Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 26th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a trio of reviews to check out for some recent releases. Apart from that, there are a few new releases to check out. They aren’t terribly great, but don’t worry as tomorrow will more than make up for the last few days. We finish things up with the incoming and outgoing sales lists as always, and there are actually quite a few titles in the inbox today. Let’s get to it, then!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Cotton Reboot! ($39.99)
Cotton has been out of action for a while now, but if you remember the games you know they’re high-quality side-scrolling cute-em-ups that tended to skyrocket in price not long after release. The series has been given a new lease on life thanks to the folks at BEEP, and the opening salvo is naturally a spiffed-up version of the original game. Cotton Reboot! includes two versions of the original game. One is the well-regarded X68000 home computer port of the arcade game, considered by most fans to be the ultimate version. The other is a brand-new remake of the first game, with spruced up graphics and new mechanics to enjoy. Though the two games cover the same ground, they do so differently enough to make them both worth playing.
The new remake in particular really takes things over the top, with boosted score values, numbers and crystals everywhere, and shots and other attacks filling the screen at regular intervals. It’s a lot of fun, even if it gets a little too visually busy at times. It’s enjoyable to follow the ridiculous story on the first playthrough, and aiming for a higher score on subsequent runs will keep you coming back. A time attack mode, multiple difficulty levels, and an unlockable character also provide incentive to keep playing. An easy recommendation for those who love Cotton and a solid recommendation to shoot-em-up fans in general, Cotton Reboot is a great return for a character we’ll hopefully be seeing more of soon.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Within the Blade ($10.99)
Stealth games tend to be easier to realize from 3D perspectives than side-scrolling ones, but Within the Blade is another gamely attempt at merging these two rare bedfellows. Granted, it’s one that isn’t afraid to let things go into full-on action when the situation calls for it. You get a wide assortment of weapons and moves to use in your various missions, allowing a degree of flexibility in how you tackle each situation. Indeed, you’re given a lot more tools than you’ll probably need to just make your way through the game. Those invested in mastering the game will find a great deal of depth in the mechanics. Regrettably, the level designs don’t always live up to that depth, with many repetitive situations and set-ups.
Even with its flaws, Within the Blade is a solid 2D stealth game that pays homage to classic ninja games while also doing a bit more towards the actual concept than most of those past hits ever attempted to. The pixel art looks slick, the mechanics are enjoyable to learn, and the overall game is a really good time. While the stages can get a little dull in their layouts and the story doesn’t really go anywhere interesting, the moment-to-moment action makes this one well-worth picking up for ninja fans looking for their next shadow dancing partner.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Cris Tales ($39.99)
Cris Tales is a very enthusiastic game that was clearly put together by long-time fans of the genre. It’s also drop-dead gorgeous for a game of its scale. The story feels fresh, and the combat mechanics have a lot of initial wow to them. Basically, you can manipulate time and use that to modify various attacks and effects. This ability is woven into the narrative, and I always appreciate when games can fit their components together like that. There are lots of side-quests to complete, and doing so is actually necessary to see the game’s best ending. The difficulty balancing is all over the place, and the time gimmick loses most of its steam once you reach a certain point. It’s like the game had the right recipe to work from but didn’t get enough time to cook to bring out its best flavor.
How to put this? I don’t dislike Cris Tales. For an indie effort, it’s quite accomplished. I like it well enough. But if you’ve ever played I Am Setsuna, you may understand my feelings about this game. It’s reaching for greatness, and it’s so close to grasping it. Sadly, it falls short in several aspects. The worst problem with it is that it comes across like it’s stretching itself too thin. There are a lot of clever ideas in this game, but the game exhausts most of its tricks well before it ends. I think it’s still worth playing, provided you enjoy RPGs to begin with. It’s just unfortunate that a game that blasts out of the gates with such vigor ends up so flat in its closing hours. Add in some technical issues specific to this version, and you have a real hit-or-miss affair.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
Pets No More ($4.99)
There are some sentences life just doesn’t prepare you to write, and this next one is one of those. So, this game is basically Windjammers except with adorable zombie pets. Six pet zombies take the field in one of six unique arenas to smack a disc around, trying to land it in the opposing goal. Make use of super shots at the right moment to take a decisive advantage. There’s a single player arcade campaign where you battle against the other zombie pets, and a local multiplayer mode for up to four players. It looks alright for the price as long as you have some nearby friends or family to play with. Just oddly grotesque, I think.
US Navy Sea Conflict ($4.99)
Oh, Pix Arts. You’re still fresh from your spanking for using the term ‘olympic’ in a game title without permission, and you’re already grabbing another mark you don’t have a license for. Well, we’ll see if the Navy starts knocking on your door the way the IOC did. Maybe Boeing will beat them to the punch because we both know you don’t have the rights to use that F/A-18F Super Hornet, either. At any rate, this is a rather shoddily-constructed Afterburner wannabe that in no way, shape, or form measures up to the game it so desperately wants to imitate. As a bonus, the ocean underneath you looks like a shag carpet.
