Tag Archives: Nintendo Switch

Game News, News

Pokémon Champions v1.2 Is Live — Six Mega Evolutions and New Battle Tools

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The wait is over. Pokémon Champions Version 1.2.0 went live on 9 September 2026, dropping six new Mega Evolutions — including three first-in-franchise Z Mega forms — along with quality-of-life battle tools and a fresh competitive window that runs until 2 December. If you have been holding off on downloading the free-to-play title, Regulation Set M-C is a compelling reason to start.

As we covered when The Pokémon Company announced the update at Worlds, three Z Mega forms were confirmed ahead of the patch. The full 1.2 rollout added three more on top of that — here is everything that actually landed.

Regulation Set M-C promo art for Pokémon Champions showing Mega Absol Z, Mega Garchomp Z and Mega Lucario Z
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Six New Mega Evolutions — Three of Them Z Forms

The announcement previewed Mega Absol Z, Mega Garchomp Z, and Mega Lucario Z. Version 1.2 delivered those three plus Mega Salamence, Mega Golisopod, and Mega Baxcalibur — six new forms in a single patch:

  • Mega Absol Z — gains Sharpness, boosting the power of slicing moves
  • Mega Garchomp Z — picks up Levitate, removing its Ground-type weakness to Earthquake
  • Mega Lucario Z — debuts the brand-new Aura Guard ability, halving damage taken from contact moves
  • Mega Salamence — powered by Aerilate, converting Normal-type moves to Flying-type
  • Mega Golisopod — armed with Tough Claws for a bonus to contact-move damage
  • Mega Baxcalibur — brings Thermal Exchange, raising Attack each time a Fire-type move connects

The one-Mega-per-battle cap remains in place. Regulation M-C keeps all previously eligible Pokémon while expanding the pool with Rillaboom, Salamence, Golisopod, and Baxcalibur. The competitive window runs until 2 December 2026 at 01:59 UTC — about 12 weeks of ranked play for Singapore-based trainers to master the new roster before the next reset.

Mega Absol Z squares off against Mega Lucario Z in a Pokémon Champions ranked battle stadium
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company
Z Mega Evolutions arrive in Pokémon Champions! | Official Pokémon World Championships Trailer — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on YouTube

What’s New in the Battle Interface

Beyond the Mega Evolutions, v1.2 ships two quality-of-life additions that competitive players have been requesting.

View Log records every action taken during a match in real time — you can scroll back through the turn history without leaving the battle, making it much easier to track when a held item was consumed, when an ability triggered, or how many turns of sleep remain. Selection Support pulls your historical ranked-battle data onto the team-selection screen, surfacing matchup notes as you finalise your squad.

Neither feature is headline-grabbing, but both remove friction that any veteran competitive player knows well. If you have been tracking turns on a notepad or screenshot, you can put it away.

Balance Changes and New Held Items

A targeted round of balance adjustments arrived with the update:

  • Politoed loses access to Pound
  • Archaludon can no longer use Mirror Coat or Metal Burst
  • Slash is newly available as a learnable move
  • Wish and Strength Sap each had their PP reduced from 12 to 8

Twelve new held items also enter the game with Regulation M-C: Rocky Helmet, Air Balloon, Red Card, Binding Band, Eject Button, Normal Gem, Terrain Extender, and four terrain Seeds (Electric, Psychic, Misty, Grassy). The additional items open up a wider range of defensive sets and weather-team strategies.

Cinematic wide shot of the Pokémon Champions championship stadium with glowing neon Pokéball logo
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Free to Play — No NSO Needed

Pokémon Champions is free to download on the Nintendo eShop for Switch and Switch 2, and on iOS and Android. No Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required for ranked play — unlike most Switch 2 multiplayer titles, Champions lets you compete online for free. Pokémon Home compatibility means you can import Pokémon from prior games into your team; check the official Regulation M-C eligible-species list before you transfer, as not every Pokémon in your Home box will be valid.

For more Pokémon and game news, keep checking back — Regulation M-C runs until 2 December, and we expect the Singapore competitive scene to have a lot to say about the new Z Mega roster over the coming weeks.

