Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 18th, 2021. Today, a lot of games came out. That’s the short version of today’s events. For the long version? Keep on reading, friends. We’ve got summaries of all of them, big and small. And some of them are very small indeed. There’s also a surprisingly large list of new sales, and a reasonably hefty list of outgoing sales. That’s really all I had time for, so it’ll have to do. Let’s wade into the mess!
New Releases
NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Here’s the thing I couldn’t talk about yesterday. This collection takes the six previously released NEOGEO Pocket Color fighting games and bundles them in with Metal Slug 1st Mission, Metal Slug 2nd Mission, action-RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and Big Tournament Golf (a renamed NEO Turf Masters). There’s a nice front-end where you can examine the carts and cases, and you can play in black-and-white with compatible games. Otherwise, this applies Code Mystics’ lovely work to an additional batch of titles, and some very good ones at that. No discount for those who already own some of the individual releases or anything, but even if you don’t want to wait and see if the added four games come out on their own, the price equals out to what you would pay for five separate releases. It’s a good deal, even without looking at the prices these games command for the real cartridges.
Signs of the Sojourner ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Signs of the Sojourner is a very neat game. It’s kind of a deck-building card game, but instead of battling monsters or building farms or whatever other narrative conceit that usually drives these things, this is instead about conversations. Building relationships. So you get a really tight story connected to your card game, and your deck is basically your character. The premise is that your mother had died and left her store to you. Not only are you dealing with all of that, but you also need to head out on the road and find goods for the store. You’ll meet a wide variety of interesting characters, make friends and rivals, and maybe even sort out some of your personal issues along the way. There are multiple endings to discover based on how you play. I’ll have a review of this one soon, but I can say right now that I mostly like it.
Gun Skaters ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
You know what? I like this one. It’s another arena battle game, and heaven knows we’ve seen enough of those. But it’s an arena battle game where you play as cowboys on ice skates having gun fights while they skate around a pond, and we don’t have enough of those in my opinion. There are three different modes to play, some new characters to unlock, and the developers even managed to get both local and online multiplayer going for up to four players. For five bucks! I’m sure online will be a ghost town, but you can always plan ahead with your friends for that. Just a really fun game to play with others, and also a little enjoyable to spend pockets of time with by yourself. If you’re on a budget today, this is my recommendation.
Synergia ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Synergia is a cyberpunk visual novel about a broken veteran police officer named Cila who has more or less given up on life. One day, a friend replaces her busted housedroid with a highly advanced unit named M.A.R.A., who soon starts tearing down Cila’s battered shell. Cila and Mara form a unique relationship and all seems well until a big corporation gets wind of the not-exactly-stock Mara. Things are about to explode, and Cila and Mara are at the center of it all. The choices you make will determine the ultimate outcome. Will Cila and Mara find their happy ending? Is it even in the cards? While I wouldn’t call Synergia the finest of its genre, it’s compelling and well-written enough that I wanted to chase down all of its endings in spite of some pacing issues.
Magic Twins ($12.99)
This is an arcade-style puzzler for one or two players that involves that sometimes-seen color mechanic where you have to use one particular color to attack enemies of another color. The twist is that you have two characters, each with their own messes to deal with, who have to share the proverbial crayons. So you’ll frantically swap back and forth, and if you’re playing with another human hopefully using a bit of verbal communication to make things go a little smoother. The multiplayer is local only, so you’ll need a friend or family member in the room with you to get the most out of it. But it’s not so bad to play on your own, really. It’s quite content-rich, with plenty of skins to unlock for the titular twins and lots of stages that aren’t afraid to change things up in order to increase the pressure.
Fantasy Tavern Sextet -Vol.3 Postlude Days- ($7.99)
More like Post-Lewd days, am I right everyone? Ha ha. Internet humor. At any rate, this is the conclusion to the Fantasy Tavern Sextet series of visual novels. Someone from the protagonist’s home world enters the picture and flips things upside down, even as the other girls start squaring the circle about who gets claim to which limbs of our hapless hero. Okay, they’re probably not going to literally carve him up, but things are going to get a little spicy. I’m sure if you’ve followed the series this far you’ve sunk enough costs to see it through, and if you haven’t then you’re probably not going to start with the final chapter. So what am I even writing this for? Mostly to make that Post-Lewd joke, if I must be earnest about it all.
