With another week of heatwave under our belts (here in the UK, at least), it’s time for a much cooler edition of What Are You Playing.
While there were no mega busters this week, there was a steady stream of Nintendo news to keep us all entertained. There was a bunch of Dragon Quest news from the 40th anniversary stream, including the reveal of another XI release, a first look at DQXII, and the surprise announcement of a new Monsters game. Elsewhere, Resident Evil Requiem landed a free Switch 2 demo, Nintendo’s new Pictonico! mobile app launched, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was officially revealed for Switch 2, and Donkey Kong 64 was finally announced as an NSO addition.
In reviews, we shared our thoughts on Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection (4/10), Mina The Hollower (9/10) and Pictonico (8/10).
Now then, what’s everyone up to this weekend?
Jim Norman, Features Editor
It’ll be Mina, Mina and more Mina for me this weekend. I’ve made it all the way to the final area after having my butt handed to me countless times, but gosh darn, I am really enjoying it. I’m going to need to find something a little less stressful to play after this one, for sure, but Yacht Club really has killed it, once again!
Gavin Lane, Editor
Having raided Egyptian tombs and trekked through the Himalayas, I’ve just landed in Shanghai and am still enjoying every second of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Machine Games has done a superb job with this port. The lighting, the details, the subtle film grain (I’m playing in the letterboxed cinematic mode) – it’s such a beautiful game. As I walked through thigh-high mountain snow leaving trails behind me, I was marvelling at everything going on in this tiny console. It’s a stunning piece of work.
However, I do have something else to be playing: a shiny new Analogue 3D. “Well, it ain’t going to get any cheaper!” was my justification for splashing out on payday after sampling its delights at a recent staff meetup. I’ve only had time to update the firmware since it arrived and ready my Everdrive to play nicely with it, but I feel a Star Fox playthrough coming on. Have a good one. folks.
Matthew Reynolds, Acting Deputy Editor
I have two things stuck in my head this week thanks to Star Fox 64: the beautiful, melancholic theme that plays over the main menu, and for whatever reason, the word ‘Zoness’.
It’s my first time playing, and each stage is a remarkable technical showcase that, even decades later, I’m really impressed by. It’s not just that: the shooting feels sharp, I love sniffing out hidden objectives for alternate routes, and the screen-filling bosses are always a highlight. But it has aged – I can’t quite get a handle on the all-range stages, and there’s some incredible difficulty spikes whenever you take the hard path up the solar system – and so, from my fresh eyes at least, a remake does make sense. I just hope they keep the name ‘Zoness’.
Mai Ladyman, Video Producer
We’ve had an awful heatwave here so being able to play my Switch 2 has been a solace for me. This week I’ve mostly been trying my best to get better at Mina the Hollower which no doubt will take up my time during the weekend. I’ve also been jumping back onto No Man’s Sky (thanks to the latest update) and been playing with my fiancée thanks to cross-platform multiplayer! Perhaps I’ll finally finish the game now that I have a crew member?
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
Yep, I did it again. It began with just a few races of XGIII: Extreme-G Racing, and just like that, I am hooked on GameCube/Wii games. I will be revisiting a few essentials on both systems, namely Treasure’s often overlooked Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies, Sega’s MadWorld, Project Aces’ The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, and very likely moving on to XGRA. Considering the amount of amazing stuff on Switch 2, why am I doing this? The answer is quite simple, really: I have never played any of these titles on my giant TV.
My game of the week is Rushing Beat X: Return of the Brawl Brothers. I am well aware of Jaleco’s reputation for making subpar games, but I grew up with them on the SNES and loved every janky release. The original Rushing Beat actually had something that Capcom’s Final Fight did not: multiplayer! This series reboot plays nice and even throws other Jaleco franchise references while at it.
Those are our plans, but what about yours? Let us know what you’ll be slapping in your Switch (2) in the poll below:
