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Super Destronaut DX Brings Some Classic Arcade Action To Nintendo Switch

Developer Petite Games is bringing the Space Invaders-esque retro shooter Super Destronaut DX to Nintendo Switch, adding a new and colourful skin to an arcade classic. The new version boasts 30 different challenges to complete; three modes in the form of Classic Mode, Time Attack & Hardcore; two-player multiplayer; various weapon types; online leaderboards and voice over narration by Barry Dunne. SuperDestronaut DX head to the Nintendo Switch eShop on 13th July 2018. 

What do you make of this souped-up version of Super Destronaut? One to add to your collection? Share your thoughts below…

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Review: Miles & Kilo (Switch eShop)

Hot on the heels of the charming retro platform antics of Kid Tripp, developer Four Horses new game hopes that lightning strikes twice among 8-bit-loving Switch aficionados. But can Miles & Kilo really stand on their six legs?

Flying a plane trough rough weather is always a perilous proposition, but doing so over a haunted archipelago is probably even more ill-advised. That hasn’t stopped Miles and Kilo from attempting to do so, almost immediately falling prey to a rogue specter named Ripple that forces their plane to crash and steals all the parts for good measure. Stranded and without a better plan, Miles decides to try to recover all the parts to make the plane airworthy again. It also happens to be a great excuse to begin a 36-level-long, island-themed platforming adventure.

Despite the titular duo, the game remains a single-player only affair. It is also worth mentioning that Kilo is a dog, in case you find it strange further ahead on the review why we hold him by a leash. A major departure from Kid Tripp is the ability to play with ‘autorun’. You can turn this function off, making the game play much more like a regular platformer. This also makes the game easier since you can properly take your time to accurately make those pixel perfect jumps needed to clear most levels. But if you enjoy the extra challenge, turning the feature on makes Miles constantly run towards the left, ensuring that you need some extra levels of skill to reach the safety of each level’s finish line.

Controls are very simple and satisfyingly precise. The classic two-button setup is in effect here with a regular jump and attack/action combo. The more you hold jump, the higher you go. Miles attacks with fruit, but he can only hold up to five at a time. Interestingly, having them all is one of the few factors that are accounted for when your assigned rank after clearing each level (other factors include lives spent, time and number of collected coins). Kilo obviously can’t throw fruit and instead has a homing attack that locks on and allows it to lunge at enemies, covering more space and making it able to reach platforms that would be otherwise unreachable. Tight controls and smart level design make playing this an absolute delight.

Take a screenshot anytime in the game, chop it up to a 4:3 image ratio and you could easily fool people into thinking it was a Sega Master System or PC Engine video game. Despite being slightly more detailed than Kidd Tripp, the graphics remain rooted to 8-bit pixelated and primary colour beauty while chiptune music and sound effects round up the whole nostalgia effect nicely. And when your adventure comes to an end, there is still quite a lot to do if you’re a perfectionist and attempt to clear every level with an ‘S’ ranking. You will find a few difficulty spikes at some points along the adventure, but nothing as punishingly hard as something found in Celeste.

Conclusion

Miles & Kilo is another faux retro platforming romp landing on the Switch that adds yet another valuable choice for players looking to get their fix of the genre. It manages to be an equal parts casual and hardcore platform experience while incrementing on the already abundant charming appeal of the previous game with excellent humour.

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Fresh Details Are Shared For Futuristic Racer GRIP’s ‘Carkour’ Mode

Wired Productions has shared some more details for its upcoming futuristic racer GRIP, including a shiny new trailer which can be seen above.

Releasing in “fall 2018”, GRIP will feature, among other modes that have already been explored, nineteen challenging ‘Carkour’ maps in which players are tasked with mastering a series of increasingly mind-bending stunt courses. Eighteen of these maps are point-to-point, culminating in a final, open map which houses a playground of jumps, twists and turns, and is packed full of collectables.

This mode will feature challenges suitable to all skill levels, with Easy, Normal, and Hard options available, and aims to act as the perfect getaway for those looking to concentrate on fine-tuning their timing, speed, and spatial awareness before heading back into the main campaign or multiplayer options.

If you’re left wanting more of GRIP, make sure to check out the Switch announcement trailer that was shared last month for more info and juicy gameplay footage.

Are you feeling pumped for this one? Let us know if you’ll be grabbing a copy of GRIP when it launches later this year in the comments.

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Guide: Hollow Knight 100% Completion Walkthrough

Getting 100% completion in Hollow Knight is a momentous achievement. This is a massive Dark Souls-like adventure with a ton of collectibles to find, bosses to beat, and abilities to unearth. It’s also really, really hard in places.

That difficulty stems from both the wide variety of bosses you have to conquer, and how well hidden some of the secret areas are. There are also items you can only get if you’re really paying attention, and perform specific actions at specific times.

In this guide, we’re going to help you complete Hollow Knight 100% by breaking down exactly what contributes to that grand total and then helping you find and do everything.

Hollow Knight – Masks, Soul Vessels, Spells, Abilities, Nail Upgrades & Arts – 36%

Unlocking Masks, Soul Vessels, Spells, Abilities, Nail Upgrades and Arts make up a whopping 36% of your total completion rating in Hollow Knight. Follow the links below to help you find everything.

Hollow Knight – Bosses & Charms – 64%

Bosses & Charms make up the remaining 64%, bringing your total completion percentage to 100.

