Hello, gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for January 9th, 2019. After a couple of slow weeks of news, things absolutely exploded over the last 24 hours. We’ve got surprising new announcements, release dates for games that had no release dates before, some cool new updates, and a whole lot more. It’s so much that you almost won’t notice the lack of new releases and significant sales today. Or at least, that’s what I’m banking on! Let’s check out the headlines!
News
Capcom Announces ‘Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen’ is Coming to Switch
Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma was initially released in 2012, and it became something of a sleeper success over time. The Dark Arisen expansion added a lot of great improvements to the game a year later, and its PC port allowed the game to shine the way last generation’s consoles couldn’t. Anyway, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on April 23rd. A physical version is confirmed for Japan, but it’s hard to say what Capcom is planning for other regions. This is definitely worth keeping your eye on, as the game itself is excellent. I just hope that the Switch port runs well, because it makes a big difference in this game.
‘Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight’ Releases on Switch Tomorrow
The Momodora series is a fan-favorite bunch of platformers born on the PC back in 2010. Its latest release, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, has seen release on the PS4 and Xbox One, and will finally join the Switch line-up tomorrow at a price of $14.99. It’s a prequel to the previous three games, so you don’t need to worry too much about hopping in with this installment. It has some light Metroidvania elements and features excellent sprites and fun combat. I realize that last sentence could describe a half-dozen or so Switch games, but hey, give this one a shot.
New Weapons, Items, and Modes Highlight the Latest Version of ‘Fortnite’
The 7.10 update for Fortnite has arrived, and it brings with it some new weapons and items along with the usual balance tweaks and what-not. The Suppressed Sniper Rifle is just the thing for the sneakier folks out there, and the community-created DM Arena The Block looks like a really bad place to try to use it. The 14 Days of Fortnite mode has had its expiration date kicked back, which spells trouble for its name, if you ask me. The rest is a bunch of vaulting, unvaulting, and parameter adjustments that I’m not going to pretend I’m savvy enough to analyze.
The Latest Booster Pack Arrives Today for ‘The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+’
While some multiplatform games get their updates at the same time on Switch as on other platforms, that’s not the case for every game. The latest booster pack for The Binding of Isaac hit other platforms a little while ago, but it will finally come to the Switch version today. It offers a new character, new items, and a few other neat changes that make this already-great game even better. If it hasn’t arrived by the time you read this, it won’t be too much longer.
‘Mega Man’-Inspired Indie Action Game ‘Metagal’ Will Make Its Way to Switch Soon
Things are pretty good for fans of Capcom’s Blue Bomber these days, but a few years ago, things were a lot bleaker. Capcom seemed disinterested in Mega Man and all sorts of developers were scrambling to fill the void. I’m not sure if Metagal came out of that vacuum or if it was just a fan project with good timing, but it released on PC right around the time people were looking for Mega Man-like stuff to play. It’s structured like a Mega Man game and it’s not awful. Well, it has been ported to the Switch and is currently looking on schedule for release within the next couple of months.
January’s ‘NES Switch Online’ Titles are ‘Zelda 2’ and ‘Blaster Master’
When Nintendo first laid out its plans for the Switch Online service, it announced a schedule for monthly additions to the NES Switch Online app that ran through December. That left January’s releases a mystery. Today, Nintendo finally tipped its hand for this month’s new games, which will hit the app in an update on January 16th. All regions will get Zelda 2 – The Adventure of Link and Blaster Master, both of which are considered classics by many. Curiously, this month sees one region get a game that the others won’t. In Japan, the third game for the month is Joy Mech Fight, a Japan-exclusive fighting game from late in the Famicom’s life. Other regions simply have to make do with two. Bummer.
‘Yoshi’s Crafted World’ Finally Has a Release Date: March 29th
The Yoshi game for Switch was one of many games Nintendo announced a while back with a very vague release date. That eventually narrowed down to Spring 2019 when the game got its official title of Yoshi’s Crafted World. Being that Spring 2019 is getting rather close, it was about time for Nintendo to give a more specific date. And here we are! The game will be releasing on March 29th of this year, meaning it’s only a couple of months away. The last Yoshi game was pretty fun, so I’m looking forward to this one. How about you, friends?
This Week’s ACA NEOGEO Release is ‘Kizuna Encounter’
No, this isn’t a game about your brief foray into Japanese V-Tubers. It’s a 1996 fighting game that served as a follow-up to Savage Reign. It feels like it’s halfway between King of Fighters and Real Bout Fatal Fury in terms of gameplay, and it’s not too bad at all. There are definitely better NEOGEO fighting games, but if you’re looking to venture off the beaten path of the system’s library, you could do a lot worse than Kizuna Encounter. It releases tomorrow for $7.99 if you’re looking to add it to your collection.
Sales
That amazing New Year’s Sale that kicked off late last week has its final day tomorrow. I guess what I am saying is that if you had your eye on any of those great deals, now is the time to make it happen. Nintendo isn’t likely to cut their first-party prices that deeply until next year’s holidays, if ever again. And helping you out is the fact that there really isn’t much in the way of new sales today, at least at the time of this writing. Just keep in mind a colossal amount of new releases are coming this week, so keep a bit of cash in the back of your wallet.
New Games on Sale
Outlast: Bundle of Terror ($12.49 from $24.99 until 1/23)
Outlast 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/23)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, January 10th
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 ($44.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Starlink Battle for Atlas ($29.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Splatoon 2 ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Wizard of Legend ($12.79 from $14.99 until 1/10)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($11.24 from $14.99 until 1/10)
Octopath Traveler ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
LEGO DC Super-Villains ($29.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Gold Edition ($26.39 from $79.99 until 1/10)
Golf Story ($9.89 from $14.99 until 1/10)
ARMS ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
The Gardens Between ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King ($10.49 from $14.99 until 1/10)
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Flat Heroes ($6.49 from $9.99 until 1/10)
Iconoclasts ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($15.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Horizon Chase Turbo ($17.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Carcassone ($15.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Just Shapes & Beats ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Puyo Puyo Tetris ($20.99 from $29.99 until 1/10)
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD ($19.49 from $29.99 until 1/10)
The Jackbox Party Pack 5 ($20.99 from $29.99 until 1/10)
Wandersong ($15.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Pode ($17.49 from $24.99 until 1/10)
Flinthook ($10.49 from $14.99 until 1/10)
Dust: An Elysian Tail ($10.49 from $14.99 until 1/10)
LEGO Harry Potter Collection ($24.99 from $49.99 until 1/10)
The Jackbox Party Pack ($13.74 from $24.99 until 1/10)
Carnival Games ($25.99 from $39.99 until 1/10)
Namco Museum ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/10)
Spelunker Party! ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/10)
Sonic Mania ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Semispheres ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)
Sonic Forces ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/10)
Shining Resonance Refrain ($24.99 from $49.99 until 1/10)
SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog ($5.99 from $7.99 until 1/10)
SEGA AGES Lightening Force ($5.99 from $7.99 until 1/10)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 1/10)
Valkyria Chronicles ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Everything ($11.99 from $14.99 until 1/10)
And that’s about it for today, friends. Be back tomorrow for a massive list of new releases, whatever news slips out, and yes, probably a few sales as well. It’s sure to be a treat. See you then, and thanks as always for reading!
