Leading up to the Nintendo Switch Online service’s launch back in September 2018, and during the few months that followed, it was impossible to get away from talk surrounding people’s like or dislike for its offerings, including its library of retro games.

As subscribers will be aware, being a member of Nintendo Switch Online grants you access to a number of NES and SNES games on the go. Whether you enjoyed your batch of retro games to play anytime, anywhere, or weren’t particularly fussed about the whole thing, the regular updates at least added some value to the service and helped younger generations experience classics for the first time.

Fast forward to the present day, though, and the updates seem to have just stopped.

Loading up the NES app today presents you with 63 titles (including the SP version games that would appear each month), the most of recent of which were added way back in August. As September 2019 rolled around, a batch of 20 SNES games arrived, but nothing else has been added to that collection since either. So what’s going on, Nintendo? Why have the games stopped coming?

Nintendo

In September, when the SNES games first appeared on Switch, Nintendo revealed that new titles would appear “irregularly”, rather than as part of the previous monthly system. It was said that this new ‘irregular’ strategy would also apply to the NES app, meaning that we’d no longer get the usual batch of three to four games on an easy-to-predict schedule.

That’s fine – we don’t need the same number of new games to appear on the exact same day each month, but we expected to have heard something by now. It’s been almost three whole months since the SNES games launched and it’s been more than three months since we last had a NES update, so are we wrong to have assumed that we’d have at least a couple of new titles by this point?

Are we about to get a bumper edition update for Christmas? Does Nintendo have something special lined up that we don’t know about, or has it completely forgot that these services exist? We guess only time will tell… Hopefully.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are great games in our eyes – and in the eyes of many others – but there’s no hiding from the fact that the level of difficulty is, shall we say, a little on the accessible side. That’s great if you’re just looking to have a fun adventure, but for some people, a little strife can make things even sweeter.

So here are a few ways you can make the games harder for yourself through self-imposed rules, whether you’re a series veteran looking for greater oomph, you want to start a new playthrough after already becoming champion, or you’ve just heard whispers that it’s too easy and want something more engaging.

In ascending order of difficulty:

Ditch Your Starter

The simplest and most straightforward of all the possible ways to ramp up the challenge, you can just flat-out ditch your starter Pokémon. Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, whomever you choose, they’re designed to be powerful very early on in the game and be the backbone of your team from start to finish. They’re also really quick to climb the level ladder, and they also evolve fairly quickly all things considered. Dropping them off at the first possible opportunity definitely makes the earlier parts of the game tougher.

Doing this is as simple as the concept itself; all you need to do is catch a wild Pokémon on Route 1 after you’ve been to the Slumbering Weald and add it to your party. Then make a beeline for the Pokémon Center in Wedgehurst and drop your starter Pokémon in a Box to relax whilst you do all the hard stuff.

If you’re worried you might be tempted to use it in the future, you could either release it to say goodbye to it (and temptation) for good, or trade it to a friend you can trust so you can use it again once your adventure is complete.

Try A Monotype Team

Dropping your starter off may be tough at first, but you’ll soon adapt in time, so if you want to really test your wits you might want to consider using what’s called a monotype team.

A monotype team is basically a team of any Pokémon that share a single type between them, much like most gym leaders do throughout the series. A team like this means you’ll not only have trouble with strong foes that are super effective against potentially your entire party, but you’ll also have to think much harder about what moves and Pokémon you choose in an effort to counter this as much as you possibly can.

Although not absolutely necessary, we recommend choosing what type your team will share before you start your adventure. You can either choose ahead of time or if you’re feeling especially daring you can let the magic of HTML choose for you by clicking on this link. If you do you’ll also be shown a list of all the Pokémon available in Sword and Shield that you can pick from – aren’t we lovely?

To start your team, you’ll likely have to ditch your starter Pokémon as well, unless you chose or were assigned Grass, Fire, or Water. You’ll have to take them through the Slumbering Weald no matter what, but as soon as you’re able to catch a Pokémon of your monotype team, you’ll have to drop your starter as soon as you can. This can be tricky with certain types, such as Fairy, as they won’t appear on Route 1 or Route 2, so you’ll have to push through until you get into the Wild Area and start your monotype team from there.

One last thing to mention, there are plenty of Pokémon that gain a type when they evolve, such as Rookidee gaining the Steel type when it ultimately evolves into Corviknight. Is it acceptable to have a Rookidee in a Steel monotype team for example? Well at the end of the day it’s your call, but in our personal view it’s perfectly acceptable as although it’s not Steel to begin with, its final form includes it, and that’s what you’ll be using for the majority of your adventure.

