And if the Euro version wasn’t enough, here’s a reminder that the North American eShop sale is still on, and it runs a little longer, too, past Cyber Monday until next Wednesday. So if you’re after the best of the best — the absolute crème de menthe of vidyagames — we’ve picked out the best ‘uns for you below. Carry on!
This one is now underway on the North American eShop and will be sticking around until 3rd December, so you only have a couple of weeks to make the most of all the seasonal savings on offer.
While it’s a little smaller than those we’ve seen in the past, the ‘Cyber Deals’ still banner covers a lot of games, so we’ve assembled the following list of every game in the sale that we scored a 9/10 or higher, to help you see the very best of ’em at a glance. We’ve even included a personal pick from the swathes of 8/10s at the end, because we just couldn’t resist.
As ever, if you want to load up on eShop credit before diving in, you’ll find everything you need on our store.
$9.99 (-75%)
AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is one of the most interesting visual novels we’ve played through in a while. The murder mystery at its heart is brought to life by some great writing and quirky characters alongside the satisfyingly integrated, beautifully balanced Psync puzzle elements.
Even with some minor control issues, there is a lot to love in this game, even if you never picked up the original. Highly recommended if you’re even a little bit curious.
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$1.99 (-87%)
The Nintendo eShop would be a considerably more exciting and interesting place if it were packed full of games like Ape Out. It’s a refreshingly original experience that more than deserves a place in any Switch owner’s library.
Difficult, frenetic gameplay, strong art direction, and an even stronger jazz drum soundtrack make this the sort of memorable game that you’ll likely keep coming back to over and over for another few runs in arcade mode. Ape Out gets a strong recommendation to anyone looking for a distinct and unforgettable game for their Switch collection; it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but well worth your time.
$4.99 (-75%)
Axiom Verge on Switch is truly an outstanding port of an outstanding game, no more and no less.
We would strongly urge those of you who missed this game on other platforms to pick it up here; this is the full Axiom Verge experience, and it’s available in a format that supports both handheld and home play. A fantastic example of how to do a Metroidvania right.
$9.99 (-50%)
Axiom Verge is a remarkably tough act to follow, but Thomas Happ managed to do it again in producing a pitch-perfect, excellently paced Metroidvania adventure
Axiom Verge 2 perfectly balances familiar elements that made the original great and trying out new ideas that give the sequel its own identity, and while lovers of the first game may take some time to adjust, everything comes together and makes for a potent experience that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on.
The mysterious atmosphere, thrilling pace, and fantastic world design all come together to make for a worthy follow-up that stands well on its own.
$13.49 (-10%)
Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don’t like roguelikes… and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp.
It’s an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there’s really nothing else quite like it. Sublime.
$41.99 (-30%)
Bayonetta 3 cranks up the chaos, improves the combat, polishes the level design, and adds a ton of new mechanics to the mix, making for the very best entry in this storied series to date.
PlatinumGames absolutely nailed it this time around, carefully layering on more ways to engage enemies, piling on the OTT gameplay sequences, and giving us multiple protagonists without upsetting the balance of what makes these games amongst the very best examples of their genre.
With solid performance in docked and handheld modes, impressive visuals, non-stop action, and a hugely replayable campaign that’s a joy from start to finish, this really is a huge celebration of everything we love about Bayonetta, an action all-timer and one of the highlights of Switch’s impressive library.
$8.99 (-50%)
Beyond Galaxyland is a well-written, artistically diverse space adventure which mixes several different flavours of RPG with puzzling and semi-open exploration. The story is filled with well-rounded characters and emotional narrative payoffs and, as much as Enright’s galactic adventure is a collection of stylistic and mechanical homages, it doesn’t feel like a patchwork of fan service.
For all its influences and adherence to specific genre execution, Doug’s journey through multiple worlds is still very much its own thing.
$17.49 (-30%)
Castlevania Dominus Collection is quite possibly the best compilation that Konami and M2 have produced to date. It presents three exceptional DS games that easily stand the test of time and provide just as much enjoyment now as they did back in the 2000s.
Not only that, but the impossible has seemingly been achieved with the remarkable addition of Haunted Castle Revisited. Included as a fun little bonus, this revamped take on a reviled arcade curio is fantastic, and while it can’t compete with the very best ‘classic’ games in the franchise, it’s the closest we’ve gotten to a brand new Castlevania in years. An exquisite package.
$6.99 (-65%)
An extremely impressive first game from The Wild Gentlemen, Chicken Police – Paint it RED! is one of the best visual novel/adventure games we’ve played in a long, long time and one hell of an absorbing tale. It looks and runs great on the Switch, with only a couple of really minuscule interface issues which are easily ignored.
At roughly eight or nine hours, the story is surprisingly lengthy, but we were never bored and wanted to investigate every little thing just to wring out more precious droplets of banter and fascination. Chicken Police is a polished, captivating experience and we’re very excited for whatever’s coming next from this team.
