Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 6th, 2022. Today we’ve got a couple more reviews for you to enjoy, with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R and Restless Soul taking their seats in the judgement chair. There are a handful of new releases to look at, including Temtem, Circus Electrique, and Disney Dreamlight Valley. There’s also a decent-sized list of new sales to check out, plus the usual list of expiring discounts. Let’s get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R ($49.99)
Alright, let me get some disclosures out of the way upfront. Despite the fact that I am a video game nut who has lived in Japan for a very long time, I don’t know much about JoJo. My total experience with the franchise is as follows: I reviewed the Dreamcast version of Capcom’s fighting game a couple of decades ago, I’m familiar with that “you thought it was ____, but it was me, Dio!" meme, and one of my young students has a proclivity for saying “ZA WAARUDO" in the middle of lessons. That is everything. This is not to say I dislike JoJo. I just don’t have any experience with it.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is a JoJo fanservice buffet. It’s an updated version of a PlayStation 3 fighting game by CyberConnect2, adding ten new characters to the already hefty roster and changing around some of the modes and content. You get more than fifty characters to use here, drawn from various eras of the long-running franchise. There’s a wealth of extra content to unlock and look through, and I’d imagine it’s a treasure pile if you’re a big fan of the series. Most of it is lost on me, I’ll admit.
You know what isn’t lost on me? This is a fun fighting game. It’s more on the casual end of things, but there’s some depth to it as well. Someone who doesn’t play a lot of fighting games can jump and and hammer on the buttons to decent results, and the largely 2D nature of the game makes it easy to come to grips with. More seasoned fighting fans will find a rather unbalanced game, but one with lots of combos and tricks to get the hang of. There’s also a ton of single-player content to enjoy, which is good because the online play is extremely hit or miss. The original PlayStation 3 game ran at 30 fps, and so does this Switch port. I feel like 60 fps is important for a serious fighter, but it looks and plays decently enough. It nails the style of the anime, though I suppose that’s no surprise from this developer.
If you mean to seriously get into JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R, you’re probably better off heading over to one of the other platforms where it runs at 60 fps. This Switch port is solid enough to play, however, and JoJo fans will likely have a good time with it. Discriminating fighting game aficionados will probably want to look elsewhere for their Switch satisfaction, though.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Restless Soul ($14.99)
Spider-Man is a really popular superhero. As regular readers know, I’m quite a fan myself. He has cool powers, a neat costume, and he throws out some funny quips while stopping the bad guys. He’s also famously a lone wolf, but he’s been doing a lot more team-ups in recent decades. Here’s the thing: can you imagine being on a team with that guy? The absolutely unending quipping, both in and out of battles? Humor as a distraction method, humor as a defense mechanism, humor as a way to fill awkward silences, humor as a means to bolster one’s shaky self-confidence. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to matter to Spidey whether his jokes are actually funny or not. He just fires them out there as indiscriminately and frequently as he shoots his webs. He must be utterly exhausting to be around.
Restless Soul gives us a window into what it would be like to work with that guy. There is no silence it won’t fill with an attempt at a joke. No scene that will go unlittered by pop culture references and cheap gags. It is relentless. Completely relentless. And it’s distracting, too. You’ve got a few puzzles about, and frequent twin-stick shooting battles. There’s some kind of story lurking about as well. But by the time you reach the end of the game, none of that will stick with you. No, what will stick with you is how hard this game tries to be funny and how rarely it manages to do that. Like, not in an offensive way or anything either. It’s almost… pitiable? I don’t know what to say.
Of course, humor is subjective. More subjective than most things. If the jokes tickle you just right, you’ll have a decent enough time with Restless Soul. It plays well enough, it has a nice sense of style to it, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome in terms of how far its mechanics will go. But if those jokes don’t land for you, know that they will never stop for the rest of the game. Consider how much of a problem that will be for you before wading in.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
Temtem ($44.99)
I imagine for people who run big franchises, the temptation to reply to complaints with “Well, why don’t you just make your own then?" must be very strong. But in the case of Temtem, that’s just what the developers have done. This game is very plainly inspired by Pokemon, but adds a lot of elements like an MMO structure and a stamina system to change things up. Does it do enough to make an identity of its own? I haven’t played enough to say, but I think Pokemon fans should definitely look into it.
Disney Dreamlight Valley ($29.99)
A Disney spin on Stardew Valley? Well, kind of. This one comes by way of Gameloft, and sees you trying to free the Dream Castle and its residents from a wicked curse. You make your own character, but you’ll be interacting with plenty of famous faces from Disney and Pixar movies. You’ll do the usual life sim things like gardening, cooking, and crafting, but you’ll be doing it with the likes of Buzz Lightyear, Remy, and Stitch. I doubt it will be as good as the best of the genre, but with that license I reckon it only has to be good enough.
Circus Electrique ($19.99)
This stylish RPG mixes turn-based card battles with circus management in an alternate-history London where normal folks have gone wild. It’s up to the circus performers to save the day, all while keeping the big top running. This one comes to us from many of the same folks who worked on Operencia: The Stolen Sun, and if you’ve played that game then that is probably all you need to pay attention to this one. I’ll have a review of this one soon.
