Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 9th, 2021. In today’s article, we take a look at a handful of new releases that hit the eShop today. One of them is good! The others are… well, at least not as dubious as some of the games we saw in the last couple of Round-Ups. We also have a Mini-View for recent release Blue Fire, and the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales. Let’s get to work!
Mini-Views
Blue Fire ($19.99)
This is one of those games that I feel is a few smart changes away from being great, but instead settles into being merely good. It’s a cross between a Zelda game and a 3D take on Hollow Knight, though it gives up on its ambitions towards the former all too quickly and never hits the heights of the latter. It gets off to a decent start, but the content soon runs thin and the ways the game tries to stretch what it has just didn’t work for me. Platforming controls are thankfully solid, but the combat simply doesn’t have enough depth to it to keep things interesting across the many skirmishes you’ll engage in. The presentation of the game is quite good, though the lengthy loading times make deaths sting that extra bit more. I think if you’re patient with Blue Fire you’ll find a lot to like here, but it really could have been a lot more.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Readers who remember the classic Sierra series Quest for Glory fondly will want to consider this game. It’s made by Lori and Corey Cole, the creators of Quest for Glory, and it’s not even a little bit shy about being a new installment in everything but name. Well, it’s not like Activision is doing anything with the brand. For those who haven’t played any games in that series, Quest for Glory blended a Sierra-style graphic adventure with a healthy dose of RPG elements to create a mix that very few other games have imitated. Hero U leans a little more in the RPG direction, and the combat is considerably better than just about everything the Quest for Glory series attempted. I’ll be putting together a review for this one, but I can tell you right now that I rather like it.
Hexagon Defense ($3.99)
I feel like I’ve seen a game very similar to this among the new releases a few months ago, but given the sheer quantity of new games that hit every week I hope you’ll all forgive me for forgetting its name. Anyway, this is a simple arcade-style game where you play as a hexagon stuck in the middle of the screen. You have to rotate the hexagon to aim at and shoot incoming enemies. There are some interesting variations in terms of the backgrounds and enemies, but the core gameplay doesn’t change much at all no matter how you choose to play. Kind of a shallow experience that gets old fast, but I suppose that’s to be expected to an extent given the low price.
My Universe – Pet Clinic Cats & Dogs ($29.99)
The My Universe series continues its global domination by staking its claim to the Pet Clinic. But only the ones for cats and dogs. We’re a very basic pet clinic here. Like a couple of other games in this series, this is more or less a collection of mini-games involving giving medical treatment of some kind or another to the cats and dogs that are brought in. One minute you’ll be listening to a dog’s heart beat, the next you’ll be picking fleas off a cat. If you’re good at your job, you’ll be able to upgrade your clinic and take it to the next level. This game, and the My Universe series in general, reminds me of all that Nintendo DS software that popped up after it blew up. I’d imagine the target audience is much the same.
Smash Boats ($14.99)
This is a game where you play as a toy boat doing battle with other toy boats in a variety of locations like a bathtub, a toilet, and more. There are a total of 16 boats that can be unlocked and used, each with their own wild special ability. You smash, crash, and attack all of the other boats in each pool to try to take them out and remain the last boat floating. It’s better than it looks at first glance, but it’s a single-player game that screams for multiplayer modes. If you don’t mind that it’s a strictly solo affair, you may find its over-the-top action to your liking.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Another big list, and not even on one of the usual busy days. Well, let’s see what we have here. Black Future ’88 and OlliOlli: Switch Stance are nice pick-ups for their discounted prices, for sure. John Wick Hex is having its first post-launch sale, in case you were interested in it. Sim fans may want to look into RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 or Jurassic World Evolution. In the outbox, the most noteworthy items are the various Arcade Archives games. While Hamster is running sales more often than it used to, the chance of any given title showing up again is incredibly slim. Outside of that, it’s a lot of stuff that goes on sale fairly frequently. Double-check anyway, as you always should.