$19.99 (-50%)
Dark Souls: Remastered is a faithful remaster of a touchstone in video game design that improves overall performance of the original release while preserving all of the character traits that made it such a memorable experience. While it’s no less forgiving — and its menus are a little fiddly — this slick Nintendo Switch iteration offers an excellent way to experience Lordran’s ultra-challenging odyssey in true handheld form.
Plus, there’s a Solaire of Astora amiibo. Praise the Sun, indeed.
$20.99 (-30%)
While you could certainly argue that Disney Illusion Island is perhaps more of a Metroidvania than it is a straight-up 2D platformer, we reckon it strikes a wonderful balance between the two genres that it could honestly fall into either category. Its focus on combat-free exploration makes this a great gateway into the genre for younger audiences, and its ability to support up to four players via local co-op means that it’s an excellent option for families who want to spend a bit of time with some of the most iconic Disney characters imaginable. You can also hug each other to regain health. What more could you ask for?
$1.99 (-33%)
This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell.
Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, Downwell is a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection; for the pocket change asking price, it’s a steal.
$2.99 (-80%)
The fact you’ve been able to play Grim Fandango Remastered on your TV and in handheld form elsewhere for years doesn’t matter one bit, because this gem of a game is still as enchanting and evocative as it was the first time you popped open that oversized cardboard box back in PC in 1998.
Here and now on Nintendo Switch, this port looks and runs noticeably smoother thanks to Double Fine’s deft adjustments, so whether you’ve already joined Manny on his afterlife odyssey or this is your first time among the dead, Switch’s library is 100% better for its inclusion.
$10.04 (-33%)
Heretic + Hexen is yet another slam dunk for Nightdive Studios. This new release revamps both titles with modern controls, bonus content, and thoughtful changes to the core design that make each game a delight to play.
Granted, these are still FPS titles from the mid-’90s, so your mileage will definitely vary, but for returning fans and those with a particular fondness for old-school ‘boomer shooters’, you really can’t go wrong. Now let’s get a native Switch 2 port with 120fps please, Nightdive.
$4.99 (-75%)
Invisible, Inc. is a brilliant little tactics game, right up there with Into the Breach and XCOM – if not even better. The bite-sized structure belies a deceptively complex and meaningful game, where all your decisions ultimately mean something significant for that final desperate attack.
If you enjoy stealth or tactics games – or you’re simply looking for a way into either genre – then Invisible, Inc. deserves your attention.
$39.99 (-33%)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is not only a graphical powerhouse and showcase for Next Level Games’ unrivalled mastery of video game animation but also an immense helping of spooky fun.
The amount of care and consideration poured into every facet of the game is abundantly clear, and it all results in one of the most enjoyable and attractive Switch titles, and the undisputed high point of an underappreciated series.
$9.99 (-75%)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a must-have for Switch-owning fans of turn-based tactical games. More importantly, such is the style and depth on offer that it’s also ideal for those who haven’t played much of the genre – for whom ‘XCOM’ sounds like a silly acronym from a war movie. Kingdom Battle and its excellent DK DLC introduce the concept in the best possible way, and then add their own ideas for what becomes a smart, surprising, and, at times, deliciously challenging experience.
Even if you don’t actually like the Rabbids, this game — and its familiar Mario cast and setting — is so good that Ubisoft’s mascots become likeable. Well, almost.
$4.99 (-75%)
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered is an utterly stellar stealth game and it’s lost none of the magic that made the original such a critical darling. Strong art direction, an engaging story, well-paced open gameplay, and a slew of extra content all combine to make for a near-flawless experience that you certainly won’t want to miss out on.
We’d give this game a high recommendation to all Switch owners; it’s the best stealth game money can buy in the Switch library, and one of the best ones in any console library.
$9.59 (-84%)
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an excellent action-RPG that’s arrived on Switch in a fantastic, feature-packed port. Evan and Roland’s antics across this game’s sprawling world are stuffed full of great characters, exciting combat and adventuring, and a kingdom-building mechanic that’s a delight to get to grips with. It looks and sounds every bit as good as its predecessor and, although the story might be a little more hit-and-miss here, we were completely hooked into this one from beginning to end. This is a sumptuously crafted adventure you won’t regret diving into.
$11.24 (-25%)
Where 80 Days was about the broad implications of travelling the entire globe, Overboard! focuses instead on the minutiae of a single day, and the intricacies of interaction. It’s a glorious study in how to create a delicate Rube Goldberg machine of dialogue and dependencies, as a cast of mostly terrible people waltz around each other with ulterior motives and pre-existing feelings about everything, including our Veronica and dear, departed Malcolm. It’s excellent: play it.
$20.99 (-65%)
Persona 5 Royal is the very definition of ‘required reading’ for JRPG fans.
A deep and moving story, stylish presentation, amazing soundtrack, and decision-driven gameplay all combine to make for an unforgettable and exceptional experience that proves itself to be every bit deserving of the hype and praise it’s already received.
While those who have played this elsewhere may want to consider whether Switch’s portability is enough to justify a full-price double dip, it suits the system perfectly. Persona 5 Royal easily stands as one of the very best RPGs of the last decade and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to miss out.