Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 9th, 2021. You know how on Fridays I don’t usually do any news because there are so many new releases and sales that I don’t have time for anything else? Well, a few companies decided to launch some direct hits on my interests in the last 24 hours, so you get a few news stories to go with the avalanche of new releases and sales. There’s a lot of good stuff in today’s edition, friends. You won’t want to miss it. Let’s go!
News
‘Streets of Rage 4’ is Getting an Expansion
Streets of Rage 4 was one of my favorite games of last year. What can I say? I loved the original trilogy and the sequel delivered above and beyond my expectations. But things can always be better, right? Mr. X Nightmare is an upcoming DLC expansion for the game, and it adds three new playable characters to the game along with a new Survival mode, character customization, and some new weapons and enemies. Arriving along with it will be a free update that offers a new difficulty setting, palette swaps for the existing characters, and more. Only one of the three new characters has been officially revealed: Estel, the persistent police officer that dogs our heroes in the early stages of the story. There are silhouettes for the other two in the trailer, and it’s not hard to guess who they are. But I’ll leave that to you as a fun exercise.
‘NEO The World Ends With You’ Releases July 27th, 2021
I’m still not sure this sequel is a good idea, but whether I like it or not it is coming. In fact, we now know when it is coming: July 27th, 2021. The latest trailer not only reveals that release date, but also introduces some of the characters and concepts. It also teases the return of a very important character from the first game, so if you don’t to be spoiled at all, consider yourself warned. Anyway, that’s fairly near to my birthday, so I guess I know what my present will be this year!
‘Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World’ Gets New Trailer
As the release date of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World draws nearer, I’ve found myself getting hyped for this remake of the classic Monster World IV. The first trailer looked a bit rough, and to be honest it took me a little while to warm up to the idea of doing a 3D remaster of a perfectly fine 2D game, but I’m over that now. The more recent trailers have looked a lot better, and this latest one is the best yet. I don’t think there’s been any official announcement of a release date for the game in the West beyond a vague “Q2 2021", but the game releases in Japan on April 22nd and some Western retailers have dates in May on them, so I don’t think it’ll be a long time in any case. Keep in mind that if you order the physical version of this game in the West, it comes with the original Genesis version of the game on the cartridge. It’s a nice bonus, and I don’t think digital purchasers will have a means of getting it.
New Releases
The House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Ah, this is a very good visual novel. A spirit awakens in a mansion with no memories of its identity or why it is there. The spirit meets a maid, who comes up with the idea of exploring the mansion’s past to see if it jogs the spirit’s memory. The journey ends up spanning the course of a thousand years, and trust me when I say it is suitably epic in its scope and delivery. This Dreams of the Revenants Edition includes the main story, a prequel called A Requiem for Innocence, and a sequel called Reincarnation, along with a number of other short stories. If you enjoy visual novels, you’ll want to check this one out. I mean, assuming you haven’t already.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Well, we’re finally here: the conclusion to The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is available in portable form. Granted, you’d have had to have owned two different handhelds to play the whole saga on the go, but hey. This came out a little while ago on PlayStation 4, and it’s safe to say that there were some mixed opinions on how things wrapped up. I mean, you would expect that. This Switch port is similar in quality to what we saw with the third game, though there was at least one really weird text glitch deep in the game that I encountered while preparing for my review. A day one patch is available that may fix that, though. I’ll have to check. Anyway, you’ll be able to read my thoughts on this one soon enough. Not that it matters terribly, I suppose. If you haven’t played this series before you probably won’t start with the last chapter, and if you’ve come this far with Trails of Cold Steel you’re likely going to see it through regardless of what I say.
Say No! More ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Sometimes a screenshot is enough to sell you on a game, and this is one of those cases. Look at that. Amazing. After having my interest piqued, further investigations revealed that yes, this game is something neat. You play as a normal person who is getting pushed around as usual, but after a little boost from a self-help coach you learn how to say no. And how. You rampage your way through the levels saying no in a variety of ways to annoying people, leaving absolute chaos in your wake. This feels like it has the same spirit as my beloved Cho Chabudai Gaeshi, a Taito arcade game where you flip a tea table to release stress. I’m not going to pretend this game has the tightest design around or anything, but a good idea can go pretty far and this one does.
