Author: sick skills

Following an official response from Nintendo yesterday about the censorship in the Switch versions of Dispatch, the developer AdHoc Studio has now shared a lengthy statement.

In this update, which follows a comment it made to Nintendo Life earlier this week, the studio says the superhero workplace comedy game didn’t meet Nintendo’s content guidelines.

Apart from this, the good news is that the team is already supposedly working with Nintendo on a path forward to “address at least some of the censored content”. It can’t make any specific promises, but fans can apparently expect an update in the future.

Here’s the full statement from AdHoc:

We’ve been quiet for the last few days not because we don’t want to address this stuff, but because we’ve been trying to make sure we’re being good partners with Nintendo. They’ve made their own statement regarding this issue:

“Nintendo requires all games on its platforms to receive ratings from independent organizations and to meet our established content and platform guidelines. While we inform partners when their titles don’t meet our guidelines, Nintendo does not make changes to partner content. We also do not discuss specific content or the criteria used in making these determinations.”

As Nintendo states, any game that’s going to be on the Nintendo platform needs to ‘meet [Nintendo’s] established content and platform guidelines.’ This is the key point. Nintendo has content guidelines. Our game didn’t meet those guidelines, so we made changes that would allow us to release on their platform. That’s what happened here. Honestly we thought this would be obvious since we’re the devs that released the fully uncensored version of the game on other platforms.

We initially assumed, like some of you, that because games like Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk are on the platform with similar types of uncensored mature content, Dispatch would be allowed to do the same. During the porting process it became clear that was not the case. So we asked that we include a disclaimer on the store page to inform customers that content would be different than on other platforms. We worked with Nintendo to get storefront language approved.

Where we absolutely need to take full ownership is the placement of that disclaimer. Again, it was our intent to go out of our way to tell people looking to buy the game that the content was censored. While we didn’t have complete control of the language, we did have control of the placement. Wires got crossed and we put the disclaimer in the field literally titled “Disclaimer”, instead of the “About The Game” section. We didn’t catch this until after the launch when we saw people saying we should have called out the changes on the store page, and we went to go make sure it was there. It technically has been the entire time, just in the absolute worst spot that makes it look like we were trying to hide it.

This is 100% our mistake and it was fixed in the Americas store pages a few hours after launch to give more visibility. We’ve also added a disclaimer before purchase. As of writing this, the other regions have either published this change or are in the process of review.

So what now?

We’re already working with Nintendo on a path forward. While we can’t make any specific promises just yet, we’re confident we’ll be able to push an update to address at least some of the censored content. I’ll get ahead of it now and say that between dev time and the console submission process, we’re talking weeks not days.

To our fans who were looking forward to playing the uncensored version on Switch, we’re truly sorry. People have a right to be pissed. Lots of lessons learned here. Thanks for sticking with us. More soon.

What are your thoughts about AdHoc’s latest statement? Are you holding out for an update before you play this game on the Switch or Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.

We were a little caught up in all of yesterday’s Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream news to get to the Japanese charts, but worry not, we’re on it now!

Yes, Famitsu has shared the latest look at physical sales in the region, and it’s Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade that has come out on top with 23,428 units sold in its debut week. That’s not a particularly high number, it’s true, but considering that Mario Kart World came in second with almost 14 thousand, it’s not bad going.

A couple of other new releases also broke into the top 10 this time, with Dynasty Warriors: Origins and Broccoli’s UN:LOGICAL making the cut at fifth and sixth, respectively.

Here’s the latest top ten physical sales in Japan:

Position	Game	Platform	Unit Sales (19th – 25th Jan)	Total Unit Sales
1	Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade	Switch 2	23,428	NEW
2	Mario Kart World	Switch 2	13,812	2,792,701
3	Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Switch 2	11,605	42,977
4	Animal Crossing: New Horizons	Switch	10,070	8,353,179
5	Dynasty Warriors: Origins	Switch 2	8,580	NEW
6	UN:LOGICAL	Switch	7,907	NEW
7	Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Switch 2	7,496	1,072,570
8	Pokémon Legends: Z-A	Switch	7,385	1,595,038
9	Momotaro Dentetsu 2: Anata no Machi mo Kitto Aru – Higashi Nihon Hen + Nishi Nihon Hen – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition	Switch 2	6,313	256,111
10	Momotaro Dentetsu 2: Anata no Machi mo Kitto Aru – Higashi Nihon Hen + Nishi Nihon Hen	Switch	5,845	308,057

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Expectedly, the Switch 2 has remained on top of the hardware side of things, with an additional ~72,000 units under its belt. The standard Switch model sold marginally more than the OLED this week, interestingly, but neither was enough to overtake the PS5 Digital Edition or the Switch Lite.

Combining the three SKUs for Switch this time gives us a total of 17,515, while the trio of PS5 models combine for 9,766.

Here’s a look at the week’s full hardware charts:

Position	Console	Unit Sales (19th – 25th Jan)	Lifetime Unit Sales
1	Switch 2	72,086	4,237,500
2	Switch Lite	8,577	6,844,188
3	PlayStation 5 Digital Edition	5,524	1,166,266
4	Switch	5,496	20,236,153
5	Switch OLED	3,442	9,426,911
6	PlayStation 5	2,655	5,880,491
7	PlayStation 5 Pro	1,587	317,955
8	Xbox Series X Digital Edition	631	25,721
9	Xbox Series S	43	340,557
10	Xbox Series X	19	323,926
11	PlayStation 4	18	7,930,204

< Previous charts

What are your thoughts on this week’s Japanese charts? Let us know down below.

