Publisher PQube has revealed the release date for its upcoming action-adventure RPG title, Aggelos. You’ll be able to get your retro-loving hands on it from 25th April.
We first heard about this one last summer, when it was revealed that the game was inspired by non-linear Japanese retro adventures such as Wonder Boy In Monster World. PQube has described it as a “dream-come-true for Metroidvania fans” – a rather bold claim indeed.
Still, it has gathered “very positive” user reviews on Steam since its launch last June so it could definitely be a Switch release worth keeping an eye on and, speaking of Steam, the game’s store page provides with a handy feature list to explore:
Features: A vast kingdom to explore:Venture through forests, seas, cave systems and ancient temples as you seek to uncover the magical elements needed to save the world from total annihilation. A classical non-linear adventure:Explore a sprawling world that gradually reveals itself, Metroidvania-style, as you gain new abilities and equipment. Deadly encounters:Thwart towering bosses and their tricky minions as you take on perilous mainline quests and optional odd-jobs for the people of Lumen. Tactical depth:Unlock magical abilities and high-level attacks, expertly chaining these immense powers together to clear screens of enemies in seconds. Stunning sprite art:Forget out-of-place modern art: Aggelos boasts superlative character designs and animations while remaining proudly, and faithfully, 16-bit through and through. Memorable chiptunes:Lose yourself to a retro-inspired soundtrack that floods the Kingdom of Lumen with life.
As noted above, this one arrives on Switch next month on 25th April, although no pricing information has been shared just yet.
What do you think? Does it look like it could be a dream come true to you? Tell us below.
@carlos82@Newsinz@X-blades I’m very aware some accounts ask for credit card info. I’ve probably been a customer on every platform at some point. I’m also aware that many of those platforms, like a Nintendo account, don’t require you to keep a card tied to the account.
I also have a 5 year old who likes her iPad games (Roblox in particular ) and is well aware of Fortnite. So I know the nagging that comes with wanting us to spend money on in game items. But even with thsqings like birthday and Christmas money, me and her mom are the ones who have the final call on how that money is spent because we know you can’t always count on kids to make the best decisions
So I guess the point I’m trying to make is where are these parents when these decisions are being made? To be clear , I’m not entirely against a micro transaction every once in a while. And for older kids making their own money and having some agency over it, it’s another story (though I’m not against some bit of oversight there as well). But I have a hard time stomaching parents allowing their elementary and middle school aged children to go down that rabbit hole.
The latest Nintendo Download update 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!
Nintendo Switch Retail
The Caligula Effect: Overdose(NIS America, Tue 12th March, $49.99) Something’s amiss in the seemingly perfect world of Mobius. Escape from the false paradise and return to reality, or risk losing more than just your identity! School is back in session! The Caligula Effect: Overdose boasts enhanced visuals and gameplay, including new characters, new scenarios, new endings, and the mysterious “Forbidden Musician Route”!
My Little Riding Champion(Bigben Interactive, Tue 5th March, $29.99) Your horse. Your passion. Get ready to fulfil your dreams at a gallop. The village’s riding club needs you to win the next major competitions. Choose your favourite horse, train it and win medals for your club! Create a bond by going out riding in the countryside and taking care of it.
V-Rally 4(Bigben Interactive, Wed 6th March, $49.99) The legendary off-road racing game returns! Enjoy an extreme experience while becoming an expert in a demanding simulation. Take on the challenges of rallies, rallycross, drifts, buggies and hill climbs, and set off on a spectacular journey across every continent. Dominate dangerous roads, hostile conditions, and environments, constantly striving for more speed. Read our V-Rally 4 review.
3DS Retail
Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn(Nintendo, Fri 8th March, $39.99) One ticked-off sorcerer just banished Kirby, warping the poor puffball to a yarn world in need of saving. The twist? Having a yarn body is epic! Kirby can transform into knitted wonders like tanks and flying saucers. Plus, his new ravel abilities mimic his classic copy abilities, adding something new to every stage of this action-adventure game! Read our Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn review.
