Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for December 4th, 2020. We’ve got a bunch of new releases to look into today, with the most prominent being Commandos 2 – HD Remaster, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, and John Wick Hex. We’ve also got a fairly healthy list of sales to check out, though there isn’t much to get too excited about in it. As far as news go, we finally have a Western release date for Persona 5 Strikers. It will be coming to Switch and other consoles on February 23rd, 2020. With that settled, let’s get right into the rest!
New Releases
Commandos 2 – HD Remaster ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Commandos 2 is a rather fondly-remembered part of real-time strategy gaming history, and until now it has never been on a Nintendo console. Well, it took twenty years and a full-on remaster, but here we go. Play through ten missions that take you through multiple environments, make use of nine unique units each with their own abilities and skills, and feel free to get creative with your solutions. With a fresh UI, reworked controls, and an improved tutorial, Commandos 2 has never been easier to get into. I’ll be doing a review of this one early next week, so if you need more details, do hang in there.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light ($5.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
It’s 2020, and in the last few years we’ve seen more than a few publishers correcting past localization injustices. Nintendo is the latest to do so by finally bringing its pioneering 1990 tactical RPG Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light to the West for the first time in its original 8-bit form. Some extra features have been added in to make it a bit easier to swallow, with rewind and save states among the most important. But even with that stuff you should expect this to be the trailblazer that it was, which means there are a lot of things in here that feel very rough. Those interested in gaming history will nevertheless find this a fruitful exploration.
Steampunk Tower 2 ($9.99)
This is a tower defense game with a slightly different set-up. You don’t build new towers with each stage. Instead, you’re constantly upgrading an existing one. Initially, it’s pretty fun but the longer it goes the more tedious it gets. I’m not a huge tower defense person to begin with, but a good one can still pull me in. This one peaks really early on and drags on for literal hours after that. If you really love the genre and are willing to put up with some rough edges for the sake of something a little unusual, you may appreciate this game more than I did.
John Wick Hex ($19.99)
From the developer of Thomas Was Alone comes this action-oriented strategy game based on the popular Keanu Reeves movies. Well, there’s a sentence I wouldn’t have expected to ever type. Anyway, this has already been out for a while on other platforms, and the consensus seems to be that it’s a good romp for fans of the films. It’s an original story set before the events of the films, and while it is a strategy game there’s a slight action element to it in terms of how quickly you need to make your decisions. Throw in a cool visual style and you’ve got something that is at the very least worth trying out if you enjoy strategy games.
Futoshiki Math ($6.99)
Some people have done so many Sudoku puzzles over the years that the whole thing just lacks challenge anymore. If that’s you, Futoshiki Math may have the zest you’re looking for. You need to arrange digits as before, using each one only once in each row and column, but there are additional conditions you need to meet that generally call on mathematical principles. There are 90 puzzles to solve, ranging in difficulty from relative small and simple to large and complex, and you can pick between light and dark color themes. That’s pretty much the lot, as like many puzzlers on the Switch this game isn’t big on bells and whistles. Neat, particularly for those who enjoy tricky logic puzzles.
Paw Paw Paw ($9.99)
Paw Paw Paw has a funny story set-up. A peaceful and prosperous kingdom’s normal life is up-ended when the king decrees that everyone must wear pants. You take on the role of a member of the resistance group ANTIPANTS and try to take down the corrupt king. Up to four players can join in on this beat-em-up via local multiplayer, and it features all the bits and bobs many players like to see in games these days. You know, things like leveling up, loot, and mounts. I’ve been on a beat-em-up bender this year, so I was pretty interested in this one. Unfortunately, the mechanical side of things didn’t work for me as well as the premise. It’s got that Castle Crashers feel to it, which is good news for some of you but not my personal preference. If you like that type of brawler, you’ll probably have a nicer time with this one.
Nine Witches: Family Disruption ($19.99)
Yes, more weird adventure games please. It’s 1944 and a mysterious dark moon sits in the sky above the town of Sundae, Norway. The Nazis seek to exploit the moon to unleash a horrible curse to try to turn the tide of the war, and only a professor of occult science and his eager assistant stand in their way. Explore this odd town and try to solve the mystery before it’s too late. With lots of kooky characters and an interesting plot, adventure game fans should find something to like in Nine Witches.
Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise ($49.99)
Looking for the next exercise game for your Switch? Can’t find a copy of Ring Fit Adventure? Perhaps this will fit the bill. Fitness Boxing 2 follows in the footsteps of the original, giving you a solid workout routine and lots of music to punch off the calories to. All the best hits are here. There’s… uh… Cyndi Lauper! Bon Jovi! Darude! The Village People! Steppenwolf! Bananarama! Okay, I promise there is some newer music in here too. If the first game was part of your usual routine, you can carry over your profile to this new one to maintain your progress stats and what-not. There’s a demo for this on the eShop if you want to give it a try yourself. Personally, I find it less of a workout than Ring Fit Adventure, but then again I’d find going ten rounds with Mike Tyson less of a workout than Ring Fit Adventure.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As I expected yesterday, there isn’t a whole lot of interesting picks in this rather large list. That’s not to say there isn’t anything, mind you. Ultracore has never been on sale before, and it’s a fun Turrican-style run-and-gun action game. AVICII Invector is also having a rare sale. It’s a solid rhythm game, and who doesn’t like that kind of thing? Namco’s running some good discounts on its classic compilations, and they’re all worth owning. As for the outbox, Team 17’s latest sale is coming to a close this weekend. Check through and make sure there isn’t anything you’re interested in.