The Switch 2 is approaching its eight-month anniversary, and developers across the world are interested in getting their games on the newest gaming system out there. At least, that’s what GDC’s latest State of the Game Industry survey reveals (thanks, VGC).

The report shows that 39% of developers surveyed are at least interested in the Switch 2. That puts it fourth, but barely, as the PS5 and Steam Deck are both at 40%, while PC is way ahead at 80%.

Looking at a few other platforms, the Switch 2 is almost twice as popular as the Xbox Series X | S, which only 20% of the sample of developers are apparently interested in. The original Switch console still has some eyes on it, too, with 13% of developers still keen to develop for the system

In terms of platforms that developers have used to release their most recent games, the Switch consoles are a little lower down — 21% of devs have released a Switch game, with 18% getting their game on the newer Switch 2, from those surveyed. Both are behind the Xbox One, which sits at 23%.

Of course, the Switch is a much-less powerful system than other consoles, and the Switch 2 has only been out since June 2025, so those numbers will likely go up this time next year, and as more developers get their hands on dev kits.

But the numbers for the Switch consoles here are a little closer, because more people have a Switch 1 than Switch 2. And that’s backed up by a further poll, where developers and companies surveyed were asked what they consider most when choosing a platform to release their game on.

Unsurprisingly, the top result was audience reach, with 78% of developers picking that option. Business model success and discoverability also ranked highly, with 44% and 43% of votes respectively. So it’s all down to easy-of-access and past successes, then.

So, it’s a pretty good start for the new console, in our eyes. And with a third-party-stacked 2026 ahead of us, we think things can only go up from here. Or, we hope, at least.

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What do you think of the GDC survey results here? Do you think we’ll see a wider spread of games on Switch 2 in 2026? Share your thoughts down in the usual spot.

In a recent episode of Cafe Four Leaf on CLOVERS’ YouTube channel, NieR creator Yoko Taro has heaped praise on fellow game developer and friend Hideki Kamiya and his approach to gamers online who “say things seriously out of line.” (Thanks, Automaton.)

Kamiya — the veteran game director who is currently working on an Okami sequel following his departure from PlatinumGames in 2023 — is infamous for taking no prisoners on social media, blocking people on a whim and replying in kind when someone disrespects him.

Where other developers are more diplomatic and retiring online, Kamiya has a history of getting stuck in and giving as good as he gets, an approach that Taro finds inspiring and which “makes Kamiya-san a great guy to have in your corner.”

“When you’re a game creator and you’re a public-facing personality, you draw attention from a lot of people, including some real weirdos. Some of them say things that are seriously out of line. Just very nasty stuff. And because they’re your audience and your customers, you can’t really clap back with full force. Unless you’re Kamiya-san. “Go away, you insect!” [laughs]

Just like how some people in real life will tell you off if you provoke them, I think it’s a net positive to instil that fear that there are some game creators who do have that edge, so be careful how you treat us. […] That’s why I think having you around is super reassuring as one of your industry peers.”

“A lot of people assume we’ll sit there and be their punching bags,” Kamiya agreed, “and if we suddenly sock them one, they’re stunned.”

Taro also talks about how the way Kamiya acts online is very different to his in-person demeanour or how he is in the workplace. “There’s how you behave on X, there’s who you are at work, and there’s the version of you that’s shy around people. There’s a huge disconnect between those three aspects of your personality.”

Kamiya has had some fun with his online reputation in the past – one of the rewards for the Wonderful 101 Kickstarter campaign was to get blocked by him. He has also expressed regret over some of his responses, but as these creators mention in the video, navigating the volume — size and loudness — of the “nasty stuff” sent their way on a daily basis must be a challenge.

The whole episode is only 15 minutes long and covers other topics in a very relaxed environment (weekly episodes are planned, and this one was filmed in Korea rather than at Clovers’ Japanese studio), so if your only experience of Kamiya is his games and his social media persona, take a look at the series and enjoy hearing him discuss games and other wide-ranging topics, from model kits to mesh underwear.

Behind every game is an untold story, and The Hilltop Funeral is no exception. From adjusting to remote collaboration to having their entire game concept scooped, the team at BROKENCIGS has gone through no shortage of hardships in developing their diabolical co-op coffin carrier.

The Hilltop Funeral, which is currently available in early access on Steam, sees two players piloting pallbearers carrying a corpse in a coffin to a funeral home. Tricky levels and puzzles require tight coordination to overcome while keeping the lifeless ragdoll body in its open casket. This gameplay is paired with a Tim Burton-esque art style, goofy dialogue teeming with dark humour, and a surprising story the developers are keeping tight-lipped about until the game’s proper release.

After letting us in on news that the game will receive Switch and Switch 2 versions, we sat down with director Luke Li and lead developer Cindy Fan to learn more about the game, their journey, and the realities of modern-day indie game development.

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Nintendo Life (Tim Rattray): This may be the first time readers are hearing about BROKENCIGS and its games. Who are you and your studio?