Switch eShop
Baba Is You(Hempuli, Wed 13th March, $15.00) Baba Is You is a puzzle game where you can change the rules by which you play. In every level, the rules are present as blocks you can interact with; by manipulating them, you can change how the level works and cause surprising, unexpected interactions! With some simple block-pushing you can turn yourself into a rock, turn patches of grass into dangerously hot obstacles, and even change the goal you need to reach to something entirely different.
Assault Android Cactus+(Witch Beam Games, Fri 8th March, $19.99) Experience an arcade-style twin stick shooter set in a vivid sci-fi universe. Junior Constable Cactus is outside her pay grade when she responds to a distress call and ends up stranded on a crippled space freighter under attack by its own robot workers. With a draining battery mechanic instead of lives, Assault Android Cactus+ challenges you to think fast and shoot faster. Charge head first into an army of refitted robots, transforming stages and massive boss showdowns.
ACA NEOGEO THE ULTIMATE 11: SNK FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP(HAMSTER, Thu 28th February, $7.99) “THE ULTIMATE 11: SNK FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP” is a soccer game released by SNK in 1996. Choose your favorite of 80 different teams, more than ever before, and conquer the two Championship modes!
BombFall(Tackorama, Tue 12th March, $6.50) You play as a bomb that traverses three stages of Earth’s atmosphere freely moving within the flight corridor towards the target cityscape, bashing various enemies with your super tough nose, gaining powerups, and “collecting” clouds to charge your retro thrusters.
Braveland Trilogy(Ellada Games, Today, $14.99) Braveland Trilogy is a turn-based game inspired by old-school strategies with hexagonal battlefield. The story will take place in a hand-drawn world and cover many interesting places and characters. Various warriors will join your army – archers, scouts, healers, footmen, arbalesters and more.
Claybook(Second Order, Tue 12th March, $14.99) Claybook is a unique world made entirely of clay. Every inch of the environment can be shaped and moulded. Everything has matter inside it, not just an outer shell. Clay can be liquid or solid, and it can be deformed and destroyed.
Ghoulboy(Dolores Entertainment S.L., Today, $9.99) Ghoulboy is a retro-inspired style action platformer. An exciting new platformer that combines the action-RPG genre with hack ‘n’ slash gameplay. 2D action, heroic characters, gloomy environments, demonic bosses, these all seem to excite players a lot. Pixels will be combined with other cool retro elements and the result will certainly be something that will meet the needs of Switch gamers.
Hard West(Forever Entertainment, Today, $19.99) Welcome to the Wild West as you’ve never seen before. Follow Warren on his descent into the darkest recesses of the human soul, and try to survive in a world full of hard choices and even harder consequences.
Mahjong Stories: Vampire Romance(JetDogs, Tue 5th March, $4.99) For many years Edward suffered from insomnia and saw what others did not. One day he tried to escape all the nightmares but his evil destiny overtook him near the weird graveyard. Its unhappy souls suffered under the authority of the cruel ancient vampire, and their last hope was the Savior, brave and clever enough to solve all the mysteries and break the cursed seals.
Monument Builders Rushmore(Microïds, Fri 8th March, $6.99) Build famous Mount Rushmore! Travel back in time and become the person in charge of building famous Mount Rushmore! Direct workers and manage resources with the help of Henry Johnson, the site foreman, to finish work projects in time! Defend against thieves trying to sabotage your work sites! Will you be up to the task of building a monument on such a vast scale?
Paperbound Brawlers(Dissident Logic, Fri 8th March, $14.99) Be a gravity ninja. Between one and four players run with scissors, walk on walls, and lob ink bombs in whimsical-yet-intense battles within the pages of old storybooks.
Proficient Paddles Deluxe(Cyclone Studios, Fri 8th March, $3.49) Proficient Paddles: Deluxe is a super fast-paced arcade game. One or two players? It’s your choice! Battle a friend locally with each Joy-Con controller or go against an AI with three selectable difficulties. Will you show your patriotism by outfitting your country’s paddle, or embrace your inner showman by flaunting one of the many eye-catching colored paddles? The choice is yours! In this fast-paced sports action title, you make your own battles…
Space War Arena(Playchemy, Thu 28th February, $14.99) Welcome to Space War Arena! Starship combat on a grand scale has never been this addictive or accessible. Direct the tides of war in lightning fast strategic battles and unleash astonishing arsenals against opposing fleets to destroy their bases and claim their space.
