Is the Switch feeling it? This review was originally published in November 2017 back when Xenoblade Chronicles 2 launched on the Switch 1. To celebrate the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition , we're republishing the text along with impressions of the Upgrade Pack's performance enhancements. You'll find the Switch 2 details and discussion just above the conclusion. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

He is not the one. Super Limit-Breaking NEO , a fairly substantial expansion for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero , feels like what would happen if a publisher decided to scrap its DLC roadmap and just throw everything it had lined up into one big bundle. It's an erratic mix of characters, stages, and new ways to play. There's no real rhyme or reason to its roster additions, for example; there are a whopping 33 new characters in all, spread across the original Dragon Ball , Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, and a few of the movies. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

Reach for the stars. The 2026 bingo card continues to expand with another unexpected surprise: a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong's King Of Swing . Released on Game Boy Advance in 2005, this beloved puzzle platformer saw DK traversing vertical walls and avoiding hazards along the climb. Luke Sanderson's Turnip Mountain takes that idea and adds hand-eye coordination mechanics that are simple to explain but hard to master. Despite the horrifying image of a sentient turnip with giant hands (complete with Mickey Mouse-style gloves) clambering up surfaces, the premise of the game is quite sweet. A turnip rests in the ground, gazing up at the stars and hoping to one day reach those lofty heights. They do what any turnip with ambition would: sprout arms and climb! Your one objective throughout the multi-stage adventure is to ascend, surviving an ever-escalating set of perils and puzzles on your way to the stars. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Voltage’s AmuLit started strong with the otome game Even if Tempest. It’s got a strong premise and good characters, despite some launch issues . Returning to that world with a new title and more experience under the team’s belt seemed like a potential for a solid sequel . Good news! This is not just another good one! Sins of Kaleido is a fantastic otome game and I think we might look back on it years from now as one of Voltage’s finest titles. Witches exist in the world of Even if Tempest and Sins of Kaleido , though this happening hundreds of years later mean that circumstances changed. People who turn to contracts with a witch to fulfill a “wish” are known as Grimnals. They gain supernatural Gifts in return, as well as Malodes curses that eat away at them. Variant Y-axis Xeno Enforcement Nexus (Vy-xen) is a group of five Grimnals who work with the government on the side of good, dealing with others of their kind that no-one else can. Yolca Yulewood finds herself turning to them to assist with a situation threatening the life of her and one of her dearest friends, getting caught up in their affairs and with solving the mysteries of the artist Ambrose and the Kaleidotower he built while trying to also follow in her father’s footsteps and become head of her family. (Oh, and maybe finding love with one of the Vy-xen men along the way.) Like many of the other Voltage otome games out there, Sins of Kaleido is primarily a visual novel. There are some investigative elements, but it is primarily about making major decisions that influence the course of Volca’s life and her relationships with the male leads. However, it does function in the same way as Even if Tempest . This means it involves seeing certain routes and ends via your choices before unlocking other characters and understanding the full story. Once Yolca meets a bad end, it isn’t actually over. Reloading a past save or returning to a previous choice becomes critical in finding your way forward. The Fatal Rewind mechanic from the previous game returns, which means despite some devastating moments, the story continues. This means at the outset we can only grow closer to Kanoa and Tilkett. Eugene, Heath, and Orsem’s routes opening up later. While in some titles I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of gatekeeping, given the nature of this game and series as a whole, it absolutely makes sense. I’d even say going through stories in a certain order almost feels like a necessity to better understand and appreciate it all. The insights and details that come up in Eugene and Orsem’s stories, as an example, feel like you need the previous experiences as context. I’d even argue it also feels like you need some Even if Tempest experience as well, though I suppose you could get by without it. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+ As for the story, Sins of Kaleido is a gut punch just like Even if Tempest, and I’d say this otome gets even darker and deeper than some other ones. There aren’t any trigger warnings on the eShop page, but know that some things touched on in certain circumstances include cannibalism, self-harm, suicide, abuse, and violence. Which you can probably guess given the number of bad-ends, this being a follow-up in the same world as the previous entry, and the Vy-xen group dealing with individuals who are criminals with unimaginable powers who also made deals of their own. There are some very bad people in the game, and we watch Volca fight back against them and a person she has a very personal vendetta against. As a plus, she’s a very strong individual who’s also aware of her own abilities and limitations, and it is interesting to see how the narrative handles that. Speaking of an interesting narrative choice, Voltage did something unusual for the introduction here! Things start with an intense focus on the members of Vy-xen. So when we’re first learning about our protagonist Volca, we’re doing so as the group is going through some investigations and encounters her. It’s only after that the game opens up and we actually to step into her shoes and properly begin her story, and it ended up being an incredibly effective way to introduce the cast and build suspense.

Images via Voltage Not only is Volca great, but the five love interests in Sins of Kaleido are fantastic. There isn’t a bad route here. Every single one is fascinating and features a well-rounded individual with positive and negative traits, as well as interesting motivations and Grimnal backgrounds to them. There are also a number of plot twists that I legitimately did not see coming, even in early routes. Also, there’s a lot of romance here and we see relationships build up, and it feels like the team did a better job of making it all feel more romantic than some of the other AmuLit games. Which all means when you do get to the point where you earn the good endings, it feels as satisfying as it did in Even if Tempest . Likewise, the artistic direction in Sins of Kaleido is amazing. The character designs all look unique, but fit the theme perfectly. Some of the more haunting or unnerving characters do look quite unsettling. The CGs are impressive. Even the UI for menus looks good and works well, which makes it easy to navigate around after you do get a bad end or want to explore a route to see what you should be doing next. I genuinely think we’ll point to Sins of Kaleido as one of the best Switch otome games once this console hits the end of its lifespan. It surely will be remembered as one of the best Voltage titles. It’s such a wonderful story with deep lore, intense drama, and compelling characters. It’s all incredibly satisfying in every possible way. Not to mention it’s also a worthy successor to Even if Tempest.  Sins of Kaleido is available for the Switch .

Available for Premium, PC, and Ultimate members today! It's another day, and another brand-new addition to Xbox Game Pass! The dark fantasy world of Mistfall Hunter is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Cloud, and supports my favourite feature, Xbox Play Anywhere . Read the full article on purexbox.com

System: Switch Release date: July 23, 2026 Developer: Gameplay Group International Publisher: PM Studios Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, Avatar fans looked forward in harmony to the under-development fighting game based on the four nations of the series. Then, everything changed when Maximum Entertainment cancelled the title. Only Gameplay Group International, a dev team of experienced fighting game creators and long-time Avatar fans... The post Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game review for Nintendo Switch appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Korra, blimey. There have been plenty of video game adaptations of multimedia franchise Avatar: The Last Airbender , but Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is the first to show any genuine promise. Designed by Mike Zaimont of Skullgirls fame, this is a hand animated Street Fighter -esque one-on-one fighter with a more technical gameplay loop than you may be expecting. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

