It’s time to take a look at the upcoming new release games on our favourite handheld, the Nintendo Switch, for September 2023. Plus, we also feature Upcoming Steam games. For those of you who prefer gaming on Steam!
Not all games to be released are on the list here. Alternatively, you will see games that the other gaming sites don’t mention. We are taking notice of these games. You can expect reviews for many of them if given half a chance! It should be noted that unless we have some personal experience with the game, there’s a link to the descriptions on the Nintendo website.
Ralph and the Blue Ball – September 1st
“Hello! I’m Ralph, and my parents have just gone out for dinner. Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced all my toys, including my beloved little blue ball. Would you be able to assist me in finding them?”
Embark on a very charming hidden object short game based on a true story.
I reviewed Ralph and the Blue Ball and said this in my conclusion:
Overall, Ralph and the Blue Ball is delightful, short and sweet. If you are looking for a challenge, I’d look elsewhere, as you won’t find it here. For under a few pounds/dollars in the eShop, Ralph and the Blue Ball will give you a few moments of enjoyment.
Big Farm Story – September 1st
Meet new friends around each corner, shape your own community and have fun writing your own story. As you arrive on your grandpa’s farm, you find it in an awful condition. Buildings are crumbled and fields overgrown. The farm is abandoned, and your grandfather has disappeared without a trace.
Roll up your sleeves and grab your watering can. It’s now your time to step up your farming skills and restore the farm of your childhood dreams. Search for your grandfather’s tracks and take the chance to write your own story.
Rune Factory 3 Special – September 5th
Settle down in an idyllic fantasy town as a young adventurer with a monstrous secret in Rune Factory 3, remastered for a new generation on Nintendo Switch.
Features brand new to Rune Factory 3 Special include Newlywed Mode, standalone adventures unlocked after marriage to each of the game’s 11 eligible bachelorettes and a “Hell” difficulty level to challenge even veteran players!
Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning after a long time away, experience the unforgettable story of Rune Factory 3 with improved graphics and redesigned 3D character models.
Yvonne reviewed Rune Factory 3 Special and said this in her conclusion:
Although the base game is 14 years old, Rune Factory 3 Special still holds up well to what we expect from current-day gaming. And maybe even more, as farming really is harder than farming in newer farming sims. A summer storm can just as easily obliterate all your crops and leave you broke.
Some quality-of-life additions are missing, but the visuals look great, and the interaction with the villagers is great. You’ll have many hours of lovely gameplay ahead, especially after unlocking the Newlywed Modes.
If you are a fan of Farming/Crafting RPGs, this is a must to complete your collection on the Switch. The storyline is great, and the magic adds depth to the battles and gameplay. After all, who doesn’t want a big pumpkin fighting alongside you or have an Elefun to water the crops?
We also have a Rune Factory 3 Special guide to help you get started.
Alchemy Garden – September 7th
Create enchanting potions and establish your very own alchemy shop! Gather an array of botanical wonders to unveil magnificent recipes. Cultivate your personal alchemy garden with tender care, and infuse your shop with delightful decorations.
Manage your alchemy shop, offering plants, potions, and minerals. Price your goods based on shop condition, variety, and customer satisfaction. Get ready to negotiate with customers.
Lynne reviewed Alchemy Garden and said this in her conclusion:
Alchemy Garden is a pleasant life sim, with growing flowers and making potions as the source of income to buy decorations for your house, shop and garden. At the moment, it’s more decorating than farming, but I hope the developers continue to invest time and passion in the game to expand its repertoire. Unfortunately, the port to the Nintendo Switch isn’t as smooth as it could be, which has lowered my final verdict.
Fae Farm – September 8th
Escape to the world of Fae Farm and create your own cosy home in the enchanted world of Azoria. As you nurture and grow your homestead, you’ll get to meet charming characters, foster deep relationships and discover ways to infuse magic into everything you do. Customise your character, master the arts of crafting, cooking, potion-making and discover so much more.
I reviewed Fae Farm, and we also have a guide here.
Farming, bug catching, fishing, crafting and animal care have all been implemented well in Fae Farm. There is certainly plenty to keep you busy. The game looks beautiful, and it’s pretty chill. However, I’d look elsewhere if you’re into the romance side of simulation games and looking for relationships with NPCs. The NPCs don’t offer much and feel wooden, which is a pity.
The price point of Fae Farm is high, in the same league as you’d pay for the more well known IPs. A lot of you may be wondering if it’s worth it, and Yvonne and I discussed this specifically. Well, Fae Farm does promise two big updates from December 2023 to June 2024. And even at the start, it’s already a huge game. And I must say, it plays effortlessly, no bugs or anything marring the gameplay, and it’s a feast to look at. So I’d be inclined to say that for me, it’s worth the price.
Fae Farm is definitely worth a look if you’re a cosy game and farm sim fan. Just make sure you have ample time, as the gameplay and especially the crafting can be very addictive.
Gravity Oddity– September 12th
It’s a Roguelike space adventure with an epic twist. Across the galaxy, gravitational fields are weakening, causing planets to implode. It’s a good thing the boys and girls at the Rio Grande Corporation came up with gravity boots. With them, traversing surfaces on every planet is a walk in the park.
All is well until the corporation kidnaps your roommate, Gary. Your rent isn’t going to pay itself, so you just have to go after him. With your new sidekick, Newton, you go on a one-man rescue mission to uncover the mysteries of your roommate’s disappearance and what lies beneath the Rio Grande Corporation.
