© Sega

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is one of those “wow” concepts which can’t help but raise a smile; being able to drive a tiny car around your living room and terrorise your pets is a good time, as you’ll know if you’ve consulted our review.

However, this isn’t the first time a Japanese video game company has attempted this trick (it’s also not Nintendo’s first dalliance with RC cars). Back in the late ’80s, Sega created the Sega Super Circuit, an arcade racing title where players controlled RC cars around a massive 80-metre race track, using a CCD video camera mounted on the vehicle.

Players would park themselves in a sit-down arcade cabinet not similar to those used in titles like OutRun and Daytona USA, and up to eight people could take part at any one time. An electronic scoreboard would show each player’s position in the race.

Like Mario Kart Live, a lot of human interaction was required – the track had to be manned by paid operators who would have to line up the cars for each race. These individuals were also called upon to supply live commentary for the on-track action.

Sega Super Circuit’s origins can be traced back to a deal between Sega and Nissan Motors; the game – then known as Super Game Z – was showcased at the Dream Factory ’87 exposition. It was rebranded in 1989 and installed at Sega World Tokyo Roof in Yokohama, Japan. It didn’t last long – it was removed in 1990 – and its current whereabouts are sadly unknown.

Thanks to Slopes Game Room for reminding us about this amazing arcade machine!

The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe has arrived, 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 eShop – New Releases

INSTANT Chef Party (JUST FOR GAMES, 6th Nov, £19.99 / €24.99) – No matter if you like French, Italian or Mexican cuisine, cook your way up to the top! In INSTANT Chef Party, you will have to compete with up to 4 players in a series of mini-games themed around food and cook. Be ready to enjoy serving, cooking, harvesting, doing dish-washing and many more activities in coop or versus your friends & family!

Mad Rat Dead (£35.99 / €39.99) – A rat’s dream has been left unfulfilled before his death. . . that is, until he gets a second chance at life! Granted the opportunity to redo his last day on Earth, you must utilize the rat’s newfound power to pump his heart in time with the music, lest his own time runs out. You’ve got one day to live and a huge score to settle. Time to put the “beat” in beatdown! Jump, dash, and smash to the rhythm in this music-based action platformer!

My Universe – Fashion Boutique (Microids, 27th Oct, £35.99 / €39.99) – MANAGE YOUR OWN SHOP Create and manage your own fashion store: decorate your showroom to match your personality, welcome customers and help them find the perfect outfit. The more customers you attract, the more you can expand and improve your shop! CREATE YOUR FASHION BRAND FROM SCRATCH Design the fashion collection of your dreams: pick up the shapes, patterns and materials you need to create thousands of own clothing items. You even get to cut and sew them yourself.

Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty (Oddworld Inhabitants, 27th Oct, £17.99 / €19.99) – A mudokon chosen by the fickle finger of fate, Abe was a first class Floor-Waxer for RuptureFarms who was catapulted into a life of adventure. Late one night he overheard plans from his boss, Molluck the Glukkon, to turn Abe and his fellow Mudokons into Tasty Treats as a final effort to rescue Molluck’s failing meatpacking empire! Can Abe change the fate of thousands and rescue the Mudokons? Can he escape the dark recesses of RuptureFarms and the desolate, uninviting, and downright terrifying surrounding environment?

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (£49.99 / €59.99) – Grow a squad of adorable, plantlike Pikmin to traverse a strange world and save your planet Command a capable crop of 5 different types of Pikmin to strategically overcome obstacles, defeat creatures, and find food for your famished home planet! You can even bring a second player along to divvy up tasks as you explore a world that seems larger than life from a pint-sized perspective. – Read our Pikmin 3 Deluxe review

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (£35.99 / €39.99) – Gather all your knowledge and get the jackpot while avoiding all the trick questions facing you! With 15 questions to answer, it will become harder and harder to increase the prize fund: over 3,000 themed questions waiting to be answered (geographic, science, history, but also entertainment or arts), a growing difficulty and the pressure from the audience and the host…

Switch eShop – New Releases

#Halloween, Super Puzzles Dream (£5.39 / €5.99) – #Halloween! is the hashtag for the most terrifying topic! Puzzles move onto the next level with ‘Super Puzzle Dream’, a mix between classic jigsaw and a ‘Tetris’-style dynamic mechanic. Two levels of play, ‘senior’ (for adults) and ‘junior’ (for children aged 3+), guarantee hours of entertainment for all. Become an expert and finish the puzzles in the shortest possible time and you will find yourself amongst the best in the world on the online leaderboard.

Angry Video Game Nerd 1 & 2 Deluxe (£13.49 / €14.99) – The Angry Video Game Nerd has been sucked into Game Land! It’s up to you to guide him through three terrible and treacherous retro game worlds!
Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures and Angry Video Game Nerd II: Assimilation come together for the ultimate Nerd experience! This is the definitive way to play the series… and more!

Banana Treasures Island (Max Interactive Studio , 26th Oct, £7.90 / €9.90) – Welcome to the Banana Treasures Island, and begin your journey of funs. Run, jump, swim, and fly all the way through Banana Islands and fight the angry baboon and his minions. Help the baby monkeys and companion in the jungle quest! Dash through the jungle, smash the enemies and complete the level to unlock more! Collect as many bananas gold coins as possible to unlock more items, get specials, upgrades, and power-ups. . . find the super golden banana to break the evil spells that possess islands!

Barbearian (£8.99 / €9.99) – Hijacked to a to strange world. Forced to fight for your life. Discover the secrets of the Arbitrators and find your way back home! Barbearian is a fast-paced hack’n’slash with massive battles in a colorful, hand-drawn world. – 100+ levels full of action and adventure – Collect loot, purchase upgrades and experiment with numerous weapons – Rescue prisoners and build your own army – Encounter colossal boss monsters and take them down – Plenty of challenge, not for the easily discouraged!

