Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 21st, 2022. In today’s article, we check out the remaining releases for the week. And what a batch it is, with games like Persona 5 Royal, Alan Wake Remastered, New Tales from the Borderlands, and a whole lot more. Our pal Mikhail also has a round-up of the All Aksys showcase with many Switch game announcements. There is also a healthy list of new sales to look at, plus the outgoing sales for the weekend. Let’s wrap this week up!
All Aksys Showcase Round-Up
Aksys Games had another one of its All Aksys showcases yesterday with many Nintendo Switch games and updates on existing titles. These include some surprises as well. Let’s get into it. Cuddly Forest Friends, out February 2023, is the English version of Gesshizu: Minna de Chokomaka Muradukuri that released in Japan. It has you raising up to nine forest companions and more across mini-games and more with other players. One of the biggest surprises was Record of Agarest War getting announced for March 2023 release on Switch. The strategy RPG has been ported to many platforms including mobile, and it will now be on Switch physically and digitally with a limited edition planned. Summer 2023 will see Spooky Spirit Shooting Gallery from Nippon Columbia release in the West through Aksys Games.
Before wrapping up, Aksys had some otome game announcements as usual. These include Tengoku Struggle -Strayside out in 2024 from the team that released Olympia Soiree. The previously announced otome games Lover Pretend releases on December 1st while Norn9 is out in March 2023. The final announcement was the previously-announced visual novel Jack Jeanne from Aksys launching in Summer 2023 with a limited edition coming. Overall, the event had a nice spread of releases for Switch with some surprises. I’m looking forward to playing most of these over the coming months.
New Releases
Persona 5 Royal ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Look, let’s be real: we all saw this coming. But that doesn’t make it any less great that we can now, finally, play Persona 5 on the Switch. Better still, this is the Royal version which includes all of the DLC released for the original game along with some other goodies. So yes, this is a great way to go on a hundred-plus hour role-playing adventure with the Phantom Thieves, and now you’ll actually have the context to enjoy the story of Persona 5 Strikers. I’ll have a review for this one very soon, but I can at least say that this is an excellent port of the game that particularly pops on the screen of the OLED Switch.
New Tales from the Borderlands ($39.99)
It’s been eight years since Telltale’s original Tales from the Borderlands, which is a pretty solid chunk of time. Solid enough of a chunk that Telltale isn’t around anymore, even. But people love the game, and where there is love for a game there is money in a sequel. And where there is money, big publishers don’t usually sit on their hands. Thus, Gearbox Quebec has worked with some former members of Telltale to give us another choice-heavy narrative adventure set in the Borderlands world. I’m not the hugest fan of the setting or the original game, so I’ll leave it to more experienced hands to determine if this is a worthy follow-up or not. It sure looks the part, at least.
Alan Wake Remastered ($29.99)
Well, this was a surprise. Alan Wake Remastered is now available on Switch, and don’t ask me how well it runs because this one is just as new to me as it is to you. Provided the port is decent, this is a remaster of the popular thriller that initially came out on Xbox 360 back in 2010. I think fans were a little mixed about some of the changes made in the remaster, but I suspect if you’re new to the whole thing it probably doesn’t matter much. It’s a story about an author who is losing his grip on reality, and it’s quite the narrative experience.
The Darkest Tales ($24.99)
This is a very mediocre 2.5D platformer with a dark fairytale theme. It looks good, the story has a decent hook to it, but gameplay is king in platformers and that is where The Darkest Tales truly falters. At a more affordable price I could maybe see taking a punt on it just to check out some of its ideas, but for twenty-five bucks it just has too many flaws to recommend.
Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony ($9.99)
This is a point-and-click style adventure game about an adventurer named Hugh Radcliff who is seeking to solve the mystery behind a missing colony. Explore Crowalt and talk to its modern residents, solve some puzzles, and see if you can get to the bottom of things. It has a decent reputation based on its other versions, and I imagine Switch-owning fans of point-and-clickers will give it a warm welcome as well.
Runout ($4.99)
It’s sort of an auto-runner, but not exactly. Your character is always running, but if they run into a wall they’ll turn around. You’ve probably played other games with that idea, perhaps on mobile. You can eventually find and make use of a few extra abilities, and there is support for local two-player co-op. Seems fine for a fiver.
She Wants Me Dead ($9.99)
This is a rhythm-based platformer about a dude who made his cat so angry that she wants to kill him, and unlike most cats she seems to have a lot of good ideas about how to make that happen. Run and jump your way through ten stages filled to the brim with deadly traps, and get ready to die, die, and die some more. You can try it for free on your mobile device to get a taste before you decide whether or not you want to buy it here.
