Twenty odd years ago, the gaming industry would go into ‘sleep mode’ during the summer – publishers saved their big-name releases for the more lucrative Q4 period, presumably believing nobody planned to spend their summer indoors playing games. A couple of movie tie-ins based on summer blockbusters were as much as we could hope for.

Skip forward to today, and we’re looking at a stupidly busy week for the eShop, with new titles from SEGA, Ubisoft, THQ Nordic, Capcom, Epic and Nintendo themselves. Plenty of intriguing indies, too.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Sonic Origins and Capcom Fighting Collection currently have 80% Metacritic scores across the board.

Koei Tecmo’s hack-and-slasher has been called finest collaboration between Nintendo and Omega Force to date, making it essential for fans of the series. “Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a stunning and immersive game, offering a satisfying combat system and delightful tactical strategy mechanics,” said Screen Rant.

Sonic Origins brings together the four Mega Drive platformers and Sonic CD, remastered and improved – only minus some of Sonic 3’s music due to complications. While it did gain several 8/10s, critics seemed to agree that it’s a little expensive at £32.99, and that it isn’t exactly a definitive package. A few more games, such as Sonic Spinball and Mean Bean Machine, may have sealed the deal.

Capcom Fighting Collection meanwhile offers ten brawlers, including the first ever home release of Red Earth. “Capcom Fighting Collection does exactly what it sets out to do, and bar a few very minor presentational oversights, is a product with years of longevity,” said Nintendo Life.

Super Nintendo revival Pocky & Rocky: Reshrined has been gaining glowing reviews too. The 1992 original is something of a cult classic, and it appears the short runtime is the only real downer.  Nintendo Life gave the import version 9/10 back in April. Our man James has also been left impressed, going as far to finish it on a single credit.  

From Paradox Interactive comes Shadowrun Trilogy, a collection of cult tactical RPGs based on the tabletop game. “Shadowrun Trilogy: Console Edition is a worthy port and a thought-provoking collection, making it a high recommendation even in 2022,” said Screen Rant before handing this Switch version a 4/5.

The runaway success Fall Guys also come to Switch this week, launching as a free to play release. Nintendo Life mentioned lag and framerate drops during their review, both of which are perhaps to be expected – this chaotic party game supports 60 players, while also having cross-play. On the same note, Ubisoft’s Roller Champions – another free to play release – is also out now.

Reviews of THQ Nordic’s Wreckfest are yet to drop. Recent footage suggested we’re in for another miracle conversion – so fingers crossed. The Switch could certainly do with more top-end racers.

Thunderful are also back with Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX – an enhanced version of last year’s Firegirl. It’s a randomised platformer that gives you three minutes to save citizens, extinguish fires, and find the level exit. There’s an unfolding story to wrap the package up. Our review went live earlier today. We’re also in the process of reviewing Ruggnar, a 2D side-scroller that replaces typical enemies with traps. Our hairy hero only has a set amount of candles to light the path ahead, forcing you to plan accordingly.

Then there’s Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition from Limited Run and Nightdive. It takes the 1997 PC original and makes all manner of improvements, including 60fps video sequences and an enhanced “Knowledge Integration Assistant.” That’s a hint system, we presume. £8-odd seems reasonable.

Other new releases include horror adventure Oxide Room 104, low-poly brawler Drunken Fist 2: Zombie Hangover, 2D side-scrolling physics platformer Why Pizza? and the non-linear action RPG Redo! Steve Jackson’s Sorcery may be worth a look too, comprising of four games.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – £49.99

Uncover the fates of three great powers in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes for Nintendo Switch – a different story set in the universe of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Command vast forces in real-time battles that blend the strategy of Fire Emblem with action-packed Warriors style gameplay to unravel the diverging paths of Fódlan’s new future.

Pocky the shrine maiden and Rocky the raccoon are back together in the latest game in the long-running classic shooter series! As the evil Black Mantle attacks, Pocky and Rocky need to team up once again, this time with some new friends to take on the upcoming challenges! With 8 stages of high-paced shooting action, you’ll have your hands full with creepy enemies, big bosses, and lots of twists and turns!

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a multi-directional scrolling shooter in the classic 16-bit style with improved graphics, sound, and fun! Gameplay takes place from a top-down perspective and features both single-player and cooperative modes. The adventures of Pocky and Rocky begin again!

Ten of Capcom’s most popular arcade games in one bumper collection!

A wide variety of titles are included from series such as Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, Cyberbots, and the first home console port of Red Earth! And of course, all titles support online play! This is the perfect collection for both arcade veterans who remember the titles, and those who want to get into them for the first time!

You’re invited to dive and dodge your way to victory in the pantheon of clumsy. Rookie or pro? Solo or partied up? Fall Guys delivers ever-evolving, high-concentrated hilarity and fun. The only thing more important than winning is looking as ridiculous as possible while doing it. Grab the silliest costume you can and fall in line…the show’s about to start!

Westwood Studios, the company that brought Real-Time to strategy games with Command & Conquer, brings Real-Time to adventure games with the science fiction classic, Blade Runner.

