Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 26th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a little bit of news to check out regarding the next Tetris 99 event. Our pal Mikhail has a full-pants review of Mary Skelter Finale for you to read, and I’ve got summaries of all of the new releases of the day including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version. We finish things up with the usual lists of new and expiring sales, of which there are rather more than I was expecting. Oh, and don’t forget: the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is available now, with some beautifully-emulated SEGA Genesis games to play, and also some emulated Nintendo 64 games to play. Let’s get to the good stuff!
News
Feel the ‘Dread’ in the Next ‘Tetris 99’ Maximus Cup
I’m not going to pat myself on the back too hard for successfully predicting this one. The next Tetris 99 Maximus Cup event has been announced, and this time the theme is Metroid Dread. Like usual, a special theme will be available during the course of the event. If you can collect 100 points by playing before the event finishes, you can keep the theme. The event starts on Friday and will run for the usual three days through the weekend. This theme may have some of the best “Final 10" music yet.
Reviews & Mini-Views
Mary Skelter Finale ($49.99)
Compile Heart and Idea Factory International have brought out many games of varying quality across the years to consoles and PC platforms, but the Mary Skelter and Death End games are my favorites. I love first person dungeon RPGs and the original Mary Skelter: Nightmares was a pretty great first person DRPG when it was released on PC and PS Vita a while ago. The sequel, Mary Skelter 2, only released on Nintendo Switch a few years ago, and it remains one of my favorite DRPGs in recent years. I did not expect a new entry in the Mary Skelter series given how Mary Skelter 2 ended, but here we are.
Mary Skelter Finale, as the name suggests, is the final entry in the series, and it has been localized on both Nintendo Switch and PS4 following its debut in Japan before. If you’ve not played the prior games, there is a detailed look back at the stories in both games available here in the “Before Story" menu. This menu includes all the main and sub events from the first two games with its own bonus menu to view artwork, listen to music, and watch videos. Mary Skelter 2 already included the original game as an unlockable, but this release goes a step further by letting you view the stories before jumping into things here.
As a first person DRPG, Mary Skelter Finale has you control blood maidens while trying to exploit enemy weaknesses through overkills to spill blood and make them stronger. New to Mary Skelter Finale is the ability to switch between six different parties through a new Zapping system. This system has you switching to solve puzzles that let your other party progress. I initially thought this would feel like padding, but it is well implemented and you have a ton of customization options thanks to this.
Mary Skelter 2 is one of the best Nintendo Switch releases from Compile Heart, and I’m glad that Mary Skelter Finale also looks and runs great across both docked and handheld modes. The aesthetic in these games has always been good, and it is complemented by the amazing soundtrack. Despite the name, I hope Compile Heart continues to work on games of this quality in the future in the DRPG genre.
If you’re craving an Etrian Odyssey-like experience on Nintendo Switch and like the aesthetic in Mary Skelter Finale, you will have a lot of fun with it. While it doesn’t push the envelope like Mary Skelter 2 did compared to the original, Mary Skelter Finale is a competent and quality DRPG for Nintendo Switch. It also helps that the Western release has a lot of free DLC available further building on the characters. This is easily one of Compile Heart’s best games. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Square Enix seems to be all up on this whole Cloud Version thing, and whether that’s a good or bad thing is an exercise left to the reader. If nothing else, it means that Switch owners don’t have to completely miss out on Square Enix’s surprisingly good Guardians of the Galaxy game. Provided you are comfortable with the cloud, you can enjoy a fun adventure where you take the role of Star Lord and lead the Guardians on a wild ride through the cosmos. As the eShop game description helpfully notes, this game uses cloud streaming so make sure you try out the free demo before you throw down your cash. Mileage definitely varies based on your location and connection.
Shadow Corridor ($14.99)
Every once in a while, NIS America brings out these smaller, more off-beat games. In Shadow Corridor you are being chased by evil spirits through traditional Japanese locales and need to do whatever you can to escape. Sure, that sounds like a lot of other survival horror games on the eShop. The difference here is that this one uses procedurally-generated maps, so you never quite know what the layout will be or where the items will be located. That could make for a better game or a worse one, and I haven’t spent enough time with Shadow Corridor to say where exactly it falls.
Hermitage: Strange Case Files ($19.99)
This is a choice-based visual novel adventure about a strange bookstore and its equally strange owner. People stop by with problems, and in spite of the seemingly uninterested nature of the owner, he somehow keeps getting wrapped up in those problems. Make choices to follow various storylines, and unlock character skills to give yourself more options. It seems to be trying its hand at a few more gameplay mechanics than we tend to see in the average game of this sort. I can’t say whether or not it pays off, but the effort is noted and appreciated.
L.O.L. Surprise! Movie Night ($39.99)
I don’t know much about L.O.L. Surprise! as a brand, but something tells me it’s not aimed at middle-aged geezers anyway. This game is based on the new Movie Magic line of toys, and I’m sure those that are into the franchise will know all about that. Create your own star, play a bunch of mini-games, complete quests, and try to become a star. Naturally, fashions and accessories are part of the mix. Perhaps worth looking into if you have any kids or younger siblings into these characters?
