Welcome to your SwitchArcade Roundup for October 24th, 2018. Your student magician at Astral Academy, Phil is here to provide you with today’s top news stories, new release (yep, just one!), as well as some new and expiring discounts on the eShop. We are but a week away from Halloween, so let’s get a little spirited, shall we? Let’s do just that with the Game of the Day!
Game of the Day
Nine Parchments ($19.99)
Since we have some Trine news up on the ol’ docket today, let’s take a look at another game by the developer. Today, our Game of the Day is Nine Parchments, a game that is set in the Trine universe. When you’ve got a good thing going, why let it go to waste? I’m the same way with my fast food burgers. After I’m through with my cheeseburger, you bet that I consume the cardboard that it came in, too. Waste not, want not, dear friends!
Anyway, back to the actual topic and not “Phil’s Comedy Hour: Presented by TouchArcade", Nine Parchments sees players assuming the role of a student magician. When the eponymous parchments are spread across the land, what better way to learn how to be a greater magician than some on-the-job training? Through 25+ levels, one can either play alone or with up to four friends, sharing the same screen.
Each player starts out with their own set of three magic spells. Using these spells expends magic energy that slowly but steadily replenishes itself. Thankfully, there’s a meter for each spell instead of all magic sharing the same meter. You wouldn’t want to be caught with your pants (robe?) down–frantically evading foes while you wait to finally be able to cast a spell.
Speaking of which, spell casting is incredibly simple. You aim with the right analog stick, and that faces your character in the direction you want to cast or throw your spell. Then a press of the ZR button unleashes said spell forward. Such spells include a far-reaching ice beam that can freeze foes in place; a fireball that can cause burn damage in some enemies; and also a healing circle that slowly restores HP for those inside the circle. Many enemies have elemental properties and can only be weakened with certain spells.
As you play through Nine Parchments, you face off against bosses that block you from obtaining the mythical pieces of magical parchment paper. Upon defeating these beasts of burden and getting one of the “Nine Parchments", you have the option to learn a new spell. By the end of the game, it can be rather overwhelming to cycle through a circle of spells with the L and R buttons when you have a lot of spells learned! Thankfully, the developers allow you to organize them on the “spell wheel" as you see fit.
Multiplayer isn’t just set to local co-op, though that was a great deal of fun with my brother (who I “accidentally" kept killing due to friendly fire). Online is also an option, and if you can get a good group of companions, you can team up and combine spells to take down baddies at a faster rate (sort of like Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube, if that reference helps anybody out there).
Nine Parchments is terrific for multiplayer, but not so much by one’s lonesome. After all, there is no “I" in “party". At least, I think that’s how the saying goes. Regardless, for the Halloween season, allow Nine Parchments to cast a spell on your Switch.
News
A new Pokemon: Let’s Go research update brings another Pokemon reveal
Straight from the official Pokemon Youtube channel and the Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! website comes this announcement and reveal of Melmetal, a brand new Pokemon! Who or what is Melmetal? Why, it’s the evolved form of the previously revealed Meltan! Not just “totes adorbs" as the youth says (or so I’m “totes" told), Melmetal is a pure steel type, utilizing its own special attack “Double Iron Bash, and is listed as the “Hex Nut Pokemon". However, you don’t need my long-winded regurgitation of website facts about this evolved Mythical Pokemon, just check out this trailer to see Melmetal in action.
Super Mario Odyssey will celebrate its anniversary in New Donk City
Can you believe it’s been a year since Super Mario Odyssey, one of the Switch’s greatest games*, released? Well, it’s not EXACTLY been a year yet, but it will be soon enough! Nintendo plans something small but special for the game’s anniversary. On October 27th, the New Donk City festival stage of Super Mario Odyssey will be decked out with 8-bit Luigi and Captain Toad sprites for players to ground pound down on and receive coins. It’s a celebratory payday for players and an anniversary in one of my favorite levels of the past year. Win-win, baby!
*No asterisk actually needed. It’s REALLY one of the Switch’s finest games.
Swords & Soldiers II: Shawarmageddon eyes December release on the Switch
While Swords & Soldiers II: Shawarmageddon is set for November 6th for the PlayStation 4 and PC, the Switch doesn’t have a date locked down yet. While no exact release date was given, fortunately, the wait won’t be too much longer. Straight from a press release from Romino Games, the developer estimates that Swords & Soldiers II: Shawarmageddon will release this December on the Switch. That is to say if everything goes smoothly. (If the Switch version gets delayed, you can say I jinxed it–though unintentionally!) In the meantime, here’s a short, little trailer for the game.
