Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 6th, 2020. It ended up being a busier day than I expected, and I think I’ll be going home late tonight as a result. Oh well! We’ve got a few news bits for you before we get into the big list of new releases for the day. There’s also a decent number of sales to check out, though that will obviously get bigger in the next few hours. Let’s have a look!
News
Surprise! ‘Pikmin 3 Deluxe’ Hits Switch October 30th
Well, would you look at that? We finally have another first-party game on the schedule. It’s Pikmin 3 Deluxe, a fancy port of the Wii U game. It includes all of the DLC, some added story content, a bunch of new options, and more. The game will launch on October 30th for $59.99, which is probably fine since somewhere around twenty-five people bought it on the Wii U back in the day. Less than fine? Nintendo has delisted the Wii U version from its eShop alongside this announcement, so you can no longer buy a digital copy for $20 on that dearly departed system. I mean, I get it, but I really dislike it when Nintendo does that. Oh well, Hallowe’en Pikmin ho!
The Next ‘Tetris 99’ Maximus Cup Brings Back Some Faves
Wow, is it time for yet another new Maximus Cup event in Tetris 99? But… there are no new games to promote! Worry not, friends: this one is a catch-up event. The 16th Maximus Cup event is called Second Chance Edition, and it runs from Friday August 14th to Saturday August 22nd. A week is a lot longer than previous Maximus Cup events, but there’s a good reason. You see, this event is your chance to earn three themes from previous events: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Ring Fit Adventure. Moreover, it only takes 50 event points this time instead of 100. Animal Crossing kicks off the event, running from the 14th to the 16th. Luigi’s Mansion 3 picks up from there, running through the 19th. Ring Fit Adventure caps it off, taking the reins from the 20th to the 22nd. And for those of us who already have those themes? I, uh, guess we can take the time off?
‘King of Fighters R-2’ and ‘Samurai Shodown! 2’ Arrive Tomorrow
The next two NEOGEO Pocket Color releases from SNK will arrive on the eShop tomorrow. King of Fighters R-2 is a pocket-sized version of SNK’s famous fighting series, and is being re-released for the first time since its initial launch on the company’s ill-fated handheld. Samurai Shodown! 2 was already available on the Switch through select pre-orders of the new Samurai Shodown game, but will now be available for anyone to buy. Assuming the games follow in the footsteps of Gals’ Fighters, they’ll cost $7.99 apiece. Do the Metal Slug games next, please!
New Releases
Swimsanity! ($24.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Lots of multiplayer games coming out today. This is one of those ones you really shouldn’t play solo, but support for both local and online multiplayer at least makes it easier to find someone to play with. Anyway, this is a side-scrolling action game of sorts where you’re generally being chased by a giant creature of some kind and need to defeat it while avoiding other hazards. There are multiple modes of play that slightly alter the rules, but the core action doesn’t change that much. It’s surprisingly fun and quite tense, though it’s really hard to make any progress when you’re playing alone. Up to four players can join in, but even have a second player makes a big difference. I like it a fair bit. Perhaps you will too.
Drink More Glurp ($9.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
If there’s one thing Switch players love, it’s multiplayer games with weird characters who control awkwardly and flail around in amusing ways. Up to twenty, I repeat twenty, players can get in on this one locally, enjoying some silly alien interpretations of human sports where sponsors will cut in at any moment despite the chaos it may cause. You control each character’s arms using the sticks of the controller and need to move around that way. There is a single-player challenge mode for whenever you don’t have anyone around to play with, but the heart of the game is in gathering a group and enjoying the laughs that ensue. Ten bucks seems like a good price for what it offers. This recommendation has been brought to you by Glurp ™.
Arcade Archives Circus Charlie ($7.99)
Konami’s 1984 release Circus Charlie joins the Arcade Archives line-up, bringing its circus-themed action to the Switch with the usual Hamster quality. It offers a few different types of events, and while it’s a bit thin on gameplay depth it still has some fans out there. Personally, I really strongly dislike circus settings, so I’ll be keeping as far away from this game as I always have. But it’s cool to see some of the lesser-known Konami games getting done. It gives me hope we’ll see some really deep cuts in the future.
Titan Glory ($4.99)
I’ll give Atypical Games this much: they create some real lookers for such low-priced affairs. This is their latest, and it’s also available on mobile for the same price. It’s a mech combat game where you need to upgrade and unlock 12 different mechs and head into battles in order to win tournaments and take home cash prizes. Surprisingly, the game has support for up to twelve players via online multiplayer. There are six different arenas to battle in, and a fair number of weapons to pick and choose from. I’m not sure how deep it is relative to other mech combat games, but it’s five dollars. Not sure how much you really ought to expect at that price.
