The only good thing about last year's North American release count is that none of those 2,431 games had Waluigi.

Things we missed last week: Nichibutsu 1986 scrolling brawler Mighty Guy in the Archives.

Apart from the demo for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and the epilogue update for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC, this is a light week on the new release front. Third person action/adventure hybrid Cynthia:... Read more...

The year begins quiet, and may it stay that way.

Editor's note: Donald is writing this article on New Year's Eve proper, after a red-eye cross country flight in which his sleep was at best, 45 minutes. As he lacks the energy to try and make chicken salad out of this week's releases, normal snark resumes next week.

Digital

Tools Up! Ultimate Edition (US$34.99/C$47.99: Friday)

The news editor is ready to start whacking the SEO farmers of the eShop with a toaster.

Things we missed last week: Brawler Rough Justice '84 and Archives title Mystic Warriors (a Konami joint), also we have a new one-territory record for releases as Japan hit 79 releases. More on that later.

Especially in North America, this post is probably mislabeled in terms of the date as 21... Read more...

Better start grinding out those Blueberry Points.

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Expansion Pass isn't done paying out yet.

A trailer released today by the Pokemon Company has announced a new "epilogue" will be available on January 11. Completion of all prior stories - the main game and both portions of the DLC - is required to access it.

The... Read more...

Apparently eShop developers believe in the power of last-minute holiday shopping.

Things we missed last week: Potion Craft (as featured in the House of Indies event from this time last year) dropped on Tuesday, and Aero Fighters was the Archives release.

Europe has what may be a sane release week - and they are the only ones, as both North America and especially Japan have 40+... Read more...

Some big marketing for the release in... a month? Wow, that snuck up.

Nintendo's next retail release now has a demo and a new trailer.

The demo comprises the first chapter of Another Code: Two Memories aka Trace Memory (North America). Progress from the demo can be carried into the full release of the game on January 19.

The overview trailer can be found below:

We hate to say we told you so, but baby WE TOLD YOU SO.

After more than four years on life support, E3 is officially dead.

A statement in the Washington Post (possible paywall) confirmed the official death of the show, which was last held in 2019. Entertainment Software Association (ESA) president Stanley Pierre-Louis issued a statement to the Post... Read more...

If there's nothing left in the endgame, you win.

The week before Christmas will see one of the more unique PC building games land on Switch.

Devolver Digital have confirmed that Terra Nil, which previously launched on PC and mobile in March, will sprout up on the eShop next Monday (December 18). The game's eShop listing is not live, but the Steam version normally retails for $24.99.

Congratulations to hacker alias xx_G30ff_xx for a new PB in Issue Avoidance at the 2023 Game Awards.

Things we missed last week: A quartet of old Telenet/Revelation shooters - Avenger, Granada, Gaiares (pronounced guy-are-us) and Psychic Storm - dropped alongside Pole Position II in the Archives.

As expected, there were no major announcements out of the 9th annual Winter Games Fest show (Nintendo... Read more...

Or to be more accurate, Blood and Guts.

All of the Switch related announcements from tonight's Game Awards presentation:

John is immediately checking for fixed widescreen on JFG.

For the first time since Mario Parties, multiple games have been added to the Switch Nintendo 64 libraries.

In addition to the Western launch of Jet Force Gemini, both Japan and the Western libraries have added 1080 Snowboarding and Harvest Moon 64. 1080 Snowboarding (1998) was the last game promised... Read more...

Official confirmation that yes, this IS a Pokemon Colosseum reference.

Final details have emerged ahead of next week's Indigo Disk portion of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC.

The new trailer includes confirmation that as with the second Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC, older legendary Pokemon (including Rayquaza, Kubfu, and the original legendary bird trio) will be... Read more...

Question for the responsible parties: What in Naga's name is your major malfunction?

If you were planning to try and get into the Nintendo Live event in Tokyo next month, we hope the travel expenses are refundable as the event has been postponed.

The event's webpage and a press release obtained by friends of the site The Famicast have confirmed that the event slated for January... Read more...

And the last relevant Amiibo overall is January 19, as a reminder.

Noah and Mio will end up being the penultimate set of Amiibo for now.

Sora - the last Amiibo in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate family - has been confirmed for a release on February 16, 2024. The release will coincide with the launch of the Mario vs Donkey Kong Switch remake.

The #SmashBros #amiibo of Sora will be released on 2/16/2024! #KingdomHearts pic.twitter.com/y3zdbaLplz

We could explore the known and unknown galaxies, or hope for someone to rip a mask off and yell Baba Booey into a live mic. I know what I'm stuck doing Thursday night.

Things we missed last week: Taito's Scramble Formation, shooter-vania Tevi (Jordan's review), a late release of Zach GOTY 2000 Turok 3, and in what can only be described as a miracle on the level of Doom Eternal running well on Switch... Trip World DX FINALLY came out in North America and Japan.

A... Read more...

You can only future proof your game so long as the future is paying attention.

UPDATEAs of a patch on 2/21/2024 this issue has been resolved on Nintendo Switch.

UPDATEWith Jet Force Gemini now available in other regions, we've produced a more in depth video explaining the issues outlined in this article.

Jet Force Gemini is available on Nintendo Switch right now... Read more...

I wonder if something would have been done about the eShop if instead of women and POC the developers harmed by the flood were rich old white guys. (APPLAUD NOW)

Things we missed last week: Warp and Warp in the Archives, and in light of its Japanese launch this week Snakebird Complete is actually a cool looking puzzle game. (Disclosure: NWR contributor Syrenne McNulty was a producer on the game.)

You know, with single-digit surprise appearances and a light... Read more...

One less reason to boot up Rare Replay.

It turns out Banjo and James Bond aren't the only Rare heroes coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack's N64 library.

After a trailer was posted on Nintendo's Japanese-language YouTube announcing the release of Goldeneye and 1999's Jet Force Gemini in the region on November 30, Nintendo of America later confirmed that Jet Force Gemini would come to North America in "December" (as Goldeneye was added in January).

And Cyber Monday, can't forget the end of the Turkey Five.

As threatened, Nintendo have unleashed the Cyber Deals portion of their holiday sales promotion.

Running until December 4 at 2:59 a.m. ET, the deals mostly mirror the physical Black Friday deals above, but with a few differences.

First Party

Breaking news from the United Kingdom at this hour: Generalissima Elizabeth Windsor is still dead.

Things we missed last week: In addition to the four shadowdrops from the Indie World (Backpack Hero, Enjoy the Diner, Howl, and Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist), the ridiculous and the sublime of the fighting genre also appeared with Taito's Dinorex (Archives) and SNK's King of Fighters XIII: Global Match.