Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Image: Level-5

It's finally upon us, the last weekend before Switch 2. We have one last chance to throw our backlogs a concerned look before a line-up of launch games gets added to the pile, so let's go out with one last hurrah, shall we?

You'd think that this week would have been a little 'quiet before the storm' vibes, but there's actually been quite a lot to keep up with. We got the official release date for Pokémon Legends: Z-A (16th October, if you missed it), saw its pre-order goodies and heard about the all-important price. As if that wasn't enough, TPC confirmed that the next Pokémon Presents showcase will be coming our way in July.

Elsewhere, the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app landed a rebrand, we got a closer look at Mario Party Jamboree's Switch 2 additions, a bunch of Switch 2 leaks revealed the console's boot screen, set-up and more, and we got a first look at a bunch of new features coming to the NSO N64 app.

Quite the week, eh? So, what's everyone doing to see off Switch 1 in style?

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

The weather is looking good this weekend and next week promises a lot of gaming, so I'm planning to take it easy on the playtime front. Old Skies has got me back on a point-and-click hit, and I have some train journeys to make, so I might crack out Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars on GBA to keep me going through the inevitable delays and jam-packed services.

But otherwise, a bit of sun, a bit of BBQ, and a bit of constantly checking my bank account for confirmation that my Switch 2 payment has finally been taken.

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

I’m still tinkering with The Hundred Line here and there, but I must admit that with the Switch 2 mere days away at this point, I’m spending a bit less time gaming in general at the moment; just to give myself a bit of breathing space before the avalanche hits.

I read a lot though, so at the moment, I’ve got two books on the go: Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park (via a stunning Folio Society edition I bought a while back) and The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn on my Kindle. I find a nice combination of fiction and non-fiction is the way to go most of the time! Have a good one, folks.

Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor

It really happened last weekend: Closure for a story that was left unfinished a decade ago. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is most certainly one of my desert island games, and the possibility of a proper sequel is just too sweet to ignore. After all, Monolith has been quietly working on something these past years, right?

My physical Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered copy arrived, and since I never owned the game on Vita, this is all-new content for yours truly. Other physical copies arriving include the amazing Star Overdrive and the SEGA Dreamcast-fuelled extravaganza known as Capcom Fighting Collection 2. This could very well be the best Capcom compilation yet, my arcade stick will surely see a lot of action this weekend.

My game of the week is… the waiting game! For these past few weeks, and to ensure that all goes smoothly on the 5th, I have executed my plan to the letter. The new TV is hooked up and ready for the arrival of the Switch 2. If my next week’s entry is just me pasting “Mario Kart World!!!” repeatedly, you will know it all worked out.

Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor

I caved in. I have Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time ready to… steal my time. The Switch 2 version launching next week pushed me over the edge. Confession: I never played the 3DS game, so this will be my first taste of Fantasy Life, which honestly sounds like a combination of things made specifically for me.

The other thing Fantasy Life will steal time from (probably) is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which I’ve just started and I’m having a blast. If the weather is nice where you are, get out there, because next weekend, many of us will have a Switch 2 in hand, and sunshine is the last thing we’ll want. Enjoy!

Kate Gray, Contributor

I'm playing Fantasy Life i like my life depends on it. Which, in a way, it does. Because it's about Lives. Do you get it? DO YOU? DO YOUUUU????

On the opposite end of the cheerful/morose spectrum, I finished Expedition 33, but it's such a delightful game that I don't want to leave. Luckily, there's TONS of post-ending content to mop up like a greedy little child licking gravy off the plate, and a New Game+, although that's a significant investment when I have so many other games to play. However, I know that all the dialogue and scenes that baffled me in my first playthrough (and there are many) will gain new and horrifying meaning in a second playthrough, plus I'll get to keep all my hard-earned Pictos...

...but I really should get around to playing Hundred Line. Uchikoshi and Kodaka? Zero Escape and Danganronpa? It's a wonder I haven't played it yet. I love a murder game!

Gavin Lane, Editor

This time next week, Mario Kart World will be old news and we'll be bleary-eyed and knee-deep in Knockout Tours. So, before the excitement of a new console launch, I'm looking to chill the beans way, way down. As I have over the past few weeks, I'll be hitting 51 Clubhouse Games with the kids once more (I never realised how long games of Ludo could last), but I also intend to finally tuck into to Thank Goodness You're Here, a game I don't think the 4K output of the Switch 2 will improve. Have a great one, everyone - we'll speak again when the next generation has arrived.


That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know in the following poll which games you're planning on booting up over the next couple of days.

What are you playing this weekend (31st May/1st Jun)?

(You may select up to 5 answers)