Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for December 29th, 2020. I thought I was a smart guy yesterday, I tell you. The schedule showed just one new release, so I thought I’d have lots of free time to do other things. I come in today, fire up the ol’ new release page, and boom, eleven new releases. Well, we’ve got summaries of all of them, plus some new sales for you to check out. And that’s the lot, because I’m trying to get the best of 2020 stuff wrapped up. Let’s dig in!
New Releases
FUZE Player ($0.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
A new Dizzy release? In 2020? Some popular breakfast foods cannot be stopped, apparently. Okay, so the deal here is that up until now, FUZE4 Nintendo Switch creations were only really available to those who owned FUZE4 Nintendo Switch. This app acts like the RPG Maker player, giving you access to a bunch of free games that were created by the FUZE4 community. It comes with more than 10 games right off the hop, including the aforementioned Dizzy game. There are additional free games you can download, and presumably that number will continue to rise over time. Even if you just play the included games, one buck is a good price.
Wingspan ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I love it when games go with an unusual theme over rehashing the same old stuff. And Wingspan certainly does that. It’s a card game about attracting a wide variety of birds to your wildlife preserves. There are 170 different birds in the game, and you’ll have to use all of their abilities and powers to create the finest preserves. You’ll get points for doing so, and whoever has the most points after four rounds wins. Not for everyone, I suppose, but it’s a solid game that has its share of fans. Up to five players can play this one via online multiplayer. Just the cure for those looking for a new card game that isn’t about bludgeoning orcs or building farms.
Mia’s Picnic ($11.49)
This is a really straight-forward matching puzzle game where you connect the fruits by drawing lines. There are different goals in each stage that mix things up a little bit, but nothing you wouldn’t have seen if you’ve played more than a few mobile puzzlers. You can unlock a variety of costume pieces and customizable elements for the main character, but otherwise this isn’t all that different from a lot of games you could play for free on your mobile device. If you’re going to spend more than ten bucks on something like this, you may as well go all-in and grab Grindstone.
The Innsmouth Case ($14.99)
This choice-based adventure makes its way over to the Switch after launching on a few other platforms. It’s a Lovecraft-inspired horror-comedy, which is frankly a strange blend that we see more than you would expect. I really enjoyed this one on mobile, and I’d imagine the Switch version wouldn’t be any less enjoyable. That said, I don’t think it’s any better than the mobile version, and it costs about five times the price. So… do what you will with that. Personally, I’ll stick to the mobile version and use the excess cash to purchase twelve tasty Snickers bars.
Puzzle Plowing a Field ($2.99)
Well, this is a simple thing to describe. It’s one of those puzzle games where you need to touch every space on the level without stepping on the same space twice. You get fifty levels in total to play. Not very original, but I guess it’s only three bucks. Not much more to say about this, which is getting to be a pattern with games from this developer. Well, moving on.
Comic Coloring Book (Free)
Mmm. Okay, well this is clearly meant for little kids. It’s a coloring app following the story of a couple of kids, a magic animal, and a robot. The free part just introduces the story, after which you’ll have to pony up a few bucks each to follow the two stories. There’s one more DLC you can buy that allows you to draw your own comics. I’m not the audience for this, but I did want to list it in case any parents out there are looking at it and wondering what the financial catch is.
Cave Digger ($14.90)
This originally debuted as a VR game for home computers, and here it is on Switch minus the VR for a slightly higher price. It’s a first-person mining game, one of the sort where you go into the mines, gather some loot, bring it back and exchange it for new gadgets and such that will help you mine deeper. You can really, really tell it was designed as a VR experience. Without that in its favor, it’s just a dull grind that has the bonus feature of not running terribly well on Switch. Not a great fit for the system, frankly.
Pixel Game Maker Series Dungeon of Nazarick ($14.99)
Here’s another game created using the Pixel Game Maker MV creation software. This one is based on the Overlord series of light novels, and if I had to sum it up in a simple description I would call it a very modest take on Ghosts ‘n Goblins. If nothing else, it certainly feels like something made in Maker software. Fifteen bucks seems really high for what you get here, but I suppose if you’re a big fan of Overlord you might get some fun out of it.
Tap Tap Legions ($3.99)
As you would probably guess from the title, this is a port of a mobile game. A free-to-play one, I believe. As such it’s built around quick pick-up-and-play sessions, touting that it offers epic battles within five seconds. The problem is that it’s a little too simplified, leaving very little room for satisfying strategy. Hit the tiles to summon soldiers, selected from a group of eleven different types. Use special items to get a leg up and watch out for harmful tiles. There are sixty-four levels to play through, but you’ll probably be tired of the game well before the end. It only costs a few dollars more to get a Swords & Soldiers game instead, and that’s a far better take on this concept.
Virus: The Outbreak ($9.99)
I imagine we’re going to be seeing more and more games like this in the near future. Anyway, this is basically Plague Inc but in reverse. Try to contain the spread of a virus in order to save humanity, because heaven knows they won’t save themselves. Real information from health organizations and experts was used in the making of this game, giving it a bit of authenticity. At its core, this is a crisis management game that uses current events as a bit of spice. Not really my kind of topic at the moment, but perhaps in the future when things have settled down a bit.
