The Famicom was a top-loading game system, but that changed when Nintendo brought the hardware over as the NES. Why did the system have its cartridge slot moved from the top to the front? Masayuki Uemura, the man responsible for designing the NES, recently revealed the details during a presentation at the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield.

On the Famicom, the cartridge was directly connected to the hardware inside. So if you attach the video [game cartridge] to the actual devices, there’s static and charges, and [this can result in a] short circuit. Unlike Japan, where it’s humid, Texas, for example, in North America is very dry, so it’s likely that children, when they touch it, will [cause a] short circuit. And in the living room there are rugs and stuff like that, so it’s likely that we will have static. So front-loading prevents children from actually touching their hands to the devices, that’s why [we developed it] as a front loader.

You probably have the same question I do. If static was the reason for the redesign, why did the second version of the NES go back to a top-loading slot?! Unfortunately, no answer was given, so the decision remains a mystery.

The EMEAA (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia) numbers for Jan. 2020 have come in, and there's a ton to go through. Check out the massive breakdown of data below.

- sales of hardware is down 15.8% compared to the same period a year before
- revenue is down 13.1%
- the only console to sell better in January 2020 vs 2019 was Switch, which is up more than 17%
- Switch accounted for almost 52% of all consoles sold across the retail markets
- the Neon Switch was the most popular individual product
- physical game sales were down 5.6% year-on-year to 6.6 million games sold
- the split between download and physical sales is 66% of games were downloaded vs 34% bought in a box.
- Nintendo was the biggest physical publisher of the month with a 20.4% market share
- EA was the No.1 publisher across digital and physical combined with a 14.1% share of the sector
- Nintendo does not share digital numbers and, as a result, does not appear in the digital publisher rankings at all
- 50% of all tracked games sold last month were on PS4, followed by PC (18.8%), then Switch (16.3%) and Xbox One (11.9%)
- in terms of boxed games alone, PS4 had a 47.3% share, Switch is second with a 32.9% share, and Xbox following at 25.1%
- the biggest country for game unit sales across the tracked markets is the UK, with 16.1% of software sales
- the UK was followed by France at 14.5% and then Germany at 11.8%
- UK's success comes from the fact it is the biggest market for digital downloads (15.8% share)
- UK came in ahead of Germany (13.3%) and Russia (13.2%)
- the No.1 boxed games market is France, which accounts for 22.8% of all boxed games sold across the tracked territories
- Spain is the second biggest physical games sector (17.1%), with the UK in third place (16.5%)
- just over five million accessories were sold, marking a drop of 11.9% year-on-year
- revenue reached $158.9 million, which is down 7.46%
- the biggest market for accessories, toys and cards was the UK, followed by France and then Spain
- the top selling toys-to-life product was the Dark Samus amiibo

Digital data includes games from participating companies sold via Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo Eshop. Participating companies are Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Codemasters, Electronic Arts, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, Microsoft, Milestone, Paradox Interactive, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two, Ubisoft and Warner Bros.

Physical data includes all games, but only those sold in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Yacht Club has released an absolute ton of content for Shovel Knight. The team only just wrapped Shovel Knight proper after putting in years and years of work on expansions and more. Even now, we know the company is partnering up with other devs for spin-offs like Shovel Knight Dig and Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon. Spin-offs and expansions are great, but what about a true sequel? Yacht Club is thinking about that too.

In an interview with DualShockers, Yacht Club Games artist Sandy Gordon opened up about the chance of Shovel Knight 2. Gordon says the team is “absolutely” considering a sequel and he's “is sure that’ll happen at some point: it’s something we talk about a lot.”

Nintendo eShop (Switch)

MathLand (Artax Games) - €5.99/£5.49
Have fun with over 25 levels and negotiate all kinds of obstacles in order to get to the chest that holds the gem. It will be a real adventure—you'll have to deal with quicksand, bewitched parrots, volcanoes with lava, puzzle games, magic doors, funny carnivorous plants, etc. It will surprise you!

SAMURAI SHODOWN (Koch Media) - €49.99/£44.99
The battle cuts its way into the Nintendo Switch line-up! From its creation in 1993, the Samurai Shodown series has redefined weapon-based fighting games. 11 years after its most recent release comes a brand new addition on the Nintendo Switch! Experience the fighting game that took the world by storm!

Peerless warriors duke it out in 1700s Japan! 13 returning characters are joined by 3 completely new to the series. This latest installment takes place one year before the events of the original Samurai Shodown game, where tensions are still hot in the land of the rising sun! A game that threads the line between suspense and thrills!

