The headline to this post is a bit of a lie – there’s no we, it’s just me, Hannah. Gemma has never touched a piece of gaming equipment in her life. But, there is some really exciting Nintendo Switch launches in the run-up to Christmas so I wanted to pull something together to help get you in the know.
I adore my Nintendo Switch. It’s been played for hundreds of hours – both on the TV and handheld, multiplayer games and solo gaming and is just brilliant for adults and kids alike. My top games? Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Animal Crossing and Overcooked 2.
Anyway, without further ramble, these are the new releases to start adding to your Christmas wish-list…
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 Free Update
An update that is only exciting if you’re already an avid Animal Crossing: New Horizons gamer. The 2.0 update will be the last ever free update for the game which launched right at the start of our very first lockdown (remember those days). Anyway, here’s a little rundown of what will be included in the update when it’s released on November 5th…
- Coffee Shop. There’ll be a new coffee shop opening up within the museum, run by pigeon Brewster. The Roost will be a place where your character can drink coffee and better get to know their villagers.
- New characters. Or technically old characters if you’re a seasoned AC player. Kapp’n, Katrina,and Harriet will be returning as well as others. Kapp’n will reside on the pier and take you to mystery islands via his boat, while Katrina and Harriet will be in the new marketplace on Harv’s Island.
- Vegetables. Whilst players have been able to grow and harvest pumpkins since last year, they’ll now be able to do the same with at least five other crops: wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, sugarcane, and carrots. You’ll be able to use these in a new feature, cooking! Unsure so far as to what this will mean within the game.
- Froggy chair. Players of previous Animal Corssing games have been livid about the lack of a popular house item: Froggy Chair. Good news guys, it’s back!
- New and custom fencing. You’ll now have the option to build more fence designs, with some of them being customisable!
- Ordinances. You’ll be able to change settings like what time your villagers wake up and the rate at which your weeks grow to make the game work better for you.
- More DIYs and objects. You’ll find new items at Nook’s Cranny and beyond, so you can continue making your island look v handsome. There’s also new items you can spend your Nook Miles on.
- More bridges and inclines. You’ll now be able to have ten of each on your island!
Animal Crossing’s expansion: Happy Home Paradise
For £22.49 you’ll be able to buy an Animal Crossing: New Horizons expansion pack, which also launches on 5th November worldwide. Essentially you’ll be able to leave your island to take on a new role as a holiday home designer on other islands. HELLO!
You’ll work as part of a team – alongside Niko and Wardell – to work out what villagers want from their interiors and then create their dream vision. You’ll also be able to take home any learned skills, and any new furniture DIYs you learn along the way.
Mario Party Superstars
There’s a new version of Mario Party launching later this week (29th October to be exact) and it looks banging. It combines some of the highlights from the original launches of the game for N64 (Mario Party, Mario Party 2 and Mario Party 3) – there’ll be five boards to explore and 100 minigames. And obviously everything will have been given a swish 2021 visual update.
You’ll find Horror Land, Woody Woods, Peach’s Birthday Cake, Space Land and Yoshi’s Tropical Island in the new game, which will set you back £49.99. A bloody brilliant multi-player game to get your hands on before Christmas.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl
There’s been no shortage of Pokemon games for the Switch over the years (Let’s Go, Pikachu, Sword, Shield and Snap to name just a few) but next month the next two in the franchise are released. Introducing Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl – nostalgic re-releases of the 2006 Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl.
Like others in the popular series, the game begins with you choosing between one of three Pokemon characters. You then go on to explore the world, duel with other Pokemon trainers and collect Pokemon. There’s lots of tweaks and new features that make it different to all the others that came before it, such as exploring the Grand Dungeon. It’s released on 19th November 2021.
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