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
This is truly a select list of new sales today, friends. Ultimate Games is running a sale on its entire shabby library, and I’m not going to take the trouble to transcribe a few dozen sub-5/10 games. Feel free to look them up in the eShop if you want to see them all. Now, for what I did put here. Crashlands! Levelhead! Shmup Collection! Finding Teddy 2! Cathedral! The Alwa games! Jenny LeClue! There’s an embarrassment of indie riches to enjoy, so pick the ones you like and go for it. Be sure to check the outbox on your way out the door. I’m not struck by anything in it, but that’s just me.
Select New Games on Sale
Crashlands ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Levelhead ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Wuppo: Definitive Edition ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Outlast: Bundle of Terror ($4.99 from $24.99 until 11/1)
Outlast 2 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/1)
WarriOrb ($3.24 from $12.99 until 11/1)
Food Truck Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/1)
Salad Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/1)
S.N.I.P.E.R. Hunter Scope ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Blood Breed ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/1)
Real Drift Racing ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/1)
Bubble Cats Rescue ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/1)
Adrenaline Rush: Miami Drive ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/1)
S.U.M. – Slay Uncool Monsters ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/2)
The Persistence ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
This Strange Realm of Mine ($1.99 from $12.99 until 11/2)
Crash Drive 2 ($1.99 from $8.99 until 11/3)
Marooners ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Blair Witch ($10.19 from $29.99 until 11/5)
Ailment ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/5)
House Flipper ($9.99 from $24.99 until 11/5)
Doubles Hard ($2.39 from $5.99 until 11/5)
Observer ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/5)
WoM: Planar Conquest ($6.79 from $16.99 until 11/5)
The Mims Beginning ($2.69 from $8.99 until 11/5)
Layers of Fear 2 ($22.49 from $29.99 until 11/5)
Destructivator SE ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/5)
Finding Teddy 2: DE ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Severed ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/8)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo CE ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/8)
Guacamelee! 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Gigantic Army ($4.49 from $8.99 until 11/8)
Wolflame ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/8)
Satazius Next ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/8)
Armed 7 DX ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/8)
Shmup Collection ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/8)
Ayakashi: Romance Reborn ($42.49 from $49.99 until 11/8)
Super Trench Attack ($4.00 from $8.00 until 11/8)
Guns of Mercy: Rangers Edition ($4.49 from $8.99 until 11/8)
Cathedral ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/9)
Boom Blaster ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/9)
Overpass ($21.99 from $54.99 until 11/9)
Alwa’s Awakening ($5.99 from $9.99 until 11/9)
Alwa’s Legacy ($10.79 from $17.99 until 11/9)
Die With Glory ($4.89 from $6.99 until 11/9)
Yoko & Yuki: Dr Rat’s Revenge ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/9)
Dead Dust ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/9)
Karma. Incarnation 1 ($8.39 from $11.99 until 11/9)
Crossbow Crusade ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/9)
Jenny LeClue: Detectivu ($2.99 from $24.99 until 11/11)
Castle of Heart ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/15)
Moorhuhn Remake ($5.59 from $6.99 until 11/15)
Moorhuhn Kart 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)
Project: Knight ($2.74 from $4.99 until 11/15)
Bring Them Home ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/15)
Jet Kave Adventure ($13.39 from $19.99 until 11/15)
Run the Fan ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/15)
Brotherhood United ($1.99 from $8.99 until 11/15)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/15)
Pet Shop Snacks ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/15)
Jet Ski Rush ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/15)
Destrobots ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/15)
Endless Fables: Dark Moor ($2.09 from $14.99 until 11/15)
My Magic Florist ($1.99 from $6.99 until 11/15)
Family Mysteries 3: Criminal Mindset ($2.09 from $14.99 until 11/15)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 27th
9 Monkeys of Shaolin ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/27)
Animal Hunter Z ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Ash of Gods: Redemption ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/27)
Battle & Crash ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Battle Brothers: TB TRPG ($20.99 from $29.99 until 10/27)
Bingo ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Caterpillar Royale ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Chicken Assassin: Reloaded ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/27)
Collide-a-Ball 2 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Corpse Party ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Cultist Simulator: Initiate ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Desert Child ($4.79 from $11.99 until 10/27)
Dice Legacy ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Dungeon Shooting ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Etherborn ($6.79 from $16.99 until 10/27)
Instant Farmer ($2.39 from $2.99 until 10/27)
Mutazione ($14.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
NBA 2K22 ($40.19 from $59.99 until 10/27)
Ping Pong Trick Shot Evolution ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Raiders of the North Sea ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/27)
Relic Hunters Zero: Remix ($8.44 from $12.99 until 10/27)
Sagrada ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Spinch ($9.74 from $14.99 until 10/27)
Super Ping Pong Trick Shot ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Super Soccer Blast ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/27)
Super Sports Blast ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/27)
The Darkside Detective ($5.19 from $12.99 until 10/27)
The Darkside Detective: AFitD ($10.39 from $12.99 until 10/27)
Whispering Willows ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/27)
Wind Peaks ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/27)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow will likely have a bit of news, and there are a couple of new releases to look at. There should also be some new sales, but if things remain quiet I’ll rustle up a review to fill things out. I hope you all have a tremendous Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
