Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 24th, 2019. Somehow, I’ve managed to really mess up my knee, and that is making doing anything not a lot of fun at all. Just in time for my birthday next week, I suppose. Well, at least I can still enjoy playing some Switch games, right? We’ve got a ton of news stories today, along with summaries of a couple of new releases and a whole mess of sales information. Let’s check it out, shall we?
News
Hospital Sim ‘Two Point Hospital’ Will Come to Switch Later This year
A lot of people have fond memories of Bullfrog’s Theme Hospital, and why not? It was a terrific sim game with a unique theme and a great sense of humor. Sadly, like most classic brands owned by EA, Theme Hospital probably isn’t coming back. Luckily, one indie developer did what indie developers often do and made a great tribute to Theme Hospital. Two Point Studios’s Two Point Hospital channels a lot of the same spirit as that classic, and it’s going to be making its way to Switch and other consoles later this year via SEGA. It will include two expansions at no added cost, making this a great way to dig into the game.
‘Horizon Chase Turbo’ DLC ‘Summer Vibes’ is Coming Soon
Horizon Chase Turbo is a really awesome racer that pays tribute to a number of classic games. Although I personally feel it most closely resembles Gremlin’s classic Lotus/Top Gear games in terms of gameplay, it gets a lot of comparisons to SEGA’s Out Run thanks to its gorgeous, colorful visuals. Well, if you want to really hammer that analogy home, you’ll want to pick up the Summer Vibes DLC for the game. It adds a new car, an open-top convertible, that certainly calls some game or another to mind. You can unlock five extra skins for that car, and there are twelve remixed races that also fit the theme. Summer Vibes is currently available on the PlayStation 4 but will be added to other versions in August. The cost is a rather svelte $1.99, which seems just about right for what you get here.
‘Sid Meier’s Civilization VI’ Expansions Should Arrive Later This Year
I’m not sure what 2K Games was expecting when it had Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ported to the Switch, but it seems to have exceeded those expectations. The developer in charge of the Switch port, Aspyr, mentioned early on that it would be bringing expansion content to the game at some point. Today, the official Civilization Twitter account gave more details on that impending content. The Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm expansions will be available on the Switch, and unless something goes ca-ca they should arrive before the end of the year.
Nintendo of America is Apparently Fixing Joy-Con Stick Drift for Free
Yeah, I haven’t really touched much on this because I wanted to see where the sticks were going to fall, but here goes. Many people (including myself) have had issues with the sticks on the Switch Joy-Cons starting to drift. Which is to say, they’re acting like they’re moving even when you don’t touch them. It’s pretty annoying. Up until now, Nintendo has only been willing to fix them for free if they were in warranty, charging a not-small fee if they weren’t or couldn’t be proven to be. But a law firm in the US officially decided to move forward with a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo over the issue, and Nintendo has apparently advised their customer service people to not only offer to fix Joy-Cons regardless of warranty status but also to refund anyone who was previously charged. So if you’re in North America and are having Joy-Con drift issues, get in touch with Nintendo and see how it goes.
You Can Now Upload 64 Levels in ‘Super Mario Maker 2’
Super Mario Maker 2 seems to have gone over well with most people, but it certainly hasn’t been free from criticism. One complaint against the game was that it only allowed players to upload a maximum of 32 levels. That seems like a lot, but you’d be surprised how quickly you can reach that limit even if you’re only putting out a new level every week or two. Add in the fact that the original game eventually allowed players to upload 100 levels, and it came off as rather skimpy. Well, the limit has now been raised to 64 levels, and there will apparently be one more raise to that cap sometime down the line. Not quite enough yet to make your own Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World, but still quite appreciated.
Nightwolf Comes to ‘Mortal Kombat 11’ on August 13th
He’s been teased before, but we now know exactly when to expect Nightwolf to join the Mortal Kombat 11 roster thanks to Nintendo. Those who own the Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack will be able to add the character to their game on August 13th. Assuming he follows the pattern of previous DLC characters, Nightwolf should be available to purchase separately for those who don’t own the Kombat Pack a week or two later for $5.99. While the main game is discounted right now, the Kombat Pack is still $39.99. It includes six characters, seven character skins, and seven sets of gear you can’t get any other way. Let your conscience guide you.
This Week’s ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ Event is Down to Earth(bound)
This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of one of Nintendo’s more beloved brands. The original Mother, known in the West as Earthbound Beginnings, made its debut on Nintendo’s 8-bit hardware on July 27th, 1989. Yes, 1989 was 30 years ago. It’s a thing now. So how is Nintendo celebrating? Throwing that bad boy on the ailing NES Nintendo Switch Online app? Ha, of course not. But Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn’t letting the occasion slip by. This weekend’s Spirit Board event is dedicated to Mother and all of its associated Spirits. They’ll appear more often and if you beat them up you’ll get more gold than usual. As usual, the event kicks off on Friday and runs through the weekend.
New Releases
Battleship ($19.99)
So how do you convince people to give you twenty bucks for a digital version of something that can technically be played with two pieces of paper and a couple of pens? It’s something that developers of video game versions of Battleship have grappled with many times, I’m sure. This particular version gives you a faithful version of the original board game and also throws in Commanders mode, which gives you new grid and ship shapes, added tactical options like placing mines, and the titular navy commanders who each have their own special ability. Play online or local multiplayer or test your mettle against the computer AI in single player as you try to unlock historical commanders and arenas. I applaud the effort here but unless you have a local buddy who you can really get into Battleship with, there’s absolutely no reason not to buy something like Wargroove or Tiny Metal instead of this.
