Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 10th, 2021. Today is Thursday, and that means it’s time for a big drop of new releases. The most high-profile title of the day is Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, which brings Koei Tecmo’s series of 3D ninja action games to the Switch for the first time. There are lots of other interesting games on the list today, along with a couple of stinkers. We’ve got summaries for everything, naturally. We also have the lists of incoming and outgoing sales for you to look at. Let’s get to business!
New Releases
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Koei Tecmo brings the Ninja Gaiden trilogy of 3D action games to the Switch in this collection. To be precise, you get Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. While there are plenty of criticisms that could be made about the choice of versions and how well the ports have been executed, you really can’t argue with the value for your dollar here. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, but what I can say for now is that the first game has been ported quite well while the other two have some technical flaws that may be irritating to some players. Even with those problems, there’s still a lot of good times to be had here.
Piczle Cells ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Score Studios goes in a different direction with the latest game in the Piczle series of puzzle games. Each of the game’s 100 stages has an assortment of slimes placed around the board. You have to slide them into each other to merge them until there’s only one slime remaining. There are rules about how they can combine, and various slimes have gimmicks you’ll need to learn. There are also gimmicks in the stages themselves, which allows the game to ramp up the challenge quite nicely as it goes. A nifty little puzzle game for a reasonable price.
Age of Sokoban ($2.99)
This is a Sokoban-style game with 54 levels of stuff-pushing action. You know the business by now. Push the objects to the designated locations without getting them stuck anywhere. An added twist in this game is the presence of enemies, so you have to work around them as best as you can. There are three different themes to the levels, so there’s at least a bit of visual variety. It doesn’t look like the most high-class of games, but it’s a three-dollar Sokoban game so I’m not sure what we could reasonably expect here.
Arcade Archives Pirate Pete ($7.99)
Some of our older readers may remember a Taito game called Jungle Hunt from the arcades or one of its numerous home ports. Fun thing about that game: its original version, Jungle King, ran afoul of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ estate due to its liberal, er, borrowing from Tarzan. It ended up being reconfigured a few different ways to get around that, and 1982’s Pirate Pete is one of the results. In terms of gameplay, this is identical to Jungle Hunt. It’s just been given a different coat of paint, having you control a pirate as he tries to rescue a lady pirate from some bad pirates. It’s enjoyable enough given its age, and as we may not ever see the original game on Arcade Archives for legal reasons, this does serve to preserve and demonstrate the gameplay of that troublesome classic.
Sable’s Grimoire ($14.99)
Sable wants to become a world-famous magic researcher, and after being accepted to the prestigious Amadronia Magic Academy he takes a big step towards that goal. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take him long to realize that this academy isn’t exactly what it seems. In this visual novel, you’ll interact with six different monster girl heroines, making choices that will eventually lead you to one of sixteen different endings. Some nice features like a route map visualizing your choices and checkpoints that let you hop around as you like even if you didn’t save make this a bit friendlier than the average game of this sort.
Kirakira Stars Idol Project Ai ($10.00)
This is a visual novel about childhood friends who meet again after many years. Nobuyuki is a producer for an entertainment company, but he’s had a bad run of luck in the intensely competitive business. Forced to leave his employee dorm, he happens to meet his old friend Ai. She lets him move in with her, and upon hearing of his woes she decides to try her hand at becoming a pop idol. Can these two save Nobuyuki’s company and reputation? Having played a lot of visual novels in my time, I can say: it’s highly likely.
Shieldwall Chronicles: Swords of the North ($7.99)
Oh hey, I know this one. Wave Light brings another of its strategy-RPG games to the Switch, this time calling on Shieldwall Chronicles to join the line-up. As is often the case with this developer’s games, you can choose from a staggering number of unusual characters to build your team. There’s a slightly greater emphasis on building a narrative here compared to the Demon’s Rise games, which is something that I know some of you will be happy to hear. As for the battles, they’re not terribly different from what you’ll have seen in the developer’s other games. But hey, if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to replace it. I’ll have a review of this one soon if you’re on the fence about it.
Alchemist Adventure ($19.99)
An alchemist who has lost her memories wanders the land trying to find her missing daughter and husband in this action-RPG. As she explores, she’ll recover more of her memories, but will she be happy with what she learns? There’s plenty of hack-and-slash fun to be had here, but there are also a lot of interesting puzzles to solve using your alchemy. As a result of its somewhat complicated mechanics, this is going to take a bit more patience to play than your average Diablo-style adventure. But with a deep story, decent visuals, and challenging environments to make your way through, it’s worth the little bit of teething pain in the beginning. Oh, and one cool feature is that a second player can join in for local co-op play, taking control of your flying homonculus. Reviews are fairly good for the computer version. I’m interested to see how it has fared in the transition to Switch.