Valley(Blue Isle Studios, Today, $19.99) Explore the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L. E. A. F. suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things. Experience the adventure of a lifetime; Valley is a first-person adventure unlike any other.
World Tree Marché(Flyhigh Works / CIRCLE, Thu 28th February, $11.99) World Tree Marché is a warm-hearted management simulation in which you run the market of a struggling ‘world tree’ together with six chefs. As the Royal Food Adviser, you need to help them through their unique gourmet storylines, find new recipes and stop the evil Gourmand Corporation.
Switch Apps
izneo(izneo, Thu 28th February) izneo BD Comics Manga Webtoon is the best Nintendo Switch app for comics, with thousands of digital comic books. Welcome to the largest virtual library! Comics, graphic novels, manga, webtoon for free or at crazy prices You won’t find better prices for your comics than at izneo (feel free to compare!). Our prices are accessible for all, and we even offer free readings. We also have special offers every week with rock-bottom prices. Enjoy your HD comics on all screens Nintendo Switch, laptop, tablet, smartphone, Smart TV: your comics are synchronized in your library and available at any time, anywhere, making it easy to pick up where you left off. A convenient and pleasurable reading experience to enjoy comics as you always have done: on the train or on the bus, in your couch or in bed, and even offline within our free apps! Discover the richest catalog of digital comics!
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!
The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe 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!
3DS Retail – New Releases
Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn(Nintendo, €39.99 / £34.99) – In Patch Land, practically everything, from enemies to obstacles to who knows what else, is entirely made of yarn – even robots! And to beat courses made of yarn, you’ve got to use moves made of yarn. Every stage from the Wii version is making a return, and the Nintendo 3DS version is also being puffed up with some new features. When you pick up items you can craft bigger yarn balls, or you can even conjure up some wind to rake in the beads! For a little added challenge, see if you can outrun this speed demon of a Devil in Devilish Mode! To top it off, new minigames will give you a chance to play as some other familiar faces! – Read our Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn review
Switch eShop – New Releases
Assault Android Cactus+(Witch Beam, €19.99 / £17.99) – Experience an arcade style twin stick shooter set in a vivid sci fi universe. Junior Constable Cactus is outside her pay grade when she responds to a distress call and ends up stranded on a crippled space freighter under attack by its own robot workers. With a draining battery mechanic instead of lives, Assault Android Cactus+ challenges you to think fast and shoot faster. Charge head first into an army of refitted robots, transforming stages and massive boss showdowns.
12 is Better Than 6(HYPETRAIN DIGITAL, €9.99 / £8.99) – It is 1873. An escaped slave is slowly walking through the desert, making his way from Mexico to Texas. He keeps a revolver close and is wearing the sombrero stolen from a dead man.
Bard’s Gold – Nintendo Switch Edition(Pixel Lantern, €8.09 / £7.19) – Bard’s Gold is a challenging platformer that lets you explore eerie worlds in a quest for a Goblin that stole your gold.
Beat Cop(11 bit studios, €14.99 / £13.49) – New York, more like a beast than a city. Explore it’s darkest corners and uncover its secrets as Jack Kelly, a former detective who has been framed for a murder. Degraded and forgotten by old pals, it’s your last chance to find the truth behind this whole terrible mess. The thing is, your new boss treats you horribly, your wife is a money sucking spawn from hell and the local mafia wants your head on a plate. I guess you could say, that things are complicated down here, in the middle of Brooklyn. Oh, and don’t forget about writing tickets, reprimanding pedestrians & such.
Pillar(Michael Hicks, €7.99 / £7.19) – Lost in an intimate snowy town, a palette of individuals are in search of a mysterious artifact said to bring great knowledge and understanding. Lead each character through their quest in this collection of minigames, each with unique personalities and challenges… maybe their paths aren’t so different after all.
R.B.I. Baseball 19(MLBAM, €29.99 / £29.99) – R.B.I. Baseball 19 takes the field delivering heightened authenticity for a genuine MLB experience. We’ve added hundreds of new animations, updated player models, every official 2019 uniform, more player gear, improved ball physics and environments, and more!