Luke Li: I’m Luke, the director and lead game designer on The Hilltop Funeral, and we are BROKENCIGS. We’re a New York-based indie game studio founded two years ago. We create games based on our passion and what we like to reflect our team of diverse individuals.

Cindy Fan: Hi, I’m Cindy, the lead developer and a designer. First of all, Luke, we formed our company three years ago, because it’s now 2026.

Luke: Oh damn, it’s already been three years?

Cindy: It’s scary to think about.

It’s interesting that you noted your New York roots, as it’s not a city that often comes up in talks of game development. Why choose to move there from China to develop your games?

Luke: For indie developers in New York, people are more focused on working on something they feel they can express themselves with. I’ve always felt that working on your own game meant that you’re using it as a medium to say what you want to say, expressing your own creativity and ideas.

I’m not saying Chinese indie developers are not doing that because I don’t know a whole lot of them, but with the games [they’re submitting to] publishers, it feels like a lot of the time people are just trying to make something that’s going to blow up. And they keep doing that over and over, trying to make something that is in a popular genre and seeing if it all works, instead of making the game they want to do.

With us, coming from China to work on indie games in America, the publisher [Wise Games] believed we could perfectly combine our culture, identities, and backgrounds as Chinese people with our experience doing game development in New York, resulting in something even better.

Cindy: Where I live in Florida, there are few game developer events [unlike the many found in New York City]. Once you leave New York City, you realise how precious they were to you.

That move happened during the development of The Hilltop Funeral, right? How did you adapt to remote work?

Cindy: Back when I first moved to Florida, I felt a lot of pressure being the only team member not in New York. It was back when we first formed the studio, and I had this feeling of, “Maybe they will kick me out.” I moved to Florida because one, the rent in New York is too expensive, and two, my partner is here studying at university. I had zero friends and felt that pressure of thinking I might get kicked out, so for the first few months it was really hard.

We have this thing when we’re working where we have individual Discord voice channels that we stay in while working. So, you can hop into another person’s channel to chat with them. Once we figured that out, it felt pretty similar to being in person where I could turn around and talk to Luke. Now that we’re used to that workflow, it’s become much easier — for me, at least — to adapt to remote work.

Luke: Yeah, it’s all interconnected here. There are so many events happening by Playcrafting, GUMBO, Wonderville, and others. Slowly, you realise that it’s a small but big circle of game developers in New York, since you meet someone at a random gaming event and find out they also go to this other thing you also attend often. It feels good to be a part of this community, whether it’s Indie Game Dev Night or Game Devs of Color Expo. Every time we go to these events, it feels like you’re part of it right away and that really makes us feel like we’re making the right choice to be working on our dream games and pushing ourselves forward in a city that’s full of so many talented people, resources, and opportunities.

When we founded BROKENCIGS, it was recommended that we should found it in Delaware because of tax incentives. We were like, “That makes sense, but having your studio in New York, that’s so much cooler.” We are a New York studio, and it feels better [to be based here]. It turns out we made the right decision because without doing that, we would have missed out on so many opportunities that support New York-based teams only. We were really honoured to attend Tokyo Game Show with Empire State Development.

Let’s talk about the game. How did its development come about?

Luke: [Our friend] Sam, Hailey — one of our artists — and I did a small project back in school that was very physics-based. It was sort of similar to what we have right now. What happened was that at the beginning of last year when we were working on Inkression, which is our ‘main’ game, we were very focused on trying to find it a publisher. During that time, we thought it’d be nice to take a little breather and work on something that’s lower pressure. We were feeling a lot of pressure with Inkression because the story is very serious, so we thought, let’s focus on something that’s more goofy, stupid, funny, and smaller in scope.

So, we got in touch with Sam and told him, “Hey, we had this idea back in the day and we want to restart it and turn it into an actual thing. Would you like to work on this together?” He gladly agreed.

Right, the game is a collaboration between two studios, yours and Sam’s [Fumigawa Studios]. This seems challenging given that most team members now work remotely.

Luke: There’s something incredibly encouraging about working with people outside our immediate team. They inject new character and insight into the project, opening doors we might not have seen otherwise. Of course, the challenge is finding the right balance. Every studio has its own priorities, and it’s our responsibility to manage that partnership with empathy. It’s about finding that sweet spot where the game flourishes, but no one — on either side — burns out.

One of the greatest obstacles you faced in the development of The Hilltop Funeral was having the idea scooped by a few other games.

Luke: It’s really funny because we had the idea, and for years we didn’t touch on it. The moment we decided to start making it, we started seeing all these similar games, like one where you carry a sleepy king. There was this one game that’s exactly like ours in that you’re carrying a dead body inside a coffin, but the gameplay is very different.

It’s funny because the moment you see a game that’s very similar to the one you’re working on that you thought was original, you do feel a little intimidated. But we went to play all these games, and it turned out each’s gameplay was somewhat different. At least, our game is innovative in the gameplay options it offers the players. In a lot of these other games — and it’s going to sound like I’m talking s**t — it’s a lot more about platforming instead of balancing [the coffin]. Our game is a platformer, but the key is that you have to lift the four corners of the coffin and balance the corpse inside.

Cindy: And we also have the dialogue.

Luke: It adds flavour. The two characters have a really interesting dynamic which has been the key highlight to many, many [early access] players. They might complain about the level being too hard or the corpse being too floaty, but they all like the little dialogues these two characters have along the way. It’s very fitting for the vibe and art style we’re trying to go for.