Carto (Humble Games, 27th Oct, £17.99 / €19.99) – Use this power to explore mysterious lands, help a quirky cast of characters, and guide Carto on her journey back to her family. Separated from her Granny during a storm, young Carto must use her innate cartography powers to map and manipulate the world around her on her quest to be reunited

CASE 2: Animatronics Survival (£26.99 / €29.99) – Two years before the attack on the police station, there was a terrible tragedy in the city, which led to the closure of the amusement park. Some believe it was an accident – others, that it was a well-planned act of intimidation. Leaflets about missing people filled the city streets. You play as Jack. He is a man who has lost everything. Soon he’ll have to pay for his crime. The past has finally caught up with him. . . Try to save him. Features: A well-considered story with its own characteristics; Unexpected situations that will make you think; A lot of different game locations; Use the tablet: watch security cameras, manage and monitor the situation;

Clea (£13.49 / €14.99) – Mum and Dad have been experimenting on Chaos Servants, but now, the monsters have been let loose. Clea, with her brother in tow, must escape from the Whitlock Mansion. Watch your back, Clea. Those closest to you may be the real terror. Outwit the Chaos Servants: The Chaos Servants are on the hunt. Listen for their footsteps, peek under doors, and stay far, far away. Escape the Whitlock Mansion: The Whitlock family has trapped Clea inside the mansion. Hunt down key items and solve the puzzles designed to lock you from the outside world.

Control Ultimate Edition – Cloud Version (Free Trial) – You can download a free launcher application to test the game for a limited amount of time. This game uses cloud streaming technology, and a stable and permanent internet connection is required to play it. If your internet connection becomes unstable, the service will disconnect after a few minutes. Control Ultimate Edition contains the main game and all Expansions (“The Foundation” and “AWE”) in one great value package. A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control… Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control?

Crimzon Clover – World EXplosion (£17.99 / €19.99) – From Japanese indie developers YOTSUBANE and AdventurePlanningService, this unique top-down shooter is a wild ride you won’t want to miss out on. Your first step in Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion is choosing how you want to play, as well as which powerful ship will be yours to command. Choose your version from ARCADE (true to the original arcade game), NOVICE (better if this is your first step into the world of hardcore shmuppage), or ARRANGED (a whole new can of worms with unique mechanics and novel challenges never seen before in the Crimzon Clover saga), then choose your mode from Boost, Original, Unlimited, and Time Attack.

De: Yabatanien (£11.69 / €12.99) – [Warning: This game contains scenes that may be disturbing to players. Player discretion is advised. ] Try to rescue the girls trapped inside the mansion by solving puzzles and uncovering secrets. But remember, one wrong step, and it might cost their lives. It won’t be easy to rescue them all. De: Yabatanien contains two chapters, with over 100 rooms to explore, and multiple endings waiting for you to discover the truth behind all these horrifying traps.

Detective Puz (£3.59 / €3.99) – Detective Puz started a long journey to find the truth. In the way of finding clues, he found a strange book and after opening it, he entered the past, and now he should find his way in the middle of enemies that captured in. Detective Puz should found special diamonds to come back to the present and by that open the time portal. Now you should use your intelligence to help him to reach his goal. Features: – More than 40 beautiful levels. – Different environments. – More than 40 amazing levels: both easy and hard puzzles awaits you. – Different enemies mixed into unique types – It will challenge your intelligence!

Diamond Girl ★An Earnest Education in Love★ (£18.15 / €19.99) – This is a love story game in which relationships form between the”love-allergic” heroine who wears track suits around and the handsome men. This is an otome game in which the handsome men surrounding you suddenly go from friend to boyfriend. You can simulate love scenarios you never can in real life, such as dating a butler, cocky boy, younger guy, or mean but loving boyfriend!

Dungreed (Nicalis, 27th Oct, £13.49 / €14.99) – In Dungreed, the player assumes the role of an adventurer who must explore a continuously evolving dungeon to prevent an entire town from being destroyed. The game features procedurally generated levels with a variety of environments such as prisons, jungles and lava zones. Players can advance through the living dungeon by defeating enemies with powerful magic items and an arsenal of weapons, ranging from rusty swords to cutting-edge sniper rifles. To prepare for the journey ahead, adventurers can train to become stronger and better equipped prior to exploring deeper and encountering the sinister denizens that lurk in the unpredictable dungeon.

Family Mysteries 2: Echoes of Tomorrow (£13.49 / €14.99) – Framed scientist travels through time to save his beloved wife and reveal kidnapper’s identity. Find hidden objects in the post-apocalyptic world, solve cyberpunk puzzles and embrace the future full of adventures! Get ready for thrilling sci-fi adventure in the big city, which offers riveting and refreshing approach to the hidden object puzzle adventure genre. “Family Mysteries 2: Echoes of Tomorrow” is an emotional cyberpunkish ride with a hint of romance that takes you straight into not-too-distant future.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (£6.29 / €6.99) – What starts out as a simple pizza tossing fun turns into something much, much more. Push through the glitchy arcade game to reveal that you are at your own Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria! Browse our catalogs and purchase your first attractions and animatronics, customize your decorations, and above all make sure that all the equipment is working properly before opening the doors of your brand new Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria!

Gibbous – A Cthulhu Adventure (Stuck In Attic, 28th Oct, £15.29 / €16.99) – Crazy cultists. Cthulhu. A talking cat. Gibbous takes you on an expansive, traditionally animated, hand-painted adventure. Play as three protagonists and explore a lushly rendered Lovecraft-inspired world, unraveling ancient conspiracies. A comedy cosmic horror adventure made in Transylvania!

Gnome More War (Keybol Games, 27th Oct, £2.29 / €2.49) – It was a fine day in the farm, and Freija was just chatting with his friend Filipo about the upcoming harvest when out of nowhere, a gnome passed by and stole from their barn! Will they let it slide? Not on their watch. Experience the classic arcade shooter game play with loads of twists in Gnome More War. Deal with incoming gnomes in waves, protect yourself from attacks, and prevent your barn resources from being depleted.

Haunted: Poppy’s Nightmare (£2.69 / €2.99) – …my parents and I moved into our new home a few weeks ago. Now I can finally celebrate my first Halloween here. I’m so excited! Mommy has already got me a new witch costume. Hahahaha. Mum says I should take care. As a true witch, many things could happen. Mommy told me about her first Halloween and how she was followed by ghosts. But I do not believe it…. I hope I get many great things with which I can decorate the garden. I am Poppy – and this is my first Halloween.

The Language Of Love (£9.99 / €9.99) – Mitsuki moves from the country to Tokyo to attend a rigorous cram school, with the hopes of passing his university entrance exams next spring. He soon finds, however, that his other classmates treat him like a social outcast, being the oldest at his school by far. It proves impossible to make friends, and Mitsuki consigns himself to an isolated, lonely existence. . . That is, until he meets the single mother, Himuro Kyouko, who just-so-happens to live in the same apartment complex as him. Mitsuki offers to help Kyouko babysit her daughter, Tama. Kyouko, in turn, helps Mitsuki study for his upcoming exams. Over the course of a year, the two bond — first, as friends, and then as something more.

