Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 26th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got a little slice of news, a full review of Fury Unleashed, Mini-Views of Arrest of a Stone Buddha and Ion Fury, a look at new release Minecraft Dungeons, and all the sales information you crave. Yes, we’re making the most of what is for the most part a pretty quiet day. Let’s get into it!
News
The ‘Blaster Master Zero’ Games Go Physical with Limited Run
After decades of follow-ups of dubious value, Blaster Master finally got some new games that live up to the standards of the original. Both of those came courtesy of the good folks at Inti Creates, with the first doing a loose re-telling of the original game’s adventure and the second going into new territory. Both games will get physical versions from Limited Run Games, with orders starting this Friday. You can get the games in separate standard editions, somewhat more special separate special editions, or a huge collector’s edition that packs in both games and a whole lot of stuff for your fanciest gaming shelves. Whichever one you choose, you’ll have to order through Limited Run’s site. I suspect that collector’s pack is going to go fast, but the regular versions should be obtainable by everyone who wants them.
Reviews
Fury Unleashed ($19.99)
Fury Unleashed sits at the intersection of run-and-gun and roguelite. It’s not the first game to take a well-established genre and smash it against the popular roguelite frame, and I don’t think it’s even the first to choose the run-and-gun as its well-established genre, but it’s a very good one. Its action-game chops are well-done if not spectacular, and the way it weaves those into what is getting to be a very familiar meta-structure produces something that should be agreeable to people who have enjoyed titles like Rogue Legacy or Dead Cells.
Dressing the whole affair in a comic book motif, Fury Unleashed sends you and perhaps a friend into panel-by-panel action scenes where your goal is to reach the end of each page and eventually the end of the book itself. Most of the panels are rooms filled with some light platforming bits and a handful of enemies, but some of them have special challenges for you to complete in exchange for some rewards. You’ll also find portals that offer up new weapons or items to help you on the way. You’ll probably succumb to the enemies or traps sooner or later, after which you can spend some of the spoils you’ve earned in order to buy permanent upgrades for your hero.
You have several actions available to you. Primarily, you’ll be running and jumping around, using the second stick to fire your equipped gun or guns in any direction. You also have a dash move that you can use but not abuse thanks to a bit of cooldown. You can make use of a melee weapon for close encounter killing, and a special move can be pulled out in a pinch. Naturally, you’ve also got a limited supply of grenades and/or grenade-like objects you can toss. You can also pull up a map and swap weapons without even diving into a menu.
It all feels good to play, and it’s as much fun solo as it is with a friend. It feels a little too familiar in places, but I suppose it’s a good kind of familiar. It’s heavily contingent on you not being tired of the rinse-and-repeat meta-grind that modern roguelites love so much, but I’d imagine those that are sick of such things probably aren’t investigating the quality of a new game in said genre. Sure, some of them have a new idea or totally new angle that might pull in the interest of the disinterested, but that isn’t Fury Unleashed. And that’s fine. I don’t need the chef to bring me something new every time if the regular dishes are made well.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Mini-Views
Ion Fury ($24.99)
I can appreciate a game that knows exactly what it wants to be, and Ion Fury is nothing if not that. This is a pure homage to 1990s pre-3D first-person shooters, right down to its use of the Build Engine. To that extent, it does its job. You even have to remember to save frequently, as the game’s auto-save checkpoints are quite far apart from each other and death comes swiftly. I feel like the level designs are a bit too meandering to truly match the thrills of those classics, but in terms of speed, action, and feel Ion Fury delivers. Regrettable then that this Switch port struggles as much as it does. Inconsistent framerates that sometimes drop dramatically, awkward default controls that can’t be fully changed, and other technical issues mean that this isn’t as great an experience as it could be regardless of how you feel about its aims and content.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Arrest of a Stone Buddha ($14.99)
This is one of those games that feels weird to slap a score onto. There are two sides to Arrest of a Stone Buddha, though they’re built to complement each other. When it’s time for your hitman to do his job, you’ll be going through ridiculously over-the-top shooting segments. You slowly trudge across various settings, racking up a body count that would make Rambo blush, emptying the ammunition from your weapons into a seemingly endless crowd of armed assailants and pulling the guns from their hands to keep the shots coming. Between jobs, you’ll spend days doing utterly mundane things most of us can relate to, and having conversations and thoughts that few of us can. It’s not really going anywhere obvious with its story, but there’s plenty to reflect on here for those who like that. The weird push-pull of noisy action and quiet, almost mind-numbing normality gives the game a distinct flavor, but it’s one that is only going to appeal to a particular niche.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Minecraft Dungeons ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
It feels like we’ve been hearing about this game for a while now, and hey, here it is. Much like other Minecraft spin-offs, this game transposes the style and aesthetics of Minecraft from an open-world sandbox crafting game to another genre with almost entirely different mechanics. In this case, it’s the Diablo-style dungeon crawler. Up to four players can join in, and online play is supported. With a brand as huge as this one, you may expect something special here. Surprisingly, it’s a fairly rote (but polished) take on the concept. It’s no Diablo 3, but if you like Minecraft enough that you enjoy references to its world even when removed from the context of its paradigm-shattering gameplay, you’ll probably get a kick out of this game. It’s also a good dungeon crawler for those new to the genre. Veterans or those without any particular attachment to the brand aren’t likely to find many thrills here, however.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Not a huge list of new sales today, but what’s here is noteworthy in some regards. First of all, Horizon Chase Turbo. Six dollars? Wow, if you don’t crunch that one down I don’t know what to say. 2K is having a little sale, likely because it’s dropping something like seven games on the Switch this week. The high-quality Rise: Race the Future has a solid update incoming and is having a sale that may be in commemoration of that. There’s also a lot of stuff in the outbox, though it’s all games that are very frequently discounted so you probably don’t need to worry too much about it.
