Looking for gaming inspiration? Fear not! The Pure Nintendo playlist is here to help by revealing the games we’ve been playing lately.

JRPGs are high on the list this week, with resident expert Kirk working his way through a mix of old and new titles. By old, we mean 2022’s Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and last January’s Fire Emblem Engage. Time marches on!

The recent closure of the 3DS and Wii U eShop has had us worried for months, but the time finally came last week to say goodbye to our old friend. This naturally led us to revisit a bunch of titles we’d previously missed. There’s a lot of love for those classics this week, too.

Baseball, visual novels, and Mario Kart – there’s a bit of everything in the playlist mix this week.

Check out the team’s playlist below. Which games are you playing this week?

Kirk

  • Fire Emblem: Engage (Switch): The fourth (and final?) DLC wave launches April 4th with new characters and a new story scenario. That means it’s time for me to get caught up on the previous DLC paralogues.
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch): While I’m in the process of catching up, I suppose I should finally get moving on Wave 3 of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass. Considering all the other JRPGs I tore through recently, I’m not sure I even remember this game’s combat system.
  • Kana Quest (Switch): Speaking of the J in JRPG, I’m working on a review of this educational title that uses match-em puzzles to teach Hiragana and Katakana recognition. 難しい です

Jes

  • MLB The Show 23 (Switch): I was super pleased to get this game 4 days early (thanks Amazon for the early delivery!) and as an avid baseball fan, MLB The Show is SOOOO good on Switch.
  • Because of the impending eShop closure (now closed as you read this), I’ve spent a ton of time on a bunch of 3DS and Wii U games this past week. So much so that I’ll just put my list down:
    • Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
    • Nintendo Badge Arcade (3DS)
    • Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (3DS)
    • Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS)
    • Shovel Knight Treasure Trove (3DS)
    • Poochy and Yoshi’s Wooly World (3DS)
    • Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (3DS)
    • Resident Evil Revelations (Wii U)
    • Mass Effect 3 (Wii U)
    • Pushmo World (Wii U)
    • Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS)

Trev

  • Rakuen: Deluxe Edition (Nintendo Switch) – This is my current review game, and it’s really grabbed me. It’s an adventure that mixes several genres while having a real page-turning story to boot. I’m about 5 hours in and am excited to see what surprises come next. Look forward to my review after I beat it.
  • Various NES games – I’ve been on a real NES kick during the early months of 2023. Recently I’ve been playing some multiplayer games on Switch Online, Virtual Console, and the actual system, of course. Highlights include my wife and I taking turns in Duck Hunt, competing in Golf, and cooperating in Life Force.

Jemma

  • Perseverance (Switch) – I’m currently reviewing this visual novel, which compiles three titles into one collection. The story is engaging, if a little predictable, with some neat visuals behind the text. Watch out for imminent review!
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) – Despite this being one of my most-playesd Switch titles, I’ve never completed every Grand Prix race with a gold trophy. With new characters available to unlock, it’s about time I did. So, I’m making it my mission to work through them all! Look out, Mirror Cup, here I come!
  • Pupparazzi (Switch) – my next review game is all about taking pics of super-cute dogs. Sounds pretty good, right? I’ll let you know if it lives up to its name when I finish my review.

Enjoying our playlist? Check out our Pure Nintendo magazine for even more great news, reviews, and specialist articles!