Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 24th, 2021. In today’s article, we take a quick surface look at the Nintendo Direct before heading into the new releases of the day. Thanks to the Nintendo Direct, that list of new releases is bigger and more exciting than expected. There are also a whole lot of sales. A whole lot. More than I could transcribe, really. So I put together a list of some of the best, and I’ll leave you to the rest. Let’s get into it!
News
Nintendo Direct Highlights New Games, Services, and More
Wow, that was quite a Nintendo Direct. Too much to summarize on a day that is already too full of stuff to write about. We saw a new Kirby game, we finally got footage of Bayonetta 3, we got a release date for Triangle Strategy, we found out about two new classic game apps complete with new controllers for each, we saw more about Splatoon 3, we got a few cool shadow drops, and a whole lot more besides. Give the presentation a watch if you haven’t already, it really is full of goodies.
New Releases
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Bandai Namco has done a fairly good job of porting this somewhat demanding game to the Switch. I mean, there are some sacrifices, but it runs fairly well relative to the big-pants versions on other consoles. At any rate, this game lets you experience the story of Dragon Ball Z, covering many familiar moments and a few new ones. There are some RPG elements in the game, but by and large this is an action-adventure. Great for some kamehamehas on the road.
Castlevania Advance Collection ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Now that’s the kind of shadow drop I like to see. This collection has been rumored for a long time and leaked several times, so it’s not a huge surprise for some. It includes GBA titles Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. It also includes the Super NES Castlevania: Dracula X for some reason. The games are well-emulated with lots of options and extras by the wizards at M2. Awesome stuff. You don’t need Symphony when you have the superior Aria.
Actraiser Renaissance ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
On the other hand, this is also an interesting shadow drop. Quintet’s beloved debut title from the Super NES launch period gets a full-pants remake with new visuals, audio, and various gameplay improvements and expansions. While some are split on the new look, the gameplay improvements seem to be going over well. The sim portion is a lot more involved now, and the action scenes have their share of changes too. Just be warned that the sim part seems to have some performance issues in undocked mode when the cities get big. I would say that the Switch version probably isn’t the ideal way to play this remake, but it’ll do if it’s what you have.
The Forgotten City – Cloud Version ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Once upon a time, this was a very popular Skyrim mod. It was made into its own game, but while Skyrim runs just fine on Switch, this remade version of the mod is decidedly more demanding. Worry not, it’s Cloud Versions to the rescue! This mystery RPG adventure sees you exploring an open-world ancient Roman city filled with history and an intriguing cast of characters. You have a lot of flexibility in terms of how you approach situations in this game, and the writing is top-shelf. Naturally, you’ll need to be online at all times to play this game. I’ll grant that thirty bucks for such a thing is perhaps easier to swallow than some of the more expensive offerings. Great game, but it’s up to you if you want to play it this way.
DELTARUNE Chapter 1&2 (Free)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Okay, this is more of an update than a new release, but whatever. DELTARUNE Chapter 2 was released on PC a week or so ago, and it’s now available on the Nintendo Switch as well. If you’re already downloaded DELTARUNE Chapter 1, simply update the app and you’ll be all set. If you don’t have it already, just go ahead and download it. It’s free either way. Nice.
Haustoria ($12.99)
A puzzle platformer where you have to explore a cursed world and use the power of a magical thumbtack to find your way through its mysteries. The idea is that you can pin or unpin a variety of objects, making new paths or removing obstacles. The graphics have a nice sense of style to them, and there are some interesting characters and creatures to meet along the way. It seems to be reasonably well-liked by folks on the other places it released, especially for those who enjoy games like Limbo.
Blind Postman ($3.99)
If you like those ice-sliding puzzles you see in adventure games sometimes, you may have some interest in this game. You control a little fellow trying to get to a letter in each of the game’s fifty levels. It can only move from wall to wall, so if you push in a direction you’ll keep going until you hit something. Certainly the cheapest game today DELTARUNE notwithstanding, and somehow not the worst.
Spacebase Startopia ($49.99)
This is a reboot of a 2001 game, and if you happen to have warm fuzzy memories of that game then you might be happy to see this exists. It’s a mix of sim, management, and real-time strategy, all wrapped up in a comedic sci-fi shell. There’s a ten-mission campaign to play through, and once you’ve finished that you can muck about in a sandbox mode. No multiplayer, unfortunately. It feels a bit light for the price, and to be honest the critic reviews weren’t great on other platforms and the user reviews were even worse. Well, do what you must.
Don’t Touch This Button! ($4.99)
This is a cute little puzzle game where you need to escape from a series of rooms by pushing a particular button in each of them. Of course, getting to that button in each room is going to take some doing. There are lots of different puzzles to solve, and it all culminates in a big final boss battle. Not the longest or most involved game around, but for the price I think it’s fine.
