The open-ended alchemy puzzle game Opus Magnum arrived on Steam back in 2017, and it has since gone on to rack up over 3,000 ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ reviews. IGN‘s Tom Marks hailed it as “one of the best puzzle games I’ve ever played”, while PC Gamer described it as “one of the very best puzzle games of the year, if not the decade”. In short, it was rather popular.
Well, surprise! This beloved little machine builder is now available on the Switch eShop in an all-new ‘Complete Edition’.
For those who missed this one at launch, Opus Magnum comes from SpaceChem developer Zachtronics, and tasks you with building various alchemy machines via the Transmutation Engine. You have to juggle moving parts, chemical combinations, and a machine that just keeps on moving, as you fulfil requests for everything from medicine to weapons.
The Switch version bundles the De Re Metallica prequel DLC in with the base game, giving us another 17 puzzles and three new glyphs to play with.
Here’s a rundown of the game’s key features and a handful of screenshots:
Design Machines – Design and build machines that carry out alchemical processes using a variety of components including programmable arms, customizable tracks, and more esoteric devices like Van Berlo’s wheel and the Glyph of Animismus. Open-Ended Puzzles – Compete against your friends and the world to build the simplest, fastest, and most compact solutions to the game’s challenges. Rich Story – Intrigues and dark plots swirl around the city’s ancient Houses. Alchemists, who hold the power to create almost anything known to science, are highly sought— and highly dangerous. Solitaire Minigame – Alchemical engineering takes focus and concentration. Take a break with Sigmar’s Garden, an original alchemy-based solitaire game. Every game is winnable, but not every game will be won… De Re Metallica – An expansive prequel to Opus Magnum that includes 3 new glyphs, 17 new puzzles, and a new solitaire variant called “House Colvan.”
Opus Magnum: Complete Edition is now available on the Switch eShop for £22.50 / $29.99, and there’s even a 20% launch discount until 19th March, bringing it down to £18.00 / $23.99.
Will you be checking this one out on Switch? Build your thoughts in the comments.
If you like Monopoly and also happen to be a fan of Star Wars, you might want to be on the lookout for this new Ubisoft-published title, Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains.
This new crossover will be arriving for the Switch 1 and 2 on 11th June 2026 (as well as multiple other platforms) and will include a “dynamic, team-based twist” on the classic Monopoly experience you know (and maybe) love. Of course, you can also expect to see a wide roster of iconic characters from the galaxy far, far away.
The full reveal of this title will take place on 29th April 2026. For now, here’s some PR and you can see some screenshots below:
“Developed by Behavior Interactive, Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains transports players into the Star Wars galaxy with a custom Monopoly board packed with iconic locations from across the saga. Classic Monopoly gameplay is reimagined with thrilling cinematic moments, themed spaces, and dynamic elements that refresh the experience from start to finish. Players can choose from a wide roster of Star Wars heroes and villains, from Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia to Darth Vader and Darth Maul. Each character brings unique abilities that shape your team’s strategy and can turn the tide in your favor with every roll of the dice.
“With competitive 2v2 and 3v3 modes, available online and via couch co-op, traditional gameplay is transformed into an action-packed, strategic showdown where teamwork and hero combinations play a pivotal role. Every turn carries high stakes as properties change hands in an instant, while dynamic GO events introduce game-altering twists. With evolving team strategies, and a few surprises, there’s always a reason to jump back in for one more round.”
Image: Ubisoft
If you are eager for some monopoly action on the Switch right now, there are some existing titles available via the eShop. You can also get a Star Wars fix on the Switch 2 with Ubisoft’s other title, Star Wars Outlaws.
When we hear more about this new Star Wars-themed Monopoly title in April, we’ll provide an update. Would you be interested in a game like this? Tell us below.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is almost here, and in a promotional teaser today, some Nintendo characters you might not have expected to see have been spotted.
Yes, after featuring at Super Nintendo World, on the back of football shirts, and popping up in their very own animated short last year, it looks like…spoiler alert…the next outing for Nintendo’s tiny plant-style creatures known as Pikmin could appear in Mario’s movie sequel next month.
The latest short only runs for 10 seconds, but alongside Mario, Toad and Peach, you can also see characters such as R.O.B., a Ninji, and Wart, and at the six-second mark the original yellow, red and blue Pikmin appear on screen.
Nothing else has been shared about the Pikmin featured here, or what exactly to expect from them. Still, it’s great to see this particular Nintendo series potentially getting some extra publicity as part of Mario’s upcoming movie.
Pikmin creator Shigeru Miyamoto has always had a soft spot for these little creatures, and has previously spoken about how he considers them to be Nintendo’s most “global characters”, so Pikmin appearing in places you might not expect is on brand.
What are your thoughts about this Pikmin sighting? Let us know in the comments.
According to Nintendo of America’s official support page, this is scheduled to be released locally in this region on 18th March 2026 (so very soon). It bumps the game up to Version 11.1.0 and includes balance adjustments to the game’s matchmaking and multiplayer.
