Category: Nintendo News

Panic Button’s name is one that has seemingly popped out of almost nowhere, suddenly grabbing the attention of gaming fans around the world thanks to a series of high quality, and rather surprising, Switch ports from the studio. We’ve already seen the likes of Rocket League, DOOM, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus arrive on the system, and last week saw the announcement of Warframe – yet another hugely ambitious project.

Will Panic Button show any signs of slowing down, then? Well, if word from the developer’s studio head is anything to go by – which it certainly is – then absolutely not. 

Replying to fan questions during an ‘ask me anything’ talk on Reddit yesterday, Adam Creighton of Panic Button said that there are “tons” of Switch projects in the works. It was a short and sweet response buried deep within a myriad of other questions, but the answer was, and still is, there for all to see.

Q: ThatWaluigiDude: After Warframe, any more projects for Switch?

A: acreight: Tons.

Of course, we already know that the studio is planning to work on some original projects, as well as the almost certain – and now pretty much expected – high profile ports of games from other studios, so it’s becoming increasingly harder to predict what we could see next.

Are there any franchises you’d like to see Panic Button port to Switch? Any genres you’d like the studio to take a stab at in an original game? Let us know your thoughts with a comment below.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a cutesy little puzzler that stars Super Mario 3D World‘s adventurous Captain Toad as he travels across a variety of teensy levels in search of treasure. That includes Gems, Extra Challenges, and Stars.

Some of this treasure is pretty tricky to find, and will give your brain a minor workout. You’ll have to solve puzzles, navigate a dangerous environment, and even use some good old lateral thinking if you want to collect it all.

Fortunately for you though, we’ve scoured the depths of every single level to bring you this complete walkthrough. Read on to learn the location of every single Gem, Gold Mushroom, and Pixel Toad in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Episode 2.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Chute Scoot Slopes Gems, Extra Challenge, And Pixel Toad Locations

Chute Scoot Slopes – First Gem

Climb up the ladder and move the spinwheel anti-clockwise until the slide is all the way to the left. Tilt the camera 180 degrees and you should see the gem beneath the spinwheel platform. Drop down and grab it.

Chute Scoot Slopes – Second Gem

Spin the slide right until it creates a slope down to the platform with a blue shy guy on it. Slide down and then spin the second slide into the same position as the first. Slide down and get the second gem on your way down.

Chute Scoot Slopes – Third Gem

Grab the third gem by moving to the left side of the slide that leads to the end of the level.

Chute Scoot Slopes – Extra Challenge: Gold Mushroom

Getting the Gold Mushroom requires a pretty scary leap of faith. Reach the final spinwheel and climb down the ladder just next to it. Position your camera so you can see below and you should see the Gold Mushroom far below you. Fall off the wooden platform onto it to collect it.

Chute Scoot Slopes – Pixel Toad

Position the first spinwheel so you can slide down the slop to the second spinwheel. Move the slide out of the way to find Pixel Toad hiding beneath.

To make this guide easier to navigate, we’ve broken each level up into pages. So to zoom quickly to the level you’re looking for, simply head to the page number that matches the level number.

Continue to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Stumper Sneakaround Gems, Extra Challenge, And Pixel Toad Locations.

Another brand new trailer has arrived for Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, this time revealing that fan-favourite antagonists Jessie and James will appear in the game.

Yesterday we shared a video that showed off an utterly gorgeous new rendition of the Kanto region map, alongside other features such as hairstyles and costumes, but this new video might just top that. As you can see, new gameplay elements are shown including epic showdowns with legendary Pokémon Zapdos and Moltres, and – if you make sure not to blink – you’ll spot Team Rocket’s Jessie and James preparing for a battle.

This might not come as too much of a surprise considering the game is primarily based around Pokémon Yellow – which also featured the iconic duo as a nod to the anime series – but it’s very nice indeed to have their appearance confirmed.

We don’t know about you, but this trend of uplifting music and people having the time of their lives in these trailers is making us scarily giddy about the games’ upcoming release. Are you looking forward to the new titles when they arrive this November? Let us know down below.