Unknown Fate(MARSLIT GAMES, €12.74 / £11.46) – You wake up, alone, in a world completely unknown to you. You have no memories of your past, you don’t know how you managed to reach this world and the only thing you can do is go on and try to find the truth.
Mahjong Stories: Vampire Romance(JetDogs, €4.99 / £4.50) – For many years Edward suffered from insomnia and saw what others did not. One day he tried to escape all the nightmares but his evil destiny overtook him near the weird graveyard. Its unhappy souls suffered under the authority of the cruel ancient vampire, and their last hope was the Savior, brave and clever enough to solve all the mysteries and break the cursed seals. So Edward decided to stay and challenge Count Orlok…
Arcade Archives IKARI WARRIORS(HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – IKARI WARRIORS is an action shooting game released by SNK in 1986. Play as Colonel RALF and Lieutenant CLARK to infiltrate enemy territory and take down an evil organization from the inside. There’s just one problem, your enemies are endless… but ammunition is limited! Pick up any ammo your enemies drop to replenish your stock, and use power-up items to your advantage as you advance behind enemy lines!
Valley(Blue Isle Studios, €12.10 / £10.91) – Explore the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things.
Braveland Trilogy(Ellada Games, €14.99 / £13.49) – Braveland Trilogy is a turn-based game inspired by old-school strategies with hexagonal battlefield. The story will take place in a hand-drawn world and cover many interesting places and characters. Various warriors will join your army – archers, scouts, healers, footmen, arbalesters and more.
Freecell Solitaire(Vertical Reach, €3.99 / £3.99) – Freecell Solitaire has faithfully recreated the world’s most loved card game! In Freeplay Mode you’ll be dealt a hand at random, never play the same game twice. In Challenge Mode you’ll be tasked with beating all 90 levels as they get progressively harder! Freecell Solitaire is perfect for a moment of relaxation at home or on the go!
Hard West(Forever Entertainment, €17.99 / £16.19) – Welcome to the Wild West as you’ve never seen before. Follow Warren on his descent into the darkest recesses of the human soul, and try to survive in a world full of hard choices and even harder consequences. Because in this world, death is a constant presence and the black pacts which you make with forces beyond human comprehension will forever haunt all those around you.
Monument Builders Rushmore(Microids , €5.59 / £5.03) – Build famous Mount Rushmore! Travel back in time and become the person in charge of building famous Mount Rushmore! Direct workers and manage resources with the help of Henry Johnson, the site foreman, to finish work projects in time! Defend against thieves trying to sabotage your work sites! Will you be up to the task of building a monument on such a vast scale?
Paperbound Brawlers(Dissident Logic, €14.99 / £12.99) – Be a gravity ninja. Between one and four players run with scissors, walk on walls, and lob ink bombs in whimsical-yet-intense battles within the pages of old storybooks.
Proficient Paddles Deluxe(Cyclone Studios, €2.87 / £2.56) – Proficient Paddles: Deluxe is a super fast-paced arcade game. One or two players? It’s your choice! Battle a friend locally with each Joy-Con controller or go against an AI with three selectable difficulties. Will you show your patriotism by outfitting your country’s paddle, or embrace your inner showman by flaunting one of the many eye-catching coloured paddles? The choice is yours! In this fast-paced sports action title, you make your own battles…
Quest for the Golden Duck(Bigosaur, €8.99 / £7.99) – Inspired by a classic game from the golden age of arcades, Quest for the Golden Duck allows you to bring up to 3 more friends in a co-op game. Or take control of the monsters in PvP game and prevent the other team from stealing all the gold from the castle.
Switch eShop – Demos
Collidalot Demo(Grunka Munka, Free) – Jet-powered hover cars meet full-speed destruction derby chaos! Strap into the torn leather seat of an apocalyptic jet car and grind for your life! All that is left are jet engines, gravity rails, and glory at full-throttle. Capture the map by painting the rails while you grind. Slam your friends out of the ring or use the map itself to get the best of them.
Pillar Demo(Michael Hicks, Free) – Lost in an intimate snowy town, a palette of individuals are in search of a mysterious artifact said to bring great knowledge and understanding. Lead each character through their quest in this collection of minigames, each with unique personalities and challenges… maybe their paths aren’t so different after all.