Cindy, what is it about the dialogue that stands out to you?

Cindy: It’s somewhat similar to Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy where when you fail, he says something provocative or kinda stupid. You tone down the frustration by having funny dialogue. The dialogue also shows up when you’re playing, not just when you fail. Because — and not in a bad way — the game is kind of repetitive since you’re trying to do the same task over and over, having that dialogue really adds to the fun.

Also, when translating the game to Chinese, there are some jokes that only work in English. So, I need to replace them with Chinese jokes with a similar vibe.

The game is being developed for PC first, but with the Switch version in mind. Are there any challenges you’re anticipating in porting The Hilltop Funeral to Switch?

Cindy: One thing I’m a little worried about is the aspect ratio. Our artists are really inspired by old movies, so they want the game to be in 4:3. This was forced onto players in older versions, but then we realized that a lot of players—including streamers—wanted to play in 16:9. I feel like we cannot do 4:3 on Switch because it’s already a small screen [in handheld mode].

I think some developers do have different-sized UI fonts for playing in handheld versus docked, so that’s something we also need to consider, especially if we’re going to do something like [a race mode we’re working on] where there are going to be eight players on-screen competing with each other.

Something I want to do is using the Joy-Con’s motion controls to lift the coffin. That would be challenging as well, since I know that’s harder to manipulate than just pressing the trigger buttons.

To me, the game feels like it’s designed for couch co-op with Joy-Con.

Luke: Yeah. A lot of the time when working on this game, I was thinking about college days when my friends and I sat on my couch using a super small monitor to play Overcooked, Super Smash Bros., and other co-op games on Switch. So, I can still picture people sitting there, playing this together, trying to balance and carry the corpse through a level. On a computer, it’s harder to get people sitting together for local co-op.

Will there be any differences between the Switch 1 and 2 versions? And when do you anticipate the game releasing?

Luke: Aside from a graphics and resolution upgrade [on Switch 2], we will have to see if the Switch version is able to support the eight-player mode. It could be taxing on the hardware, as our maps for those are quite a lot bigger than the normal modes. The basic modes will all be there on Switch, though.

We’re looking to release the full 1.0 release [on PC] later this year, with the Switch port happening in the first half of next year.

To sign off, let’s ask the burning question: what’s your favourite Switch game?

Cindy: My favourite Switch games would have to be the two Legend of Zeldas! I think I spent more than 600 hours on each one. I really love the environment design and how the games utilise players’ curiosity and guide them to specific locations on the map where events and quests happen. That feeling of discovery is very inspiring to me as a game designer.

Luke: It’s hard to pick a single favourite when my college years were defined by the chaos of Mario Kart and Smash in my tiny living room. But Animal Crossing will always hold a special place in my heart. It gave us a world to inhabit together during the pandemic, offering a space to hang out and find joy when the physical world felt so far away.

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Thank you to Cindy and Luke for taking the time to speak with us.

They also wanted us to let Nintendo Life readers know that they also plan to bring their marquee game Inkression — which uses tattoo art to explore the stories of a dying gentrified neighbourhood — to the Switch. A demo for that game is available on Steam.

We’re all excited to see what Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone is cooking up with Haunted Chocolatier, the upcoming life sim where you run a chocolate shop with the help of ghosts, and ConcernedApe’s second game after the mammoth hit of Stardew Valley.

But things are taking a little while, which is causing some fans to get a little concerned. But Barone has assured fans that he’s “still working like always” in a new blog post (thanks, IGN).

Addressing those concerns directly, Barone says, “Yep, it’s taking a while to finish the game. That’s okay”, but acknowledges that he may have gotten ahead of himself revealing the game when he did: “I know, I know, I shouldn’t have announced the game so early. But I had my reasons.”

The rest of the blog post looks at some of the general chatter and “false assumptions” that have been going around fan communities over the years, all of which Barone dismisses.

One assumption that has been going around is that Haunted Chocolatier will be abandoned and instead will just be added onto Stardew Valley — a game that has been getting regular updates since its release in 2017, as recently as December 2025 with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

“No. First, I am not going to abandon Haunted Chocolatier. But even if I did, I am not going to add it to Stardew Valley” Barone writes, saying that wouldn’t even make sense “from a technical perspective. “Haunted Chocolatier is written from scratch, it’s not the same “engine” as Stardew Valley. You can’t just copy and paste Haunted Chocolatier into Stardew Valley.”

Then, sticking with the Stardew angle, some have wondered whether the Stardew Valley updates are actually tests for Haunted Chocolatier. “Nope”, says Barone. “When working on Stardew Valley, I’m not thinking about Haunted Chocolatier, and vice versa.”

Again, he reiterates that Stardew Valley “is a different game” and that the content isn’t compatible between the two. Not only that, Barone doesn’t want to spoil many of his ideas in the upcoming game. Understandable!

So, why does Stardew keep getting updates? Is it because “he’s burnt out on Haunted Chocolatier”? You can probably imagine the answer already; “No, I’m working on a new Stardew update because it’s a very popular game with a large, ever-growing playerbase, and I still have additional ideas for how to improve it.”