Game News

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow Pre-Orders Open — New Gameplay Trailer Out

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Pre-orders for Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow, the upcoming tactical counter-timeline RPG from Arc System Works and developer UnitePlus, are now live — and a brand-new gameplay trailer has dropped to show exactly how the game’s unusual battle system works. As we covered when the September 24 release date was confirmed, this is shaping up to be one of the more interesting RPGs of the month, and the new trailer makes a strong case for it.

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow – Pre-Order Trailer — via Arc System Works Europe on YouTube

How the Counter-Timeline Combat Actually Works

The headline mechanic is the Timeline — a scrolling display that shows incoming enemy attacks before they land, colour-coded by type (Red, Blue, Yellow). Your job is to queue up skills of the matching colour on that same timeline slot, converting a hit you’d take into a counter that deals damage back. Land a perfect counter and you launch the enemy into the air; chain a follow-up with your sub-character and the numbers start stacking fast.

You can slow time or pause mid-battle at any moment to plan these stacks — which means the system rewards both on-the-fly reaction and careful setup equally. Protagonist Soma Hoshigami (the courier infected by an Anomaly and left in a “Half-turned” state) and investigator Rena Hizuki can be swapped mid-combo, with Buddy Counters requiring both characters to coordinate their timing for the big payoff. It looks frantic but the pause-anytime design keeps it approachable.

Rena Hizuki fighting a Wailing Wraith enemy in collapsed Tokyo street in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Image courtesy of Arc System Works
Soma Hoshigami unleashing a Secret Art against The Blighting Sovereign boss in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Pre-Order Bonuses and Pricing

Pre-orders and early-purchase copies come with a solid stack of extras: three additional character skins for both Rena and Soma, plus access to Voidfall — a standalone extra battle mode featuring 16 high-difficulty encounters with their own exclusive rewards. Voidfall is described as a brutal endgame challenge layer separate from the main campaign, so if you like pushing builds to their limits after the credits roll, it’s worth grabbing early.

The game is priced at US$24.99 across all platforms — PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games Store — making it one of the more accessible new releases this month. Singapore players can pick it up through the PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, or Steam as usual; no region-locking issues have been flagged. Check our game news section for further pricing updates closer to launch.

The Story: Collapsed Tokyo, Two Unlikely Partners

Set in a near-future Tokyo after a catastrophe called the World Collapse, the city is now overrun by grotesque creatures known as Anomalies, and reality itself is fraying. Soma gets attacked on a courier job, survives in a half-human half-Anomaly state, and ends up in the custody of Rena Hizuki from the Metropolitan Police’s Foreign Affairs Fifth Division. Their investigation spirals through a mystery involving a narcotic called “Tiny True” and cursed glyphs called Stigmas — all told through fully voiced dialogue and a cel-shaded aesthetic that leans into the horror of the setting without losing the anime style Arc System Works is known for.

Visual novel story scene showing Rena Hizuki and Soma Hoshigami in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Worth Your September Budget?

At S$30-odd equivalent for a fully original JRPG from the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue publisher — fully voiced, with a genuine mechanical hook and a dark-Tokyo aesthetic that feels distinct from anything else launching this month — Qliphah looks like a solid pickup for fans of character-action-adjacent RPGs. The pre-order bonuses add meaningful extra content rather than cosmetics alone, and the Voidfall mode suggests UnitePlus has designed the combat to hold up beyond the main story.

Close-up character art showing a protagonist with partial Anomaly corruption in Qliphah in Providence's Shadow
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow launches September 24, 2026 on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Pre-orders are live now at Arc System Works’ official page and all major storefronts.

Game News

DQ Monsters Withered World Reveals Villain, New Game Mode

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Square Enix has dropped a meaty “Monster Wrangler” trailer for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, delivering the most substantial look yet at the game’s story and post-game content. Aired during PlayStation’s State of Play Japan broadcast, the two-minute clip introduces a jester-styled villain and a brand-new competitive game mode — both confirmed for the 3 December 2026 global launch.

Meet Thespidor, the Showrunner of Darkness

The trailer puts a name and face to the game’s antagonist: Thespidor, who styles himself the “misdirector” of the Tragedian Players and “showrunner of the darkness below.” His flamboyant jester aesthetic makes him an unusual foil for heroines Bianca and Nera as they venture deeper into the Kingdom of Witherwood — and a welcome change from Dragon Quest’s usual parade of demon kings.

