Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 14th, 2020. It’s a usual Friday around these parts, and that means today’s article is made up of just two things: new release summaries and sales information. There are several new games to look at today, and while many of them are decent I wouldn’t call it a bumper crop. The incoming sales are also oddly somewhat limp in spite of their sheer number. Well, that’s how it goes sometimes. Let’s go digging for gold!
New Releases
Linn: Path of Orchards ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
When Linn: Path of Orchards came out on iOS a while back, we liked it well enough to give it our Game of the Week nod. Well, it’s even better on the Switch thanks to more intuitive controls, and the price isn’t that much higher here than it is on the App Store. It’s a gorgeous little platforming adventure, and for a mere five bucks I think it’s very much worth picking up. I mean, unless you’ve already played through it on mobile. I don’t think there’s any new content here. Still the same 70+ levels to twist and turn your way through. But if you haven’t tried it yet, I think this is the best way to do it.
Arcade Archives Super Punch-Out!! ($7.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
No, this isn’t the Super NES game that is available on the Switch Online app. This is the 1984 arcade game, a quick follow-up to 1983’s Punch-Out!!. It includes a completely new line-up of fighters to battle against but otherwise follows the same gameplay mechanics as the first game. Oh wait, no. You can duck. That’s new, if I remember right. Is it as good as the NES or Super NES games? No, but it’s still pretty fun. And its historical scarcity makes it a good pick-up for any Nintendo fan with an eye for learning more about the company’s roots.
Prehistoric Dude ($4.99)
This is a mini-Metroidvania that you can actually plow through in one sitting if you’ve got a mind to do it. Don’t count on a whole ton of exploration, either. The map is quite small and mostly linear, with only some minor backtracking if you want to use your new abilities to get a health or stamina upgrade. There are some flaws that keep this from being the breezy experience it could have been, however. Collision detection is spotty when you try to use your club, so you’ll want to attack enemies with throwing axes. But your ammo is limited for those, so you’ll constantly need to stop and grind to make sure you have enough to deal with the baddies you need to take out. I’d really only recommend this to people who miss the caveman game bonanza of the early 90s.
Through the Darkest of Times ($14.99)
Through the Darkest of Times has a message to deliver, and honestly up until a few years ago I didn’t think it was a message that really needed to be shouted loudly. That message is: the Nazis were a bunch of evil bastards. Absolute monsters. The atrocities they committed were crimes against humanity. If anything I just said there makes you bristle, you don’t want to play this game. You probably should, though. This is a narrative game with strategy elements where you play as a small group of Germans resisting the Nazis from the moment Hitler became Chancellor. You have to train your people and send them to do the tasks they’re suited to accomplish, all the while having a front-row seat to an extremely dark part of history. I wouldn’t call this a fun game by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an interesting and powerful one.
Reason – Casual Puzzle ($0.99)
The latest in QUByte’s series of affordable puzzlers, Reason – Casual Puzzle is a Sokoban-style game that gives you 50 levels of box-pushing challenges. It follows the rules of Sokoban pretty closely, with the only real deviation being that the stages are suspended in space and boxes can be pushed off the edges if you’re not careful. So yeah, not much more to be said about that. At two cents per stage it’s probably the most economical Sokoban clone on the eShop, if nothing else.
Ramageddon ($7.99)
Sheep: they may seem like our fluffy friends, but a ram in a bad mood is no beast to be trifled with, I assure you. The idea here is simple. You are a ram. There are other rams all… living in your space. You’ve got to make that situation go away. Luckily, your space has cliffs on all sides. All you have to do is ram those other rams off the sides. You’ll have to build a good head of steam to send them flying, and of course be carefully you don’t send yourself careening off the edge. This came out a while back on Android and was supposed to hit iOS but I’m not sure if it made it yet or not. Up to four players can butt heads locally, but there’s no online play. You can play against the AI, but it’s pretty baa-d. If you have regular gaming gatherings, however, ewe might get your wool’s worth out of this.
Of Tanks and Demons III ($4.99)
I looked around and while I can’t be entirely sure, I think this isn’t actually a sequel. So yeah, don’t worry that you’re missing out on anything if you jump in right here. It claims to be a new game with the vibe of arcade games from the 80s, and I suppose its straight forward overhead tank battling calls to mind titles like Battle City. Of course it’s 2020 now, so that means you’ll also be collecting currency to buy new tanks and upgrade existing ones. This one is single-player only, unfortunately. But I could see it being some cheap fun if you’re in the right mood.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Okay, so it is a very big list of sales today. There is no question of that. And there are some interesting points. All of the Jackbox Party Pack games are on sale, which almost never happens. I mean, not all at the same time, anyway. Aside from that, however, this is mostly a near-complete list of the games I tend to refer to as the “usual suspects". Some good games in there, but nothing outstanding that wasn’t on sale a few weeks ago and won’t be on sale again a few weeks from now. The outbox has some good shoot-em-ups that don’t get discounted all that often, but otherwise is also a bit on the dull side. Nevertheless, do take a look. You never know what might strike your fancy.
