VGamingBargains: Nintendo Switch June 2021

I know what you’re going to say VGamingBargains fans – where in the world was the May Edition?! Well, we’re not going to lie to you all – May was a very busy month for us in the VGaming offices, what with the world opening back up and some huge releases hitting our desks, so we needed you to fend for yourselves last month! But we haven’t forgotten you, Bargain Hunters! We’re back with another list full of fantastic games for less than the price of a decent pizza.

As always, the games are split into three levels, based around their price points:

Level 1 – games in Level 1 cost between £7.50 and £10.00 and tend to be the larger titles available in our price range – they’ll take most of your budget here but offer the most full-game experience for a small amount of money

Level 2 – costing between £3.50 and £7.49, games at level 2 give you a little more flexibility on how to spend your money but might be a little shorter or perhaps a little older than games in the top level

Level 3 – rounding out the list are our cheapest games, from those that are absolutely free up to a cost of £3.49. These games tend to be made by independent developers and are often a shorter experience, but make no mistake – while they might only be a few hours long, the games in Level 3 still offer a lot of enjoyment – even better, you can mix-and-match a few for your money

VGamingBargains is a monthly feature, published near the start of each month to highlight a few good deals available on the eShop soon after each pay day. Keep an eye out for future editions and we’ll do our best to put you onto a couple of great games that won’t break the bank!

 

Level	Title	Cost	On Sale Until
Level 1	Okami HD	£7.99	14/06/21
	Fury Unleashed	£8.99	16/06/21
Level 2	Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas	£5.39	24/06/21
	Tools Up	£3.59	27/06/21
	A Short Hike	£4.71	14/06/21
	Lair of the Clockwork God	£4.74	04/07/21
Level 3	Planet Alpha	£3.19	17/06/21
	Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King	£3.37	24/06/21
	HyperParasite	£1.86	20/06/21
	Feudal Alloy	£2.69	26/06/21
	Ibb & Obb	£2.69	16/06/21

 

Level 1

The jewel in the crown of this month’s list is the incredible Zelda-like Okami HD. Originally released for the PS2 way back in 2016, the already stunning Okami has since received a HD facelift and remains an absolutely must-play game for fans of hack and slash, action adventures. Set in the times of ancient Japan, the story is deeply bedded in Japanese folklore and sees you play the role of Amaterasu, the wolf-bodied incarnation of the sun goddess who has to overcome the forces of evil and bring safety back to the island. Depicted in a jaw-dropping wood block and watercolour style that mimics traditional Japanese artwork, you’ll find yourself gawping at the visuals almost as much as you enjoy the story and gameplay. Despite being critically acclaimed, I still call Okami HD an underrated gem, and believe it might be the greatest Zelda game never made by Nintendo.

Fury Unleashed is a rogue-lite platform shooter that sees you battle through the dangerous world of a living comic book! The story is an interesting one and sees you not only take on Fury’s battles between the pages, but see the toil of the artist creating the comics themselves – you have to keep winning with Fury to keep the writing coming! It’s a fantastic premise that sees you blast and slash your way through randomly generated levels, working from the top-left frame to the bottom right of the page before facing off with a fearsome boss, before moving on to the next comic book world in the collection. Collect ink to spend on upgrades and weapons, and with all of customisation available, you’ll get a unique experience every time – and taking an average of 30 hours to 100%, you’ll get plenty of playtime for your pennies here. 

Level 2

Another Zelda-like makes the list now, with Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas sailing onto the list for just over a fiver. You play as a young boy on a journey to find his missing father and destroy the titular monster, Oceanhorn. It’s a fun seafaring adventure with a fun art style and a nice soundtrack featuring the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, and comes with all the gadgets and quests you’d expect and a few RPG elements too. A sequel was released in October 2020 as well, so this purchase might give players a whole new series to explore. 

Another game following the recent trend of turning mundane activities into multiplayer mayhem is Tools Up!, where players must work together to renovate homes against a time limit. Very much in the vein of the incredible Overcooked, this four player couch co-op will have you laughing and screaming at your friends in equal measure as you move furniture, lay flooring and paint the walls, while trying to overcome one-another’s incompetence! There’s a few hours of fun on offer here for only a couple of quid, but it’s definitely one for households where a few gamers can get together – if you’re on the unpainted fence, there is a demo that you can try out too.

A Short Hike might be the most adorable little adventure that you’ve never heard of, where you spend a few hours climbing up the mountainside and helping people you might meet along the way. Very much a peaceful, ‘take it at your own pace’ experience, this one is short indeed, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a game more well loved by it’s fans – try it out! Rounding out Level 2 is the incredibly quirky Lair of the Clockwork God that ambitiously merges the point-and-click and platform genres in one game! Switch between friends Ben and Dan as they work together to try to avert disaster and stop the Apocalypse, in a mix of puzzle and platforming that’s truly unique. 

Level 3

Tense spacefaring platformer Planet Alpha headlines the Level 3 tier, offering a stunning and atmospheric experience that far outshines it’s megre price tag. Marooned on an alien world, you must use your ability to alter the night and day cycle of the planet to avoid the hostile natives and solve tricky puzzles in order to escape. This one isn’t so much about the challenge as the experience, with music and visuals driving the storytelling, but with the absolutely stunning landscapes and creatures depicted in the game – Planet Alpha is memorable indeed for just a few shiny pound coins.

This month is brimming with Zelda-likes on sale, and we have Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King in the lowest price tier. Play as Lily, Knight of the Rose, and battle your way through all manner of dungeons and baddies in a multi-generational story that sees you influence how the tale is passed down from grandfather to grandchildren. It’s got some cute, traditional pixel visuals, a big map and some enjoyable dungeons in a package that’s bound to appeal to old-school action-adventure fans. 

 Feudal Alloy is a quirky Steampunk Metroidvania where you play as a goldfish-controlled robot (!) who has to find his way back home after raiders attacked his village. Cool hand drawn visuals and a touch of strategy make it a nice addition to the collection for about the price of a Big Mac. There’s also twin-stick bullet hell HyperParasite for less than two pounds, where you play as an alien body snatcher who must control a host of human characters on your way to bringing down humanity itself! Ibb & Obb rounds out this month’s list, and is entirely different to anything else we’ve suggested so far. A stylised two-player indie platformer where the gravity works both up and down, and set to a beautiful warm melodic electronica soundtrack, you’ll need to use teamwork to overcome puzzles and progress.

 

*Game requires Online membership to play online

The recommendations made in this article do not come from any paid promotion and are solely influenced by our enjoyment of the games highlighted and their perceived value for money

Prices accurate at the time of publication

Average play times are sourced from HowLongToBeat