Games
This probably means that June is where this month’s eShop Picks should start. Tears of the Kingdom is still being played by many, but the eShop has had a good year thanks to the many summer gaming conventions and a Nintendo Direct.
This month is fantastic if you enjoy shmups or are interested in studying small sentient plants. Before diving into the very finest, let’s take a look at the honourable mentions.
Honourable Mentions
Fans of shmups, as we told you they would be, will be quite pleased. This month saw the release of not one, but two (technically more) excellent shmups for the Nintendo Switch. Also, a compilation that has been anticipated for a long time has finally arrived on Switch, and it’s fantastic.
Ray’z Arcade Chronology BATSUGUN Saturn Tribute Enhanced Score: 8/10
Lara Croft: The Complete Collection | Score: 8 out of 10
Games 3. Pikmin 1 (Switch eShop)
- Our Review
- Profile
Nintendo published it, and Nintendo created it.
Launch Date: June 21, 2023 (USA) / June 21, 2023 (UK/EU)
What a delightfully ominous shadow to cast over the entirety of the June 2023 Nintendo Direct! This is scheduled to have a medical examination (and a further one) later this year, but it won’t happen for several more months.
Pikmin is the crowning achievement of Shigeru Miyamoto’s career. Cute tiny flowers and exotic animals make this RTS-style video game stand out. While having all of the mainline Pikmin games on a single system is a great option, the Switch version is a bit bare-bones in terms of a port. Time is of the essence in Pikmin 1, so players must work quickly to rescue the Red, Blue, and Yellow Pikmin and escape the planet.
We rated the Switch port an 8 out of 10, so if you want to get ready for Pikmin 4 when it comes out later in July, this is a great game to play.
Games 2. Pikmin 2 (Switch eShop)
- Our Review
- Profile
Nintendo published it, and Nintendo created it.
Launch Date: June 21, 2023 (USA) / June 21, 2023 (UK/EU)
The folks at Nintendo Life have spoken, and they think Pikmin 2 is fantastic. Numerous arguments have been made for and against Pikmin 1, 2, and 3. Now that you can acquire them all on Switch, though, you might as well figure out for yourself which ones you like most.
Purple and white Pikmin have been added to the roster, and the game’s original time limit has been removed for a more relaxed feel in Pikmin 2. Caverns and other underground places can be explored, and they often contain the materials you need to pay off your debt. Multiplayer online game play is also available in this sequel.
So, what should we learn from this? I highly recommend the Pikmin games. Pikmin 2 is a fantastic game. We gave the Switch version the same 8 out of 10 we gave the original.
Games 1. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Switch eShop)
- Our Review
- Profile
Capcom is both the publisher and the designer.
The US and UK/EU releases are both set for June 30, 2023.
Naturally, many people were overjoyed when Capcom announced it would be remastering Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for the DS, a cult classic originally developed by Shu Takumi (of Ace Attorney fame). And to think… Even after all these years, it still blows my mind.
The riddles, storytelling, and characters in Ghost Trick are all top-notch. You’re using your ‘ghost method,’ the power to rewind time to within four minutes of a person’s death and change their destiny, to solve the mystery of your own murder. We will tell you no more about this masterpiece. It’s a no-brainer if you’re a fan of Ace Attorney and either missed this on the DS or mobile, or both.
We gave Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a perfect score of 10 out of 10 and think it’s one of the best games of the year, not only on the eShop.
May 2023 Nintendo eShop Highlights
The Nintendo Life staff votes on their favourite games from a list compiled by the editorial team at the end of each month to choose which games will be featured as the eShop Selects leading 3. The qualifying titles for this list were released exclusively through the Nintendo Switch eShop during the specified month and received reviews on Nintendo Life; we chose the qualifying games based on the ratings they received.
Employees are then tasked with selecting the top three video games in their opinion and ranking them as follows: first place receives 3 points, second place receives 2 points, and third place receives 1 point. After collecting votes, a top three is determined, with the overall winner receiving the best prize for the month.