Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 14th, 2021. It’s a busy Friday this week, with some major releases from Nintendo and others to look at. We’ve got summaries of each of the new games that hit the eShop today to help you make your purchasing decisions. If that’s not enough, there are also quite a few new sales today to consider. We’ve got a list of the latest discounts, plus the games that will be ending their sales this weekend. Let’s get to work!
New Releases
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir ($34.99)
Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind ($34.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Well, this only took a few decades. A long, long time ago, Nintendo took a stab at making some adventure games for the 8-Bit Famicom’s Disk System peripheral. Famicom Detective Club followed in the footsteps of the games that came before it, but it was slightly more approachable and streamlined than many of its more esoteric forbearers. It was a big hit, and another one was made. Then the Disk System kind of died, and that was that. We never got them in the West probably because, well, the audience on consoles at the time just wasn’t big on reading. These fancy remakes for the Switch gave Nintendo an opportunity to bring them out worldwide, and here we are. If you buy both you’ll save ten bucks, bringing the complete price to a fair $59.99. I’m hoping to review these next week, but it’s going to depend on how much time I have. They’re pretty good though, provided you like adventure games.
Subnautica ($29.99)
Subnautica: Below Zero ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
The original Subnautica and its sequel come to Switch on the same day. This is a crafting/survival game with an underwater focus, following the usual loop of slowly expanding your reach within the world. Scrounge up materials, craft tools and items needed for survival, and use those crafted items to find even more materials. As you play, a story will be revealed bit by bit. The second game’s main twist is that you’re also dealing with extreme cold. I’ll have a review of these games next week, but I can say right now that the port is surprisingly good. The loading times can be a bear, especially the initial load, and you will encounter some hitching when you’re moving from biome to biome. Otherwise, this is a fantastic way to enjoy these games.
Zumatch ($5.99)
Just from the title and header graphic, I’m going to guess this is a knock-off of PopCap’s Zuma, which itself was a rip-off of Mitchell Corporation’s Puzz Loop. Let’s check the game and see if I’m right. Oh look, that’s exactly what it is. Shoot colored marbles at the surrounding chain to make matches and clear the pieces before you run out of space. There seem to be some power-ups you can make use of here as well. I think if you want to buy a game of this sort on the Switch, you’re better off grabbing Sparkle Unleashed or Sparkle 2 for $7.99.
Rabisco+ ($4.99)
This one comes from the developer behind Pinkman and Duck Souls, and if you’ve played those games Rabisco will have a familiar feel to it even while offering very different mechanics. You have to guide Ms. Rabisco through 100 carefully-designed levels, gathering the moon’s lost stars to bring light back to the world. There are tons of different traps, obstacles, and gimmicks to learn how to deal with. While the game itself isn’t terribly long, a speed run mode extends things a bit for those who want to get more out of it. I’m going to put this one in my bucket for “nice five-dollar games". Feel free to take it out of the bucket if you like the look of it.
Karma. Incarnation 1 ($11.99)
This is an adventure game with some serious flaws. The story is poor and not well-told, the pacing is unbelievably slow for a game that only lasts a couple of hours, and the puzzles aren’t all that interesting. It touts this whole karma system but it doesn’t really seem to do much of anything substantial. The art is nice, but the game’s solid presentation is about all it has going for it. It’s also more than double the price on Switch that it is on other platforms, and I just don’t think it has what it needs to make that flex. There are lots of great adventure games on the Switch. This isn’t one of them.
Quantum Replica ($9.99)
Kind of a budget stealth game with a cyberpunk feel. This one released on other platforms a few years back, and the reception wasn’t exactly sunny. You basically alternate between action bits and stealth sections, with the former being kind of obnoxious and the latter offering little in the way of tactical options. I’m not really expecting a ten-dollar indie to be the one to fill the gap left by the total absence of Metal Gear on the Switch, of course. It’s an okay game for what it is. But it feels like this could have been a lot better than merely decent.
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse – Definitive Edition ($29.99)
This is a hack-and-slash action game that seems to be well-liked by fans of RWBY and not so much by those unfamiliar with the property. It offers simple gameplay, an easy-to-digest story, and plenty of characters from the series to play as. Perhaps the key feature is that up to four players can join in for some co-op play. Two players can play together locally, while the full four can play online. The cast of the show voices their characters, and the composer created the game’s original soundtrack. This version includes all of the added modes and outfits that were added to other versions post-launch. If you like RWBY it seems like a no-brainer, but those looking for a co-op action game may want to check it out as well.
