Tag: featured

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 26th, 2022. It’s another one of those quiet Wednesdays leading into a bonkers-bananas Thursday, so let’s take a deep breath and enjoy the moment of silence before the storm. Only a few new releases to look at today, and none of them are toss-aways. We’ve got summaries of each of them, plus the latest sales and outgoing discounts. Let’s get to work!

New Releases

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike & the Quest for Stale Gum ($9.99)

What year is this? Yes, the Garbage Pail Kids finally have a game to call their own. It’s a side-scrolling platformer built to NES spec, developed by the folks behind Haunted Halloween ’86. It looks and plays like it too, so if you enjoyed that game then you’ll probably have fun here. There are four playable characters, six stages, and a trading card system so you can relive the old days of collecting gross stuff your parents sharply disapproved of. No, not those magazines. You know what I mean.

Robotry! ($12.49)

This is a weird platformer where you control each of the legs of a robot with the two sticks on your controller. No jump button here, so if you want to catch some air you need to make the necessary leg movements. Silly fun with physics abound, so if you like that kind of thing you’ll want to give this a look.

Dire Vengeance ($14.99)

A perfectly decent 2D action-platformer. It feels like it was inspired by a number of Konami classics. It has speedy gameplay, a rocking soundtrack, and a fairly uncommon power-up system for this genre. Reviews for the game on other platforms are generally quite positive, so as long as nothing got messed up in the translation to the Switch, this should be a solid pick-up for those looking for another cool action game to play.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Bethesda sale, people. Lots of DOOM games, some Wolfenstein games, and even the recently-released Anniversary Edition upgrade for Skyrim are on sale. Apart from that, there isn’t much of any particular note save the excellent Ender Lilies. But you probably have that already. A few goodies in the outbox, including R-Type, Star Ocean, and Game Dev Story. Be sure to give it a good look!

Select New Games on Sale

Penko Park ($9.74 from $12.99 until 11/1)
DOOM 1993 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/2)
DOOM II Classic ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/2)
DOOM 64 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/2)
DOOM 3 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
DOOM 2016 (15.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Eternal ($14.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Eternal DLC 1 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Eternal DLC 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Eternal Expansion DLC ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Eternal DE ($22.49 from $89.99 until 11/2)
DOOM Slayers Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/2)
QUAKE ($3.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Wolfenstein II: New Colossus ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Wolfenstein Youngblood ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)

Wolfenstein Youngblood DE ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
TESV: Skyrim Anniversary Edition ($41.99 from $69.99 until 11/2)
TESV: Skyrim Anniversary Upgrade DLC ($15.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Freshly Frosted ($7.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Roundguard ($6.95 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Cozy Grove ($8.97 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Fracter ($2.44 from $6.99 until 11/2)
The Ambassador: FT ($3.71 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Deleveled ($2.47 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Space Otter Charlie ($7.34 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Animal Rivals: Up in the Air ($5.39 from $11.99 until 11/6)
Phoenotopia: Awakening ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)

Ender Lilies: QotK ($16.24 from $24.99 until 11/8)
Lamentum ($6.39 from $15.99 until 11/9)
NeonLore ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/11)
Frightence ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/11)
Arise: A Simple Story DE ($6.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)
Japanese Escape Games Garden ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/15)
Beautiful Desolation ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, October 27th

39 Days to Mars ($10.04 from $14.99 until 10/27)
A Musical Story ($9.74 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Agatha Knife ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/27)
Burger Bistro Story ($11.20 from $14.00 until 10/27)
Cafeteria Nipponica ($7.00 from $14.00 until 10/27)
CosmoPlayerZ ($7.99 from $10.99 until 10/27)
Criminal Expert ($6.69 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Dobutsu Shogi World ($34.99 from $39.99 until 10/27)
Game Dev Story ($7.00 from $14.00 until 10/27)
Goetia 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Lode Runner Legacy ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/27)
MechaNika ($2.99 from $5.99 until 10/27)
Myastere Ruins of Deazniff ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Out of the Box ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Pocket Harvest ($8.40 from $14.00 until 10/27)

R-Type Dimensions EX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Restless Soul ($9.74 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Sam & Max Beyond Time & Space ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Sam & Max Save the World ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
sCATch: The Painter Cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Sherlock Holmes Bundle ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/27)
Star Ocean: First Departure R ($8.39 from $20.99 until 10/27)
The Ramen Sensei ($7.00 from $14.00 until 10/27)
The Sinking City ($9.99 from $49.99 until 10/27)
The Sokoban ($8.99 from $17.99 until 10/27)
The TakeOver ($3.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Venture Towns ($7.00 from $14.00 until 10/27)
XEL ($13.29 from $18.99 until 10/27)
Yeah Yeah Beebiss II ($7.49 from $9.99 until 10/27)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with around thirty new releases, most of which will be forgotten by next Tuesday. There will be summaries of them anyway, so as to make some actual record of their existence. Other than that, we’ll have the lists of sales and probably nothing else because, holy cow, thirty new games. I hope you all have a great Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 25th, 2022. In today’s article, we have a few more reviews for you to dig into. Our pal Mikhail has his thoughts on the recently-released Switch port of animal fighter Them’s Fightin’ Herds, while I’ve got a look at the Warhammer run-and-gun Shootas, Blood & Teef and a late evaluation of Atari’s Gravitar: Recharged. After that, we have a few new releases to summarize, and the usual lists of new and outgoing sales. Let’s get this bird into the sky!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Them’s Fightin’ Herds ($19.99)

When I wrote about the best fighting games to play on Steam Deck a few months ago, I mentioned how the Steam Deck finally got me to play Them’s Fightin’ Herds despite owning it on Steam for a long time. Having now played it on Switch for review and also on other consoles, I’m very impressed with the Switch conversion of Mane6’s fighter, and the wait for a console version has been worth it.

If you’ve not heard of it, Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a 2D fighting game featuring characters designed by My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic creator Lauren Faust. Having only gotten into it earlier this year, I was initially disappointed with the small roster, but having spent some more time with it over the months, the unique movesets make up for this to some degree, and there are more characters coming as paid DLC in the future. Despite the cutesy aesthetic, Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a deep fighting game with an amazing tutorial and superlative online play.

One of the highlights of Them’s Fightin’ Herds is how it can be a brilliant gateway into the world of fighting games. The tutorial and training help ease you into the more complex mechanics, and it honestly is shocking at how much depth this game has. Every character plays differently and you will likely spend hours on each one learning the ropes before jumping into the online modes.

Speaking of online play, as someone who owns every fighting game on Switch in addition to other platforms, I’m used to having the online play being subpar on Switch almost across the board with fighting games on Nintendo’s hybrid system. Some games hold up well online depending on the distance between players, but others are a laggy mess online. In my testing over the last few days with randoms and friends, Them’s Fightin’ Herds has the best online I’ve experienced in a fighting game on Switch. I also want to note that it does support the Switch’s native invite system for the Classic Lobby system.

Having played it on PS5 and Xbox Series X in addition to Switch, the only noticeable difference with the Switch version barring the lower resolution is the load times that are a bit longer. Barring that, it is a conversion that exceeded my expectations. It also works flawlessly with my 8bitdo Arcade Stick on Switch.

Now that it has launched on all consoles with online crossplay support, there has never been a better time to check it out, and I’m shocked at how good it feels to play online on Nintendo Switch. With most fighters, you usually have great experiences on PlayStation and Xbox systems with Switch being a subpar experience. With Them’s Fightin’ Herds, the Switch version is a fantastic port of an excellent fighting game. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood and Teef ($19.99)

Sometimes a good game gets a rough port, and Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is an example of that. This is a fun, silly, over-the-top run-and gun action game that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. It leans hard into the goofy Ork aesthetic and is very charming. It uses similar controls to other side-scrolling twin-stick shooters, and it plays really well. Or at least it does until you start getting random hitches and framerate drops, at which point it gets a lot less amusing. I can deal with lengthy loading times, and this game certainly has those too. But an action game with random hiccups that go as far as even affecting the audio playback? It’s a big problem.

I think Switch owners have gotten used to dealing with performance issues. It regrettably comes with the territory, even when it doesn’t seem like it should be a problem. If you think you can push past some “worse than Metal Slug 2” slowdown, random bits of stuttering action, audio issues, and lengthy load times, Shootas, Blood & Teef is fun. You have a nice variety of weapons, the levels are fun to navigate, and the shooting is tense and satisfying. But if you have access to another platform, you may want to pursue it there instead. This Switch version just isn’t up to snuff.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Gravitar: Recharged ($9.99)

It occurred to me as I noticed the completely revamped Missile Command: Recharged on the upcoming schedule that I had missed out reviewing one of the games in the series. So here we are, with a quick evaluation of Gravitar: Recharged. Of all of the games in the line to get reimagined, Gravitar is the one I probably played the least of in its original form. It feels like at a certain point the big arcade manufacturers sorted out just how complicated and difficult a game should ideally be to hit that sweet spot between coin intake and player satisfaction, and Gravitar predates that. The arcade version was a disappointment for operators, and Atari quickly cooked up Black Widow as a conversion kit for Gravitar.

It found more success in its Atari 2600 form, and it’s not hard to see why. While the game is certainly part of the lineage of the “thrust game” genre, Gravitar is altogether more complex than the likes of Asteroids. It takes some time to even pick up the basic gameplay loop, and mastering it takes a lot of practice and patience. Not particularly well-suited to a noisy arcade floor. Somewhat more suited to an Atari 2600. And absolutely ripe for a Recharged re-do.