Select New Games on Sale
Horizon Chase Turbo ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/5)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/1)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/1)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/1)
NBA 2K20 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 6/1)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 5/31)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/1)
Stela ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/1)
Super Daryl Deluxe ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/1)
Werewolf Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 6/14)
Mummy Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 6/14)
Halloween Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 6/14)
Pirates Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 6/14)
Candle: Power of the Flame ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Crimson Keep ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/7)
Mainlining ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/7)
Stranded Sails ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/7)
Rise: Race the Future ($12.36 from $16.49 until 6/11)
Solitaire Deluxe Bundle – 3 in 1 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Knight Squad ($13.49 from $14.99 until 6/12)
Queen’s Quest 2 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/15)
Brief Battles ($9.74 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Croc’s World 3 ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/16)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27th
A Case of Distrust ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Agony ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Akane ($0.99 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Akuto: Showdown ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/27)
Bad Dream: Coma ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Bad Dream: Fever ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Bedtimes Blues ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Biolab Wars ($0.49 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Brawl ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Castle of No Escape 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/27)
Chop ($4.99 from $9.99 untill 5/27)
Clock Simulator ($0.39 from $3.99 until 5/27)
Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Cooking Simulator ($17.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Cube Creator X ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Dark Veer ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Diggerman ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Dungeons & Aliens ($0.39 from $3.99 until 5/27)
Escape Doodland ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Estiman ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Fishing Universe Simulator ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Fly O’Clock ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Frederic ($0.59 from $5.99 until 5/27)
Frederic 2 ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Get Me Outta Here ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Glaive: Brick Breaker ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Goblin Sword ($2.99 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Goetia ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Grab Lab ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Grave Keeper ($0.99 from $9.99 until5/27)
Gunpowder on the Teeth: Arcade ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Gurgamoth ($0.49 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Hard West ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Hero Express ($1.24 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Hollow ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Hyperide ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Hyperide: Vector Raid ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
IHUGU ($0.39 from $3.99 until 5/27)
Koloro ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Lifeless Planet: Premiere ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Mana Spark ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Merchants of Kaiden ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Millie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Mini Trains ($0.99 from $5.99 until 5/27)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($19.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Mr Blaster ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
My Brother Rabbit ($1.49 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Nice Slice ($0.49 from $1.99 until 5/27)
No Thing ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
NoReload Heroes ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Not Not – A Brain Buster ($0.99 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Omen Exitio: Plague ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
OmoTomO ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
One Strike ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Party Treats ($0.99 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Persian Nights: Sands of Wonders ($1.49 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Phantaruk ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Phantom Doctrine ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Pinstripe ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Poly Puzzle ($3.34 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Puzzle Book ($0.99 from $3.99 until 5/27)
Q-YO Blaster ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Qbik ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Realpolitiks ($2.49 from $24.99 until 5/27)
REKT! High Octane Stunts ($0.99 from $5.99 until 5/27)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Risky Rescue ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Roll’d ($0.49 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Shipped ($0.99 from $5.99 until 5/27)
Shut Eye ($0.39 from $3.99 until 5/27)
Sinless ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Slayin 2 ($7.79 from $11.99 until 5/27)
Space Pioneer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Sparkle 2 EVO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Sparkle 3 Genesis ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Sparkle 4 Tales ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Sparkle Zero ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Star Story: The Horizon Escape ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Startide ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Super Hero Fight Club ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Surfingers ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Tap Skaters ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Teddy the Wanderer: Kayaking ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Teddy the Wanderer: Mountain Hike ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Tennis Open 2020 ($6.69 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Terrorhythm ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
The Childs Sight ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
The Mahjong Huntress ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Thief Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Timberman VS ($0.19 from $1.99 until 5/27)
Tiny Hands Adventure ($0.79 from $7.99 until 5/27)
Top Run ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
Ultimate Ski Jumping 2020 ($6.69 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Unit 4 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Utopia 9 ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Violett ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Warlocks 2: God Slayers ($1.79 from $17.99 until 5/27)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/27)
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Wondershot ($0.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
Zombillie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 5/27)
#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/27)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a handful of new releases in preparation for the absolute bananas that is Thursday/Friday this week. There may be some good sales, there may not be. There will be at least a little news. No reviews, as I’ve emptied the current chamber of stuff I’ve got ready to go. I hope you all have a solid Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
