Nintendo typically waits for new hardware to create new franchise installments, so when Splatoon 3 was revealed, it did raise a few eyebrows. Is there any reason why Splatoon 3’s new weapons, maps, and match types couldn’t be implemented into Splatoon 2? Probably not, but then again, Nintendo has never really dabbled in the live service market.

Review scores and critical consensus are pretty much as we expected – it’s more Splatoon, and that’s not exactly a bad thing. “Splatoon 3 is a bit like your mum making your favourite meal when you head home for the holidays. It’s been a few years since the last game — while there have been some great improvements and additions, it’s the same old Splatoon we know and love, and that’s still pretty great,” reiterated TheSixthAxis.

The Metro also awarded it an 8/10 but was more damning overall. “Technically this is the best Splatoon ever, but the complete lack of anything approaching a new idea is profoundly disappointing,” they said.

The Metacritic score currently stands at 84%, with the vast majority of reviews being 8/10s. VGC was one of the few exceptions, opting for a middling 3/5.

We’re still waiting on reviews for a lot of this week’s Switch releases. NBA 2K23 is due out Friday – previous entries scored 68% and 69% on Metacritic, so we imagine this year’s edition will be in a similar ballpark.

Life sim Disney Dreamlight Valley is in early access too, so we may not see full reviews just yet. Nintendo Life took the Switch version for a spin and found it to be a little rough. “Disney Dreamlight Valley is a frictionless, relaxing spin on life sims that manages to remain heartwarming and charming, despite a few Switch-related rough patches,” was their conclusion.

Nintendo Life also rolled up and joined Circus Electrique – a steampunk turn-based RPG from Zen and Saber, allegedly similar to Darkest Dungeon. NL awarded it an above-average 6/10 while saying: “To fans of turn-based strategy and those who loved Darkest Dungeon, Circus Electrique may be more enjoyable, but it’s a little too disjointed and repetitive to recommend wholeheartedly.”

Temtem also spreads its wings on Switch this week, finally leaving early access. For those unfamiliar, it’s a monster battling MMO similar to Pokémon. While we’ve seen a few creature-capturing games on Switch over the years, this appears to be the closest to a bona fine…