Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 24th, 2020. Today we’ve got a bunch of new releases to check out, though very few of them are worth getting up out of your chair for. The bigger news today is an absolutely massive list of new sales, featuring deep discounts on Square Enix titles and a lot of indie games that don’t often go on sale. Let’s get to it!
New Releases
Chess Ace ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
A chess card game? Hmm, that has potential. But that’s not exactly what this is. Chess Ace is actually a series of chess puzzles. You have to collect all of the clubs on the board within a certain number of moves. Your basic piece is a pawn, and it obviously can’t get much done on its own. That’s where the cards come in. They let you change your pawn into another piece for one move. You get more than 200 levels, and there are a variety of skins to choose from so you can alter the game’s appearance now and then to keep things fresh. It’s worth pointing out that this game is available on mobile as a free game with an IAP to remove ads for $1.99, so if you don’t mind playing over there you can save a few bucks. But you know, I think this is a rather nice game all around and is well-worth even the eight bucks the Switch version is asking for.
Jisei: The First Case HD ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is an HD remake of a visual novel that appeared on PC about a decade ago. It’s not a perfectly linear affair, since you’re investigating a murder and do need to try to solve it in the long run. Your character has the ability to touch bodies and relive their final moments, and you need to use that power to solve the case. It’s not the fanciest game around and the story, while interesting enough to keep you in the game, is not the stuff of legends or anything. But for five dollars, this is a surprisingly enjoyable adventure. If you’re looking to dip into a story this weekend, you could do a lot worse than spending a fiver on Jisei.
Mittelborg: City of Mages ($8.99)
I’m a bit disappointed with this one. It looked pretty cool from the eShop description, making me think of things like King of Dragon Pass. It’s not really anything like that, unfortunately. There are some random events that are a bit neat when they come along, but the strategy elements are about as shallow as a puddle. It’s not hard to figure out what you need to do in order to succeed, and everything else comes down to random chance. The price is reasonable enough that it can get away with some flaws, but it’s just not very interesting or enjoyable to play.
Max and the Book of Chaos ($7.99)
An arena-based run-and-gun game with a strong cartoon aesthetic, Max and the Book of Chaos aims to scratch the arcade itch for players. Each stage consists of multiple waves of enemies that you have to take out, all while trying to rescue your friends. Enemies drop coins that you can use to upgrade Max’s abilities and such. You know how this sort of thing goes by now, I’m quite sure. If you enjoyed games like The Bug Butcher or Get Me Outta Here, you may want to have a closer look at this one. Personally, it doesn’t do a whole lot to stand out to me, and it’s hardly alone in that category today.
Hamster Bob ($4.99)
This is an educational game clearly aimed at very young children. There are a variety of activities, including drawing and coloring, counting objects, and so on. The pictures are colorful and have a bunch of interactive elements that little ones might enjoy hunting around for. It’s kind of like a storybook with a hamster buddy that helps teach lessons along the way? This obviously isn’t aimed at an old dog like me, so I don’t have too much more to say about it. It’s nice to see the market on Switch is big and varied enough to support games like this, though.
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($9.99)
It took me a little while to figure out why this game has the word ‘bundle’ in its title. It certainly doesn’t seem to be a bundle of any kind. But a quick bit of searching around showed me that this draws its name from the Steam bundle of Mini Island and its many add-ons. So there you go. It’s a side-scrolling boss rush game. There are four islands to play on, and the controls are quite straightforward. Doesn’t seem all that exciting to me, but the reviews on Steam aren’t awful or anything.
Monster Blast ($7.99)
I’m getting big generic energy coming off of this game. It’s a top-down twin-stick shooter with a square-jawed hero in jeans and a T-shirt who blasts his way through 24 levels set across four different worlds. The maps are procedurally generated, so I guess we can check off the “roguelite" box as well. Leveling up so that you can improve your stats between stages? Yeah. Power-ups stored in boxes that appear now and then? Sure, those too. Even the title is dull. Well, I think we can safely say that this game exists, and it costs seven US dollars and ninety-nine US cents.