However, there are also Pokémon that actively lose a type when they evolve. For example, Onix is Rock and Ground-type, but upon evolving into Steelix it becomes Steel and Ground. For our money, the final evolution is the restriction you should place upon yourself, so whilst Onix would be fine in a Steel-type team (provided you intend to evolve it, which you should), Steelix would not be OK in a Rock-type team. However, these rules are 100% self-imposed, so if you want to bend our stipulations a little for any reason whatsoever, you’re perfectly free to do so. It’s your choice to do this after all.

Nuzlocke In Your Life

Now we’re in big trousers territory. You may well have heard of Nuzlocke at some point, and for good reason – it amps up the difficulty of the games so significantly that poor planning can even result in deleting your save file. Yikes.

The Nuzlocke challenge was created by Nick Franco and named after his webcomic series of the same name. The very basic principles of it are simple:

• If one of your Pokémon faints, you must release it.
• You may only catch the first Pokémon you find in each area, and nothing else.

People have evolved upon the ideas of Nuzlocke over time and there are naturally going to be a few questions with rules as simple as these; “what about the Slumbering Weald?”, “does it have to be the first overworld Pokémon I see or the first rustle of a grassy patch?”, “can I keep my starter Pokémon?”, “where are the toilets?”, and so on.

So we’ve compiled our own list of Nuzlocke rules specifically for the 8th generation, including some optional ones if you fancy a bit more pep.

Mandatory Nuzlocke Rules

These must be followed throughout your entire playthrough.

1. You may choose your starter Pokémon gifted to you by Leon.
2. You may only capture the first Pokémon you battle in each area. This can either be an overworld Pokémon, a random encounter from entering a grassy patch, a Pokémon you reel in from a fishing spot, a Pokémon that falls out of a Berry Tree to attack you, or a Max Raid Battle (you may not leave the Den if you do not want that Pokémon, and you must use NPCs rather than other players over the internet or via local wireless). If you fail to capture this Pokémon for whatever reason, be it because it fainted or ran away, you may not catch another from that area. This rule comes into effect only once you receive the Poké Balls you get from talking to your mum after visiting the Slumbering Weald for the first time. Each area within the Wild Area is considered a separate location, so you may catch a total of 17 Pokémon in the Wild Area, one for each location contained within it.
3. You may not trade or interact with other users via local wireless or over the internet. This includes the Surprise Trade option and Max Raid Battles. Pokémon that require evolution through trading such as Gengar are exempt from this, provided they are traded back immediately.
4. You may trade Pokémon with in-game NPCs, as long as the Pokémon they request has been caught in accordance with the restrictions listed in rule 2. You may also accept Pokémon given to you by in-game NPCs without trading, such as Toxel.
5. You may not use Mystery Gift or event Pokémon, such as Gigantamax Meowth.
6. You must nickname every Pokémon you capture, including your starter. This will make you appreciate them and bond with them more than you would otherwise.
7. If one of your Pokémon faints, you must transfer it to a Box immediately and release it. This means you may not use any items that revive the Pokémon either, it is considered permanently fainted and must be released, no exceptions. You may however heal your Pokémon using items such as Potions and Antidotes.
8. You may store additional Pokémon you have caught in Boxes to be used if you wish to switch out any member of your party (or one of your party faints) provided they are caught in accordance with the restrictions listed in rule 2.
9. You must have the Autosave feature active at all times, and you may not reload a previous save at any time. Each action in-game is considered permanent and must be treated as such.
10. Should all of your party Pokémon faint, resulting in a white-out, it is considered a game over and you must start your entire adventure over from the beginning, even if you have reserve Pokémon in Boxes.

Optional Nuzlocke Rules

Feel free to mix and match as many of these as you wish, or ignore them entirely.

• You may not use in-game healing items to heal your Pokémon. This includes status-healing items such as Antidote.
• You may not purchase additional Poké Balls of any kind, you may only use those you find on the ground.
• You may not use held items with your Pokémon.
• You may not use the Pokémon Link Box to access your Boxes outside of a Pokémon Center.
• You may not use any items at all besides Poké Balls and mandatory Key Items.
• You may not use the Pokémon Camp feature to heal your Pokémon with curries.
• You may not use the Pokémon Camp feature at all.
• You may not use starter Pokémon, and they must be released as soon as you have a Pokémon to replace them.
• You may not use the Box system to hold reserve Pokémon.
• You may not run from any battle.
• You must use the ‘Set’ style of battle rather than the default ‘Switch’. This can be found in the Options menu.
• You may not use the Move Tutor.
• You may not use the Flying Taxis.
• You may not Dynamax your Pokémon.

