Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 21st, 2020. In today’s article, we recap both the Western and Japanese Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase presentations. Some great news in there if you like awesome RPGs, and if you don’t – GET OUT. GET. OUT. Okay, now that we only have cool people left, let’s talk about the rest of the article. We’ve got summaries of today’s new releases, including the very spiffy-looking Panzer Paladin, some new sales featuring Atelier Ryza, and the usual outbox for those last-minute purchases. Let’s go!
News
The Nintendo Direct Mini Featured ‘Shin Megami Tensei V’ and More
While some people were clearly expecting something bigger from this 10 minute presentation, I know I was quite thrilled with it. The Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase started off with a bang by showing off some DLC coming to Cadence of Hyrule. New characters, music, and story content will be coming in the months ahead. The presentation went on to showcase free-to-play shooter Rogue Company and 2K’s upcoming WWE game, WWE Battlegrounds. It concluded with an announcement that an HD remake of one of the greatest JRPGs of all-time, 2003’s Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, would be coming to Switch ahead of the 2021 simultaneous worldwide release of Shin Megami Tensei V. Phew, I need to sit down after that.
Japan’s Nintendo Direct Mini Had Treats, Too
Arguably, Japan’s version of the Direct Mini had an even better line-up. In addition to the news about Cadence of Hyrule and the Shin Megami Tensei games, the presentation also featured the amazing-looking Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (coming to the West on November 10th, 2020) and Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (no Western release date yet but announced for worldwide release). There was also a new Momotaro Dentetsu game shown, but that definitely won’t be leaving Japan. A sizzle reel full of upcoming releases also was included, and I can’t help but think doing something similar on the Western Nintendo Direct may have calmed some people down. Or maybe not! I can’t understand people very well anymore.
New Releases
Panzer Paladin ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Uhh, this is awesome as heck. This one comes from the folks at Tribute Games, who were also behind such games as Flinthook, Mercenary Kings, and Wizorb. It’s a 2D action platformer where you control a character with a grappling beam of sorts who can pilot a mech suit called the Paladin and use it to fight back against an army of demons. There are 17 levels to play through here, and you can even customize what the Paladin’s weapon looks like in a special edit mode. If you want to make it look like an Oscar Mayer wiener, that’s completely up to you. I may do a full review on this one, but I need to investigate it a little bit further before making a decision on that.
Goosebumps Dead of Night ($39.99)
Better beware… you’re in for a scare. This is an enhanced port of the 2015 Goosebumps Night of Scares for iOS. Slappy the evil dummy has trapped R. L. Stine (voiced by Jack Black) in his typewriter and unleashed many of the author’s monstrous creations in Stine’s house. You play as a child named Twist who suddenly finds himself in the house. You need to collect all of the pages of Night of the Living Dummy to trap Slappy and release R. L. Stine from captivity. The monsters are naturally going to try to stop you. There’s a lot of good Goosebumps fan service in this game, but that’s really all it has going for it. From the brain-dead AI to the rough controls, the spookiest thing about this game is how it plays.
Rogue Company (Free)
Okay, technically “free", but in reality the only way you can start playing it today is by buying one of several “Founder’s Pack" bundles. The cheapest is $14.99 and the most expensive is $59.99. This will be available as a free download once the closed beta is finished, apparently. So what is it? It’s a solidly constructed, utterly plain multiplayer shooter in the vein of things like Overwatch or Rainbow Six Siege. It plays decently, it’s well-polished, and I’m sure a person could hypothetically have a lot of fun with it. All that said, it just feels… generic. Really, really generic. With it being an online game I’m sure many improvements will be made over time, but that doesn’t make much of a case of buying in on a Founder’s Pack, does it?
Retrovamp ($2.99)
This is basically like playing a very standard vertical platformer on the world’s crappiest TV. It looks like it might be one of those endless dealies, but no. There’s an end, and five whole checkpoints along the way. You can slide, jump, and wall ride, and using those acrobatic skills you have to make your way to the top. This frankly doesn’t look like anything noteworthy, but I suppose for three bucks it doesn’t really need to be fancy.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A fairly small but solid list of new discounts awaits us today, friends. First, to celebrate the announcement of Atelier Ryza 2, the original game is on sale along with its season pass. It’s a great RPG full of fluffy joy, and I’d easily recommend it to fans of the genre. There are also some deep discounts on a couple of excellent Klei games. Don’t Starve and Mark of the Ninja are easily worth those fivers they’re going for. Finally, those looking to practice their Naruto running can do so with some decent sales on the four Ultimate Ninja Storm games. The outbox is mostly made up of Ultimate games, which are generally not very ultimate at all. But have a look through it as there are a few games from other publishers in there.