Life of Fly 2 ($9.99)
Life of Fly 2, or as we call it in the Carterverse 2 Fly 2 Life, doesn’t break the mold set by the first game. It’s just another 13 short stories about the life and thoughts of flies in various locations. While there is some joy to be had in flying around the environments, most the appeal of this series comes from its weird, oddly philosophical writing. I feel like that kind of enjoyment has diminishing returns, but there’s still enough to it to justify this sequel’s existence. If you like the first, grab this. If you haven’t played the original, it’s probably better to do that before you hit this one up.
ANIMUS: Revenant ($23.99)
The third game in the Animus series of Dark Souls-ish action-adventures is now available for the Switch. Indeed, this marks an interesting point in the history of the series, as I believe this title is debuting on Switch rather than being ported from mobile. It certainly looks a bit spiffier, though that may just be my eyes playing tricks on me. What I’m sure hasn’t changed too much is the deliberate, skill-based combat that has scratched the Souls itch for players left hanging by nothing further after one-and-done Switch port of the original Dark Souls. Look, this probably isn’t as good as an authentic Souls game, but it’s likely the best we’re going to get at this point on the Switch unless Bandai Namco does something surprising. Certainly worth a look if you enjoyed either of the previous titles.
Puzzle Box 3 in 1 ($4.99)
Oh no, I recognize that screenshot style. Benjamin Kistler, come on down. In this handheld-only game, you get three knock-offs of popular puzzlers. There’s a Threes! rip-off, a Slitherlink/PathPix rip-off, and one other game whose, ahem, source of inspiration I can’t quite pinpoint. They all share assets, and they’re not impressive assets either. Well, at least it’s cheap.
Pix Jungle Adventures ($4.99)
Kistler’s stuff always comes in pairs, and here’s the second of his releases today. I don’t want to accuse anyone of anything lightly, but I feel like he may have copied that sprite from a Woblyware game. Maybe Random Heroes? Anyway, this is a generic platformer that offers up 55 levels of shoddy platforming without even the smallest hint of a fresh idea in any of them. Coins? Check. Question blocks? You bet. Mushrooms? A big ol’ shameless affirmative. Frankly, if Ben ripped off his character sprite from another game, that would just be the cherry on top of this “give-no-figs" trash sundae.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
This is the list at the time I’m writing this, but there’s an absolute avalanche coming in the next several hours. We’ll catch up on all of that tomorrow, but I wanted to give you a heads-up so that you don’t blow all of your cash. For now, there are some Bandai Namco games worth considering, as well as the No More Heroes titles. The outbox is a bit on the large side, but there’s nothing in there that won’t be back around soon. Do have a look through as always, though. You never know when you might spot something you want.
Select New Games on Sale
No More Heroes ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/16)
No More Heroes 2 ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/16)
Under Leaves ($7.79 from $12.99 until 6/17)
Namco Museum ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/22)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($7.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
One Piece: Unlimited World Red ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/22)
Pac-Man CE 2 Plus ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/22)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 6/22)
Little Nightmares Complete ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/22)
Dragon Ball FighterZ ($9.59 from $59.99 until 6/22)
My Hero One’s Justice ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drun ‘n’ Fun! ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Katamari Damacy Reroll ($7.49 from $29.99 until 6/22)
Tales of Vesperia Definitive ($12.49 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Super Dragon Ball Heroes WM ($8.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
Sword Art Online: HR Deluxe ($7.49 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Sword Art Online: FB Complete ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
God Eater 3 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
RAD ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Ni no Kuni: WotWW ($12.49 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Doraemon Story of Seasons ($14.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
My Hero One’s Justice 2 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 ($23.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Mr. Driller DrillLand ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/22)
Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/22)
Jump Force: Deluxe ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adv. Pack ($29.99 from $49.99 until 6/22)
Little Nightmares 2 ($24.89 from $29.99 until 6/22)
Buildings Have Feelings Too! ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/23)
Cloudpunk ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/23)
House Flipper ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/23)
Sparklite ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/23)
Solo: Islands of the Heart ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/23)
Aragami: Shadow Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/23)
HoPiKo ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/23)
Battle Group 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/23)
Candle: The Power of the Flame ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/23)
Bitmaster ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/24)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/24)
Art Sqool ($3.89 from $12.99 until 6/24)
Riverbond ($4.99 from $24.99 until 6/24)
Cooking Simulator: Pizza ($13.49 from $14.99 until 6/25)
Fledgling Heroes ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/25)
Spencer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 6/28)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/28)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/28)
