Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 5th, 2021. I think it’s a holiday today in the United States, but I’m here in Japan and that means it’s work time. Today, we’ve got a few reviews for you to check out. Mario Golf: Super Rush, Inexistence Rebirth, and Cube Blast: Match are in the evaluation chamber today. How will they fare? You will know soon, friends. We’ve got some new releases to look at, and they’re fairly dire. We finish up with the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales for you to have a look at. Let’s get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Mario Golf: Super Rush ($59.99)
I don’t tend to expect a lot from the Mario sports games, and I suppose that’s a good thing because I’m rarely disappointed. Mario Golf: Super Rush is the latest, and it follows in the footsteps of its stablemate Mario Tennis Aces. It has some new ideas that don’t completely pan out, the core mechanics are solid and polished, and it feels a bit lighter on content than you might hope. I can’t say that developer Camelot was on cruise control here or anything like that, as there are actually some big changes to how the game works. But it does feel like there are things missing that shouldn’t be, and the additions don’t fully compensate for their absence.
Much ado has been made about the new Speed Golf and Battle Golf modes, but I’d prefer to first talk about a more fundamental new feature. The classic “three-click" style of swinging has been replaced with a new kind of meter. Now you press the button to start your swing, press it once more to set power and accuracy, and then use the control stick to adjust the curve of your shot. It’s a bit confusing at first, and I think some people aren’t going to like it. You’re giving up finer control of your accuracy in exchange for more control over the curve. The more power you put into your swing, the higher the chance your accuracy will go awry. It makes sense on paper, but if you’re used to the old way you may be frustrated.
I could also see people going either way on the new modes. Speed Golf and Battle Golf certainly are exciting at first, and if you have the right group of people to play with it can be a lot of fun jostling with each other on the way to your ball. But after a while, I couldn’t help but prefer normal golfing. Luckily, you don’t have to play the other modes outside of the story if you don’t want. But I imagine most people who pick this up will want to play that story mode, so you’ll have to at least be able to tolerate these variations.
The story mode, Golf Adventure, has you doing a bit of everything, and it’s certainly substantial. You can easily spend several hours going through it, and while it’s not quite the full-blown RPG some were asking for, it’s a more hefty slice of single-player content than we usually see in golf games. You’ll take your Mii through the paces as you work your way up the ranks, engaging in a variety of activities both pleasant and annoying. There are light RPG elements that allow you to customize your golfer a bit, and there are a lot of NPCs to talk to. I didn’t love every minute of it, but I generally enjoyed my playthrough of this mode.
Heading online, things get a little less exciting. All the essentials are here, I suppose. You can set up or search for rooms with the exact rules you prefer, and can even have more than one player per system. When you get enough players or find a room you like, you can play the game. And… that’s it, really. There are no rankings, and no tournaments. The latter is a bit disappointing given how well that feature was implemented in the Nintendo 3DS Mario Golf. What’s here works well, but I certainly hope we see the multiplayer expanded on in future updates.
Those updates will also see additional courses added to the game. The six courses here vary in quality, but it’s hard to ignore that there are fewer here than any of the other Mario Golf games. The Nintendo 3DS installment offered ten courses to start with, and an additional six through DLC purchases. Compared to that, what you get in Super Rush doesn’t go very far. It’s all well and good that the game will be expanded post-release, but I can only judge what is here right now. From that perspective, this is a clear step down from the previous game in terms of content.
Mario Golf: Super Rush may eventually be a great game, but for now it has to settle for being a good one. The new modes help liven up the gameplay in a way that some players are sure to enjoy, and the Golf Adventure gives you something to do beyond the usual stuff. I can take or leave the new swing meter, but I can easily imagine opinions being all over the board on that point. Ultimately, however, I can’t ignore the relative lack of courses and online options available in this launch version of the game. You’ll have a good time going on tour here, but you could have an even better time by picking up the Nintendo 3DS game.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Inexistence Rebirth ($8.99)
This is a short Metroidvania game that pays considerable homage to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You play as a boy who is trying to rescue his sister after she is imprisoned by some weird guy named Claos. You’ll have to make your way through a fairly large outdoor area before entering the final castle, which itself isn’t much smaller than the outdoor sections. You’ll find some power-ups that expand your movement abilities, and can use skill points you can find in the world and receive from leveling up to unlock other helpful skills and combat abilities. A variety of enemies block the way, and there are several bosses to fight. Backtracking is kept to a minimum thanks to a handy teleport function at save points.
