Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 3rd, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got the tiniest slice of news to check out before we get into the usual Friday new release summaries. More games hit the shop today than I had anticipated, though it’s definitely a curious mix. There’s also the usual large-boy list of sales to check out, so let’s not wait around here any longer. To arms!
News
The ‘Animal Crossing’ Update is Out, Enjoy Swimming
If you’re running out of stuff to do in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, today is your lucky day. The first part of the big summer update is now available, allowing you to take to the seas to find all new items and creatures. Of course, it all starts with picking up a snazzy new swimsuit. The museum will also be taking donations of these new flora and fauna, and don’t worry if it’s winter where you’re at – you can swim in any season. The update is free, so all you need to do is update your game and you’ll be good to go.
New Releases
Keen: One Girl Army ($15.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Yeah, this game is neat. It’s a puzzle game with turn-based movement where you slide around the levels. Enemies only move when you do, so you can take lots of time to think about your next move. It’s not too tough to clear rooms if you’re not worried about taking hits, but if you’re looking for a stiffer challenge you can try to get through without getting hurt. That’s a nice tactical challenge, and it’s very satisfying to figure the best routes out. Unlockable abilities and gadgets help keep things spicy along the way. It’s a little on the short side, but as a fan of this sort of puzzle game I found it worth the dip.
Clash Force ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is an indie tribute to both 1980s run-and-gun games and the anthropomorphic animal cartoons of the time. Unlike many such tributes, Clash Force almost perfectly nails the gameplay side of things. So much so that you might be wondering why it’s only five bucks. Well, it only has 25 levels. It probably won’t take you more than a couple of hours to clear once you know what you’re doing. But you know what else can be cleared in a really short time? Contra. Mega Man 2. You get the point, I’m sure. I’m not saying this game is up there with those classics, but it’s definitely worth the price for those who enjoy vintage run-and-gun action.
Infini ($12.00)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Very weird stuff. The first thing that will strike you about Infini is its very bizarre, almost unsettling presentation. Very surreal stuff. The gameplay itself isn’t exactly normal, either. This is a puzzle game where your character is constantly moving, and if they go off the edge of the screen they’ll appear on the other side. You need to reach the goal on each of the more than 100 stages. Those are the basics, but there are a lot of wrinkles to it. Like, I don’t even want to go into detail because part of the fun is in seeing what new ideas it throws at you next. You get several hours of game for your money here, and as long as you’re not too put off by its odd style I think it’s an easy recommendation for those who dig puzzle games.
Singled Out ($4.99)
You’ve probably played some variant on this idea before. You’re given a few different identifying traits that will match only one character on the playfield, and you need to take them out within a very short span of time. The quicker you do it, the more points you’ll earn. There are a few different modes that allow you to find an appropriate level of challenge, and you can use touch controls if you like. Not much more to it than that. Feels a bit thin to me even at the relatively low price, but I could see some kids having fun with it, I suppose.
Switchy Road DeluX ($5.99)
It’s Switchy Road, but more of it. You basically get new levels in the original Switchy Road style, but eventually you’ll unlock new themes to change things up a little. As the levels are randomly generated each time, you’ve got a huge number of superficially-different challenges ahead of you. I don’t mind these kinds of games if I’m in the right mood, but I’m not sure how many I’d need even in the best of times. If you’re more interested in them than I am, this does seem to be a decent example of one.
Ghost Grab 3000 ($4.99)
A cute arcade-style game where you have to grab onto ghosts and try to link a bunch together before blowing them up for high scores and virtual profit. They won’t just float there and take it, though. You’ll have to be careful and quick, and know when it’s time to go for one more ghost and when it’s better to just cut bait and blow up the ones you’ve snagged. The cash you earn can be used to buy upgrades that will help you last longer in each run. A little on the repetitive side over the long run, but given the low cost of the game I think it’s fine.
Eagle Talon vs Horde of the Flies ($8.99)
Do people outside of Japan know Eagle Talon? The characters debuted in 2005 and had several seasons of an animated series, a few movies (including one with an official crossover with the Justice League), a number of mobile games, and a metric ton of merchandise over the years. I have no clue if any of that spread out of Japan, though. Anyway, this is a pretty tough action-puzzle game featuring the characters. You have to make use of each one’s special abilities in order to save the world. If you like Eagle Talon, the game is decent enough that you’ll likely enjoy it. If you’ve never heard of the show, I would say that this game isn’t really good enough to stand on its own.
The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature ($15.99)
Ooh, that’s rather nice-looking, isn’t it? There’s a cool concept behind this adventure game. You’re going through the events of the classic Frankenstein, but entirely through the eyes of the Creature itself. You have some degree of choice in terms of how the narrative plays out, so if you want to be the murderous wretch that the Creature is often painted as, you can do that. Or you can be a kinder, gentler Creature and see how that plays out instead. It only takes a couple of hours to run through once, but you’ll probably want to fool around with those choices to see how things go. Its strength is in its presentation, so I wouldn’t come in with lofty expectations of the gameplay. Still, it’s a rather interesting experience. If you don’t mind parting with a not-small amount of money for a few hours of intrigue, you may want to look into The Wanderer.
Final Sword ($17.70)
What an odd price. Anyway, this is a port of a mobile action-RPG that seems to have gotten very little traction in the couple of years it has been out. Kind of a very poor man’s take on a Souls game, and I’m not sure how well that plays on a platform where you can buy the real Dark Souls for only twelve dollars more. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind cranking the price up by nearly three times on Switch, but I suppose if you want to blow a twenty on an extremely rough action-RPG that doesn’t have much more going for it than heart, I can’t stop you. Nor would I, because that would be super-weird. Buy what you want, friends. I’m not the gaming police.