Legends of Ethernal (£17.99 / €19.99) – On a day like any other, a young boy returns home to find it in ruins and his parents, gone. Armed with courage and driven by the pain of his loss, he sets out on a journey to uncover the truth behind his family’s disappearance… But what he discovers will forever change the World of Arkanys…

No More Heroes (£16.19 / €17.99) – After being ranked #11 in the United Assassins Association, Travis Touchdown puts his trusty beam katana to the test as he faces off against the world’s top 10 assassins in deadly battle. It’s a long way to the top, but this all-American otaku won’t stop until he’s the #1 assassin, baby! Burn rubber through the coastal city of Santa Destroy on Travis’ motorbike, the Schpeltiger! Unlock a devastating arsenal of pro-wrestling moves—from Power Bombs to Brain Busters. Unleash the powerful Dark Side to mow down the competition and show ’em who’s boss!

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (£16.19 / €17.99) – Three years after Travis Touchdown was ranked #1 by the United Assassins Association, he finds himself falling down the ranks to #51. To make things worse, another assassin—Skelter Helter—swears revenge against Travis for the death of his brother. Fueled by his own desires and a thirst for vengeance, the ultimate otaku assassin unsheathes his beam katana once again and plunges headfirst into an all-new battle! Dual-wield beam katanas as Travis Touchdown to dial the hack-and-slash insanity up to 11! Jump through combat as the agile Shinobu or leave foes in the dust as Travis’ brother, Henry. Experience a blast from the past by playing 8-bit minigames to earn money and power up!

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm (Cornfox & Bros., 28th Oct, £26.99 / €26.99) – A GRAND ADVENTURE Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, set a thousand years before the events of the first chapter, takes you on a magical journey across the vast world of Gaia, brimming with mythology and lore. A young Knight faces an impossible challenge, as Warlock Mesmeroth has returned with a formidable Dark Army. Will our hero be able to unite the Owrus, Gillfolk, and men in a fight for the fate of the world? THIS TIME YOU’RE NOT ALONE You will not be taking this journey alone. Trin, the granddaughter of Arcadia’s leader Archimedes, and Gen, a mysterious robot wielding an old samurai weapon, will join forces with you, and fight at your side against Mesmeroth’s Dark Army. Contextual commands will allow you to direct these allies into battle, or have them help you with the solution of the game’s most clever puzzles! – Read our Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm review

Part Time UFO (£8.09 / €8.99) – Stacked with new features The charming stack ‘em up Part Time UFO claws its way onto Nintendo Switch, adding Joy-Con controls, two-player local play*, brand new challenges and console-exclusive modes. Part time worker, full time UFO! In Part Time UFO, fly Jobski the UFO around and complete odd jobs. Help out at a farm, support cheerleaders, cook up the ultimate dessert at a restaurant, build castles, and much more! Wherever Jobski goes, there are sure to be plenty of jobs waiting. At the centre of all this is Jobski’s super special awesome claw. Use the claw crane to grab, move, and stack objects to complete jobs.

Party Games: 15 in 1 (Piotr Skalski , 28th Oct, £17.99 / €19.99) – Party games features 15 fun-packed party games for up to 4 players! It’s the ultimate MUST-HAVE game for family and friends of all ages. Everything from action, to puzzle, to sports. . . it’s all here in Party Games! It wouldn’t be a party without friends! Up to 4 players can join in the fun for some friendly competitive play. Party anytime, anywhere! Enjoy single-player or local multiplayer gaming from just about anywhere on the planet with just one system and one game.

Poltergeist Crusader (£3.59 / €3.99) – Crawl into the endless dungeon filled with ghosts and nightmare creatures. Use the holy cross and samurai sword of your grand father to slay the evil beings. However, remember that every tunnel you encounter will be a totally different maze of darkness. Are you able to survive the almighty power of Poltergeist and reach the final portal?

Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind + (£11.99 / €12.99) – Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind is an arduous challenge, a cathartic ritual that only the most valiant players will be able to carry out, be they fearless lonely travellers or couples with a strong elective affinity. Explore the Labyrinth, get acquainted with its bizarre inhabitants, its secrets and its rules. Face enemies, traps, puzzles and ferocious bosses. To escape the Labyrinth you will have but one weapon: the rope that binds you together.

Slither Loop (£0.94 / €0.99) – Slither Loop – draw lines between the dots to form a single loop without crossings or branches. The numbers indicate how many lines surround it. – 90 challenging puzzles, Easy/Medium/Hard difficulties – Beautiful abstract artstyle – Chill background music

Star99 (Schine, 28th Oct, £8.09 / €8.99) – Arcade-style battle-royale shoot ’em up. Perform chain kills on enemies, send special and boss attacks to wreak havoc on your opponents. Compete with up to 99 players, dominating matches until a single winner remains! Play in matches of up to 99 players. Private online lobbies. Cross-platform. 6 playable characters, all with unique abilities and playstyles.

Super Puzzle Pack (£24.99 / €29.99) – Super Puzzle Pack brings together hundreds of unique puzzles played across 4 different puzzle types. Play with up to 4 players for hours of Jigsaw Fun. Enjoy two stunning hand-drawn match-3 games in a solo adventure. Challenge friends to a 1-vs-1 battle in the 2048 challenge, or in a unique match-5 game with a twist.

Wonder Blade (£11.6 / €12.99) – Oh my god! The princess was captured by villainous maniac again! What are you waiting for? Grab your weapon and free the princess, save the world! You really do not know what’s waiting for you! With all those sweet combos, killer finishing moves and devastating magic abilities the bad guys won’t know what hit them. Don’t forget to wear a costume to make you a one-of-a-kind adventurer. Will you be a sneaky ninja, smacking enemies with a frozen fish?

Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition (£13.49 / €14.99) – Join Brian Pasternack, a young man with no future in a dystopian 90s society, on his first day at one of the world’s largest companies, Sintracorp. Uncertain, unprepared, and massively unqualified, will Pasternack have what it takes to shine in Sintracorp’s hierarchy? It all depends on how he performs on his first assignment… and whether he survives it. The Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition includes new areas, new bosses, and hours of carefully crafted new content to build on the Yuppie Psycho universe.

Switch eShop – Demos

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch games with new DLC this week:

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!