Bianca and her monster party exploring the red desert biome in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World
Image courtesy of Square Enix

As we covered when the game was announced, the two leads are Bianca and Nera — familiar faces from Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride — reimagined as Monster Wranglers who form deep emotional bonds with the creatures they recruit, raise, and synthesise. Over 500 monsters from across the Dragon Quest series populate the world of Witherwood, each with unique skills and classes.

Wrangler’s Gauntlet: The New Endgame Challenge

The trailer’s second half spotlights Wrangler’s Gauntlet, a side mode that throws players into consecutive monster team battles to earn Points. Those Points are redeemable at the Gauntlet Goods Shop for monster Eggs — including Slime Family Eggs at varying power levels and Dragon Family Eggs. It functions similarly to the Coliseum challenges found in mainline Dragon Quest titles, giving completionists something to grind once the main story wraps.

Battle scene in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World showing Round 1 combat with ice spell effects and HP bars
Image courtesy of Square Enix
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World – Monster Wrangler Trailer — via PlayStation on YouTube

Global Launch on PS5, Switch 2 and PC — 3 December 2026

Nera and her monster companions in an icy biome in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World launches simultaneously worldwide on 3 December 2026 across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. Pre-purchase players unlock Advance Access from 1 December, letting them dive in two full days before the general release. Square Enix has not announced a separate Singapore price yet, but the day-one global release means no region-locking headaches for local fans picking it up on PS5 or Switch 2 at launch. Keep an eye on our game news for any SGD pricing updates closer to release.

Game News

Another Eden Begins Demo Is Live — 6 Free Chapters Before the September 17 Launch

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If you are a JRPG fan and have not tried Another Eden Begins yet, today is the day to fix that. Studio Prisma and Wright Flyer Studios dropped a free demo on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and Steam on September 2, letting you play through the first six chapters of the main story — and any progress you make carries straight over to the full game when it launches on September 17, 2026.

Another Eden Begins Announcement Trailer — via WRIGHT FLYER STUDIOS on YouTube

The Chrono Trigger Pedigree Behind Another Eden Begins

The headline selling point here is the creative team. Masato Kato, veteran director and scenario writer behind Chrono Trigger and Xenogears, leads the project at Studio Prisma. Composer Yasunori Mitsuda — whose credits include Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross and Xenogears — handles the score. For anyone who grew up on those SNES and PS1 classics, that combination alone is reason enough to download the demo and see what the two have cooked up for a new generation.

Another Eden Begins overworld exploration in the Zol Plains
Image courtesy of Wright Flyer Studios / Studio Prisma

Story: A Brother Chasing His Sister Across 800 Years

Another Eden Begins is a time-travelling, turn-based JRPG. Protagonist Aldo lives with his sister Feinne in the village of Baruoki — until a time-space rift tears her 800 years into the future. Aldo leaps after her, and what starts as a rescue mission spirals into an adventure that spans eras, civilisations, and the very nature of time itself.

The story unfolds alongside more than 18 companion characters, each with their own ally quests and kinship storylines that deepen as you progress. The main narrative is fully voiced in English, which, given how sprawling the cast and lore appear to be, is a welcome commitment from the developers.

Another Eden Begins - Aldo facing a time-space vortex in a dramatic story moment
Image courtesy of Wright Flyer Studios / Studio Prisma

Gameplay: Turn-Based Combat and the Another Force System

Combat is turn-based and built around party composition and elemental synergies. The stand-out mechanic is Another Force, a burst mode that unleashes a chain of devastating attacks against a single target — particularly useful against the tougher boss encounters the demo already teases.

Another Eden Begins turn-based battle system with chain skills and Another Force mechanic
Image courtesy of Wright Flyer Studios / Studio Prisma

The character roster already looks memorable from the screenshots alone — Cyrus, a samurai frog with katana and a flowing scarf, is precisely the kind of eccentric design that makes JRPG rosters worth exploring. With companion-specific quests tied to a Kinship system, there is real incentive to invest in the side characters, not just the main story party.

