SNK 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION – 2018 marks the 40thanniversary of the game studio SNK. To celebrate this milestone, a variety of classic arcade games from SNK’s golden age are coming back together in one anthology on the Nintendo Switch system. SNK 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION is packed full of retro games and a treasure trove of features. The SNK 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION game will be available Nov. 13.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! (Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch): Enjoy the cult classic arcade rhythm game from Japan in the comfort of your own home. Play to the beat of your own drum with a wide variety of new songs, and challenge your friends to prove who has the best taiko skills. Unlock beloved characters to help you on your journey to become a legendary taiko drummer.
Crashlands – You play as Flux Dabes, a galactic delivery truck driver whose latest shipment gets interrupted by a megalomaniacal alien named “Hewgodooko” who tears her ship to pieces looking for useful tech. Crashlanded on Woanope, you must fight, tame, craft, quest, bossfight and adventure your way to domination of all the things so that you and JuiceBox, your trusty sidekick/supervisor/robotic cargo palette, can send a message to the Bureau of Shipping and get those packages delivered.
The World Ends with You: Final Remix – Complete the mission…or face erasure. That’s all Neku knows after regaining consciousness in the middle of a busy intersection without his memories. Now he and his partner must fight to survive a life-or-death game in this twisted tale with more turns than the urban labyrinth of Tokyo they’re trapped in. This definitive version of Square Enix’s RPG classic brings the dark story to life on the Nintendo Switch system along with an extra chapter, exclusive two-player combat, and some killer, new remixed music. The World Ends with You: Final Remix game will be available on Oct. 12.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas Digital Edition – In the Starlink: Battle for Atlas game, you’re part of a group of heroic interstellar pilots, dedicated to free the Atlas star system from Grax and the Forgotten Legion, an evil robot force. Assemble your fleet and mix and match your pilots, Starships and weapons to create your own play style and defeat the enemy. The Nintendo Switch console version even features characters and vehicles from the Star Fox series! Starlink: Battle for Atlas Digital Edition will be available on Oct. 16.
LEGO DC Super-Villains – It’s good to be bad. Embark on a new DC/LEGO adventure by becoming the best villain the universe has seen. Players will create and play as a new super-villain throughout the game, unleashing mischievous antics and wreaking havoc in an action-packed story. Joined by renowned DC Super-Villains the Joker, Harley Quinn and countless others from the Injustice League, players will set out on an epic adventure. The LEGO DC Super-Villains game will be available on Oct. 16.
The Jackbox Party Pack 5 – It’s the return of the classic pop culture trivia mash-up game, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK: Full Stream; the game of hilarious hypotheticals, Split the Room; the lyric-writing, robot rap battle, Mad Verse City; the inventive drawing game, Patently Stupid; and the outer space fling-fest, Zeeple Dome. Use your phones or tablets as controllers and play with up to eight players, plus an audience of up to 10,000. The Jackbox Party Pack 5 game will be available on Oct. 17.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 – NBA arcade action is back with the NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 game. The sequel to the original smash hit takes street balling to the next level with a massive roster of current and retired NBA players, improved online matchmaking with dedicated servers, four-player online matches, three-point contests, new playgrounds and custom matches. NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will be available on Oct. 16.
Fortnite Battle Pass Season 6 – Fortnite Battle Pass Season 6 is here! Jump in now on your Nintendo Switch system and start playing. With every new season comes new locations, new gameplay items, a new Battle Pass and more!
FIFA 19 – FIFA 19 delivers a champion-caliber experience on and off the pitch. Led by the prestigious UEFA Champions League, FIFA 19 offers enhanced gameplay features that allow you to control the pitch in every moment. There are new and unrivaled ways to play, including a new mode in the ever-popular FIFA Ultimate Team and a new Kick-Off mode experience. Champions rise in FIFA 19. FIFA 19 is available on Sept. 28.
Mega Man 11 – To save the day, the Blue Bomber must battle Robot Masters and take their powerful weapons, which now changes the hero’s appearance with added levels of detail. The innovative Double Gear system lets you boost Mega Man’s speed and power for an exciting twist on the satisfying gameplay the series is known for. Mega Man 11is available on Oct. 2.
Arena of Valor – Build the ultimate team with your friends to crush your opponents in the first MOBA game on the Nintendo Switch system. Explore and command a roster of more than 39 fearless heroes, with roles including Tank, Assassin, Mage, Support, Warrior and Marksman. Discover and dominate all the gameplay modes, including 5-v-5, 3-v-3, 1-v-1 and a unique “Hook Wars” mode that will challenge your skills and prove your hero as a true champion.
