Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 15th, 2022. In today’s article, we somehow have almost twenty more releases on top of yesterday’s avalanche. The big titles here seem to be TAITO Milestones and Demon Turf: Neon Splash, but there are several other interesting-looking games in the bunch. There’s also a fairly extensive list of new sales to look at, plus the discounts that will expire over the weekend. It’s another big one, so let’s get to work!
New Releases
TAITO Milestones ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I’ve already written a review of this that was in the Round-Up a few days ago, but in case you missed it: this is a collection of ten Taito arcade games, more or less presented in their Arcade Archives forms. Online leaderboards are in; Caravan and Score Attack modes are not. Very barebones in terms of extras but rich in options and settings, but the biggest problem for many is going to be the game selection. It leans less towards the well-known classics and more towards lesser-known oddities. Fun games all, but maybe not the specific games you’re interested in.
Demon Turf: Neon Splash ($4.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Dropping pretty much out of nowhere, here’s a follow-up to the rather enjoyable Demon Turf. This one focuses heavily on pure platforming enjoyment, with ten levels to play and lots of extra goals to keep you coming back. The first game ended up being adopted by speed-running fans and Neon Splash aims to please that crowd, with online leaderboards, target times to aim for, and level layouts that scream for you to shave off the seconds. Somehow only five dollars? Get on it, 3D platformer fans.
Groundskeeper2 ($4.99)
Orange Pixel’s action-packed, blast-em-all, arena shooter is now available on Switch. Kill all the aliens, collect goodies, and portal over to the next stage to do it all again. Each playthrough will increase your ability to survive the next, with unlockable weapons, helpful tools, and more being added to your arsenal over time. I had plenty of fun with this one on mobile, so I’m happy to see it get a second life here.
Pixel Game Maker Series DANDAN Z ($9.99)
The Game Buddy is back, with its latest game being an homage to Takara’s Game Boy fighting games. DANDAN Z is a one-on-one fighter with ten different characters to choose from and local two-player support. It seems well-made enough, but I imagine those who have been collecting this particular series of games would buy it anyway on principle even if it wasn’t. If you’re not familiar with Takara’s Game Boy fighters, they’re not far off from the NEOGEO Pocket Color games in that genre.
Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood ($14.99)
This isn’t even the only twisted fairytale game today. This one is a narrative-driven adventure game, with decisions to make and puzzles to solve along the way. There are multiple endings to reach based on your choices. You play as the Red Witch and are stuck in a seven-day time loop as you try to guide your Munchkin troupe out of the Wicked Wood ruled over by the evil Black Witch. And yes, there is a big bad wolf. Watch out, or you’ll be eaten.
Formula Retro Racing ($14.99)
On the one hand, this game has some serious budget Virtua Racing vibes. On the other hand, decent Virtua Racing homages aren’t as common as you would think. You get eight tracks to race on, a few different modes including one that closely imitates an arcade experience, destructible cars, online leaderboards, and local multiplayer for up to four players via splitscreen. Those who dig their arcade racers may want to give this some consideration.
A Sketchbook About Her Sun ($4.99)
Kind of a little narrative experience about a woman who gets out of the city to ponder her thoughts while exploring a town she’s never been to before. You’ll get into her head through eleven story segments, with her drawings, the music she’s listening to, and her thoughts on life painting the picture. I like the sketchbook idea a lot. It makes for a cool visual.
Taisho X Alice All In One + English Text Add-On Bundle ($54.99)
This is a visual novel that sends you into a fairytale world where familiar characters have been gender-flipped. Hunky Cinderella, hunky Red Riding Hood, hunky Snow White, and more are here, and you’re going to try to smooch them. Smooch your favorite, smooch them all, it’s up to you. All four episodes are included here, but make sure you grab the bundle with the English Text Add-On. Otherwise, it’s all in Japanese. Which, hey, if you’re fluent then there is no problem. But assuming you want English, better spend the extra buck on the bundle than paying a few bucks for it separately.