New Game+ and 10 Different Endings

For players who want to see everything, Another Eden Begins includes a New Game+ mode with ten distinct endings. That kind of replay incentive is rare in JRPGs of this length and speaks to the team’s ambition — and likely the roots in Masato Kato’s branching, lore-dense narrative style from his Chrono series work.

Another Eden Begins - dramatic boss encounter with a massive fire creature
Image courtesy of Wright Flyer Studios / Studio Prisma

How Singapore Fans Can Play

The demo is available right now on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 eShop, as well as on Steam. Six story chapters is a generous slice — enough to judge whether the game is for you well before committing to a purchase.

The full game launches September 17, 2026 digitally worldwide at a price yet to be announced for Singapore. A physical edition will follow in 2027 in western markets through Aksys Games. For now, Singapore JRPG fans can grab it on the eShop or Steam when it drops. Check out our other gaming news while you wait.

Game News

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow: Arc System Works’ Tactical Timeline RPG Hits PS5, Switch and PC on 24 September

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Arc System Works — the studio behind Guilty Gear and BlazBlue — is bringing a brand-new IP to the table. Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow, co-developed with UnitePlus, launches on 24 September 2026 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, and Epic Games Store, priced at US$24.99 (SGD pricing to be confirmed).

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow — Announcement Trailer | ARC Showcase 2026 — via Arc System Works America on YouTube

Post-Apocalyptic Tokyo, a Half-Human Hero, and a Cop on His Case

Qliphah in Providence's Shadow — Souma and Rena in the corrupted city
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

The game is set in 2030 Tokyo, three years after a cataclysm called the Collapse blurred the boundary between reality and something far worse. Monstrous entities known as Aberrations roam the streets, and a mysterious narcotic called Tiny True is circulating through the ruins alongside cursed body markings called Stigmas — neither of which the authorities can explain.

Into this chaos steps Souma Hoshigami, an ordinary delivery driver who gets attacked by an Aberration and is transformed into a “half-turned”: half human, half monster. He is promptly taken into custody by Rena Hizuki, an investigator with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Anomaly Division, who would rather study him than let him go. Their uneasy partnership forms the spine of the story, told through visual novel-style scenes and fully voiced in Japanese and English.

The Timeline Combat System: Predict, Counter, Unleash

Qliphah in Providence's Shadow — timeline battle UI
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Where Qliphah separates itself from the crowded JRPG field is its Tactical Counter-Timeline battle system. At any moment, a UI bar shows you every incoming enemy action — its element, its timing, and the window to intercept it. You can slow or pause time to line up your response, stack skills over the timeline for massive burst damage, and then let the action play out in real-time once you commit.

Matching a coloured counter to an incoming attack of the same element triggers a combination strike between Souma and Rena, dealing heavily amplified damage. Positioning also matters: battlefield switching lets you sidestep status-inflicting neutral attacks that cannot be countered the normal way. Hands-on previews from Anime Expo 2026 found the system engaging even on lower difficulty, with RPGamer writing that “Qliphah contains undeniable style and flair and has the promise to be something quite exceptional if its combat remains engaging throughout its runtime.”

Qliphah in Providence's Shadow — combination attack between Souma and Rena
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Cel-Shaded Art and a Multilingual Release

Arc System Works has built its reputation on visual presentation — and that sensibility is evident here. Qliphah uses cel-shaded rendering with custom shaders for enemy designs that lean into the grotesque and surreal. The corrupted-Tokyo aesthetic sits somewhere between modern urban horror and a high-production anime, which fits neatly into the taste of Singapore’s anime and JRPG fan base.

The game launches with full Japanese voice acting alongside English, and subtitle support in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, German, and Spanish — a solid multilingual package for the region.

Qliphah in Providence's Shadow — character art and Tokyo backdrop
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

Price, Platforms, and Early Purchase Bonuses

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow releases on 24 September 2026 across PS5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games Store at US$24.99. Regional SGD pricing has not been confirmed as of this writing; check major game retail platforms and digital storefronts for local price listings closer to launch.

Early purchasers receive the Voidfall extra battle (sold separately later), bonus character skins for both Souma and Rena, and access to 16 high-difficulty bonus battles. The PS5 version supports full DualSense feedback. For more on upcoming game releases, keep an eye on the GameTrader.SG blog.