As a freelance developer, many routes lead to success. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t decide which route to take and stick to it!

Quite contrarily, the worst is to be a jack-of-all-trades—a freelance developer who doesn’t have the guts to focus on one specialized skill set. Specialization is critical for your success as a freelance developer. Specialists earn more money, learn faster because they can build on knowledge they’ve already acquired, are more efficient because they don’t need to spend hours and hours learning about a new field for each gig they take, and enjoy a higher status as they’re perceived as “experts in their fields”.

In the following, you’re going to learn about the most popular niches in the freelance developing space.

Freelance Web Developer

The most popular freelance developer specialization is web developing. This makes sense because most freelancing gigs are brokered over the web. So, why not sell your skills creating websites and solving other types of problems in the web.

As a freelance web developer, you must discuss requirements with clients, propose website ideas, design web pages, fix broken databases, work with CMS, write HTML code, add JavaScript widgets, and collaborate with designers. You can focus on front-end, or back-end, or full-stack web development.

• Front-end web development: Create websites but focus on user interfaces, usability, and design. You use front-end technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS and Bootstrap.
• Back-end web development: Create web application but focus on server-side logic—databases, scaling the application to hundreds of thousands of users, distributed systems.
• Full-stack web development: Create web applications but be able to do both front-end and back-end web development. These highly skilled professionals are sought by many small companies that cannot afford to hire multiple web developers. Also, it helps you understand the big picture of a web application which is a vital skill for leaders and higher management.

Freelance Full Stack Developer

“A full stack web developer is a person who can develop both client and server software. In addition to mastering HTML and CSS, he/she also knows how to: Program a browser (like using JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, or Vue) Program a server (like using PHP, ASP, Python, or Node)” (source)

Freelance Frontend Developer

“A front-end web developer is responsible for implementing visual elements that users see and interact with in a web application. They are usually supported by back-end web developers, who are responsible for server-side application logic and integration of the work front-end developers do.” (source)

Freelance Backend Developer

“Back-end developers work hand-in-hand with front-end developers by providing the outward facing web application elements server-side logic. In other words, back-end developers create the logic to make the web app function properly, and they accomplish this through the use of server-side scripting languages like Ruby or.” (source)

Freelance Qt Developer

“Qt (pronounced “cute”) is a free and open-source widget toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces as well as cross-platform applications that run on various software and hardware platforms such as Linux, Windows, macOS, Android or embedded systems with little or no change in the underlying codebase while still being a native application with native capabilities and speed (source).”

As a freelance Qt developer, you create application that use Qt as a GUI framework. Qt is a widely distributed framework that is used for many Linux systems, Adobe, Google Earth, Photoshop, and many popular applications. Because of the wide distribution of the Qt framework—and the high barrier to entry—freelancing as a Qt developer can be very profitable. However, the learning curve is quite steep as well and you must be willing to read many books and spend hundreds of hours learning this exciting framework.

Freelance Quant Developer

Quants are finance geeks that use quantitative analysis to gain insight into financial data. Quants have a thorough statistical education because they must understand the statistical significance of their insights. The financial niche pays above average and you can work for large financial firms that crunch numbers to come to predictions regarding undervalued stocks or financial instruments.

The potential to work as a freelancer is relatively limited because most large financial institutions rely on quant employees. However, more and more financial startups (FinTechs) hire quant developers to create trading bots and automize financial analysis. Those startups often prefer to hire freelance quant developers.

Should you become a freelance quant developer? In my opinion, this is a financially very attractive opportunity paying much more than six-figures—but only if you’re very interested in finance and you have a knack for maths, data science, and statistics.

Freelance Software Developer

A freelance software developer is a person who professionally creates software through computer programming by selling his services to companies, organizations, or individuals in an independent contractor relationship. There are a multitude of programming languages and frameworks designed to create software—so, the niche description is still very broad and general. You must choose your specific niche in more detail. However, the term “freelance software developer” is mostly used for larger-scale software projects where the freelancer is hired on a per-project basis.

Freelance Java Developer

“Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is a general-purpose programming language intended to let application developers write once, run anywhere (WORA), meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for recompilation.” (source)

Freelance Developer Embedded

“An embedded system is a computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/output peripheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electrical system. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including electrical or electronic hardware and mechanical parts. Because an embedded system typically controls physical operations of the machine that it is embedded within, it often has real-time computing constraints. Embedded systems control many devices in common use today. Ninety-eight percent of all microprocessors manufactured are used in embedded systems.” (source)

Freelance eLearning Developer

“A Learning Engineer is someone who draws from evidence-based information about human development — including learning — and seeks to apply these results at scale, within contexts, to create affordable, reliable, data-rich learning environments.” (source)

Freelance Email Developer

“The Email Developer is responsible for design and execution of responsive design and development of email promotions ensuring that projects are completed.” (source)

Freelance eCommerce Developer

“The eCommerce developers are normally web developers with additional skills for the tools and platforms commonly used in eCommerce businesses. The main skills of an eCommerce developer should include: HTML, CSS, XML. JavaScript, Node.” (source)

Freelance ETL Developer

“An ETL Developer is an IT specialist who designs data storage systems for companies, and works to fill that system with the data that needs to be stored. ETL Developers generally work as part of a team. They are sometimes employed by a single company.” (source)

Freelance React Developer

“In a nutshell, a React developer designs and implements user-facing features for websites and applications using React.js. They are known as front-end developers, a sub-group of developers that manage everything that users see on their web browsers or applications.” (source)

Freelance Developer WordPress

“WordPress Developers are responsible for both back-end and front-end development, including creating WordPress themes and plugins. They have different programming skills such as namely PHP, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.” (source)

Freelance Tableau Developer

“A Tableau developer creates computer system and data visualization solutions to improve business processes. This job involves tasks such as creating Tableau dashboard reports, working with developers, creating business intelligence reports and visualizations, and attending feedback sessions to improve systems.” (source)

Freelance Tally Developer

A Tally Developer uses a comprehensive development suite to develop, and deploy solutions for Tally. “Tally is a windows-based Enterprise Resource Planning software. The software handles Accounting, Inventory Management, Order Management, Tax Management, Payroll, Banking and many such requirements of the business. It supports all day-to-day processes from recording invoices to generating various MIS reports.” (source)