Car Mechanic Simulator Pocket Edition 2 ($15.49)
Ultimate Games has another one of its mechanic simulators for us, this time following up on the relatively popular Car Mechanic Simulator Pocket Edition. It plays pretty much like all of the rest of them, just with some new content to enjoy. More than forty cars to fix up, plenty of tools to use, and the usual loop of fixing, upgrading, and fixing some more. I leave it to you whether that’s something you want or not.
Robo Wars ($6.99)
A one-on-one arena battler where you control a robot equipped with a variety of weapons. There are a bunch of mechs to pick from, and a decent-sized arsenal to make use of. Your equipment can be upgraded, as well. You can battle against the computer or pull in a friend for some local multiplayer action. This one looks a bit plain to me, but this has never been my favorite genre.
Defend the Rook ($17.99)
This is a turn-based strategy game where you control a Rook and a number of other units. The Rook is powerful, but also vulnerable. Move about the board, take out your foes, and do what the title says above all else. There are procedurally-generated maps, upgrades to unlock and make use of, and some traps and blockades to lay out. It looks pretty good, but with something like this I really need to spend some time with it to know if it has that long-haul appeal.
Jump Into The Plane ($9.99)
So you’re driving a car, right? And what you need to do is jump into the plane. To that end, you’ve got a slingshot, sometimes a ramp, and some rocket boosters. Timing is everything as a slight miscalculation will see you missing your flight. Well, this is at least something different to do with cars. Ten bucks feels like a bit much for what seems to be a gag game, but I could see it being an interesting pick-up on sale.
Lumberhill ($14.99)
Lumberjack chaos for up to four players, either locally or online. You have to do your job, but the world seems to be against you. Fires? Check. Monkeys? Well, okay. Pirates? Really? Okay, pirates. Chop your wood, chase the animals back into their pens, and watch out for pira… dinosaurs? Now we’ve got dinosaurs? And meteors? This might be the next game for party game fans, but I can’t be sure until I put it through the proper paces with my family.
Wild West Crops ($4.99)
This is a side-scrolling action game where you play as a little cowboy cat who has to battle mutant crops to save his town. It purports to be a mini Metroidvania, but it’s actually very linear. It’s a couple of hours long and you will get upgrades here and there, but don’t count on there being much exploration. Big five-dollar Switch platformer energy here, and not bad in that respect.
Flower Shop: Summer in Fairbrook ($9.99)
Poor Steve has been sent to his uncle’s farm by his dad after slacking too much in his studies. He has to learn responsibility over the course of the summer, but perhaps he’ll find more in the little town of Fairbrook? This is a dating sim crossed with a farming sim, though don’t expect too much from the latter. Just some basic crop-raising and selling. You’ll have to plan how to spend your time each week, balancing your responsibilities on the farm with your social obligations. Ultimately, there are nine different endings you can find yourself reaching. Can you help Steve sort out his life?
Labyrinth of the Chaka King ($7.00)
A humble little puzzle platformer with more than fifty rooms to explore. Clear the rooms, search for treasures, and become the master of the labyrinth. What will wait for you at its end? Most of the puzzles here involve activating blocks that have various properties that will move them around. A reasonable price if you like the sound of those puzzles.
Cover Fire: Offline Shooting Game (Free)
Hmm. A free-to-play offline shooter? Loaded up with IAPs? I’m… I’m not sure I understand the point here. Lots of sniping missions, apparently. You’re basically on rails here, pulling off a variety of action scenes. Hide behind the cover, pop out, shoot. Repeat until you need to pay real money to top off your energy. You can play this one on your mobile device if you like, but it’s just as free to start and money-hungry to play through no matter where you try it out.