Hearing Sega resorted to generative AI with Crazy Taxi: World Tour broke my heart, but playing Strange Scaffold’s Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World gave me something to believe in again. While this game is absolutely unique and its own thing, there are certain driving, humor, gameplay, and even soundtrack elements that feel familiar. It’s sincere in its silliness, with a design that encourages you to keep heading out on drives to help Driver and Carissa. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World starts with an isekai set-up. Carissa Ward is a career woman who, after years of hard work, finally got a much-deserved promotion. She doesn’t get to enjoy the new VP of Marketing role or perks that come with it, unfortunately. When leaving work, she ends up run down by a truck. While she died, she reincarnated in another world as an elven warrior. Through the power of magic, she manages to contact the driver of Truck-kun that mowed her down to assign him a mission. The Skeleton King final boss of the realm she’s been sent to possesses the Scroll of Resurrection, which she could use to revive herself in her original reality and resume her life. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World revels in absurdity. Driver expresses guilt about running down hundreds of pedestrians to force them to reincarnate in the other world as monsters Carissa can kill for XP? Don’t think about it! There’s a gigantic man in the middle of the city you can constantly see towering over everything? Don’t think about it! You still might need to deliver packages while you’re destroying property, ruining lives, and being chased by police? Don’t think about it! It is goofy fun, with nothing being taken too seriously in this cartoonish city. Each time Driver heads out on a drive to further Carissa’s goals, you get a set amount of time to mow down as much as possible as quickly as you can. If you hit humans, you can see them “spawn” in the other world as opponents for her to fight for XP. The more you hit, the larger the stack of enemies ahead of her. However, it isn’t just about forcing reincarnation on innocent bystanders. It also comes down to senseless destruction to power her up. If you hit other cars, billboards, traffic cones, and environmental objects, their destruction fills the sword gauge above the ever-present on-screen portal to make it possible for her to use a Super Burst special to cut through foes. When that’s full, you can hit Truck-kun’s horn to swiftly cut through the enemies. Driving is mostly fine? I played Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World with a controller. Drifting is pretty easy and effective, and slamming on reverse is helpful for positioning when chasing down moving targets or preparing to ram more durable items. My main issue is that there is some adjusting to the steering’s sensitivity, but that’s a common issue in any driving game. Strange Scaffold confirmed in the Steam Discussions that the team will add button remapping, so that might also help with precision eventually.

Images via Strange Scaffold While the goal each time is to accomplish as much as possible before the timer hits zero, completing bonus objectives gives you additional seconds or opportunities to further power up. Delivering one or a certain amount of packages could be a task! So could breaking a billboard or hitting certain types of objects. Drifting, driving in reverse, jumping, or honking the horn could work too! There’s usually a pretty varied amount available, to provide options that might pertain to things in your immediate vicinity. Aside from there being a bit of an adjustment to the steering and drifting mechanics, I will say that I sometimes wish there were more things to hit in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World. Driving through billboards is fun, but it seemed like I’d get that possible quest when I couldn’t easily find or reach some. While it isn’t difficult to find people to hit, I honestly wish there were a bit more around to making building up stacks more efficient. Especially since the object distribution for cars and other inanimate features seemed to be a bit higher when I played.

Images via Strange Scaffold Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World fully commits to the bit and uses every isekai trope to provide motivation to run over everything. It’s such a silly game. Driving around town causing senseless destruction in a colorful cartoon world can be a lot of fun! I just wish sometimes there’d be more people I could turn into monsters. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World is available on the Xbox Series X and PC via Steam .

Palworld 1. 0 is more than a subversive joke, and has ideas that its inspirations should take note of… Source

Just keep on Truxing. Legacy is a heavy burden. The ever-present danger of attempting to bring a new chapter in a revered series from the past and offending an entire fanbase in the process should not be something taken lightly by developers. In recent years within the shmup genre , we have seen such attempts fizzle for revered franchises like R-Type , Raiden , and Aerofighters Assault , mostly because the pixel-perfect originals are simply timeless and offer precise controls, something that seems to evade most of these reboots and sequels. Enter Tatsujin Co., still going strong with plenty of Toaplan DNA left in their ranks. Will this brand-new entry bring Truxton back to the spotlight or end up a blemish on a series known for its iconic skull-shaped smart bombs? Read the full article on nintendolife.com

With every Detective Grimoire game, we see SFB Games refine the point-and-click adventure series’ formula and build on past characters and scripts to create even more engaging cases. The result is that The Mermaid Mask is the strongest entry so far. It’s an impeccable game. Not only that, but it’s accessible as well in a way that welcomes not only gaming newcomers, but also those new to the series as a whole. It’s a must-play. The Mermaid Mask involves Detective Grimoire and his partner Sally being summoned to what becomes not-so-affectionately known as the murder submarine to solve a locked room murder. The former Captain Magnus Mortuga went into The Illusion Theatre room on the vessel, which only also contained a chair and sealed cauldron, and locked the door. He was murdered. When the door was opened, only his body was inside and no suspect could be found. Current Captain Sinthia Seafoam summoned the duo to find out what’s going on and who committed the crime.

Screenshots by Siliconera The writing in The Mermaid Mask is absolutely fantastic. From the premise and logic behind the happenings to the character dialogue and occasional asides, it is absolutely clever and even sometimes laugh out loud funny. Now that we’re three games into the series, it is clear SFB Games knows exactly who Detective Grimoire and Sally are as characters and how to write effective interactions that both enlighten and entertain the player. The suspects and supporting cast members onboard the submarine are also just as well-written. Once you figure out what happened and why, it makes sense. There are no plot holes and everything pulls together perfectly. That clever execution extends not only to the premise and mystery, but the puzzle design. Logic, observation, and critical thinking are all demanded of a player. The situations are challenging and do require you to pay attention or maybe even experiment to figure out the solution. But what’s especially important here is that the art direction means every one of these situations suits the submarine theme, makes sense in-universe, and features clear visuals that are never vague. The answer is right there, in front of you, if you pay attention. The directions and hints are perfectly worded with clarity in mind. My two favorite ones involve putting plugs in sockets and arranging sails on boats, as both come together so well and made me feel brilliant when I worked things out.

Images via SFB Games The Mermaid Mask also fits especially well on the Switch 2. I mean, Tangle Tower ended up being great on the original Switch. But in addition to everything looking crisp here, it supports Joy-Con 2 mouse mode. The game works flawlessly with that control scheme. And because of the design direction, I found I could use that option even in Tabletop mode and still not miss any details. The Detective Grimoire game The Mermaid Mask is pretty much a perfect point-and-click adventure. The story is fantastic, with a wonderful script and mystery that makes sense. The puzzles are perfectly pulled off, with art and design that presents everything exactly. The characters are handled wonderfully. Plus, it builds so well on Tangle Tower and Detective Grimoire , further establishing Grimoire and Sally as wonderful leads. The Mermaid Mask is available on the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC.

The fast and the furriest. Kusan: City of Wolves' biggest inspiration, Hotline Miami , is evident from the moment I load into the game's prologue, which introduces fast-paced combat that feels like the 2012 classic. Most of my time in Kusan is spent slicing my way through rooms of enemies, gradually unlocking new abilities and upgrades for the main character, Jin. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