Rainswept ($9.99)
There are lots of things I like about Rainswept. The story is well-written and quite interesting to follow. The art is stylish and suits the atmosphere well. The soundtrack is solid. The characters are decent. But there’s more to this game than its story and presentation, unfortunately, and that’s where it stumbles a bit. The puzzles, rare as they are, are simple and awkward. I feel like the game would be a lot better off without them. Navigating the game’s world can sometimes feel off, too. I think if you come in with the right expectations, there’s a surprisingly powerful and impactful tale to experience here. But if you’re looking for something that satisfies the gameplay itch, this isn’t it.
Colloc ($7.99)
This is a cute little game that blends clone puzzles with weight puzzles. You need to guide your Collocs to specially marked areas, and they need to be carrying the appropriate number when they step onto those areas. You can split and merge Collocs to increase and decrease their numbers, and when you have more than one Colloc in play you’ll control them all at the same time. There are 60 levels in total here, which isn’t too bad for the price if you’re into these sorts of puzzles.
Up Cliff Drive ($6.00)
I’m getting a serious sense of deja vu from this game. I’m sure I’ve written about it before, but I can’t find any trace of doing so. It’s clearly a mobile port as the obvious UI has been left on the screen, but I can’t find an exact match for it on the App Store, either. Well, no matter. You know how this kind of game goes. Drive up and over hills, collect coins, upgrade your vehicle, and unlock all kinds of borderline trademark-infringing rides. I’m sure it’s perfectly amusing, but I’m not sure I’d pay six bucks for it. Perhaps you feel differently.
Need a Packet? ($6.99)
It’s not $6.99 for a packet. That’s the name of the game, which costs $6.99. I’m glad we could clear that up. I don’t have any packets for sale, no matter what Todd down at the Subway on Main tells you. Anyway, this game describes itself as a horror-simulator, and yes, that seems to check out. You play as a supermarket cashier who is going a little batty from the sheer monotony of her job. She starts hallucinating and losing touch with reality. Kind of seems like a more nightmarish take on Papers, Please. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little interested in where it all goes, though.
Detective Driver: Miami Files ($11.99)
Another one of those ports of a free-to-play mobile game from the same publisher that has of late brought over many such titles. I assume it’s going well, or perhaps they just put a lot of them in the queue. Anyway, the idea behind this one is that you are a detective who drives various types of vehicles to solve crimes. In practice it’s not terribly different from the other games we’ve seen from BoomBit Games. You need to learn how to handle the different cars and vehicles in order to complete missions. A story will unfold as you work your way through the game. No idea how well things are balanced without the IAPs that supported the mobile version, and I’m not particularly inclined to investigate.
Dex ($19.99)
It doesn’t take too long to see some of the many sources of inspiration for Dex. It’s a cyberpunk Metroidvania with slightly more RPG elements than we typically see in this genre. Indeed, Dex tries to do slightly more of a lot of things than other games of this sort, and that ambition is not always for the better. If you can forgive some systems that don’t quite work as hoped, you’ll find a rather intriguing ode to classic settings like Shadowrun and Ghost in the Shell here. Some people will come away from the game unimpressed, but I have a feeling others may well think of this as a real treasure. Opinions certainly ran the gamut for Dex on other platforms, so I imagine it will be the same on Switch.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Sweet Fancy Sebgos, that is one heck of a list of new sales. Square Enix has put just about its entire line of titles on sale, including rarely-seen discounts on the classic Dragon Quest games and Star Ocean First Departure R. That’s just the tip of this mighty iceberg, however. Games like Celeste, Battle Princess Madelyn Royal Edition, AI: The Somnium Files, Bad North, Katana Kami, and so many more are discounted, and there are some neat deep discounts to check out like Syberia 2 and All-Star Fruit Racing. Plenty to check out in the inbox, and a fair bit of stuff in the outbox, too. I hope you saved some money!