We told you it was big trousers time, didn’t we? Nuzlocke is undoubtedly not for everyone, but if you’ve been looking to get some more challenge in your Pokémon games, you’ll certainly find it with this!

Until Dawn follow-up Man of Medan embraced the couch co-op potential of its predecessor by including a local and online multiplayer mode at launch, and is now offering a free buddy pass on all platforms to encourage more players to give co-op a try.

Developer Supermassive Games is offering a single buddy pass to Man of Medan owners that already own the game or purchase it before January 6, 2020.

That pass can then be handed off to another player, allowing the two parties to remotely play through the game’s story together a single time.

It’s a similar move to what other online co-op games like Wolfenstein: Youngblood have tried in the past and offers a way to introduce online play to players without requiring them or their potential co-op partner to foot the bill for a second copy of the game.

The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe has arrived slightly later than usual (sorry!), and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch Retail – New Releases

BLACKSAD: Under the Skin (Microids, 28th Nov, £35.99 / €39.99) – The early 50s: Joe Dunn, owner of a boxing club, is found dead. Meanwhile, rising star Robert Yale, due to take to the ring for the most important fight of his career, has mysteriously disappeared. Sonia Dunn, Joe’s daughter, takes over the club and must deal with its financial woes. She hires private detective John Blacksad to investigate Yale’s disappearance and to find the missing man.

Professional Farmer: American Dream (United Independent Entertainment, 28th Nov, £35.99 / €39.99) – Professional Farmer: American Dream – the latest spin-off from the Professional Farmer series – takes you to a ranch set in the captivating landscapes of the Midwest. Surrounded by towering mountain ranges, build your dream as a rancher in America with lush fields as far as the eye can see! Drive your pickup and tractors, tend to your cattle, cultivate your fields and reap your harvest!

TheNightfall (United Independent Entertainment, 28th Nov, £35.99 / €39.99) – A new city, a new job and a new home – everything seems wonderful! But appearances are deceptive! You spend the first night alone in your new house! Darkness falls and a night begins that you have never experienced before. What begins with insomnia and a slight malaise becomes an absolute nightmare over time. This is a very special house that doesn’t just mean good to you! Will you be able to survive this night until dawn?

Switch eShop – New Releases

Pine (Kongregate, 26th Nov, £19.49 / €20.99) – A STORY OF HUMANS – Pine is an open-world action-adventure simulation game. Set in the beautiful world of Albamare, you take on the role of Hue, a smart young adult who will have to explore, trade, and fight his way through a vibrant world filled with creatures much smarter than humans.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (Clickteam, 29th Nov, £6.29) – Welcome to your new summer job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where kids and parents alike come for entertainment and food as far as the eye can see! The main attraction is Freddy Fazbear, of course; and his two friends. They are animatronic robots, programmed to please the crowds! The robots’ behaviour has become somewhat unpredictable at night, however, and it was much cheaper to hire you as a security guard than to find a repairman. From your small office, you must watch the security cameras carefully. You have a very limited amount of electricity that you’re allowed to use per night (corporate budget cuts, you know).

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Clickteam, 29th Nov, £6.29) – In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the old and ageing animatronics are joined by a new cast of characters. They are kid-friendly, updated with the latest in facial recognition technology, tied into local criminal databases, and promise to put on a safe and entertaining show for kids and grown-ups alike! What could go wrong? As the new security guard working nights, your job is to monitor cameras and make sure nothing goes wrong after-hours.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 (Clickteam, 29th Nov, £6.29) – Thirty years after Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza closed it’s doors, the events that took place there have become nothing more than a rumour and a childhood memory, but the owners of “Fazbear’s Fright: The Horror Attraction” are determined to revive the legend and make the experience as authentic as possible for patrons, going to great lengths to find anything that might have survived decades of neglect and ruin.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 (Clickteam, 29th Nov, £6.29) – This time, the terror has followed you home. In this last chapter of the Five Nights at Freddy’s original story, you must once again defend yourself against Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, and even worse things that lurk in the shadows. Playing as a child whose role is yet unknown, you must safeguard yourself until 6am by watching the doors, as well as warding off unwanted creatures that may venture into your closet or onto the bed behind you.

Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games, 28th Nov, £17.99 / €19.99) – Your dogs have been dognapped by a beaked lunatic who stuffed them into his eye holes and is using their life essence to destroy the universe. You’re partnered with Trover, a little purple eye-hole monster who isn’t a huge fan of working or being put in the position of having to save the universe.

