Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 28th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got some news from the Tokyo Game Show along with a selection of Mini-Views on games like Kirby Fighters 2, The Long Dark, and more. There’s one new release to take a look at, and it’s a rather strange one. We finish things up with a look at the new sales that popped up over the weekend and the discounts that will be expiring tomorrow. Let’s get the week started right!
News
Check Out the Slick New Trailer for ‘Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’
Hm, do I need to write any text for this? I guess I should, or the formatting will look weird. The Tokyo Game Show didn’t have a lot of big new reveals, but we did get to see a lot more of some already-announced games. One of them is the upcoming Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which is frankly looking incredible. Check out the new trailer and get hyped to the appropriate level.
The ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Fall Update Arrives Sept 30th
Well, we knew this was coming soon. Halloween has always been a big part of Animal Crossing, except for that weird period where Animal Crossing was avoiding real holidays. No worries here, though. The Fall Update will arrive on Wednesday of this week, and it sows the seeds for a variety of new things. Like growing pumpkins! Collecting candy to give to villagers! Buying costumes! There’s more to it than that, but that’s the bulk of it. Another update will follow with Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff in it in late November, presumably before the actual day of American Thanksgiving.
Shoot-Em-Up Fans Have Lots to Look Forward to on Switch
There was a lot of good news from and around the Tokyo Game Show last week, and if you like shoot-em-ups some of that news is for you. First of all, M2 is putting together an Aleste Collection for the Switch. It includes two Master System Aleste games, two Game Gear Aleste games, and a brand new Aleste 3 designed for the Game Gear. No word on a worldwide release for this yet, but it’ll be available later this year in Japan in both physical and digital forms. Speaking of the classics, Happinet (the publisher behind the recent Brigandine revival) announced that it will be bringing a Deathsmiles pack to the Switch. About time Cave joined the party!
In other news, Strictly Limited Games has announced a physical release of Darius Cozmic Revelation, which includes G-Darius HD and Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+. Pre-orders started yesterday at Strictly Limited’s website and while they may well be sold out as you read this, a digital release will likely follow a few months after the physical versions have shipped.
Mini-Views
Kirby Fighters 2 ($19.99)
The whole time I’ve been playing this, there has been a thought in my head I just could not chase out: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is already a fighting game built on Kirby‘s foundation, so what purpose does this game really serve? The game does a decent job in giving you a variety of modes and differentiating the playable roster (which isn’t easy given most of them are just Kirby with a different power), and in a vacuum I think it’s very much worth the price. I felt like there was a lot to do whether I was playing alone or with friends. In the end, however, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this is just a considerably more limited take on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A fun game but perhaps one best left to hardcore Kirby fans.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
The Long Dark ($34.99)
I really like the idea of a survival game focusing on the very real challenge of trying to stave off the elements and dangers of nature itself, so The Long Dark had me right from its concept. It’s not the most realistic thing you could imagine, but it’s close enough to pull you in. You learn very quickly how important it is to stay warm in the Canadian winter, and how difficult it is. The story campaign is compelling even though the tale is still ongoing, showing a post-apocalyptic world from a very different point of view. The meat of the game is in its survival mode, however. Its systems make for a very challenging and fascinating experience even when there’s no real narrative context. It also runs very well on the Switch, which isn’t something we can take for granted with ports from the PC. Good stuff.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Great Conqueror: Rome ($9.99)
I really appreciate that the console releases of these games allow us to enjoy the gameplay without the consumable IAP sales pitch of the mobile originals. Great Conqueror: Rome is very much in line with the last two games in this series that saw release on the Switch, giving a slice of turn-based strategy that is just complex enough to dig into without being too overwhelming for beginners. It’s meat-and-potatoes stuff for the genre, with battles playing out a lot like Advance Wars. There are a few more plates to spin here than in those games, with decisions like assigning generals having a big effect on the outcome. Between the three different modes, you get a lot of game for your dollar as well. It’s not going to convince anyone that doesn’t already like the genre, but it’s reasonably well-made for what it’s trying to be.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Undead Darlings ~no cure for love~ ($29.99)
This is an odd one, for sure. It’s a romance visual novel about half-zombie girls mashed up with a dungeon-crawler. Not a very good dungeon crawler, mind you, but a functional one. The visual novel side of it fares far better, though its humor is a bit much at times. There’s a genuinely interesting story going on here, and the generally light tone keeps things from being too heavy overall. Well, we’re not so up to our necks in dungeon crawler RPGs on the Switch that I’d want to push a decent plate away for the crime of not being great. If you like mucking your way through first-person dungeons the way I do and also enjoy visual novels, this could be just the ticket for you.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
It’s a lot of the usual weekend crew, with some of them on a near-clockwork schedule these days. There are some new sales worth paying attention to, however. Like 80 Days being 80% off! Wow, how can you not buy it for that price? Apocryph is on sale for what I think is the first time since its launch, but I can’t really say how good it is. It’s trying to hit that old-school FPS style and I’ve heard mixed things about the results. Maybe at half-price you’ll want to take the gamble? There isn’t a ton of stuff in the outbox, but do note that Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid‘s sale is ending soon. Some of the DLC is also on sale for that one until tomorrow, allowing you to plug one of the game’s main flaws on the cheap by adding to the available roster.