Monster Truck Arena ($11.99)
I’ll give one thing to the developers of these various driving games: they get a lot of mileage out of their engine. This one uses Monster Trucks as its unique factor. You’ve got a big arena to roll around in, ten different vehicles, and a bunch of missions to clear. You know how this works by now, I’m sure. It’ll be on sale very soon.
Top Down Racer ($4.99)
Imagine, with all of the good stuff floating about today, spending any time or money on another template flip from Pix Arts. Ha!
Arcade Archives Pac-Man ($7.99)
Well, this is cool. Namco has joined up with Hamster to contribute their titles to the Arcade Archives project. They’re starting with two of their bigger guns, but I hope we’ll eventually see Hamster mine the weirder and more obscure games from Namco’s catalog the way they have with other partners. Anyway, it’s Pac-Man! You know this game. It is also available in Namco Museum and Pac-Man Arcade Pac, so you may already own it as many as two times. There’s nothing particular here to make you go for three, but if all you want is Pac-Man, here is that option.
Arcade Archives Xevious ($7.99)
And here’s one more fruit of that new friendship. Xevious is probably more well-regarded in Japan than it is in the West, but this scrolling vertical shooter was a huge influence on the genre. I’m pretty sure this is also in the Namco Museum pack (Oops, no it isn’t!), but you certainly get a ton of options and settings in this one. Someone at Hamster must be a big fan. It’s a stretch to call it worth it if you already own the other version, but if you only want Xevious I suppose this may interest you.
The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem ($39.99)
Given the relatively small number of games there are based on The Addams Family, the brand has had a surprisingly decently-sized impact in video gaming. I, uh, don’t think this one will carry the streak forward though. It’s a 3D platformer for up to four players via local multiplayer with a bunch of mini-games for when you just want to have a little party fun. Play as Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, and Pugsley as they make their way through the family mansion. Where is Fester? Probably off on a quest of his own. Snap, snap.
Fighting Fantasy Legends ($9.99)
Wasn’t this already on Switch? Maybe I’m misremembering. Anyway, this is a creative reimagining of three popular Fighting Fantasy books. You may have already played this on mobile when it hit a while back. Basically, it lands somewhere between a faithful version of the books in question and a more open RPG-style game, and if you enjoy the Fighting Fantasy books you will probably get a kick out of it.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Okay, there are too many new sales today to list. I’ve put a whole bunch of them below, but I’ll leave it to you to navigate to the eShop and see if your favorite game is on sale. Just… there’s a lot. Fortunately, the weekend outbox is light enough that you can probably allocate your money towards new games and new discounts. Check those lists, including your own wishlist. May Kawazu have mercy on our wallets.
Select New Games on Sale
A Short Hike ($5.99 from $7.99 until 9/28)
No More Heroes ($14.99 from $19.99 until 9/30)
No More Heroes 2 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 9/30)
Shin Megami Tensei 3 HD ($32.49 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Persona 5 Strikers ($35.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
Turrican Flashback ($17.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
The Ninja Saviors: RotW ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Cotton Reboot! ($31.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Dariusburst AC EX+ ($31.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Blue Fire ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
SEGA Genesis Classics ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Overcooked Special Edition ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Overcooked 2 ($8.49 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Cyber Shadow ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($23.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Grindstone ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Space Invaders Forever ($17.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Haven ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Super Bomberman R ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
AI The Somnium Files ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
This War of Mine Complete ($3.59 from $39.99 until 10/4)
South Park The Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Crash Bandicoot 4 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Crash Bandicoot Quadrilogy ($41.99 from $69.99 until 10/4)
Crash Bandicoot Crashiversary ($59.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Blizzard Arcade Collection ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Fight’N Rage ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Steins;Gate Elite ($23.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
Robotics;Notes Elite ($13.99 from $34.99 until 10/4)
Robotics;Notes DaSH ($13.99 from $34.99 until 10/4)
The Escapists Complete ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/4)
The Escapists 2 ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Planescape & Icewind Dale ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Baldur’s Gate I & II ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Neverwinter Nights Enhanced ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Castle Crashers Remastered ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/4)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete ($35.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
VA-11 Hall-A ($9.99 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Monster Hunter Rise ($49.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
PixelJunk Monsters 2 ($2.24 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Bug Fables: Everlasting Sapling ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Ultracore ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Goat Simulator: The GOATY ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Wargroove ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Huntdown ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Ion Fury ($12.49 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Mark of the Ninja ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Invisible Inc ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Hades ($17.49 from $24.99 until 10/4)
Ori & the Will of the Wisps ($19.49 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Arcade Classics Collection ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Castlevania Anniversary Collection ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Contra Anniversary Collection ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Pikuniku ($3.24 from $12.99 until 10/4)
Axiom Verge ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love ($14.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Heave Ho ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Spiritfarer ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
DOOM Slayers Collection ($29.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
