Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 20th, 2020. It’s a bit of a quiet one today, but our pal Mikhail has helped to fill in the gaps with an amazingly detailed review of Aksys’s latest visual novel release Piofiore: Fated Memories. We also have summaries of all of today’s new releases as usual, and the lists of incoming and outgoing sales that we all like to look over. Let’s get to work!
Reviews
Piofiore: Fated Memories ($49.99)
Over the months, we saw Aksys bring over classics like Code: Realize and Collar X Malice before its first new localization arrived in the form of Collar X Malice Unlimited. This month, Piofiore: Fated Memories arrived on Nintendo Switch and I’ve been playing it over the last few weeks across its varied story routes and multiple endings. With the premise and aesthetic being great, I was hoping the characters and story would deliver on the same level. Thankfully, Piofiore has delivered in spades across the board and has become one of my favorite otome games.
Just like Collar X Malice Unlimited, Piofiore: Fated Memories on Nintendo Switch will be the first time this otome visual novel from Otomate sees an English release. Piofiore follows Liliana Adornato and is set in the early 1900s in Italy. Lili was raised in a church in the Italian town of Burlone. She finds herself caught in the middle of turf wars between the mafia. She obviously comes into contact with all sorts of people and you will only get the full picture after seeing through different routes and their endings here. What makes the story in Piofiore: Fated Memories stand out is that the setting and characters gel perfectly to create a mafia experience unlike anything out there. Lili also isn’t some stupid girl but is actually a well written character, despite her upbringing and the setting. She doesn’t just exist to fall in love with potential bachelors.
Given the setting, Piofiore makes generous use of Italian words and phrases not just in the story (with explanations), but also in the interface. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking up some of the food item names online. The in-game glossary helps a lot as well here. I was a bit concerned about how the localization would be given the setting and the use of Italian words and phrases, but it is very well done barring a few typos.
Structurally, to see the finale you will need to have experienced the best of the main character endings. Don’t expect to just use a guide and see the true ending of the game and move on in Piofiore. You will work for the best endings and it will be worth it here. It does take effort and time though to unlock everything but it is worth it. Just be warned that the bad endings pull no punches.
Otomate’s visual novels have top notch interfaces and character designs but Piofiore has easily exceeded Collar X Malice which was my favorite of the developer’s work so far. The menus and animations are excellent and they fit with the narrative perfectly. There are even great film reel animations during the story when. Overall, this is definitely one of the prettiest visual novels out there. The character designs are also very well done with some fantastic CGs. The extras menu here looks superb and it definitely makes it worth trying to unlock everything this story has to offer.
Music and voice acting are very important in visual novels and Piofiore excels in both aspects. The soundtrack is full of catchy and upbeat tunes with others suited to the darker moments. As you experience more of the story, the music part of the extras in particular is very well designed with its vinyl record aesthetic.
Overall, Piofiore: Fated Memories is an essential for otome fans with one caveat. The content in some of the endings definitely justifies the M for Mature rating and it definitely gets very dark. If that isn’t a deterrent for you, Piofiore: Fated Memories will be one of the best otome games you can play today on Nintendo Switch. I was already sold on the art and music with the first trailer but I’m glad the story delivered and the whole experience lived up to the expectations set by the aesthetic. 2020 is definitely the year of otome on Nintendo Switch with Cafe Enchante also set to arrive next month from Aksys Games. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Outpost Delta ($24.99)
From the makers of the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game comes this run-and-gun shooter. While it has exploratory elements, I’m not sure that it’s a Metroidvania so much as it one of those slightly non-linear Turrican-style games we tend to see come out of the home computer scene. You play as a drone named Delta who has to defend an abandoned research station from invading aliens. Shooting is twin-stick style, there’s some gravity manipulation in there, and there are lots of weapons and suit upgrades you can get to up your arsenal. It looks really cool, but as I haven’t had a chance to play it yet all I can really comment on is how it looks.
HyperBrawl Tournament ($24.99)
HyperBrawl Tournament never felt like it was in its best place as part of Apple Arcade. The touch controls just didn’t work as well as they needed to, there was practically no one online to play with, and if you were on an iPhone the lack of screen real estate could be a real problem. We’ll see if things work out better on Switch. It’s kind of a futuristic sports game like Speedball or, I don’t know, Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball. Up to four players can join in either locally or online, but knowing how these things go on Switch, you’d better make sure you have some local friends to play with. It’s alright in multiplayer.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
WB Games is having another one of its twice-monthly sales again. Just wanted to get that out of the way. In terms of rarer treats, Sekai Games has some deep discounts on a few of its games, and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is 30% off its normal price. Both versions of Battle Princess Madelyn are quite cheap at the moment, offering some Ghouls ‘n Ghosts-style fun. Not a usual recommendation from me, I’ll admit, but that Solitaire Deluxe 3 in 1 Bundle is definitely worth a few bucks if you enjoy messing about with cards. There’s quite a bit in the outbox, though most of the games will be back on sale again soon. Notable exceptions include the Robotics;Notes titles, which will likely follow the pattern of Steins;Gate and only get discounted a few times per year.