DRAGON BALL FighterZ – DRAGON BALL FighterZ is born from what makes the DRAGON BALL series so loved and famous: endless spectacular fights with all-powerful fighters. Partnering with Arc System Works, DRAGON BALL FighterZ maximizes high-end anime graphics and brings easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master fighting gameplay. DRAGON BALL FighterZ is available on Sept. 28.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, which originally launched for Wii U back in 2014, has been ported and released for both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS. While some have been critical of Nintendo for doing this with several of their games from the Wii U era, I’m grateful for the ports. Captain Toad is one of the games that I had always been interested in and had been meaning to play, but for one reason or another never got around to checking it out. And let’s be fair – it’s unlikely that I’m going to go back and look for a Wii U copy of the game. With the limited battery issues I have with my Wii U gamepad, that system isn’t seeing much use these days.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a puzzle platforming game where you take control of Toad. The game’s narrative is split up into levels which are strung together in a book. The game starts off with Toad and Toadette finding a power star before the monstrous, greedy bird, Wingo grabs the power star and Toadette along with it. It’s up to Captain Toad to reclaim the treasure, Super Gems, and Power Stars and save Toadette.
Unlike the play style of Mario and Luigi, you won’t be able to jump with Captain Toad. Gone is the play style of hopping to and fro and you must instead figure out how to reach the goal and capture the power star. Here’s a tip – you’ll be doing lots of running around and away from enemies.
With the game coming right around the time of Super Mario 3D World, the look and feel of the game is taken right from that game. You’ll find many enemies from 3D World, and some of the game mechanics from classic Super Mario Bros. 2 are in here as well, like plucking up turnips to throw at your enemies. Though it’s ironic since, in Super Mario Bros. 2, Toad could jump the highest of all of the playable characters.
The game is also filled with a lot of classic, retro, and iconic Super Mario music which is great. There is also plenty of new and unique music in the game, which is also very well done.
The game has a lot of content and is full of quite a few levels to play through. Actually after you finish what seems like the end boss level of the game, a second book opens up with even more levels to play. And (spoiler) you’ll get to play as Toadette through the second book. Each of the levels you collect not only the power star to finish the level, but also three power gems are also hidden in the level. They aren’t essential to beat the level, however later levels need to be unlocked with these gems.
Each level also has another optional challenge objective, like finding a hidden item, getting through a level unseen, or collecting a set number of coins. These optional tasks add to the replay of levels. There is also another “Find Pixel Toad” challenge for each level where you replay the level without the power star as the end goal. To complete the level you’ll need to spot and tap the tiny pixelated Toad. He can be surprisingly tough to locate, but when you’re close you can hear him call out.
As with many adventure games in the Mario series, there are a wide variety of level types in the game. There are underground levels, underwater levels, and of course ghost house levels.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was released for both the Switch and 3DS with the former having some small control issues to deal with depending on whether you’re playing in handheld or TV mode. For example in the game you will come across cranks which you will need to turn to rotate parts of the level around. When Toad is on the right spot a large crank wheel will appear in the centre of the screen. If you’re playing in TV mode you need to hold [ZR] and rotate the right analogue stick. When you switch to handheld mode, for some reason you can’t use this control. Nothing will happen if you do this. Strangely you are forced to use the touch screen, similar to what you would do in the 3DS version of the game. It’s really awkward to let go of the Switch with your right hand to do this motion.
Another oddity between the two modes, when you are in TV mode you can set the camera to react and move around with the gyro sensor so that you can move the camera by moving the whole controller. This can’t be done in handheld mode which makes for a frustrating adaptation when you go to handheld after playing in TV mode for a period of time.
Other than these minor control oddities, the game is pretty slick and fluid to play. Maneuvering Captain Toad and Toadette around the level, and moving the camera up and around the level soon becomes a breeze.
A new addition to the Switch/3DS version of the game includes new miniature courses based on various Kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey. They can be unlocked with Super Mario Odyssey amiibo or through regular gameplay. The Toad amiibo can also be tapped in game to unlock an invincibility mushroom into the level. All other compatible amiibo figures & cards can be tapped any other compatible amiibo to receive an extra life.
The game also has a two player assist mode thrown in with use of both Joy-Cons. The second player can stop enemies, move objects, and throw turnips at enemies.
