Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 5th, 2021. We’ve got a few new releases to look at today, and they really run the gamut in terms of quality. There’s also a Mini-View of Vaporum: Lockdown, a challenging but satisfying dungeon crawler. The most exciting thing going on today is the list of new sales, with Bethesda running discounts across the board. Yes, even for Skyrim and DOOM Eternal. We’ve got lists of both incoming and outgoing sales, so do give them a look. Let’s go!
Mini-Views
Vaporum: Lockdown ($21.99)
Vaporum: Lockdown is a prequel that by and large is content to follow in the footsteps of the previous game. Generally speaking, that’s not a bad thing. Vaporum‘s gameplay mechanics were sound, the level designs were solid, and its unusual choice of theme helped it stand out a bit. And there certainly are some improvements here. The text is actually readable in handheld mode, for starters. Enemy encounters are a bit more interesting, though still not spectacular. On a similar note, the environments have somewhat more variety than what we saw in the first game. Given that the Switch isn’t exactly overflowing with Dungeon Master-style games, another title in that milieu of similar quality to Vaporum is more than welcome.
The biggest difference, I would say, is in how difficult the puzzles are. This game really doesn’t fool around, especially in its back half. For some of you, that’s going to be something that gets your engine running. And yes, if you love challenging puzzles, some of which feel like you need to be reading the developer’s brain to figure out, you’ll have a field day here. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t frustrating sometimes. Hidden breakable walls become so hard to spot that you start whacking every surface you come across. Logical leaps that probably made sense to someone during development but don’t work out so well for a player trying to figure things out. It can be utterly exasperating. But I still kept on playing it until I reached the end, which I think speaks to the underlying appeal of this game.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
CyberTaxi ($9.99)
My first thought when I saw this game in action was that it had some serious mid-90s PC demo disc energy. Taking a closer look, this is a very heavy homage to the 1994 cult classic Quarantine. Wow, good job, first thought! You drive your taxi through a post-apocalyptic city, picking up passengers and blasting away anything that stands in your way. Naturally, it is a bit on the violent side. I wouldn’t call it the greatest of games, but neither was Quarantine. If you’re in the right mood, however, it is pretty fun. And if you have happy memories of Quarantine, by all means. This hovers somewhere between a remake and an homage, but I can at least say that if you liked the game it is clearly based on, you’ll almost certainly enjoy this.
Castle Heroes ($2.99)
You know, I might rag on Piotr Skalski from time to time, but if it comes down to a battle between the shovelware developers, his stuff tends to float to the top. The games are short on fresh ideas, but they’re functional, offer a reasonable amount of content, and are generally cheap. And hey, that describes Castle Heroes quite well. This is a very straightforward take on side-scrolling castle defense games like Swords & Soldiers. There are more than 100 stages to play, 17 different types of units to deploy, and a simple upgrade system. Note that this game is playable only in handheld mode for whatever reason.
Brick Bat Crazy ($2.99)
The title plus a single screenshot probably tells you most of what you need to know about this game. It’s another Breakout-style brick-breaker, with ten stages and an assortment of power-ups to use. There are three difficulty settings for each stage, and you can play alone or with a second player via local multiplayer. It’s only a few bucks, but even at that price it feels a bit light on ideas and content. There are probably worse ways to spend your money on the eShop, especially if you enjoy brick-breakers, but I don’t think your Switch would miss this game if you opted to pass on it.
Fly The Bird ($2.49)
Unlike Mr. Skalski, Pix Arts-san’s stuff does not rise to the top of the shovelware. Indeed, it is the bottom. Where all the fish poop goes. Take the controls of a very awkward bird and try to fly through the rings. All the fun of Superman 64 without that pesky license. There are lots of better games about flying on the Switch, like Feather or Aery. If you catch them on sale, they don’t even cost much more than this. No need to scoop the poop.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Lots of good stuff in the mix today, friends. Bethesda is having a sale on pretty much everything in its library, including DOOM Eternal. Aside from that, Ori & the Blind Forest, Gunman Clive HD Collection, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin & The Lion King, and Human: Fall Flat are all worth considering. Not too much going on in the outbox, but if you want to get RetroMania Wrestling at its launch-discounted price, you need to get on it soon.
