Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 26th, 2021. In today’s article, we’re going through the last batch of releases for this week. The big gun is of course Capcom’s superb Monster Hunter Rise, but there are a few other treasures to be found in the pile if you’ve got an eye to spend more. Speaking of blowing hard-earned cash, we’ve also got the lists of incoming and outgoing sales to look through. Let’s get to work!
New Releases
Monster Hunter Rise ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Oh, neat. It’s the best Monster Hunter game yet. No big deal or anything. So we’ve been seeing Capcom kind of cruising at half-speed on the Switch up until now. This is what a full-butt Capcom game that pushes the Switch hardware looks like, and holy smokes, is it something. But more than that, the new gameplay elements help make the game play better than ever. There’s a demo if you want to get a feel for it yourself, so check that out if you’re not sure. The only real downer, if I had to spot one, is that the late-game content isn’t quite up to snuff with the previous games. A big-pants update is coming in April that will fill that end out significantly, however, so unless you race through the game you should be fine. Mikhail thinks it’s the best game he’s played this year, and one of the best Switch games ever. He usually knows what he’s talking about, friends.
Kaze and the Wild Masks ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
If you like Donkey Kong Country, you’ll get on very well indeed with Kaze and the Wild Masks. Like, I’m shocked at how well the developer has captured the snappy feeling of the gameplay and the proper sense of momentum. You play as Kaze and need to rescue your friend from a curse using the powers of the Wild Masks. In practice, the Mask powers work a lot like the animal buddies from the Donkey Kong Country games, and you can see the influence of the second game in particular in this game’s level designs and enemy layouts. There are more than 30 levels to romp through, with more than 50 bonus levels to uncover. Genuinely an excellent platformer that is pure fun to play.
Genesis Noir ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is a really interesting adventure game with one major fault. The atmosphere is amazing, the presentation is gorgeous, the story is solid, and it’s just a very engaging game to play. That one major fault? The puzzles. They’re not dreadful by any means, but they’re not very good. Compared to the rest of the game, it’s the one area that falls short. So as long as you don’t hold up puzzles as the be-all, end-all of your adventure game experiences, feel free to dive in. I mean, it’s about a love triangle between cosmic entities that results in the Big Bang creating the universe. How could you go wrong? Except for the puzzle thing, which we already covered. Don’t answer my rhetorical question with that one.
Mermaid Castle ($4.99)
Sure, lots of people like mermaids. The idea here is that some sharks have trashed the mermaid castle and stolen all your loot. Three mermaids head off to get the treasure back in 32 stages set across eight worlds. You swim around and grab coins, avoiding enemies and picking up keys to open treasure chests with. As you collect treasure and complete levels, the mermaid castle will slowly be fixed up and restored. It seems like a fairly forgiving game, so it might be best for those looking for a lighter challenge.
Doodle Games Bundle ($14.99)
Here’s a bundle of two games in the Doodle series: Doodle God and Doodle Mafia. You save a couple of bucks over buying them separately, provided neither title is on sale at the moment. You probably know how these games go. You combine elements to create new elements which can in turn be used to create more elements. Just mix and match things to see what happens, basically. You’re meant to be solving puzzles, which are basically missions you need to complete by creating the appropriate thing. Some people love these games, but I’d think they’d already own one of the two titles in this pack already. Well, you’re all old enough to make your own decisions.
One Escape ($4.99)
The idea of this one is that you have three buddies who got arrested while robbing a bank, and you need to help them escape prison. They are animal people, and they have some serious abs. Especially the duck. Abs-Duck. Donald vs the guy Daisy tells him not to worry about. Anyway, each of the characters has 20 levels to play through in order to earn their freedom. The characters have their own abilities, and their levels are designed around what they can and can’t do. Abs-Gorilla can climb certain walls, for example. Abs-Boar can break boxes and some walls. It’s a bit of action, a bit of stealth, a bit of platforming, and some puzzle solving. Not too bad, all things considered. Abs-Duck freaks me out, though.
Die With Glory ($6.99)
This is a point and click style adventure game where the main character is a viking who just wants a good death. It’s a great set-up for a comedic adventure game, but unfortunately Die With Glory doesn’t do a good job of delivering on that promise. It’s brief, the puzzles are boring, and it’s not nearly as funny as it’s trying to be. This has been out for a while on mobile, where it sells for less than half the price. If you love the idea and want to give the game a try anyway, I’d recommend playing it on there. It was designed around touch controls and you might as well keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.
