Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 7th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got summaries of all of the new releases of the day, including two NEOGEO Pocket Color fighters and a nice bundle of puzzles. We’ve also got complete lists of incoming and outgoing sales, with great games like Cat Quest, Iconoclasts, and Super Hydorah getting nice discounts. No news section today, but the only major news at the time of writing was the announcement that indie darling Braid will be making its way to the platform. Let’s get to the new stuff!
New Releases
Piczle Lines DX Bundle ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Hey friend, do you like Slitherlink/Pathpix-style logic puzzles? Do you like… saving money? Have you somehow not bought Piczle Lines DX and Piczle Lines DX 500 More Puzzles yet? If the answer to all three of those is “yes", have I got a bundle for you. It packs in both of the aforementioned titles, offering a five dollar savings over buying them separately. You get a stupendous 1,100 puzzles to solve, offering something like a couple hundred hours of enjoyment. The wild thing is that if you grab this bundle during the launch sale, you can get it for a mere ten bucks. If you’re reading this after the launch sale, be sure to check on the prices of the individual games just to make sure this bundle’s price is still in your favor.
King of Fighters R-2 ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
One of the earlier fighting games for the NEOGEO Pocket Color, King of Fighters R-2 nevertheless remains a very enjoyable fighting game with lots to offer. There are 14 characters available initially, with a further 11 variants that you’ll unlock through play. Since it’s roughly based on King of Fighters ’98, you can expect a good selection of the more popular characters from that title. The gameplay is fun, and Code Mystics have done a lovely job with the interface and options, even going so far as to allow you to play using touch controls on an on-screen NEOGEO Pocket Color.
Samurai Shodown! 2 ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
The other NEOGEO Pocket Color release today was actually already made available before on the Switch as a pre-order bonus for the new Samurai Shodown. What’s neat about this one is that it’s a bite-sized adaptation of Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, featuring all but one of the characters from that game. On top of that, it adds Charlotte and Yagyu Jubei. Since SNK probably isn’t going to release ports of Hyper NEOGEO 64 games anytime soon, this is your best chance for getting some of the experience of playing one of the lesser-known Samurai Shodown titles. There are fifteen characters to choose from here, and Code Mystics has done a fine job of bringing the game to the Switch with lots of options.
RogueCube ($4.99)
This is basically the poor man’s Enter the Gungeon. You can play through the campaign either solo or with friends via local multiplayer, or head into a competitive battle with those same friends. The characters are all cubes, and the levels are procedurally generated, so there’s the title taken care of. You get three different cube characters to choose from initially, with several more available once you unlock them. There are 37 weapons ranging from swords to bazookas with a whole lot in between, and 11 different levels to rampage through. Not bad at all for five dollars, to be honest.
Retro Arcade Shooter – Attack from Pluto ($5.99)
This game claims to offer three classic arcade shoot-em-up games in one, but there isn’t quite as much variety as you would hope given a statement like that. There are horizontal and vertical shoot-em-up stages in here, with the latter being a bit better than the former. Still, nothing in here is really all that well-made relative to other shooters around the same price on the Switch. I can’t see any reason why someone would bother playing this over roughly 73 other shoot-em-ups on the platform, but every game is someone’s favorite. Some games stretch my belief in that more than others, though.
City Bus Driving Simulator ($11.99)
Yeah, it’s another one of these. Like the several games similar to it that have released on Switch over the last couple of months, City Bus Driving Simulator is a port of a free-to-play mobile game that largely hangs its hat on letting you drive a variety of vehicles in an urban environment. There are missions to complete and free-roam mode for when you just want to cruise around in a school bus. There are twelve different buses in all that you’ll be driving, and the game claims it uses a fun and realistic driving model, which seems to me to be a cake that you cannot have and also eat when it comes to buses. Well, someone is buying these things. If it’s you, here’s another one.
Wordify ($2.99)
Well, it’s hard to mess up a word game. And this one isn’t going to break that rule. You’re given a bunch of letters and need to fit them onto the crossword layout such that the words work. You get 250 of these puzzles for your three bucks, and there are ten different color themes so that you can change things up visually now and then. You can play using buttons or touch controls, with the latter being a bit more comfortable to use. Not a bad choice if you enjoy word games and don’t want to spend too much money today.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Hey, there’s the big list of new sales I was expecting when I went home last night. Plenty of great games in there, with some highlights including excellent prices on the Cat Quest games, a very rare sale on the full line of Picross titles, and huge discounts on the Secret Files adventure games. There’s plenty of fun games to be had at nice prices, so make sure you have a good look through the list. By contrast, there’s very little in the way of expiring sales this weekend. Feel free to blow your allowance on the new stuff.
