Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 23rd, 2019. With a slew of new releases and a bunch of sales from publishers like Capcom, Image & Form, and THQ Nordic, there wasn’t much time for news today. Fortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of important news to cover, so I’m going to say all’s well that ends well on that front. Thus, we’re going to head straight into the new release summaries before getting to that gigantic list of beautiful, terrible sales. Let’s go!
New Releases
Plunge ($7.99)
So many roguelites out there, so little time. With how many games of this genre you can find on pretty much any platform these days, any new game has to have some kind of gimmick to stand out. In the case of Plunge, I’d say the art is that attention-grabber. You play as Billie, the billionth prisoner of an underground dungeon of sorts. She’s not really thinking clearly, so her idea of escaping is to dive deeper into the depths of her jail. Levels are quite tight so making the right move at the right time is essential for success. It’s almost a little like a puzzle game at times. Seems neat, but I’d have to spend some time with it to say for sure if it has the right stuff.
Mekabolt ($4.99)
This looks like it plays a lot like one of Woblyware’s action-platformers, but it comes from a different developer as far as I can tell. You get 100 levels of puzzle-platforming action with some nice pixel art illustrating everything. The robots in a theme park are going wild and as the technician it’s your job to fix them. Use your Mekabolt item to manipulate the robots and reach the batteries you need to set things right. Each stage is of course filled with traps and other hazards you’ll have to carefully navigate through. Seems like it could be fun even if it’s not reinventing the wheel, and the price is definitely right.
Gurgamoth ($9.99)
This is one of those games where you can have a good bit of fun if you have like-minded friends or family who want to play some silly local multiplayer stuff with you. If you don’t, on the other hand, the game runs out of gas extremely quickly. Basically, this is an arena battle game where you have to take out your opponents by herding them or pushing them into one of the many stage hazards. Your main means of movement is flying, so you can go anywhere around the screen once you get the hang of it. But your momentum can carry you into a spike or something just as easily as it can lead you to an opponent, so you have to really think about what the other people are going to do. It’s alright, but the shine comes off it a little quicker than I’d prefer.
Snooker 19 ($34.99)
I know what you’re thinking: what happened to the first eighteen Snookers? I’m not sure, to be honest. But I think this might be like Final Fantasy where you don’t have to play the ones that came out before to understand the new one. Jokes aside, this is the official video game of World Snooker, and it saw release on more powerful systems back in the spring. It’s a little light on features, but the simulation of the sport itself is apparently quite good. Play on your own or hop online to take on some of your fellow humans if it’s that sort of thrill you’re seeking. With the TV-style presentation and all the proper licensing, this one will probably appeal quite a bit to snooker fans who know their stuff.
Arcade Archives Water Ski ($7.99)
Do… do people still water ski? I’m not sure if it’s a thing these days, but back in the 1980s it seemed like everyone wanted to have a swing at it. And wouldn’t you know it? That’s when Taito’s Water Ski was released. In 1983, to be specific. Anyway, you get pulled along an obstacle course behind a boat and need to move and jump as necessary to avoid bailing. Pull off particularly fancy jumps and you’ll earn some extra points. It’s a very simple game and I’m honestly not sure how long it’s going to keep anyone entertained in the here and now. If you have happy memories of the game, you’ll at least be glad to know that Hamster has done their usual job with it.
Lines Infinite ($1.99)
This is a Slitherlink-style logic puzzle game, and the second such from this developer after Lines X. The first game costs half as much and actually has 100 puzzles to this game’s 99 puzzles. So what’s the deal with the extra dollar on the price tag? Well, this one includes a random level generator, giving you (theoretically) an infinite number of puzzles. See, the title actually means something. How novel. Anyway, you probably know if you like this kind of puzzle or not already. If you do, this is 99 handcrafted levels and a massive amount of randomly-generated levels for a couple of bucks. Now, if you have no idea whether you’d like this kind of puzzle or not, I’d recommend grabbing the cheaper Lines X for a taste.
Farm Mystery ($9.99)
This is one of those hidden object games that Big Fish Games published on other platforms. People are disappearing at the Happy Orchard Farm and you need to figure out what’s going on. Something spooky is definitely afoot, it seems. I’ve checked into reviews of this game on other platforms and the consensus seems to be that it’s rather short and easy, leaving a lot of people feeling less than satisfied. And indeed, in terms of sheer numbers, it seems to be less than half the size of, say, the average Artifex Mundi game in the same genre. Probably one to skip unless you’re really into this sort of game.