Hundred Fires: The Rising of Red Star ($4.99)
What the… heck. This is a stealth action game where you play as Not Solid Snake as he infiltrates a Soviet base in Cuba to… assassinate a Japanese nuclear weapons developer who looks suspiciously like Hideo Kojima. It’s probably junk, but I’ll at least grant that I was not expecting this precise kind of junk today.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A few interesting sales in the flood that hit today, but so many near-weekly entries that I had to do some serious pruning. The ones that catch my eye? Spiritfarer, Axiom Verge 2, Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet, The Ninja Saviors, the Darius games, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, and a few Kairosoft sims. The outbox has some good games in it, but nothing that we won’t be seeing on sale again in a few weeks to a month.
Select New Games on Sale
Spiritfarer ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/21)
Axiom Verge 2 ($17.99 from $19.99 until 4/21)
Dragon Caffi ($23.20 from $29.00 until 4/21)
There Is No Game Wrong Dimension ($9.09 from $12.99 until 4/21)
Jotun: Valhalla Edition ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/21)
Toodee and Topdee ($17.99 from $19.99 until 4/21)
80’s Overdrive ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/22)
The House of Da Vinci ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/22)
Infectious Madness of Dr Dekker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/22)
Double Pug Switch ($2.74 from $5.49 until 4/22)
Can Androids Pray:Blue ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/22)
Unforeseen Incidents ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
Outlast: Bundle of Terror ($4.99 from $24.99 until 4/22)
Outlast 2 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/22)
Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/22)
The Longing ($11.24 from $14.99 until 4/22)
Rotund Rebound ($15.99 from $19.99 until 4/23)
Dark Side of the Moon ($1.99 from $13.99 until 4/23)
Pathway ($1.99 from $15.99 until 4/25)
Kona ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
Gods Will Fall ($5.24 from $14.99 until 4/25)
Tales From Space: MBA ($2.47 from $9.99 until 4/25)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo CE ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/25)
Guacamelee! 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
Severed ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/25)
Clockwork Aquario ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends ($23.99 from $39.99 until 4/25)
Turrican Flashback ($11.99 from $29.99 until 4/25)
Cotton Reboot! ($23.99 from $39.99 until 4/25)
Cotton 100% ($11.99 from $14.99 until 4/25)
Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/25)
Darius Cozmic Arcade ($19.79 from $44.99 until 4/25)
Darius Cozmic Console ($23.99 from $59.99 until 4/25)
G-Darius HD ($17.99 from $29.99 until 4/25)
Dariusburst ACE+ ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/25)
Space Invaders Invincible ($23.99 from $59.99 until 4/25)
WitchSpring3 Re:Fine ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/25)
Spelunker HD Deluxe ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/25)
Ultracore ($6.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
The Ninja Saviors RotW ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
Windbound ($6.99 from $19.99 until 4/25)
Underhero ($8.49 from $16.99 until 4/28)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition ($11.99 from $19.99 until 4/28)
Unto The End ($16.24 from $24.99 until 4/28)
Dicey Dungeons ($5.09 from $14.99 until 4/28)
Signs of the Sojourner ($14.99 from $19.99 until 4/28)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/28)
The Procession to Calvary ($11.24 from $14.99 until 4/28)
Lotus Bloom ($1.99 from $2.99 until 4/28)
Turn Tack ($13.49 from $14.99 until 4/28)
Savage Halloween ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/29)
Red Ronin ($1.99 from $7.99 until 4/29)
Vasara Collection ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/29)
Super Dodgeball Beats ($2.59 from $12.99 until 4/29)
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 ($16.24 from $24.99 until 4/29)
Fibbage XL ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/29)
Quiplash 2 InterLASHional ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/29)
Metro Simulator ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
Firefighters The Simulation ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Firefighters AFD ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Firefighters Airport Heroes ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Airport Simulator Day & Night ($17.49 from $24.99 until 4/29)
Mountain Rescue Simulator ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Forestry The Simulation ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
Pro Construction The Simulation ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Space Blaze ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/29)
