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Question Block: NVC’s Essential Switch Games

It’s time for another Question Block edition of the weekly NVC column. This week, we’re answering what seems like an easy one, but it turns out it’s NOT easy. Shane Dowley wrote us at nvc@ign.com and asked the following question:

“For new Switch buyers, what would be your top 5 essential games that you would tell them to buy?”

First off, we answered this during this week’s episode of NVC, but we’re getting a little more formal with the answers. Much as Wheel of Fortune automatically gives players in the final round a free R,S,T,L,N and E, we answered this question with the most common games as give-ins: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario Odyssey. The remaining picks are below.

Reb Valentine

Assuming you have some other device to play multi-platform games that are nonetheless superb on the Switch already (like Hollow Knight or Celeste), then obviously you need a trove of Switch exclusives. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an essential cornerstone of the Switch library for its ability to suck you in for hundreds of hours alone as well as incorporate joyful, social play. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle introduces a genre many Nintendo enthusiasts might be less familiar with by painting it with a familiar and family-friendly veneer (and it is, I argue, better than Sparks of Hope!). Luigi’s Mansion 3, easily one of the best games on the system, deserves a spot on sheer charm. And there’s literally nothing in the world like Ring Fit Adventure, one of the most unique RPGs I’ve ever played and with absolutely no peer on any other system anywhere. For my fifth pick, obviously you’ll need the NSO Expansion Pass for all the games it comes with (yes, even though I regularly quip that no one actually plays them), but more importantly for the Mario Kart and Animal Crossing DLC.

Peer Schneider

I usually start my recommendations with SteamWorld Dig, but I’m gonna mix it up this time! Switch has a strong lineup of wonderful co-op multiplayer games – some ported from other platforms like Diablo III, New Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Country: Tropical Freeze, but many are unique to the system. My number one Switch Essential pick – and a co-op delight – is Luigi’s Mansion 3. Seriously, it’s fantastic. Next up, it’s Splatoon 3. It’s just a ridiculously good competitive shooter. You can lose hundreds of hours to this game in competitive and co-op modes, or just have fun for a weekend with the campaign mode. For my final three picks, I’m going with a trio of top-tier remakes/remasters: the charming handheld classic The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, multi-scenario Square JRPG Live A Live, and most-likely prettiest game on Switch forever Metroid Prime Remastered.

Seth Macy

This is a tough one, and so I’m going to cheat right off the bat by recommending the Nintendo Switch Online expansion pass. It costs as much as a game – granted, a game you have to buy every year – but it has so many great games included with the service it’s totally worth it now. After that, I have the controversial pick of Minecraft for Nintendo Switch. Yes, you can play Minecraft on a TI-89 calculator at this point, but it works so great on Switch and there’s something extra special about playing it handheld. After that, things get trickier for me. I’m going to say Bayonetta 2, even though it’s originally a Wii U game. It’s better than its sequel and just feels so damn good to play. Metroid Prime Remastered is also another absolute must-play, and while you probably can’t get it as a physical cart anymore, it’s on the eShop (and cheaper that route, too). Finally, and this is just me being weird, I’m going to say if you have a Switch, you should also have Axiom Verge 2. You don’t need to have played the first to enjoy the second, and it’s probably my favorite Metroidvania of the last decade. It’s super good!

So what are your picks for the five essential Nintendo Switch games (that aren’t Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Mario Odyssey)? Start the arguments in the comments!

Spacebourne 2 is an absurdly impressive spacejank adventure

Time Bandit – brings up the question: how do you want to spend your time? I’m left pondering it for far longer than I think I otherwise would, thinking about it in context. The obvious answer here is: playing an videogame, please. But Time Bandit’s free demo doesn’t take long to make me almost uncomfortably aware that there’s more than one way to play something. I don’t even need to be anywhere near the PC. I might actually be playing it more when I’m not [X-Files music, but also I’m going somewhere with this].

Street Fighter 6‘s roster last night: big lad Zangief, Union Jack-wearing Cammy and newcomer Lily, a descendant of T. Hawk’s famous Thunderfoot tribe. Before we talk about anything else, though, can we please just take a moment to appreciate Zangief’s enormous bod? The Street Fighter wrestler was always a force to be reckoned with in earlier games, but holy heck, I bet you could fit four Marcus Fenixes into those biceps and still have room left over for his son and fellow Gears Of War slab JD. Come and see what I mean in the new trailer below.

Sky: Children Of The Light Lands New Update, Here Are The Full Patch Notes

Soar for more.

Flying over from mobile back in 2021, we were impressed with how at home Sky: Children of the Light immediately felt on Switch. Now two years on from this port, thatgamecompany is still managing to add new content to the game, the most recent of which has just landed in the ver. 0.20.5 update.