Select New Games on Sale
Fight of Animals ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Fight of Gods ($10.39 from $12.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack ($13.74 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 ($13.74 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 ($16.24 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 5 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 ($19.49 from $29.99 until 8/27)
State of Mind ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Pachi Pachi On a Roll ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Ivanych vs Eared Beast ($2.09 from $2.99 until 8/27)
Soccer, Tactics & Glory ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Gnomes Garden 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/27)
War-Torn Dreams ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Felix the Reaper ($8.49 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Ghoulboy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Jungle Z ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Ball Attraction ($4.79 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Another Sight ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Swallow Up ($4.79 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Mad Games Tycoon ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Balthazar’s Dream ($1.60 from $8.00 until 8/27)
Silence ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Hair Mower 3D ($3.59 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Monster Energy Supercross 3 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/27)
Forest Home ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Mushroom Heroes ($1.19 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Rolling Sky ($6.59 from $10.99 until 8/27)
Rolling Sky 2 ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Adventures of 00 Dilly ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Hayfever ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Elden: Path of the Forgotten ($10.71 from $15.99 until 8/27)
The Long Journey Home ($11.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
Fluxteria ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Aer Memories of Old ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Jigsaw Abundance ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/27)
Deponia ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Chaos on Deponia ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Goodbye Deponia ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Deponia Doomsday ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Edna & Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Truberbrook ($13.49 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Dead End Job ($7.64 from $16.99 until 9/2)
Tap Skaters ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Terrorhythm ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Grave Keeper ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Omen Exito: Plague ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Dots 8 ($0.69 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Risky Rescue ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Dark Veer ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Agony ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Hard West ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Phantom Doctrine ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Strikey Sisters ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Nice Slice ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
The Childs Sight ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Q-YO Blaster ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Mr Blaster ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
OmoTomO ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Sinless ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Surfingers ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Clock Simulator ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Grab Lab ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Hyperide: Vector Raid ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Hyperide ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Merchants of Kaidan ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Estiman ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Violett ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Fly O’Clock ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Startide ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle ZERO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle 2 EVO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle 4 Tales ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Teddy the Wanderer: Kayaking ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Teddy the Wanderer: Mountain Hike ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Qbik ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Frederic ($0.59 from $5.99 until 9/2)
Frederic 2 ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Star Story: Horizon Escape ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Shut Eye ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Tiny Hands Adventure ($0.79 from $7.99 until 9/2)
NoReload Heroes ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
My Brother Rabbit ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Biolab Wars ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Roll’d ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Bloo Kid 2 ($2.24 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Millie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Zombillie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Persian Nights: SoW ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Bedtime Blues ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
IHUGU ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Fishing Universe Simulator ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Gunpowder on the Teeth ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Bad Dream: Coma ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Bad Dream: Fever ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Dungeons & Aliens ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Phantaruk ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Realpolitiks ($2.49 from $24.99 until 9/2)
Hollow ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
The Mahjong Huntress ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Goetia ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Glaive: Brick Breaker ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Timberman VS ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Diggerman ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
No Thing ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Heart&Slash ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/24)
Theme Park Simulator ($9.89 from $14.99 until 8/24)
Ginger: Beyond the Crystal ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/24)
Awe ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/24)
Dead Synchronicity: TCT ($4.94 from $14.99 until 8/24)
Willy Jetman ($7.94 from $14.99 until 8/24)
The Great Perhaps ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/24)
Dark Burial ($0.59 from $3.99 until 8/24)
Archaica: Path of Light ($4.94 from $14.99 until 8/24)
Roundguard ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/22)
Marblelous Animals ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/24)
Anima: Nameless Chronicles ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/24)
Anima: Gate of Memories ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/24)
Freaky Awesome ($4.93 from $12.99 until 8/24)
Demon’s Crystals ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/24)
One Person Story ($0.49 from $2.99 until 8/24)
Spirit Roots ($1.98 from $6.99 until 8/24)
Dead Dungeon ($0.29 from $4.99 until 8/24)
Ink & HackyZack Bundle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Super Blood Hockey ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Black Paradox ($5.09 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Reverse Crawl ($4.41 from $12.99 until 8/26)
