Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 16th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a little bit of news to look into about a new controller. After that, we get into the new releases of the day. While there are only a handful of games, they really make it count. We finish things up with the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales. I had hoped to get a review going today, but I need a bit more time with the game in question. Perhaps tomorrow. Let’s get going!
News
8Bitdo Announces ‘8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller’ for Release April 12th
Friends, I play a lot of games on my Switch. Like… too many. And as much as I don’t dislike those trusty Joy-Cons, sometimes a person needs something a little more ergonomic. You could go with Nintendo’s Pro Controller, but I personally don’t think much of the directional pad on it. For my purposes, I use 8Bitdo’s SN30 Pro+ Bluetooth Controller. It’s comfortable in the hands, has nice controls, and has all the functions you want from a quality Switch controller. It also allowed you to remap buttons before that was a system-level feature. It looks like it might not be my last Switch controller, however. 8Bitdo is introducing its new Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller, due for release on April 12th for $49.99. It has everything the last controller did, plus two pro-level back buttons, custom profile switching, and a four-way button to switch between modes if you want to use it on other platforms along with your Switch.
New Releases
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This game has a story behind its development, and it’s one that often overshadows the work itself. And that’s a shame, because it’s a rather solid action-RPG that even now only feels a little out of date. The big ambitions behind the title showed in some of the big names that worked on it. Author R.A. Salvatore handled the story, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane worked on the artwork, Perfect Dark composer Grant Kirkhope created the soundtrack, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston served as the executive designer. It doesn’t quite live up to the punch those names bring, but it’s a well-made and enjoyable game. This Switch port is rather spiffy, too. Lots of fun to play on the go.
Saviors of Sapphire Wings/Strangers of Sword City Revisited ($49.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I miss the Etrian Odyssey series. I know it hasn’t been that long since the last game in the series launched on 3DS, but a dungeon crawling RPG lover has got to eat, friends. And while the Switch has seen a few such games release, I’ve found them either lacking the type of gameplay I like, or the type of story. That ends today, fortunately. The folks at Experience, Inc got their start making Wizardry spin-offs at another developer before gaining slightly more attention worldwide with the surprisingly excellent Demon Gaze on the PlayStation Vita. They went on to make a handful of solid first-person dungeon crawlers on the system, including Stranger of Sword City. That game comes to the Switch in this bundle, and the ridiculous thing is that it’s just a bonus. No, the real star here is the new-to-the-West Saviors of Sapphire Wings. I’ll have a full review of this set soon, but if you like this genre you’ll definitely enjoy these.
R.B.I. Baseball 21 ($29.99)
The last few years of this series do not give me a great deal of hope for this latest installment, but I suppose we’ll know soon enough. Here’s what is promised, at least. There’s a new Create-A-Player mode, play-by-play commentary, and day-to-evening time passage. The Switch finally gets to join in on the online play fun this year, too. Beyond that, I can’t really say if there have been any improvements to the visuals and gameplay, which were the serious issues with last year’s version. Unfortunately, it seems as though MLB The Show will not be coming to save Switch owners (at least not this year), so you’ll have to settle for the high-quality arcade baseball of Super Mega Baseball or bite the proverbial bullet on this one.
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse ($19.99)
Personally, I don’t think very highly of this game. But I know a lot of people love it, so what I think really doesn’t matter a great deal. For those who found its zombie posse action so enjoyable, it is nice to see the game make its way to the Switch. This is, for good or for ill, a slightly gussied-up port of an Xbox game from 2005, one that wasn’t exactly pushing the envelope in its time. It’s still pretty funny, but the gameplay that seems so clever at first quickly becomes rote. Add into that all the issues that come from a 3D game getting rereleased after 16 years of evolution in the genre, and all I can say is: I hope you have some nostalgia for it. If you do? Yeah, this is your guy and he is back in all his glory. If not? I’d be a bit more cautious.
Lost Lands 2: The Four Horseman ($6.99)
Here’s another hidden object puzzle game, and slightly less of an unknown quantity now that we’ve had the first one release on the Switch. Anyway, by chance Susan ends up back in the Lost Lands and has to save the realm from its own version of the Four Horsemen: Heat, Coldness, Death, and Darkness. Susan has to rid the world of these fiends by visiting more than 50 locations, completing more than 40 minigames, and doing that usual hidden object thing of assembling collections of stuff. If you liked the first game, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
The first thing I’ll point at is Haven, which just got a solid update and is on sale until… tomorrow. Get on it if you’re interested. Apart from that, most of the good games in the list are familiar faces. Games like Sparklite, HoPiKo, and Aragami: Shadow Edition are worth playing, but we’ve seen them on sale many times before and we’ll surely see them many times again. As for the outbox, the Torchlight games are finishing up their sales soon, and I’d say they’re the best of that bunch. But do have a look as usual just in case there’s something you’re interested in that I didn’t mention.