Select New Games on Sale
The TakeOver ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Cat Quest ($2.59 from $12.99 until 8/21)
Cat Quest II ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Tower of Babel ($0.89 from $5.99 until 8/26)
Picross S ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Picross S2 ($7.19 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Picross S3 ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Kemono Friends Picross ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Picross Lord of the Nazarick ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Axiom Verge ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($4.99 from $14.99 until 8/19)
Nine Parchments ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Party Planet ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 ($2.40 from $8.00 until 8/20)
The Amazing Shinsengumi ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/26)
The Men of Yoshiwara ($9.79 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Gakuen Club ($16.24 from $24.99 until 8/26)
The Charming Empire ($16.24 from $24.99 until 8/26)
Destiny’s Princess ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Nightshade ($33.59 from $47.99 until 8/26)
Pool Billiard ($1.00 from $7.99 until 8/26)
Neo Atlas 1469 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/26)
Firefighters: Airport Department ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Firefighter – The Simulation ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Mountain Rescue Simulator ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Late Shift ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/20)
Real Heroes: Firefighter ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Agatha Knife ($7.19 from $11.99 until 8/24)
L.F.O. -Lost Future Omega- ($1.59 from $7.99 until 8/26)
Professional Construction Sim ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Professional Farmer ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Professional Farmer: American Dream ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
MotoGP18 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Hand of Fate 2 ($9.89 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Animal Rivals ($0.39 from $3.99 until 8/22)
Final Light, The Prison ($1.04 from $6.99 until 8/26)
Iconoclasts ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Cycle 28 ($1.39 from $6.99 until 8/13)
Robbotto ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/21)
Flood of Light ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/20)
Stay ($4.19 from $11.99 until 8/21)
The Gardens Between ($8.99 from $19.99 until 8/24)
The Card: Poker, Texas Hold ‘Em ($1.49 from $4.99 until 8/26)
A Gummy’s Life ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Spider Solitaire Black ($2.50 from $5.00 until 8/26)
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption ($6.64 from $18.99 until 8/20)
Puzzle Wall ($2.39 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Trine Enchanted ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/20)
Trine 2 Complete Story ($5.09 from $16.99 until 8/20)
Trine 3: Artifacts of Power ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Super Hydorah ($10.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Cursed Castilla ($7.69 from $13.99 until 8/19)
Akihabara – Feel the Rhythm ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/21)
Secret Files: Tunguska ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Secret Files Sam Peters ($2.99 from $6.99 until 8/14)
Animated Jigsaws: Wild Animals ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Caveblazers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Agartha-S ($1.59 from $7.99 until 8/26)
The Golf ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
GALAK-Z: The Void Deluxe ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/16)
AngerForce: Reloaded ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Sudoku Relax ($3.75 from $5.00 until 8/26)
Sudoku Universe ($3.49 from $4.99 until 8/20)
Aggelos ($6.74 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Xtreme Club Racing ($1.48 from $9.89 until 8/26)
Ascendance ($1.19 from $5.99 until 8/13)
Red Siren: Space Defense ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Mad Bullets ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Omega Labyrinth Life ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/26)
Boreal Blade ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Paper Train ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Candleman ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/20)
64.0 ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/20)
Strike Force – War on Terror ($11.19 from $13.99 until 8/13)
Nyan Cat: Lost in Space ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
TheNightFall ($11.99 from $39.99 until 8/20)
Smash Rush ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
NekoMiko ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
NinNinDays ($5.19 from $7.99 until 8/20)
TroubleDays ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Prison Princess ($12.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Space Blaze ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Kuukiyomi: Consider It! ($3.74 from $4.99 until 8/26)
Clumsy Rush ($1.04 from $4.99 until 8/12)
Planetary Defense Force ($0.59 from $5.99 until 8/22)
SELF ($4.89 from $6.99 until 8/20)
SEN: Seven Eight Nine ($0.99 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Go All Out! ($3.24 from $12.99 until 8/26)
Fred3ric ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Wanderlust Travel Stories ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Heaven Dust ($5.59 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Lost Horizon ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Lost Horizon 2 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Poly Puzzle ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/26)
Tennis Open 2020 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Ultimate Ski Jumping 2020 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Wenjia ($5.59 from $7.99 until 8/20)
Offroad Racing – BxAxM ($12.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Arcade Spirits ($16.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
She Sees Red: Interactive Movie ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Cooking Simulator ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Pack Master ($3.34 from $4.99 until 8/26)
Pixboy ($3.34 from $4.99 until 8/26)
Seeds of Resilience ($9.37 from $13.99 until 8/26)
Masky ($3.34 from $4.99 until 8/26)
Aery – Little Bird Adventure ($4.68 from $6.99 until 8/20)
Towaga: Among Shadows ($10.04 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Sudoky ($0.99 from $2.99 until 8/25)
Space Cows ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/10)
Red Wings: Aces of the Sky ($13.39 from $19.99 until 8/17)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Clue: Classic Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/8)
Divine Ascent ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/8)
Kiai Resonance ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/8)
Never Stop ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/8)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/9)
SlabWell: Quest for Kaktun’s Alpaca ($0.99 from $7.99 until 8/9)
Slender: The Arrival ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/9)
Stellar Interface ($2.59 from $12.99 until 8/9)
Super Street: Racer ($17.49 from $39.99 until 8/9)
Touchdown Pinball ($1.50 from $2.99 until 8/9)
Valley ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/9)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Beyond a few surprise announcements, it was a bit of a quiet week. Next week should be a little better, but not a lot better. At least as far as new releases go, anyway. I do expect a big summer sale to kick off at some point in the next few weeks, but that’s just a hunch. Well, we’ll make the best of it anyway. There’s always the backlog, after all. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
