Welcome to the March 15th SwitchArcade Roundup, where we are covering the latest Switch news and releases! A busy day with nine releases, yet it’s tough not to look over the shoulder and see iOS players starting to enjoy Fortnite. It plays surprisingly well even on older mobile hardware, so a Switch version seems absolutely imminent, right? With controllers and Nintendo’s openness toward cross-platform play, it sure feels like this game is coming soon, it absolutely has to be. Battle royale needs a home on the Switch, and why not have it be the most popular battle royale game going right now? Oh well, until then we’ll have to entertain ourselves with this massive other cavalcade of games.
News
Hex Gambit new trailer, comes to Switch later this year
One Man Left has a new hex grid strategy game in the works called Hex Gambit. It’s in the works right now for Steam and Switch, and it will hit Early Access on Switch in April. To commemorate the occasion, One Man Left has a new trailer. Check out all the bop-based transportation you’ll do in this one! Matches are designed to take 15 minutes tops, and there’s both 1v1 and 2v2 play in a system that features both asynchronous and real-time play, with a natural transition when players drop out. Looks like another potential winner from One Man Left, and here’s hoping that we see the Tilt to Live games on Switch someday. Or perhaps a second life for Outwitters?
Runner3 Switch release date and physical release revealed.
Choice Provisions’ latest Runner game, initially part of the Bit.Trip series, has a release date: May 22nd. Their auto-running platformer starring Commander Video will feature new abilities, new alternate-path levels, and plenty more quick-reflex challenges to tackle. The physical release will include an instruction manual (a rarity these days with physical releases!), a light-up PVC character strip, and a 3" CD with a sampling of the game’s music.
Fangamer has a vertical grip for the Switch in the works.
When I wrote about Danmaku Unlimited 3 the other day, I lamented that there wasn’t a great way to play handheld games in portrait mode, perfect for shoot ’em ups and other arcade titles that support rotating the screen. It appears this void in the Switch’s accessory lineup might be filled, with Fangamer partnering with game journalist Jeremy Parish for this grip project. If this covers the vent, then it might prove to be problematic, as that is quite necessary to keep the system’s innards from melting. That would be bad, but I’m pretty sure this has been taken into consideration.
No one ever bothered to make that vertical Switch grip I begged for a year ago, so I teamed up with @Fangamer and @mechachoi to make one for ourselves. And for YOU… more details to come in the near future! pic.twitter.com/bBMkiileKE
— Jeremy Parish is not the hero Faceball deserves (@gamespite) March 14, 2018
New Releases
Sparkle 3: Genesis
Forever entertainment’s Sparkle series of games comes to the Switch. You control a strange, sea-creature-esque organism, and make your way through 12 surreal levels in a dreamlike atmosphere, controlling and evolving your creature the way you want by consuming elements throughout the digital ocean. Sparkle 3 Genesis feels like the perfect kind of title to rejuvenate itself with a new audience on the Switch, or even just with a group of players that maybe missed it the first time around.
Clustertruck
tinyBuild’s latest Switch port has you trying to drive trucks through chaotic tracks. The floor is lava, the trucks go fast, and eventually lasers get involved. Thankfully, you’ll have a grappling hook, a truck cannon, and time control abilities to help you through this trucky situation. This is the kind of game that will give your screen recording function a workout, as you will constantly find new and ever more hilarious ways to watch your trucks crash and explode through the game.
WorldNeverland – Elnea Kingdom
This is the paid Switch port of the free-to-play iOS/Android game of the same name. You immigrate to a faraway kingdom, and enjoy a new life, possibly finding love and forming a party of heroes to fight monsters. You know, the typical immigrant experience. There are still a few cosmetic in-app purchases for this one, but otherwise, this is essentially what happens if a free-to-play game gets converted into a paid one. This likely is more for Asian markets than western ones, but perhaps there’s an appeal here for people who might have avoided a free-to-play, online only title on mobile like this, that would love it on their Switch.
Bingo for Nintendo Switch
Exactly what it says on the tin. Play in four different types of Bingo with up to four people at once. Hey, this might not be for the gaming enthusiasts who pick up a bunch of the retro shoot ’em ups, but the Switch is for everyone. There’s surely an audience for a simple party game like this, and it only costs $4.99, and looks like it has some decent production values to it.
Enchanting Mahjong Match
Another simple title, albeit one for those looking for ladies named after Chinese constellations. If you want to unlock these artworks, you’ll have to play through 140 levels of increasingly difficult Mahjong. puzzles. Probably not for the grandparents, unless they’re really cool.
Aero Fighters 3
HAMSTER announced the other day that they were working on bringing other Video System titles to modern consoles, and the Neo Geo title Aero Fighters 3 is now out on the eShop. This shoot ’em up gets a little weird, as enemies vary from standard military hardware to giant sea creatures. Oh, and the playable characters include two animals. There are branching paths and multiple endings for the intrepid player to discover. An intriguing choice for the discerning shoot ’em up fan.
The Long Reach
This pixel-art thriller makes its debut on the Switch. The Ukrainian developer Painted Black Games puts players into modern-day New Hampshire, as the protagonist Calvin explores a strange facility and discovers what’s happening just around the corner from where he lives. Or, don’t: players don’t have to discover everything happening in this game, and features plenty of deception and trickery to screw with players. Sounds like an interesting experience if you’re up for a game that claims inspiration from The Cave and Lone Survivor.
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