Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 16th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got a review of the latest Pokemon spin-off. Aside from that, we take a look at all of today’s new releases, carve off a little slice of news, and go through all of the latest sales and discounts. Let’s get the week started!
News
‘Asphalt 9: Legends’ Gets a Huge Update
While not everyone likes its free-to-play vibe, there’s no question that Asphalt 9: Legends is a content-rich racer with plenty of fun to offer fans of arcade-style action. The game just got a major update to add even more content, so if you’ve been looking for a reason to get back into it, this might be it. Head to the Caribbean for ten new tracks spread across eight locations in three new career mode seasons, get behind the wheel of some slick new cars, and dig into the improved multiplayer mode. Sure, sounds good.
Reviews
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX ($59.99)
Spike Chunsoft’s Mystery Dungeon games tend to share many of their features regardless of the IP they’re attached to or how many installments have come before. It’s a blessing or a curse, depending on how you feel about the games. You generally know what to expect when you dig into one, provided you’ve played a Mystery Dungeon game before. It’s all about whether or not you’re cool with the formula, and how much of a challenge you want. That the most successful of the lot is the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is likely down to the brand more than anything else, but the fact that these games are among the most approachable roguelikes around surely doesn’t hurt.
The general similarities between installments in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series does make me wonder whether or not anyone really wanted a remake of an earlier game, though. Well, I suppose it works a lot like the remakes in the main series, when I think about it. You get some spiffy new graphics and audio, plenty of welcome improvements to the interface and mechanics that reflect the evolution of the series, a bit of extra content, and the same general story and characters you enjoyed back in the old days. I’d have preferred a totally new installment, but if this is the warm-up for this generation, so be it.
If you’ve already played the original game this is based on, you’re going to find this game extremely familiar. Whether that’s something you’re looking for or not is a question I cannot answer. It being built on the framework of a Japanese-style roguelike at least ensures that there are some random elements at play here, meaning you won’t be running through exactly the same content. As you continue playing, you’ll likely notice all of the changes in between the returning beats. Some, like improvements to the interface, are surely welcome. Others, like the changes made to Friend Areas, not so much. Many of the new features serve to the dull the difficulty of a game that was already on the easier side up until its post-game.
Those changes, which go so far as even allowing you to hit a button to have the AI explore the dungeons themselves, are probably here to make the game more accessible to beginners. And you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to, I suppose. But I’ve always felt that the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games were dancing on the knife’s edge when it came to their relaxed level of challenge. It’s very easy to cross the line into sheer boredom, and I wouldn’t blame anyone if that was their takeaway from this new version of the game. The game’s mechanics are at times so clunky they only get away with it because they’re tradition. With so little to test you, you may indeed wonder why you’re playing at all.
The story would probably be one good answer to that. The intriguing tale of a human-turned-Pokemon is both interesting from an immersion standpoint, reminding me very much of Ultima‘s Avatar, and in terms of showing us a different side of the Pokemon world. At its heart, it is a story meant to be digested by kids and is rather simple in general, but there are a few fun surprises along the way. It’s a more enjoyable narrative than most of the games that followed, and one that perhaps may even appeal to those who aren’t fans of the brand.
Beyond that, there’s a certain meat-and-potatoes quality to the Mystery Dungeon formula that makes the games a nice, methodical play if you’re of a certain mindset. That this one will not bare its fangs in the least until the post-game is not going to matter to many players. If you just want to skulk around procedurally-generated dungeons looking for lost Pokemon, slowly building up your Rescue Team, you’ll have plenty to chew on here. If you want something that will push back with any sort of force at all, this may not be your stop. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a curious remake that is perhaps best for an entirely new audience over those who played it before.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
This Strange Realm of Mine ($12.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is a weird game, but it’s also a very interesting one. It’s mostly a first-person shooter that feels like a nightmare version of the earlier DOOM clones, but there are some brief mini-games that break up the action with some other types of gameplay. Anyway, you play as a lost soul making your way through the afterlife. It tries to get philosophical at times, but I suspect how well that works is going to come down to the individual. There are certainly some mechanical flaws here, especially in the mini-games, but the experience on the whole is unique enough that I think some people are really going to like it.
Super Bit Blaster XL ($3.99)
This is a rather inexpensive throwback to classic shooters like Asteroids. There are lots of different ships to unlock, and a second player can join in for co-op or versus play. There isn’t really a whole lot else to talk about here, I suppose. You’ve got the requisite power-ups to pick up, an alternate control scheme for those who want a little more direct control over their shooting, and that’s about it. While it’s difficult to make a case for this when there are so many great shoot-em-ups on the Switch, there’s a certain itch this kind of retro-style approach scratches that some may find worth their four bucks.
Deep Diving Adventures ($19.99)
What’s in a name? When Juliet lamented Romeo having the family name that he did in Shakespeare’s classic play, she was recognizing an unfortunate reality of the world: names matter. They build expectations. They categorize things. And I bring this up because on PC, this game is known as Deep Diving Simulator. It is not a simulator in any real sense of the word, nor is it ironic in the way that Goat Simulator uses the word. So I applaud this new name, because this really is more about adventures under the water. You have to explore various locations for treasures and new gear while healing local creatures to add time to your oxygen clock. I’ll be reviewing this one later, but if you like to chill this game definitely provides that.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A healthy new selection of discounts cropped up over the weekend, though a great deal of them are the usual suspects. Enter the Gungeon and Children of Morta are probably the best of the lot, but feel free to comb through on your own and see what catches your eye. In the outbox, the WB sale is wrapping up soon. A lot of the low-priced budget-level titles are finishing up their discounts as well. It will all be back around again before long, however, so you may want to save your money for the releases hitting later this week.