Balan Wonderworld ($59.99)
Alright, which SEGA fan wished on the monkey’s paw for a new game from the old Sonic Team folks? Balan Wonderworld has that evocative NiGHTS Into Dreams look about it, but the gameplay is… well, fill in your least-favorite 3D platformer from Sonic Team here. Dress up in 80 different costumes and use their abilities to explore imaginative, colorful worlds alongside the maestro of Balan Theatre, the enigmatic Balan. With a fussy camera, rough controls, a fair helping of bugs, and awkward level designs, this is just a tremendous disappointment. On top of all of that, the last boss features a very intense flashing sequence that is potentially dangerous for photosensitive people. It may be a bug. The magic of Balan Wonderworld is that with its combination of poor design and general bugginess, you can’t really be sure which is to blame. If you’re interested, try the demo. You may like it more than I did, after all. Just… be careful with that last boss until Square Enix pushes a patch.
Power Racing Bundle 2 ($16.99)
Another bundle of two games, this time featuring Speed Truck Racing and WildTrax Racing. Buying this bundle saves you a buck and a bit over picking the games up separately, assuming they’re not on sale. Which they are pretty often, of course. But don’t worry, this bundle will certainly be on sale frequently as well. The games themselves are okay but not great. The kind of thing that you might get some amusement out of, provided you don’t spend much money and don’t care if something is good so much as entertaining. Would I buy it? No, definitely not. But I buy some really dodgy RPGs just because I love the genre that much, and I’m sure there are those who like arcade-style racers enough to do the same here. Both games offer local multiplayer for up to four players, so at least you won’t suffer alone.
Animal Doctor ($19.99)
This is a first-person simulator game of sorts where you take on the role of an animal doctor. You’ll have to take care of all kinds of animals, doing whatever it takes to get them feeling better again. Aside from medical stuff, you’ll also feed and care for the animals. There are wild animals around your clinic, and you can interact with them as well. It seems you’re running a pretty unusual clinic, as you need to explore the natural surroundings to gather materials for making medicine. You can also ride a horse and explore a forest that may have dangerous animals in it. Kind of an odd thing, but I’m sure someone reading this is excited.
Scandal in the Spotlight ($24.99)
Ahh, that’s a nice kabedon there. Okay, it’s time for another hunk-wooing visual novel, friends. The premise of this one centers around a popular boy band named Revance. You’re at one of their after-concert parties and get a mysterious invitation from the band. It seems their lyricist has suddenly gone missing, and they need someone to fill in. That someone… is you. Didn’t see that coming, did you? Get to know the five members of the band, each of whom fits one of the usual archetypes we see in games like this. Will there be smooching? You know the answer to that question. It’s a Voltage game, so if you’ve spent some time in this genre you probably know what to expect based on the publisher’s name alone.
Laws of Machine ($3.99)
Hmmm. This is a 2.5D platform game of sorts, with lots of logic puzzles to solve and the occasional bonus level to mix things up. It’s nothing special, and indeed it feels quite rough around the edges in many ways. On the other hand, its low price means you can realistically only expect so much. Don’t come into it hoping for tight platforming mechanics or anything. The puzzles are alright, and it has some interesting ideas in its stage designs if nothing else. I’ve played worse.
Tinker Racers ($4.99)
One of the problems with top-down racers back in the day came up when you tried to play multiplayer. Unless the game had splitscreen, you ran into an issue if the two players got too far apart from each other. Why that preamble? Because Tinker Racers plays with that idea, and it is the primary means by which it stands out from the crowd. The camera follows the racer in first, and if you fall back far enough that you’re off-camera, you’re done. They call it a survival racing party game, and sure, that works. Up to four players can join in on this one via local multiplayer. If you want to play by more traditional rules, a splitscreen is also available. Oh, and since the racers here are meant to be toys, you have that fun thing where your cars are tiny and racing around mundane real locations like a kitchen.
El Hijo – A Wild West Tale ($19.99)
A stealth adventure game without any combat, El Hijo is competent if not necessarily exciting. It has a spaghetti western theme, which earns it a few extra points in my book. You play as a six-year-old kid who is searching for his missing mother, which I’d hope explains the lack of combat. Watch the enemy patterns, use the shadows to your advantage, and use tactical toys to your advantage. If you enjoy stealth games, you’ll probably have a good enough time with this one. It’s quite forgiving, but there’s really no way through except to sneak so those who don’t get on with that kind of thing need not apply.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A fairly big list, and one without many obvious bang-zoom titles that we rarely see discounted. The best of the bunch are the Annapurna Interactive games like Kentucky Route Zero, What Remains of Edith Finch, Donut County, and so on. They go on sale every so often, but not so often as most of the rest of the list. The weekend outbox is bigger than usual, but there isn’t too much to get hot around the collar about. Maybe load up on those Travel Mosaics games if you need more Picross puzzles in your life. They don’t go on sale often at all. Happy hunting!
