Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 5th, 2020. While yesterday was light for new releases, today ended up being quite normal for a Friday. That means we’ve got a ton of new games to check out, with the likes of Clubhouse Games and The Outer Worlds on offer. We summarize each and every one of them before diving into a huge list of new sales. Let’s get to work!
New Releases
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Sure, you could buy those frequently-released cheap versions of classic board and card games. There are plenty on the Switch. But if you want the best value and for the most part the best quality, you’ll want to grab Clubhouse Games. It includes 51 different games, from chess to slot cars to poker. The multiplayer options aren’t quite as robust as I would like, but this is otherwise of the level you would expect from Nintendo. It’s not only a great way to revisit your favorite classic pre-video game pursuits, but also a nice chance to learn some games you may not have played before. Thumbs up.
The Outer Worlds ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I’m really torn on this one. The Outer Worlds is a very cool game that is worth playing for any fan of Western RPGs. You can experience a lot of what makes it good by playing this Switch version. The story is intact, and the scale and basic art design has carried over for the most part. But this is a rough port, with even more compromises than we’ve seen with titles like The Witcher 3 and Vampyr. The framerate struggles badly whenever any combat kicks up outdoors, load times are extremely lengthy, and texture pop-in is almost shockingly bad. All that happens even though the visual detail has been dropped considerably compared to other versions. It’s not unplayable, but it doesn’t look good even by the standards of the Switch platform. Only those who are extremely forgiving of technical issues need apply.
Knight Squad ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
A little Bomberman, a little Gauntlet, and a whole lot of fun. Well, you’ll need some friends to play with if you want to get the full blast of that fun, but isn’t that the case with the two games I just mentioned as well? You can get up to eight players in on this, but you’ll have to have everyone local because there’s no online support here. Anyway, it’s mad-cap top-down action that just about anyone can pick up and play, and there are tons of modes to keep things fresh. You can play against AI opponents if you’re by yourself, but I really don’t recommend grabbing this if you don’t have gaming-minded people around you regularly. If you do, full steam ahead.
Remnants of Naezith ($9.99)
Hey buddy, do you like grappling hook platformers? Of course you do. Unless you don’t, in which case I apologize and encourage you to head to the next game on the list. Remnants of Naezith gives you some thunder powers or something, but what it comes down to is swinging through eighty levels filled with tricky terrain. Keep your eyes peeled and you may find some secrets along the way. The idea here is to try to beat your best time and compete with other players via global leaderboards. You can even race against a ghost of your own best time or another player’s. Anyway, if you enjoy swinging games, consider this the ringing of your own little dinner bell.
They Came From the Sky ($2.99)
Always fun to see a game that flips the usual script. In They Came From the Sky, you play as a UFO that needs to abduct as many humans as possible. Apparently you’re going to make a Human Smoothie. Well, that’s fine. Anyway, some of the humans will fight back so you obviously want to be careful around those ones. There are some power-ups you can grab, which isn’t something you would think a UFO would need to deal with some goofy Earthlings, but here we are. You can enjoy this game in a splitscreen multiplayer mode where up to four people can join in at once. In that context it’s probably quite fun, but even playing by yourself it’s not the worst way to spend a few bucks and five minutes here and there.
Bridge Strike ($6.99)
A quick glance might make you think this is a another standard shoot-em-up, but that’s not the case. You have to destroy as many bridges as you can, being careful to stay undetected by radars and such. A campaign mode sends you on various missions and sees you earning coins that you can use to buy new fighters, while the raid mode is a simple score attack to see how many bridges you can take out. It has a nice retro look to it, and there are naturally some chiptunes to blast away to. If you want something a little different from the norm in the shooter genre, it might not be a bad idea to give this a swing.
Pinball Lockdown ($5.99)
This game gives you five original pinball tables to play, each built around its own unique theme. I certainly can’t argue with the price per table, but the physics and overall quality are so far below Pinball FX 3 that it’s hard to recommend buying this over spending a couple of dollars more to grab a table pack for that release instead. I’m sure some people have a soft spot for these generic attempts, but I’m not one of them.