Classic Samurai Shodown concepts like the Rage Gauge, Lightning Blade, and Super Special Moves make their return! Feel your heart race as you're moments from death, only to turn the tables in one fell swoop! A true fighting game experience is waiting for you on the Nintendo Switch!

SAMURAI SHODOWN DELUXE EDITION (Koch Media) - €59.99/£54.99
Includes:
- game
- Season Pass 1

Hayfever (Zordix) - €14.99/£13.49
In Hayfever, the player takes control of Thomas – a young postman with a strong work ethic. There is just one tiny little issue… Thomas suffers from terrible (and we mean TERRIBLE) allergies.

It is up to the player to use Thomas’s allergies to help him traverse a dangerous world, turning his weaknesses into strengths! Different allergens have different effects on Thomas – radically changing how he interacts with the world. Regular pollen allows him to build up a big sneeze to propel himself through the air. Smog, on the other hand, makes him swell up like a balloon. Peanuts… Well, peanuts are a WHOLE other story.

Portal Dogs (Brain Connected) - €4.99/£4.49
As king of the dogs, your mission is to find all your loyal subjects and guide them to the portal. The second you wake up another dog, he will simultaneously follow your movements. You succeed by finding your way to the portal. You are mastering the mission if you save all your loyal subjects, find the golden bone and get to the portal.

Farmer Sim 2020 (SC Ovilex Soft) - €14.99/£13.49
Farmer Sim 2020 will let you become a real farmer! Take yourself in an awesome open world and start enjoying this great farming simulator. Harvest different types of crops, manage your livestock - cows, sheeps, turkeys, pigs. Experience the farming life, transport woods, hays, etc...

This Farmer Simulator will allow you to play with many machines, tractors, combines, trucks, trailers, plows, seeders, etc... The next-gen graphics will completely immerse you in the real farming world.

The Unholy Society (CAT-astrophe Games) - €9.99/£9.00
The Unholy Society, a quirky 2D adventure game mixed with action elements, is inspired by '80s and '90s movies, comic books, as well as everything else that fits into the categories of "iconic" and "pop culture".

ARCADE FUZZ (QUByte Interactive) - €1.99/£1.79 (€0.99/£0.89 until March 3)
TTV3 is a fast-paced maze wanderer minigame with procedural maps and audio, with original gameplay and aesthetics.

WARPZONE DRIFTER is a physics-based drifting minigame. Moving tentacles, limited time, procedural levels and the inability to break are elements of the challenge.

Put your reflexes to the test with these gems of the Brazilian underground game development scene.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (CAPCOM) - €29.99/£24.99
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection brings together six classic titles in one game: Mega Man Zero, 2, 3 and 4, and Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent.

This bumper package includes not only the original games, but new features including Z Chaser mode, as well as Casual Scenario Mode and Save-Assist feature for players who wish to enjoy the story at their own pace.

Two Point Hospital (SEGA) - €39.99/£34.99
BUILD, CURE and IMPROVE! Design stunning hospitals, decorate them as you like, cure very unusual illnesses and manage troublesome staff as you spread your budding healthcare organisation across Two Point County.

Two Point Hospital includes two DLC - "Bigfoot" and "Pebberley Island"

BATTLESLOTHS (Invisible Collective) - €9.09/£8.19
No party is complete without steaming boxes of fresh pizza. But beware, your friends are hungry too, and this pizza isn’t going to last all night.

Grab a hoverboard and get moving. Defend your pizza from other players and fight for slices from across the map in this fast-paced, competitive twin-stick shooter. Choose from an arsenal over 15 weapons ranging from swords to nukes to exact death and revenge upon those who would claim any slice unspoken for. Learn to take advantage of unique map conditions to get a competitive edge over your opponents. You’ve never seen sloths move this fast (then again, you’ve never had a pizza party with a hungry sloth before.)

Arcade Archives Salamander (HAMSTER) - €6.99/£6.29
'SALAMANDER' is a shooting game released in 1986. The player will challenge against the aggressions from the Bacterian special force known as SALAMANDER.
In this work, Japanese version of 'SALAMANDER' and North American version of 'SALAMANDER' which is called 'LIFE FORCE' are included. And more, Japanese version of 'LIFE FORCE' which was arranged the North American version of 'LIFE FORCE' for the Japanese market, has been released in 1987 in Japan, is also included.

