Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November 1st, 2019. In today’s article, we have a couple of welcome news bits, summaries of a bunch of new releases, and a giant list of sales that has more than a few head-turners in it. As we get closer to Pokemon‘s release, it will be interesting to see if the number of new releases picks up or slows down. Well, let’s deal with today first!
News
The Next ‘Tetris 99’ Maximus Cup Celebrates ‘Pokemon Sword & Shield’
Wow, this is quick. It’s only been a handful of days since the last Tetris 99 Maximus Cup, which brought a Luigi’s Mansion 3 theme to the game. Well, set aside some time on your calendar the weekend after next, because the 9th Maximus Cup will kick off on Thursday, November 7th and run through Monday the 11th. Up for grabs is a sweet Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield theme, provided you can rack up the necessary 100 points by the time the event concludes. Sure, I’ll take another theme.
‘Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’ Finally Got a Performance Update
It’s taken a little while, but version 1.03 of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is now available, making a ton of performance improvements to try to clean up the mess that was the Switch launch version. Input lag, visual quality, and load times have all been improved, and a number of frequently-reported crashing issues have been resolved. The team isn’t done making improvements yet, so we’ll be seeing even more fixes in the next update. For now? This is a lot better. If you’ve been holding off on playing it, you’re probably as safe to go ahead and do that now as you’re going to be.
New Releases
The Wardrobe: Even Better Edition ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Skeletons wearing hoodies are all the rage these days, it seems. Anyway, if you’re looking for a humorous Lucasarts-style adventure game today, I think you’ll really like The Wardrobe. You play as a surly teenage skeleton named Skinny, which is funny because he does not have skin. He is a skeleton, you see. He has eyebrows, though, which is really weird when you think about it. He has no muscles, how does he control them? How does he have hair? Argh, why did I think about that? At any rate, you get lots of locations, some decent puzzles, enjoyable writing, and so many pop culture references you’ll think you fell into the garbage bin outside of Seth McFarlane’s offices.
Perseverance ($4.99)
A visual novel about the zombie apocalypse, Perseverance has its moments but ultimately doesn’t manage to make itself stand out in a rather exhausted narrative framework. You can shape your character to an extent, which is neat, but the biggest problem is that the game just sort of abruptly ends on a cliffhanger. Which makes sense, as it’s known as Perseverance Part 1 on PC and says it’s part of an episodic story. There’s no indication of that here, and the whole thing ends in around an hour without resolving anything. Is there a second part coming? Is it coming to Switch? Will it be an update or a separate title? Lots of questions, and without the answers it’s difficult to say much about this release.
Race with Ryan ($39.99)
Aw, geez. Look, I’m sure Ryan is a nice kid. I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s really successful and I bet he’s thrilled to see himself and his ideas in a video game. That’s actually really cool. But this game isn’t very good. It’s a kart racer put together by the folks at 3DClouds, who also handled Xenon Racer. If you’ve played that game on the Switch, you know that whatever the developer’s ambitions may be, the hardware doesn’t seem to be able to match up to what they need. Given that there are no less than three extremely high-quality kart racers available on the Switch, I’m not sure who this rather middling effort is for outside of Ryan’s fans. Which, admittedly, is an audience of millions, so maybe it’ll be fine.
Spirit Roots ($6.99)
This platformer hit mobile about a year ago, and it ended up being a bit disappointing. It looks great but it’s a bit of a frustrating experience to play thanks to some choices in level designs and collision detection. Well, physical controls do make it a slightly better experience here, but the biggest issues remain. I appreciate that the price wasn’t cranked up as it probably could have gotten away with it thanks to how good it looks in screenshots, but given how much high-quality competition there is in this genre on Switch, this one is a pretty hard to get excited about.
