Tag: featured

Let’s continue our dive into the amazing selection of Hamster’s Arcade Archives, shall we? When looking at arcade history, you can spot the moment where the publishers and arcade operators realized that you could bring in more coins if you had more than one player on a machine at the same time. Games are often more fun with a friend, and some of the very best arcade games were ones that were best enjoyed in multiplayer. This time we’re looking at cooperative multiplayer games, but if the demand is there I will bring out the competitive ones next time. These are just some of our favorites, and they’re presented in no particular order.

Bubble Bobble ($7.99)

Yes, I said “no particular order” just a few seconds ago, but let’s be real: this is probably the best. Taito’s single-screen action-platformer legend was a regular machine in arcades for years, and it’s easy to see why. Having two bubble-blowing dinos not only makes the game easier, it also adds a mild competitive element as you scramble for all the food and power-ups. Being able to jump on each other’s bubbles helps a lot with some of the more puzzle-focused stages, too.

Metal Slug X ($7.99)

Running and gunning with a pal is a good way to spend the time, and you really can’t go wrong with any of the Metal Slug games for that. I’ve gone with Metal Slug X because it’s a nice balance of silly over-the-top scenes and a decent running length. If you’re looking to fill a full day, then feel free to grab Metal Slug 3 instead. Seriously, that game just goes on and on. These games are particularly good even if your partner isn’t particularly skilled, as you can credit feed your way to the very end no matter how many times you get wiped out.

Life Force ($7.99)

One of the big legs up that Life Force has over its cousin Gradius is its two-player simultaneous feature. The Vic Viper and the Lord British can join forces to take on the deadly enemy forces, and twice the firepower really does make a huge difference. Working together also makes the nasty difficulty that comes with every Konami shooter more manageable. Just don’t fight over the power-ups too much, okay?

Shock Troopers ($7.99)

We’ve got Metal Slug checking off our side-scrolling run-and-gun box, and I’m going to pick Shock Troopers for our overhead shooting fun. Grab your friend, choose one of the relatively large cast of characters, and blast your way through several stages in the order and path of your choice. The presentation is great, and the action is extremely hot all the way through. It’s not as well-known as Metal Slug, but if you give it a try I think you’ll find it almost as fun.

Spin Master ($7.99)

Let’s put down the guns for a brief respite and instead pick up some Yo-Yos to bash about our foes with. Spin Master is one of those arcade platformers that had a very brief time to shine before the one-on-one fighter ate the arcades whole, and it has a lot of that great Data East weirdness to it. Not the longest game by any means with just five stages to play through, and not particularly challenging, but its colorful, detailed visuals and off-beat gameplay are quite refreshing. A good romp, especially if you want something a little less shooty.

Sunset Riders ($7.99)

Alright, go grab your guns again. Konami’s Sunset Riders is half beat-em-up, half run-and-gun, and it’s a Wild West hoot to play alone or with company. The colorful vibes, well-realized characters, and orchestra-hit heavy soundtrack call to mind the publisher Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, and that’s a comparison that Sunset Riders is more than good enough to carry. There isn’t much to dislike in this game, and you’ll have a great time taking out the memorable baddies with a buddy.

Rod Land ($7.99)

In the vein of the excellent Bubble Bobble, Jaleco’s single-screen action platformer is arguably one of the publisher’s finest efforts. The trick here is that you can’t jump, but have to set up temporary ladders to move among the levels of each stage. Your goal is to take out all of the enemies on each stage, but you can also score extra points and lives by grabbing all of the flowers first. Your weapon is your handy rod, which you can use to grab the baddies and slam them over your head. It feels good every single time you do it. Vibrant visuals and a nice soundtrack round this one out.

NAM-1975 ($7.99)

We’ve done a side-scrolling run-and-gun, a top-down one, and even one that is kind of like a beat-em-up. How about a gallery shooter to balance things out? This was one of the NEOGEO’s launch games, and as such it isn’t quite as content-rich as some of the later games on the system, but it’s one that saw a lot of play from those who flocked to SNK’s beefy new hardware. There aren’t many games like this in the Arcade Archives line-up, and it’s well-worth tackling with a sharp-shooting friend on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Aero Fighters 2 ($7.99)

I’m being very careful to not repeat experiences here, so despite there being a lot of fun side-scrolling shooters aside from Life Force, I thought it would be best to toss a vertical scroller in. Aero Fighters 2 is a lot of fun alone, but you get new story scenes and endings if you’re playing with another person. It’s really neat to pair up different characters and see what the results are, and the game itself is good, approachable shooting fun.

Sengoku 3 ($7.99)

Hey, did we go this long without mentioning a standard beat-em-up? We sure did! There are a lot of good ones to pick from in the Arcade Archives line-up, so many in fact that we made a whole list of the best, but I’m choosing Sengoku 3 to represent the genre here. This is a gorgeous game with a lot of depth to its gameplay, and like pretty much every other game in this genre since Double Dragon it’s a far better experience with a trusted chum watching your back.

And that’s the bunch, friends. Note that you do have to have a friend in the same room with you to enjoy any of these games. But hey, that’s true to the arcade experience too. Do you have any favorite co-op games in the Arcade Archives line-up that you didn’t see here? Feel free to mention them in the comments so we can all share the joy. After all, teaming up is what this list is all about. Thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 31st, 2023. In today’s article, we first take a look at the surprisingly large number of new releases that hit the eShop today. The list doubled up from when I went to sleep last night, so that’s always fun. After that, we’ve got the usual lists of new and expiring sales to look at. You know, in case you still have any money left to burn after this wild week of eShop closures and all. Let’s get busy!

New Releases

Xiaomei and the Flame Dragon’s Fist ($14.99)

This reminds me a lot of those single-plane brawlers that were all the rage before Renegade shook up the genre. You know, like Kung-Fu Master, Vigilante, Splatterhouse, and so on. Use your kung fu skills to save your sister from the Dark Dragon’s wicked influence, mostly by beating the crap out of everyone you see. You don’t often see games like this anymore, and it seems to have hit its mark with its homage.

Formula Retro Racing: World Tour ($19.99)

I know the original game had its fans, and I really thought I would have been one of them but I wasn’t. This follow-up adds new cars and tracks, and the four-player local multiplayer split-screen makes its return. There are four modes of play and this time the tracks are set in real places around the world, with more than double number of tracks seen in the original. I’m assuming if you liked the first game then you’ll have a great time here again. I’m just not sure if it changes anything for those of us who didn’t dig the previous one. I suppose we’ll see!

Bone’s Cafe ($14.99)

One of those cafe games where you need to set your menu, take orders, prepare food for the customers, and deliver it in a timely fashion. You can set up your cafe the way you like it, which is nice. The twist here is that your character is a necromancer so you can summon the undead to give you a little help in the kitchen, so to speak. Oh, and if you’re running short on ingredients, you can always kill some of your customers and chop them up. It sounds macabre but the cute style of the game somehow sells it. You can play this one with up to four players in local co-op, something that is usually pretty fun in a cooking game.

Infinite Guitars ($19.99)

This is apparently an RPG with rhythm-based combat. Humanity scarcely survived its first war with the mechs, and now they seem to be awakening again. Only you and your faithful electric guitar have a hope of saving the day. Yes, this one looks like a job for our pal Mikhail. I’m sure he’ll have a review for us soon enough to let us know all about the ins and outs of it.

Mayhem in Single Valley ($14.99)

An action-adventure game with its tongue planted so far into its cheek that it’s practically breaking through the other side of it. The distinctive art style is eye-catching, and if the reviews of the game on other platforms are anything to go by, the gameplay backs it up. Have some fun in the apocalypse you caused, and find all the funny ways to die. Think of it as an irreverent take on the classic Zelda-style formula, and you won’t be far from the reality.