Unblock Brick ($9.89)
Okay, so this game essentially rips off LEGO’s look and feel, right down to its font, in service of a very old concept. Namely, you need to slide the red brick out of the exit on each of the stages. To do that, you’ll have to move other blocks out of the way to clear a route. Vertical blocks can be moved up and down only, while horizontal ones can only be moved from side to side. You get two thousand levels in total, which is probably more of these puzzles than anyone could ever want, so I suppose it holds up its end of the deal in that respect. Oh, and this one is handheld-only. You have to use touch controls, and you have to play in portrait mode. It seems quite low-effort to me, but if you dig these puzzles I’m not going to tell you no.
Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S ($14.00)
It’s Picross! But with Miku! It’s Mikuross! This is a Switch version of a mobile Picross-like game featuring Hatsune Miku and her pals, and in the transition it has dropped its free-to-play nature and gone for a more traditional approach. You get more than 300 puzzles to solve, many of which are Piapro-themed in some form or another. There are also a bunch of tunes from Hatsune Miku and friends to enjoy while you’re thinking. Unfortunately, this is yet another game of this sort without touch controls. Really odd considering where this idea got started, but hey, that’s the developer’s call. Frankly it’s a bit expensive for what it is, but if you love Hatsune Miku and logic puzzles, you are pretty much the exact target audience for this game and will probably love it.
Arcade Archives Crime Fighters ($7.99)
Konami had a hugely-successful, much-loved, four-player beat-em-up hit in the arcades in 1989. This… is the other one. I suppose you could call this Konami’s answer to the likes of Double Dragon or Final Fight, but it’s not as historically significant as the former or as enjoyable as the latter. Indeed, Crime Fighters is a little on the dull side. With small characters, cheap difficulty, and an overall derivative feel, it’s hard to believe this was the same company that would soon rule the roost with the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men and The Simpsons. Heck, even the sequels to Crime Fighters are pretty awesome. I suppose if you really want to see where Konami was at with this genre before the company hit its stride, you can give this a look. Nice pixel art, if nothing else. Hamster has naturally done a nice job, even going so far as to include both the two-player and four-player variants of the game.
Uchu Shinshuchu ($8.00)
Hahaha, what? Okay, this is a quirky one. It’s developed by Success Corporation, who are probably best known for the Cotton series of cute-em-ups. It’s a side-scrolling action game set in the year of 20XX, where aliens have invaded and humanity sits at the edge of disaster. Enter: Saturday-Chan, who has a weapon not even the aliens can resist. She hold the mighty power of… smooching. If she lands a kiss on an alien, they’ll become her friend and help her out against their former allies. On each stage, you have to kiss or dispatch all of the aliens to open the door to the next. At the end of each world, you’ll battle a boss who takes a few hits before you can pucker up. This isn’t exactly Success’s usual genre, so it’s a little rough in terms of mechanics, but the soundtrack is really good and the premise is so charming I can’t help but root for it. Kiss, Saturday-Chan! For everlasting peace!
Dark Water: Slime Invader ($14.99)
Slimes are invading and only a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a couple of handy tools can fend them off. So you know how Link does that cool bullet-time thing in Zelda when you fire the bow in mid-air? Imagine that, but 2D platformer. You use a bow and various types of arrows to make your way through the stages, along with a few other tools and techniques. You’ll have to make use of the both characters if you want to move forward. With colorful graphics and a soundtrack composed by Mega Man maestro Manami Matsumae, the game certainly looks the part. I haven’t had a chance to play it myself yet, so I can’t really speak to how well it controls or anything. But I will be looking into it, as it seems like it might be up my alley.
Space Otter Charlie ($14.99)
This is a puzzle-platformer with an interesting twist: as the game takes place in zero gravity, everything is just kind of floating around. As such, navigation itself can be a little tricky. The story sees this otter named Charlie and his animal buddies searching for a new planet to call home since something happened to the Earth to make it inhospitable. Gee, I wonder who that sign is for? Anyway, as you explore you’ll find materials to make new suit upgrades that you’ll need to progress, so if you want to say it has some adventure elements I won’t stop you. There’s also a separate local multiplayer mode where four players can battle each other in arenas. Not sure how that bit is, but the main game is decent enough. Not going to run down the street shouting at the top of my lungs about it or anything, but it’s enjoyable enough.
Raiders of the Lost Island ($12.99)
This is a party game of sorts that is best enjoyed in multiplayer. You compete against other characters to collect the most treasure on rapidly-sinking islands. At some point, someone has to build the escape boat or else everyone loses. Naturally, you can mess with each other to a great degree, even going so far as to chuck each other into the rising water. Up to four players can join in on the zany fun via local multiplayer, and that’s ideally how you’re going to play. You can play against computer opponents, but there isn’t a ton of joy in it. I really think this one would have benefited greatly from online multiplayer, but if you’ve got the friends to play it with, it may just find a home in your party night rotation. At least until Fall Guys hits, anyway.