How are you getting on with Hollow Knight? Has this helped you get closer to 100% completion? Anything else we can help you with? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Nintendo Download: 5th July (Europe)

It’s Thursday, so you know what that means – it’s time foe the weekly Nintendo Download update. This week’s haul brings all manner of new digital delights to an eShop near you, so there’s bound to be something that’ll catch your eye. Drop a vote in our poll if it applies, and a comment or two with your potential purchases. Enjoy!

Switch eShop – New Releases

Runbow (Headup Games, €14.99 / £11.99) – With tons of competitive modes for up to nine players online and eight players locally and a massive Single Player Adventure, Runbow is the crazy, colour-based platformer you’ve been waiting for. The world of Runbow changes with each swipe of the background, so you’ll have to stay on your toes as platforms and obstacles disappear – If you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. – Read our Runbow review

Pocket Rumble (Chucklefish, €9.99 / £6.99) – Pocket Rumble retains all the gameplay elements that make traditional fighting games great, but reduces the level of execution and memorization necessary to the bare minimum. That way experienced players can learn the game fast and be able to focus on deeper elements of strategy and mindgames, new players can learn the ins and outs of fighting games without being overwhelmed, and everyone can get their skills to a competitive level without too much grinding alone in training mode.

SpiritSphere DX (Fabraz, €10.00 / £9.00) – One part tennis, other part magical beat down! Play solo or compete with friends by battling across fantastical realms and unleash the power of the Spirit Spheres! – Read our SpiritSphere DX review

PixelJunk Monsters 2 Deluxe Edition (Spike Chunsoft, €21.99 / £19.79) – Get ready to experience the next generation of real-time tower defense gameplay in the globally acclaimed PixelJunk Monsters series! The spirit of the forest, Tikiman, is in trouble. An army of mysterious monsters has invaded his peaceful forest! Repel the fire and fury of your assaulting foes! Protect the Chibis, the future of the Tiki tribe! Deluxe Edition includes main game plus two additional DLC. Read our review.

Voxel Shot for Nintendo Switch (SAT-BOX, €6.99 / £6.29) – Voxel Shot is a simple pick up and play action game set in an adorably quirky world of toys where you and your friends beat up zombies (and each other!) using a variety of different weapons.

ACA NEO GEO SAMURAI SHODOWN V (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “SAMURAI SHODOWN V” is a fighting game released by SNK in 2003. Yoshitora Tokugawa, Mina Majikina and more join the cast of twenty-four warriors. New systems available include the Sword Gauge and Concentration One, for even more sword-swinging action.

Awkward (Snap Finger Click, €12.99 / £9.99) – Awkward is the ultimate test on finding out how well friends, couples, and family know each other. Players are asked to answer increasingly uncomfortable questions in secret, while their companions try to guess the outcome.

ASSAULT GUNNERS HD EDITION (Marvelous Europe, €8.99 / £7.19) – ASSAULT GUNNERS HD EDITION puts you in control of the Peace Keeping Force known as DAT and along with your three allied Battle Mechs, you must attempt to save Earth’s Migrants and the Mars Colonies as a whole from the threat of the ANTS uprising. Who or what could be leading this threat against Mars, and the new planned perfect utopia for humanity?

Disease -Hidden Object- (D3 Publisher, €6.99 / £6.29) – This is a horror adventure game where the player go back and forth in between the real world and the hallucination world.The purpose of this game is to search items and collect scattered documents while solving mysteries and finding out the truth of the abolished hospital.

Kill The Bad Guy (Plug in Digital, €6.99 / £6.29) – Track the Bad Guys, be brutal and smart in your planning, and eliminate them one by one. But bear this in mind: each criminal’s death has to look like an accident. In each level, you’ll have the chance to splatter and destroy the Bad Guy using various weapons and traps. It’s up to you to make sure he ends up in the wrong place at the right time.

Miles & Kilo (Four Horses, £3.59/ €3.99 – normally £7.19/€7.99) – Miles and Kilo have been attacked by a mischievous specter! With their plane in pieces and a gang of thieving scoundrels running off with the important parts, the unfortunate duo’s only hope of escape is to embark on a thrilling chase across a haunted island. Read our review.

Mushroom Wars 2 (Zillion Whales, €19.99 / £17.99) – Mushroom Wars 2 is an award-winning sequel to the critically acclaimed Real-Time Strategy hit built upon the core gameplay experience that made the original Mushroom Wars so enjoyable. – Read our Mushroom Wars 2 review

Squids Odyssey (The Game Bakers, €11.99 / £10.79) – Steev and the rest of the Squids are in danger! An infectious ooze is corrupting their world, and this band of unlikely heroes needs to fight back to save their kingdom.

The Journey Down: Chapter Three (BlitWorks, €14.99 / £13.49 for owners of The Journey Down: Chapter One or The Journey Down: Chapter TwoRegular price €19.99 / £17.99) – In the final chapter of The Journey Down, Bwana, Kito and Lina explore the vast reaches of the Underland and unravel its long-forgotten history. Their adventure comes to a bombastic conclusion when they learn the true nature of the Great Asili tree and the Armando Power Company.

Ultra Space Battle Brawl (Toge Productions, €12.99 / £11.99) – Fight against your friends in a super-silly-yet-most-awesome-intergalactic-definitely-not-baseball-fight-ever! Sit next to your opponent in this couch party battle game that will make your neighbour wish you were not there, or they were there with you making noise and have a really great time together.

Yuso (Vertical Reach, €6.49 / £5.99) – Yuso is a puzzle game where you have to clear the screen of Yuso! Take on the role of a space doctor travelling the Solar System. Moving from planet to planet, meeting the inhabitants and completing their stages. A quirky cast of characters will help you on your journey!

