilla latte with oat milk. It’s hot here. I’m sure it’s hotter where you are, but it’s hot here. I had my ice vanilla latte with oat milk. I made it over in our little cafeteria.

I’d like to thank Rebecca Ford and Tatum from Digital Extremes for their time here.

You can keep up with all our interviews here including our recent ones with M2 discussing shmups and more here, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As usual, thanks for reading.

The most obvious thing in this update is that like in the one before it, new puzzles can be purchased. One new puzzle pack, filled to the brim with thirty-six lovely 3D objects to chisel out, awaits. You’ll have to drop $0.99 for the pleasure, but that’s like three cents a puzzle. That’s a wild value, if you ask me. Three cents can’t even get you a gummi bear anymore. Not even one of those super-small ones that is barely big enough to crest two teeth.

The other elements of this new version are found in the UI, and they are there for all to enjoy without paying more. The top and bottom hints on the puzzle cubes will now rotate based on the orientation you’re viewing them at, which should make things a lot more readable at a glance. In addition you can now choose a puzzle by double-tapping on it. You can still use the old method of choosing it and then hitting the Go button if you like. The choices are a-plenty in these woods.

Finally, a bug was fixed. Oh no, that’s way too short for one paragraph. Um. It was a rendering issue, apparently. Parents didn’t raise him right, and he went bad. Started displaying text incorrectly in the pause menu. There was nothing they could do. He had to be taken down.  Let this be a lesson to all other bugs out there: you won’t win. Don’t try to be a cowboy about it. And that’s a paragraph!

Well, that’s about enough of my nonsense. PiKuBo! Fun game. New puzzle pack DLC with thirty-six levels to play. Sensible UI adjustments. Bug taken out back and escorted off the property. Not much more to say than that, so I’ll just be on my way. Shaun… out!

This OTA update hits a wide array of targets, but if it seems to have one deck in particular in mind, it’s the Hela Discard deck that has been running rampant for a while now. The first of the changes sees Hela’s ability weakened. Now when she brings back discarded cards, they’ll take a -2 Power penalty. Frankly, a small setback for this card. Black Knight’s Ebony Blade loses its aspect that prevents its Power from being reduced, too. And perhaps slightly related but more of a general change, Red Hulk goes from 6-Cost 9-Power with a +4 gain from his ability to 6-Cost 10-Power with a +3 gain from his ability. He’s now in Shang-Chi strike range and has less potential Power. Ouch.

The next kind of deck that is being tweaked here is the Lockdown type. Professor X is a staple of these decks, given he is the Lockdown king. Or, he was. Charles gains a point of power, now a 5-Cost 2-Power card instead of a 5-Cost 1-Power card, but the nerf to his ability is considerable. Instead of a full Lockdown on a location, his ability now offers a loophole for moving cards in and out of the spot. I… think this ruins Chuck? There were already good tools for countering him, so I don’t know that this was really necessary.

Following closely behind, Cannonball is taking a mild hit. He loses a point of power, going from 5-Cost 8-Power to 5-Cost 7-Power. His ability remains unchanged for now. This is another one that I question the need for, as Cannonball’s main use was as a chaser for Professor X and those days are now finished. In other move news, Stegron gets a buff and his ability is now more predictable. He goes from 4-Cost 6-Power to 4-Cost 7-Power, and his ability now specifically moves an enemy card one location to the right. This is probably going to work in his favor, but we’ll see how it shakes out.

A few more buffs round things out. Gilgamesh is the current Season Pass card, but you wouldn’t know it from playing the game. I’ve barely seen him show up at all, and I guess I’m not the only one as he is moving from 5-Cost 7-Power to 5-Cost 9-Power with no changes to his ability. Shanna and Captain America also enjoy some stat buffs. Shanna goes from 3-Cost 2-Power to 3-Cost 4-Power, and Cap goes from 3-Cost 2-Power to 3-Cost 3-Power. No changes to either character’s ability.

So what does this all add up to? My prediction is that Hela Discard decks will keep right on marching, with perhaps the addition of Luke Cage to remove the power penalty to Hela’s resurrections and potential losses for the Ebony Blade. Professor X is in big trouble now, while Cannonball and Red Hulk will likely maintain their popularity even slightly weakened. The Gilgamesh buff is absolutely needed, and I think it’s okay to give Stegron, Shanna, and Captain America a little extra power and see what happens.

It’s one of those balance updates where you can understand most of the changes, but it’s going to really sting for people who have built their strategy around Professor X. And just from a narrative standpoint, I feel like the new implementation of Charles’ ability doesn’t really capture his power. Well, what can you do? What do you think of this update? Let us know in the comments below!

Select New Releases

Astrune Academy ($14.99)

This is where we are at during these lazy days waiting for the next video presentation: headlining a Thursday with a KEMCO/EXE-CREATE RPG. This one is about magical girls at a magic academy. Perhaps they’ll save the world along the way? That seems quite likely, given the usual pattern. Anyway, the usual provisos are in place. You can get this at around half the price on mobile if you don’t mind playing there, but I think there’s value in the button controls here so you do you.

Arcade Archives Vs Star Luster ($7.99)

So, you know Atari’s Star Raiders? The cool space action/adventure game created by Doug Neubauer for Atari’s 8-bit computers and then ported to various other platforms? Imagine that, but on the Nintendo Entertainment System, but then ported to the arcade. Look, Star Luster is fine. It’s a fun game, even if Namco did a terrible job of hiding its source of inspiration here. But there aren’t many differences between this and the version you can find in the frequently deeply-discounted Namco Museum Archives, so I recommend buying that instead.

EGGCONSOLE Sorcerian PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)

We’re just jumping all over the Dragon Slayer series now, aren’t we? We got the second game, the fourth game, and now the fifth game. Sorcerian is a very well-regarded game in Japan, but it has rarely been localized for the Western market. And unfortunately, that is the case here as well. This isn’t a game drenched in text, but the quest descriptions are completely in Japanese and are probably necessary to comprehend to actually get anywhere. I’ll review this one as I always do, but I’d tread cautiously if you can’t understand Japanese.

Willy’s Wonderland – The Game ($4.99)

Hmm. QUByte sometimes makes games that are more fun than they appear to be, and I hope that is the case here. It’s a beat-em-up that is clearly inspired by Five Nights at Freddy’s, tasking you with punching the heck out of rampant animatronics. There are two different characters to use, and you can play with a friend via local multiplayer. I’ll stick to my old reliables, but I can easily imagine some taking the cheap punt on this. Let us know how that goes for you if you do.

Monolith ($14.99)

Tessa Carter is a space explorer trapped in a dangerous world. You have to help her escape in this point-and-click style adventure game. You get some nice looking visuals, and a sassy robot sidekick. What more do you need? These is the team behind the Secret Files and Lost Horizon series of adventure games, so if you liked those then I think you’ve got a solid chance of being happy with this one too.

Path to Purge ($14.99)

A roguelite shooter that is inexplicably selling on Switch for three times the price it’s going for on Steam. Okay as a cheap bit of fun, but at this price it’s a no way, Jose.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Certainly a better selection than yesterday, with games like Dungeon of the Endless, Furi, and Wingspan trying to grab a few of your dollars. The outbox is housing a few shooters among other things. Nothing super-interesting there, but you might as well check it after going through the new stuff.

Select New Sales

Arcadia: Colony ($9.98 from $14.99 until 6/17)
Furi ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Haven ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/25)
Squids Odyssey ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/25)
Dungeon of the Endless ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
The Sorrowvirus ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Burrow of the Fallen Bear ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Until the Last Plane ($3.49 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Alpha Particle ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Diorama Dungeoncrawl ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Mugen Souls Double Pack ($45.49 from $69.99 until 6/28)
Recursion ($2.39 from $7.99 until 7/1)
Veritas ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/1)
A Short Tale ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/1)
Ferris Mueller’s Day Off ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/1)

Station 117 ($2.09 from $6.99 until 7/1)
Incoherence ($2.09 from $6.99 until 7/1)
Forever Lost: Episode 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/1)
Drift Legacy ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/1)
Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/3)
STAB STAB STAB! ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/3)
Immortal Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! ($2.00 from $12.99 until 7/3)
Thea: The Awakening ($5.39 from $17.99 until 7/3)
Fight Club ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/3)
Die for Valhalla! ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/3)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/3)
The Smurfs 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/4)
Survivor Castaway Island ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/4)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 14th

Bot Gaiden ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/14)
BroodStar ($3.30 from $11.00 until 6/14)
Dreamcutter ($9.89 from $14.99 until 6/14)
Dungeonoid 2 Awakening ($5.84 from $8.99 until 6/14)
GyroBlade ($3.74 from $4.99 until 6/14)
Horizon Chase 2 ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/14)
Moero Crystal H ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/14)
Omen of Sorrow ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Rainbow Skies ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Seaside Driving ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/14)
Super Woden GP ($5.99 from $11.99 until 6/14)
Sword & Fairy Inn 2 ($12.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
TP Bullet ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/14)
Wings of Bluestar ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/14)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, which are actually considerably more interesting than what we saw today. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance and Monster Hunter Stories are leading the charge, and there’s an assortment of other stuff in the mix as well. We’ll also have whatever new sales roll in during the course of the day, plus any interesting news that pops up. I have to go to the fancy hospital for some scary tests, but as long nothing goes too badly I should be home with plenty of time to do the article. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Super Mario Galaxy ($Godspeed)

Let’s get it out of the way right away. Super Mario Galaxy, as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, brought one of the best Wii games to the Switch in excellent fashion. It’s an incredible game, and it’s amazing just how little of a facelift it takes to make it look like a modern game. The controls didn’t perfectly map as you might like, but they’re good enough to get the job done. Alas, Nintendo has delisted this in both digital and physical form, so you’ll have to get one of the ten million physical copies that are out there somewhere in the world if you want to play it.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD ($59.99)

Skyward Sword is an odd link in the Legend of Zelda chain. While we couldn’t see it at the time it first came out, it’s an important step towards what we got in Breath of the Wild. That doesn’t help wallpaper over its many flaws, but in knowing where things eventually went it’s at least easier to understand some of its quirks. This Switch version does its best to improve the game without making too many dramatic changes, and if nothing else being able to control the sword with the second stick instead of using motion controls helps. It’s as good a Skyward Sword as we’re going to get, and that’s not nothing.

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe ($59.99)

A pretty extensive overhaul of a great Wii game that many slept on, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe adds some interesting new stuff to an already solid game to create an adventure no Kirby fan can resist. Kirby has had a handful of games on the Switch, and they’ve run the gamut from the tepid (Star Allies) to the terrific (Forgotten Land), but Return to Dreamland Deluxe ensures that we have at least one high-quality side-scroller featuring the pink puff to enjoy.

No More Heroes ($19.99)

See also: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. In the lead-up to the release of the over-the-top third installment in the No More Heroes series, both of the previous games got ported to the Switch. The games are both a lot of fun, but if you had to pick one I’d say the original is where it’s at. It introduces the ever-charming Travis Touchdown and what it lacks in polish it makes up for in sheer enthusiasm. Just a good silly time, and I’m happy it got a rerelease on the Switch.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition ($59.99)

Some of these games got more improvements than others in their journey to the Switch, but Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is probably the biggest glow-up of them all. A full-on remake of the first game in the series, done up to the standards of Xenoblade 2, this allows us to not only play the whole main trilogy on one platform, it actually strengthens the link between them in almost all respects. Arguably the best game of the three, and a fully uncompromised experience on the Switch.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! ($39.99)

Here’s another excellent conversion, and again it’s a game that I felt flew under the radar for many. Sadly, it seems to have done the same on Switch. If you’re looking for a slightly lower-pressure roguelike on the Switch with plenty of Final Fantasy fanservice and a mind-blowing soundtrack, check out Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!. It’s even yelling its new subtitle to try to get you to notice it. Don’t you want to be its BUDDY? Take it from someone who already is among the EVERY BUDDYs, it’s a club worth joining.

Another Code: Recollection ($59.99)

Okay, this is a bit of a cheat. Half of this game is a DS game ported to the Switch, but the other half is a Wii game. Two games in one, really. But are they good games? Well, I won’t pretend they’re masterpieces that you should run out and play right away, but the puzzles are clever and the stories are engaging enough. There’s a very particular vibe to the Another Code games, and while the original developer is long gone, the team that handled this remake did that aspect justice. Perhaps the most unlikely of all of these games to get a port.

A Boy and His Blob ($14.99)

A Boy and His Blob is one of those ideas that is so good that it’s a shame it isn’t revisited more often. The multipurpose Blob as a puzzle-solving tool is great in a mechanical sense but also works to drive the character work and narrative. WayForward’s take on the concept is softer and kinder in many ways than the quirky original, and it’s well-worth playing if you want some good vibes from a puzzle platformer. It takes to the Switch well, too.

De Blob 2 ($29.99)

If I had a nickel for every game involving a blob on this list, I’d have ten cents. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Overused memes aside, De Blob 2 is a very good game. I feel like a lot of people haven’t played it, and I get it. Looking at it, it almost seems to be one of the million throwaway platformers that era produced. But it’s actually quite fresh and fun with its color-mixing mechanics, and I think anyone who enjoys a good platformer will have a great time here.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed ($19.99)

What list can’t benefit from the presence of a Star Wars game? When bringing The Force Unleashed to the Switch, Aspyr probably had to make the choice of which version would be best. Some weren’t pleased that it went with the Wii version as the basis for the port, but I think it carries itself well enough. Odds are reasonably good that any given reader has played this game in some form or another, but if you haven’t, it’s certainly worth going back to. It’s a fun game with a nice Star Wars feel.

And… 5 Wii Games We’d Like to See on Switch

Super Mario Galaxy 2

There are people who prefer this to Super Mario Galaxy. Sometimes I’m one of them. Given how great the first game is, that speaks loud volumes. While at its core this is just more Super Mario Galaxy, the team’s experience in making that game is clearly on display here with some wildly creative stage designs and a nice difficulty curve. And it has Yoshi! Who doesn’t like to see Yoshi show up in a Mario game? This is the only home console 3D Mario game that you can’t play on the Switch, and it would be great to see that changed.

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

It’s my list, and I can make unreasonable demands if I want to. Yes, Marvel Vs. Capcom is by and large a better series with more globally appealing characters, but Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom has a lot of its own unique charms and it feels criminal that it was landlocked to a single console. The roster is really fun, with the likes of Mega Man Volnutt, Yatterman-1, Casshan, Frank West, and Zero providing a variety of playstyles and cool animations. I’ll take a port or, better still, an expanded follow-up.

Excitebots: Trick Racing

One of the more enjoyable launch titles for the Wii was the unassuming racer Excite Truck, and it’s a game I certainly got a lot of satisfaction from. I ended up sleeping on its follow-up, Excitebots: Trick Racing, when it came out. I wasn’t the only one, it seems. The game apparently massively underperformed, putting an end to this short side-trip for the Excite franchise. I picked it up a few years after for a very low price, and my earlier mistake was apparent. This game is an absolute blast, and it deserves another chance.

The Last Story

Apart from the first of these picks, there is a theme to what I’m including. This is another game that got overlooked due to the part of the console’s lifespan it released in. An ignoble end for what is to date the last console game worked on by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, to be sure. The Last Story isn’t Final Fantasy, but it’s an enjoyable role-playing adventure with a lot of cool ideas. Xenoblade took off under similar circumstances, and I think this one has a good chance of doing so too if given the opportunity.

Trauma Team

Atlus: it used to make a lot of things that weren’t related to Persona or Shin Megami Tensei! One of those things was this series of games based on and around hospitals. Trauma Team is a mix of visual novel-style scenes and a variety of minigames focused around specific aspects of medical diagnosis and treatment. Each of the game’s chapters stars its own character, and they all come together in the thrilling finale. This would be a tricky port due to its reliance on the special controls the Wii offered, but I have to believe there is some way to do it.

And that’s the list, friends. Are there any Nintendo Wii games you enjoy on the Switch? Any you would like to see? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what you’re thinking! It’s always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing, especially for a console with so many unconventional titles as the Wii. Thanks for reading!

Note that this review will focus on how the KINGDOM HEARTS PC ports (all three bundles) play on Steam Deck. I will not be covering every individual game included here as there is no new content, and they have all been ported multiple times since their debut on PS4 to Xbox One, PC, and even through cloud versions on Nintendo Switch if you count that. I have tested all the games here on my Steam Deck OLED, and a few on the LCD model as well. All the games below were tested using Proton Experimental.

Before getting into the individual games and bundles here, you might be curious what makes the PC version worth considering. Currently, the KINGDOM HEARTS games on consoles are PS4 and Xbox One games running via backward compatibility on PS5 and Xbox Series X. There is no native current generation version. While this might not be a big deal for the likes of KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX which was already 4K 60, it would’ve helped in the newer releases. It is also worth noting that the KINGDOM HEARTS games on PC support frame rates above 60fps including in KINGDOM HEARTS III if your hardware can handle it at those high frame rates. All games here also support up to 4K and run out of the box on Steam Deck. I’ve not finished playing all of them considering I just got review codes before the weekend, but if you were hoping to experience or replay all the KINGDOM HEARTS games on Steam Deck, your wait has been worth it.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX Steam Deck Review

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX is easily the best value proposition of the KINGDOM HEARTS games releasing on Steam this week. It originally released on PS3 as two separate bundles of older titles, but was brought to PS4 as a combined release. On Steam, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX includes KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX, KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories, KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX, KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD cutscene compilation), KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX, and KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded (HD cutscene compilation). That is a lot of game for its asking price, but note that these are all older titles, so they have some quirks even though they look good when played on modern screens.

If you’re new to KINGDOM HEARTS, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX itself is an easy recommendation. Having played it on PS3, PS4, and Xbox platforms over the years, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX is perfect on Steam Deck, and playing it in portable on Valve’s handheld is my favorite version of this release. There are some things to keep in mind though when it comes to the performance across both Steam Deck LCD and OLED models.

