Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 13th, 2024. Today was an important holiday of sorts in Japan, and I also had to go to the hospital for the usual reasons. Nevertheless, I still had time to bring you two reviews, covering Cat Quest III and Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid, as well as looks at the new releases of the day and the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Cutting it very close to the wire here, mind you. Well, let’s get to it before my supper gets cold!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid ($39.99)
Friends, it has been a really long time since I was a kid. It gets longer every year. It’s also been a very, very long time since I got to have a month-long summer vacation where I was free to do whatever. These days are well in the past, and they are not coming back. Every once in a while, Kaz Ayabe gives me a chance to relive those days in a virtual way, and I always appreciate it. Whether it be through the original BokuNatsu series, the quirky Attack of the Friday Monsters, or even with the impish little Shin-chan, Ayabe’s games have a way of evoking nostalgia for things you might not have even experienced to begin with.
Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid feels like it’s going all the way back to BokuNatsu, presenting a more straightforward take on a child’s summer vacation in the countryside. I mean, as straightforward as being the child of a traveling circus owner can be. You arrive in the town of Yomogi at the beginning of August and are told by your parents that you’ll be moving along at the end of the month. You’re free to do what you want to fill those days, with plenty of activities, missions, and events on offer. Indeed, there is so much to do here that it is exceedingly unlikely you’ll see it all on your first playthrough.
There are two broad approaches people tend to take with the Summer Vacation games, and I don’t think either of them are wrong. The first is to just play through the game once, seeing whatever you can that happens to catch your eye. That’s it. You move on, and your experience was your own. The other type is to play through again and again, trying to find and do everything, squeezing the games for everything they have to offer. If you’re the former, be aware that this game doesn’t take too long for a single playthrough. Adjust your expectations accordingly, and make your call based on the price. If you’re the latter? You’ve got an awful lot to see here, and you’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to take it all in.
The setting this time is 1999, and we’re certainly well away from any autobiographical overtures from Ayabe. Nevertheless, the game feels very authentic. I’ve been living in Japan a pretty long time now, and I’ve spent all of that time living in a countryside town. I came here several years after 1999 of course, but there are a lot of familiar elements all the same. One of the things I think Ayabe is great at is taking a very sincere sense of reality and then tilting it to a child’s perspective, and that shines as brightly here as in any of the previous games. The world is very immersive in a way that is different from what we usually think of when that word is brought into play. You can lose yourself here very easily, and the place really does start to feel like home by the end.
Those who are looking for a ton of gameplay hours for their buck might find Natsu-Mon a little lighter than they’re after. It’s really the only caution I have to offer here. Otherwise, this is an excellent example of the kind of game it’s trying to be. If you want to transport back to a childhood you never had, there’s no better way to do it this summer. It really grabs on to you and carries you along at its pace, despite the whole game being structured around you doing things at your own speed. I really love this game, and I hope we keep seeing more of these in the future.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Cat Quest III ($19.99)
Did you love Cat Quest and its sequel? Then you’re going to have a great time with Cat Quest III. This game follows the “safe sequel" approach, not messing around with what works while adding in some new elements and throwing you into a whole new world and main quest. Once again, you can enjoy it solo or pull in a friend for some co-op action, and if you have the means I certainly recommend that second option. The puns fly fast and furry-ous, the pace is pleasingly zippy, and the map is fun to explore whether by land or by sea.
Truly, it’s the theme of this game that sets it apart most from the last. This is more of a swashbuckler’s tale, and that’s actually rather refreshing in the action-RPG genre. You’ll still be delving into plenty of dungeons of course, and in terms of pure nuts and bolts not much has changed with the mechanics. You’ll get a nice blend of exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and tinkering around with gear. The story isn’t doing anything fancy, but the writing is really charming and things move along at a good speed. It takes about fifteen hours to wrap the game, which I think is more than suitable for a game of this type.
Cat Quest III is a really good action-RPG, and one that you can easily play with a friend or family member of any skill level. Even going alone, you’ll have a fantastic time with this goofy game. The sea-faring theme does an excellent job of freshening things up, but at its core this game hasn’t changed terribly much from what we’ve seen from Cat Quest before. Indeed, in most ways it feels like putting on a comfy pair of shoes. At least at this point in the series, I think that’s a good thing.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Select New Releases
Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery ($10.99)
I guess this is Hidden Through Time 2-2? Not sure why they didn’t just go for the number three here, but whatever. It’s more Hidden Through Time! Seek out the hidden objects in the various scenes, or use the map editor to create your own. You can then share your maps with other players, and enjoy the ones they made. Infinite fun? Perhaps. Perhaps.
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians ($12.99)
It never hurts to line up a good soundtrack for your game, and this one certainly has that. It looks nice, too. As for the gameplay, well… this game did the tour about a decade ago on other platforms, and while its musical platforming mechanics aren’t bad, the game is a bit duller than you might expect. But that’s just my take, of course. You might get more from it than I did. If nothing else, you can feel the developer’s passion for it, and that counts for a lot.