When you start the game you’ll find yourself flying around in a solar system. It’s presented differently from the original, more in scale with your ship and with some random bits of rock and stuff you can shoot at. Various points of interest are in orbit around the sun, and you need to catch up with them so that you can take on a variety of missions involving them. Sometimes you have to make your way into a base and blow up a reactor. Sometimes you just need to take out some targets on the surface of a planet. Whatever the mission, you’ll need to make careful use of your thrusters to navigate the terrain, a task made trickier by the varying degrees of gravity. Complete all the missions and you’re off to the next solar system. Finish off all the missions in all the solar systems and you’ve won. Good luck with that.

Gravitar; Recharged eschews the house style of the Recharged line seen up until its release, carving its own faux-retro style that works very well. The soundscape is familiar, and so are the power-ups, but the way all of the pieces come together gives this game a very different flavor from previous Recharged games. It’s less arcade-ish and more like an adventure you’re meant to conquer. It still has leaderboards and co-op and all of that, but there’s a lot of appeal here even for those who aren’t interested in chasing scores or having some cheap arcade thrills with a buddy.

Just like how things went with the arcade original, Gravitar: Recharged sometimes feels at odds with some of the baggage it has to carry. In this case, it’s the baggage of being part of the Recharged line, where players will probably be trained to expect quick, arcade-style action with a focus on beating mini-challenges and racking up high scores. Gravitar: Recharged isn’t really that kind of game, though it incorporates many of those elements. Instead this is something you hunker down with and try to pick your way through, one aggravating death after another. Not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something with arcade roots but home game teeth, it might be up your alley.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

New Releases

Miraculous: Rise of the Sphinx ($49.99)

It really goes to show how much the business has changed that a show as popular as Miraculous is only now getting its first Switch game. Ladybug and Cat Noir have to battle the forces of the evil Hawk Moth and save the city in this 3D action-platformer. You can choose your favorite character and go it alone, or bring along a friend for some local co-op multiplayer. You can explore Paris, unlock new gadgets, learn new moves, and build the friendship between Marinette and Adrian. I doubt it’s a paragon of quality or anything, but I’m sure fans will be happy to have something like this to play.

Pompom: The Great Space Rescue ($9.99)

Heck, that is some cute pixel art. I love it. So the idea of this game is that Pompom is on his way to take down the wicked Captain Cat and bring his friend home, and while he’s a very energetic fellow he isn’t so good with details. He just rushes forward without a thought, and your job as the player is to place and move platforms and items to make sure Pompom gets where he’s going safely. If you’re looking for a different spin on the usual platformer, this certainly offers that.

Yomawari: Lost in the Dark ($39.99)

The Yomawari series of horror adventure games returns with this new chapter, Lost in the Dark. Explore a town littered with ghosts and hunt for your lost memories to break a curse that has been placed on you. Spirits are stalking the streets, so you’ll have to make careful use of hiding places and use good timing to get around safely. I’d imagine if you liked the previous games then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Super Mabus Mania ($7.89)

Mabus is a gamer. Mabus is a collector. Mabus’s wife has tossed his collection of retro games to make some space in their house. Now Mabus needs to get them back by going through sixty single-screen stages spread across ten different worlds. Collect all the games on each stage and bring them to the computer to move on to the next one. It seems okay from what I’ve played so far, but do keep in mind this is developed by Nape Games and certainly feels like it.

Ducky Quacky ($4.99)

Ah, Weakfish Studio. Sigh. Okay, this is a 3D platformer about a duck. There are twenty levels and you need to collect the keys in each of them to open the way to the next. There are also apples scattered around and you can collect those and trade them to merchants for clothing items and such. I mean, it’s five dollars. There might be some rough charm to it that certain folks might like given the meager buy-in price. I don’t know.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Some really nice ones today, friends. Grapple Dog for half-price? Yes please. It’s been ages since the last sale on the Universal Monsters and The Walking Dead table DLC for Pinball FX3, so silverball fans may want to grab those now too. Also hitting a new low is the rather enjoyable John Wick Hex. But the outbox may be what grabs the most attention. The big Try Before You Buy sale is wrapping up soon, so get what you need before you miss out. Some of that stuff may never see a discount again, while large chunks of it will go months before another sale. Check those lists!

Select New Games on Sale

Death Coming ($2.79 from $6.99 until 10/30)
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/30)
Time Loader ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/30)
Secret Files: Tunguska ($2.69 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis ($2.69 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Secret Files 3 ($2.69 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Lost Horizon ($2.69 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Lost Horizon 2 ($2.69 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Pinball FX3 Universal Monsters DLC ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/31)
Pinball FX3 Walking Dead DLC ($1.19 from $2.99 until 10/31)
BATS Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/1)
John Wick Hex ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Milanoir ($2.59 from $12.99 until 11/1)
Apparition ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/1)

Alder’s Blood DE ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Creepy Tale ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/1)
Creepy Tale 2 ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Inner Voices ($3.19 from $7.99 until 11/1)
Grapple Dog ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Pandemic Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/1)
OlliOlli: Switch Stance ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Jin Conception ($7.50 from $15.00 until 11/1)
Carrion ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Death’s Door ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Stories Untold ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Witcheye ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/2)
Nine Witches: Family Disruption ($6.79 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)

Kingdom Rush Frontiers ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/7)
Kingdom Rush ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/7)
Kingdom Rush Origins ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/7)
Dragon Caffi ($6.39 from $7.99 until 11/7)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes WM ($8.99 from $59.99 until 11/7)
Rogue Lords ($14.99 from $24.99 until 11/14)
Roguebook: Deluxe ($20.99 from $34.99 until 11/14)
Knights & Guns ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/14)
Tennis World Tour Legends Edition ($3.49 from $34.99 until 11/14)
TT Isle of Man ($4.99 from $49.99 until 11/14)
WRC 10 Deluxe Edition ($17.99 from $59.99 until 11/14)
Pure Chase 80’s ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/14)
My Little Riding Champion ($2.99 from $29.99 until 11/14)
Hunting Simulator 2: Bear Hunter ($14.99 from $49.99 until 11/14)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26th

Absolute Tactics: Daughters of Mercy ($22.49 from $24.99 until 10/26)
Aegis Defenders ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Ape Out ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/26)
ARMS ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Assassin’s Creed III: Remastered ($14.79 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Assassin’s Creed The Rebel Collection ($14.79 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Attack on Titan 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery ($10.39 from $12.99 until 10/26)
Black Bird ($13.29 from $18.99 until 10/26)
Blue Reflection: Second Light ($35.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/26)
Captain Tsubasa RoNC ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Card Shark ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)

Child of Light Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Children of Morta ($6.59 from $21.99 until 10/26)
Children of Morta Complete ($10.79 from $26.99 until 10/26)
Daemon X Machina ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Deadcraft ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/26)
Deadly Days ($2.08 from $18.99 until 10/26)
Depth of Extinction ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Dragon Quest XI S ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Encodya ($2.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Etherborn ($5.43 from $16.99 until 10/26)
Family Feud ($9.89 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Fitness Boxing 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
Freedom Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Hungry Shark World ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/26)

Immortals Fenyx Rising ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Immortals Fenyx Rising Gold ($24.99 from $99.99 until 10/26)
Jeopardy ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Jessika ($2.09 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Just Dance 2022 ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
Kirby Fighters 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie ($27.99 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Legendary Fishing ($4.49 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Leisure Suit Larry Wet Dreams Saga ($6.49 from $64.99 until 10/26)
Mega Man 11 ($9.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Metroid Dread ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Miitopia ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
Mon Amour ($6.29 from $8.99 until 10/26)
Monopoly Madness ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)
moon ($13.29 from $18.99 until 10/26)

Moonlighter ($4.99 from $24.99 until 10/26)
Moonlighter Complete ($5.79 from $28.99 until 10/26)
Moving Out ($6.24 from $24.99 until 10/26)
Mutazione ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Ori & the Blind Forest ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($2.24 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon RT DX ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Pro Gymnast Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Rabbids: Party of Legends ($23.99 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Rain World ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Rayman Legends ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Relic Hunters Zero Remix ($7.79 from $12.99 until 10/26)
Research & Destroy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
RISK Global Domination ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World CE ($4.94 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Shakes on a Plane ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
South Park The Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
South Park The Stick of Truth ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Spinch ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Spiritfarer ($9.89 from $29.99 until 10/26)
Sports Party ($7.99 from $39.99 until 10/26)
Starlink Battle for Atlas ($11.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Starlink BfA Deluxe ($19.99 from $79.99 until 10/26)
Sushi Striker ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
The Darkside Detective ($4.15 from $12.99 until 10/26)
The Darkside Detective: AFitD ($9.09 from $12.99 until 10/26)
The Forbidden Arts ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
The Innsmouth Case ($2.09 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Trials Rising ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Trials Rising Gold ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/26)

Triangle Strategy ($41.99 from $59.99 until 10/26)
Trivial Pursuit Live ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Trivial Pursuit Live 2 ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
UNO ($3.99 from $9.99 until 10/26)
Valiant Hearts The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
WarioWare: Get It Together ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/26)
What the Golf? ($8.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Wheel of Fortune ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with some new releases, some sales, perhaps some news, but we’ll have to see. I’ve been playing so much Bloodstained the last few days that my eyes are a bit sore. But I must persist; Halloween is soon, after all. From November 1st it’s a solid couple of months of playing Christmas NiGHTS on my Saturn every day. Just kidding! Or… am I? I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 21st, 2022. In today’s article, we check out the remaining releases for the week. And what a batch it is, with games like Persona 5 Royal, Alan Wake Remastered, New Tales from the Borderlands, and a whole lot more. Our pal Mikhail also has a round-up of the All Aksys showcase with many Switch game announcements. There is also a healthy list of new sales to look at, plus the outgoing sales for the weekend. Let’s wrap this week up!