DARQ Complete Edition ($19.99)
Well, I’m happy that it’s not incomplete. That would be unfortunate. That’s supposed to be a joke but I guess it happens a lot these days. Reassurance, then, is nice. This game follows the story of a person who ventures into the world of nightmares, which seems like a bad idea to me. He’s got a long night ahead of him, because this version includes both DLC add-ons. Anyway, it’s a puzzle-packed adventure game of sorts that is dark, creepy, and more than a little surreal. Your goal in each stage is to find the way out of the nightmare, so it’s a bit like a spooky Suicide Guy if you think about it too hard like I did. If you expect things to work logically in these puzzles, this must be your first time playing a game set in a dream. Think outside of the box if you want to escape. It’s pretty decent and worth a look if you’re into the vibe it lays out in the screenshots.
Faircroft’s Antiques: The Heir of Glen Kinnoch Collector’s Edition ($9.99)
I think I’m starting to get it. The Collector’s Edition thing is for people who want to collect all of these Faircroft’s Antiques games that have been hitting the eShop over the last few weeks. This follows in the footsteps of the last two, following the titular Ms. Faircroft as she stumbles on another mystery to solve. Search for objects, play more than 30 minigames, and get to know the characters and setting as you try to untangle the identity of the MacDougal family heir. Fairly typical example of this genre, so it all depends on if you want another scoop of it or not.
Explosionade DX ($5.99)
Always nice to see an old Xbox Live Indie Game resurface on a new platform. This isn’t the hottest of games, but it’s not too bad either. You pilot a combat mech and shoot, jump, and shoot some more as you make your way through a series of more than 60 brief challenge room-like stages. A second player can join in through local multiplayer for some co-op fun. This deluxe version has more enemies, higher-resolution art, and online leaderboards but is for all intents and purposes the same game it was back in the day. It has that 2010 indie game vibe through and through, and if that’s something you can get into you’ll probably feel good about spending six bucks on this.
Osyaberi! Puzzle Chigatan ~Spot the Differences with Everyone~ ($6.59)
If you have ever wanted a digital version of those old restaurant kids’ placemat puzzles where you have to spot the differences between two pictures, and also wanted it to never, ever shut up… congratulations on having your very specific tastes satisfied. Up to four players can join in through local multiplayer, and I suppose it might be something to play with younger kids. But yeah, that first word in the title means ‘talking’ in Japanese and my goodness does it deliver on that threat. Not my kind of gig on the whole, but I can think of worse, more expensive things to play with the little ones.
Dirt Bike Retro ($4.99)
Our old pal Piotr Skalski is back with yet another game that seems, uh, heavily inspired by a popular hit from yesteryear. In Dirt Bike Retro, you hop aboard a thrilling dirt bike. Some might call it exciting. So anyway, you get on this “excite" bike and race against the CPU or other players (via local multiplayer) in more than 30 levels. There’s also a free ride mode where you presumably just keep on going until you’re sick of it. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription you can play Nintendo’s take on this concept and, you know, it’s much better. You can also spend a few bucks more to get Hamster’s Arcade Archives release of Excite Bike. But I guess if you like Piotr’s art, this at least won’t cost you much.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Normally there isn’t much going on in the inbox when I sit down to write these, but today we’ve already got a bunch of sales to check out. Some highlights: Touhou Luna Nights is an excellent, challenging Metroidvania. Sky Racket is nice silly fun. Mario + Rabbids is at its lowest price ever, and if you like turn-based strategy you need it. Ultracore is a decent ode to Turrican that rarely goes on sale. Lots of great games in there, so have a look and see what grabs you. There are also plenty of goodies in the outbox too, but I’ll leave that entirely to your discretion.