#Wish Travel, Super Puzzles Dream ($5.99)
Yes Super Puzzles Dream, I too wish I could travel right now. Oh well. I suppose instead I could play you. So, what do you have to offer? The same exact game as the last five entries in this series, except with some new pictures from your vacation slides? I… I see. So we’re just dropping the puzzle pieces into the puzzle as they fall from above again? Okay, yes. I see you have that two player local multiplayer mode. Just like before. You know, I’m going to pass this time. Maybe some of the readers will go for you, though.
Instant Sports Tennis ($24.99)
The Instant Sports brand is back, this time covering tennis. Well hey, video games and tennis go back a long way. As I’ve said many times, it’s pretty difficult to mess up a tennis video game. Not impossible, but difficult. Instant Sports Tennis isn’t going to break that rule too drastically, but it’s not something I’d rush out and spend twenty-five bucks on either. There are ten tennis mini-games, four gameplay modes, a variety of courts and characters to choose from, and local multiplayer support for up to four people. You can play with button controls or use motion controls, similar to that one game that everyone has in the back of their closet. That’s the story, I leave it up to you from here.
Bounce Mania ($3.99)
Oh yay, Pix Arts. I don’t expect too much from this developer, and I suppose that under those low-bar conditions Bounce Mania isn’t that bad. It’s an endless bouncer where you have to guide your character across a series of precarious platforms, doing whatever you can to avoid falling into the abyss. There are twenty different characters to unlock and use. Try to earn the highest score you can until you get bored, which should take at least a few minutes. Not the worst four-dollar game I’ve seen on the Switch, but still very much in the category of games you could find for free on your mobile device of choice.
#1 Anagrams ($3.99)
I’m not going to award any points for the generic yet presumptuous name, but #1 Anagrams is alright. You’re given a set of letters and need to fill out a crossword puzzle with words spelled with them. There are 200 pre-built puzzles to solve, and an apparently endless number of randomly-generated puzzles to play after you’ve dealt with those. There’s also a daily puzzle that changes every day. The game features a spartan presentation, but I think that’s to be expected for the genre and the price. If you like Boggle or the various word games from Lightwood Games, you’ll probably enjoy this.
Be a Poker Champion! Texas Hold’em ($9.99)
A fairly straightforward Texas Hold’em Poker game with a decent presentation. Test your skills against a variety of CPU opponents at six different locations, and try to come out on top in five different tournaments. There’s no multiplayer of any kind here, which is somewhat unfortunate. Not much else to say about it. If you want a single-player poker game, this might entertain you well enough for your ten bucks. That seems like a big “if" to me, but that’s where we’re at.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Bandai Namco is having what it has dubbed the “AniMay" sale, which basically amounts to all of its non-retro games being discounted. Beyond those, there are discounts on games like Skulls of the Shogun, Shing!, Sam & Max Save the World, and even some games whose titles don’t start with the letter ‘S’. Not too much to worry about in the weekend outbox, but Onion Games is finishing up its Golden Week sales on titles like Black Bird and Moon. It looks like the latest round of discounts on Ubisoft’s games is also finishing up. Those will be back around soon, though. Check through both lists carefully, as usual.