Windmill Kings ($9.99)
A clone has kicked you off of your throne and you need to take it back. You’ll do that by engaging in some base-defense matches in the classic manner. It’s all the usual business. Play through missions, recruiting new types of troops along the way and capturing windmills to generate the resources you’ll need in battles. There’s a single-player campaign that is probably meant to be the meat of the whole affair, and a local versus mode where you can go against another player. It seems fine for what it is, but if you haven’t played the Swords and Soldiers games yet I’d recommend those titles over this one. If you have and you’re just looking for another base-defense game to play, this seems fine.
Delta Squad ($5.99)
This is a top-down action game for one to four players, and I suppose if you’ve got some people in the vicinity to play with, you’ll get some fun out of it. There are fifty missions spread across five levels, but don’t expect to be doing much more than pointing your guns at things to shoot them or walking over them to collect them. It’s fine for what it is, and it’s priced where it needs to be. Nothing I’d strongly recommend, but if you want some mindless couch co-op fun, this isn’t a bad choice.
Arcade Archives Mr. Goemon ($7.99)
Oh hey, a Konami Arcade Archives release that isn’t available on one of the collections. This 1986 release is the debut of Konami’s take on folk hero Goemon, who would go on to bigger fame in a line of console games that occasionally saw release in the West under the Mystical Ninja banner. Mr. Goemon is a side scrolling action game featuring multiple lanes, along the lines of Psycho Soldier or Son Son. One big difference is that Goemon generally relies on melee attacks with his pipe. He can pick up objects and toss them when he finds them, and you can always try to shake off enemies who grab you. The game has a neat art style drawn from traditional Japanese ukiyo-e, but apart from that it’s a pretty bland game.
Sales
Another big list as usual for a Friday. Some of them are only here for a couple of days, so act quickly on those if you want them. I tried to put a few of the more interesting ones, like SUPERHOT and Freedom Planet, near the top of the list, but there are a lot of interesting titles up for grabs. Including one that costs the princely sum of a single penny. Yes, someone finally hit rock bottom on pricing. I guess we’ll see where we go from here.
New Games on Sale
SUPERHOT ($19.99 from $24.99 until 11/8)
Freedom Planet ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/7)
Gal Metal ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
Goat Simulator: The GOATY ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/7)
Fate/EXTELLA LINK ($29.99 from $49.99 until 11/7)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/13)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/13)
64.0 ($2.39 from $2.99 until 11/13)
Asdivine Kamura ($13.49 from $14.99 until 11/7)
Squidgies Takeover ($11.25 from $15.00 until 11/14)
Glass Masquerade ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/13)
Atomic Heist ($2.39 from $7.99 until 11/12)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($0.99 from $11.99 until 11/15)
The Inner World ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/15)
Super Blackjack Battle 2 Turbo ($1.79 from $7.99 until 11/15)
Super Treasure Arena ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/15)
The Wardrobe: Even Better ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Koloro ($0.99 from $9.99 until 11/22)
The Forbidden Arts ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/11)
Perseverance ($3.74 from $4.99 until 11/21)
One Person Story ($1.49 from $2.99 until 11/22)
Bleed 2 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
ClusterPuck 99 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/14)
Agatha Knife ($8.39 from $11.99 until 11/11)
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! ($1.34 from $8.99 until 11/13)
Three Fourths Home: Extended ($1.79 from $8.99 until 11/13)
Immortal Redneck ($7.99 from $19.99 until 11/7)
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker ($7.79 from $12.99 until 11/14)
Anima: Gate of Memories ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Anima: Gate of Memories: Arcane ($23.99 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Anima: The Nameless Chronicles ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Digerati Indie Bundle ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/13)
INK ($2.69 from $8.99 until 11/13)
Hacky Zack ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/13)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Paranautical Activity ($1.59 from $7.99 until 11/13)
Burnstar ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 11/13)
Pipe Push Paradise ($4.39 from $10.99 until 11/13)
Uncanny Valley ($3.39 from $9.99 until 11/13)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 11/13)
1979 Revolution: Black Friday ($3.59 from $11.99 until 11/13)
Cycle 28 ($1.74 from $6.99 until 11/7)
Unexplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 11/13)
Spectrum ($2.99 from $11.99 until 11/13)
Shikhondo – Soul Eater ($4.75 from $13.99 until 11/13)
Senran Kagura Reflexions ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/7)
Senran Kagura Peach Ball ($29.99 until $39.99 until 11/7)
Nefarious ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
The Gardens Between ($8.99 from $19.99 until 11/5)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/13)
Car Quest ($0.49 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human ($3.89 from $12.99 until 11/13)
Mad Age & This Guy ($0.04 from $4.99 until 11/14)
Freaky Awesome ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/3)
Awe ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/3)
Demon’s Crystals ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Mars: Chaos Menace ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Leopoldo Manquiseil ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/3)
