Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 13th, 2019. Yes, this is another streamlined article today, focusing solely on the rather large number of new releases and sales that popped up today. We’ll be back to the more well-rounded Round-Ups next week, and I thank you for bearing with me during this week’s shenanigans. Let’s check it all out!
New Releases
Daemon X Machina ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This game comes from a team that includes one of the key creative forces behind the Armored Core series, and it feels like it’s running into a similar reception to those games. That is to say, those that like it seem to really love it, but a lot of people are bouncing off of it. It’s certainly come a long way since that demo they put out several months ago, if nothing else, and I think those who dig mechs will have a lot of fun with this game. Plus, the mechs are designed by a guy who worked on Macross! Sure, it’s a bit of a B game, but there’s nothing wrong with that kind of thing now and then.
Star Wars Pinball ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Now this is pinball! Zen Studios knows their way around silver ball like few others, and they’ve gone absolutely all-out for this collection of 19 Star Wars-themed pinball tables. There are tons of modes, extras such as Force Powers that you can use to sway the results a bit, and a massive amount of Star Wars fan service. Since it’s all powered by Zen’s outstanding Pinball FX3 engine, you know the pinball end of it holds up its part of the deal. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, but if you like pinball, Star Wars, or both, this is definitely a game to add to your collection.
Amnesia Collection ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
If you like dark games, have I got a deal for you. All three of the Amnesia adventure games are now available in one neat Switch collection. You get The Dark Descent, A Machine For Pigs, and Justine in all their creepy glory. The quality varies among them, with The Dark Descent easily being the pick of the litter, but they’re all worth playing if you like horror games. We may or may not have a review of this set later. It depends on whether or not I want to put myself through them again. I am not good with horror unless the monster is wearing a hockey mask.
Rest in Pieces ($7.99)
This is a weird game that is also a bit creepy. You have to swing porcelain figures safely through nightmares without smashing them into anything. You use the shoulder buttons to rock them back and forth and need to maneuver around procedurally-generated obstacles. There are 18 different figures and 6 different nightmares, and each figure has multiple color palettes you can unlock. It’s surprisingly tough. I’m not sure how many people are going to get into it because it’s a bit simple mechanically speaking, but I can’t really say there’s that much wrong with it. I’ll probably review this one sometime next week.
Ellen ($7.99)
Apparently it is spooky horror day on the eShop. Who knew? This is a 2D pixel-art horror game where you play as a detective named James who needs to get the bottom of the paranormal happenings in the town of Sile-, er White Hill. The Smith family has all been murdered except for a young girl named Ellen, who is missing. Well, nothing suspicious about that. Time to go home and have some popcorn while watching late-night infomercials. Certainly an odd little adventure game, to say the least. It seems to be generally well-liked by players on other platforms, albeit not enthusiastically so.
Distraint: Deluxe Edition ($5.99)
Oh, it’s… it’s another horror game. Seriously, it’s not even October yet. This is another 2D horror game, and it goes in pretty hard on the psychological horror angle. It has quite the art style to it, though I’m not sure whether or not that’s a good thing. Anyway, you play as a guy named Price whose job is more or less kicking people out of their houses. There’s a fair bit of puzzle solving, and the horror bits come in when Price’s guilt manifests as nightmares. For the price, this isn’t too bad at all. Not a must-have or anything, but if you like the look of it, I’d say to go for it.
Atomic Heist ($7.99)
This is a pretty tough twin-stick roguelite shooter. You need to fight your way out of procedurally-generated levels in order to escape with the valuable goodie you’ve absconded with. There’s an endless arena and daily challenges to keep you busy if you get tired of the regular mode, but the bulk of the enjoyment can be found in the main mode. You really do have to get a good handle on controlling your ship and understanding your enemies, or you’ll barely make any progress. I’ll have a proper review of this one a little bit down the line, but it’s certainly got its share of problems to say the least.
Chop ($9.99)
Yet another entry into the increasingly crowded field of single-screen 2D arena battlers on the Switch, Chop distinguishes itself with its over-the-top gory comic book presentation. There are four different playable characters, four special abilities, and the usual random elements to spice up the battles. Up to four people can play together locally, but there isn’t any online support, unfortunately. It looks alright for what it is, but I do wonder how many of this sort of game people really need. If you have friends over often, give it a look. Otherwise, it’s harder to recommend.
Golazo! ($14.99)
Yeah, it’s another soccer game. This one takes a slightly more arcade-like approach to the support, and it has a bunch of different ways to play on your own or with up to three other people locally. You get 52 national teams with players loosely based on real ones, 28 managers, and a good dose of silly humor. This game once carried a 90s-themed title, so there’s a VHS filter you can flick on that seems a bit out of place with the new name. With no fouls or offsides, this probably isn’t going to scratch anyone’s itch for a proper soccer sim, but if you just want to have some fun kicking a ball around this might be your thing.
Newt One ($9.99)
This is a bright 3D platformer that is intended to be a relaxing experience. You have to wake up the world around you, and as you do things come alive and become more colorful. There are 24 levels in total, and they’re all pretty easy to make your way through. Getting all of the collectibles for each level can be a bit trying, however, as the stages run a bit long and dying even once will keep you from getting a perfect score. It’s a nice treat for the senses, but rough controls and collision detection keep it from being all it could be. I could see some people liking it well enough for the price, though.