Select New Games on Sale
Trials of Mana ($39.99 from $49.99 until 8/2)
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/2)
World of Final Fantasy Maxima ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy VII ($7.99 from $15.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy IX ($10.49 from $20.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/2)
Final Fantasy XV Pocket HD ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/2)
Collection of Mana ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/2)
SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions ($20.09 from $29.99 until 8/2)
Romancing SaGa 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/2)
Romancing SaGa 3 ($19.42 from $28.99 until 8/2)
I am Setsuna ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/2)
Lost Sphear ($19.99 from $49.99 until 8/2)
Oninaki ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/2)
Dragon Quest ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/2)
Dragon Quest II ($5.19 from $6.49 until 8/2)
Dragon Quest III ($9.99 from $12.49 until 8/2)
Star Ocean First Departure R ($14.06 from $20.99 until 8/2)
Spelunker Party! ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/2)
The Bridge ($1.29 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Tumblestone ($1.94 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Ben 10 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/1)
Green Game: TimeSwapper ($0.29 from $2.99 until 7/31)
Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Hotel Transylvania 3: MO ($11.99 from $29.99 until 8/1)
Adventure Time: Pirates ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Crayola Scoot ($4.49 from $29.99 until 8/1)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Battle Princess Madelyn ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Battle Princess Madelyn Royal ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Build a Bridge! ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/10)
DreamWorks Dragons: DoNR ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/1)
UglyDolls: Imperfect Adventure ($5.99 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Dead Dungeon ($0.34 from $4.99 until 8/4)
Gurgamoth ($0.49 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Midnight Evil ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Ice Age Scrat’s Adventure ($26.79 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Spirit Roots ($1.98 from $6.99 until 8/3)
Race with Ryan ($26.79 from $39.99 until 8/1)
One Person Story ($0.49 from $2.99 until 8/4)
Jumanji: The Video Game ($26.79 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Farabel ($0.79 from $9.99 until 8/3)
Mushroom Quest ($0.29 from $2.99 until 8/11)
Roundguard ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/1)
Gigantosaurus the Game ($26.79 from $39.99 until 8/1)
Archaica: The Path of Light ($4.94 from $14.99 until 8/3)
Dark Burial ($0.79 from $3.99 until 8/4)
Snake Pass ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
GoNNER ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/4)
Kingdom: New Lands ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/4)
Brave Dungeon + Dark Witch Story ($7.19 from $8.99 until 8/6)
The Flame in the Flood: Complete ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Tallowmere ($2.79 from $6.99 until 8/6)
MXGP3 – Official Motocross ($7.49 from $29.99 until 8/6)
Uurnog Uurnlimited ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/3)
Serial Cleaner ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Syberia 2 ($1.49 from $29.99 until 8/5)
Syberia 3 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 8/5)
Plague Road ($0.99 from $15.00 until 8/12)
Brawlout ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/12)
Celeste ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
TowerFall ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
Dandara: Trials of Fear ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/4)
Spot The Difference ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
I, Zombie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 8/12)
The Bunker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/6)
Rogue Aces ($3.24 from $12.99 until 8/13)
Trax – Build it Race it ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/12)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/31)
Smoke and Sacrifice ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Flashback ($0.99 from $19.99 until 7/29)
Bomber Crew ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Manual Samuel ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Bad North ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/4)
All-Star Fruit Racing ($0.99 from $19.99 until 8/7)
Behind the Screen ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Velocity 2X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Boom Ball: Boost ($0.99 from $12.99 until 8/6)
The Swindle ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
MechaNika ($3.59 from $5.99 until 8/10)
Destruction ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Moto Racer 4 ($4.99 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Beholder: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Gnomes Garden ($1.49 from $4.99 until 8/6)
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Monkey Wall ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Pumped BMX Pro ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Steins;Gate Elite ($23.99 from $59.99 until 7/31)
Steins;Gate 0 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Steins;Gate: Darling’s Embrace ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
AI: The Somnium Files ($29.99 from $59.99 until 7/31)
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ ($23.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Rotating Brave ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Motorsport Manager ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Out There: The Alliance ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/4)
Beyond Enemy Lines: CO ($10.49 from $13.99 until 7/30)
