Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for Monday, April 29th. You may have noticed that there was no SwitchArcade on Friday. I had a bit of a medical emergency and it just wasn’t possible to put anything together. Sorry! But I’m okay now, and as such I’ve decided to catch up on everything I missed. No news or reviews today, but watch for those to make their returns tomorrow. Let’s catch up!
New Releases
Panty Party ($14.99)
I still can’t believe this is a real game that exists and is available on the Nintendo eShop. But here we are. Take control of one of a large variety of flying panties and use your special abilities to attack the enemy panties. That sentence describes a real video game. Given that the game is rated E10+, you probably shouldn’t expect anything too provocative here. Rather, it’s a sort of absurdity that you play just to see stupid-looking situations. And you can even play four-player split-screen, provided you can find three friends that want to play a FPS (Flying Panty Shooter) with you.
Defend Your Castle ($4.99)
This is a pretty basic take on the castle defense concept. Fend off waves of enemies, upgrade your defenses, and try to survive. I rather like the idea behind the game’s presentation, making it look like something that’s playing out on a kid’s desk or something. That said, I suspect you can find more fully-featured games of this sort on the Switch without spending much more money. The original Defend Your Castle is pretty long in the tooth by now, and it now faces competition from a lot of games it may well have had a hand in inspiring. I guess what it comes down to is how much you’re craving another castle defense game, whether or not you’ve already played this one, and what other games in the genre you’ve played. It’s okay.
Isoland ($2.17)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
The Isoland games are pretty decent little puzzle adventures with surprisingly interesting stories. The puzzles are fun to solve and the odd characters and setting help tie them all together. I’m actually somewhat surprised at how cheap the price is on this one, because it could easily get away with being twice the price. As it is, it’s a little more expensive than it is on mobile, but it’s hard to argue with what you get here. Check it out if you enjoy logic puzzles and the like.
Isoland 2 – Ashes of Time ($3.62)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Second verse, largely the same as the first. I don’t have too much to add here, I’m afraid. It’s a new story with new characters and new puzzles, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree here. And that’s fine. I’d say pick up the first game and see how it goes, and if you enjoy that one, this is a pretty easy pick-up. I somewhat question the wisdom of dropping both games onto the Switch on the same day, but it’s not like I’m the commander of good sense over here or anything.
The Little Acre ($12.99)
This is a cute point-and-click style adventure game that doesn’t go too hard on the player with its puzzles. The characters are really well-done, and the world they occupy is very interesting. Unfortunately, the game is a little shorter than it feels like it should be. The developer did a really nice job with what’s in here, and I can understand how much time it would take to make more of it at this level, but I still can’t help but feel like I wanted it to last a little bit longer. Still, if you dig this kind of game, this one isn’t too bad even taking its brevity into account.
Arcade Archives Psycho Soldier ($7.99)
Another in Hamster’s series of games you can get cheaper in a bundle via the SNK Anniversary Collection, Psycho Soldier is at least better than the other game starring its protagonist Athena. It’s a side-scrolling multi-level shooter, similar to Capcom’s Son-Son. These days, it’s mostly known for its absolutely epic background music that came complete with full vocals. This is a good version of the game with lots of options and so forth, but as usual I really do have to nudge you towards the SNK collection unless this is basically the only game from it that you want.
Super Blood Hockey ($14.99)
The Switch suffers from a tragic deficiency of hockey games. I don’t know why that is. I feel like most people like hockey video games even if they aren’t into the sport, and yet here we are with practically nothing to show for it. That makes Super Blood Hockey slightly more attractive than it would be otherwise, I think. No, you aren’t getting any pro teams or players, and the actual game on the ice is closer to the NES Ice Hockey than anything recent. It’s a little bit too edgy for my tastes in some ways, particularly in the franchise mode where performance-enhancing drugs are consumed like energy drinks. But oh well, it’s hockey, it supports up to four players, and where else are you going to go to get your fix on Switch?