System: Switch 2 Release date: July 23, 2026 Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Typically, the Splatoon series is known for its competitive, fast-paced gameplay. Indeed, the numbered titles do focus on high-energy splatting action, but each one also has a story mode you can complete before you jump into battle. Splatoon Raiders takes an opposite approach, focusing instead on single-player gameplay set on the Spirhalite... The post Splatoon Raiders review for Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Feel Good Ink. Well folks, Splatoon Raiders is finally here. The series' first spin-off launched on Switch 2 last week, and if you're anything like us, then you've likely spent most of your weekend hunting down Salmonids on the Spirhalite Islands. And what a wonderful way it is to spend your time! In our 9/10 review of Raiders, the wonderful Alex Olney praised nearly everything the game threw at him, calling it "possibly the most variable and exciting game the series has ever offered". High praise indeed. Here's a snippet followed by a link to the full thing: Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Gotta buy 'em all. We are rapidly closing in on the next wave of Pokémon LEGO sets, and these look really rather nice. Alongside the Smart Brick range, The Pokémon Company is also launching another round of adult-focused sets, with the Arcanine (£89. 99), Rayquaza (£119. 99), and Munchlax (£59. 99) builds all arriving on 1st August. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The latest Famitsu review scores for the week of July 26, 2026 are as follows: Splatoon Raiders – 9/9/9/8 Gurei – 8/8/8/9 Kimi ni Madoi, Kimi ni Oboreru – 9/8/8/8 Village in the Shade – 8/8/8/8 Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen – 7/7/8/7 Paw Patrol: Dino World – 5/7/8/7 For previous Famitsu scores, check out our archives here. The post Famitsu review scores – July 26, 2026 – Splatoon Raiders and more appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Disgaea Mayhem turned out to not only be a disappointment, but also something of a wonder. I’m amazed at how NIS could flub something that, on paper, sounds like a fantastic idea . A series known for big numbers and big grinds as a Warriors style Musou game where you beat up hordes with the sorts of weaponry and attacks the series is famous for should translate well to an action game! It should be exciting, fast-paced, and fluid! And think of how many characters you could pack in with different movesets! Yet somehow there’s none of that! All we get is a disappointing, clunky, halting, repetitive, ugly experience with one playable character that unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) lasts under six hours. Rather than Disgaea Mayhem being a situation in which we’re building up to take down an overlord and perhaps become ruler in their place, it’s about aiding big boss who’s just come into power. Following the death of her father Margraf, Tichelle became leader of Super Duper Netherworld with the Prinny Wurst attendant at her side in a prime minister role. The problem is, the six Psychlamates who used to serve Margraf rebelled. One of them stole and ate his Pristine Gleam Flan after doing so. Since that takes a while to digest, Tichelle hired the mercenary N. A. to find them, defeat them, and beat them until they cough up the flan so things can go back to normal in Super Duper. First of all, the Disgaea Mayhem story is extremely weak compared to past entries in the series and spin-offs, to the point that I think the Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero and its sequel featured stronger storylines. The dialogue between chapters is extremely short. When you’re in missions, there are no voiced lines during those story segments or with bosses. The idea that it’s all about flan isn’t terrible, but given other installments deal with strong overlord candidates or individuals and this features none of that means it falls completely flat. Especially given we just had a mainline entry like Disgaea 7 that was great and featured a similar relationship with Fuji and Pirilika, and it really stands out with how bad and short it all is. Next is that combat in Disgaea Mayhem feels absolutely awful. There are no fluid, natural movements. Nothing chains together in a natural combo that encourages different types of button presses. It’s all very halting and uncomfortable. Worse is that some weapon types can feel terrible to use. Specifically, the magic rods’ charged attack involves holding it to determine how far away that blast goes out, but the camera positioning means it’s near impossible to gauge if you’re going to hit the foes and successfully arrange that AOE attack. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+

Screenshots by Siliconera Not that it matters, since the more general enemy encounters are so lackluster and tedious that they don’t pose a major challenge. The general enemies from the series appear in large or small forms and attack. The CPU intelligence ranges from ignorant to passable, with the only danger stemming from larger foes with status effects. And, to further hammer home how disappointing Disgaea Mayhem is and how it strays from the “big numbers” mentality, there are typically around 15 or so in each area to “pulverize.” This is done a handful of times until the boss of the stage shows up, which can be a bit more challenging simply due to the fact that they’re likely a few levels ahead of you and are damage-sponges that don’t take meaningful hits to the HP bar until you break their guard. (That’s represented by skulls.) All the while, only N. A. is available as a playable character. In the name of adding some diversity, after a stage you might get an opportunity to “tame” certain enemies as battle buddies once you get back to the castle hub. (You start with a Prinny, appropriately enough.) However, I found I always tended to end up with allies that had so little HP and CPU smarts that they would almost immediately fall in any battle, negating any possible utility.

Images via NIS America Even the maps for each area are so disappointing and boring! We’re locked into certain areas for each chapter of Disgaea Mayhem. The minimap is ever-present in the upper right corner. Unfortunately, in Handheld mode on the Switch 2 it is near impossible to find N. A’s icon pin-pointing where he is unless you stop everything to search. But then, each “stage” actually locks you into a specific area and keeps you from progressing to unused parts of the map, so it isn’t all that difficult to move from cluster of enemy to cluster until you get the notification that you can move to the boss’ location. Other Disgaea staples like Rosen Queen and the Dark Assembly are present in Disgaea Mayhem . But since this is a situation where weapons and items drop after stages, shopping doesn’t feel totally necessary? Maybe if you need specific healing item restocks or particularly favor a certain type of weapon, it’s worth checking in. And with the Dark Assembly, there is the option to reincarnate N. A or his monster buddies to strengthen them. Given how short the game is and the fact that I didn’t find it terribly difficult, that felt unnecessary too. Everything about Disgaea Mayhem is disappointing, especially if you love Musou style beat’em ups. It is short. There’s no main character variety. There’s little enemy variety, and only small groups to cut through instead of hordes. The combat system feels clunky and doesn’t encourage smooth, satisfying combos. The story is bland. It’s all short. Fortunately, there’s a demo so you can at least test and see for yourself how far this spin-off has fallen. Disgaea Mayhem is available on the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC. A demo is out as well.

Halo Studios' Unreal Engine-powered remake reminded me why I fell in love with this series in the first place… Source

Maw of this. Halo: Campaign Evolved , much like the newly minted Halo Studios behind it, represents a fresh start for Xbox’s flagship shooter. It’s a remake that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, instead drawing on lessons from the past. Stripping Master Chief back to his original MJOLNIR Mark V armour, it reminds us why the series’ 2001 debut became such a culturally significant moment. I’ll admit, I felt an immense pressure to properly enjoy myself going into Halo: Campaign Evolved. After all, it’s a remake of arguably the most important game of my life. There are plenty of new and shiny features to experience across its faithfully recreated levels, whilst the additional missions are an absolute blast. It stands as the most visually stunning Halo adventure yet, and more importantly, it’s a breathtaking history lesson for one of gaming’s most storied franchises. Read the full article on purexbox.com

A space odyssey. Halo: Campaign Evolved is an interesting game for a number of reasons, and the fact you’re playing as Master Chief with a PlayStation controller might actually be the least controversial of the lot. What would have been considered absurd just a couple of years ago has become commonplace: first-party Xbox games release on PS5. Or do they? Halo is supposed to be “on PlayStation going forward”, yet the Microsoft of today might now wish those words were never spoken. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

PokéPARK. If ARK: Survival Evolved and Pokémon Legends Arceus had a child it’d come in the form of Palworld , a monster-taming, base-building, survival adventure title which wears it’s Pokémon inspiration proudly in the form of a medal on its breast. Palworld has been available since September 2024 on PS5 in the form of an early access version. But it hasn’t been a smooth ride for dev Poketpair, with several lawsuits from Nintendo and The Pokemon Company against their monster-catching mechanics, specifically summoning creatures by throwing out capsules, causing delays to its development cycle. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

Or should that be "Ink-redibly Compelling'. Splatoon Raiders , the new single-player (with lots of multi-player) spin-off Switch 2, is right around the corner. You know what that means: it's time to check out some reviews! Before we crack on, let's remind ourselves of what the lovely Alex Olney said in his review right here on Nintendo Life: Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Retro oddity. 70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X has simply got to be the best kind of retro re-release. I’d never heard of this Japan-only PS1 scrolling shooter from 1999, but I had an absolute blast playing through its enhanced PS5 version, lovingly repackaged by Implicit Conversions – the studio behind PS Plus Premium’s emulated catalogue. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