Before playing it on Steam Deck, I redownloaded the release on Xbox to replay bits on my Xbox Series X just to get back into the groove. I forgot how clean most of the games in this package look on modern displays with this excellent remaster as well. Moving from Xbox Series X to my Steam Deck OLED was interesting because I found a few issues relating to frame rates above 60fps on not only the Steam Deck OLED screen, but also when played docked on my 144hz monitor.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX doesn’t have too many graphics or display options. From the config menu, you can adjust screen mode (fullscreen, borderless, and windowed), resolution (800×600 to 4K), frame rate (30, 60, 120, and uncapped), toggle v-sync (called refresh rate in-game), display brightness, and colorblind settings. There are no graphics options that I could find in games like KINGDOM HEARTS 2 HD. You can set the game to display Xbox, PlayStation, Generic, or auto-detect button prompts, and it also has keyboard input support.

As of now, it seems like there’s a bug relating to refresh rates higher than 60 and camera movement. I ended up having a better experience on my Steam Deck LCD than OLED out of the box. I fixed this by setting the OLED screen’s refresh rate to 60hz, enabling v-sync, and cap the game to 60fps in-game. I hope a 90hz fix is found or patched in. Leaving it at 90hz or 144hz on my main monitor even at a lower resolution to just see how the frame rate held up resulted in camera movement issues and even the game sometimes slowing down. I recommend sticking to the 60fps and 60hz refresh rate right now. If I discover a better solution, I’ll make sure to mention it here as an update.

Revisiting KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX on a portable natively has been amazing. The package is incredible value even today and it shines on Steam Deck. If you’ve never played a KINGDOM HEARTS game before, get KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX on Steam Deck immediately. I do recommend grabbing the full KINGDOM HEARTS INTEGRUM MASTERPIECE on discount for the best value overall though.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Steam Deck Review

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue was actually the first KINGDOM HEARTS release I bought on PS4 back in the day. While most were excited for KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2 Birth by Sleep to get a taste of KINGDOM HEARTS III, I wanted to play KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD (a remaster of the 3DS entry). This release also includes KINGDOM HEARTS χ Back Cover, the movie. After its release on PS4, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue was brought to Xbox One and eventually the Epic Games Store for PC. A few years later, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is now on Steam, and it works fine out of the box on Steam Deck.

On Steam Deck, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue doesn’t have as many graphics options as you’d expect. You can adjust resolution (800×600 to 4K0, frame rate (30, 60, 120, and uncapped), refresh rate (v-sync), brightness, and colorblind options. These options seem common with the KINGDOM HEARTS games including the button prompt and keyboard options.

When it comes to performance, 60fps in KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD is easy. Running it above 60fps caused some camera issues in the time I put into it. I ended up capping it to 60fps. Back Cover plays fine and doesn’t require any Proton changes like some speculated pre-release. KINGDOM HEARTS HD 0.2 Birth by Sleep cannot run at a locked 60fps on Steam Deck at 720 or 800p. It drops to the high 40s even early on. It can go way higher than 60 as well, but I would recommend playing this at 45fps at 90hz using the Steam Deck’s quick access menu if you have an OLED. If you want a locked 60fps, it seems like you will need to play at a lower resolution. I turned it down to 800×600 just to see, and 90fps seemed doable.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is not the best of the three KINGDOM HEARTS games releasing on Steam this week in terms of pure value, but it is still great for fans and worth playing if you’re going through the games one by one. It plays great out of the box on Steam Deck thankfully, but I don’t recommend buying this one on its own. I would recommend getting it through the combined bundle with all KINGDOM HEARTS releases right now.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Steam Deck Review Score: 3.5/5

KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind DLC Steam Deck Review

KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind DLC (henceforth KINGDOM HEARTS III) is the newest release of this set that originally debuted in 2019 on PS4 and Xbox One. I played it on both PS4 Pro and Xbox One X at launch, and hadn’t really revisited it aside from the Re Mind DLC’s launch. Fast forward to today, I’ve been playing it on Steam Deck, and it runs out of the box without any trouble, but getting a locked 60fps requires some effort.

KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind DLC includes the base game, a Steam exclusive keyblade, and the Re Mind DLC. Note that the concert video available on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the DLC bundle is seemingly not included here. KINGDOM HEARTS III itself with the DLC is priced a lot lower than the same bundle on consoles. If you already played it on consoles, the reason to get it on PC specifically is to have much better performance, though that doesn’t really apply to Steam Deck out of the box.

On Steam Deck and PC, KINGDOM HEARTS III lets you adjust screen mode (fullscreen, windowed, borderless), resolution (800×600 to 4K), resolution scale (50 to 200), frame rate cap (30, 60, 120, and uncapped), toggle v-sync, display brightness, HDR (I could not get this to work at all on Steam Deck OLED even docked), HRD brightness, and colorblind options. The KINGDOM HEARTS III PC graphics options let you adjust presets (low, medium, high, max, or custom), texture quality (medium, high, max), shadow quality (low, medium, high, max), level of detail distance, character level of detail (low, medium, high, max), foliage level of detail (same options), anti-aliasing (off, FXAA, TXAA, or both), toggle motion blur, ambient occlusion (off, low, medium, high), capsule shadows (off, medium, high), screen space reflections (off, low, medium, high, max), volumetric clouds (medium, high), volumetric fog (low, medium, high), bloom (low, medium, high, max), toggle lens flare, and depth of field (off, medium, high, max).

Back when KINGDOM HEARTS III launched on PS4 and Xbox One, it also had PS4 Pro and Xbox One X support. I remember playing it all the way on PS4 Pro running at 1080p to get the best frame rate. I’ve since replayed it on Xbox Series X via backward compatibility, but the game did not hit close to a locked 60fps even at 900p on base PS4. This had me wondering how things would be on Steam Deck OLED. Playing at the low preset and native resolution (100 scale) results in 60fps nearly locked in the opening hours with some drops, but I ended up setting it to 75% render scale for a more consistent experience. Medium with a 60fps target sees drops to the high 50s often, and you can stick to playing at 45fps at 90hz on Steam Deck OLED here. The high preset runs in the low 50s often if not dropping to the 40s in parts so I would not recommend it unless you want to play at 40hz with some drops or even cap to 30fps. Based on what I’ve played, I’d stick to the medium preset with some tweaks or play at low if you want the closest to a locked 60fps experience.

I decided to see if 90fps was possible at all next. Turning it to low, running at 720p (800p renders at 16:9), and using a 50% render scale still sees drops to the 80s often if not lower even early on, and seeing some drops to even the high 50s. Don’t bother attempting to get 90fps here. Running at the max preset and native resolution results in drops to the mid 30s often. I’d only use this if you want to play with a 30fps cap.

KINGDOM HEARTS III lets you use Japanese or English voiceover options from the language options under game settings. It also has multiple subtitle options including full EFIGS and more. When it comes to controls, KINGDOM HEARTS III has keyboard support, but I didn’t test it. On the controller side, it lets you select from three button prompt options including PlayStation, Xbox, and a generic controller. You can set this to automatically detect button prompts as well.

While I wish a locked 60fps was possible with better visuals, KINGDOM HEARTS III runs a lot better on Steam Deck than I expected given how it was on base PS4. I hope the load times can be improved though because they seem long even when running off the Steam Deck OLED’s internal SSD.

One thing to note is that while PS4 and Xbox One had an option to buy a more expensive version of ReMind with a concert recording, the PC version doesn’t have that included or an option to upgrade to it. I hope this can be added at some point, but don’t expect it given how long it took to see this package hit Steam.

KINGDOM HEARTS III is a lot more demanding compared to the other releases here, and it understandably struggles to hit a locked 60fps out of the box on Steam Deck. With a bit of tweaking, that is possible though, and having native KINGDOM HEARTS III on a handheld with rock solid performance, is excellent. If you held off on the games on PS4 or Xbox One before, KINGDOM HEARTS III is a solid PC release that has no issues running on Steam Deck including its cut-scenes. I enjoyed my time revisiting it on the go.

KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind DLC Steam Deck Review Score: 4/5

If you, like me, held off on getting the Kingdom Hearts games on the Epic Games Store on PC, your wait has been absolutely worth it. Every KINGDOM HEARTS game in these bundles runs without issue on Steam Deck out of the box. There is some tweaking needed for specific games if you want to play at higher frame rates though so keep that in mind. I hope this does well enough to get KINGDOM HEARTS: Melody of Memory on Steam in the near future.

Update: This review has been updated on June 20th, 2024 with the final review score for each game included here after testing more on the Steam Deck OLED and LCD models.

If you’ve not played the game in a while, check out the 2024 roadmap for what is due this year and more. You can get Diablo Immortal for free on the App Store for iOS here, Google Play for Android here, and PC here. Even though it has been a while since launch, I’m still curious to see if we get Diablo Immortal on Steam after Diablo 4 hit Valve’s storefront. What do you think of Diablo Immortal if you play it regularly and will you be trying out today’s update?

You can check out the Genshin Impact Cloud Open Beta version of the app on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for ANdroid here. Check out the official cloud client website here for the PC link. This release has arrived before the upcoming major version 5.0 update that has upgraded visuals. Read about that here. If you’d like to play Genshin Impact (natively) and don’t own it yet, you can download it for free on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The PC version is available on the official website here and the Epic Games Store. If you play on iOS, with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 and later, you can use PS5 and Xbox Series X|S controllers to play Genshin Impact. We featured Genshin Impact as our Game of the Week when it released and awarded it our 2020 Game of the Year. I also featured it as one of the best iOS games to play with a controller. What do you think of Genshin Impact Cloud and will you be trying it if you’re in a supported location?

The Case of the Golden Idol (Free)

iTunes Description

Mayhem, magic and murder most foul! Examine clues and use your powers of deduction to solve a series of grisly murders and the twisted mystery of a family’s cursed heirloom in this point-and-click detective adventure game.

In 1742, a gold figurine imbued with supernatural powers passes into the hands of an explorer by way of a dastardly act. Decades later, the treasure continues to cast a spell over his descendants. Step into the shoes of an 18th-century detective to uncover the dark truth behind a series of strange — and somehow connected — deaths that seem to follow in the idol’s wake.

Forum Thread: The Case of the Golden Idol (by Netflix, Inc.)

Delusion: Tactical Idle RPG (Free)

iTunes Description

“The fallen sorcerer’s curse spread around the world… And the spire was covered in darkness."

The greatest heroes of the era set out to conquer the spire, but their fate was unclear…
Now, it is time for you to step in!
Set out on a journey with your party to conquer the spire!

Forum Thread: Delusion: Tactical Idle RPG (by SuperPlanet)

Disney Frozen Royal Castle (Free)

iTunes Description

The world of Disney Frozen comes to life in this fun-filled doll house game, Disney Frozen Royal Castle!
Parents can have fun with kids while playing with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and other Frozen dolls, as they dress up, cook, and explore!

Featuring content from the beloved films, kids can customize and play in their very own royal doll house, allowing them to express their creativity and imagination.

Forum Thread: Disney Frozen Royal Castle (by Budge Studios)

Heroes of Crown: Legends (Free)

iTunes Description

Open Beta in full swing! Join now to get Light-Dark Exclusive Selection 100%, and log in everyday to get a total of 1000 summons!

“When the Chosen One is born, they will find the lost seven ancient crowns, ensuring that darkness will never encroach upon the homeland."

Heroes of Crown: Legends is a 3D Next-gen idle adventure RPG. The game utilizes next-generation modeling, vivid scenes, GPU particle effects, and PBR rendering to create high-quality artistic design. The easy and casual idle gameplay that contains a fantasy adventure merging multiple civilizations and legendary Heroes from Netherworld allows you to embark on your own legendary journey.

Forum Thread: Heroes of Crown: Legends (by Ujoy Games)

Kaiju Attack 2 ($2.99)

iTunes Description

To wash away the shame of defeat two years ago, Chaos has gathered an alien coalition, attacking Earth once more, citing humanity’s sins as justification.
Even the once-defending superhero now turns against us. As the commander, how will you resolve this crisis? What lies ahead for humanity and Earth?

Forum Thread: Kaiju Attack 2 (by Game Stew)

The Legend of Jaffa Brownie (Free)

iTunes Description

Dive into the whimsical world of Jaffa cakes and uncover the mysteries within!

“The Legend of Jaffa Brownie" is a 3D action-adventure where you play as Jaffa Brownie on a quest to find the Heart of the Factory and uncover the truth about your existence.

Explore every corner of the Jaffa factory:
Step into the colourful world of Jaffa sweet creations. Experience the peaceful life on the factory farm, the fast-paced urban cityscape, as well as some darker and colder parts of the factory.

Forum Thread: The Legend of Jaffa Brownie (by Shosha Games)

Legends of Heropolis DX ($6.99)

iTunes Description

The town of Heropolis has been destroyed! Can you rebuild it to be the center of justice once more?
Grow your heroes, gather your friends, and battle evil in this superhero simulation game.

In a town devastated by the nefarious Evilcorp, all hope seems lost… yet the flames of justice aren’t so easily quenched. One gallant hero won’t rest until their town is restored to its former glory.
Construct a secret base, gather heroes from far and wide, and bring peace back to Heropolis!

Forum Thread: Legends of Heropolis DX (by Kairosoft)

Olympics Go! Paris 2024 (Free)

iTunes Description

Build your dream city around Olympic venues and boost attendance while achieving athletic excellence in 12 sports mini-games!

BUILD, COMPETE, CELEBRATE!
Immerse yourself in the Olympic Games and train like a champion in 12 crowd-roaring mini-games. Dominate the swimming pool, master archery, and push your limits in track and field. Unleash your inner architect and build up your dream city around Olympic venues with iconic landmarks. Feel the thrill of competition, the joy of victory, and the satisfaction of creating something unique with Olympics GO! Paris 2024.

Forum Thread: Olympics Go! Paris 2024 (by nWay Inc.)

Warzone of Destiny 95 ($1.99)

iTunes Description

Destiny is decided… in the Warzone. In 1995.

Warzone of Destiny 95 is a quick and casual turn-based strategy game with retro graphics. Explore the map, collect resources, find hidden special units, build an army, and defeat the enemy.

Play against an AI opponent on procedurally generated maps. Explore the map and capture villages to generate revenue that you can use to build buildings and units in your city. Across the map you can also find hidden special units, such as the God of Thunder, a Samurai Clan or a gang of Militant Vegans. March your army against the enemy and raze their city to win the game!

Forum Thread: Warzone of Destiny 95 (by Alfakrull)

Select New Releases

Lesson Learned ($9.99)

It’s a tower defense game set across six different time periods, all done up in a cartoony style. Play alone or with a friend in local multiplayer. That really isn’t enough to fill out a description, is it? But there isn’t much else to say about it. Looking around at what little feedback I can see about this on the internet, it seems like it has a lot of resource gathering, making it more of a mash-up of tower defense and parts of Don’t Starve. Well, do with it what you will.

Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic ($9.99)

I feel like it’s always a struggle to an extent for games like this to find a place among the Pinball FX and Zaccaria Pinballs of the Switch library, but I suppose it’s worth a shot. This is a mission-based pinball game, one with twenty-eight tables to play. There are also thirty mini-games in case you get tired of the story mode, and unlockable cosmetics you can affix to the titular trash panda. It certainly has the volume, so if you’re interested by the idea of a slightly more video game-ish take on pinball, this might be worth looking into.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Phew, that’s… not helping me extend this article, is it? Four sales in the inbox worth caring about, and while I will never look down on a deal for Cook, Serve, Delicious!, it’s not exactly a bold selection to consider. And then over in the outbox… also not a whole lot. Paranormasight, Regency Solitaire, and even the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle are all worth thinking about, but we’ve seen them on sale before and we’ll see them again. Have a look over both “lists" and see for yourself, I suppose.

Select New Sales

Tiny Troopers Joint Ops XL ($2.07 from $12.99 until 6/26)
The Last Worker ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Close to the Sun ($4.99 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! ($5.19 from $12.99 until 7/2)

Sales Expiring Tomorrow, June 13th

Double Dragon/Kunio-kun: Brawler Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/13)
Ginsha ($12.81 from $17.80 until 6/13)
Hero’s Hour ($12.05 from $17.99 until 6/13)
Paranormasight ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Planet of Lana ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Regency Solitaire ($2.99 from $11.99 until 6/13)
River City Saga: Three Kindgoms ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/13)

That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow is Thursday, so things should be a little bit busier around here. Several new releases, at the bare minimum. Perhaps some news. Likely some sales. Should be a good time. I’m feeling a bit under the weather, but I’m holding together. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

If you’d like to play Sonic Dream Team, you can grab it here on the App Store for Apple Arcade. Head over to our forum thread for the game here for more discussion. With three major content updates done, I’m curious to see what comes next for the game, and whether Apple and SEGA bring more to it leading into the release of Sonic X Shadow Generations. What do you think of Sonic Dream Team so far if you’ve played it, and what do you want to see in potential future updates?

Watch the Avatar Legends: Realms Collide new gameplay trailer below:

If you’d like to play it at launch, you can pre-order Avatar Legends: Realms Collide on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. Check out the official website here. The Avatar Legends: Realms Collide background story has been written by Tim Hedrick (Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra). Avatar Legends: Realms Collide is free to play and the App Store has an estimated release date of August 28th listed. An official release date is yet to be announced. The in app purchases right now look like placeholders for different VIP and Supreme bundles. What do you think of Avatar Legends: Realms Collide and will you be playing it launch?

I’m going to cover how Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feels for those who played the original and also for newcomers who likely are going to experience Shin Megami Tensei V for the first time through Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. This review will not have any story spoilers for the base game or the new Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance route. I will also be covering how Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feels on Nintendo Switch compared to the original, which platform you should buy it on if you’re new to the game, and more.

It feels weird writing about Shin Megami Tensei V as a new release but here we are. After more than four playthroughs of the original, I wanted to keep playing more, but I decided to wait for potential ports or a re-release. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t just a new enhanced port for current consoles and PC, but a dramatic improvement in just about every way over the original. After having beaten Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance twice and currently halfway through my third full playthrough, I can safely say that this is one of Atlus’ best games for replaying. I just love spending time in the world, so what exactly was changed or fixed in this new version?