Widget Satchel (Noble Robot, 27th Nov, £10.79 / €11.99) – You are Sprocket, an adorable ferret on a remote space station. Escape your playpen and make your way to the shuttlebay with the most stuff! Widget Satchel is a thrilling adventure for one little thief, with fiendish puzzles, joyous platforming, and dozens of hidden collectables. As you stumble deeper though the station evading your human caretakers, you steal things like widgets and socks.

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Serenity Forge, 29th Nov, £17.99) – Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about travelling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny. Featuring gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine combines 2D visuals with a 3D overworld US map. Players wander across a folkloric Depression-era United States at their own pace, meeting strangers with their own stories to tell.

BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE Special Edition Bundle (Pqube, 25th Nov) – Top franchises Persona 4 Arena, RWBY, BLAZBLUE and Under Night In-Birth come together for a spectacular crossover!

Chameleon (UFO Interactive, 26th Nov, £4.49 / €4.99) – Play as one of four magical sisters as you battle to conquer your territory for the chance to play against the ultimate puzzle master! Utilize unique special moves, power-ups, and combos to get one step closer to becoming the champion!

GREEN VIDEO GAME (G.R.E.E.N. THE LIFE ALG0R1THM) (ESTACION PI, 26th Nov, £10.99) – Welcome to G.R.E.E.N. THE LIFE ALG0R1THM, an adventure through spectacular natural scenarios in which you will face the threats and challenges of lethal plants that dominate the earth. But beware, you can’t kill your enemies here, just petrify them and use them to your advantage, so choose wisely to survive.

Monster Jam Steel Titans (THQ Nordic, 26th Nov, £26.99 / €29.99) – Real Trucks. Real Action. Monster Jam! Monster Jam Steel Titans delivers the complete Monster Jam experience for everybody to enjoy! All the trucks, stunts, stadiums, racing and massive air in one game! Play in various game modes including Stadium and outdoor Racing, various Stunt Challenges and Destruction modes!

Chaos on Deponia (Daedalic GmbH, 27th Nov, £17.99 / €19.99) – Chaos on Deponia turns out to be even wackier than its predecessor and instantly puts the player under its spell. After the events on Deponia, it seems that Rufus came to his senses. He’s grown prudent, amicable, kind and caring, without any intention to cause major mayhem just to further his own selfish ends. It seems he is far from chaining himself to flaming saw blades, training torpedo-dolphins or foraging through platypus nests. Or is he?

Gemstone Keeper (Gamepopper, 27th Nov, £6.99 / €7.49) – Gemstone Keeper is an action twin-stick roguelike shooter where a brave explorer can traverse a large and mystical cavern to search for rare and precious gemstones. The deeper an explorer goes into the caverns, the more valuable gemstones that can be found, however at the risk of facing more of the dangerous and hostile creatures that live there, including creatures that are larger than life. Armed only with a gun, explorers must break through rocks to collect minerals and gemstones and fight off the creatures, and find the portal that can help them go back up to sell what they collect or go further down.

Real Heroes: Firefighter (Golem Entertainment, 27th Nov, £4.49 / €4.99) – For the first time on Nintendo Switch™, Real Heroes: Firefighter gives you a realistic point-of-view experience of the challenges firefighters face. Experience raging infernos and explosive environments in this truly unique action game. Use the firefighter tools of the trade, like axe, hose and saw to rescue survivors and control fires. You take on the role of a new graduate starting out at a big city fire station, gradually learn the tools of the trade and proceed to battle fires and other hazards.

Story of a Gladiator (Brain Seal Entertainment, 27th Nov, £9.99 / €9.99) – Story of a Gladiator is an arena beat ’em up where you take the role of a man in search of his destiny, only to find it in the sands of the colosseum. You are a common man who has lost everything in the war against the Roman empire. Your family is dead, your friends are dead, your house has been burned down and your land is now under Roman rule.

Amazing Brick Breaker (CFK, 28th Nov, £4.49 / €4.99) – Enjoy easy game control, clear graphic, and the best strike! Shoot the ball and destroy the brick. Colourful graphic expresses lively movement. Find the best launch angle to smash all the bricks! When the ball touches the wall and the brick, it bounces in the opposite direction. Make use of the angles and the location of the bricks to show effective brick break. Get as many balls as you can! Collect hidden balls among the bricks and make the best use of balls. You can break the bricks with many balls to challenge high scores.

