{"id":137488,"date":"2026-06-07T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-201861"},"modified":"2026-06-07T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:00:00","slug":"feature-nintendo-life-eshop-selects-may-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2026\/06\/07\/feature-nintendo-life-eshop-selects-may-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (May 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/303361272ee72\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/303361272ee72\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"303361272ee72\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Nintendo Life eShop Selects\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/303361272ee72\/nintendo-life-eshop-selects.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/303361272ee72\/nintendo-life-eshop-selects.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"Nintendo Life eShop Selects\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And we&#8217;re back for the latest round of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/tags\/eshop-selects\">eShop Selects<\/a>, looking back at last month&#8217;s eShop-only releases and picking our top three favourites.<\/p>\n<p>Plenty of games came out in May, although many of them also got day-and-date physical releases, so we only had six games that met our threshold this month (including one that&#8217;s only on mobiles). Let&#8217;s hop to it, shall we?<\/p>\n<p>Here are the rules: Our writers and contributors vote for their top three <strong>eShop games we reviewed (and scored at least a 7\/10)<\/strong> that launched in May 2026 on the eShop for Switch 1 and\/or Switch 2. We then tally the votes and the three games with the highest number of votes take to the podium.<\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/nintendo-switch-2\/related-articles:201590 @ 1780855420 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<h3>Honourable Mentions<\/h3>\n<p>One digital-only game that may have qualified for this is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/kabuto_park\">Kabuto Park<\/a>, a cute little bug catcher we&#8217;re in the process of reviewing, so keep an eye out for our verdict next week.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the obvious front-runner, it was a tight contest this month. But before we get to the top three, here are the three that just missed out (including a mobile game that&#8217;s not technically on the eShop, but Nintendo made it):<\/p>\n<div class=\"list\">\n<section class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/sektori\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/a0a2b56e4a578\/sektori-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"3rd Place - Sektori (Switch 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/sektori\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/ec77a751328f5\/sektori-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"3rd Place - Sektori (Switch 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Kimmo Factor<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Kimmo Lahtinen<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>14th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>14th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>Taking bronze is the addictive, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/geometry_wars_galaxies\">Geometry Wars<\/a>-inspired <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/sektori\">Sektori<\/a>, which landed on Switch 2 in the middle of May. Ollie gave it a sparkling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/sektori\">9\/10 in his review<\/a>, calling it his &#8220;favourite Switch 2 release of 2026 so far.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Beyond its beautiful, score-chasing, twin-stick shooting, it was heartening to hear that developer Kimmo Lahtinen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2026\/05\/sektoris-switch-2-launch-has-proven-a-huge-success-for-its-solo-developer\">found success with the port<\/a>, with sales of the Switch 2 version recouping &#8220;a living salary&#8221; for the solo dev after years of investment and overheads.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mixtape\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/5a8d628d47d8a\/mixtape-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"2nd Place - Mixtape (Switch 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mixtape\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/30e674f4c87b0\/mixtape-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"2nd Place - Mixtape (Switch 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Annapurna Interactive<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Beethoven And Dinosaur<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>7th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>7th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>Next up is Beethoven and Dinosaur&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mixtape\">Mixtape<\/a>, a low-stakes teen journey filled with licensed music, inventive visuals, and &#8217;80s\/&#8217;90s nostalgia.<\/p>\n<p>Putting all the embarrassing online &#8216;discourse&#8217; it provoked to the side, it&#8217;s undoubtedly a Marmite game that relies on your enjoyment and\/or memories of the era it depicts (and you&#8217;ll probably want to steer clear if you&#8217;re irritated by pretentious teens and coming-of-age drama). But we loved Mixtape.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a thoughtfully curated collection of music, sure,&#8221; said Roland in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/mixtape\">9\/10 review<\/a>, &#8220;but before that, it\u2019s an exciting, sentimental, funny game.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/18ffb346bf18b\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"1st Place - Mina the Hollower (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8a9366d0a7516\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"244\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"1st Place - Mina the Hollower (Switch 1 &amp; 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Yacht Club Games<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Yacht Club Games<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>29th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>29th May 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>And #1 by a wide margin is Yacht Club&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">Mina The Hollower<\/a>. This was delayed out of last year, and we&#8217;re so happy that it turned out to be worth the wait.<\/p>\n<p>This dark, top-down affair may look like a Game Boy Color-ful, Zelda-style adventure, but the Shovel Knight devs refuse to hold your hand, and its openness and willingness to leave you to your own devices is a huge part of its charm.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mina the Hollower, like Shovel Knight before it, pays careful homage to a beloved genre and visual style, while also blending in modern design sensibilities,&#8221; said Ken in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch-2\/mina-the-hollower-nintendo-switch-2-edition\">his 9\/10 review<\/a>. We&#8217;ll surely be discussing this more come GOTY time.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/features\/nintendo-life-eshop-selects-april-2026\"><strong>&lt; Nintendo eShop Selects &#8211; April 2026<\/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<section id=\"poll-11937\" data-block-type=\"poll\" class=\"poll\" data-uri=\"polls\/whats_your_favourite_may_2026_eshop_game_from_our_picks\" data-id=\"11937\" data-question=\"What's your favourite May 2026 eShop game from our picks?\">\n<div class=\"results hidden\">\n<h3 data-toc=\"skip\">What&#8217;s your favourite May 2026 eShop game from our picks? (92 votes)<\/h3>\n<ol class=\"poll-results many-results\">\n<li class=\"result first\"><strong class=\"answer\">Coffee Talk Tokyo (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"5 votes (5.4%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"5\"><span class=\"val\">5<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">Mina the Hollower &#8211; Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"63 votes (68.5%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"68\"><span class=\"val\">68<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">Mixtape (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"8 votes (8.7%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"9\"><span class=\"val\">9<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">Pictonico! (Mobile)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"2 votes (2.2%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"2\"><span class=\"val\">2<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result\"><strong class=\"answer\">Sektori (Switch 2)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"13 votes (14.1%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"14\"><span class=\"val\">14<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"result last\"><strong class=\"answer\">TetherGeist (Switch eShop)<\/strong><span class=\"votes\"><span title=\"1 vote (1.1%)\"><span class=\"bar accent-bg has-votes\" data-value=\"1\"><span class=\"val\">1<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\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 And we&#8217;re back for the latest round of eShop Selects, looking back at last month&#8217;s eShop-only releases and picking our top three favourites. Plenty of games came out in May, although many of them also got day-and-date physical releases, so we only had six games that met our threshold this month (including [&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-137488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137488","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=137488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137488\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}