Before getting into the story content, if you didn’t enjoy the open zones and general structure of Shin Megami Tensei V, that has not changed here. If you enjoyed everything the original had aside from its overall narrative (or lack thereof with many characters poorly developed or just tacked on), this Vengeance route is a huge improvement, but it also has many changes to the narrative. In a lot of ways, playing the original route in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feels like an enhanced new version of a game with quality of life features and all the technical improvements. The new route in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feels like a remixed take with new story content, new characters, lots of new voice acting, fantastic new music, new areas, changes to the original story, and its own different endings. Yes, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s new route doesn’t have just a single ending.

When you start a new save in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, you get to choose which route you want to take soon after. Taking the girl’s hand results in you being on the Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance route, while not taking her hand results in you being on the original game’s route, but with the new features and quality of life improvements. If you play Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on Switch, you get to carry over three demons into the compendium, some items, and additional items based on the endings you had in your save file. I laughed when three of my maxed out level 99 demons were carried over into Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on Switch.

When it comes to the story, my issues with Shin Megami Tensei V weren’t that it wasn’t in your face throughout, or that I wanted more social elements. My issues were that some characters just showed up randomly during important moments when you don’t even remember they exist. One specific character seems to be super important, but I barely even remembered they existed until the ending of the game. The true ending in the original game also involved doing some missable quests that you wouldn’t even bother looking into unless you were going to complete every quest it had. I’ve done every quest the original game had on Switch with the DLC, and really thought they should have handled many aspects of the characters and story better.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s new route fixes most of this. Not only are there more interactions, but you actually see the cast grow with you and the world changing. Everything feels like it is part of a cohesive story that isn’t full of holes anymore. The new character interactions, additional dialogue in older scenes, remixed bosses, changes to cut-scenes, and more all come together to make Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feel like the actual main game. I even enjoyed having Yoko in older story moments with new voiced dialogue and more context to specific situations. Barring Yoko, the major new story addition is the Qadistu. I won’t reveal too much about them, but they definitely served to improve Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s story a lot, and I enjoyed every interaction I had with them.

I can’t comment on every ending Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance has, but the ones I did get I liked. I did like the change to going for different paths here compared to the original. Knowledge from the original does help in a small way, but be prepared to have Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance surprise you both mechanically and narratively.

Before getting into the visual and performance improvements and other technical details, I want to highlight some of the gameplay changes in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. I can’t say for sure if this was only because of some of the new features, or because I knew every older map in and out, but I found Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance easier overall. Being able to save anywhere and using the sky view made exploration much less stressful here. Beyond that, the combat changes and additional negotiation options make Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance feel more complete. The only thing I dislike is the change to the Estoma ability that uses Magatsuhi gauge here instead of MP. You can’t spam it like you could in the vanilla game, and I got annoyed at the amount of enemy encounters in one specific map here. The challenge mode is also a lovely addition because I enjoy taking on older bosses or enemies again. I didn’t finish it all because it feels like a lot of it is meant for min-maxing.

If you’re new to Shin Megami Tensei V in general, I think the new Vengeance route is basically better than the original in every way. I’m curious how people who play this route first and then play the original will feel about the story across both. If you already played Shin Megami Tensei V, playing the Vengeance route will feel amazing with the story additions, changes to existing aspects of the game, and all the new boss fights and music. Even if this release just included the Vengeance route and was only on Switch, I would’ve been satisfied. Thankfully, Atlus and Sega have brought Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance complete with the original route and prior DLC to all current and last generation platforms.

Visually, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a huge upgrade over the vanilla game since I focused on playing it on Steam Deck. Aside from the massive image quality and frame rate improvements over Switch, the new areas in the game are gorgeous. You saw some of these in the “New Locations" trailer, but seeing them in game at a high resolution is really something. When it comes to character models and new demons, I think Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is one of Atlus’ strongest releases in years. It has an impeccable aesthetic that oozes the Shin Megami Tensei vibe I love from Atlus. This also carries over into its music.

I’ve never hid the fact that Shin Megami Tensei V has a sublime soundtrack. I listen to it regularly even years after it was originally released. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s new music feels like a blend of Ryota Kozuka looking to deliver something that lives up to Shin Megami Tensei V, but also reaching back into his Shin Megami Tensei IV vibe. The new boss themes in particular are amazing. I can’t wait for the full new soundtrack to be released. Outside the music, the new voice acting in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is very good across the board. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance might be my favorite Atlus re-release yet, and I don’t say that lightly.

I’ve been playing it on Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and PS5. On Steam Deck, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance arrives Steam Deck Verified. This isn’t always a guarantee of something running well, but having done more than two full playthroughs specifically on Steam Deck, I’m very impressed by how Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance looks and runs.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Steam Deck settings, graphics options, and features

If you play on a Steam Deck OLED, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance can hit 90fps (and even higher on both Steam Decks when played docked) in many areas of the game, but it isn’t locked 90fps. At the default preset by turning a few things up and shadows down, I only saw it drop below 60fps in a few specific situations, but it almost always runs well above. The menus are capped at 60fps though. On my Steam Deck OLED specifically in handheld mode, it regularly runs at above 80fps even while exploring. The major area I noticed frame drops below 60 was the Fairy Village. You go there quite early on. Even the new locations hold up really well including the more open areas.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on PC doesn’t have 16:10 support, but it has Steam Cloud support and full controller support. If you aren’t happy with the image quality at 800p, I recommend forcing 1080p for the internal display and playing at 30 or 45hz with some drops for the most crisp handheld experience. Speaking of handheld experience, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance even on its default PC settings at 800p on Steam Deck is a huge upgrade in visuals and performance over the docked Nintendo Switch version that rarely held a stable 30.

I also played Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on my 1440p 144hz display to see how it felt there. 1080p 60fps isn’t really possible on Steam Deck. I also tested 1440p and 4K and you can imagine how that went. I stuck to playing at 720p even docked to see how the game held up at frame rates above 90fps. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance can easily hit above 100fps on Steam Deck at 720p even in some open areas. It just isn’t consistent and you’re better off locking it at 60fps or playing with a 90fps target and fluctuations. VRR would’ve helped a lot on the Steam Deck OLED’s 90hz screen in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. You can play at a lower resolution of course, but I didn’t want to settle for under 720p here.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance’s PC port lets you choose button prompt options including an auto option, adjust keyboard controls, rebind controls for field and menus, and adjust a few graphics options. You can toggle ambient occlusion, motion blur, and anti-aliasing. The display options let you adjust screen mode (fullscreen, borderless, windowed), resolution (640×480 to 4K), toggle v-sync, and use a frame rate limit (30, 60, 90, 120, 144, unlimited). There are no additional options, and I was hoping to see draw distance and other features we see in Unreal Engine PC ports. Hopefully this can be added in a potential update.

Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an absolute joy to play, and it might be my favorite console to PC conversion that I’ve played on Steam Deck alongside Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for 2024. The load times are also very fast on Deck.

Shin Megami Tensei V Vs Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on Nintendo Switch

Having beaten Shin Megami Tensei V on Switch multiple times years ago, I was curious to see how this new upgraded version of the game felt on the same platform. There are now a few more post processing options even on consoles like anti-aliasing which you can toggle on. It just can’t handle the game and drops from 30fps even indoors on Nintendo Switch both docked and handheld. I got used to it and put over 30 hours into the game on Switch OLED. If you played the original and enjoyed it on Switch, you will not have trouble playing this new version.

Comparing Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to Shin Megami Tensei V has some visual changes. Even the FOV seems a bit different in the wide option the game has compared to the original. Beyond that, the new post-processing option toggles are not present in the original game either. I didn’t have enough time to test every location to compare because I was focusing on the Steam Deck version for this review, but it feels like Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t going to be much different in terms of performance compared to the original. If you are ok with that and want to play the new route on the same platform, this version is fine.

On the PS5 side, I can’t remember the last time I was this impressed by the glow up a game has seen moving from Switch to PS5/Xbox Series X. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance looks incredibly crisp, runs flawlessly, and loads instantly on PS5. It even has PS5 Activity Card support.

Having played it on Steam Deck (main platform), Switch, Switch Lite, PS4 on PS5, and the native PS5 version, you might be wondering how the Xbox version is. Well, I didn’t take a code on that platform because I pre-ordered it there already. If there’s a notable difference between Xbox and PS5, I’ll update this review in the future.

Should you get Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on PS5 or Switch?

At this stage, the only reason I’d recommend anyone play the Switch version is if they have no other platform to play it on and want to exclusively play in handheld mode. The downgrades compared to current platforms are just too big right now. Obviously this wasn’t an issue back at launch, but for those who have multiple platforms, keep in mind that every other version is better right now, and it absolutely shines on both Steam Deck and PS5. Hopefully Atlus can do an upgrade for the Nintendo Switch successor for those who buy Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance on Switch right now.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t just the definitive version of a game I loved years ago, but one of Atlus’ best RPGs in a long time. I always enjoy revisiting games I love every few years, but Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is just an incredible upgrade and release on its own. It is one of the best games you can play on Steam Deck in general, not just for this year.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Steam Deck Review Score: 5/5

LUNA The Shadow Dust is published by Application Systems Heidelberg Software, who most recently brought a mobile version of The Longing to the App Store back in December. LUNA has garnered positive reaction from its PC and console releases, and of course point & click adventures are a really great fit for touchscreen devices, so I imagine it will feel right at home on iOS and Android. The game is currently available for pre-order on the iOS App Store here, and for Android devices it’s available for pre-registration on the Google Play Store here. It’ll set you back a very reasonable $4.99 and its release date is all set for June 20th, so keep an eye out for this one next week.

Reviews & Mini-Views

Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked ($29.99)

I will admit, I haven’t been overly impressed with the Carbon Engine releases from Limited Run Games. The emulation has sometimes had some odd issues. The standard suite of features and options hasn’t been particularly extensive. The generic UI has been applied too frequently, making releases feel like they’ve fallen off the assembly line. For all the talking up of the Carbon Engine from LRG’s camp, most releases using it have felt decidedly middle-of-the-road and workmanlike, more Ratalaika than M2.

That had me a bit concerned for Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked. I can’t say I terribly mind if Felix the Cat or Bill & Ted get thrown in generic hot dog wrappers, but a Rocket Knight Adventures collection deserves better than that. Previous Konami collections on Switch have been handled by the likes of M2, Hamster, and Digital Eclipse. The best of the best, in other words, and it was hard not to be a little disappointed when I found out this set was going to be a Carbon Engine release.

Well, I’ll give Limited Run some credit here. It feels like this collection has had a little more oomph put behind it. Instead of the same old menu, we’ve got a nice custom job here complete with an animated opening. From here we can fire up any of the three included games: Rocket Knight Adventures (SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive), Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive), and Sparkster (Super NES). There’s a Museum section with scans of the boxes, manuals, and ads for the games, plus some design documents and videos. There’s also a music player where you can listen to any of the tunes from the three games. Each game also features a special Boss Rush mode you can select in lieu of playing normally; a cute little extra.

In-game, the options are the norm for Carbon Engine. There’s a rewind feature that thankfully works a bit better than the one seen in some previous releases. You can save your game at any time, though each game only offers one save state. You can turn on a CRT filter if you like, and a number of screen size and ratio selections are on offer. There are several borders to choose from to fill out the rest of the display utilizing various pieces of Rocket Knight art. The Super NES game allows you to turn on a Boost Mode, and I’m presuming that reduces slowdown. It doesn’t tell you what it does, so I can only guess. And that’s it! Not bad, really only missing control remapping.

As far as I’ve been able to tell, the emulation is fine here. If there are any issues, I didn’t notice them. So that’s nice. That leaves us with the games, and what a marvelous trio they are. The first game, Rocket Knight Adventures, is the best of the lot. It’s a tough game, but the play controls are great, the rocket pack proves to be a fun gimmick, and the presentation is outstanding. Konami was a fountain of creativity in this era, and Rocket Knight Adventures demonstrates that perfectly.

Likely with the desire to sell more than two copies in Japan, Konami decided to put the sequel to Rocket Knight on both the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive and the Super NES. So, this is the same game twice, right? Maybe more colors on the Super NES, less cropping on the Mega Drive? No, those wild folks at Konami went and made two distinct games, each one taking advantage of its respective platform. And they’re both really good, though I do prefer the Super NES one to the Mega Drive one by a possum’s nose. Really though, they’re both solid action games and are plenty of fun. Three great games in one set, and they’re all different from each other.

Outside of including the middling 2010 Rocket Knight and adding in more save states, I can’t really think of many ways Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked could be better. If you know and love the games, you can pick up this set without fear and relive your happy memories. If you’ve never played them before, I think the three high-quality games in this set represent a solid value for fans of 2D platformers. I’m glad this turned out okay, both for fans of Sparkster and those who are about to become one.

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked ($29.99)

Rocket Knight Adventures is one of those Genesis/Mega Drive games that comes up often in those “Hidden Gems" lists you see all over the place. And for good reason! It’s a very good action platformer with some unique mechanics and all the polish and charm you would expect for a Konami game of the era. This release, coming by way of Limited Run Games and its Carbon Engine, includes that game and its two distinct follow-ups, Sparkster for the Super NES and Sparkster for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive. There are a few extras here, but nothing too over the top. Still, if you’ve been meaning to play these great games this is certainly a way to do that.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

A few big sales kicked off today. Spike Chunsoft is doing a summer sale, and that means lots of cool visual novels, adventure games, and roguelikes for cheap. Limited Run Games is also doing a sale, with new low prices on the Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, and… er, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties. It also seems as though 505 Games is doing a sale, and that means if you really want to subject yourself to the Switch version of Eiyuden: Hundred Heroes, you can do it slightly cheaper. Have a look through both lists and see what you think!

Select New Sales

Super Adventure Hand ($9.74 from $12.99 until 6/17)
Chasm ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/17)
Frogsong ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/18)
Deathwish Enforcers ($16.09 from $22.99 until 6/19)
Save Me Mr Tako: Definitive ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Cthulhu Saves Christmas ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
This Way Madness Lies ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Saturday Morning RPG ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Cosmic Star Heroine ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Night Trap 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Double Switch 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Corpse Killer 25th Anniversary ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Arzette: Jewel of Faramore ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Jurassic Park Games Collection ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/19)
Pictooi ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/19)

The House in Fata Morgana ($27.99 from $39.99 until 6/19)
Shiren the Wanderer: Tower of Fortune ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Katana Kami: Way of the Samurai Story ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Yu-No: A Girl Who Chants Love ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/24)
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/24)
AI: The Somnium Files ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/24)
AI: The Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative ($23.99 from $59.99 until 6/24)
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ($5.24 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair ($5.24 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony ($10.49 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Terraria ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ($11.99 from $39.99 until 6/24)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/24)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 Deluxe ($3.29 from $21.99 until 6/24)

Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty ($9.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee ($9.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath ($9.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Chaos;Head Noah ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/24)
Chaos;Child ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/24)
Chaos;Head Noah/Chaos;Child Pack ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/24)
Steins;Gate Elite ($11.99 from $59.99 until 6/24)
Steins;Gate 0 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Steins;Gate My Darling’s Embrace ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Robotics;Notes Elite ($10.49 from $34.99 until 6/24)
Robotics;Notes DaSH ($10.49 from $34.99 until 6/24)
Anonymous;Code ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/24)
Made in Abyss: Binary Star FiD ($17.99 from $59.99 until 6/24)
Horace ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/24)

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes ($37.49 from $49.99 until 6/24)
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Deluxe ($59.99 from $79.99 until 6/24)
Indivisible ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Serial Cleaners ($7.49 from $24.99 until 6/24)
LEGO Builder’s Journey ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Grow: Song of the Evertree ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/24)
Banner of the Maid ($3.39 from $16.99 until 6/24)
Journey to the Savage Planet ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
ABZU ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Gimmick Special Edition ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Madshot ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Rain on Your Parade ($9.74 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Hammerhelm ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/24)
The Isle Tide Hotel ($12.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
What the Golf? ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)

Ghostrunner ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/24)
Ten Dates ($10.39 from $15.99 until 6/24)
Sushi Bar Express ($8.54 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Drawn to Life: Two Realms ($3.49 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Wildfrost ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/25)
The Long Dark ($17.49 from $34.99 until 6/25)
Slime Rancher Plortable ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/25)
Project Highrise AE ($7.99 from $39.99 until 7/1)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 12th

All-Star Fruit Racing ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/12)
Batora: Lost Haven ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/12)
Blasphemous 1 + 2 Bundle ($26.99 from $44.99 until 6/12)
Bravery and Greed ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/12)
Crown Trick ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/12)
Going Under ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/12)
Killer Frequency ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/12)
Moving Out 1 + 2 Bundle ($22.49 from $44.99 until 6/12)
Pix the Cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/12)
The Knight Witch ($6.79 from $19.99 until 6/12)
The Serpent Rogue ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/12)
Thymesia Cloud Version ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/12)
Xenon Racer ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/12)
Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair ($2.99 from $29.99 until 6/12)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, sales, and whatever else rolls in over the course of the day. Has anyone else been combing through the Game Boy Mega Man games that were just added to Nintendo Switch Online? I own the cartridges, I own the games on the Nintendo 3DS, and yet here I am playing them again. Comfort food, I suppose. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday and, as always, thanks for reading!

If you’d like to play The Case of the Golden Idol on mobile and have an active Netflix subscription, you can grab it on the App Store for iOS here and on Google Play for Android here. The Case of the Golden Idol on Steam is available for $17.99 with the two DLC packs (that are incredible) are priced at $5.99 each. Check out the complete game and DLC here on Steam. Have you played The Case of the Golden Idol before, or will you be jumping into it for the first time on mobile through Netflix today?

After playing and enjoying M2’s on Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade and G Darius HD, I started buying every M2 ShotTriggers release on the PS Store and eShop in Japan. I knew I had to interview the team about these games, and that’s where today’s feature comes into the picture. I got a chance to chat with M2’s Yukiko Karashima and Naoki Horii about working on G Darius HD, M2 ShotTriggers, more Switch Ports, potential PS5 releases, Steam Deck, whether Mushihimesama Futari is happening, and more.