Pineview Drive ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
TheNightfall ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Joe’s Diner ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
Professional Farmer ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Professional Farmer: AD ($19.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Animal Doctor ($5.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
Soccer, Tactics & Glory ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Mad Games Tycoon ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/29)
Mad Tower Tycoon ($8.99 from $29.99 until 4/29)
Area 86 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/29)
Shing! ($3.99 from $19.99 until 4/29)
One Last Memory ($6.69 from $9.99 until 5/3)
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/5)
Pocket Stables ($7.00 from $14.00 until 5/5)
Oh!Edo Towns ($7.00 from $14.00 until 5/5)
The Ramen Sensei ($7.00 from $14.00 until 5/5)
Biz Builder Delux ($8.40 from $14.00 until 5/5)
Silver Screen Story ($8.40 from $14.00 until 5/5)
Panzer Dragoon: Remake ($6.24 from $24.99 until 5/5)
Green Hell ($6.24 from $24.99 until 5/5)
Cooking Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/5)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ($17.99 from $29.99 until 5/5)
Q-YO Blaster ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/5)
Sky Mercenaries ($4.95 from $15.00 until 5/5)
Hard West ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/5)
Cyber Complex ($4.94 from $14.99 until 5/5)
Steel Rain ($4.94 from $14.99 until 5/5)
Cryogear ($6.56 from $19.89 until 5/5)
Sudoku Relax 5 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/5)
Thief Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/5)
Indigo 7 Quest for Love ($5.99 from $14.99 until 5/5)
Tennis Open 2020 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/5)
Mail Mole + Expansions ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/5)
Danger Scavenger ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/5)
Sherlock Holmes: C & P ($19.79 from $29.99 until 5/5)
Inukari Deluxe ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/5)
Doodle Games Bundle ($7.40 from $22.45 until 5/5)
Pack Master ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/5)
Sales Ending This Weekend
#Drive ($9.09 from $12.99 until 4/16)
Among Us ($3.75 from $5.00 until 4/16)
Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All ($22.49 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Beyond a Steel Sky ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/16)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($7.99 from $39.99 until 4/16)
Bladed Fury ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Ever Forward ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/16)
Flashback ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($2.98 from $14.90 until 4/16)
Good Pizza, Great Pizza ($6.99 from $9.99 until 4/16)
Guts ‘N Goals ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/16)
Iris.Fall ($13.99 from $19.99 until 4/16)
Lamentum ($9.59 from $15.99 until 4/16)
Marsupilami Hoobadventure ($22.49 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Mega Party A Tootuff Adv. ($5.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Musynx ($20.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
My Universe: Interior Designer ($22.49 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Superbeat: XONiC ($20.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
Syberia ($2.98 from $14.90 until 4/16)
Syberia 3 ($4.99 from $49.99 until 4/16)
The Last Survey ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/16)
The Legend of Tianding ($13.39 from $19.99 until 4/16)
The Sisters Party of the Year ($20.99 from $29.99 until 4/16)
The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf ($29.99 from $39.99 until 4/16)
Yuppie Psycho: EE ($6.66 from $16.66 until 4/16)
Beat Cop ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/17)
Blastful ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/17)
Children of Morta: Complete ($10.79 from $26.99 until 4/17)
Dreaming Canvas ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/17)
Fluxteria ($2.09 from $6.99 until 4/17)
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/17)
In Rays of the Light ($5.59 from $7.99 until 4/17)
Moonlighter ($4.99 from $24.99 until 4/17)
Music Racer ($4.89 from $6.99 until 4/17)
Nerved ($2.69 from $8.99 until 4/17)
Superhot ($12.49 from $24.99 until 4/17)
This War of Mine: Complete ($1.99 from $39.99 until 4/17)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new releases, more sales, some reviews, and some news. The highlights I can spot for next week include Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and Ganryu 2 – Hakuma Kojiro. Lots of people getting stabbed and sliced, whether by normal sword or laser sword. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
