Back in December, the social deduction phenomenon Among Us crossed over with Vampire Survivors. The result was a surprisingly fun (and cheap) DLC called Emergency Meeting that launched on every available platform....except Switch.

Thankfully, that's changed as of this week.

Poncle confirms that the Among Us DLC and Adventures are now live on Switch

Thanks to a tweet from developer poncle, we have full confirmation that Emergency Meeting and Adventures are live on Switch.

So I mentioned that the Among Us DLC was cheap. How cheap? Try $2.50, with a 10% discount through the rest of the month (January 29 at 2:59AM ET to be exact). Note, however, that you may need to search for the Emergency Meeting DLC directly on the eShop, as the official shop page doesn't list it yet.

Adventures are the other big addition to the Switch version and include extra quests and challenges (which are essentially remixed versions of existing content). Adventures are free on all platforms, but you will need to own the appropriate DLC to play the DLC portions.

Interestingly enough, all versions of the game (Steam, Switch, Xbox, iOS, and Android) now have feature parity...except the bizarre Tesla edition of the game, which just got the wintery Whiteout update several weeks ago.

The post After a delay, the Switch finally has the Vampire Survivors Among Us/Adventure Mode DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

In case you missed it, two new amiibo have a street date of today, January 19, 2024. I know, these things pop up unexpectedly! Those two additions are Noah and Mio, two of the primary protagonists from 2022's Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Yes, it's been nearly two years since that game came out, but 2023's Future Redeemed DLC helped keep it fresh in our minds. Well, the DLC and the aforementioned amiibo drop, of course. Those two amiibo come with special outfits, which can be unlocked instantly by scanning the figures in: we have a full guide here if you need help.

Can you get the Noah and Mio amiibo rewards without the amiibo figures?

Note that you can acquire the amiibo outfits through other means, but it's not going to be easy, unless you have an endgame save file handy. Requirements range from defeating a superboss (Seraphic Ceratinia) to spending several hundred Nopon Coins at the Nopon Coin X-change at the Sage's Domicile.

You can find the full patch notes below.

Latest update: Ver. 2.2.0 (Released January 18, 2024) [Full notes]

Additional Functionality

• Now compatible with “Noah” and “Mio” amiibo. By scanning the amiibo in “System” > “amiibo” in the Menu Screen, you will be able to use the following special clothing items.

  • Noah amiiboYou can acquire the “N’s Consul Suit” outfit for Noah. You can also get variations without Noah, Lanz, or Euni’s jacket.
  • Mio amiiboYou can acquire the “M’s Consul Suit” outfit for Mio. You can also get variations without Mio, Sena, or Taion’s jacket.

• Fulfill certain conditions and talk to the NPC Miibomii at Llyn Nyddwr Camp in the Fornis region to receive rewards identical to what would be received with the Noah or Mio amiibo.

The post Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s newest patch adds in the latest amiibo duo appeared first on Destructoid.

Things are starting to pick up for the Switch eShop, as Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Another Code: Recollection are both launching on the same day. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is another pretty fun addition, which we have a review for if you're interested.

Although we haven't gotten any first-party heavy-hitters yet, it's just January, and the eShop has a decent selection of both old and new games to peruse (that includes the instant drop of two Golden Sun games!). I have a good feeling about 2024!

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of January 11, 2024

• 8-Colors Star Guardians +
• AAA Clock Extreme Ultimate
• Brain Memory Ultra Special
• Coin Rush – Available Jan. 12
• Coloring Book: Complete Bundle – 410 drawings – Available Jan. 12
• Cooking Arena – 4 in 1 Edition – Available Jan. 12
• CrashMetal – Drift Racing Car Driving Simulator – PREMIUM EDITION
• Crystal Project – Available Jan. 12
• Dead by Daylight – Gold Edition
• Frogsong – Available Jan. 12
• Grotto – Available Jan. 12
• HatLand – Pixel Impossible GAME OVER – Available Jan. 12
• Kitten Hero – Available Jan. 12
• Legend of Grimrock – Available Jan. 15
• Light-It Up: Complete Edition – Available Jan. 12
• Nephenthesys – Available Jan. 17
• nGolf
• One Night: Burlesque Extended Edition
• Piano: Learn and Play Magnificent Edition
• Pixel Coloring Paint – Available Jan. 13
• Pixel Paint 2 Director's Cut
• Shinorubi – Available Jan. 12
• Spin Rhythm XD + Monstercat Bundle
• Sport & Fun: Swimming Superb Edition
• Ultimate Racing 2D 2 – Available Jan. 15
• Wild Seas

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of January 18, 2024

• Arcade Archives COSMO GANG THE PUZZLE
• Bugby
• Car Racing Highway Driving Simulator – PREMIUM EDITION – Available Jan. 19
• Chess Grandmaster Royal Bundle
• Choo-Choo Charles
• Classic Games Collection Vol.2 Holiday Edition
• Colorful Adventures Bundle
• Death Motel – Available Jan. 19
• Detective – Stella Porta Case
• Downhill Driver: Extreme Racing Simulator
• DreadOut 2
• Dungeons 3 – Nintendo Switch Complete Collection
• Easy Dice for RPG/Tabletop
• EGGCONSOLE MARCHEN VEIL PC-8801mkIISR
• Fairytale Theatre-Momotaro’s Adventure
• Fastest Finger First! 3 Hint Quiz
• For a Vast Future Definitive Edition
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel – Ultimate Edition
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 – Ultimate Edition
• Gladiatorial Conquest Battle: Arena of Legends
• Knights of Grayfang
• Lil’ Guardsman – Available Jan. 23
• Monster Truck Freestyle – Available Jan. 20
• Neon Drifter – Cyber Racing
• Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters – Available Jan. 23
• Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters Deluxe Bundle – Available Jan. 23
• Notes + Stickers Special Edition
• Railway Empire – Nintendo Switch Starter Bundle
• Reigns: Three Kingdoms
• Rescue! DROPKICK ON MY DEVIL!!
• Saga of the Moon Priestess – Available Jan. 24
• Shalnor Legends Double Bundle
• Sir Questionnaire
• Super Sean 007
• Superfluous Returnz
• The Cub – Available Jan. 19
• The Legend of Steel Empire – Available Jan. 23
• The Pedestrian
• Tropico 6 – Nintendo Switch Starter Bundle
• Vigour
• Witch Rise – Available Jan. 19

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Another Code: Recollection, published by Nintendo, rings in the New Year of the eShop appeared first on Destructoid.

We're back to our regularly scheduled open faucet of eShop games: if you have any eShop cash left over, you might have something to spend it on! In addition to two more Arcade Archives games (Mystic Warriors and Solitary Fighter), a few other classics return like Clue, as well as oddball picks like The Spy Who Shot Me.

In case you're wondering, the first upcoming Nintendo game will drop on February 16, 2024, as the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong series returns to the fray. Then there's Princess Peach: Showtime in March. It'll be a quiet January for now!

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of January 4, 2024

• 4x4 OffRoad Collection
• Anime Girls: Highschool of Dead
• Anime Tank Blitz: Warbound Legends
• Arcade Archives MYSTIC WARRIORS
• Arcade Archives SOLITARY FIGHTER
• Arcade Game Zone – Available Jan. 5
• B.O.O.L: Master labyrinth puzzles
• Battlefront Trench Warriors: Ops of Warfare
• Bike Courier: Bistro Express Delivery
• Breakout Birdie
• Breakout Birdie 2
• Breakout Birdie Adventure
• Buddy & Friends: Santa’s Workshop Animal Party
• Build A Bridge Collection
• Bulanci
• Cafe Owner Simulator – Available Jan. 10
• Capitals Quizzer
• Cat Simulator
• City’s Hero Collection
• Clue
• Cynthia: Hidden in the Moonshadow – Complete Edition – Available Jan. 10
• Driving World Collection
• Dungeons & Doomknights
• Electrician Simulator – Available Jan. 5
• Fantasy Blacksmith Shop Simulator
• Forbidden Ghost Photo
• Gang Blast
• GeoJelly
• Green Sauce Bundle
• Hilm
• Human Bowling
• Ikkarus and the Prince of Sin – Available Jan. 10
• Isolated – Available Jan. 6
• Jigsaw Pets
• Jinshin
• Knights & Guns Elite Edition – Available Jan. 5
• Knights of the Rogue Dungeon
• Kumamon Run
• Legacy Mystery Bundle
• Lonesome Village + A Tiny Sticker Tale Bundle
• Masarada Town Story
• Mayhem Motorsports Collection
• Metro Redux
• Monster Loves You Too!
• Moon Lander
• Moto Rush GT Diamond Edition – Available Jan. 5
• Mystery Box: Escape The Room
• Mystery Box: The Journey
• Nathan Jones and The Empty Century
• Rush Hours Collection
• S.N.I.P.E.R. – Hunter Scope Ultimate Edition – Available Jan. 5
• Saints Row: The Big Purple Package
• Santa’s Workshop Challenge: The North Pole Gift Adventure
• Shivering Stone – Available Jan. 5
• Ski Simulator : Winter Sports
• Sniper – Elite Shooter Squad
• Speedster’s Collection
• Starship Showdown: Galactic Grand Prix
• Super Kart Mini Car Race
• Synthetic Lover
• The Curse of Kudan
• The Gardener Simulator – Plant, Grow, Decorate, Build Sim
• The Spy Who Shot Me
• The World of War II: Frontlines of History
• Tools Up! Ultimate Edition – Available Jan. 5
• Traffic Master Collection
• Truck Simulator 2024 – USA Driver Zone
• Ultimate Moto Bike Simulator
• UNPOGABLE
• Warzone Chronicles: Virtual Warfare Shooter
• Wizard Hunter: The End of the Magic World
• XMas Toy Merge

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post The eShop is back with a deluge of games after the New Year appeared first on Destructoid.

Happy New Year! Are you ready for 2024? I am! 2023 gave us a ton of great games to play, but we also had a lot of bad gaming industry news dropping steadily throughout. Hopefully, this year will bring better tidings as some of the sectors recover and come back stronger.