Select New Games on Sale
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
The Room ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Roundguard ($8.89 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Art Sqool ($5.84 from $12.99 until 4/1)
#Funtime ($6.67 from $14.99 until 4/1)
The Ambassador: FT ($6.67 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Fracter ($3.46 from $6.99 until 4/1)
Breakpoint ($2.47 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Deleveled ($4.94 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Clumsy Rush ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
OMG Police ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Charterstone: Digital ($18.74 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Istanbul: Digital ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Gurgamoth ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Almost There: The Platformer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Madorica Real Estate ($7.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
The Bridge ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Crown Trick ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
12 is Better Than 6 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Mugsters ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Yoku’s Island Express ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Never Stop ($4.24 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Raging Justice ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/1)
The Survivalists ($16.74 from $24.99 until 4/1)
The Escapists: Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/1)
The Escapists 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Gold Digger ($3.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Worms W.M.D ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Going Under ($13.39 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Golf With Your Friends ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Moving Out ($14.99 from $24.99 until 4/1)
My Time at Portia ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Tumblestone ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Overcooked Special ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Overcooked! 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Monster Sanctuary ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Eight Minute Empire: Complete ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Ageless ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Planet Alpha ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Sheltered ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Peace, Death! Complete ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Swim Out ($2.99 from $5.99 until 4/1)
Draw Chilly ($2.09 from $2.99 until 4/1)
Standby ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Automachef ($5.09 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Barrier X ($2.09 from $2.99 until 4/1)
Reventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 4/1)
Yooka-Laylee ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Yooka-Laylee & Impossible Lair ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/1)
Blasphemous ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/1)
Neon Abyss ($13.39 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Super Space Serpent ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Black Legend ($26.99 from $29.99 until 4/2)
Caveblazers ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/2)
Genesis Noir ($11.99 from $14.99 until 4/3)
AntVentor ($4.79 from $7.99 until 4/3)
Adventure Llama ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/4)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Guacamelee! 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/5)
Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/5)
Severed ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Event Horizon: Space Defense ($1.99 from $6.99 until 4/5)
Funny Bunny Adventures ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/5)
Biped ($8.84 from $14.99 until 4/5)
Aborigenus ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Diabolic ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Girabox ($1.99 from $2.49 until 4/6)
Pode ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/6)
Swaps and Traps ($1.99 from $8.99 until 4/6)
Pixel Gladiator ($1.99 from $6.99 until 4/6)
Tactical Mind 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Slayaway Camp ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Danger Scavenger ($8.99 from $9.99 until 4/7)
The King’s Bird ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($3.59 from $11.99 until 4/7)
Oniken: Unstoppable Edition ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/7)
Double Cross ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 4/7)
UnExplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 4/7)
Mable & The Wood ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Valfaris ($11.24 from $24.99 until 4/7)
REZ PLZ ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Blue Fire ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Adventures of Chris ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Snakeybus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 4/7)
Bite the Bullet ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/7)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 4/7)
Syberia ($2.98 from $14.90 until 4/7)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 4/7)
Joggernauts ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Skelly Selest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/7)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 4/7)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 4/7)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Super Blood Hockey ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
XenoRaptor ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Straimium Immortaly ($4.07 from $11.99 until 4/7)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/7)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/7)
Lyrica ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Sayonara Wild Hearts ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/8)
Telling Lies ($8.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Gone Home ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/8)
Vortex Attack EX ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Panty Party ($11.99 from $14.99 until 4/8)
Rover Wars ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Lost Artifacts: Golden Island ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
I Am Dead ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Trailer Trashers ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Florence ($2.99 from $5.99 until 4/8)
Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition ($14.99 from $24.99 until 4/8)
What Remains of Edith Finch ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Donut County ($3.89 from $12.99 until 4/8)
Gorogoa ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/8)
If Found… ($8.70 from $12.99 until 4/8)