Yoko & Yuki: Dr. Rat’s Revenge ($4.99)
Yuki has been cat-napped by Dr. Rat, and it’s up to Yoko to rescue her. This is one of those platformers where you can rotate the stages to make your way forward. You also have scissors that you can use to cut ropes with, and a spray can you can use to reveal hidden objects. It has a somewhat cute art style and it seems like it functions as it should. I wish I had more to say about it, but nothing about this really jumps out at me. Certainly has a lot of that “five dollar eShop game" energy about it.
Skyland: Heart of the Mountain ($14.99)
Hey, Artifex Mundi. You know what to expect here: hidden objects, and plenty of them. The competition in this category is getting tougher lately, and this publisher remains the most expensive choice. Can it justify the premium tag? I’m not the one to ask. At any rate, this one puts you into a fantasy world where you’ll end up saving everyone and maybe even finding out the truth behind your father’s death. Puzzles and mini-games pepper your quest, along with some fairly well-done art and the typical quality of writing fans of this company have come to expect. It’s naturally been out for a while on other platforms, and it seems to have decidedly average reviews from players and critics. Not high, but certainly not low. So do with that what you will. That’s all I’ve got for this one.
Ravensword: Shadowlands ($6.99)
Hey, blast from the past. I’d hope most TouchArcade readers remember Ravensword: Shadowlands. The bigger and badder sequel to the original game was a genuine eye-popper when it released on iOS… eight and a half years ago. Wow, wow, wow. Okay, let’s not focus on time slipping through our hands like grains of sand. Um. So back in the day, this was an impressive indie effort at giving an Elder Scrolls-like experience to mobile gamers. And in that sense, it was really cool. Not long after that, the free-to-play gatcha-and-grind took over the RPG genre on mobile, leaving Ravensword: Shadowlands as the peak of an era. So how is it on the Nintendo Switch in 2021? It’s clearly not going to get by on its looks anymore, but I think if you’re looking for a lower-cost WRPG experience this still has something to offer. I’ll have a review of this one next week.
Luckslinger ($9.99)
A hip-hop Western retro-style 2D action game? That sounds pretty cool, and yeah, it’s not too shabby. As the title indicates, luck does play a role in the game. You collect luck and if you have enough of it, you’ll see some benefits. For example, bullets might curve to miss you. Cool idea, probably not taken as far as it should have been, but still interesting. The gameplay is solid enough, but it’s a bit familiar. The theme helps the game a lot, as we just don’t see a whole ton of Western-themed games of this style. Also, you have a duck sidekick. That’s awesome. It’s not a must-have or anything, but if you like the sound of it I think it’s pretty safe to go for it. Just be ready for a tough game, because that’s another way this game is retro-style.
Gravity Heroes ($14.99)
This is a 2D action-platformer that has some similarities to run-and-gunners like Contra, except with a gravity-based twist. You can manipulate gravity at any time using the right stick, which lets you hit the ceilings and walls as needed. The game has some nice visuals, and if you friends to play the co-op mode with you may find it an enjoyable experience. If you play by yourself, things are less pleasant. The game is obviously tuned for multiplayer, making a solo romp feel like a punishing slog. It’s not a bad game by any means, but at least as far as I’m concerned it’s really only of interest in multiplayer. Unfortunately, there’s no online multiplayer here so you’ll need some local buddies to get the most of it.
Toree 3D ($0.99)
If you’re looking for a 3D platformer today and only have one dollar to spend, well… you’re enormously lucky, because there actually is one here for you to buy. Described as a bite-sized 3D platformer, Toree 3D features nine levels with speed ranking and collectibles to try to add a bit of replay value. There are also two secret characters to unlock. The low-poly aesthetic is meant to conjure up feelings of 90s games, and I’ll leave it to you to decide how successful it is in that goal. Not much to say here. When a game is this cheap, the odds are pretty good you’ll get your money’s worth out of it even if it’s not all that great.
