Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November 15th, 2019. Today is the day that Pokemon releases, and I imagine many a Switch owner will be picking it up. It’s not the only point of interest today, however. Groove Coaster came right out of nowhere, and there are a bunch of other interesting if not amazing new releases. There are a few bits of news, and a nice list of sales on Team 17 games and more. Let’s jump on in!
News
‘Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection’ Delayed Until February 25th
If you were looking forward to capping off your January with a heaping helping of Mega Man Zero goodness, I’ve got some bad news for you. Originally scheduled for a release on January 21st, the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection will now be releasing on February 25th. The producer explains a little bit in the above video, but basically it comes down to the game needing a bit of extra polish before being sent out. I think we can all agree that’s a good thing, and it’s not like you won’t still be plowing through your Christmas present games in January anyway, right?
‘In The Hunt’ Joins the ‘Arcade Archives’ Next Week
Hamster is pretty good about giving a vague list of titles that will come to its Arcade Archives line, but it’s rare for the company to get too specific with release dates until the day before each game hits. In a rare case of some advance notice, we now know that next week’s title will be Irem’s 1993 horizontal shooter In The Hunt. This is an amazing game, and if you have an eye for detail you may notice that the visuals look a lot like those of Metal Slug. That’s because the team behind this game left Irem soon after to form Nazca Corporation, which is of course the developer of the Metal Slug series. Historically important and lots of fun, In The Hunt is a great pick-up at $7.99. You can grab it next Thursday when it releases worldwide.
The Next ‘SEGA AGES’ Release is ‘Fantasy Zone’
We’re reaching the last third of the announced SEGA AGES line-up, and it’s uncertain whether there will be more coming after that. With Shinobi already out in Japan, that left an even half-dozen possibilities for the next release, some more exciting than others. Well, it looks like the next release in Japan is going to be Fantasy Zone, and your hype for it will likely relate to whether or not you’ve already indulged in the Nintendo 3DS version. Beyond spiffing it up for the Switch hardware, the extras here are almost exactly the same as that excellent 3DS version. There’s a new Time Attack mode, some neat borders, leaderboards, HD Rumble, and not much else. It should be out in Japan by the end of the month, and will likely arrive alongside Shinobi in the West in the next month or two.
New Releases
Pokemon Sword ($59.99)
Pokemon Shield ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
After a whole lot of sturm und drang, the latest generation of Pokemon is finally here. And it is a Pokemon game, alright. Go out and catch Pokemon in a world inspired by England, have fun with some new features, and foil the plans of some kind of gang or another. This probably isn’t the amazing console Pokemon game everyone was hoping for all those years, but it’s a decent enough game that serves Pokemon‘s usual role of being a friendly RPG that even non-RPG fans can get into.
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party!! ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
If you’ve been playing mobile games for a while, and I have reason to believe that describes most readers here, then you probably don’t need much introduction to Groove Coaster, Taito’s awesome rhythm game. You also don’t need me to tell you it is great. Indeed, I probably don’t even have to mention that there is over sixty dollars’ worth of DLC available from day one, but that for rhythm game fans it may well be worth every cent put into it. Not even sure what I’m typing here, really. Groove Coaster is on Switch, it’s loaded with modes and multiplayer options, it has lots of great music, and you can throw extra money at Undertale and Touhou music packs if you want. Next!
Raining Blobs ($9.99)
In case you need another competitive falling block puzzler, here is Raining Blobs. It’s the sort that involves matching up colors and then using an igniter block to clear them out, and it seems quite well-made for what it is. You get a few different modes, but sadly there isn’t an option to play online multiplayer. The aesthetics are great, and while it’s highly derivative of at least a few games I can think of, the developer has done a nice job of giving this game the finishing touches it needs to stand on its own. And hey, while you can’t play online, there is support for up to eight players locally. Seems like a good pick-up for those who can’t get enough of clearing colorful blocks, blobs, or gems.
Woven ($19.99)
I’ve been spending time with this one in anticipation of a review, and… well, I don’t think this game is meant for my demographic, to be honest. It’s kind of a platformer with some puzzles sprinkled in, but it’s a very slow, deliberate sort of affair. You play as a toy elephant who can take on a variety of shapes as the game calls for it. You mostly plod along a linear path, listening to an unskippable narrator drone on now and then. The visuals have taken a bit of a hit in the transition to the Switch, so the impressively-constructed cloth and craft world is almost too blurry to appreciate. Younger players may be in a better place to get something out of this slow burn of a game than an old goat like me.
Mars Power Industries ($3.99)
Sliding on over from mobile platforms is the clever puzzle game Mars Power Industries. In this game, you have to provide power to colonies on Mars by placing generators in the right locations. There are different types of generators and lots of weird obstacles to deal with. Each area is its own little puzzle. It’s pretty relaxing and enjoyable in its own way, though I certainly wouldn’t blame anyone if they preferred to play this on their mobile devices instead. It’s a game that feels built around touch controls, after all. Either way, more than eighty puzzles await you, which isn’t bad at all for a few bucks.
Tactical Mind 2 ($4.99)
The tactical board game is back with all-new stages and features. The original game is one of those relatively low-cost affairs that goes on sale pretty often, which I think helped it find an audience that may have otherwise skipped it. And hey, it’s a pretty solid game. So I suspect this sequel will also do well, especially given it’s running a sale right off the hop. More maps for local multiplayer, marginally spruced-up visuals, and a more robust single-player campaign make for a fairly safe sequel, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Go! Fish Go! ($1.99)
I haven’t played this yet and it’s very hard to find any info on it thanks to its generic name, but I’ve been running these roads long enough to know a behind-the-back auto-runner when I see one. The idea behind this one is that you’re trying to help a team of five fish escape. You’re being chased, so this probably has a Temple Run vibe to it. There also seem to be the usual power-ups to use and coins to collect. Well, it’s only two dollars. Who am I to tell you that you can’t spend it on this rather than one-and-a-half tasty Snickers bars?
