Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 24th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got summaries of today’s many new releases including the remake of Trials of Mana, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, and more. There’s also a little bit of news about an upcoming update for Panzer Dragoon Remake, and a giant list of new sales to help drain whatever pennies are still rattling around under your sofa cushions. Let’s get into it!
News
‘Panzer Dragoon Remake’ Version 1.3 Details Revealed
The launch version of Panzer Dragoon Remake was a bit of a disappointment for many, but publisher Forever Entertainment was quick to say that the game would be patched based on feedback. In a recent interview, co-producer Benjamin Anseaume mentioned some of the improvements we can look forward to. Apparently, there will be a 60 FPS Performance Mode option, HD Rumble support, reduced input lag, new gyro controls, the inclusion of bonus mode Episode 0, reworked dragon animations, a more accessible Pandora’s Box, and much more. I’m really hoping that they’re able to whip this game into shape, but even if they ultimately fall short you sure can’t say it was for a lack of trying. No word on exactly when that new version will hit, but it has apparently been submitted to Nintendo already.
New Releases
Trials of Mana ($49.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Over the last several years, Square Enix has been remaking the classic Mana games in 3D one by one. The results have been somewhat mixed, with a fair bit of ire over the remake of Secret of Mana being perhaps too faithful to the quirks of the original. Trials of Mana seems to have been treated with a bit more seriousness, and the result is a game that doesn’t feel quite so much like something from 25 years ago. It’s still very much built on the skeleton of the original, so you shouldn’t expect to see much new outside of the prettier presentation, but it plays just a little bit better than the Super NES original in some meaningful ways. I’ve enjoyed all of these remakes, but this is the best one yet.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto ($49.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
People (rightfully) give Square Enix a lot of stick over its game titles, but would you look at that monstrosity up there? Bandai Namco, let me help you out here. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. There, you’re good. Anyway, this is the Switch version of the well-received fourth installment in the Naruto arena fighter series. It features 124 ninjas to choose from, along with tons of extra costumes and so on. You get all of the DLC from the other versions right off the hop, so you’re all set for the content that bridges into the Boruto era. Up to eight players can join in via online play, if you’re that-way inclined. Performance-wise it’s obviously not up to the standards of the versions on more powerful platforms, but it looks decent enough and generally keeps to 30 FPS outside of super moves.
Guard Duty ($9.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I kind of waffled about whether or not to give this a highlight, but you know what? I find this game quite endearing. This is a humorous ode to point-and-click adventure games from the 1990s, and while that’s hardly the most novel of ideas, I find Guard Duty gets a lot of things right that other games don’t. For better or worse, this game really nails what it’s going for. My only real gripe is that the puzzles aren’t quite up to snuff, and I would have liked it to be just a little bit longer. If titles like Simon the Sorcerer or Discworld give you the warm and fuzzies, you are precisely the audience for this game. If you have no nostalgia for that period of adventure games, it’s tougher to make a good case for Guard Duty.
Archaica: The Path of Light ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Regardless of your age or how long you’ve been gaming, the chances are very good that you’ve run into at least a few light-bending puzzles in games before. The Zelda series has used them from time to time, and RPGs seem to like them a lot. Heck, even Mario has included them here and there. Well, Archaica is a whole game built around light-bending puzzles. That may turn some people off, but let me assure you: the puzzles are very well-done here, and the amount of cool hidden secrets and bits of lore you can find make this feel more fleshed-out. You get more than 50 levels to play through, which should keep puzzle fans busy for a while.
Debtor ($2.99)
I suppose if you’re on a tight budget this week, Debtor is the cheapest choice. But is it good? Hm. Well, it’s a 30-stage platformer where you have to collect all of the coins in each stage to pay off your debts. You can smash blocks with your head, use explosives to destroy things, and push around boxes to help you reach higher places. I’m not sure what it says about a game when its best selling point is that it’s cheap, but that’s where we’re at with Debtor. I think if you come into this with your expectations set in the right place, you’ll probably get your three bucks’ worth out of it. Probably not much more than that, though.
Arcade Archives Tube Panic ($7.99)
Some of the games in the Arcade Archives series haven’t aged well. A few, however, were never very good to begin with, and that’s unfortunately the bucket that Tube Panic sits in. You could make a case for the historical significance of this 1984 Nichibutsu shooter, as it was one of the earliest games to make use of hardware sprite scaling. That makes it something of a fore-runner to titles like Space Harrier, but it doesn’t make it fun. Hamster’s done a fine job of the port as usual, but I really can’t imagine anyone but Arcade Archives completionists getting much value out of Tube Panic.