Select New Games on Sale
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness ($36.59 from $59.99 until 8/5)
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
The Count Lucanor ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/2)
Battle Group 2 ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Riot – Civil Unrest ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Vaporum ($8.74 from $24.99 until 8/2)
Solo: Islands of the Heart ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure ($5.99 from $29.99 until 8/2)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/28)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/28)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/28)
Naruto: Ninja Storm Trilogy ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/28)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 7/28)
Farm Together ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/9)
Touchdown Pinball ($1.50 from $2.99 until 8/9)
Castle of Heart ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/10)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/10)
Queen’s Quest 3: End of Dawn ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/10)
Jet Kave Adventure ($13.39 from $19.99 until 8/10)
Destrobots ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/10)
Despotism 3k ($7.69 from $10.99 until 8/1)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 22nd
12 is Better Than 6 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
60 Parsecs! ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
60 Seconds! ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Ailment ($3.59 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 7/22)
Avenger Bird ($0.23 from $2.30 until 7/22)
AvoCuddle ($1.29 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Barrier X ($0.44 from $2.99 until 7/22)
Billy Bomber ($0.50 from $5.00 until 7/22)
Blindy ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Bohemian Killing ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Bouncy Bob ($0.10 from $0.99 until 7/22)
Bouncy Bob 2 ($0.50 from $5.00 until 7/22)
Bug Academy ($1.29 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Bus Fix 2019 ($0.59 from $5.99 until 7/22)
Car Mechanic Manager ($0.39 from $3.99 until 7/22)
Car Mechanic Simulator Pocket ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Car Trader ($0.39 from $3.99 until 7/22)
Catch a Duck ($0.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($0.59 from $5.99 until 7/22)
Chicken Assassin: Reloaded ($1.03 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Chicken Rider ($0.39 from $3.99 until 7/22)
CopperBell ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2 ($6.89 from $45.99 until 7/22)
Darkest Hunter ($0.53 from $5.30 until 7/22)
Demolish & Build 2018 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Desert Child ($6.59 from $11.99 until 7/22)
Digerati Indie Darling Bundle Vol. 3 ($7.57 from $50.49 until 7/22)
Doubles Hard ($0.59 from $5.99 until 7/22)
Down to Hell ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Draw Chilly ($0.44 from $2.99 until 7/22)
Epic Clicker Journey ($0.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
ESport Manager ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Etherborn ($9.34 from $16.99 until 7/22)
Feathery Ears ($4.49 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Fishing Adventure ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Garage Mechanic Simulator ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($4.99 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Godly Corp ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
GoFishing 3D ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Guess the Word ($0.18 from $1.89 until 7/22)
Gym Hero – Idle Fitness ($0.22 from $2.29 until 7/22)
Help Me Doctor ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Hotel Dracula ($0.56 from $5.69 until 7/22)
I Wanna Fly ($0.24 from $2.42 until 7/22)
Incredible Adventures of Panda ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Jim Is Moving Out! ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Klondike Solitaire ($0.89 from $8.99 until 7/22)
Little Shopping ($0.14 from $1.49 until 7/22)
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Otherworldly ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Peace, Death! Complete ($1.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Pet Care ($0.14 from $1.49 until 7/22)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol. 1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 7/22)
Please The Gods ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Police Stories ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Redneck Skeet Shooting ($0.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Relic Hunters Zero ($9.74 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Repressed ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
RMX Real Motocross ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/22)
Scrap ($0.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Selma & the Wisp ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Shadows ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Shadows 2: Perfidia ($0.79 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Ships ($1.39 from $13.99 until 7/22)
Ski Sniper ($0.49 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Solitaire Klondike Black ($3.75 from $5.00 until 7/22)
Standby ($0.74 from $4.99 until 7/22)
Strikey Sisters ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/22)
Super Tennis ($0.59 from $5.99 until 7/22)
Syberia 1 & 2 ($9.99 from $34.99 until 7/22)
Technosphere ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
The Keep ($1.79 from $17.99 until 7/22)
The Mims Beginning ($0.89 from $8.99 until 7/22)
Theatre Tales ($0.14 from $1.49 until 7/22)
Toki ($2.98 from $14.90 until 7/22)
Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska ($1.89 from $18.99 until 7/22)
Whispering Willows ($5.49 from $9.99 until 7/22)
WoM: Planar Conquest ($1.69 from $16.99 until 7/22)
Yesterday Origins ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Zenge ($0.99 from $1.99 until 7/22)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow will have a handful of new releases to check out, and likely a bit of news and some new sales to consider as well. I may have a review ready, or I may not. I’m working on a few right now but it all depends on how much time I have, as usual. Anyway, I hope you all have a superb Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
