News

SwitchArcade Round-Up: ‘Cthulhu Saves Christmas’ Out Today, ‘Oceanhorn 2’ and Today’s Other New Releases and Sales

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 28th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got a couple of news items to go over before we head into today’s batch of new releases. Some nonsense with a giant picture took up a chunk of my time today, so I’ll have to punt the Torchlight III review again. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. Not necessarily with a review, mind you, but I will make it up in some way. The review will likely have to be pushed to Monday. Anyway, we’ve got some new games and sales to look at, so let’s do that little thing!

News

‘Cthulhu Saves Christmas’ Coming to Switch Today

I like Zeboyd Games RPGs a lot, friends. The mechanics have so much thought put into them, and the stories are just the right mix of zany and cool. I also love the retro-style presentation, which has improved significantly with each new release. Like many people, my first experience with Zeboyd was Cthulhu Saves The World, a cheeky take on the Cthulhu mythos that saw him reluctantly taking the heroic role. I’d imagine Cthulhu isn’t any more enthusiastic about his latest mission in Zeboyd’s Cthulhu Saves Christmas, which is arriving on the Switch eShop today. A physical version will be available through Limited Run Games starting November 6th if you’d prefer to own it outside the virtual world. I’ll definitely be reviewing this one, friends, so stay tuned.

Bounce Off of the Latest ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ Event This Weekend

Wednesday. A day of many faces, one of which being that it’s when we tend to find out about the next weekend event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s kind of a strange one this time as there’s a focus on reflecting, which is a theme we’ve seen before. It’s a little different this time, though. Instead of centering around characters who use reflection skills, it’s a tournament where projectiles will bounce off of fighters. Weird, but it should be fun. The event kicks off on Friday and runs for three days through the weekend.

New Releases

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm ($29.99)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

When Oceanhorn 2 hit Apple Arcade last year, it was pretty much the best Breath of the Wild homage you could find. It is not that anymore thanks to Genshin Impact, but it’s still worth a go if you’re looking for something Link-adjacent to get you through until Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity hits. Keep your expectations in check, mind you. This is from a fairly small developer, no matter how lovely those screens look. I probably don’t need to mention this, but for the price of this Switch version you can subscribe to Apple Arcade for half a year and play Oceanhorn 2 and lots of other games. If you want to play it on your Switch, this version is more than fine of course.

Poltergeist Crusader ($5.99)

Holy smokes. There’s something in the water today, friends, and it’s a bit stinky. Sigh. Well, this is a first-person dungeon exploration game with action combat. You battle poltergeists with your samurai sword and… holy cross, for some reason. You can pick up and use a limited selection of items, with potions being the most important of the bunch. It looks, sounds, and plays like someone’s school project. And I wouldn’t say it’s a project with a passing grade, either. Even a low price can’t save this one, but what more can you expect from Ultimate Games?

Star99 ($9.99)

In the future, every game genre will get its battle royale. Today, vertical shoot-em-ups get theirs. Chain together kills to send attacks at the other players and hope they mess up before you do. You’re playing with 98 other players, and there are private lobbies available. Thankfully it’s cross-platform, because I otherwise wouldn’t be optimistic about your odds of finding matches. There are six different characters to use, each with their own abilities to distinguish them. And that’s really all I’ve got to say about this one. Make sure you’ve got a Nintendo Switch Online subscription before buying it because there really isn’t much to do with it otherwise.

Banana Treasures Island ($9.90)

It takes a bit of chutzpah to ask for almost ten dollars for a generic-butt platformer, but here we are. Travel through five worlds, four of which are based on seasons. Go through the levels, collect coins, buy upgrades and power-ups, and try to free the islanders from some evil baboons. If it were priced at five dollars I’d still be a little cagey about it, but for this price? No, you’d almost certainly be better off buying ten delicious Snickers bars. Not all monkey-themed platformers are worth your time.

Chickens Madness ($14.99)

A party game about chickens doing weird things. It has local multiplayer for up to four players. There are 30 mini-games to play, offering up a fair bit of variety. It kind of works, but it mostly doesn’t. But you know, these party games are quite subjective. You may find it more appealing than I did, and that’s okay. I find the controls a bit gummy and I think the mini-games aren’t terribly well thought-out. Chickens are awesome but sometimes cluck just ain’t enough.

Gibbous – A Cthulhu Adventure ($19.99)

This is a pretty decent point-and-click adventure that came out last year on PC. There are three different protagonists who you’ll take through a lovingly rendered Lovecraft-meets-animated film world. The star of the show here is in the production values. This game really looks great, particularly given the size of the team. The game’s indie status is a bit more apparent in its mechanical design and story, but the flaws are easily outweighed by what it gets right. Probably best enjoyed by those who already have a fondness for the genre.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Some good stuff in today’s list of new sales, many of which are courtesy of a Devolver Digital sale. Aspyr’s also got some rock-bottom discounts on a few Star Wars games, and the Amnesia: Collection is on sale for a silly-low price. The outbox is rather large once again, so make sure you give it a good checking as well.