It’s rough, dood! If I asked you to your eyes and picture a Disgaea game, what images come to mind? Ludicrously high damage number pop-ups? Oodles of customisation menus? A penguin-esque creature enthusiastically exclaiming “DOOD!” perhaps? Any of those answers would be fitting, but chances are you’d also envision some permutation of characters spread out across an isometric map filled with enemies, treasure chests, and colored movement tiles. Disgaea is a strategy RPG series after all, and it has historically stayed to those roots. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

I want Culdcept Begins to be the start of the series to be appreciated worldwide. It’s such a fun sugoroku style board game along the lines of Fortune Street / Itadaki Street . And with deck-building being so popular in roguelikes now, it feels like a perfect opportunity to find its moment. Especially since this entry in particular provides such good opportunities to build decks and enjoy matches online. Perhaps appropriately enough, Culdcept Begins starts with an academy setting and a young hero with everything to prove. You know, the sort of thing Shonen Jump series and classic JRPGs are made of. Kamru is a student at Royal Cept Academy training to become a Cepter who uses Culd tablets to summon creatures and perform magic. However, classmates talk about how he’s descended from Origin, who revolutionized the magic. As his natural skill and aptitude becomes obvious, he’s picked to join the Royal Cepter Guard Regiment and uncover the truth behind unsettling goings on around Bavrashka. Okay, the story isn’t great. It follows familiar tropes as we watch a gifted youngster, his friend, and his rival get to the heart of goings on around a country and eventually save the day. It’s not the worst, but it’s not terribly exciting. If you do find yourself connecting to Kamru and supporting cast members like Ishara and Tarhunt, there are side story quests with additional maps and cards. The good news is, if you’re not captivated, these segments can be sped up or skipped entirely. I feel it mainly serves as an extended tutorial to prepare you for certain maps, situations, and decks and introduce you to elements. Because once you do get past that to the actual deck-building and map-traversal, Culdcept Begins is incredibly strong and enjoyable. It follows the same sort of principals as games like Monopoly, Itadaki Street / Fortune Street, and Billion Road . You want to hit a certain magic total (G) defined by the board, which can tend to be around 8,000 for campaign stages. (This can be adjusted in multiplayer.) You use your magical reservoirs to summon Culds with monsters on them to claim empty territories (spaces) you stop at on the board. Monsters can be tied to elements (or have none at all), which can affect their performance when placed or keep them from even occupying certain spots. Said magic can also be used for buffs, debuffs, and spells before you even roll the dice. It’s also possible to invest in certain elemental lands at Sanctuaries, or stop at special spaces to get blessings or get cards. Your goal is to stop at the forts around the map to get symbols, then return to the castle for a full loop, getting more G each time you do. When you hit the goal for the map, you must reach the castle to win. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+ Now, like a game like Monopoly or Fortune Street , landing on another person’s occupied territory is when things get interesting. You can either pay a toll or challenge them to try and take the spot. Since it’s possible to develop your lands, investing money to increase their level for higher tolls or changing elements to create chains that increase the tolls and value, it’s in your best interest to defend your lands or try and challenge others to avoid fees. This means going into a fight with one of the monster cards in your hand or that is placed, while also using additional spell, weapon, armor, or item cards to trigger attack, HP, or abilities in the fight. If you defeat the foe and you landed on a spot, your monster now occupies that land and it becomes yours. Lose, and you pay the toll and lose your cards.

Images via Neos Building a deck in Culdcept Begins feels incredible. And easy, honestly. After a few campaign maps, a Card Shop opens up, and continuing opens up new packs. (It also sells single cards, but boosters are more cost-effective.) You can set maps to auto-play, netting you more experience and money for building. Focusing on one or two elements feels ideal, rather than trying to diversify and do too much at once. And since you are limited to 40 cards in a deck, you will start to need to make smart choices after you’re about 10 maps into the campaign. I think where Culdcept Begins really will hopefully find an audience is in multiplayer. This does feel like the best times will come from setting custom requirements for games, including team functions or possible NPC opponents to bulk up rounds, choosing the more interesting maps you unlock in the campaign, and showing what the deck you’ve put together can do. From our testing here at Siliconera, competitive play worked quite well on the Switch 2. Not that lag would really be an issue here. But things moved swiftly and were fun, and the rudimentary emoji reaction system is also quite handy. Culdcept Begins turned out to be a solid entry in the series and really feels great once you build a good deck and go online. The campaign is a bit bland and, for the most part, easy. However, if you look at that more as a tutorial to start to build up decks and prepare for actual human opponents online, it makes more sense. Especially since the multiplayer is so solid. Culdcept Begins is available on the Switch, Switch 2, and PC.

Never stop never stopping. Management sims sit at the busy intersection of stressful and fun. Now joining the pile-up is Go-Go Town , a city builder from Australian dev Prideful Sloth ( Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ). It certainly is stressful in parts — hustle is implied in the name — but somehow manages to make that stress fun. When the game boots up, you can opt for Story mode or Create mode. In Story, things unlock when you meet certain milestones. Meanwhile, in Create, everything is accessible immediately, so it’s more relaxed and open. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

All aboard the hype train. Time to hop on your Xbox because reviews are in for Denshattack! and they're incredibly positive! This definitely ain't no sleeper train, that's for sure, with critics raving over just how much fun they're having with the game. I'm fairly certain plenty of you out there won't have heard a single kick-flipping thing about Denshattack! until now, so here's the rub: Read the full article on purexbox.com

System: Switch 2 Release date: July 15, 2026 Developer: Undercoders Publisher: Fireshine Games I wasn’t sure what to expect from Denshattack when I first saw it. “So, is it like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater? But like, with a train?” was the question I found myself pondering as I watched preview footage. As it turns out, that thought isn’t a million miles off, but it... The post Denshattack review for Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Onsen-sational? From the moment I laid eyes on Denshattack! , there was something about it that had me instantly enamoured. Was it the Dreamcast-inspired bright, blocky colours? The upbeat music? Or the fact that you’re pulling off sick tricks and grinding rails on a freakin’ train ? Probably all three, come to think of it. The only sticking point was the gameplay. Would this offer depth and longevity to go with its stellar presentation, or would it be little more than a glorified knock-off of Subway Surfers ? Well, I’m happy to say that Denshattack is a joyous time that recaptures that distinctive early ’00s vibe of games like Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi . The downside is that it’s surrounded by superfluous fluff that brings down the overall experience. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The little game that could. Denshattack is exactly the sort of bold, unique, over-the-top nonsense that was rife in the PS2, Dreamcast era, and I love it for that alone. This silly arcade action title revels in its bonkers premise and frenetic style, and it's impossible not to get caught up in the fun. How could anyone resist a game in which you drive a train at ridiculous speeds across impossible tracks, pulling off the kind of tricks you'd expect from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater ? Read the full article on pushsquare.com

Its about Time. It's safe to say that, while they're often unfairly compared as franchises, Digimon and Pokémon have diverged in recent years. Game Freak has stuck to the same mechanical loop, taking the odd risk with its tried and true formula, while Digimon has pushed into story-driven adventures with darker themes and monster-collecting mechanics more akin to mature genre luminaries like Shin Megami Tensei . Time Stranger is the latest in the Story cycle of the wider Digimon franchise. It follows the hugely popular Cyber Sleuth , but it's a standalone adventure that can be enjoyed by series faithfuls and, crucially, newcomers alike. It's a huge experience, with an engrossing story, an intoxicating world and accessible systems. Far from just being another entry in the other monster-battling series, Digimon Story Time Stranger emerges on Switch 2 as one of its very best RPGs. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