Select New Games on Sale
Enter the Gungeon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/20)
Clue ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/21)
Battleship ($3.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
Brunch Club ($10.14 from $14.99 until 3/23)
Remothered: Tormented Fathers ($10.49 from $29.99 until 3/27)
Top Run ($3.49 from $4.99 until 3/30)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Sumer ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/26)
Darts Up ($0.98 from $2.99 until 4/2)
Soap Dodgem ($1.39 from $1.99 until 3/31)
Abyss ($0.98 from $2.99 until 4/2)
99Seconds ($0.98 from $2.99 until 4/2)
99Moves ($0.98 from $2.99 until 4/2)
Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($1.29 from $12.99 until 3/20)
Street Basketball ($1.19 from $5.99 until 4/1)
Rally Rock ‘N Racing ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/2)
Quest Hunter ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/23)
Children of Morta ($14.73 from $21.99 until 3/30)
Touchdown Pinball ($1.98 from $2.99 until 4/2)
Battlesloths ($7.49 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Super Destronaut: Land Wars ($3.99 from $4.99 until 3/29)
Trancelation ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/3)
Midnight Evil ($3.39 from $9.99 until 3/24)
DragonFangZ ($12.49 from $24.99 until 3/27)
Tactical Mind ($0.99 from $2.99 until 3/23)
Mad Carnage ($0.99 from $4.99 until 3/23)
FunBox Party ($0.49 from $1.99 until 3/24)
Noir Chronicles: City of Crime ($1.49 from $14.99 until 4/3)
Mech Rage ($1.49 from $9.99 until 3/24)
Almost There: The Platformer ($0.99 from $9.99 until 3/21)
Doggie Ninja: Golden Mission ($5.00 from $8.00 until 3/27)
Doggie Ninja: Burning Strikers ($5.00 from $8.00 until 3/27)
Sweet Witches ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/24)
Swaps and Traps ($1.48 from $8.99 until 3/24)
Event Horizon: Space Defense ($2.99 from $6.99 until 3/23)
Mushroom Quest ($1.49 from $2.99 until 3/24)
Aborigenus ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/24)
Rise of Insanity ($6.99 from $9.99 until 3/14)
The Unholy Society ($8.69 from $9.99 until 3/20)
Stela ($16.99 from $19.99 until 3/20)
Clumsy Rush ($0.99 from $4.99 until 3/21)
3000th Duel ($10.49 from $14.99 until 3/24)
Old School Racer 2 ($0.79 from $7.99 until 4/5)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17th
Atomic Heist ($1.49 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Avenger Bird ($0.23 from $2.29 until 3/17)
Billy Bomber ($0.50 from $5.00 until 3/17)
Blindy ($0.79 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Bouncy Bob ($0.10 from $0.99 until 3/17)
Bouncy Bob 2 ($0.50 from $5.00 until 3/17)
Bus Fix 2019 ($0.59 from $5.99 until 3/17)
Car Mechanic Manager ($0.39 from $3.99 until 3/17)
Car Mechanic Simulator Pocket ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Car Trader ($0.39 from $3.99 until 3/17)
Cars 3: Driven to Win ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
Catch a Duck ($0.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Chicken Rider ($0.39 from $3.99 until 3/17)
Darkest Hunter ($0.53 from $5.29 until 3/17)
Demolish & Build 2018 ($10.49 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Down to Hell ($3.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Epic Clicker Journey ($0.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
ESport Manager ($0.79 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Garage Mechanic Simulator ($0.69 from $6.99 until 3/17)
Godly Corp ($0.79 from $7.99 until 3/17)
GoFishing 3D ($1.49 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Guess the Word ($0.18 from $1.79 until 3/17)
Gym Hero ($0.22 from $2.20 until 3/17)
Hotel Dracula ($0.56 from $5.59 until 3/17)
I Wanna Fly ($0.24 from $2.39 until 3/17)
LEGO City Undercover ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/17)
LEGO DC Super-Villains ($23.99 from $59.99 until 3/17)
LEGO Harry Potter Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 3/17)
LEGO Jurassic World ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/17)
LEGO Ninjago Movie Game ($19.99 from $49.99 until 3/17)
LEGO The Incredibles ($23.99 from $59.99 until 3/17)
LEGO Worlds ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/17)
Little Shopping ($0.14 from $1.39 until 3/17)
Mortal Kombat 11 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 3/17)
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator ($2.79 from $6.99 until 3/17)
Pet Care ($0.14 from $1.39 until 3/17)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/17)
Puzzle for Toddlers & Kids ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Redneck Skeet Shooting ($0.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Robot Squad Simulator ($1.49 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Scribblenauts Mega Pack ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
Scribblenauts: Showdown ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
Selma and the Wisp ($0.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Shadows 2: Perfidia ($0.79 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Ships ($1.39 from $13.99 until 3/17)
Story of a Gladiator ($7.69 from $10.99 until 3/17)
Tactical Mind 2 ($1.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Tardy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Technosphere ($5.99 from $14.99 until 3/17)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
The Mims Beginning ($3.14 from $8.99 until 3/17)
Theatre Tales ($0.14 from $1.39 until 3/17)
Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska ($4.74 from $18.99 until 3/17)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow will see a few more new releases, including the outstanding La Mulana and La Mulana 2, and we’ll be summarizing all of them as usual. I have one more review that should be ready to go, and of course the news and sales that accumulate over the day will be in there as well. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