Bowling (Sabec, 28th Nov, £8.09 / €8.99) – Grab your best bowling shoes and get ready to play this fun and easy to play bowling game anytime, anywhere. The aim of the game is to score points by knocking down the pins, just line up your shot by choosing the position, power and direction of your ball. Play against a friend or play against the computer’s smart artificial intelligence (AI) player, either way, winning won’t come easy. Just remember its precision and power that gets the best score and wins the game.

Decay of Logos (Rising Star Games, 28th Nov, £17.99 / €19.99) – Immerse yourself in the world of Decay Of Logos and unravel its mysteries. Explore old dungeons, battle unforgiving foes and journey through a vibrant interconnected fantasy realm with your mystical elk companion. Embark on a journey of revenge and betrayal set in motion by the destruction of our young adventurer’s village at the hands of Crimson Knights. Find solace in your trusty elk companion as you battle the unforgiving foes that roam this once peaceful realm. Venture into ancient ruins and dungeons in search of its rewards in a quest to find the truth behind the attack of Ada’s home. Read our Decay of Logos review

Electronic Super Joy (Hard Copy Games, 28th Nov, £8.66 / €9.99) – Electronic Super Joy is a visually stunning hardcore platformer set in a world of pulse-pounding electronic music. Run, jump, fly and smash your way through 50+ unique levels, featuring low-gravity, world rotation, giant monsters & swarming missile attacks!

Indie Gems Bundle – Explosions Edition (Plug In Digital, 28th Nov, £26.99 / €29.99) – Get these three exploding games in this fantastic indie bundle, at a discounted price! — Steredenn: Binary Stars is an award-winning mashup of a classic shmup and a rogue-like, carved in big beautiful pixels, with insane boss battles. Fly solo or co-op with a friend, fighting off the worst scourges of space in a never-ending struggle for survival. Endless chaotic space shooter. Ruthless roguelike inside. — NeuroVoider is a twin-stick shooter RPG set in a cyber futuristic world about brains shooting around evil robots with nuclear rocket launchers.

Knowledge Trainer: Trivia (the binary family, 28th Nov, £14.99 / €14.99) – Each lesson tests your wits with 10 questions from 10 different categories. The difficulty level depends on you. Get an answer right and you’ll move up a level. A wrong answer leads to an easier question. But you’ll want to move up to improve your Knowledge Quotient, which is recalculated after every round. In a multiplayer game, up to 4 players can compete.

Nyan Cat: Lost in Space (isTom Games, 28th Nov, £8.09 / €8.99) – Race through the candy-filled vastness of space with the internet’s #1 rainbow-riding nyan space cat in this casual platformer game.
Nyan Cat: Lost in Space allows you to take flight as the most celebrated rainbow-propelled cat in internet history. Guide Nyan Cat through infinite space avoiding evil cosmic horrors, such as space dogs, while collecting intergalactic sweets.

One-Way Ticket (Zodiac Interactive, 28th Nov, £5.39 / €5.99) – One-Way Ticket is a visual novel loosely based around actual events. A group of men and women, isolated at sea on a long-distance fishing vessel, suddenly find their very humanity at stake as crew members begin turning up dead.

Skelittle: A Giant Party! (Plug In Digital, 28th Nov, £8.99 / €9.99) – Skelittle is a silly, colourful party game designed for fun with friends & family. Challenge each other in a series of 15 minigames and unlock objects to craft your very own game sessions in sandbox mode! Turn your house into a gigantic playground! The Skelittles are tiny toys who escaped from their cereal boxes. Play with them and turn your everyday environment into a gigantic playground! Run from the terrifying vacuum robot, steal the family dog’s yummy kibble or throw your friends into the deep end of your bathtub! Each minigame is different and features its own playful challenges.

Voxel Galaxy (SAT-BOX, 28th Nov, £6.07 / €6.81) – Voxel Galaxy is set in a near-future world that is a blend of space and cyberpunk. Use various weapons and equipment to take out your enemies in this easy-to-play action game. Voxel, year 20XX. On the planet Voxel that resides in the far reaches of space, a rebel army struggles in their battle with the Voxel Empire who are plotting to rule the Milky Way itself. The fighting grows more intense by the day…

Deathtrap Dungeon Trilogy (Nomad Games, 29th Nov, £7.99) – Play through three classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks by author Ian Livingstone – Deathtrap Dungeon, Trial of Champions and Armies of Death. Start as a novice adventurer and rise up through the ranks in these epic tales of deadly traps, fearsome monsters and devious adversaries. Relive these exciting adventures in a whole new way – by powering up your Skill and Luck dice and collecting powerful cards to help you on your quests.