DOOM ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
DOOM 1993 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/4)
DOOM II Classic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/4)
DOOM 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
DOOM 64 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/4)
Sine Mora EX ($5.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Momodora: RUtM ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Ageless ($5.09 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Raging Loop ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
GRIS ($6.79 from $16.99 until 10/4)
Yoku’s Island Express ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Enter the Gungeon ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Dragon Marked for Death: AA ($8.24 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Dragon Marked for Death: FF ($8.24 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Mighty Gunvolt Burst ($3.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Gunvolt Chronicles Luminous Avenger iX ($8.24 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Blaster Master Zero ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Blaster Master Zero 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Blaster Master Zero 3 ($11.24 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Gal*Gun 2 ($13.49 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Gal*Gun Returns ($37.49 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Furi ($6.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Rogue Legacy ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle ($14.99 from $59.99 until 10/4)
The Messenger ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/4)
Naruto: Ninja Storm Trilogy ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Yooka-Laylee ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
Raiden IV x MIKADO Remix ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Raiden V Director’s Cut ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/4)
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Spirit Hunter: NG ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/4)
Rayman Legends Definitive ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/4)
The Room ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/4)
Chef’s Tail ($9.19 from $11.49 until 10/7)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/8)
Time Carnage ($8.44 from $12.99 until 10/8)
Dreamscaper ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/8)
The Shapeshifting Detective ($7.14 from $12.99 until 10/8)
Super Toy Cars ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/10)
Tachyon Project ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/10)
Undertale ($9.99 from $14.99 until 10/11)
Think of the Children ($2.59 from $12.99 until 10/12)
Paradise Killer ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/12)
Shadows of Adam ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/14)
Will: A Wonderful World ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/14)
World Conqueror X ($3.99 from $9.99 until 10/14)
Mercenaries Wings ($7.79 from $12.99 until 10/14)
Mercenaries Saga Chronicles ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/14)
Mercenaries Blaze ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/14)
Rabi-Ribi ($20.99 from $29.99 until 10/14)
Incredible Mandy ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/14)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics ($9.99 from $24.99 until 9/25)
Apparition ($3.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Blind Postman ($3.59 from $3.99 until 9/25)
Bob Help Them ($2.39 from $7.99 until 9/25)
Body of Evidence ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Burn! SuperTrucks ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/25)
Chess Ultra ($4.99 from $12.49 until 9/25)
Connection Haunted Server Error ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Connection ReHaunted ($2.99 from $6.66 until 9/25)
Creepy Tale ($3.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Dark Quest 2 ($3.29 from $10.99 until 9/25)
Destropolis ($3.49 from $5.99 until 9/25)
Doodle Devil: 3volution ($4.49 from $8.99 until 9/25)
Doodle Games Bundle ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/25)
Doodle God: Evolution ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Doodle Mafia: Crime City ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/25)
Drag Racing Rivals ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Dream Alone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Ego Protocol: Remastered ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Escape from the Universe ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Exorder ($1.99 from $12.99 until 9/25)
FootGoal! Tiki Taka ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Galaxy Warfighter ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/25)
Ghostanoid ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/25)
Golden Force ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)
Graviter ($3.03 from $7.99 until 9/25)
In My Shadow ($10.20 from $12.00 until 9/25)
Ironcast ($5.19 from $12.99 until 9/25)
Kickerinho World ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Kids: Farm Coloring ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Make War ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Nonograms Prophecy ($1.99 from $3.99 until 9/25)
Picklock ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/25)
Pirates: All Aboard! ($1.99 from $5.99 until 9/25)
Pool Pro Gold ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Powertris ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Pure Pool ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/25)
Rawr-Off ($1.99 from $2.99 until 9/25)
Snooker 19 ($13.99 from $34.99 until 9/25)
Space Grunts ($4.89 from $13.99 until 9/25)
Spacebase Startopia ($44.99 from $49.99 until 9/25)
Splashy Cube ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Star Horizon ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/25)
Story of a Gladiator ($3.29 from $10.99 until 9/25)
Strike Force Kitty ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/25)
Super Shape Shooter ($1.99 from $3.99 until 9/25)
Tanuki Justice ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/25)
The Spectrum Retreat ($5.19 from $12.99 until 9/25)
Under Leaves ($5.19 from $12.99 until 9/25)
Unrailed! ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/25)
Amnesia: Collection ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/26)
Firework ($9.74 from $12.99 until 9/26)
Hero Express ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/26)
Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia ($6.49 from $12.99 until 9/26)
The House of Da Vinci 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/26)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. What a way to go out, though. I need to know how much that expanded Switch Online service costs, and also maybe find some money to get those new controllers. An official Nintendo Genesis controller? Who could have expected this back in the 1990s? So much to play now, too. I have a lot of work, but I think I’ll still be playing a lot of Castlevania and Actraiser this weekend. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