TouchArcade (TA): For those unaware, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at M2.

Yukiko Karashima (YK): I’m a director at M2 Co., Ltd., and was in charge of the G Darius HD port. I managed the overall planning and progress of the project, and handled the slowdown adjustment and other tasks.

Naoki Horii (NH): By building and running a company, I can produce the games I want to play. It’s like having a farm and growing the crops that you like. Apparently, my public title is CEO or something like that.

TA: In the last few years, we’ve seen many major M2 releases come to the West through ININ Games like the Taito releases. These include legendary games like G Darius HD, Darius Gaiden (in Arcade), and the Ray’Z collection. Which has been your favorite project so far?

NH: As a project that we put everything we had into, the Mega Drive/Genesis Gauntlet was my very favorite. We were all students, or living with our parents, so we were able to work on it until we were completely satisfied, without worrying about time or life pressures. There is a Japanese proverb that says, “The soul of the 3-year-old stays the same at 100," and only recently I came to realize that Gauntlet has always been my standard for everything we work on.

YK: I love and have feelings for all of them, but my personal favorite is Darius Gaiden, which is included in the Darius Cozmic Collection. I love shooting games, but I’m a beginner as far as skill goes. Darius Gaiden has a route with a pelican eel as the final boss, which is not too hard for beginners to clear. I would recommend even those who have never played a shooting game to give it a try.

TA: G Darius HD is a very special release because it was already amazing, but M2 did the huge 2.0 update making it basically perfect. What led to the team wanting to go above and beyond with G Darius HD for the 2.0 release?

YK: We started talking within the team about how awesome it would be to include everything up to G Darius Ver.2 even before the initial release. However, the slowdown adjustment work for G Darius was very difficult, and it took so long that we could not make it in time for the first release, so we talked with Taito and decided to do a 2.0 update. The team was very enthusiastic from the early stages of development, and although the porting was difficult, I was happy with all the things we were able to do.

TA: G Darius HD basically felt like an M2 ShotTriggers-lite release with how much it added. I wanted to know how M2 approaches gadgets for shmups?

YK: As with M2 ShotTriggers, we were reissuing a legendary shooting game for the modern era, so the G Darius HD gadgets were carefully considered and selected with the help of test players and staff familiar with the game, to make it accessible for new players and at the same time make it even more enjoyable for existing players. We then enlisted the help of programmers who specialize in analysis to implement everything.

In terms of the gadget design, we placed great importance on making them clearly visible and usable during game play. Because the game is a side-scroller, there is only so much free screen real-estate left for the large number of display elements, and the designers had a hard time fitting them on the screen.

Besides gadgets, M2 also focuses on recreating the play feel of the original game. The arcade version of G Darius uses the hardware to its limits and is very prone to slow down. In addition, because the background music is timed to the action with the amount of slowdown figured in, we took extra care in reproducing the slowdown.

Through Taito, we were able to hear from members involved in the development of the game about what they were doing back then, and with the cooperation of programmers, sound staff, and test players, we spent a long time repeatedly adjusting and testing the game to recreate it as best we could.
　

TA: The Darius series is very important to the industry, and I’m glad to see so much of it preserved perfectly thanks to M2. Is there anything more you’d like to do with Taito on Darius in the future?

NH: So Taito, what’s next? We still have Night Striker to work on before Darius!

YK: I’m interested in the other Darius titles that haven’t been ported yet, such as less well-known titles like Darius Wide that came out on mobile.

TA: I’ve bought every single M2 ShotTriggers release on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch through the Japanese or North American digital releases. Not all games are on all current platforms. Are there any plans to bring Battle Garegga, Ketsui, and Dangun Feveron to Switch?

NH: Yes, if we have the opportunity. Let me rephrase that. We’re always looking for that opportunity.

TA: Now that DoDonPachi DOJ (amazing work) has been brought to the M2 ShotTriggers lineup on PS4 and Switch, can we hope for Mushihimesama Futari?

NH: We’re always looking for the opportunity. There are so many things I want to do compared to what I can actually do, I have to do something about it. (Laughs)

TA: Are there plans to bring M2 releases to PS5 natively or should we expect to play them via backward compatibility only?

NH: It can be both, and we are always looking for opportunities. A 60+ fps environment, or rather a 120 fps environment, is very appealing, so I would definitely like to do something with that.

TA: How has M2 changed over the years in terms of the number of employees and are all the founders and key staff from when it was founded still more or less at the studio?

NH: In the first decade, there were a little over 10 employees, in the next decade it went up to 20 then over 30, and in the following decade it grew to over 50. The number of employees has increased in line with the scale of our games. There’s always a shortage of talent, so I’m glad that people want to join us.

TA: Has there been a project in the shoot em up genre that didn’t work out for M2 that you tried to pursue before?

NH: Perhaps the release of the Aleste Collection, in that it ended up taking until 2020. There were twists and turns, but I’m glad we were able to create something very satisfying.

TA: We spoke to you (Naoki Horii) back in 2021 about Darius Cozmic Revelation. Since then, we’ve seen M2 release more games on Steam through Taito. I wanted to know if there were plans for M2 to expand more titles for the Steam platform in the future including the M2 ShotTriggers lineup? I love them on Switch and PS5, but would also like to play them on my Steam Deck.

NH: Steam Deck sounds good. I have a feeling that by the time this interview is out in the world, I will probably be playing Devil Blade (Reboot). I’m very much looking forward to it.

(Editor’s note: This interview was conducted over a month ago, but it needed to be translated back and forth.)

TA: What are your thoughts on the state of the console industry in Japan and globally?

NH: There’s no longer that much of a difference in what PCs and consoles can do. It seems like the Switch is the only system that’s unique, but nowadays there are many gaming PCs inspired by the Switch’s style.

TA: What are you currently playing, and what did you enjoy the most in 2023?

NH: The most in 2023? It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. The game I’m playing the most right now is Dungeon Sweeper. It’s fun to just switch off and click away.

TA: How do you balance M2’s projects for external partners like Taito and ININ Games compared to M2’s internal projects?

NH: By setting up a production system that enables us to do our best in response to any requests that we think are worth doing. That’s what we aim to do, anyway. It really is difficult, though.

TA: Can you give us an update on what to expect from Aleste Branch?

NH: At the end of summer of 2023, we said “It’s pretty much done!" So we held an event where local shooting game developers could play test it and give us their opinions, and I remember seeing them and thinking we’ve finally (almost) completed the game. Seems like yesterday, but now it’s almost the summer of 2024. Isn’t that kind of crazy? It’s progressing well and is now nearly complete.

TA: Is there anything you’d like to say to your overseas fans of Taito projects and M2 ShotTriggers reading this?

NH: Thank you for always playing our games. I’m always happy to hear about what titles you want to play, what features you want, and so on. We want more and more people to experience the excitement (the “shooting game high," you can say) that you get with shooters. In my case, when I feel I get into that mode, the tip of my nose gets itchy, which is a problem.

TA: Do you like drinking coffee? What is your favorite coffee drink?

NH: Yes, I do. At cafes, I usually order coffee. I love Kilimanjaro coffee. Usually I just drink from cans (canned coffee is popular in Japan). I also love tea and green tea. My body is fueled by caffeine. That being said, if you have any recommendations for equipment, procedures, beans, etc. for making coffee at home, please let me know. I feel that what’s missing in my life is time spent doing those kinds of things.

I’d like to thank Yukiko Karashima and Naoki Horii from M2 and Derek and Dan from PR Hound for their time and help here.

You can keep up with all our interviews here including our recent ones with Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As usual, thanks for reading.

Note that most of these decks are the best of the best at this point in time. They assume you have access to a full range of cards. I’ll once again be including the five strongest Marvel Snap decks of the moment, and I’ll throw in a couple more decks that don’t need things that are too hard to get and are just sort of fun to play with. You know, a little variety and all of that.

The Exiles have skipped on to the next dimension, but their presence has certainly been felt. Blink and Sasquatch have settled in well, Nocturne seems to be getting some play, and Sage and Namora are popping up here and there. In terms of balance changes, there have been some slight changes to how Move actions resolve, and that has altered a few strategies. Thanos also got some adjustments that seem to have put him back in play after a few weeks of struggling. It’s too early to tell how the full Eternals season will land, but we’ll have to let things settle in there. Well, let’s look at the current hot decks.

Ravonna Lockdown

Included Cards: Kitty Pryde, Nebula, Angela, Thena, White Widow, Jeff, Ravonna Renslayer, Green Goblin, Sage, Hope Summers, Professor X, Cannonball

Lockdown is super-hot right now, and it has proven to surprisingly be the deck type where Ravonna Renslayer finally found her place. This deck has some of the usual Lockdown tools – Nebula, White Widow, and Professor X – plus some useful punishers for opponents foolish enough to dance to your tune, like Green Goblin and Cannonball. Ravonna’s spot in this deck is to make just about every card in it cheaper to play. If you happen to have picked up Thena from the latest season, you can easily activate her power boost while powering up Kitty and handling any other business you need to.

Spam I Am

Included Cards: Nebula, Titania, White Widow, Jeff, Ravonna Renslayer, Green Goblin, Magik, Debrii, Professor X, Cannonball, Doctor Octopus, Red Hulk

Almost no changes to the Spam deck this month, as it continues to be the best it is at what it does. The only change is dropping Daredevil in favor of Magik, giving you the ability to get rid of an inconvenient location while also extending the game, which should be to your spamming benefit. Really, your goal with this deck is two-fold. First, throw junk at your opponent using cards like Debrii, Goblin, and White Widow. Second, use cards like Nebula, Professor X, and Doctor Octopus to control the locations your opponent will play at. Your opponent might run short on places to play before the game ends, which allows you to make your big play to close things out. That could be a beefed-up Red Hulk, or Cannonball, or even just moving Jeff. Just hope that you don’t run into a Destroy deck, as they have little patience for this kind of nonsense.

Odin’s Doom

Included Cards: Nebula, Nightcrawler, White Widow, Jeff, Ironheart, Nocturne, Wong, Iron Lad, White Tiger, Namora, Doctor Doom, Odin

This deck is almost… nostalgic? Sure, there are some new cards here like Nocturne, White Widow, and Namora, but at the end of the day this is just a good old-fashioned On Reveal deck. You’ve got your Wongers/Odin/White Tiger combo that lets you shoot powerful tigers everywhere if need be, Nightcrawler and Jeff to give you some wiggle room, and Doctor Doom for an alternative fabulous finish that no opponent loves. Use Nebula, White Widow, and your movable cards to control your opponent’s placements and make sure Wong can do his thing unfettered. Just watch out for Cosmo, because he can completely ruin your day.

Hela & Corvus

Included Cards: Black Knight, Blade, Corvus Glaive, Lady Sif, Jubilee, Black Cat, Blink, Hela, Red Hulk, Magneto, The Infinaut, Death

Once again Hela is here representing Discard, which is just barely staying in the top tier at this point. This is a very standard Hela deck, so the idea is to discard your big guns and use Hela to bring them back in. Corvus helps you get there earlier, and Blink and Jubilee serve as a nice one-two combo for pulling a beefy cards. If you’ve been playing Snap for a while, you know how this works. I’ve been playing this deck a fair bit this last month, and it’s rather solid with its last-turn potential.

Lucky Loki

Included Cards: Kitty Pryde, Quinjet, Snowguard, Angela, Thena, Jeff, Elsa Bloodstone, Red Guardian, Agent Coulson, Nocturne, Shang-Chi, Loki

Loki decks are really challenging to play, as you have to be familiar enough with the game to know what to do with your opponent’s cards when you get them. This particular variation runs like most of them. Spend the early game playing what you can, building up cards in play and messing with your opponent where possible. Drop Loki on turn four and do your best with what your opponent gives you. There are stronger decks, but this one holds its own very well and keeps things fresh even for veteran players.

And now, a couple of fun decks for those still climbing up the collection ladder or who simply want to try something different.

Sasquatch Bounce

Included Cards: Kitty Pryde, The Hood, Bast, Iceman, Nico Minoru, Angela, Beast, Falcon, Mysterio, Bishop, Hit Monkey, Sasquatch

I got lucky and pulled Sasquatch from a cache, so I decided to make a fun little Bounce deck based around him. Really, it’s a very normal Bounce deck except Sasquatch adds a big hitter that doesn’t require any build-up. Use your cheap cards to build up Angela and Bishop, call them back with Beast and Falcon to do it again, and make a huge final turn play with Hit Monkey. Play Sasquatch when and where it’s convenient for you, but you should be able to have him out as early as turn 4 with energy to spare.

Budget Onslaught

Included Cards: Ant-Man, Elektra, Iceman, Nightcrawler, Armor, Mister Fantastic, Cosmo, Kazar, Namor, Blue Marvel, Klaw, Onslaught

And a little refresher on a nice deck to use when you’re just building your collection. It’s relatively easy to play, and your ultimate focus is to use Kazar, Blue Marvel, and Onslaught to beef up your other cards. Klaw can give you a nice boost of power at one location, and Cosmo provides a bit of insurance. Use Armor to protect your 1-Cost cards from potential Killmonger attacks and you’re generally good to go.

And that’s it for this month’s deck guide. We’ll return with another one of these in July to see where things stand after the Eternals season has fully played out and a month’s worth of balance changes have done their thing. It’s going to be interesting to see what these new cards bring to the table, but I suspect (as usual) that the biggest swings will come from whatever balance changes Second Dinner makes. Will chaos continue to reign? Only time will tell! Happy Snapping!

Check out our pre-order thread for Resident Evil 7 biohazard here. If you’d like to try Resident Evil 7 biohazard on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, you can pre-order it on the App Store for free here. It will be using MetalFX upscaling from Apple, and I hope it has an uncapped frame rate option. Resident Evil 7 biohazard will ship with an auto fire option and enhanced controls. If you’ve not tried the currently available games in the series on mobile yet, read my review of the iPhone 15 Pro version of Resident Evil 4 Remake here and Resident Evil Village here. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 7 biohazard when it arrives on July 2nd for iPhone 15 Pro and M1 or later iPad and Mac hardware?

Reviews & Mini-Views

Rider’s Spirits ($5.99)

I find it interesting that we’ve hit the point where companies are digging around the large pile of previously unlocalized classic games to see what can be released. Sometimes it’s a big win, like finally getting Famicom Detective Club and Live A Live outside of Japan. Sometimes, however, it’s Rider’s Spirits. This is a Super Famicom game that is clearly inspired by Super Mario Kart, and suffice it to say it falls a bit short of its ambitions in that regard. This isn’t to say it’s a bad game, mind you. It’s serviceable. There would have been worse things you could have brought home from the rental shop back in the day. But it’s not very good, either. If I had to pick a word to describe it, I suppose I would go with “forgettable". Not hard to see why it didn’t get a global release at the time, to be sure.

Anyway, this is a Mode 7 bike racing game that aims for a cute style with its presentation. You can play alone or with one other player via local multiplayer, but no matter which way you play you’ll be doing so on a split screen. Single player offers three modes: GP, Time Trial, and Endurance. The first is the main mode of the game, where you compete against other racers in one of the game’s cups. Each consists of five tracks, and your performance will determine your overall standings at the end. The Time Trial mode allows you to race on a single course to try to set your best time. The Endurance mode allows you to pick how many minutes you’d like to race on a single course, with the aim to clear as many laps as possible.

The two-player mode also offers GP and Endurance modes, and they work the same way. Apart from those, you also get a Battle Race mode where you race against the other player on a single track, and a Chicken Race mode where you engage in one of those “who will blink first" runs. In terms of modes and tracks, Rider’s Spirits does what it needs to. Oh, and regardless of mode there are eight different characters to choose from, so it has done its homework in that regard as well. None of them have the personality that Mario, Crash, or Sonic do, but it’s hard to blame the game for that.

What you can blame the game for is its uninspired track design and rather dull racing action. The manic energy of Super Mario Kart is nowhere to be found here, with weapons in particular having a reduced role in the game. There aren’t as many fun gimmicks in the courses, and it’s a very slow game overall. If you really love Mode 7 racers, you’ll probably enjoy it well enough to play through the GP mode once and poke around the other modes, but that’s about it. Ratalaika has thrown the game in the usual wrapper with the usual options, with scans of the original box and manual serving as the main extras. You can also play the game in its original Japanese version or in a newly localized version.

Rider’s Spirits is one of those retro re-releases that feels like filler. It’s not very good, it’s not very bad, and there isn’t much of interest to it beyond the fact that we haven’t seen it localized before. If you’ve got a special hankering for a 16-bit racer that you haven’t played before, then you might enjoy this well enough to make it worth the pick-up. Most people will be better served running through Super Mario Kart one more time, however.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge ($19.99)

Similar to the likes of Neko Atsume or Usagi Shima, Kamaeru sees you building a refuge in an effort to attract new and interesting frogs. You can take pictures of them once they arrive, and you can even breed them to create new kinds of frogs. The art is cute, and that’s half the job for a game like this. There are also some NPCs to interact with, which is something you don’t typically see in games like this. Given we don’t have either of the aforementioned games on Switch, this might scratch the itch for you.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

A few stragglers for the big sale rolled in after we last checked in. The excellent Paranormasight, the intriguing Promenade, and the enjoyable Citizen Sleeper have some good deals to consider among others. Over in the outbox, not much going on. Do you have No Man’s Sky yet? If not, here’s your last chance until the next sale.