1994 was the year that 3D gaming truly came of age in the console arena. While both Nintendo and Sega had dabbled in the three-dimensional realm prior to this – with titles such as Star Fox and Virtua Racing – ’94 marked the point where real-time 3D visuals were the expected norm, rather than a technical outlier; the ill-fated 3DO and Atari Jaguar had attempted to spearhead this graphical revolution a year earlier, but it would be the release of the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn which would truly hammer home the fact that 3D was the future, and the old-fashioned 16-bit consoles were on the way out.

This paradigm shift left a lot of developers in a quandary about which projects they should be putting into production; many were burnt badly by the advent of CD-ROM, with millions of dollars being thrown at expensive FMV titles which proved to be a costly distraction rather than the future of interactive entertainment. One such firm stuck at these crossroads was UK-based Elite Systems, which – back in 1994 – had a decade of experience behind it and was therefore considered something of a veteran. In fact, during the ’80s it was seen as one of the biggest publishers in the country, alongside the likes of Ocean and US Gold, and between them this trio dominated the ‘Software House Of The Year’ category of the annual Golden Joysticks Awards.

The amazing success Elite had achieved on home computers like the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum wasn’t replicated quite as well on 16-bit platforms such as the Amiga and Atari ST, but a move into publishing for consoles had thrown up some commercial good fortune; Elite published games such as Dragon’s Lair and Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja on the NES, SNES and Game Boy. It was clear that home computers were losing ground to dedicated gaming systems and by 1994, Elite was throwing its full weight behind console development.

Around this time, news broke that Elite was working on two new titles for the SNES, both of which would utilise the second generation of Nintendo’s Super FX hardware. Super FX, in case you’re unaware, was a chip designed by UK company Argonaut which could be inserted inside cartridges and bestow the SNES with remarkable 3D capabilities. Star Fox was the first indication of what this tiny piece of silicon was capable of, but Stunt Race FX soon followed and gave a tantalising glimpse of how the tech could be used to create an immersive 3D racing game.

The decision was made to begin work on the SNES, with the Super FX-powered GSU-1A chip being the target hardware. Elite – alongside its internal development team MotiveTime, which had been founded at the end of the ’80s – drew up plans for two racing games that would cater for two different sets of fans; PowerSlide would focus on providing a realistic racing experience while Dirt Racer would provide Sega Rally-style off-road arcade action. “PowerSlide and Dirt Racer were independently developed by two loosely connected in-house teams,” Elite Systems director and co-founder Steve Wilcox tells us. “Development of the former was led by Rick Frankish – who has been a Senior Programmer at Rockstar Leeds for the last dozen years – while the latter was led by Chris Nash. PowerSlide was intended to be an authentic, track-based simulation whilst Dirt Racer was intended to be an off-road romp with benefits, those benefits including real-world vehicle dynamics.”

The Super FX hardware was instrumental in achieving Elite and MotiveTime’s vision for the two games. “Nintendo’s Super FX hardware created an exciting opportunity to work on fully 3D console games in the days – and indeed years – before the original PlayStation made doing such things routine,” explains Wilcox. PowerSlide was perhaps the most high-profile of the pair, and received a considerable amount of hype at the time of development – much of which was, given the ambitious scope of the project, justified. “One of the key technical goals for PowerSlide was to implement rigid-body dynamics in a driving simulation for a games console,” continues Wilcox. “By doing this we aimed not only to replicate the ‘look’ but also to mimic the ‘feel’ of driving performance vehicles.”

Speaking to EDGE magazine in April 1994, PowerSlide lead programmer Rick Frankish lamented the fact that so few racing titles at the time took the simulation side of things seriously enough. “Just about every car simulation I’ve seen, perhaps with the exception of Formula 1, hasn’t simulated driving a car. Apart from the realistic engine noise, most games have completely fudged the way the cars actually move. In PowerSlide we’re using real simulation technology to make the cars drive well and feel right. But for all this, the game won’t be boring; it’s going to be action-packed and realistic.”

Such was Elite and MotiveTime’s desire to create a truly authentic experience, a specialist in car simulation was commissioned to visit the studio and provide valuable feedback. Torquil Ross-Martin from the University of Bath was that man and was well suited to the job thanks to his work in the automotive industry. Ross-Martin’s work included considering the way in which a car’s tyres reacted to different surfaces, such as tarmac and grass. Whereas most racing games simply slowed your car down if it drove onto mud, grass or anything that wasn’t a solid road surface, Motivetime’s aim was to create a realistic situation where, when one tyre touched a different surface, the car would react accordingly, with the vehicle being thrown into a skid even if a single wheel touched, say, a frozen surface.

