Welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for April 12th, where we’re covering all the new Nintendo Switch releases, and a couple pieces of news! It’s the busiest release day in weeks, with a ton of new indies out now on the eShop, with a few gems in particular like Breakforcist Battle, Don’t Starve, and Burly Men at Sea. But seriously, today’s jam-packed with new titles, so let’s get the news stuff out of the way first before we dive into all the new goodies:
News
Manticore – Galaxy on Fire gets rescheduled release date
After Switch 5.0 caused last-minute issues with the paid game Switch port of Galaxy on Fire 3, Fishlabs and co. have figured those problems out, and have a rescheduled release date for their space shooter: April 19th. I’m curious to see how the Switch audience takes to a game that’s a mobile port, but one with high production values.
Is the MLB.tv app coming to Switch?
Interestingly, an MLB.tv support dropdown menu shows the Switch as a supported platform. While there hasn’t been any news about the Switch app yet, and the lack of even something like Netflix on the platform is weird, hopefully we get this on here soon. The Switch would work really well for me as an MLB.tv player on my desk while I’m working!
New Releases
Burly Men at Sea ($9.99)
If you missed this narrative adventure game when it released on PC and mobile last year, then good news: it’s now got a Switch release! There is a branching narrative here, where your decisions help tell the tale of the three burly men and their nautical adventures. There are multiple endings, and you’re supposed to play through multiple times to keep seeing new things, but a single playthrough is meant to be short. Check this one out if you haven’t done so yet.
Breakforcist Battle ($9.99)
Oh hey, this fun Breakout-like is now on Switch in a form with multiplayer options. You can play through the classic mode where you’re surviving ever-descending waves of bricks, stylized as evil breakfast foods, either by yourself or with a friend. And then you can engage in a four player battle mode where you’re all trying to be the last Breakforcist standing.
I got to play this before release, and it’s some fun high score chasing, Breakout-style action, just as it was on mobile. My one complaint is that the controls don’t really allow for small movements, though you can hold a button down and move faster. Making those small, precise angle shots is just a bit tricky. Still, the game’s fun, and the soundtrack is a blast, plus you can still get a 7" vinyl version of the soundtrack.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs – Royal Edition ($24.99)
Crunching Koalas delivers an isometric strategy-RPG in the vein of Ogre Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics, where you have to take on a quest familiar to many millennials: getting out of debt. Not familiar to millennials: debt due to inheriting property debt in your kingdom! So you go on an adventure to raise money to clear your debt!
This game promises skippable battles, which should be a cool feature for people who like RPGs but without the combat. I know when some people in the gaming world have proposed this before, it was met with controversy. Granted, some of it is from the “whine about everything that goes against convention" crowd, but I get the point too. It does kind of cheapen the experience when you can just skip forward through any challenge. I had this issue with a puzzle game with a narrative element that let you just go to the last level. Perhaps game designers have to find a balance between appealing to those who play games for the plot, while making it feel rewarding for those who want to play the entirety of the game. Of course, as Dara O’Briain points out, other art forms don’t prevent the art-experiencer from experiencing the rest of the work!
Also, strategy RPGs are usually frickin’ hard and I would like to skip some of the battles.
Don’t Starve: Nintendo Switch Edition ($19.99)
Want to enjoy this popular survival-roguelike on your Switch? Now you can finally do so, after releases on virtually every other platform. You’ll craft items, explore a strange wilderness, and try not to die in a slightly-irreverent environment. The Switch version comes with all the expansions for the game, so you get multiple adventures in one title. Huzzah for not starving!
Rogue Aces ($10.40)
Infinite States pulls off the rare feat: a game that releases on the Switch and Vita at the same time! Rogue Aces is 2D plane-flying action, as you fly through procedurally-generated levels, blasting hordes of enemies. The game is structured like a roguelike with a bunch of different modes to play through. Looks like it might scratch that itch if you like Luftrausers but want something meatier.
Skies of Fury DX ($19.99)
Prefer 3D airship battles? Well, Skies of Fury is here to deliver an extra dimension for you, with World War I airplane battles. You can fight as either British or German pilots, going through 100 mission in 10 different planes, with splitscreen battles available. I kind of like the colorful look here – it’s so different from other war games, and lends it a stylized look.
Word Search by POWGI ($7.99)
The list of people who think naming stuff in all caps is cool and people who have to write about that stuff is two separate circles. POWGI, I’m sure your word search game is fine, but I’m not sure you’ve quite earned the ability to write your own name in all-caps, and to definitively say that a game is made by you. But fake it till you make it, I guess. Also, this one originally released on the Wii U and 3DS, and sees new life on the Switch!
Gururin ($7.99)
See POWGI, HAMSTER’s earned it by just constantly releasing retro games. Keep pumping out the hits, and we can talk. Here’s your HAMSTER Neo-Geo game for the week: drop puzzle pieces on the board that consist of little people freaking out about being dropped onto a massive pile of humans. However, you can rotate the puzzle box to get different matches, which gives this a unique spin on puzzle games! I’m so sorry.
Streets of Red – Devil’s Dare Deluxe ($7.19)
A horror beat ’em up? You fight against the undead with up to four players, using six different characters with different powers to kill the pixelated abominations from beyond humanity. There is also a boss literally named Internet. He probably deserves whatever’s coming to him.
Asdivine Hearts ($12.99)
Kemco keeps cranking out the RPGs, sure, but our Shaun Musgrave says this is “something truly excellent." No in-app purchases, a humorous script, and not a crazy premium on top of the iOS version. If you need a good traditional JRPG this week, keep this one in mind.
Eternal Edge ($20.00)
I respect that $20 price. No 99 cents tomfoolery here. Righteous Weasel delivers an action-RPG in a blocky style, but it doesn’t look like there’s a lot of Minecraft-style building that you have to particularly engage in. What I like is the co-op function, where three other players can join as sidekicks, and occasionally respawn over time when they die. The developer says this is designed for kids and younger siblings to play with someone older in a way where they can help but not worry too much about failing. I like that design. This action RPG might just be worth considering?
Drone Fight ($4.99)
This is an arcade-style racer, but instead of karts, you fly drones through periolous midair courses. It looks like something that you’d see a review for in Electronic Gaming Monthly for the Nintendo 64. Unfortunately, there isn’t any multiplayer here, which would’ve been cool as it’s all flying, no driving.
Zotrix: Solar Division ($14.99)
Tower defense…in spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace! I’m not entirely sure why enemies in three-dimensional space would stick to two-dimensional routes, but look, bombers work in space now, according to Star Wars. Nothing matters, physics is for fools. Please enjoy tower defense in space.
Shelter Generations ($17.99)
In this papercraft-style survival game, you play as a mother lynx trying to protect her children, keeping them fed, and safe from predators. You need to try and raise them to adulthood, with different endings and story events as you try to complete your tasks. I’m sure this game won’t be sad at all if you let one of your kids die! This console release of Shelter 2 comes with the Mountains DLC, and a standalone expansion, Paws: A Shelter 2 Game where you play as a cub instead of the mother.
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!