The Wardrobe (MixedBag , €14.99 / £13.49) – The Wardrobe is a 2D point & click adventure game in which you play as Skinny, a teen-skeleton with an impertinent attitude and a sparkling wit, willing to do anything to save his best friend’s soul from eternal damnation!

Rento Fortune Monolit (LAN – GAMES EOOD, €9.99 / £8.99) – Rento is online multiplayer business dice game. It is board game for 2 to 6 players. Trade lands, build houses, win auctions, roll wheel of fortune, risk in Russian Roulette and most importantly – have fun. Obtain monopoly over the game board and bankrupt the other players in order to win.

3DS eShop – New Releases

Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter (Big John Games, €6.99 / £6.29) – Pilot your choice of three Skyfighters across alien worlds to protect human colonies and destroy Thorion forces. Blast away at hulking mechs, menacing gun turrets, and swarming drones. Push your dogfighting skills to their limits against the Thorion horde. – Read our Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter review

New 3DS eShop – New Releases

Cycle of Eternity: Space Anomaly (RandomSpin, €1.59 / £1.39Previously €4.99 / £4.49)

Switch eShop – Pre-Orders

Cartoon Network Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion (Outright Games, €39.99 / £34.99, pre-order from 02/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 19/07/2018, 23:59 local time Game description: Ahoy! The Land of Ooo is underwater and it’s up to Finn and Jake to find out why. Join our heroes as they explore the high seas, search for hidden clues, interrogate shady suspects and fight pirates to solve the mystery and save their waterlogged world!

Tanzia (Arcanity, €19.99 / £16.99, pre-order from 02/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 19/07/2018, 14:59 CEST Game description: Tanzia is a single-player RPG that combines fast-paced strategic combat with elements of favourite classic RPGs in an open 3D world of magic and monsters.

OKAMI HD (CAPCOM, €19.99 / £15.99, pre-order from 05/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 08/08/2018, 23:59 local time Game description: Take the role of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who inhabits the form of a legendary white wolf Shiranui. Use magical abilities, attacks and Celestial Brush techniques to restore the land of Nippon to its previous glory full of life and colour.

GO VACATION (Nintendo, €49.99 / £39.99, pre-order from 06/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 26/07/2018, 23:59 local time Game description: Welcome to Kawawii Island, a paradise resort where friends and family can enjoy 50+ co-op and competitive activities. There are all sorts of exciting ways to explore the island, from horseback to buggies, snowmobiles to inline skates.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard (Outright Games, €39.99 / £34.99, pre-order from 06/07/2018) – Pre-Order until 12/07/2018, 23:59 local time Game description: 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! Explore the islands, discover new Impa abilities, and rescue Frankenstein, Murray and Wayne from fearsome enemies. But hurry – the Drac-Pack’s lives are at stake!

Demos

Nintendo 3DS

  • WarioWare Gold Demo (Nintendo, Free) – The latest in the WarioWare series is coming to Nintendo 3DS family systems! Which means, there’s a new way to play Wario’s strangely satisfying microgames. With classics and new additions, there are 300 microgames to enjoy, making this the biggest entry in the series! Press buttons, tilt the system, use the Touch Screen and microphone, and dig that crazy action while it’s hot!

Switch eShop – Special Offers

Game Title Price Saving Until Original Price
ASSAULT GUNNERS HD EDITION COMPLETE SET (Marvelous Europe) €10.79 / £8.99 -10% Wed 11th Jul €11.99 / £9.99
Miles & Kilo (Four Horses) €3.99 / £3.59 -50% Thu 12th Jul €7.99 / £7.19
Ghost 1.0 (unepic fran) €7.99 / £7.19 -20% Thu 12th Jul €9.99 / £8.99
Pato Box (Bromio) €13.49 / £12.14 -10% Sun 8th Jul €14.99 / £13.49
The Mooseman (Sometimes You) €6.29 / £5.66 -10% Wed 18th Jul €6.99 / £6.29
VERTICAL STRIKE ENDLESS CHALLENGE (Active Gaming Media) €4.49 / £4.04 -10% Wed 18th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Candle: The Power of the Flame (Merge Games) €15.99 / £11.99 -20% Thu 2nd Aug €19.99 / £14.99
Frost (Digerati) €10.39 / £9.35 -20% Wed 18th Jul €12.99 / £11.69
The Count Lucanor (Merge Games) €5.09 / £4.07 -66% Mon 16th Jul €14.99 / £11.99
It’s Spring Again (Sometimes You) €1.59 / £1.43 -20% Mon 9th Jul €1.99 / £1.79
Save the Ninja Clan (Sometimes You) €3.99 / £3.59 -20% Mon 9th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
The Bridge (The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild) €2.99 / £2.69 -70% Wed 1st Aug €9.99 / £8.99
Where Are My Friends? (Sometimes You) €4.79 / £4.31 -20% Mon 9th Jul €5.99 / £5.39
Die for Valhalla! (Monster Couch) €9.95 / £9.12 -17% Tue 10th Jul €11.99 / £10.99
Oh…Sir! The Hollywood Roast (Gambitious ) €2.96 / £2.54 -15% Wed 11th Jul €3.49 / £2.99
Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator (Gambitious ) €1.94 / £1.69 -15% Wed 11th Jul €2.29 / £1.99
Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers (MadCow) €14.99 / £9.99 -50% Wed 25th Jul €29.99 / £19.99
Monster Jam: Crush It (MadCow) €14.99 / £9.99 -50% Wed 25th Jul €29.99 / £19.99
30-in-1 Game Collection: Volume 1 (Teyon ) €7.49 / £6.74 -50% Thu 19th Jul €14.99 / £13.49
BINGO for Nintendo Switch (Starsign) €2.99 / £2.69 -40% Wed 1st Aug €4.99 / £4.49
Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge (NAPS Team) €9.89 / £8.90 -34% Thu 26th Jul €14.99 / £13.49
Ice Cream Surfer (Dolores Ent.) €6.40 / £6.00 -20% Thu 19th Jul €8.00 / £7.50
Immortal Redneck (CremaGames) €15.99 / £14.39 -20% Sat 14th Jul €19.99 / £17.99
Spy Chameleon (Unfinished Pixel) €6.39 / £5.75 -20% Mon 16th Jul €7.99 / £7.19
Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (STARSIGN) €2.99 / £2.69 -40% Wed 1st Aug €4.99 / £4.49
Tallowmere (Teyon) €3.49 / £3.14 -50% Thu 19th Jul €6.99 / £6.29
Yooka-Laylee (Team17) €29.99 / £26.24 -25% Thu 12th Jul €39.99 / £34.99
Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition (Tribute Games) €10.71 / £9.64 -33% Thu 12th Jul €15.99 / £14.39
Flinthook (Tribute Games) €8.20 / £7.36 -33% Thu 12th Jul €12.25 / £10.99
Mecho Tales (Arcade Distillery) €0.99 / £0.87 -88% Sat 28th Jul €8.49 / £7.49
The Next Penelope (Plug In Digital) €9.99 / £7.99 -23% Sun 15th Jul €12.99 / £10.99