Kingdom of Aurelia – Mystery of the Poisoned Dagger ($15.99)

Somewhere between a hidden object game and a standard point-and-click style adventure lies this game. The princess has been poisoned, and it’s up to you to figure out the why, the how, and most importantly the who. Meet the various denizens of Aurelia and visit more than fifty scenes in pursuit of the clues and items you’ll need to solve the puzzles that stand between you and the safety of the princess. It doesn’t really look up my alley, but it might be more your thing.

Billy 101 ($4.99)

A thirty-level puzzle platformer about a robot who wants to quit his job by taking out all of his co-workers and burning the place down around him. Well, okay. Billy can shoot and use his arm to solve puzzles, and that’s about the gist of it. Not great, but at least it’s cheap.

Arcane Vale ($7.99)

The very model of an “okay” action-adventure game. You have a big open world to explore, lots of quests to complete, and a fair variety of things you can do such as crafting, farming, and so on. It has its fair share of flaws, but it’s fine enough for the price it’s asking. If you really love going around bonking enemies with a sword, this offers that in a reasonably agreeable form.

That’s My Family: Family Fun Night ($24.99)

That’s not my family, but I’m happy they’re having a good time anyway. This is a game for up to four players via local multiplayer, and it sees you partaking of fourteen different games like Chess, Snakes & Ladders, and so on. They all have themes to help them from just being vanilla versions of each game, but at the end of the day these are just a handful of classic games you can play with your friends or family. I’d recommend Nintendo’s take on this idea over this one, but you can make your own choices in life.

Blade Assault ($17.99)

If you’re on the lookout for another decent but not spectacular roguelite action platformer, here you go. Join the resistance and fight against a corrupt military using your transformable weapons to lay waste to their forces. Meet NPCs, unlock new characters, perks, and upgrades, and choose your Cores and enhancements carefully to maximize your weapon’s devastating power. But don’t rest too easily, because the enemies can give as good as they get. It’s fine as these things go. Nothing amazing about it but it doesn’t mess anything serious up either.

Shukuchi Ninja ($4.99)

Fling your little ninja guy around more than seventy levels as obnoxious sound effects, voice samples, and visual flourishes fly like hot lead from a machine gun. It kind of reminds of that one game from the Rogue Ninja developer. Ninja Smasher or something. Maybe Ninja Striker? Anyway, it’s five bucks and if you can tolerate its unique style you might well get your money’s worth from it.

The Adventures of Poppe ($19.99)

This looks like a perfectly serviceable little 2D platformer. I like that you’re a little fellow traveling around in a big world, and it seems to function well enough. Yes, a fine little five-dollar Switch platformer. Wait, it’s how much? Oh, no. Just… just, no.

Fury Roads Survivor ($4.24)

An endless driving survival game where you need to hop in your post-apocalyptic vehicle (this game has never heard of Mad Max, what are you even talking about?) and try to stay alive as long as possible while marauding gangs try to take you out. There are more than sixty vehicles to use, lots of gear to unlock, and three different maps to play on. Pull in a friend for some local multiplayer if you want to spice things up. A very basic idea, but for under a fiver you get what you get.

Bubble Puzzler ($9.99)

This is just a rip-off of Puzzle Bobble, which is pretty audacious given that you can get some of the real Puzzle Bobble games via Arcade Archives for cheaper than this game is selling for. And that’s what you should do, rather than support someone stealing someone else’s idea without even adding a single new thing to it.

Madness Brutal Fighting – Mortal Fight Battle Attack Multiplayer ($4.99)

There are a lot of good one-on-one fighting games on the Switch, and you can even pick up some of Capcom’s great arcade classics via the Arcade Stadium series for four bucks each. Or you could spend five dollars on this absolute dog turd. Your call.

Ultimate 4×4 Offroad Parking Trucks :Car Driving Racing Simulator 2023 LITE Speed Games ($4.99)

Speaking of things that coil their way out of the metaphorical canine’s butt, here’s the latest from INSTAMARKETINGANDGAME. It looks almost identical to another release from a month or two back that was either from these guys or one of their other sock puppets, and it’s equally trashy. Oh, and touch controls only because the publisher can’t be bothered to add them to what is likely an Android template. Leave it in the bin where it belongs.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

I suppose the big deal today is the list of sales from Bethesda, with a new low price for Skyrim in case you don’t own it or its Anniversary Edition upgrade yet. You can also get a fine selection of DOOM games, again if you haven’t already picked them up in the past. The Punchuin is at a new low, and that’s a neat game a lot of people slept on. Not too much in the outbox beyond the end of yet another NIS America sale, but have a look and see if you want to fatten up your RPG backlog.

Select New Games on Sale

Beacon Pines ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/6)
Citizen Sleeper ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/6)
Paradise Killer ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/6)
FUR Squadron ($4.89 from $6.99 until 4/7)
Live Factory ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Mayhem Brawler ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Once Upon a Jester ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/10)
Project Warlock ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/10)
Nadir: Grimdark Deck Builder ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/10)
Winds of Change ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/10)
Danmaku Unlimited 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/13)
The Punchuin ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/14)
The Touryst ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Art of Balance ($6.29 from $8.99 until 4/14)
Tanky Tanks 2 ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Aery Calm Mind 3 ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)

TES V: Skyrim ($23.99 from $59.99 until 4/18)
TES V: Skyrim Anniversary ($27.99 from $69.99 until 4/18)
DOOM 1993 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/18)
DOOM II Classic ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/18)
DOOM 3 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/18)
DOOM 64 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/18)
QUAKE ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/18)
DOOM 2016 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/18)
DOOM Eternal ($13.19 from $39.99 until 4/18)
DOOM Eternal DE ($23.09 from $69.99 until 4/18)
DOOM Slayers Collection ($12.49 from $49.99 until 4/18)
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus ($5.99 from $39.99 until 4/18)
Wolfenstein Youngblood ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/18)
Wolfenstein Youngblood DE ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/18)
Beholgar ($7.99 from $9.99 until 4/20)

Unichrome: 1-Bit Unicorn Adv. ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/20)
The Amazing American Circus ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/20)
Castle on the Coast ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/20)
May’s Mysteries: TSoD ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/20)
Frogun ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/20)
Weedcraft Inc ($18.74 from $24.99 until 4/20)
Little League Baseball 2022 ($14.99 from $49.99 until 4/20)
Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising ($24.99 from $49.99 until 4/20)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 ($14.99 from $49.99 until 4/20)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 TE ($17.99 from $59.99 until 4/20)
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl ($9.99 from $49.99 until 4/20)
Aircraft Carrier Survival ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/20)
Rise: Race The Future ($6.59 from $16.49 until 4/20)
Vengeful Heart ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/20)
Boomerang Fu ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/20)
Guardian of Lore ($2.09 from $13.99 until 4/20)
Kaiju Wars ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/20)
Big Dipper ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/20)
Into A Dream ($2.09 from $13.99 until 4/20)
Merrily Perilly ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/20)

Sales Ending This Weekend

Camped Out ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Disgaea 5 Complete ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Ender Lilies: QotK ($13.74 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Lapis x Labyrinth ($9.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Monark ($32.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Poison Control ($4.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha ($17.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo ($17.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Puppy Cross ($3.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
R-Type Final 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
R-Type Final 2 Stage Pass DLC ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Roller Drama ($13.49 from $14.99 until 4/1)

RPG Time: TLoW ($15.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
The Caligula Effect 2 ($29.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
The Liar Princess & the Blind Prince ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
The Lost Child ($4.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
TLoH: Trails from Zero ($31.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel 4 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Void Terrarium ($9.99 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
The Oregon Trail ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/2)

That’s all for today, this week, and this month, friends. I love when I get to type that. We’ll be back next week with more reviews, more new releases, more sales, and perhaps some news too. I’m going to go sleep for two days now. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 30th, 2023. It’s Thursday today, and that means we have a whole lot of new releases to check out. More than twenty, actually. Get them out before the end of the fiscal quarter, I suppose. We’ve got summaries of all of them, plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales for you to mull over. Let’s get to it!