The Last Run: Dead Zombie Shooter ($9.99)
I’m pretty sure this is a dollar store version of Into The Dead, and given it’s from T-Bull it’s probably not all that great. There are fifty stages to run and gun through, plus a survival mode where you see how far you can go. Lots of different weapons and some different character skins to collect. I guess if you want to kill some dead zombies, that’s what this offers.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some big sales from both Bandai Namco and NISA today. Most of these games go on sale regularly enough, but some of them are hitting new lows. If you’re interested in them and haven’t bought them up until now, here’s your chance. As usual, check those lists and see what jumps out at you.
Select New Games on Sale
One Piece Unlimited World Red ($3.99 from $39.99 until 9/12)
Pinball FX3 Balls of Glory DLC ($3.39 from $9.99 until 9/12)
Pinball FX3 Sci-Fi Pack DLC ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/12)
Make the Burger ($1.99 from $3.99 until 9/19)
R-Type Final 2 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
R-Type Final 2 Digital Deluxe ($29.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
Disgaea 1 Complete ($19.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Disgaea 4 Complete+ ($19.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Disgaea 5 Complete ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Disgaea 6 DoD ($39.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
Prinny Presents Vol. 1 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Prinny Presents Vol. 2 ($29.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Crystar ($37.49 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Cruel King & the Great Hero ($19.99 from $29.99 until 9/19)
RPG Maker MV ($14.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Disaster Report 4 SM ($19.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
The Princess Guide ($4.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Shadow Corridor ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/19)
Labyrinth Legend ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/19)
LA-MULANA ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/19)
LA-MULANA 2 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 9/19)
Ys VIII Lacrimosa of DANA ($19.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
Ys IX Monstrum Nox ($29.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
Ys IX Monstrum Nox DX ($37.49 from $74.99 until 9/19)
TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel III ($24.99 from $59.99 until 9/19)
TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel III DX ($29.99 from $69.99 until 9/19)
TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel IV DX ($34.99 from $69.99 until 9/19)
Giraffe and Annika ($9.99 from $29.99 until 9/19)
Poison Control ($14.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Labryinth of Refrain: CoD ($17.49 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Saviors of Sapphire Wings/SoSS ($29.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Lost Child ($4.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory ($4.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
World’s End Club ($24.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Void Terrarium ($9.99 from $24.99 until 9/19)
Langrisser I & II ($17.49 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Alliance Alive HD ($17.49 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Caligula Effect OD ($17.49 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Caligula Effect 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
The Caligula Effect 2 Deluxe ($39.99 from $64.99 until 9/19)
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/19)
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Digimon Cyber Sleuth CE ($14.99 from $49.99 until 9/19)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/19)
Captain Tsubasa RoNC Deluxe ($21.24 from $84.99 until 9/19)
Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/20)
The Falconeer: Warrior ($17.99 from $29.99 until 9/20)
Scribblenauts Mega Pack ($5.99 from $39.99 until 9/25)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($14.99 from $59.99 until 9/25)
Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath DLC ($11.99 from $39.99 until 9/25)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($5.99 from $39.99 until 9/25)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/25)
LEGO Jurassic World ($7.99 from $39.99 until 9/25)
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe ($11.24 from $74.99 until 9/25)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/25)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe ($8.99 from $44.99 until 9/25)
Mythic Ocean ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/26)
Truberbrook ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/26)
Vambrace: Cold Soul ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/26)
Bridge Constructor The Walking Dead ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/26)
Bridge Constructor Portal ($3.74 from $14.99 until 9/26)
Moorhuhn Kart 2 ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/26)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7th
ANIMUS ($2.63 from $7.99 until 9/7)
ANIMUS: Harbinger ($2.63 from $7.99 until 9/7)
ANIMUS: Revenant ($8.04 from $22.99 until 9/7)
Bullet Battle: Evolution ($4.94 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Counter Delta: The Bullet Rain ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Counter Recon: The First Mission ($5.24 from $14.99 until 9/77)
Cresteaju ($4.89 from $6.99 until 9/7)
Dark Water: Slime Invader ($5.24 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Demong Hunter ($2.79 from $7.99 until 9/7)
Dungeon Limbus ($5.24 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Girls Tank Battle ($3.84 from $10.99 until 9/7)
Haunted Dawn: The Zombie Apocalypse ($5.24 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Haunted Zombie School ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Last 4 Alive: Escape From Zombies ($5.49 from $10.99 until 9/7)
P.3 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/7)
REDDEN: 100denarii ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/7)
Space Genesis ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Space Stella: Unknown Planet ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/7)
SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off ($3.99 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Subnautica ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/7)
Subnautica: Below Zero ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/7)
World War: Tank Battle ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/7)
Zombie Is Planting ($5.49 from $10.99 until 9/7)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases and sales, plus a bit of news. I think I’m all reviewed out for the week, so unless our pal Mikhail is packing some surprises we probably won’t see any reviews tomorrow. I hope you all have a superb Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
