Whip! What is that? April, buddy. That means it’s time to look back at the glittering jewels on the Switch eShop during the dumbest of months.
As if your wish list weren’t full of great games you’ve been waiting to pick up, we’re here with a monthly reminder of the games you might have missed in the last month or so. Below you’ll find the Switch eShop games we reviewed in April, scoring 8/10 or higher, plus the NL Team’s top three cumulative picks.
The individual release of all Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on the eShop has made things a bit hazy this month, especially given the extremely limited number of physical editions. We gave the entire package a very respectable 8/10 in our reviewand while the individual games may not hit that mark, we decided to include them all in our voting round. The more the merrier, right!?
First, though, great games don’t quite manage a podium spot…
honorable mention
There were plenty of winners that popped up on the eShop in April, all worth investigating:
Publishing company: ININ game / Developers: United Independent GmbH
Sneaking into the Bronze medal slot is Cannon dancer – Osman. This spiritual sequel strider arrived on Switch (and elsewhere) this month after 27 years since the video game’s launch, and it’s already impressed a lot of us here.
Tom calls it “an undeniably sleek product [with director Kouichi] Yotsui’s aspiration for action cinema is stamped on it,” in our review, giving it a very respectable 8/10. “Speed, dynamism and full-body combat will keep you coming back for more.” Sound good, dunnit?
Publishing company: Game XSEED / Developers: Shark Club
We tested this one out at PAX East and were pleased to see that the finished product lived up to those great first impressions. Melon Journey: Mixed bittersweet memories is an old-fashioned adventure RPG with a Game Boy-style presentation and a sweet, concise experience that is sure to resonate. Mom fan.
Austin describes it as “cute on the outside, but dark on the inside” in our 8/10 rating, “a wonderfully simple, straightforward, and easy-to-understand mini-plot-based exploration RPG.” If you’re after a bit of GB nostalgia filled with wit, charm, and a bit of darkness, look no further.
Publishing company: Square Enix / Developers: Square Enix
You see, this is what happens when you give them an inch! When it comes to Final Fantasy, there’s always a big debate about which is the best, but the last of all Pixel Remasters (Final!) launched on the eShop in March, Final Fantasy VI was the clear favorite on Team NL. Lowell calls it “the jewel of the collection” in his rating of the six-game pack, praising the “deep story”, “awesome steampunk aesthetic” and “one of the best villains in gaming history.”
You may have played it before. Maybe time to play it again.
< Nintendo eShop Selects - March 2023
How We Decided on the eShop Picking the top three: As we approach the end of each month, Nintendo Life staff members will vote on their favorite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To be eligible for this list, these games must have been released as digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop titles in that particular month and must be rated on Nintendo Life; We select eligible games based on their review scores.
Employees were then asked to vote for the three games they thought deserved to be at the top of that list; The first choice gets 3 points, the second choice gets 2 points and the third choice gets 1 point. These votes are then checked to create a top three list, with the overall winner taking the top prize of that month.