New Releases

Assault Suits Valken Declassified ($24.99)

Those of you who had the Super NES back in the day and skimmed even a little past the biggest hits on the console probably remember a game called Cybernator from Konami. Well, that’s this game! Neat, hunh? While this may seem like a bit of a high price for a single 16-bit game, I can say two things in its defense. First, this is a really good 16-bit game. It’s not like Valis where it’s kind of so-so but charming. This is a genuine ripper of an action game. The second thing I’ll say is that this release is an M2 production, and it has done a full-butt effort on it. Lots of extra options and materials, accenting the game itself quite nicely. A dream release for Cybernator fans, and one I’ll be reviewing quite soon.

Lunark ($19.99)

If that screenshot is giving you some Flashback, er, flashbacks, then it’s doing its job. This is an ode to the short-lived but much loved cinematic platformer sub-genre that mostly consists of Prince of Persia, Another World, and Flashback in most folks’ memories. Lunark has a cool setting and story premise, and in terms of gameplay it has the things you would expect from the genre. Puzzle-solving, combat, traps, wild leaps that leave you hanging from your fingers on a ledge, and all that. I’m going to be reviewing this one, so do look forward to that.

Dredge ($24.99)

Fishing is pretty relaxing. Lovecraftian horror is pretty stressful, at least when it’s done properly. Somehow, Dredge does both. You go fishing around in various locations, completing quests and checking off your list of species to catch. Sell some fish, upgrade your equipment, all that. But as you play, little bits of story are parceled out. As they start to pile up, sinister secrets begin to be unveiled. Can you uncover all of the mysteries and live to tell the tale? This one got good reviews on other platforms, and I expect it will find a happy audience on Switch too.

Arcade Archives Navarone ($7.99)

Whew, this is an oldie and an obscure one to boot. One of Namco’s earliest games, actually, really only predated by Gee Bee and maybe a couple variants of it. It hails from 1980 when most Japanese developers were just making variants on Space Invaders, and that’s pretty much what this is. Move your ship around the sides of the play area and blast away. Pretty fun in a simple sort of way, and Hamster’s included both the black-and-white direct feed version of the game and faux-cellophane cover version.

Like Dreamer ($11.99)

This is the follow-up to Cosmo Dreamer, and like that it’s a nice little bullet-hell shooter with a nice variety of modes and unlockables to enjoy. This one has a social network theme, so your gameplay will earn you Likes and Followers which then translate into things like bombs and shields. No online leaderboards this time either, unfortunately, so those who enjoy jostling with other players on the scoreboards might be disappointed with that aspect.

Saga of Sins ($19.99)

Gosh, that’s a striking look. The stain-glassed visuals are the first thing that stands out about Saga of Sins, and it unfortunately ends up being its best bullet-point. This is a decent little action platformer, but that’s about as far as I’ll go for it. The interesting premise of entering the minds of various people to cleanse them of their sins is a neat one, but the actual levels themselves don’t deliver on that promise. It’s all a bit lacking in variety and challenge, and there’s a certain clunkiness to it that doesn’t quite sit right with me. I’ll have a review of it soon with a little more elaboration on all of this.

Anyaroth: The Queen’s Tyranny ($14.99)

Play as an insectoid warrior trying to save their planet from an evil queen and her forces. This is an action-platformer with a twin stick aiming system that allows you to quickly aim in any direction. It reminds me a little of Bleed in some ways. You’ll get a variety of weapons and abilities to play with, and your fight will take you through three layers of the planet. There are also some secrets waiting to be found by those who explore a little. Seems interesting, but I’d need to spend more time with it to say anything terribly definitive.

Yukiiro Sign ($38.33)

Spend a winter in a small town with three different girls in this visual novel. You play as some plain guy who has somehow caught the eye of three pretty ladies, each with their own story and quirks. Pick one and try to pursue her heart. This has some really nice artwork compared to a lot of other games in this genre, and the cozy premise might be what some of you are looking for at the moment.

Mothered – A Role-Playing Horror Game ($9.99)

Is it, though? I’m not sure I’d call this a role-playing game, but I don’t really feel like getting into that fight. This is a very well-regarded first-person horror adventure that sees you in the role of a young girl who returns home after an operation and finds herself dealing with a strange mannequin that insists it is her mother. What’s going on? You’ll have to sort that out, but you may not like what you find at the end of it all.

Papertris ($4.99)

Despite being in the falling block genre and having the ‘tris in its title, Papertris is focused on matching rather than making lines. It uses a graph paper motif that lends it some visual punch, and the low price makes it easier to take a punt on for puzzle fans looking for something new to play.

Norn9: Var Commons ($49.99)

A young man from the modern era wakes up to find himself back in the year 1919 on board an airship, with the world below being familiar but not quite right. He meets his fellow passengers on board the ship, and they’re all quite remarkable people. Can he get back to his own time and place? This is a fairly well-liked visual novel from Otomate that originally released on the PSP in Japan but made its way to the global market via a PlayStation Vita release. And now you can play it on your Switch! How about that? Our pal Mikhail is doing a review of this.

Pocket Academy 3 ($14.00)

Alright, let me explain this one. The game we know as Pocket Academy is actually Pocket Academy 2 in Japan. We recently got the first Pocket Academy in the West under the name Pocket Academy Zero. And now here we are with Pocket Academy 3, which is Pocket Academy 3. Clear as mud. It adds some new systems on top of the ones seen in the previous game, but at the end of the day this is still a fairly straightforward Kairosoft simulation game. You’re either tired of these or you aren’t. Also available on mobile in very playable form for half the price, in case you don’t mind playing there.

The Last Worker ($19.99)

Well, this looks fancy. It seems to be a first-person puzzle/adventure game with a heavy story emphasis, telling the story of a worker rebelling against his corporate overlords. It has an incredibly stylish look to it, and the voice cast has some genuinely recognizable names in it like Jason Isaacs and Zelda Williams. I’d imagine this one will come down to how good the puzzles are and how well it delivers on its narrative promise. I haven’t been able to play it yet so I can’t speak to either.

Doodle World Deluxe ($9.99)

Oh hey, I played this one on the Evercade. It’s somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty minutes long, and it is pretty janky. Fun, though. But this set also includes the new Doodle World Redrawn, which is said to be a more difficult game with new levels and tougher enemies and bosses. These are NES games, and the conversion has been handled by Nami Tentou who also took care of Montezuma’s Revenge and Yeah Yeah Beebiss II. So, you know, don’t expect a ton of options and features here. The frame around the action is awfully clever, at least.

Orebody: Binder’s Tale ($9.99)

Another modern NES game brought to Switch by Nami Tentou. It’s a pretty rough run-and-gun action-platformer about a robot trying to avenge the death of its mentor by destroying its makers. Mega Man it is not, but if you’re the sort of person who can appreciate the effort even if the result isn’t quite where you’d hope it would be, you might get something from this.

BookyPets Legends ($19.99)

This is an adventure game aimed at kids from the years of seven to twelve. It hopes to encourage kids to read, and its developers have a special trademarked methodology that I think is supposed to be called GameReading. Unfortunately, in the game description they have spelled it GameReaging, and that does not inspire confidence. Anyway, you’re meant to find and free all the BookyPets. You’ll have to read to get the keys you need to do so, and that’s the hook. The description calls this “the first Metaverse of children’s literature”, which is just the cherry on the top of the bad vibe sundae. You know when some people get the idea that they’re going to make millions and just completely put the cart before the horse? That’s what I’m feeling here. I honestly can’t tell if there is a decent game behind the buzz words, preemptive registered trademarks, and toyetic design. Probably not!

