Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 30th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got summaries of all of today’s new releases. There are a handful of really good ones in there, so make sure you check them out. Besides that, it’s just the lists of incoming and outgoing sales, with some nice discounts on Dragon Ball games, Pokken, and Psikyo shoot-em-ups. That’s all we’ve got time for however, as I’ve got a small party to attend in honor of my lack of dying for another full trip around the sun. Let’s blow out the candles!
New Releases
Nowhere Prophet ($24.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Okay, so fair warning: this game is one of those rock-hard challenges that will seriously tick you off at times. It’s a deck-building roguelite, following in the lines of things like Slay the Spire but also feeling an awful lot like FTL at times mechanically. Which is to say that you have to think very strategically but also accept that you can do everything right and still have things go ca-ca through sheer bad luck. I absolutely love the setting and style of the game, which is apparently based on Indian culture, and the game itself is quite excellent if you’re patient enough to steer through some frustrating patches here and there. Definitely the game to get today if you’re looking for something to really sink your teeth into.
Hotel Sowls ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is a neat little adventure game about a pharmacologist who finds a special stone after a long journey only to lose it during an overnight stay at a strange hotel. Believing it to be stolen, you begin your investigation of the hotel and its odd patrons. You’ve only got five days to sort things out and find the thief, and there are different endings based on your choices. The game has a very unique sense of style and the writing is sharp, making for a very memorable couple of hours of play. If you appreciated the off-beat vibe of games like Earthbound or Undertale, you’ll probably want to give this a look.
Arcade Archives Burger Time ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Well, here’s a famous one. Burger Time is arguably the game that put Data East on the map, and I’d say that it’s still just as good as it ever was. Walk across the burger parts to drop them down, eventually assembling complete burgers at the bottom of the stage. Avoid sausages, eggs, and pickles that are trying to kill you. If you’re in a pinch, use your limited supply of pepper to get away. Get angry as your character refuses to get off a ladder unless you’re exactly level with the floor. This is my wife’s favorite game, so I guess I have to recommend it. Hamster has of course done its usual good job with it.
Merchant of the Skies ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Quite the charming trading game, this one is. Not the most difficult game in the world, but there’s something very absorbing about its buy-sell loop and novel setting. You control a merchant airship and need to sail the skies plying your trade to make a fortune. As you play, you’ll grow your financial empire more and more, securing routes and finding new sources of revenue at each step. Again, it’s kind of one of those inevitable victory kinds of games, so if you’re looking for challenge and depth this may not be the game for you. If you’re looking for about ten hours of engaging fun, however, this might be the ticket.
Sagrada ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Oh, hey. It’s Sagrada. So the deal here is that this is a digital version of a rather enjoyable dice-drafting game where you’re trying to fill in your chosen stained-glass window with dice of the appropriate color and value. It is not the greatest game I have ever played, but it is a lot of fun to play with your friends. This digital version is half the price of the real deal, but you also don’t get the joy of playing with real colorful dice. Up to four players can get in on this Switch version and online multiplayer means you should be able to find someone to play with even if you don’t have any nearby friends who are into it. Don’t bother with it if you’re not into multiplayer, though. It really needs that extra human touch.
Mini Puzzle Balls ($1.99)
For those on a tight budget, Mini Puzzle Balls is the cheapest new release today. But is it any good? Well, it’s fine for the price, I suppose. You get more than 100 levels of tricky ball placement for your two bucks, which isn’t bad value for the money. You’ve almost certainly played a game with puzzles like these before, but it’ll keep you entertained for a quiet evening or two if nothing else.
Table Tennis ($9.99)
Aw heck, it’s Sabec. Well, you know the routine by now. It’s a very simple version of a well-known game, presented with virtually no bells and whistles in relatively poor and uninteresting 3D. You do get to choose between eight different school rooms to have your battles in, and there are options for the speed of the ball and the paddles. Play against a friend in split-screen multiplayer, or go up against Sabec’s tried and true “smart Ai" opponents on three different levels of difficulty. There are better and cheaper ways to get your table tennis on than this weak effort, but some people are going to buy it anyway. Meanwhile, we couldn’t even get an English version of Game Center CX2 on the Nintendo DS. What a world!