Exploding Kittens ($9.99)
Based on an actual card game, this is similar to the mobile version by the same name except it packs in three extra expansions and a few other goodies in the up-front price. Other expansions are available via DLC, of course. So wait, what are we expanding? A game where the goal is to not pull the Exploding Kitten. There are ways to deal with, but if you end up holding it when it goes off, that’s that. Kind of UNO meets Old Maid, I guess? But more humorous. You can play this one against the computer AI, go against other players in the same room via local multiplayer, or even hop online and find opponents (in theory) there. Up to five players can play this one at once. It’s amusing enough. Probably cheaper than the real cards, anyway.
War Solution – Casual Math Game ($3.99)
Hello friend, care to play a casual math game? That’s what all the kids are saying these days. Always playing their casual math games with each other. In my day, math games were something a bit more substantial. A bit more serious. A bit more committed. But no, today’s kids are all about those no-strings-attached algebraic equations. Disappointing. This game sees machines and towers facing off, each with their own attributes. The battles require you to solve math problems. It’s dressed up in a stage play setting, which I suppose is one way to go. Look, I like math as much as the next RPG fan, but this is a bit too on the nose for me. Perhaps you’ll feel differently.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
If you’re looking for the big hits in today’s incoming list, it’s down to Bandai Namco. Not unusual for the company to put its line-up on sale, but it’s mostly good stuff so it’s always worth considering. Besides those games, I’d point out Vaporum, Graceful Explosion Machine, and perhaps G-MODE Archives29 Zanac. The weekend outbox has some neat stuff in it, especially Dotemu’s games like Streets of Rage 4, Ys Origin, and Windjammers. Do that usual thing and check the lists for yourself, just in case.
Select New Games on Sale
Super Daryl Deluxe ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/14)
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/14)
Graceful Explosion Machine ($3.20 from $12.99 until 4/15)
Spitlings ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/15)
The Snake King ($1.99 from $7.99 until 4/15)
Spinny’s Journey ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Stellar Interface ($1.99 from $12.99 until 4/19)
Bossgard ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/21)
The Long Reach ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/21)
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes ($17.49 from $24.99 until 4/21)
Crimson Keep ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/21)
Vaporum ($9.99 from $24.99 until 4/21)
Riot: Civil Unrest ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/21)
The Walking Vegetables: Radical ($3.89 from $12.99 until 4/21)
Dragon Ball FighterZ ($9.59 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($7.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes WM ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Jump Force Deluxe ($29.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Naruto Ninja Storm Trilogy ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/22)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
One Piece Unlimited World Red ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/22)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/22)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
My Hero One’s Justice ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
My Hero One’s Justice 2 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Sword Art Online: HR Deluxe ($14.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Captain Tsubasa: RoNC ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: RA 1 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: RA 2 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: RA Pack ($29.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum n Fun ($14.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Mr. Driller DrillLand ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Katamari Damacy Reroll ($9.89 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth ($19.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Ni no Kuni: WotWW ($12.49 from $49.99 until 4/22)
God Eater 3 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 4/22)
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive ($12.49 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Doraemon Story of Seasons ($19.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 until 4/22)
Little Nightmares Complete ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Pac-Man CE 2 Plus ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
Namco Museum ($9.89 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
RAD ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
Tower of Time ($16.24 from $24.99 until 4/22)
Reptilian Rebellion ($2.24 from $2.99 until 4/22)
Shikhondo Soul Eater ($4.19 from $13.99 until 4/22)
Toy Stunt Bike ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Three Fourths Home ($2.24 from $8.99 until 4/22)
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! ($2.24 from $8.99 until 4/22)
Hacky Zack ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Spectrum ($2.39 from $11.99 until 4/22)
1979 Revolution Black Friday ($2.99 from $11.99 until 4/22)
Paranautical Activity ($2.39 from $7.99 until 4/22)
INK ($2.24 from $8.99 until 4/22)
Underhero ($10.19 from $16.99 until 4/22)