Dashing Orange ($3.99)

Another precision platformer, this one with seventy-five levels to play. It’s an orange, it can dash, deal with it. It seems okay for the very meager price, provided you are looking for another game of this sort.

Ratyboy Adventures ($9.99)

A 3D platformer from the folks at Weakfish Studio where you play as a rat-boy trying to collect stars scattered around a house. I haven’t played it yet so I can’t really say how good it is or not, but 3D platformers can certainly be a tricky thing to nail down.

Ultimate Anime Jigsaw Puzzle ($4.99)

A jigsaw puzzle game where all of the pictures are anime girls. There are apparently one hundred puzzles to solve, and they come in a variety of piece sizes. I’m not sure which of you are in the overlapping circles of “generic anime girl fan” and “video game jigsaw puzzle fan”, but if you are then your day has come.

Squares and Numbers ($2.99)

Picross is a hard thing to mess up, but I’m sure Benjamin Kistler has done his best here. More than one hundred levels, and most likely cobbled together from a template. Still, Picross is Picross.

Tormentor-Action Fire Counter Shooter Game 2023 Gun Strike Simulator ($4.99)

Another pile of garbage from Midnight Works, one of the eShop’s major providers of garbage piles. You can’t play it in TV mode, so presumably there are mandatory touch controls. This lives while beautiful 3DS and Wii U games perish in the void. Truly, there is sometimes no justice.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

A decent enough list of sales given where we are at the time of writing. Nothing really outstanding or unusual jumping out at me, but have a look yourself and see if there are any gaps in your collection you want to fill. Over in the outbox, the latest Square Enix sale is wrapping up. Treat yourself to Harvestella, you won’t regret it.

Select New Games on Sale

Saint Maker ($9.37 from $13.99 until 4/5)
Perfect Gold ($5.35 from $7.99 until 4/5)
Love Esquire ($16.74 from $24.99 until 4/5)
Fuga: Melodies of Steel ($23.99 from $39.99 until 4/10)
HunterX ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/12)
1993 Shenandoah ($8.70 from $12.99 until 4/12)
Rule No.1 ($3.59 from $5.99 until 4/14)
Burrow of the Fallen Bear ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Immortus Temporus ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/14)
Super Jagger Bomb ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/14)
Passpartout: The Starving Artist ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/15)
Dragon Lapis ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Dragon Sinker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/17)
Yodanji ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/17)
Marenian Tavern Story ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)

Asdivine Hearts ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/17)
Asdivine Hearts II ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/17)
Ghost Sync ($9.74 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Seek Hearts ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Cursed to Golf ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Niche Genetics Survival Game ($5.39 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Tokyo Dark Remembrance ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Tiny Metal ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/19)
Wavetale ($23.99 from $29.99 until 4/19)
Curious Expedition ($5.24 from $14.99 until 4/19)
Curious Expedition 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
LEGO Bricktales ($23.99 from $29.99 until 4/19)
Paper Cut Mansion ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Swordship ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)

Lonely Mountains: Downhill ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Decay of Logos ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Giga Wrecker Alt ($6.24 from $24.99 until 4/19)
FireGirl Hack n Splash Rescue DX ($8.99 from $17.99 until 4/19)
Anthill ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/19)
SteamWorld Dig ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/19)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
SteamWorld Heist ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
SteamWorld Quest: HoG ($8.74 from $24.99 until 4/19)
Hello Kitty Kruisers ($5.99 from $29.95 until 4/19)
Source of Madness ($12.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Togges ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/19)
Final Vendetta ($12.47 from $24.95 until 4/20)
Battle Axe ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/20)
Horace ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/20)

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ($15.99 from $39.99 until 4/20)
Journey to the Savage Planet ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/20)
Serial Cleaners ($17.49 from $24.99 until 4/20)
Ghostrunner ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/20)
Terraria ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/20)
Indivisible ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/20)
Saga of Sins ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/20)
Last Day of June ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/20)
Grow: Song of the Evertree ($14.99 from $24.99 until 4/20)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, March 31st

ActRaiser Renaissance ($17.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
AO Tennis 2 ($5.99 from $59.99 until 3/31)
Aqua Moto Racing Utopia ($3.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Balan Wonderworld ($11.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Breakneck City ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Chocobo GP ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Collection of Mana ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Collection of SaGa FF Legend ($11.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
Cricket 22 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII ($39.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Daardoa ($2.79 from $3.49 until 3/31)
Daemonum ($3.59 from $4.49 until 3/31)
Dragon Quest ($3.24 from $4.99 until 3/31)
Dragon Quest II ($4.21 from $6.49 until 3/31)
Dragon Quest III ($8.11 from $12.49 until 3/31)

Dragon Quest Treasures Deluxe ($38.99 from $64.99 until 3/31)
Dungeon Encounters ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
El Gancho ($3.49 from $6.99 until 3/31)
EvilUP ($4.79 from $5.99 until 3/31)
Farmer’s Dynasty ($3.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy IX ($10.49 from $20.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy VII ($7.99 from $15.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy VIII ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy XII TZA ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Freezer Pops ($5.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Goonya Monster ($17.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
Harvestella ($41.99 from $59.99 until 3/31)

Hunting Simulator 2: Elite ($13.99 from $69.99 until 3/31)
I Am Setsuna ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
In the Mood ($2.99 from $4.99 until 3/31)
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 FC Cloud Vers. ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Kingdom Hearts III Cloud Vers. ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Cloud Vers. ($44.99 from $89.99 until 3/31)
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory ($29.99 from $59.99 until 3/31)
KnightOut ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/31)
Legend of Mana ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Life is Strange True Colors Deluxe ($34.99 from $69.99 until 3/31)
Lost Sphear ($14.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Monster Truck Championship ($3.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Mythology Waifus Mahjong ($3.99 from $4.99 until 3/31)
Neko Secret Room ($4.89 from $6.99 until 3/31)
Oninaki ($19.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Overpass ($5.49 from $54.99 until 3/31)

PowerWash Simulator ($19.99 from $24.99 until 3/31)
Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire G/B ($2.99 from $5.99 until 3/31)
Prison Princess ($7.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
Queeny Army ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/31)
Rims Racing Ultimate ($13.99 from $69.99 until 3/31)
Rogue Lords ($9.99 from $24.99 until 3/31)
Roguebook ($9.99 from $24.99 until 3/31)
Romancing SaGa 2 ($7.49 from $24.99 until 3/31)
Romancing SaGa 3 ($8.69 from $28.99 until 3/31)
SaGa Frontier Remastered ($14.99 from $24.99 until 3/31)
SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Silver Falls: Ghoul Busters ($9.59 from $11.99 until 3/31)
Ski Resort Driver ($9.74 from $12.99 until 3/31)
Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition ($12.49 from $24.99 until 3/31)
Snake Core ($6.74 from $8.99 until 3/31)

Snow Moto Racing Freedom ($3.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Spelunker Party ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Star Ocean First Departure R ($8.39 from $20.99 until 3/31)
Tactics Ogre Reborn ($34.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Tangledeep ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
The DioField Chronicle ($29.99 from $59.99 until 3/31)
The DioField Chronicle Deluxe ($37.49 from $74.99 until 3/31)
Thunder Kid II: Null Mission ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/31)
Thunder Kid: HftRE ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/31)
Timore 5 ($10.39 from $12.99 until 3/31)
Timore Redo ($15.19 from $18.99 until 3/31)
Trials of Mana ($24.99 form $49.99 until 3/31)
Truck Racing Championship ($3.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
V-Rally 4 ($4.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
Various Daylife ($19.13 from $28.99 until 3/31)
World of Final Fantasy Maxima ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
WRC 10 FIA ($4.99 from $49.99 until 3/31)
WRC Generations ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
XPOSED SWITCHED ($3.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Z-Warp ($4.19 from $6.99 until 3/31)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow to mop up the remaining releases of the week. There will probably also be a bunch of sales to sort through, and we’ll have the usual lists to that end. 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 March 29th, 2023. In today’s article, we briefly go over that fancy Tears of the Kingdom preview from yesterday then head right into a review of the action bop Kraino Origins. After that, we’ve got a few new releases to look at. A small batch, but not a bad one. Finally, it’s the lists of sales we all crave, both new and expiring. Let’s get to it!

