Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 24th, 2022. We’ve got a number of new releases to go through today, with the best of the lot being the fresh port of the gorgeous puzzle-platformer Never Alone. After going through summaries of all of them, we’ll move along to the new sales of the day, along with the ones that are expiring soon. Let’s get to those Thursday releases!
New Releases
Never Alone: Arctic Collection ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Regular readers may remember this atmospheric puzzle-platformer from its mobile port several years back. You play as an Inupiaq girl named Nuna who goes on a journey to find the source of a blizzard that is threatening her village. She’s joined by a fox with its own unique abilities, and you’ll need to use both of them to conquer the obstacles in your path. It only takes a few hours to go through, but it’s a truly great experience that really leans into Inupatian folklore to build its world. Searching out secrets will reward you with bonus videos explaining various bits of the culture, giving you more context for the things you’ll see during the game. This version also includes the Foxtales DLC, so it’s the complete package.
Arcade Archives High Way Race ($7.99)
Next week’s Arcade Archives release is a pretty cool one, but this week we are digging deep into the Taito archives again. High Way Race was released in 1983, and it’s a rather simple vertically-scrolling racing game. Weave out of the way of other cars, jump when you have to, and try to finish each of the four courses with style. Go as far as you can before running out of fuel. Like most of Taito’s early efforts, there isn’t a whole lot to this game. That doesn’t stop it from being fun, though. Hamster has done its usual capable job, naturally.
To the Top, Mammoth! ($10.00)
A couple of months back, IsTom Games released a free-to-play mobile game called Rocky Castle: Tower Challenge. This is that game, given a new name, stripped of its ads, and presumably marginally rebalanced. Hop your way up the tower in each stage, timing your moves carefully to avoid hitting the hazards or obstacles, grabbing coins and power-ups, and generally trying to get through as fast as you can. There are lots of unlockable skins to keep you gathering those coins. There’s a certain simple pleasure to it, but give it a go on your mobile device first to see how you like it.
Antarctica 88 ($5.99)
EpiXR is rolling out another game using the familiar framework seen in most of its other efforts. Explore a scary location, watch out for things that go bump in the night, solve the puzzles, and try to figure out the mystery of what happened in an Antarctic base. I’m kind of over this whole genre of games, but I know some of you really thrill on them. More power to you, friends.
Variable Barricade ($49.99)
Here’s an otome visual novel about a young woman named Hibari whose wealthy grandfather is looking to hook her up with a husband. See, she’s the sole heir to the family fortune, and grandpappy clearly has some old-fashioned values. Hibari, on the other hand, does not see things that way. She’s bound and determined to not fall in love, no matter how many hunky suitors the old man throws at her. Unfortunately for Hibari, she is the protagonist of an otome game. Fate makes fools of us all.
Autobahn Polizei Simulator 2 ($39.99)
If you’ve ever wanted to play at being law enforcement on Europe’s fastest highway, here you go. Upgrade your station, vehicles, equipment, and skills as you make your way through the game’s story or just mess about in free play. There are twenty story missions, plus some randomly-selected missions in case you’re looking for more. Reviews for this game were pretty poor on other platforms, and I somehow doubt this Switch version will turn things around. A lot of people will buy it anyway.
Amazing Machines ($19.99)
Squint a little and this looks a lot like Kevin Ryan’s The Incredible Machine. You get more than two hundred levels of using various gimmicks and contraptions to complete your goal. If that’s not enough, there’s also a level editor you can use to make your own Rube Goldberg-like physics puzzles. Did you know Disney now owns The Incredible Machine? What an odd series of events. Anyway, I doubt this is quite to the level of Contraption Maker, but if you’re looking for something on the Switch this may have to do.
An NPC’s Odyssey ($4.99)
Fourteen years ago, a Chinese developer named 42teaparty used RPG Maker to create a JRPG-style game with a title that loosely translated to “Sorry, I’m an NPC". That game has been remade and translated by indienova for the Nintendo Switch, and here it is. This is a fairly short RPG where the gimmick is that you are not playing the hero, but rather an NPC whose money the hero stole. You’re just trying to get your cash back from that lousy looter. It’s pretty amusing, and the low price tag makes up for its brevity. If you like the sound of the premise, give it a go.