Lily of the Hollow – Resurrection ($6.99)
This is the latest visual novel from the developers behind Gaokao Love 100Days. As such, you can probably expect a decent but not fantastic story with a rough translation. It follows the tale of a bodyguard who takes a job to escort a noble lady to her vacation home in the north. There are lots of characters to meet, secrets to uncover, and probably some romance waiting to happen along the way. The low price makes this easier to take a punt on than some of the pricier visual novels, at the very least.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Ah, there we go. Back to normal. It’s a short list of new sales today, and of the lot I would recommend Cecconoid, an interesting twin-stick homage to both Cybernoid and Robotron. At its full price it felt a bit expensive for what it offers, but for two bucks it’s a steal. A good chunk of sales are ending tomorrow, but the list is mostly made up games that go on sale every month or so. As such, you probably don’t need to put a high priority on most of the games there.
Select New Games on Sale
Awakening of Cthulhu ($2.39 from $11.99 until 1/3)
Chess Ace ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/4)
Clan N ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/5)
Lily of the Hollow Resurrection ($5.59 from $6.99 until 1/10)
Cecconoid ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/11)
Writhe ($7.49 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Cube Raiders ($3.89 from $12.99 until 1/17)
Food Truck Tycoon: Asian ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/17)
She Sees Red ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/17)
Ultimate Racing 2D ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/17)
Tyd wag vir Niemand ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/17)
‘n Verlore Verstand ($2.09 from $13.99 until 1/17)
Mind: Path to Thalamus ($2.39 from $11.99 until 1/17)
Golf Peaks ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/18)
Moorhuhn Remake ($5.59 from $6.99 until 1/18)
The Innsmouth Case ($9.74 from $14.99 until 1/18)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 30th
10 Second Run Returns ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/30)
1979 Revolution: Black Friday ($2.39 from $11.99 until 12/30)
A Knight’s Quest ($7.49 from $24.99 until 12/30)
Adv. of Elena Temple: Definitive ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/30)
American Fugitive ($6.79 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Aquatic Adv. of Last Human ($2.59 from $12.99 until 12/30)
Battle Princess Madelyn ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Battle Princess Madelyn Royal ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Beat Cop ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Beholder: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Bleed ($2.39 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Bleed 2 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Blood & Guts Bundle ($6.74 from $44.99 until 12/30)
Bomber Crew ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Card Game Bundle Vol 1 ($3.59 from $23.99 until 12/30)
Caveblazers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Caveman Warriors ($1.99 from $12.99 until 12/30)
Children of Morta ($10.99 from $21.99 until 12/30)
Cube Creator X ($11.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! ($2.24 from $8.99 until 12/30)
Doodle Derby ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/30)
DreamBall ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/30)
Dungeon Crawl Vol 1 ($7.86 from $52.49 until 12/30)
Earth Atlantis ($3.44 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Flame in the Flood: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
For The King ($8.49 from $24.99 until 12/30)
Frozen Friends ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Furwind ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 12/30)
Glass Masquerade ($2.99 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Glass Masquerade 2 ($4.79 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Guess the Character ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/30)
Hacky Zack ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Hotshot Racing ($13.39 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Hue ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Iconoclasts ($7.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
In Between ($2.75 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol 2 ($5.24 from $34.99 until 12/30)
Indie Puzzle Bundle Vol 1 ($5.99 from $39.99 until 12/30)
Ink ($2.24 from $8.99 until 12/30)
Iron Wings ($8.99 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Make It Quick Bundle Vol 1 ($4.79 from $31.99 until 12/30)
Manual Samuel ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Max & the Book of Chaos ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/30)
Motorsport Manager ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Narcos: Rise of Cartels ($8.99 from $29.99 until 12/30)
Nerdook Bundle Vol 1 ($4.49 from $29.99 until 12/30)
Offroad Racing: BxAxM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Omega Strike ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Oniken & Odallus Bundle ($3.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Paranautical Activity ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/30)
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ($16.74 from $24.99 until 12/30)
Pipe Push Paradise ($2.19 from $10.99 until 12/30)
Pumped BMX Pro ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Reknum ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/30)
Rogue Aces ($2.59 from $12.99 until 12/30)
Safety First! ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/30)
Serial Cleaner ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Shikhondo: Soul Eater ($3.49 from $13.99 until 12/30)
Skelly Selest/Straimium Pack ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Smoke & Sacrifice ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Smoots Summer Games ($4.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Snake Pass ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Soap Dodgem ($1.99 from $5.99 until 12/30)
Spectrum ($2.39 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Spider Solitaire Black ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/30)
Sudoku Relax 2 ($3.74 from $4.99 until 12/30)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Super Hyperactive Ninja ($1.99 from $8.99 until 12/30)
Syberia 3 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 12/30)
Tamashii ($3.59 from $11.99 until 12/30)
The First Tree ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)
The Inner World ($2.75 from $11.99 until 12/30)
The Inner World: Last Monk ($3.44 from $14.99 until 12/30)
The Swindle ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Three Fourths Home ($2.24 from $8.99 until 12/30)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($2.75 from $11.99 until 12/30)
Toki ($2.08 from $14.90 until 12/30)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/30)
Underhero ($5.77 from $16.99 until 12/30)
Valfaris & Slain Pack ($13.99 from $39.99 until 12/30)
Velocity 2X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/30)
Vertical Drop Heroes ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/30)
Wide Ocean Big Jacket ($3.19 from $7.99 until 12/30)
Windscape ($4.59 from $19.99 until 12/30)
That’s all for today, friends. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any new releases hitting tomorrow or the next day, but I’ve been proven a fool before so don’t take me to prison if I’m wrong. As such, we’ll be finishing up some pending reviews and rolling out our year-end content over the next couple of days. There might be some news in the form of the latest weekend Smash event, but that’s probably it. Anyway, I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