Buried Stars ($49.99)
I’m not going to lie: I find the premise of this game completely unappealing. Like, unusually so. Anyway, it’s kind of a narrative adventure game about a bunch of pop stars who get trapped after a stage collapses at an audition for a survival TV show. Someone is murdered, and you have to figure out who the murderer is before it’s too late. Ask questions and try to find clues that will point to the threat, all while navigating the massive psychological problems of the would-be stars that bubble up during the drama. As you would expect, there are a number of different outcomes based on your actions.
Cubers: Arena ($14.99)
And I was a bit worried we wouldn’t have a twin-stick action game today. Well, at least it’s not a roguelite shooter. Instead, it’s an arena-based brawler where you have to battle enemies in the campaign mode and a number of mini-games. A second player can join in locally, but be warned that friendly fire is very much a thing here for both the players and the enemies. And yes, you can use the latter to your advantage by having the baddies bash each other. It seems okay for what it is, but I really can’t muster much enthusiasm for games of this sort these days unless they’re a whole lot better than “okay".
Country Tales ($9.99)
Hunh, I wonder if the main character of this game has issues with snakes getting in his boots? Anyway, this is essentially a time management game with some very light strategy elements. It is indeed a port of a mobile game, and if you want to save a couple of bucks I don’t think you lose much by picking it up on the App Store instead. It’s not so different from games like Gnomes Garden. There are 40 levels, each with their own quests to complete. You can choose between a few different difficulty settings depending on how much of a challenge you want to face. Not my cup of tea, but it’s got a nice colorful look to it and it seems to have gone over well with the usual audience that is into these sorts of games.
Locomotion ($10.99)
A fairly cute-looking puzzle game, Locomotion tasks you with guiding a train to the exit on 52 different stages. You also need to try to collect all of your stolen gold along the way if possible. You don’t directly control the train but rather manipulate mechanisms like switches, lifts, and so on to clear a path for it. It starts off pretty chill, but it soon becomes rather tense as you try to get everything lined up just right before things derail. If you enjoyed Captain Toad and want another isometric action-puzzler, you may well like what Locomotion has to offer.
Spiral Memoria -The Summer I Meet Myself- ($24.99)
Smooching handsome boys is back on the menu in Spiral Memoria, a visual novel where you play as an amnesiac high school girl who is trying to learn about her mysterious past. The adventure takes place across the early summer, and along with the revelations about the main character’s past, you’ll also be dealing with a romance with one of a few different boys. But what if those two plots are actually the same plot? Yowza… that’s spicy. In an unusual spin, the main character actually has visible eyes in this one. Well, you know how these things go by this point. Hardly a must-have within its genre, but if you’re looking for something romantic to play this weekend, it’ll do the job.
Kingdom Rush ($9.99)
We’ve already seen one of the follow-ups to Kingdom Rush arrive on Switch a while back, but here’s the original in all of its glory. One of the more popular tower defense games on mobile, Kingdom Rush brings hours of fast-paced strategy to your Switch. There are twelve different heroes, more than sixty enemies, some epic boss battles, and lots of tower upgrades to keep you busy for a long time. Personally, I’d rather play this one on my iPhone or iPad as the controls just work better for me there, but this Switch version is a fine enough way to experience the game as well.
Sentinels of Freedom ($24.99)
On the one hand, I love seeing traditional genres get a shake-up with their setting, and blending superheroes with turn-based strategy is a rare enough blend that I think it qualifies. On the other hand, Freedom Force this is not. Here’s the thing: superheroes are more than just colorful costumes, and that’s something video games used to have a huge problem with. See, one of the appealing points of playing as a superhero is that feeling that you’ve got all these great powers, and that gets deflated in a hurry when a random unpowered bank robber puts up a serious fight. Sentinels of Freedom is an okay turn-based strategy game, and it certainly looks the part as far as superhero stuff goes. But that’s about as much as I can say in its favor, unfortunately.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
There are a few interesting things going on in today’s list of sales. First up, Pokken Tournament DX is on sale as part of its Free Trial for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, which kicked off today. The Dragon Ball games are also on sale, and that includes a lot of the DLC for the titles. Game Tengoku and Groove Coaster get small but uncommon discounts, and several of Psikyo’s excellent shoot-em-ups are a little cheaper than usual. The outbox is full of great games today, so flick through and make sure you’ve grabbed everything you want.