Fractured Minds ($1.99)
Well, this is an interesting experience, at least. Fractured Minds was made by a 17-year-old named Emily Mitchell, and it won a BAFTA Young Game Designers Award back in 2017. It’s kind of an adventure game, but it wants to try to express what it’s like to grapple with mental illness. For example, the first thing you need to do is leave your room. You need a key to do so, but every key you find will be displayed as the wrong key. The text will linger so your screen is soon full of discouraging messages. Anyway, it’s that sort of thing. For the price, it’s hard to argue with it provided you find the premise intriguing.
Sales
Now that’s a nice list of sales. Team 17 stuff is a big highlight here, with the deepest discounts we’ve seen yet from the publisher. I’ll also call attention to the RPG Earthlock, which is pretty decent and an absolute steal at just under six bucks. If your heart is open to quirky titles, I’d also like to recommend Super Daryl Deluxe. The weekend outbox isn’t anything to get too upset about, but I will point out that this is your last chance to get Santa Tracker at a cheap price before the prime Santa tracking season begins.
New Games on Sale
Worms W.M.D ($10.19 from $29.99 until 11/20)
Crimsonland ($4.19 from $13.99 until 11/20)
Vaccine ($2.50 from $10.00 until 11/28)
Overcooked Special ($6.79 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Overcooked! 2 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 11/20)
Syberia ($8.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Syberia 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Syberia 3 ($14.99 from $49.99 until 12/4)
Dimension Drive ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/27)
Yooka-Laylee ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/20)
The Escapists: Complete ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/20)
The Escapists 2 ($6.79 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Superola and the Lost Burgers ($1.99 from $5.99 until 12/2)
Earthlock ($5.98 from $29.90 until 12/4)
Castle of Heart ($1.49 from $14.99 until 12/2)
Super Daryl Deluxe ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/21)
L.F.O. -Lost Future Omega- ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/28)
Raging Justice ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/20)
Yoku’s Island Express ($6.79 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Yesterday Origins ($9.89 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Flashback ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Mugsters ($5.09 from $14.99 until 11/20)
CastleStorm ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/21)
Planet Alpha ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Time Carnage ($7.79 from $12.99 until 11/28)
The Room ($3.39 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Puzzle Wall ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/28)
CricktoGame ($3.29 from $5.49 until 11/28)
The Bug Butcher ($5.59 from $7.99 until 11/27)
Toast Time: Smash Up! ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/21)
Moto Racer 4 ($13.99 from $34.99 until 12/4)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($13.99 from $34.99 until 12/4)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 ($11.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Toki ($11.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/20)
Gunman Clive HD Collection ($3.39 from $3.99 until 11/28)
New Star Manager ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Agartha-S ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/28)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($4.99 from $9.99 until 12/2)
Quest for the Golden Duck ($0.11 from $9.99 until 12/2)
Monument Builders Rushmore ($1.39 from $6.99 until 12/4)
Mechstermination Force ($10.19 from $11.99 until 11/28)
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/28)
Back to Bed ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/27)
My Time at Portia ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/20)
Ascendance ($1.79 from $5.99 until 11/21)
Scrap ($0.49 from $4.99 until 11/28)
Automachef ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/20)
Inferno 2 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 11/27)
Electronic Super Joy ($9.99 from $14.99 until 11/28)
Black The Fall ($4.99 from $14.99 until 11/29)
Go! Fish Go! ($1.79 from $1.99 until 12/5)
Pet Shop Snacks ($3.74 from $4.99 until 12/5)
Dead Dungeon ($0.99 from $4.99 until 11/25)
Sushi Time! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/5)
Event Horizon ($1.49 from $5.99 until 11/25)
Tardy ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/25)
Food Truck Tycoon ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/5)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Deployment ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/16)
Santa Tracker ($0.79 from $2.99 until 11/16)
Space Ribbon ($0.59 from $4.99 until 11/16)
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD ($0.99 from $4.99 until 11/16)
Aragami: Shadow ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/17)
Battle Group 2 ($0.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
Candle: The Power of the Flame ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/17)
Cast of the Seven Godsends ($1.29 from $12.99 until 11/17)
Crimson Keep ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/17)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
Instant Tennis ($4.97 from $9.95 until 11/17)
Milkmaid of the Milky Way ($1.19 from $5.99 until 11/17)
Niffelheim ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/17)
Riot – Civil Unrest ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/17)
Solo: Islands of the Heart ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/17)
Sweet Witches ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
The Count Lucanor ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/17)
The Long Reach ($1.49 from $14.99 until 11/17)
The Tiny Bang Story ($7.49 from $9.99 until 11/17)
The Walking Vegetables: Radical ($2.59 from $12.99 until 11/17)
Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/17)
Vaporum ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/17)
That’s all that’s good for today and this week, friends. What did you pick up? What are you playing this weekend? I’m all about Romancing SaGa 3, I think. I’m playing two versions of the game for review purposes because I’m silly that way. I am not having a bad time with this at all, though, so don’t cry for me. Anyway, I hope you all have a terrific weekend and, as always, thanks for reading!