Pawarumi ($14.99)
This is a vertical shoot-em-up that seems to take cues from Treasure’s Ikaruga, but with three colors to juggle instead of just two. Yep.
Sales
Yes, it’s Wednesday. That means a whole bunch of sales are expiring tomorrow, but we still don’t know which ones will replace them. But hey, small though it may be, today’s list isn’t too bad. Sure, Green Game and Red Game are on sale pretty much every weekend, but Mortal Kombat 11 has a hefty discount and Moonlighter is on sale again as well. The upcoming The Church in the Darkness has its pre-order discount in place, if you’re looking forward to it. That outbox is something, though. Lots of great games in there that don’t go on sale terribly frequently, so be sure to check it carefully and see if any of them are of interest to you.
New Games on Sale
Mortal Kombat 11 ($44.99 from $59.99 until 8/6)
Moonlighter ($14.99 from $24.99 until 8/8)
Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Red Game Without a Great Name ($0.29 from $2.99 until 7/31)
Green Game: TimeSwapper ($0.29 from $2.99 until 7/31)
The Church in the Darkness ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/10)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, July 25th
20XX ($8.99 from $17.99 until 7/25)
A Robot Named Fight ($1.99 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion ($15.99 from $39.99 until 7/25)
Adventures of Bertram Fiddle Ep 1 ($1.24 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Adventures of Bertram Fiddle Ep 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Art of Balance ($5.99 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Azure Saga: Pathfinder Deluxe ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Beach Buggy Racing ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Ben 10 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Bombing Busters ($4.89 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Braveland Trilogy ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Butcher ($3.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Car Mayhem ($7.49 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Crayola Scoot ($8.99 from $29.99 until 7/25)
Creepy Road ($7.79 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Cycle 28 ($1.74 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Don’t Knock Twice ($6.24 from $12.49 until 7/25)
DreamWorks Dragons ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/25)
European Conqueror X ($7.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Fast RMX ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Flashback ($5.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Floor Kids ($9.95 from $19.90 until 7/25)
Fossil Hunters ($11.89 from $16.99 until 7/25)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($13.49 from $44.99 until 7/25)
Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Heart&Slash ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Hotel Transylvania 3 Monsters Overboard ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Hyper Sentinel ($0.90 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Immortal Redneck ($6.79 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Instant Tennis ($6.96 from $9.95 until 7/25)
Inversus Deluxe ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
JCB Pioneer: Mars ($7.49 from $24.99 until 7/25)
Job the Leprechaun ($0.98 from $2.99 until 7/25)
Jotun: Valhalla ($4.94 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Julie’s Sweets ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
JYDGE ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Koi DX ($3.00 from $5.00 until 7/25)
Kona ($6.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Lightspeer: Double Speer ($3.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
MagiCat ($1.25 from $5.00 until 7/25)
Manticore – Galaxy on Fire ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
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)
Membrane ($0.09 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Mercenaries Saga Chronicles ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Mercenaries Wings: The False Phoenix ($10.39 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Mercury Race ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/25)
Moonfall Ultimate ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/25)
My Lovely Daughter ($9.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Neverout ($1.99 from $7.49 until 7/25)
Pan-Pan ($3.00 from $5.00 until 7/25)
Party Crashers ($3.75 from $15.00 until 7/25)
Party Golf ($3.75 from $15.00 until 7/25)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/25)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Rage in Peace ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/25)
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs ($14.99 from $24.99 until 7/25)
Riptide GP: Renegade ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Road Redemption ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Rolling Sky ($8.79 from $10.99 until 7/25)
Saints Row: The Third ($27.99 from $39.99 until 7/25)
Shadows of Adam ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
She and the Light Bearer ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Shelter Generations ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Skee-Ball ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Skyhill ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Solstice Chronicles: MIA ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Sparkle 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/25)
Spot The Differences: Party! ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Steins;Gate Elite ($29.99 from $59.99 until 7/25)
Subsurface Circular ($4.79 from $5.99 until 7/25)
Suicide Guy ($3.19 from $7.99 until 7/25)
Suicide Guy: Sleepin’ Deeply ($2.39 from $5.99 until 7/25)
Sundered: Eldritch ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Super Arcade Soccer ($4.89 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Super Volley Blast ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Tesla vs Lovecraft ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
The Lion’s Song ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
The VideoKid ($1.24 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Time Recoil ($6.99 from $13.99 until 7/25)
Toast Time: Smash Up! ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Tricky Towers ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Twist & Match ($2.09 from $2.99 until 7/25)
UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/25)
Ultra Space Battle Brawl ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Unruly Heroes ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Use Your Words ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Utopia 9 – A Volatile Vacation ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Vaccine ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
WILL: A Wonderful World ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Wondershot ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Woodle Tree Adventures ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/25)
World Conqueror X ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
X-Morph: Defense ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
You Died but a Necromancer Revived You ($6.74 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Zotrix: Solar Division ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
That’s that for today, friends. Tomorrow is a big release day, and Friday will be even bigger. I hope your wallet and microSD cards are ready, everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow to summarize all those new releases and check out any news or new sales that come along in the next day. What’s on your shopping list this week? Feel free to comment below and let me know how you specifically plan to go broke. As always, thanks for reading!