New 3DS eShop – Special Offers

Game Title Price Saving Until Original Price
Breakout Defense 2 (nuGAME) €4.89 / £4.19 -30% Thu 2nd Aug €6.99 / £5.99

3DS eShop – Special Offers

Game Title Price Saving Until Original Price
Banana Bliss: Jungle Puzzles (Teyon) €1.99 / £1.79 -50% Thu 19th Jul €3.99 / £3.59
Bird Mania 3D (Teyon) €0.49 / £0.44 -51% Thu 19th Jul €0.99 / £0.89
Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers (GameMill) €9.99 / £7.49 -50% Wed 25th Jul €19.99 / £14.99
Chat-A-Lot (Teyon) €3.99 / £3.59 -50% Thu 19th Jul €7.99 / £7.19
Collide-a-Ball (STARSIGN) €0.99 / £0.99 -50% Wed 1st Aug €1.99 / £1.99
Crazy Chicken: Director’s Cut 3D (Teyon) €0.49 / £0.44 -51% Thu 19th Jul €0.99 / £0.89
Crazy Chicken Pirates 3D (Teyon) €0.99 / £0.89 -50% Thu 19th Jul €1.99 / £1.79
Crollors Game Pack (Nvriezen) €0.99 / £0.93 -34% Wed 26th Jul €1.49 / £1.39
Cube Tactics (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
DISNEY 2-PACK FROZEN – BIG HERO 6 COMBO (GameMill) €9.99 / £7.49 -50% Wed 25th Jul €19.99 / £14.99
Doll Fashion Atelier (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Excave (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Governor of Poker (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Groove Heaven (Teyon) €1.99 / £1.79 -50% Thu 19th Jul €3.99 / £3.59
Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Heavy Fire: Special Operations 3D (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Mini Golf Resort (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Noah’s Cradle (CIRCLE Ent.) €2.49 / £1.99 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £3.99
Ocean Runner (Teyon) €1.49 / £1.34 -50% Thu 19th Jul €2.99 / £2.69
Ping Pong Trick Shot (STARSIGN) €0.99 / £0.99 -50% Wed 1st Aug €1.99 / £1.99
PixelMaker (Nostatic Software) €3.51 / £3.19 -22% Thu 19th Jul €4.49 / £3.99
Plantera (Ratalaika Games) €2.99 / £2.69 -40% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Polara (CIRCLE Ent.) €2.50 / £2.49 -50% Thu 19th Jul €5.00 / £4.99
Quell Memento (CIRCLE Ent.) €1.99 / £1.99 -50% Thu 19th Jul €3.99 / £3.99
Quell Reflect (CIRCLE Ent.) €1.99 / £1.99 -50% Thu 19th Jul €3.99 / £3.99
Real Heroes: Firefighter 3D Download Version (Zordix AB) €4.99 / £4.49 -50% Thu 12th Jul €9.99 / £8.99
Robot Rescue 3D (Teyon) €1.49 / £1.34 -50% Thu 19th Jul €2.99 / £2.69
Skater Cat (Teyon) €2.49 / £2.24 -50% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
Steel Empire (Teyon) €7.99 / £7.19 -50% Thu 19th Jul €15.99 / £14.39
WAKEDAS (CIRCLE Ent.) €1.49 / £1.49 -50% Thu 19th Jul €2.99 / £2.99
VoxelMaker (Nostatic Software) €4.39 / £3.67 -20% Thu 19th Jul €5.49 / £4.59