FoxyLand (Ratalaika Games, 29th Nov, £4.99) – Help Foxy Fox on a dangerous journey to rescue his love, Jennie. Without your help, Foxy won’t be able to save her! Embark on an adventure to rescue Jennie! Jump and dodge past challenging enemies and traps while collecting gems and cherries across 36 levels. Dress up Foxy by purchasing additional accessories for him using the cherries you collect on your journey!

Happy Animals Bowling (LLC ROOM710GAMES, 29th Nov, £4.49) – When nobody’s looking, animals love to come together and organize bowling tournaments. Yep, they just love bowling! This time, the turnout was amazing! The little lamb is here, the crocodile is here, and even the champion Piglet Joffrey is here! Come on, it will be fun!

League of the Shield (NoobO Games, 29th Nov, £6.29) – League of the Shield is an arcade game for up to 4 players. Defend your fortress against moving balls using your trustworthy shield. Try to beat every other player to be crowned king.

Strike Force Kitty (No Gravity Games, 29th Nov, £4.49) – Strike Force Kitty is a humorous light platformer all about cats and kittens! Command a squad of four cute kittens to save an adorable princess! Train your tabbies into tigers and… power them up with 350+ costumes to gain superpowers! Fight big bosses on your way to save the princess!

Travel Mosaics: A Paris Tour (JetDogs, 1st Dec) – Embark on a breathtaking adventure to France: solve beautifully crafted themed puzzles, collect souvenirs and learn fun facts about your destination.

Get Me Outta Here (QubicGames, 30th Nov)

Arcade Archives HYPER SPORTS (HAMSTER, 28th Nov, £6.29 / €6.99)

Switch eShop – Demos

Happy Animals Bowling (LLC ROOM710GAMES)

Switch eShop – Pre-Orders

Junior League Sports 3-in-1 Collection (Funbox Media, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Junior League Sports – Soccer (Funbox Media, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Junior League Sports – Ice Hockey (Funbox Media, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Junior League Sports – Basketball (Funbox Media, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Dual Brain Vol.1: Calculation (D-O, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Jamestown+ (Final Form Games, pre-order from 28th Nov)

March to a Million (Kairosoft, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Smash Rush (isTom Games, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Space Blaze (United Independent Entertainment, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Wizards of Brandel (KEMCO, pre-order from 28th Nov)

Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr (QubicGames, pre-order from 29th Nov)

Breathing Fear (Drageus Games, pre-order from 29th Nov)

Dead End Job (Headup Games, pre-order from 29th Nov)

Akuto: Showdown (QubicGames, pre-order from 30th Nov)

Switch eShop – Special Offers

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch

• Horizon Chase Turbo – Rookie Series (PM Studios)
• BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE Ver2.0 (Pqube)
• BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE – Additional Character Packs 1-7 (Pqube)
• Block-a-Pix Deluxe: Extra Puzzles Pack 9 (Lightwood Games)
• Blaster Master Zero 2 – DLC Playable Character: Copen from “Luminous Avenger iX” (Inti Creates)
• OBAKEIDORO! -Free DLC to celebrate over 40,000 units sold! (FREE STYLE)
• SENRAN KAGURA Peach Ball – New Outfit Quartet (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Young Altera (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Tropical Set (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Li’l Characters Set (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Resort Set (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Special Set 1 (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Special Set 2 (Marvelous Europe)
• Fate/EXTELLA LINK – Special Set 3 (Marvelous Europe)
• Gal Metal – Encore Pack (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Peach Ball – SENRAN KAGURA Stage BGM Set (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Peach Ball – Busty Special DLC Set (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions – Glorious Reflexology — Set of Three (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions – Yomi Reflexions Course & 12 Outfit Set (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions – Ryōna Reflexions Course & 7 Outfit Set (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions – Murasaki Reflexions Course & 7 Outfit Set (Marvelous Europe)
• SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions – Yumi Reflexions Course & 9 Outfit Set (Marvelous Europe)
• Pinball FX3 – Williams Pinball: Volume 1 (ZEN Studios)
• Pinball FX3 – Williams Pinball: Volume 2 (Zen Studios)
• Pinball FX3 – Williams Pinball: Volume 3 (Zen Studios)
• Pinball FX3 – Williams Pinball: Volume 4 (Zen Studios)

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

I was just sent a Clockwork GameShell, it’s a build it yourself open source raspberry pi powered handheld computer.  What’s most appealling to me is how heavily focused on indie game developers this device is.  This is not a review of the device but instead a description of the build process (stay tuned for a proper review!).  So let’s take a look at the process from beginning to end and I’ll point out the few snags I encountered on the way.  If you are interested in getting one of your own, they are available on Amazon.