News

Crunchyroll Is Leaving Nintendo Switch on 30 October — No Switch 2 App Confirmed

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If you have been watching anime on your Nintendo Switch, you have about two months to find an alternative. Crunchyroll confirmed on 27 August 2026 that its Nintendo Switch app will be discontinued on 30 October 2026. As of the announcement, the app has already been removed from the Nintendo eShop — so new downloads are no longer possible. Existing users can still access the app until the shutdown date.

Crunchyroll mascot Hime holding a Nintendo Switch in an anime-style promotional image
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll

What Crunchyroll Said

In a brief statement, Crunchyroll announced that the Switch app “will no longer be available beginning October 30, 2026,” adding: “The good news: The Crunchyroll experience continues everywhere else.” Neither Crunchyroll nor Nintendo offered an explanation for why the app is being discontinued.

Crunchyroll first launched on Nintendo Switch in February 2022. The app ran on the original Switch and Switch Lite, giving anime fans a handheld viewing option separate from a phone. Over four years, the Switch app was a convenient pick for commuters and anyone who preferred a larger screen than a smartphone.

No Switch 2 App on the Horizon

Official Crunchyroll and Nintendo Switch co-branded promotional image
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll

The shutdown lands with an added sting: Crunchyroll has not announced any version of the app for Nintendo Switch 2. As of now there is no Crunchyroll on Switch 2, and Crunchyroll has made no announcements about future Nintendo support. That means the Switch family of devices is losing anime streaming support entirely come October 30, with nothing confirmed to replace it.

For Singapore fans who picked up a Switch 2 in the hope of carrying over their Crunchyroll habit, this is a significant gap — and one that may not be filled anytime soon given the radio silence from both companies.

Where Singapore Fans Can Still Watch Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll logo on orange background
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is available on over 30 platforms and devices globally, and Singapore subscribers are not losing access to the service — only the Switch app itself is going away. The full list of alternatives includes:

  • Web browser — crunchyroll.com on any PC, Mac, or tablet
  • Mobile — iOS and Android apps remain fully supported
  • PlayStation 4 & 5 — fully supported
  • Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One — fully supported
  • Smart TVs — Samsung, LG, Android TV, and others
  • Media sticks and boxes — Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV

For Switch owners who used the portable anime feature on commutes, the most direct substitute is the Crunchyroll mobile app on your phone — the interface and catalogue are identical. Alternatively, a Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick plugged into any screen gives you the same experience on a bigger display.

Crunchyroll has not indicated any refunds or credits tied to the Switch shutdown, so existing subscriptions continue as normal — only the access point is changing. Keep an eye on the latest gaming and anime news in case Crunchyroll announces new platform support in the coming months.

Manga Anime, News

Hyouka Author’s Seasons of Books and Keys Gets a Game — Switch & PC This Winter

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If you loved the quiet, deliberate mystery-solving of Hyouka, there’s a game coming this winter that belongs on your radar — Seasons of Books and Keys, fully voiced and playable in English on Nintendo Switch and PC.

Seasons of Books and Keys – Official Announcement Trailer — via SHUEISHA GAMES on YouTube

What Is Seasons of Books and Keys?

Seasons of Books and Keys is a mystery novel series by Honobu Yonezawa, the author behind the Hyouka series (brought to life by Kyoto Animation) and the SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary series. Publisher Shueisha Games and developer iMel have announced a game adaptation described as a “drama-like adventure,” launching on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in winter 2026.

This is the same team behind Schrödinger’s Call — iMel has a track record with literary adaptations in this quiet, atmospheric space.

Jiro Horikawa and Shimon Matsukura at the library committee table in Seasons of Books and Keys
Image courtesy of Shueisha Games

The Story: A Library Committee with a Complicated Caseload

You play as Jiro Horikawa, a high school boy serving on the library committee alongside his partner Shimon Matsukura. What starts as ordinary student requests quietly spirals into something far heavier. Four cases form the backbone of the game: a safe that simply refuses to open, exam questions that went missing, the last book borrowed by a student before their mysterious death, and a secret that Shimon himself has been hiding from Jiro.