Select New Games on Sale
The House of Da Vinci 2 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/10)
Ori & the Blind Forest ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Ghostrunner ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/11)
Planetary Defense Force ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/13)
Lumini ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/15)
Dimension Drive ($1.99 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/15)
The Bug Butcher ($1.99 from $7.99 until 4/15)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/15)
Rainswept ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/15)
Lost Wing ($3.19 from $7.99 until 4/15)
Batu Ta Batu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/15)
Summer Sports Games ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/16)
Moai VI: Unexpected Guests ($9.49 from $18.99 until 4/16)
Secrets of Magic: Book of Spells ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Secrets of Magic 2: W&W ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Winter Sports Games ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/16)
Gunman Clive HD Collection ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/16)
Super Punch Patrol ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/16)
Forgotten Tales: Day of the Dead ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/16)
3D Billiards: Pool & Snooker ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Dracula’s Legacy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Mahjong Deluxe 3 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Grave Danger ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Season Match ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Season Match 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Season Match 3: CotWC ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Lastfight ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Tales of the Orient: Rising Sun ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/16)
Renzo Racer ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Island Flight Simulator ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
3D MiniGolf ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Disney Games: Aladdin & Lion King ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
DOOM 2016 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/16)
DOOM Eternal ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/16)
DOOM 1993 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/16)
DOOM II Classic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/16)
DOOM 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
DOOM 64 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/16)
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/16)
Wolfenstein Youngblood ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Wolfenstein Youngblood Deluxe ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/16)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/16)
Human: Fall Flat ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Mechstermination Force ($2.51 from $11.99 until 4/18)
Slots of the Season ($3.99 from $7.99 until 4/18)
Pizza Parking ($2.99 from $5.99 until 4/18)
SpaceColorsRunner ($2.99 from $5.99 until 4/18)
Panda Jump ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/18)
Big-Bobby-Car: The Big Race ($8.99 from $29.99 until 4/18)
Eldrador Creatures ($20.99 from $29.99 until 4/18)
Bayala: The Game ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/18)
The Game is ON ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/19)
Windmill Kings ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/19)
Seeders Puzzle Reboot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/19)
Watermelon Party ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/19)
Son of a Witch ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/19)
Quest for the Golden Duck ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/19)
Rogue Bit ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/19)
Dungeon Shooting ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Battle & Crash ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Collide-a-Ball 2 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Not Tonight: TBC Edition ($2.49 from $24.99 until 4/22)
Caterpillar Royale ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Viviette ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Animal Hunter Z ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Bingo ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
War of Stealth: Assassin ($12.73 from $14.98 until 4/22)
Ping Pong Trick Shot Evolution ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Super Ping Pong Trick Shot ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Clay Skeet Shooting ($2.99 from $3.99 until 4/23)
Bridge Constructor Portal ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/23)
The Inner World ($2.39 from $11.99 until 4/23)
The Inner World: Last Wind Monk ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/23)
Super Treasure Arena ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/23)
Windscape ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/23)
Dark Quest 2 ($2.74 from $10.99 until 4/24)
Story of a Gladiator ($2.74 from $10.99 until 4/24)
Wreckin’ Ball Adventure ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/24)
Chop ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/24)
Shipped ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/24)
Party Treats ($1.99 from $2.49 until 4/24)
Castle of No Escape 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/24)
Get Me Outta Here ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/24)
Odium to the Core ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/24)
Unit 4 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/24)
Wondershot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/24)
Super Hero Fight Club ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/24)
Brawl ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/24)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 6th
Aborigenus ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Apocryph: Old-School Shooter ($6.99 from $14.95 until 4/6)
Chill Panda ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/6)
Crazy Zen Mini Golf ($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)
I Saw Black Clouds ($11.69 from $12.99 until 4/6)
Jump King ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/6)
Lydia ($2.00 from $4.00 until 4/6)
Pinball Lockdown ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/6)
Pixel Gladiator ($1.99 from $6.99 until 4/6)
Ploid ($2.09 from $2.99 until 4/6)
Pode ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/6)
Postal Redux ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/6)
RetroMania Wrestling ($25.49 from $29.99 until 4/6)
Space Ribbon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Swaps and Traps ($1.99 from $8.99 until 4/6)
Tactical Mind 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/6)
Warsaw ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/6)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a look at several new releases including Lost Words: Beyond the Page, Star Wars Republic Commando, and more. There may be a review or Mini-View, depending on what I can get finished. Naturally, whatever notable news and sales come along will be included as well. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