The underlying specs of hardware are as follows:

New ClockworkPi V3.1:Powered by Quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU, MaliGPU, Wi-Fi &Bluetooth, 1GB DDR3 Memory, 16GB MicroSD, HDMI output, GPIOs.

Keypad: Programmable Keypad and powered by an ATmega168P [email protected] with 30Pin Arduino compatibility GPIOs.

Audio: 2 Channel Stereo Speaker

Visual: 2.7-inch [email protected]

Rechargeable Battery: 3.7v, 1200mAh

Lightkey module: 5 independent IO extended keys for shoulder buttons

GameShell Shells: 1 front shell+2 back shells

MicroSD Card: 16GB

OS: ClockworkPi OS,Linux  4.1x

Debug cable: 14PIN GPIOs

Let’s look at what you get and how you assemble it.

The Box

This is a extremely minor point, but I was quite impressed with the packaging the GameShell came in.  Right away it’s generally just a higher quality of packaging and branding than I am accustomed to for these kinds of products, it does have a premium feeling as a result. Click any photo for a much higher resolution version.

The Contents

The inside of the box is several other boxes and a collection of plastic punch out components.  In terms of equipment you need to do this build you are going to want a sharp knife at the very least.  A fine file and pair of side cutters to remove the plastic attachments are also recommended, but I got by with just a knife.

Assembly

Now it’s time to start putting things together.  The instructions are IKEA style (but thankfully better than most IKEA!) step by step pictographic instructions.  The assembly is module by module.  The primary modules are the screen, the battery, the main system board and the controller as well as the speaker (not shown).

Once these 5 modules are completed, its its time to mount the modules into the backplate and connect the various power wires between the devices.  This is probably the trickiest part with one exception I will discuss in a minute.

Finally it’s a matter of attaching the front plate, attaching two thumb screws and praying you did everything right.  And the final completed product!

The Gotchas

Assembly was extremely straight forward with only two snags.  The first step is when creating the display module illustrated below.

Notice the inset diagram shows the cable being bent backwards, while the layer diagram does not show this?  This is vitally important, you do in fact have to bend the display cable 180 degrees.

The second problem is actually around the same issue.  Connecting the display ribbon cable to the main board should be done *BEFORE* you close the case around it, making it insanely difficult connect unless you open it.

The only other issue I ran into is occasionally they mounted the plastic pieces to the plastic frame at less than ideal locations.  For example there was a mount point where the display cable needs to be fed.  I had to make a special point of filing down the excess plastic to keep it from rubbing against or puncturing the fragile ribbon cable.  It would be ideal if pieces were mounted slightly different, but its a small issue.

Now that I have the GameShell built, it’s time to start trying to develop games for it.  Stay tuned for that video in the near future.

General Love2D LUA Review

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Dear Reader, I confess sometimes I begin to lose heart in the face of Apple Arcade’s full catalogue. Increasingly it reminds me of Netflix: a few high-profile standouts with many safer, color-by-numbers entries to fill out the rest. By and large, the best games are the most heavily featured, but there are still hidden gems, too. Hidden duds, too, but this write-up is precisely to spare you the hazards of blind tries.

A plus in the service’s column remains its ability to surprise and defy expectations, for good or ill. Read below for the gory details.

Rosie’s Reality (Puzzle) (1-Star)

This game really grinds my gears. Just like last time with the card battler, a genre near and dear has betrayed my optimism and come up incredibly short. A puzzle game this time around, my genre bias makes me a bit more picky, but this game even outside of the specialist standards is a weaker entry. Let’s start with the upsides: minimal narration is just twee enough to encourage relaxation and playfulness; character design and animation are just as perfect; the music and SFX are excellent. Incredibly cohesive and accessible, but the core gameplay wants to mix action/real-time elements into what is at heart a spatial & pathing puzzle.

Each level, Rosie needs to traverse a path by following blocks and avoiding adversaries and obstacles. The levels themselves are quite reliable, neither too vexing nor lenient, but they are all timed. Rather than incentivizing economical solutions, you get up to three stars based on the speed a level is cleared. The cardinal sin is how puzzles can be solved by simply clicking quickly, since blocks can be deleted and relocated halfway through a path. The building materials aren’t exhaustible, in other words. The mixture of time-based and classic puzzle solving diminishes both halves of the game. It’s easy and pleasant but fell flat almost right out of the gate.