Mercury Race ($5.99 from $7.99 until 4/22)
Gnomes Garden: New Home ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/22)
Unto the End ($17.49 from $24.99 until 4/22)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
30-in-1 Game Collection ($13.49 from $14.99 until 4/22)
The Casebook of Arkady Smith ($1.99 from $8.99 until 4/22)
Glass Masquerade ($3.59 from $11.99 until 4/22)
Glass Masquerade 2 ($5.99 from $11.99 until 4/22)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Tamashii ($5.99 from $11.99 until 4/22)
The Complex ($9.09 from $12.99 until 4/22)
Double Pug Switch ($2.24 from $8.99 until 4/22)
Bleed ($3.59 from $11.99 until 4/22)
Bleed 2 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/22)
Asdivine Cross ($13.49 from $14.99 until 4/22)
War Solution: Casual Math ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/22)
Job the Leprechaun ($2.24 from $2.99 until 4/22)
Aquatic Adv. of the Last Human ($3.89 from $12.99 until 4/22)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Omega Strike ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/22)
Pipe Push Paradise ($2.74 from $10.99 until 4/22)
Elli ($5.99 from $7.99 until 4/25)
Legends of Talia: Arcadia ($2.69 from $2.99 until 4/28)
G-MODE Archives29 Zanac ($4.49 from $4.99 until 4/28)
Death Tales ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/28)
Cobra Kai: KK Saga Continues ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/28)
GI Joe Operation Blackout ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/28)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/28)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/28)
Kuukiyomi: Consider It! ($3.74 from $4.99 until 4/28)
Toridama: Brave Challenge ($3.74 from $4.99 until 4/28)
Sudoku Relax 3 Autumn Leaves ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/28)
Street Outlaws: The List ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/28)
Zombieland: Double Tap RT ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/28)
American Ninja Warrior ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/28)
Rapala Fishing Pro Series ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/28)
Big Buck Hunter Arcade ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/28)
Goosebumps the Game ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/28)
Yesterday Origins ($2.98 from $14.90 until 4/28)
World Neverland: Elenea Kingdom ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/28)
Cartoon Network Battle Crashers ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/28)
She Sees Red: Interactive Movie ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/29)
CMS ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/29)
Sales Ending This Weekend
#womenUp, Puzzles Dream ($2.06 from $6.19 until 4/10)
Fobia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/10)
Harvest Life ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/10)
LocO-SportS ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/10)
Portal Dogs ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/10)
The Forgotten Land ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/10)
The House of Da Vinci 2 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/10)
Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron ($4.49 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Among Us ($4.00 from $5.00 until 4/11)
Another World ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/11)
Beach Buggy Racing ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/11)
Blazing Chrome ($6.79 from $16.99 until 4/11)
Bloody Zombies ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Conduct Together ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Dark Devotion ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Death Race 2020 ($1.99 from $5.99 until 4/11)
Death Road to Canada ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/11)
FIFA 21 Legacy Edition ($29.99 from $49.99 until 4/11)
Flying Soldiers ($8.99 from $17.99 until 4/11)
Fuser ($29.99 from $59.99 until 4/11)
Fuser VIP ($69.99 from $99.99 until 4/11)
Ghost Sweeper ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/11)
Ghostrunner ($7.49 from $29.99 until 4/11)
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ ($23.99 from $29.99 until 4/11)
Kunai ($6.79 from $16.99 until 4/11)
Metaloid: Origin ($4.19 from $6.99 until 4/11)
n Verlore Verstand ($2.09 from $13.99 until 4/11)
Naught ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/11)
Ori & the Blind Forest ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Pang Adventures ($3.99 from $9.99 until 4/11)
Riptide GP: Renegade ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/11)
Rivals of Aether ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/11)
Rusty Spout Rescue Adv. ($4.19 from $6.99 until 4/11)
Streets of Rage 4 ($16.19 from $24.99 until 4/11)
Torchlight II ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Torchlight III ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/11)
Tyd wag vir Niemand ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/11)
Ultimate Chicken Horse ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Vigil: The Longest Night ($16.49 from $21.99 until 4/11)
Windjammers ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/11)
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
Ys Origin ($7.99 from $19.99 until 4/11)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week to check out games like Poison Control, SaGa Frontier Remastered, and many more. We’ll also have some reviews, some Mini-Views, a bit of news, and of course plenty of sales. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