Zeroptian Invasion ($4.99)
Mmm, well. It’s not hard to see where this game draws inspiration from, is it? Take Space Invaders, toss in a couple of rudimentary power-ups, add in some tricky boss fights, and you’re basically where you need to be to imagine Zeroptian Invasion. I don’t know. It’s not bad, but it never really goes far beyond the game it pays homage to. If you enjoy shoot-em-ups from the earlier, simpler era of gaming, you might enjoy this for a little while. And if nothing else, it’s at least reasonably priced. Fine enough, if not all that special.
Rollin’ Eggz ($2.99)
I’m reasonably sure that there’s a Game and Watch title just like this, but I can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head. Anyway, you’ve got a few different modes here, but they all come down to catching eggs as they drop while avoiding dangerous objects coming down with them. You know, don’t miss the eggs. Do miss the rotten eggs. Grab a golden egg to restore any health that you may have lost by missing the good eggs. Very simple, very cheap, probably not going to entertain anyone longer than a few minutes at a time. It is what it is.
BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! ($9.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Well, isn’t this nice? The BOXBOY! games on the Nintendo 3DS sat in a very comfy zone for me. They’re very chill little puzzle games that leave enough wiggle-room in their solutions that you can sometimes feel like you outsmarted the designer. The unlockables are cool, and there’s always a lot more content than you’d expect from the first glance. And hey, same goes for this one. It also has a fun little two-player mode that serves as the chief gimmick this time around. I’ll be doing a full review of this one later this week, so please look forward to that.
Super Star Blast ($4.99)
Well, it’s a little plain-looking, but I suppose it doesn’t seem too bad. It’s a shoot-em-up with 360 degree movement, the sort where your ship is always centered on the screen and the world moves around you as you turn. You earn points that can be exchanged for upgrades that help you kill enemies more effectively. Rinse and repeat. There’s a local multiplayer option that allows up to four players to either play cooperatively through a campaign or in a competitive battle mode. Like I said, it’s not the prettiest game but I could see having some fun with it, especially if you have friends on hand.
Hotel Dracula ($5.69)
Marketing text on the screenshots? All together now: it’s a port of a mediocre mobile game! Despite the setting, this is more along the lines of a cooking game in that you have to manage a lot of different tasks with serious time constraints. Do all your work and keep the guests happy and you may just keep your job. This version ditches the microtransactions and ads from the mobile version but otherwise doesn’t seem to differ at all. It just costs an upfront amount rather than being free. This sort of thing isn’t really my bag, but I know a lot of people love these time management games. Maybe if you do, this is five bucks and change well-spent? I don’t know, but you can always try it out for free on your phone first to see how well you like it.
Dig Dog ($3.99)
This is a pretty straightforward game in most ways. You play as a dog. You can dig. You, the dog, need to dig to reach the warp bone on each stage. Avoid enemies or stomp on them. Collect coins and spend them at shops to get special items. Or just set the whole bone hunt aside and do some relatively stress-free free digging. There are a few nuances to the gameplay mechanics, but largely it’s all about making a speedy, sensible beeline for the bone once you’ve figured out where it is. I’ll be doing a slightly more detailed review of this later this week. It’s an alright game but to be honest the circumstances around how it was made are probably more impressive than the game itself is.
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($9.99)
Obviously more than a little inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Shalnor Legends fumbles the ball a bit with its uneven difficulty and repetitive yet virtually required grinds. It’s a game that takes several hours to play through when it really should only take a few given the actual amount of fun content in here. That wouldn’t be a deal-breaker if the other aspects of the game were exceptional, but it’s really just average even in its best areas. I’d only recommend this if you’re really hard up for a new action-adventure and can’t wait until the slightly better Frane: Dragons’ Odyssey hits soon.
Moero Chronicle Hyper ($19.99)
I’ve seen this game described as “relentlessly horny", and yeah, that pretty much covers it. It’s a first-person dungeon crawler RPG where the bulk of your party members consist of monster girls. You’ll have to lure them to your side by… *checks notes*… stripping off their clothes, raising excitement meters, and rubbing them with a… *puts on glasses*… bumping scratch? Okay, look, it’s one of those games. But is it a good one? No, not really. The story doesn’t go anywhere. The characters, usually the highlight of a Compile Heart game, are quite shallow and never get developed at all. The dungeon design isn’t particularly interesting, and there are some genuinely annoying voices in the game that you are going to hear a lot. And yeah, it’s pretty much as non-stop horny as a teen sidekick in a 1980s sitcom.
UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure ($39.99)
I know nothing about this license and honestly not much more about this game. It appears to be a sort of adventure/puzzle affair where you have to build items and use them to send the robots that have invaded your world packing. Well, I’m not sure what I can say here. I guess the graphics look alright? This publisher has done okay work with other licenses, even if the games aren’t exactly great. I’d imagine if you or someone you know really likes the UglyDolls, this might be an okay game to pick up when it inevitably goes on sale for half price in a few months.
Gym Hero – Idle Fitness Tycoon ($2.29)
Hmmmm. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Well, it’s an idle game, alright. The theme here is that you are trying to beef up your out-of-shape main character. Otherwise, nothing new under the sun here. Press the button to earn currency, use that currency to buy new stuff and upgrades for existing stuff so that you don’t have to press the button as much, repeat until things get ridiculous. It’s so cheap that it’s hard to pick on it much, but is this really how you want to spend your Switch gaming time? If so, I guess that’s fine. I’ve probably spent time playing worse things. Humans are weird.
GoatPunks ($9.99)
Lots of great party games on the Switch, and this one looks like it has the potential to be a really fun one. Up to four players control goats trying to climb the same mountain. To win, you have to reach the top and hold that spot for 30 seconds. Power-ups, obstacles, and other players all add some variety to what seems like a relatively simple notion. There are nine different mountain themes to keep things fresh for a bit longer, too. Of course, this is all dependent on you having people to play with. Probably not nearly as exciting if you try to go in solo. But yeah, it seems like the local split-screen play could be especially good fun. Give it a try if that’s the sort of gaming you engage in regularly.
Ultrawings Flat ($19.99)
Add another one to the “VR game ported to Switch minus VR" pile. This is something of a light take on the Pilotwings concept where you’re meant to just enjoy flying while accomplishing a number of challenges. I mean, for what it is, it’s fine. But if you take a game that was well-suited for VR and strip out that feature without anything to compensate for it, it might be nice if you at least charge less for the result rather than more. Given how uncommon games like this are, however, I wouldn’t blame anyone for going for it anyway. It’s decent.
Sales
It’s the Golden Week holiday in Japan, and that means a ton of games that come from the country are on sale. Frankly, this list is so absurdly large that it’s probably hard to navigate. A lot of it is the same old business though, so let’s highlight some rarer picks. Bandai Namco is running a sale that sees Dark Souls Remastered on sale for what I believe is the very first time. NISA is running discounts on almost its entire line-up, with games like Disgaea 5, Ys 8, and Labyrinth of Refrain well-worth picking up. R-Type Dimensions EX is on sale for the first time since launch, and Sky Force Reloaded is at a very low price as well. Other than that, you’ll have to sift through on your own.