If you’re not sure which version of the game to check out there is a demo for both in the Nintendo eShop. And to top it off, both the Switch and 3DS versions of the game are the same price of $49.99 CAD. I’m impressed that Nintendo chose to give this Switch title a value price and not charge the standard $79.99 CAD for a first party AAA Switch title.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is great fun to play. It feels oh so familiar and yet so different at the same time. The levels are classically Super Mario 3D World and are both fun and challenging enough to keep you interested.
SNK HEROINES ~Tag Team Frenzy~ – The SNK HEROINES ~Tag Team Frenzy~ game brings the party home! Play online or with friends as SNK’s iconic heroines in this new 2-v-2 fighting game. Choose one of the many heroines from SNK’s history, like Athena, Kula and Shermie, and customize her look before letting her battle it out. Who will be the Belle of the Brawl? SNK HEROINES ~Tag Team Frenzy~ is available on Sept. 7.
NBA 2K19 – The NBA 2K franchise celebrates 20 years of redefining what sports gaming can be, from graphics and gameplay to unique game modes and an immersive open-world “Neighborhood”. The NBA 2K19 game continues to push limits as it brings gaming one step closer to real-life basketball excitement and culture. NBA 2K19 is available Sept. 11 and the NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition is available Sept. 7.
Hyper Light Drifter – Special Edition – Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies. Echoes of a dark and violent past resonate throughout a savage land, steeped in treasure and blood. Hyper Light Drifter is an action-adventure-RPG in the vein of the best 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale.
Gone Home – You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something’s not right. Where is everyone? And what’s happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in the Gone Home game, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
WarioWare Gold – The infamous schemer Wario is back! Play his new microgame collection, where you’ll have seconds to complete 300 different microgames. Better think fast to succeed! You’ll use the touch screen, tilt the system, push buttons and rock the mic as you laugh through fully voiced stories featuring new and classic characters. The WarioWare Gold game will be available on Aug. 3. Read More
Nintendo users can redeem their Gold Points for some of the great indie games on Nintendo platforms. Four Nindie games have been added as Gold Points rewards on My Nintendo, three for 3DS and one for Wii U
Runbow Pocket (New Nintendo 3DS)
Developer: 13AM Studios – 110 Gold Points
Runbow Pocket is a fast, frantic game where you can conquer over 145 levels in Adventure and The Bowhemoth, or go head to head in Run, Arena, and King of the Hill online. The world changes with each swipe of colour, so you’ll have to stay on your toes as platforms and obstacles disappear.
Noitu Love: Devolution (Nintendo 3DS)
Developer: MP2 Games – 80 Gold Points
”Noitu Love: Devolution” stars Xoda Rap – the new Peacekeepers prodigy – who has to protect the city from the onslaught of the evil Darn horde, thought to have been vanquished a hundred years ago! But this time, they bring with them more than just their grins, as the city is bending and deforming into different times and places! What could be going on? Use Parental Controls to restrict 3D mode for children 6 and under.
Severed (Nintendo 3DS)
Developer: Drinkbox – 110 Gold Points
Take control of a one-armed warrior named Sasha, wielding a living sword on her journey through a nightmare world in search of her family. Swipe-based touch controls will let you solve puzzles, find secrets, and do battle with a host of disturbing monsters. As the journey goes on, you’ll unlock abilities, ascend an RPG-style upgrade tree, and tease apart the mysteries of the dark fantasy universe Sasha finds herself in.
Freedom Planet (Wii U)
Developer: Galaxy Trail – 110 Gold Points
Fight your way across the celestial world of Avalice where cats are green, motorcycles drive up walls and monster girls do most of the buttkicking! Freedom Planet is a cartoony, combat-based platform adventure that pits a spunky dragonoid and her friends against an alien attack force.
Go Vacation – Welcome to Kawawii Island, a paradise resort where friends and family can enjoy 50+ co-op and competitive activities. There are all sorts of exciting ways to explore the island, from horseback to buggies, snowmobiles to in-line skates. And to add to the fun, up to four players can enjoy visiting and discovering every corner of the island together. Go Vacation will be available on July 27. (Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.)
Banner Saga 3 – Banner Saga 3 is the dramatic final chapter in the mature, story-driven Viking RPG series, which has won more than 20 awards and has been nominated for four BAFTAs. As the world continues to crumble around you, who can you trust, how will you protect your allies and what choices will you make as the Darkness draws near?