Select New Games on Sale
Touhou Luna Nights ($14.39 from $17.99 until 3/22)
Gensou Skydrift ($19.19 from $23.99 until 3/22)
Azure Reflection ($12.49 from $24.99 until 3/22)
Circle of Sumo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/22)
GesokyoDefenders ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/22)
Space Grunts ($6.99 from $13.99 until 3/24)
Space Otter Charlie ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/25)
Sky Racket ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/26)
Marble Power Blast ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/29)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/29)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/29)
Balance Blox ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/29)
Super Star Blast ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/29)
Spencer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 3/29)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/29)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/29)
My Diggy Dog 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Escape From Life inc ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ($9.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Mario + Rabbids KB Gold Edition ($13.59 from $79.99 until 4/1)
Rayman Legends Definitive ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Child of Light Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Valiant Hearts: The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Starlink Battle for Atlas ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Starlink BfA Deluxe ($23.99 from $79.99 until 4/1)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Scott Pilgrim vs The World ($11.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Assassin’s Creed III ($15.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Assassin’s Creed Rebel Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Trials Rising Standard ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Trials Rising Gold ($8.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
The Outer Worlds ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
XCOM 2 Collection ($14.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
BioShock Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
BioShock Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
BioShock Infinite Complete ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
Borderlands: GOTY Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
NBA 2K21 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 4/1)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/1)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($19.79 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Just Dance 2020 ($24.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Just Dance 2021 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 4/1)
South Park: Stick of Truth ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
South Park: Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man 11 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($19.79 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Devil May Cry ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Devil May Cry 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Devil May Cry 3 Special ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Onimusha Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Phoenix Wright: AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
RISK Global Domination ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
UNO ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Wheel of Fortune ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Jeopardy! ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Family Feud ($20.09 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Trivial Pursuit Live ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Ultracore ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S ($10.50 from $14.00 until 4/1)
Gods Will Fall ($18.74 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Olympic Table Tennis ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Unreal Life ($16.09 from $22.99 until 4/1)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party ($44.99 from $59.99 until 4/5)
Lydia ($2.00 from $4.00 until 4/6)
Rawr-Off ($1.99 from $2.99 until 4/7)
Alder’s Blood ($8.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Drive Buy ($19.99 from $24.99 until 4/8)
Make War ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Star Horizon ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Tanuki Justice ($9.99 from $14.99 until 4/8)
Splashy Cube ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Connection Haunted Server Error ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Drag Racing Rivals ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Powertris ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Apparition ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Ego Protocol: Remastered ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Inbento ($3.49 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Nonograms Prophecy ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/8)
Strike Force Kitty ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Lovekami -Divinity Stage- ($11.99 from $14.99 until 4/8)
Picklock ($3.99 from $7.99 until 4/8)
Body of Evidence ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Golden Force ($12.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Football Cup 2021 ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Destropolis ($3.99 from $5.99 until 4/8)
Pirates: All Aboard! ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/8)
Dream Alone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Miles & Kilo ($1.99 from $7.99 until 4/8)
If My Heart Had Wings ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Castaway Paradise ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, March 19th
4×4 Dirt Track ($5.99 from $11.99 until 3/19)
911 Operator ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/19)
911 Operator Deluxe ($4.39 from $21.99 until 3/19)
All-Star Fruit Racing ($8.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
Astro Bears ($1.99 from $6.99 until 3/19)
AVICII Invector ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
Baba is You ($10.50 from $15.00 until 3/19)
Battle Brothers: Turn-Based Tactical RPG ($25.49 from $29.99 until 3/19)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
BE-A Walker ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/19)
Car Driving School Simulator ($6.99 from $13.99 until 3/19)
Carnage: Battle Arena ($2.99 from $14.99 until 3/19)
Ciel Fledge: Daughter Raising Sim ($5.99 from $9.99 until 3/19)
City Driving Simulator ($5.99 from $11.99 until 3/19)
Clue: Classic Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/19)
Dusk Diver ($20.99 from $34.99 until 3/19)
Earthworms ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/19)
Fury Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
Gal*Gun 2 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 3/19)
Gun Gun Pixies ($27.49 from $49.99 until 3/19)
Hamster Bob ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
Hell Warders ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/19)
I, Zombie ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
Kotodama: 7 Mysteries ($10.49 from $29.99 until 3/19)
Mars Power Industries ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/19)
Muddledash ($2.99 from $5.99 until 3/19)
My Coloring Book ($3.49 from $4.99 until 3/19)
Nippon Marathon ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/19)
Our World is Ended ($16.99 from $49.99 until 3/19)
PlataGO! Game Maker ($6.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
Raging Loop ($16.49 from $29.99 until 3/19)
Razed ($1.99 from $11.99 until 3/19)
Root Letter: Last Answer ($16.49 from $29.99 until 3/19)
SUPERHOT ($14.99 from $24.99 until 3/19)
Supermarket Shriek ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/19)
The Long Dark ($24.49 from $34.99 until 3/19)
The Way Remastered ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/19)
Thunderflash ($3.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
Tokyo School Life ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/19)
Unhatched ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
Valrithian Arc: Hero School ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/19)
VSR: Void Space Racing ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
WARBORN ($16.74 from $24.99 until 3/19)
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/19)
That’s all for today, friends. I’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of this week’s releases, including titles like Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Root Film. There will probably be a big old bucket of new sales, too. Frightening. Well, we’ll get through it somehow. I hope you all have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