News

Hey Look, a ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ Video

Maybe you saw this already, and maybe you didn’t. I know I forgot about it yesterday. Anyway, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is coming out pretty soon. Like a month and half from now or so. If you’re in full-on hype devouring mode, Nintendo and Mr. Aonuma from the Zelda team have presented ten-ish minutes of gameplay from the game. It shows off the new Fuse mechanic, and yes, that is quite cool. I’m sure people will find ways to use it to do all kinds of things I would never think of, and after I finish my vanilla playthrough I’ll watch some videos and gawk at them. Oh, and there’s also a special Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch and Pro Controller coming. Well, watch the video, it’s all there.

Reviews & Mini-Views

Kraino Origins ($11.99)

Kraino Origins is one of those pleasantly challenging action-platformers that you’ll have a nice time making your way through over the course of a lazy weekend and probably rarely think about again after that. It takes a lot of cues from Shovel Knight both aesthetically and in its gameplay mechanics, sometimes to an uncomfortable degree, but in doing so it ends up looking and playing fairly well. Its eight lengthy, linear stages and handful of shorter bonus stages are over a bit too quickly for seasoned platforming fans, but the variety of gimmicks sprinkled among them makes it a fun romp. The checkpoints in the main stages are probably a little too far apart for many newcomers, and the action may well be a bit too spicy.

Some hidden areas in each stage can be uncovered that offer extra challenges in exchange for permanent upgrades to your health and mana, and you can also find a variety of sub-weapons by seeking out a shopkeeper and buying them. The visuals offer up some nice pixel art, while the music is decent but extremely repetitive. I feel like the game could use some UI improvements. There are some fun filters to try out, but you can only access them from the main menu. It would also be nice to have an option to exit a stage without actually reaching the end. Perhaps it’s there and I didn’t see it.

The controls take a little bit to get used to thanks to the slight delay in how quickly Kraino’s scythe connects, but once you do it’s fairly smooth sailing. His moves are very familiar, and you’ll find his pogo move to be the key to success in many cases. While you get a bunch of sub-weapons to play with, most of them aren’t very useful or necessary. I should also mention that I wasn’t very impressed with the boss battles, which lacked the enjoyable variety the stages offered. Each new boss feels too similar to the last, and their high amount of HP combined with the simple patterns they use makes most of those fights a snooze.

It might sound like I’m down on Kraino Origins, but the reality is that I’m very mixed on it. It controls well and I like the level designs. The bosses don’t match up to the levels in quality, and it really doesn’t take long to see everything here. I also feel like it cribs a little too much from Shovel Knight, and the end result is that it lacks a strong sense of identity. The graphics are good, the music less so. Yes, I’m all over the place on this one, but I do think fans of the genre will have a pretty good time with it while it lasts.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

New Releases

Pirates Outlaws ($16.99)

Sure, we have a lot of games like Darkest Dungeon and such on Switch already. But this one has pirates! It also has a nifty papercraft look to its visuals, so that’s nice. Anyway, this version includes all of the updates for free right from the hop, and it’s a great way to play a very well-received game for those who prefer to play on the Switch over their mobile devices or computers.

Gripper ($19.99)

If you think motorbikes are cool as heck, this is the game for you. You play as a guy on a bike who is battling bosses, and he is not getting off that bike for anything. But you don’t just have a bike, of course. You also have weapons! And you have a grappling hook you can use to maneuver around the environments better or just grab enemies and drag them. Neat. This game looks pretty cool, but I haven’t had a chance to play it yet so all I can comment on is how it looks.

RunBean Galactic ($4.99)

Oh, I’ve enjoyed a few games like this one. So the idea is that you run around the planet, jumping over and sliding under hazards while trying to collect bonus goodies. You need to survive as long as you possibly can, dealing with sudden direction changes and whatever other nonsense the planet throws at you. Could be fun for a fiver.

Pocket Penguin DX: A Retro Style Adventure ($9.00)

Well, this is cute. Not the first or last game to try to evoke the Game Boy, but it really does a nice job of presenting a Kirby-style platformer that feels fairly authentic to the era. The main gimmick involves using bombs as platforms and to attack your enemies. This version includes new minigames, a total of nineteen color palettes to choose from, and multiple difficulty modes to tackle. Not bad at all for under ten bucks.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

The Rogue Legacy games are at new low prices, and I can safely recommend both of them if you’re into the ol’ roguelites. Those craving some Shinobi-ish action will want to look at Shadow Gangs, also hitting a new low price. Not hitting new lows are the Atelier Ryza games, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick them up if you want to catch up before tackling Ryza 3. Some goodies in the outbox too, so make sure you check that list before moving on.

Select New Games on Sale

Superliminal ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/4)
Cat Tales ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/5)
Rogue Legacy ($2.02 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Rogue Legacy 2 ($21.24 from $24.99 until 4/5)
Full Metal Furies ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/5)
Space Tail: EJLH ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/9)
Shadow Gangs ($14.39 from $23.99 until 4/10)
TOHU ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Alan Wake Remastered ($20.09 from $29.99 until 4/11)
Railgrade ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Mars Horizon ($6.59 from $19.99 until 4/11)
PC Building Simulator ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Murder By Numbers ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Fairy Tail ($39.59 from $59.99 until 4/12)
Blue Reflection Second Light ($35.99 from $59.99 until 4/12)

Atelier Ryza ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/12)
Atelier Ryza 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/12)
Ninja Gaiden: Master Ninja Collection ($27.99 from $39.99 until 4/12)
Brigandine: Legend of Runersia ($24.99 from $49.99 until 4/13)
Death Come True ($11.19 from $15.99 until 4/13)
Children of Morta Complete ($7.98 from $26.99 until 4/18)
Moonlighter Complete ($4.34 from $28.99 until 4/18)
This War of Mine Complete ($1.99 from $39.99 until 4/18)
South of the Circle ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/18)
Beat Cop ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/18)
Children of Silentown ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/18)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, March 30th

#Funtime ($3.22 from $14.99 until 3/30)
A Juggler’s Tale ($4.49 from $17.99 until 3/30)
A Little Lily Princess ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/30)
A Space for the Unbound ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/30)
A Summer with the Shiba Inu ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/30)
Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection ($29.99 from $59.99 until 3/30)
Arcaea ($35.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)
Assault Gunners HD Edition ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/30)
Balancelot ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/30)
Blackberry Honey ($5.19 from $12.99 until 3/30)
C14 Dating ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium DLC Bundle ($29.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1/2/3 DLC Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($29.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)

Dariusburst CS Core/Taito/SEGA ($23.99 from $29.99 until 3/30)
Dead or School ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/30)
Deleveled ($2.15 from $9.99 until 3/30)
EDF World Brothers Deluxe ($34.79 from $59.99 until 3/30)
Fracter ($2.20f rom $6.99 until 3/30)
Freshly Frosted ($6.79 from $9.99 until 3/30)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party ($35.99 from $59.99 until 3/30)
Heal: Console Edition ($2.09 from $6.99 until 3/30)
HellGunner ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/30)
Kansei: The Second Turn HD ($2.39 from $7.99 until 3/30)
Klang 2 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 3/30)
Nicole ($3.79 from $18.99 until 3/30)
Papetura ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/30)
PGMS BombMachine Gunzohg ($4.79 from $5.99 until 3/30)
PGMS Pentacore ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/30)

