dailynewsnblog
BOKURA: planet (Switch 2)
£4.64 / $5.49 / €5.39
A follow-up to developer tokoronyori’s BOKURA from 2023, BOKURA: planet was a lovely surprise.
This two-player-only puzzle-platformer features an intriguing, diverging co-op narrative that creates tension beneath its novel puzzles without completely jettisoning its cutesy vibes for pixel horror.
If you’re looking for a reflective, grown-up adventure with laughs, gasps, and perhaps even a tear or two — and one that really showcases GameChat — this affecting little expedition will claim but a few hours of your life and is worth enlisting a friend for.
Cast n Chill – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£9.59 / $14.99 / €14.79
The title says it all for this sedate little catch-’em-all fishing game. Also available on Switch 1, Cast n Chill is easily one of the nicest-looking games on either console, and one of the most effective uses of this retro pixel art style we’ve yet encountered.
The devs have nailed little details such as the plop and pull of your float, the gentle rumble of your controller as you rake a spinner across a shoal of fish to attract them, and the weight and heft of everything, really. Oh, and you’ve got a dog with you to pet.
With only two buttons controlling everything you do (and even an idle mode, if that’s your thing), there’s even a local co-op mode for a friend to join you in the same boat, so you can cast and chill together. Blissful.
Core Keeper – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£15.99 / $19.99 / €19.99
Core Keeper is a wonderfully engaging and mysterious survival sandbox that is tough to put down once it gets its hooks in you.
An expertly judged progression curve, tons of secrets and unlockables, and excellent presentation all come together to make this one an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a great new survival game. If you’ve had your fill of stalwarts like Minecraft or Terraria and are looking for the next great game to scratch that itch, look no further.
DAVE THE DIVER Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£16.99 / $19.99 / €19.99
In 2023, a year dominated by titanic, big-budget releases like Tears of the Kingdom and Mario Wonder, off-the-wall roguelike Dave The Diver stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball clear of the park with a heaving swing.
Its charming animations and writing supplement a mechanically dense experience that never stops dangling a new carrot to chase. You owe it to yourself to pick up this outstandingly funny, enthralling, and weird gem.
Dear me, I was… (Switch 2)
£6.73 / $7.99 / €7.99
A wordless experience that puts an emphasis on the ‘visual’ in visual novel, it’s not every day that a game successfully manages to craft a moving narrative about art, life, and the passage of time solely on the merit of its visual and musical storytelling.
But even if this short game itself remains silent, Dear me, I was… is absolutely worth talking about.
Deltarune (Switch 2)
£20.99 / $24.99 / €23.99
Deltarune is a game that can feel odd to recommend, as it’s both difficult to convey in words what makes this game feel special and… well, with further chapters yet to join the present four, it still isn’t finished yet.
Its goofy and subversive narrative, innovative battle mechanics, and killer soundtrack all combine to make this follow-up to Undertale from Toby Fox worth the purchase in its current state, even if it is incomplete and the visuals feel a tad underwhelming.
Fast Fusion (Switch 2)
£13.49 / $14.99 / €14.99
Fast Fusion may not have the most comprehensive collection of tracks, but it’s easily the most accomplished entry in Shin’en Multimedia’s series so far. The new jump ability adds a new layer of strategy to the gameplay, while experimenting with the fusion mechanic to find the perfect vehicle is a joy.
The occasional grinding to save up money can be a momentary drag, but if you’re after something a bit more ‘hardcore’ than Mario Kart World, Fast Fusion is a no-brainer, and an absolute must-buy.
Hollow Knight – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£10.99 / $15.00 / €14.99
Hollow Knight was already a pretty game, but on Switch 2 it’s much more in line with the colour and lighting of Silksong. There are so many little things in the upgrade that give Hallownest a new glow; it actually has us itching to replay the whole thing again, perhaps even for a Steel Soul run.
Many of the upgrades are small. The game was already 60fps on Switch, just with a blurrier resolution in handheld, and the jump to 120fps isn’t as easy to notice as 30 to 60. And the input delay is only really noticeable if you’ve played the game on other platforms or if you’re a speedrunner.
So yes, Hollow Knight – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition might not be a transformative upgrade, but it is free if you own the Switch 1 game, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice and love all of the little tweaks and improvements. Switch 2 is the place to play the game now.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£16.75 / $19.99 / €19.50
No, there’s no such thing as too much Hollow Knight!
Hollow Knight: Silksong’s beauty is beguiling, hiding an interior that’s deliberately harsh but endlessly rewarding. Everything feels deliberate, pushing you to learn, improve, and perfect, or simply just explore a little more. And what a world it is to dig into.
Somehow, Team Cherry surpassed our expectations tenfold and delivered a mesmeric blend of balletic combat and movement with persistence, joy, and an incredibly invigorating map at the centre. We’ve never felt better surmounting the challenges put before us.
KUUKIYOMI 4: Consider It Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
£11.49 / $12.99 / €7.79
Kuukiyomi 4: Consider It! is a delightfully silly little game that also provides plenty of dark laughs, clever digs, and unbearable social tension thanks to a brilliantly executed collection of scenarios.
Not every level is gonna have you howling, and some of them don’t even really make any sense, but we’ll be damned if we haven’t been well-entertained for our money and made to laugh plenty whilst also being reminded that, at best, we are deeply inconsiderate.
