Super Mario Party
Image: Nintendo

Well folks, we're edging ever closer to the end of July. Mad, right? It'll be 2024 before you know it.

Before we all experience an existential crisis, however, let's take a look back on what's been going on this week, shall we? First up, Pikmin 4 has only bloomin' gone and launched! It's pretty good, too, as our review will tell you.

That's not all though - oh no. Twitter was alight earlier this week thanks to a rather unconvincing 'Switch 2' render, which we immediately debunked for your convenience. It was also confirmed that Team Vanilla had won the latest Splatfest event in Splatoon 3, while a Bluey video game had been rated by the Australian Classification Board.

Now, it's time to kick back and relax with some games. Here are our picks for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know!

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

I am off to see some friends this weekend and that means that it’s party time on the Switch. We generally stick to the classics of Super Mario Party, Nintendo Switch Sports, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but I’ll be heading in with Dandori Battles a-plenty on Pikmin 4 for some tasty couch co-op too.

Outside of that, I don’t really have a main game that I am working through at the minute which usually means that I will turn to the NSO GBA library in my spare time. Maybe I’ll finally give Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga a crack after all these years of putting it off… Let’s-a go and all that.

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

On the Switch, I'll be carrying on my fresh playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, while over on the PS5, I've decided to commence Resident Evil 4 (remake) on Professional difficulty.

Gavin Lane, Editor

I’m on a Game Boy trip right now after taking delivery of a copy of Paul Murphy’s lovely Gamebook (for which, full disclosure, I wrote a piece about Super Mario Land). Next week I’m off on my hols, so I’m looking to catch up on some GB gems, including Balloon Kid and Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator. Elsewhere, I’m doing my best to resist the charms of Pikmin 4, I’ve got about 85% of TOTK still to go — no rush, I’m enjoying taking my time with that one — I want to get back to Dordogne, and I’m also jonesing for some Witcher 3. We’ll see where the wind takes me.

Have a great one, everyone.

Inspired by any of our choices? Drop the game that you are going to be mainlining this weekend into the following poll and then take to the comments to let us know if you have anything else on the cards.

What are you playing this weekend (22nd/23rd July)? (355 votes)

  1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)27%
  2. Pikmin 4 (Switch)27%
  3. Splatoon 3 (Switch)2%
  4. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch)2%
  5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)2%
  6. Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)1%
  7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)1%
  8. Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch)  0.9%
  9. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)  0.9%
  10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 5 (Switch eShop)  0.9%
  11. Pretty Girls Game Collection (Switch)  0.9%
  12. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)  0.9%
  13. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition (Switch eShop)  0.9%
  14. Pikmin (GCN)  0.6%
  15. Metroid Dread (Switch)  0.6%
  16. The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch)  0.6%
  17. Hollow Knight (Switch eShop)  0.6%
  18. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch)  0.6%
  19. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Switch eShop)  0.6%
  20. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass (Switch eShop)  0.6%
  21. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)  0.6%
  22. Fortnite (Switch eShop)  0.6%
  23. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Switch)  0.6%
  24. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition (Switch)  0.6%
  25. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)  0.6%
  26. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch)  0.6%
  27. Super Dinoblasters (Switch eShop)  0.6%
  28. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch)  0.6%
  29. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)  0.6%
  30. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (MD)  0.3%
  31. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  32. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS)  0.3%
  33. Octopath Traveler II (Switch)  0.3%
  34. LEGO City: Undercover (Switch)  0.3%
  35. Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  36. Fire Emblem (GBA)  0.3%
  37. Bayonetta 2 (Switch)  0.3%
  38. Mr. Sun's Hatbox (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  39. Blasphemous (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  40. Pikmin 1 (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  41. Detective Pikachu (3DS)  0.3%
  42. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch (Switch)  0.3%
  43. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch)  0.3%
  44. Octopath Traveler (Switch)  0.3%
  45. Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town (GBA)  0.3%
  46. Miitopia (3DS)  0.3%
  47. Auralux: Constellations (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  48. Secret of Evermore (SNES)  0.3%
  49. Jump Rope Challenge (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  50. Turrican Anthology Vol. 2 (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  51. Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  52. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Switch)  0.3%
  53. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Switch)  0.3%
  54. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  55. Kirby's Dream Buffet (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  56. NEO: The World Ends With You (Switch)  0.3%
  57. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (Switch)  0.3%
  58. Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (Switch)  0.3%
  59. Sonic Frontiers (Switch)  0.3%
  60. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  61. Pokémon Puzzle League (N64)  0.3%
  62. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch)  0.3%
  63. Collection of Mana (Switch)  0.3%
  64. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch)  0.3%
  65. PictoQuest (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  66. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)  0.3%
  67. TRIANGLE STRATEGY (Switch)  0.3%
  68. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  69. KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series (Switch)  0.3%
  70. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch)  0.3%
  71. Bravely Default II (Switch)  0.3%
  72. Minecraft (Switch)  0.3%
  73. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (3DS eShop)  0.3%
  74. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)  0.3%
  75. Celeste (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  76. Undertale (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  77. Mega Man 10 (WiiWare)  0.3%
  78. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)  0.3%
  79. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Switch)  0.3%
  80. Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time (DS)  0.3%
  81. Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (GCN)  0.3%
  82. Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (3DS)  0.3%
  83. Balloon Fight (NES)  0.3%
  84. The Last Friend (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  85. Hades (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  86. Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  87. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN)  0.3%
  88. Mother 3 (GBA)  0.3%
  89. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 6 (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  90. Enter the Gungeon (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  91. Perky Little Things (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  92. Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch)  0.3%
  93. SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  94. Gravity Circuit (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  95. Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)  0.3%
  96. The Oregon Trail (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  97. Star Ocean: First Departure R (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  98. Terraria (Switch)  0.3%
  99. Disney Dreamlight Valley (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  100. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection (Switch)  0.3%
  101. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (Switch)  0.3%
  102. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Switch)  0.3%
  103. The Smurfs - Mission Vileaf (Switch)  0.3%
  104. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)  0.3%
  105. Diablo II: Resurrected (Switch)  0.3%
  106. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Switch)  0.3%
  107. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Switch)  0.3%
  108. Mega Man Legacy Collection (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  109. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  110. Night In The Woods (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  111. Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  112. DELTARUNE Chapter 1&2 (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  113. Baba Is You (Switch eShop)  0.3%
  114. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Switch)  0.3%