The Copper Canyon Dixie Dash ($7.49)
Kind of a cartoony FPS take on WestWorld, The Copper Canyon Dixie Dash has you taking on malfunctioning Wild West robots in a theme park. You get a variety of weapons to use against them, and a special dash move that can help you close distances in a hurry. You’ll battle through a town, a canyon, and some mines en route to defeating the leader of the bots, Sheriff Bolts. It looks colorful and reasonably fun, and it’s not like it’s selling at a particularly high price or anything. Single-player only, but if that’s what you’re craving, you may want to take a chance on this one.
Offroad Racing – Buggy X ATV X Moto ($19.99)
This feels like it’s approaching App Store levels of keyword abuse, but whatever. As the title says, this is off-road racing with buggies, ATVs, and motocross bikes. You get five different modes of play, including a season mode, a championship mode, single races, time trials, and a hot lap mode. No multiplayer support whatsoever, but you can customize the colors on your rider. So that’s something.
Animal Fun for Toddlers and Kids ($6.99)
Is it, though? This one is aimed at very, very young kids. It’s more of a toy than a game. You tap on the animals to interact with them, and you can hear the different sounds that they make. There are five different locations with their own sets of animals, and some hidden animals to find. I can’t even pretend to have the viewpoint necessary to judge whether this is good for the little ones or not, so I leave it in your hands.
Where Angels Cry ($9.99)
This game has an extremely “On the Discount Spinner Rack in a Radioshack in 2002" vibe to it. Anyway, some mystery is afoot in a strange setting, in this case a medieval monastery. You’ve been sent there to figure out what is going on, and you’ll do that by picking things up and banging them on other things to solve puzzles. There are other puzzles beyond the inventory puzzles, of course. As you play through, the truth behind the happenings at the monastery will be revealed. Will you be able to handle it? Yes, probably. I don’t know, it’s pretty much a generic budget adventure game. Some decent art in places, if I had to say something nice.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As expected, we’ve got a huge list of new discounts to comb through today. To be honest, there isn’t anything too far out of the norm here. That’s less a judgement on the quality of the games here and more on how often almost everything on the eShop goes on sale, I suppose. Some less common names appearing today include Ms. Splosion Man, Bulletstorm, Neko Navy, Code: Realize, and Ghostbusters. The weekend outbox isn’t too big, but there are a few games in there that you may want to consider picking up. You know, like Cuphead, Call of Juarez, and Puzzle Quest. Well, it’s up to you.
Select New Games on Sale
Oceanhorn ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/14)
Mushroom Heroes ($4.19 from $5.99 until 4/30)
Vaccine ($2.50 from $10.00 until 5/13)
Overcooked Special ($6.79 from $19.99 until 5/3)
Overcooked! 2 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/3)
Quest of Dungeons ($4.49 from $8.99 until 5/7)
SteamWorld Dig ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/3)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/3)
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/3)
SteamWorld Quest ($12.49 from $24.99 until 5/3)
Anthill ($3.99 from $9.99 until 5/3)
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/30)
Syberia ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Syberia 2 ($1.49 from $29.99 until 5/6)
Slain: Back From Hell ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Super Beat Sports ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/30)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Stick It to The Man ($2.39 from $11.99 until 5/3)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Plague Road ($0.99 from $15.00 until 5/13)
Party Planet ($6.99 from $19.99 until 4/30)
Bleed ($3.59 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Bleed 2 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Mecho Tales ($0.89 from $0.99 until 5/13)
Tiny Troopers Joint Ops XL ($3.89 from $12.99 until 5/8)
Blossom Tales ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/14)
Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 ($2.00 from $8.00 until 5/13)
Monster Energy Supercross ($11.99 from $29.99 until 5/7)
WorldNeverland – Elnea Kingdom ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/12)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Sky Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/30)
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! ($0.98 from $8.99 until 5/6)
Super Chariot ($0.99 from $14.90 until 4/30)
Three Fourths Home: Extended ($0.98 from $8.99 until 5/6)
Die for Valhalla! ($2.39 from $11.99 until 5/7)
Yesterday Origins ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/13)
Quad Fighter K ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/7)
Flashback ($0.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Ink ($1.34 from $8.99 until 5/6)
Hacky Zack ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Digerati Indie Bundle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Paranautical Activity ($1.03 from $7.99 until 5/6)
Super Volley Blast ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 5/6)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($1.99 from $11.99 until 5/13)
1979 Revolution: Black Friday ($3.59 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/3)
In Between ($1.99 from $11.99 until 5/13)
Unexplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 5/6)
Spectrum ($2.39 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Little Dragons Cafe ($17.99 from $59.99 until 5/7)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Moonfall Ultimate ($1.29 from $12.99 until 5/7)
Shikhondo – Soul Eater ($4.19 from $13.99 until 5/6)
Nefarious ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Gaokao.Love.100Days ($6.99 from $11.99 until 5/7)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Animated Jigsaws: Japanese Women ($2.50 from $10.00 until 5/13)