Driving School Sim ($14.99)
It’s kind of wild how once you roll up a half-way competent driving game kit you can just keep making variations on the theme and people will keep buying them. Ovilex Soft is far from the worst offender, mind you. There’s a bit more quality to its efforts than the average entry in this genre, and that extends to Driving School Sim as well. Drive more than 150 different vehicles, challenge over 80 levels, pass driving exams, or just enjoy cruising around in Free Ride mode. There’s even support for online multiplayer in here, which again is a step above what we usually see in this sort of thing. You can try it out on your mobile device for free to get a taste, and if you like it you can pick up this version to avoid being squeezed to buy IAPs.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Typically if any sales come in over the weekend, they’re the usual crowd of games. And indeed, today’s list has some of those. Looking at you, Detective Driver: Miami Files. But there are some less common sales in the list this time, including the first three Dragon Quest games. Yeah, I know they aren’t anyone’s favorite versions of the games, but they’re what we’ve got. Some nice sales on digital board games like Catan and Carcassonne, a plum discount on the excellent Lonely Mountains: Downhill, and a half-price sale on the quality R-Type inspired shoot-em-up Rigid Force Redux. You’ll also want to comb through that outbox list, as a number of sales are expiring soon.
Select New Games on Sale
Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind ($3.89 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Circle of Sumo ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/29)
Grand Guilds ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
Towertale ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
High Noon Revolver ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/30)
Gnome More War ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/30)
Coast Guard: Beach Rescue ($4.79 from $11.99 until 7/30)
Gas Station: Highway Services ($4.79 from $11.99 until 7/30)
Detective Driver: Miami Files ($4.79 from $11.99 until 7/30)
City Bus Driving Simulator ($4.79 from $11.99 until 7/30)
Carcassonne ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Catan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Lord of the Rings: Adv. Card Game ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Munchkin: Quacked Quest ($12.49 from $24.99 until 7/31)
Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/31)
Happy Words ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Crashnauts ($7.99 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/1)
RICO ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/1)
Giga Wrecker Alt. ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/1)
Trailblazers ($5.99 from $29.99 until 8/1)
Farm Builder ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Anthill ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Conga Master Party! ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Ninja Showdown ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/1)
88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition ($5.99 from $29.99 until 8/1)
Stick It to The Man ($2.39 from $11.99 until 8/1)
Promesa ($3.49 from $4.99 until 8/1)
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Holy Potatoes! We’re In Space?! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Holy Potatoes! What The Hell?! ($7.50 from $15.00 until 8/1)
Decay of Logos ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/1)
Curious Expedition ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Lonely Mountains: Downhill ($13.39 from $19.99 until 8/1)
Say No! More ($10.04 from $14.99 until 8/1)
Wood Block Escape Puzzles 3 ($4.99 from $5.99 until 8/2)
My Memory of Us ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/2)
The House of Da Vinci ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Mousecraft ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Cinders ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Regalia: Of Men & Monarchs ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/2)
Lichtspeer: Double Speer ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Butcher ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Swaps and Traps ($1.99 from $8.99 until 8/2)
Island Maze ($1.99 from $2.99 until 8/2)
Aborigenus ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/2)
Diabolic ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/2)
Pixel Gladiator ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/2)
Girabox ($1.99 from $2.49 until 8/2)
Steampunk Tower 2 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Warsaw ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/2)
Moon Raider ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/2)
Tactical Mind 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/2)
Event Horizon: Space Defense ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/3)
Funny Bunny Adventures ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/3)
Mech Rage ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/3)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Dimension Drive ($1.99 from $12.99 until 8/6)
The Bug Butcher ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/6)
Luckslinger ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Lumini ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Batu Ta Batu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Balan Wonderworld ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/6)
Dragon Quest ($3.24 from $4.99 until 8/6)
Dragon Quest II ($4.21 from $6.49 until 8/6)
Dragon Quest III ($8.11 from $12.49 until 8/6)
Rainswept ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/6)
Lost Wing ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/6)
Mushroom Savior ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/7)
Marble It Up! ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/8)
Marbles Rush ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/9)
Bridge Strike ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/9)
Tardy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/9)
Vigil: The Longest Night ($14.73 from $21.99 until 8/9)
Gem Miner ($1.99 from $5.99 until 8/9)
Alchemist Simulator ($9.99 from $12.49 until 8/12)
Red Ball Escape ($1.99 from $2.99 until 8/12)
Stonefly ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
#pinocchio, Super Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $5.99 until 8/13)
Hamster Bob ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Unhatched ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Mermaid Castle ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Dininho Space Adventure ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
The Way Remastered ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Void Space Racing ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Earthworms ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/13)
911 Operator ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/13)
911 Operator Deluxe Edition ($8.79 from $21.99 until 8/13)
112 Operator ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Truck Simulator 2 ($8.99 from $11.99 until 8/13)
Astro Bears ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/13)
Mars Power Industries ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/13)
BE-A Walker ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Cargo Crew Driver ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/13)
Multilevel Parking Driver ($7.79 from $11.99 until 8/13)
Bridge Constructor: Walking Dead ($5.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Freddy Spaghetti ($2.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Freddy Spaghetti 2 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Dungeonoid ($2.09 from $6.99 until 8/13)