MADORIS R (Caerux) - €4.99/£4.49 (€3.99/£3.59 until March 12)
"Madori" means house layout in Japanese. This is simple puzzle game and It has no time limit.

Edgar - Bokbok in Boulzac (La Poule Noire) - €15.99/£14.39
You are eccentric outcast Edgar, living in the woods with your chicken and beloved squash crops. Unfortunately, a sudden disaster forces you out of your shack and towards the bright lights of the big city, Boulzac, where an 800 year old fire rages beneath the surface, and weird things are afoot.

Explore a strange and comic universe, meeting its unhinged (and unforgettable) inhabitants and discovering ancient secrets. Unveil the surreal conspiracy holding Boulzac together. Trek above and below the light city. Enjoy whip-smart dialogue, surreal adventures and satire. Equal parts whimsical and dark: you’ve not met a cosmic horror like this before.

Puzzles for Toddlers & Kids: Animals, Cars and more (winterworks) - €7.99/£6.99
This puzzle game is extremely easy to use and was tailored with great care to be played by children of all ages.

It is battle-tested and 100% frustration free. It contains different difficulty-levels for entertaining a wide range of age-groups. Balloons and Bubbles can be popped at the end of each puzzle, adding extra fun to the game.

The game can be configured to make it even more easy to use, so children of all ages can enjoy the gaming experience with no frustration while still being challenged as appropriate for their age.

Vasilis (Sometimes You) - €4.99/£4.49
Vasilis, the main character, has lost her husband Peter in the rebellious city center. The city has plunged into chaos by constant riots, and almost every day something is burned or someone is killed.

Having been abandoned by the government, the center is now dominated by local workers and students, who were able to build four towers that bring life back to those that have died.

Vasilis is a game which focuses on characters and story. It is divided into five chapters in which the player will deal with riots, cults, and cruel war events.

Voxelgram (Lukasz Krasniewski) - €6.59/£5.79
It is a 3D variation of nonograms/picross.
176 puzzles
18 dioramas

BE-A Walker (SONKA) - €9.99/£7.99
You are the pilot of a battle mech BE-A Walker (Biped Enhanced Assault Walker). Your mission is to defeat the hostile natives to protect the colony population. But annihilation of the native race is not the only way to stop the war. Choose your side and make the decision that suits you best: to be a human, a true son of Earth fighting for survival of your race and killing whoever stands in your way, or to be a humanist who’s trying to protect the poor natives, victims of the greedy invaders.

Controlling the mech is not an easy thing. Raise up one leg, move it to the left or to the right, and then take a step. Repeat it for the other one. This is how the Walker walks. Control every leg to smash the enemies or to avoid grenades and missiles.

UnderHero (Digerati) - €16.99/£15.29
Underhero is an RPG-platformer where the chosen hero has failed, and an underling of the evil king reluctantly takes his place as the new hero. Use timing-based combat to defeat enemies as you venture across the land, face off against quirky bosses, and save the Chestnut Kingdom from your own evil boss, Mr Stitches!

MouseCraft (Crunching Koalas) - €9.99/£8.99
MouseCraft is an A to B puzzle game where players help Schrödinger, the crazy cat scientist, in completing his mysterious, mice-powered invention. Pile up Tetromino bricks to create a safe path for as many mice as possible, gather collectibles, fight enemies, use different types of blocks, blow up things and avoid environmental hazards in 80 handcrafted levels!

Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary (BBG Entertainment) - €14.99/£13.49
Gem Collectors, Dig This! Boulder Dash-30th Anniversary finds our heroes, Rockford, Crystal and others, facing a slew of new, exciting challenges in this legendary action puzzler. Dig through spectacular caves with 3D elements; avoid falling boulders; collect valuable gems and avoid nefarious enemies along the way. Discover treasure chests with rare collectibles and potent power-ups. With 260 exciting levels, 13 new, gorgeous worlds, and 10 playable characters, Boulder Dash-30th Anniversary is the best game in its 30 year history.

MX Nitro: Unleashed (Saber Interactive) - €9.99/£8.99
MX Nitro: Unleashed invites you to blaze into motocross racing nirvana! Tear through new urban environments at blistering speeds including mean streets and a bustling subway system. Freestyle through the air with 55 death-defying tricks to earn Nitro speed boosts in your battles against new hardcore bosses. Crash your way through re-imagined levels packed with adrenaline-pumping ramps and obstacles.