Beyond Enemy Lines: Essentials ($7.49 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
For the King ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/13)
American Fugitive ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Dyna Bomb ($1.39 from $1.99 until 8/12)
Hue ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Vosaria: Lair of the Forgotten ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Word Mesh ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/3)
Hyperlight Ultimate ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/10)
Metaloid: Origin ($4.89 from $6.99 until 8/12)
M.A.C.E. Tower Defense ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/3)
A Knight’s Quest ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/13)
The Legend of Dark Witch ($5.59 from $6.99 until 8/6)
Polyroll ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Wardrobe: Even Better Edition ($6.79 from $19.99 until 8/6)
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/13)
Trover Saves the Universe ($19.49 from $29.99 until 7/30)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($19.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
Rush Rally 3 ($9.99 from $14.99 until 8/6)
Demon’s Tilt ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
Mosaic ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/4)
Katana Kami: Samurai Story ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Battlesloths ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/10)
Deep Diving Adventures ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/6)
Ghost Sweeper ($3.49 from $4.99 until 8/12)
Slot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
DreamGallery ($4.79 from $5.99 until 8/7)
while True: learn() ($10.39 from $12.99 until 7/30)
Sniper ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/5)
Jay & Silent Bob: Mall Brawl ($9.98 from $14.99 until 7/31)
Skelly Selest/Straimium Immortaly ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/5)
Atomicrops ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/4)
Snakes & Ladders ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
Match ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/12)
Blood & Guts Bundle ($6.74 from $44.99 until 8/5)
Night Call ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/4)
Tower of Time ($18.74 from $24.99 until 8/5)
Space Cows ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Tools Up! ($15.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Sales Ending This Weekend
#RaceDieRun ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Akuto: Showdown ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/25)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/25)
Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Brawl ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Chop ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Coffee Crisis ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Cubikolor ($4.49 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Doom & Destiny ($8.39 from $11.99 until 7/25)
Get Me Outta Here ($0.99 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Gigantic Army ($3.95 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Gravity Rider Zero ($1.99 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Guns of Mercy – Rangers ($3.95 from $8.99 until 7/25)
HyperParasite ($9.99 from $17.99 until 7/25)
JumpHead: Battle4Fun! (4.49 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Koloro ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Mana Spark ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Mini Trains ($0.99 from $5.99 until 7/25)
Not Not – Brain Buster ($0.99 from $1.99 until 7/25)
One Strike ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/25)
REKT! High Octane Stunts ($0.99 from $5.99 until 7/25)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Robonauts ($0.99 from $3.99 until 7/25)
Served! ($2.99 from $5.99 until 7/25)
Space Pioneer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Super Hero Fight Club ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Tharsis ($7.99 from $11.99 until 7/25)
Unit 4 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/25)
Utopia 9 – Volatile Vacation ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Varion ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Warlocks 2 – God Slayers ($1.79 from $17.99 until 7/25)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/25)
Wondershot ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Blasphemous ($12.49 from $24.99 until 7/26)
Golf With Your Friends ($15.99 from $19.99 until 7/26)
Halloween Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/26)
Mimic Hunter ($0.99 from $4.99 until 7/26)
Moving Out ($19.99 from $24.99 until 7/26)
Mugsters ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/26)
Mummy Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/26)
My Time at Portia ($10.19 from $29.99 until 7/26)
Numbala ($1.59 from $7.99 until 7/26)
Overcooked Special ($6.79 from $19.99 until 7/26)
Overcooked! 2 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 7/26)
Pirates Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/26)
Planet Alpha ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/26)
Raging Justice ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/26)
Reventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/26)
Sausage Sports Club ($3.75 from $15.00 until 7/26)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/26)
The Escapists 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 7/26)
The Escapists: Complete ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/26)
The Room ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/26)
Werewolf Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 7/26)
Worms W.M.D. ($10.19 from $29.99 until 7/26)
Yoku’s Island Express ($6.79 from $19.99 until 7/26)
Yooka-Laylee ($13.59 from $39.99 until 7/26)
Yooka-Laylee & Impossible Lair ($14.69 from $29.99 until 7/26)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. That was a lot of typing. I am going to ice my hands now. Enjoy the video games. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