Select New Sales

Paranormasight ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
BroodStar ($3.30 from $11.00 until 6/14)
Penny’s Big Breakaway ($19.79 from $29.99 until 6/18)
Mystery Lover ($7.49 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Promenade ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/22)
Citizen Sleeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/23)
Aery: Cyber City ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Paper Dash: City Hustle ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Whisker Waters ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Ginnung ($2.24 from $5.00 until 6/28)
Freak Crossing ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/28)
Inertia 2 ($2.85 from $4.39 until 6/28)
Cozy Hamlets ($4.23 from $5.29 until 6/28)
Empires Shall Fall ($9.74 from $12.99 until 6/28)
Make It! Ikayaki ($1.99 from $3.00 until 6/28)
Euphoria ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Rider’s Spirits ($4.79 from $5.99 until 6/28)
Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/29)
Railbound ($2.59 from $12.99 until 6/30)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 11th

Adventures of Chris ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Another Sight ($3.99 from $39.99 until 6/11)
Barn Finders ($5.49 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Bite the Bullet ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Blue Fire ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Celeste ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier ($4.07 from $11.99 until 6/11)
Lila’s Sky Ark ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Monster Truck Championship RH Edition ($4.99 from $49.99 until 6/11)
Nira ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
No Man’s Sky ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/11)
REZ PLZ ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
RiMS Racing ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/11)
Rogue Lords ($2.49 from $24.99 until 6/11)
The Last Campfire ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
TowerFall ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/11)
V-Rally 4 Ultimate Edition ($6.99 from $69.99 until 6/11)
WRC Collection (8, 9, & 10) ($9.99 from $99.99 until 6/11)
Zorro: The Chronicles ($3.49 from $34.99 until 6/11)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more sales, at least one review, and if anything special happens, perhaps some news. I’ve got a lot of medical issues to tend to this week, but I’m hoping to hold the schedule anyway. Wish me luck with all of that, especially the medical stuff. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!

The Alliance-based PvP content Elysium, for instance, lets you duke it out with other players in thrilling co-op without any unfair advantages for paying players. All units and loadouts are predetermined, so waypoint acquisition becomes a simple matter of who has the best skills and strategy rather than any pay-to-win perks.

The latest update to Gunship Battle: Total Warfare also adds an expansion to the fan-favourite Fortress feature to the list of goodies you can look forward to within the game. In particular, there are now more levels that will put your skills to the test, with more terrain types to challenge and more jets you can unlock.

Of course, no update would be complete without a login bonus, which you can learn more about as the summer events go on (and there’s an Elysium-themed dice mini-game too!). If that all sounds awesome to you, you can head on over to the official website for more info, or join the community of followers on Facebook to stay updated on all the latest developments.

Fallen Aces Episode 1 launches this Friday (for real)

Back when I wrote about the best boomer shooters on Steam Deck, I featured many New Blood games. For the second article I’m working on, I thought I’d wait for Fallen Aces to hit early access on Steam. During the PC Gaming Show 2024, we finally had a date for Fallen Aces Episode 1, and it is out this Friday. Watch the trailer below:

Nightdive announces Killing Time: Resurrected and The Thing: Remastered

Nightdive Studios announced Killing Time: Resurrected and The Thing: Remastered for Steam and other platforms including consoles. Both are due this year, and Nightdive Studios is so good at these remasters that I’m willing to buy just about anything to support the team. Killing Time debuted in 1995 while The Thing debuted in 2002. I can’t wait to play the remasters. Watch the trailers below:

Monster Hunter Wilds Crossplay, Street fighter 6 Year 2, and Kunitsu Gami

Capcom had a trio of announcements and reveals over the last few days. Monster Hunter Wilds had new footage that looks amazing, Street Fighter 6 revealed year 2 with Mai Shiranui, Terry Bogard, and Elena as highlights, and the final reveal was Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess launching on July 19th. I’m so excited for Year 2 of Street Fighter 6 with Mai and Terry joining. Monster Hunter Wilds adding crossplay is a huge deal, but the lack of cross progression is disappointing. Watch the trailers below:

Slitterhead release date and gameplay

Bokeh Game Studio announced that its horror game Slitterhead will launch on November 8th for Steam and consoles. Alongside the date, Xseed Games announced that it will be doing a physical release on console which I’m definitely going to get. Slitterhead’s gameplay looks interesting, but the vibe seems amazing. Watch the trailer below:

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis release date, Metaphor gameplay, and SMTV: Vengeance opening

Atlus announced that Persona 3 Reload’s Episode Aigis releases on September 10th for Expansion Pass owners with a new trailer. This is The Answer content from Persona 3 FES. I can’t wait to see how it plays in this remake. Atlus also revealed the opening title loop video for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, something the series hasn’t had since Nocturne. Metaphor: ReFantazio saw an extended gameplay showcase as well, but the huge news is Metaphor is getting a Steam collector’s edition. Will this be one of the rare PC collector’s editions I order? I’ll find out soon. Watch the videos below:

Annapurna Interactive reveals Mixtape and Wanderstop

Annapurna Interactive had two major reveals during the many showcases of note. Both Mixtape and Wanderstop look excellent, and they are due for Steam and more. Wanderstop is a narrative-centric cozy game about change and tea coming to Steam and PS5 while Mixtape is a mixtape of memories coming to Steam, PS5, and Xbox Game Pass in 2025. Watch both trailers below:

Devolver Direct 2024 announcements: Tenjutsu, Neva, Talos 2 DLC, and more

Devolver Digital’s newest direct had Tenjutsu revealed, Neva getting gameplay, The Talos Principle 2 Road to Elysium DLC, and much more. Watch the whole showcase below:

Black Myth: Wukong release date and pre-orders

Game Science’s action RPG Black Myth: Wukong launches on August 20th for Steam and PS5 worldwide, and it looks like it might be a bit too much for Steam Deck. That will not stop me from trying though. Either way, the new trailer looks great and pre-orders are now live. Watch it below:

The Big Catch set for release in 2025, published by Xseed Games

During the IGN Live Preshow, Xseed Games announced that it is publishing The Big Catch, a 3D platformer inspired 5th and 6th generation console games, via Steam worldwide. It was a Kickstarter game back in 2022, and it is set for release next year with a demo now available. Watch the trailer for it below:

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO release date and pre-orders

Bandai Namco Entertainment announced the DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO release date for October 11th, and also opened pre-orders worldwide. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO pre-orders include early access to Broly (Super), Gogeta (Super) and more characters. I’m excited to see how this one plays on Steam Deck. Watch the trailer for it below:

If you saw an announcement or reveal from Summer Game Fest 2024 on Steam Deck or PC that thought I should highlight, let me know in the comments below. As usual, thanks for reading.

While talking about the new version of MacOS, which is dubbed Sequoia, Apple welcomed Ubisoft’s Vice President & Executive Producer of the Assassin’s Creed franchise Marc-Alexis Côté to present during the keynote video. Here Côté announced that the newest upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, will be launching simultaneously on Mac alongside its console and PC launch on November 15th. They also announced that the game will be coming to iPad devices, and while there was no mention of iPhone, my personal theory is that they’re waiting until the new iPhone announcement this fall to make that official. Especially since Assassin’s Creed Mirage, our Game of the Week last week, JUST launched on both the iPhone 15 and M1 iPads so I can’t imagine them keeping this upcoming title iPad only, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Finishing off the gaming news from WWDC is the announcement of the new Games Porting Toolkit 2. Apple unveiled the first Games Porting Toolkit during last year’s WWDC, and it’s more or less a fork of the CrossOver software by CodeWeavers which for many years now has allowed Mac users to run tons of software titles even when they don’t have a Mac version. The new Games Porting Toolkit 2 will include better Windows compatibility, new shader debugging tools, and more. It will also allow for a much easier transition when making a Mac version of a game to continue on and make it for the iPhone and iPad as well. Apple doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for being serious about gaming, but they do seem like they’ve shown a much greater interest in it over the past couple years on both Mac and iOS devices. Whether that ends up mattering to a significant portion of the gaming audience remains to be seen, but I’m still always very happy to see Apple talking about gaming in any capacity.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is also coming to Switch in early 2025

Fellow Traveler and Jump Over the Age announced that Citizen Sleeper 2, previously confirmed for Xbox and PC, will also be coming to Nintendo Switch and PS5. Alongside more platforms getting confirmed, a new gameplay trailer released during the PC Gameing Show 2024. Watch it below:

Sonic X Shadow Generations release date

During Summer Game Fest 2024, SEGA confirmed that Sonic X Shadow Generations will launch worldwide on October 25th for Switch, PC, and other console platforms. A new trailer was also released with pre-orders going live digitally on all platforms. There is also a Digital Deluxe Edition as usual. Watch the Sonic X Shadow Generations release date trailer below:

HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT gets new trailer and Arc System Works publishing

Arc System Works announced that it will be publishing the 2D 3v3 fighter Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact for PS5, Switch, and Steam this year outside Japan. A demo will be playable at Anime Expo 2024 from July 4th to 7th as well. The announcement trailer also confirms that Treasure Hunter Biscuit Krueger (Bisky) will be playable with Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Hisoka, and Netero also announced. Watch the trailer below:

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind announced by Digital Eclipse

Digital Eclipse announced that it will be releasing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, a new retro-inspired adventure game for PC and consoles due late 2024. It looks like a lovely brawler, and I hope to try it out on Switch and Steam Deck when it launches. Watch the trailer below:

New Dredge expansion and physical release

Black Salt Games and Team17 announced Dredge’s The Iron Rig expansion coming August 15th for Switch, PC, and other consoles. Alongside this expansion that I will be playing on Switch and Steam Deck, a new physical collector’s edition has been announced. The Iron Rig is priced at $11.99. Watch the trailer below:

Indie horror game Fear the Spotlight announced for Switch

During Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition, Blumhouse Games and Cozy Game Pals revealed the first look at the indie horror game Fear the Spotlight. Fear the Spotlight is due this year for Switch, PC, and other console, and it looks like a great narrative 90s-inspired horror experience. Watch the trailer below:

Chasm creators Bit Kid announce World War II metroidvania WOLFHOUND

WOLFHOUND from Chasm creators Bit Kid has you fighting mutant nazis in a sci-fi WWII metroidvania experience due next year for Switch, Steam Deck, PC, and PS5. I liked Chasm a lot, and this is definitely one to keep an eye on. Watch the WOLFHOUND trailer below:

School-life tactics RPG Demonschool gets September release date

School-life tactics RPG Demonschool from Necrosoft Games and Ysbryd Games finally has a release date for Switch, Steam Deck, and other platforms. Due September 13th, Demonschool was showcased a few times over the weekend. I’ve included the release date trailer below, and it looks incredible.

Slay the Princess The Pristine Cut coming to Switch

Slay the Princess The Pristine Cut is an update and a console version for the excellent game from Black Tabby Games including loads of new content, a new ending, gallery, voiced dialogue, and much more. Slay the Princess The Pristine Cut is also getting a physical release on consoles. While it doesn’t have a definite release date, it is due this fall. Watch the Slay the Princess The Pristine Cut trailer below:

Moonstone Island Nintendo Switch release date announced

Announced during the Wholesome Direct Showcase 2024, Moonstone Island from Raw Fury arrives on June 19th for Nintendo Switch. This version includes a new roster of spirits, new rewards in the never-ending dungeon, a new marriage component, a decorator’s pass, and much more in addition to whatever was included when the game debuted on PC. Watch the trailer below:

If you saw an announcement or reveal from Summer Game Fest 2024 on Switch that thought I should highlight, let me know in the comments below. As usual, thanks for reading.

Marvel Contest of Champions, Free Two new Champions join the fight in this update, and both demonstrate how deep this roster has become over time. Northstar is of course part of everyone’s favorite Canadian superhero team, Alpha Flight, and has a solid array of super powers that make him a great fit for a game like this. The other new character is Arcade, best known for 1992’s masterpiece game Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge. He’s the one who was getting the revenge. You wouldn’t normally think of him as a hands-on fighter, but if you underestimate a man who calls his theme park Murderworld, you’re probably going to have a bad day. New events and quests come with them, giving you plenty to do if this game is your jam.

MARVEL SNAP, Free You know it’s one of those weeks when I feature more than one Marvel game, but this is how it is today. Marvel Snap‘s latest season kicked off, based on the Eternals of all things. A handful of new cards joining the game along with two new locations, and the update also packs in some new features and balance adjustments with it. So yes, if you’ve been jonesing to add some of the Eternals to your deck of choice, that’s now a thing you can do.

Tiny Tower: Tap Idle Evolution, Free Tiny Tower tends to flit from one event to the next these days to keep the players tapping, and instead of going for a specific holiday-themed shindig this time around, the developers have opted to do an ice cream thing. Collect ingredients by completing missions, craft treats, and get prizes. Spend a lot of money and you’ll get even more prizes! That’s this game now, but it’s been this way long enough that no one really cares.

Genshin Impact, Free I suppose I have to give out the coveted UMMSotW award to something this week, and I’ll do it right now just to get it done. Genshin Impact‘s latest update, An Everlasting Dream Intertwined, is now available. There are three new characters, a new gameplay element in the form of the Imaginarium Theater, some new events and stories, three new weapons, and the now-expected addition of new cards to the Genius Invokation TCG. Really a typical update for this game, but it’s wild to think just how much this offers for free at this point in time.

NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition, You know, I would laugh if one of these GOAT updates just went ahead and added a goat to the game. Like, the barnyard animal. I think it would be funny, and I’m told I have an excellent sense of humor. Anyway, this update adds eight GOATs and zero goats. You get Derrick Rose, Trae Young, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant. Also, some bug fixes. Cool to see the rosters of legendary players filling out, but seriously, think about the goat thing. Maybe an April Fool’s joke next year?

stitch., A little stitch update for those enjoying this chill puzzler, especially people who have been digging the recently-added Play Together mode. You play the Ruby Hood story together with someone, and it’s perfect if you’ve got a younger child you want to try it with. There are some new Hoops, and a new Aquarium category to delve into. Also included in this update: the Replay Legends Leaderboard, and the new Daily Shikaku Reward Hoop and achievement. A nice update, really.

Mini Motorways, Oh, I should have saved the coveted prize for this. Well, too late now. You get a spiffy new map in this update, taking you all the way to lovely Vancouver. The Canadian one. With that comes new achievements, daily challenges, weekly challenges, and city challenges. There are some bug fixes and improvements, as you would expect. The UI also got a few little tweaks, which is always appreciated even in games where the UI is already 10/10. If you have Apple Arcade, give this game a go. If you don’t… well, I don’t know. I’ll let you solve that problem as your homework for this week.

Jetpack Joyride 2, Jetpack Joyride 2‘s updates are always a bit interesting to me, because it’s like seeing the version of Jetpack Joyride from an alternate universe where it didn’t monetize a perfectly good game into… well, we all know how it is. So what do we get here? A couple of new events, for starters. The Pixel Invasion and Hunting of the Lost Skulls events will give you something to mess around with for a bit, and you even get a cool new power-up in the form of the Toxic Breath. A couple of new arcade modes mirror the themes of the events, and some bug fixes and performance enhancements round things out.

The Simsâ„¢ FreePlay, Free I hope you’ve played plenty of Yakuza 0 to warm up, because the latest update to The Sims FreePlay has you building and decorating your own cabaret club. Baka mitai. The Pride Month and Juneteenth packs are back, and you can claim them to add some new hairstyles and decorations to your collection. Some improvements have also been made to the UI, freshening it up and making it more intuitive.

Royal Match, Free Here’s our obligatory free-to-play matching puzzle game update for the week, and it’s Royal Match because we’re at that point in the article where I realize my dinner is getting cold. You get one hundred new levels to play, and brings a new area into the game. The Water Park. Yes, I can fully see how King Robert is going to get himself hurt there. Doesn’t even take much imagination. And I don’t even care. I hope he dies. He’s an incompetent monarch, and I sure didn’t vote for him.

That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!

Resident Evil 2 Remake will also be coming to the same hardware, but it doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet. Both games will be free to try with a single in app purchase for a universal unlock for the full game. Both games also use MetalFX upscaling from Apple. Resident Evil 7 biohazard will also have an auto fire option with enhanced controls. This is good because both current games from Capcom on iPhone 15 Pro have bad touch controls. If you’ve not tried them yet, read my review of the iPhone 15 Pro version of Resident Evil 4 Remake here and Resident Evil Village here. Both Resident Evil 4 Remake’s full game unlock and Resident Evil Village on Apple hardware are discounted for a limited time. Resident Evil 4 Remake is a universal purchase including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS together with save syncing. Will you be trying out Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil 2 Remake when they hit Apple hardware, and did you try Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village before?

Goat Simulator 3 Multiverse of Nonsense will also have a crossover featuring another Coffee Stain-published game and references to some other major franchises with the Capybara goat skin being included. I hope Goat Simulator 3 Multiverse of Nonsense hits Switch alongside the base game and that it arrives on iOS and Android sooner than later. You an wishlist Goat Simulator 3 Multiverse of Nonsense on Steam here. If you’ve not gotten the base game yet on mobile, you can buy Goat Simulator 3 on the App Store for iOS here on Google Play for Android here. Check out my review of the game on iOS here and Steam Deck here. If you want to try other games in the series, they are all here on the developer page on the App Store. These include Goat Simulator PAYDAY, Goat Simulator Waste of Space, Goat Simulator MMO Simulator, Goat Simulator GoatZ, and Goat Simulator itself. If you’d rather get them on Steam, check out the full bundle here. Have you played Goat Simulator 3 on any platform yet and what do you think of Goat Simulator 3 Multiverse of Nonsense so far?

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure launches on July 25th for $19.99 on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will be available for free to Netflix subscribers on iOS and Android the same day. It will likely also soft launch in the near future on Netflix in select regions ahead of its worldwide launch. If you’d like to try Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure before it launches, you can grab the demo on Steam here. Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is already Steam Deck Verified ahead of its launch next month as well, which is great to see. What do you think of Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure so far and will you be playing the demo on Steam Deck?

TouchArcade (TA): For those unaware, tell us a little bit about yourself and Capybara Games.

Dan Vader (DV): I’m the Creative Director and I’m currently the director of Battle Vision Network. I’ve been doing design and writing at Capy since 2007. I’ve worked on a lot of our games in a design and creative capacity.

TA: While most people today likely know Capybara Games because of Critter Crunch or Might and Magic, I wanted to also cover some of the older games like Super Shove IT or Plant Life. How is the Capybara Games of today different from the one back in 2003? How is the studio philosophy and stuff like that right now?