The game doesn’t have a release date yet, and Barone is sticking to that — while some have interpreted from comments that it’s coming in 2030, Barone dismisses that. ” I was asked in 2025 if it would come out within the next five years, and I said “I hope so”.

As he’s stressed throughout the process, and this blog post, “The game will come out when it’s done”. So we’ll just have to be patient.

And, honestly? We’re happy to wait. Barone does share occasional updates on social media, and we’re still amazed we’re getting constant free content for Stardew Valley all these years later.

Of course, some regions are still waiting for the Switch 2 version after it initially launched with some pretty big bugs, but most of these are fixed at this point, with a handful of stragglers still to iron out. if you have a North American eShop account, you can still download the Switch 2 Edition for free (if you own the game on Switch 1). It’s still fantastic.

When we spoke to Barone in late 2024, he spoke about what he wanted to do differently compared to Stardew: “Designing bosses is a whole new ball game from anything that’s Stardew. And I think I wanted something different. I wanted a challenge because I want to keep growing as a game developer. I didn’t want to just do exactly the same thing again.”

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Are you excited for Haunted Chocolatier? Do you have any concerns about the game? Temper in the comments and let us know.

The latest Nintendo Download update — albeit a day late, but hey, we were living the dream — for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region.

As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch 2 eShop – New Releases

4PGP – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (3goo, 4th Feb, $24.99) – From beginners to experts, fun for everyone! Singleplayer: Championship, Quick Race, and Time Attack. Split-screen multiplayer with up to four players. 19 unique cars based on real formula cars. 14 different circuits from around the world that can also be played in reverse. Four difficulty levels: ROOKIE, NOVICE, VETERAN, and EXPERT. Gyroscopic controls and Assist mode for beginners. Learn how to play with an extensive tutorial mode! 60FPS in TV, Handheld, and Tabletop Mode.

Dispatch Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (AdHoc Studio, 28th Jan) – Dispatch is a superhero workplace comedy set in modern day Los Angeles from the writers and directors of Tales from the Borderlands and The Wolf Among Us, and features an all-star cast including Aaron Paul, Laura Bailey, and Jeffrey Wright. You play as Robert Robertson, AKA Mecha Man, whose mech-suit is destroyed in a battle against his nemesis, forcing him to take a job at a superhero dispatch center: not as a hero, but a dispatcher. As their dispatcher, you take charge of a team of ex-supervillains given a shot at redemption. – Read our Dispatch Nintendo Switch 2 Edition review

GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition (Feral Interactive, 29th Jan, $39.99) – GRID Legends marks the return of Codemasters’ premium racing franchise to Nintendo as the much-anticipated sequel to the phenomenally successful GRID Autosport on Switch. GRID Legends is an all-out racer for Switch 2 that delivers pin-sharp visuals, great performance, and a huge range of cars that will go wheel-to-wheel in 10 high-octane motorsport disciplines across 24 stunning locations. – Read our GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition review

“Run for Money”: Hunter VS Runner! Which Side Will You Win With!? [Switch 2] (D3Publisher, 29th Jan, $29.99) – The super popular “Run for Money” game is coming to Nintendo Switch™ 2 ! Experience your very own “Run for Money”!! Clear all the mission and aim to make a successful escape!! This latest edition also brings enhanced multiplayer features! All 5 original stages are available for local and online multiplayer matches! In online battles, the new “Hunter VS Runaway Mode” lets up to 12 players (4 Hunters, 8 Runaways) face off! Let’s all have a blast playing Run for Money!

Switch eShop – New Releases

4PGP [Switch 1] (3goo, 4th Feb, $19.99) – Race Together! Share the excitement with friends and family playing split-screen multiplayer. Hop in a formula car and race on unique tracks from around the world. With its multiple difficulty settings and accessibility options such as assist mode and gyroscopic controls, 4PGP can be enjoyed by everyone from beginners to experts.

Astro Party EX (Wild Rooster, 27th Jan, $0.00) – Astro Party EX is a chaotic local multiplayer space brawler. Blast enemy ships, run over pilots, and laugh while you do it. The twist? Ships can only turn right. (whaaaaa?)

Card Quest (BD Games, 29th Jan, $9.99) – A deeply strategic game featuring an adorable feline hero! Dive into rich elemental builds, face randomized gear upgrades and breakthroughs, and master a unique core mechanic in every character.

Celestial Ascend (EpiXR Games, 29th Jan, $9.99) – Rise above the clouds and follow a solitary traveler on a quest that blends graceful platforming with peaceful exploration. Each level is a dreamlike chapter of a larger tale about loss, resolve, and the hope of earning a second chance for humanity. Glide across floating islands, scale soaring structures, and navigate shifting gravity as friendly spirit guides share fragments of the story and teach you new abilities.

Chrono Ark Deluxe Edition (PLAYISM, 29th Jan, $39.99) – Recruit up to 4 companions and build the strongest party based on their skills and abilities. The skills of Lucy, the protagonist, and her companions are available as cards. Your choices determine what skills they learn! Defeat is nothing to fear Unlike traditional RPGs, everything resets when your party gets defeated, and new companions and skills become available. Perfect your strategy with each iteration.