MX Nitro: Unleashed expands upon the original MX Nitro with new tracks, new bosses, and new outfits. The game also includes several improvements from the original including improved visuals, from rider textures to the water, and new Easy difficulty mode.

Dual Brain Vol.3: Shapes (D-O) - €13.99/£11.99
Solve the problem within the time limit and aim for a high score. The high score in the game is registered in the online ranking. Compete for scores with players around the world.

Soul Axiom Rebooted (Wales Interactive) - €12.99/£9.99
From the studio that brought you Master Reboot comes a first-person story-driven adventure puzzle game, set in the beautiful, haunting cyber-world of Elysia. Collect unique hand powers, discover multiple endings and choose your own destiny as you unravel the mystery of your digital afterlife.

You will be taken on an intriguing voyage of discovery, through beautiful, haunting locations, facing challenges that will lead you into danger on your mission to unlock your identity, your story, your mystery. But beware: some mysteries are better left unsolved.

Served! (Light Maze) - €5.99/£5.39
The game features different typical characters from the world cuisine, in iconic venues of local gastronomy. Each playable character has his own attack corresponding to his cuisine to spice the game up. Bon appétit!

Wanderlust Travel Stories (Forever Entertainment) - €14.99/£13.49 (€13.49/£12.14 until March 4)
In a bar, on the world's most remote island, a group of strangers share their stories. Step into their shoes and experience travel from distinct perspectives. Wanderlust Travel Stories is a book that you shape. If you’re seeking something a little bit different it is for you—and if you can read this, you have all you need to get started.

Four long stories and five short ones, each written by its own team of authors. Every journey offers a unique playstyle as you experience travel through the eyes of distinct individuals. Like an idealistic student, a jaded reporter, or a man who’s simply a terrible planner.

Heaven Dust (indienova) - €6.59/£5.89 (€5.60/£5.00 until March 11)
When you awake, you find yourself in a mansion, where was the secret research center, is now a maze full of horrible zombies and deadly traps. You'll have to escape by overcoming your fears, collecting items, solving innovative puzzles and revealing the cruel truth.

In 1970, a scientific investigation team found a new virus in the blood samples from a primitive tribe called "Torkue" in New Guinea. Some scientists think it will help to reveal the secret of immortality and they called it "Heaven Dust". It turns out that it's not really a gift from Heaven, it opens the gate to hell instead.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers (Ironhide Game Studio) - €12.99/£11.00
Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Tap your troops through an epic (mis)adventure as you defend exotic lands from dragons, man-eating plants, and ghastly denizens of the underworld -all with flashy new towers, levels, heroes, and more goodies to help you crush your foes to a pulp. (Don't worry, we've still got all the good ol' stuff from the last game, too. It's vintage now.)

Kingdom Rush: Frontiers packs in so much content, it's like a fully upgraded artillery blast of mouthwatering, pixelated joy launched right into your smiling little face... and it hurts so good!

Hero must die. Again (DEGICA) - €39.99/£35.99
You are the hero, your last memory is fighting with the demon Guile and felling it, thus saving your world. However, you seem to have died in the process and now you cannot remember her, the one for which you went alone to fight the demon. Due to your great deed, the gods have given you five more days to put your affairs in order, but time will quickly take its toll and you will grow weaker as the days pass.

From renowned creator Shoji Masuda (Linda³, Oreshika) comes an epic anti-RPG about aging and death.

Skull Rogue (Drageus Games, available February 28) - €2.99/£2.69
Skull Rogue is a rogue-like RPG inspired by the classics. Start with an ordinary skeleton and skill up to an incredible warrior. Dive into a world of eternal battles and endless progression. The further you are, the harder and more unique your enemies become...and so do you!

Ski Sniper (Ultimate Games, available February 28) - €4.99/£4.49
Discover all the sniper weapons including a crossbow!
Complete objectives to get special rewards.
Watch Your perfect shot trajectory from the special bullet-camera perspective.
Admire bullet damage in the X-Ray mode.
Choose Your perfect sniping spot.
Become the best Ski Sniper around the world.

Ganbare! Super Strikers (Ratalaika Games, available February 28) - €9.99/£9.99
Ganbare! Super Strikers is an innovative mix between Tactical RPG and Soccer. Win matches to level up and earn new equipment that will allow you to learn special abilities, boost your players' stats or protect yourself against altered status effects.

Create your own Soccer team to take on the many rival teams in story mode! Can you join the National Japanese Soccer team to become the best soccer player in the world!?