Phoenix Wright AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/30)
PHOGS! ($17.49 from $24.99 until 3/30)
Plan B from Outer Space: ABO ($2.09 from $14.99 until 3/30)
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Power Rangers: BftG Super Edition ($24.99 from $49.99 until 3/30)
Rabi-Ribi ($13.99 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Ravensword Shadowlands ($2.09 from $6.99 until 3/30)
Roundguard ($6.30 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Sail Forth ($16.39 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Samurai Maiden ($47.99 from $59.99 until 3/30)
Space Otter Charlie ($6.52 from $14.99 until 3/30)
Sunwards ($12.00 from $15.00 until 3/30)
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines ($3.22 from $14.99 until 3/30)
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/30)
Ultimate ADOM: Caverns of Chaos ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/30)
Within the Blade ($3.29 from $10.99 until 3/30)
Yeah! Fighting Girl ($12.00 from $15.00 until 3/30)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/30)

That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow is Thursday, and that means we’ll have a whole bunch of new releases to sift through tomorrow. Assault Suits Valken Declassified, LUNARK, Like Dreamer, and more will be hitting the eShop, and we’ll have summaries of all of them. More than twenty of them, eh? Hm. Other than that, we’ll also have whatever new sales roll in. 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 March 28th, 2023. In today’s article, we’ve got full reviews of both MLB The Show 23 and Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key. After that, we’ve got a handful of new releases to look at, with a considerably less dubious line-up than yesterday. Finally, the sales. Shooter fans will be happy. Others, perhaps less so. Let’s get to work!

Reviews & Mini-Views

MLB The Show 23 ($59.99)

There are a few different ways to come at MLB The Show 23. If you’re a big fan of baseball and you’re only rolling with a Switch, you’ve probably already bought this latest version of Sony’s well-regarded franchise. Maybe you’re a more casual fan of the sport who bought last year’s version and are wondering if it’s worth another dip for this year’s release. And perhaps you’re just completely new to the thing entirely and want to know if it’s a good game of baseball. Let’s see if we can’t cover all the bases, then. No, I will not apologize.

I’m going to skip the first group, as you already have the game. I hope you’re enjoying it! For the second group, it’s a tough question. There are improvements here, to be sure. You can now choose to play a streamlined version of the season where you don’t have to play every single game, which is nice. There’s a cool tie-in here with the World Baseball Classic tournament, but that’s apparently temporary content that will be removed later. The technical issues in last year’s version have more or less carried over, and while they aren’t that much of a detriment to the gameplay I’d have loved to have seen some ground gained on this point.

The new Storylines mode is the main highlight of MLB The Show 23‘s single-player content, allowing you to play through selected highlights from The Negro Leagues history. It teaches while also being entertaining, and I really dug it. I can’t wait to see what the developers come up with for this feature in the future. Is it worth the price of admission alone? That’s hard to say, especially given how little has been changed in other modes and features. I wish there were more improvements here across the board so I could say this was a slam-dunk pick-up even if you have last year’s version, but it is what it is. A modest upgrade over last year, with one really great new feature.

For those looking for a good baseball game for their Switch, the ones who somehow missed MLB The Show 22, I think you’ll find this to be a great choice. It’s nice to have another sport covered by a publisher that actually cares about putting some effort in on Switch, as apart from being an obvious step down in terms of presentation this game isn’t lacking at all compared to its cousins on other platforms. There are lots of things to do here both in single player and multiplayer, and it will keep you playing for ages either way. You have bunches of options for how the game controls and plays, allowing you to make the game as straightforward or complex as you desire. It’s a ton of fun to play no matter how you come at it.

With the proviso that the Switch version is the least impressive option in terms of presentation, MLB The Show 23 is a very easy game to recommend on its own merits. The improvements over last year’s version are modest outside of the excellent new Storylines mode, so it might be a tougher sell if you own MLB The Show 22, but that’s the nature of the yearly sports game beast. A solid-playing, well-rounded take on baseball with plenty to offer for any fan of the sport.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key ($59.99)

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been three and a half years since the first Atelier Ryza released. That was the game that convinced me a series I had only been dabbling in was worth deeper investigation, and it had me fall down one of the deeper rabbit holes I’ve ever had to climb out of. I’ve come to genuinely love the Atelier series since then. I love the relatively low stakes. I love the characters and their interactions. I love the compelling gameplay loops in the games, with crafting feeding into exploration and vice-versa. I owe Ryza for getting me into this series, and it’s a little bittersweet to be seeing her off with Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key.

At the same time, however, Ryza has gotten more of a spotlight than any of the other protagonists of the long-running series. Normally each chapter of each sub-series has a new main character, with previous ones moving to the background. With this installment, Ryza has had three turns in the driver’s seat. It’s been a blast, but even with me being as much of a fan as I am, it’s starting to feel like it’s about time. Gust really could have played it safe with this conclusion to the trilogy. Some might say it should have. But for better or worse, Ryza 3 has some ambitions that likely point to the future of the franchise.

The Ryza series has of course been about Ryza’s personal growth as an alchemist and a young adult, but it’s also been about her core group of friends doing the same. At this point in the story, they’re far from the bunch of kids we met in the first game. That usually means it’s time for a big external threat, and we get one pretty quickly in Ryza 3. Everyone has to come together again to face this new danger that threatens the safety everyone fought so hard for in the previous games. It’s a strong pay-off to the previous games, and from a story standpoint I don’t have any serious complaints to speak of. If you’ve been with this crew since the first game, I don’t think you’ll be unhappy with how this game treats them in this ultimate adventure.

This game also tries to up the ante in terms of presentation, taking on an open-ish world approach that the Switch is clearly having some struggles with. There are bits of the game that look downright ugly, and while the framerate never gets too bad for too long, the motion blur that is in effect is really unpleasant. Outside of the fields the game fares better technically, and the art design is still as top-notch as it always is with this series. I’ve heard the PlayStation 5 version looks better, so if you have the option and aren’t particularly married to portability, you may want to look into playing the game there. Otherwise, it’s fine enough.

With regard to the gameplay mechanics, there’s nothing seriously new going on here. The battle system has reached a point where it stands up well against any other game in the genre, the crafting system is rich and compelling, and the general game structure is perfectly designed to keep you playing just a little longer. Before the Ryza sub-series, Atelier games often pressure to you in various ways, but I think one of the things that helped this particular strain of Atelier gain more popularity is how flexible and friendly it is. Despite the increased narrative stakes, Ryza 3 is the most easy-going of them all in terms of gameplay.

Atelier Ryza 3 has the difficult job of ending the story of the franchise’s break-out star, and it manages this task very well. At the same time, its ambitions feel like they’re a little too big for the Switch hardware at times, leading to some technical issues that might make you want to check out another version instead. It will be interesting to see where the Atelier series goes from here. This amazing journey we’ve been on that concludes with this dynamite RPG will certainly be a hard one to top.

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

New Releases

MLB The Show 23 ($59.99)

With the novelty of seeing a PlayStation Studios logo pop up on your Switch over, how does the latest version of MLB The Show plan to pull in players? I mean, beyond the usual yearly roster updates and such. Well, in a bit of good luck, this game sees a collaboration with the World Baseball Classic, allowing you to live out moments from the popular tournament’s history. There are some expended features for Franchise Mode and Diamond Dynasty, too. The biggest addition is the new Storylines Mode, which takes you through key moments from The Negro Leagues, a crucial part of baseball history. Well, the review’s right up there.