Memory Lane ($4.99)
Aw heck, it’s… wait, it’s not Sabec. Hunh. Okay, well. You remember those memory matching games where you flip over two cards and try to find matching pairs? You probably played this as a kid, maybe in school when the teacher had a hangover and couldn’t be bothered to come up with a better activity to fill the lesson time with. Cough. Anyway, that’s this game! There are four different card sets to choose from! Over 150 cards in total! A bit of trivia! You could probably buy a real set of cards for around the same price as this and could, you know, use them for other games! The exclamation mark key on my keyboard is stuck right now!!!
Crowdy Farm Rush ($5.99)
Okay, fixed the keyboard. The Crowdy Farm saga continues in this epic action-puzzler. Guide animals to their homes by drawing a path, but be careful they don’t collide with each other. There are more than 100 levels to play, with each one throwing a more difficult mix of animals to manage at you. Somehow up to four players can join in via local multiplayer, if you feel like making things ten times more difficult. If this sounds a lot like the mobile classic Flight Control, you’re not far from the truth. But this one has pigs and chickens instead of airplanes and helicopters, so advantage: Crowdy Farm.
KukkoroDays ($7.99)
The latest in Qureate’s line of slightly fetish-y visual novels sees you playing a schlub who lives in Japan’s Akihabara district, home to some of the biggest geeks and nerds in the world. Your everyday life is thrown into disarray one day when a magic circle appears in your apartment and an injured female knight comes out of it. Her name is Cattleya and I’ve got absolutely no jokes to make about any part of that name and its potential correlation to her chest size. Anyway, until she finds a way home, you’re stuck with her. Hilarity ensues as this fish out of water learns to love the new world she’s in. Will she ever figure out how to get home? And if she does… will she want to? Eight bucks will give you the answer. By the way, ‘Kukkoro‘ refers to a cliche in Japanese manga/anime where a prideful female knight is captured by the enemy and utters the phrase “k-kill me" for reasons we can’t discuss on a family website. This kind of situation excites some people.
112th Seed ($4.99)
A small-sized puzzle platformer at a reasonably low price, 112th Seed tasks you with taking control of a little seed who is trying to save what remains of humanity. It’s all about food, you see. The Earth has reached a point where food has become so scarce that most of humanity has died off. Scientists plant 112 new types of seeds and put themselves into cryogenic slumber, hoping at least some of them will sprout. The first 111 don’t. You play as the 112th. There are more than 70 levels to play through, and if you’ve been around the block in this genre before very little of this will be new to you. Lots of block pushing, for example. But it sprinkles in new ideas as you go, and while it doesn’t do anything amazingly special, it’s fine.
Frontline Zed ($11.99)
Oh boy, another mediocre zombie game. How… how thrilling. It’s more or less a game where you need to fend off zombie attacks at night and rebuild/upgrade during the day. I think it’s an homage to an old Flash game called The Last Stand, truth be told. Or maybe something less kind than an homage. In any case, it gets old really fast. Once you figure out what you need to do, you can repeat your strategy again and again until you either reach the end of the game or the end of your patience. Tired theme, tired gameplay concept, weak execution. No thanks.
Instant Sports Summer Games ($24.99)
I can’t tell if this is a completely different game from Instant Sports or just an expanded version of it, but one thing is for sure: this was originally planned to coincide with the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. There are eleven different sports in this one, including the relay race, high jump, javelin throw, bowling, soccer, and more. Please note that this game is not supported in handheld mode, so if you have a Switch Lite and want this for some reason, you’re out of luck. Up to eight players can join in via local multiplayer, but there’s no online play. Honestly at this price you’re better off spending the extra money to get Mario & Sonic, it’s about a billion times better.
Alphadia Genesis ($14.99)
Alphadia Genesis does… what most other KEMCO-published games do, actually. Back when it debuted on mobile, this one was a bit of a head-turner thanks to it being the first KEMCO release with 3D battle graphics. Well, it’s less impressive here and now, but it is still a decent enough JRPG. You’ve got your usual orphaned protagonist and mysterious girl who has lost her memories, and an overall progression line so consistent and familiar that you could set your watch to it. I think fifteen bucks is a little high for what you get here, particularly given you could grab a far better Square Enix classic for around the same price, but it may be worth picking up with a deep discount one day.
