eShop Selects May 2025
Image: Nintendo Life

The summer is here, the Switch 2 is almost here, and that means it's eShop Selects time for May.

This is our very last Switch 1 edition of our monthly feature — but don't worry, things aren't changing with the release of a new console. You'll still be getting your monthly dose of eShop hidden gems that we've reviewed, but Switch 2 eShop exclusives will be joining the party too.

So, let's jump in — like previous editions, our team of writers and contributors have got together to vote for their top three games from all game releases we reviewed from May 2025. The games with the highest total scores make our top three. It really is that simple.

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Honourable mentions

Let's get something out of the way, first — Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time would be eligible for this, but we're currently in the process of reviewing it. As such, because it's also coming to Switch 2 on launch day, it will be eligible for votes in our June edition. So don't panic!

Another notable release missing is Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, a late-May release that's been reviewing extremely well. This is another one we're working on as we speak, which is why you won't spy it below.

So what have we got in the running this month? From our 7/10 eShop exclusives... there's quite a lot to choose from! Every single game got at least one vote from our writers, so here's what just missed out on a top-three spot, followed by the podium:

3rd Place - Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

We're living in the samurai renaissance, so why shouldn't one of the most well-known video game samurais return to take the spotlight? Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny got a remaster almost 23 years after its original release, and it's still excellent, despite the aspect ratio issues.

This is largely a no-frills release of the PS2 game, with some nice quality-of-life feature like autosave, better weapon switching, and the ability to swap between new and tank controls. It's perhaps not the most popular game in the series, but we love it, scoring it an 8/10.

2nd Place - Please, Touch The Artwork 2

Ahhh, here's a Nintendo Life favourite. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is a delightfully wacky expansion of Thomas Waterzooi's predecessor, this time focusing on a skeleton and (mostly) the artwork of James Ensor, a Belgian artist. Oh, and the skeleton is the artist himself. Yep.

That should give you an idea of what to expect from the game — it's surreal, absurd, gentle, and relaxing all in one, and for less that $5, an absolute steal. You can play it on your lunch break with a cuppa and you'll be done in under an hour. A worthy 8/10, if we say so ourselves.

1st Place - Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping

Short and sweet seems to be a theme this month, and our eShop Selects winner — and the final Switch 1-only winner — goes to a lovely little 3-hour mystery starring a recovering bread addict duck. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is the kind of levity we need in the world right now.

This sequel is a total delight, barmy and silly with a little bit of thought put into it. It's not the most challenging mystery, nor will many of the reveals surprise, but it never failed to make us smile. We scored Duck Detective's second case an 8/10, and we hope to see Eugene McQuacklin return.

< Nintendo eShop Selects - April 2025

Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments.

What's the best eShop game from our May 2025 picks? (104 votes)

  1. Arcade Archives NebulasRay (Switch eShop)9%
  2. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping (Switch eShop)38%
  3. Dunk Dunk (Switch eShop)  0%
  4. Into the Restless Ruins (Switch eShop)12%
  5. Labyrinth Of The Demon King (Switch eShop)5%
  6. Old Skies (Switch eShop)4%
  7. Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny (Switch eShop)19%
  8. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 (Switch eShop)13%

How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.

Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month's top prize.