Jim Norman, Staff Writer
I finally picked up Cyberpunk 2077 last weekend and have been enjoying noodling around the past couple of evenings. I’m only an hour or two in at this point and it’s yet to really get its hooks in me, but I’m sure a good sesh this weekend will help that along a bit.
I’m also really fighting the urge to replay Mario Odyssey after that Donkey Kong Direct. Maybe I’ll just hop in to mop up a few more moons… maybe…
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
If you'd have told me that my most-played games on the brand-spanking new Switch 2 would be GameCube titles, well... yeah, I would've believed you. I love that I can just whip out Zelda: The Wind Waker or F-Zero GX while my daughter watches utter rubbish on TV.
I am, however, putting quite a few hours into Yakuza 0: Director's Cut. I must admit, I've been struggling to really settle on something now that most my launch review responsibilities have been fulfilled, but Yakuza really hooks you from the start, and I'm really enjoying my time with it. It looks great and runs like a dream.
Zion Grassl, Video Producer
While at times lately it feels like my brain is slowly mutating into a Switch 2, I’ve not had as much time as I’d like with some of the games I’ve been most looking forward to on it. I’ve played so much Welcome Tour though, lemme tell ya.
Life gets complicated sometimes, but this weekend sounds like it’s gonna be easy! So that means I’m diving headfirst into Deltarune. The music, the characters, the combat! Ugh! I’ve already played Chapter 1 and 2, but with 3 and 4 now available, I’m planning to refresh myself with a new playthrough because my brain is mush and I don’t remember as much as I’d like…and I also want to relive those silly moments with Lancer and Spamton!
Gavin Lane, Editor
I'll be chipping away at Cyberpunk and otherwise scanning my library and making space for some more kid-friendly fare ahead of a family trip (in addition to 51 Clubhouse Games' ever-reliable Ludo board, natch).
Despite not being truly grabbed by Free Roam in Mario Kart World, I'm still dipping in now and then to explore, so it must be doing something right. A little more of that too, then. Have a good one, folks.
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
TRON: Catalyst is proving to be quite a good surprise on Switch but most of the weekend will be spend in the streets of Kamurochō. I would probably be far more advanced plotwise in Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut if I did not stop to play OutRun and Space Harrier every time I pass by the arcades, not even mentioning the bowling alley, the Shogi club, the Mahjong club, the batting center… yeah, now I remember why I kept postponing getting into SEGA’s flagship series: These games are made to keep you constantly distracted while having a fine time while at it. Also, what is up with this clean cut, civilised Goro Majima!?
Meanwhile on PC, having terminated (ah) my first time campaign playthrough of Terminator: Resistance (a brilliant game I missed upon release) I am quite keen to at last start up RoboCop: Rogue City. You know the drill: my generation was brought up on these movies and we are now living in a distant future where video game technology allows us to "live out" these franchises via our joypad. Sadly, we do have to buy them for way more than a dollar.
Ken Talbot, Contributor
I'm still spending time in Night City and marvelling at the performance on my undocked Switch 2.
Elsewhere, I’ll be revelling in the utter chaos of online Mario Kart World, including the great new knockout mode, which is both infuriating and humbling.
Michelle See-Tho, Contributor
Instead of getting Switch 2, I’ve gone back a few consoles and am playing Pokémon SoulSilver on DS. It’s so much fun seeing the series in its heyday (it’s literally the number one rated game here on NL). The little puzzles, the fun characters, the many many mechanics… They don’t make ’em like this any more.
Other than that I’m cosying up with Spiritfarer – a slightly more recent classic.
Tom Massey, Contributor
Being unable to get in on the Switch 2 right now I’m doubling down on my Switch 1, and going firmly old-school with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
I’m working on a long-time-coming Super Castlevania IV one credit clear, and I was so close on my last attempt I’m already haunted!
Ethan Zack, Contributor
It’s another heaping plate of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut for me this weekend. After years of wanting to jump into the franchise but feeling a tad overwhelmed by the scope of it all, I figured that this enhanced port launching next to Switch 2 was as good of an opportunity as I was going to get.
I’m having a blast working my way through the story but, man, I can feel the other games I need to play piling up as I sink hour after hour into this one. Some days I don’t even make progress — I just play darts for an hour, eat a burger, and then go on some insane side quest to beat up a cult leader. In the words of one Frank Reynolds, “Oh my god…I get it.”
Nile Bowie, Contributor
I'm writing in from Singapore, where, sadly, the Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to go on sale. I'm woefully behind the curve but hopefully, by this time next week, the next-gen Ninty console should already be in my hands.
In the meantime, I've been playing FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, the latest from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. The game's diorama-style landscapes look incredible on the Switch OLED, and the battle system offers a unique twist on turn-based combat. I have a deep reservoir of nostalgia for PlayStation-era Final Fantasy, and this scratches the itch for what it's worth. So I'll be chipping away at that until my Switch 2 arrives, and then it'll finally be time for Mario Kart World. Better late than never.
Nick Ransbottom, Contributor
I'm still wrapping my head around playing Cyberpunk 2077 in the palm of my hands so I'll be making my way through Night City this weekend while cozied up in bed.
I'll also be playing Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma and Fantasy Life i. And if I have time, I'll finally be starting Tales of Graces f Remastered.
That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know in the following poll which games you're planning on booting up over the next couple of days.