Strawberry Vinegar ($9.99)
A visual novel that tells the story of a grumpy girl who meets a demon and forms an unlikely friendship with her. There are six different endings here based on the choices you make, and yeah, some of them involve more than friendship. There’s a huge emphasis on cooking and food in this one, so you can expect a lot of pictures that will make you hungry for high-calorie sweets. A sugary experience all around, by the looks of it. You probably know whether or not this appeals to you without me saying much, so I’ll move along to the next game now.
Outbuddies DX ($17.99)
This is a Lovecraftian Metroidvania that leans more into the Metroid end of things than the Vania side. It launched a while back on PC where it got a somewhat tepid reception, but the developer has put in lots of work to improve the game since then. It still has its fair share of issues, and it never quite seems to hit the highs it’s reaching for, but you could do a lot worse in this genre on the Switch. Something to look into if you’re hunting for a Metroidvania game and have ticked off all of the obvious suspects already.
Pop the Bubbles ($7.99)
You might think this is a Sabec, but no. It’s too cheap for that. That doesn’t mean it’s any better than the average Sabec game, however. The gameplay is pretty clearly a direct rip of Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move or, more likely, King’s famous copycat Bubble Witch Saga. The developers have opted for an underwater theme with a mermaid, whose colors just happen to match those of Disney’s Ariel. You can pay this exact same price for a Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move game on Switch, and you’ll get a much better game for your money.
Animal Pairs: Matching & Concentration Game for Toddlers & Kids ($4.99)
With a title like that, I had literally no idea what kind of game to expect until I carefully examined the description and screenshots. After considerable research, I can inform you that this is an animal-themed concentration game aimed at younger kids. Furthermore, you can choose the card layout size, from 2×2 to 8×8. Up to four players can play at a time. Yes, you could just buy a deck of cards and save a couple of bucks, but there’s a novelty to playing on a piece of game hardware that won’t be lost on kids, I’m sure. Readers with young tots in the house may find this worth picking up.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As is often the case, we’ve got a list that mostly contains familiar faces. The biggest surprise today is the outstanding RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2. Another rarely-seen discounted title is Children of Zodiarcs, and while I wouldn’t recommend it quite as strongly as Divinity: Original Sin 2, it is pretty good. The outbox for the weekend isn’t too wild, but make sure you have a look at it just to be safe.
Select New Games on Sale
Iconoclasts ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Thumper ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
NeuroVoider ($5.99 from $13.99 until 6/15)
Pankapu ($2.99 from $11.99 until 6/15)
Axiom Verge ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Yono & Celestial Elephants ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/15)
Syberia ($4.99 from $14.99 until 6/17)
Syberia 2 ($1.49 from $29.99 until 6/17)
Syberia 3 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/17)
Splasher ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Super Beat Sports ($10.49 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Transcripted ($1.49 from $7.99 until 6/15)
The Next Penelope ($1.99 from $12.99 until 6/15)
A Normal Lost Phone ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/15)
Another Lost Phone ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/15)
Lost Phone Stories ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Divinity: Original Sin 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/11)
Steredenn: Binary Stars ($4.99 from $12.99 until 6/15)
Indie Gems Bundle – Explosions ($9.99 from $29.99 until 6/15)
Gem Smashers ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Super Rocket Shootout ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Bombslinger ($4.99 from $11.99 until 6/15)
Brakes Are For Losers ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/15)
DragoDino ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
White Night ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Dungeon Rushers ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Indie Gems Bundle – JRPG ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/15)
Knights of Pen & Paper +1 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Knights of Pen & Paper 2 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/15)
Chroma Squad ($9.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Galaxy of Pen & Paper +1 ($9.99 from $12.49 until 6/15)
Knights of Pen & Paper Bundle ($11.24 from $22.49 until 6/15)
Old School RPG Bundle ($17.99 from $29.99 until 6/15)
Pen & Paper Games Bundle ($22.49 from $29.99 until 6/15)
Pirate Pop Plus ($3.34 from $4.99 until 6/14)
Yesterday Origins ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Shape of the World ($4.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Lost in Harmony ($1.99 from $6.99 until 6/15)
Runbow ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/14)
Kill the Bad Guy ($2.79 from $6.99 until 6/15)
Mushroom Wars 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/18)
Cycle 28 ($1.39 from $6.99 until 6/11)
The Inner World: Last Wind Monk ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/14)
My Farm ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Space Ribbon ($0.49 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Surgeon Simulator CPR ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/15)
Hover ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/15)
Joggernauts ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/18)