Thanks to the power of the GSU-1A Super FX chip – which ran at 21MHz, twice the clock speed of the original MARIO CHIP 1 variant inside Star Fox – PowerSlide included a split-screen two-player mode; this naturally placed additional strain on the hardware as it was having to render everything twice, but concessions were made to ensure smooth performance. Another revelation mooted in the EDGE interview was a possible connection with a leading automobile manufacturer, with the aim being to include ‘real world’ cars in the finished game.

PowerSlide was, on paper at least, shaping up to be quite the racing game; a Gran Turismo for the SNES before Gran Turismo even existed, if you will. However, it never saw the light of day. “Development of PowerSlide ceased when it was perhaps 70 percent complete, because the cost of the cartridges on which it was to be manufactured and sold had become such that they made it uneconomic to release,” says Wilcox. The proposed PC and 3DO versions – which were being handled by Maelstrom Games and featured full texture-mapping – were also canned before launch, although a playable edition was released not so long ago.

While the game may not have made it to market, its legacy can be found in the other racing titles released by Elite over the years, such as Test Drive: Off Road (PC and PlayStation), Ford Racing (PC, PlayStation and a Sega arcade unit) and Grand Touring (PC and PlayStation). PowerSlide’s sibling fared better and actually made it to market. “Development of Dirt Racer was completed and it received a limited, albeit Europe-only, commercial release,” continues Wilcox. Launched in 1995, Dirt Racer looked rather less impressive than initial shots had suggested in 1994, and was on the receiving end of some particularly scathing reviews. Wilcox admits that the reception wasn’t as positive as was expected, and he shoulders some of the blame. “Had it included ‘driver aids’ at the time of its initial release – the fact that it didn’t was, ultimately, my error – it would surely have ranked as one of Elite’s most accomplished releases.”

You might assume that PowerSlide’s story ends there; a bold attempt to bring realistic racing to console owners that was scuppered by the harsh commercial realities of the ’90s cartridge-based console market. However, Elite Systems – which continues to operate today and has most recently been involved with the Recreated ZX Spectrum project – is currently investigating the possibility of releasing PowerSlide on a physical SNES cartridge. “There’s a binary of the Super Famicom version of PowerSlide on the laptop from which I’m writing to you,” reveals Wilcox. “We’ve been talking with the usual suspects for a couple of years about completing and releasing PowerSlide for Nintendo’s Super FX hardware. More recently still, we’ve committed some resources and we’re now going to make that happen.”

And the much-maligned Dirt Racer? “We’re looking at adding those ‘driver aids’, as the game was technically and aesthetically awesome but controlling the vehicles was considered, by some, to have been too challenging. We’d then release the enhanced game globally. As you know there’s a significant scene associated with the release of previously unfinished or unreleased games. Limited-edition releases on physical media are particularly sought-after and so that would be our goal for these titles.” Indeed, the SNES has enjoyed a flood of ‘new’ games in recent years, such as Nightmare Busters, Unholy Night and the forthcoming R-Type Returns.

As for how Elite proposes to manufacture a game which uses a chip which is no longer in active production, Wilcox admits that the project is still very much at the planning stage and that potential solutions – such as ‘System-on-a-Chip’ hardware emulation or an FPGA option – will be considered at a later date. “It’s too early to answer that question,” he says. “As producers it’s our job to facilitate the process, not to decide how it’s done. We’ll take our development and manufacturing partners’ advice on that. That said, we’d be pleasantly surprised if sourcing the original Super FX chip presented itself as an option.”