Wii U eShop – Special Offers

Game Title Price Saving Until Original Price
The Bridge (The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild) €2.99 / £2.69 -70% Wed 1st Aug €9.99 / £8.99
Bird Mania Party (Teyon) €0.99 / £0.89 -50% Thu 19th Jul €1.99 / £1.79
PixelMaker (Nostatic Software) €3.51 / £3.19 -22% Thu 19th Jul €4.49 / £3.99
Plantera (Ratalaika Games) €2.99 / £2.69 -40% Thu 19th Jul €4.99 / £4.49
VoxelMaker (Nostatic Software) €4.39 / £3.59 -20% Thu 19th Jul €5.49 / £4.49
Zombie Defense (Teyon) €3.99 / £3.59 -50% Thu 19th Jul €7.99 / £7.19

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch

  • Gal*Gun 2 – Gal*Gun 2 – Alice in Doki Doki Land Set (Pqube) – €4.49 / £4.09
  • Gal*Gun 2 – Gal*Gun 2 – Racy Ribbons Set (Pqube) – €4.49 / £4.09
  • Gal*Gun 2 – Gal*Gun 2 – Vice Cop Set (Pqube) – €4.49 / £4.09
  • Gal*Gun 2 – Gal*Gun 2 – DLC Set 6 (Pqube) – €9.99 / £8.99
  • LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes 2 – Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp Character and Level Pack (WB Games) – €2.99 / £2.50
  • PixelJunk Monsters 2 Danganronpa Pack (Spike Chunsoft) – €4.99 / £4.49
  • PixelJunk Monsters 2 Tiki Bundle (Spike Chunsoft) – €7.99 / £7.19
  • Runbow AOC – Anime Pack (Headup Games) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • Runbow AOC – Satura’s Space Adventure (Headup Games) – €6.99 / £6.29
  • Runbow AOC – Winter Pack (Headup Games) – €2.99 / £2.69
  • Runbow AOC – Steampunk Pack (Headup Games) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • Runbow AOC – Professionals Pack (Headup Games) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • Runbow AOC – Costume & Music Bundle (Headup Games) – €6.99 / £6.29
  • Runbow AOC – Extra Val-Hue Bundle (Headup Games) – €12.99 / £11.69
  • ASSAULT GUNNERS HD EDITION EXTRA PACK (Marvelous Europe) – €4.99 / £3.99
  • Pic-a-Pix Deluxe – Classic 07 (Lightwood Games) – €2.99 / £2.99
  • WorldNeverland – Black Ancestral Garb Set (althi) – €3.33 / £2.99
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Advanced Accessory Set (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Bottled Potion Set (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Castaway Start Dash Set (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Economy Ingredient Set (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Elixir Set 1 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Elixir Set 2 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Elixir Set 3 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Elixir Set 4 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Elixir Set 5 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Fish Bait Set 1 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Fish Bait Set 2 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Fish Bait Set 3 (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Free Set 1 (NIS America) – Free
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Free Set 2 (NIS America) – Free
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Premium Material Set (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Ripe Fruit Set (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Status Recovery Set (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Tempest Set 1 (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Tempest Set 2 (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Tempest Set 3 (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Tempest Set 4 (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Tempest Set 5 (NIS America) – €1.49 / £1.39
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA – Useful Accessory Set (NIS America) – €0.99 / £0.89
  • BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE – Additional Characters Pack 1 (PQube Limited) – €4.49 / £3.69

So that’s your lot for this week’s EU Nintendo Download. Be sure to leave a vote in the poll above, and a comment below with your hot picks…

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Nintendo Download: 5th July (North America)

The Nintendo Download update is finally here, kicking off the month of July with all manner of summery delights ready to leap onto your Nintendo console of choice. From slices of retro goodness to all manner of indie curios, you’re bound to find something to tickle your fancy. Feel free to leave a vote in the poll below, and a comment or two as well with your potential purchases. Enjoy!

Switch eShop

Shining Resonance Refrain (SEGA, $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 in-game friends, realize your destiny, save Astoria and unleash the strength you’ve always had locked away. This remaster features all of the original game’s DLC. The Shining Resonance Refrain game is available on July 10.

ACA NEO GEO SAMURAI SHODOWN V (HAMSTER, $7.99) – “SAMURAI SHODOWN V” is a fighting game released by SNK in 2003. Yoshitora Tokugawa, Mina Majikina and more join the cast of twenty-four warriors. New systems available include the Sword Gauge and Concentration One, for even more sword-swinging action.

Awkward (Snap Finger Click, $11.99) – Awkward is the ultimate test on finding out how well friends, couples, and family know each other. Players are asked to answer increasingly uncomfortable questions in secret, while their companions try to guess the outcome.

20XX (Batterystaple) – 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! Available July 10.

Another World (DotEmu) – 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. More than twenty-five years after its original release, Eric Chahi’s masterpiece is still considered a classic adventure game and continues to inspire the biggest names in video games. Available July 9.

Bomber Crew (Curve Digital) – 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! Available July 10.

Hotel Transylvania 3 Monsters Overboard (Outright Games) – Dracula, Mavis and the gang have been marooned on the mysterious Lost Islands! Available July 10.

Muddledash (slampunks, $5.39) – 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! Available July 10.

Neverout (Gamedust, $5.99) – It will lock you down in a room and won’t let you escape. Will you survive or ever get out? Your only choice is to find your way to the next room, but watch out, many traps lie ahead. Wander around for hours solving over 60 beautifully crafted levels. Available July 10.

Pato Box (Bromio, $13.49 – normally $14.99) – Test your reflexes as you fight your way through an evil corporation in search for retribution. Available July 9. Read our review.

Rento Fortune Monolit (LAN – GAMES EOOD, $9.99) – Rento is online multiplayer business dice game. It is board game for 2 to 6 players. Available July 8.

