{"id":135895,"date":"2026-02-01T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-196719"},"modified":"2026-02-01T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T15:00:00","slug":"feature-nintendo-life-eshop-selects-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2026\/02\/01\/feature-nintendo-life-eshop-selects-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (January 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c25b77477c0dc\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c25b77477c0dc\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"c25b77477c0dc\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"eShop Selects January 2026\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c25b77477c0dc\/eshop-selects-january-2026.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c25b77477c0dc\/eshop-selects-january-2026.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"eShop Selects January 2026\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You&#8217;ve got through one month of 2026, and what&#8217;s your reward? Ah yes, another dose of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/tags\/eshop-selects\">eShop Selects<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>The Switch 2 has kicked off the year in relatively calm fashion, but before the mad Spring rush hits us, let&#8217;s look at some eShop gems that are worth checking out. Yes, there are games other than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/animal-crossing-new-horizons-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">Animal Crossing: New Horizon<\/a> out there, we promise.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how this works: same as ever, our writers and contributors vote for their top three eShop games from January 2026 from titles we&#8217;ve reviewed, and the three games with the highest scores will make the podium.<\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/switch-eshop\/related-articles:196687 @ 1769990891 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<h3>Honourable mentions<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s been a surprisingly busy January in terms of news and releases \u2014 Animal Crossing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/final-fantasy-vii-remake-intergrade\">Final Fantasy VII<\/a>, two whole Directs on the <strong>Super<\/strong> <strong>Mario Galaxy Movie<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/tomodachi_life_living_the_dream\">Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream<\/a> \u2014 but the eShop exclusives have been a little on the quieter side on the review front.<\/p>\n<p>We do have a review-in-progress for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/i_hate_this_place\">I Hate This Place<\/a>, but there have been plenty of other games we just haven&#8217;t managed to get around to: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/they-are-billions\">They are Billions<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/suika-game-planet\">Suika Game Planet<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/citadelum\">Citadelum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/escape_from_ever_after\">Escape from Ever After<\/a>&#8230; these are just a few, too!<\/p>\n<p>Still, we have four games that made the cut this time around, all scoring 7\/10 and above. That leaves one honourable mention, and then the top three:<\/p>\n<div class=\"list\">\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/fc368ed359b41\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"3rd Place - GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition (Switch 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/66960fb194364\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"3rd Place - GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition (Switch 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Feral Interactive<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Codemasters<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>29th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>29th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The Switch 2&#8217;s more-powerful hardware has really opened the door for all types of sports and racing games to make the jump onto Nintendo&#8217;s console, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition\">GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition<\/a> has pulled up at the starting line to help get the driving going.<\/p>\n<p>January has been a pretty impressive month for technical ports, and GRID Legends is among the very best. 60fps is the way to go here, but there are multiple different graphics settings you can play around with in both handheld and docked. That&#8217;s still a rarity on Switch 2 right now, and we hope GRID sets the standard for other developers.<\/p>\n<p>Put all of that together, along with top-notch racing mechanics, and you&#8217;ve got <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/grid-legends-deluxe-edition\">an excellent 8\/10 racer<\/a> on your hands. Just maybe pull out the GameCube controller for this one.<\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/switch-eshop\/related-articles:196273 @ 1769990891 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mio-memories-in-orbit\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/b5aa797b7e8bf\/mio-memories-in-orbit-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"2nd Place - MIO: Memories in Orbit (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mio-memories-in-orbit\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/a77b84432d308\/mio-memories-in-orbit-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"2nd Place - MIO: Memories in Orbit (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Focus Entertainment<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Douze Dixi\u00e8mes<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>20th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>20th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Speaking of great-looking games on Switch 2, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mio-memories-in-orbit\">MIO: Memories in Orbit<\/a> is already one of the most-stunning on the console, with a beautiful spaceship-like vessel adorned in pastels and scribbles and an eerie, ethereal atmosphere that helps carry you along the adventure.<\/p>\n<p>The platforming in this Metroidvania can be tough-as-nails, but when you master the movement in this game, it&#8217;s sublime. The combat doesn&#8217;t always work for us, but everything else elevates MIO from being &#8216;just another action platformer&#8217; into a beautiful one that will stick with us.<\/p>\n<p>MIO is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/mio-memories-in-orbit\">our second 8\/10<\/a> in this top three, <em>just<\/em> beating out GRID in the votes game by one. Turns out a robot in space is faster than a car.<\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/switch-eshop\/related-articles:196149 @ 1769990891 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/advertising\">FTC Disclosure<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"article-products article-products-list\">\n<div class=\"items\">\n<div class=\"item\" data-product-id=\"31227\">\n<div class=\"image\"><a class=\"external\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/nintendolife.com\/p\/31227\/196719\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/products\/31227\/100x100.jpg\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"MIO: Memories In Orbit - Nintendo Switch 2\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c9d4040fddd01\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"1st Place - Dispatch (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/b080c95c9e7dd\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"1st Place - Dispatch (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>AdHoc Studio<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>AdHoc Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>28th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>28th Jan 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been paying attention to gaming news and releases, then you probably saw this one coming \u2014 AdHoc&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">Dispatch<\/a> was the runaway winner this month, and with good reason: it&#8217;s fantastic, and a true return-to-form for the Telltale-style of gameplay.<\/p>\n<p>Which makes sense, as former Telltale devs worked on this superhero comedy caper, that goes everywhere from rude jokes to explicit moments, but even has plenty of touching scenes and a little bit of romance. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2026\/01\/nintendo-responds-to-dispatch-switch-censorship-with-official-statement\">censorship drama<\/a> might be sucking the air out of things at the moment, but take it from us \u2014 regardless of where you play Dispatch, you&#8217;ll have a great time.<\/p>\n<p>As both the victor and the highest-scoring game of the bunch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/dispatch-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">with a 9\/10<\/a>, Dispatch takes the top spot on the podium. Congrats, Robert Robertson and everyone at the Superhero Dispatch Network!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/features\/nintendo-life-eshop-selects-december-2025\"><strong>&lt; Nintendo eShop Selects &#8211; December 2025<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"poll-11473\" class=\"poll\" data-uri=\"polls\/whats_your_favourite_january_2026_eshop_game_from_our_picks\" data-id=\"11473\" data-question=\"What's your favourite January 2026 eShop game from our picks?\">\n<div class=\"results hidden\">\n<h3 data-toc=\"skip\">What&#8217;s your favourite January 2026 eShop game from our picks? (158 votes)<\/h3>\n<ol class=\"poll-results\">\n<li class=\"result first\"><strong class=\"answer\">Cassette Boy (Switch eShop)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"13 votes (8.2%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"8\"><span class=\"val\">8<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">Dispatch Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"64 votes (40.5%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"41\"><span class=\"val\">41<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"41 votes (26%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"26\"><span class=\"val\">26<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result last\"><strong class=\"answer\">MIO: Memories in Orbit (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"40 votes (25.3%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"25\"><span class=\"val\">25<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>How we decide our eShop Selects top three:<\/strong> As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.<\/p>\n<p>Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month&#8217;s top prize.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image: Nintendo Life You&#8217;ve got through one month of 2026, and what&#8217;s your reward? Ah yes, another dose of eShop Selects! The Switch 2 has kicked off the year in relatively calm fashion, but before the mad Spring rush hits us, let&#8217;s look at some eShop gems that are worth checking out. Yes, there are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135895\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}