James reviewed Gravity Oddity and had this to say in his conclusion:
Overall, I really liked Gravity Oddity. On the surface, it’s fair some gamers will play this and just see a by-the-numbers action roguelike with simple graphics. For me, it goes so much deeper than that if you give it the time. This truly feels like a game the developer sank a lot of love working within their boundaries yet making something unique and charming.
Sure, I found things got hectic at times, and like any roguelike, this has some crazy difficulty spikes that you don’t expect. But I sure had a lot of fun playing this and feel it’s worth your time, whether you are new to roguelikes or experienced in the genre. Gravity Oddity took me to the stars, and I was very happy with the journey, even if it meant a lot of failures in the process.
Super Bomberman R 2 – September 13th
The latest title of the party battle games series SUPER BOMBERMAN R! With new adventures and game modes, it has the largest content volume in the series history!
The game features offline battles that can be played with family and friends and online battles that connect players worldwide, as well as a single-player mode. In addition to the well-known “Standard”, “Grand Prix”, and “Battle 64”, a new battle mode called “Castle” in which players are divided into Attack side and Castle side to battle for the treasure.
Fresh Start – September 14th
Although I don’t like cleaning in real life, cleaning in Fresh Start had me glued to the screen when I played it on Steam. There’s something so satisfying about washing all the muck and rubbish away and giving the animals their beautiful habitat back. No big challenges; just getting in the zone of cleaning and watching everything look lovely again.
Here’s my review of the game. Be aware that it is first person, so you might get motion sickness.
Fresh Start Cleaning Simulator mimics real life’s workings in a very satisfying way with lovely graphics and satisfying little puzzle elements. A pity the first-person view made me nauseous, but that is entirely personal.
Super Adventure Hand – September 21st
You, a former gloves sales hand, suddenly find yourself alone. Your best friend, Arm, is no longer attached to your wrist! “It was those nasty feet; I know them like the back of my hand!” you assured yourself.
Let the hand do the walking and enjoy this gripping 3D platformer, where you play as a handsome hand. Avoid dangerous obstacles and find your way to the magic mug at the end of each level.
Enjoy 50-plus exciting, unique levels full of challenges! Avoid saw blades, fires, and other obstacles. Enjoy a handy five high friction digits allowing you to climb walls and tubes, grab objects, explode bombs, and more.
Avatar the Last Airbender: Quest for Balance – September 22nd
Relive the epic adventure of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series as you play as Aang and his friends and master the elements, explore the unique locations from the series, solve challenging environmental puzzles and experience the most heart-touching moments of Aang’s story.
Play the story solo or with a friend through the game’s unique two-player co-op mode. Embrace Your Destiny and experience Aang’s original adventure. Replay any of the 18 thrilling chapters whenever you choose to experience your favourite moments from the series.
Minkeo’s Night Market – September 26th
Play as Mineko, a curious girl who has just arrived at her new home on a struggling Japanese-inspired island at the base of Mount Fugu. The superstitious locals on the island worship the Sun Cat, Nikko. What was always thought to be a long-told myth has puzzled the town, as sightings of Nikko have begun to surface among the island residents in recent days.
Discover the secrets behind the town and restore the struggling village to its former glory. All the while, manage your daily activities, complete various jobs, venture on whimsical quests, and craft peculiar items in preparation for the weekly Night Market!
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos – September 26th (US)
The land of Anthos was a peaceful and harmonious land watched over by the Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites, who protected the inhabitants of Anthos from natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and the like.
However, one day many years ago, Anthos experienced a severe volcanic eruption that threatened life on Anthos itself, and the Harvest Goddess and Harvest Sprites had to use all of their remaining power to keep the people and animals of Anthos safe. This left the different villages across the land blocked off from each other. Some unfortunate souls even got trapped outside their villages, and were unable to return…
Believing that the separated villages and people would one day be reconnected, the Harvest Goddess sent out a bottle with a letter and a magic key, then fell into a deep sleep…
Now, 10 years later, you have found the SOS the Harvest Goddess sent to the world in the form of a message in a bottle! With the help of your wacky inventor friend Doc Jr. and many others, it’ll be up to you to revive the Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites, as well as reconnect all of the villages of Anthos with each other!
I reviewed this latest entry in the Harvest Moon series and gave it an I Like it a Lot, find the review here.
All the elements of a farming simulation are there, but the game doesn’t go about it in the traditional way. Basic things like finding seeds to sow and Doc Jr.’s inventions make this a farming game that is different from the others.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos has made a big leap since their last game, One World. And if you play past a slightly unbalanced start of the game, you will find many, many hours of enjoyable farming and exploring in an innovative way.
Dolphin Spirit – September 28th
Embark on an amazing adventure on the tropical island of Maupiroa! Take to the seas and discover the secrets that surround the island! Dive into the ocean’s depths, teeming with life and colour, with your dolphin friend Keanu. Learn about marine life and ecology while helping the local environmentalists save the island from impending disaster.
Your holiday on the island of Maupiroa is not going to be easy! Fortunately, you can count on your grandfather and the island’s inhabitants to lend you a helping hand in your quest. Learn about the folklore and traditions of the island to save it from destruction. Embark on a fantastic adventure and immerse yourself in the heritage of your ancestors to unlock the secrets of magic totems.