All Aksys Showcase Round-Up

Aksys Games had another one of its All Aksys showcases yesterday with many Nintendo Switch games and updates on existing titles. These include some surprises as well. Let’s get into it. Cuddly Forest Friends, out February 2023, is the English version of Gesshizu: Minna de Chokomaka Muradukuri that released in Japan. It has you raising up to nine forest companions and more across mini-games and more with other players. One of the biggest surprises was Record of Agarest War getting announced for March 2023 release on Switch. The strategy RPG has been ported to many platforms including mobile, and it will now be on Switch physically and digitally with a limited edition planned. Summer 2023 will see Spooky Spirit Shooting Gallery from Nippon Columbia release in the West through Aksys Games.

Before wrapping up, Aksys had some otome game announcements as usual. These include Tengoku Struggle -Strayside out in 2024 from the team that released Olympia Soiree. The previously announced otome games Lover Pretend releases on December 1st while Norn9 is out in March 2023. The final announcement was the previously-announced visual novel Jack Jeanne from Aksys launching in Summer 2023 with a limited edition coming. Overall, the event had a nice spread of releases for Switch with some surprises. I’m looking forward to playing most of these over the coming months.

New Releases

Persona 5 Royal ($59.99)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

Look, let’s be real: we all saw this coming. But that doesn’t make it any less great that we can now, finally, play Persona 5 on the Switch. Better still, this is the Royal version which includes all of the DLC released for the original game along with some other goodies. So yes, this is a great way to go on a hundred-plus hour role-playing adventure with the Phantom Thieves, and now you’ll actually have the context to enjoy the story of Persona 5 Strikers. I’ll have a review for this one very soon, but I can at least say that this is an excellent port of the game that particularly pops on the screen of the OLED Switch.

New Tales from the Borderlands ($39.99)

It’s been eight years since Telltale’s original Tales from the Borderlands, which is a pretty solid chunk of time. Solid enough of a chunk that Telltale isn’t around anymore, even. But people love the game, and where there is love for a game there is money in a sequel. And where there is money, big publishers don’t usually sit on their hands. Thus, Gearbox Quebec has worked with some former members of Telltale to give us another choice-heavy narrative adventure set in the Borderlands world. I’m not the hugest fan of the setting or the original game, so I’ll leave it to more experienced hands to determine if this is a worthy follow-up or not. It sure looks the part, at least.

Alan Wake Remastered ($29.99)

Well, this was a surprise. Alan Wake Remastered is now available on Switch, and don’t ask me how well it runs because this one is just as new to me as it is to you. Provided the port is decent, this is a remaster of the popular thriller that initially came out on Xbox 360 back in 2010. I think fans were a little mixed about some of the changes made in the remaster, but I suspect if you’re new to the whole thing it probably doesn’t matter much. It’s a story about an author who is losing his grip on reality, and it’s quite the narrative experience.

The Darkest Tales ($24.99)

This is a very mediocre 2.5D platformer with a dark fairytale theme. It looks good, the story has a decent hook to it, but gameplay is king in platformers and that is where The Darkest Tales truly falters. At a more affordable price I could maybe see taking a punt on it just to check out some of its ideas, but for twenty-five bucks it just has too many flaws to recommend.

Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony ($9.99)

This is a point-and-click style adventure game about an adventurer named Hugh Radcliff who is seeking to solve the mystery behind a missing colony. Explore Crowalt and talk to its modern residents, solve some puzzles, and see if you can get to the bottom of things. It has a decent reputation based on its other versions, and I imagine Switch-owning fans of point-and-clickers will give it a warm welcome as well.

Runout ($4.99)

It’s sort of an auto-runner, but not exactly. Your character is always running, but if they run into a wall they’ll turn around. You’ve probably played other games with that idea, perhaps on mobile. You can eventually find and make use of a few extra abilities, and there is support for local two-player co-op. Seems fine for a fiver.

She Wants Me Dead ($9.99)

This is a rhythm-based platformer about a dude who made his cat so angry that she wants to kill him, and unlike most cats she seems to have a lot of good ideas about how to make that happen. Run and jump your way through ten stages filled to the brim with deadly traps, and get ready to die, die, and die some more. You can try it for free on your mobile device to get a taste before you decide whether or not you want to buy it here.

Hatchwell ($9.99)

A fairly decent, highly-affordable top-down action-RPG. The town of Hatchwell is preparing for a festival, but something is amiss. The mayor asks you to help investigate, which will take you all around the town and its nearby areas. Customize your character, pick your favorite pet, and uncover a few secrets. It’s a very compact game in a lot of ways, but what’s here is well-done.

Metal Ninja ($8.00)

This is a handheld-only scrolling action game about a ninja that can stop time and bounce off walls. You’ll need to use the touch screen, which is why it can only be played handheld. There are also branching paths where you’ll need to make a choice, leading to multiple endings. It’s pretty rough, but there’s a certain charm to it.

Once Upon a Time on Halloween ($9.99)

Hm. Well, this appears to be some kind of mix of platformer and shooter, but the game description isn’t overly clear as it is too busy trying to set the stage for its story, which sees pumpkins making some kind of promise to protect humans on Halloween each year? And it is apparently set in the 1920s, I guess so it can do that old-timey thing that Cuphead has made so trendy. It doesn’t look all that great to me, but maybe it does more for you.

Howloween Hero ($9.99)

Well, this is probably the cutest Halloween-themed game we’ll see this year. Dress up your dog in a costume and head out to get some candy for your owner. There are missions to solve and extra costumes to earn, which in turn will lead to even better candy. Not the deepest or fanciest thing around, but it’s silly and charming in enough ways that you might want to pick it up for your seasonal enjoyment.

The Walking Zombie 2 ($11.99)

So this first-person shooter seems to be free-to-play on mobile and PC, and I’m not sure what the developer has actually changed for this Switch port if anything. It still has IAPs, and I suspect it still gets grindy at the same point. If you have the means to give it a try in one of its free forms, I highly recommend doing so before dropping a dozen dollars on it here.

Crystal Goddess ($5.99)

This might look like a pretty ordinary 2D action-platformer, but the publisher is Gamuzumi so you can expect it to be more than a little ribald. Play as a guardian goddess on her quest to recover some stolen crystals and rescue captured women along the way. Big five-dollar Switch platformer energy, and I guess you can add an extra dollar to cover the lewdness. If you want a more naked version, you should pick up the PC version instead.

JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party ($39.99)

Today is the day I learned of JoJo Siwa. What can I say? You miss some things when you live in a foreign country. She seems to have an awful lot of fans, however, and they might be happy to see this new video game from Outright Games. Despite the word party being in the title, this is a single-player game. In fact, it’s another rhythm-based platformer. We don’t usually see two of those come out in one day. You get ten levels, official JoJo songs, and various outfits to dress her up in. Obviously not aimed at old guys like me, so I’ll leave it there.

Spinfrog: All Aboard the Frogcopter ($19.99)

Ah, an homage to Kururin, it seems. That’s cool. Bring your flying frogcopter through sixty levels, taking care not to scrape your spinning blade on any walls or hazards as you go. There are upgrades to unlock and various cosmetics you can buy with the coins you collect. You don’t see many games of this sort these days, so it’s nice to see such a cute take on the concept.

Byte Cats ($11.99)

Despite not putting it in the title like its stablemates, this is part of the Pixel Game Maker Series line. It’s a 2D platformer featuring a cat, which makes it one of about a dozen on the Switch. There are multiple playable cats with different abilities, which makes it sound like the rather excellent Super Cat Tales games. Five dollar Switch platformer energy, regrettably priced at twelve dollars. Your call.

H1.Jack ($4.99)

I’m not the eShop description police or anything, but unless your game explains itself clearly in its screenshots, that descriptive text is absolutely vital for helping people understand what your game is about. And I’m sorry, but I don’t have a hot clue what this game is about aside from vague notions of battling enemies and a cyberspace theme. Searching the title doesn’t turn up much of anything helpful, either. So I have no idea what this game is or if you should care about it and can only recommend turning your eyes to the sixty other games that came out this week that were clearer about saying what they are.

Daardoa ($3.49)

A short horror narrative experience, and if nothing else we can say that it’s affordable. It seems to have at least a few fans over on Steam, so if you like your scary stuff and are on a tight budget this may be a reasonable choice today.

Survive & Craft ($24.99)

This released several months back in other regions under the name Survive on Raft, which was perhaps a bit more honest about what this latest Megame release is – a dollar-store take on the popular survival game Raft. Amazingly, this costs more than Raft. But I suppose Raft isn’t available on Switch, so the publisher is going for it. Personally, I’d stick with Minecraft.

