Goodbye February, hello March! And an even bigger hello to eShop Selects.
We’re one month closer to the Switch 2’s big bonanza, but hey, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves yet. We’ve still got a fresh and full eShop on the Switch to go through.
As is usual for February, things have been a little quieter on the release front for Switch, and as a result, our review schedule was a little steadier. But we still have a handful of games to go through.
The rules for Nintendo Life’s eShop Selects are simple — staff and contributors vote for their top three eShop games from our list of reviews for the month, and the games with the highest score make the top three.
Well, then, shall we get on with it?
Honourable Mentions
Given how quiet February turned out to be on the eShop front, we elected to go for games we gave a 6/10 and above — not our usual tactic, we know, but we think both games here have some fans.
Even so, there were five games to vote for this time around. These two didn’t quite make the cut — even with a surprise shadow-drop — but they’re still worthy inclusions.
1st Place: Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
There was really no other winner this month. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell was our highest-scoring review of February and easily beat the competition to take the top spot.
This is the fifth game in the Momodora series from developer Bombservice and comes eight years after the fantastic Reverie Under the Moonlight. This is how to do a sequel, perfecting Metroidvania mechanics, improving the gorgeous pixel art visuals, and adding new mechanics to give the player more opportunities to customize. Metroidvania fans, we know you’re feasting right now, but make sure you add Momodora: Moonlit Farewell to your wishlist.
2nd Place: Afterlove EP
Sometimes, on Valentine’s Day, you just need a good weep. Afterlove EP, the final game from Coffee Talk creator Mohammad Fahmi, is exactly that. A beautiful rhythm, visual novel hybrid all about moving on and remembering the person you love most in the world: your partner.
Beautiful hand-drawn visuals, heartfelt writing, and a fantastic setting in Jakarta, Afterlove EP might not hit all the right notes, but when it finds the perfect chord, it nails it. This lovely little game received a 7/10 review score.
3rd Place: Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered
Okay, so, we’re going to acknowledge right off the bat here — these are far from the best Tomb Raider games. Angel of Darkness alone needs no introduction, and Chronicle is hit and miss. But The Last Revelation, folks — that’s worth playing.
For preservation’s sake, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a fascinating collection that does the best job possible with the three more controversial games in the series. If you’re a Tomb Raider fan, it’s a must-buy. And while we may have scored it a 6/10, we think it deserves to be here for its historical importance.
Do you agree with our top three? Well, you don’t have to! You can vote in the poll below and tell us what your favorite game of February was — at least before Xenoblade Chronicles X comes in and devours everyone’s time at the end of March…