Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for December 14th, 2023. We’re getting dangerously close to the end of the year now, but that hasn’t really slowed the flood of new releases much. We have a bunch of new games to check out today, but before that I am handing the mic to our pal Mikhail to deliver a bit of news. After that, we’ll get to the summaries and then close things out with the lists of new and expiring sales. Let’s go!
News
PowerWash Simulator: Santa’s Workshop Free Update Coming January 8th
Well this is a bit awkward isn’t it? FuturLab and Square Enix will release a holiday themed update for PowerWash Simulator on January 8th for Nintendo Switch. I’m not sure what caused the delay, but all other platforms have this update out now bringing in a whole new map, festivities, and more in the excellent game. I hope future content updates arrive at the same time, and this gives me an excuse to beat the new level on PS5 and then replay it on Switch in a few weeks. Watch the trailer for it above. -Mikhail Madnani
Disney Illusion Island Keeper Up Update Now Available
The Nintendo Switch exclusive Disney Illusion Island just got a huge update today bringing in the Mavens of Monoth Time Trials feature, quality of life updates, new accessibility options, additional gallery unlocks, and more. I’m not sure if I’d call this a hidden gem of a game because Disney, but it definitely is one I think more folks should try out. Watch the trailer for the update above.-Mikhail Madnani
New Releases
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Hidden Treasures of Area Zero – Part 2: The Indigo Disk DLC ($34.99)
The second and final part of the Pokemon Scarlet/Violet expansion, The Hidden Treasures of Area Zero, is now available for those who purchased it. In The Indigo Disk, you’ll travel to Blueberry Academy, a school built in the sea. Given that this is the last part of the DLC, you can count on it to deliver on the promise of the title. Do note that you have to have completed The Teal Mask before you can start on this one. It’s a linear story across the two parts. We’ll have a review of this one soon. I certainly hope it can nail the landing.
Palia (Free)
I don’t know a whole lot about Palia, but it’s apparently an MMO slow-life adventure. Some marketing people would call it “cozy". I’m getting tired of that word, so that’s the only place I’ll use it here. But yes, do some farming, fishing, and chilling out with a bunch of other players in a mysterious world. It’s free to try, so if you’re curious go ahead and do that little thing.
Metro Quester ($19.99)
KEMCO has a formula, if nothing else. So when I see something from the publisher that looks different from that formula, it grabs my attention. This is a turn-based dungeon crawler RPG, featuring twenty four characters and eight job classes. The world design was done by Kazushi Hagiwara, creator of the manga Bastard!!, and the gameplay system was created by Hironori Kato, most known in Japan for his work in tabletop RPGs. Throw in a very distinctive look and you’ve got a game I’m eagerly jumping into. When I come up for air, I’ll have a review for you to read.
Koumajou Remilia II: Stranger’s Requiem ($29.99)
While I wasn’t exactly bowled over by the Castlevania-inspired Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony, I didn’t have a bad time with it either. So I’m sure I’ll have a nice time with this remaster of its follow-up, which essentially promises another heaping platter full of the same Touhou action. I’ll have a review of this one as soon as I can make my way through it. If nothing else, it’s dressed to the nines.
Arcade Archives Aero Fighters ($7.99)
Aero Fighters 2 and 3 have been around on the eShop for ages now, but the first game in the series has been absent until now. That’s likely since it doesn’t use NEOGEO hardware and it has proven a bit tricky for Hamster to emulate in the past. Well, it’s here now and it’s working great. This is something of a historic game for the shoot-em-up genre since most of the team jumped ship after making this to form Psikyo. It’s not quite as silly as its successors, but the gameplay is excellent. Definitely one for the shooter fans.
EGGCONSOLE Xanadu PC-8801 PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)
This 1985 Nihon Falcom action-RPG was a very, very, very big deal in Japan in its time. Pretty much every side-scrolling Japanese action-RPG of the era was inspired by this game, up to and including Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It got a heavily modified NES port called Faxanadu, but don’t buy this expecting something as streamlined as that game. Like many pioneers, it’s not quite in the form you might expect for this genre. I like it anyway, though. Despite the fact that it was only released in Japan on the PC-8801, most of the text is in English. That means that although no new translation work has been done here within the game itself, it’s fully playable for English speakers. Neat!
Mechblaze ($9.99)
This looks like one for the Assault Suits fans out there. Control a mech and blast your way through six scrolling stages, using an arsenal of thirteen different types of weapons to blast away the invading alien army. I could think of far less amusing ways to spend ten bucks than this. Heck, that barely gets you half a ticket to a bad movie these days.
Pan’orama ($19.99)
This is a chill puzzle sim game where you lay down different tiles to build a little world. Kind of reminds me of Dorfromantik, and that’s good company to be in. As you place the pieces, you’ll form a pretty little animated landscape complete with animals you can interact with. You’ll get points at the end based on how well you did, though I’m not sure how the systems work here. Yes, it sounds quite a lot like Dorfromantik. Perhaps coincidence, perhaps inspired. Either way, we’re not up to our elbows in games like this so I won’t complain.