When placed in an AI-run utopia filled with Troids serving humans and tasked with aiding in making people happy, what’s the best way to do so? Is it to follow the original protocol? Do you stick to the rules? Or do you consider the individual, look into different situations, and maybe even choose options that could prove untrustworthy or dangerous? D-Topia is an adventure with light puzzles and relationship development that lets players shape a futuristic paradise, and it’s captivating. Shiro is now number 046, the latest resident in the D-Topia utopia experiment. He’s been transferred in to serve as its newest Facilitator. His goal is to talk with the individuals living there to ensure they remain happy and to keep an eye out for anomalies that might need fixing. In the case of the former, that means spending each day after his assigned work hours at The Factory visiting areas and interacting with specific folks. With the latter, it means keeping an eye out for things that seem awry, then going to a terminal to enter the “block side” of the project in order to deal with things the visualizer might be hiding. Each day presents a new challenge, at which point you think things through to determine the proper course forward. Basically, D-Topia is a blend of logic puzzle and visual novel elements. Your day starts with a light maze that involves choosing the proper paths and gates to go through to ensure you don’t tread over the same path more than once to show you’re mentally and physically “fit” to start the day. The daily work at the factory involves going through a handful of logic puzzles that will apply to the challenges you’ll face when solving the resident crisis of the day. This might mean moving designated blocks to the correct space, finding hidden “bugs” in a Minesweeper sort of situation, or choosing the right path to go through a space in order to hit certain numbered gates at the correct time. All of these are great, and I frankly wish there were more of them. It almost felt like the developer Marumittu Games realized folks might like them too, as during the Factory work hours each day you can opt to complete a few more puzzles for extra spending money you can use on lunch, snacks, and decorations for your apartment. With the daily assignment done there, the actual Facilitator work picks up in D-Topia . Days focus on certain situations happening around the residential area and issues specific people might face. For example, one early one involves meeting characters named Tot and Mari. We meet Tot when in a store and realizing one of the Troids there ended up broken, then fix it so the resident can make purchases again. We solve the same sort of puzzle as we saw in the Factory that day to fix the machine and ensure everything is working for everyone as expected again. However, after talking to Mari, we learn more about how the Troid was damaged. This then leads to our Facilitator working through statements stating facts and things they (and we) might believe in order to make a decision that determines how a situation resolves. Which can, in turn, lead to some serious consequences. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+

Images via Marumittu Games While that first situation is a moral one, these decisions vary and aren’t always clear cut issues. They also get into an array of personal problems, many of which could result in people you’ve gotten to know being removed from D-Topia for an array of reasons. In some situations, it could have drastic, negative results. The fact that we can also meet with some people at the end of the day in a virtual space and get to know them even better can make those choices harder. What you believe and prioritize shapes things. Do we follow the “mission” of D-Topia and prioritize happiness of the majority? Do we focus on the individual? Even if that could mean the majority is inconvenienced or put at risk? It’s a lot of weight to carry, and I will say I was very glad I made one certain choice on one day since it affected one that happened later on. However, I will say that while there’s the suggestion of trolley problem-like moments here, I felt pretty confident my decision was the “right” one each time I made one. I will say that I was a bit disappointed that some of the residents don’t really get their own “episodes” each day. They get attention and are featured at certain points! They also show up in D-Topia each day after we meet them for the first time, giving us chances to get to know them better and build up enough of a relationship to meet them in the tea room. But i would have loved if the adventure was another two or three days long to give them their own full “days.”

Images via Marumittu Games What’s I did appreciate is how there are elements in D-Topia designed to help people get through roadblocks or see different outcomes without expending a massive amount of time. When going through puzzles, it’s possible to bring up the help section, retry, or quit at any time. When you get through a chapter, it’s possible to hop to it from the main menu. Not that these logic puzzles are too terribly difficult. But if someone does get stumped or wants to explore other outcomes, it’s helpful. Even one snack makes you move faster than usual, which is handy. And money is never an issue, so there’s always enough to complete certain tasks or get some decorations. D-Topia tasks us with helping people find happiness in a possible utopia, sending us off to solve light puzzles and build relationships along the way. While some of the scenarios have the potential to be stressful, it’s more relaxed than I expected. It also presents us with options to further engage with some people we meet or hop into past chapters to explore other outcomes. It’s an interesting peek at a possible future, and I appreciate Marumittu Games’ approach. D-Topia can be found on the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Human judgement required. In a society optimised for the happiness of the many, what becomes of those who disrupt the balance? As the newest residential Facilitator at D-topia , a meticulously managed AI-run settlement, your job isn't just to resolve mechanical issues and keep the facilities running smoothly; it's to be a moral cog in the algorithm, helping residents solve their problems. Developed by Marumittu Games and published by Annapurna Interactive, D-topia pairs an intriguing premise and stylish presentation with a ‘choices matter’ narrative, one grounded in thorny futurist ethics, such as whether clones should be afforded human rights or whether society should include only those genetically best suited to coexist and maximise harmony. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

System: Switch 2 (reviewed), Switch Release date: July 10, 2026 Developer: Media. Vision  Publisher: Bandai Namco When the original Digimon Story arrived on Nintendo DS nearly two decades ago, it carved out a niche of its own. Rather than focusing solely on raising a single partner like the Digimon World series, it embraced party-building, RPG mechanics, and sprawling adventures through both the Digital World, and... The post Digimon Story: Time Stranger review for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Now that farming life sim games are so mainstream, we’re seeing a lot of diversity in the genre. And that’s great! It’s exciting to see different sorts of interpretations that implement things like full JRPG storylines or fairies . These titles might not always be the absolute best things ever, but the options are nice. Moonlight Peaks is a perfect example, as its vampire avatar and supernatural focus feels like a strong follow-up for Wylde Flowers fans, even though it doesn’t feel as strong as something like Stardew Valley. You’re Dracula’s grown child, and you aren’t happy with the way your family works. This is due to the count being a bit old fashioned and particular about how vampires should live. However, your mom and family once had a place in a town called Moonight Peaks that’s filled with other vampires, ghosts, mermaids, oracles, werewolves, and witches. In the hopes of finding a sort of lifestyle that better suits you, you pack up your coffin and hellkitten in search of the comforts of small town life. Here’s the thing about Moonlight Peaks . Almost immediately after getting to town, we’re conscripted into undertaking a number of quests for different people. While this does always provide a sense of purpose at a time when someone might not have as much to do because they’re low on cash, crafting materials, and crops, I feel it messes with the pace. Because there are constant directives, some tied to unlocking certain places or actions, there’s a sense of pressure to get this missions done ASAP. Which, in turn, kept me from doing things like clearing out the area around my own home and accruing resources I needed for my own personal projects and development. Another effect of this meant that I felt it messed a bit with character development. In games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons , it feels like you gradually become part of a community and that builds up through events and relationship development. Because of the quests here, it felt like an almost immediate sense of forced familiarity since I got pulled into every possible action. As an aside, I’m not a fan of the character design direction, and sometimes it seemed like personalities focused a little too much on being quippy than genuine. There are exceptions. I liked folks like Alina, Dragan, Luna, Ridge, Sabrina, and Samael a lot. We do start to see motivations for even some of the more trope-heavy and comic relief type characters. But between some folks feeling like they’re always trying for a snappy response and everyone looking like they grew too old to be part of the Subway Surfers cast, I found it difficult to really find someone to romance. This is a personal nitpick, and I’m sure there are others who will like the look! Especially since the cast is diverse and there are actual adults to date and not people who look like they just turned 18.