Select New Games on Sale
Haven ($19.99 from $24.99 until 3/17)
Rainbows Toilets & Unicorns ($4.89 from $6.99 until 3/21)
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/21)
WarriOrb ($7.14 from $12.99 until 3/22)
Brawl Chess ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/22)
Clan N ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/22)
Salad Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Food Truck Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Burger Chef Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Breakfast Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Food Truck Tycoon: Asian ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Cooking Tycoons – 3 in 1 ($1.99 from $12.99 until 3/22)
2048 Battles ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/22)
World of Solitaire ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/22)
Freecell Solitaire Deluxe ($1.99 from $8.99 until 3/22)
Adrenaline Rush: Miami Drive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/22)
Classic Games Collection Vol 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/22)
Cloudpunk ($14.99 from $24.99 until 3/25)
Sparklite ($9.99 from $24.99 until 3/25)
Aragami: Shadow ($11.99 from $29.99 until 3/25)
HoPiKo ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/25)
Battle Group 2 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/25)
Solo Islands of the Heart ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/25)
Candle: Power of the Flame ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/25)
Cel Damage HD ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Gleaner Heights ($6.49 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Dungeon Warfare ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/28)
I Am Ball ($3.24 from $4.99 until 3/28)
I Dream of You & Ice Cream ($3.24 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Gibbous A Cthulhu Adventure ($7.99 from $19.99 until 3/29)
The Game of Life 2 ($26.99 from $29.99 until 3/29)
Brotherhood United ($2.99 from $8.99 until 3/29)
WRC 8 FIA Rally ($12.49 from $49.99 until 3/31)
AO Tennis 2 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 3/31)
Farmer’s Dynasty ($15.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Bee Simulator ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Snow Moto Racing Freedom ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Aqua Moto Racing Utopia ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Hunting Simulator ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/31)
Tennis World Tour ($7.49 from $29.99 until 3/31)
Mahjong ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Tetraminos ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Brick Breaker ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Shmubedi Boo ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/4)
Robots Under Attack! ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/4)
Werewolf Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 4/4)
Mummy Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 4/4)
Pirates Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 4/4)
Halloween Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 4/4)
Modern Tales: AoI ($2.09 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Family Mysteries 2: EoT ($2.09 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 17th
Binarystar Infinity ($3.34 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Bomber Fox ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Bombfest ($2.59 from $12.99 until 3/17)
Chasm ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Cooking Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Crawlco Block Knockers ($6.29 from $8.99 until 3/17)
Death Tales ($3.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Evan’s Remains ($5.24 from $6.99 until 3/17)
Forest Home ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Frontline Zed ($2.99 from $11.99 until 3/17)
Go All Out! ($2.59 from $12.99 until 3/17)
Haven ($19.99 from $24.99 until 3/17)
Here Be Dragons ($8.99 from $17.99 until 3/17)
Hob: Definitive Edition ($11.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Holedown ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Hot Shot Burn ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Kuukiyomi 2: New Era ($3.74 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Masky ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Mini Motor Racing X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Moero Crystal H ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
Mushroom Savior ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Newt One ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Outbreak: Nightmare Chronicles ($5.19 from $12.99 until 3/17)
Pack Master ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Poly Puzzle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Retrace: Memories of Death ($6.39 from $7.99 until 3/17)
Seeds of Resilience ($2.09 from $14.99 until 3/17)
SpyHack ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Sudoku Relax ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Tennis Open 2020 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
The Lost Cube ($8.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Torchlight II ($11.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Torchlight III ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/17)
Towaga: Among Shadows ($2.24 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Ultimate Fishing Simulator ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Ultimate Ski Jumping 2020 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Wanderlust Travel Stories ($2.99 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Where the Bees Make Honey ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
That’s all for today, friends. There are a few new games on the schedule tomorrow, and I imagine as usual for a Wednesday we’ll have a bit of news to look at. We’ll also have a look at whatever new discounts roll in, as well as the outgoing ones. It should be fun. Maybe a review? We’ll see, like usual. Anyway, I hope you all have a tremendous Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