Armed with your investigative skills and the tools of the Blade Runner trade, you’ll be immersed in a world that lives and breathes around you with breakthrough lighting and visual effects. Your ability to survive will be put to the test in the richest game environment ever created.

Immerse yourself in the dark, gritty world of Los Angeles 2019, where you become both the hunter and the hunted.

Relive the classic collected adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD in the newly remastered Sonic Origins! From the iconic Green Hill Zone to the treacherous Death Egg Robot, you’ll speed down memory lane to thwart the sinister plans of Doctor Robotnik in polished high definition! This latest version includes new areas to explore, exclusive animations, and a brand new Anniversary mode!

The Shadowrun Trilogy comprises 3 cult tactical RPG games taking place in a dystopian cyberpunk future in which magic has re-awakened, bringing back to life creatures of high fantasy. Initially created as a tabletop RPG over 30 years ago, this one-of-a-kind setting that has gained a huge cult following during the past three decades.

Wreckfest is jam-packed with upgrade and customization options. Whether you are preparing for your next demolition derby with reinforced bumpers, roll cages, side protectors and much more, or setting your car up for a banger race with engine performance parts like air filters, camshafts, fuel systems, etc., Wreckfest is shaping up to be the best combative motorsport game out there.

Combining escape room gameplay and action, Oxide Room 104 is a bone-chilling single-player body-horror game set inside an old motel. Abducted, at the mercy of a ruthless scientist, and stalked by a horrible creature, you must try to escape using common sense, just as you would in real life. Can you get out of Oxide?

Hunt mischievous moorhuhns across a mystical campsite in the forest, shoot them down in the old walls of a knight’s castle, or put your marksmanship to the test in a medieval marketplace.

If a wild chicken gets in the line of fire, blast it with a shotgun, rocket launcher, or chicken-hammer. Quickly load up on ammunition to enjoy maximum shooting action, and the chickens will either have to drop their feathers or end up roasting on the spit!

In BROKEN MIND, you play Agent Frank Morgan, a detective with a dark past. You will have to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl who was abducted during a live Internet broadcast. The investigation is accelerated when Laura’s phone emits a signal a few miles away in the middle of the forest!

You are one of the delivery guys working at the pizzeria and you need to hurry because pizza might get cold. “Why pizza?” is a platformer, physics puzzle, and delivery job simulator at the same time. You have to deliver pizza, get your payment and survive this day. If you don’t have enough money, you’ll lose your house, food, and life, so be careful and work hard! Cheesy wonky characters, funny levels and hot pizza are included.

The inebriated antics of Drunken Fist are back with brutal vengeance as you take the role of a hungover rocker in Drunken Fist 2: Zombie Hangover! Waking up in a city full of undead hordes, it’s your job to stumble through the streets pummeling zombie opponents with the fearless inhibition that only a drunken stupor can provide.

Filled with blood, gore and loss of limbs depicted in light-hearted low-poly style, Drunken Fist 2: Zombie Hangover is a whimsical take on survival horror, featuring physics-based beat ‘em up action and ragdoll takedowns that no sober player would take seriously. It’s time to drain as many bottles of alcohol as possible, find food to keep you standing and somehow muster a bit more combat prowess than your lumbering undead opponents. The occasional faceplant will be excused, of course.

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX – £14.99

Take on the role of a young rescue officer starting her career. Armed with a trusty axe and high-pressure fire hose that also acts as a jetpack, Firegirl responds to emergency calls across the city. Can Firegirl save all the trapped civilians caught in each blaze? Can she uncover the truth of why these fires have engulfed the city? Find out in a mystery that goes all the way to the top…

REDO! is a game about a girl trying to find what remains of a dystopian world overrun by biomachines.

Presented in a non-linear, open format, the game provides a dark and mysterious narrative within a gloomy and vast, interconnected decaying city.

Combat is methodical, with the player needing to balance staggering enemies – making them less of a danger and an easier target – against fighting furiously to deplete their health as quickly as possible, and survive both unique enemy encounters and unforgiving environments.

In order to survive in this world after the end of mankind, the player will have a diverse selection of weaponry and items available, ranging from energy blades, to riot shields, to rocket launchers.

Skate, tackle, and roll your way up to glory in Roller Champions™. Discover a free-to-play, team PvP sports game like no other!

Welcome to 2032. Arenas are built all over the world and fans rush to the stands to admire their modern-day heroes, the Roller Champions. They roll up to 100 miles an hour, tackle opponents, wall-skate, and dunk while thousands of fans scream their names.

As a Roller Champion, compete in a team of three against three. The rules are simple: take the ball, make a lap while maintaining team-possession, dodge opponents and score. Go for more points by completing additional laps before attempting a goal. After each match, gain fans to compete in bigger arenas. Customize characters and create a unique destiny.

Milky Way Prince – The Vampire Star – £13.49

Live a summer of dysfunctional love through branching storylines, twists, sudden changes, and a special mechanic where you choose which senses to use with your boyfriend. In these moments, you will learn about him, his personality, and his past, making you question everything.