Images via Little Chicken Speaking of design, there are times Moonlight Peaks feels like a town with too much wasted space. This is mitigated by the fact that we can transform into creatures like bats, hellkittens, and mermaids to move more quickly or even handle certain types of otherwise impassible terrain. But considering how long the loading takes on the Switch 2 and major hubs where people tend to gather, I would have loved a more consolidated or tidy space like Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, or Fields of Mistria . Or, failing that, a more accurate and helpful map with a dedicated map button. You have to go into the full menu each time to bring it up. to check locations or see someone is at that moment. I even gave up on collecting Vampsters after a while, as on this system I experienced framerate issues when trying to return them to their home. I will say that once you do get access to supernatural abilities , it does make Moonlight Peaks a manageable farming sim along the lines of Sun Haven . Each night, you are farming, livestock tending, potion crafting, spice drying, wine making, cooking, and maybe even performing fetch quests before the sun rises. This can last as short as 15 minutes per “day,” or you could adjust it so you can spend almost a half hour getting things done. A stamina system is at play as well, as is typical of these types of titles. To help deal with that and add to the supernatural theme, spells allow you to do things like get stone and wood or water your fields. (Some crops even require that magic to thrive.) It’s a handy bit of delegation that also helps with time saving. I will say that fishing is a bit finicky, given how we need to respond to the way a fish is moving to reel it in, but I do appreciate that the bug-catching net multitasks as a means to catch ghosts. Moonlight Peaks offers a serviceable farming sim with supernatural elements that offer a little flight of fancy. The farming elements can feel quite strong, once you build up your avatar’s otherworldly abilities. I’m not a big fan of the character designs, however, and I wish it gave me more time to breathe. Moonlight Peaks is available for the Switch, Switch 2, and PC.

Dinky dock. As a means to play your Switch 2 games on the TV, Nintendo’s official dock is perfectly fine. But when it comes to portability, it’s definitely a bit lacking. Though not massive, it’s going to take up substantial space in your backpack or suitcase if you want to bring the full-fat Switch 2 experience with you on the go. So that’s where Gulikit’s new Portable Dock comes into play. It’s the latest in a line of third-party docks for Switch 2 that looks to provide a more space-saving option for when you’re out and about. The difference here is that it also works with Switch 1. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

System: Switch 2 Release date: June 25, 2026 Developer: Velan Studios Publisher: Nintendo The fact that Nintendo’s newest Star Fox game is simply titled Star Fox is a statement in of itself. Yes, this game is another remake of Nintendo’s genre-defining Star Fox 64, and yes – the fact that it is simply called Star Fox means we now to have be more... The post Star Fox review for Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

System: Switch 2 / Switch Release date: June 30, 2026 Developer: Behavior Interactive Publisher: Ubisoft The title “Star Wars Monopoly” conjures a lot of memories for millennial like me. I remember owning a version of this classic board game when I was a wee lad of 8 or 9, before the Baby Yoda, before the Disney acquisition, before even the... The post Monopoly Star Wars: Heroes vs. Villains review for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Updated with Chapter 5 impressions. With the release of Chapter 5 , we've updated this Deltarune review with our impressions of the new content - scroll down and you'll find them above the conclusion. It’s going on seven years since the first chapter of Deltarune became available and after the release of Chapter 2 in 2021, we’re now finally past the halfway mark of the story with the simultaneous release of Chapters 3 and 4. To mark the occasion, Toby Fox has decided to give the game an ‘official' paid release, including all chapters to this point, plus the final upcoming chapters whenever they complete development, and it feels like it was the right choice to do so now. Deltarune is an incomplete, but ultimately satisfying experience that already feels like a worthy successor to the legacy of Undertale . Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Over the last few years, Square Enix mostly played it pretty safe. New Final Fantasy games. Dragon Quest remakes, entries, and spin-offs. Even a little return to the Mana and SaGa series. But if you’ve followed the developer and publisher for years, you know sometimes it is capable of unusual things and fun experiments! The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales feels like that to me, being a Mana or The Legend of Zelda style action-RPG. I think it comes closer to the more unexpected risks like Harvestella, Nanashi no Game, Sigma Harmonics and Voice of Cards than other titles we’ve seen in the last few years. So even though there are times when it feels slightly awkward, the I find the ideas and concepts employed exciting. The Adventures of Elliot begins in Huther during the Age of Safekeeping. Elliot is an orphan who grew up to be an adventurer in order to support the orphanage that raised him and its residents. When mysterious ruins are discovered, his friend Euygene recommends him to the king and Princess Heuria as someone who can be trusted to explore them. After journeying through two ruins near the kingdom, Elliot uncovers the Doorway of Time and meets a fairy companion named Faie. As a result, he can travel to different ages and take on quests in all of them to potentially change the course of history. As I mentioned earlier, The Adventures of Elliot feels like a bit the elements of the Mana and The Legend of Zelda action-RPG series, specifically Oracle of Ages and Ocarina of Time . Elliot can wield different types of weapons, with ones like swords, spears, and hammers as melee types of options and bows or boomerangs offering ranged attacks. He can also use a shield to guard against hits and equip Magicite for passive buffs and magical, elemental effects. You can dual equip weapons for building up combos and quick attacks, and likewise certain Magicite pairings can really help with damage. So the starting sword and shield pairing are very good, and I imagine you could rely on just that if you wanted for many situations. However, I also liked making him use a bow with the chains and sickles and try to focus on picking off enemies from afar. The combat honestly feels incredibly smooth. It’s very easy to swap between weapons with the wheel, and both the melee and ranged attacks feel satisfyingly strong. It’s also easy to build up combos, counter, and guard, and the increased drop rates we get from continually besting foes without taking a hit feels like a tangible reward. Since weapons like the bomb and hammer can also serve as means to destroy environmental elements for access to new areas, even ones someone might not be fond of can feel useful. Because we’re going through different ages, this means we’re seeing different spaces around Philabieldia during different ages. This means different main and side quests, as well as affecting the environment or situations in earlier ages to change the future. This incentivizes returning to different periods of time, not only for the obvious campaign missions and side quests, but to see what chests or areas are now accessible. Now, this does mean that we do see a lot of the same biomes and areas repeating. But this makes sense given the nature of things. And since we do see things like shrines in different spots. Couple that with a fast travel system that exists at the set adventurer waypoints both in the overworld and in the major dungeon ruins, and that helps with avoiding too much retreading.

Images via Square Enix Since The Adventures of Elliot is a The Legend of Zelda and Mana style adventure, that means there are also abilities that eventually unlock in the form of new Faie fairy powers. Some of these feel like convenience features. So like Sprinting is hugely helpful for clearing, as is the Tornado to use winds to pull things to a center. All of them felt pretty practical as I used them, however! Like they genuinely helped with exploring the world and making travel easier. The Adventures of Elliot also, as expected, looks fantastic. Square Enix and its teams really are making the most of the HD-2D style. It is really quite gorgeous on the Switch 2. I also appreciated that there are automatic transparency effects to keep my view from being impeded in, say, a forested area. The design direction is great. The viewpoint means it’s very easy to see opponents in dungeons and manage boss fights. It also made platforming very manageable, which is something I was concerned about. However, the Age of Safekeeping shop that also sold a cape that lets you flutter and one that negated pit damage were also quite helpful for that.