The development team has also shared some details about the next update after this one – revealing it will focus on “changes to the balance of battles”. For now, here are the full details about the latest update due out this week:
Splatoon 3 – Version 11.1.0 (Releasing March 18, 2026)
All changes apply to both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.
Changes to Multiplayer
Specifications for some main weapons have changed.
Weapon
Change Details
Splattershot Nova Annaki Splattershot Nova
Increased the speed of shots by approximately 25% without changing the flight distance.
Flingza Roller Foil Flingza Roller
Adjusted the damage-falloff rate based on distance for vertical swings, allowing them to deal 50.0 damage/100 damage farther than they did before.
Octobrush Octobrush Nouveau Cometz Octobrush Orderbrush Replica
Reduced the amount of ink consumed when swinging the brush by approximately 10%.
Bamboozler 14 Mk I Bamboozler 14 Mk II
Increased movement speed while charging or firing by approximately 13%.
Bloblobber Bloblobber Deco
Increased damage from 30.0 to 32.0.
Douser Dualies FF Custom Douser Dualies FF
Reduced the time between doing a Dodge Roll and being able to take another action by approximately 1/30th of a second.
Reduced the amount of ink consumed by launching the canopy by approximately 23%.
Dynamo Roller Gold Dynamo Roller Starz Dynamo Roller
Lessened the effect of the ink-consumption reduction when equipping the Ink Saver (Main) ability.
Specifications for some special weapons have changed.
Special Weapon
Change Details
Ultra Stamp
Decreased the radius of the 220.0 damage area of the explosion at the point of impact when throwing the stamp by approximately 10%.
Points required for some special weapons have been changed.
Weapon
Before
After
Splattershot Hero Shot Replica Order Shot Replica
210
200
Sploosh-o-matic
180
190
Splash-o-matic
200
210
Luna Blaster Neo
180
190
Blaster
180
190
Custom Blaster
180
190
Rapid Blaster Pro Deco
190
200
Dynamo Roller
190
200
Inkbrush Nouveau
180
190
Heavy Splatling Order Splatling Replica
200
210
Dapple Dualies
170
180
Splat Dualies Order Dualie Replicas
190
200
Changes to X Battles
Changed the system for matchmaking so that, rather than having players with similar X Power at that time battle each other, now players whose final X Power will likely become similar after accumulating matches will be paired for battles.
Changed the systems for matchmaking and team division to make it less likely to result in skill disparity between teams, even in time zones or regions where there are not many players.
In the Tentatek Division, players with X Power less than 2000.0 and players with X Power of 2000.0 or higher may now be matched together.
Changed the matchmaking system to allow battles against more different weapons than before.
This update focuses on making changes to matchmaking and multiplayer balance.
For X Battles, we have changed the systems for matchmaking and team division.
First of all, rather than simply gathering players with similar X Powers at that point in time, we have made it so that it will instead gather players whose final X Power will likely become similar after accumulating matches.
With this change, extreme matches will be less likely, even immediately after the start of the season or immediately after finishing calculation.
Also, when matchmaking is taking a long time, it will gradually soften the criteria for determining a “similar level of ability,” but we have changed these criteria and the system for team division to ensure that the level of ability of players on both teams will be symmetrical, even in time zones and regions with fewer players.
Additionally, we have changed the pairing system for the weapons that players may battle against.
Up until now, weapons have been divided into several groups, and the system more frequently paired weapons belonging to the same group for battles.
We have changed this system to make it so that players more frequently battle with weapons of similar preferred ranges, regardless of group, in order to reduce the likelihood of a player’s weapon always being pitted against weapons with a longer (or shorter) preferred range.
As for multiplayer balance, we made changes based on the battle data from version 11.0.0.
Among the weapons that were upgraded in version 11.0.0 or were greatly affected by changes to the battle system, we made changes to slightly reduce the performance of some weapons that the battle data showed have become highly impactful.
For some of the weapons that did not receive much benefit from the battle-system changes, we have made changes to slightly raise their performance and make them easier to wield.
The next update will focus on changes to the balance of battles.
If you haven’t already tried out Splatoon 3 on the Switch 2, it actually received some updates for this platform last year, enhancing the experience. This included smoother animations and much more.
You can find out about the existing updates for Splatoon 3 in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life:
What do you think of the latest update for Splatoon 3? Let us know in the comments.
The Pokémon Company is no stranger to a collaboration, and its upcoming crossover is for all those who assumed Minccino can come in a Grande size with cream and syrup.
That’s right, Pokémon is teaming up with coffee brand Grind on a new range of products. The collection will consist of “drinks inspired” by the world of ‘mon — best not to think too deeply about that one — as well as other goodies.
Honestly, we’re still not completely sure what, exactly, the collaboration will entail at the moment. What we do know is that it will arrive in Grind stores from 24th March, and there’s even a special launch party in London to mark the occasion (tickets for which are already sold out, naturally).
We love Pokémon, and we love coffee, so what’s not to like about this one? Hey, it’s finally a crossover that Detective Pikachu can get behind.