Who Is Zombie ($8.99)
This is kind of like Papers, Please, but with the idea that you are checking people who want to enter your shelter to see if they’re at risk of going full zombie. And yes, it obviously isn’t as good as Papers, Please. Anyway, do your job as you see fit, and based on what you do you’ll end up with one of nine different outcomes at the end of the month. I suppose there aren’t a whole ton of games like this, so if you’re into them you’ll probably be happy to have one more.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Not a bad batch of games to get the end-of-week sales started with. My favorite of the bunch of the wonderful puzzler Filmechanism, a game that seems to be flying far too low under the radar. The usual Arc System Works stuff is discounted, and at the very least I can strongly recommend the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle. Not too much in the outbox worth getting fussed about, so it might be a good idea to hold on to your cash until we see what pops up tomorrow. Check the lists anyway, as is our fine tradition in these halls.
Select New Games on Sale
Barbearian ($5.99 from $11.99 until 2/28)
RazerWire: Nanowars ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/2)
Urban Flow ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/2)
The Bug Butcher ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/9)
Wingspan ($13.39 from $19.99 until 3/9)
Lumini ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/9)
Batu Ta Batu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Lost Wing ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/9)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Thea: The Awakening ($7.19 from $17.99 until 3/9)
Die for Valhalla! ($2.39 from $11.99 until 3/9)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Castle of Pixel Skulls ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Stab Stab Stab! ($3.99 from $9.99 until 3/9)
Luckslinger ($3.49 from $9.99 until 3/9)
Rainswept ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/9)
Dimension Drive ($1.99 from $12.99 until 3/9)
Immortal Planet ($5.99 from $14.99 until 3/9)
BFF or Die ($2.99 from $7.99 until 3/9)
Tetsumo Party ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/9)
Filmechanism ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/10)
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle SE ($25.00 from $49.99 until 3/10)
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core+R ($9.80 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Guilty Gear ($6.90 from $9.99 until 3/10)
Stay Cool, Kobayashi-San! ($5.60 from $13.99 until 3/10)
River City Melee Mach!! ($4.80 from $13.99 until 3/10)
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun RB Bundle ($10.00 from $39.99 until 3/10)
River City Ransom ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Super Dodge Ball ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Double Dragon ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Double Dragon II: The Revenge ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Double Dragon III: Sacred Stones ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Double Dragon 4 ($3.50 from $6.99 until 3/10)
Renegade ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Crash’n the Boys ($3.50 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Kowloon High-School Chronicle ($21.00 from $29.99 until 3/10)
Touhou Luna Nights ($15.29 from $17.99 until 3/10)
Azure Reflections ($12.49 from $24.99 until 3/10)
Touhou Genso Wanderer LLR ($31.49 from $44.99 until 3/10)
Gensou Skydrift ($11.99 from $23.99 until 3/10)
Gensokyo Defenders ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/10)
Gensokyo Defenders Plus ($2.09 from $6.99 until 3/10)
Code Shifter ($4.50 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Mononoke Slashdown ($4.20 from $6.99 until 3/10)
Worldend Syndrome ($10.00 from $39.99 until 3/10)
The Missing: JJ Macfield ($7.50 from $29.99 until 3/10)
Alternate Jake Hunter Daedalus ($4.80 from $39.99 until 3/10)
Kubinashi Recollection ($9.59 from $11.99 until 3/10)
Of Mice & Sand – Revised ($6.69 from $9.99 until 3/10)
Kill la Kill -IF ($10.00 from $19.99 until 3/10)
fault – milestone two side: above ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Keen: One Girl Army ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/10)
Hextones ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/16)
Escape from Life inc ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/16)
Escape from Tethys ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/16)
GraviFire ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Duggy ($5.24 from $6.99 until 3/16)
Dull Grey ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Splatter ($1.99 from $4.98 until 3/16)
Arkan: The Dog Adventurer ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Bitmaster ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Wuppo: Definitive Edition ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/16)
Mind Maze ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
The Tower of Beatrice ($2.99 from $5.99 until 3/16)
Active Neurons: Puzzle Game ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Active Neurons 2 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Active Neurons 3 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
The Mooseman ($3.49 from $6.99 until 3/16)
A Winter’s Daydream ($2.99 from $5.99 until 3/16)
Rift Keeper ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/16)
7th Sector ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/16)
Drowning ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/16)
Breeder Homegrown: Director’s Cut ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/16)
