Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 28th, 2021. Today ended up being a busier day of releases than expected. Indeed, there is a surprisingly large amount of good games hitting the eShop today. We’ve got summaries of all of them, of course. Fair warning though, there are somewhere near thirty new games hitting on Thursday, so don’t blow your weekly budget today. Mikhail has a review of the recent release Metallic Child for us, and I’ve also got the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales for you. Let’s go!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Metallic Child ($29.99)
In a time where there are tons of roguelite, roguelikes, and action games on all platforms, Metallic Child by Studio HG and Crest has been a nice surprise on Nintendo Switch. It manages to stand out with its aesthetic, responsive controls, fun gameplay, and interesting combat mechanics. I was pretty surprised that it has been developed by a small team given how polished the gameplay feels. The only place Metallic Child falls short is in the roguelite aspect and in the variety of levels.
The game is set in a lab in space and all robots here are trying to crash this lab into earth. Rona is an android called the Metallic Child who is controlled by you while trying to stop this from happening. After initially being impressed with the animations and designs in the opening parts, Metallic Child shows its cards a bit too early with level designs and the overall aesthetic. It almost feels like there could’ve and should’ve been more variety here. The combat and gameplay being responsive and fun made me forgive a lot of the issues I have with the slow progression. The mechanic involving enemy cores is also nice and I never got tired of the grab and throw mechanic during group encounters. Boss fights can be tedious for larger enemies though.
On Nintendo Switch, Metallic Child has a performance mode and a higher fidelity mode when played docked. Neither runs perfectly, but I had a much better experience with the performance mode that targets 60fps. The gameplay feels a lot better in this mode and it still manages to look really nice overall. For those who aren’t good at action games, there are a few accessibility options like the difficulty settings and even an invincible mode that is available at the lowest difficulty setting. There is even a mode to disable any explicit content titled “kids mode".
When it comes to the audio, the sound effects are great during combat. The developer has nailed the feedback during combat both for visuals and audio. I was also surprised at the amount of voice acting included here. The one disappointment in the audio is the music. It didn’t grab me as much as I had hoped it would. It isn’t bad but it feels like one of the weaker parts of the overall package.
While the seemingly high asking price might put some people off, Metallic Child is a fun beat ’em up with roguelite elements and Mega Man inspiration. I didn’t understand the latter until defeating bosses and making some progress initially. There is a lot of potential here and despite the glitches and bugs I encountered, Metallic Child is worth getting if you’re a fan of action games and are after something new on Nintendo Switch. After a few updates addressing these issues, Studio HG’s newest release will be an essential for fans of action games and roguelites. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Dandy Ace ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I’d imagine the average Nintendo Switch owner isn’t exactly hurting for another roguelite action-adventure game, but Dandy Ace is still worth considering. It has a fun premise and an unusually colorful style to it. You play as a fabulous magician who is trying to escape from a cursed mirror and defeat Lele, the Green-Eyed Illusionist. The magician uses an assortment of cards to activate attacks and other abilities, with different combinations producing different results. It’s rather good as these things go.
UnMetal ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Unless something surprising happens, I don’t think we’ll be seeing any Metal Gear games on the Switch. With that in mind, you may want to give UnMetal a look. It’s a ridiculous parody of Metal Gear that understands what made the actual gameplay good, and as such plays out like a genuinely funny comedic take on Metal Gear 2 on the MSX. You play as Jesse Fox, a mercenary who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He’s telling his story to the bigwigs, and he may not be the most reliable of narrators. It’s absolutely absurd, but it plays well and is bound to make any fan of action movies or the Metal Gear games laugh.
G-Darius HD ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
More Darius! More! The other half of the Japanese Darius Cozmic Revelation pack is here, and in my opinion it is the better half. Originally released in the arcades with a PlayStation 1 port, G-Darius brought the shoot-em-up series into 3D for the first time. You can play the game in a spiffed-up HD version or go old-school with the original resolution if you need more grain in your diet. The main new gimmick in this game, beyond the presentation, is its Capture Ball mechanic. With it, you can capture almost any enemy in the game to join your side and provide some extra fire power. This is a very good version of a very fun shooter, and I’ll have a review of it somewhat soon for those who want more details.
Steel Assault ($14.99)
Gee, there are a lot of cool-looking games out today for whatever reason. Steel Assault is a 2D platformer where you play as a soldier with a variety of stylish moves and a zipline that can be used for grappling and other purposes. It’s so dedicated to its 16-bit homage goal that the game is played in a 4:3 screen ratio. Frankly speaking, the game looks exactly like the sort of frantic 2D action that I can’t get enough of. But I have not put my hands on it yet, so all I can talk about right now is how it looks. Hopefully I can change that soon but there is just so much to play at the moment.
ConnecTank ($29.99)
This is a quirky action-strategy game, and that isn’t a genre combination I use often. You’re part of the crew of a big tank that makes deliveries for a literal fat cat. When you get into battles, and you will, the view goes inside the tank. You need to scramble to get everything in order to produce ammo and keep the action going smoothly. Connect the conveyor belts, follow the recipes to create ammo, then deliver it where it needs to go. It feels like a cross between Overcooked and Rocket Slime. You can pull in a few friends or family members to help you via local multiplayer, too. If nothing else, it’s certainly unique.