Shueisha Games frames the experience as fusing the act of reading a novel with watching a drama — you take in the story with your eyes, hear it through full voice acting, and unravel each case yourself.

Mari Uragami character scene from Seasons of Books and Keys
Image courtesy of Shueisha Games

More Than a Visual Novel

Character designs come from Yoko Tanji — the same illustrator who worked on the original novels — so the look stays true to the books. The adaptation also includes a brand-new episode written by Yonezawa exclusively for this game, giving novel readers a reason to play even if they know the main story inside out.

Shimon Matsukura crouching behind a fence in a moody evening scene from Seasons of Books and Keys
Image courtesy of Shueisha Games

What Singapore Fans Need to Know

Seasons of Books and Keys launches with English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese support — no language barrier for Singapore players, whether you pick it up on the Nintendo eShop or Steam. No SGD pricing has been confirmed yet; expect the usual Switch and Steam SEA regional rates when it lands this winter.

If you haven’t read the novels, this is a good excuse to start before the game arrives. The Hyouka connection is real: the same author, the same slow-burn everyday-mystery mood, and character designs that feel right at home alongside KyoAni’s adaptation. Keep an eye on the Manga & Anime tag here for further updates.

Game News

Maestro Drops Free Switch Demo — Conduct Attack on Titan to Beethoven

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If you have ever waved your arms along to the Attack on Titan soundtrack and thought, “I could conduct that” — Maestro is here to settle the debate. Double Jack and Microids have dropped a free demo of Maestro on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 eShop right now, letting Singapore players step onto the conductor’s podium before the game’s September 17, 2026 launch.

MAESTRO: NINTENDO SWITCH – REVEAL TRAILER — via Maestro: Le Game on YouTube

What Is Maestro?

Maestro started life as a virtual-reality rhythm game on Meta Quest and PSVR2, where it won Meta’s Game of the Year award in 2024. Developer Double Jack has now rebuilt the experience for flat screens on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, swapping VR headsets for Joy-Con motion controls. The core loop stays the same: you stand at the podium and lead a symphonic orchestra through iconic pieces of music, one gesture at a time.

Maestro gameplay in a dramatic Viking-themed orchestra venue on Nintendo Switch
Image courtesy of Microids

The game is deliberately accessible — you do not need to know a crotchet from a quaver to enjoy it — but it has enough depth in its three difficulty tiers to keep rhythm-game veterans working for those perfect performances. As with most rhythm games, the real draw is what you are conducting.

The Soundtrack: Attack on Titan, Star Wars, Harry Potter and More

Maestro ships with 35+ compositions spanning classical and pop-culture scores. Anime and genre-fiction fans will spot some heavy-hitters. Kohta Yamamoto’s “Ashes on the Fire” from Attack on Titan is included as base-game content on both Switch versions — no DLC required. Beyond that, the tracklist pulls in John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” from Star Wars: Episode I and “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter, Ramin Djawadi’s Game of Thrones main theme, and Howard Shore’s “Bridge of Khazad-dûm” from The Lord of the Rings. The classical side covers Verdi, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms, among others.

Maestro conducting Verdi's Requiem in a golden Baroque palace venue
Image courtesy of Microids

Each track has its own themed orchestra venue to match the mood — a brooding Viking hall for the more dramatic pieces, a gilded Baroque palace for Verdi, an atmospheric Gothic courtyard for the Harry Potter theme. Post-launch DLC is planned, so the setlist should grow after September.

Conducting With Joy-Con — How It Works

The control scheme maps directly to real conducting technique. One Joy-Con acts as the baton, keeping time and setting the tempo as you sweep it through the air. The other hand cues individual orchestra sections — strings, brass, woodwind, percussion — and shapes the dynamics. Maestro supports both tabletop and docked play modes on Switch, so you can keep the volume low in a shared HDB flat or go full arm-flailing in the living room.

Maestro's MAGNIFICO score screen with cherub illustrations and audience applause
Image courtesy of Microids

Nailing a performance earns you the “Magnifico” rating from the crowd, and there is a full cosmetics system to unlock — new venues, conductor outfits, batons and gloves — giving long-term players something to chase beyond the leaderboards.