Freelance Zoho Developer

As a Zoho Developer, you create apps on the Zoho Developer platform that “is a free cloud platform for developers to create ready-to-deploy cloud applications on top of the Zoho platform. Unlike conventional cloud platforms, the Zoho Developer Console lets you quickly build enterprise level applications through drag and drop tools.” (source)

Freelance Unity Developer

“A unity developer creates apps for the unity platform. “Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, first announced and released in June 2005 at Apple Inc.’s Worldwide Developers Conference as a Mac OS X-exclusive game engine. As of 2018, the engine had been extended to support more than 25 platforms.” (source)

Freelance UI Developer

A UI developer creates user interfaces to interact with the user of a given application. “Marketable programming skills for UI developers include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, JSON, jQuery, Java, Ruby on Rails, and SQL database development. UI devs will also benefit from learning Photoshop, Flash, Flex and Illustrator from the Adobe Creative Suite.” (source)

Freelance Unreal Developer

An Unreal Developer creates apps for the Unreal engine. “Unreal Engine is the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D creation platform for photoreal visuals and immersive experiences.” (source)

Freelance Umbraco Developer

An Umraco Developer works with the Umbraco platform, maintains it, and extends it with new features. “Umbraco is an open-source content management system (CMS) platform for publishing content on the World Wide Web and intranets. It is written in C# and deployed on Microsoft based infrastructure. Since version 4.5, the whole system has been available under an MIT License.” (source)

Freelance Flutter Developer

A Flutter Developer creates apps for the Flutter platform. “Flutter is Google’s UI toolkit for building beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.” (source)

Freelance Filemaker Developer

“The primary qualifications for a FileMaker developer include experience with FileMaker database solutions, knowledge of database administration, and skills in related programming languages such as SQL, Java, and Perl.” (source)

Freelance Firmware Developer

“Firmware engineers develop the software that manages electronic devices. These positions require proficiency in programming languages and applications, as well as good communications skills.” (source)

Freelance Flask Developer

A Flask Developer is a programmer who develops apps in Python’s Flask framework. “Flask is a micro web framework written in Python. It is classified as a microframework because it does not require particular tools or libraries. It has no database abstraction layer, form validation, or any other components where pre-existing third-party libraries provide common functions. However, Flask supports extensions that can add application features as if they were implemented in Flask itself. Extensions exist for object-relational mappers, form validation, upload handling, various open authentication technologies and several common framework related tools.” (source)

Freelance Django Developer

A Django developer creates, maintains, and improves apps written in Python’s Django framework. “Django is a high-level Python Web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Built by experienced developers, it takes care of much of the hassle of Web development, so you can focus on writing your app without needing to reinvent the wheel. It’s free and open source.” (source)

Freelance Game Developer

“Game developers are people like you with math, computer, or creative arts skills. They spend their time programming and developing games. This includes programming console, computer, and mobile video games. They are persistent, they are a little bit lucky, and they manage to get hired to do develop video games.” (source)

Freelance Go Developer

A Go Developer is a programmer who uses the Golang programming language to create, maintain, and improve Go applictions. “Go is a really flexible language, able to solve a lot of problems. You can use it for system and network programming, big data, machine learning, audio and video editing, and more.” (source)

Freelance GIS Developer

“The job of a geographic information systems developer is to design and execute applications used to support GIS data; “GIS” refers simply to applications and software which collect data from specific locations. The applications developed by those in this position are also used to edit and analyze data and create maps.” (source)

Freelance Hubspot Developer

A Hubspot developer is involved in managing access to the HubAPI. “This domain is owned by Hubspot. The company provides a range of online marketing and sales technology and services. The main purpose of cookies set by this host is: Targeting/Advertising.” (source)

Freelance HTML Developer

“HTML developers are responsible for the complete end-to-end coding of websites. They provide technical support to website users, direct HTML projects, code sites, develop web-based applications, and perform testing on Web sites and their background code.” (source)

Freelance LabVIEW Developer

A Labview developer has passed the LabVIEW exam. “The Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD) exam verifies the user’s ability to design and develop functional programs while minimizing development time and ensuring maintainability through proper documentation and style. Certified Developers can provide technical leadership to less experienced engineers, helping ensure their team is following best practices and becoming more competent and efficient LabVIEW programmers.” (source)

Freelance VR Developer

A VR developer specializes in virtual reality. In particular, the VR developer is involved in “development of VR and AR applications (UE4, Unity, C++, C#), development and implementation of prototypes and new functions, agile development planning, and running tests and code reviews.” (source)

Freelance VBA Developer

“A VBA Developer works with the Excel application and adapts it to the specific needs of a challenge or requirements to automate repetitive tasks and accelerate the workflow of a business. This is done using the Visual Basic for Applications and Macros – hence the term VBA developer.” (source)

Freelance UI Developer

“A UI developer’s role is to translate creative software design concepts and ideas into reality using front end technology. They understand the user interface design solution both in its practical intent and creative vision, and convert it into engineered softwares.” (source)

Freelance Blockchain Developer

“A developer responsible for developing and optimizing blockchain protocols, crafting the architecture of blockchain systems, developing smart contracts and web apps using blockchain technology are commonly called blockchain developers.” (source)

Freelance .Net Developer

“A .NET Software Developer is a software developer who specialises in building software for Microsoft’s Windows platform. They work with programming languages compatible with Microsoft’s .NET framework, including VB.NET, C# (C sharp) and F# (F sharp).” (source)

Freelance Mobile Developer

“Mobile developers are a type of software developer. They specialise in mobile technology such as building apps for Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone platforms. For this reason job titles for this type of role also include Android developer and iOS developer.” (source)

Freelance Magento Developer

“Magento developers are in charge of developing, maintaining, and improving their clients’ eCommerce websites. … Magento developers are in charge of developing, maintaining, and improving their clients’ eCommerce websites. Their responsibility is huge, as most of the time, Magento websites generate a lot of revenue.” (source)

Freelance iOS Developer

“An iOS developer is responsible for developing applications for mobile devices powered by Apple’s iOS operating system. Ideally, a good iOS developer is proficient with one of the two programming languages for this platform: Objective-C or Swift.” (source)

Freelance IONIC Developer

An IONIC developer creates apps for the IONIC platform. “Ionic provides tools and services for developing hybrid mobile, desktop, and Progressive Web Apps based on modern web development technologies and practices, using Web technologies like CSS, HTML5, and Sass. In particular, mobile apps can be built with these Web technologies and then distributed through native app stores to be installed on devices by utilizing Cordova or Capacitor.” (source)

Freelance Odoo Developer

An Odoo developer is involved in Odoo development. “Odoo is a suite of business management software tools including CRM, e-commerce, billing, accounting, manufacturing, warehouse, project management, and inventory management to name a few.” (source)

Freelance Outsystems Developer

An Outsystems Developer creates and ships scalable, responsive software developed with OutSystems. The rapidly developed apps integrate well with existing systems and possess high scalability.