In the meantime, here's a quick recap of what's been happening on the Switch eShop for the past few weeks. Studios pushed out everything they could at a rapid pace before the holiday, just as users unwrap their new Switches and redeem their eShop gift card money. After that things slowed down to a crawl, with only eight total games coming out the week of December 28 through January 3.

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of December 21, 2023

• 100 Demon Fantasia
• 20 Minutes Till Dawn
• 3in1 Game Collection: Backgammon + Checkers + Mills – Available Dec. 25
• Aery – Calm Mind 4
• Airport
• All I Want for Christmas are Subgames CE
• All of Us Are Dead
• Aquarium Land: Puppy Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Arcade Archives AERO FIGHTERS
• ASMR Slicing: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Astro Miner: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Backroom: Constructions
• Bowling Fever – Available Dec. 25
• Cape’s Escape Game 6th Room
• Christmas Bubble Puzzle – Available Dec. 22
• Classic Games Collection Vol.1 Holiday Edition – Available Dec. 25
• Cleaning Queens
• Cooking Tycoons – 3 in 1 Bundle Complete Edition – Available Dec. 25
• Courageous Reasoning Nori 4 Crossing Sea Street 4
• Cute Critters Pet Kitty – Available Dec. 24
• Dani and Evan: Dinosaur books
• Deadly Days + Orbital Bullet Bundle – Available Dec. 22
• DIY Paper Doll: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Drawing Carnival: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Dungeon Defence Simulator 2024 – Available Dec. 22
• EGGCONSOLE HYDLIDE PC-8801
• Escape From The Island
• Fashion World – Available Dec. 25
• Freddi Fish 4: The Case of The Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch
• Growth
• Hard Racing: Stunt Car Driving – Available Dec. 24
• Hole io: Red Planet Edition – Available Dec. 24
• I SEEK! WHERE IS "PICTO"-SAN?
• Japan Train Models – JR West Edition
• Kebab Bar Tycoon – Available Dec. 25
• Lacuna + Encodya Bundle – Available Dec. 22
• Light-It Up – Available Dec. 25
• Midnight Drifter-Drift Racing Car Racing Driving Simulator - PREMIUM EDITION – Available Dec. 23
• Military Combat Shooter Desert War – Available Dec. 22
• Milk Seller – Available Dec. 23
• Moorhuhn Invasion – Crazy Chicken Invasion – Available Dec. 22
• My Bakery Empire – Available Dec. 25
• My Child Lebensborn Remastered
• My Life: Farm Vet – Available Dec. 25
• My Lovely Dog Adventure
• Mystery Solving! BrainQuiz
• Nothing to Declare – Available Dec. 25
• ONE. – Available Dec. 22
• Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat From Your Head To Your Feet
• Paper io 2: Variety Pack – Available Dec. 24
• Party Friends – Available Dec. 24
• Piyokoro
• Pocket Foosball – Available Dec. 25
• Pocket Quest – Available Dec. 25
• Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 – Available Dec. 25
• Princess Puzzle Adventure
• Quake + Quake II Enhanced Bundle
• Ravva and the Phantom Library
• Reef Escape
• Roman Empire Simulator – Available Dec. 22
• Santa’s World
• Sherlock Holmes – The Hunt for Moriarty – Available Dec. 25
• Sketch Personality Test
• SokoWinter
• Space Papers: Planet’s Border – Available Dec. 25
• Stellar Interface + Sudoku Zenkai
• Tanuki Sunset – Available Dec. 24
• Terra Nil
• The Artist Colors
• The Rumble Fish +
• Three Minutes To Eight
• Trash Punk – Available Dec. 25
• Tricky Taps: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 23
• Truckzilla – Monster Truck Mega Ramp – Available Dec. 24
• Urban Flow GOTY Edition – Available Dec. 22

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of December 28, 2023

• Bloopy & Droopy
• Chico and the Magic Orchards DX – Available Dec. 29
• Found it!
• MisBloody – Available Dec. 30
• Pinball M
• Pinball M – Death Save Bundle
• Tiny Treasure Hunt
• Zombie Dead Smasher Shooter – PREMIUM EDITION – Available Dec. 30

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post The Switch eShop closed out 2023 with a small drop: What will 2024 bring? appeared first on Destructoid.

After cleaning up the Nintendo Switch 2023 Game of the Year contest (with one of the biggest sweeps of the year), Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is back for the Overall 2023 Game of the Year award here at Destructoid. Act surprised!

Look, as much as I'd like to talk about Tears of the Kingdom at length again, I figured it was a good time to point out some past winners and highlight some high hopes for 2024.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of four Nintendo-published GOTY winners

Here's hoping 2024 is a good one

2023 was rough. The gaming industry layoffs were unending, and E3 finally succumbed to its wounds. 2024 will be the first 100% confirmed non-E3 year since the expo started. As someone who grew up wanting to go to E3 (and did!), it's weird. During the last few years folks held out hope that it would come back, and in early 2019, we were all assuming E3 would happen on schedule. Now we're burying it.

There's more to come, too, and not all of it is bad. Tons of previously delayed games will now see the light of day in 2024. March, as is becoming the norm, is stacked (Dragon's Dogma 2, Alone in the Dark, Princess Peach: Showtime, Rise of the Ronin, Homeworld 3). We also likely haven't seen the end of Embracer Group shenanigans, which will have rippling effects throughout the sector.

For now, we can enjoy the rest of what 2023 has to offer and reflect on the past. Take a look at some of our previous winners!

Destructoid’s previous Game of the Year winners:

The post Destructoid’s award for Best Overall Game of 2023 goes to… appeared first on Destructoid.

It couldn't have gone any other way, right?

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was a perfect crescendoed sonata of how to wow an audience. At first, I was just impressed with how magnificent and sprawling the sky islands were. By the time I had brute-forced puzzles with unique object manipulation mechanics and discovered the depths of the underground, I was completely enamored.

Breath of the Wild managed to sing a similar song back in 2017, but this felt considerably different. That's worth talking about because at first, some were worried that Tears of the Kingdom would crib way too much from Breath of the Wild. I'll admit, I was even curious to see just what Nintendo had in store for us here; not just from a freshness standpoint, but in terms of the greater reaction from fans.

Like Breath of the Wild, I reviewed Tears of the Kingdom in complete isolation, and I was in awe at the open-ended approach of how to approach nearly everything in this game. I went into a shrine and solved it three ways, knowing full well that one of my peers had a devilishly different take in mind. It hearkens back to the days of the '90s and 2000s when people would share their quirky strategies with one other, and come to a collective conclusion that would then become canon. Millions of Tears of the Kingdom TikTok videos later, that theory is sound.

As someone who regularly returns to Zelda games, Tears of the Kingdom just permanently threw a wrench in my lifetime replay plan. Not only am I going to have to work Tears in going forward: but I'll need to spend a considerable amount of time with it to see just how all of my life experiences up until that moment influence my next playthrough.

Tears of the Kingdom is the very definition of a lifestyle game, and that's why it took the crown for Best Switch Game of 2023.

Here are the nominees for Destructoid’s Best Switch Game of 2023:

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Pikmin 4
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Paranormasight
• Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeeme

The post Destructoid’s award for Best Switch Game of 2023 goes to… appeared first on Destructoid.

There are very few years that aren't "winners" for Nintendo. You can set your watch to the publisher putting out at least one Game of the Year nominee annually. Now, it's time to decide the best of 2023.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Obviously, all eyes are going to be on Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As a follow-up to Breath of the Wild, it was expected to deliver: But I don't think anyone could have anticipated just how much it would iterate upon the fantastic framework we already got with the launch of the Switch in 2017. People may have been worried that Tears would operate like an "expansion pack" to the 2017 modern classic, but those fears were completely unfounded.

We also got a new Fire Emblem game, another Pikmin entry (which might be the best one to date), a slick remaster of a great Kirby title, a killer Xenoblade Chronicles DLC, and Paranormasight. 2023 was packed and succeeded in hitting us across the head with a steady stream of prior-delayed games at once.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been called "the best Mario game since Super Mario World" by many and is the perfect prescription for folks who have been burned by the constant deluge of the "New" subseries series. Although most Mario games are shoo-ins for nominations, this one feels different.

Fire Emblem Engage

Any given Fire Emblem game is going to appeal to certain types of people, but this one grabbed me really early on. It helped that the DLC leaned into the whole "all-stars" angle, and brought multiple generations of the series together in one bright and accessible entry.

Pikmin 4

I can't say enough nice things about Pikmin 4. When I was playing it, I couldn't stop. There's so much to do and explore, and just when you think it's over, the game completely opens up. Oh, and it's still incredibly cute.

Paranormasight

You can always count on Square Enix to surprise us, sometimes in the most unlikely way possible. One month I looked up and realized "wow, there are multiple Square-backed RPGs coming out this month, and I haven't heard about any of them for weeks." Paranormasight crept up on a lot of us but managed to leave an impact on most of the staff. Once this game gets running, it doesn't let up.

Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe

Kirby's Return to Dreamland is low-key one of my favorite Kirby games, and I was happy to see it return, with some bells and whistles, in 2023. There's not much to say about Kirby that hasn't already been said: it's comfort food at worst, and in the case of Dreamland Deluxe, it's a high bar that hearkens back to the era of Kirby Super Star.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed

I have an entire room of my house that's littered with just Xenoblade pictures, and I really need to up my game and get some Xenoblade Chronicles 3 scenes in there. Future Redeemed was a fantastic bit of DLC that both continues the story of the third core entry and ties the entire universe together.

Check out the nominees below, and come back next week for our full reveal!

Here are the nominees for Destructoid’s Best Switch Game of 2023:

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Pikmin 4
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Paranormasight
• Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed

Our final results will go live next week, starting on December 18 with the winner of Best Indie. Stay tuned throughout this week for the rest of our nominees, as we build up to the Overall Game of the Year award on December 22!