Wilcox says that crowdfunding – which Elite used to put the Recreated ZX Spectrum into production – is also a potential option, but the company is open to taking other routes when it comes to getting these games to market. “Some of the discussions we’ve had have been on the basis that a third-party develops and manufactures under licence from us. Others have been on the basis that we commission both the development and the manufacture. In the former case, it’s not unreasonable to expect any licensee might wish to explore crowdfunding. In the latter case, we’d most likely simply publish the game – or games – ourselves.” However this is achieved, it will be fascinating to see how PowerSlide shapes up against racers in 2018. While its ambitious pursuit of realism might seem less noteworthy in the age of Forza and Project Cars, it looked set to push Nintendo’s 16-bit hardware to its very limit over two decades ago – and should make for an interesting history lesson – and collector’s item – should Elite prove successful in resurrecting it after all this time.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a cutesy little puzzler that stars Super Mario 3D World‘s adventurous Captain Toad as he travels across a variety of teensy levels in search of treasure. That includes Gems, Extra Challenges, and Stars.

Some of this treasure is pretty tricky to find, and will give your brain a minor workout. You’ll have to solve puzzles, navigate a dangerous environment, and even use some good old lateral thinking if you want to collect it all.

Fortunately for you though, we’ve scoured the depths of every single level to bring you this complete walkthrough. Read on to learn the location of every single Gem, Gold Mushroom, and Pixel Toad in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Episode 1.

To make this guide easier to navigate, we’ve broken each level up into pages. So to zoom quickly to the level you’re looking for, simply head to the page number that matches the level number.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Plucky Pass Beginnings Gems, Extra Challenge, And Pixel Toad Locations

Plucky Pass Beginnings – First Gem

Head round the first bend and turn the camera 90 degrees anti-clockwise to find a small ramp leading to the first gem.

Plucky Pass Beginnings – Second Gem

Climb up the ladder just to the right of the first gem and pull up one of the flowers at the top. Throw it at the Pow block to break the bricks, revealing the second gem.

Plucky Pass Beginnings – Third Gem

Visit the blue toad on top of the platform above the first gem and he’ll give you the third gem as a reward.

Plucky Pass Beginnings – Extra Challenge: Gold Mushroom

Climb the ladder just to the left of the star and pull up the plant on your right to get a pickaxe. Drop back down and break a block just beneath you to get the golden mushroom.

Plucky Pass Beginnings – Pixel Toad

Pixel Toad can be found on the wall just to the right of the golden mushroom.

To make this guide easier to navigate, we’ve broken each level up into pages. So to zoom quickly to the level you’re looking for, simply head to the page number that matches the level number.

Continue to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Walleye Tumble Temple Gems, Extra Challenge, And Pixel Toad Locations.

We’re almost halfway into July, so that means more summertime games to keep your entertained on Nintendo Switch, 3DS, Wii U and mobile. Since it’s Thursday, expect plenty of new games, DLC updates and discounts on the eShops in your region – there’s bound to be something down below that’ll wet your gaming appetite. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll, and a comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch eShop – New Releases

Octopath Traveler (Nintendo, €59.99 / £49.99) – Begin your journey as one of eight protagonists, each with their own origin, talents, and goals. Where will your journey begin? Who will you team up with? And where will you go next? All these decisions and more are completely up to you, the player. – Read our Octopath Traveler review

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo, €39.99 / £34.99) – Explore a variety of tricky sandbox-style levels inspired by Japanese box gardens called Hakoniwa in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. You can rotate the camera and touch the screen for a better view of hidden treasures! – Read our Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review

Another World (DotEmu, €9.99 / £8.99) – Dive into an adventure game that has become a cult classic. With ground-breaking graphics and narrative for its time, Another World still offers a superb gaming experience in a deep and unique science-fiction universe. – Read our Another World review

Pato Box (Bromio, €14.99 / £13.49) – Test your reflexes as you fight your way through an evil corporation in search for retribution. Uncover their deepest secrets by exploring thrilling 3d environments with a graphic novel/comic book art style. Find the henchmen who took your dream away in an action-packed and fast-paced fights that will test you to the limit as a true boxing champion! – Read our Pato Box review

Hunting Simulator (Bigben Interactive, €39.99 / £35.99) – A true simulation of hunting, Hunting Simulator offers players hours and hours of immersion in the open wild with single and multiplayer modes, a multitude of hunting areas, and hundreds of objectives to accomplish.