New Games on Sale
Moero Chronicle Hyper ($13.99 from $19.99 until 5/3)
Zombie Gold Rush ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/14)
Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/16)
Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder ($1.49 from $9.99 until 4/30)
I, Zombie ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Sky Rogue ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/3)
Darts Up ($1.49 from $2.99 until 5/16)
Son of a Witch ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/13)
911 Operator ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/16)
Croc’s World ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Abyss ($1.49 from $2.99 until 5/16)
Build a Bridge! ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/12)
99Moves ($1.49 from $2.99 until 5/16)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Zeroptian Invasion ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Hotel Dracula ($4.83 from $5.69 until 5/9)
Shadows of Adam ($13.49 from $14.99 until 5/3)
Disgaea 5 Complete ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
The Longest Five Minutes ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Penny-Punching Princess ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Happy Birthdays ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
The Lost Child ($24.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA ($41.99 from $59.99 until 5/7)
Touhou Genso Wanderer ($29.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
God Wars The Complete Legend ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk ($39.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
Disgaea 1 Complete ($39.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection ($29.99 fom $39.99 until 5/7)
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince ($14.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Super Blood Hockey ($11.99 from $14.99 until 5/16)
The Way Remastered ($0.99 from $14.99 until 5/17)
VSR: Void Space Racing ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/16)
Earthworms ($0.49 from $7.99 until 5/17)
Ludomania ($0.99 from $3.99 until 5/16)
Snake Pass ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/10)
Tower of Babel ($2.09 from $5.99 until 5/15)
Brave Dungeon + Dark Witch Story ($6.29 from $8.99 until 5/9)
Don’t Knock Twice ($6.24 from $12.49 until 5/9)
Syberia ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Violett ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/8)
Sparkle 2 EVO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/15)
Rocket League ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Syberia 2 ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/8)
Sky Force Reloaded ($5.99 from $9.99 until 5/5)
Hollow ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
A Hole New World ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Zombillie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/15)
Lode Runner Legacy ($5.99 from $11.99 until 5/8)
Light Fall ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Super Chariot ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($20.99 from $29.99 until 5/7)
Die for Valhalla! ($5.99 from $11.99 until 5/9)
Chameleon Run Deluxe Edition ($2.99 from $5.99 until 5/9)
Final Light, The Prison ($2.44 from $6.99 until 5/15)
The Low Road ($10.49 from $14.99 until 5/2)
Phantaruk ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/15)
Moonfall Ultimate ($6.49 from $12.99 until 5/9)
Dokuro ($7.19 from $8.99 until 5/15)
Six Sides of the World ($3.00 from $10.00 until 5/9)
Teddy the Wanderer: Kayaking ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
R-Type Dimensions EX ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Ethan: Meteor Hunter ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Diggerman ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/15)
A Ch’ti Bundle ($9.99 from $15.99 until 5/9)
Inside My Radio ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
BQM -BlockQuest Maker- ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Football Heroes Turbo ($9.74 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Monkey Wall ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/8)
Gnomes Garden: New Home ($2.99 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Rotating Brave ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/8)
Surfingers ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/15)
Monument Builders Rushmore ($1.99 from $6.99 until 5/9)
Teddy the Wanderer: Mountain Hike ($6.69 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Bad Dream: Fever ($6.69 from $9.99 until 5/15)
DayD: Through Time ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
Defend Your Castle ($4.24 from $4.99 until 5/2)
The Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse ($11.99 from $14.99 until 5/2)
Frane: Dragons’ Odyssey ($11.69 from $12.99 until 5/9)
Dark Souls: Remastered ($27.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
39 Days to Mars ($13.49 from $14.99 until 5/16)
Gym Hero – Idle Fitness Tycoon ($1.83 from $2.29 until 5/9)
Deployment ($4.49 from $9.99 until 5/4)
Icey ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Avenger Bird ($0.69 from $2.30 until 5/12)
Guess the Word ($0.56 from $1.89 until 5/12)
I Wanna Fly ($0.72 from $2.42 from 5/12)
Little Shopping ($0.44 from $1.49 from 5/12)
Super Destronaut DX ($3.34 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Tetra’s Escape ($3.34 from $4.99 until 5/13)
kuso ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/7)
LOVE ($2.00 from $3.00 until 5/7)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th
Danger Mouse: The Danger Games ($3.99 from $4.99 until 4/30)
Demetrios ($6.69 from $9.99 until 4/30)
Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/30)
Riddled Corpses EX ($7.99 from $9.99 until 4/30)
Table Top Racing: World Tour Nitro Edition ($23.99 from $29.99 until 4/30)
The Office Quest ($2.99 from $11.99 until 4/30)
Unknown Fate ($11.24 from $14.99 until 4/30)
War Theatre ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/30)
Xenon Valkrie+ ($7.49 from $9.99 until 4/30)
And that’ll wrap things up for this special catch-up edition of the SwitchArcade Round-Up. Give me another day or two and we should be largely back to the normal routine around here. I’ve got tons of reviews to get out to you, at the very least. I may have to do those in a batch. At any rate, I once again apologize for the interruption in our normal schedule. As always, thanks for reading!