Aery – Broken Memories ($14.99)
Aery – Broken Memories is the follow-up to Aery – Little Bird Adventure, and it looks to deliver more of the same in a whole new set of circumstances. You once again play as a bird, who this time enters the mind of another person to help them come out of a coma. You’ll explore their memories, seeking out shards in order to get to know them and what is troubling them. It’s safe to say that if you liked the original game, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. The new environments look very interesting, and the flying seems to be as good as it was in the previous game.
Clan N ($14.99)
This one is a top-down hack-and-slash brawler for up to four players in both local and online multiplayer. There are different ninja-style characters to play as, and seven fairly large levels to battle your way through. With plenty of enemies and some big bosses to bash, this will help scratch the action itch for those in need. There are some mini-games you can unlock as well. My beef with this game is in how stunningly repetitive it gets thanks to how long the levels are, how little visual variety each one contains, and how limited your attack options are. Those are easy enough flaws to gloss over if you’re playing with others, but as a single-player experience it feels like a total grind. Apparently an update is on the way that will allow you to play shorter versions of the stages, which would help a lot.
Cruel Bands Career ($3.99)
While the most immediately striking thing about this game is its unique art style, the actual gameplay is surprisingly mundane. This is essentially a lane-based castle defense game, except the castle is the stage, the defenders are your band members, and the attackers are fans going wild. Each band member has their own abilities, and you can upgrade them as you go along. There are bosses to battle and special helpers to recruit, adding a bit of variety to the works. It’s a quirky one all-around, and the low price makes it easy to take a chance on if you like the look of it.
Ultra Foodmess ($3.99)
If you’re looking for a low-cost party game to play with your friends or family locally, this is going to be your pick for the day. There are eleven different game modes, each with slightly different goals and mechanics. Up to four players can compete, and if there aren’t any humans around you can always have a go at the AI. The player characters are all food items, and there are quite a few different ones to choose from. You’ll be able to unlock more as you go, too. I don’t know. It doesn’t look like the greatest thing ever, but for four bucks it’s pretty hard to complain.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some interesting sales have already popped up at the time of writing, including a nice deal on Nights of Azure 2 and its DLC, discounts on Crashlands and Levelhead from the folks at Butterscotch Shenanigans, and some sales on the Princess Maker games. There’s very little in the outbox to worry about, though you may want to grab All-Star Fruit Racing as long as you don’t mind lengthy loading times. It will probably not be that cheap again for a long while.
Select New Games on Sale
Nights of Azure 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/19)
Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/19)
Crashlands ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/10)
Levelhead ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/10)
Broken Lines ($17.49 from $24.99 until 8/12)
Snooker 19 ($13.99 from $34.99 until 8/25)
eCrossminton ($9.89 from $14.99 until 8/17)
Demon’s Rise ($4.19 from $6.99 until 8/19)
Sky Ride ($0.99 from $7.00 until 8/27)
Spartan ($1.19 from $3.99 until 8/26)
Nekopara Vol. 1 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Nekopara Vol. 2 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Nekopara Vol. 3 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Miles & Kilo ($1.59 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Flip Over Frog ($0.99 from $7.50 until 8/27)
Quarantine Circular ($4.79 from $5.99 until 8/27)
MachiKnights ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Wonder Boy Returns ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Goonya Fighter ($0.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Cyber Protocol ($1.09 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Amazing Brick Breaker ($1.49 from $4.99 until 8/20)
Sacred Stones ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Princess Maker Go!Go! Princess ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Princess Maker FTCT ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Puzzle & Dragons Gold ($9.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
A Street Cat’s Tale ($7.19 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Silent World ($4.49 from $4.99 until 8/20)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($3.44 from $4.99 until 8/13)
MazM: Jekyll & Hyde ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/20)
OMG Police ($1.04 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Fairy Knights ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Monochrome World ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Urban Trial Tricky ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, August 7th
All-Star Fruit Racing ($0.99 from $19.99 until 8/7)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/7)
DreamGallery ($4.79 from $5.99 until 8/7)
PuPaiPo Space Deluxe ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/7)
You Died but Necromancer Revived You ($5.39 from $8.99 until 8/7)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow we’ll have the rest of the week’s new releases, along with what will almost certainly be a large list of sales. I’m going to head home now and hope my dinner isn’t too cold. I hope you all have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