Select New Games on Sale
Good Pizza, Great Pizza ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Spider Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 2/13)
Super Battle Cards ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/15)
Ludomania ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/15)
Flowlines VS ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/15)
Klondike Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 2/15)
Demon’s Tilt ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/15)
Little Briar Rose ($3.59 from $5.99 until 2/15)
Cooking Tycoons 2 – 3 in 1 ($5.19 from $12.99 until 2/15)
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/15)
Contract Killers ($6.39 from $7.99 until 2/15)
We should talk. ($4.19 from $6.99 until 2/16)
Juicy Realm ($10.49 from $14.99 until 2/17)
To The Moon ($8.39 from $11.99 until 2/18)
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ($14.99 from $24.99 until 2/21)
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels ($8.99 from $29.99 until 2/21)
Human: Fall Flat ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/21)
The Flame in the Flood Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/21)
Serial Cleaner ($2.24 from $14.99 until 2/21)
Bomber Crew ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/21)
Rogue Aces ($2.59 from $12.99 until 2/21)
Smoke and Sacrifice ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/21)
Manual Samuel ($2.49 from $9.99 until 2/21)
Hotshot Racing ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/21)
Velocity 2X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/21)
Pumped BMX Pro ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/21)
The Swindle ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/21)
Beholder: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/21)
Speed 3: Grand Prix ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/21)
Motorsport Manager ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/21)
For The King ($8.49 from $24.99 until 2/21)
A Knight’s Quest ($7.49 from $24.99 until 2/21)
American Fugitive ($6.79 from $19.99 until 2/21)
Hue ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/21)
Last Encounter ($2.29 from $14.99 until 2/22)
Fin & the Ancient Mystery ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Spellkeeper ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/22)
Bubble Bubble Ocean ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/27)
Black Future ’88 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
OlliOlli: Switch Stance ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
John Wick Hex ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Windscape ($6.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Doodle Derby ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Pumpkin Jack ($20.99 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Safety First! ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/28)
Tyd wag vir Niemand ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
‘n Verlore Verstand ($2.09 from $13.99 until 2/28)
Semblance ($2.49 from $9.99 until 2/28)
The Inner World ($2.39 from $11.99 until 2/28)
The Inner World: Last Wind Monk ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
In Between ($1.99 from $11.99 until 2/28)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($1.99 from $11.99 until 2/28)
Milanoir ($4.49 from $12.99 until 2/28)
Oh… Sir! Hollywood Roast ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/28)
ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Earth Atlantis ($1.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
SkyScrappers ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/1)
Golf Peaks ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/1)
Irony Curtain: FMwL ($2.79 from $19.99 until 3/1)
Struggling ($8.99 from $14.99 until 3/1)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete ($20.99 from $29.99 until 3/1)
Jurassic World Evolution: Complete ($35.99 from $59.99 until 3/1)
The Innsmouth Case ($8.99 from $14.99 until 3/1)
Grim Legends 2: SotDS ($2.09 from $14.99 until 3/1)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10th
2weistein: TCotRD ($16.20 from $18.00 until 2/10)
ACA NEOGEO Football Frenzy ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
ACA NEOGEO King of Fighters ’99 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
ACA NEOGEO Samurai Shodown III ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
ACA NEOGEO Top Hunter ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
ACA NEOGEO Zed Blade ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Alteric ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Arcade Archives Armed F ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Arcade Archives Double Dragon ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Arcade Archives Kid’s Horehore ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Arcade Archives Omega Fighter ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Arcade Archives Renegade ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($1.99 from $34.99 until 2/10)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 2/10)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 2/10)
Blossom Tales: Sleeping King ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Bluecoats North & South ($17.99 from $29.99 until 2/10)
Broken Lines ($16.24 from $24.99 until 2/10)
Chasm ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
Couch Co-Op Bundle Vol.2 ($6.89 from $45.99 until 2/10)
Cube Creator X ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Demon’s Rise: WftD ($2.79 from $6.99 until 2/10)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Energy Cycle Edge ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 2/10)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 2/10)
Glass Masquerade Pack ($3.29 from $21.99 until 2/10)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 2/10)
Good Pizza, Great Pizza ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Horror Bundle Vol.1 ($4.56 from $30.49 until 2/10)
In Celebration of Violence ($9.09 from $12.99 until 2/10)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol.3 ($7.56 from $50.49 until 2/10)
INK & HackyZack ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Loot Hero DX ($3.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Mega Party: Tootuff Adventure ($5.99 from $29.99 until 2/10)
Monster Boy & Cursed Kingdom ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/10)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Nine Witches: Family Disruption ($12.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
Oceanhorn ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($3.59 from $11.99 until 2/10)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
PixARK ($14.79 from $39.99 until 2/10)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol.1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 2/10)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 2/10)
Royal Tower Defense ($5.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Save the Ninja Clan ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Skelly Selest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Slayin 2 ($5.99 from $11.99 until 2/10)
Snakeybus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 2/10)
Spiral Splatter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Straimium Immortaly ($4.07 from $11.99 until 2/10)
Super Blood Hockey ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Super Chariot ($1.99 from $14.90 until 2/10)
Syberia ($2.98 from $14.90 until 2/10)
Syberia 2 ($1.99 from $29.99 until 2/10)
Under the Jolly Roger ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
UnExplored ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Urban Trial Playground ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Valfaris ($11.24 from $24.99 until 2/10)
Venture Kid ($5.00 from $10.00 until 2/10)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Warhammer 40k: Space Wolf ($8.99 from $17.99 until 2/10)
Where Are My Friends? ($2.39 from $5.99 until 2/10)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a few more new releases, some fresh news, and whatever sales roll in over the course of the next day. There will probably be another Mini-View or two, but we’ll have to see how that goes. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