Bucket Knight (Sometimes You, available February 28) - €4.99/£4.49
Even knights still have to pay taxes, loans and alimony. Help an unnamed but brave knight in his sacred mission to find the Holy Grail (and make some money). Explore dungeons, slay enemies, avoid traps, stay alive and get rich!

Spartan Fist (JanduSoft, available February 28) - €12.49/£11.29
Fight your way to fame, fortune and glory in this first-person puncher roguelite as you work to retrieve the fabled Spartan Fist. Playing as Emma Jones, a down-and-out detective working to earn her keep, you’ll tap your inner badass as you punch dudes so hard they explode. Navigate through an arena that’s different each time you play and delve into a whimsically gritty and colorfully punk pixilated world while fighting your way to the top.

Grab your TV and get punching!

Profane (AlternativeSoftware, available February 28) - €15.99/£14.99
Profane is a 3D boss rush Bullet Hell based on time. This means that you have to face every Boss and defeat them before your time runs out! Time is money and health, so acquiring abilities or being damaged will reduce your remaining combat time. You better watch out!

STAB STAB STAB! (Monster Couch, available February 28) - €9.99/£8.39 (€8.99/£7.55 until March 6)
STAB STAB STAB is a brutal, physics-based, couch multiplayer fighting game where you stab your friends until they pop!

Bloodroots (Paper Cult, available February 28) - €15.99/£15.99 (€14.39/£14.39 until March 6)
Betrayed and left for dead, Mr. Wolf is hell-bent on finding his killer and enacting revenge - alone, and vastly outnumbered.

Thankfully for Mr. Wolf, the world is your weapon in Bloodroots - a relentless action game that unfolds across the sprawling Weird West. You’ll choreograph spectacular, ultra-violent combos by making use of everything around you, from hatchets, to ladders, to...carrots? It’s improvise or die, as Mr. Wolf fights his way to the center of the mystery: why was he betrayed?

Metro 2033 Redux (Koch Media, available February 28) - €24.99/£22.49
In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the Earth's surface into a poisonous wasteland.

A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.

The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised underground. Having never ventured beyond the city limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat.

Metro: Last Light Redux (Koch Media, available February 28) - €24.99/£22.49
It is the year 2034. Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside – and within. Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above.

But rather than stand united, the station-cities of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever. As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to our survival – the last light in our darkest hour…

Rune Factory 4 Special (Marvelous Europe, available February 28) - €39.99/£32.99
Welcome to Selphia, a region ruled by the Native Dragon Ventuswill...and you! Start an exciting new life in the village and embark on a grand adventure!


Downloadable Content

Block-a-Pix Deluxe: Extra Puzzles Pack 12 (Lightwood Games) - €2.99/£2.99

SAMURAI SHODOWN DLC CHARACTER "KAZUKI KAZAMA" (Koch Media) - €5.99/£4.99
SAMURAI SHODOWN DLC CHARACTER "KUBIKIRI BASARA" (Koch Media) - €5.99/£4.99
SAMURAI SHODOWN DLC CHARACTER "RIMURURU" (Koch Media) - €5.99/£4.99
SAMURAI SHODOWN DLC CHARACTER "WAN-FU" (Koch Media) - €5.99/£4.99
SAMURAI SHODOWN DLC CHARACTER "MINA MAJIKINA" (Koch Media) - €5.99/£4.99

SAMURAI SHODOWN SEASON PASS (Koch Media) - €19.99/£14.99
Includes:
- KAZUKI KAZAMA
- KUBIKIRI BASARA
- RIMURURU
- WAN-FU

SAMURAI SHODOWN SEASON PASS 2 (Koch Media) - €19.99/£14.99
Includes:
- MINA MAJIKINA
- SOUGETSU KAZAMA
- IROHA
- DLC Character 4

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Russian language pack (CD PROJEKT) - Free
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Polish language pack (CD PROJEKT) - Free

DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - FighterZ Pass 3 (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment) - €19.99/£15.99
Including:
- Kefla
- Four future fighters

Portal Knights - Druids, Furfolk, and Relic Defense (505 Games) - €9.99/£8.99 (€8.99/£8.09 until March 5)

DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Kefla (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, avaialable February 28) - €4.99/£3.99

Let's Sing 2020 - Country Hits Song Pack (Koch Media) - €4.99/£4.49


Demos

Alder’s Blood (No Gravity Games)
Alder's Blood is a dark, stealth, tactical game with the turn-based combat focused on avoiding enemy ambushes and setting up your own. Use stealth and tactics to overcome the never-ending onslaught of monsters, the manifestations of your god's decay.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince (Modus Games)
The Trine series returns to the magic of 2.5D with Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince! The three heroes of the best-selling adventure series are back, sent on a quest to retrieve the troubled young Prince Selius. Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight, and Zoya the Thief are joined together once again on a thrilling quest through fantastical fairytale landscapes teeming with danger.