Little Squire’s Quests ($4.95 from $9.90 until 8/13)
Ghostanoid ($3.84 from $6.99 until 8/13)
Doodle Devil: 3volution ($4.94 from $8.99 until 8/13)
Banana Treasures Island ($4.95 from $9.90 until 8/13)
Rigid Force Redux ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Vampire: The Masquerade CoNY ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Vampire: The Masquerade SoNY ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/13)
Galaxy Warfighter ($3.84 from $6.99 until 8/13)
WildTrax Racing ($2.39 from $7.99 until 8/13)
Slime-san ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/13)
The Coma: Recut ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/13)
Super Club Tennis ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/13)
Max Reloaded II ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
Safety First! ($1.99 from $2.99 until 8/13)
Castle of Pixel Skulls ($3.99 from $4.99 until 8/13)
Sports Pinball Bundle ($5.39 from $8.99 until 8/13)
AeternoBlade ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/14)
AeternoBlade II ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Unrailed! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Infectra ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/14)
Wanderjahr TryAgainOrWalkAway ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/14)
FootGoal! Tiki Taka ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Burn! SuperTrucks ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/14)
2in1 App Driver & Serial Killer ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Dreaming Canvas ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/15)
JigSaw Solace ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/15)
Nerved ($1.99 from $8.99 until 8/15)
JigSaw Abundance ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/15)
War-Torn Dreams ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/15)
Fluxteria ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/15)
Caretaker ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/15)
Memory Lane ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/15)
Raji: An Ancient Epic ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/15)
Blastful ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/15)
BraveMatch ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/15)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 27th
#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
8-Ball Pocket ($2.03 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Akane ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Akuto: Showdown ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
ANIMUS ($3.19 from $7.99 until 7/27)
ANIMUS: Harbinger ($3.19 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Arcane Arts Academy ($4.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Archaica: The Path of Light ($3.49 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Ary & the Secret of Seasons ($9.99 from $39.99 until 7/27)
Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
BIT.TRIP Series, Assorted ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Bullet Battle: Evolution ($5.99 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Cannibal Cuisine ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/27)
Charge Kid ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
CHOP ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Colorful Colore ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Counter Recon: The First Mission ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Dark Water: Slime Invader ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Death and Taxes ($5.84 from $12.99 until 7/27)
Death’s Hangover ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Debtor ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Demong Hunter ($5.59 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Dex ($1.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Door Kickers ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/27)
DREAMO ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Dungeon Limbus ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/27)
DungeonTop ($4.99 from $13.99 until 7/27)
Escape Doodland ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Event Horizon ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Eyes: The Horror Game ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
Farabel ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
FunBox Party ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
Genetic Disaster ($2.99 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Good Night, Knight ($6.49 from $11.99 until 7/27)
Gravity Rider Zero ($1.99 from $6.99 until 7/27)
Grood ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Guards ($2.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Haunted Dawn: The Zombie Apocalypse ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/27)
HyperParasite ($8.99 from $17.99 until 7/27)
Invisible Fist ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Jumping Joe & Friends ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
Jurassic Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Koloro ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Legends of Amberland: TFC ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Long Ago: A Puzzle Tale ($7.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Mana Spark ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Mini Trains ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Minute of Islands ($15.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Mushroom Quest ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Not Not: A Brain Buster ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
One Strike ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Party Treats ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
Pew Paw ($1.99 from $6.99 until 7/27)
Pocket Mini Golf ($1.99 from $2.49 until 7/27)
REKT! High Octane Stunts ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Remothered: Broken Porcelain ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/27)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Rise of Insanity ($3.49 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Robonauts ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/27)
Shipped ($1.99 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Skull Rogue ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Skully ($7.49 from $29.99 until 7/27)
Space Pioneer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Stencil Art ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/27)
Super Hero Fight Club ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Tactical Mind ($1.99 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Tharsis ($5.99 from $11.99 until 7/27)
The Hong Kong Massacre ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/27)
Timothy & the Mysterious Forest ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Tiny Lands ($3.99 from $5.99 until 7/27)
Unit 4 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/27)
Utopia 9 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/27)
Wondershot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
World Soccer Pinball ($2.00 from $2.99 until 7/27)
Wreckin’ Ball Adventure ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/27)
Zombie Blast Crew ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/27)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow is going to be… pretty big, actually. NEO: The World Ends With You, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+, Samurai Warriors 5, and Corpse Killer: 25th Anniversary Edition are all incoming in the next 24 hours, so hold on to your wallets. I’ve got a hospital visit, a special anniversary, and a typhoon all rolling in tomorrow myself. I don’t think any of those things will keep me from writing, though. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