Shining Resonance Refrain (SEGA, €49.99 / £44.99) – Play as Yuma Ilvern and stop the Empire from exploiting the power of the ancient dragons, including the soul of the Shining Dragon within you. With the help of your friends, realize your destiny, save Astoria, and unleash the strength you’ve always had locked away. – Read our Shining Resonance Refrain review

20XX (Batterystaple Games, €14.49 / £12.99) – 20XX is a roguelike action platformer that you can play with a friend. Jump and shoot your way through ever-changing levels, collect awesome new powers, and battle mighty bosses in the name of saving the human race maybe! – Read our 20XX review

Bomber Crew (Curve Digital, €11.99 / £9.59) – Bomber Crew is a World-war 2 strategic bombing sim, where completing the objective is just as important as keeping your crew alive, as death is permanent! – Read our Bomber Crew review

Bomber Crew Deluxe Edition (Curve Digital, €19.99 / £15.99) – Bomber Crew is a World-war 2 strategic bombing sim, where completing the objective is just as important as keeping your crew alive, as death is permanent! Bomber Crew Deluxe Edition includes: Bomber Crew Bomber Crew Season Pass

Muddledash (Pqube, €4.99 / £4.79) – Squidge up to four players on your couch for competitive fun (party hats are mandatory!) Join your friends on a mad-as-a-squid race to the most bopping octopus party of the year and wrestle the only present out of their wriggly tentacles. Be the first to present it at the octo-party to win!

Neverout (Gamedust, €7.49 / £6.99) – Neverout is a mysterious puzzle game for Nintendo Switch. It puts you in a small, claustrophobic room that only has one way out and its unique mechanics let every wall become the floor. Watch out for something heavy, getting electrocuted or giant spikes.

The Lion’s Song (Mi’pu’mi Games, €9.99 / £9.99) – “The Lion’s Song” is a narrative adventure game. It is steeped in early 20th century history and focuses on a cast of Austrian artists and scientists with each episode taking a closer look at their intimate struggles with creativity and inspiration. – Read our The Lion’s Song review

ACA NEO GEO THE SUPER SPY (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “THE SUPER SPY” is an action game released by SNK in 1990. Punch, kick, and use guns to fight off terrorists as you make your way through the building to rescue their captives. Defeating enemies earns experience, which can be used in a Role Playing Game-like feature to level up.

Bomb Chicken (Nitrome, €13.49 / £11.99) – Who doesn’t love chicken… especially when it’s smothered in delicious blue hot sauce? After a freak accident, a seemingly ordinary chicken becomes a bomb laying free range hero. Explore the versatile mechanic of laying bombs in this explosive exploration platformer. – Read our Bomb Chicken review

Burnstar (Gearbox Publishing, €24.99 / £22.49) – Burnstar is a challenging, fast paced action-puzzle game that will get your brain blistering and set your fingers aflame!

Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure (Lightwood Games, €7.99 / £6.99) – Create beautiful pixel art as you reveal 120 amazing photographs from Phil’s epic trip around the world! Fill-a-Pix is a new picture logic puzzle from the makers of Pic-a-Pix Deluxe, but with huge, scrollable puzzles up to 100 squares wide, you’ll reveal pictures much larger and more detailed than ever before!

Ghost 1.0 (unepic fran, €9.99 / £8.99) – “Ghost” is a metroidvania where two super hackers hire a mysterious agent in order to infiltrate the Nakamura Space Station and steal the greatest electronic secret ever.

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! (Rising Star Games, €14.99 / £12.99) – As a true chip off the old spud, take charge of your dad’s weapon shop and turn it into the place to be for hard-boiled adventurers. The better your weapons, the better your reputation becomes… keep it up and soon enough, you’ll have a shop that really creams the competition!

RADIO HAMMER STATION (Arcsystemworks, €6.99 / £6.99) – A popular radio station spreading its love of groove with some the best DJs in the world. Providing tunes to groove to throughout the day. Its true purpose is to serve as the radio station of justice, beating evil down with a ginormous hammer!

Red Hot Ricochet (Everook , €8.59 / £7.69) – It’s high noon in this barren wasteland, and only one of you is making it out alive. Sure, you could try and shoot them right between the eyes – but where’s the fun in that? Red Hot Ricochet is an intense game of ricochet duels, and you’ll need wise shooting, lucky bounces, and a bit of triggernometry to win.