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince announced for the Switch
Trine 4 is official, and it’s conjuring up something (hopefully) good on the Switch in 2019 courtesy of a fruitful partnership between Frozenbyte and Modus Games. Whether or not Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince will return to the franchise’s 2.5-D roots or keep the 3D approach that Trine 3 had (which may also be coming to the Switch if this listing is any indication). We’ll find out more relatively soon, and you can bet that the SwitchArcade Roundup will have the info for you–just like magic! Poof!
Frozenbyte and @Modus_Games are partnering to release #Trine4 next year for #PS4, #NintendoSwitch, #XboxOne and #PC! Visit https://t.co/S9lU7CkrBq for the latest news and to subscribe to our newsletter. pic.twitter.com/Am2mBKEZov
— Trine Series (@TrineSeries) October 24, 2018
New Releases
Deployment ($9.99)
Dropped (or should I say “deployed"?) unceremoniously on the eShop is our sole new release today. It’s Deployment, and the eShop listing describes the game as “an intense competitive top-down shooter game" where “Infosoldiers…fight in an endless war between governments and mega corporations to rule over the digital systems that control the world."
If some of that went over your head, then that makes me happy that I’m not alone. Watching the trailer (curiously absent from the game’s North American eShop page as of this article’s posting), Deployment is a PvP shooter requiring a Nintendo Switch Online membership. If the community doesn’t take off (it probably won’t for several reasons mentioned already), then those who get the game can still play against bots. Bots = Best Opponents To Slay!
Sales
We have a mishmash of new discounts today. A lot of old, familiar names return (Hello, my old friend, Red Game Without a Great Name), but we also have some spooky Halloween gaming to enjoy at a lower price with Outcast and its sequel on sale.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is Thursday, which means a whole slew of eShop discounts expire while new discounts take their place. Make sure to double check to see if there are any games that interest you before it’s too late! …Okay, that sounded graver than I intended.
New Games on Sale
- Green Game: TimeSwapper ($1.49 from $2.99 until October 30)
- Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated ($4.99 from $9.99 until October 30)
- Red Game Without a Great Name ($1.49 from $2.99 until October 30)
- Outlast: Bundle of Terror ($12.49 from $24.99 until November 1)
- Outlast 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until November 1)
- Whispering Willows ($7.99 from $9.99 until November 1)
- Hexologic ($1.95 from $2.99 until November 6)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, October 25th
- 88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition ($14.97 from $29.95 until October 25)
- Aegis Defenders ($10.99 from $19.99 until October 25)
- Conga Master Party! ($5.97 from $9.95 until October 25)
- Darkest Dungeon ($18.74 from $24.99 until October 25)
- Darkest Dungeon: Ancestral Edition ($29.99 from $39.99 until October 25)
- Flashback ($17.99 from $19.99 until October 25)
- Gear.Club Unlimited ($24.99 from $44.99 until October 25)
- Ghost 1.0 ($4.99 from $9.99 until October 25)
- Hyper Sentinel ($2.59 from $12.99 until October 25)
- Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Sly Spy ($7.19 from $7.99 until October 25)
- Jumping Joe & Friends ($1.99 from $4.99 until October 25)
- Jurassic Pinball ($1.79 from $1.99 until October 25)
- Lumo ($15.96 from $19.95 until October 25)
- Manticore – Galaxy on Fire ($11.99 from $19.99 until October 25)
- Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame ($29.99 from $59.99 until October 25)
- Ninja Shodown ($8.97 from $14.95 until October 25)
- One Strike ($1.99 from $4.99 until October 25)
- Robonauts ($3.47 from $8.69 until October 25)
- Suicide Guy ($5.59 from $7.99 until October 25)
- Super Chariot ($9.99 from $19.99 until October 25)
- Syberia ($19.99 from $29.99 until October 25)
- Syberia 2 ($19.99 from $29.99 until October 25)
- The Court Lucanor ($5.09 from $14.99 until October 25)
- The Jackbox Party Pack 3 ($14.99 from $24.99 until October 25)
- The Mahjong Huntress ($3.99 from $4.99 until October 25)
- The Room ($8.99 from $9.99 until October 25)
- UnExplored ($10.05 from $15 until October 25)
- WILL: A Wonderful World ($11.99 from $14.99 until October 25)
- World Soccer Pinball ($1.79 from $1.99 until October 25)
- Yesterday Origins ($14.99 from $29.99 until October 25)
It seems like we only just started today’s edition of the SwitchArcade Roundup, and now we must temporarily part! Maybe it was excruciating for you–who knows–but I enjoyed this edition as always! Later in the week I’ll have some Dark Souls: Remastered impressions from the point of view of a total newcomer to the series. That… That ought to be scary–I mean–fun!
Until next time, keep your Joy-Cons charged and your Switches loaded with great games!