Skelly Selest ($3.39 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Straimium Immortaly ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/26)
Animated Jigsaws Collection ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/26)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 8/26)
Dead or School ($19.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
XenoRaptor ($5.09 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Demon Pit ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 8/26)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 8/26)
Nefarious ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Horizon Shift ’81 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Chicken Range ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 8/26)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol.2 ($9.19 from $45.99 until 8/26)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol.3 ($7.57 from $50.49 until 8/26)
Glass Masquerade Pack ($3.29 from $21.99 until 8/26)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol.1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 8/26)
Horror Bundle Vol. 1 ($6.09 from $30.49 until 8/26)
Snakeybus ($7.79 from $11.99 until 8/26)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($3.39 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($4.07 from $11.99 until 8/26)
Unexplored ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Vegas Party ($6.59 from $21.99 until 8/26)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 8/26)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Valfaris ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/26)
Contraptions ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Crash Dummy ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Slayaway Camp ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Stikbold: Dodgeball Adventure ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/29)
Super Toy Cars ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Julie’s Sweets ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
The Drama Queen Murder ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Where Angels Cry: TotF ($5.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Myths of Orion: LftN ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Black Rainbow ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Farm Mystery ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/31)
Super Chariot ($1.49 from $14.99 until 8/19)
Moto Racer 4 ($4.99 from $14.99 until 8/19)
Clouds & Sheep 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Jettomero: HotU ($6.50 from $13.00 until 8/20)
Rad Rodgers Radical ($7.49 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher ($0.19 from $9.99 until 8/20)
Demon’s Tilt ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/20)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/23)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/23)
Marble Power Blast ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/23)
Balance Blox ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/23)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/23)
Never Give Up ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/23)
Jet Lancer ($11.24 from $14.99 until 8/23)
Summer Sweetheart ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Little Racer ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/17)
Treachery in Beatdown City ($13.00 from $19.99 until 8/17)
Swordbreaker The Game ($1.49 from $4.99 until 9/1)
Event Horizon ($0.89 from $5.99 until 9/1)
Funny Bunny Adventures ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/4)
Farabel ($0.69 from $9.99 until 8/25)
Breathing Fear ($1.74 from $4.99 until 9/1)
Gurgamoth ($1.49 from $9.99 until 8/22)
Almost There ($1.49 from $9.99 until 8/22)
Tumblestone ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/22)
The Bridge ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/22)
Sales Ending This Weekend
#Funtime ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/15)
Chalk Dash Carnival ($0.85 from $7.09 until 8/15)
Desktop Baseball ($5.10 from $7.29 until 8/15)
Desktop Bowling ($5.17 from $7.39 until 8/15)
Desktop Dodgeball ($5.21 from $7.45 until 8/15)
Desktop Rugby ($5.20 from $7.43 until 8/15)
Desktop Soccer ($4.97 from $7.11 until 8/15)
Desktop Table Tennis ($5.18 from $7.41 until 8/15)
Dragon Blaze ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Game Tengoku CruisnMix Special ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/15)
Gunbarich ($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)
Hot Gimmick Cosplay-jong ($14.00 from $20.00 until 8/15)
Our Flick Erasers ($9.07 from $12.96 until 8/15)
Samurai Aces ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Sol Divide ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Strikers 1945 ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Strikers 1945 II ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Superhot ($17.49 from $24.99 until 8/15)
Tengai ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Voxel Galaxy ($5.94 from $7.43 until 8/15)
Voxel Pirates ($5.82 from $7.28 until 8/15)
Voxel Shot ($5.60 from $8.00 until 8/15)
Voxel Sword ($4.90 from $7.00 until 8/15)
Zero Gunner 2- ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/15)
3000th Duel ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/16)
A Normal Lost Phone ($2.99 from $5.99 until 8/16)
Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story ($2.99 from $5.99 until 8/16)
Bury Me, My Love ($0.99 from $4.99 until 8/16)
Cast of the Seven Godsends ($1.29 from $12.99 until 8/16)
Children of Zodiarcs ($13.49 from $17.99 until 8/16)
Color Zen Kids ($2.99 from $3.99 until 8/16)
Dragon Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/16)
Dungeon Rushers ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/16)
GALAK-Z: The Void Deluxe ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Headsnatchers ($5.09 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Jurassic Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/16)
Knights of Pen & Paper 2 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/16)
Knights of Pen & Paper Bundle ($11.24 from $22.49 until 8/16)
Lethis – Path of Progress ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/16)
Lost Phones Stories ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Momonga Pinball Adventures ($2.99 from $5.99 until 8/16)
My Arctic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
My Exotic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
My Farm ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Pankapu ($2.99 from $11.99 until 8/16)
Pen & Paper Games Bundle ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/16)
Piczle Cross Adventure ($8.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Pixel Action Heroes ($3.74 from $4.99 until 8/16)
Real Heroes: Firefighter ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/16)
Spirit of the North ($17.49 from $24.99 until 8/16)
Still There ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Story of a Gladiator ($2.74 from $10.99 until 8/16)
Super Arcade Soccer ($2.44 from $6.99 until 8/16)
Super Rocket Shootout ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/16)
Switchy Road ($0.99 from $4.99 until 8/16)
The Long Reach ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/16)
The Next Penelope ($2.59 from $12.99 until 8/16)
Titans Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/16)
Transcripted ($1.59 from $7.99 until 8/16)
Walking Vegetables: Radical ($1.94 from $12.99 until 8/16)
White Night ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/16)
Woodle Tree 2: Deluxe ($5.19 from $12.99 until 8/16)
World Soccer Pinball ($1.49 from $2.99 until 8/16)
Zombie Night Terror ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/16)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Next week sees the long August march continue, with very little in the way of obviously great games on the schedule so far. But you never know when surprises may come, and some of the games I’ve only glanced at may turn out to be much better than expected. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
