Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November 19th, 2020. There are a bunch of new releases to look at today, and that’s just what we’re going to do. The biggest gun of the week hits tomorrow with the release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, but there are a couple of notable releases today. Past that, we’ve got all of the incoming and outgoing sales at the time of writing, and there are already some games to consider in those lists. Let’s glide into the battle!
New Releases
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I don’t know why Bridge Constructor keeps getting these weird mash-ups, but I’m here for it. This one incorporates its theme well, having you construct bridges to help survivors move forward and construct traps to kill walkers. The specific variant of The Walking Dead here is the TV show, so don’t expect Clementine to show up or anything. The new elements the brand brings with it perfectly freshens up the Bridge Constructor experience, and it plays really well on the Switch. Nevertheless I must do my duty and inform you that the game also plays very well on mobile and is a third of the price there. So… do what you will with that.
Star Renegades ($24.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This one comes from the makers of Halcyon 6, and if you enjoyed that game you’ll definitely want to check this one out. It’s a little RPG, a little turn-based tactics, and a dash of roguelite that comes together in a very stylish package. The basic idea here is that a robot named J5T-1N appears, warning you about an impending invasion from something called the Imperium. You need to fight them off, but should you fail you’ll send J5T-1N to the next dimension where its heroes may win in slightly different circumstances. Cute narrative framing for the randomly generated bits. Shame the story doesn’t really go anywhere, but that’s fine. The gameplay is solid enough to carry the rest.
Fire and Water ($1.99)
Two bucks, hunh? Not… not going to expect a lot, then. This is a 30-stage puzzle platformer where you need to guide Fire Boy and Water Girl to their respective exits, collecting diamonds as you go. Fire Boy needs to avoid water, while Water Girl needs to avoid fire. This is kind of Shakespearean? Then there is black water, which apparently kills them both. Like some sort of apothecary’s poison, mayhap. Naturally there are plenty of gimmicks that you’ll have to make use of in order to get through the game. Something tells me that someone will enjoy this for the price, but it sure won’t be me.
Outbreak ($12.99)
This is a top-down survival horror game that mechanically draws a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil. It certainly has its fans, as the gushing reviews on other platforms will attest to. It’s dark enough, spooky enough, and clunky enough to please those who like classic horror games. Don’t confuse this for a blazing-fast twin-stick shooter or anything like that. There’s certainly plenty of shooting here, but you’re going to be working for those kills. There are multiple modes of play, and you can bring in a friend for some local co-op. You can also use AI teammates, which I’m sure is a horrible idea. I think it’s funny that we’re only getting this original title after two of its follow-ups have come to Switch, but hey, what can you do? It’s here now.
Party Games: 15 in 1 ($4.99)
The most interesting thing about this one is its pencil-and-paper motif. It’s a low-cost party game for up to four players via local multiplayer, and as it says in the title it offers fifteen different mini-games. None of them are all that great on their own, but I suppose for five dollars you really can’t expect too much. With how many great party games there are on the Switch, even on the more affordable end, I’m not sure what the appeal is in something like this. Is it better than nothing? Maybe. I often see people say that pretty much any game is fun with friends, but this game dares to look that statement square in the eye and say “oh yeah?"
Karma Knight ($8.99)
Something tells me that the developers of Karma Knight really like Mega Man X. This is a side-scrolling action-platformer where you play as a knight who really enjoys a good slashing. Definitely stylish, and there’s some good fun to be had here if you can get in tune with its controls and physics. On the other hand, there are enough frustrating elements that the rather lengthy levels can get to be a bit much. The game also loves that type of enemy that blocks everything until you smack them upside the head with a certain type of attack first, and I find that kind of thing to be a real show-stopper in games like this one. Setting aside a few petty gripes, this is actually alright for the price. I wouldn’t go running down the street shouting about it, but it’s fine.
Art Sqool ($9.99)
I dig this game’s style, but that’s all I really dig about it. You’re an art student and you have to make stuff for the appraisal of your AI professor. The professor will give you an assignment, and you need to fulfill it as best as you can. Thankfully, you can draw with the touch screen if you want. You can also explore the world and find new brushes and things. Certainly a different sort of game from what we usually see, but I don’t know how strongly I would recommend it. It’s just a bit too arbitrary and limited. Still, if you’re looking for something novel from today’s releases, this is likely the winner.
Dreamo ($14.99)
I thought for sure this was going to be a VR game ported over to the Switch, but no. Even on PC, this was a regular ol’ low-poly adventure game. Explore a pretty landscape and solve a whole lot of gear puzzles. You know the type, where you have to place gears in such a way that they all interact properly and get the machine going? That’s what this game is all about. Solve a puzzle, get a little fragment of the story, and move on to the next one. It’s up to you whether this idea appeals to you or not. I will say that it is a rather well-constructed set of gear puzzles, if nothing else.