Milky Way Prince is a semi-autobiographical story entirely designed, programmed, illustrated, and scored by a young author, Lorenzo Redaelli.

Jump into the great adventure of Husky!

Each level has a unique atmosphere to it, and great challenge.

Try to complete all level using basic movement, jump and dash!

Legendary quadrilogy of epic adventure games in a land of monsters, traps, and magic. Journey through hills, forests, cities, dungeons, and even time in the magical world of Sorcery! where every choice matters. Fight, explore, solve puzzles, and most importantly, survive and craft your own unique story!

Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2 are the first half of an epic quadrilogy. Sorcery! 3 takes the adventure to the wilds of the Baklands and creates a fully open-world experience. Sorcery! 4 is a graceful finish to your grand adventure and has you infiltrate The Fortress of Sorcerers. Each part can be played on its own, or you can load your character from one part to the next, carrying over equipment, stats, and narrative choices.

In a world enshrouded by darkness, deep inside a factory, the light of hope still shines.

ElecHead has you play as Elec, a small robot on a mission to bring light back to the world.

When Elec touches walls, floors, platforms, switches, and more, he makes electricity run through them, activating them.

He can also detach and throw his head to trigger things remotely, but be careful: if he doesn’t get his head back within ten seconds, he will shut down.

Elec will have to use his head, literally and figuratively, to find a way out of this trap-ridden facility.

Cats are wonderful creatures, but you better not put them together without a proper introduction. Plan ahead and display them in the right order so that they get along!

Relax playing Sudoku while you learn how to properly introduce cats to each other!

When you adopt a cat and already have a cat (or several) at home, you first need to introduce them gradually. Sudocats can be handy in that matter!

Cube Decider is a logic puzzle game with RPG elements where you need to make your way through each level collecting power-up and deciding whom and when to attack using your logic and arithmetic skills.

Rising Judo Star Gushiken Takahiro was two weeks away from the match that would make or break his career – a championship match where the winner is then signed up to be a young national athlete for Japan. He was very determined to win, to fulfill his dreams of finally representing his country for a sport he loves so much.

He goes to a shrine that is rumored to grant any wish. After praying, he wakes up and finds himself in an ancient, unfamiliar place. While searching for a way back to his village, he stumbles upon two mysterious foxgirls.

Will Takahiro get back to his own world in time for his match? Or will he be stuck there forever?

It’s a dwarf’s story!

As the veins of his city are depleted and the valley is deserted of its inhabitants, rumors of taverns come to Ruggnar’s ears. Abandoned places contain incredible treasures that are just waiting to be pickep up.

Equipped with his bag and a few candles, he goes on an adventure to make his fortune!

Pachi Pachi 2 on a roll – £7.19

Our beloved thieves Fujiko and Robin have managed to escape from the Money City police.

However, citizens are not happy with this situation, that’s why they have decided to create a new search team to catch them once and for all and restore stability to one of the biggest casino cities in the world.

Join this new adventure accompanied by Agent Rin, a girl who takes up arms.

Get ready to dress up as a ninja with Hoshi and Kaoru and engage in a fight for honor.

Help a pair of beautiful farmers struggling in an ever-changing climate alongside Emika and Tsuyu.

Enjoy a fascinating fight with Hara, our female devil in a haunted school.

New boards, new missions, new girls and much more in Pachi Pachi On A Roll 2.

The Psychoduck is a stealth game about a psychotic duck who collects crowns and has no problem killing all the enemy herons to increase his collection.

Distract sentries with your slingshot, surf alligators, help turtles make way, and more!

Gather all the snails, use different mechanics to distract frog sentries, then advance through each map to assassinate the white birds.

Snug Finder – is a beautiful hidden object game. Become a finder and try to find all the objects, but be careful, sometimes it’s not that easy.

Immerse yourself in a wonderful game with lovely illustrations, gorgeous sounds and cozy atmosphere. Spend hours on 36 amazing levels with over 300 hidden objects. Let’s start adventure!

Use your best skills to deliver nice monsters from the ropes they are attached to.

Throw arrows to cut ropes but beware not hitting monsters.

You will have to develop strategies and overcome each level’s tricks.

Easy to play, fun and cute cartoon style will make this game please to the entire family.

Next week: Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, Cuphead in the Delicious Last Course, The Legend of Bum-Bo, Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei, Gamedec, Beasties, Almost My Floor, Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon, Taco Tom 2, Rabbids: Party of Legends, Hourglass, My Universe – Green Adventure : Farmers Friends, Dino Tales, Fillit, Ground Divers!, Salaryman Shi, CORPSE FACTORY, JETBOY & the Randomizer of DOOM, Accident, CAN ANDROIDS SURVIVE, Hillbilly Doomsday, and NinCat.

Matt is Games Asylum's most prolific writer, having produced a non-stop stream of articles since 2001. A retro collector and bargain hunter, his knowledge has been found in the pages of tree-based publication Retro Gamer.