Guayota ($14.99)
This is a puzzle-action game where you’re exploring a dungeon for reasons I’m sure are just and important. Looks like some laser beam and mirror puzzles, but not just those. The main gimmick here is a dual-realm system where dying places you in another version of the dungeon that is more cerebral in nature. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it looks decent.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Hey, some hot deals on Atari games today. Games from companies Atari owns as well, like Digital Eclipse and Night Dive. You can’t go wrong with most of these, but Tempest 4000 at four bucks strikes me as a silly good deal in particular. The Turok Trilogy Bundle is also an exceptional offer for those about Turok. Plenty of other deals in there, so check that list. Not quite so much in the outbox, but give it a glance too on your way out.
Select New Sales
Tempest 4000 ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Akka Arrh ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
NeoSprint ($22.49 from $24.99 until 8/19)
Atari Flashback Classics ($17.99 from $39.99 until 8/19)
Atari 50: Anniversary Celebration ($25.99 from $39.99 until 8/19)
Atari Mania ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/19)
Yars Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Gravitar Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Caverns of Mars Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Black Widow Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Centipede Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Breakout Recharged ($4.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Pong Quest ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/19)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 CE ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/19)
RollerCoaster Tycoon Adv. Deluxe ($29.99 from $39.99 until 8/19)
Shadow Man Remastered ($8.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Turok ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/19)
Turok Trilogy Bundle ($23.99 from $59.99 until 8/19)
Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
PO’ed: Definitive Edition ($16.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Star Wars: Dark Forces ($19.49 from $29.99 until 8/19)
PowerSlave Exhumed ($8.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Strife: Veteran Edition ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/19)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds ($31.99 from $39.99 until 8/19)
The Making of Karateka ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/19)
Swords & Soldiers 2 ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/19)
Totally Reliable Delivery Service ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/19)
Spirits of Xanadu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/19)
Bilkins Folly ($12.99 from $19.99 until 8/19)
Blast Brigade vs. The Evil Legion ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/25)
The Mummy Demastered ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Lunark ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Rose & Camellia Collection ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Shantae & the Seven Sirens ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Wonder Boy Collection ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/26)
Manticore: Galaxy on Fire ($2.19 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Nexomon ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/26)
Nexomon Extinction ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Potion Permit ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Labyrinth of Zangetsu ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Maglam Lord ($7.99 from $39.99 until 8/26)
ghostpia Season One ($12.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
White Day: ASNL ($11.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Super Bullet Break ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Konosuba Love For These Clothes ($37.49 from $49.99 until 8/26)
Arcade Spirits: New Challengers ($6.59 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Metal Max Xeno Reborn ($13.19 from $39.99 until 8/26)
Tormented Souls ($6.59 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Knight vs Giant: Broken Excalibur ($13.39 from $19.99 until 8/26)
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across Blue ($5.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Red Faction Guerrilla ($2.99 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Alice Gear Aegis CS CoS ($16.49 from $29.99 until 8/26)
Bustafellows ($3.99 from $39.99 until 8/26)
Aggelos ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/26)
Cult of the Lamb ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Nine Parchments ($4.39 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Trine Enchanted Edition ($3.29 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Trine 2: Complete Story ($3.73 from $16.99 until 8/27)
Trine 3: Artifacts of Power ($4.39 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party ($35.99 from $59.99 until 9/2)
RoboDunk ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Soul Link ($3.99 from $5.99 until 9/2)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 14th
AI: The Somnium Files ($7.99 from $39.99 until 8/14)
AI: TSF nirvanA Initiative ($23.99 from $59.99 until 8/14)
Alchemist Adventure ($2.79 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Anonymous;Code ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/14)
Avaris 3 ($24.50 from $35.00 until 8/14)
Broken Lines ($3.49 from $24.99 until 8/14)
Die for Valhalla! ($3.59 from $11.99 until 8/14)
Garden Guardian ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/14)
HunterX: code name T ($10.19 from $16.99 until 8/14)
Immortal Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/14)
kuso ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Master Detective Archives Rain Code ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/14)
Onirike ($2.24 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Pan’orama ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
Raindrop Sprinters ($6.09 from $8.70 until 8/14)
Retro Machina ($2.79 from $19.99 until 8/14)
STAB STAB STAB ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/14)
Steamburg ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Steins;Gate Elite ($11.99 from $59.99 until 8/14)
Tetsumo Party ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Thea: The Awakening ($5.39 from $17.99 until 8/14)
Tilt Pack ($2.09 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Time Of War, Arkano’90 ($2.24 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Tobari Dream Ocean ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/14)
Touhou Shoujo Beautiful Memories ($20.99 from $29.99 until 8/14)
Touhou Sky Arena: Matsuri-Climax ($20.99 from $29.99 until 8/14)
Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/14)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a couple of new releases, at least one review, some sales, and maybe a little news. The doctor gave me the go-ahead today to try eating a bit of pizza, so I am finally going to cash in my birthday pizza ticket and have some nasty, oily, deliciousness. Will I be proven a fool for this hubris? Time will tell, but I’d bet on the affirmative. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
