Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 19th, 2019. Another week draws to a close, and it certainly was not one lacking in new releases. Good new releases? Well… that was a slightly rarer sighting, but there were still at least a few. Anyway, today we go right into the new release summaries because there are a lot of them. There are also a bunch of sales, and I’ve gone ahead and listed all of those as well. With plenty to read, we’d best get a move on, friends. Let’s ride!
New Releases
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Things sure have changed for Marvel since the last installment in this series. You’d never know by playing this game, though. Oh, it’s much prettier and the roster selection is strongly informed by the MCU, and there are various improvements to the gameplay, but the beating heart of the game is largely unchanged from the previous top-down action romps through the Marvel Universe. Personally, I feel like these games with massive rosters end up not doing service to any of them individually, but if you’re looking for a decent beat-em-up romp with colorful heroes and quality fanservice, you’ll get it here. There are a couple of problems, like the camera being a complete pig and some serious performance issues in handheld mode, but the game delivers just what the title promises and I suspect that will be enough for most fans.
Astro Bears ($6.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Okay, I think I’ve got this sorted out. There was a game on the Switch called Astro Bears Party that was actually a really good party game. It was often on sale for a pretty low price, so a lot of people found it that way. That game has been pulled from the eShop, near as I can tell. Instead, we now have an improved version simply called Astro Bears. If you already owned Astro Bears Party, this should be a free download for you. It adds quite a bit of new stuff to the game, making for an excellent update all-around. Do note that in spite of the word ‘party’ being dropped from the title, this is still very much geared towards that type of situation and isn’t worth picking up if you don’t have anyone to play it with.
Growtopia (Free)
No, this time it’s really here, I promise. Growtopia showed up a few months back in the eShop listings and then just kind of disappeared. It’s back now, and this time you can actually download it. Admittedly, a little of the game’s punch is lost now that Terraria is out on Switch, but Growtopia is a different enough game that it will likely do just fine. Anyway, up to 65 players can join in at once via online play to create and build whatever the heck they want to. Naturally, with the game being free to play there are plenty of in-game purchases to buy if you want to get ahead, but lots of people enjoy this one on other platforms without paying a cent and I imagine the same will happen here.
Caladrius Blaze ($24.99)
Caladrius Blaze is a shoot-em-up from the fine folks at MOSS, and if you know that name then you know this is a solid action experience. It’s a bullet-hell style vertical shooter with relatively nice 3D visuals and a scoring system that genre veterans will enjoy chewing on. It also features a story that I doubt anyone will get into that much, and bosses that are anime ladies who get stripped down as you damage them. Well, it’s a thing. Regardless of the set dressing (or lack thereof), the shoot-em-up action is really good here, and while that’s hardly a rare thing on the Switch, I think that those who like their games in this genre to be a bit on the tougher side of things will have a really enjoyable time with Caladrius Blaze.
Umihara Kawase Fresh! ($39.99)
It’s weird how Umihara Kawase has gone from being this really minor Japan-only cult favorite to having its main character appear in cross-over titles and having sequels come out worldwide, but I won’t complain. So, the good news here is that the swinging mechanics are as brilliant as ever. It’s the essence of this series and if it didn’t work it would all be for nothing. The bad news is that the shift from discrete stages to a larger, more open world concept just doesn’t work as well as you might hope here. I don’t think it’s bad or anything, but it sure isn’t as good as I was expecting it to be. It’s really just one for the super-fans, I think.
Arcade Archives The Ninja Warriors ($7.99)
Ah, I am torn on this one. On the one hand, The Ninja Warriors is an odd game with great music and flashy presentation. On the other hand, the original arcade version just isn’t that great to play. Like, it’s fine, but it’s nowhere near the level of its Super NES remake/sequel, and that’s particularly relevant because we’re getting a lovely remaster of that version on the Switch next week. Unless you’re looking for a tasty appetizer for that impending main course, I’m not really sure this is worth picking up. Well, Hamster’s done a good job with it in any case. If you want the arcade version of the game on your Switch, don’t let my waffling stop you.
Mochi Mochi Boy ($4.99)
Hmm. This is cute, that much is certain. But the gameplay is just missing that certain something. You have to stretch Mochi Mochi Boy across all of the tiles in each level without crossing back over your body. In that sense, it’s like Snake. But it doesn’t really play that much like it, so don’t put too much into that comparison. You get 138 normal stages, 10 procedurally-generated floors in a special dungeon mode, and lots of collectible buddies. The difficulty is unfortunately all over the map, going from brain-dead simple to nail-rippingly hard and back again in the space of a few stages. Chances are you’ll be tired of its nonsense before you reach the end. Well, for five dollars it’s hard to expect too much, but I found it of a disappointment even in that price range.
Jim is Moving Out! ($14.99)
Did someone order a strange physics-platformer? It occurs to me upon writing those words that I use that phrase a lot, but perhaps that’s fitting because we sure do get an awful lot of this sort of game. I mean, not literally. This game is about moving your entire apartment by physically dragging it with you, being careful not to cause too much damage to it from objects both external and internal to it. Not many games like that. But awkward physics games are a bit more common, and that’s what this is. It’s an alright game as these things go, and the added local co-op play does add a bit of extra fun. If you like messing around with physics and oddly-shaped objects that must live under them, you might enjoy this a bit.
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition ($29.99)
This is a thoroughly mediocre top-down action game that calls to mind latter-day budget releases on dying consoles. It’s super-violent and has lots of weapons and attacks to play around with, but it ultimately comes off as really shallow from a mechanical point of view. This Switch version is also not the ideal way to play it even if you really want to. Basically a so-so port of a so-so game, and you do know what so-so times so-so is, right? So so-so, so don’t bother with it unless you really want to roll around in some over-the-top carnage attached to an otherwise dull game.