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best Switch Game of 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's time for one of the last Nintendo Downloads of 2023. The 21st and 28th will likely be light on games, as most of the major releases (including the new Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC) are already out.

For now, you can enjoy Harvest Moon 64, 1080 Snowboarding, and Jet Force Gemini on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service: as well as Palia. I've been playing a ton of Stardew Valley again on Switch, so Harvest Moon and Palia sound like really great follow-ups once I've exhausted everything (again) in Stardew.

Fair warning, there's a bunch of stuff out this week yet again! Check it all out below.

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of December 14, 2023

• Acrylic Nails!: Xmas Edition – Available Dec. 16
• Arcade Archives POLE POSITION II
• AVENGER
• Aztec Tiki Talisman
• Classic Games Puzzle Collection – Available Dec. 18
• Coloring book series Zoo
• EGGCONSOLE XANADU PC-8801 PC-8801mkIISR
• Farm Land: Kitty Edition – Available Dec. 15
• Fireball Wizard – Available Dec. 18
• GAIARES
• Gates of The Mind – Available Dec. 18
• GRANADA
• Hammerwatch II
• Hirilun – Available Dec. 15
• Knights & Guns NY Edition – Available Dec. 15
• Koumajou Remilia Ⅱ: Stranger's Requiem
• MECHBLAZE
• METRO QUESTER
• Molecano
• Moto Rush GT NY Edition – Available Dec. 15
• My Child Lebensborn Remastered – Available Dec. 20
• Nekomin
• Never Be Afraid Slam Dunk – Available Dec. 16
• Pan’orama
• Petit Petit Petit
• Poly Shooting Simulator – Available Dec. 15
• Pony World – Color by Numbers
• Princess Puzzle Adventure – Available Dec. 20
• PSYCHIC STORM
• Raccoo Venture
• Ravva and the Phantom Library – Available Dec. 20
• Rising Dusk
• S.N.I.P.E.R. – Hunter Scope Collectors Edition – Available Dec. 15
• SNQZ
• Sprout Valley + Garden Buddies
• Stickman’s Arena – Available Dec. 15
• Super Bear Adventure
• Tennis 2024 Simulator – Available Dec. 18
• The Monty Mole Collection – Available Dec. 18
• The Rumble Fish + – Available Dec. 20
• ToyBox Christmas
• Train Traffic Manager Extended Edition – Available Dec. 15
• Twin Mind: Power Of Love Collector’s Edition
• Western Slot Machine
• Winter Games Challenge
• Wood Guy
• Yuletide Legends: Who Framed Santa Claus
• Z Escape: Complete Edition – Available Dec. 15
• Zombie Defense: Commando Edition – Available Dec. 15

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Palia is out on Switch this week, amid more N64 classics appeared first on Destructoid.

Although I mainly showcase fully-fledged games above the line in these Nintendo Download recaps, LEGO Fortnite is technically a new game, housed within the Roblox-esque hub of Fortnite. It came out this week on December 7, and allows players to explore a whole new survival-based world.

If you're looking for something else, Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition is live on Switch. In case you haven't been following along, the Archaeologist Edition is just a fancy "GOTY with DLC" package. It comes with the Echoes of the Eye add-on.

As usual, there's a ton of other stuff to look through below!

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of December 7, 2023

• Air Aces
• Arcade Archives SCRAMBLE FORMATION
• Breakout Birdie Escape
• Breakout Birdie Escape 2
• Breakout Birdie Panic
• Breakout Birdie Panic 2
• Breakout Birdie Puzzle
• Breakout Birdie Puzzle 2
• Bulldozer Tycoon: Construction Simulator – Available Dec. 11
• City Bus Driver Simulator – Available Dec. 11
• City Driver: Car Parking Simulator
• Crystal Chip Collector e
• Defend The Base: Tower Turret Shooting Range
• Dino Get Out!
• DREAMERS: A Nostalgic Adventure
• Erogods: Asgard
• FALL CARS – Ultimate Car Battle
• Fearmonium – Available Dec. 8
• Golf Guys – Available Dec. 8
• Hammerwatch Anniversary Edition – Available Dec. 12
• Hammerwatch II: The Chronicles Edition – Available Dec. 12
• Helix Jump – Available Dec. 8
• Hell Well – Available Dec. 13
• Hiveswap Friendsim
• Make it! Takoyaki
• Make Way
• Mob Control – Available Dec. 8
• Nessy The Robot
• Official Spacefarer Card Game
• Pesterquest
• Pestersim
• Stone Age
• SUNSOFT Mahjong Solitaire -Shanghai LEGEND-
• TEVI
• The Ramsey
• The Smurfs: Colorful Stories – Available Dec. 8
• Thy Creature
• Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered
• Turok Trilogy Bundle
• Vege Bubble Shoot – Available Dec. 8
• Witch’s Potion: Water Sort Puzzle
• Word Space
• World War: D-Day PART TWO
• XIIZEAL
• Xuan Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains – Available Dec. 8
• Yukar From The Abyss
• Zumaji Delux – Available Dec. 11

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Fan-favorite Outer Wilds is back on Switch with the Archaeologist Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

We're nearing the end of the year folks: this is it!

Beyond the Avatar game the industry at large is settling down, as all of the gift cards and presents are lined up for the holidays. This week's big release is Batman: Arkham Trilogy, and your guess is as good as mine in terms of whether or not WB actually got this compilation up to code before launch. Given their track record, all signs point to "?" That's coming out on December 1, if you somehow haven't played this series at all yet. As a reminder, the trilogy comes with Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight - and the latter dropped in 2015. Yep, it's been a while since we've gotten a proper Arkham game.

The other main release this coming week is Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, which is out on that same day.

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of November 30, 2023

• 2weistein – The Curse of the Red Dragon 3 - Ronger Pirates - V2
• A Highland Song – Available Dec. 5
• A Long Journey to an Uncertain End – Available Dec. 5
• Arcadian Atlas
• Basketball Arcade
• Battle Stations Blockade – Available Dec. 6
• Born Of Bread – Available Dec. 5
• Cattails: Wildwood Story
• Corbid! A Colorful Adventure
• Crashy Laps
• DIY Paper Doll – Available Dec. 2
• Draw & Color Maze: Paint Labyrinth Puzzle
• GENSEISUIKODEN PLUS
• Last Escape: Dead Complex – Available Dec. 1
• Master Ninja – Shuriken Killer
• Metro PD: Close to You
• Motesolo: No Girlfriend Since Birth
• Ortheo
• Paint it + My Cute Unicorns Bundle
• Pixel Cafe
• Skater XL – Available Dec. 5
• Space Junk Seekers
• Speed or Death
• SteamWorld Build – Available Dec. 1
• TERAVIT
• This Means Warp
• Toasterball
• Toasterball + Buissons Bundle
• Trip World DX
• Uzzuzzu My Pet – Golf Dash – Available Dec. 1
• Wall World
• While the Iron’s Hot – Available Dec. 5
• Wildshade: Unicorn Champions
• Zomborg

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Batman: Arkham Trilogy comes to Switch soon: Please don’t be a mess appeared first on Destructoid.

The Switch eShop has been bombarded with late-comer indies, AAA releases, and first party Nintendo games for weeks.

Now, there's a calm before the final holiday push, and Nintendo isn't even headlining anything this week in particular. Instead, Nintendo is reminding folks to check out their holiday sales, and that's not a bad idea! Their Cyber Deals sale is currently running through December 3 (at 11:59 PM PT), and some stuff is up to 50% off.

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of November 23, 2023

• Alina of the Arena
• Arcade Archives Dinorex
• ASMR Slicing
• Astro Miner
• CHARRUA SOCCER – Pro Edition
• Colored Effects
• Criss Cross – Available Nov. 25
• Da Da Daungo
• Deleted
• Drawing Carnival
• Evil Diary – Available Nov. 24
• Eyra: The Crow Maiden
• Final Shot – Available Nov. 24
• Find the Pairs Memo Game for Kids
• Frogvival – Available Nov. 24
• Girl Dress Up Classic
• Gothic II Complete Classic – Available Nov. 29
• Guns and Spurs 2 – Available Nov. 24
• Meaning of Symbols
• My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! -Pirates of the Disturbance- – Available Nov. 28
• Nora: The Wannabe Alchemist – Available Nov. 24
• Orbital Cargo Division
• Pixel Game Maker Series Storm Swordsman
• Rally Race: Offroad Simulator – Available Nov. 24
• Roots of Pacha – Available Nov. 28
• Snakebird Complete – Available Nov. 24
• Starlight Drifter – Available Nov. 24
• Super Solitaire – Card Game
• Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens
• THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII GLOBAL MATCH
• The Traveler’s Path – Available Nov. 29
• The Trotties Adventure – Available Nov. 24
• Time Master
• Train Traffic Manager – Available Nov. 24
• Train Valley 2: Community Edition
• Tricky Taps
• Zombies Rising xXx – Available Nov. 25

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Following Mario RPG, the Switch eShop has a sleepy holiday week appeared first on Destructoid.

Stop reading this article and consider picking up Super Mario RPG on Switch.

I'll make the same pitch I made decades ago when I came across it on the SNES: it's an all-comers RPG. No matter how much you might dislike the genre or Mario as a concept, it has plenty of ways to win you over. It's also perfect for folks newer to RPGs as a whole and there are enough hooks present for veterans.

If you're already on board or can't be swayed, there's plenty of other stuff to sift through too. Persona 5 Tactica and Bluey: The Videogame both arrive on November 17; and Howl, Backpack Hero, Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist, and Enjoy the Diner all came out as a result of the recent Indie World Showcase.