Select New Games on Sale
Pokken Tournament DX ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/12)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($12.49 from $49.99 until 8/6)
Dragon Ball FighterZ ($14.99 from $59.99 until 8/6)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission ($17.99 from $59.99 until 8/6)
Figment ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Pianista ($19.99 from $24.99 until 8/18)
My Bewitching Perfume ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Princess Closet ($19.99 from $24.99 until 8/19)
Kitty Love -Way to Look for Love- ($16.74 from $24.99 until 8/20)
Iris School of Wizardry ($16.74 from $24.99 until 8/20)
Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku ($16.74 from $24.99 until 8/20)
Crash Drive 2 ($0.89 from $8.99 until 8/20)
Marooners ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Ninja Village ($12.00 from $14.00 until 8/20)
Strikers 1945 ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Strikers 1945 II ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Gunbird ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Gunbird 2 ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Gunbarich ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Dragon Blaze ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Samurai Aces ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Tengai ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Sol Divide ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Zero Gunner 2- ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Game Tengoku CruisnMix Special ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/15)
Hot Gimmick Cosplay-jong ($14.00 from $20.00 until 8/15)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party!!!! ($47.99 from $59.99 until 8/17)
The Rainsdowne Players ($0.07 from $3.99 until 8/13)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, July 31st
AI: The Somnium Files ($29.99 from $59.99 until 7/31)
Almost There: The Platformer ($0.69 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($19.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
Bug Fables: Everlasting Sapling ($22.49 from $24.99 until 7/31)
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Danmaku Unlimited 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Desktop Baseball ($5.04 from $7.20 until 7/31)
Devil May Cry ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Devil May Cry 2 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Devil May Cry 3 SE ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Dexteritrip ($0.69 from $6.99 until 7/31)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
ELEA: Paradigm Shift ($3.19 from $7.99 until 7/31)
Escape from the Universe ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Food Truck – Asian Cuisine ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/31)
Fractured Minds ($1.79 from $1.99 until 7/31)
Green Game: TimeSwapper ($0.29 from $2.99 until 7/31)
Half Dead ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/31)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/31)
Heroine Anthem Zero ep 1 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/31)
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ ($23.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Hyper Sentinel ($0.61 from $7.99 until 7/31)
Jay & Silent Bob: Mall Brawl ($9.98 from $14.99 until 7/31)
Katana Kami: Samurai Story ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Kotodama: 7 Mysteries ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man 11 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.89 from $14.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($22.49 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Midnight Evil ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Monster Hunter Generations Ult. ($19.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($0.99 from $12.99 until 7/31)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Onimusha Warlords ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Our World is Ended. ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder ($0.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Phoenix Wright: AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/31)
R.B.I. Baseball 20 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil ($12.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil 0 ($12.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil 4 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil 5 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil 6 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($14.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Silk ($4.41 from $12.99 until 7/31)
Steins;Gate 0 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Steins;Gate Elite ($23.99 from $59.99 until 7/31)
Steins;Gate: Darling’s Embrace ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/31)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary ($14.79 from $39.99 until 7/31)
Super Chariot ($1.49 from $14.99 until 7/31)
The Great Perhaps ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
The Little Acre ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/31)
The Unholy Society ($6.66 from $9.99 until 7/31)
Vosaria: Lair of the Forgotten ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/31)
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/31)
#womenUp, Super Puzzles Dream ($2.84 from $6.19 until 7/31)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow will see another wave of new releases, with Fairy Tail probably being the prominent of the bunch. We’ll have summaries of all of the games, plus what is likely to be an enormous list of new sales. I believe there may be a guest review from Mikhail as well, so do look forward to that. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