Cake Bash ($19.99)
Well, it’s another four-player party battler. This time you’re cakes. There’s multiplayer support for up to four players local or online. You can also go against bots if you like to play party games by yourself. There are some unusual goals that incorporate the theme nicely, and some mini-games when you need a break from the usual business. It’s really cute and certainly made with quality, so if you need a new party game to put into your rotation, this is a good one. I’m kind of full up on this sort of thing at the moment, as I don’t host very many parties these days.
Cape’s Escape Game ($3.00)
There’s some dire stuff in today’s batch of new releases, and Cape’s Escape Game may be the worst of the bunch. At least it’s cheap? So yeah, this is a room escape game. Some ghost locks you in an apartment and you need to figure out how to get out. It’s a very sparsely-decorated apartment, and its owner clearly enjoys buying out of the Unity asset catalog. This is the first game in a pretty large series, and you can play all of them for free on your mobile device. Aside from the generic visuals and poor translation, this is a passable beginner-friendly example of the genre, I suppose. I still wouldn’t spend three bucks on it.
Eldrador Creatures ($29.99)
Uh oh, there’s one of those little “R" marks beside ‘Eldrador‘. That means this is a licensed thing, right? Okay, I just searched it. Yes, it is. Based on a line of toys, apparently, and pretty cool-looking ones at that. Which is more than I can say for this game, which appears to be a very rough turn-based strategy game. It includes twenty creatures, four battlegrounds, and… well, that’s it, really. The developer isn’t exactly known for high-quality productions, and this probably won’t shake anyone’s perceptions.
Educational Games for Kids ($12.95)
I am immediately suspicious! But only a little, because they at least didn’t put the word ‘fun’ in the title. Anyway, this is an assortment of games and activities aimed at kids, and although it says it’s appropriate for ages three to eighteen, I wouldn’t try pushing the upper boundary of that range. There are three reflex-based mini-games, jigsaw puzzles, geography quizzes, memory matching games, mazes, and more. There’s quite a bit in here, which makes me think that if you’re inclined to buy something like this on the Switch, this could be one of the better choices. There are 21 activities and mini-games in all.
The Casino -Roulette, Video Poker, Slot Machines, Craps, Baccarat- ($9.99)
Well, that name just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? But wait, could this be? Yes, it is a genuine D3 Publisher THE series game! At any rate, that extremely descriptive title does a lot of my work for me. This is a casino game where you can play all of the games listed in its name. You can customize various things like backgrounds, game rules, and card designs, and there are some achievements to shoot for. Not my kind of thing, but if you consider what you get for your ten bucks here compared to, say, one of those miserable Sabec apps, it seems like a pretty good deal for fans of virtual gambling.
Azurebreak Heroes ($6.99)
This is a rather… humble take on the action-RPG rogue-lite genre, and it’s genuinely hard to find much of note to say about it. There are six different characters, each with a slightly different set of skills and perks available to them, plus artifacts you can use to customize things a little. Three different endings, apparently? Anyway, I know it doesn’t look like anything worth caring about, but Azurebreak Heroes is surprisingly pretty enjoyable. Like, it’s not amazing or anything, but you could find many worse ways to spend seven bucks. Genuinely better than it appears to be.
Grisaia Phantom Trigger 05 ($14.99)
By this point, we’re five chapters and four releases into this visual novel series. So you’re either in for the long haul, or not interested at all. And assuming you are interested, I can safely recommend not starting with the fifth chapter. Anyway, this picks up a few weeks after SORD dealt with the Kitaoka University terrorist situation, and sees Murasaki’s older sister Yuuki returning to Japan and rejoining the Mihama Academy. Murasaki, filled with doubts, flashes back a few years to when she met Haruto for the first time. Will it be a tragic story? Oh, you know it will.
Brawl Chess ($9.99)
Not to be confused with Auto Brawl Chess on mobile, this is just the classic game of chess with a spiffed-up presentation. Kind of a modern take on Interplay’s golden oldie Battle Chess, but more child-friendly. Play against the AI or another player locally, and enjoy the extra overhead of animations and cut-away battles. You can also set it to classic mode to just use normal pieces if you’d prefer. Well hey, if the cartoon characters trick some unwitting children into getting into chess, I guess that’s fine.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
There are a lot of sales hitting soon, and many of them may have been posted by the time you read this. At the time I’m writing this, we’ve got a small-to-medium-sized list that has a few interesting things in it. Minecraft Dungeons Hero Edition is the big one, of course. KEMCO is also doing a sale on several of its games, and I daresay some of them are approaching prices where I might recommend them. Revenant Saga was decent enough, as I recall, and I rather like Frane. The outbox has a lot of Ratalaika releases in it, some of which are quite fun. Though I don’t blame anyone who chooses to save their money for bigger things, particularly given where we’re at calendar-wise.