Everything out on the Nintendo Switch eShop the week of November 16, 2023

• 9 Years of Shadows
• Adventure Tanks
• Adventure Word: Around the World
• Arcade Archives SHAO-LIN’S ROAD
• Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! 2
• ASTLIBRA Revision
• Brawl.io 2
• Call of Sniper Combat – WW2 – Available Nov. 17
• Castle Invasion: Throne Out
• Cats on Streets
• Drag Racing Car Simulator – Available Nov. 17
• Draw and Color
• Draw and Go!
• Dream Town Island
• Drive Hard
• DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate - Definitive Edition – Available Nov. 21
• Extreme Skyway Racer Simulator – Available Nov. 18
• ForRace GT2D
• Furniture Flipper Simulator 2023: Revive, Restoration & Creative Crafting
• Grace of Letoile
• Highway Moto Racing Rush 2023 Simulator
• Hoop Shoot
• In Stars and Time – Available Nov. 20
• Inertia 2 – Available Nov. 20
• Jet Ski Mania Aqua Rush
• Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection – Available Nov. 22
• Keep The Fire – Survival Simulator
• Kumi-Daiko Beatoff
• L.O.L. Surprise! Roller Dreams Racing – Available Nov. 21
• Loot Box Quest – Mystic Maidens
• Low Story
• MechanixMind: IQ Puzzle Adventure
• NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• OnlyUP!
• On Rusty Trails
• Pixel Game Maker Series Project Nosferatu
• Prison City
• Risk of Rain Returns
• Runnyk – Available Nov. 17
• SANABI
• SETTRIS – Available Nov. 22
• Smoots Pinball
• Swim Sacabambaspis! – Available Nov. 21
• The Forest Quartet – Available Nov. 17
• The Myth Seekers 2: The Sunken City
• The Smurfs: Learn and Play – Available Nov. 17
• The Walking Dead: Destinies – Available Nov. 17
• There Is No Light
• Truck Simulator Collection
• Until The Last Bullet
• What The Duck
• Witchtastic – Available Nov. 22
• Worldless – Available Nov. 21
• YOHANE THE PARHELION -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE-
• Your Future 2 Future Prediction

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Super Mario RPG makes its glorious return this week on Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Warcraft Rumble has a...lot going on that hampers the overall player experience, but one late-to-endgame design choice really takes the cake. Make sure you pick up one of each leader if you intend to progress in Warcraft Rumble in any meaningful way. Or, you can stop playing, that's fine too.

Endgame is predicated on having one leader of each type

Up until sigil level 75 (sigils essentially serve as your account level/progression marker), the easiest way to progress with the game is to clear every new stage as it is unlocked. Once you get to level 75 (a process we go over extensively in this late game guide), things slow to a crawl, new levels stop opening up, and things get murkier.

From here on out, you'll need to clear each old stage on heroic mode (read: levels are harder with new twists), with a leader from each faction. So that's five clears for any given old stage for one sigil. It sounds grindy, but in theory, since each round only takes a few minutes, you'll be able to grind those sigils out quickly...right? Well, it depends.

As a reminder, here are the different faction types in Warcraft Rumble:

• Alliance
• Beast
• Blackrock
• Horde
• Undead

In case you were wondering: Yes, Blizzard can absolutely lock you out of earning more leaders, and prospective players (fairly easily I may add) can "accidentally" lock themselves out of progressing because they picked multiple leaders in the same faction. Again, you'll need one of each to earn a sigil for those heroic levels: partial progress gives you absolutely nothing sigil-wise.

To make matters worse, earning leaders through the G.R.I.D. (one of the other randomized free-to-play barriers in the game) is tough because they're "family-locked" each week. Meaning, you can only earn Blackrock leaders for a full week, then it'll swap to Horde, and so on.

If the intention was to get people coming back to the game to progress, this system is a failure. Folks are more likely to just uninstall it entirely than put up with it. But if you are intent on playing through it and potentially earning 100 Sigils to unlock Onyxia's Lair (the final endgame stage at launch), keep this PSA in mind!

The post PSA: Warcraft Rumble has a really sleazy late-game progression lock appeared first on Destructoid.

Fallout 76 was released on November 14, 2018 in a wretched state, and I absolutely cannot believe it's been five years since then. While most publishers would have buried it and moved on, the creative team got to work and the funding arrived to salvage the game. To celebrate, in-game events are on the way.

Fallout 76 5-year anniversary event details

We're not getting a massive quality of life overhaul or DLC per se, but there will be a streaming event on Twitch on Tuesday November 14 at 3PM ET, as well as a birthday event from now through November 21 at 12PM ET.

Here is the full rundown of the stream from Bethesda:

"Organized by our friends at Fallout for Hope, we have over 40 floats, live music, Atom giveaways and more! Did we also mention that Adrienne Barbeau, who you know as the voice of the Overseer, will be doing a S.P.E.C.I.A.L. introduction speech? And who better to narrate the parade than Wes Johnson himself? Wes Johnson who you know as the voice of… well… all our favorite robots! Protectrons, Fasnacht Paraders, Nuka-World's Dr. Del Walsh, and many more! (No, seriously, look him up we love his voice!)"

Fallout 76 is in good company, alongside No Man's Sky and Final Fantasy XIV (1.0)

While there was no excuse for the state it was launched in, Fallout 76 gets high marks on its report card in the BUG (bring-up-grades) section. The team actually committed to making the game better, and while it took nearly two years to add NPCs (the turning point for 76), they came all the same. It sounds rediculous, adding in content that seems standard for open world games, but such was the early state of Fallout 76.

The post Fallout 76 is 5 years old and still somehow kicking appeared first on Destructoid.

Hogwarts Legacy kind of came and went earlier this year (twice, if you count the PS4/Xbox One ports), and now it's about to release a third time: on Switch. It's due out on November 14, and depending on who you ask, the below debut game trailer is either miraculous or messy. It really depends on your taste in Switch ports. The real test is going to be how it plays and if it can maintain a consistent framerate.

Super Crazy Rhythm Castle will offer some counterprogramming. Described as a "chaotic rhythm adventure," this single-system multiplayer game looks promising. It's out on November 14. Plus, a bunch of other games are out between now and the next week, so check them all out below!

Nintendo Download: The week of November 9, 2023

• Air Twister – Available Nov. 10
• Astral Ascent – Available Nov. 14
• ATV Monster Racing Simulator Rally Cross
• Bem Feito
• Berzerk: Recharged
• Bob the Elementalist – Available Nov. 10
• Burning Secrets – A Bara Visual Novel – Available Nov. 10
• CATAN – Console Edition
• Claire: Extended Cut – Available Nov. 10
• Cooking Arena – 8 in 1 Edition – Available Nov. 10
• Double Dragon Advance
• Dragon Wings
• Erogods: Olympus
• Flooded
• Football Manager 2024 Touch
• Internet Cafe Mini Games 10 in 1
• KarmaZoo – Available Nov. 14
• Lily in Puzzle World – Available Nov. 15
• Paper io 2: Animals Edition – Available Nov. 11
• PAWfectly Designed
• PeopleWillMoney – Available Nov. 11
• Polyturbo Drift Racing Simulator – Available Nov. 10
• Prison Break: Jail Escape Simulator
• Radio Cars
• Rogue Glitch Ultra – Available Nov. 14
• Sakura Alien 2 – Available Nov. 10
• Seven Spirits
• Slaughter: The Lost Outpost – Available Nov. 10
• Smash Balls
• Spells & Secrets
• Spirittea – Available Nov. 13
• Super Double Dragon
• The great battle of Shark Monkey Squirrel Dinossaur Bird Bee
• The Trotties Adventure – Available Nov. 10
• Urban Flow Diamond Edition – Available Nov. 10
• Village Tycoon: Farm City Simulator – Available Nov. 10
• Virche Evermore -ErroR: Salvation-
• War Zone Soldier: Battle Royale Shooter
• Zombies Rising Dawn – Available Nov. 15

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Hogwarts Legacy comes to Switch soon – you judge how the port looks appeared first on Destructoid.

After a week of nearly nonstop play, I hit a wall with Warcraft Rumble and the grind is in sight. Here's how it all went!

Warcraft Rumble (Android, iOS [reviewed on an iPhone 13])
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Blizzard
Released: November 3, 2023
MSRP: Free-to-play (with microtransactions)

The core game is fun, but it needs some economy tweaks

Warcraft Rumble is a 1v1 tap-to-deploy lane-based battler that asks you to send units off to micro-wars to take down an opposing headquarters. Your job? To march and destroy the opposite base before your opponent takes out your own, through clever countering and smart resource management. Each unit is associated with a cost (typically dependent on power level), and while your unit coffers recharge automatically, Kobolds can be deployed to mine ore on the map for more resources.

Although there are a lot of nuances involved, air units generally counter ground units, ranged units counter aerial, and so on. Look, Blizzard basically took Clash Royale and Blizzified it. Now instead of sending out knights and wizards, you're throwing Alliance soldiers and Horde Shamans. Tomato tomatoe.

The thing is, it's really fun, and Blizzard—the masterminds that they are—prey on nostalgia. Units will spout famous phrases from Warcraft lore, and all your favorites are here, including leaders like Tirion Fordring, Sylvanas Windrunner, and more. The animations are full of life, and the art team did an incredible job of recreating some of the more iconic bits of Warcraft history in this ostensibly silly, vibrant world that exists inside of the Hearthstone universe.

The core systems are good too. Starting off countering is intuitive, then it becomes a tapestry of strategy as you're attempting to divine out how to become the most efficient tower-killer machine possible. Some units have very unique abilities, and others are hybrids of multiple unit types. You'll also be able to play around with "Unbound" units, which can be summoned anywhere on the map at will (and are typically balanced by higher troop prices, or weaker stats).

Nearly every match is engaging as a result of everything coming together so splendidly. It's easy to assume that you can rest on your laurels as your army marches into enemy territory, but a few quick summons could completely wipe your board and turn the tide. If you lose, it's no biggie; just start again and either keep the same loadout, or swap to something else.

There's a lot to do until you hit a wall

Warcraft Rumble progress is tracked by "sigils," which are essentially account levels (I got up to 68 before I felt fatigued). More features will unlock the more you earn sigils by completing story levels, which in turn leads to more units, more leaders, and more options.