Hatchwell ($9.99)
A fairly decent, highly-affordable top-down action-RPG. The town of Hatchwell is preparing for a festival, but something is amiss. The mayor asks you to help investigate, which will take you all around the town and its nearby areas. Customize your character, pick your favorite pet, and uncover a few secrets. It’s a very compact game in a lot of ways, but what’s here is well-done.
Metal Ninja ($8.00)
This is a handheld-only scrolling action game about a ninja that can stop time and bounce off walls. You’ll need to use the touch screen, which is why it can only be played handheld. There are also branching paths where you’ll need to make a choice, leading to multiple endings. It’s pretty rough, but there’s a certain charm to it.
Once Upon a Time on Halloween ($9.99)
Hm. Well, this appears to be some kind of mix of platformer and shooter, but the game description isn’t overly clear as it is too busy trying to set the stage for its story, which sees pumpkins making some kind of promise to protect humans on Halloween each year? And it is apparently set in the 1920s, I guess so it can do that old-timey thing that Cuphead has made so trendy. It doesn’t look all that great to me, but maybe it does more for you.
Howloween Hero ($9.99)
Well, this is probably the cutest Halloween-themed game we’ll see this year. Dress up your dog in a costume and head out to get some candy for your owner. There are missions to solve and extra costumes to earn, which in turn will lead to even better candy. Not the deepest or fanciest thing around, but it’s silly and charming in enough ways that you might want to pick it up for your seasonal enjoyment.
The Walking Zombie 2 ($11.99)
So this first-person shooter seems to be free-to-play on mobile and PC, and I’m not sure what the developer has actually changed for this Switch port if anything. It still has IAPs, and I suspect it still gets grindy at the same point. If you have the means to give it a try in one of its free forms, I highly recommend doing so before dropping a dozen dollars on it here.
Crystal Goddess ($5.99)
This might look like a pretty ordinary 2D action-platformer, but the publisher is Gamuzumi so you can expect it to be more than a little ribald. Play as a guardian goddess on her quest to recover some stolen crystals and rescue captured women along the way. Big five-dollar Switch platformer energy, and I guess you can add an extra dollar to cover the lewdness. If you want a more naked version, you should pick up the PC version instead.
JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party ($39.99)
Today is the day I learned of JoJo Siwa. What can I say? You miss some things when you live in a foreign country. She seems to have an awful lot of fans, however, and they might be happy to see this new video game from Outright Games. Despite the word party being in the title, this is a single-player game. In fact, it’s another rhythm-based platformer. We don’t usually see two of those come out in one day. You get ten levels, official JoJo songs, and various outfits to dress her up in. Obviously not aimed at old guys like me, so I’ll leave it there.
Spinfrog: All Aboard the Frogcopter ($19.99)
Ah, an homage to Kururin, it seems. That’s cool. Bring your flying frogcopter through sixty levels, taking care not to scrape your spinning blade on any walls or hazards as you go. There are upgrades to unlock and various cosmetics you can buy with the coins you collect. You don’t see many games of this sort these days, so it’s nice to see such a cute take on the concept.
Byte Cats ($11.99)
Despite not putting it in the title like its stablemates, this is part of the Pixel Game Maker Series line. It’s a 2D platformer featuring a cat, which makes it one of about a dozen on the Switch. There are multiple playable cats with different abilities, which makes it sound like the rather excellent Super Cat Tales games. Five dollar Switch platformer energy, regrettably priced at twelve dollars. Your call.
H1.Jack ($4.99)
I’m not the eShop description police or anything, but unless your game explains itself clearly in its screenshots, that descriptive text is absolutely vital for helping people understand what your game is about. And I’m sorry, but I don’t have a hot clue what this game is about aside from vague notions of battling enemies and a cyberspace theme. Searching the title doesn’t turn up much of anything helpful, either. So I have no idea what this game is or if you should care about it and can only recommend turning your eyes to the sixty other games that came out this week that were clearer about saying what they are.
Daardoa ($3.49)
A short horror narrative experience, and if nothing else we can say that it’s affordable. It seems to have at least a few fans over on Steam, so if you like your scary stuff and are on a tight budget this may be a reasonable choice today.
Survive & Craft ($24.99)
This released several months back in other regions under the name Survive on Raft, which was perhaps a bit more honest about what this latest Megame release is – a dollar-store take on the popular survival game Raft. Amazingly, this costs more than Raft. But I suppose Raft isn’t available on Switch, so the publisher is going for it. Personally, I’d stick with Minecraft.