Super Volley Blast (Unfinished Pixel, €9.99 / £8.99) – Super Volley Blast is an over the top beach volley game that provides plenty of fun for you and your friends.

GALAK-Z: Variant S (GUNGHOONLINE, €0.00 / £0.00) – GALAK-Z: Variant S is a brand new, one-of-a-kind, space-shooting action-RPG that is specially crafted to take advantage of all of the unique features of the Nintendo Switch.

All-Star Fruit Racing (PQube , €39.99 / £34.99) – All-Star Fruit Racing propels players into vibrant worlds filled with incredible action: drift through looping bends, soar over monumental jumps and defy gravity itself around tubular tracks in an explosively colourful racer bursting with championships, modes and awe-inspiring sights! – Read our All-Star Fruit Racing review

Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard (Outright Games, €39.99 / £34.99) – Dracula, Mavis and their monster friends are marooned on the mysterious Lost Islands – and only you, in command of lovable little creatures, the Impa, can save them!

LEGO The Incredibles (WB Games, €59.99 / £49.99 / CHF -) – Experience the thrilling adventures of the Parr family as they conquer crime and family life through both Disney-Pixar films The Incredibles and Incredibles 2, in a LEGO® world full of fun and humour. – Read our LEGO The Incredibles review

Darts Up (Enjoy Up Games, €2.99 / £2.69) – Darts Up is a fun game of darts in which you will have complete control over aiming thanks to the motion sensor. You can play with your friends and family, up to a maximum of 4 Players.

Epic Loon (Ukuza, €12.49 / £11.29) – Thanks to a greedy shop owner and an analog cinephile named Joe, mischievous creatures were free once more. They will make Joe pay for disturbing their slumber. Become the alien. Invade Joe’s prized film collection. Dodge his remote-controlled attacks as you destroy what he most cherishes.

No Heroes Here (Studio Zyx, €14.99 / £13.99) – The enemy hordes have struck with terror and chaos. The King’s broken army and fallen heroes cannot protect you from harm. It is up to you to protect the realm and restore Noobland to glory!

Super Destronaut DX (Ratalaika Games, €4.24 / £4.24) – Inspired by an arcade classic, Super Destronaut DX is a retro space shooter that pits you against an enemy more dreaded than a UFO, a scoreboard. This is a game that will put you on the path of achieving a score as high as you can possibly muster.

Ultra Space Battle Brawl (Toge Productions, Free) – Imagine Pong mixed with the essence of fighting games, on steroids. Easy to learn yet hard to master, Ultra Space Battle Brawl is a fun competitive game fit for settling disputes, be it with your friends and family or rivals and arch nemesis.

3DS eShop – New Releases

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo, €39.99 / £34.99) – Explore a variety of tricky sandbox-style levels inspired by Japanese box gardens called Hakoniwa in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker! With 3D visuals and Touch Screen controls, it feels like there’s a box garden right in your hands! – Read our Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review

Switch eShop – Pre-Orders

Dead Cells (Motion Twin, €19.99 / £17.99, pre-order from 10/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 06/08/2018, 23:59 local time. Dead Cells puts you in control of a failed alchemic experiment trying to figure out what’s happening on a sprawling, ever-changing and seemingly cursed Island. A demanding, visceral and cathartic action game.

Hand of Fate 2 (Defiant Development, €23.21 / £20.34until 24/07/2018 23:59 local timeRegular price €25.79 / £22.6, pre-order from 10/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 24/07/2018 23:59 local time. Hand of Fate 2 is a dungeon crawler set in a world of dark fantasy. Master a living boardgame where every stage of the adventure is drawn from a deck of legendary encounters chosen by you! Choose wisely – your opponent, the enigmatic Dealer, will pull no punches as he shapes you into the instrument of his revenge.

VSR: Void Space Racing (SONKA, €9.99 / £8.99, pre-order from 10/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 06/08/2018, 23:59 local time Game description: If you’re looking for your generic futuristic racer, look for it elsewhere – this game is not for the faint of heart! Impactful and challenging, VSR: Void Space Racing gives you the opportunity to fly through vast and diverse locations in outer space and prove yourself worthy of the first place!