Screenshots by Siliconera Of course, by this point you probably realize I haven’t mentioned too much about The Adventures of Elliot ’s narrative. Feedback after the demo appeared is that folks like Princess Heuria and Faie could be incredibly talkative when Elliot is exploring the world. So much so that there are a lot of comparisons of Faie in The Adventure of Elliot to Navi in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. While his supports do tend to provide running commentary, I didn’t find it all that bad and think those who are concerned will find that choosing the “reticent” option in settings to make them less chatty will be fine. Like I get why the team did it. Elliot is on his own a lot, and there was probably some concern about not enough dialogue given it feels like it is still meant to be a story-heavy experience. Overall, I do think there have been Mana and The Legend of Zelda games with much stronger narratives. Some ages’ characters and plot points seemed more engaging than others. But I liked the story of The Adventures of Elliot a lot. Especially since I did get the “true” ending that helped tie things together. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales feels different and like an example of Square Enix taking a chance, and that’s why I loved this action-RPG. There are some minor issues, but I really found the combat satisfying and concept intriguing. Not to mention it’s great to see an HD-2D game that experiments with a different genre rather than another turn-based RPG. Square Enix took a shot here, and I think it should be commended for it. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is available for the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Barrel (roll) of laughs? After skipping the Switch 1 generation entirely, Star Fox 's return has felt like a long time coming. This week, the fab four returned (Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy, we mean), and while it might not have been the most original fly past we've seen from the mercenaries, it sure brought a smile to our faces. Because yes, Star Fox on Switch 2 is Star Fox 64 again, but when we're talking about a chance to replay one of our favourite games of all time, it's hard to feel too down about the whole thing. We gave Fox's latest a 9/10 in our review , praising almost everything it had to offer, but feeling a little let down by the lack of originality. Here's a snippet: Read the full article on nintendolife.com

and Roger is a game that’s been around for a year. We’ve seen it on quite a few platforms, and it even already showed up on the original Switch. As such, someone might wonder if it’s even worth going for a Switch 2 version of the game when there are so many options and it’s “just” a visual novel. The thing is, the Switch 2 version of and Roger does end up feeling like the optimal console port of the game. Things begin in and Roger with some odd “are you human” sorts of tests before a young girl named Sofia wakes up in her bed. She seems to have not slept well and realizes she might have even overslept. Trying to perform ordinary tasks to prepare for the day are a trial. When she finally heads into the living room to find her father and get ready for school, a strange, unknown individual is there. She doesn’t know him. When he steps away, she tries to reach the phone to call 911, but he stops her. He forces her to eat. Then he tells her it is bedtime and sends her back to her room.

Screenshots by Siliconera You can’t say too much about what’s going on in and Roger , but TearyHand Studio does an exceptional job of cultivating an atmosphere of unease and perhaps even fear. The girl seems like an ordinary grade schooler. Something doesn’t feel right, but why? Is the mysterious person tied to it? What do you do? It’s all well-executed and an adventure I think would be beneficial to experience to gain a greater understand of life and things that could happen to anyone. To compound that, and Roger adds to the atmosphere and uncertainty with controls that involve pressing random buttons on screen to achieve tasks. They’re unlabeled! Who knows what does what until you try? It’s here that I think the best part of the Switch 2 port of and Roger comes to the forefront. There is Joy-Con 2 mouse support. It really helps with some of the button pressing challenges. Especially in instances where the buttons may start moving or more might pop up and shift position. It makes it more comfortable to play. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+

Screenshots by Siliconera That said, there are some things to take into account when playing and Roger . It is a fascinating game with an incredible message. Know going in that this is a kinetic story and there aren’t multiple endings. Some trigger warnings would have been appreciated too, given some of the revelations that come up as it goes on. It is also a very short experience, but the pricing is right considering. I even wouldn’t be surprised if, after playing it once, you might find or know someone who would also benefit from the experience and message and share it. and Roger is a poignant and meaningful adventure, and the Switch 2 version feels like the strongest console release. This is primarily because it’s so well suited for a mouse-based control scheme, which this offers. It’s a touching tales that leaves an impact on those who play it. and Roger is available for the Switch, Switch 2, PC, and mobile devices.

The latest Famitsu review scores for the week of June 28, 2026 are as follows: Star Fox – 8/9/9/8 The Last Salvage Squad – 8/7/8/7 Mousebusters – 7/8/8/6 Note that for each review, four editors gave out scores. The final total in the Famitsu review is there for out of a total of 40 points. For previous Famitsu scores, check... The post Famitsu review scores – June 28, 2026 – Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 and more appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

System: Switch 2 Release date: June 9, 2026 Developer: Monolith Soft Publisher: Nintendo It’s well-known that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition stands strong as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. It’s got a great story, fantastic voice acting, memorable music, well-written characters, an interesting battle system that may remind some of an MMO, and much more – in other words, it’s an absolute... The post Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition review appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

It already has over 2000 reviews on there! We've seen some amazing console features being implemented by Team Xbox over the past few months since Asha Sharma took over, and at least in our opinion, we feel like the user review system should get some attention as well. GTA 6 , in particular, is highlighting a flaw with the review system on Xbox right now - the game has over 2,000 reviews already on the US version of the store, and it's not even out for another five months. Read the full article on purexbox.com

Blue blur, indeed. Publishers these days have pretty questionable ideas of what constitutes ‘definitive’, but this really takes the biscuit. After several leaks, Sonic Frontiers - Definitive Edition is out now on Switch 2, but what it actually offers doesn’t justify its name. You’ve got the base game, the ‘Final Horizon’ expansion, and a bunch of other bits and bobs – basically everything that was already provided for free on other platforms. Oh, and there’s no Upgrade Pack. Great start. Let’s kick off with the positive: this absolutely looks and performs better than the Switch 1 version. So that means it looks pretty great, right? No. Frontiers on Switch 2 is still plagued by atrocious pop-in, including the foliage on the ground, larger trees dotted around the environment, and even entire platforms necessary for completing puzzles. It’s not as bad as Switch 1, but it’s still bad. Capcom, Square Enix, and others have demonstrated just how great games can look this platform, but Sega has gone in the opposite direction; Frontiers on Switch 2 often looks terrible. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Slippy Turd? Remember a mere two months ago when we didn't even know about Star Fox ? Hahaha, good times. Well it's almost here now, and to say we're excited would be an understatement. The remake launches on 25th June 2026 (that's tomorrow!) and a whole bunch of reviews have gone live, giving us a pretty clear indication of what we can expect from Nintendo's latest first-party release. First up, however, let's remind ourselves of what the lovely Jim Norman thought in his review for Nintendo Life : Read the full article on nintendolife.com

We’ve seen the original Star Fox story so many times. It started with the 1993 SNES release. Then, the tale was retold in Star Fox 64 in 1997. That version was remade in 2011 for the 3DS. After that, PlatinumGames got a shot at it was Star Fox Zero for the Wii U in 2016. 10 years later, we’re back here again with a Switch 2 remake and reimagining. However, I have a good feeling about this one being the possible “ultimate” edition , due to design choices and extensive cooperative and competitive multiplayer. Most importantly, this Star Fox Switch 2 remake feels like it may hold up better than others over time as it remedies the uncomfortable and unintuitive control scheme from Star Fox Zero on the Wii U. Since this is the fifth take on the Star Fox story, the narrative is rather familiar. Scientist exiled to the Lylat system named Dr. Andross is serving time on a planet named Venom, and Corneria’s General Pepper hired James McCloud’s Star Fox team to investigate to see what’s going on when unusual readings come up. Upon their arrival, James and Peppy Hare realize it is a set-up, the third member of their team Pigma Dengar defects to aid Andross, and James sacrifices himself so Peppy can escape. A few years later, Pepper is hiring the new Star Fox mercenary team led by James’ son Fox and consisting of Peppy, Falco Lombardi, and Slippy Toad. Andross is now going on the offensive in the Lylat system, and only this group can stop him and his forces. It’s incredibly familiar. One thing I will say about the narrative in this version of Star Fox is that I feel like the Switch 2 release prioritizes more of the actual team between missions. We see commentary after each one, with Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Toad interacting and hearing reports from Pepper based on the course through the Lylat system and performance in missions completed. The responses from Pepper and other NPCs based on my performance on missions also was welcome due to the variety and way it reacted to my skill. The character models are also quite detailed for everyone in Star Fox. I prefer the designs used in Star Fox Zero , especially for folks like Fox and Falco, but these new ones did grow on me and the realism feels quite cohesive when you factor in other supporting members and antagonists in the cast. Once you get through the tutorial in Star Fox on the Switch 2, the Campaign, Challenge, Battle, and Training modes are open and it’s possible to start looking through things in the HoloViewer. The story mode features Easy and Normal difficulties right off the bat, and it functions a lot like some of the previous entries since Star Fox 64 . We always start at Corneria, but then often get choices about which area to visit and mission to undertake as we work our way toward Venom. While this means your story will always consist of a certain number of assignments, how you get there changes and lends replay value to the entire affair due to the variations. The Arwing seemed to be the most common vehicle, with aerial missions that tended to be either on-rail shooters or free-roaming in a defined space. However, the Landmaster on-the-ground vehicle and Blue-Marine sub appear for missions too. The biomes are quite varied, and even in situations where I’d be tackling enemies “in space,” it felt different due to things like meteor fields or layouts of other ships. Even if I did make the choice to go from one on-rails shooter task to another, the nature of level design, opponents, and environmental execution meant these felt distinct and unique. Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+ View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway. Join Siliconera+