Will you be checking out this collaboration later this month? Let us know in the comments.
In case you missed it, Nintendo Switch 2 received a rather large system update last night. The big talking point out of the ver. 22.0.0 patch is the new “Handheld Mode Boost“, naturally, but the update also added a handful of other fresh features besides, including the ability to add notes to your Friends List.
To make these newbies even easier to add, the note function has now been added to the Nintendo Switch App in the ver. 3.3.0 update — so you can add a line or two to your Friends List even when you’re away from your Switch.
The app update also tweaks iOS screen time settings and gets rid of some bugs along the way.
The full patch notes were shared on the App Store, and we have gathered them together for you to check out below.
Nintendo Switch App Ver. 3.3.0 (17th Mar 2026)
You can now leave notes for yourself about users on your friend list, for example to help you identify specific friends more quickly. Note contents can be checked and edited from the “Friends” tab or from the “Friends” section of the “Home” tab.
iOS 26 Screen Time settings are now judged appropriately.
Other small bug fixes and improvements have also been made.
For the full rundown of the big Switch 2 ver. 22.0.0 system update, be sure to check out our coverage below.
Will you be making the most of the Nintendo Switch App’s new Friends List note features? Let us know in the comments.
So far, I tried out Thousand-Year Door, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Breath of the Wild (not upgraded), Pokemon Shield, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Wavetale, Cuphead, and Smash Ultimate. Of these, Wonder and BOTW got the most noticeable improvements for me, though the rest of these games also are now looking much better (except Cuphead, which never looked very crunchy to begin with and looks indistinguishable from pre-Handheld Boost).
This update will make me want to revisit a bunch of my Switch games.
Alex joins Street Fighter 6 today, but it doesn’t end there, with Capcom announcing some free content has also been released.
This is part of a new Mega Man Star Force & Battle Network collaboration. When you log in, you’ll be given some collaboration items. The Battle Hub will also get a fresh look and there’s a special voting event taking place online.
During the Capcom Cup last weekend, Capcom also revealed it was working some free DriveTech outfits, which will be distributed to every player at some point this year. Here’s a teaser of what’s to come:
Image: Capcom
Last but not least, here’s a look at Alex’s launch trailer, which also highlights various other new content that’s been released.
You can check out the full patch notes and balance adjustments for this latest update to Street Fighter 6 on Capcom’s official website. New outfits are also available for Elena and Dee Jay.
Alex will be followed by the next paid DLC fighter Ingrid, who is arriving later this year as the final Season 3 pass character.
Will you be checking out this new Street Fighter 6 collab featuring Mega Man? Let us know in the comments.
If you’ve been wondering what’s next for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Sega has this week lifted the lid on three more free DLC characters.
This includes Red from Angry Birds, Goro Majima (Captain Majima) from Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Arle, who you might know from Puyo Puyo. The first two characters are scheduled to arrive at some point next month in April 2026, and Arle will follow in May 2026.
Each character also comes with their own vehicle – Super Roaster (Red), Goromaru (Goro), Twinkle Bayoen (Arle). On top of this, Sega is also adding eight new songs from its many racing titles. You’ll be able to enjoy bangers such as ‘Magical Sound Shower’ on the jukebox as you race about:
What do you think of these latest free DLC characters to be announced for Sonic Racing? Let us know in the comments.
Nintendo has been quite busy today with the rollout of a system firmware update for the Switch 1 & 2 and a new “Handheld Boost Mode”.
It hasn’t forgotten about the weekly Nintendo Music app update, announcing it’s (finally) added the album from the 1994 SNES title, Super Metroid.
This album was composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano. Yamaoto has composed multiple Metroid games over the years and he was most recently credited on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Hamano has also been involved with many Metroid titles throughout her career and was also credited on Samus’ latest outing.
This album features a total of 28 tracks and it runs for just over an hour. Here’s every song included:
Opening (Destroyed Laboratory)
Title Screen
Theme of Super Metroid
Samus Aran Appears
Planet Zebes: Arriving at Crateria
Stillness
Item Obtained
Crateria: Space Pirates Appear
Brinstar: Heavy Foliage Area
Mini-Boss Battle BGM (Spore Spawn / Botwoon)
Brinstar: Red-Soil Area
Boss Battle BGM (Kraid/Crocomire/Phantoon)
Norfair: Hot Lava Area
Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior
Wrecked Ship
Maridia: Rocky Underground Water Area
Maridia: Quicksand Underground
Norfair: Ancient-Ruins Area
Boss Battle BGM (Ridley/Draygon)
Samus Aran’s Final Scream
Mysterious-Statue Chamber
Tourian
Tension
Mother Brain
Escape
Planete Zebes Explodes
Operation Complete
Ending
As usual, to listen to this soundtrack on the Nintendo Music app, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online subscription. Super Metroid is also playable via the Switch Online’s ‘Nintendo Classics’ SNES library. Of course, you’ll also need a membership to access this.
Will you be listening to this soundtrack on the Nintendo Music app? Let us know in the comments.