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator ($39.99)

Oh my, I love that screenshot. Look at that man. A watched pot may never boil but his passion for the culinary arts always will. Anyway, this is a restaurant simulation game. Like the title says. You have to set up your restaurant and kitchen, build your menu, prepare the food, and shoot for the (Michelin) stars. The controls are a bit cumbersome, but I’d imagine fans of this genre are probably used to that now when it comes to the Switch. Do what you will with it.

Train Life: Orient-Express Train Edition ($39.99)

In case you prefer rolling stock to soup stock, here’s a train simulation game. You manage a train company and drive the actual things themselves. There are a bunch of real trains to drive, a ton of track to drive on, real-world stations, and more. On the business management side, you need to hire staff, pick your contracts, build your railway network, and maintain your stock. Probably not the best game in this genre you can find, but it’s passable enough.

Kraino Origins ($11.99)

This game has done its tour on mobile and Steam, and now you can play it on your Switch. It’s a 2D action-platformer with a 16-bit style to it, and it’s pretty fun. You get eight levels of action with some cool boss battles, collect and use an assortment of weapons, and pick up some hidden upgrades to beef yourself up. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, but having only had experience with the mobile version before I will say that having a standard controller helps this game a lot.

Kana Quest ($14.99)

One of those games that tries to help you learn another language, this time focused on teaching the player Japanese kana, the most basic of the Japanese alphabets. Really not too hard to get the hang of if you put in a week or so, but games can help with learning and perhaps this is the one that will help you.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

While there are a decent number of new sales in the inbox today, I think the main selection worth paying attention to are the Live Wire-published shooters. Mushihimesama, Espgaluda II, DoDonPachi Resurrection, and Radiant Silvergun, oh my! Over in the outbox, Wargroove‘s wildly good sale is coming to an end. If you have anything left in your wallet after the eShop rush, feel free to treat yourself.

Select New Games on Sale

Extinction Eclipse ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/3)
Sky Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Flying Neko Delivery ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Little Misfortune ($6.99 from $19.99 until 4/4)
Melty Blood Type Lumina ($29.99 from $49.99 until 4/7)
Melty Blood Type Lumina Deluxe ($41.99 from $69.99 until 4/7)
Dungeon of the Endless ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/10)
Spellkeeper ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/10)
Romeow: To the Cracked Mars ($1.99 from $2.99 until 4/10)
Ellipsis ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/10)
Geometric Sniper ($2.39 from $2.99 until 4/10)
Summer Paws ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/10)
Sudocats ($1.99 from $2.99 until 4/10)
Railbound ($10.39 from $12.99 until 4/17)

Radiant Silvergun ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)
Mushihimesama ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)
Espgaluda II ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)
DoDonPachi Resurrection ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)
Megalan 11 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Fly Punch Boom ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Succubus With Guns ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Music Racer ($4.19 from $6.99 until 4/17)
Behind Closed Doors: A Developer’s Tale ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/17)
Almost My Floor ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Witchcrafty ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Silenced: The House ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/17)
Amazing Superhero Squad ($4.19 from $6.99 until 4/17)
35MM ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/17)
Summertime Madness ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Hillbilly Doomsday ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/17)
Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90s ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/17)
Why Pizza? ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/17)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 29th

Biped ($5.24 from $14.99 until 3/29)
Cattails ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/29)
Death Coming ($2.44 from $6.99 until 3/29)
Magic Code ($1.99 from $12.48 until 3/29)
Monster Destroyer ($1.99 from $7.13 until 3/29)
Overlord: Escape from Nazarick ($17.99 until 29.99 until 3/29)
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day ($5.24 from $14.99 until 3/29)
Time Loader ($5.24 from $14.99 until 3/29)
Wargroove ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/29)
Wargroove DT Bundle ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/29)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more releases, more sales, and perhaps some news and a review or two. We’ll see how chipper I’m feeling. I hope you all have a fantastic Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 24th, 2023. It turned out to be a fairly busy one today. We’ve got a little news to look at, plus a review from our pal Mikhail. After that, we get into the many new releases of the day, headlined by the excellent Atelier Ryza 3 from Koei Tecmo. Finally, sales! Some new Mario Day sales and a whole lot more in the inbox, along with the expiring deals for the weekend. Let’s check it all out!

News

‘Sonic Origins’ Gets Super-Charged with ‘Plus’ on June 23rd

A lot of people expected Sonic Origins to get additional DLC of some kind, and it’s now been revealed. Hitting June 23rd, Sonic Origins Plus adds Amy as a playable character in the existing games, lets us finally play as Knuckles in Sonic CD, and tosses in a whopping twelve Sonic Game Gear games that run under emulation. Oh, and there’s finally going to be a physical edition. Looks like $39.99 for that, and $9.99 for the Plus DLC if you just want to upgrade your digital edition. Still not quite complete, but twelve Game Gear games for a tenner sure is nice.

Reviews & Mini-Views

Storyteller ($14.99)

Storyteller from Daniel Benmergui has been a very interesting game to follow. While it has been in development for a very long time, I only learned about it when I saw publisher Annapurna Interactive reveal that it would be handling the release on Nintendo Switch and PC. The premise always seemed interesting, but I was very curious to see if Storyteller stuck its landing. Having played it over the last week on both Switch and Steam Deck, I’m very pleased with Storyteller, but it isn’t going to be for everyone.

Games like Baba is You and Scribblenauts excel because they do onboarding right. The former in particular would’ve flopped if the rules weren’t made clear to the player. I mentioned Scribblenauts because the trailer for Storyteller gave me some of those vibes. Storyteller is a puzzle game about completing panels in a book with objects, scenes, and people available for a specific solution. Some puzzles have alternate paths or challenges, but there isn’t much replay value beyond that.

Depending on how long you take to solve the puzzles, expect to see everything Storyteller has to offer in about two hours. It is full of delightful animations, designs, and lovely music.

Storyteller Switch vs Steam Deck

Storyteller is definitely a game I enjoy more with touch controls. It is fully playable and intuitive with a controller when I dock my Switch to play on my monitor, but it excels in handheld mode. On Steam Deck, it doesn’t have native touch controls right now so keep that in mind. The PC version has better image quality, but the aesthetic scales well across the board. It also has subtle HD rumble feedback on Switch.

Barring its short runtime, my main issue with Storyteller is the lack of any reason to go back and replay it. This isn’t a knock on the price, but more that I wanted more from the game. The concept and execution is great, but it feels like an expansion or update down the road would help it a lot.

Storyteller feels like the perfect game to play over a few sittings with a cup of coffee in the morning. I enjoyed seeing how various scenes I tried putting together played out with lovely animations, but hoped to see more possibilities for solutions. In its current state, Storyteller is a short but great experience that I recommend to anyone wanting to experience something only possible through games. It also has been a joy to play in handheld mode on Switch. Storyteller is great, but it would definitely benefit from an expanded release that also sees a retail version on Switch. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

New Releases

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key ($59.99)

Up until the first Atelier Ryza came out, I had only really dabbled in the Atelier series. But I enjoyed that game so much that it led me to dive in and basically play every Atelier game available on modern platforms, which turned out to be quite a few. Now we’re here with Ryza’s final adventure, and I’m both incredibly hyped and a little sad. Koei Tecmo has gone all out on this one, with huge open maps to explore, a large cast of party members, and a new Key system to spice up the gameplay. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, but I can tell you right now that I’ve positively adored what I’ve played so far.

Nefasto’s Misadventure: Meeting Noeroze ($14.99)

A point-and-click style adventure game that is set inside the world of video games, Nefasto’s Misadventure sees you playing as a corrupted piece of data on the verge of being permanently deleted. Well, that wouldn’t be very nice. This game leans heavily into parody and fourth-wall breaking, and you’re either into that kind of thing or you’re not. You’ll visit lots of different (and slightly familiar) places, meet weird characters, and have to deal with events that change up the gameplay temporarily. There’s even some replay value courtesy of multiple endings, though most of them don’t turn out well for Nefasto.