Switch eShop – Pre-Orders
GALAK-Z: The Void: Deluxe Edition(Golem Consulting, €11.89 / £10.70, pre-order from 05/03/2019) – Get back into the cockpit with the premium all-you-can-eat version of our rogue-lite love letter to ’80s anime and space shooters.
AngerForce: Reloaded for Nintendo Switch(indienova, €7.64 / £6.87, pre-order from 07/03/2019) – AngerForce: Reloaded for Nintendo Switch is a hardcore scrolling fly-and-shoot game done in the 90’s arcade style. It’s set against the backdrop of a 19th-century human world that has seen the outbreak of a robot rebellion.
Azure Saga: Pathfinder DELUXE Edition(Toge Productions, €7.64 / £6.87, pre-order from 07/03/2019) – Far into the future, the human race survives through colonies scattered across the universe. One tale gives humanity’s remnants hope – one of the legendary planet, Azure, a world full of life and abundant resources that could bring humanity back from the brink of extinction. Join a young scientist, Synch, as he travels across the galaxy to meet new companions and find his father.
Bonds of the Skies(KEMCO, €11.69 / £10.52, pre-order from 07/03/2019) – Times are changing, and the existence of the Grimoas has become less relevant in everyday life. The young Eil is in the middle of his Coming-of-Age ceremony when suddenly his town is attacked by a demon and engulfed in flames. In the midst of this confusion, Eil enters into a pact with the Air Grimoa, Nogard, in order to save everyone.
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe and Mac Returns(Flying Tiger, €7.99 / £7.03, pre-order from 07/03/2019) – Grab your club and get ready to go on a wild, prehistoric adventure with the Cavemen Ninjas – Joe & Mac! You helped them get their girls in the first game, now get ready to help rescue them again! The adventure continues as the green-haired Joe and the blue-haired Mac, cavemen who battle through treacherous terrain using only prehistoric weapons to fend off vicious beasts and Neanderthal man alike in this beautiful sequel.
Unit 4(Qubic Games, €5.99 / £5.39 conditional discount, pre-order from 07/03/2019) – An alien army has stolen the sacred artifact of our heroes’ tribe. Similar reports are coming from other planets. Problem: the solar system will decay without the power of these artifacts. Begin an epic journey to uncover the truth. What is this army trying to accomplish and can you recover the artifacts before the universe collapses? Experience the ultimate platforming mayhem: perform impossible tricks, play with your friends and get ready to save the day!
Windscape(Headup Games, €15.99 / £12.79, pre-order from 08/03/2019) – Windscape is a first-person exploration action-adventure full of exciting challenges. Its unique art style is reflected in expansive worlds and their bizarre inhabitants. On your journey you will find dark caves, ancient ruins and mysterious woods. By exploring the beautiful game world, mining resources and fighting epic monsters you collect numerous materials that can be used to craft items, weapons and armour.
Accessory maker Snakebyte has revealed the latest in its line of products for the Switch, and this one looks like it could be a nice little practical solution for your storage needs.
Called the Games:Tower, the product is designed to be a space-saver, holding your Pro Controllers, Joy-Con, games, and more. To be precise, you’ll be able to fit 10 physical Switch game boxes in the slots provided, and up to four Pro Controllers or Joy-Con grip sets.
On top of this, rather literally, the top of the tower doubles up as a place to sit your Switch dock – handy if you currently leave it on the floor or in an annoying spot around your TV. We particularly like the bottom, too, which features a neat little drawer for storing away smaller accessories.
Marc-Alexander Knipschild, Head of Marketing for Snakebyte, has shared the following in a press release today:
“The Nintendo Switch now boasts a large game collection and ever-expanding list of accessories, and we believe gamers will flock to the GAMES:TOWER providing a simple and great value for money solution to housing their collection. We believe the GAMES:TOWER for Nintendo Switch will make a strong addition to our core accessories range and allow us to grow our market share in the console sector.”
Snakebyte says that the product is shipping now, “available from all leading gaming retailers”. We managed to track down an online option from Amazon UK (£17.99), although the product hasn’t yet appeared on Snakebyte’s own site.