Octopath Traveler – Eight travelers. Eight adventures. Eight roles to play in a new world brought to life by SQUARE ENIX. Explore each traveler’s story and use her or his abilities in and out of battle. Will you expand your horizons as the Merchant or track down a traitor as the Warrior? Where will you go? Who will join you? You alone can choose your path. The Octopath Traveler game launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch system on July 13. A free demo version is also available for download now.
Fortnite (Season 5) – WORLDS COLLIDE! Drop into Season 5 of the Fortnite game on the Nintendo Switch system, where we’re introducing all kinds of changes to the map! A Viking ship, desert outpost, and ancient statues have appeared on the island, changing the world of Fortnite as we know it. The all-new Battle Pass can help you level up faster by completing Weekly Challenges, and unlock additional rewards like progressive outfits, sprays and exclusive cosmetics. Play the new Season of Fortnite from anywhere on Nintendo Switch, and be sure to test out the new motion controls.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Captain Toad stars in his own puzzling quest on the Nintendo Switch system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Our stubby hero must dodge dangers and track treasures across many trap-filled courses. Survive smoldering volcanoes, hazardous steam engines, haunted houses and even new courses based on the Super Mario Odyssey game. Luckily, in the Nintendo Switch version, a second player can join in to help toss turnips at enemies. The Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker game will be available for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on July 13. A free demo version is also available to download.
BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE – An unrivaled clash of explosive proportions! Created through an all-star collaboration between BLAZBLUE, ATLUS’ Persona, French Bread’s Under Night In-Birth and Rooster Teeth’s hugely popular RWBY web series, CROSS TAG BATTLE celebrates the fighting genre for pros and newcomers alike. Choose your team in fast-paced 2v2 battles filled with the craziness you’ve come to love from BLAZBLUE, with all the tight mechanics, smooth gameplay and gorgeous 2D graphics you expect from Arc System Works.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido – Help Musashi end the Empire’s tyrannical monopoly of the world’s sushi supply by becoming a Sushi Striker. Devour conveyor-belt sushi, matching plates and sushi types to defeat any enemy or boss who stands between you and victory. Befriend Sushi Sprites and use their powerful skills in battle. The Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido game for the Nintendo Switch system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems will be available on June 8. A free Nintendo Switch demo is also available in Nintendo eShop. Nintendo 3DS version playable in 2D only.
Banner Saga 2 – The award-winning adventure continues in Banner Saga 2. This epic story-based role-playing game continues its emotional journey across a breaking world. Bold leadership decisions, wise use of resources and skillful battle tactics are vital to ensure your Viking clans make it through alive. Your choices will carry over from the first game, or you can start fresh with new preset characters.
Pokémon Quest – Set off for adventure in the Pokémon Quest game. Venture out with your Pokémon buddies on expeditions across Tumblecube Island in search of loot in this free-to-start action-adventure for the Nintendo Switch system. Modify your Pokémon buddies with discovered Power Stones to make your ultimate expedition team. With a cube-shaped art style, Pokémon Quest is unlike any Pokémon game you’ve seen before. The simple gameplay makes it easy to hop into expeditions and start exploring Tumblecube Island with the help of your Pokémon buddies. Afterwards, head back to your base camp where you can use the loot you found during your adventure to befriend more Pokémon. Attract various Kanto Region Pokémon to your base camp by cooking up dishes made with collected ingredients! You can even decorate your base camp with fun items that provide helpful bonuses that make your expeditions more beneficial
Just Shapes & Beats – Just Shapes & Beats is a chaotic co-op musical bullet-hell based on three simple things: avoid Shapes, move to the rad Beats, and die, repeatedly. It’s a new spin on SHMUPs, adding a layer of co-op that’s at the core of the game: ’cause everything is better with friends. Hits like a ton of bricks straight into your eardrums and your eyeballs; BAM! (Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.)
West of Loathing – West of Loathing is a single-player slapstick comedy adventure role-playing game set in the Wild West of the Kingdom of Loathing universe. Traverse snake-infested gulches, punch skeletons wearing cowboy hats, grapple with demon cows and investigate a wide variety of disgusting spittoons. Explore a vast open world and encounter a colorful cast of characters, some of whom are good, many of whom are bad, and a few of whom are ugly.
After two months of disappointment, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company seem to be making amends in June legendary Pokémon. A Shiny Zygarde will join the fun in June and will again see code cards return to EB Games from June 1st thru June 24th.
Many people, myself included, missed out on legendaries from March and April and didn’t receive Palki and Dialga or Entei or Raikou. Despite being signed up for the Pokémon Club newsletter, neither a code nor any newsletter showed up in my email box.