Select New Games on Sale
Spitlings ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/19)
Ring of Pain ($13.99 from $19.99 until 5/20)
Tiger Trio’s Tasty Travels ($13.49 from $14.99 until 5/20)
Demon’s Tilt ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/20)
Let It Roll Slide Puzzle ($3.14 from $4.49 until 5/21)
Super Crush KO ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/21)
Galak-Z: The Void Deluxe ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade, Assorted ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/24)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Heavy Burger ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Head Snatchers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Debris Infinity ($3.49 from $4.99 until 5/24)
Still There ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Real Heroes: Firefighter ($3.74 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Conarium ($13.39 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Hexagon Defense ($2.19 from $3.99 until 5/25)
God Eater 3 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
My Hero One’s Justice ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
My Hero One’s Justice 2 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Naruto Ult. Ninja Storm 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Naruto Ult. Ninja Storm 3 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Naruto Ult. Ninja Storm 4 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Dragon Ball FighterZ ($9.59 from $59.99 until 5/27)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes WM ($8.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
Sword Art Online Hollow Realization ($9.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet ($9.59 from $59.99 until 5/27)
One Piece Unlimited World Red ($7.99 from $39.99 until 5/27)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 5/27)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
Tales of Vesperia Definitive ($12.49 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Doraemon Story of Seasons ($14.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Captain Tsubasa: RoNC ($29.99 from $59.99 until 5/27)
Jump Force: Deluxe ($24.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth ($19.99 from $49.99 until 5/27)
The Bunker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 5/27)
Takeshi and Hiroshi ($7.19 from $8.99 until 5/27)
Boomerang Fu ($5.99 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Shing! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Rise Eterna ($17.99 from $19.99 until 5/27)
Bonkies ($10.49 from $14.99 until 5/27)
Inversus Deluxe ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/27)
The Wardrobe: Even Better ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/28)
MotoGP18 ($2.99 from $19.99 until 5/28)
Quell Memento ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Quell Reflect ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Unepic ($3.99 from $9.99 until 5/28)
Monster Energy Supercross 3 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/28)
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Adventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Link-A-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Pic-A-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Pic-A-Pix Pieces ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Block-A-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Epic Word Search Collection ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Epic Word Search Collection 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Alphaset by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Just a Phrase by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Word Sweeper by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Word Wheel by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Word Sudoku by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Word Puzzles by POWGI ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/28)
Word Search by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Roundabout by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Fifty Words by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Crypto by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Tic-Tac-Letters by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/28)
Sam & Max Save the World ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/1)
The Forbidden Arts ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Cattails ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/2)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 ($1.99 from $12.00 until 6/3)
Space Commander War & Trade ($7.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/3)
Sin Slayers ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Cube Creator X ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Syberia ($2.98 from $14.90 until 6/3)
Syberia 3 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/3)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 6/3)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/3)
Deep Diving Adventures ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Alchemist Simulator ($10.61 from $12.49 until 6/3)
Toki ($1.99 from $14.90 until 6/3)
Agatha Christie: ABC Murders ($19.49 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Super Chariot ($1.99 from $14.90 until 6/3)
Exodemon ($9.74 from $12.99 until 6/3)
Flashback ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Moto Racer 4 ($1.99 from $14.90 until 6/3)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($1.99 from $34.99 until 6/3)
Solitaire Klondike Black ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/3)
Offroad Racing: BxAxM ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Monster Prom: XXL ($6.39 from $15.99 until 6/3)
Mega Party: A Tootuff Adv. ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Escape Room Fort Boyard ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
My Universe: My Baby ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
My Universe: Fashion Boutique ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
My Universe: School Teacher ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
My Universe: Cooking Star ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
My Universe: Pet Clinic ($20.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Professor Rubik’s Brain Fitness ($14.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Asterix & Obelix XXL ($17.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
The Bluecoats: North & South ($17.99 from $29.99 until 6/3)
Super Sports Blast ($17.49 from $24.99 until 6/3)
Glam’s Incredible Run: EfD ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/3)
Sales Ending This Weekend
#Halloween, Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/15)
#Xmas, Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/15)
Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Assassin’s Creed III Remastered ($15.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Black Bird ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Child of Light Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Dandy Dungeon: Brave Yamada ($9.49 from $18.99 until 5/15)
Jeopardy! ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Just Dance 2020 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
Midnight Evil ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Monopoly ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Moon ($17.09 from $18.99 until 5/15)
Overdriven Reloaded: Special ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/15)
Rayman Legends Definitive ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
RISK Global Domination ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Save Koch ($5.00 from $20.00 until 5/15)
South Park The Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
South Park: The Stick of Truth ($11.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Starlink: Battle for Atlas ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
Tiny Racer ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Trials Rising Gold Edition ($8.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Trials Rising Standard Edition ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Trivial Pursuit Live! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
UNO ($3.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Valiant Hearts: The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Wheel of Fortune ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
World for Two ($9.79 from $13.99 until 5/15)
Dungeon Warfare ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/16)
Half Dead ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/16)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/16)
Say No! More ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/16)
Spheroids ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/16)
Super Toy Cars ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/16)
Tachyon Project ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/16)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week to check out games like Miitopia, Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition, Layers of Fear 2, and more. There will be some reviews to dig into, and I’m sure there will be plenty of sales and even a bit of news to enjoy as well. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