Balloon Pop for Toddlers & Kids – Learn Numbers, Letters, Colors & Animals ($6.99)
Oh joy, another one of these. Well, as we can all plainly see, this is not something aimed at me or likely anyone else reading this article. It’s an extremely simple interactive toy for very young children to help them learn. Touch controls only here, I’m afraid. This is almost certainly a port of a mobile app of some sort and if I had to hazard a guess I’d bet it was cheaper over there. But hey, if you’re looking for something your little one can use to pound on your Switch’s screen and maybe pick up a few new words along the way, this will probably help you accomplish that.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
NIS America has put a selection of its games on sale for the weekend, but those discounts expire on Monday so make sure you grab them quick if you want them. There are other interesting games in the list today too, including R-Type Dimensions EX, The Keep, Gun Gun Pixies, and more. Do have a good look and see what strikes you. Maybe Strikey Sisters? The weekend outbox is quite small, but it’s right there so you might as well check it while you’re at it.
Select New Games on Sale
R-Type Dimensions EX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/15)
Welcome to Hanwell ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/17)
Biped ($12.74 from $14.99 until 7/11)
Axiom Verge ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/9)
Touhou Kobuto V ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Party Planet ($4.79 from $19.99 until 7/9)
The Longest Five Minutes ($9.99 from $39.99 until 7/6)
Lode Runner Legacy ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/15)
Penny-Punching Princess ($9.99 from $39.99 until 7/6)
Sky Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/9)
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($0.59 from $5.99 until 7/22)
Vegas Party ($6.59 from $21.99 until 7/15)
Muddledash ($1.79 from $5.99 until 7/20)
Hungry Shark World ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/7)
Valrithian Arc: Hero School ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/20)
Spencer ($2.79 from $6.99 until 7/13)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle ($5.19 from $19.99 until 7/9)
Chicken Range ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/15)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.19 from $2.99 until 7/13)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/13)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($6.99 from $29.99 until 7/8)
Nippon Marathon ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/20)
Razed ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/20)
The Keep ($1.79 from $17.99 until 7/22)
Horizon Shift ’81 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/15)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.19 from $2.99 until 7/13)
Marble Power Blast ($1.19 from $2.99 until 7/13)
Balance Blox ($1.19 from $2.99 until 7/13)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.19 from $2.99 until 7/13)
Solitaire Klondike Black ($3.75 from $5.00 until 7/22)
Liar Princess & Blind Price ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Tokyo School Life ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/20)
Strikey Sisters ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Hell Warders ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/20)
Anodyne ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/16)
Crash Dummy ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/15)
Klondike Solitaire ($0.89 from $8.99 until 7/22)
Bargain Hunter ($7.49 from $12.49 until 7/17)
Super Star Blast ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/13)
Lost Artifacts: Soulstone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/16)
Lapis x Labyrinth ($9.99 from $29.99 until 7/6)
Jim Is Moving Out! ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Root Letter: Last Answer ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/19)
Gun Gun Pixies ($34.99 from $49.99 until 7/19)
Lost Castle ($6.49 from $9.99 until 7/16)
Contraptions ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/15)
Raging Loop ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/19)
Dusk Diver ($26.24 from $34.99 until 7/20)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($11.99 from $29.99 until 7/15)
SoccerDie: Cosmic Cup ($0.49 from $6.99 until 7/23)
Ciel Fledge: Daughter Raising Sim ($13.39 from $19.99 until 7/20)
Animated Jigsaws Collection ($9.99 from $24.99 until 7/15)
Kemono Heroes ($10.04 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Soul Axiom Rebooted ($7.79 from $12.99 until 7/16)
La-Mulana ($10.04 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Nerdook Bundle Vol. 1 ($4.49 from $29.99 until 7/15)
Indie Puzzle Bundle Vol 1 ($5.99 from $39.99 until 7/15)
Wanba Warriors ($5.59 from $6.99 until 7/10)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol 2 ($5.24 from $34.99 until 7/15)
Card Game Bundle Vol. 1 ($3.59 from $23.99 until 7/15)
Slain/Valfaris Bundle ($13.99 from $39.99 until 7/15)
Zenge ($0.99 from $1.99 until 7/22)
Monstrum ($23.99 from $29.99 until 7/17)
Depth of Extinction ($9.99 from $14.99 until 7/16)
Digerati Indie Darling Bundle Vol. 3 ($7.57 from $50.49 until 7/22)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2 ($6.89 from $45.99 until 7/22)
Space Cows ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/6)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.1 ($4.19 from $5.99 until 7/4)
Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.2 ($4.89 from $6.99 until 7/4)
Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.3 ($4.19 from $5.99 until 7/4)
Bleep Bloop ($2.79 from $3.99 until 7/4)
Eternum Ex ($9.09 from $12.99 until 7/4)
Cast of the Seven Godsends ($1.29 from $12.99 until 7/5)
Dragon Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/5)
Jurassic Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/5)
Never Again ($10.49 from $13.99 until 7/5)
Soap Dodgem ($0.99 from $1.99 until 7/5)
Spirit of the North ($17.49 from $24.99 until 7/5)
Super Arcade Soccer ($2.44 from $6.99 until 7/5)
The Long Reach ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/5)
The Walking Vegetables: Radical ($1.94 from $12.99 until 7/5)
Titans Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/5)
World Soccer Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/5)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Not the most fiery of starts to a month we’ve seen this year, but things will heat up quite a bit as we go. Next week sees Atlus’s Catherine hit the Switch along with the excellent action-RPG CrossCode, 2D action sequel Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, and the hotly-anticipated Deadly Premonition 2. And that’s just the stuff we know about! I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
