Welcome to your SwitchArcade Roundup for August 8th, 2018, bringing you yesterday’s summary of news and today’s outlook of new releases and sales. The latter is rather bare, as no major sales occurred yesterday, nor are there any new releases today. That notwithstanding, a whole heaping of discounts end Thursday, so definitely check out the Sales section of the Roundup so you don’t miss out. Since we have a relaxing day without much activity on the Switch eShop, let’s take a look at some mellow games for our Game of the Day and game impressions on a recent release.
Game of the Day
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($29.99)
Today’s Game of the Day is inspired by Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon. Though it takes familiar gameplay from both, it never exactly outshines either. That said, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a delightful, soothing, and relaxing game where part of the fun is in exploring the vast world of Gemea, gathering materials of all types, discovering new Sprites by keen observation and solving environmental puzzles, and using these Sprites to clear up the clouds of poisonous Murk in order to save Gemea as well as progress further in the game. Oh, and it’s all done without a hint of combat.
Yes, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an adventure that is completely combat-free. The main gameplay is coming across various characters, engaging in their requests, and gathering the necessary materials needed to solve quests (in addition to a lot of crafting those materials). In some ways, Yonder is “Fetch Quests: The Game", but it manages to be utterly satisfying and rewarding all the same. There is no set order in what you have to do or accomplish in Yonder; no time limit to rush you and make you feel overwhelmed. You can do as you please when you please.
Apart from interacting with characters and fulfilling their requests, you can earn the ability to own a handful of farms around the isle of Gemea. Here, you can build structures, plant seeds and trees, make some new animal friends and have them follow you to your humble abode, and otherwise organize your farm how you see fit. Customization is the name of the game in parts of Yonder–and as stated before, so is “Fetch Quests: The Game".
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles lasted me just under 15 hours, and that was without doing every quest within the game. There is a story to follow that doesn’t expand as much as I would have hoped, but the core gameplay loop of exploring the expanses of Gemea, discovering treasures, materials and loot, and completing quests through crafting and trading made for a game that I really enjoyed.
Now, we go from one relaxing game to another!
Go Vacation Impressions
Originally released on the Wii back in 2011, Go Vacation was a game a bit too ambitious for Nintendo’s hardware and software sales blockbuster. The motion controls weren’t consistent from game to game, sometimes being really good in some games while others were horrid to work with. Add that to a sprawling isle in Kawawii Island that housed four large and unique resorts, and you had a lot of technical hurdles to overcome.
Now, Go Vacation gets another chance to shine under the sun as if it were a happy little vacationer at Kawawii Island’s Marine Resort. The Nintendo Switch version of Go Vacation includes new content and additions like high definition visuals and enhanced textures, new activities like photographing wildlife and fishing, online ghost data where you can challenge fellow players asynchronously, and much more. The grandest addition to the Switch version is the option to choose from traditional controls and motion controls. That said, even with traditional controls on, there is some movement to be had with the controller, such as performing tricks in skateboarding or moving your custom character around the air whilst skydiving.
Go Vacation essentially has you playing an extended tutorial for the few hours of the game. You move from resort to resort collecting stamps from completing activities. When you have enough stamps, you unlock entrance to the next resort. These four major locales are quite massive, offering different areas like a beach resort, metropolitan area, snowy alps, and rocky mountains. Once you’ve collected a set amount of stamps, the real game begins.
Go Vacation is open-world, thus it offers the ability to fully explore each resort (save for some obnoxious invisible walls that seem to be everywhere on Kawawii Island). You can find activities to participate in, discover one of seven hidden treasure chests in each resort, and just gad about from the comfort of your own couch.
While getting stamps, you only start off with the very basic beginner level of the activities you select. This means in a game like tennis or beach volleyball, your character automatically moves to the ball. The only thing you need to do is aim and hit it. As you’ll discover as you return to activities is that they’re expanded upon rather well, offering more depth to the gameplay than originally presented, such as full character movement in tennis and beach volleyball’s case. This is an interesting way of presenting activities to players because while it is accessible to more casual players of video games, it can be a huge turnoff to more experienced players who might think these activities are simply too easy and lack the challenge and depth to keep their interest.
Of the over 50 activities present in Go Vacation, I find the majority of them to be a joy to play, once the introductory difficulty level of each has been completed. Otherwise they’re far too limiting for me as someone who is experienced with gaming. From tennis and beach volleyball, to table hockey and mini golf, Go Vacation has a wide array of enjoyable activities that can be enjoyed either with the 80/20 split of analog controls and motion controls, or playing the game with an 80/20 split of motion controls and analog controls. Whichever the case, I recommend planning your next vacation to the bustling isle of Kawawii today. (Especially if you’re short on cash like me and can’t afford to go on a real vacation. Thank God for video games!)