Puzzle by Nikoli S Akari ($4.99)

Here’s another puzzle game from Hamster, and this time it’s something we don’t already have twenty other examples of on the eShop. Akari is a fairly modern type of puzzle where you need to place lights in locations according to the numbers in such a way that the whole board’s white space will be lit. Like a lot of puzzles, it’s easier to explain by playing. But it’s good stuff for those who like logic puzzles, and I can’t argue with the price.

World Soccer Cup 2022 ($4.99)

More junk from Pix Arts. A single-player only soccer game with very little meat on its bones. Better to keep your fiver and put it towards a good soccer game.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

A hefty list of new sales, but not one with many exciting steals in it. Off the top of my head, I’d recommend Sumire, Alien Isolation, Piczle Puzzle & Watch Collection, and Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter. Take a look through the lists yourselves, of course. There are plenty of games on offer and just because something doesn’t catch my eye, doesn’t mean it won’t catch yours.

Select New Games on Sale

Warhammer 40k Shootas Blood & Teef ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Storm Tale 2 ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Day of the Dead Solitaire Collection ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
FishWitch Halloween ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Alien Isolation ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Queen’s Garden: Sakura Season ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Secrets of Magic 4: Potion Master ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Secrets of Magic 5: Back to School ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Project Nimbus CE ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Sumire ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/3)
890B ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
20 Ladies ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
SkateBIRD ($8.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
De: Yabatanien ($6.99 from $13.99 until 11/4)
Mastho is Together ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Crazy Gravity ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)

Pretty Girls Rivers ($4.19 from $5.99 until 11/4)
Z-Warp ($4.89 from $6.99 until 11/4)
Quintus & the Absent Truth ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
In The Mood ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Hell Pages ($6.29 from $8.99 until 11/4)
Seduction: A Monk’s Fate ($5.59 from $7.99 until 11/4)
One Last Memory Reimagined ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
MilkChoco ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/9)
Piczle Puzzle & Watch ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Lines DX ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Lines DX 500 More ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Colors ($3.00 from $12.00 until 11/10)
Piczle Cells ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/10)
BigChick ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Warpips ($15.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)

The Enigma Machine ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/10)
THE Bass Fishing ($9.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Kuukiyomi 2 New Era ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Darker Skies ($8.99 from $17.99 until 11/10)
Cooking Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Pawn of the Dead ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Hollow 2 ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Armed to the Gears ($2.39 from $11.99 until 11/10)
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Danger Scavenger ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Train Station Renovation ($2.84 from $18.99 until 11/10)
Green Hell ($2.49 from $24.99 until 11/10)
Panzer Dragoon Remake ($2.49 from $24.99 until 11/10)
Thief Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Aery A Journey Beyond Time ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)

Gigapocalypse ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS: Harbinger ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS: Revenant ($7.35 from $22.99 until 11/10)
Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/10)
Asdivine Saga ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Ambition Record ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Monster Viator ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Ruinverse ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Justice Chronicles ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Gas Station Simulator ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Superpanda 2 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/10)
Blob Quest ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Modern War: Tank Battle ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Counter Crossline: Crime War ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)

Dead Rain: New Zombie Virus ($8.79 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Counter Recon: The First Mission ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Counter Recon 2: New War ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Haunted Dawn: Zombie Apocalypse ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Space Genesis ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Bullet Battle: Evolution ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Girls Tank Battle ($3.51 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Space Stella: Unknown Planet ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Dungeon Limbus ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Dark Water: Slime Invader ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Last 4 Alive: Escape from Zombies ($4.94 from $10.99 until 11/10)
World War: Tank Battle ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Zombie Planting ($4.94 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Demong Hunter ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Counter Delta: Bullet Rain ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
REDDEN: 100denarii ($3.59 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Haunted Zombie School ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)

Sales Ending This Weekend

After Wave: Downfall ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Demon’s Rise: Lords of Chaos ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)
Dinogotchi ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Dyna Bomb 2 ($7.49 from $19.99 until 10/22)
In My Shadow ($7.80 from $12.00 until 10/22)
LawnMower: Mortal Race ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Lost in Play ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Marmoset ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Road to Guangdong ($4.99 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Suicide Guy Collection ($3.29 from $10.99 until 10/22)
Super Cable Boy ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/22)
The Skylia Prophecy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/22)
The Unexpected Quest ($6.00 from $15.00 until 10/22)
Torn Tales: Rebound Edition ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)

That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new games, more reviews, more sales, and more news. I have a lot of stuff to play this weekend for work, so of course I have started a new playthrough of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. What can I say? I have an itch for IGAvanias lately, and I can’t stop scratching it. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 20th, 2022. We’ve got an absolute ton of new releases today, and the wheat-to-chaff ratio is decidedly unpleasant. We’ve got summaries of each of those new games so that you know what’s worth looking into and what is worth passing over. After that, a healthy list of new sales and an equally healthy list of expiring discounts are waiting for your perusal. It’s a big fellow today, so let’s get started!

New Releases

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope ($59.99)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

One of the odder cross-overs Mario has ever joined in on is back with a space-faring sequel. Mario, the Rabbids, and their friends are on a journey to save the Sparks from an evil entity that seeks to destroy them. Explore various planets, take part in turn-based tactical battles, and laugh at all the stupid humor. Well, not all of it. But laugh at some of it, or the Rabbids will feel bad.

The Jackbox Party Pack 9 ($29.99)

Oh, it’s that time of the year again, eh? For this ninth round of Jackbox antics, there are five different party games to play with your friends, family, or enemies. Fibbage 4 is another helping of the familiar bluffing game, Quixort sees you working with your team to sort trivia answers, Junktopia has you coming up with improbable backstories for items to sell them for high prices, Nonsensory involves trying to guess where other players’ prompts fall on a silly scale, and Roomerang has everyone joining in on a weird reality show. Make sure you’re packing your mobile device for maximum multiplayer mayhem.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef ($19.99)

A stylized 2D run-and-gun action game with a Warhammer 40,000 theme? Sure, that sounds cool. Better still, up to four players can get in on the fun via local or online multiplayer. I’ll have a review of this one for you all soon. This kind of game tends to live or die by the little details, so let’s cross our fingers that Shootas, Blood & Teef checks off all the necessary boxes.

Arcade Archives Tokidensho Angel Eyes ($7.99)

Announced a very long time ago for an Arcade Archives release, Tecmo’s unique 1996 entry into the 2D fighting genre has finally arrived. Featuring a cast of eight young women who have fused with angels, Angel Eyes has a mix of 3D models and traditional 2D sprites to create a distinct look. In terms of gameplay, there are a variety of movement options, reversals, and super moves that make this a flashy fighter if nothing else. The balancing is all over the place, but it’s a fun game to pick up and have a few rounds with here and there.

Gas Station Simulator ($19.99)

You probably don’t need me to give you the summary for this one, but we’re already here. Let’s just do this. You buy an abandoned gas station and need to clean it up, fix it up, open it up, run it, improve it, and generally try to do that whole entrepreneurial thing. So yes, if you ever wanted to run your own gas station but don’t want to smell like… well, like you run a gas station, here is your chance.

Matchpoint – Tennis Championships ($49.99)

The publisher behind the likes of Tropico 6 and Railway Empire is here with a tennis game, for some reason. I’m always game for another good digital tennis effort, and I hope this is one of those. You can customize your character and play in a variety of modes. There are a bunch of real tennis stars here, so you’re not just paying that premium price tag for giggles. I haven’t had a chance to play this one yet, so I can’t speak to the quality of the mechanics or anything like that. If, when I do, I find it particularly enjoyable, I will let you know.

Touhou Gouyoku Ibun ~ Sunken Fossil World. ($27.99)

This is a Touhou Project game that sees the familiar cast of characters thrown into a bullet-hell side-scrolling action-platformer. It’s basically a series of boss battles, feeling in equal parts like a fighting game and something from a weird cousin of Treasure. Reviews on Steam for this game are overwhelmingly popular, so if you’re the sort that generally trucks with Touhou-based video games you won’t want to miss this.

Beholgar ($9.99)

I’ve said this a few times now, but the Metroidvania genre is so over-saturated at this point that even games that mostly get things right end up getting lost in the muck. You really have to have some kind of draw to stand out at this point. Beholgar‘s big play is that it features a barbarian hero, and you know what? I think that is going to work for some people. If you are not one of those people, this is just another competently-made Metroidvania that does all the things you would expect a game in this genre to do. No more, no less.

Harmonia ($24.99)

Another of Key’s visual novels makes its way to the Switch with this release. Since it is Key, expect to get your feels punched right in their feels by the time it’s all said and done. A war has ravaged the planet and left things in a post-apocalyptic state. The few remaining humans huddle together and simply try to survive. Amidst this, an unfinished robot that was originally designated as a human companion wakes up. His emotions, meant to be an important feature of his model, are non-functional. Yet he desires to be with humans, and journeys the broken world. A cheerful human girl finds him and mistakes him for a fellow human. She brings him back to her little town, and he tries to develop his emotions through interactions with her and the other townspeople. And in the end, shall someone cry? Probably.

Aery – Last Day of Earth ($9.99)

It’s another Aery game and it doesn’t do anything particularly different from any of the others. At the same time, even the same old Aery is a lot better than most of what publisher EpiXR Games has been up to lately.