The Wardrobe (MixedBag, $12.74, normally $14.99) – The Wardrobe is a 2D point & click adventure game in which you play as Skinny, a teen-skeleton with an impertinent attitude and a sparkling wit, willing to do anything to save his best friend’s soul from eternal damnation! Available July 6.

Disease -Hidden Object- (D3Publisher, $7.99) – This is a horror adventure game where the player go back and forth in between the real world and the hallucination world.

Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Two Crude Dudes (FTE Games, $6.99) – Play one or two mercenaries hired by the American government to stop the terrorist organization “Big Valley”. Take control of post-apocalyptic New York City away from the Big Valley terrorists.

Kill The Bad Guy (Plug In Digital, $6.99) – Hiding behind the mask of the average man on the street, and furtively blending into the background, many war criminals, ex-Mafia members and other criminals have been literally getting away with murder, or worse. That is, until you turned up to ruin the party. As part of a secret and mysterious society whose members have sworn to rid the world of these Bad Guys, it’s your responsibility to make sure justice is served in the bloodiest possible way, using your unpredictability to your advantage.

Miles & Kilo (Four Horses, $7.99) – Miles and Kilo have been attacked by a mischievous specter! With their plane in pieces and a gang of thieving scoundrels running off with the important parts, the unfortunate duo’s only hope of escape is to embark on a thrilling chase across a haunted island. Read our review.

Mushroom Wars 2 ($19.99) – Mushroom Wars 2 is an award-winning sequel to the critically acclaimed Real-Time Strategy hit built upon the core gameplay experience that made the original Mushroom Wars so enjoyable. Read our review.

Pocket Rumble (Chucklefish LTD, $9.99) – Pocket Rumble retains all the gameplay elements that make traditional Street Fighter-style fighters great, but reduces the level of execution and memorization necessary to the bare minimum. That way experienced players can learn the game fast and be able to focus on deeper elements of strategy and mindgames, new players can learn the ins and outs of fighting games without being overwhelmed, and everyone can get their skills to a competitive level without too much grinding alone in training mode.

Squids Odyssey (The Game Bakers, $14.99) – Build your team of Squid heroes for epic turn-based battles against corrupted crabs and shrimps!

Super Rock Blasters! (QuadraTron Games, $9.99) – Super Rock Blasters is a fun local multiplayer Asteroids/Space War mashup style arcade shooter where you blast friends into smithereens for points. Play with 2 to 4 friends (or enemies) for fast paced competitive fun!

The Journey Down: Chapter Three (BlitWorks, $19.99) – In the jungles of the Underland, scattered remnants of an ancient culture speak of a great evil that dwells in the shadowy depths of the Kwayerumoshi caves. But even the darkest secrets of this lost age are about to be revealed by the brave actions of three unlikely heroes.

Ultra Space Battle Brawl (Toge Productions, $14.99) – Fight against your friends in a super-silly-yet-most-awesome-intergalactic-definitely-not-baseball-fight-ever! Sit next to your opponent in this couch party battle game that will make your neighbor wish you were not there, or they were there with you making noise and have a really great time together.

Yuso (Vertical Reach, $7.99) – Yuso is a puzzle game where you have to clear the screen of Yuso! The game gets harder as you progress, introducing new colours and gadgets to help or harm you along the way.

NEKOPARA Vol.1 (CFK, $14.99) – “NEKOPARA”, a famous PC adventure game that has sold over 2 million copies of series worldwide, is out for Nintendo Switch!

Runbow (Headup Games, $14.99) – With tons of competitive modes for up to nine players online and eight players locally and a massive Single Player Adventure, Runbow is the crazy, color-based platformer you’ve been waiting for. Read our review.

Burnstar (Gearbox Publishing, $19.99) – Burnstar is a challenging, fast paced action-puzzle game that will get your brain blistering and set your fingers aflame! Use your explosives and powers to cause maximum damage to worksites of Evil Inc., an appropriately named corporation intent on ruining the homeland of Burnstar and his friends. Blaze your own trail, or play co-op for some friendly fire!

3DS eShop

PENGUIN HOP (RCMADIAX, $1.49) – In PENGUIN HOP help your penguin friend hop from each ice landing, but be careful you don’t fall in. How high of a score can you get? Endless fun for everyone! New Nintendo 3DS systems only.

Zeus Quest Remastered (Crazysoft, $8.89) – Zeus Quests Remastered is a Greek mythology game with Sci-fi effect where Zeus the God of War is about to save the world from the explosion and for that, he will be travelling the time to fix the explosion and for that Zeus underwent many exciting places and natural scenes of ocean, rain, volcano etc. New Nintendo 3DS systems.

Demos

Hyper Sentinel – Demo Version (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch)


So that’s your lot for this week’s Nintendo Download. Drop a vote in the poll above if you like, and a comment below with your chosen picks…

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Swords & Soldiers’ Kickstarter Is No More, But There’s Still Hope For A Switch Port

Developer Romino Games recently took to Kickstarter to help fund an updated version of Wii U battler Swords & Soldiers, but it turns out one of the biggest features fans have been asking for is a Nintendo Switch port, but it’s something the studio has been unable to factor into its campaign.

As a result, the dev has decided to pull the campaign early rather than continue on without a port that so many fans are wanting. The studio has said that while it’s said to end the crowdfunding run, the PS4 and Steam versions of the Shawarmageddon update will still arrive later this year. And while it can’t say too much about the future of a potential Switch port, it does hint that it could have some exciting news very soon. 