Would this be useful for your current setup? Do you already have an elegant storage solution? Let us know in the comments below.
As any Switch owner who prefers to buy their games digitally will know, the console’s limited storage space can be a near constant issue. That is unless you have a beast of a microSD card to save your precious games on, of course, and this limited-time deal is right up there as one of the best value-for-money offers we’ve ever seen.
Right now on Amazon UK, and only available until midnight tonight, this new deal offers a lovely 400GB microSD card for just £55.99. For the sake of comparison, the same card in its 200GB variant is currently £43.79, so it’s a pretty huge saving.
Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
If you’re interested in checking out more storage options for your Switch, make sure to take a look through our micro SD card guide.
Awesome Pea is described as “a classic run-and-jump platformer,” which is about as plain and simple as the game itself. Here indeed is a platformer that looks like an old Game Boy game, and that features a whole lot of running and jumping – and precious little else. At this point, we suspect the developer would like nothing more than for us to spin off into a paean to the lost art of simplicity in game design. But this isn’t the review in which to do so, because we came away from Awesome Pea wanting more. More pace, more variety, more colour, and more fun.
Perhaps we’ve played a few too many iOS-to-Switch conversions over the past year, but we were somewhat surprised to find out that Awesome Pea hadn’t originally been a mobile game. That’s not intended as a sniffy comment by any means. It’s just that the game has a familiar bite-sized, super-focused cadence to it. The levels here are brief affairs in which you, as a smiley-faced pea, must make it to the exit, collecting as many coins and gems as you dare en route. You have a time factor to consider too, at least if you’re playing for a high score.
There’s a definite speed-run vibe to Awesome Pea, which makes it all the more strange that it feels so wallowy and sluggish. Our lead character moves with all the pace and purpose of, well, a legless pea, while its jumping capacity is only just on the right side of useful. And only then thanks to the presence of a double-jump. This isn’t one of those platformers where you get an intoxicating sense of weight and momentum from your protagonist. When you release the directional control in mid-air, you’ll simply stop and drop to the ground. On the plus side, that makes for a certain cold precision to the action. Conversely, it robs the game of a certain amount of life and charm.
We could cite side-scrolling platformers like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe as instructive counter examples here, but perhaps Super Meat Boy and N++ would be more appropriate, given their indie status. Both of those latter games nail that thrilling sensation of movement just as well as their triple-A counterparts. It’s a tactile appeal that’s sorely missed in a game as stripped back as Awesome Pea.
In terms of Awesome Pea’s old school aesthetic, we dig the old school Game Boy vibe as much as the next Nintendo enthusiast website. But it doesn’t really bring anything to the wider package, other than a sense of sameness that quickly kicks in. It can also get in the way of viewability, particularly in handheld mode, while an over-eager screen distortion effect hardly helps matters.
We’ve been fairly negative about Awesome Pea to date, but we should note that there is a fair portion of enjoyment to be had here for those of the right mindset. If you’re a fan of borderline masochistic challenges, where pinpoint precision and repeated retries are the natural order of things, this could be for you. Its cute and fluffy looks might be only a few small hops away from Kirby’s Dream Land on the original Game Boy, but the difficulty level is at the total opposite end of the scale from HAL’s classic.
Indeed, there’s almost a punitive feel to the game, as can be seen with some particularly punishing collision detection. Some people are really going to dig that uncompromising approach, but for our money, there’s not enough of a payoff for such perseverance. While Awesome Pea riffs on the aesthetic and the simplicity of the Game Boy classics, it fails to replicate their sense of ingenuity and warmth. It does what it does with a certain amount of cold-hearted precision, but it never revels in the bouncy joy of the old school platformers it pays lip service to.
Conclusion
A precise, challenging, laser-focused platformer that lacks the joyful sense of movement, ingenuity and sheer generosity of its inspiration. Awesome Pea might emulate the look and feel of the Game Boy classics, but it lacks their soul.
The Switch, when you really think about it, is a machine stuck between two extremes. On one side, it offers a thriving and healthy consumer base for physical games, with not a week seeming to pass without news of a new (and highly collectable) boxed edition of an existing digital release. However, on the other hand, the console is home to one of the industry’s most vibrant and well-stocked digital storefronts, populated with must-have downloads. In that regard, the Switch – and Nintendo itself – currently offers the best of both worlds, and that’s a situation that, for the time being at least, suits it just fine.