Head to a participating EB Canada store from June 1st – 24th, where you can get a code that will allow you to obtain Shiny Zygarde in Pokémon Ultra Sun, Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Ultra Moon or Pokémon Moon.
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon the legendary Pokémon will be level 100 and have the ability Aura Break. It will have the held item Gold Bottle Cap and the moves Thousand Arrows, Outrage, Extreme Speed, and Dragon Dance. In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon it will be level 60, have the ability Aura Break, and a moveset including Land’s Wrath, Glare, Safeguard, and Dragon Breath.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition – Cut down enemy hordes as characters from the Legend of Zelda series. You even play co-op multiplayer with a friend on one system! All features and downloadable content from past versions of the game, including My Fairy mode and elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, can be enjoyed in crisp HD on the Nintendo Switch system. The fate of Hyrule rests in your hands! The Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition game will be available on May 18.
Runner3 – The Timbletot is determined to rid the multiverse of all its love and happiness. CommanderVideo, a lover if ever there were one, refuses to let this happen. He’s ready to jump, double-jump, wall-jump, slide-jump, slide, kick, float, drive, fly and dance his way to victory, all across a medley of thrilling, challenging and joyous levels. The Runner3 game will be available on May 22.
Little Nightmares Complete Edition – Do you remember your childhood fears? Immerse yourself in the Little Nightmares Complete Edition game, a dark whimsical tale that will confront you with your childhood fears as you help Six & The Kid escape The Maw – a vast, mysterious vessel inhabited by corrupted souls looking for their next meal. Little Nightmares Complete Edition will be available on May 18.
Mega Man Legacy Collection – The Mega Man Legacy Collectiongame is a celebration of the 8-bit history of Capcom’s iconic Blue Bomber. Featuring faithful reproductions of the series’ origins with the original six Mega Man games, the Legacy Collection will remind longtime fans and introduce newcomers to what made Mega Man such a popular and iconic character. Mega Man Legacy Collection will be available on May 22.
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 – The Blue Bomber is back in this second collection of classic Mega Man games. Featuring faithful reproductions of Mega Man 7, 8, 9, & 10, this collection spans the iconic series’ evolution and retro revolution. Take on the nefarious Dr. Wily and his diverse Robot Masters in these timeless 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit adventures. The Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 game will be available on May 22.
A new trailer for Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido provides a deeper look at this delicious action-RPG-puzzle game, coming to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on June 8th.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido combines bright, anime art style with frenetic yet tactical gameplay – centered on consuming as much sushi as possible – delivering a veritable conveyor belt loaded with surprise and delight.
Imagine a world in which the sinister Empire controls the consumption of sushi with an iron grip and denies any mention of it to all inhabitants of the vanquished Republic. Players assume the role of orphaned hero Musashi (playable as either a male or a female avatar), embarking on a grand adventure to restore sushi to the world. Meet a colorful cast of characters along the way, including treacherous local bully Kojiro, musclebound Imperial enforcer General Kodiak and beautiful sushi assassin Celia.
Battles are contested between two opponents, each with access to three of their own conveyor belts of sushi, plus a seventh shared belt in the middle. By linking (aka eating) sushi plates of the same color, players create stacks that can then be hurled at their opponent. The frenetic sushi-eating action is coupled with significant tactical depth. Players will encounter divine beings, called Sushi Sprites, which provide special skills that can be chained together in battle for a variety of powerful combos. There are more than 50 Sushi Sprites to befriend, many of which can evolve into more powerful forms.
In addition to the rich and wacky single-player adventure, two players can challenge each other to local multiplayer battles on a single Nintendo Switch system. With the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, players can battle locally with their own systems and games. So, grab your chopsticks and prepare for battle when Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido launches on June 8th.
Battle with swords and whips in this retro-style action game brought to you by game creator Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates.
In the game you’ll play as Zangetsu, a demon slayer bearing a deep grudge, who must travel through perilous lands to defeat a powerful demon lurking in a dark castle. Zangetsu will meet fellow travelers along the way, who can join your journey as playable characters. Switching to these characters with their unique abilities will unlock new paths through the treacherous stages. Your choices in recruiting these adventurers will change the difficulty of the game, and may even affect the ending!
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is the 8-bit style game promised as a stretch goal of the 2015 Kickstarter campaign for “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.”
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon will be released on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, and Steam. The game will be released on May 24th for $9.99 USD.