DV: That’s one of the wild things. A lot of people that were there in the beginning, are still there. I’ve been there since 2007. People have been there a couple of years before me. There’s a lot of folks at the studio who we’ve all worked together for, you know, 15 plus years, which I think is kind of astonishing a bit in the industry to not have people leaving and moving around for whatever reason Capy has really high retention. And then the other cool thing is that we just had an influx of a bunch of new folks who have come from other corners of the industry that brought their expertise in. And so it’s a nice melting pot of the old school folks that have been there forever, and a bunch of new people that have different perspectives. And it’s just it’s gelling really, really nicely. The vibe is great these days.

TA: Sound Shapes was one of the few games which got me to buy a PS Vita back in the day. I wanted to know how it was for Capy working with the teams involved in Sound Shapes. I really love that game even today.

DV: Yeah, that’s a really special game. That was a really cool experience. So you know, we’re an indie studio in Toronto, Queasy games, the studio that made Sound Shapes was an indie studio. And so it was a really, I think to certain extent still is a really tight knit community that everyone knows everyone. And so Queasy was working on that game for a while, and I think just sort of casually they just needed some help. Like they were focused on the core experience, but they just didn’t have the person power to sort of explore the tool themselves. Make a bunch of levels sort of figure out the identity of the game and what you could do with their level editors.

So Capy lent me as a designer to them. And for you know, I think it was for over a year. Like almost all I did was just make levels all day long. And I just experimented and made tons of levels with different kinds of ideas. And the cool thing is you weren’t just making levels. You were making songs and levels. You were placing notes to make cool beats and songs and melodies that also provided gameplay and kind of told the little story. So for about a year or more, it was just me sort of exploring their tool and having frankly an amazing time doing it. Kind of learning a lot about level design. Those are the first level like levels that ever made. And then yeah, we sort of together through all those experimentation, I made hundreds hundreds of levels. And through all those experiments, experimentations we sort of figured out a plan for like the official albums that were going to be like the level packs that were presented to players.

And the really cool thing about it was we kept saying like, you know, those levels we made that were like the campaign. They were sort of there not to be the definitive experience. They were there to sort of give players ideas of what they could do. And the idea always was it’ll be really cool when the community makes levels that are better than ours. And we’re always wondering how long is that going to take.

And I think you know, I think some of us were like, oh yeah, in a month, I bet you they’re going to have like the stuff that’s mind-blowing better than ours. And the game was released and I swear to God it was like two days later. We’re like look at this stuff. Like what are people making? Like it was mind-blowing what people were making. And it was just that they were beautiful songs. Incredible visual art. You use blocks to basically buy everything. And then these like mind-blowing game play concepts. It was totally stunning to me with the community created. Yeah, it was such a special game. And I really, I just off every once in a while just like hear those songs again and just get back into that mode. Yeah, it’s such a wonderful game.

TA: You’ve been at the studio for a very long time now. What has been your favorite game to work on so far?

DV: That’s really tough. It’s kind of a toss up. It’s kind of a toss up between I think of the games where just like making games is hard. They’re all stressful, not none of them are not stressful. They’re always harder than you think. I think about what the game is and where it doesn’t matter how tough the week was, or how long the day was. When I found myself playing them for fun at night like playing a build not to test it not to find bugs, but just because I wanted to play it. I knew those were really special like games. So the two that come to mind are definitely Grindstone, like I played every level of it 10 times each. I played the whole thing and sometimes when I go to a cottage or something or on a vacation, I pull up my phone and I load up Grindstone to just play. So that was a really special game.

I think the one that they really like, not just me, but the studio and everyone that works on it has a really soft spot for Super Time Force. That was such a fun game because you know it will really encompass the humor and the wild sort of sense of humor in the studio. Like there was no like almost no ideas were left in the cutter and floor we put everything into that game. Like there’s a million jokes, a million Easter eggs. We just really poured ourselves into that game and it is one of the most happy games in terms of the vibe of it. So I love that game.

TA: Since we covered a bit of Grindstone, when I saw the trailer for Battle Vision Network, there’s an obvious Grindstone influence, because it feels like it’s picking up from that aesthetic. What are your inspirations for Battle Vision Network?

DV: The main inspiration was our own game Clash of Heroes. We were looking back at that design and sort of dusting it off, and sort of seeing what new ideas we could shake out of it because like I said, there’s a lot of nostalgia for the games we’ve made, and a desire to return to them and that is sort of how Battle Vision Network came about. There were a few dedicated folks at Capy who just like remembering nostalgia believe that multiplayer battles we used to have in the office, you know DS to DS, and we’re sort of tinkering with the prototype of what if we just built a multiplayer only version of this? A version of Battle Vision that was completely focused on a PvP experience. That was the main inspiration. What could we do with the Clash design we created?

Another big inspiration actually for it was Eurovision, like the contest. We were just thinking about the world, and we came up with the idea of a televised spectacle. Obviously the Olympics comes to mind, American NBA/NFL kind of stuff. Eurovision really spoke to us in terms of you never know what’s going to walk on stage on Eurovision and it can be one of the wildest things you’ve ever seen. We wanted something just like that. You just don’t know what team and what new units are going to come out of the universe, out of hyperspace and join this crazy melting pot.

Definitely Grindstone to a certain extent just in terms of what we learned a lot making and updating it over like five years. We learned a lot about that kind of development, and the idea of iterating on your own game live. Instead of just sort of happening into that, we wanted to build it from the ground up with that in mind.

TA: Is a lot of the team that worked on Grindstone also working on Battle Vision Network?

DV: A fair bit of the team has moved over to this. We’re always sort of working on a couple things at once, so it’s not everyone, but a lot of the Grindstone folks are now over here on Battle Vision Network.

TA: When I saw the trailer during the Day of the Devs media event, I figured it was going to be a Steam and Switch game. I was surprised to see it coming to Netflix for mobile, especially because Grindstone is one of the banner Apple Arcade games. How was it working with Netflix on this one?

DV: It’s been amazing so far. They were just really excited about Battle Vision Network, and about our games. It’s Netflix and they have a wide reach, a huge audience, and an audience for sort of every kind of thing. It feels like there’s a place for every kind of entertainment at Netflix.

Their enthusiasm for the game was something that really appealed to us. Obviously we loved working with Apple Arcade on Grindstone, and I think it really benefited from being in that launch, so it was a great time working with them, but it just came down to just wanting to sort of try a new thing. Also we really admire their enthusiasm for games. I see what you guys write about every week. There are a lot of really interesting games coming to Netflix Games, so it’s just sort of cool to think about where it’s going to lead.

TA: I feel like the focus at Netflix is quite different to where Apple is with Apple Arcade right now. Apple is still bringing quality indie games, but we are seeing a lot of older games arrive through “+" versions. If you’re going to release a boutique indie game right now on mobile and don’t want to do a standalone release, it feels like Netflix is a safe bet because you also get the reach of Android without being limited to just iOS. How has it been working on Android if you can talk about that?

DV: Yeah it’s still ongoing right. I’d say probably maybe even half of our studio are our Android users, and it’s exciting to be bringing one of our games to that audience. It’s great having the potential to reach that many more people simply because of servicing both platforms. We’re still working on it now so yeah.

TA: You mentioned having the PvP focus. Will the online be cross platform between Netflix Games and Steam?

DV: Yes

TA: Will Battle Vision Network have its own campaign for people who want to play solo?

DV: The interesting thing about Battle Vision Network is despite it being a PvP game, there’s a strong focus on the single player experience. There are challenges and narrative quests that sort of are agnostic of whether you win or lose a battle. Just by playing a battle against whoever no matter the outcome, you’re sort of moving the needle on all these different aspects of the game of your single player experience.

TA: I wanted to know are there any plans to do any crossovers with Grindstone and Battle Vision Network with characters appearing or maybe cosmetics and stuff like that?

I’m gonna say no comment for now.

TA: Will Battle Vision Network be optimized for Steam Deck?

DV: Our goal is to be fully Steam Deck ready at launch, but it’s too early to say based on where we are in development.

TA: How will the monetization work in Battle Vision Network across Steam and Netflix?

DV: Apart from the cost of entry (buying the game), monetization on PC is not planned for Battle Vision Network. Thanks to Netflix, the team also doesn’t have to worry about microtransactions and other monetization methods on mobile platforms.

As indie devs working with an Apple Arcade or Netflix allows us to focus on making the best game we can make, a fun game, and we don’t have to worry about monetization and sort of the gamification of those kinds of systems which are really tough to figure out. It can be really tricky and sometimes even controversial with players. By working with Netflix, we just have to focus on the game because none of that stuff exists for Netflix Games which is great.

TA: Can you comment on who is doing the music for Battle Vision Network?

DV: We are teaming back up with both Jim Guthrie (Sworcery) and Sam Webster (Grindstone). They’re collaborating on a kick ass soundtrack for the game. The track in the trailer is one of the new tracks for the game.

TA: Going back to Sworcery. You mentioned how it was working on Sound Shapes. I wanted to ask about how it has been working on Sword and Sworcery all those years and just revisiting it for updates.

DV: It’s amazing. We’ve still worked on porting to other platforms and updating it for newer devices, and it was a very small team that worked on that. So every time there’s a new version that needs to be put out or updated, those original folks have to jump back into it. I think they get very nostalgic, and there’s a lot of sharing of old memes, and old memories every time. It’s a very special project and was very formative for the studio.

I think the folks that were involved are super proud of it, and so it’s wonderful that we still get people requesting new versions, having it come to new platforms, and sharing their memories of it. We’re realizing how formative a game it was for a lot of people. It came out of a really interesting time for mobile games, and for indie games, and for sort of more narrative or arty games. It’s just a really special game that we’re super proud of.

TA: I still think it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, and it’s unfortunate because of what’s happened with Twitter’s API with that aspect of the game lost. Those gimmick accounts for the game like Logfella and sharing stuff from the game to Twitter was really great. Good times.

I’d like to thank Dan Vader from Capybara Games and Jurge Cruz-Alvarez from popagenda for their time and help here.

You can keep up with all our interviews here including our recent ones with Simogo here, Amanita Design here, Akitoshi Kawazu, Kenji Ito, and Tomokazu Shibata here, Dave Oshry of New Blood, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As usual, thanks for reading.

Well, some iOS devices. You’re going to need to be rocking an iPhone 15 Pro or its Max variant to play this bad boy on iPhone, and over on the iPad side of things you’ll need an M1 chip or higher device. This really is the big pants version of the game with seemingly very little compromise running on tiny little handheld computer devices. It’s remarkable. We’re finally at a point where we don’t have to settle for a “mobile-ized" version of a beloved series, and can instead simply enjoy the same experience on our mobile devices that we’d have on our TVs or monitors. What a time to be alive. This trailer is from the console/PC version but it should give you an idea of what the game is like.

I’m not going to go into the nitty gritty of what exactly Assassin’s Creed Mirage is as there are no shortage of reviews out there from the console and PC release last year, and as to how it performs on the iOS devices capable of running them our pal MrMacRight on Youtube has done an in-depth analysis of that already. Plus, the game is free to download and try with a full game unlock IAP so really the best thing to do if you have a device capable of running the game is to simply download it and try it yourself. You’ll need to make sure you have some device space freed up since it’s a biggie, but it’s really the best way to see if you like the game.

What I will say however is that I am absolutely here for games like this being released on iOS. Just from the opening moments of Assassin’s Creed Mirage where you’re parkouring your way across rooftops in an open and effortless fashion, it’s hard not to have a big grin on your face knowing this is running on a little iOS device. Sure the visuals are dumbed down a tad but it’s not really noticeable on such a small, high resolution screen anyway. For SO LONG we’ve been banging the drum that iOS devices are powerful enough to hang with other platforms, and it feels like in the past year we’re finally starting to see that be the reality. So do yourself a favor and check out the free portion of Assassin’s Creed Mirage on an iOS device, and if you’re digging it then be sure to grab the full game unlock before June 20th while it’s on sale for half off.

News

Mega Man’s Game Boy Adventures Join Nintendo Switch Online Today

Mega Drive? No, Mega Man! Nintendo dropped a batch of retro games out of the blue again today, and this time it’s really blue. But blue in black and white. Sigh, this is already getting complicated. Let’s get to the point: Mega Man in Dr. Wily’s Revenge, Mega Man II, Mega Man III, Mega Man IV, and Mega Man V have been added to the Game Boy NSO app. The first four games kind of loosely adapt pieces from the NES titles, but the fifth game is fully original and it is spectacular. If you have not played it before, you should. Just update your app and you’re good to go.

Reviews & Mini-Views

Hauntii ($19.99)

I had been looking forward to playing Hauntii ever since I saw it in a Day of the Devs showcase last year. Fast forward to today, Hauntii is available on Switch, PC, and other consoles, and it lived up to all my expectations when it comes to the game itself, but the Switch version is unfortunately not in the best shape right now.

Hauntii is a gorgeous game with striking visuals that combines a few genres to be something special. It brings together puzzles, some platforming, twin-stick shooters, and more that are all complemented by the aesthetic that shines on the Switch’s screen in handheld mode. The twin-stick shooter mechanics aren’t in the way you’d expect though. They are slower here, but still satisfying. Just don’t expect some challenging bullet hell game here, you’re here for the gorgeous world, puzzles, narrative, and music here.

The structure and checkpointing in Hauntii make it quite accessible for pick up and play, but I’m amazed by the creativity showcased in its visuals and interactions. The animation work and music are superb.

Usually, games like this tend to be on the shorter side, but I ended up playing Hauntii for over 9 hours on Switch. It unfortunately has jitter or stutter while getting into new areas, some frame pacing issues, and longer than expected load times. Some of these things give me motion sickness, and I’ve had to pause my play sessions to come back after some time and resume playing. I hope these can be addressed in updates. If you have the option to play Hauntii on Xbox Series X through Game Pass, it is much better there.

Hauntii is an amazing game that needs some more work on Nintendo Switch. The technical issues hold it back, but it is still worth your time and money. I recommend playing it on another platform if you have that option though. If you are ok with some performance issues, it feels right at home on Switch in handheld mode. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED ($59.99)

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED releasing in the West last month has been quite a journey for Level-5 fans. If you’ve been following the series, MEGATON MUSASHI debuted in Japan as a mech action RPG on Switch and PS4, got loads of content updates, a free-to-play follow-up, more updates, and eventually all of that comes together to give us MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED, a multiplatform international release across Switch, PS5, PS4, and Steam with cross platform progression and online play support.

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED‘s new international release feels like a culmination of everything before, and it ships with a plethora of quality content across all of its modes. It also helps that this is a fantastic mech action RPG with a surprising amount of the signature Level-5 charm.

Last week, I posted some impressions of how Level-5’s newest release, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED, feels on Steam Deck. On Switch, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED runs a lot better than I expected. It isn’t as good as Steam Deck, but this isn’t a situation where I’d be telling you to buy a game on another platform. If you want to play MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED on Switch, you can go ahead. It joins Daemon X Machina as my favorite mech game on Switch, and I’m even more excited to see how Gundam Breaker 4 ends up this year.

The core gameplay loop is excellent as you aim for better loot, progress the story, work towards improving your own Rogue (mech), and more. I was constantly surprised at how many mechanics it introduced during the main story, let alone everything available outside that. Even if you just want to play the main story and not bother with anything else, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED is worth your time.

So I mentioned how MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED benefited from being the third version/entry that we see as our first release in the West, but the downside is some free to play elements are still present like login bonuses or battle pass stuff. I hate battle passes in every single game, so I was disappointed to see them here even if the rewards aren’t anything meaningful. There is also a lot of paid DLC, but none of it is essential. If you really want to get some DLC, the deluxe pack is decent value, but note that you will need it on all platforms you play on, otherwise the cosmetics will not work on another platform when you sync your save.

As for online, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED is a solo game for its story, but you can play with others across platforms in the non story missions. In my testing, it works great on both Switch and Steam Deck over wifi, though I stuck to wired and docked when playing with my friends in another country to ensure there were no stability issues. Keep in mind that you will need to link an Epic account to play online across platforms and sync your save.

Visually, the watercooler description I’d give MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED is “what if Level-5 meets Gundam Breaker“. That might sound jarring and vague, but that’s all I could think about. The character designs, animation work, and story feel like the best of Level-5, while the combat and customization remind me of Gundam Breaker. This combination works out very well, and I really wish it had a nice retail release in the West, because the game more than deserves it.

On the audio side, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED has an excellent soundtrack and superb voice acting across the board. The sheer amount of voiced dialogue is incredible, and not something you usually see for games like this. My only complaint with the music is that some areas felt like they could’ve done with more music.

In future updates, I’d love it if the developers could add a touchscreen option to progress dialog on Switch. I used the touchscreen on Steam Deck quite a bit during the story sections. Other than that, the Switch version is basically everything I wanted and more. It even has good HD Rumble in combat.

MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED feels unreal in a good way. Not only is it one of Level-5’s best games in years, but it is a fantastic mech action game packed with tons of quality content. The fact that it even has cross platform save letting me take my progress across Switch and Steam Deck only sweetens the deal. I hope it gets a demo so that more folks can try and see why it is so good before committing to the full priced purchase though. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Sociable Soccer 24 ($24.99)

The latest soccer game from Jon Hare, the creator of Sensible Soccer, sports a FIFPRO license married to the fast and accessible sports action this creator is known for, and it’s a fine blend. It has a cross-platform online league system, and also supports local two-player gameplay. The game is absolutely jam-packed with stuff to mess around with and enjoy, so if you’re looking for an alternative to EA Sports’ take on the beautiful game I think you’ll be happy with what’s on offer here.

Airhead ($19.99)

It’s time for another Metroidvania-style game. This time the gimmick is that you have a head that is constantly deflating, and you have to periodically refill it as you explore the world. There are some solid puzzles in here, which is always nice to see. I don’t think it’s going to convince anyone who is tired of this genre, but if you’re still hungry this will provide a meal.