However, the market is changing. This week, we’ve heard reports that Microsoft is about to launch an Xbox One console which will be digital-only; codenamed ‘Maverick’, this new iteration will lack any kind of optical media drive and will be aimed at tempting players to subscribe to the company’s Xbox Game Pass service, which gives access to all of the company’s first-party games (as well as many third-party ones) for a flat monthly fee. While it’s not totally confirmed as yet, it’s a move that makes sense for a company like Microsoft, which – in the face of less-than-stellar results this hardware generation – is looking for ways to get its content on as many devices as possible. Part of that strategy will involve its much-hyped xCloud game streaming service, which – as has been hinted – could even make its way to Switch some day.
For now, though, Microsoft is clearly keen to reduce the base price of the Xbox One and get more people signed up to its Game Pass service, and this new machine hits both of those marks – and could build a consumer base for the xCloud platform when it launches in earnest. While Microsoft is in a totally different place to Nintendo right now (a fact that makes gossip about a possible collaboration between the firms all the more plausible), it got us thinking: could Nintendo perform a similar trick with its rumoured Switch Lite and ditch physical media?
The PSP Go removed physical media and flamed out. Would the same thing happen if Nintendo released a digital-only Switch?
On paper, it sounds absurd and is perhaps highly unlikely for a number of reasons. For one, Nintendo tends to lag a little behind the rest of the industry and has an arguably larger dependence on physical sales than its rivals. Switch owners love owning the games they buy in physical form (even if, in many cases, the entire game doesn’t exist on the game card, and the perks of physical ownership are now almost entirely limited to a plastic case with an inlay).
Sure, physical retail is on the wane, but Nintendo – which lacks a wide ‘Apple-style’ retail network – still relies on independent retailers to connect with millions of consumers. Going digital-only – even with a cut-down budget version of the console – would create ill-will; the exact same kind of ill-will that Microsoft generated when it first announced its Game Pass service, in fact. Things are pretty sweet for Nintendo right now, so there’s no need to rock the boat with such a risky move; Microsoft, on the other hand, has been playing catch-up for the entire hardware generation, and is, therefore, more likely to throw a curve-ball.
Conversely, there are many reasons why a digital-only Switch actually makes sense. If you’re anything like us, then the vast majority of the games you buy on your Switch will be digital. While that’s not the norm by any means – as we’ve just said, plenty of Switch owners love having physical copies – but there are many who use the eShop as their main retail channel. While the prices often aren’t as good, there are other upsides – you get the game without having to leave the house, and there’s no need to swap game cards when you want to load up a different title (and less chance of losing those tiny game cards, too). Granted, you don’t actually own the game you’re playing, but have instead purchased the licence to play it (a licence which, in time, will be removed when the Switch’s eShop is turned off many years in the future), but given that many physical games require additional content to be downloaded before they can be enjoyed fully, it’s not as obvious as saying “always buy physical” – certainly not in the modern games industry anyway, where install data dumps and regular patches are a common occurrence.
Do we really get that much for our money when it comes to physical games these days?
However, there is a precedent to this situation – the Sony PSP Go. Launched at the tail end of the PSP’s lifespan, this digital-only handheld was, in many respects, exactly what we’re describing here; it lacked the means to play UMD discs and was wholly reliant on Sony’s online store (which, it should be noted, has now closed, rendering the PSP Go pretty much redundant to anyone who doesn’t want to hack it). The machine was a dismal failure, with retailers rightly refusing to stock a system which didn’t allow them to make money on physical software purchases. Still, it’s worth noting that the market back in 2009 was very different to today; consumers are now more comfortable with downloading their games rather than buying them in physical form, and even retailers have embraced the digital future by selling download code vouchers in-store for select titles. There’s no reason, therefore, that a Switch Lite which lacks a game card slot couldn’t succeed in 2019.