Select New Games on Sale
Cattails ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/24)
King Oddball ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/24)
Spellspire ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/24)
Xenoraid ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/24)
Tennis in the Face ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/24)
Azkend 2: The World Beneath ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/24)
Baseball Riot ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/24)
Tilt Pack ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/25)
The World Next Door ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/26)
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/26)
Minecraft Dungeons Hero Edtn ($19.99 from $29.99 until 12/1)
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/1)
Vampire: Coteries of NY ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/1)
Vampire: Shadows of NY ($11.04 from $12.99 until 12/1)
Vosaria: LotF ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/1)
Nightshade ($33.59 from $47.99 until 12/2)
Lovekami -Divinity Stage- ($11.99 from $14.99 until 12/3)
Nexoria: Dungeon Rogue Heroes ($4.20 from $4.99 until 12/3)
The Snake King ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/4)
Hero Hours Contract ($2.79 from $3.99 until 12/4)
Frane: Dragon’s Odyssey ($7.79 from $12.99 until 12/10)
Legend of the Tetrarchs ($8.99 from $14.99 until 12/10)
Revenant Saga ($6.49 from $12.99 until 12/10)
Revenant Dogma ($7.79 from $12.99 until 12/10)
Chronus Arc ($7.79 from $12.99 until 12/10)
Antiquia Lost ($6.49 from $12.99 until 12/10)
Mom Hid My Game! ($2.99 from $4.99 until 12/10)
The Deer God ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/10)
Subdivision Infinity DX ($6.59 from $14.99 until 12/10)
Infinite: Beyond the Mind ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/10)
Picklock ($6.39 from $7.99 until 12/10)
QV ($11.99 from $14.99 until 12/10)
Party Games 15 in 1 ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/23)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, November 20th
A Summer with the Shiba Inu ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Attack of the Toy Tanks ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Back in 1995 ($6.49 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Bird Game+ ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Blind Men ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Bouncy Bullets ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Castle Pals ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Clash Force ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Concept Destruction ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Cybarian ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Delta Squad ($3.89 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Distraint 2 ($6.29 from $8.99 until 11/20)
Distraint: Deluxe ($3.89 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Duck Souls+ ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
EQQO ($4.00 from $6.00 until 11/20)
Final Light, The Prison ($2.09 from $6.99 until 11/20)
Football Game ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
FoxyLand ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
FoxyLand 2 ($4.19 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Ganbare! Super Strikers ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Guard Duty ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Gun Crazy ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Himno ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Infliction: Extended Cut ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/20)
Jisei: The First Case HD ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Journey of the Broken Circle ($5.60 from $8.00 until 11/20)
Just Ignore Them ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Knightin’+ ($4.19 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Legend of the Skyfish ($5.19 from $7.99 until 11/20)
Mekabolt ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Metagal ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Metaverse Keeper ($13.49 from $14.99 until 11/20)
Milo’s Quest ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Mochi Mochi Boy ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Neon Junctions ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Nicole ($13.29 from $18.99 until 11/20)
One Night Stand ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Paradox Soul ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Perseverance ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Radio Squid ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Ramp Car Jumping ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/20)
Random Heroes: Gold ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Red Bow ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Reed 2 ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Reed Remastered ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Rush Rover ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Sagebrush ($3.89 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Spacejacked ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Strawberry Vinegar ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Suicide Guy ($1.03 from $7.99 until 11/20)
Suicide Guy: Sleepin’ Deeply ($0.77 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Super Destronaut: Land Wars ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Super Wiloo Demake ($3.24 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Syrup & the Ultimate Sweet ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Thunder Paw ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Thy Sword ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Tower of Babel ($2.09 from $5.99 until 11/20)
Trancelation ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Ultra Hat Dimension ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
Xtreme Club Racing ($2.07 from $9.89 until 11/20)
Zero Zero Zero Zero ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/20)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow we’ll have the rest of this week’s releases to deal with, including the heavy hitter Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The rest of the lineup looks… a bit questionable, but I haven’t looked too closely at all of them yet. I think we’ll also have a lot of new sales to sort through, and hopefully some of them will be good. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