As some of you may know, we announced on Streamisho yesterday that we're cancelling our Kickstarter campaign so we can…

Posted by Ronimo Games on Thursday, July 5, 2018

Would you like a version of Swords & Soldiers on Switch? Share your thoughts below…

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Review: Pato Box (Switch eShop)

Primo – or Pato Box to his friends – is living the dream. He’s a boxing champion, fighting on the biggest and grandest stages of them all. With cardio for days and the kind of physique that would leave most Men’s Health cover models crying into their kale smoothies, our Primo is a sporting superstar. Oh, and he has duck’s head on a man’s body. Did we not mention that?

Unfortunately, our hero runs ‘a-fowl’ of nefarious crime syndicate/shady organisation Deathflock, has his water spiked between rounds and ends up left for dead in an alley with a knife through his pride and his back. Nursed back to health from the brink of death, it’s up to you to take those seasoned fists over to Deathflock’s HQ and fight your way through each floor to the final boss encounter.

It might sound like a cookie cutter vengeance story, but there’s actually an intriguing (and increasingly dark) mystery to uncover that plays right into the bizarre world of Pato Box. This is a game where you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s not. A fever dream of violence, corny one-liners and intrigue aplenty. It’s also very, very silly, but then what do you expect from a game that wears its undying love for Punch-Out!! so proudly on its sleeve? From the mixture of combat and puzzles found in its boss fights to the explorable levels that link them together, it’s as much a love letter to a classic Nintendo franchise as it is something new and unique on Switch.

The visual aesthetic is the first thing that takes a confident swing at you. With its stark black and white look, it’s hard to miss the similarities with the fun yet commercially unsuccessful violence simulator MadWorld. With its 2D assets framed in a fully-explorable 3D world, it’s like being able to wander out and punch something from the mind of Frank Miller or a disturbing one-shot story direct from the pages of 2000AD. There’s simply nothing out there quite like it on Switch, which is a powerful selling point in itself.

As you might expect from a game with the word ‘Box’ in the title, throwing punches is the meat and potatoes of the Pato Box experience, with the option to unleash high and low jabs as well as the ability to block and dodge incoming blows. You can play either with the buttons mapped to your Joy-Cons, or utilise the Switch version’s biggest selling point – gyro controls. Much like ARMS before it, you can pull off all the above with the correct hand movements, a setup that suits its rhythmic combat model down to the ground.

Simply throwing each Joy-Con forward will make Primo throw a quick jab, while holding ‘L’ or ‘R’ will modify it with a little more power. Moving your controllers to the left or right will make Primo dodge to either side while tilting them inwards will enable him to perform a block. It’s a simple set of commands, but considering how the boss fights are more than just boxing matches, that simplicity soon gives way to devilishly tricky puzzles.

Take Brauch, the first proper boss you’ll need to battle. Before you reach her, you’ll need to make your way through the swanky bar that serves as her base, battling the mechanical foes she’s laid in wait for you. Navigating her lair gradually introduces you to certain mechanics that’ll soon be used in the upcoming boss battles – such as lasers that move from side to side and leaping, bullet-spraying robots. It’s subtle level design that weaves tutorials into your exploration without making it feel painfully obvious.

When you finally meet said big bad – complete with a mechanical leg and a large chip on her shoulder – you’ll need to fight her and dodge the familiar traps she throws your way. It’s here you realise this is no mere button masher. Simply flailing your limbs won’t bring this antagonist to violent justice. You’ll need to watch her movements and dodge her attacks, using the split-seconds between each strike to launch a counterattack of your own.

Much like all of the boss battles to come, each ‘round’ of combat is broken up with puzzles that need a quick mind and even quicker fits. Brauch will send lasers you’ll need to dodge with expert timing or electrical bolts that need to be blocked by using a sound cue to know when to pull back. There are even electrical boxes that you’ll need to smash before a timer runs out – fail to do so and you could end up with a combination of the previous puzzles/hazards that can’t be beaten or dodged in unison.

As entertaining and imaginative as these battles are, they’re also merciless in their margin of error. Fail to spot a boss’ combo and one blocked move will simply lead to a flurry of landed hits that send you to the mat. A lack of mid-boss checkpointing means if you mess up at any point you’ll be booted right back to the start of the fight. Later boss fights really ramp up the difficulty to a point where even learning the rhythmic nuance isn’t enough to guarantee success. Hopefully, this balance is something the developer can address in future updates.

The different floors you can explore are also a mixed bag. Everything looks eye-popping thanks to the black and white aesthetic, but with a handful of side-quests (usually involving fetching an item) some are far more enjoyable than others. Dodging traps in a slaughterhouse offers a fun if flawed aside (the 2D assets make depth perception a tricky thing), while the casino floor can start to grate fast as you scrounge for coins in order to afford the steep price to fight the man who helped stab you in the back earlier in the game. 

These levels are good at setting up mechanics for boss fights, but they’re too inconsistent in quality to really compete with those memorable encounters. Thankfully, there’s also an Arcade mode where you can just focus on that glorious combat, with the addictive allure of achieving better ratings more than enough to keep you coming back for more punishment/glory.

Conclusion

While its adventure mode-style exploration could do with a little more meat on its bones, we all know why we’re here – the Punch-Out!!-style bosses. The exploration sections fail to do the eye-catching visual style (and the story) much justice, but those brilliant big bads more than make up for it. Sprinkle in an ’80s-style synth soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in Hotline Miami and you’ve got a rough-yet-ready new contender on the Switch eShop.

