Switch Weekly - Is OLED enough to get you Switching?

Hello, Chris here with the 240th issue of Switch Weekly — here's your update on all things Nintendo from the past week, and a look at what games are on the horizon.

Forget announcing things at E3, a random Tuesday in July is the new hotness. Nintendo shared news earlier this week that a new OLED machine is joining the 'Switch family' later this year. It's not the 'Pro' many expected — instead it's a more modest revision. You get a new look dock, an Ethernet port, a fancy new kickstand, more memory (64GB), and of course that bigger OLED screen.

I share my thoughts on this new model in a touch more detail in this video here, but my current take on it is: A minor revision like this makes a ton of sense for a console that is still selling crazy well. It follows a certain rythym Nintendo have established with the Switch, tweaking the line-up/offering every two years (Switch - 2017 | Lite - 2019 | OLED - 2021). It's a great option for those who don't yet have a Switch, but not overly compelling as an upgrade. The lack of bluetooth audio support has really soured me on it. Does look nice though. Hit reply to this email and let me know what you think of it — I'd love to know what you think. 

Anyway, Skyward Sword arrives on the Switch next week, along with just over 20 other games. The full list is below. I won't be getting Zelda any time soon, as I still have Pokemon Snap and Mario Golf to get through. 

That's all from me.

Huge thanks for reading,
Chris ✌️

🎮 Currently Playing — Mario Golf: Super Rush, Wild Guns

Monday, July 12

• Fates of Ort — Retro fantasy/magic RPG focused on strategy.
• Theofil — Ancient Egypt arcade action. (EU release)

Tuesday, July 13

• 📦 Curved Space — Synthwave shmup. (EU release)

Wednesday, July 14

• 3D Air Hockey — ..for two players.
• Defend the Kingdom — Classic tower defense over 36 levels. (Jul 15 in U.S.)
• Induction — Abstract spacial puzzler about time travel and paradoxes.
• Lambs on the Road: The Beginning — Survival horror adventure platformer in which a father is looking for their daughter. John kinda looks like Joel. (Jul 15 in U.S.)
• Word Crush Hidden — Handheld only word search puzzler. (Jul 15 in U.S.)

Thursday, July 15

• Dark Nights with Poe and Munro — Supernatural adventure via interactive 'TV-like episodes'.
• Guild of Darksteel — A cinematic, side-scrolling dark fantasy adventure.
• Junkyard Builder — Clean, build, trade, and more in this 3D junkyard sim.
• Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective — Beautifully detailed adventure/puzzle based on the children's books.
• Lotus Reverie: First Nexus — End of the world visual novel with a time management component.
• Macrotis: A Mother's Journey — 2.5D platformer - lush visual style.
• Red Colony 2 —Anime-inspired 2D zombie / dinosaur adventure.
• Risk System — 2D shmup with a stunt mechanic and 'mecha anime'.
• Wizodd — Pixel-art roguelike dungeon crawler. Describes itself as 'The Binding of Isaac but without blood and more magic'.

Friday, July 16

• Lost Grimoires 3: The Forgotten Well — Save the kingdom in this hidden object puzzler.
• Restless Night — Old-school zombie action arcade game.
• Squeakers II — Multiplayer/co-op game for up to four.
• ⭐️📦 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD — Take to the skies in HD.
• Within the Blade — Stealth, meets platforming and RPG in this feudal Japan ninja game.