Shutter Nyan! Enhanced Edition ($14.99)

This is a puzzle platformer where you need to guide the cat to the goal using a magic camera. You can take pictures and then paste those pictures to create paths and make ways around obstacles. The idea is clever enough that the flaws in its execution are somewhat easier to forgive. If you like the sound of its concept, you’ll probably like the game itself well enough.

One More Island ($19.99)

A rather simplified take on an Anno-style resource management sim. You’re tasked by your Queen with the job of claiming islands, reaping their resources, and use them to establish a bustling city. Reviews on other platforms are quite mixed, with many feeling the game is a bit too streamlined for its own good. You may feel differently, of course.

Flying Neko Delivery ($19.99)

Play as a cat witch who flies around on a magic broom delivering packages to various folks. You have a cottage of your own that you can customize, and there are a lot of cool sights to see as you explore a bunch of colorful locations. It’s all rather low-pressure, and the soundtrack from A Short Hike‘s Mark Sparling certainly helps add to that atmosphere. The more packages you deliver to a villager, the deeper your relationship with them will grow. If you can make friends, you’ll receive rewards and open portals to new worlds. Another one I’ve got my eye on but haven’t had a chance to play yet. Just one of those weeks, I suppose.

One True Hero ($14.99)

This is a 3D platforming adventure with a humorous bent, largely owing to the comical cowardice of its hero. A town is mysteriously sinking into the ground, and this plucky farmer-turned-protagonist is apparently the only one that can get to the bottom of things. Perhaps literally. Battle enemies with your sword moves, pull off some tricky platforming challenges, and see if you’ve got what it takes to save the day. This looks like it could be a really good time.

Apre Lapli [After the rain] ($10.99)

A brief narrative adventure game about a girl named Maya and her grandfather. They’re on a journey through a dry, desolate landscape. As they travel, her and her grandfather talk about many topics, most of them about her parents. There are a few different interactive sections, giving you some gameplay-related things to do as you take in the story. Could be the game for you, if you’re in the right mood.

Dead Secret Circle ($14.99)

I’m not sure why we’re getting the sequel before its story-connected predecessor, but oh well. This is a first-person mystery game with a horror theme. Set in 1971, it puts you in the role of a woman investigating a serial killer. The trail has led to an apartment building in East Chicago filled with residents who are hiding their own secrets. Over in its computer version, this game seems to have gotten a fair bit of praise for its story but less for its gameplay. The consensus appears to be that the first game was better, but this is the only one we’ve got for now.

Sea Horizon ($14.99)

Are you tired of Darkest Dungeon-style card-based roguelite RPGs yet? If not, then you’ll want to check out Sea Horizon. It’s a High Seas-themed spin on the concept, with a hex map to traverse and plenty of turn-based battles to fight. There are hidden locations and treasures to find, new characters to unlock, and multiple endings to uncover. It’s had a favorable reception in Early Access on Steam, so unless they completely biffed the Switch port then this should be worth looking at.

Pure-hearted Gyaru and the Shape of Happiness ($19.90)

Here’s a visual novel about a young man who is reunited with a childhood friend he had promised to marry when they were kids. He’s excited to see her again, only to find out that she has become a gyaru! But don’t worry, she’s one of those pure-hearted ones you see so often in manga. Can he overcome this shock and rekindle his old feelings? And how about her friends? Can he deal with them? I know a lot of people are suckers for this kind of story, so this one might appeal to them.

Doomed to Hell ($4.99)

An affordable top-down roguelite shooter about a protagonist named Rose and their epic adventure to escape from hell. Well okay, it’s not that epic. Pretty ordinary in most ways, really. Just kill everything you see, making use of an assortment of weapons and skills. Upgrade every so often to try to stay ahead of the curve. Battle some big bosses from time to time. We all know this song, so if you feel like dancing go right ahead.

Seduced in the Sleepless City ($29.99)

Time for another otome visual novel from the folks at Voltage, I guess. You play as the editor of a women’s magazine, and you’ve been given the job of covering the grand opening of a new hotel and casino. While attending a party in the VIP room, you meet five different yet oddly familiar hunks. Which one will you pursue? There’s an actor, a writer, an F1 racer, a cosmetic surgeon, and a college student. Pick your favorite handsome boy and do your best to secure those smooches!

TEMPUS ($6.99)

A puzzle adventure game with a time travel motif, Tempus sees you as the resident of a small island who one day stumbles across a portal. Stepping through, you quickly realize two things: you’re hundreds of years in the future, and this is a one-way trip. You have to explore and solve puzzles to reactivate the portal, but it only seems to be able to take you forwards in time, not back. There are six levels of escape game-style riddles to solve, with the chief gimmick being that you get to see the same location change over the course of a long period of time.

Lost Grimoires 2: Shard of Mystery ($14.99)

Artifex Mundi already released the first and third in this series on Switch, so I guess it makes sense to bring in the second game. Prince Fern has run off with a mysterious girl, and as his teacher and protector it is up to you to find him and bring him back. It’s the usual sort of hidden object adventure from this publisher, and I’m sure the folks that chew through these things at record speed will gladly take another.

Backgammon: Board Game Puzzle ($9.99)

I know this looks like a mediocre, somewhat over-priced, wholly unremarkable backgammon game, but that’s only because it is a mediocre, somewhat over-priced, wholly unremarkable backgammon game. At least it has support for two players locally. I’d like to think that was a given, but here we are.

Forest Pop ($2.99)

See, this is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about in that summary of the new Aery game up there. A simple puzzle game where you try to pop all the mushrooms in as few moves as possible. The fewer moves you use, the more stars you’ll earn for the stage.

CubicBan ($2.99)

It’s just Sokoban with a neon-ish theme. Push the crates to the marked spots to clear the stages. You know how this goes. The only unique element here is that crates come in a few different varieties, and specific crates need to go to specific locations.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

There are a bunch of the usual sales today, including the typical assortment from Capcom, 2K Games, and WB Games. It’s all good stuff, so there’s really no wrong time to indulge. You can find a few interesting things in the outbox, but I’ll specifically call out TOEM, Xeno Crisis, and perhaps Coromon. Check both lists on your own, of course. I am not Lieutenant-Commander Game Recommender, so I’m more than capable of missing good stuff.

Select New Games on Sale

Pro Gymnast Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
OlliOlli World Rad Edition ($30.14 from $44.99 until 10/31)
The Outer Worlds ($23.99 from $59.99 until 10/31)
Tales from the Borderlands ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/31)
Borderlands The Handsome Collection ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/31)
Borderlands Game of the Year Edition ($9.89 from $29.99 until 10/31)
BioShock: The Collection ($9.99 from $49.99 until 10/31)
BioShock Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
BioShock Infinite Complete ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
XCOM 2 Collection ($7.99 from $49.99 until 10/31)
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/31)
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 Anthology ($27.99 from $69.99 until 10/31)
NBA Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/31)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/31)

PGA Tour 2K21 Deluxe ($17.49 from $69.99 until 10/31)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/31)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds Deluxe ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/31)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/31)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/31)
LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga ($35.99 from $59.99 until 11/1)
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles ($24.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Phoenix Wright: AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection ($34.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Ultra Street Fighter II ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection ($11.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($38.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)

Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 1 DLC ($9.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 2 DLC ($9.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 3 DLC ($9.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1+2+3 DLC ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise Deluxe ($34.99 from $49.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak DLC ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Deluxe DLC ($37.49 from $49.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak ($49.99 from $69.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Deluxe ($59.99 from $79.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Stories 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Deluxe ($34.99 from $69.99 until 11/2)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection ($19.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)

Resident Evil 0 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil 5 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil 6 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Onimusha Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Devil May Cry ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Devil May Cry 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Two Point Campus ($31.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid ($10.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Power Rangers BftG Collector’s Edition ($16.49 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Power Rangers BftG Super Edition ($27.49 from $49.99 until 11/3)
MADiSON ($24.49 from $34.99 until 11/3)
The Mummy Demastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Corpse Party ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Corpse Party Blood Drive ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Dawn of the Monsters ($20.99 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Grand Theft Auto: Trilogy Definitive ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/7)
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe ($11.24 from $74.99 until 11/8)
LEGO Harry Potter Collection ($9.99 from $49.99 until 11/8)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/8)
The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game ($5.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe ($4.49 from $44.99 until 11/8)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($11.99 from $59.99 until 11/8)
Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath DLC ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Scribblenauts Mega Pack ($5.99 from $39.99 until 11/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, October 21st

Attack on Beetle ($4.19 from $5.99 until 10/21)
Black Wolf ($2.09 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Caffeine: Victoria’s Legacy ($14.39 from $17.99 until 10/21)
Car Mechanic Pinball ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Cat Cafe Manager ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Clutter IX: Clutter IXtreme ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Coromon ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Country Tales ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Crawlco Block Knockers ($3.59 from $8.99 until 10/21)
Cresteaju ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/21)
Dark Deity ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/21)
Faircroft’s Antiques: TFC ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Gliding Square ($1.99 from $4.00 until 10/21)
Glo ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Glyph ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)

I Love Finding Critters! ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
I Love Finding MORE Cats! ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Jewel Match Twilight Solitaire ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Kubi Adventures ($1.99 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Many Faces ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Metal Tales Overkill ($11.99 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Outbreak: Contagious Memories ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Outbreak: Endless Nightmares ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Pets No More ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Pity Pit ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Project Starship ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Rayland ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Red Death ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Sakura MMO 2 ($7.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Shipwreck Escape ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)

Soft Drift ($1.99 from $3.85 until 10/21)
SpelunKing: Mine Match ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Supaplex GO! ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Threaded ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
TOEM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Xeno Crisis ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)

That’s all for today, friends. The week is far from over, however. Tomorrow will see the release of Persona 5 Royal, New Tales from the Borderlands, and more. I suppose I’ll get started writing those now. There will also be more sales to consider, plus any major news that might happen to arrive. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 19th, 2022. Well, it’s Wednesday. This is usually the quietest day of the week and it’s no exception this time around. We have four moderately interesting new games to check out, plus the usual lists of new sales and outgoing discounts. And that’s about it! But I see it as balancing out tomorrow, where we’ve got more than twenty five new games on the schedule at a glance. Oh boy! Let’s get to today’s business!