Given that matches only last a few minutes on average, it allows for a wide array of experimentation. Want to try a new leader and a completely different loadout? Easy! If it sucks, you just re-arrange it until you're happy. I've done this many times and eventually came up with a few arrangements that I really vibed with, and ended up doing exceedingly well in PVP. Coming up with those combos and figuring that puzzle out was a rush.

It helps that leaders all have different core abilities, and buff specific units when used in tandem with that leader. So Horde leaders often provide bonuses to Horde units, and so on down the line. Since the game doesn't restrict you in any way (it just nudges you toward synergy), there are a ton of possibilities to sift through. It's meaty.

Here are all the things you can do beyond playing through the core story:

• Play through dungeons (a series of three levels)
• Rise the PVP ranks with scaled units
• Join a guild and collectively earn more rewards like additional leaders
• Replay old levels on heroic mode for added twists (many of which are fantastic) once you reach 50 sigils

The core loop grabbed me immediately, then slowly but surely began to annoy me.

Monetization starts out innocuous, then it gets more insidious

It sounds like I'm having fun with Warcraft Rumble right? Well, I am! But it also takes a turn. Most of you are probably reading this review to see if Warcraft Rumble eventually becomes one of those mobile games, and it does.

Starting off, and all the way to the mid-game, you likely won't be swayed to spend any money at all. Rewards flow freely, and you'll be able to acquire a hefty army full of leader options very quickly. I was actually surprised at how much water that typically stingy hose spat out, and having tons of leaders is especially useful for army testing and PVP.

The thing is, eventually, those units do need to level up to take on some of the tougher stages (which really kick into gear around 50 sigils, about halfway through the story); and your means of doing so are very slim. While grinding dungeons to upgrade your leaders is actually viable and painless, leveling your units is much more obfuscated, and is done in a way to drive you to microtransactions.

The game boasts a "quest" system that allows you to level up units, but it's painfully slow and centered around individual boosts rather than large swaths of army leveling. Then there's the G.R.I.D., which is a randomized table for upgrading your unit's rarity (which in turn grants them game-changing powerful abilities, like polymorphing the first unit shot by the S.A.F.E. Pilot). To upgrade those units, players need to acquire stars (another leveling currency beyond XP), Arc Energy, and cores; the latter two of which are the main upgrade currencies. Confused yet? Well, it was designed to be confusing, and it really puts a damper on widespread meaningful progress.

The more units you have the more options that the game will pull from for randomized XP boosts, making it extremely hard to actually build a core loadout. You might have a really high XP unit that isn't rare or higher, or a rare or higher unit that isn't very strong/is low level. We know why it's being done this way ($$$), but it's incredibly obtuse and will ensure that many players stop playing, uninstall, and never go back (until the inevitable currency grace patch comes in the future, when the player base needs a kickstart).

It's a shame, because the team only needs to tweak a few things and combine a few currencies, and the game would become instantly smoother and less predatory. Having to deal with bugs that soft and hard crash the game doesn't help.

Try out Warcraft Rumble, or don't - that's OK too

Putting this many roadblocks in Warcraft Rumble, after Blizzard has already stumbled enough, takes guts. Hopefully, Blizzard doesn't squander their potential audience because of it, as the design team deserves better. Given the state of many free-to-play games though, the monetization is likely working as intended. If that's the case, maybe we'll get a microtransaction-free Apple Arcade version down the line.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game downloaded by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Warcraft Rumble appeared first on Destructoid.

[Update: The Pikachu Returns My Nintendo reward is now live, and it's 500 Platinum Points. You can find the listing for it here. The dimensions are 5’’ x 4’’, and according to Nintendo, it fits 16, 20 and 24 oz Cups.]

These days, if you take a short nap, you might miss a video game launch. I felt that way about Detective Pikachu Returns this week, and I'm one of the few who actually played the original (that's just how 2023 is going! It's an onslaught, folks). But even if you don't partake in the recently-released digital follow-up, you can still order a Pokemon-branded coffee cup cozy soon.

My Nintendo just posted a hype blog for Detective Pikachu Returns, which includes details for Switch Online icons (which include a few general-purpose Pokemon avatars) and printable stationary/wallpapers, as well as a new My Nintendo physical reward: the aforementioned coffee cozy. It's yellow, it's cute, and it'll fit around a cup. You also get the satisfaction of knowing that it's not random big box store Pikachu merch, because this rat even has a hat; and there's magnifying glass/lightbulb imagery to let you know that the cozy is from Detective Pikachu.

Here are all the details we have from Nintendo:

"Everyone knows that Detective Pikachu loves coffee—now he can keep yours warm (or cold!) with this adorable Detective Pikachu Returns Cup Cozy. This physical reward is coming. Stay Tuned!"

As far as the My Nintendo storefront is concerned, "stay tuned" could mean anywhere from 1-7 days for the actual listing to pop up. While a Platinum Point price hasn't popped up yet, the lowest-cost comparable item in the store currently is 400p, so expect it to be in the 400-1000 range when it arrives.

If you need more platinum, we got you covered!

The post My Nintendo will be stocking a Pikachu Returns coffee cozy soon (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

The Wrath of the Lich King expansion was arguably the peak of World of Warcraft. The team was firing on all cylinders, coming off of the already impressive Burning Crusade, and growing its player base steadily. Then Cataclysm hit, and some folks were torn on its efficacy as a follow-up.

Well, it's back! In Classic form.

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic is coming in 2024 with "feedback" in tow

WoW: Classic, the "what's old is new again" re-release of older expansions, is moving beyond Wrath of the Lich King in the next year. As was the case with prior WoW Classic updates, Cataclysm Classic will not be a 1:1 recreation of the original expansion that debuted in 2010. Instead, it'll involve "feedback" from the community (and a heap of quality of life changes), which will be clarified further into the BlizzCon 2023 weekend.

The release date/window for World of Warcraft Cataclsylm Classic is the "first half of next year [2024]."

We're also getting World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery

Blizzard vaguely revealed World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery, which is launching imminently on November 30. A "tanking Warlock" and a "Mage healer" were teased as potential weird twists on the typical WoW formula. It'll have a level cap of 25, which will provide a "level 25 endgame," which includes a 25-person Blackfathom raid. Then the level cap will be raised "every few months" and will continue on afterward.

According to Blizzard, Season of Discovery will also feature a new Rune and Rune-Engraving systems. Throughout the world players can discover special runes that provide access to new abilities, some of which have never been in WoW Classic. Players can then apply a limited number of these runes via rune-engraving, which allows them to swap out abilities when not in combat to create new builds.

In addition to the new raids, each level cap zone will host some world PvP events as well. For example, the Level 25 PvP zone will be in Ashenvale.

There will be "no testing," which is sure to go over well! But seriously, the idea of the community going into this new zany formula together, completely in the dark, is neat.

The post Blizzard announces World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic, Season of Discovery appeared first on Destructoid.

This year just won't let up. Despite the string of Game of the Year contenders in the first three quarters, the last leg of 2023 is still going strong. Nintendo is constantly pumping out first party games (it's not done just yet), the latest of which is WarioWare: Move It! If you're on the fence on this one, we have a full review right here.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is also a fantastic return to form for this classic, and it's also coming out alongside Fashion Dreamer and My Time at Sandrock.

Every game out on Nintendo Switch (the week of November 2, 2023)

• 5 in 1 Classics: Fashion Bubble Mania
• Alien Hominid HD
• Alien Hominid Invasion
• Alien Hominid: The Extra Terrestrial Bundle
• Amabilly – Available Nov. 3
• Arcade Archives BURNING FORCE
• Bio Block
• Blasphemous + Blasphemous 2 Bundle
• Burnout
• Chicken Journey
• City Parking Driver: Draw The Path Simulator
• Cobalt Core – Available Nov. 8
• DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing – Available Nov. 3
• Ebenezer and the Invisible World – Available Nov. 3
• EGGCONSOLE THEXDER PC-8801mkIISR
• Eigengrau
• Excessive Trim – Available Nov. 8
• Farmer Bundle – Available Nov. 6
• Foosball League Cup: Arcade Table Football Simulator
• FX Unit Yuki: The Henshin Engine
• Geometric Brothers
• Have Fun Together
• Historical Trilogy
• Jumanji: Wild Adventures – Available Nov. 3
• Let’s Sing 2024 – Available Nov. 7
• Makeup Artist
• Merge Games Adventure Bundle
• Merge Games Cleaning Bundle
• Merge Games Pixel Bundle
• Ninja or Die: Shadow of the Sun
• One Night: Burlesque – Available Nov. 3
• Razor Wire
• Real Car Parking 2024: Driving Simulator – Available Nov. 4
• Salt and Sacrifice – Available Nov. 7
• Street Basketball Club: Sport Throw Simulator
• Tappy Word
• Tappy Word 2
• Tappy Word 3
• Tappy Word Infinite
• The Little Mermaid: Visual Harmony
• The Smurfs 2 – The Prisoner of the Green Stone
• Thirsty Suitors
• Wetory
• White Wings – Available Nov. 4
• WORLD OF HORROR
• WWII Tanks Battle – World War 2 Heroes Troopers Machines Sim

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post WarioWare: Move It adds yet another first party Nintendo game to the late 2023 pile appeared first on Destructoid.

After I finished downloading WarioWare: Move It, I booted it up in handheld mode and was met with a warning screen: yep, I completely forgot that it was a motion control-only game. My journey afterward was rife with peril, but the weirdness and general ingenuity of this series alleviated most of those frustrations.

WarioWare: Move It! (Switch)
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: November 3, 2023
MSRP: $49.99

To be clear, yes, WarioWare: Move It (if you couldn't tell from the name) is a motion control-only affair. For story mode, you'll be using two Joy-Con in tandem for each player (to a maximum of two), and for the 2-4 player party mode, each person will be tied to one total Joy-Con. They're referred to as "Form Stones" in the lore, and they fit like a glove.