Free Demo, September 17 Launch — What Singapore Players Need to Know

The free demo is live on the Nintendo eShop right now for both Switch and Switch 2. It includes Verdi’s Requiem across all four difficulty levels, which is a decent sampler of whether the motion controls click for you before you commit.

Maestro's in-game conductor character presenting The Bridge of Khazad-dum Lord of the Rings track selection
Image courtesy of Microids

The full game launches September 17 at US$29.99 (Singapore eShop pricing to be confirmed — check the local listing before purchasing). That date coincidentally lands on the same day as Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, making it a busy week for Nintendo fans locally. Maestro supports Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese text, so the interface will feel familiar for players in the region.

There is no confirmed physical edition for Singapore at this point — Microids is publishing a physical cartridge for Switch internationally, but local retailer availability has not been announced. The safest bet for Singapore players is the digital version on the Nintendo eShop, which is available now for the demo and will carry the full game on September 17. Check more Switch and Nintendo news on the blog for updates as launch gets closer.

Game News

Rumour: Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Are Coming to Switch This Autumn

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Hoenn fans, it may be time to warm up the Mach Bike. Reliable leaker Shpeshal Nick is claiming that Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are headed to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 this autumn — and there is enough circumstantial evidence sitting behind the rumour to make it worth paying close attention to.

What Shpeshal Nick Claims

Pokémon Ruby gameplay — trainer on bicycle with Latias in Hoenn
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

On 12 August, Nick posted on X that ports of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are currently planned for late September or October 2026. He did not specify whether the three games would arrive simultaneously or be staggered, and no pricing or eShop details were given. The Pokémon Company has not commented.

Nick’s track record gives the claim weight. He accurately leaked the Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch 2 console and the 40th Anniversary Pro Controller before either appeared officially — so while his word is not law, the history is hard to dismiss outright.

The Evidence Behind the Rumour

Rayquaza GBA battle sprite from Pokémon Emerald
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Two pieces of supporting evidence make this rumour feel credible rather than speculative:

Dataminer discovery: Shortly after Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen launched on Switch on Pokémon Day (27 February 2026), dataminers found connectivity strings inside those ports explicitly referencing Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. The same kind of inter-game linking existed in the original GBA releases, and the presence of that code in the Switch versions suggests Game Freak built in hooks for Hoenn games that were already in the pipeline.

Rayquaza marketing push: The Pokémon Company has been running a high-visibility Rayquaza campaign through mid-2026 — Mega Rayquaza anchored the Pokémon TCG Pocket Ruler of the Skies expansion (July 30) and the TCG Storm Emeralda set (with Mega Rayquaza ex). Rayquaza is the cover legendary of Pokémon Emerald. A coordinated card push without a game announcement would be unusual; a push that dovetails with an eShop port would be textbook Pokémon Company marketing.

The FireRed/LeafGreen Blueprint

Pokémon FireRed on Nintendo Switch — Wild Snorlax battle screenshot
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company / Nintendo

The Gen 3 ports would almost certainly follow the approach Nintendo used for FireRed and LeafGreen in February 2026: faithful recreations of the GBA originals, slightly upscaled for Switch resolution, with no remade visuals or added features beyond eShop convenience. FRLG cost US$19.99 each — equivalent to roughly S$26–27 at current eShop rates for Singapore. Expect similar pricing for Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald if they arrive.

What This Would Mean for Singapore Trainers

If the ports are real, Singapore players should expect:

  • Nintendo eShop download only — as with FRLG, no physical cartridge is likely
  • SGD pricing around S$26–30 per game based on the FRLG precedent
  • Nintendo Switch Online not required to play, though it may unlock connectivity features
  • Pokémon HOME compatibility likely to follow — the October HOME 4.1.0 update already confirmed expanded Gen 1 (FRLG) connectivity; Gen 3 linking would be a natural next step

One important caveat: these would almost certainly be digital-only Switch ports of the original GBA releases — not remakes. If you were hoping for Hoenn reimagined in the Legends style, this isn’t that. What you would get is the authentic 2003–2004 experience on a modern screen, which for many players is exactly what they want.

Neither Nintendo nor The Pokémon Company has confirmed anything. Treat this as a strong, evidence-backed rumour until an official announcement lands. We will update this post if that happens. Keep an eye on our news section for any Pokémon Presents developments.