New Releases

Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher ($49.99)

If you’ve ever been playing Monster Rancher and found yourself thinking that it would be way more awesome if the monsters were from Ultraman, congratulations! Your curiously specific tastes are being met by Koei Tecmo and Bandai Namco! For the most part it’s exactly what you would expect from a Monster Rancher game. There are over two hundred different types of Kaiju to find and fuse, and you can train them up to be powerful fighters. And while the Switch doesn’t have a CD drive to stick CDs into for monster generation, it does have an NFC reader. Scan pretty much any NFC compatible thing up to and including your train pass and you’ll get a unique Kaiju.

A Plague Tale: Requiem – Cloud Version ($59.99)

The good news: unlike the first game, A Plague Tale: Requiem is launching on Switch at the same time as every other platform. The bad news: like the first game, A Plague Tale: Requiem on Switch is the Cloud Version. You’ll need a solid internet connection at all times to play this, and the price is no different from other platforms that play the game natively. Thus, if you have another option, I recommend taking it. If you don’t mind streaming games on your Switch, then feel free to enjoy this continuation of the fascinating world established in A Plague Tale: Innocence.

RichMan 11 ($18.99)

The eleventh game in a series of board games heavily influenced (to say the least) by Monopoly. You can play alone or with up to four players in local or online multiplayer. The main twist it offers over standard Monopoly is a system where you can buy and use cards with special effects. Personally I prefer the real thing, but if you’re sick of Monopoly but not its concept you may want to give this a look.

Pnevmo-Capsula ($4.99)

This is a short puzzle-adventure that mostly serves as an excuse to travel through some rather pretty atompunk locations. You play as a little mail delivery trolley and need to make your way from point to point. You’ll have to figure out a way around the various obstacles and dead ends that lay in your path. The price is about right for what it is.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

A sale on NBA 2K23 already? Sure, why not? Klei is having another sale on its fine line of titles as well. In the outbox, Kemco’s latest sale is wrapping up, along with titles from THQ Nordic and others. Have a careful read-through of those lists to make sure you aren’t missing out on anything you’re interested in.

Select New Games on Sale

The Darkside Detective ($4.15 from $12.99 until 10/26)
The Darkside Detective: AFitD ($9.09 from $12.99 until 10/26)
Spinch ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Mutazione ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Etherborn ($5.43 from $16.99 until 10/26)
Rain World ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/26)
Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery ($10.39 from $12.99 until 10/26)
Relic Hunters Zero Remix ($7.79 from $12.99 until 10/26)
Absolute Tactics: Daughters of Mercy ($22.49 from $24.99 until 10/26)
Sky Racket ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
NBA 2K23 ($38.99 from $59.99 until 10/31)
NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition ($69.99 from $99.99 until 10/31)

Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Don’t Starve Together ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Griftlands ($13.39 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Mark of the Ninja Remastered ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Invisible, Inc. ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Dead By Daylight ($11.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Dead By Daylight Ultimate ($48.99 from $69.99 until 11/2)
Tribes of Midgard ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Lacuna ($2.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, October 20th

Alvastia Chronicles ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
An NPC’s Odyssey ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/20)
Ancient Islands ($6.86 from $12.49 until 10/20)
Anger Force Reloaded ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/20)
Asdivine Hearts ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
Asdivine Hearts II ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
Asdivine Kamura ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Asdivine Menace ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
Ashland Dossier ($5.49 from $10.99 until 10/20)
Battle Chasers Nightwar ($11.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Battle Worlds: Kronos ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Chef’s Tail ($5.17 from $11.49 until 10/20)
de Blob ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
de Blob 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Desktop Soccer ($2.13 from $7.11 until 10/20)

Devil Slayer Raksasi ($9.99 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Explosionade DX ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/20)
Feather ($3.69 from $9.99 until 10/20)
G-MODE Archives29 Zanac ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/20)
Heaven Dust ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/20)
Heaven Dust 2 ($9.99 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Kingdoms of Amalur RR ($23.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Labyrinth of the Chaka King ($3.50 from $7.00 until 10/20)
Legend of Kay Anniversary ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Madness Beverage ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Mech Mechanic Simulator ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/20)
MX vs ATV All Out ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Our Winter Sports ($3.81 from $12.72 until 10/20)
Pig Eat Ball ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/20)

Regency Solitaire ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/20)
Running on Magic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/20)
S.W.A.N. Chernobyl Unexplored ($5.62 from $12.49 until 10/20)
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Shoot 1UP DX ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/20)
SpongeBob SquarePants BfBB ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Sticks Collection ($1.99 from $2.99 until 10/20)
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
The Hundred Year Kingdom ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
Titan Quest ($11.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Trios Lofi Beats/Numbers ($2.95 from $7.99 until 10/20)
Weapon of Choice DX ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/20)
Wizards of Brandel ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/20)
World Soccer Strikers ’91 ($1.99 from $5.99 until 10/20)
Wreckfest ($31.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the Thursday release list, which as mentioned at the start is already over twenty-five games deep. It’s so big I am going to start writing it now, in fact. The biggest title of the bunch is clearly Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, but there is an awful lot to consider beyond that. We’ll also have whatever sales come along, of course. Off to the salt mines with me! I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 18th, 2022. In today’s article, we’ve got a few more reviews for you to enjoy. Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief, Atari Mania, and Aquarist are the titles in question today, and they are certainly an odd mix. There are a couple of new releases to check out, plus the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales. Let’s get into the good stuff!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief ($39.99)

Do you have a fondness for quirky PlayStation 2-era B-grade games? If your answer is no, then you’re all done here. You’re not going to like this remake of the 2006 PlayStation 2 game any more than you would have liked the original. This game was made by Acquire, a developer best known for creating the Tenchu and Way of the Samurai series. Kamiwaza leans a lot more towards the latter than the former, despite it centering stealth mechanics in its gameplay. You play as a former thief who returns to a life of crime in order to help his sick daughter, and that means you’re going to do a lot of looting.

It has janky, complicated controls. The camera is a pain in the neck. It’s not always clear what you should do or where you should go. The enemy AI is really stupid. The visuals may have been updated but it’s not hard to ascertain what generation it comes from. This game is PlayStation 2 as hell. That’s just the kind of mood I am in, however, so it works well for me. Naturally, by modern standards, this game is really awkward. Stealth games have come a long way over the past few generations. Heck, they had come a long way even before this came out. It wasn’t localized back in the day but I can almost smell the middling reviews if it had.

In its favor, Kamiwaza is incredibly novel, and I guess sixteen years is about long enough for me to have a bit of nostalgia for its vibe. See an enemy guard in your way? Put down your sack full of loot and soccer kick it at his melon to knock him on his butt. Everyone’s turned around? As long as you’re sneaking you can pretty much graze their butts without anyone noticing. Ideally you want to avoid fights, but if you get into one you can pick your opponent’s pockets while you beat them down. You’re pretty much trying to steal everything that isn’t nailed down, and anything that is nailed down can usually be coaxed from its moorings with enough time. All of it goes into your sack, which slowly increases in size as you fill it up with comically large objects.

Don’t take my score to mean this is an average game. It most decidedly is not. It’s very niche in both its gameplay and appeal, and I think you’ll have to be just the right person in just the right mood to enjoy it the way I did. There are probably more rough edges than smooth edges here, but if you’re looking for a stealth game that does things very differently from the norm, this will certainly fit your needs. It even has a decent story attached. I’m glad this remake exists and I’m glad NISA localized it, even if I think it is going to struggle to find an audience even more than its stablemate Way of the Samurai.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Atari Mania ($24.99)

I’ve been greatly enjoying Atari’s mini renaissance of late, and as such I was looking forward to Atari Mania. Part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the game presents a bunch of WarioWare-style microgames inspired by Atari’s famous classics. The basic idea here is that you’re a caretaker working at Atari’s headquarters, reporting in for another day at work. Some dead pixels have appeared in the building and are sucking in the various Atari characters. It’s up to you to help them out and get to the bottom of who and what is behind all of this.

There are two components to this game. One is a loose adventure game of sorts. You wander around the building and use items to solve puzzles that will uncover secret collectibles or open the path forward. You can unlock cover art and manuals for a number of Atari games, and it’s pretty fun. I wish you could also unlock the original games, but I suppose we have a remedy for that coming in a few weeks. You’ll meet various Atari characters as you explore, and it’s fun to see some characters who had very little characterization by necessity get infused with personalities.