As usual, WarioWare: Move It's story mode begins with Wario being an asshole, and winning a trip to an island paradise for him and 20 of his friends (read: the entire cast and crew of the WarioWare series). After causing a ruckus he ends up being cursed by a shrine, with all of his other compatriots joining in on island adventures of their own (that occasionally cross paths with one another).

The setup and setting are a blast. Yes, it's ridiculous, but the over-the-top voice acting, vibrant island visuals, and the typical unpredictable nature of the series all funnel into a constant sense of discovery. You never truly know what lies around the corner with this game, and I only hit a wall when certain poses are introduced. Let's talk about poses in detail, because they're the core pillar of the entire game.

The Big Cheese is the Dark Souls of poses

While trying to complete microgames (the 10-second or less minigames that the series is known for), you'll need to perform specific "poses" to properly negotiate the aforementioned motion controls. For instance, early poses involve very simple concepts, like holding the Joy-Con above your head (Sky Stretch) or to your side (Choo Choo).

As you progress these poses get a bit more complicated, like stacking two Joy-Con vertically to form a sword (Knight), or putting them side by side horizontally to mime a game of tug-of-war. Some poses even force you to drop the Joy-Con; so yes, Joy-Con straps (I hope you kept them!) are a soft requirement for WarioWare: Move It. I assume at least one person reading this is groaning. I'm just the messenger!

Seriously though, your mileage will vary on each individual pose. While Move It gallantly intros each of them with a brief 30-second tutorial, some of them require further study. There were poses where I picked them up on the first try and they instantly clicked. For a few, it took me a handful of attempts to actually get it right, and even then, there were occasional mishaps. For several contentious poses, I questioned why they even existed in the first place.

Once things do click though, the multi-form challenge runs get appropriately hectic. Like learning a VR control scheme for the first time, there is a true novelty to "weird motion controls," and putting one Joy-Con on your nose and another on your "rear" (as the game calls it) for a chicken pose (titled Ba-KAW) is just funny. When said pose actually works the first time, it's a blast.

Some of them are going to get on your nerves. For me, it was the "Big Cheese," which involves sticking out your chest, straddling your legs, and putting the Joy-Con to your sides. No matter how much I tried the motion controls for this pose felt inaccurate, and story levels that required it were a huge pain.

I'm sure someone else will acclimate very quickly to Big Cheese, and find Ba-KAW to be the real problem child. You may even have Joy-Con sensing issues that inadvertently impact your performance. That's inherently part of the experience, and the gamble Nintendo took with forced motion controls in 2023.

Party mode has its ups and downs

So that's the gist of how the story mode plays out. Here's a brief overview of each core party mode (again, for 2-4 players), so you have an idea of what to expect:

• Galactic Conquest - A board game affair with longer minigames. This one is so silly it gives Mario Party a run for its money. In one match I was taken back to the beginning, forced to give half my points to another player, then taken back to the beginning again in subsequent turns. In another game I made it near the end, then stepped on a space that randomly swapped the goal with the starting point, forcing me to instantly lose. The minigames are a blast, but you absolutely cannot go into his mode with the mentality of taking it seriously.
• Medusa March - A fast-paced microgame marathon that also has the added wrinkle of "freezing" in place to avoid the stare of a Medusa boss. This one is good for getting a lot of reps in and is fairly innocent.
• Go the Distance - An old-fashioned PVP slugfest that mainly runs through microgames in quick succession.
• Listen to the Doctor - This childlike "Simon Says"-esque game requires an honor system mentality. You're still playing microgames, but a "doctor" NPC will tell you to do something silly, like apologize while attempting to win. Other players will then vote on whether or not you actually did it. I generally avoid this one, even with a small child, because it's so hectic that it's tough to discern what the other player is doing (especially with some of the more subtle requirements).
• Who's in Control? - This 2v2-only game ensures that smaller groups straight up will never play it, but the premise is fun enough, and reminiscent of the "spot the fake" trend that took off with Among Us. A team attempts microgames as a duo, with one person trying to actually win, and another faking it. The opposing team needs to spot the fake.

As always party mode is mostly a vessel for microgame delivery, but some folks are going to be alienated by the limitations of the mode itself. Remember this is a "2-4 player" gametype, and WarioWare: Move It is sadly lacking in solo consideration. While party mode inherently caters to groups by design, prior games did have more concessions for solo play.

I'm always game for more WarioWare, even if some of the choices are suspect

Even with the hangup of motion controls, when your daughter is laughing hysterically while playing, you know the WarioWare team did something right. Look, I love that characters like Mona and Joe still exist, and decades later, anyone cares about them enough to keep putting them in a first party Nintendo game. While the motion control issues are going to be polarizing in theory and in practice, I had a blast getting to see this cast in action again.

Most WarioWare fans will likely want to pull the trigger on this one, but I don't blame you for being wary. There's a lot of give and take here, especially with the heavy motion focus.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: WarioWare: Move It! appeared first on Destructoid.

Occasionally, I'll try a "weird controller" challenge: I mean, playing things with a DDR mat is just a fun idea. But have you ever considered beating Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom bosses with an ocarina?

Reddit user gvmimi just did it. And for multiple fights, too!

I beat the Wind Temple Boss with my Ocarina as a controller
byu/gvmimi intearsofthekingdom

Here they are fighting the Wind Temple boss. And the Water Temple boss. And astonishingly, the Lightning Temple boss. Their goal is to beat the whole game with said Ocarina controller, which subs for a traditional control method for the Switch.

How are they doing it? As gvmimi notes: "I have a program on my computer that allows me to map different musical notes/frequencies to different inputs." They also pointed out that they've cleared Breath of the Wild with an Ocarina, so their determination is now tenfold.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be talked about for years

When I first experienced Tears of the Kingdom in complete isolation during the review period, I knew it was going to be big when it came to showing off emergent gameplay online (bold claim, I know!). There are just so many divergent puzzle solutions that it's a blast to see how someone else handled a problem. In fact, I specifically sought out other people who also cleared a lot of puzzles by throwing a bunch of stuff in a pile until it built a giant contraption. It was straight out of that scene in Home Alone 2 where Marv builds a little structure to help him and Harry get out of the basement of Uncle Rob and Aunt Georgette's townhouse.

Where was I? Oh, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a fun game to both play and watch: which is becoming a rarity as many other AAA games rely on old open world tropes.

The post A brave soul is beating Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom bosses with an Ocarina controller appeared first on Destructoid.

There's quite a bit of variety to be had on the Switch eShop this week, as Just Dance 2024 Edition, Dave the Diver, Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, and Headbangers: Rhythm Royale are all out by November 1. That's two music-based games! What is this, the 2000s?

Another decent promotion to take advantage of involves the free Game Trial for Cult of the Lamb. For all Switch Online subscribers, you'll be able to try out this weirdly fun gem until October 31 at 11:59PM PT. You can also nab some Platinum (100 to be exact) out of it! If none of these are what you're looking for, you can find the rest of the deluge of Switch options below.

• 30 Sport Games in 1 – Available Oct. 27
• Ace Robot Combat – Available Oct. 31
• Alive Paint – Available Oct. 27
• Alpha Particle – Available Nov. 1
• Animal Hospital
• Animal Kart Racer 2
• Arcade Archives BLANDIA
• Barbie DreamHouse Adventures – Available Oct. 27
• Blub
• Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver
• Car for Sale Simulator 2023 – Car Mechanic, Wash, Car Flipper
• Colors and their Meanings
• CometStriker DX
• DESOLATIUM – Available Oct. 27
• DOG
• DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue – Available Oct. 27
• EASY LEARNING CLASSICAL MUSIC
• Enchanted Portals – Available Nov. 1
• even if TEMPEST Dawning Connections
• Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery
• Fusion Paradox – Available Nov. 1
• Get Me Out, Please
• Gordian Quest
• Great Ambition of the SLIMES
• Gungrave G.O.R.E Ultimate Enhanced Edition
• Halloween Bubble Shooter
• Halloween Games for Toddlers and Babies
• Hamster on Rails
• Hana Awase New Moon -Himeutsugi Volume-
• Hana Awase New Moon -Iroha Volume-
• Hana Awase New Moon -Karakurenai/Utsutsu Volume-
• Hana Awase New Moon -Mizuchi Volume-
• Harvest Life + Castaway Paradise
• Hero Survival – Available Oct. 27
• Horror Gallery
• Horror Tale 2: Samantha
• Illuminaria
• Jump, Race, Fly – Bundle
• Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier
• Kraken Odyssey – Available Oct. 27
• Letters To Heaven
• LumiereMagna
• MAKOTO WAKAIDO’s Case Files TRILOGY DELUXE
• Murder Is Game Over – Available Oct. 27
• Mystery Lover – Available Oct. 31
• Nyanzou & Kumakichi Let’s make a flower garden
• Paintball 3 – Candy Match Factory
• Paper Dash – Ghost Hunt
• RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures Deluxe – Available Nov. 1
• Save The World – Available Oct. 27
• Seaside Driving
• Space Games Galaxy Attack
• SPACE STORESHIP
• Spin Rhythm XD
• Springtime Hike
• Suika Game
• Tanuki Justice
• THE KITTY in The Trapping Garden
• Trip World DX
• Triple Zombie Collection – Available Oct. 28
• Varenje – Don’t Touch The Berries
• VISCO Collection
• Wallachia: Reign of Dracula
• Wet Steps
• XALADIA: Rise of the Space Pirates X2
• Yatzi

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Just Dance 2024 and Dave the Diver follow up Mario Wonder on the Switch eShop this week appeared first on Destructoid.

The first volume of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is finally out, and it collects Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (plus extras). Naturally, a lot of Metal Gear diehards are ready for the next one: and we might know what a potential "volume 2" could entail!

Leaked by way of the game's Unity-based Master Collection launcher code (thanks Timo653), there are buried listings for Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Solid 5, and Peacewalker, all of which could make it into a subsequent volume 2 release. No, you're not dreaming: this was also pointed out back in June of this year, when the same content lineup was leaked as a result of datamining efforts from the collection's official website.