Banner Saga 3 (Versus Evil, €14.99 / £13.49, pre-order from 12/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 26/07/2018, 00:59 CEST. Banner Saga 3 is the final dramatic chapter in the mature, story driven Viking RPG. As the world continues to crumble around you, who can you trust, how will you protect your allies and what choices will you make as the Darkness draws near?

Lost Phones Stories (Plug In Digital, €3.99 / £3.59, pre-order from 19/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 19/07/2018, 14:59 CEST Game description: The Lost Phone games are about exploring the intimacy of an unknown person whose phone you’ve found. Experience relatable stories which help build empathy with the characters, allowing to explore difficult topics and social issues.

Star Story: The Horizon Escape (Forever Entertainment, €8.99 / £8.09, pre-order from 12/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 19/07/2018, 14:59 local time. Star Story: The Horizon Escape is a turn-based, adventure game with text-rpg elements. Tune into the story of the aspiring space-archaeologist Van Klik on his mission to the mysterious planet of Horizon!

The VideoKid (Chorus Worldwide Games, €4.39 / £3.99, pre-order from 12/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 29/08/2018, 23:59 CEST. The VideoKid pays homage to the 1980s, and the classic videogames of that era. Harking back to a simpler time of pure gameplay, take control of The VideoKid as he hurls videos through the mailboxes, or windows, of his customers to earn cash.

Spheroids (Eclipse Games, €7.99 / £6.99, pre-order from 13/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 27/07/2018 14:59 CEST. In Spheroids you take control of Lucas, a jumpy Canadian boy who sets out on an adventure with his crazy scientist companion Otto after it’s discovered that the government has been hiding alternative universes from the cubic world they live in. Unfortunately, these alternative universes contain spheres that wish to turn everything round, so it’s up to Lucas to save the world from these dangerous aliens: the Spheroids.

Switch eShop – Special Offers

Game Title	Price	Saving	Until	Original Price
Cast of the Seven Godsends (Merge Games)	€3.24 / £2.49	-75%	Mon 23rd Jul	€12.99 / £9.99
Energy Balance (Sometimes You)	€2.09 / £1.88	-30%	Mon 16th Jul	€2.99 / £2.69
Energy Cycle (EvgeniyKolpakov)	€2.09 / £1.88	-30%	Mon 16th Jul	€2.99 / £2.69
Energy Invasion (EvgeniyKolpakov)	€2.09 / £1.88	-30%	Mon 16th Jul	€2.99 / £2.69
InkSplosion (Ratalaika Games)	€3.99 / £3.99	-20%	Sun 22nd Jul	€4.99 / £4.99
Slime-san (Fabraz)	€5.99 / £5.00	-50%	Tue 24th Jul	€11.99 / £10.00
Agatha Knife (Mango Protocol)	€9.59 / £7.67	-20%	Mon 23rd Jul	€11.99 / £9.59
Beekyr Reloaded (Akaoni Studio)	€6.99 / £5.59	-30%	Thu 16th Aug	€9.99 / £7.99
Bouncy Bob (SONKA)	€0.99 / £0.89	-80%	Wed 1st Aug	€4.99 / £4.49
Plague Road (Arcade Distillery)	€0.99 / £0.94	-92%	Thu 2nd Aug	€12.5 / £11.99
Super Toy Cars (Eclipse Games)	€6.99 / £6.29	-30%	Sun 22nd Jul	€9.99 / £8.99
The Way Remastered (SONKA )	€10.49 / £9.44	-30%	Wed 1st Aug	€14.99 / £13.49
Vostok Inc. (Wired Productions)	€11.99 / £10.39	-20%	Thu 26th Jul	€14.99 / £12.99
Zotrix: Solar Division (Ocean)	€12.74 / £11.46	-15%	Thu 26th Jul	€14.99 / £13.49
ATOMINE (MixedBag )	€6.99 / £6.29	-30%	Sun 22nd Jul	€9.99 / £8.99
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft)	€39.99 / £29.99Previously €59.99 / £49.99	–
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – Gold Edition (Ubisoft)	€59.99 / £49.99Previously €74.99 / £61.99	–
A Normal Lost Phone (Plug In Digital)	€3.99 / £3.59 for owners of Lost Phone StoriesRegular price €5.99 / £5.49	–
Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story (Plug In Digital)	€3.99 / £3.59 for owners of Lost Phone StoriesRegular price €5.99 / £5.49	–
Star Story: The Horizon Escape (Forever Entertainment)	€4.99 / £4.49 for owners of Sparkle ZERO or Sparkle 2 EVO or Sparkle 3 Genesis or Hollow or Qbik or Frederic: Resurrection of Music or Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back or Violett or Millie or Zombillie or NO THING or Timberman VSRegular price€9.99 / £8.99	–