Images via Nintendo Challenges are isolated single missions with objectives. These build up and unlock as you reach areas. Think of them as isolated one-shots. It’s really robust, and there are a good amount of them for each location you unlock. Meanwhile, Battle Mode involves up to 4v4 fights pitting Team Star Fox against Team Star Wolf. Both of these tend to build on concepts and missions we see in the Campaign. They can task us with holding an area, collecting energy from meteors, and defeating space pirate to reclaim their cargo to take to our bases, all while also shooting down members of the opposing team. I liked the concept of them a lot, but I do wish there were more maps available for the three types of competitive missions included. (I’m honestly hoping there’ll be a post-launch update that bulks that up!) So it almost feels like they’re what you go to after completing an Easy or Normal run for the first time and earned the skillset necessary to do a bit more. Now, before I get any further, I need to bring up how great Star Fox feels to play on the Switch 2 compared to Star Fox Zero . While I appreciate what PlatinumGames did, I didn’t care for the control scheme at all. Nintendo did better for us all here. Being able to select first or third-person perspective to start is one bonus, since it can make a difference for certain challenges. (I sort of felt it helped a bit when in on-rails situations, though I did prefer and mainly use the third-person perspective during my experiences.) But the important thing here is the base control scheme makes sense and there’s no accidentally using bombs or messing up a barrel roll, somersault, or U-turn when you need it. Tying tilting and barrel rolls to the left and right shoulders is perfect. I loved that I could press up or down on the D-pad for somersaults or U-turns or go with good, old-fashioned muscle memory by enabling optional button combos so the left joystick with X or B would perform those same moves. It’s common-sense, as it should be.

Images via Nintendo More importantly, Joy-Con 2 mouse mode in Star Fox on the Switch 2 is fantastic. I mainly used it for the on-rails sorts of missions, since these could involve certain boss encounters or on-the-fly situations involving aiding folks like Falco. It makes shooting so much easier. The controls are incredibly precise and defined enough that, again, you aren’t going to waste bombs or time with hitting specific enemies. It made some tasks less stressful, and I think I might have even done better in some Challenge mode or higher difficulty situations in general later because I did get to learn patterns and pick up techniques with the mouse-based option. I mentioned earlier that the multiplayer elements in Star Fox really feel meaningful here, so much so that I think this could join Mario Kart World , Kirby Air Riders , and the Switch 2 versions of Super Mario Wonder and Super Mario Party Jamboree as a go-to game for a group. Every mode offers the option. Campaign and Challenge offer local or online GameShare co-op , which splits the experience and lets one person focus on shooting and the other on piloting. (It sort of reminded me of Mario Kart: Double Dash ’s approach to multiplayer.) Battle Mode lets you practice with bots, if you like, or go with online fights. The fact that GameShare is supported is also a nice perk. The only downside to one of the coolest multiplayer elements is that you don’t really get to enjoy it when you’re playing. There are some character model pilot avatar options if you’re in GameChat, with four people’s headshots showing up in the bottom row. Think of it as being similar to Star Fox Vtuber models, with both the main characters and others unlockable as avatars if you have a camera attached to the Switch 2. This works incredibly well! But the downside is if you are playing, the different missions monopolize a player’s attention and keep you from really being able to notice and appreciate it unless you’re just sitting in and watching. It’s a very cool idea that I hope gets implemented in other games now that Nintendo did so here, but the nature of the title means it’s difficult to appreciate. The Switch 2 version of Star Fox feels designed to both be comfortable and offer a means to get people playing together. The standard and mouse control schemes both work well and are immediately accessible, which is a point in its favor over Star Fox Zero . The Campaign feels like there’s a bit more of a focus on showing the crew between missions, which allows for more characterization. The multiplayer options are pretty robust, and I’d love to see more maps for the Battle mode. This does feel like a robust take on the story, and I’d love to see the series move on to an entirely new title afterthis. The Star Fox Switch 2 remake will come to the Switch 2 on June 25, 2026, and a demo is available.  We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here .

Velan Studios delivers an audio-visual stunner, but there are still some details I prefer in the original… Source

Pigma balls. I was a little conflicted at the announcement of Star Fox 's long-awaited return. One of Nintendo's finest titles with fresh visuals and updated controls? Yes please. But the same game I've already played tens of times over across various consoles and remakes? Ehh . A replay of the OG Star Fox 64 (or Lylat Wars , if you'd prefer) soon brought me around to the idea, convincing me that a healthy modernisation could, in fact, work wonders for McCloud's very best. And what do you know, I was absolutely on the money. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

And we get eight instead of six games this time. You might assume that the fourth Neo Geo Arcade collection for Evercade is going to suffer from a lack of decent titles, but it's always worth noting that, despite its relatively small library of games, SNK's Neo Geo system has a surprisingly high number of great releases. This cartridge proves that fact, and goes one better over the previous three collections by including eight rather than six games – making it even better value for money, especially when you consider how much these titles cost in their original form. Read the full article on timeextension.com

First reviews for Star Fox are in with the game launching on Nintendo Switch 2 imminently. This is the first new entry in the series since Star Fox Zero on Wii U in 2016. That said, we’re using the term “new” a bit loosely. This is technically a new game, but it’s also yet another take on Star Fox 64.... The post Star Fox Nintendo Switch 2 reviews roundup appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Tea, cosy. Cosy games and tea are a perfect pairing: think curling up under a blanket, Switch in hand, cup by your side. It’s no wonder, then, that the concept for Wanderstop came about. The debut from new (and now sadly defunct ) studio Ivy Road — co-founded by Davey Wreden, of The Stanley Parable fame — blends management-sim gameplay with a unique story about quelling the ‘do more’ voice in our heads, and taking a break with a hot drink. Now it’s come to Nintendo's handheld following its debut on other platforms in 2025, you can curl up with it – and I recommend you do. Read the full article on nintendolife.com

System: Switch 2 Release date: June 23, 2026 Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom In a move that caught a lot of us off-guard during the June Nintendo Direct just a few days ago, Capcom announced a brand-new version of Devil May Cry 5 for Nintendo Switch 2, following hot on the heels of the series’ new anime season on Netflix. The original trilogy... The post Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition review for Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on Nintendo Everything .

Plus, Sega has two unannounced 'flagship IP' Source