PS2 Era Classic From 2006 Makes Return With New Nintendo Switch Release

A classic release from the PS2 and original Xbox era is back with a new release on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED this week.  The game in question specifically hails from 2006, a year in gaming history that saw the likes of Gears of War, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Bully, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Company of Heroes, Okami, Medieval II: Total War, Final Fantasy XII, Guitar Hero II, Dwarf Fortress, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, New Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Dead Rising, Just Cause, Prey, Saints Row, Resistance: Fall of Man, Thrillville, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Burnout Revenge, and many more great games release. It was a very busy year. So busy that we could form a compelling list of releases and not even mention one of the year's best releases, Hitman: Blood Money, which is the mystery game that has returned with a Nintendo Switch port. 

More specifically, Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal is now available via Nintendo Switch for $29.99, courtesy of publisher Feral Interactive. In this case "Reprisal" is to indicate a new, updated version of the game that debuted back on November 30, 2023 via mobile phones. This version introduces a new "Instinct Mode," adds a new mini map, plus a variety of upgrades and improvements that bring the game closer to modernity and enable touch-screen play as well. 

"You are Agent 47-a trained killer caught in the crosshairs of a rival agency, 'The Franchise,' reads an official blurb about the game. "Embark on an daring mission to take out a shadowy conspiracy's lethal architects, and employ every tool at your disposal to get the job done while keeping a low profile. Infiltrate, execute, and escape undetected. Featuring gameplay improvements inspired by later games in the series, Reprisal is an artful redesign of a stealth action classic-complete with a fully customizable touchscreen interface and full gamepad support."

Hitman: Blood Money -- developed by IO Interactive, the Danish studio who continues to shepard the series -- released in May of 2006 to Metacritic scores ranging from 81 to 83, depending on the platform. Coupling this, it sold a couple million of copies, and for some of it was one of the best games of the generation. Its Metacritic scores don't indicate this, but those who liked Hitman: Blood Money, really liked it. Whether it holds up in 2024 though, we aren't so sure.