Marble Power Blast ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/28)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/28)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/28)
Balance Blox ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/28)
Super Star Blast ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/28)
Sakura Succubus ($6.99 from $9.99 until 6/30)
Zombie Raid ($3.19 from $3.99 until 6/30)
Paradox Error ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/30)
Caesar Empire War ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/30)
Grand Slam Tennis ($3.19 from $3.99 until 6/30)
Mexican Train Dominoes Gold ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/30)
Legends of Talia: Arcadia ($2.09 from $2.99 until 6/30)
Archery Blast ($2.79 from $3.99 until 7/1)
Football Cup 2021 ($6.99 from $9.99 until 7/1)
Delicious! Girls Mahjong Solitaire ($4.19 from $5.99 until 7/1)
Void Gore ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/1)
Kid Tripp ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/1)
Family Tree ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/1)
Without Escape ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/1)
Grizzland ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/1)
inbento ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/1)
112th Seed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/1)
Arcanoid Breakout ($2.99 from $4.99 until 7/1)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, June 11th
A Knight’s Quest ($7.49 from $24.99 until 6/11)
Agent A: Puzzle in Disguise ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
American Fugitive ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Animal Up! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Animated Jigsaws: Japanese Women ($2.00 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Anodyne ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Azurebreak Heroes ($2.99 from $6.99 until 6/11)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Batu Ta Batu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Beholder: Complete Edition ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Bomber Crew ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Cosmic Top Secret ($8.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Crypt of the Serpent King ($1.99 from $2.99 until 6/11)
Dimension Drive ($1.99 from $12.99 until 6/11)
Driving World: Aspen ($8.99 from $11.99 until 6/11)
Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 ($2.00 from $8.00 until 6/11)
Dyna Bomb ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/11)
For The King ($8.49 from $24.99 until 6/11)
Ghost Sweeper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Gnomes Garden ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Guards ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Gutwhale ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Hitori Logic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Hotshot Racing ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Hue ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Human: Fall Flat ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Kakuro Magic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Kwaidan ~Azuma Manor Story~ ($10.00 from $24.99 until 6/11)
Lost Wing ($2.39 from $7.99 until 6/11)
Luckslinger ($7.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Lumini ($2.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Manual Samuel ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Mermaid Castle ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Metaloid: Origin ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/11)
Missing Feature: 2D ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/11)
Monster Truck XT Derby ($8.39 from $11.99 until 6/11)
Moorhuhn Remake ($5.59 from $6.99 until 6/11)
MotoGP 19 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/11)
Motorsport Manager ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/11)
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/11)
Potata: Fairy Flower ($6.00 from $12.00 until 6/11)
Pumped BMX Pro ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Puzzle Wall ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/11)
Rainswept ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Rise: Race the Future ($9.89 from $16.49 until 6/11)
Rusty Spout Rescue Adv. ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/11)
Serial Cleaner ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Slither Loop ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Smoke and Sacrifice ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Solitaire Klondike Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/11)
Solitaire Spider Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/11)
Space Avenger: Empire of Nexx ($4.99 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Space Crew ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
Speed Truck Racing ($5.49 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Strike! Ten Pin Bowling ($7.49 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Stunt Kite Party ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Suguru Nature ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/11)
Super Sportmatchen ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Talisman: Digital Edition ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
The Bug Butcher ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/11)
The Flame In The Flood ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/11)
The House of Da Vinci 2 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/11)
The Skylia Prophecy ($5.59 from $6.99 until 6/11)
The Swindle ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/11)
They Came From the Sky ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/11)
Torn Tales: Rebound Edition ($4.39 from $7.99 until 6/11)
Vaporum: Lockdown ($17.59 from $21.99 until 6/11)
Velocity 2X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/11)
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/11)
Zombies Ruined My Day ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/11)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of the releases for the week, including Nintendo’s own Game Builder Garage. With E3 looming, things are probably going to be pretty hot for the next several days. Wish me luck in keeping up with all of it for you, dear readers. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