Antonball Deluxe ($14.99)
Antonball Deluxe includes a few different games in one package. Antonball is a platformer/brick-breaker hybrid with a novel feel to it. You need to make your way home through the sewers, breaking bricks in 30 different stages. Punchball sees you trying to win a tournament. Use the Punchball to stun enemies and kick them off the stage in an arcade-style romp. Finally, Vs. Antonball allows up to four players to battle each other, trying to break the other side’s wall before theirs is taken down. Toss in a few power-ups and you have a reasonably fun local multiplayer game.
Warp Frontier ($14.99)
This is a point-and-click style adventure game with a sci-fi setting. You’re a former war hero turned police officer who stumbles on a lead in a war crime that apparently took the lives of thousands of his people, including his best friend and first wife. The choices you make will determine whether the truth is revealed or the crimes of the past are forgotten forever. The branching narrative can end in a variety of ways, some better than others, so make sure you’re making smart choices. There are of course some puzzles to solve, as this is an adventure game after all. Don’t worry, you get to go to space.
Knockout Home Fitness ($39.99)
Tired of Ring Fit Adventure and looking for your next exercise video game? You may want to give Knockout Home Fitness a gander. Hold a Joy-Con in each hand (sorry Switch Lite users but you probably already guessed this would be a no-go for you) and perform a variety of calorie-burning exercises. It focuses on intense daily workouts that take about 15 minutes to finish, so you should be able to find time in your day for them. Your progress is naturally tracked so that you can watch how you improve over time.
Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea ($24.99)
This follow-up to the original Fantasy Friends sees you taking care of an undersea pet. There are twelve different types of creatures, and there are plenty of different activities, items, and so on to do with them while you’re taking care of them. I’m not really too into these virtual pet things, but this seems to be reasonably well-made as those things go. Sure haven’t seen one with this kind of theme before, either.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
I don’t have any strong feelings about anything in the new sales list today, friends. It’s a lot of the usual stuff, and there’s nothing I particularly want to recommend. The outbox has Dicey Dungeons and The Outer Worlds. The former is great but on sale pretty often. The latter… well, it’s not a great experience on the Switch, but the price is about where it needs to be. Check the lists yourselves, as always. I am not the captain of video game goodness or anything.
Select New Games on Sale
Street Basketball ($1.99 from $5.99 until 10/4)
Real Drift Racing ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/4)
Bubble Cats Rescue ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/4)
My Coloring Book ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/4)
Adrenaline Rush: Miami Drive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/4)
2048 Battles ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/4)
Blood Breed ($1.99 from $5.99 until 10/4)
S.N.I.P.E.R.: Hunter Scope ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/4)
Glyph ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/5)
-KLAUS- ($8.24 from $14.99 until 10/11)
One Dog Story ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/12)
Mystery Mine ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/12)
HardCube ($2.10 from $7.00 until 10/12)
My Hidden Things ($4.68 from $6.99 until 10/12)
Boris the Rocket ($10.04 from $14.99 until 10/12)
Doomsday Vault ($13.39 from $19.99 until 10/12)
Freedom Finger ($4.99 from $14.99 until 10/12)
Kids: Farm Puzzle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Fatum Betula ($1.99 from $5.49 until 10/18)
Pancake Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Must Dash Amigos ($1.99 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Cooking Tycoons: 3 in 1 ($1.99 from $12.99 until 10/18)
Burger Chef Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Bitmaster ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/18)
The Skylia Prophecy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/18)
In Rays of the Light ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/18)
Juiced! ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Rusty Sprout Rescue Adv. ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Summer in Mara ($9.99 from $24.99 until 10/18)
Metaloid: Origin ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Darts Up ($2.00 from $2.99 until 10/18)
Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90s ($9.09 from $12.99 until 10/18)
BDSM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/18)
Music Racer ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/18)
Ghost Sweeper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 29th
Abbie’s Farm for Kids & Toddlers ($8.49 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Boreal Blade ($1.99 from $3.99 until 9/29)
Cozy Grove ($13.38 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Dark Nights with Poe and Munro ($9.09 from $12.99 until 9/29)
Dicey Dungeons ($5.09 from $14.99 until 9/29)
DroneRidge ($6.64 from $9.49 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing 2018 ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing 2019 ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing 2020 ($26.99 from $44.99 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing 2021 ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing Country ($26.99 from $44.99 until 9/29)
Let’s Sing Queen ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Nine Parchments ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Syberia 1 & 2 ($1.99 from $34.99 until 9/29)
The Outer Worlds ($19.79 from $59.99 until 9/29)
Titans Black Ops ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/29)
Trine 2: Complete Story ($4.24 from $16.99 until 9/29)
Trine 3: Artifacts of Power ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Trine Enchanted Edition ($3.74 from $14.99 until 9/29)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with some news to cover, a handful of new releases to summarize, and some sales to consider. The usual stuff for a Wednesday, in other words. I have a lot of games to play for reviews right now, and it’s honestly a bit overwhelming. Well, there should be a break somewhere around January if I’m lucky. I hope you all have a great Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
