PN playlist: check out what we’re playing this week

If you’ve ever wonderd which games the Pure Nintendo team plays during our off-time, or you’re just looking for gaming inspiration, our playlist has got your covered.

It’s been a busy year (and it’s only February)! We’ve been playing a wide assortment of titles this month, from reviews for new games like Dynasty Warriors 9 and Grapple Dog to kicking back with retro titles like The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong Country.

There’s still plenty of Pokémon love, along with Splatoon, although there’s strangely no mention of Mario Party this week.

So, if you’re looking for a game to play this weekend, there’s bound to be something here for you. What are we waiting for – let’s find out the games that have been keeping us busy lately.

And don’t forget to let us know what you’re playing at the moment!

Pure Nintendo playlist

Justin

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) – Most fun I’ve had with a Pokémon game in a long time. Feels fresh yet cozy :)
• Dr Mario 64 (N64 – Nintendo Switch Online) – Had some fun at a recent video game night playing this — still such great gameplay! We kept saying, 1 more game!

Kaelyn

• Grapple Dog (Switch) – This game is adorable and very challenging. I really liked the characters and the art style. Check out my full review.
• Splatoon 2 (Switch) – Just another week waiting for Splatoon 3. I can’t wait to see more footage of what the online gameplay will be like. I’m excited to see the new weapons and specials.

Trev

• Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS) – Here’s a game I feel like I played a good amount of back in the heyday of the 3DS, but it’s been a while since I’ve gone back to it. Reading a DK Purely Opinion piece for the upcoming issue of PNM put me in the mood to get reacquainted with both Donkey Kong and my 3DS. A great game for an incredible system!
• Mega Man Legacy Collection (Switch) – Yes, this is the third time in a row this release has appeared on my playlist. But 35th anniversaries only come around once. And this does have six games, four of which are favorites of mine.
• Retro Bowl (Switch) – Football season ended this past weekend, but my quest for a great Switch football game remains. Retro Bowl (we’ll have a review soon) makes a very good first impression, but the lack of defense (for one) makes it feel like half a game in ways.
• Rune Factory 5 (Switch) – In theory, I’m playing through this early review code. In actuality, my wife (who sunk over 200 hours in the 4th entry!) is the one playing. At least she’s letting me watch; I’ll try to get more hands-on time in the next month or so.

Roger

• Retro Bowl (Switch) – Finally, after five seasons, I get the opportunity to coach the team I grew up cheering for, Green Bay. I made the playoffs the first season as the head coach. Let’s see if I can’t win my second Retro Bowl Ring (the first was with San Fran).
• Art of Balance (Switch) – I was looking for a relaxing game that will allow me to unwind at night, and I found exactly what I was looking for in Art of Balance.  I really like the atmosphere that this game creates, placing me in a Zen state of mind. It’s hard to believe that this game originally released 12 years ago, it still provides a fresh experience.

Jes

• Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires (Switch) – Played this game for review and to be quite honest, I didn’t enjoy my time with it. Feel free to check out my review but let’s just move on to other things.
• MLB The Show 22 Tech Test (Switch) – I absolutely love the MLB The Show series and have played it for years, so it coming to Switch was unbelievably exciting to me. The developers opened up a play test of the game and I hopped in for the fun. While it’s definitely a rougher version of MLB The Show compared to other next-gen systems, so far the Tech Test is proof that this ambitious baseball simulation can work on Switch.
• Banjo-Kazooie (N64 – Nintendo Switch Online) – Finishing up my 100% play through of Banjo-Kazooie and I still love this game. It’s quite wonderful, even if the trivia quiz section of the game is nearly impossible to get through without cheating.I finally broke free from Mario Party Superstars…for now.

Kirk

• Monark (Switch) – Got a review to wrap up, and this turn-based RPG pulled me deeper into it than I expected.
• Rise of the Third Power (Switch) – Got a review to wrap up, and this turn-based RPG pulled me deeper into it than I expected.
• Treasure Temples (Switch) – Got a review to wrap up, and this turn-based…wait, no. This one’s the puzzle game that’s been serving as a fun, light diversion between sessions of the turn-based RPGs that pulled me deeper into them than I expected.

Cody

• Unforeseen Incidents (Switch) – I have a review coming out later today about this pandemic themed point and click puzzle. Interesting animation and really good voice acting.
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) – I just finished the story mode but I still have so much more exploring to do. I am absolutely loving this game, probably my favorite Pokémon game since Silver.
• Starfox 64 (N64 – Nintendo Switch Online) – This has been one of the better games to translate over from the N64 to switch in terms of gameplay. I still love the story mode and the characters have so much personality.

Ted

• Elite Beat Agents (Nintendo DS) – I’ve returned to this personal favourite for an upcoming retro review. I’ve been the envy of many train passengers as I’ve been playing this a lot on my commute to and from work!
• Pokémon; Let’s Go, Pikachu (Switch) – Over the last six months or so, I’ve been easing my five-year-old into the world of Pokémon, and she is doing her own play through with me as the second player (choosing the correct moves) to help her on her journey. She insists on nicknaming the Pokémon with numbers at the end to detail how old she thinks they are.
• Tetris Effect: Connected (Switch) – This has slowly become my comfort game — a daily one at that. I hop on, play a handful of games and log off. There is an ongoing battle between my girlfriend and me to see who can get the best score. She is very good at Tetris… much better than I am.

Jemma

• Infernax (Switch) – This action-platfomer harkens to the days of Castlevania, with side-scrolling monster-killing action. I’m enjoying it a lot, although I’m at a point where I’m frustratingly stuck. Watch for my final thoughts in my upcoming review.
• JankBrain (Switch) – I recently reviewed JankBrain, a platformer with an odd-looking protagonist and an interesting aesthetic that helps it stand out from the crowd. There’s some solid platforming fun to be had here, even if there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking on offer in terms of gameplay.
• Triangle Strategy (Switch demo) – I was hyped about this new demo after the recent Nintendo Direct. This short intro to the game brings us three chapters, some interesting backstory, and a decent battle experience.
• The Legend of Zelda (NES – Nintendo Switch Online) – We’ve been discussing all things Zelda in our podcasts of late, a tribute to the series to mark its 35th anniversary in 2021. I’m playing through the original game in a retrospecitve for our next edition of PNM. Interested in stories like this and more? Support us over on Patreon to see all our exclusive content!