Welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for March 16th, where we’re covering the latest Nintendo Switch news and new releases, including Kirby Star Allies and Tesla vs. Lovecraft! It’s amazing to think that a week where there were at least a dozen games released feels like a slow week, especially when there’s a new Nintendo game, but perhaps that’s why. Then again, in the world of gaming, there’s never a ‘slow’ week, always a good time to go through the backlog of titles that you probably missed along the way. Seriously, we live in a world with too many cool games, enjoy it while you can!
News
Nindies showcase March 20th
Nintendo’s going to show off a bunch of indie games for the Switch in a live presentation on Tuesday, March 20th. While Nintendo does a great job at getting indie games in their Nintendo Direct presentations, they’re using this as an opportunity to show off some of the more promising upcoming games from independent developers. They need all the help they can get, for sure. You can watch the broadcast on Tuesday from this video:
Penny-Punching Princess
NIS America is bringing this princess-powered isometric brawler to North America on Switch on April 3rd in North America. The game looks ridiculous, as you collect a ton of cash and beat up all who stand in your way, and if you can’t, well, you can bribe them. Cash rules everything around me, y’all. Stay golden with this one when it hits in a few weeks! It’s also hitting the Vita around that time, but don’t expect any VitaArcade Roundups, unfortunately.
Tennis World Tour coming to Switch
Does Mario Tennis Aces look a bit too outlandish for you? Well, Bigben and Breakpoint have Tennis World Tour for you later this year. Available in a physical Legends Edition, you can play as some extra tennis stars, such as Andre Agassi. They’re advertising his 1995 outfit, but if you don’t go full mullet, you’re messing up. John McEnroe is also playable with this edition, as is some extra content for Roger Federer. Check it out on May 22nd.
New Releases
Tesla vs. Lovecraft
10tons delivers its latest dual-stick shooter, and it’s another fun one. If you liked Crimsonland, you’ll like Tesla vs. Lovecraft, as there are a ton of zombie-like creatures to slay here. The game features individual levels to play, but each level also features a mini-upgrade system in its own right, where as you slay more abominations, you get experience and can choose a new perk to help you out. This also carries over to the game’s true endless mode, where you survive against an unending onslaught of creatures, and can earn more of the crystals that unlock permanent upgrades if you do well.
I like the teleport dash in this game: it doesn’t necessarily do any damage, but it does allow you to quickly get away from any dangerous situation. You can also double-dash, so you can quickly change direction. There’s a short recharge on the dash, but nothing oppressive. Use your dash often, just don’t expect to dash halfway across the level in one shot. The other thing I like: the Tesla Mech. You start levels off in this ultra-powerful mech, and then can bust it back out once you pick up all the pieces, and it does extra damage to enemies. Plus, you get to ride around in a giant robot with Nikola Tesla. Who doesn’t want that in their lives?
I’m assuming 10tons is doing quite well with their dual-stick shooters, and I think what they’re doing is a smart strategy. Come up with a proficiency in a genre, develop the technology to make these games, and then iterate and vary your ideas from title to title, frequently releasing new titles and distributing them as widely as possible on every possible platform. This is the fourth dual-stick shooter since Neon Chrome provided a viable base, and each one of 10tons’ shooters does its own thing to stand on its own. And you can play their games on whichever platform you darn well feel like. It comes across as a smart business strategy, and if the shooters remain this solid, keep cranking them out for as long as it works, I say!
Kirby Star Allies
Nintendo’s second Kirby game of the year after their previous Kirby: Planet Robobot for 3DS. This one focuses on gameplay for up to four characters at once, as Kirby can turn enemies into allies, and use their powers to make it through a bunch of different levels. Some cool power combinations come into play, and you can either work with a surprisingly competent AI team, or with your friends in multiplayer, who probably aren’t as smart. It’s the rise of the machines!
The initial reviews for this one are coming in, and the game appears to be…alright. Nintendo makes Kirby games to be easy and accessible for a younger audience, so I wouldn’t expect an incredibly difficult platforming experience. If you don’t mind games that you can kind of auto-pilot if you’re skilled, and just want to sit back and enjoy some Kirby action (where the AI can solve puzzles for you!) and maybe get some friends involved, this seems like a good one to check out, if you know what you’re getting into. Give the demo a shot.
Last Day of June
This emotional adventure game has you trying to save the life of your beloved June, as you experience a gorgeous landscape and gripping story. This one got a ton of accolades back in 2017, and now you can experience it for yourself on Switch. The game also features collaborations from some notable artists, such as director Massimo Guarini, musician and producer Steven Wilson (now there’s a name I never thought I’d get to drop on TouchArcade), and writer/director/animator Jess Cope.
Neonwall
Here’s an interesting one: you have a physics puzzler that uses the two Joy-Cons’ motion controls, as you try to solve puzzles by manipulating the on-screen pointers to manipulate the colors of rolling balls, which interact with the environment and change the speed of objects, while also shooting away obstacles. This looks like quite the brain and reflex workout, especially with two different pointers to use. While this does support analog controls, I can see the pointer functions of the Joy-Cons making this a lot easier, or at least if you could use one in handheld mode. Early reviews seem rather promising, so take this one into consideration.
Gem Smashers
The Switch sometimes gets ports from earlier Nintendo systems, usually the Wii U or 3DS. But the Game Boy Advance?! While this is a much better looking game than the GBA original, the goal is the same: move around an arena, smashing gems and enemies, changing colors to help solve puzzles and complete the challenges that lie ahead of you I’m always curious when obscure old games get revived like this: does someone just really believe in the concept and try to revive it on modern platforms? This game might just inexplicably outlive us all!
Keep an eye out every weekday for more SwitchArcade Roundups! We want to hear your feedback on Nintendo Switch coverage on TouchArcade. Comment below or tweet us with your thoughts!