Stellatum ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/16)
Blood Waves ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/16)
North ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/16)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, February 25th
8 & 9 Ball Pocket ($5.39 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise ($1.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Animal Up! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Archery Club ($3.59 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Art Sqool Deluxe ($1.99 from $13.99 until 2/25)
Basketball Pinball ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/25)
Brawl Chess ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Burger Chef Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Chess Minimal ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
City Bus Driving Simulator ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/25)
City Driving Simulator 2 ($5.99 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Coast Guard: Beach Rescue Team ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Cooking Festival ($3.29 from $10.99 until 2/25)
Crisis Wing ($5.19 from $7.99 until 2/25)
Dancing Dreamer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 2/25)
Detective Driver: Miami Files ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Down in Bermuda ($1.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Dragon Pinball ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/25)
Driving World: Nordic Challenge ($5.99 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Fury Unleashed ($6.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Futoshiki Math ($3.49 from $6.99 until 2/25)
Gas Station: Highway Services ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge ($2.96 from $9.89 until 2/25)
Gradiently ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Hitori Logic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Horror & Sports Pinball ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/25)
I, Zombie ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Idle Inventor Factory Tycoon ($3.29 from $10.99 until 2/25)
Infectious Madness of Dr Dekker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 2/25)
Jumping Quest ($1.99 from $2.29 until 2/25)
Kakurasu World ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/25)
Kakuro Magic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Kropki 8 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Lines Infinite ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Lines X ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Lines XL ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Membrane ($2.50 from $250.00 until 2/25)
Merek’s Market ($16.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Merry Xmas Snowball Bubble ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/25)
NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ ($29.99 from $39.99 until 2/25)
Press A to Party ($2.09 from $6.99 until 2/25)
Pure Chase 80’s ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/25)
Ramp Car Jumping ($3.14 from $10.49 until 2/25)
Rock ‘N Racing Bundle 3 in 1 ($3.74 from $24.99 until 2/25)
Rock ‘N Racing Bundle OR&GP ($2.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Shark Pinball ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/25)
Shikaku Shapes ($3.49 from $6.99 until 2/25)
Shopping Mall Parking Lot ($5.99 from $11.99 until 2/25)
Sit-Ups Workout ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Slither Loop ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Solitaire Klondike Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Solitaire Spider Minimal ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Sorry, James ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Soul Axiom Rebooted ($9.09 from $12.99 until 2/25)
Speedway Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Sports & Adventure Pinball ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/25)
Strange Field Football ($3.49 from $6.99 until 2/25)
SturmFront: The Mutant War ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Sudoky ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/25)
Suguru Nature ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Sweet Bakery Tycoon Deluxe ($2.49 from $6.99 until 2/25)
The Big Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
The Game of Life 2 ($20.99 from $29.99 until 2/25)
The Low Road ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/25)
The Song Out of Space ($3.99 from $4.99 until 2/25)
They Came From the Sky ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Titans Pinball ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/25)
Train Station Simulator ($2.19 from $21.99 until 2/25)
Typoman ($5.19 from $12.99 until 2/25)
Vaporum: Lockdown ($10.99 from $21.99 until 2/25)
Warplanes: WW1 Sky Aces ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/25)
Wayout ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Wildbus ($6.49 from $12.99 until 2/25)
Wordify ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/25)
X-Morph: Defence Complete ($5.99 from $29.99 until 2/25)
X-Morph: Defence ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/25)
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/25)
Zombie Driver Immortal Edition ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/25)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of the releases for the week, with Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream leading the pack. We’ll have summaries of all of the new games, plus what I’m sure will be a robust list of new sales. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