Tied Together ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/13)
Puzzle Wall ($2.00 from $8.00 until 5/13)
Death Mark ($19.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
Spirit Hunter: NG ($24.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
Tinboy ($0.99 from $1.99 until 5/13)
Moto Racer 4 ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/6)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($10.49 from $34.99 until 5/6)
Steamburg ($0.99 from $4.99 until 5/7)
Stardust Galaxy Warriors ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Omega Strike ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 5/6)
Pipe Push Paradise ($3.73 from $10.99 until 5/6)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Aquatic Adventure of Last Human ($3.89 from $12.99 until 5/6)
Caveblazers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/13)
Neko Navy – Daydream ($9.74 from $12.99 until 5/6)
The Office Quest ($2.39 from $11.99 until 5/7)
Piczle Colors ($6.00 from $12.00 until 5/13)
Thea: The Awakening ($8.99 from $17.99 until 5/7)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($3.39 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($4.07 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Oniken & Odallus Bundle ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Glass Masquerade ($3.59 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Braveland Trilogy ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/7)
Fun! Fun! Animal Park ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/7)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Super Star Path ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Bot Vice ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
Super Blood Hockey ($5.09 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Black Paradox ($5.09 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Venture Kid ($1.49 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Reverse Crawl ($4.41 from $12.99 until 5/6)
Project Nimbus: Complete ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Skelly Selest ($3.39 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 5/6)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Sea King ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Hyperlight Ultimate ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/13)
Automachef ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/3)
Tetsumo Party ($0.99 from $4.99 until 5/7)
Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/13)
Blasphemous ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/3)
Lost Castle ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Niffelheim ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Soulslayer ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Ghostbusters: The Video Game ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/29)
The Tiny Bang Story ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Valfaris ($17.49 from $24.99 until 5/6)
CrunchTime ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Close to the Sun ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/8)
Spaceland ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Ghost Parade ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/6)
NekoMiko ($5.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Dead End Job ($11.89 from $16.99 until 5/13)
Straimium Immortaly ($5.99 from $11.99 until 5/6)
XenoRaptor ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/6)
Tamashii ($5.99 from $11.99 until 5/6)
Demon Pit ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/6)
Prison Princess ($13.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ ($27.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late cl-r ($27.99 from $39.99 until 5/7)
NinNinDays ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/6)
SeaBed ($17.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner ($15.99 from $19.99 until 5/13)
Ms. Splosion Man ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/13)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
kuso ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/25)
LOVE ($1.49 from $2.99 until 4/25)
Pulstario ($0.49 from $0.99 until 4/25)
Rover Wars ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/25)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Breeder Homegrown ($3.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Bucket Knight ($3.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Burger Chef Tycoon ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Candle: Power of the Flame ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/26)
Crimson Keep ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/26)
Cuphead ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/26)
Dimension Drive ($1.94 from $12.99 until 4/26)
Edgar – Bokbok in Boulzac ($14.24 from $18.99 until 4/26)
Energy Balance ($1.01 from $2.99 until 4/26)
Energy Cycle ($1.01 from $2.99 until 4/26)
Gunhouse ($0.99 from $6.99 until 4/26)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/26)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Lumini ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/26)
Mainlining ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Meow Motors ($8.24 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Planet Alpha ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/26)
Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Raging Justice ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Save the Ninja Clan ($0.99 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Shadow Bug ($6.29 from $8.99 until 4/26)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Some Distant Memory ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/26)
Stranded Sails ($14.99 from $24.99 until 4/26)
The Bug Butcher ($3.99 from $7.99 until 4/26)
Vasilis ($3.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Next week has some neat games coming, including Telling Lies, Streets of Rage 4, Dread Nautical, Levelhead, and many more. Anyway, I’m settling in for a weekend of Super Mario Maker 2 and Trials of Mana. What are you all playing? Whatever it is you end up doing, I hope you have a great weekend. As always, thanks for reading!