Clover Cove (Downmeadowstreet, 30th Jan, $4.99) – Clover Cove is a peaceful, exploration-driven walking simulator that invites you to wander across a colossal island dominated by a towering ancient castle. Discover quiet beaches, hidden groves, abandoned locations, mysterious ruins, and countless other hand-crafted locations—all at your own pace. There are no enemies, no combat, and no pressure. Just curiosity, atmosphere, and the joy of uncovering a world that feels alive, forgotten, and waiting for you.

Countless Army (Dos Estrellas, 29th Jan, $9.99) – Have you ever dreamed of being the villain in a Tower Defense? Be the one who sends waves and waves of troops to break through the enemy defenses in this Reverse Tower Defense. Summon, conquer and upgrade your troops to dominate the whole world! Summon your troops and conquer! Choose the troops, the order and the path you’ll send in each wave. Think of your strategies to conquer each map. Invade countless maps! Play through the kingdoms, each with their own features.

Crosak (Wild Sphere, 29th Jan, $14.99) – Do you like platforming, exploration, and plumbing. . . ? Uh, I mean. . . play-dough? ! Well, we may not have pipes, but we can give you 64 reasons to join Crosak’s daring adventures. Become a real caveman jumping and clubbing your way through a multi-gravity universe made of sticky play-dough: six open worlds full of secrets plus three special worlds with everything a galaxy could wish for.

Delivery of Us (Afil Games, 4th Feb, $4.99) – This relaxing logic and movement-based puzzle game combines smooth mechanics, strategic planning, and calm visuals. Each level challenges you to find the most efficient path to every mailbox while avoiding walls, hazards, and obstacles along the way.

Dispatch (AdHoc Studio, 28th Jan, $29.99) – Dispatch is a superhero workplace comedy set in modern day Los Angeles from the writers and directors of Tales from the Borderlands and The Wolf Among Us, and features an all-star cast including Aaron Paul, Laura Bailey, and Jeffrey Wright. You play as Robert Robertson, AKA Mecha Man, whose mech-suit is destroyed in a battle against his nemesis, forcing him to take a job at a superhero dispatch center: not as a hero, but a dispatcher. As their dispatcher, you take charge of a team of ex-supervillains given a shot at redemption. Manage and level up your roster, all while navigating office relationships and romances, and rebuilding your suit for a shot at revenge!

Diver, Catch & Cook Simulator (Burgeq Media Games, 30th Jan, $9.99) – Diver, Catch & Cook Simulator lets you explore the ocean’s depths by day and run a sushi restaurant by night. Hunt fish and strange marine creatures using harpoons, weapons, and underwater tools, then turn your catch into delicious dishes to earn profits and upgrade your gear. Manage oxygen, face unknown threats, and dive deeper to discover rare species and hidden zones.

Drop Pop (Soroka Games, 24th Jan, $7.99) – Drop Pop is an addictive and relaxing game that is easy to play and hard to stop. Drop colorful balls, connect the same ones, and watch them turn into bigger balls. Every move feels satisfying and rewarding. Enjoy smooth and calming gameplay with no pressure, no timers, and no stress. Play at your own pace – relax for a few minutes or spend hours having fun and improving your skills.

EGGCONSOLE WONDERLAND OF CARBUNCLE MSX2 (D4 Enterprise, 29th Jan, $6.49) – This title is a unique shooting game that was included in “Disk Station #25,” released by Compile in 1991. Players control Carbuncle to collect falling apples, and the stage is cleared once they defeat the boss that appears at the end.

Escape game R00M09 (AlignmentSharp, 29th Jan, $1.00) – Move through 3D space to find hints, solve mysteries and escape from the room. Anyone can play to the end because you can see hints and answers.

Escape Game The Museum of Memories (Regista, 29th Jan, $4.99) – A classic escape game set in an art museum hosting an exhibition of past works!

Everwarder (indie.io, 29th Jan, $9.99) – In Everwarder there’s you, and a procedurally-generated world covered in darkness. Touch it – and it will spawn a creature that will try to destroy your most precious thing – a crystal with your friend trapped inside.

Habitat Shapes (Afil Games, 29th Jan, $4.99) – Enjoy the relaxing puzzle of Habitat Shapes by organizing spaces for three animal families – mammals, birds, and reptiles – using Fence/Wall pieces to keep them separated. Watch out: different families cannot touch, and any attempt triggers a funny “fight cloud,” sending the last piece back to the conveyor.

Horizon Drift Unlimited 2026 (Evgheni Carasiov, 26th Jan, $14.99) – Step into a world of pure driving pleasure where the road is your only destination. Horizon Drift Unlimited 2026 delivers a visually stunning open driving experience inspired by the beauty, speed, and atmosphere of modern automotive culture.

I Hate This Place (Feardemic, 29th Jan, $29.99) – Inspired by Skybound’s Eisner award-nominated comic book series created by writer Kyle Starks and artist Artyom Topilin, I Hate This Place plunges players deep into a supernatural world where the rules of reality come undone. In an all-new isometric survival horror experience, delivered in a striking visual style drenched in bold, vivid colours and retro ‘80s comic book aesthetics, each location is lovingly crafted to tell its own disturbing story through stylish visuals that blur the line between reality and nightmare in a world where everything wants you dead.

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass (Penguin Pop Games, 4th Feb, $19.99) – One day, Jimmy looked inside. The game takes place in the dream of an eight-year-old boy. When an alien entity appears and threatens his family and the stability of the dream world itself, Jimmy sets out on an adventure to save his family and eradicate the threat of the Pulsating Mass. Along the way, Jimmy will have to work with his family, confront his own shortcomings, and brave the creeping nightmares of his subconscious.

