The 'NX' was dubbed 'Switch' five years ago

Hello, here's issue #254 of Switch Weekly, with your Nintendo update.

Before we get into this week's news, I'd like to start by talking about this newsletter.

As of this issue, Switch Weekly is now five years old. Yep, half a decade ago I was sat at work watching the initial reveal trailer for what we all now know as the Nintendo Switch. I quickly bought the domain, slapped a site together, and started asking folks to sign up for my new little newsletter experiment. A few days later I sent issue #1 to just over a dozen people (I'd love to know if you're still here). Thankfully I send these weekly updates to just a few more of you now (over 8,000 this week). It's been real fun to go back and look at the archives and see what we all thought of the NX/Switch before it was in our hands. Thank you so much for reading over the past five years — I really do hope this is one of the few emails you actually look forward to opening in your inbox. ❤️

ℹ️ Enjoy Switch Weekly? You can become a patron, or buy Chris a coffee to show your support.

To celebrate five years of Switch Weekly, the lovely team behind the excellent platform adventure game Horace have given me a copy of the game to giveaway. You can read a review of this gem right here, and you can follow them on Twitter too. To win all you need to do is tap this link — I'll be emailing one of you tomorrow to let you know you've won, so keep your eyes on your inbox. BTW, this is open to all. No region restrictions.

I have a brand new Nintendo-themed crossword puzzle for you to solve. I love putting these together, so please reply if you do give it a go and let me know how you found it — your feedback is handy, and lets me know whether to keep making them. Oh, and please do share them with any Nintendo fans you know who may enjoy a challenge. Here's a little tip: If you go to the 'Reveal' menu and tap 'Show a hint' you'll get another clue to help you out. 

Finally, we've got another big list of games hitting the Switch next week, with over 30 titles on the way — including Mario Party and Voice of Cards. The full list is below.

Cheers,  
Chris ✌️

🎮 Currently Playing — Metroid Dread

Tuesday, October 26

• Hermitage: Strange Case Files — Paranormal horror adventure mystery centered around a 'sinister bookstore'.
• 📦 L.O.L Surprise! Movie Night — 3D adventure game based on the toy line.
• Shadow Corridor — Survival horro in Japanese locales.

Wednesday, October 27

• Lucid Cycle — First-person environmental puzzler exploring dreams.
• Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again — Pixel art dynamic action platformer / roguelite.

Thursday, October 28

• Abarenbo Tengu & Zombie Nation — A bundle of the Japanese and North American version of this side-scrolling shooter from 1990/91.
• ⭐️ Black Widow: Recharged — A reimagining of the 1980s Atari arcade classic. Twin-stick shooter.
• Brain Meltdown - Into Despair — Move two characters at once, one with each hand in this action game - a challenge in single player no doubt, but you can play local co-op.
• Distraint Collection — Two game bundle. 2D psychological horror adventure. M for Mature..
• Dragon Hills — Simple fast-paced arcade action. Mobile port.
• Dusk — 3D first-person FPS with a 90s look. M for Mature. There's a pre-order bonus too.
• 📦 Gas Guzzlers Extreme — Car combat game. Single player. M for Mature.
• Happy Game — Creepy art style in this psychedelic horror adventure / puzzler.
• hexceed — Puzzler. Looks like Minesweeper with hexagons.
• Jigsaw Finale — 75 jigsaws to solve.
• 🎮 Jigsaw Fun: Amazing Animals — 100 puzzles, all are animal themed. Touch controls.
• 🎮 Okinawa Rush — Take on the Black Mantis clan in this ninja action-adventure platformer.
• Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water — This horror adventure comes to Switch for the first time.
• The Sokoban — Push boxes in this 'world-renowed' puzzle game. I'm not familiar. 
• ⭐️ VirtuaVerse — Old-school point and click adventure with a cyberpunk theme. Kinda dig the visuals on this one.
• ⭐️🎮 Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars — This is that card-based RPG that recently featured in the Nintendo Direct.
• Zumba Aqua — Nothing fitness related. This is a puzzle game ala Zuma.

Friday, October 29

• Cotton 100% — 1994 2D arcade action.
• Dollhouse — Film noir horror. M for Mature.
• Halloween Snowball Bubble — Puzzle game featuring what looks like snowglobes?
• Holy Cow Milking Simulator — Arcade action. Not what I thought it would be....
• ⭐️📦 Mario Party Superstars — A collection of N64 and GameCube Mario Party goodness.
• Panorama Cotton — 3D broomstick arcade adventure.
• 📦 PJ MASKS: Heroes of the Night — Kids 3D adventure based on the TV show.
• Shinrai - Broken Beyond Despair — A 150,000 word mystery visual novel.
• Zombo Buster Rising — 2D side shooting-defense, ala PvZ. (Oct 25 in U.S.)

Saturday, October 30

• Composer — A 'unique' way to write music on the Switch. (EU release date)

Sunday, October 31

• ⭐️ The Suicide of Rachel Foster — Adventure game set in a hotel in 1993. M for Mature.