Select New Games on Sale
Spitlings ($10.49 from $14.99 until 12/10)
Ultracore ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/11)
WarriOrb ($6.49 from $12.99 until 12/13)
ibb & obb ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/13)
Elden: Path of Forgotten ($4.79 from $15.99 until 12/16)
XenoRaptor ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Verlet Swing ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Golem Gates ($6.24 from $24.99 until 12/16)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 12/16)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Super Blood Hockey ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Odallus: Dark Call ($2.99 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/16)
Blacksea Odyssey ($2.59 from $12.99 until 12/16)
Skelly Selest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/16)
Straimium Immortaly ($3.59 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/16)
Valfaris Full Metal Mode ($12.49 from $24.99 until 12/16)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/16)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Snakeybus ($5.99 from $11.99 until 12/16)
UnExplored ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Frost ($3.24 from $12.99 until 12/16)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 12/16)
INK & HackyZack Bundle ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Glass Masquerade Double Pack ($3.29 from 21.99 until 12/16)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol.1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 12/16)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol.2 ($6.89 from $45.99 until 12/16)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol.3 ($7.56 from $50.49 until 12/16)
Horror Bundle Vol.1 ($4.56 from $30.49 until 12/16)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm ($7.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Namco Museum ($9.89 from $29.99 until 12/17)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
The Office Quest ($4.19 from $11.99 until 12/17)
The Shapeshifting Detective ($6.49 from $12.99 until 12/17)
MotoGP 18 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 12/17)
Tower Climb ($2.10 from $6.00 until 12/17)
Parking Madness ($2.10 from $6.00 until 12/17)
Bunny Adventure ($2.10 from $6.00 until 12/17)
Up Cliff Drive ($2.10 from $6.00 until 12/17)
AVICII Invector ($17.99 from $19.99 until 12/18)
Kuukiyomi: Consider It! ($3.74 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Diggerman ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Merchants of Kaidan ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Bad Dream: Coma ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Bedtime Blues ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Realpolitiks ($2.49 from $24.99 until 12/23)
Persian Nights: SoW ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Tiny Hands Adventure ($2.39 from $7.99 until 12/23)
NoReload Heroes ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Star Story: Horizon Escape ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Shut Eye ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/23)
Grab Lab ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
My Brother Rabbit ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/23)
The Mahjong Huntress ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Startide ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Fishing Universe Simulator ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
IHUGU ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/23)
Hard West ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Bard’s Gold ($2.06 from $8.99 until 12/23)
Surfingers ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Dungeons & Aliens ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/23)
Bad Dream: Fever ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Teddy Wanderer: Kayaking ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Teddy Wanderer: Mountain Hike ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Lost King’s Lullaby ($3.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Risky Rescue ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Omen Exitio: Plague ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Phantom Doctrine ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Terrorhythm ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Thief Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Grave Keeper ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Tap Skaters ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Gunpowder on the Teeth ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Q-YO Blaster ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
The Childs Sight ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Agony ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Glaive: Brick Breaker ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Goetia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Frederic: RoM ($2.39 from $5.99 until 12/23)
Frederic 2: ESB ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Qbik ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Violett ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Hollow ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Millie ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Zombillie ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Dark Veer ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Sparkle Zero ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Sparkle 2 EVO ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Sparkle 3 Genesis ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Sparkle 4 Tales ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
OmoTomO ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Sinless ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Drums ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Sniper ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Hunt ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Golf ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Table Tennis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Checkers ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Outbreak Lost Hope ($11.04 from $12.99 until 12/23)
Cybxus Hearts ($4.24 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Tanuki Justice ($11.99 from $14.99 until 12/24)
Sales Ending This Weekend
198X ($6.99 from $9.99 until 12/5)
Chess Ultra ($6.24 from $12.49 until 12/5)
Doom & Destiny ($8.39 from $11.99 until 12/5)
Miner Warfare ($5.59 from $7.99 until 12/5)
Newt One ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/5)
Where the Bees Make Honey ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/5)
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/5)
Ageless ($8.99 from $14.99 until 12/6)
Automachef ($5.09 from $14.99 until 12/6)
Blasphemous ($12.49 from $24.99 until 12/6)
Boxing Champs ($2.37 from $9.50 until 12/6)
Captain Cat ($2.09 from $2.99 until 12/6)
Circuits ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/6)
Crown Trick ($15.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Going Under ($15.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Golf With Your Friends ($11.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Jump, Step, Step ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/6)
King Lucas ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/6)
Max Reloaded II ($2.47 from $9.90 until 12/6)
Moving Out ($14.99 from $24.99 until 12/6)
Mugsters ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/6)
My Time at Portia ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/6)
Neon Abyss ($15.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Overcooked Special ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Overcooked! 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 12/6)
Path to Mnemosyne ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/6)
Planet Alpha ($3.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Raging Justice ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/6)
Salt and Sanctuary ($8.99 from $17.99 until 12/6)
She Sees Red ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/6)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/6)
Spell Casting: Purrfect ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/6)
Super Skelemania ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/6)
The Escapists 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
The Escapists: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/6)
The Room ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/6)
The Survivalists ($19.99 from $24.99 until 12/6)
Worms W.M.D. ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/6)
Yoku’s Island Express ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/6)
Yooka-Laylee ($9.99 from $39.99 until 12/6)
Yooka-Laylee & Impossible Lair ($11.99 from $29.99 until 12/6)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. Next week is going to be another big one, with some rather huge releases hitting. We’ll have summaries of all of them, naturally. There are several reviews on tap, and of course whatever news and sales hit each day will be included. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