It controls well enough, though the main character can be a bit stiff in combat. I wanted a bit more from the story than what I got, but I appreciated that the game was just long enough to satisfy without overstaying its welcome. All of the bosses were incredibly easy on the default difficulty, sometimes going down before I even emptied my magic meter. The map isn’t as helpful as it could be, but the game is largely linear so that’s not a huge problem. Indeed, the worst thing I can accuse Inexistence Rebirth of is being a bit too generic. There are no clever abilities to unlock here. No memorable boss battles. No unusual set pieces or challenges. It’s the Metroidvania equivalent of a bowl of plain corn flakes. That doesn’t make it a bad game and I’ve thrown more money at worse things, but it’s just so very bland.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Cube Blast: Match ($18.00)
There are no two ways about it: Cube Blast Match is a free-to-play Toon Blast-style matching puzzle game, ported over from mobile, slightly modified, and being sold at a relatively premium price. The power-ups and continues that you would normally pay real money for are rebalanced with a slow trickle of coins that let you avail yourself of such things. However, the general frustration and sheer luck that are endemic to games of this sort are still here in full force. In spite of its insistence otherwise, Cube Blast is more about getting a good shuffle and/or abusing power-ups than any actual strategy. The production values are nice enough and there’s a basic appeal to this sort of thing, but I simply can’t see any reason to recommend throwing money down on this over playing the free mobile version.
SwitchArcade Score: 2.5/5
New Releases
Rubix Roller ($3.99)
Someone’s gunning to get a letter from Spin Master Toys and/or Emo Rubik, I guess. Anyway, this is a Switch version of a free computer game, and I’ll admit it looks rather interesting. I can’t quite figure out all of the mechanics, but you need to roll a Rubik’s Cube around a grid-based stage filled with traps and power-ups. You can only touch colored grid spaces with the appropriately colored side of your Cube. The aim seems to be to reach the far side of the level? Not sure. But if you spend four bucks on the eShop or do the work of hunting down that free computer version, you could find out for yourself.
My Little Fruit Juice Booth ($3.00)
Benjamin Kistler is here today with a lovely asset flip he picked up from the Unity Asset Store for a little over $50. He only needs eighteen suckers in order to turn a profit, and I imagine he’ll get them and then some. This template, known on the Asset Store as Fruit Juice Maker, is the familiar time management game where customers make orders and you need to complete them before they get impatient and storm off. There are lots of these on the eShop, and if you’re really interested in one I’d recommend grabbing one of Baltoro’s instead, if only to do your part to not encourage this kind of behavior.
Super Archer ($4.99)
About as simple as it gets. You approach targets of various heights and need to release your arrow with good timing to try and hit a bullseye. If you get it, you move to the next target. If you don’t, you try again. Keep going until you’re out of arrows. There are different archer and target skins to unlock. While I can’t find this exact game on the App Store, this comes off very much like one of those free games you download and goof around with while you’re waiting in line to pay for your Amico at Bed Bath & Beyond, then delete on the way back to your car. I mean, it does everything it wants to. I just don’t know that I’d pay a fiver for that.
Hope’s Farm ($19.99)
Are you looking for a farming game but feel that the likes of Stardew Valley or Friends of Mineral Town are too good a value for your money? Hope’s Farm may be the game for you! As you can probably guess from the way that screenshot looks, this is a port of a free-to-play mobile game. It’s actually one of those match-3/sim hybrids along the lines of Gardenscapes and such. Build a farm, sell your goods by playing a matching puzzle, and consider the poor decision you made in paying twenty bucks for a free puzzle game that very much lives up to its original price. Wow!
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Hey, five-dollar Celeste. Doesn’t get much better than that, does it? You can find a couple of other interesting sales in that list, but nothing that stands out to the point that I feel like highlighting it. Lots of stuff in the outbox, but nothing particularly outstanding there that won’t be back on sale in a week or two, in my opinion. You know what I’m going to say: check those lists yourself and make sure I’m not steering you wrong.