The other part of the game, and probably the intended main course, is in playing the microgames. You’re tasked with completing a certain number of them in a row without failing too many, which is similar to the structure in a WarioWare game. Some of these sequences are mandatory, while others serve as extra challenges for unlockables. As mentioned, all of these microgames are inspired by Atari classics. Most of them go as far as to mash up multiple games at once, with Pong paddles battling Millipede or the Asteroids ship navigating a corridor of Super Breakout blocks. It’s a cute idea, especially for those who know these games well.

At the best of times, these microgames can be just as clever as the ones seen in WarioWare. Sometimes, they’re just confusing, overly complicated, too lengthy, or don’t control the way you would expect. Broadly speaking, Atari Mania hits more than it misses with its microgames. There are moments of frustration when you get a bunch of microgames you can’t figure out and end up having to start the whole chain over again, but such is how this sort of thing goes. After completing a set of microgames and toppling the boss stage, you can play them again at your leisure on an arcade machine that will pop up.

It’s a good game, particularly for fans of Atari. Unfortunately, this Switch port has a few issues that might make you want to check out the game on another console. Response can be sluggish at times, with noticeable lag in the controls. Loading times are just long enough to be uncomfortable, and sometimes it doesn’t let you know it’s loading and makes it feel like the game is hanging. I’m not sure if this is something that could be fixed in an update or not, but I hope we see some kind of improvements here if only to make transitions less awkward.

As a WarioWare-inspired affair, Atari Mania falls a little short of that series while still being good enough to be of interest to those enjoy quick-fire gaming. If we look at it as a celebration of Atari, it’s very well done. There are lots of little details in here for the true-blue fans, and the sense of humor hits the right spot as far as I’m concerned. The Switch version has some technical issues that mean you’re probably better off playing it elsewhere unless portable play is critical for you, but if the Switch is your only (or preferred) option, it’s playable enough to get into.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Aquarist ($9.99)

There’s a certain pattern to releases from Ultimate Games, and it’s somewhat vexing. Most of the games the publisher releases on Switch are ports from the PC, and while the titles in question aren’t the cream of the crop they aren’t without merit either. The problem is that Ultimate’s ports come off as more than a little careless, and that’s in full effect with Aquarist. As near as I can tell, this is a perfectly agreeable sim that tackles its topic with satisfying thoroughness. Not the fanciest thing around, but fine. But the game’s interface was clearly built for PC use, and that means this Switch version has teeny-tiny text and incredibly awkward controls. Fiddling around trying to pick up objects I can barely see with a finicky cursor is not my idea of fun.

Aquarist is probably a really enjoyable game on PC. On Switch, its severe interface problems combined with a few technical issues makes it really difficult to just chill out and enjoy the simple pleasures of building the aquariums of your dreams and taking care of your fish. Nearly unreadable text, especially in handheld mode, combines with clumsy controls that were obviously designed for a mouse, and the result is very hard to recommend.

SwitchArcade Score: 2.5/5

New Releases

Them’s Fightin’ Herds ($19.99)

Gosh, that Friendship is Magic era of My Little Pony sure was a whole thing, wasn’t it? The fans really got into it, and it’s no surprise some of them went on to make some really cool things. For example, this fighting game. Indeed, this was originally a My Little Pony fan game, but somewhere along the line I guess they realized they had something good enough to sell. Swap out the Mane Six and company for a new cast of animals designed by Friendship is Magic producer Lauren Faust and, boom, you’re all set. The game includes a story mode, local and online multiplayer, tutorial and training modes, and more. Reviews have been positive, so if you like the look of it, jump on in.

Sigma Theory ($17.99)

A turn-based strategy game with a cool cyberpunk-ish vibe, Sigma Theory has you recruit a team of agents and commit acts of sweet espionage, diplomacy, exfiltration, and more. Think of it like more of a narrative board game than anything else and you’ll be in the right head space to enjoy it. I’m going to go ahead and assume this version includes some or all of the DLC that was sold separately on PC, or else that price doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Oh hey, a sale on King’s Bounty II. That doesn’t come around too often. What else is in there? New Super Lucky’s Tale, Death Road to Canada, Space Raiders in Space, Bear’s Restaurant, and the whole assortment of Thalamus games. Well, that’s not bad for a Tuesday at all! The outbox has a few goodies in it too, so be sure to give both lists a good scan.

Select New Games on Sale

King’s Bounty II ($13.99 from $39.99 until 10/24)
Road 96 ($9.98 from $19.96 until 10/24)
Bear’s Restaurant ($9.74 from $12.99 until 10/24)
Fishing Paradiso ($13.49 from $14.99 until 10/24)
Oxide Room 104 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/24)
Timothy vs the Aliens ($3.90 from $16.99 until 10/24)
Naught ($2.99 from $19.99 until 10/24)
Lotus Reverie First Nexus ($4.79 from $15.99 until 10/24)
Space Raiders in Space ($1.99 from $12.99 until 10/25)
Little Bug ($1.99 from $12.99 until 10/25)
Syndrome ($1.99 from $24.99 until 10/25)
Gum+ ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/25)
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/31)
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Deluxe ($37.49 from $74.99 until 10/31)
90″ Soccer ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/31)

Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia ($1.99 from $12.99 until 10/31)
Eldest Souls ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Quest Hunter ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/31)
Roki ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Tails of Iron ($9.99 from $24.99 until 10/31)
New Super Lucky’s Tale ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/31)
Rogue Star Rescue ($9.89 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Death Road to Canada ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Halloween Forever ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Elli ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/7)
Cardful Planning ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/7)
Millie and Molly ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/7)
Lumo ($1.99 from $19.95 until 11/7)
Cecconoid ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
10 Second Ninja X ($1.99 from $11.99 until 11/7)

Love: A Puzzle Box ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Destructivator SE ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/7)
Death Ray Manta SE ($1.99 from $10.00 until 11/7)
Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/7)
Bezier: Second Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Rogue Aces ($1.99 from $12.99 until 11/7)
Word Forward ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/7)
Gamedec DE ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/7)
Vambrace Cold Soul ($6.24 from $24.99 until 11/7)
Doomsday Vault ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Truberbrook ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/7)
Windscape ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Bridge Constructor UE ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/7)
Bridge Constructor Portal ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/7)
Bridge Constructor Walking Dead ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/7)
Fury Unleashed ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 19th

Castle on the Coast ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATHWL ($2.99 from $5.99 until 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATSWE ($2.99 from $5.99 until 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATSWO ($2.99 from $5.99 until 10/19)
Effie ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
Garden Story ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
Inukari Chase of Deception ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/19)
May’s Mysteries: TSoD ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/19)
orbit.industries ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
P.3 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/19)
South of the Circle ($9.09 from $12.99 until 10/19)

Table of Tales: Crooked Crown ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
The Amazing American Circus ($6.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
The World Next Door ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/19)
This is the Zodiac Speaking ($2.98 from $12.99 until 10/19)
This War of Mine: CE ($1.99 from $39.99 until 10/19)
To Be Or Not To Be ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/19)
Warlock of Firetop Mountain: GS Edition ($2.99 from $29.99 until 10/19)
West of Loathing ($5.50 from $11.00 until 10/19)
West of Loathing DLC ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/19)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the usual mix of stuff. New releases? Check. Sales? Check. News? Uh, maybe use pencil on that one. Reviews? That box will probably remain empty. I hope you all have a great Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 17th, 2022. In today’s article, we kick off the week with a few reviews. Endless Memories, LEGO Bricktales, and Tinhead are the games in question, and I can’t say I loved any of them. After that, we have a single new release to check out, plus a rather robust list of new sales to consider. Let’s get to it!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Endless Memories ($19.99)

Endless Memories has a few issues, some of them common to the Metroidvania genre and others specific to the more unique elements the game brings to the table. If I had scored this game while I was in the first half of its thirty or so hours, you would probably be seeing a higher number down there. Certainly more praise. Unfortunately, I saw it through, and that has led to a much more tempered experience overall. It’s not a game without merit, but given how much competition there is in this category it’s also a tough one to recommend.

So yes, this is a Metroidvania game. It has a very big world, and I’m probably not emphasizing that enough. It’s huge. Too big. But if you love your Metroidvania games to have giant, sprawling worlds to explore, know that this game features one of those. It also has procedurally generated loot. A fun little random element that can wreak a lot of havoc on your playthrough if you’re unlucky. You really are depending on the luck of the draw to ensure you’re well-equipped. The combat system is relatively fluid and allows you to use melee weapons, ranged weapons, and magic to dispatch your foes.

The good points are the presentation, variety of weapons and abilities, and controls. The game looks and moves nicely, and while the random loot has its issues you certainly do have a nice mix of potential options at your fingertips. It’s fun to make your way through its world, and there are lots of different enemies to encounter and battle. On the negative side, I personally felt the game was too long and the world was too big. I was tired of it well before it ended, and that’s not a great place for a game to be. There’s a ton of lengthy backtracking at times, and the game desperately needs more fast travel points. As fun as the randomized loot is, it can also occasionally leave you in a very bad position in terms of tackling the challenging bosses.