Freelance App Developer

“An app developer is a computer software engineer whose primary responsibilities include creating, testing and programming apps for computers, mobile phones, and tablets. These developers typically work in teams, and think of ideas and concepts either for the general public, or for a specific customer need.” (source)

Freelance Android Developer

An Android developer creates mobile applications for the Android operating system. “You can make a very competitive income, and build a very satisfying career as an Android developer. Android is still the most used mobile operating system in the world, and the demand for skilled Android developers remains very high.” (source)

Freelance Angular Developer

An Angular developer is involved in the following activities: “Designing and developing user interfaces using AngularJS best practices. Adapting interface for modern internet applications using the latest front-end technologies. Writing JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. … Ensuring high performance of applications and providing support.” (source)

Freelance Database Developer

“Database developers ensure that database management systems (DBMS) can handle massive quantities of data. Also called database programmers, developers usually work as part of a software development team. … Modifying and editing databases. Designing and developing new databases.” (source)

Freelance Drupal Developer

“A Drupal developer is someone who writes a lot of PHP and other server side languages. They write custom modules, automated tests, consume web services, automate deployment etc. They may also be know as “backend Drupal developers”. They may also get involved in some of the more advanced side of the theme layer as well.” (source)

Freelance Delphi Developer

A Delphi developer creates code in the Delphi programming language. “Delphi is a high-level programming language distributed by Embarcadero Technologies as part of RAD Studio, an IDE for professional developers. It is primarily used to build applications for Windows systems but can be used to build applications for a variety of operating systems.” (source)

Freelance Oracle Developer

“An Oracle developer is responsible for creating or maintaining the database components of an application that uses the Oracle technology stack. Oracle developers either develop new applications or convert existing applications to run in an Oracle Database environment.” (source)

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Do you want to develop the skills of a well-rounded Python professional—while getting paid in the process? Become a Python freelancer and order your book Leaving the Rat Race with Python on Amazon (Kindle/Print)!

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

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Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

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The post Freelance Developers Specialize! But Where? first appeared on Finxter.

The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, 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 eShop – Highlights

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Nintendo, 30th Oct, $59.99) – Command a capable crop of Pikmin to strategically overcome puzzles, defeat creatures and find food for your home planet! Bring a second player along for co-op to divvy up tasks as you explore a world that seems larger than life from a pint-sized perspective. This deluxe version of Pikmin 3 includes new side-story missions featuring Olimar and Louie, additional difficulty options and all the DLC stages from the original release. Read our Pikmin 3 Deluxe review.

Part Time UFO (Nintendo, 28th Oct, $8.99) – From HAL Laboratory, the developers of the Kirby series, comes Part Time UFO, a colorful game in which you take on the role of an adorable (and helpful!) UFO. From dishing up sweets, to fishing, and building a castle, the little UFO will perform all sorts of part-time jobs. By passing a Joy-Con controller to a friend or family member, two people can perform jobs together!

Control Ultimate Edition – Cloud Version (505 Games, 28th Oct, $39.99 for Access Pass following initial download) – Winner of more than 80 awards, Control is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Blending open-ended environments with the signature world-building and storytelling of developer Remedy Entertainment, Control presents an expansive and intensely gratifying gameplay experience.

No More Heroes (Marvelous, 28th Oct, $19.99) – After being ranked #11 in the United Assassins Association, Travis Touchdown puts his trusty beam katana to the test as he faces off against the world’s top 10 assassins in deadly battle. Burn rubber through the coastal city of Santa Destroy on Travis’ motorbike and fight your way to the top in the HD remaster of this out-of-control action game. This all-American otaku won’t stop until he’s the number one assassin, baby!

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Marvelous, 28th Oct, $19.99) – Continue the fight in this HD remaster of the sequel to the original assassin action game! Three years after Travis Touchdown was ranked number one by the United Assassins Association, he finds himself falling down the ranks to #51. To make things worse, another assassin – Skelter Helter – swears revenge against Travis for the death of his brother. Fueled by his own desires and a thirst for vengeance, the ultimate otaku assassin unsheathes his beam katana once again and plunges headfirst into another series of battles!

Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition (Frontier Developments, 3rd Nov, $59.99) – Build your own Jurassic World for the first time, or relive the adventure on the go with Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition. Take charge of operations on the legendary islands of the Cinco Muertes Archipelago, and bring the wonder, majesty and danger of dinosaurs to life. Control the big picture with deep management tools, or go hands-on to confront challenges on the ground or in the air. Embark on a journey with captivating stories, challenging missions and remarkable dinosaurs. Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition will be available on Nov. 3.

Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, 3rd Nov, $49.99) – Experience an action-RPG with an original story that expands on the hit TV series and brings the Bakugan universe to Nintendo Switch for the first time. The adventure takes players on the ultimate Bakugan journey as they befriend powerful creatures, customize Bakugan teams for fiercely strategic battles and master their skills to become the Champion of Vestroia. Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia will be available on Nov. 3.

Switch eShop – New Releases

#Halloween, Super Puzzles Dream (Jorge Biedma Azuar, 29th Oct, $5.99) – #Halloween! is the hashtag for the most terrifying topic! Puzzles move onto the next level with ‘Super Puzzle Dream’, a mix between classic jigsaw and a ‘Tetris’-style dynamic mechanic. Two levels of play, ‘senior’ (for adults) and ‘junior’ (for children aged 3+), guarantee hours of entertainment for all. Become an expert and finish the puzzles in the shortest possible time and you will find yourself amongst the best in the world on the online leaderboard.

Angry Video Game Nerd 1 & 2 Deluxe (Screenwave Media, 30th Oct, $14.99) – The Angry Video Game Nerd has been sucked into Game Land! It’s up to you to guide him through three terrible and treacherous retro game worlds! Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures and Angry Video Game Nerd II: Assimilation come together for the ultimate Nerd experience! This is the definitive way to play the series… and more!