Select New Games on Sale

Amnesia: Collection ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Enter the Gungeon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Crossing Souls ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/2)
The Messenger ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Ape Out ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Swords of Ditto: Mormo’s Curse ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/2)
My Friend Pedro ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Hotline Miami Collection ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/2)
Stories Untold ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Carrion ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Witcheye ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/2)
Star Wars Pinball ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)


Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Star Wars Episode 1 Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Dead by Daylight ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/3)
StarCrossed ($7.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Death and Taxes ($7.79 from $12.99 until 11/3)
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ ($22.49 from $29.99 until 11/5)
Space Blaze ($10.19 from $29.99 until 11/8)
TheNightfall ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Mountain Rescue Simulator ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Professional Farmer: American Dream ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Firefighters: Airport Heroes ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Firefighters: The Simulation ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Professional Farmer ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Professional Construction: Simulation ($13.59 from $39.99 until 11/8)
Invisible Fist ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)


Rise of Insanity ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Legends of Amberland: Forgotten Crown ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Ludomania ($0.04 from $4.00 until 11/16)
Flowlines VS ($0.24 from $4.99 until 11/16)
Food Truck Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/16)
Polyroll ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/16)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29th

#NoLimitFantasy, Puzzles Dream ($0.99 from $6.19 until 10/29)
64.0 ($1.49 from $2.99 until 10/29)
99Moves ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/29)
99Seconds ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/29)
99Vidas – Definitive ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Abyss ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/29)
Alphaset by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
AngerForce: Reloaded ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Asdivine Dios ($7.79 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Behold the Kickmen ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/29)
Block-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Blossom Tales ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Brave Dungeon + Dark Witch Story ($7.19 from $8.99 until 10/29)
Candleman ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Checkers ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)


Cloudpunk ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/29)
Clouds & Sheep 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Cruel Bands Career ($2.79 from $3.99 until 10/29)
Crypto by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Cycle 28 ($2.09 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Darts Up ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/29)
DayD: Through Time ($2.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Destruction ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Dogurai ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Epic Word Search Collection ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Epic Word Search Collection 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Fernz Gate ($7.79 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Fifty Words by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Adventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Flatland Vol. 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)


Flood of Light ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Fluxteria ($2.09 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Fracter ($5.59 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Hardcore Maze Cube ($1.99 from $2.49 until 10/29)
Heaven Dust ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Hunt ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Infectious Madness of Dr. Dekker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Inversus Deluxe ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Jigsaw Abundance ($1.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Jigsaw Solace ($1.19 from $3.99 until 10/29)
Just a Phrase by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Lair of the Clockwork God ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Link-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Match ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Merchant of the Skies ($9.89 from $14.99 until 10/29)


Mushroom Heroes ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/29)
Nerved ($2.69 from $8.99 until 10/29)
Never Breakup ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Oceanhorn ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Pic-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Pic-a-Pix Pieces ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Power Racing Bundle ($6.79 from $16.99 until 10/29)
Rad Rodgers Radical ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/29)
Rally Rock ‘N Racing ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Restless Hero ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Rotating Brave ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Rune Factory 4 Special ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/29)
Self ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Skatemasta Tcheco ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)


Slayin 2 ($5.99 from $11.99 until 10/29)
Slot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Snake vs Snake ($3.59 from $3.99 until 10/29)
Sniper ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Solitaire Spider Minimal ($0.69 from $2.99 until 10/29)
Spot the Differences ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Spy Chameleon ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Story of Seasons: FoMT ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/29)
Sudoku Universe ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Super Jumpy Ball ($4.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Super Tennis Blast ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Teddy Gangs ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
The Legend of Dark Witch ($5.59 from $6.99 until 10/29)
The Red Lantern ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/29)
Tic-Tac-Toe by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)


Trax: Build It Race It ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
UNI ($0.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Vampire: Shadows of New York ($11.69 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Venture Kid ($0.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Vostok Inc ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/29)
War-Torn Dreams ($2.09 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Wenjia ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/29)
What Remains of Edith Finch ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Word Puzzles by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Search by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Sudoku by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Wheel by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Wordsweeper by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Wuppo: Definitive ($4.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/29)
Yuppie Psycho: Executive ($14.99 from $16.66 until 10/29)

That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow is Thursday and that means plenty of new releases to look at. Some cool indies in there, and we’ll have summaries of all of them as usual. Whatever new sales rolls in will also be included, naturally. I hope you all have a great Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!