Yellow Fins ($4.99)
Oh look, it’s a complete rip-off of Tiny Wings. That’s very cool. Except they changed the bird for a fish. Look, nothing’s stopping a developer from doing this sort of thing so if your conscience is fine with it then do what you have to, but you could at least try to build on the idea you’re stealing, couldn’t you? But no, this is just Tiny Wings in fish form. Press the button on the way down, release on the way up. Please don’t support this kind of nonsense.
Arcade Archives Track & Field ($7.99)
Okay, on the one hand, this is an all-time arcade classic. On top of that, I can’t say that Olympics-style video games have changed all that much mechanically in the last 35 years. On the other hand, this is still more or less a game of wailing away on the buttons as fast as you can, and that’s not a very pleasant idea given the cost of new controllers in 2019. Hamster did their usual good job here, but some music had to be changed due to copyright reasons so it’s not exactly the same as it used to be.
Sales
Plenty of games on sale today, but the most obvious points of interest on the list are the sales on some otome visual novels and nearly the entire line of Johnny Turbo’s Arcade retro releases. Honestly, the Johnny Turbo ports are pretty rough, but if you’ve got an old favorite from the arcades that is on that list, I don’t think you’re losing much by dropping four dollars on it. At the very least, Night Slashers is a fun beat-em-up, and if you like your American Action Cheese with a bit of borderline copyright infringement all filtered through a Japanese point of view, Sly Spy is a good romp. There are some other goodies in the list, so make sure to check it carefully.
New Games on Sale
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles ($20.99 from $29.99 until 9/23)
Use Your Words ($11.24 from $14.99 until 9/19)
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Vostok Inc. ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/26)
Black The Fall ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/26)
Guns, Gore and Cannoli ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/26)
Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 ($8.70 from $12.99 until 9/26)
Tennis ($2.39 from $7.99 until 9/26)
Pool Billiard ($2.39 from $7.99 until 9/26)
Escape Trick: 35 Fateful Enigmas ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/26)
The Men of Yoshiwara: Ohgiya ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/26)
The Men of Yoshiwara: Kikuya ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/26)
The Charming Empire ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/26)
Pub Encounter ($8.49 from $16.99 until 9/26)
Destiny’s Princess ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/26)
The Amazing Shinsengumi: Heroes in Love ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/22)
Gakuen Club ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/26)
Nightshade ($38.39 from $47.99 until 9/26)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Wizard Fire ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Gate of Doom ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Bad Dudes ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Two Crude Dudes ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Sly Spy ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Super Burger Time ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe and Mac ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe and Mac Returns ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Express Raider ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Shoot Out ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Nitro Ball ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Heavy Burger ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Night Slashers ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Break Thru ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Heavy Barrel ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Fighter’s History ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/22)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/26)
Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt ($13.39 from $19.99 until 9/26)
Enchanting Mahjong Match ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/26)
The Number Puzzle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/26)
The Card ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/26)
The Golf ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/26)
Jettomero: Hero of the Universe ($3.25 from $13.00 until 9/19)
Trouserheart ($5.99 from $7.99 until 10/2)
Pode ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/26)
Catch ‘Em! Goldfish Scooping ($1.59 from $7.99 until 926)
Fossil Hunters ($12.74 from $16.99 until 9/19)
Disease -Hidden Object- ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/26)
Grip ($25.99 from $39.99 until 9/26)
Funghi Explosion ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/26)
Gnomes Garden 2 ($2.99 from $4.99 until 9/22)
Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/26)
The Office Quest ($2.99 from $11.99 until 9/26)
Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander ($14.99 from $19.99 until 9/19)
Mercury Race ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/26)
Strikey Sisters ($7.99 from $9.99 until 10/2)
Croc’s World Run ($4.79 from $5.99 until 9/30)
Paperbound Brawlers ($11.24 from $14.99 until 9/19)
Warparty ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/26)
Redneck Skeet Shooting ($1.24 from $4.99 until 9/26)
Etherborn ($13.59 from $16.99 until 10/1)
Golazo! ($12.74 from $14.99 until 9/26)
Killer Queen Black ($16.99 from $19.99 until 10/2)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle ($6.99 from $19.99 until 9/16)
The Deer God ($1.59 from $7.99 until 10/4)
Storm Boy ($1.19 from $5.99 until 10/4)
Build a Bridge! ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/30)
JackQuest: The Tale of the Sword ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Minesweeper Genius ($1.19 from $5.99 until 10/4)
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/4)
Island Maze ($1.49 from $2.99 until 10/4)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Adrenaline Rush – Miami Drive ($2.99 from $3.99 until 9/15)
Apocalipsis Wormwood ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/15)
Aragami: Shadow ($17.99 from $29.99 until 9/15)
Candle: The Power of the Flame ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/15)
Crimson Keep ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/15)
FunBox Party ($0.99 from $1.99 until 9/15)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/15)
Mad Carnage ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/15)
Mech Rage ($1.49 from $9.99 until 9/15)
Quest for the Golden Duck ($0.39 from $9.99 until 9/15)
Roarr! Jurassic ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/15)
Skyhill ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/15)
Tactical Mind ($0.99 from $2.99 until 9/15)
Vaporum ($14.99 from $24.99 until 9/15)
We. The Revolution ($14.99 from $19.99 until 9/15)
That’s it for today, friends. Next week the Tokyo Game Show will be well and truly behind me, so we can get back to the normal business around here. Just in time too, as all heck looks to be breaking loose on the release schedule. There are lots of great games hitting in the next two weeks, and I’m looking forward to talking about all of them. Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
