Mayhaps the BBC should’ve dialed up Greg Leahy about playing NES games on a Super Nintendo. I mean, who actually expects that to work? And Donkey Kong Bananza — everyone’s hyped, right? Everybody’s got monkeys on the brain this week. Speaking of which, look for a deep dive in next week’s gaming mags. But then there’s the oddball stuff too. Like Pac-Man with an exploration twist? Yeah, I didn’t see that coming. Was I alone in thinking “Shadow Labyrinth” sounded way more dramatic than what we got? Oh, and if you’re on Switch, the upgrade pack is a freebie. Who doesn’t love free stuff?
There’s also The Wandering Village—okay, imagine city building but on a giant creature’s back. Bonkers, right? But maybe it works. Oh wait, Arcade fans, did a new ArcSys fighter sneak in there? Something about HunterxHunter. I’m not even sure how many Xs are involved anymore. They’ve got Dragon Ball cred, so… promising?
And remember Neverwinter Nights 2? It’s back. Relive those dungeons but now in an “enhanced” way. That’s a buzzword if I’ve ever heard one. What about Digital Eclipse’s remaster of Golden Tee, minus trackball? To call it a letdown barely scrapes it. But oh, God Wars has a new publisher, if anyone still cares about old RPGs.
Okay, moving on—last week kinda slipped by. This Aussie football game trying for a Grand Final match-up that’ll never happen, because, you know, licensing drama. And who knew Pineapple: A Bittersweet Revenge would cost eighty bucks in Canada? Mind-boggling, right? It’s a head-scratcher marked “Five Dimitris Alert.”
Hold up, let’s check out where the games dropped this week.
North America
Switch 2 features Donkey Kong Bananza for $69.99USD / $99.99CAD. Honestly, better be worth it. And that Pac-Man drama kicks off at $29.99/$39.99—save the date, it’s Friday.
Switch 1’s looking lively with HunterxHunter Nen Impact at $59.99 / $79.99: Mark your calendars for Tuesday. Feeling detective-y? Bustafellows Season 2 rocks in at $49.99 / $69.99.
The Wandering Village sails in at $29.99 / $34.99—totally obviating linear construction norms.
Oh, Nearly forgot: Gym Manager, Command Under Fire RTS, even Karma City Police jumping into the mix. But, seriously, $7.99 for Pineapple: A Bittersweet Revenge vs. $79.99? Dollars or pesos, what are we even doing here?
Europe
Over in Europe, Donkey Kong Bananza’s snagging your purse for €69.99 / £58.99. That Pac-Man thingamajig? €29.99 / £24.99—worth the Euro?
Switch 1 antics include HunterxHunter at €59.99 / £49.99. Have they nailed the fighting mechanics, or what?
And The Wandering Village is chilling at €29.99 / £26.99—expectedly quirky.
Japan
Switch 2 roars with Donkey Kong Bananza priced at ¥7980. Pac-Man’s still chaotic at ¥3960.
Japan, as always, has its quirks. Like, DistortedCode: The Scent Of Life—is it a game or indie film? Who’s to say? Nonetheless, it clocks in at ¥8580.
Beat Em Up Collection sits there at ¥2890, peddling nostalgia. Swap Hyakunin Isshu at ¥980… culture in digits.
Maybe this didn’t make sense. Who knows. Did I mention there’s a Korean Drone Flying Tour for a measly ¥100? Go wild.