Rider’s Spirits ($5.99)

Super Mario Kart pretty much kicked off a whole genre of its own, and even as early as 1994 you saw games trying to ride in its wake. Rider’s Spirits is one such game, and up until now this Super Famicom title has only been available in Japan. When you play it, you’ll probably understand why. Well, it’s nice to see the ol’ Mode 7 doing its thing if nothing else. I’ll have a review of this soon where I go into what works and doesn’t work in it, so look forward to that.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

The Big Video Game News Month sale has officially kicked off, and this time Nintendo is calling the Super Turbo Champion Edition EX Gold Plus Alpha Sale or some such nonsense. Anyway, lots of sales. More than 1500, in fact. I’m doing a separate article with what I think are the absolute best of the bunch, but I’m not shirking on my chores here. All of the first party sales, and select sales from major third parties and indies are included here. Have a gander! But remember, there are tons more games on sale besides these. Check your wishlists and the eShop for further details.

Select New Sales

First Party Games

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Xenoblade Chronicles DE ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Fire Emblem Engage ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Kirby & the Forgotten Land ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Super Mario Odyssey ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ($39.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Splatoon 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Advance Wars 1 + 2 Reboot Camp ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bayonetta 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bayonetta Origins ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Astral Chain ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)

“Big Third Party" Titles

Dragon Quest XI S: DE ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Dragon Quest Builders ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Dragon Quest Builders 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Live A Live ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Triangle Strategy ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Bravely Default II ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Fashion Dreamer ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Daemon X Machina ($41.99 from $59.99 until 6/17)
Dark Souls Remastered ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/17)
No More Heroes 3 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Tomb Raider I – III Remastered ($22.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
The Lara Croft Collection ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Persona 5 Strikers ($17.99 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)

Alien: Isolation ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin & Lion King ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Jack Jeanne ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
The Wonderful 101 Remastered ($17.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Streets of Rage 4 ($11.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge ($16.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)
TMNT: Cowabunga Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Dragon Ball FighterZ: FighterZ Edition ($14.39 from $89.99 until 6/20)
LEGO 2K Drive ($9.89 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration ($27.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Quantum Recharged ($5.49 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Berzerk Recharged ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Tempest 4000 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Hatsune Miku: Project DiVA Mega Mix ($19.69 from $39.39 until 6/20)
We Love Katamari Reroll ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Samba de Amigo: Party Central ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)

Sonic Origins Plus ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Sonic Frontiers ($20.99 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Unicorn Overlord Monarch Edition ($52.49 from $69.99 until 6/20)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle ($15.99 form $39.99 until 6/20)
WRC Generations ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/20)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($4.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Return to Monkey Island ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Alan Wake Remastered ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Contra: Operation Galuga ($31.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Apollo Justice: AA Trilogy ($39.99 from $49.99 until 6/21)
Mushihimesama ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
Espgaluda II ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
DoDonPachi Resurrection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)

Indies

1000xRESIST ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Balatro ($13.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
COCOON ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Outer Wilds ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Rogue Legacy 2 ($14.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Sea of Stars ($26.24 from $34.99 until 6/20)
Rose & Camellia Collection ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Risen ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
The Case of the Golden Idol ($10.79 from $17.99 until 6/20)
Trek to Yomi ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Tunic ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Bugsnax ($8.74 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Night in the Woods ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
moon ($13.29 from $18.99 until 6/20)

Crossing Souls ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Goat Simulator: The GOATY ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Aggelos ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Nexomon Extinction ($8.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Gargoyles Remastered ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Slay the Spire ($8.49 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/20)
Blazing Chrome ($5.77 from $16.99 until 6/20)
Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Huntdown ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Bustafellows ($5.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Axiom Verge 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut ($11.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)

Ion Fury ($6.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
TEVI ($26.24 from $34.99 until 6/20)
The Sushi Spinnery ($4.62 from $14.00 until 6/26)
Forest Golf Planner ($6.00 from $12.00 until 6/26)
Rabi-Ribi ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Dead Cells ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/27)
20XX ($5.39 from $17.99 until 6/27)
30XX ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
Berserk Boy ($15.00 from $20.00 until 6/27)

Sales Ending This Weekend

High Noon Revolver ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/8)
Rune Factory 3 Special ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Rune Factory 4 Special ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/8)
Rune Factory 5 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Asterix & Obelix XXL: Romastered ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/9)
Asterix & Obelix XXXL: TRFH ($11.99 from $39.99 until 6/9)
Equestrian Training ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/9)
Mega Party: A Tootuff Adventure ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/9)
My Universe: Doctors & Nurses ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/9)
My Universe: My Baby ($1.99 from $24.99 until 6/9)
My Universe: Pet Clinic Cats & Dogs ($1.99 from $24.99 until 6/9)
My Universe: School Teacher ($4.99 from $24.99 until 6/9)
Risky Chronicles & the Curse of Destiny ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/9)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire: New Edition ($10.49 from $34.99 until 6/9)
XIII ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/9)

That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new releases, more sales, more reviews, and probably a fair bit of news. I’ve got quite a weekend of work ahead of me thanks to some commitments I made. Well, nothing to it but through it. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!

If you’d like to play The Dragon Prince: Xadia at launch, you can pre-order it on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Google Play for Android here. Check out Wonderstorm’s official website here and the Netflix page for The Dragon Prince show here. The store pages have screenshots showcasing gameplay as well if you don’t want to watch the trailer for the game. I’m not familiar with this show at all, but I will be trying out the game when it launches on July 30th worldwide. Have you

Kirby and the Forgotten Land ($41.99 from $59.99)

I can genuinely say that I haven’t had such a good time playing a game from start to finish as I did with Kirby and the Forgotten Land in quite some time. It put a grin on my face from the start, and it kept me happily engaged to the very last drop. Then I pulled my son in and we played through everything again in multiplayer. It’s one of the better Kirby games, and deserves a place of honor among the upper canon of Nintendo Switch titles.

Balatro ($13.49 from $14.99)

This game might seem benign, but once it gets its claws into you it will not let you go for quite some time. That’s why I’m putting it here despite its discount being a modest one. It really is a game that I think almost everyone should try out, weaving roguelite mechanics into a devilishly accessible card game. Balatro will keep you engaged for quite some time, and that’s both its greatest selling point and my biggest warning about it.

Jack Jeanne ($34.99 from $49.99)

Jack Jeanne tells the story of Kisa, a young woman who dreams of being an actor. She’s been invited to attend one of the most prestigious drama schools around, but there are a couple of catches. She must be chosen as the lead in the final performance of the year, and she must conceal her gender. Both of those things are easier said than done thanks to her talented and very hunky classmates. She has to compete against them for parts, but what happens if love blooms on the battlefield? One of the better visual novels of the last few years, and one worth owning for anyone who enjoys a good story.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ($41.99 from $59.99)

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the best game in the series yet, and despite a few issues like burying the player in tutorials and some story bits that could have been handled better, the game is a real treat for RPG fans. There’s more to do and more reasons to do it, and whether you’re coming off one or both of the previous games or jumping in fresh, you’ll find a suitably epic adventure waiting for you. A fine capper to an excellent trilogy of RPGs.

1000xRESIST ($17.99 from $19.99)

If you have even the smallest shred of love in your soul for story-based games, play 1000xRESIST. Some of the best games of this sort feel like getting a fine dinner in a fancy restaurant. This one is like getting the whole damned menu brought to your table, plus a slice of fruit cake because there’s always room for dessert. An absolute masterpiece, and I am grateful that I got to experience it. And now you can experience it too, with an extra couple bucks in your pocket for good measure. Hekki grace.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy ($39.99 from $49.99)

While a bit rockier of a road than the original Ace Attorney trilogy, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy nevertheless does its best to improvise as it goes along, much in the manner of its titular character. The included games are up and down, depending on your tastes, but fans of Ace Attorney should have a good time with all of them. Capcom’s given the games a real shine-up for this set, and it’s good to see that even the more controversial games in the franchise won’t be forgotten. Worth adding to your court records at this price, to be sure.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ($39.99 from $59.99)

It’s wild to me that for all the attention Donkey Kong Country Returns garnered, its sequel seems perpetually overlooked. Sure, it made sense on the Wii U. Not much was able to get out of the shadow of its market failure. But this should have been a slam dunk on the Switch, and instead I’m here recommending it several years later because I know a lot of people didn’t pick it up. It’s good 2D platforming eats, I promise. Hopefully this sale will entice a few more people to Donkey Kong’s banana stand.

Berserk Boy ($15.00 from $20.00)

Clearly inspired by the Mega Man games, but the way the Berserk Boy dashes around the screen smashing up the enemies is a mechanic that is incredibly fun to sink your teeth into. Your character has the ability to change into four different powered-up forms, each with their own abilities to make use of. Oh, and it has a Tee Lopes soundtrack. Hopefully that helps you with your purchasing decision. Just a superb homaage to Capcom’s action classics all-around, and if you enjoy the Mega Man X era of that franchise in particular, you’ll want to give this a go.

Daemon x Machina ($41.99 from $59.99)

I’m including this one here on the word of our pal Mikhail, the resident giant robot expert of TouchArcade. When he reviewed it a million years ago, he called it one of the best mech action games in years. Perhaps tastes could change, but in his recent review of Megaton Musashi, he once again asserted his love of Daemon x Machina. If a game can keep Mikhail contented for half a decade, surely it’s worth considering at a discounted price? Well, that’s the pitch.

Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp ($41.99 from $59.99)

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is one of those remakes that maybe does too much in some ways while doing too little in others, but the quality of the original games shines through brightly. I have some mild issues with the visuals and technical performance, but what is great about these games, the tactical gameplay, can’t really be hindered by that kind of thing. What isn’t in question is that you get an awful lot of game here, since it includes both of the Game Boy Advance titles in full. If you enjoy turn-based strategy, this is a great pick-up at a nice price.

Tunic ($14.99 from $29.99)

If you enjoy action-adventures and don’t mind a game that isn’t big on going easy on the player, you should give Tunic a look. It’s gorgeous, clever, challenging, and simply a joy to pick away at. While it is quite difficult by default, there is an impressive number of options for those who want to tailor the game to their preferences. This Switch port, while obviously not quite up to the versions on other platforms from a technical standpoint, is very good and more than capable of delivering the experience to players. Not for everyone due to how opaque it can be at times, but those who get into it will find it to be very special indeed.

Sonic Frontiers ($20.99 from $59.99)

At least for me, Sonic Frontiers is a lot more than the sum of its parts. This game has a lot of rough edges and things that on paper shouldn’t work, but it completely sucked me in anyway. Its flaws mean that I can understand anyone who bounces off of it, but I think even for those who don’t get into it the way I did, you have to at least respect the effort here. It tries something very new for the series, and if this is how good the first attempt at this style went, I can’t wait to see what comes next. What a weird thing to feel about 3D Sonic.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ($41.99 from $59.99)

Sure, by and large this game’s time has passed. The moment moved on. But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to get into today if you’re new to it. New Horizons probably could have been bigger and more expansive, and there’s an argument to be had that Nintendo perhaps moved on from it too soon. Taken for what it is, however, it’s an incredibly relaxing and compelling game for those looking to hide somewhere less stressful than the real world for a little while. Why not book a little time on the island?

COCOON ($14.99 from $24.99)

The best adventure games are often the ones that keep surprising you with novel puzzles to solve and problems to overcome, and Cocoon does a fantastic job of that. Your world-hopping powers are used simply enough at the outset, but before long you’ll be untangling some absurd knots with your expanding skill set. It’s all wrapped up in a gorgeous presentation, which certainly doesn’t hurt matters. You’re best off going into this one without anything spoiled, but if you enjoy adventure games or figuring out puzzles, you’ll likely have a blast with this.

Bravely Default II ($41.99 from $59.99)

The JRPG genre is in a different place than it was back in 2012, and it doesn’t need a savior or disruption the way it did at that time. It’s sufficient for Bravely Default II to be the incredibly safe sequel that it is, stretching its legs a little and further exploring the immensely clever gameplay mechanics established in previous games. Bravely Default II is truly a JRPG fan’s JRPG, and while I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping it would smash my expectations the way the first game did, I’d be similarly dishonest if I were to say that I didn’t enjoy every minute of it. A worthy adventure.

And those are our picks from the Mega Extreme Fun Sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop. There are plenty more great games on sale right now, so make sure to check your wishlists and dig into the publisher pages on the eShop just to be sure you aren’t missing anything. If you have any sales you’d like to share, please hit those comments below. Thanks for reading!

You can download Honkai Star Rail on the App Store for iOS here, on Google Play for Android here, and here on the Epic Games Store in addition to its regular PC version. Check it out here on PS5. Have you been playing Honkai Star Rail regularly since it launched on mobile, PC, and PS5 and what do you think of Honkai Star Rail 2.3 so far from its trailers?

If you’d like to grab it, you can get Assassin’s Creed Mirage for free on the App Store for iOS here. Note that it has the same DLC as the console versions available as in app purchases like the Deluxe Pack or various cosmetic packs. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is limited to A17 iPhone models and available on M1 chip or higher iPad models. It isn’t on macOS yet. I’m curious to see how Assassin’s Creed Mirage ends up doing on iPhone and iPad. Will you be playing it and what do you think of the performance analysis video for Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Select New Releases

Fading Afternoon ($19.99)

From yeo, the developer behind The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa and Arrest of a Stone Buddha, Fading Afternoon is the story of a middle-aged yakuza named Maruyama who has just been released from prison. What will he do next? That’s up to you. There are multiple endings here, and the one you receive will depend on your actions during the course of the game. There’s a decent-sized city to explore and a handful of mini-games to mess around with. As with this developer’s previous games, you can also look forward to some solid beat-em-up action. I really liked yeo’s previous games, so I’ll definitely be giving this a look.

Seven Days ($34.99)

Okay, I’ll admit that a visual novel wherein all the heroines are dead is a novel set-up. Through various circumstances, our rather average protagonist ends up needing to resolve the lingering issues of the spirits of seven women. Ghosts can only live in the human world for forty-nine days, and a quick bit of math tells us that means each woman gets seven days’ worth of attention. Apart from the unusual premise, this looks like a fairly ordinary romantic visual novel. Maybe it’s for you, maybe it isn’t.

Arcade Archives Rug Rats ($7.99)

A 1982 Nichibutsu joint, and if you know that company name you know we’re in for a quirky one. This is a cleaning game, which in this case means cleaning up all the baddies using your little vacuum cleaner character. Roll enemies up in the carpets and pick up bonus items to earn extra points. You get both the Japanese and Overseas versions of the game here, and they’re actually quite different. Not the greatest of games, but it’s an unusual one that you probably haven’t played before. Isn’t that half the fun of the Arcade Archives line?

Garage: Bad Dream Adventure ($24.99)

This is a cleaned-up version of a messed-up 1999 PC game, but it still looks more or less like a 1999 PC game. You’re trapped in your own psyche and need to find your way out. The creator of this game is a surrealist artist, and he certainly flexes that with the bizarre sights and sounds you’ll come across. The mechanics are a bit hard to nail down, but you’ll be solving puzzles and exploring around, as one does in an adventure game. There’s quite a bit of disturbing stuff in this game, but I’m led to believe some of you are intrigued by that kind of thing. So, you know. Here you go.

HighScore Anomaly Underground ($3.99)

Well, these are getting to be a whole thing now. It’s another one of those games where you have to look for what’s out of place. If you don’t find it, you’ll be sent back to the beginning. If you do, or correctly ascertain that there is no anomaly, then you move up a level. Not a very long game, and not a very involved one either. Four bucks can buy some good snacks, even in this time of inflation. Choose wisely.

Euphoria ($14.99)

A first person puzzle game with a horror-mystery theme. Solve murder cases by examining the scenes, and maybe even recover your identity along the way. Not the fanciest of dining, but it might appeal to some out there. Steam reviews seem more positive than negative, though there are definitely a few people who didn’t care for it. Maybe if you loved Portal and are hungry for some other games of the same vague genre? I leave it in your skilled hands to investigate further, if you’re interested.

The Smurfs – Village Party ($39.99)

Want a party game to play with the family and don’t care for Mario’s antics? Do you love The Smurfs? Then you might be the right person for this new release from Microids. Frankly speaking, this publisher has messed up so many times with its licensed titles at this point that I would hesitate to trust anything from them. I want to say it’s hard to mess up a party game, but they did just that with the Inspector Gadget IP. Well, you get fifty mini-games in here plus a number of playable Smurfs. I leave it up to you if you want to risk getting smurfed out of your money or not.

Rainbow Diamonds ($9.99)

This appears to be today’s five-dollar Switch platformer, but uh oh, it’s ten dollars. Oh well. Forty levels set across four worlds, and that’s really all there is to say about it. Very indistinct.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Quite the menagerie of titles in the inbox today. Some games worth considering include Shoot 1UP DX, Fearmonium, Garlic, and the ever-recommended Donut Dodo. Not too much in that outbox worth worrying about today, so have a careful look through the new sales and keep in mind that the Keighley summer thing is coming soon. There will be a lot of sales incoming in the next couple of weeks.

Select New Sales

Game Type DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Shapeshooter ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/19)
Weapon of Choice DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Shoot 1UP DX ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Pig Eat Ball ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Unlife ($6.59 from $10.99 until 6/20)
Fearmonium ($7.79 from $12.99 until 6/20)
Zomborg ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Runnyk ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Bob the Elementalist ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Amabilly ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Castle Morihisa ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
NeonPowerUp! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Murder Is Game Over ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)

Garlic ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Pirates on Target ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Mochi Mochi Boy ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Loot Hero DX ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/20)
Adventures of Ben: Rabbit Run ($11.24 from $24.99 until 6/20)
Gates of the Mind ($6.74 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Adventure Bar Story ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Neko Secret Homecoming ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Pretty Girls 2048 Strike ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/21)
Seven Pirates H ($23.99 from $39.99 until 6/21)
Ravva and the Phantom Library ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/21)
Turret Rampage ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/21)
RedRaptor ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/21)
Thunder Kid II: Null Mission ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/21)
Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary ($2.79 from $19.99 until 6/21)

Barbie DreamHouse Adventures ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/21)
Mail Mole ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Fresh Start ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Ponpu ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/26)
Spells & Secrets ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/26)
Spirit of the North ($3.74 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Vaporum ($3.74 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Monster Harvest ($2.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Stranded Sails EotCI ($3.74 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Aragami 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/26)
Slaycation Paradise ($2.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX ($2.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Sparklite ($3.74 from $24.99 until 6/26)
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes ($2.49 from $24.99 until 6/26)

Alphadia I & II ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
Revenant Saga ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/27)
Revenant Dogma ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/27)
Illusion of L’Phalcia ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/27)
Gale of Windoria ($8.24 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Amibition Record ($8.24 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Jinshin ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Galacticon ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/27)
Donut Dodo ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/27)
Attack of the Karens ($2.99 from $4.99 until 6/27)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 7th

Bish Bash Bots ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Crimson Spires ($5.99 form $19.99 until 6/7)
Greed: The Mad Scientist ($7.99 from $15.99 until 6/7)
Outbreak The Fedora Files WLN ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Oxytone ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/7)
Pan’orama ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Planet Cube: Edge ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/7)
Rainbow Moon ($11.99 from $14.99 until 6/7)
Sunny Cafe ($11.99 from $14.99 until 6/7)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus whatever sales and major news items roll in over the course of the day. I am incredibly sleepy today. I fell asleep twice writing this article. I need to take a nap later, or maybe get one good night’s sleep. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Welcome back to the Outlands!
COMING SOON to @AppleArcade: Outlanders 2: Second Nature!