News
The World Ends With You: Final Remix receives North American and European release date
Announced earlier this year for the Nintendo Switch, The World Ends With You: Final Remix, adding a brand-new chapter to the classic Nintendo DS favorite, as well as co-operative play, has received an official release date outside of Japan. A new day dawns on October 12th when The World Ends With You: Final Remix launches on the Switch in both North America (for $49.99 in the U.S.) and Europe. If you’ve never played this critically acclaimed game before, either on the DS or an iOS device: 1) You’re “so zetta slow", and 2) Now’s the perfect chance and the perfect platform to give the game a shot.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 gives Switch owners a taste of its tactical gameplay with a demo
Now available on the Switch, Valkyria Chronicles 4‘s demo is ready for download from the Nintendo Switch eShop. In addition to that, if you find yourself loving the demo (or know that the Valkyria Chronicles series to be a known quantity), there is the ability to pre-order the game digitally as of now, too. Like Octopath Traveler and other demos before it, Valkyria Chronicles 4’s demo offers the ability to transfer your progress from the demo over to the full game. Valkyria Chronicles 4 launches on the Nintendo Switch next month–September 25th, to be exact!
New Team Sonic Racing trailer introduces new team gameplay tricks
Silly, hedgehog–tricks are for kids! Then again, when you’re in a rush to the finish line, you need all the help you can get! SEGA has provided a new trailer for its Sumo Digital-developed Team Sonic Racing. This particular trailer features new team trick elements into the fold for those who value the most important thing in the world: the power of teamwork and–okay, I’ve slipped into Sonic Heroes speak now.
At any rate, new techniques to use with your team include the Skimboost, the Slingshot, Rival Takedown, and Item Box Transfer. To get the deets regarding these teamwork techniques in Team Sonic Racing (the kids nowadays still say “deets", right?), look no further than the following trailer:
Sublevel Zero Redux is the coming to the Switch with a cool addition
Released on other platforms early in 2017, Sublevel Zero Redux from Sigtrap Games is taking flight on the Switch later this year. The game provides a combination of six degrees of freedom shooter gameplay (as found in games like Forsaken and Descent) and a roguelite structure. You explore a procedurally generated asteroid base, destroying anything and everything that moves, while collecting new weapons, items, and augments to help you on your various play-throughs. The Switch version throws in gyro controls, which certainly help with aiming with a bit more precision than a dual analog control scheme. Sublevel Zero Redux currently has no official release date (other than later in 2018), but the game is listed at a $19.99 price point here in the States.
Sales
Sales Ending on Wednesday, August 8th
- forma.8 ($4.99 from $9.99 until August 8)
- Lode Runner Legacy ($9.59 from $11.99 until August 8)
- Mom Hid My Game! ($3.49 from $4.99 until August 8)
- Never Stop ($4.24 from $4.99 until August 8)
- Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection ($29.99 from $39.99 until August 8)
Sales Ending on Thursday, August 9th
- Aces of the Luftwaffe – Squadron ($9.99 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Air Mail ($9.99 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Astro Duel Deluxe ($7.49 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Binaries ($5.19 from $12.99 until August 9)
- BINGO for Nintendo Switch ($2.99 from $4.99 until August 9)
- Boost Beast ($6.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Brawlout ($11.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- Butcher ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Chromagun ($9.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- Cycle 28 ($5.59 from $6.99 until August 9)
- Dandara ($8.99 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Detention ($7.79 from $12.99 until August 9)
- FRAMED Collection ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- GoNNER ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Iro Hero ($9.09 from $12.99 until August 9)
- Kid Tripp ($1.99 from $3.99 until August 9)
- Kingdom: New Lands ($7.49 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- NBA 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until August 9)
- NBA 2K18 Legend Edition ($32.99 from $99.99 until August 9)
- NBA 2K18 Legend Edition Gold ($49.49 from $149.99 until August 9)
- Old Man’s Journey ($7.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Operation Hardcore ($6.49 from $12.99 until August 9)
- Othello ($3.99 from $4.99 until August 9)
- Oxenfree ($4.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- Party Golf ($9 from $15 until August 9)
- Pirate Pop Plus ($2.99 from $4.99 until August 9)
- Putty Pals ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Qbics Paint ($3.49 from $4.99 until August 9)
- Quest of Dungeons ($5.39 from $8.99 until August 9)
- Shift Quantum ($11.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- Shu ($5.99 from $9.99 until August 9)
- Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure ($8.99 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Super Ping Pong Trick Shot ($2.99 from $4.99 until August 9)
- Swim Out ($3.59 from $5.99 until August 9)
- The Adventure Pals ($8.99 from $14.99 until August 9)
- The Escapists 2 ($11.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- The Jackbox Party Pack ($12.49 from $24.99 until August 9)
- The Long Reach ($5.09 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Transcripted ($5.49 from $7.99 until August 9)
- Urban Trial Playground ($11.99 from $19.99 until August 9)
- Uurnog Uurnlimited ($7.49 from $14.99 until August 9)
- Worms W.M.D. ($17.99 from $29.99 until August 9)
It’s time once again to part ways, but it’s only a 24-hour wait for Thursday’s SwitchArcade Roundup! It’ll be a busy day tomorrow with a slew of new releases and sales, as is customary for a Thursday on the Switch eShop. Until that time, keep you Joy-Cons charged and your Switches loaded with great games!