But why would Nintendo want to create a console which effectively freezes out physical game sales? Cost is one major factor here; assuming the Switch Lite rumours are true, the company clearly sees reducing the barrier to entry for its system as a key priority if it wants to keep selling hardware and build that install base. With the 3DS now on its last legs and a legion of younger players ready to step up to Switch, a cheaper price point is essential. And, lest we forget, much of this younger generation will have been weaned on smart devices like phones and tablets which also lack physical media. In fact, many parents might actually find it preferable to buy a console which removes easily-lost and expensive cartridges, especially if they have absent-minded offspring. The smartphone and tablet market has already created this conception in some consumers that buying physical games is old-fashioned, so you could argue that the PSP Go was simply way ahead of its time; the industry, as a whole, should be a lot more receptive to a media-less portable games console today.
Ditching optical media makes sense for a struggling Microsoft, but can the same be said of a resurgent Nintendo?
We still don’t know exactly what form the next hardware iteration of Switch will take, but if Nintendo is serious about hitting that low end of the market and turning the console into a platform capable of shifting 100 million units during its lifespan, then it needs to reduce that price as quickly as possible. Switch hasn’t had an official price cut since launch, which is a remarkable achievement (remember the 3DS and the N64?), but it’s something that has to change; consoles traditionally become cheaper as they get older, and that goes hand-in-hand with accelerated sales and market share growth. Indeed, just like Microsoft’s disc-less Xbox One is set to tap a hitherto unexploited sector of the market, a low-price, digital-only Switch could potentially convince iPad-owning gamers that it’s time to upgrade to a portable platform which offers deeper, more immersive experiences than Candy Crush.
Will a scaled-down model remove the ability to load-up game cards, while perhaps bolstering the onboard memory to accommodate more downloads? Maybe Nintendo will follow Microsoft’s lead and use this new hardware push to expand its Nintendo Switch Online offering, giving us access to more retro games and perhaps even a free AAA release every month? Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what the future holds in terms of hardware, but even with Nintendo, you never know quite what to expect. We still can’t believe the Wii Mini exists, for example.
PQube has announced the release date and all available physical goodies for the upcoming Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa, a high school visual novel that serves as the publisher’s first original IP.
The game is set to launch in Europe on 31st May, with the North American release coming just days after on 4th June. All physical editions of the game are set to include a set of art cards and a collection of stickers featuring chibi versions of the main cast.
In addition to these extras, some selected retailers will also be giving away a keyring of the demon fox Mon-chan, a character who makes a pact with players at the beginning of the game and lets you wield the power of the titular Kotodama. A list of these specific stores hasn’t been shared at this time.
We’ll leave you with a quick description of the game included in a recent press release:
Welcome to Fujisawa Academy – an educational institution where nothing is as it seems and every pupil hides a secret. Having enrolled as a transfer student, everything feels pleasantly familiar. The pupils are friendly, the staff attentive. All the ingredients for a successful academic career. But you’re not here for a quiet life.
Having made a pact with Mon-chan, a sarcastic demon fox, you wield the power of Kotodama – a means of coercing the truth from those who seek to lie to you. It’s not a power to be used lightly. Tasked with infiltrating the secretive Fujisawa Academy it soon becomes apparent that uncovering the sinister goings-on behind the seemingly normal facade may give you more than you bargained for…
Are you interested in this one? Will you be keeping an eye out for a physical edition bundle nearer the time? Share your thoughts with us below.
Another day, another trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11. This time, three more characters have been confirmed to be playable.
The video, which you can check out for yourself above, focuses on the game’s story. There’s fantastical talk about a temporal crisis, the need for those from different eras to join forces, and mystical realms, but we also get a decent look at several characters which hadn’t previously been shown off.
Erron Black, Cassie Cage, and Jacqui Briggs, all of whom debuted in 2015’s Mortal Kombat X, are featured throughout the trailer and are now confirmed as being playable; we’re even treated to a quick glimpse of each of their gruesome fatalities. We also stumbled across the full fatality clips for Cassie and Kano via GameSpot below (needless to say, expect some incredibly gory footage).
Of course, all footage shown here will be running on a console with more power than the Switch, but it’ll be interesting to see how the portable version plays when it finally arrives next month.
Are you feeling hyped for this one? Let us know if you plan to grab a copy in the comments below.