Endless Memories is the kind of game that probably would have cleaned up in a less-crowded Metroidvania landscape. It’s a decent game whose biggest sin is being unable to properly manage its own size. Massive games in this genre can work (see Hollow Knight) but they need to take some precautions lest their sheer size and backtracking requirements end up boring the player. If you don’t mind a game that probably should have gotten off the stage hours before it actually does, and can cope with the fact that bad luck might leave you fighting goliaths with a butter knife, then feel free to give this a go.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

LEGO Bricktales ($29.99)

The LEGO brand is practically a staple of video games these days, almost entirely on the back of a couple decades’ worth of games from TT Games. Titles like LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, and LEGO Harry Potter are cherished classics that have been enjoyed by millions of players over the years. So yes, LEGO is huge in video games. What’s odd about that is that those games generally involve no actual building on the player’s part. Some automated sequences where you hold down the button and the character builds something, but almost never any instances of the player making things brick-by-brick on their own.

LEGO Bricktales, from Thunderful Games and ClockStone Studio, takes a different route. The game is structured around brick-by-brick building. You visit a variety of gorgeous dioramas and are tasked with building things to solve problems. Sometimes it’s a bridge. Often, really. Sometimes it’s a structure. Sometimes you’re simply tasked with trying to copy another object’s construction. It feels a bit like a bridge construction game mashed up with a casual adventure title like Monument Valley. The jobs start off simple at first, with only a handful of pieces, but before long you’re given more than enough rope to hang yourself with. Not that there’s any particular pressure to it. You can try and fail as many times as you need.

That’s a good thing, because it often feels like the game has one particular solution in mind that you need to sort out. That becomes less of an issue as the complexity of the objects increases, but it takes some of the joy out of building at times. Eventually when structures get really large, a different problem crops up. It starts feeling like any creative flourishes you make are inconsequential. I’m not really sure how these problems could be resolved as they are to an extent endemic to the concept. Most bridge builders, including the well-known efforts from this very developer, have similar issues. That said, if it doesn’t bother you in other games it probably won’t bother you here.

LEGO Bricktales is a really gorgeous game, but those looks come at a price on the Switch. A recent update has made things a little better, but the game is clearly struggling at times, especially in busier environments. I’m not an especially framerate-sensitive person, so if I’m noticing it it’s probably not great. The team is apparently working on another patch that they hope will help performance further, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind if you’re trying to decide which platform to get the game on. The controls are also a serious pain. This game feels like it was designed around a touch or mouse interface, and it is awkward and uncomfortable to play with a controller.

If you like bridge construction games or are a big fan of LEGO bricks, you’ll likely find enough to love in LEGO Bricktales to overcome its performance and gameplay issues. I would gladly trade some of the beautiful visual flair for a smoother framerate, so I hope the improvements the developers are working on bear fruit. I’m not sure what can be done about the controls, so you may just have to put up with them if you’re dedicated to playing the game on a console. A great idea, a passable execution, and overall an okay game that at least has something different to say about the venerated toy brand.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Tinhead (QUByte Classics) ($4.99)

Another retro re-release from the folks at QUByte, and it’s another offering from the catalog of Piko Interactive. This time it’s Tinhead, a somewhat unremarkable side-scrolling platformer that originally released on the SEGA Genesis back in 1993. The most interesting thing I can say about Tinhead is that its designer went on to serve as a lead designer on Gex, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and the first three Uncharted games. It’s not as good as any of those. No, not even Gex. This Switch version includes that Genesis original, plus the Super NES port that was abandoned back in the day but finished up by Piko for release in 2019.

First of all, don’t even bother with that Super NES version. I don’t know if it’s the game or QUByte’s emulator, but it runs horribly. The framerate is choppy, and there’s varying degrees of slowdown based on which filters and screen sizes you use. It’s a shame because the additional buttons are very welcome for controlling the aim of your shots, but it’s just unpleasant to play. The Genesis version has some minor audio issues and screen tearing, but it at least moves somewhat smoothly. Both versions have save states and a few other minor options, all of which will be familiar if you’ve played any of QUByte’s other retro packages.

This really comes down to whether you consider the Genesis version of Tinhead to be worth five dollars. It’s not a bad game, though it can be aggravatingly difficult. But it’s also not a particularly good game beyond its well-done visuals. The kind of thing you would end up renting when you arrive late to the rental shop on a Friday night and have to choose from what’s left. It’s very typical of Western platformers of the time, with massive levels full of mysterious bits and bobs to collect and some unclear visual cues. QUByte’s presentation does the game no special favors, but it’s serviceable enough to enjoy Tinhead‘s merits, such as they are.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

New Releases

Pill Baby ($15.00)

This is a trippy action game about a young woman who immigrates to a new country and takes a job that involves dropping pills and fighting parasites. It’s… an odd one, but there’s definitely something to it. Some of it feels all too real, especially for those like myself who have done the whole “move across the world” thing. And then the reset of it is just completely bonkers. I can’t say if any given person will like this, but I can at least say that you probably haven’t played anything quite like it before.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

I say this a lot, but there are some interesting games in the inbox today. The first big sale on Dadish 3 has come, and I find those games irresistible once they hit a decent discount. If you’ve been waiting for a throwaway price to buy Garfield Kart Furious Racing as a gag, I think we’ve hit that point. If you want a good racing game instead, Hotshot Racing for three bucks is a fine choice. Check those lists carefully, lest you miss something nice.

Select New Games on Sale

Supaplex GO! ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Lost in Play ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
The House of Da Vinci ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/24)
Wuppo Definitive ($3.99 from $14.99 until 10/24)
Hob: Definitive Edition ($3.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Torchlight II ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Torchlight III ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/28)
Shieldwall Chronicles: SotN ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/28)
Demon’s Rise War for the Deep ($1.99 from $6.99 until 10/28)
Just Die Already ($5.09 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ($3.74 from $24.99 until 10/29)
Hotshot Racing ($2.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Smoke & Sacrifice ($3.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Human: Fall Flat ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Zombo Buster Advance ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/29)

Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Velocity 2X ($3.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Pumped BMX Pro ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Autonauts ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
For The King ($7.49 from $24.99 until 10/29)
Serial Cleaner ($2.24 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Embr ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Narcos Rise of the Cartels ($4.49 from $29.99 until 10/29)
Hue ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
OMNO ($5.49 from $15.99 until 10/30)
The Legend of Tianding ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Jack Axe ($3.99 from $14.99 until 10/31)
Vigil: The Longest Night ($13.19 from $21.99 until 10/31)
Postal Redux ($3.49 from $9.99 until 10/31)
Elden Path of the Forgotten ($1.99 from $15.99 until 10/31)

Hazel Sky ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/31)
Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Stick It to The Man ($2.39 from $11.99 until 11/1)
Hell Pie ($22.49 from $24.99 until 11/1)
Source of Madness ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Pandaty ($1.99 from $8.99 until 11/1)
SUPERHOT ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/2)
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Among Us ($3.50 from $5.00 until 11/2)
Gang Beasts ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Brotherhood United ($1.99 from $8.99 until 11/2)
City Traffic Driver 2 ($7.79 from $12.99 until 11/4)
Commander Keen: Keen Dreams ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Regina & Mac World ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/4)
Regina & Mac ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)

Knight’s Try ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
God Damn The Garden ($3.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 ($4.49 from $29.99 until 11/5)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($4.49 from $29.99 until 11/5)
The Smurfs Mission Vileaf ($19.99 from $39.99 until 11/5)
My Universe: Green Adventure ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/5)
Syberia ($2.23 from $14.99 until 11/5)
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/5)
Escape Game Fort Boyard 2022 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/5)
The Quest for Excalibur Puy de Fou ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/5)
.cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/5)
Dadish 3 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/5)
Pumpkin Jack ($11.99 from $29.99 until 11/6)
The Coma: Recut ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/6)
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/6)

Cardaclysm Shards of the Four ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/6)
Outbuddies DX ($5.39 from $17.99 until 11/6)
Kosmonavtes Escape Reality ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/6)
Kosmonavtes Academy Escape ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/6)
Panmorphia ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/6)
Panmorphia Enchanted ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/6)
Panmorphia Awakened ($2.99 from $6.99 until 11/6)
Squeakers ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/6)
Squeakers II ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/6)
Pixel Heroes Mega Byte & Magic ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/6)
Silver Chains ($7.49 from $24.99 until 11/6)
Colt Canyon ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/6)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18th

Airheart Tales of Broken Wings ($2.69 from $17.99 until 10/18)
Almost My Floor ($5.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Amazing Superhero Squad ($4.19 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Behind Closed Doors ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Blood Will Be Spilled ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
Dadish ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Dadish 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Death Park ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Feudal Alloy ($1.99 from $16.99 until 10/18)
Get-A-Grip Chip ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Get-A-Grip Chip & the Body Bugs ($2.09 from $2.99 until 10/18)
Hillbilly Doomsday ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Mojito the Cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Summertime Madness ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)

Super Fowlst ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Super Fowlst 2 ($2.00 from $10.00 until 10/18)
Swords and Bones ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/18)
The Game of Life 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/18)
The Last Survey ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
To Leave ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/18)
Why Pizza? ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more reviews, and more sales. Maybe some news? We’ll see. In addition to my regular work, I managed to finish off my 100% Souls run on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow over the weekend. I also picked up Mega Man: Dr. Wily’s Revenge for my Game Boy and Super Hang-On GP for my SEGA Saturn for a few bucks at the local second-hand shop, so I am eating well. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!