New 3DS eShop – Special Offers

Game Title	Price	Saving	Until	Original Price
Double Breakout (nuGAME)	€4.90 / £4.20	-30%	Thu 9th Aug	€7.00 / £6.00
Pinball Breakout (nuGAME)	€4.90 / £4.20	-30%	Thu 9th Aug	€7.00 / £6.00
RTO (nuGAME)	€7.19 / £6.39	-20%	Thu 9th Aug	€8.99 / £7.99
RTO 2 (nuGAME)	€7.99 / £7.19	-20%	Thu 9th Aug	€9.99 / £8.99
Triple Breakout (nuGAME)	€3.49 / £3.49	-30%	Thu 9th Aug	€4.99 / £4.99

3DS eShop – Special Offers

Game Title	Price	Saving	Until	Original Price
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (Deep Silver)	€19.99 / £17.49	-50%	Mon 23rd Jul	€39.99 / £34.99
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux (Deep Silver)	€27.99 / £24.49	-30%	Mon 23rd Jul	€39.99 / £34.99
Brave Dungeon (INSIDE SYSTEM)	€3.49 / £3.14	-30%	Thu 26th Jul	€4.99 / £4.49
Cursed Castilla (Abylight)	€8.99 / £8.84	-25%	Thu 26th Jul	€11.99 / £11.79
Frontier Days Founding Pioneers (CIRCLE Ent.)	€4.49 / £4.29	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€5.99 / £5.79
Rainbow Snake (RandomSpin)	€0.69 / £0.62	-30%	Thu 26th Jul	€0.99 / £0.89
Rytmik Ultimate (Cinemax)	€8.99 / £7.99	-50%	Thu 9th Aug	€17.99 / £15.99
The Keep (Cinemax)	€4.99 / £4.49	-50%	Thu 9th Aug	€9.99 / £8.99
The Legend of Dark Witch – Chronicle 2D ACT (CIRCLE Ent.)	€2.99 / £2.99	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€3.99 / £3.99
TOUCH BATTLE TANK – TAG COMBAT – (CIRCLE Ent.)	€2.99 / £2.99	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€3.99 / £3.99
Witch & Hero (CIRCLE Ent.)	€2.99 / £2.99	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€3.99 / £3.99
Witch & Hero 2 (CIRCLE Ent.)	€2.99 / £2.39	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€3.99 / £3.19
Witch & Hero 3 (CIRCLE Ent.)	€2.99 / £2.69	-25%	Thu 2nd Aug	€3.99 / £3.59

Wii U eShop – Special Offers

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch

• Bomber Crew Season Pass (Curve Digital) – €9.99 / £7.99
• Bomber Crew – Secret Weapons (Curve Digital) – €5.99 / £4.99
• Shining Resonance Refrain Japanese Voice Pack (SEGA) – €0.00 / £0.00
• Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure – Phil’s USA Road Trip (Lightwood Games) – €3.99 / £3.49
• Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition DLC 3 – Special Side-Stories (Rising Star Games) – €5.99 / £5.99
• WorldNeverland – Antique Furnishings Set (althi) – €2.99 / £2.69
• GALAK-Z: Variant S:12 Crash Coins (GUNGHOONLINE) – €1.09 / £0.99
• GALAK-Z: Variant S:70 Crash Coins (GUNGHOONLINE) – €5.49 / £4.99
• GALAK-Z: Variant S:164 Crash Coins (GUNGHOONLINE) – €10.99 / £10.90
• GALAK-Z: Variant S:370 Crash Coins (GUNGHOONLINE) – €21.99 / £19.99
• GALAK-Z: Variant S:1000 Crash Coins (GUNGHOONLINE) – €54.99 / £48.99

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