Rising Dusk ($9.90)
At first I read the title as Rising Duck, which might have been pretty cool. Well, we’ll just have to make the best of what we have here. It’s a side-scrolling platformer where you’re meant to avoid coins if you want to move forward. That certainly turns things on its head. There are more than twenty stages to play, with a nicely done supernatural Japanese setting to the action. Sure, it feels a bit like a five-dollar Switch platformer, but inflation is very real these days.
Raccoo Venture ($14.99)
QUByte’s been pouring a lot into this 3D platformer, and I’m hoping its efforts have yielded fruit. Collect special costumes for a fresh new look, solve puzzles, look for secrets, and enjoy the sights and sounds. I’ll be doing a review of this game early next week to let you know if it’s worth picking up.
Nekomin ($15.00)
This is an odd one, for sure. You have to use the Joy-Cons to play it, so handheld-only players will want to give it a pass. Basically, you have to use your Joy-Con like it’s a cat wand to guide the cats to their dens in each stage. I’m not sure how much staying power this has, but I’ll give it points for originality.
-Math, BFF, and Notes- ($19.90)
CyberStep is back with another poorly-localized visual novel. I mean, the word wrap issue still hasn’t been fixed, so I don’t think this publisher really cares. This one is about a guy who is only interested in older, married women. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are a few such ladies hanging around in his life. Smooch your favorite, you home-wrecker.
Aztec Tiki Talisman ($5.99)
A 3D platformer, and I always get suspicious when they’re around this price point. You get fifty levels to play, set entirely in the same jungle-themed location, and specifically on and around what are meant to be Aztec structures. Regrettably, this one matched my expectations. Despite being highly affordable, the game just isn’t worth it. You’re better off holding on to your money to get something better. That’s my take on it, anyway.
Winter Games Challenge ($24.99)
It’s wild how reliable a concept this has been in video games for my whole life. Make a bunch of mini-games around a collection of sports, make sure it’s multiplayer-ready, then send it out. Up to four people can join in on this one via local multiplayer, and you get eight different events to play: freestyle skiing, snowboard, curling, giant slalom, alpine skiing, ski jumping, luge, and bobsled. I suppose it could be amusing to pull it out and play with family during the holiday season, should you need some manner of distraction from discussing who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku. That old talk!
Yuletide Legends: Who Framed Santa Claus ($14.99)
Artifex Mundi has a season-appropriate hidden object mystery for you to solve, should that be a way you want to spend your holiday time. Santa’s had his voice stolen and has been framed for a crime he did not commit. You’d think old Saint Nick would get the benefit of the doubt on such things, but apparently you have to prove he wasn’t engaging in petty pilfering and maybe get the guy’s voice back for him along the way. Well, have fun with that.
The Bin Bunch
ToyBox Christmas ($3.99)
Western Slot Machine ($4.50)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
There will probably be quite a few more sales by the time you read this, but the old time lag rears its head again. At any rate, there’s a rare sale on Baba Is You there in case you don’t have it yet. That’s probably the only thing in there I really want to call out, but do check the list yourself to be sure. As for the outbox, I’m afraid I’ll have to instruct my people to give no comment.
Select New Sales
Baba Is You ($10.50 from $15.00 until 12/27)
Q Remastered ($2.72 from $6.80 until 12/27)
Cat Quest ($3.89 from $12.99 until 12/28)
Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel ($7.49 from $14.99 until 12/29)
RedRaptor ($3.49 from $4.99 until 12/29)
Diorama Dungeoncrawl ($6.99 from $9.99 until 12/29)
Undead’s Building ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/2)
Invasion of Alien X: Earth in Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/2)
Gem Crash ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/2)
Golf With Your Friends ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/2)
The Wardrobe: Even Better Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/3)
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/3)
Train Station Simulator ($5.49 from $21.99 until 1/3)
Regency Solitaire ($2.99 from $11.99 until 1/4)
Forklift Simulator 2023 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)
FAR: Changing Tides ($5.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Hana Awase New Moon ($29.03 from $36.29 until 1/4)
Struggling ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 CE ($8.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Catlord ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Punch a Bunch ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Spiral Memoria ($13.74 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, December 15th
Ammo Pigs: Cocked & Loaded ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Catana ($3.49 from $6.99 until 12/15)
Circus Pocus ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Death or Treat ($13.32 from $19.99 until 12/15)
Dr. Oil ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Enchanted Portals ($13.32 from $19.99 until 12/15)
Evil Diary ($3.99 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Ghost 1.0 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 12/15)
Hyper-5 ($6.49 from $9.99 until 12/15)
Laserpitium ($9.74 from $14.99 until 12/15)
MADiSON ($24.98 from $34.99 until 12/15)
NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ ($14.99 from $24.99 until 12/15)
Neko Journey ($6.49 from $9.99 until 12/15)
Restless Night ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Richy’s Nightmares ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/15)
Starlight Drifter ($15.99 from $19.99 until 12/15)
Teratopia ($3.49 from $9.99 until 12/15)
The Sorrowvirus: A Faceless Short Story ($5.24 from $14.99 until 12/15)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, a healthy list of new sales, and whatever else rolls in over the course of the next twenty-four hours or so. I’m a little behind my schedule today because I went shopping with Mrs. Musgrave, but it’s important to take some breaks now and then. Make sure you give yourself a little break today, too. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