Mini Trains ($5.99)
Mmm, a title just generic enough that I can’t find a thing about it. I strongly suspect this is a port of Trains VR from the same developer, minus the VR of course. Everything lines up – casual puzzle gameplay, 40 levels, and even the logo looks the same. This is a fair bit cheaper than Trains VR, though, so I’m unsure as to what may or may not have been cut beyond the obvious VR support. In any case, this is a pretty simple game where you lay down tracks to make each train collect the stars of its matching color, then bring it back to the station. It’s okay, but it kind of sits in that awkward area between being a bit too involved for kids and not challenging enough for adults.
JumpHead: Battle4Fun! ($8.99)
Yeah, this looks like it could be a good time provided you have some friends to play it with. Up to four players locally can join in and try to stomp on each other’s heads in a variety of stages and modes. Pick up items to turn the tides, but keep your eyes skyward because the next person to get stomped just might be you. The game’s sense of humor leans more into the silly side of things, but hey, it’s not called JumpHead: Battle4SeriousBusiness, so it’s probably alright. I can’t imagine it being all that enjoyable if you’re playing alone, though. Lots of those today, it seems.
Sales
There are a lot of new sales today, but which ones are actually interesting? I’ve asked 34 people named Rock and they’ve unanimously reported that you should check out the Mega Man Legacy Collections and Mega Man 11. That data may be skewed somewhat. Looking for something a bit more slow-paced and strategic? Hard West is a decent XCOM-style game with a Wild West theme, and while it felt a little tough to recommend at twenty bucks, it’s definitely worth looking into for a fiver. There’s nothing worth getting too concerned about in the outbox this weekend, but do have a look for yourself to be sure.
New Games on Sale
The Forbidden Arts ($12.74 from $14.99 until 8/7)
Car Mayhem ($7.49 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Golem Gates ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/7)
Super Blood Hockey ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/7)
Risky Rescue ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Back to Bed ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/31)
Way of the Passive Fist ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Plague Road ($1.00 from $15.00 until 8/6)
Mecho Tales ($0.49 from $0.99 until 8/6)
Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes ($1.00 from $10.00 until 8/6)
War Theatre ($1.00 from $10.00 until 8/6)
Overwhelm ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/26)
Monument Builders Rushmore ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/31)
Hard West ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/7)
Elevator… to the Moon! ($1.00 from $14.99 until 8/6)
Bard’s Gold ($4.49 from $8.99 until 8/7)
Thea: The Awakening ($12.59 from $17.99 until 8/1)
Toridama: Brave Challenge ($4.50 from $5.00 until 8/7)
Merchants of Kaiden ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Solitaire Klondike Black ($4.50 from $5.00 until 8/7)
Bad Dream: Coma ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Fishing Universe Simulator ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Big Crown: Showdown ($3.24 from $12.99 until 8/1)
Toki ($11.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 ($19.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($13.99 from $34.99 until 7/31)
Moto Racer 4 ($13.99 from $34.99 until 7/31)
The Bug Butcher ($5.59 from $7.99 until 7/31)
Timber Tennis Versus ($1.39 from $1.99 until 7/28)
Syberia 1 & 2 ($13.99 from $34.99 until 7/31)
The Shapeshifting Detective ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/1)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
SpiderSolitaire Black ($4.50 from $5.00 until 8/7)
Mega Man 11 ($19.99 from $29.99 until 7/25)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Planet Alpha ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Realpolitiks ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Tiny Hands Adventure ($0.79 from $7.99 until 8/7)
Shut Eye ($0.39 from $3.99 until 8/7)
Cycle 28 ($1.74 from $6.99 until 7/25)
NoReload Heroes ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Star Story: The Horizon Escape ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
20XX ($8.99 from $17.99 until 7/25)
Neverout ($1.99 from $7.49 until 7/25)
Yesterday Origins ($11.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Die for Valhalla! ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/1)
Mecha Storm ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
The Adventures of Elena Temple ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Hyper Sentinel ($0.90 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Timberman VS ($0.19 from $1.99 until 8/7)
Glaive: Brick Breaker ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Goetia ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
No Thing ($0.19 from $1.99 until 8/7)
Sparkle 3 Genesis ($0.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Millie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Frederic: Resurrection of Music ($0.59 from $5.99 until 8/7)
Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back ($0.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Qbik ($0.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Dimension Drive ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/31)
Violett ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/7)
Monkey King: Master of the Clouds ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/1)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Animal Hunter Z ($3.99 from $9.99 until 7/20)
Balance Blox ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/20)
Bingo for Nintendo Switch ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/20)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Marble Power Blast ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/20)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/20)
Spencer ($2.09 from $2.99 until 7/20)
Super Ping Pong Trick Shot ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Super Star Blast ($4.24 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/20)
Build a Bridge! ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/21)
Cast of the Seven Godsends ($1.29 from $12.99 until 7/21)
Cinders ($15.99 from $19.99 until 7/21)
Clue: The Classic Mystery Game ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/21)
DayD: Through Time ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/21)
Mars or Die! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/21)
Mushroom Wars 2 ($12.99 from $19.99 until 7/21)
My Memory of Us ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/21)
Otto ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/21)
Super Inefficient Golf ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/21)
The Long Reach ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/21)
The Walking Vegetables: Radical ($2.59 from $12.99 until 7/21)
That’s everything for today, friends. Next week will see the release of my most anticipated Switch game this year: Fire Emblem – Three Houses. I am pretty excited. But I’m still playing Dragon Quest Builders 2, and I somehow doubt I’ll be finished with it by the time Fire Emblem hits. It’s a nice problem to have. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