Select New Games on Sale
Celeste ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/9)
4×4 Dirt Track ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/9)
Car Driving School Simulator ($6.99 from $13.99 until 7/9)
City Driving Simulator ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/9)
Carnage: Battle Arena ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/9)
RoboPhobik ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/9)
Clue: The Classic Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/9)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/9)
The Game of Life 2 ($23.99 from $29.99 until 7/9)
SmuggleCraft ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/11)
Rainbows, Toilets & Unicorns ($3.49 from $6.99 until 7/11)
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/11)
Ben 10 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/12)
Ben 10: Power Trip! ($27.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Hotel Transylvania 3 MO ($17.99 from $29.99 until 7/12)
Adventure Time: Pirates ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($27.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
PAW Patrol Mighty Pups ($27.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
DreamWorks Dragons DoNR ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Foodtruck Arena ($14.39 from $15.99 until 7/12)
Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adv. ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Jumanji: The Video Game ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Gigantosaurus The Game ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Transformers: Battlegrounds ($23.99 from $39.99 until 7/12)
Snake vs Snake ($2.79 from $3.99 until 7/12)
Total Arcade Racing ($6.99 form $9.99 until 7/12)
Super Jumpy Ball ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/12)
Beautiful Desolation ($13.39 from $19.99 until 7/13)
Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind+ ($3.89 from $12.99 until 7/16)
GODS Remastered ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/16)
Circle of Sumo ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/16)
Haunted: Halloween ’86 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/18)
CATTCH ($4.89 from $6.99 until 7/19)
Caves & Castles: Underworld ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/19)
Glittering Sword ($3.49 from $4.99 until 7/19)
Legrand Legacy: TotF ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/19)
Candy Jump feat. Frosty ($3.99 from $5.99 until 7/19)
WeakWood Throne ($2.99 from $4.99 until 7/20)
King Lucas ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Jump, Step, Step ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Circuits ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Path to Mnemosyne ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/20)
Super Skelemania ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/20)
Captain Cat ($2.09 from $6.99 until 7/20)
Spell Casting: Purrfectly Portable ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/20)
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike CE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Cabela’s The Hunt: CE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Route Me Mail & Delivery Co ($5.19 from $7.99 until 7/23)
Grand Prix Racing ($3.89 from $5.99 until 7/23)
Monster Truck XT Airport Derby ($7.19 from $11.99 until 7/23)
Driving World: Aspen ($7.19 from $11.99 until 7/23)
Super Destronaut DX-2 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/23)
Speed Truck Racing ($5.49 from $9.99 until 7/23)
Offroad Racing: BxAxM ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/23)
Super Arcade Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/23)
The Big Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/23)
Sorry, James ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/23)
Wayout ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/23)
Lines Infinite ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/23)
Lines X ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/23)
Toki ($1.99 from $14.90 until 7/23)
Moto Racer 4 ($1.99 from $14.90 until 7/23)
Super Chariot ($1.99 from $14.90 until 7/23)
Syberia 2 ($1.99 from $29.99 until 7/23)
Syberia ($2.98 from $14.90 until 7/24)
The Unexpected Quest ($9.75 from $15.00 until 7/24)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 7/24)
Flashback ($2.99 from $19.99 until 7/24)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($7.49 from $29.99 until 7/24)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($9.99 from $49.99 until 7/24)
Prof. Rubik’s Brain Fitness ($8.99 from $29.99 until 7/24)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: TCM ($5.99 from $29.99 until 7/24)
Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/24)
Hope’s Farm ($8.99 from $19.99 until 7/24)
Darts Up ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/25)
Abyss ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/25)
99Seconds ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/25)
99Moves ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/25)
Rally Rock ‘N Racing ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/25)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($2.24 from $8.99 until 7/25)
Touchdown Pinball ($2.01 from $2.99 until 7/25)
Portal Dogs ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/25)
Purrs in Heaven ($2.02 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Ramp Car Jumping ($2.99 from $10.49 until 7/25)
Cooking Festival ($3.29 from $10.99 until 7/25)
Press A To Party ($1.99 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Dancing Dreamer ($1.99 from $6.99 until 7/25)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 6th
#1 Crosswords Bundle ($4.97 from $5.99 until 7/6)
#Funtime ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Almost There: The Platformer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/6)
Breakpoint ($2.44 from $4.99 until 7/6)
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/6)
Clustertruck ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Community Inc ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Deleveled ($4.49 from $9.99 until 7/6)
Fracter ($3.42 from $6.99 until 7/6)
Garage ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Graveyard Keeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Gurgamoth ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/6)
Guts & Glory ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Hello Neighbor ($19.99 from $39.99 until 7/6)
Hello Neighbor Hide & Seek ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/6)
Hellpoint ($17.49 from $34.99 until 7/6)
Hypnospace Outlaw ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Jim is Moving Out! ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Kill It With Fire ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
League of Champions Soccer ($4.79 from $5.99 until 7/6)
Mr. Shifty ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Party Hard ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Party Hard 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Phantom Trigger ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Punch Club ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Road to Balhalla ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Space Otter Charlie ($11.24 from $14.99 until 7/6)
SpeedRunners ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Streets of Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
Super Magbot ($14.39 from $17.99 until 7/6)
Superola & the Lost Burgers ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/6)
Swordbreaker The Game ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/6)
Tardy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/6)
The Ambassador: FT ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/6)
The Bridge ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/6)
The Final Station ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/6)
The Keep ($4.99 from $17.99 until 7/6)
Totally Reliable Delivery Service ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Tumblestone ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/6)
Ultra Foodmess ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/6)
That’s all for today, friends. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more reviews, some new release summaries, whatever sales come along, and perhaps even some news. I don’t have too much else to say in the sign-off today, so I’ll leave it at that. I hope you all have a nice Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
