Nintendo eShop fills up on Toads and travelers this week

Some people think that the summer is bone-dry for new games. This week’s Nintendo eShop proves us wrong, yet again, with at least two titles that you should be excited about. For JRPG fans, Square Enix has arrived; if you’re a puzzle-platformer gal, Nintendo says hi.

Octopath Traveler is a Nintendo Switch exclusive courtesy of Square Enix, and its vaguely Final Fantasy 6-style vibes have caught our attention since it was announced in 2016. It’s not quite the same as that interweaving RPG classic, but Octopath Traveler does star eight characters with their own stories and abilities. While the connections between them may be more limited than old-school Square Enix fans would like, there is no shortage of style here. The biggest sell, though, is that the summertime is the best time for a nice, long RPG, and we haven’t had one this buzzy on Switch in a while.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is the return of Toad’s debut as a leading man, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. We dug the Wii U version, and we’ve deemed the Nintendo Switch (and 3DS) versions just as essential. There’s some new touches a la Super Mario Odyssey for the re-release, including the appearance of everyone’s favorite, New Donk City. Also, there’s co-op where you control turnips and stuff. It’s cute as heck.

As for the rest of the list, we’ve got sports games, multiplayer games, an Adventure Time game and something called Holy Potatotes! A Weapon Shop?!, which sounds dope. Check ’em all out below.

• ACA NEOGEO THE SUPER SPY
• Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion — Available July 17
• ASSAULT GUNNERS HD EDITION
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker — Available July 13
• Darts Up — Available July 13
• Epic Loon — Available July 13
• Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure
• Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure — demo
• Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Express Raider
• Hand of Fate 2 — Available July 17
• Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
• Hunting Simulator
• Let’s Sing 2018 — Available July 17
• Mugsters — Available July 17
• Octopath Traveler — Available July 13
• RADIO HAMMER STATION
• Red Hot Ricochet
• Super Destronaut DX — Available July 13
• Super Volley Blast
• Star Story: The Horizon Escape
• The Mooseman — Available July 18
• Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded — Available July 17
• Ultra Space Battle Brawl — demo
• VERTICAL STRIKE ENDLESS CHALLENGE — Available July 18