This latest patch has all the usual bug fixes and improvements alongside the continuation of the in-game Season of Remembrance, fresh features in Shared Spaces and the reintroduction of the Days of Bloom event for 2023.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

A nitty gritty look at PowerWash Simulator’s Final Fantasy VII content, out March 2

In Midgar, the slums bustle with people, mako reactors smolder, and the soil turns to dust; carried by breezes flowing through smog-filled air. The whole place could use a good hose down. Through the fog, a new hero emerges, clad in blue, wielding… a powerwasher.

Okay, so, you might not be able to cleanse the world of the Shinra scourge, but you can just straight up cleanse the world! Whilst Avalanche deals with Shinra, you’ll deal with the fallout. The only power struggle you’re tasked with is keeping hold of that washer.

We are proud to have worked with the Final Fantasy VII team to transport PowerWash Simulator players to one of gaming’s most recognisable cities, in a fresh and authentic way. Players will fall in love with it once more in the new Midgar Special Pack, releasing March 2.

Free to all owners of PowerWash Simulator, the expansion features five filthy new maps to wash and explore, including iconic locations, vehicles and mechs. I’ll pass over to some of FuturLab’s designers, who worked on the Midgar Special Pack, to provide a closer look at the inspiration behind two of the levels, the Scorpion Sentinel and Seventh Heaven.

The Mighty Scorpion Sentinel

One of the most memorable boss fights in Final Fantasy VII is without a doubt the Scorpion Sentinel, making it a perfect job for the Midgar Special Pack. The player will encounter the Sentinel before its deployment against the members of Avalanche, and here it is seen to have been put through a series of tests by Shinra to evaluate its various defensive capabilities.

We’ve represented a variety of scratches and projectile ricochet marks via a new Battle Damage dirt type. Additionally, the Scorpion Sentinel bears the consequences of a test with one of Professor Hojo’s specimens, as seen from the splats of bio residue present all around the machine from this creature’s attacks. As the Sentinel is powered by Mako energy (my favourite new dirt type), we have deposited it in key areas to illustrate how the Sentinel had been pushed to its limits. The rest of the dirt is mostly grime that accumulated during the various trials the Scorpion Sentinel underwent.

“When recreating the iconic Scorpion Sentinel in PowerWash Simulator we really wanted to make the Sentinel feel alive, so various animations such as its roving eye and claws and can be seen. We also wanted to be able to interact with it, so players can move the Sentinel’s arms to get different angles for cleaning.”
– Federico D’Apote, Designer

The Charming Seventh Heaven

For the Midgar special pack, we absolutely knew we had to tackle the best bar in Sector 7 and home of Avalanche, Seventh Heaven. Not only does it give players the opportunity to hear from beloved FFVII characters like Cloud and Tifa (while also being able to clean some of gaming’s coolest weapons like Barret’s gun and Cloud’s buster sword) but our first-person perspective also offers the opportunity to take a closer look at Tifa’s decorating skills and explore areas of the bar players couldn’t see as easy before.

“Bars, especially dystopian fantasy ones, are often bursting with environmental storytelling and attract a variety of dirt. Tifa has had to teach Don Corneo’s disrespectful lackeys a lesson. So, we’ve completely covered the floor in footprints, splattered food and drink stains on the tabletops and walls, along with some general age and neglect build-up in those hard-to-reach places. This results in a very satisfying cleaning experience with a uniquely Final Fantasy finish!”
– Sam Jenkins, Designer

Alongside the Scorpion Sentinel and Seventh Heaven, you will also spray down the Hardy Daytona and Shinra Hauler, the Mako Energy Exhibit, and the formidable Airbuster.

Whether you’re a dirt detailer or a chaotic cleaner, each map will afford you the time and space to appreciate the captivating city and some of Shinra’s finest tech as never before… you know, as it’s not attacking you this time.

Whilst the fate of the city may be muddy, perhaps you can help clear a path for a few plucky heroes. The Midgar Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator releases on March 2.

Visit Hobbiton in Microsoft Flight Simulator’s New Zealand update, out today

Microsoft Flight Simulator was already impressive at launch, using satellite data and some streaming tech to recreate the entire globe. Since launch, the team have been diving in to touch up certain areas giving Australia, Japan, Canada, and more big makeovers. Now, MS Flight Sim has its sights on the magical realm of Middle-Earth, also known as New Zealand. World Update 12, out today, is sprucing up New Zealand’s vistas, adding in nine handcrafted airports, and introducing a bunch of missions.

Duskers, the latest game that’s going free for keepsies on the Epic Games Store. Duskers is a roguelikelike sci-fi horror survival game about salvaging supplies from derelict spaceships using drones, seeing through their sensor readouts and issuing commands by typing into a console. Oh, by the way, there’s a reason why all these spaceships are now empty. Well, mostly empty.

Mortal Kombat 12.

Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight – Fire Emblem Fates

#1 – No fate but what we…quickly download off the eShop.

For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we’re going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it’s too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good soon and, for one reason or another, these eShop-exclusives are close to our hearts.

Today, Gavin nominates Fire Emblem Fates, a full retail release that’s disappearing from sale on Tuesday 28th February 2023, a month earlier than the rest of the eShop, due to its unique setup…