Sales
Phew, would you look at that list? There’s nothing weird about having 50+ new games on sale on a Friday, but what exactly that list is made up of varies quite wildly from week to week. This one, though? Supergiant Games titles at silly low prices! Discounts on a trio of great Rayark games! Superbeat: XONiC for under a freaking dollar! A whole mess of Capcom games at their lowest prices yet! And so very, very much more. I don’t have enough money to pick up everything I’m interested in this time around, and I suspect that will be the same for many of you. Choose wisely, friends!
New Games on Sale
Bastion ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/29)
Transistor ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Earthlock ($13.45 from $29.90 until 9/9)
VOEZ ($17.50 from $25.00 until 8/29)
DEEMO ($20.99 from $29.99 until 8/29)
Implosion ($8.39 from $11.99 until 8/29)
Vaccine ($8.99 from $9.99 until 9/12)
Troll and I ($2.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Piczle Lines DX ($13.49 from $14.99 until 9/12)
Piczle Lines DX 500 More Puzzles! ($8.99 from $9.99 until 9/12)
Piczle Colors ($10.80 from $12.00 until 9/12)
SteamWorld Dig ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/5)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/5)
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/5)
Party Golf ($3.75 from $15.00 until 9/5)
This is the Police ($8.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
This is the Police 2 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Tallowmere ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/5)
Superbeat: XONiC ($0.89 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Mega Man 11 ($19.99 from $29.99 until 9/3)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $14.99 until 9/3)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/3)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/3)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/3)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/29)
Devil May Cry ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Resident Evil ($19.99 from $29.99 until 8/29)
Resident Evil 0 ($19.99 from $29.99 until 8/29)
Resident Evil 4 ($19.99 from $29.99 until 8/29)
Resident Evil Revelations ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Okami HD ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/29)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Onimusha: Warlords ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy ($19.99 from $29.99 until 8/29)
DragonFangZ ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/10)
Guilt Battle Arena ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/11)
Agatha Knife ($8.39 from $11.99 until 9/2)
Sky Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Battle Chasers: Nightwar ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/5)
Legend of Kay Anniversary ($8.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
de Blob ($8.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
de Blob 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots ($3.99 from $14.99 until 9/5)
Chicken Assassin: Reloaded ($5.59 from $7.99 until 9/5)
Titan Quest ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/5)
Cycle 28 ($1.74 from $6.99 until 8/29)
Ultimate Chicken Horse ($10.04 from $14.99 until 8/29)
Whispering Willows ($6.99 from $9.99 until 9/5)
Party Crashers ($3.75 from $15.00 until 9/5)
CricktoGame ($3.84 from $5.49 until 9/5)
Please, Don’t Touch Anything ($6.99 from $9.99 until 9/11)
Desert Child ($8.39 from $11.99 until 9/5)
Darksiders Warmastered Edition ($23.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered ($23.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
The Raven Remastered ($20.09 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy ($20.09 from $29.99 until 9/5)
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 ($20.09 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Degrees of Separation ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/5)
V.O.I.D. ($1.19 from $3.99 until 9/5)
Doggie Ninja The Golden Mission ($5.00 from $8.00 until 9/10)
Rollin’ Eggz ($2.39 from $2.99 until 9/4)
Super Tennis Blast ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9/5)
Battle Worlds: Kronos ($23.99 from $29.99 until 9/5)
Word Mesh ($5.94 from $6.99 until 9/1)
Vambrace: Cold Soul ($22.49 from $24.99 until 9/5)
Brunch Club ($11.59 from $14.49 until 9/5)
Hyperforma ($8.99 from $9.99 until 9/5)
Little Racer ($14.39 from $15.99 until 9/12)
Space Cows ($11.69 from $12.99 until 9/12)
Wulverblade ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Mana Spark ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/13)
Sushi Time! ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/12)
Street Basketball ($4.19 from $5.99 until 9/12)
Sweet Witches ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/3)
Damascus Gear Operation Osaka ($17.99 from $19.99 until 8/29)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Butcher ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/25)
Deployment ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/25)
I, Zombie ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/25)
Lichtspeer: Double Speer ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/25)
Lost Artifacts: Soulstone ($5.99 from $9.99 until 8/25)
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure ($9.59 from $14.99 until 8/25)
Timber Tennis: Versus ($1.39 from $1.99 until 8/25)
That’s it for today, friends. You can go on to the next stage. As we close the books on another week, the dreaded September and its ridiculous line-up of games creeps ever closer. But we still have one full week of August remaining, and it’s a good one. Astral Chain looks awesome, for starters. Heave Ho is an amazing couch co-op game, and Vambrace: Cold Soul certainly looks promising. There are plenty of other interesting-looking games coming along with those, and we’ll be checking them out each day as usual. Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