Prince Selius suffers from intensely dark dreams and, due to his magical talents, monstrous nightmares are able to slip into reality and wreak havoc on the waking world. Amadeus, Pontius, and Zoya must find the afflicted prince and resolve the desperate situation before the world is engulfed by the Nightmare Prince's shadow

Hundreds of Pokémon have entered.

Millions of Trainers have voted.

Meet the top 10 contenders for Pokémon of the Year, and your 2020 winner – just in time for Pokémon Day!

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch
Bloodroots – In Bloodroots, the world is your weapon – improvise and adapt to an ever-changing battle ballet, in a vicious quest across the Weird West. Betrayed and left for dead, Mr. Wolf is determined to fight back – alone and vastly outnumbered. In a world overflowing with makeshift weapons that change the way you fight and how you get around, improvise fiendish combos and compete for fame on global leaderboards. Bloodroots will be available on Feb. 28.

Nintendo eShop sales:

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Great deals this week! Check out the full list of deals available this week at https://www.nintendo.com/games/sales-and-deals.

Also new this week in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch:

Animated Jigsaws Collection
Arcade Archives VS. MAH-JONG
AvoCuddle – Available March 2
Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly – Available March 4
BATTLESLOTHS
BE-A Walker – Available Feb. 28
Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary
Broken Lines
Bucket Knight – Available Feb. 28
Depixtion – Available Feb. 28
Dual Brain Vol.3: Shapes
Escape First
Farmer Sim 2020
Frozen Friends – Available Feb. 28
Ganbare! Super Strikers – Available Feb. 28
Grizzland – Available Feb. 28
Heaven Dust
Hero must die. again
I am Ball – Available March 4
KATANA KAMI: A Way of the Samurai Story
Kemono Heroes
Kingdom Rush Frontiers
LocO-SportS – Available Feb. 28
MADORIS R
Metro 2033 Redux – Available Feb. 28
Metro: Last Light Redux – Available Feb. 28
MouseCraft
MX Nitro: Unleashed
No Time to Relax
Portal Dogs
Profane – Available Feb. 28
Puzzles for Toddlers & Kids: Animals, Cars and more
SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Served!
Ski Sniper – Available Feb. 28
Skull Rogue – Available Feb. 28
Soul Axiom Rebooted
Spartan Fist – Available Feb. 28
STAB STAB STAB! – Available Feb. 28
The Adventures of 00 Dilly
The Story Goes On – Available March 2
Tower Inferno
Underhero
Voxelgram
Wanderlust Travel Stories

Jump King was announced for the Switch earlier today, which means it'll soon be making millions of players absolutely miserable. No, the game isn't bad, but it's out to drive you absolutely nuts with its torturous gameplay!

Looks like Nintendo and Pokemon Co. are going to have another hit on their hands. A recent Famitsu poll asked readers about their interest in the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, and respondents were extremely into the idea. Of the 900 people who answered the poll, 88% said they're going to purchase the pass. 10% of those who responded said they were unsure, and 2% said they were going to skip it.

The Switch launched in China a couple months back, courtesy of a collab between Nintendo and Tencent. Since then, fans have been getting more and more upset with the lack of support the platform has received.

Believe it or not, even though the system has been available for roughly 2 months, just one game has officially launched. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was up for grabs on day one, and that's all customers have had to play. Along with that, Switch owners are angry with how online services are being handled in China, as they cannot access the eShop in other regions, and can't play with players in other countries.

Things have gotten so bad that a complaint collection service in Japan has seen the phrase "Tencent Nintendo Switch false advertisement" shoot to the top of their complaints list. Hopefully Tencent speaks out soon and offers up some insight on what's to come.

We're extremely sad to report that Kazuhisa Hashimoto, creator of the Konami Code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start) has passed away at the age of 61. With the cheat code initially appearing in Gradius, the 1985 NES title from Konami, it has become a legendary passcode used across many different video games over the years (even outside Konami titles), and is even used to unlock my own personal smartphone. He will be greatly missed, and will always be remembered every time the special code is inputted across video games everywhere.