Knight Castle Defender (Eathrabaria, 26th Jan, $4.99) – Command your warriors and stop the orcs and villains from raiding your stronghold. With 100 action-packed levels, 11 unique defensive forces, 3 powerful abilities, and an engaging power-up system, your castle stands ready for the ultimate battle!

Long Run 2 (Entity3, 24th Jan, $0.99) – This high-energy hyper-casual runner expands the original experience with faster movement, smoother visuals, and a new wave of dynamic obstacles. Players charge through the tracks while growing a trailing line of followers, multiply your numbers through colour-coded gates, and avoid hazards designed to tear your chain apart. The bigger your trail, the more power you carry into the explosive end-of-run finale.

Majotori (Mameshiba Games, 29th Jan, $5.99) – Lariat the witch will make your wish will come true if you win a game of trivia, but if you lose, something dark will happen instead. How many lives will your ignorance ruin? Majotori is a narratrivia, an original little game that combines an interactive narrative with a quiz game.

Nickelodeon Splat Pack (Limited Run Games, 30th Jan, $14.99) – Relive the 90s in this collection of classic Nickelodeon games! Includes GUTS, Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day, and AAAHH!!! Real Monsters. In addition to the games themselves, several extra features are included:
Rewind: Made a mistake? Don’t worry! You can rewind to try again. Save Anywhere: Need a break? Bring up the menu and save your game whenever you want. Music Player: Just want to listen to the great music in these games? We’ve got you covered!

nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan (MASK, 29th Jan, $3.99) – In this lively illustration filled with many characters and objects, your task is to find the specified paw print within the time limit. Enjoy an easy and fun brain-training game!

Offroad Rally Racing (Pix Arts, 30th Jan, $5.99) – Gear up for the ultimate offroad experience in “Offroad Truck 4X4 Dirt Simulator – Rally Racing Game”! Embark on a thrilling adventure across two distinct locations, the scorching Desert and the untamed Woodland. Each area presents unique challenges, formidable obstacles, and exhilarating jumps that will push your offroading skills to the limit. Choose from a diverse range of offroad vehicles, including rugged cars, powerful trucks, and versatile SUVs.

Our Burial Dolls Remastered (ROSEVERTE, 30th Jan, $4.99) – The beloved classic returns in a remastered edition, featuring improved visuals and enhanced atmospheric presentation. Some background images have been replaced with new assets, giving the game a distinctly different visual impression from the original. The user interface has been redesigned for improved readability and usability. New text dialogues sounds enhance immersion in the story.

Parkour Simulator 2026 (Lu Ming trading as Shane Game, 3rd Feb, $9.99) – Step into the shoes of a professional freerunner and conquer urban landscapes like never before! In Parkour Simulator 2026, master jumps, flips, wall-runs, and vaults as you navigate rooftops, alleys, and obstacles with precision and style.

“Run for Money”: Hunter VS Runner! Which Side Will You Win With!? [Switch 1] (D3Publisher, 29th Jan, $29.99) – The hit Japanese game show “Run for Money” is coming to Nintendo Switch™! The game retains the show’s signature runner mechanics, and for the first time in the series, this edition introduces the all-new “Hunter Mode”! Not only can you play as a runner escaping from hunters, you can also become a hunter and capture the runners! This edition features five original stages: “Wonderland,” “Airport,” “Harbor,” “Fantasy,” and “Diver City.”Just like in the TV show, runners will face a variety of missions during each stage! Clear all the mission and aim to make a successful escape!!

Running Fable Petite Party (Seashell Studio, 30th Jan, $13.99) – Outrun your friends. Outsmart your rivals. Out-chaos them all! From the makers of Running Fable comes Petite Party, a wild and unpredictable spin-off that cranks up the chaos. Battle through 16 competitive mini-games and dominate the tabletop party board where anything goes.

Simpli Casa (REDDEER.GAMES, 29th Jan, $8.99) – Tired of clutter? Ready to create spaces that are effortlessly stylish? Forget bulky, outdated furniture—your canvas awaits sleek lines, natural textures, and a calming, contemporary aesthetic. Design Your Dream Spaces.

The Perfect Pencil (Studio Cima, 29th Jan, $19.99) – Lost in the kingdom of the white beast, will you find your way out? The Perfect Pencil is a story-driven action platformer that throws you into the innermost depths of the human mind. The Perfect Pencil is a surreal action platformer which tells the tale of personal development and the psychology of fear. Join protagonist John as he awakens in a bizarre hand-drawn kingdom and comes face-to-face with the terrors that dwell in the last place he’d have thought to look…

Tiny Biomes (eastasiasoft, 4th Feb, $4.99) – Tiny Biomes is a relaxing yet challenging tile-rotation puzzle game where you must guide the flow of water, snow or lava to bring life back to the biomes, each consisting of 50 unique levels of gradually increasing complexity and challenge.

Toree’s 3D Platformer Collection (Diplodocus Games, 30th Jan,) – Toree and his friends invite you to jump through four colourful and varied 3d platformer games. Toree’s 3D Platformer Collection includes the following four titles: Toree 3D (incl. Toree Jumbled Jam extra levels), Toree 2 (incl. winter-themed extra levels), Macbat 64 and Regina & Mac. Additionally, you can unlock a secret extra game.