Pilgrims (Adventure) (4-Stars)

Amanita games feel like elaborate storybooks brought to life. Painterly details, an emphatic musical score, character sounds full of onomatopoeia and colorful mutterings. They structured it as an adventure with a card-based inventory, too, which is a little on-trend but still tastefully done. Every item and interaction in the game begins and ends with playing a card, thereby summoning the depicted item and triggering some interaction. It is reminiscent of a classic point-and-click style adventure but has been deliberately miniaturised.

This only intensifies the cute factor. Some story obstacles are overcome with Occam’s Razor, others are devilishly convoluted. Generally speaking, though, any puzzles can be teased out with logic and experimentation. This is a relatively bite-sized forgiving game that can be completed in one long sitting and is worth it for the atmosphere and Eastern European style humor.

The Bradwell Conspiracy (Narrative/Puzzle) (5-Stars)

Now this is a great puzzle game. You wake up and try to escape a museum devoted in part to the Bradwells a family of renown for their pioneering achievements. Not to spoil things any further, but this one is eerie and personal, even as it makes rhetorical gestures towards larger themes about freedom, intellectual curiosity and technological solutionism. It is quite simply a very good game where the narrative and puzzle design march in perfect synchronisation towards a well-defined ending.

It is a tad short and the controls are a tad wonky, but these are minor complaints to lay at the feet of a quality release. As a side-note, there are quite a few games like this one on Apple Arcade, and what they generally have in common is that they’ve been in development a good while and have released on multiple platforms (several consoles, but exclusively only Apple Arcade for mobile).

Yaga (RPG) (3-Stars)

An action-rpg in which so many characters have been cursed to speak exclusively in rhyme. Named for Baba Yaga, the mysterious and menacing crone of Slavic folklore, the game begins in tale by cribbing liberally from Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty). A petty and corrupt king is promised mystical vengeance by a lady, and he does everything in its power to thwart the curse. You’re just a poor one-armed blacksmith running quests to try to improve your fortune.

Apparently you have the world’s most rotten luck, and in the course of these quests will grow stronger and luckier and win the favor of the king and Baba Yaga alike. It’s got crafting, characters and progression. Really nice balancing and customisation options. The visuals are a little rough around the edges, but the voice acting is richly theatrical. Decent but missable. Points for novel, rarely utilized mythology.

The Enchanted World (Puzzle) (4-Stars)

This is definitely a sleeper hit for puzzle fans. The whole natural world is magically active and resonant, so when corruption strikes and throws the environment off-balance, a young woman sets out to make things right. It’s about moving tiles, guys, but very prettily. The pleasing and bucolic setting might lull you into a false sense of security, though, for this game after just a little while gets just challenging enough to stay compelling. Its levels are short and punchy but also refreshing and inventive, with new mechanics being skillfully introduced early on.

From a pure puzzling perspective, I’d rate it even more highly than the Go series (Hitman, Lara Croft, Deus Ex). It’s about comparable in length, in terms of playtime if not raw content. The mechanic interactions are quite diverse and thoughtful, and while the core challenge is always straightforward (‘make a path’) it is constantly re-interpreted and thus always interesting. Accessible and high-quality, the best of both worlds.

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All in all, this batch was better than I was expecting. The way things currently stand, it seems like Apple Arcade is lousy with medium-weight puzzle- and narrative- heavy games, each with plenty of visual polish but somewhat well-worn gameplay grooves. Still there are some really slick and innovative entries, even outside of the big players. Even the average stuff is closer to a formulaic summer blockbuster, to put it in filmic terms, than an actual dud.

Because of the nature of the games and the service’s billing structure, Apple Arcade paradoxically rewards the periodic check-in and binge. The roulette-style approach is really nice; it removes the anxiety of selecting the ‘best’ and lets players trust their own judgement. The spirit of the age is full of expert recommendations and daedal algorithms, but I can tell you, one player to another, the arcade also rewards this roulette, of letting your attention wander and merely playing whatever, whenever.

Gaming accessory maker Venom is set to release a brand new (and very affordable) charging station for the Nintendo Switch Lite tomorrow.

Perhaps one of the most simple third-party dock designs we’ve seen, Venom’s new product has a USB-C charger which connects to the bottom of your console and little else to get in the way. Thanks to this, it should also double up as a decent way to display your console if you want to show it off or put it with your other gaming goodies at home.

As you might expect, the station is available in the three launch colours of the Switch Lite – Turquoise, Yellow, and Grey. Each can be pre-ordered as we speak for just £7.99 – you’ll find the links you need below.

A useful little charger for your needs? Or would you prefer to just use the standard plug included in the box? Let us know with a comment below.

But what could it be?

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• by Damien McFerran 10 hours ago