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Review: Mushroom Wars 2 (Switch eShop)

Considering the influx of titles to the Nintendo Switch, one genre that is very under-represented so far is real-time strategy. Normally associated with PC and popularised recently on mobile devices, the balance of depth and accessibility to attract both veterans and newcomers is a lucrative combination and one that’s arguably even more tricky to achieve on consoles. Despite its quirky subject matter, Mushroom Wars 2 offers a solid interpretation and an ideal fit for Switch.

While it might seem a little strange to witness an epic story full of valour, nobility, betrayal and honour played out in paintings that feature heavily-armoured mushrooms and an increasingly dishevelled mosquito (sorry, there is no dialogue so we took some creative liberties), there’s still an affable charm to it as you progress through the two campaigns on offer. With nearly 200 hundred stars to collect, spread across four difficulty settings, there’s certainly a lot of content on offer (even if it does get a little repetitive after a while).

Presentation-wise, Mushroom Wars 2 is a pleasant experience, as the aforementioned exposition has a nice painted art style to it, but in-game it’s more a case of focusing on your massive armies and their progress than marvelling at the scenery or spectacular explosions. That’s not to say Mushroom Wars 2 is an ugly game – because it isn’t – it’s just that the single screen stages are a bit flat, and there’s a lack of dynamic cutscenes or set-pieces. Thankfully, there are environmental obstacles such as rivers, slopes and even more deadly traps later on to keep things fresh in both the looks and gameplay department.

For those who are in the dark about Mushroom Wars’ style of RTS action, here’s a little taster. Your main task in each and every conquest (stage) is to defeat your enemy by taking over all of their houses. Moving the left analog stick around will highlight one of your little villages, which will also have a cloud above it indicating the number of troops inside. Holding ’R’ will bring up an arrow for you to direct your troops across the map. Grey huts are available from the outset to grow your army before trying to take on the other team(s).

Sometimes during the campaign, you’ll be severely outnumbered from the off, which will require a lot of groundwork before you make a more attack-orientated plan of action. It can be a balancing act between moving around a percentage of troops from place to place (mapped to the four face buttons) or changing/reinforcing existing buildings by holding ’L’. There is also a coloured bar at the top of the screen that shows how the two (or three or four, depending on the mode) armies are matched.

Depleting your rival army can be done in a combination of ways, from simply generating more troops, to taking over more important buildings like forges (which strengthen your army) or forts (which launch cannonball at the enemy within a certain radius). This is equally important when attempting to invade enemy strongholds from a distance and keeping an eye on your numbers, as hazards and bosses can wipe out waves of both teams ruthlessly and understaffed huts will send out an ’SOS’ to avoid being overthrown.

There’s a reasonable attempt at mixing up mission objectives by including bosses or prioritising special buildings but their implementation and variety are underwhelming. It’s a real shame that bosses are merely static hazards which take out teams equally, rather than anticipating their next position or requiring a radical change in strategy. In some instances, there may be a bit of a waiting game to see where your rival armies will go next, but for the most part, everything transpires at a brisk pace, and you’ll constantly be multitasking. Balancing resources, territory and timing is at the heart of Mushroom Wars 2, and for the most part, it is an enjoyable and satisfying experience. Matches are designed to be quite brief, and you’ll probably not exceed a match time of more than 10 minutes.

This is both a positive and a negative, as once the ball is rolling regarding the upper hand, you’ll rarely be in a position to dramatically increase your chances of a comeback. Things can go from under to out of control very quickly, and while this is exciting and gratifying on the winning side, it can feel unfair on the other. Matches can be a war of patient attrition and preparation one minute, only for things to go spectacularly wrong the next.

Stemming away from the single-player is where Mushroom Wars 2 grows into a very robust and enjoyable package. On the competitive side, there is a league system, ranked matches along with replay/spectator features for newcomers to learn the ropes and nuances of the game. There are both individual and team-based setups available for up to four players locally, allowing for either 2v2 cooperative or free-for-all competitive matches. There’s a wealth of options, such as nearly 50 different maps and 12 races of warrior to choose from, each with their own moveset and special abilities. Whether you stick with protagonists Rudo and Kenor or opt for someone more exotic like the alien Cree, who possess teleportation and invisibility, there’s plenty to experiment with.

Conclusion

A sumptuous feast in multiplayer, but a bit bland and monotonous when going solo, Mushroom Wars 2 is nonetheless an accessible and deep and enjoyable real-time strategy experience. There is plenty to dig into, especially if you enter the online competitive arena. Although the game does show it’s mobile roots on occasion as the single-player campaign is ironically ’by the numbers’, Mushroom Wars 2 is definitely a dish best served cold, and with a group of fun guys or gals. 

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Get Shaken (Not Stirred) As Hamster Brings The Super Spy To Switch On 12th July

Hamster continues its odyssey to port practically every game that ever appeared on the humble Neo Geo with the news that the action adventure of The Super Spy will be bringing its license to kill to the Switch eShop next week (12th July).

First released in 1990, it was actually well ahead of its time mixing first-person shooter, beat-’em-up and RPG mechanics to make one of the console’s most underrated games. It’s one of those lost treasures we’ve been looking forward to on Switch for a while now.

While it’s only currently slated for the Japanese eShop as of the time of writing (with a price tag of ¥823), we all know how this works by now, with a western date for both North America and Europe likely to follow shortly. Let us know if you’ll be adding this one to your retro collection in the comments below…

[via japanesenintendo.com]