Killer Chambers ($8.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Always Sometimes Monsters ($7.99 from $9.99 until 4/8)
Tinker Racers ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/8)
Ashen ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Simulacra ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/8)
Cryogear ($9.54 from $19.89 until 4/8)
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/8)
Run the Fan ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/8)
Truck Driver ($34.99 from $49.99 until 4/9)
Dog Duty ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/9)
Among the Sleep Enhanced ($6.99 from $24.99 until 4/9)
Monstrum ($19.99 from $29.99 until 4/9)
Adam’s Venture: Origins ($23.99 from $39.99 until 4/9)
CATTCH ($5.59 from $6.99 until 4/9)
Defunct ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/9)
Pix the Cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/9)
Harvest Life ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/10)
The Forgotten Land ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/10)
FunBox Party ($1.99 from $2.49 until 4/12)
The Gardens Between ($4.49 from $19.99 until 4/12)
Steampunk Tower 2 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/12)
Ghostanoid ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/14)
Galaxy Warfighter ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/14)
Shift Happens ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/14)
Brawlout ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Edna & Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
The TakeOver ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Escape Game Fort Boyard ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/14)
My Universe: My Baby ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/14)
The Dark Eye: Chins of Satinav ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
The Dark Eye: Memoria ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 ($2.04 from $12.00 until 4/14)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/14)
Evil Inside ($11.04 from $12.99 until 4/14)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($8.99 from $29.99 until 4/14)
Cube Creator X ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
JDM Racing ($3.49 from $4.99 until 4/14)
Mahluk Dark Demon ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/14)
Super Star Path ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/14)
Bot Vice ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/14)
Dragon Sinker ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Asdivine Hearts ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Asdivine Hearts 2 ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Asdivine Dios ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Asdivine Menace ($7.79 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Asdivine Kamura ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/15)
Grizzland ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/15)
Red Death ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/15)
The Pillar: Puzzle Escape ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/15)
Project Starship X ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/15)
Cozy Grove ($13.49 from $14.99 until 4/15)
Deponia ($3.99 from $39.99 until 4/15)
Deponia Doomsday ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/15)
Goodbye Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/15)
Chaos on Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/15)
The Long Journey Home ($2.99 from $29.99 until 4/15)
AER Memories of Old ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/15)
Silence ($3.99 from $39.99 until 4/15)
State of Mind ($3.99 from $39.99 until 4/15)
Jet Ski Rush ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/15)
My Magic Florist ($1.99 from $6.99 until 4/15)
Omvorm ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/16)
Galactic Defence Squadron ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/16)
Boot Hill Bounties ($9.74 from $14.99 until 4/16)
Boot Hill Heroes ($6.49 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Air Bounce: Jump ‘n’ Run ($4.19 from $5.99 until 3/27)
America Wild Hunting ($2.99 from $3.99 until 3/27)
EQQO ($2.00 from $6.00 until 3/27)
Infectra ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/27)
Infini ($3.60 from $12.00 until 3/27)
Johnny Rocket ($2.99 from $4.99 until 3/27)
Journey of the Broken Circle ($4.80 from $8.00 until 3/27)
Life of Fly ($10.49 from $14.99 until 3/27)
Potata: Fairy Flower ($7.20 from $12.00 until 3/27)
Restless Hero ($4.19 from $6.99 until 3/27)
Rock ‘N Racing Bundle: OR&GP ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/27)
Soul Searching ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/27)
Tauronos ($4.19 from $6.99 until 3/27)
Adverse ($4.49 from $5.99 until 3/28)
Bullet Beat ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Cel Damage HD ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Drink More Glurp ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/28)
Dungeon Warfare ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Firework ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/28)
Gleaner Heights ($6.49 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Hero Express ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/28)
History 2048 ($1.99 from $4.99 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)
Just Black Jack ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/28)
Lots of Slots ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/28)
Miniature: Story Puzzle ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/28)
Murder By Numbers ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/28)
Nexoria: Dungeon Rogue Heroes ($2.79 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Overlanders ($1.99 from $24.99 until 3/28)
Retro Game Pack ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Sir Eatsalot ($6.49 from $12.99 until 3/28)
Super Loop Drive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/28)
Super Toy Cars 2 ($4.99 from $11.99 until 3/28)
The Explorer of Night ($2.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
The House of Da Vinci ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 2: Roman Holiday ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 3: Tokyo Animated ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 4: Adv. In Rio ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 5: Waltzing Vienna ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 6: Christmas ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics 7: Fantastic Berlin ($1.99 from $8.99 until 3/28)
Travel Mosaics: Paris Tour ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/28)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. I’m not sure what’s going on next week, and I’m a bit too tired to check at the moment. Nothing huge is jumping out in my memory, but we don’t usually go a week without something fairly big these days. Well, I suppose we’ll see when we get there. I hope you all have a nice weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