Arcade Archives SOCCER (HAMSTER, 23rd Oct, $7.99) – “SOCCER” is a sports game released by Nintendo in 1985. Play matches against the CPU in single player mode or another player in 2-player mode. Try polishing your skills in single player, then take on friends and family! Enjoy simple, but exciting gameplay in the father of all soccer games!

Barbearian (Kimmo Factor, 29th Oct, $11.99) – Hijacked to a to strange world. Forced to fight for your life. Discover the secrets of the Arbitrators and find your way back home! Barbearian is a fast-paced hack’n’slash with massive battles in a colorful, hand-drawn world.

Boss Rush: Mythology (Ultimate Games, 31st Oct, $8.99) – In Boss Rush: Mythology you take on the role of a mysterious knight who travels across different worlds in search of the most difficult opponents. Players will fight with unique bosses one after another. Seal them all. Each boss has different attack paterns, unique skills and various powers!

CASE 2: Animatronics Survival (OOO Valnat, 30th Oct, $29.99) – Two years before the attack on the police station, there was a terrible tragedy in the city, which led to the closure of the amusement park. Some believe it was an accident – others, that it was a well-planned act of intimidation. Leaflets about missing people filled the city streets. You play as Jack. He is a man who has lost everything.

Clea (Sekai Games, 30th Oct, $14.99) – Mum and Dad have been experimenting on Chaos Servants, but now, the monsters have been let loose. Clea, with her brother in tow, must escape from the Whitlock Mansion. Watch your back, Clea. Those closest to you may be the real terror. Outwit the Chaos Servants: The Chaos Servants are on the hunt. Listen for their footsteps, peek under doors, and stay far, far away.

Crimzon Clover – World EXplosion (DEGICA, 29th Oct, $19.99) – From Japanese indie developers YOTSUBANE and AdventurePlanningService, this unique top-down shooter is a wild ride you won’t want to miss out on. Your first step in Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion is choosing how you want to play, as well as which powerful ship will be yours to command.

De: Yabatanien (DICO, 29th Oct, $13.99) – [Warning: This game contains scenes that may be disturbing to players. Player discretion is advised.] Try to rescue the girls trapped inside the mansion by solving puzzles and uncovering secrets. But remember, one wrong step, and it might cost their lives. It won’t be easy to rescue them all. De: Yabatanien contains two chapters, with over 100 rooms to explore, and multiple endings waiting for you to discover the truth behind all these horrifying traps.

Demong Hunter (TROOOZE, 29th Oct, $7.99) – Demong Hunter is the story of a Hunter trying to Regain Peace by defeating the bug ‘Demong’created by the whole brain in the virtual world. Enjoy the Battle with Different Special Skills and Unique Attack Style for each Character. Enjoy Fantasy RPG elements by Collecting Gold to increase your Stats And Defeating the Boss to Collect Artifacts for Special Effects.

Detective Puz (Ultimate Games, 29th Oct, $5.99) – Detective Puz started a long journey to find the truth. In the way of finding clues, he found a strange book and after opening it, he entered the past, and now he should find his way in the middle of enemies that captured in.

Diamond Girl ★An Earnest Education in Love★ (OperaHouse, 29th Oct, $19.99) – Proper ladies can do whatever they want! You are a so-called “love-allergic” girl who spends her time at home in a track suit. You luckily get a job at the famous Misono Trading Company, but it is discovered that you are actually the heiress to the parent company’s Misono family!? You move into a mansion in order to learn how to be a proper lady…

Family Mysteries 2: Echoes of Tomorrow (Artifex Mundi, 30th Oct, $14.99) – Framed scientist travels through time to save his beloved wife and reveal kidnapper’s identity. Find hidden objects in the post-apocalyptic world, solve cyberpunk puzzles and embrace the future full of adventures! Get ready for thrilling sci-fi adventure in the big city, which offers riveting and refreshing approach to the hidden object puzzle adventure genre.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (31st Oct, $7.99) – What starts out as a simple pizza tossing fun turns into something much, much more. Push through the glitchy arcade game to reveal that you are at your own Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria!

Gunslugs (Orange Pixel, 3rd Nov, $7.99) – Evil army? check! Explosions, chaos, and screen-shakes? check! A group of familiar looking heroes? check! Welcome to Gunslugs! Fight the evil Black Duck army as they try to take over the planet using their technology and a huge collection of foot-soldiers. You’ll get to fight on plane yards, jungles, Arctica, Egypt and finally the gates of Hell.

Haunted: Poppy’s Nightmare (30th Oct, $4.99) – I am Poppy – and this is my first Halloween… my parents and I moved into our new home a few weeks ago. Now I can finally celebrate my first Halloween here. I’m so excited!. Mommy has already got me a new witch costume. Hahahaha

Hunting Simulator 2 (Nacon, 3rd Nov, $39.99) – It’s open season! In stunning natural environments, choose your gear from the best official weapons and accessories and set off with your dog in search of a variety of animal species in this hunting simulation. Explore the plains of Colorado, the Texan desert and the forests of Europe in vast open worlds.

Legends of Ethernal (Natsume, 30th Oct, $19.99) – On a day like any other, a young boy returns home to find it in ruins and his parents, gone. Armed with courage and driven by the pain of his loss, he sets out on a journey to uncover the truth behind his family’s disappearance… But what he discovers will forever change the World of Arkanys…

Mad Rat Dead (NIS America, 30th Oct, $39.99) – A rat’s dream has been left unfulfilled before his death. . . that is, until he gets a second chance at life! Granted the opportunity to redo his last day on Earth, you must utilize the rat’s newfound power to pump his heart in time with the music, lest his own time runs out. You’ve got one day to live and a huge score to settle. Time to put the “beat” in beatdown! Jump, dash, and smash to the rhythm in this music-based action platformer!

My Universe – School Teacher (Microids, 3rd Nov, $29.99) – Play as a young teacher with a mission: bringing your new school back to the top! Motivate your pupils, improve their results and organize school contests and festivals. Become a model teacher as you take care of more difficult classes, win prizes and complete the director’s objectives, unlocking new items along the way.

Pixel Puzzle Makeout League (Skymap Games, 30th Oct, $14.99) – You are Pixel Girl, a superhero with the power of “pixel puzzle-solving. ” Turn your problems into nonograms, then solve ’em to save the day! Join the Puzzle League and date up to four of your fellow puzzle-themed superheroes, before the Villain third-wheels you with his doomsday plot!

Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind + (Belka, 6th Nov, $12.99) – Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind is an arduous challenge, a cathartic ritual that only the most valiant players will be able to carry out, be they fearless lonely travellers or couples with a strong elective affinity.

Slither Loop (Hook Games, 30th Oct, $4.99) – Slither Loop – draw lines between the dots to form a single loop without crossings or branches. The numbers indicate how many lines surround it. – 90 challenging puzzles, Easy/Medium/Hard difficulties – Beautiful abstract artstyle – Chill background music

Super Puzzle Pack (Mindscape, 29th Oct, $29.99) – Super Puzzle Pack brings together hundreds of unique puzzles played across 4 different puzzle types. Play with up to 4 players for hours of Jigsaw Fun. Enjoy two stunning hand-drawn match-3 games in a solo adventure.

TAURONOS (Restless Corp, 3rd Nov, $6.99) – Trapped inside an ancient labyrinth, chased by the mythical Minotaur. Will you reach the center? And if so, what will you discover about yourself there, in the dark? There is but one enemy. . . But it is the unbeatable Minotaur. Only by exploring the maze of the Labyrinth can you hope to discover how to defeat this immortal monster.

The Knight Of Queen (VR RPG, 29th Oct, $4.99) – Dive into the world of an old-school RPG in VR !! Become the Hero of his majesty the Queen, by exploring the world to defeat the vicious Devil King !!

The Language Of Love (Ratalaika Games, 30th Oct, $11.99) – Mitsuki moves from the country to Tokyo to attend a rigorous cram school, with the hopes of passing his university entrance exams next spring. He soon finds, however, that his other classmates treat him like a social outcast, being the oldest at his school by far.

The Long Return (Ultimate Games, 31st Oct, $0.00) – The Long Return is a casual third-person puzzle adventure game telling the story of an orphaned cub that retraces his steps from the last journey he took with his mother. Along the way you will be challenged by fun and unique puzzles, explore beautiful scenery full of life and relive past memories of your mother.

Touhou spell bubble (Taito, Today, $54.99)– A fusion of rhythm and puzzle in a simple to pick up action puzzle game! 20 characters and 48 arranged tracks from Touhou to do battle with!

Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! (ININ Games, 30th Oct, $29.99) – Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! is a fast-paced action game where the players goal is to clear the screen of enemies by performing skillful combos with their Bazooka and an extraordinary fishing rod. Choose your fighter out of 22 iconic characters and complete the Challenge Mode with 40 stages! Read our Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! review

Wallachia: Reign of Dracula (PixelHeart, 29th Oct, $14.99) – Fast-paced! Non-stop action! Retro-style! A platform game inspired by great video game classics (Castlevania). Full of shooting and deadly traps that will quench your thirst for blood.

War Titans (SC Ovilex Soft, 24th Oct, $14.99) – In a hundred-year long battle with the alien hordes the humans finally have a game changing weapon system at their disposal: the War Titans. These are some extraordinary battle machines that transform in order to be more effective against the enemy. Each War Titan comes as a combination of a mechanized war robot and an armored vehicle, and they each serve different roles on the battlefield.

Wonder Blade (East2west Games, 29th Oct, $14.99) – Oh my god! The princess was captured by villainous maniac again! What are you waiting for? Grab your weapon and free the princess, save the world! You really do not know what’s waiting for you! With all those sweet combos, killer finishing moves and devastating magic abilities the bad guys won’t know what hit them.

Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition (Another Indie Studio, 29th Oct, $16.66) – Join Brian Pasternack, a young man with no future in a dystopian 90s society, on his first day at one of the world’s largest companies, Sintracorp. Uncertain, unprepared, and massively unqualified, will Pasternack have what it takes to shine in Sintracorp’s hierarchy? It all depends on how he performs on his first assignment… and whether he survives it.

Zombie Hill Race (Cool Small Games, 23rd Oct, $9.99) – The apocalypse has come! Zombies roam the country and escape is almost impossible!

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

The Machinery by Our Machinery is an in development professional game engine that just entered open beta. We went hands-on with The Machinery earlier in the year when it was still in closed beta if you want an in-depth but slightly out of date hands-on experience. With the move to open beta all you need to do is register an account and download the engine to get started.

In a world dominated with game engines, what makes The Machinery unique? This engine is being developed by members behind the Stingray/BitSquid engines, used in such titles as Magicka and Warhammer Vermintide. The engine is light weight, modular and written in the C language with a focus on customizibility. Details from the open beta announcement:

If you are still wondering what The Machinery is, it’s a new lightweight and flexible game engine, designed to give you all the power of a modern engine in a minimalistic package that is easy to understand, extend, explore, rewrite, and hack. Beyond games, the API can also be used for simulations and visualizations as well as building custom tools, editors, and applications.

 Some of the things that make The Machinery more hackable than other game engines are:

• The Machinery’s API is written in C. It’s easy to understand without learning the complexities of modern C++. And don’t worry, you still have type-safe vectors and hash tables, just as in C++.
• We use a modular design that is completely plugin-based. This makes it easy to extend and replace parts of the engine.
• The engine can be stripped down to a minimalistic core. Don’t need physics, animation, or sound? Just ship the engine without those DLLs.
• Individual DLLs can be hot-reloaded. You can modify gameplay, UI, etc, while the editor is running.
• The codebase is small, readable and well documented.
• We offer licenses with full source code for both small and large developers.

You can learn more about The Machinery open beta and a quick hands-on/getting started guide in the video below.

Analysts tracking the air quality in China believe that a recent drop may point to a surge in industrial activity related to iPhone 12 production.

© Remedy

Say what you will about cloud-based gaming, but the fact that we can play Control: Ultimate Edition on our Switch consoles with cool next-gen features like ray-tracing is something to be celebrated, and with more major games on the way, this approach could see the Switch’s library expanded in interesting ways.

However, not everybody is invited to this cloud-based party, it seems. Our Australian correspondent, Liam Doolan, has noticed that Control (downloaded from the North American eShop) is rendered unplayable in his part of the world.

Control – and Hitman 3, which is also a cloud version – both require stable and strong internet connections to funnel all of that data to your Switch console (as well as send back your inputs to the server).

As suggested by Australian site Vooks, that infrastructure might not exist in many parts of Australia (xCloud and Stadia aren’t available down under, either) – but another issue is that the servers pumping out this data are most likely regional, and so if Control hasn’t been officially launched in your country, you won’t be able to play it – even if you download the game from another eShop region.