Stones Keeper ($19.99)

This probably isn’t going to win any prizes for its presentation, but Stones Keeper seems to have earned a moderately positive reception on other platforms so I assume the mechanics are more on point. It’s a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements wrapped up in a dark fantasy theme. Upgrade your castle to strengthen your forces and tackle forty-five challenging missions of tactical gameplay. Probably worth looking into if you’re a fan of the genre.

IDEA ($11.99)

A title consisting of a single common English word and a description that consists of two vague sentences. The screenshots don’t help much, either. I don’t know what the publisher expects people to do here. Anyway, it’s clearly meant to be some kind of art. If that’s what you’re after today, here it be.

Flashout 3 ($19.99)

Oh wow, this is a blast from the past. Anyone else remember Flashout? It was a pretty decent Wipeout-inspired series of mobile racers that was fairly popular around ten years ago. Well, here it is on your Switch. You get a campaign with ten tournaments to challenge, eight ships to race, and a nifty split-screen mode for local multiplayer. We’ve got a few options for zero gravity racing on the Switch, but one more never hurts. I can’t believe I’m nostalgic for an iOS game. Time moves too fast, friends.

Overloop ($14.99)

This is a relatively short puzzle-platformer that uses a cloning mechanic for most of its puzzles. Specifically, you’re going to be making clones of yourself and sacrificing them in grisly fashion. Don’t worry, it’s all fairly tongue-in-cheek. I mean, yes, it’s gory. But pixel gory! So it’s fine. Anyway, it’s a really fun game even if the ride only lasts a few hours.

Magic World: Unravel the Magic ($3.99)

Cooking and Publishing is edging closer to making things people would care about. This is a short choice-based affair where you pick a character and make a series of decisions that lead to one of twenty endings. You’ll unlock pictures as you go, so there’s something to do beyond reading the banal text.

The Ripper: Serial Killers ($5.99)

Cooking and Publishing likes its new format so much that it’s got a second game today using it. In this one you are apparently the conscience of a serial killer. You know which one. You make decisions that lead to multiple endings. Not much story to speak of, but I suppose it beats plagiarism.

Lila’s Tale and the Hidden Forest ($4.99)

A very simple, straightforward 2D platformer for one or two players via local multiplayer. Play through multiple stages set across three different world types. This looks slightly under the usual five dollar Switch platformer bar, but I suppose its co-op play gives it something to help it stand out.

Isle of Jura Fishing Trip ($13.99)

About as normal of a fishing game as it gets, but it uses a very different aesthetic from what we usually see in this genre. There are more than fifty species of fish to catch, and you can make use of three different fishing techniques. Seems a bit thin for the price, but you might feel differently.

Steel Defier ($4.99)

Is he a defier made of steel, or does he defy steel? Sigh. Too many questions. This is sort of a puzzle-action game where you’re exploring a spaceship whose defense systems are going berserk. Carefully make your way through forty rooms, picking up key cards and avoiding hazards in order to survive and potentially make your escape. You can get upgrades as you go, granting you new abilities.

Air Hockey Arcade: Casual Board Game ($9.99)

Air hockey isn’t a board game, Megame. Supports one or two players locally and is every bit as cheap and meager as it looks. Ten bucks? You’ve got to be kidding me.

MiniCar Extreme Car Driving Racing (Truck, Suv, Sedan, Cars) ($4.99)

Did the Switch eShop need another low-rent minicar racing game? Apparently VG Games thought so. One or two players via local multiplayer. Nothing else to say about it except that you can almost certainly find a better way to spend a fiver.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Some interesting sales in the list today. I know I say that a lot, but it’s usually true. Mr Driller DrillLand is at a ridiculously low price, so make sure you buy it. Have a gander at the new crop of Mario Day sales, which are the big hitters of the series as far as Switch games go. The Resident Evil Cloud Versions are all on sale in case you actually want those. Examine that outbox too, as it has neat games like 9th Dawn III and Cleopatra Fortune in it.

Select New Games on Sale

PGMS BombMachine Gunzohg ($4.79 from $5.99 until 3/30)
PGMS Pentacore ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/30)
Snake Core ($6.74 from $8.99 until 3/31)
Tangledeep ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
Silver Falls: Ghoul Busters ($9.59 from $11.99 until 3/31)
Mr Driller DrillLand ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/3)
SD Gundam Battle Alliance ($35.99 from $59.99 until 4/3)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure ASB R ($32.49 from $49.99 until 4/3)
Super Cyborg ($2.79 from $6.99 until 4/3)
Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Fes Deluxe ($39.59 from $54.99 until 4/3)
Furi: Modore Edition ($9.99 from $24.99 until 4/3)
W.A.R.P. ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/4)
After Wave: Downfall ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/4)
Dyna Bomb ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/4)
COGEN: Sword of Rewind ($14.99 from $24.99 until 4/6)

The Hand of Glory ($9.49 from $18.99 until 4/7)
Hentai RPG Isekai Journey ($3.99 from $8.99 until 4/7)
Collab Ball ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/7)
Resident Evil 2 Cloud Vers. ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/7)
Resident Evil 3 Cloud Vers. ($19.99 from $29.99 until 4/7)
Resident Evil Village Cloud Vers. ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/7)
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Cloud Vers. ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/7)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ($39.99 from $59.99 until 4/8)
Super Mario Maker 2 ($39.99 from $59.99 until 4/8)
Super Mario Odyssey ($39.99 form $59.99 until 4/8)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ($39.99 from $59.99 until 4/8)
Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/13)
Far: Changing Tides ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/13)
Tempus ($4.89 from $6.99 until 4/13)
Kawaii Slime Arena ($4.19 from $5.99 until 4/13)
Astronite ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/13)
Eight Dragons ($1.99 from $7.99 until 4/13)
Mystic Fate ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/13)
Superola Champion Edition ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/13)
Sakura Neko Calculator ($3.99 from $4.99 until 4/13)

Sales Ending This Weekend

9th Dawn III ($8.79 from $15.99 until 3/25)
Anno: Mutationem ($17.49 from $24.99 until 3/25)
Cleopatra Fortune S-Tribute ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/25)
Cotton 2 Saturn Tribute ($14.39 from $17.99 until 3/25)
Cotton Boomerang Saturn Tribute ($14.39 from $17.99 until 3/25)
Deathsmiles I-II ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/25)
Elevator Action Returns S-Tribute ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/25)
fault StP Lightkravte ($13.49 from $17.99 until 3/25)
Filmechanism ($13.99 from $19.99 until 3/25)
Flewfie’s Adventure ($5.49 from $9.99 until 3/25)
Game Tengoku CrusinMix Special ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/25)

Guardian Force Saturn Tribute ($14.39 from $17.99 until 3/25)
Layer Section & Galactic Attack S-Tribute ($23.99 from $29.99 until 3/25)
NeverAwake ($21.24 from $24.99 until 3/25)
Pinku Kult Hex Mortis ($5.49 from $9.99 until 3/25)
Puzzle Bobble 2X/Puzzle Bobble 3 S-Tribute ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/25)
Secrets of Light and Shadow ($11.25 from $15.00 until 3/25)
Super UFO Fighter ($8.39 from $11.99 until 3/25)
Touhou Luna Nights ($12.59 from $17.99 until 3/25)
Red Wings: American Aces ($1.99 from $11.99 until 3/26)

That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new releases, sales, reviews, and maybe even some news. I really need to find a way to stop playing Powerwash Simulator. It’s devouring my free time and even starting to invade my dreams. Well, these things happen. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!