Select New Games on Sale
My Girlfriend is a Mermaid!? ($2.49 from $24.99 until 10/26)
The Last Campfire ($11.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Gnome More War ($2.39 from $2.99 until 10/26)
fault – milestone one ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
A Magical High School Girl ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Vampire: Shadows of New York ($11.69 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ($27.99 from $39.99 until 11/1)
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/1)
Bargain Hunter ($8.74 from $12.49 until 11/1)
Super Street: Racer ($17.49 from $39.99 until 11/1)
Time Tenshi ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Mortal Kombat 11 ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/2)
Mortal Kombat Aftermath DLC ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Mortal Kombat Kombat Pack ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Cars 3: Driven to Win ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Scribblenauts Showdown ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Scribblenauts Mega Pack ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
LEGO Jurassic World ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
LEGO DC Super-Villains ($17.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
LEGO Worlds ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
LEGO The Incredibles ($17.99 from $59.99 until 11/2)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
LEGO NinjaGo Video Game ($12.49 from $49.99 until 11/2)
LEGO City Undercover ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
LEGO Harry Potter Collection ($12.49 from $49.99 until 11/2)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
Galaxy Champions TV ($1.29 from $6.99 until 11/2)
Sea Salt ($9.89 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Neverout ($1.99 from $7.49 until 11/3)
Rock’N Racing Off Road DX ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Jurassic Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 11/8)
World Soccer Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 11/8)
Them Bombs! ($9.79 from $13.99 until 11/8)
Super Arcade Soccer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 11/8)
Moto Rush GT ($0.99 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Cooking Tycoons 3 in 1 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/9)
Solitaire Deluxe 3 in 1 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Battle Princess Madelyn ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/9)
Battle Princess Madelyn Royal ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Queen’s Quest 3 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21st
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Beast Quest ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 10/21)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 10/21)
Boreal Blade ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Cattails ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Caveman Warriors ($1.29 from $12.99 until 10/21)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol. 2 ($9.19 from $45.99 until 10/21)
Deer Drive Legends ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Degrees of Separation ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Demon Pit ($3.39 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Doodle God: Evolution ($2.79 from $9.99 until 10/21)
DreamBall ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Firework ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 10/21)
Furwind ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Galaxy Warfighter ($1.95 from $6.99 until 10/21)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($9.95 from $14.90 until 10/21)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/21)
Get 10 Quest ($1.49 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Glass Masquerade Pack ($3.29 from $21.99 until 10/21)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 10/21)
Guess the Character ($1.01 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Hero Express ($0.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Horace ($13.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Horror Bundle Vol. 1 ($4.56 from $30.49 until 10/21)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol. 3 ($7.56 from $50.49 until 10/21)
Ink & HackyZack Bundle ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Jigsaw Masterpieces ($0.09 from $0.99 until 10/21)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 10/21)
Liberated ($13.39 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Max & the Book of Chaos ($5.99 from $7.99 until 10/21)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Mutant Mudds Collection ($1.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Newton’s Cradle Puzzle Game ($1.49 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Nine Parchments ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($2.99 from $11.99 until 10/21)
Old Man’s Journey ($6.69 from$9.99 until 10/21)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Override: Mech City Brawl ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/21)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol. 1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 10/21)
Rainbows, Toilets & Unicorns ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/21)
Reknum ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 10/21)
Robotics;Notes DaSH ($26.24 from $34.99 until 10/21)
Robotics;Notes Elite ($26.24 from $34.99 until 10/21)
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break ($19.49 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Silk ($3.89 from $12.99 until 10/21)
Skelly Selest ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Skully ($19.49 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Smoots Summer Games ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Smoots World Cup Tennis ($8.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Snakeybus ($7.18 from $11.99 until 10/21)
Soccer Slammers ($0.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Solitaire Klondike Minimal ($0.69 from $2.99 until 10/21)
Splitter Critters ($0.69 from $6.99 until 10/21)
Straimium Immortaly ($3.59 from $11.99 until 10/21)
Super Hyperactive Ninja ($1.34 from $8.99 until 10/21)
Syberia 1 & 2 ($9.79 from $34.99 until 10/21)
Tcheco in Castle of Lucio ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($1.99 from $11.99 until 10/21)
Top Run ($0.49 from $4.99 until 10/21)
Top Speed: Drag & Fast Racing ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/21)
Trine 2: Complete ($5.09 from $16.99 until 10/21)
Trine 3: Artifacts of Power ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Trine 4: Nightmare Prince ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Trine Enchanted ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Trine: Ultimate Collection ($14.99 from $49.99 until 10/21)
Troll & I ($2.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
UnExplored ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Valfaris Full Metal Mode ($12.49 from $24.99 until 10/21)
Verlet Swing ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/21)
XenoRaptor ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/21)
Xeodrifter ($0.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Zombie Scrapper ($0.99 from $2.99 until 10/21)
That’s all that’s good for today, friends. Tomorrow has a few new releases to look forward to, with Horace in particular worth keeping an eye on. We’ll definitely have some news to check out, and there will likely be a list of new sales to have a gander at as well. Perhaps a review? We’ll see, friends. I hope you all have a great Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