Select New Games on Sale
80 Days ($2.59 from $12.99 until 10/3)
The Bridge ($1.49 from $9.99 until 10/3)
Tiny Racer ($7.49 from $9.99 until 10/3)
Tumblestone ($1.94 from $14.99 until 10/3)
Gurgamoth ($0.49 from $9.99 until 10/3)
Almost There: The Platformer ($0.49 from $9.99 until 10/3)
The House of Da Vinci ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
SUPERHOT ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Atomic Heist ($0.39 from $7.99 until 10/5)
Bridge Strike ($2.37 from $6.99 until 10/5)
Dead Dungeon ($0.29 from $4.99 until 10/5)
One Person Story ($0.44 from $2.99 until 10/5)
Dark Burial ($0.47 from $3.99 until 10/5)
Deployment ($0.99 from $9.99 until 10/5)
Farabel ($0.69 from $9.99 until 10/6)
City Driving Simulator ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/9)
Gas Station: Highway Services ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/9)
1971 Project Helios ($27.99 from $39.99 until 10/11)
Drawngeon ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/13)
Genetic Disaster ($3.98 from $14.99 until 10/13)
Event Horizon: Space Defense ($1.49 from $6.99 until 10/13)
Sweet Witches ($1.49 from $9.99 until 10/13)
Tardy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/13)
Mech Rage ($0.49 from $9.99 until 10/13)
Pool Pro Gold ($5.99 from $9.99 until 10/15)
Kids: Farm Coloring ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/16)
4×4 Dirt Track ($7.19 from $11.99 until 10/16)
Ego Protocol: Remastered ($0.99 from $4.99 until 10/16)
Make War ($3.99 from $9.99 until 10/16)
Coast Guard: Beach Rescue Team ($3.59 from $11.99 until 10/16)
Nonograms Prophecy ($1.19 from $3.99 until 10/16)
Strike Force Kitty ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/16)
Pirates: All Aboard! ($0.59 from $5.99 until 10/16)
Star Horizon ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/16)
Rawr-Off ($0.29 from $2.99 until 10/16)
Dream Alone ($0.99 from $9.99 until 10/16)
Exorder ($1.29 from $12.99 until 10/16)
Feudal Alloy ($3.39 from $16.99 until 10/17)
AeternoBlade ($4.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
Apocryph: Old-School Shooter ($7.47 from $14.95 until 10/18)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29th
Aaero: Complete ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Apocalipsis Wormwood ($1.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Archaica: Path of Light ($4.94 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Big Pharma ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Demon’s Rise: War for the Deep ($4.19 from $6.99 until 9/29)
Funny Bunny Adventures ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Golazo! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Help Will Come Tomorrow ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Infinite – Beyond the Mind ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Infliction: Extended Cut ($13.39 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Perseverance ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Power Rangers: Battle for Grid ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Roarr! Jurassic ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Skyhill ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Spirit Roots ($1.99 from $6.99 until 9/29)
Subdivision Infinity DX ($6.49 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Symmetry ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
The Deer God ($0.99 from $7.99 until 9/29)
The Great Perhaps ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Trancelation ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
We. The Revolution ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
WordHerd ($0.90 from $6.00 until 9/29)
That’s all that’s good for today, friends. Tomorrow will see a few new releases, including one that I’m very much looking forward to in the form of Alwa’s Legacy. We’ll have summaries of all of those games, along with whatever news and new sales come along in the next 24 hours. There may be a review tomorrow, or there may not be. It depends on how things go. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