Puzzle by Nikoli S Akari ($4.99)
Here’s another puzzle game from Hamster, and this time it’s something we don’t already have twenty other examples of on the eShop. Akari is a fairly modern type of puzzle where you need to place lights in locations according to the numbers in such a way that the whole board’s white space will be lit. Like a lot of puzzles, it’s easier to explain by playing. But it’s good stuff for those who like logic puzzles, and I can’t argue with the price.
World Soccer Cup 2022 ($4.99)
More junk from Pix Arts. A single-player only soccer game with very little meat on its bones. Better to keep your fiver and put it towards a good soccer game.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A hefty list of new sales, but not one with many exciting steals in it. Off the top of my head, I’d recommend Sumire, Alien Isolation, Piczle Puzzle & Watch Collection, and Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter. Take a look through the lists yourselves, of course. There are plenty of games on offer and just because something doesn’t catch my eye, doesn’t mean it won’t catch yours.
Select New Games on Sale
Warhammer 40k Shootas Blood & Teef ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/28)
Storm Tale 2 ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Day of the Dead Solitaire Collection ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
FishWitch Halloween ($1.99 from $19.99 until 10/31)
Alien Isolation ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Queen’s Garden: Sakura Season ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Secrets of Magic 4: Potion Master ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Secrets of Magic 5: Back to School ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Project Nimbus CE ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Sumire ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/3)
890B ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
20 Ladies ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
SkateBIRD ($8.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
De: Yabatanien ($6.99 from $13.99 until 11/4)
Mastho is Together ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Crazy Gravity ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Pretty Girls Rivers ($4.19 from $5.99 until 11/4)
Z-Warp ($4.89 from $6.99 until 11/4)
Quintus & the Absent Truth ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
In The Mood ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Hell Pages ($6.29 from $8.99 until 11/4)
Seduction: A Monk’s Fate ($5.59 from $7.99 until 11/4)
One Last Memory Reimagined ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
MilkChoco ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/9)
Piczle Puzzle & Watch ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Lines DX ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Lines DX 500 More ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Piczle Colors ($3.00 from $12.00 until 11/10)
Piczle Cells ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/10)
BigChick ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Warpips ($15.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
The Enigma Machine ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/10)
THE Bass Fishing ($9.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Kuukiyomi 2 New Era ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Darker Skies ($8.99 from $17.99 until 11/10)
Cooking Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Pawn of the Dead ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Hollow 2 ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Armed to the Gears ($2.39 from $11.99 until 11/10)
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Danger Scavenger ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Train Station Renovation ($2.84 from $18.99 until 11/10)
Green Hell ($2.49 from $24.99 until 11/10)
Panzer Dragoon Remake ($2.49 from $24.99 until 11/10)
Thief Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Aery A Journey Beyond Time ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
Gigapocalypse ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS: Harbinger ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
ANIMUS: Revenant ($7.35 from $22.99 until 11/10)
Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/10)
Asdivine Saga ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Ambition Record ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Monster Viator ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Ruinverse ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Justice Chronicles ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Gas Station Simulator ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/10)
Superpanda 2 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/10)
Blob Quest ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/10)
Modern War: Tank Battle ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Counter Crossline: Crime War ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Dead Rain: New Zombie Virus ($8.79 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Counter Recon: The First Mission ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Counter Recon 2: New War ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Haunted Dawn: Zombie Apocalypse ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Space Genesis ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Bullet Battle: Evolution ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Girls Tank Battle ($3.51 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Space Stella: Unknown Planet ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Dungeon Limbus ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Dark Water: Slime Invader ($4.79 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Last 4 Alive: Escape from Zombies ($4.94 from $10.99 until 11/10)
World War: Tank Battle ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Zombie Planting ($4.94 from $10.99 until 11/10)
Demong Hunter ($2.55 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Counter Delta: Bullet Rain ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
REDDEN: 100denarii ($3.59 from $7.99 until 11/10)
Haunted Zombie School ($6.74 from $14.99 until 11/10)
Sales Ending This Weekend
After Wave: Downfall ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Demon’s Rise: Lords of Chaos ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)
Dinogotchi ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Dyna Bomb 2 ($7.49 from $19.99 until 10/22)
In My Shadow ($7.80 from $12.00 until 10/22)
LawnMower: Mortal Race ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Lost in Play ($12.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Marmoset ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Road to Guangdong ($4.99 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Suicide Guy Collection ($3.29 from $10.99 until 10/22)
Super Cable Boy ($8.99 from $14.99 until 10/22)
The Skylia Prophecy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/22)
The Unexpected Quest ($6.00 from $15.00 until 10/22)
Torn Tales: Rebound Edition ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new games, more reviews, more sales, and more news. I have a lot of stuff to play this weekend for work, so of course I have started a new playthrough of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. What can I say? I have an itch for IGAvanias lately, and I can’t stop scratching it. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