Spider Solitaire Black ($3.75 from $5.00 until 6/24)
Momonga Pinball Adventures ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/15)
MechaNika ($3.89 from $5.99 until 6/22)
Moto Racer 4 ($4.99 from $14.99 until 6/24)
Bibi Blocksberg – Broom Race 3 ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Bibi & Tina – Adventures with Horses ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Bibi & Tina at the Horse Farm ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Panda Hero ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/24)
Ultimate Runner ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Santa Tracker ($0.49 from $2.99 until 6/24)
Bury Me, My Love ($0.99 from $4.99 until 6/15)
Double Cross ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/18)
My Arctic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
My Exotic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Zombie Night Terror ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Away: Journey to the Unexpected ($4.99 from $16.99 until 6/15)
City of Brass ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/15)
The King’s Bird ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/18)
Hexa Maze ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Monster Dynamite ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/24)
Valley ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/14)
Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers ($2.99 from $19.99 until 6/23)
Super Star Path ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Bot Vice ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
The Last Door – Complete ($9.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Anarcute ($9.99 from $14.99 until 6/15)
Submerged ($1.49 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Another Sight ($23.99 from $39.99 until 6/18)
Dead in Vinland ($19.59 from $27.99 until 6/15)
Mad Bullets ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
PictoQuest ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Piczle Cross Adventure ($8.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Indie Gems Bundle – Nonograms ($13.59 from $16.99 until 6/15)
Instant Sports ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/15)
Paper Train ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Mable & The Wood ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/18)
The Bradwell Conspiracy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/15)
Summer Sweetheart ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Lethis – Path of Progress ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/15)
Polyroll ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/18)
Mad Games Tycoon ($23.99 from $39.99 until 6/18)
Nyan Cat: Lost in Space ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Skelittle: A Giant Party! ($6.65 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Trover Saves the Universe ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/14)
Smash Rush ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Melbits World ($7.99 from $9.99 until 6/15)
Kuukiyomi: Consider It! ($3.74 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Crazy Zen Mini Golf ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Soccer, Tactics & Glory ($23.99 from $39.99 until 6/18)
Go All Out! ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/24)
The Adventures of 00 Dilly ($8.99 from $14.99 until 6/18)
Corridor Z ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/24)
Fred3ric ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Last Encounter ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/17)
Wanderlust Travel Stories ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/24)
inbento ($3.49 from $4.99 until 6/15)
Nerdook Bundle Vol. 1 ($4.49 from $29.99 until 6/17)
Indie Puzzle Bundle Vol 1 ($5.99 from $39.99 until 6/17)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol 2 ($5.24 from $34.99 until 6/17)
Card Game Bundle Vol. 1 ($3.59 from $23.99 until 6/17)
DreamGallery ($4.19 from $5.99 until 6/19)
Children of Zodiarcs ($15.99 from $17.99 until 6/15)
Slain/Valfaris Big Sugar Bundle ($16.79 from $39.99 until 6/17)
Red Siren: Space Defense ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Black the Fall ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/6)
Just Shapes & Beats ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/6)
Potata: Fairy Flower ($9.00 from $12.00 until 6/6)
Burger Chef Tycoon ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Candle: Power of the Flame ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Concept Destruction ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Crimson Keep ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Deep Ones ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Drowning ($1.49 from $2.99 until 6/7)
Energy Invasion ($1.01 from $2.99 until 6/7)
Grab the Bottle ($1.24 from $4.99 until 6/7)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/7)
It’s Spring Again ($0.99 from $1.99 until 6/7)
Mainlining ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/7)
Metropolis: Lux Obscura ($3.19 from $7.99 until 6/7)
One Eyed Kutkh ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Planet Alpha ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/7)
Planet RIX-13 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/7)
Raging Justice ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/7)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/7)
SkyTime ($1.19 from $2.99 until 6/7)
Stranded Sails ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/7)
The Mooseman ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/7)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Next week has a lot of games on the schedule, but none of them are jumping out at me that strongly as of yet. We’ll have the usual set of reviews early in the week and play the rest by ear. I hope you all have an excellent weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