The real "get" here is Peacewalker (even if it was released in 2011's Metal Gear Solid HD Collection), as "numbered" Metal Gear Solid games would clearly make it into some form of a compilation: but this would be fairly huge news as far as one core entry is concerned.

Will Metal Gear Solid 4 finally be released for modern platforms?

As many have pointed out ever since the moniker "Volume 1" was uttered by Konami, this would be a fairly huge deal for both entrenched and prospective Metal Gear fans. Most notably, Metal Gear Solid 4 has been stuck in PS3-land since 2008, which is absolutely insane to think about. I was in the process of moving for one of the first times in my life when it hit, and I managed to play half of it before relocating, and the other half afterward. It was a surreal experience that I'm looking forward to reliving once again. If this second collection actually happens, of course.

What other Metal Gear games could come in a collection?

Here are a few of the outliers that haven't been talked about yet:

• Ghost Babel (the Game Boy Color game that's flawed but super interesting)
• Metal Gear Acid (yeah they straight up called a game Metal Gear Acid)
• Metal Gear Acid 2
• Portable Ops/Portable Ops Plus

There's little chance of a new version of Twin Snakes seeing the light of day (the updated GameCube rendition of the original Metal Gear Solid), but I can dream.

The post If it wasn’t obvious, a Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 is likely on the way appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't call it a comeback. Metroid has been having a fantastic past few years with the success of Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered, and the franchise is in a great spot. But it's never a bad time to release more Metroid merch, and First 4 Figures is doing just that with this Samus Varia Suit PVE statue.

The Metroid Prime Varia Suit First 4 Figures statue is up for pre-order

Available for pre-order via the figure's landing page, you'll find both collector's and exclusive editions in tow for $149.99. To clarify, the exclusive edition comes with more stuff and is available at a discount (normally $164.99) through November 27.

Here's what you get in general:

• The 11" PVC painted statue
• Two interchangeable arms
• An LED light-up function (for the glowing portions of the suit)
• A base based on the Screw Attack/Metroid logo
• A leaflet and collector's box

Here's a quick breakdown of the exclusive edition:

"Only in the Exclusive Edition will you get a premium deluxe box, limited edition numbering, authentication card, rechargeable battery, and USB charging cable."

First 4 Figures is known for their detail, and they're boasting a "subtle view of Samus' face behind the visor" for this one, which is extra rad. If you want it, the first batch of pre-orders (approximately 1000 units) will be delivered in Q1 of 2024, with the second batch coming in Q2 of the same year. To pony up for it, you'll need to make a non-refundable deposit of 20% of the purchase price (roughly $30).

The post This First 4 Metroid Prime Samus statue is a beast appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is finally here, and you can celebrate in physical merch form with this new My Nintendo reward. Nintendo now has a listing for the "Super Mario Bros. Wonder Double Keychain," which features Mario in his normal and elephant forms (hence the "double"). It's a little strange having Mario and his presumed doppelganger on there instead of another character, but what are you gonna do: he sells merch!

Mario rewards typically go fast, but at 800 Platinum Points, you'll want to sit and think on this one for a while. Here's a bit more info on the 5"x 6" reward to help you decide: "It also comes with a colorful strap that shows off the new Elephant Fruit, Drill Mushroom, Wonder Flower and Wonder Seed."

What other recent My Nintendo rewards are there?

If you have the sinking feeling that there was a recently announced but yet-to-be-released My Nintendo reward: there is! It's none other than the Detective Pikachu coffee cozy, representing a game that kind of came and went from our collective consciousness. We'll update you when it launches!

As a reminder, if you want physical rewards, you can find our full Platinum Point guide here, which has been updated with details on weekly missions: bookmark it for when you need quick points for a reward. A handful of points is incredibly easy to get, as that’s basically just 15 minutes with Super Mario Run. Also remember that any shipments are bundled together, so you can pay a flat rate for multiple items instead of paying it each time. Just know that items go out of stock on My Nintendo frequently, and some are never restocked

The post Mario Wonder’s physical My Nintendo reward is a double keychain appeared first on Destructoid.

There's quite a bit of variety coming to the Nintendo Switch eShop this week, and I'm not even counting the cavalcade of games below! Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the clear headliner, and we have a review for it! It seems as if Nintendo has brought back 2D Mario in style, and I can't wait to give it a shot with some friends.

You can also roll the dice on the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 on the Switch on October 24, if you're the gambling type. Maybe it'll be playable, maybe not! Gargoyles Remastered is out too (we have a review for it!) as is Jackbox Party Pack 10 and Mail Time. Oh, and all the aforementioned stuff below.

• A Perfect Day – Available Oct. 25
• Acrylic Nails! – Available Oct. 20
• Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express
• Airship Defender
• Animals – Habitats and Curiosities
• Another World Mahjong Girl – Available Oct. 20
• Arcade Archives GUTTANG GOTTONG
• Archetype Arcadia – Available Oct. 24
• ASTROSMASH
• Bish Bash Bots
• Board Games
• Brutalism22
• Bubble Shoot Farm – Available Oct. 20
• Buddy Canine Ballcaster
• Bullet Rodeo
• Car Parking & Car Driving Simulator 2023
• Castaway of Steel
• Cats and the Other Lives – Available Oct. 21
• Cats Bundle
• Choice Clash: What Would You Rather?
• Clan’s Revenge
• Classic Games
• Composer World – Available Oct. 25
• CRYMACHINA – Available Oct. 24
• DINOSAURS: Mission Dino Camp
• Dreams of a Geisha – Available Oct. 24
• Druidwalker – Available Oct. 20
• EGGCONSOLE RELICS PC-8801
• Favela Zombie Shooter
• Flap Legends
• Garden Buddies – Available Oct. 20
• Garden Guardian – Available Oct. 20
• Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition
• Giant Chase
• Golf: Hole in Two – Available Oct. 24
• Hellboy Web of Wyrd
• Hidden Cats in London
• HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 – Turbocharged
• Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue
• Japan Train Models – JR East Edition
• Jujubos
• Kona II: Brume
• Lamphead – Available Oct. 21
• Latte Stand Tycoon+ – Available Oct. 20
• NeonPowerUp! – Available Oct. 20
• Only Way Up! Parkour Jump Simulator
• Paint It
• Pickleball Smash – Available Oct. 24
• Pillars of Dust
• Revenge of Banana
• Shalnor Legends 2: Trials of Thunder
• Soviet Project
• Special Ops
• Spirit of the Island
• SQUID COMMANDO – Available Oct. 20
• Super Ultimate Fighters
• Swapshot – Available Oct. 25
• Tales of Mathasia
• The Legend of Shadow: Mask of the Force
• The Love – Date Simulator with Girls
• Toonsters : Crossing Worlds
• ToyBox Puzzle
• Turn-Based Bundle
• Twin Mind: Nobody’s Here Collector’s Edition
• Ultimate Jigsaw Puzzle Collection
• Warm Snow – Available Oct. 20
• Witchy Life Story
• Yoga Studio: Poses for experts and beginners

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Super Mario Wonder brings 2D Mario back into the fold this week on the Switch eShop appeared first on Destructoid.

Insomniac Games has been on my radar for a long, long time. From their mascot platformer days, you could consider me a fan, and when they started to shift into more serious narratives with Resistance, I was along for the ride. But it wasn't until Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018 that I perked up and realized what they could do. With the standalone Miles Morales game and now the full Spider-Man sequel, they're really proving that they're one of the biggest forces in game development right now.

Yep! Even though there are a few lingering series issues present here, they didn't screw up the follow-up.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony
Released: October 20, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Even the recap has heart in Spider-Man 2. It's been a while since I've been in this world, but I was immediately caught up with the Spider-Man duo of Peter Parker and Miles Morales and felt like I never missed a beat. This is the storyline I was really waiting for: the OG Peter operating as a mentor for Miles. Seeing Peter thrive and struggle as a teacher adds a little spice to the story, and separates it from the abundant "Peter in High School or is already a fully-fledged adult" storylines from popular media.

Look, I'm still not thrilled that the original Peter Parker was essentially erased from the series. But at this point, Yuri Lowenthal has made the role his own, and absolutely smashed it in the sequel. As you can imagine with the symbiote being front and center this is a fairly demanding role that requires a lot of emotion, and Lowenthal nailed it (even if I was secretly hoping for an "I'll chase you to the ends of the earth" cheeseball moment). In fact, his performance draws upon some of the best parts of Christopher Daniel Barnes' work in the FOX Kids show, especially when the mask is on. Speaking of great voicework, Nadji Jeter is arguably the best Miles Morales actor right now, and he has fantastic chemistry with Lowenthal from the jump.

As you may have heard, one of Spider-Man 2's big gimmicks is allowing you to swap between Peter and Miles throughout the game. So does Insomniac pull it off? Well, mostly. As you can imagine, adapting the whole "Peter gets the Venom symbiote" storyline (which is heavily featured in the game's marketing) is still going to shift a lot of focus on Peter, while Miles starts to take a backseat at the midpoint of the story.

It's a fine balance, right? Because in the end, Spider-Man 2 doesn't feel bloated. It's kind of amazing how Insomniac pulled it off, because the temptation to just shove stuff into a "bigger better" sequel until you can't is strong. Story points are allowed to run their course without going on too long, and things are mostly wrapped up by the end. While I would have liked a little more of a Miles focus overall, he does play a huge part in the narrative and the denouement.

With the added web wings gliding mechanic, locomotion is even smoother than past entries. Given that the sandbox of New York has been expanded a bit it's just as well, but I forgot just how fun it is to zoom around in these games and do absolutely nothing. Very rarely am I enamored enough with an open world to drift around aimlessly for extended periods of time, but I found myself caught in that loop all over again. I mean, 2004's Spider-Man 2 was really on to something with the whole "hey, swinging around on webs is fun if done right" mentality, so I'm glad Insomniac picked that legacy back up off the ground.