Whispers of Winter Blossom (moesoft, 31st Jan, $24.99) – That winter, I met a girl with silver hair. As the seasons quietly changed, two closed-off hearts began to connect through a single “story.” Each time the snow fell, the world was wrapped in silence, and unspoken feelings quietly piled up. In a quiet corner of the academy begins a gentle yet heartrending tale that weaves the soul—of solitude, hope, and rebirth. Just like snow softly covering everything, this story may quietly settle in someone’s heart as well. Your words might be able to change someone’s future.

World of Unlit (Mad Jackal Games, 4th Feb, $9.99) – World of Unlit is a fast paced, first person movement shooter where your goal is to utilize your grapple hook, melee weapons, guns and bows to destabilize a culture. Fight your way through Unlit territory and destroy all the statues you find along your way, the unique and skill demanding movement is your best tool to complete your mission.

So that’s your lot for this week’s North American Nintendo Download. Go on, be a sport and drop a vote in the poll above, and comment below with your hot picks!

Believe it or not, Pokémon is turning 30 this year. Truth be told, it kind of makes me feel a bit better about my own age; whenever I add yet another digit, I can at least take some comfort in the knowledge that Pokémon isn’t too far behind.

I must admit, though, I’m not on particularly good terms with Pokémon at the moment. Back in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, I was obsessed. I bought each mainline game at launch (starting with Blue), watched back-to-back episodes of the anime, and collected the trading cards, storing the very best ones in a binder that’s sitting in my office to this day.

Throughout my college and university years, however, I just… lost interest. I still bought the games, but my time felt more limited than when I was 10, and so I struggled to keep up with the ever-growing list of creatures being added to the Pokédex. Fast-forward to today, and my time is perhaps more limited than ever, and this combined with my disappointment in both Scarlet and Legends: Z-A means that my interest is at an all-time low.

I miss it, though, y’know? I miss that sense of discovery and wonder that mainline Pokémon games so consistently delivered back in the day. And so when the opportunity arose to check out The History of the Pokémon Games from James Batchelor, I couldn’t refuse. Perhaps this would be the spark to reignite my interest in the series.

Spoiler: I think it might have worked. This is a great, 148-page book that wisely focuses on the mainline games first and foremost, but nevertheless spends a bit of time on every — yes, every — spin-off title that’s been released over the past three decades.

The book is split up into sections focusing on each generation. So, the first includes a handful of pages talking about the development, release, and impact of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, while the following pages briefly touch on every spin-off title released within the time period before Gold and Silver launched. That’s how each section plays out right up to the present day, with the last page detailing Pokémon Legends: Z-A along with a brief, speculative look to the future. Debates rage as to whether the Legends games are mainline or spin-off, but here at least, despite evidence to the contrary, they’re designated spin-offs.

Batchelor utilises his games journalism experience to great effect (you’ll likely know his name from his days as Editor-in-Chief at gamesindustry,biz), loading each segment with interesting quotes from the likes of Satoshi Tajiri and Junichi Masuda. The book is simply stuffed with background information that, while almost certainly well-known to passionate fans, will prove fascinating for newcomers who want to dive into its history.

Want to know why Pokémon faint instead of dying after battle? It’s all right here. How about the challenges faced when transitioning to fully 3D visuals with Pokémon X and Y? Check. You’ll learn the basics about lesser-known spin-off titles, too, like Pokémon Masters Arena for the PC and Pokémon Tower Battle for Facebook.

I do think the book would have benefited from a few more personal musings from Batchelor. The introduction notes that he didn’t actually start playing Pokémon until he was able to get his hands on the Transfer Pak for the N64, ignoring Pokémon Stadium completely to play the mainline games on his TV. This is great, and a bit more along these lines peppered throughout would have been nice. Including a forward from Ash Ketchum voice actor Veronica Taylor is a lovely touch, mind you.

In terms of presentation, I have little to no complaints here. Every single page has at least something to catch your eye, and the images included are almost exclusively in-game screenshots from each title. I’ve been guilty of lamenting the apparent lack of visual evolution in the series over the years, but it’s lovely to see at a glance just how much each game improves upon its predecessor. Overall, the book’s interior is clean and inviting, striking a nice balance between its text and images.

But let’s just mention the front cover. The main image here is a view of one of the many landscapes seen in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and yes, it looks just as barren and janky as it does in the game (it looks like the publisher didn’t opt for a screenshot from the free upgrade on Switch 2). Granted, I like the way that the blue background blends seamlessly into the landscape’s sky, but gosh, there’s a reason so many people lamented the graphics for those games, so to use them as the main visual for the book is, well… a choice.

This is a nitpick, ultimately. The History of the Pokémon Games is a solid, enjoyable read whether you’re a veteran or a complete newcomer. As for me, while I certainly won’t be mainlining every Pokémon game in the near future, it’s inspired me to go back and revisit one or two of the original Game Boy titles; maybe I can recapture my past love for the franchise before it escapes me completely.

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Thanks to Pen & Sword Books for providing a copy of The History of the Pokémon Games for review. It’s available now in hardback from the publisher, and from other booksellers worldwide soon.