A new, courageous generation of outlanders is ready to redefine life on the Outlands!

Find it on Apple Arcade: https://t.co/K5mJzkK1Dc pic.twitter.com/MWmF4NdaDD

— Pomelo Games (@PomeloGames) June 6, 2024

Alongside Outlanders 2: Second Nature on Apple Arcade, side-scrolling action game Punch Kick Duck+ from Shaun Coleman and Zen Koi Pro+ from LandShark Games are joining as App Store Greats. Read our review of Punch Kick Duck ahead of its launch as well. If you’d like to play the games on Apple Arcade on July 3rd when they launch, you can sign up for Outlanders 2: Second Nature here, Punch Kick Duck+ here, and Zen Koi Pro+ here. I’m glad to see Outlanders 2: Second Nature for sure, but I’d prefer getting the standalone version of Punch Kick Duck+. What do you think of next month’s Apple Arcade games?

Disney Speedstorm is a free to play kart racer with Disney and Pixar characters and worlds. It is available in some regions as a soft launch on mobile. If you’d like to try out the soft launch, here’s the Disney Speedstorm soft launch App Store link. You can pre-register for it on Google Play for Android worldwide here and pre-order it on the App Store here (same link as the soft launch). It will support cross save at launch. On Steam and consoles, Disney Speedstorm is available now. The mobile version is free to play with various in app purchase sets of tokens. Have you played Disney Speedstorm on any platform before and will you be trying it on mobile when it does release?

As of this writing, a price point hasn’t been announced for Sniper Elite 4 on Apple devices. Sniper Elite 4 is priced at $59.99 on other platforms. I assume it will come to iPhone, iPad, and macOS with a universal purchase that is discounted for launch like every other iPhone 15 Pro big game port. I never played Sniper Elite 4 despite owning it, but will definitely be trying it out on iPhone 15 Pro to see how it plays with touch and controller. The new Apple version will include all gameplay features from the original. I’m hoping MrMacRight does a comparison as well when it launches. Have you played Sniper Elite 4 before, and will you be checking it out on iPhone 15 Pro, iPad, or macOS this holiday season?

Stitch. brings in a new Play Together category, the aquarium category, more hoops, a new daily Shikaku Reward hoop, and more this week. Cooking Mama: Cuisine! also has a Play Together event on right now until July 4th letting you play with friends and family and a new ingredient available daily during the event. The Play Together event in Goat Simulator+ lets you challenge friends and family in event challenges with a random goat and level daily. Zookeeper World brings in 12 new puzzles and infinite boost items with the next set of puzzles available on June 16th. Crayola Create and Play+ adds in Camp Create and Play as a creative adventure, Father’s Day cards, kite flying summer activities, and more in the newest update. Jetpack Joyride 2 brings in the pixel invasion event, Hunting of the Lost Skulls event, a new power-up, arcade mode additions, and more. The original Jetpack Joyride+ brings in the pirates in a new limited time event this week.

The final notable update is NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition bringing in eight new greatest of all time players including Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, Kevin Durant, Trae Young, and more. With the updates, check out our forum threads for Stitch. here, Cooking Mama: Cuisine! here, Zookeeper World here, Crayola Create and Play+ here, Goat Simulator+ here, Jetpack Joyride 2 here, Jetpack Joyride+ here, and NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition here. Head over to our dedicated thread for all things relating to Apple Arcade and every game included here. What do you think of these games if you’ve played them already and will you be trying the new Apple Arcade Original today?

If you’d like to try the closed beta, you can sign up for it here. Check out the official website here. You can wishlist Tribe Nine on Steam here. Like I said back in 2021, it is great to see Rui Komatsuzaki’s art in 3D again because this project continues to look excellent. Since 2021, the Danganronpa series has made its way to basically every platform now, and we even have Spike Chunsoft bringing Rain Code to Steam and other consoles following its debut on Switch. I’m very curious to play this one, even if I’m not a fan of the monetization. Did you play Danganronpa and what do you think of the new Tribe Nine trailer?

[Source: Dengeki Online]

Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Free)

iTunes Description

In Assassin’s Creed® Mirage, you are Basim, a cunning street thief with nightmarish visions, seeking answers and justice. After an act of deadly retribution, Basim flees Baghdad and joins an ancient organization – The Hidden Ones. As he learns their mysterious rituals and powerful tenets, he will hone his unique abilities, discover his true nature, and come to understand a new Creed – one that will change his fate in ways he never could have imagined.

Forum Thread: Assassin’s Creed Mirage (by Ubisoft)

Chess Twist ($6.99)

iTunes Description

Classic rules, twisted boards

A game of chess set on procedurally generated boards, where straight lines bend and diagonals fork. Same rules, different battlefield. Opportunities for new strategies are hidden in plain sight. Will you see them before your opponent does?

Forum Thread: Chess Twist (by Polygonjs)

Folium ($4.99)

iTunes Description

Folium has just been released with support for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS emulation

Folium is a beautifully designed, high performing multi-system emulator that allows you to play video games from retro consoles and handhelds, currently including cores for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS

Forum Thread: Folium (by Jarrod Norwell)

Magus Tower (Free)

iTunes Description

Embark on a thrilling adventure as a wizard trapped in a perilous tower in our captivating hack n’ slash game! Use your magical prowess to cast spells and escape, but beware of the lurking enemy spiders! With intuitive swipe controls, unleash powerful combos of diverse magics to overcome challenges and claim victory. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals, enchanting soundtracks, and dynamic gameplay that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Download now from the Apple Store and experience the magic firsthand!

Forum Thread: Magus Tower (by Felipe Elsner Silva)

MAZAICA (Free)

iTunes Description

Draw the lines & expand numbers – brain relaxing flow connect puzzle game.

Draw the line from a number to extend the line and merge the blocks in this fun puzzle game. Expand all numbers to pass the level, connecting the dots with colorful lines in this engaging block puzzle. Use clues, deduction, anticipation, and logical analytical thinking to master the number games and connect all the numbers.

Forum Thread: MAZAICA – Lines and Numbers (by Hamster On Coke Games)

Metaverse Keeper ($2.99)

iTunes Description

“Metaverse Keeper" is a multiplayer adventure game that combines roguelike elements. Players and their teammates not only battle a variety of monsters, but also delve deep into the demon lord’s fortress, collecting various resources, developing character’s talents, and strengthening their own abilities. As the game progresses, the challenges become more diverse and intense, with limited resource allocation, environmental pressures, and even more ferocious monsters, making every adventure thrilling and intense!

Forum Thread: Metaverse Keeper (by Electronic Soul)

Pocket Kickball (Free)

iTunes Description

Unlock dozens of new fields, game modes, kickballs, characters skin, hats, and customizations for your room! Help us build the first and best kickball mobile game ever!

Forum Thread: Pocket Kickball (by Snow Day Software)

Quetzal – Card Battle TCG (Free)

iTunes Description

Quetzal is the ultimate card battle game based on Aztec mythology. Experience the unique turn-based dueling system with lots of strategic depth and various play styles. Bring ancient Mesoamerica to life by summoning fearsome Aztec deities and legendary creatures onto the battlefield. Upgrade your cards to increase their potency. Upgrade your base to get more loot and unlock more game modes.

Can be played offline. If you like old-school trading card games like Pokémon and Yu Gi Oh, this game will definitely appeal to you!

Forum Thread: Quetzal – Card Battle TCG (by Sandbag Games)

Skul: The Hero Slayer ($7.99)

iTunes Description

Skul is a fast-paced action rogue-lite where losing your head is encouraged.

Featuring 100 playable characters each with their own unique abilities and a ton of items that can create wild synergies, the battles are as electrifying as they are challenging.

Forum Thread: Skul: The Hero Slayer (by Playdigious)

Star Wars: Hunters (Free)

iTunes Description

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, the bright lights of the Grand Arena on Vespaara burst into life and offered survivors and new heroes a platform to shine across the galaxy. Equal parts battle and spectacle, Star Wars: Hunters is where legends are made. Love shooter games and arena combat games? Then get ready to dominate your opponents!

Forum Thread: Star Wars: Hunters (by Zynga)

TAT Rumble (Free)

iTunes Description

TAT Rumble is a 2D fighting game with nostalgic retro 90s pixel art and a unique battle system.
After two years of inactivity, the famous no-rule martial arts tournament, “TWELVE ANONYMOUS TOURNAMENT" (TAT), was suddenly announced to be held in 2023. Join the tournament and aim for the top by collecting “Martial Byte", a new technology allowing one to archive and transfer existing fighters’ techniques to another.

Forum Thread: TAT Rumble (by Kreation Verse)

If you are familiar with Emoak’s previous titles, then you might remember the lengths they go to to achieve a certain level of realism in their games. For Machinaero they studied aerodynamics and physics at length to ensure that each flying machine a player created would properly to things like wind friction, lift, drag, pressure, temperature and fluids. In Lyxo, every light source is made up of thousands of individual light rays that all reflect and refract correctly and independently from one another in order to provide the most realistic virtual lighting possible. I have no doubt that the terrain manipulation and the way that the water flows in Roia will be equally in-depth and impressive. Look for it to launch on iOS and Android on July 16th at a price of $2.99.

Select New Releases

Democracy 4: Console Edition ($26.99)

You know, it’s not hard to look around at the state of the world these days and think that one could do better than the people in charge. Well, here’s your chance to test that theory. You take the role of a president or prime minister and have to manage a democratic country all while trying to maintain enough popularity to get re-elected. This is a rather well-liked game over on Steam, but this Switch version obviously won’t have the benefit of the robust modding community the computer version has around it. Will people still get into the vanilla experience? Probably.

Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo ($4.99)

Here’s our five-dollar Switch platformer entry for today, in case you were searching for one. This has fifty stages to play through, and the main gimmick is that you have ghost powers you can use to float and pass through obstacles. Might be what you’re after today. It’s like how every now and then I get a craving for a cinnamon bun.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Some sales on WB Games, including a new low price for Mortal Kombat 1. Freedom Planet 2 has a nice little discount, and Activision is also running a bunch of sales. The outbox is probably more pressing. The third wave of Arcade Archives 10th anniversary sales is wrapping up, and I will say the usual thing about them being highly unlikely to go on sale again any time soon if at all. The sale on the Shantae games is also coming to a close, alongside a number of other indie games. Check both lists!

Select New Sales

Freedom Planet 2 ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/18)
Batman Arkham Trilogy ($35.99 from $59.99 until 6/18)
Mortal Kombat 1 ($27.99 from $69.99 until 6/18)
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($13.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Crash Bandicoot 4 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Diablo II: Resurrected ($13.19 from $39.99 until 6/20)
Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/20)
Boardwalk Arcade 2 ($19.99 from $29.99 until 6/23)
Retro Machina ($2.79 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Broken Lines ($3.49 from $24.99 until 6/25)
Alchemist Adventure ($2.79 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Chasm: The Rift ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/25)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 6th

ACA NEOGEO Baseball Stars Professional ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/6)
ACA NEOGEO Cyber-Lip ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/6)
ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug 5 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/6)
ACA NEOGEO Ninja Combat ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/6)
ACA NEOGEO Samurai Shodown V ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Apex Heroines ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/6)
Arcade Archives Baraduke ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Arcade Archives New Rally-X ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Arcade Archives Pac-Mania ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Arcade Archives Tank Force ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Arcade Archives Xevious ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/6)
Atelier Marie Remake ($29.99 from $49.99 until 6/6)
Atelier Marie Remake Deluxe Edition ($41.99 from $69.99 until 6/6)
Atelier Marie Remake Deluxe Upgrade DLC ($13.19 from $21.99 until 6/6)

Battle Axe ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/6)
Cattails: Wildwood Story ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/6)
Chrome Wolf ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Claire: Extended Cut ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Final Vendetta ($9.98 from $24.95 until 6/6)
God of Light Remastered ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/6)
Matsukeke Burst ($3.75 from $4.69 until 6/6)
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/6)
OLLLO ($6.40 from $8.00 until 6/6)
One Last Breath ($15.29 from $17.99 until 6/6)
Onigo Hunter ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Pronty ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Shantae ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/6)
Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/6)
Shantae & the Seven Sirens ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/6)
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero UE ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/6)
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/6)
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened DE ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/6)
SmileBASIC 4 ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/6)
Super Shadow Break Showdown ($5.84 from $12.99 until 6/6)
The Adv. of Elena Temple Definitive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/6)
The Battle for Hokkaido’s Delicious Foods ($3.59 from $8.99 until 6/6)
Time Trap: Hidden Objects ($11.24 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Whitestone ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/6)
Yodanji ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/6)

That’s all for today, friends. I know, it’s a short one. Tomorrow is Thursday, so we’ll have a whole bunch of new games to look at. Beyond that, we’ll have whatever sales and major news items roll in during the course of the day. I haven’t been feeling well this week, but I think I’m finally on the mend. I hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

For those of us in the US the game will likely go live when our group of time zones rolls over to tomorrow, which for people on the East Coast happens at 11pm ET and then 8PM PT for people like me on the West Coast. One pleasant surprise to the game becoming available is that we learned Ubisoft is running a launch sale on the game, so from now until June 20th you can actually buy that full unlock for $24.99 which is 50% off of its regular price. As our pal Mikhail is finding out too, since it’s out in his territory, it appears that Apple has upped the download size limit for games (or at least for this game) as the initial download clocks in at a whopping 10.51 GB and there’s likely some downloading to happen post-install as well. Make some space! Assassin’s Creed Mirage is limited to A17 Pro chipped iPhones, so iPhone Pro 15 and iPhone Pro 15 Max only, as well as iPads that are M1 chip or higher. I’m excited to see how this one fares on iOS devices and we’ll have more on Assassin’s Creed Mirage in the coming days following its full global release.

Okay, look. I’m being a bit sassy. If you don’t read comics, you probably only know the Eternals from the less-than-successful movie from a few years back. The original comics were a lot better, and that’s probably more of a reason for Marvel Snap to do this season based on the property. Titled The Celestials’ Finest, it is chockful of stuff. As usual, you can watch Ben Brode do his thing explaining it if you have the time and inclination to do so. If not, Shaun’s got you covered.

This is one of those events that runs for five weeks, so we have six new characters to deal with. First up is our Season Pass card, Gilgamesh. He’s 5-Cost 7-Power, and he has an On Reveal ability that gives him +1 Power for each of your other cards you have in play with increased Power. Oh, he’ll be a fun one to pair with the likes of Blue Marvel, won’t he?

Next up, Thena. She’s 2-Cost 1-Power, and she’ll gain +3 Power after each turn where you place exactly two cards. Not more or less. Two. Plan carefully. Chasing her is Sersi, a 5-Cost 7-Power card with an On Reveal ability that transforms your other cards at the location into random cards that cost one more, provided that’s possible. Chaotic but potentially potent.

Makkari is the next one, a 3-Cost 3-Power card who after the turn will run from your hand to a random location, provided that is possible.  Phastos is another 3-Cost 3-Power card, with an On Reveal ability that gives each of the remaining cards in your deck either -1 Cost or +2 Power. Sounds like a good partner for Gilgamesh. Finally, Arishem. The big dude is a 7-Cost 7-Power card and if you pack him in your deck, you’ll get +1 Max Energy at the start of the game. You’ll also get twelve random cards shuffled into your deck. More chaos!

Beyond that, there are two new locations. The World Forge will replace one of the other locations each turn, because we need more chaos. Eternals’ Ark floods the other locations after turn 5. Oh boy. These are both going to be a pain in the neck, but maybe a fun pain in the neck.

This new season coincides with an update, so let’s quickly look at that stuff too. We have a bunch of Series drops, which is always nice to see. Howard the Duck, Silver Samurai, Mirage, Echo, and Martyr are now Series 3 cards. Jean Grey, Selene, Hercules, Nebula, Silk, The Living Tribunal, and Gladiator are now Series 4. That should make them easier to get your hands on!

Balance changes, mostly aimed at Thanos. The Sanctuary II location has been completely disabled, for starters. Let’s quickly go through the Stone changes. The Mind Stone now draws two Stones from your deck, not two 1-Cost cards. The Reality Stone no longer draws a card as part of its ability. The Soul Stone swaps out its Ongoing -1 Power enemy card debuff for an On Reveal ability that draws a card and an Ongoing effect that makes it so Thanos can’t be discarded or destroyed.

The Space Stone no longer lets you move a card. Instead, it has an On Reveal ability that draws a card, and an Ongoing ability that makes it so nothing can stop you from playing or moving Thanos. The Time Stone now gives Thanos -1 Cost full-stop instead of just the next turn. I don’t know if all of this makes Thanos stronger or weaker, but there you go.

Okay, that was a lot but I think we hit all the major points. Lots of changes to Marvel Snap today! What do you think of the new cards? How about the changes to the Infinity Stones? Let us know in the comments below, and do look forward to this month’s updated deck building guide in the next day or two!