Without spoiling anything, Kraven (one of the big bads of this entry) and Venom slot nicely into the sequel, and don't overpower each other. The best part of Kraven is his goons: his army of hunters adds an air of urgency to regular old street fights, and gels nicely with the idea of them actually having the ability to hunt super-beings. Kraven isn't as interesting as he could have been, but he is formidable, and the angle of wanting to hunt every super-powered person (hero or villain), is interesting enough to carry a chunk of the story.

Combat is a little more fine-tuned in the sequel too. The parry mechanic kept me on my toes, even on the game's normal difficulty. In short, some attacks have a yellow flash, telegraphing that they need to be leaped over or parried (using the block button right before they hit). This all ties back into the idea that the hunters can actually wreck you, and it makes perfect sense as you eventually work your way through each combat tutorial/concept.

There is a familiar annoyance factor here though (which has always bled through the series) that can feel off in Spider-Man 2. That not only applies to some over-tutorialization during some intense fights (taking a bit of the edge off), but minigames. Yes, minigames return, and although the vast majority of them are optional sidequests, you'll need to slowly acclimate to them through the forced tutorials before you can be left to your own devices.

Of course, just like the old games, once you're through that hump, it all smoothes over. Given that sidequests and extra objectives are plainly communicated on the map, it's easy to zip around and come across stuff you either want to skip or finish in short order. The suit system is also vastly improved, with regular unlocks that are doled out to both Peter and Miles, and the ability to customize your build without being tied to a specific suit. Speaking of builds, there's a Peter skill tree, a Miles skill tree, and a tree for both. All three of them aren't overwhelmingly large, which is a good thing in my mind. Again, there was likely a temptation to go bigger with everything here, and I admire the restraint.

If you've played either of the prior Insomniac Spider-Man games before, you're probably familiar with the deluge of boss fights, often featuring iconic villains from Peter's rogues gallery. Well, they're back! There were a few moments in Spider-Man 2 where I thought to myself "how were they allowed to make this?," and I mean that as a compliment! Some boss fights are over-the-top arcadey, with silly transitions and hidden mechanics (like objects you can pull down to score a chunk of damage), just like an old-school beat 'em up.

That type of "old meets new" blueprint is why I think this particular series of games has been so successful. It can be jarring at times, but these games are unpredictable and silly, just like the Spider-Man franchise at large. Insomniac never takes itself too seriously, even with the heavier themes of loss and anxiety that echo throughout this sequel, as a result of the events of prior games. One minute you could be fighting one of the goofiest villains in comic history, and the next, you're watching someone reckon with the loss of a close family member. It's a rollercoaster of a game.

It's abundantly clear that this series isn't over yet, and I hope that Insomniac never really stops working on superhero games. There's so much of the Spider-Man mythos that's untapped so far, and you could keep this gravy train running with some crazier ideas once this presumed trilogy is over. As long as Insomniac is on board, I'll be along for the ride.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Every so often, I think of how crazy Sega's Dreamcast era was. It came out with a huge bang, then fizzled so hard that Sega got out of the console game completely. Given that I still play my Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, and Dreamcast in my spare time, it's like it never died: but it did! That's why it's so amazing to me that the Sonic franchise has not only endured but is constantly debuting on a system run by its former competitor, Nintendo. All that to say: Sonic Superstars is the main eShop game coming out this week, and will be out on October 17.

Beyond that, Fotnite, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Overwatch 2, Fall Guys, and Apex Legends are all running Halloween events, which you can read about below:

• Fortnite–During Fortnitemares 2023, it’s time to call in a vampire hunter – you! Match the stakes of Kado Thorne’s threat with the new Wood Stake Shotgun. Don’t stop at just vampire hunting – jump into the Horde Rush limited-time experience, complete quests for in-game rewards and more! Fortnitemares 2023 runs until Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. ET.
• Disney Dreamlight Valley–Prepare for plenty of frights and delights in this season’s new Haunted Holiday Star Path! Trick and treat yourself to various items and cosmetics inspired by Disney’s Hocus Pocus, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion. Additionally, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, the seasonal candy event is returning to the Valley! Search your Plaza for colorful candy buckets to unlock Dreamlight duties and prizes.
• Overwatch 2–Starting Oct. 10, team up with Pharah as she leads the forces of light against Moira and her allies of darkness. Defeat powerful bosses and level up your hero in the new Trials of Sanctuary game mode. Travel to a tropical paradise with the new Samoa map, try out Sombra’s new ability kit and look out for Roadhog’s rework later in the season. Explore seasonal cosmetics in the shop or earn them with the Battle Pass!
• Fall Guys–On Oct. 17, the Trick or Yeet Fame Pass will help pack the Blunderdome with fanciful, fearsome fancy dress. Highlights include the gnawsome Bat-Tastic Costume for bitey Beans and the Buff Guy Costume that adds insta-muscles without the workout. Scary never looked cuter than the Bad Beast or Pawly Repaired Costumes.
• Apex Legends–Until Oct. 31, embrace your dark side in Tricks N’ Treats Trios, where you’ll find candy that boosts your EVO level and Ultimate charge, plus Copycat Kits that grant extra Legend abilities. Drop into After Dark versions of Olympus, Kings Canyon and World’s Edge. Unlock 24 limited-time items before the event ends and automatically receive Revenant’s Prestige Skin “Apex Nightmare.”

What's on the Switch eShop the week of October 12, 2023?

• A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection – Available Oct. 17
• Alphadia I & II
• Ancient Relics – Egypt
• Arcade Archives DARIUS II
• Astebros
• Asterix & Obelix: Heroes
• Ball laB II – Available Oct. 18
• Big Vehicle Simulator Games Bundle – Truck Farming Flight Construction Bus Ship
• Block Buster Billy
• Break the Glass Cup: Breaking Physics Puzzle
• Car Games Bundle – Racing Driving School Police Drag Drift Taxi
• Chemically Bonded – Available Oct. 13
• Company of Heroes Collection
• Cook, Serve, Delicious!
• Dark American Horror Stories
• Dateless Love - Love Story Behind the Restoration -
• Dementium: The Ward
• Dino Ranch – Ride to the Rescue
• Dwerve
• Eventide 3: Legacy of Legends
• Haunted House
• Ironsmith Medieval Simulator
• Kingdom Eighties – Available Oct. 16
• Kittengumi: The Sakabato’s Thief – Available Oct. 13
• Learn Words – Use Syllables
• Lost Dream: Overgrown
• NOISZ re:||COLLECTION G
• Persona Collection
• Pixel Game Maker Series Ninja Runner
• Re.Surs
• River City: Rival Showdown
• Sakura Alien – Available Oct. 13
• Saltsea Chronicles
• Shadows of Truth
• Skull Island: Rise of Kong – Available Oct. 17
• Slots Casino Game
• Speediest – Car Racing Formula & Auto Sport
• Submersible Simulator – Discover the Titanic into Ocean – Available Oct. 13
• subpar pool
• Taxi Driver Simulator 2024 – Available Oct. 14
• The Grinch: Christmas Adventures – Available Oct. 13
• The Meaning of Dreams
• TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition – Available Oct. 13
• TRAPPED in The Tricky Prison
• Traumatarium – Available Oct. 13
• Turbo Dash Kart Racing
• Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness – Available Oct. 17
• Whitestone – Available Oct. 13
• Z Escape – Available Oct. 13
• Zombie Defense – Available Oct. 13
• Zombie Raft – Available Oct. 13

If you missed last week’s edition, here it is. For those who are interested, sales are going on for all platforms.

The post Sonic Superstars is out soon on Switch, highlighting the enduring legacy of Sega’s mascot appeared first on Destructoid.

Blizzard has been on the back foot for a while, especially after their flood of bad press and the poor launch of several key games (like Warcraft III: Reforged, among others). Now, they're finding themselves backed into a corner with their 2023 BlizzCon bundles. What's the issue? Well, the value prospect, for one, coupled with the poor current state of several of their games.

Let's go over what the bundles actually are, and you can make a decision from there.

So for $29.99, the "Epic Pack" comes with the following:

• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: new Ysergle pet and the Chilling Celebration Banner toy
• Diablo IV: the ferocious Lapisvein Mount, the Cobalt Ensign Mount Trophy, and the Demon-Mother Countenance Mount Trophy*
• Overwatch 2: 1,000 credits, a Murky weapon charm, and a mystery name card
• Hearthstone: a BlizzCon 2023 cardback, 5 Standard packs, and 5 Golden Standard packs
• Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Kobold portrait and skin

For $49.99, the "Legendary Pack" comes with everything from the Epic Pack, plus:

• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: the Bound Blizzard flying mount
• Diablo IV: the fearsome Midnight Harness Mount Armor and a Premium Battle Pass redeemable for any one season
• Overwatch 2: the Drowned Warrior Sigma Epic skin as well as a Season 7 Premium Battle Pass
• Hearthstone: a mystery Signature Legendary card
• Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Tower skin

The heart of the issue lies with the current state of any given Blizzard game

As someone who has played all of the above games at some point, and is arguably the target audience for some of these digital goods: this is an extremely underwhelming display of bonuses. The core problem is that there isn't one incredibly strong game among them holding up the bundle, and Blizzard is putting far too much stock in the current quality of the whole spread itself. Diablo 4 in particular is undergoing lots of growing pains, as is Overwatch 2, primarily due to its overpromised PVE element and its occasionally obscene monetization strategy. This bundle assumes you play, and like, at least the majority of these games.

In fact, using Overwatch 2 as a prime example of why these bundles are underwhelming, the game has a Premium Battle Pass, as well as an Ultimate Pass bundle running concurrently with this BlizzCon promo. Note that the "1000 Overwatch credits" in the aforementioned BlizzCon bundles are in fact old currency, and not the new Overwatch 2 "coin" currency.

It's simply too much to keep track of, and Blizzard has lost the plot. Its marketing arms and free-to-play strategists are dominating the conversation more than the game itself. Thankfully, you can skip these bundles and just watch a lot of the show for free (though Virtual tickets will provide more footage and specific breakout streams).

The post 2023’s BlizzCon bundles are once again underwhelming appeared first on Destructoid.