Omega Strike ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Monster Slayers ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
The Demon Crystal ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Doggie Ninja The Golden Mission ($5.00 from $8.00 until 11/14)
Construction Machines Simulator ($20.64 from $29.49 until 11/14)
Super Blood Hockey ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Black Paradox ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Preventive Strike ($0.01 from $1.99 until 11/14)
Reverse Crawl ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/13)
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Darkwood ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/7)
39 Days to Mars ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/14)
Skelly Selest ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/13)
Paper Dolls Original ($11.89 from $16.99 until 11/8)
Tower Climb ($1.50 from $6.00 until 11/14)
Crypt of the Serpent King ($0.99 from $2.99 until 11/20)
Golem Gates ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/13)
Car Mayhem ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Verlet Swing ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/13)
Forest Home ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/14)
ZOMB ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/20)
Bitlogic – Cyberpunk Arcade Adventure ($5.19 from $6.99 until 11/14)
Saboteur! ($0.08 from $8.00 until 11/14)
Saboteur II: Avenging Angel ($0.08 from $8.00 until 11/14)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Heavy Burger ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Night Slashers ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Break Thru ($3.49 from $6.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Heavy Barrel ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Nitro Ball ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Shoot Out ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Two Crude Dudes ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Express Raider ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Wizard Fire ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Super Burger Time ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Super Real Darwin ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe & Mac ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Joe & Mac Returns ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Sly Spy ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Fighter’s History ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Gate of Doom ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade: Bad Dudes ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/11)
Word Search by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Word Puzzles by POWGI ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/14)
Word Sudoku by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Word Wheel by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Wordsweeper by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Fifty Words by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Pic-a-Pix Pieces ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Epic Adventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Block-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/14)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Brunch Club ($10.14 from $14.49 until 11/2)
Crawl ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Croc’s World ($3.99 from $4.99 until 11/2)
Dead Cells ($19.99 from $24.99 until 11/2)
Eight-Minute Empire ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Istanbul: Digital ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/2)
Outlast 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Outlast: Bundle of Terror ($7.49 from $24.99 until 11/2)
Pato Box ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Reaper ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/2)
Ritual: Sorcerer Angel ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
#KILLALLZOMBIES ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Anima: Gate of Memories ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Anima: Gate of Memories: Arcane ($23.99 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Anima: The Nameless Chronicles ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Awe ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/3)
Demon’s Crystals ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Flipping Death ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Freaky Awesome ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/3)
Gal*Gun 2 ($20.24 from $44.99 until 11/3)
Gun Gun Pixies ($44.99 from $49.99 until 11/3)
Hell Warders ($8.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Infernium ($14.97 from $24.95 until 11/3)
Koral ($7.19 from $11.99 until 11/3)
Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries ($19.49 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Leopoldo Manquiseil ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/3)
Lichtspeer: Double Speer ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories ($11.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Mars: Chaos Menace ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Mind: Path to Thalamus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 11/3)
Morphies Law ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Muddledash ($2.69 from $5.99 until 11/3)
Nippon Marathon ($8.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Our World Is Ended ($41.99 from $59.99 until 11/3)
Perception ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
PlataGO! Super Platform Game Maker ($13.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Razed ($5.39 from $11.99 until 11/3)
Rise: Race The Future ($13.19 from $16.49 until 11/3)
Root Letter: Last Answer ($26.99 from $29.99 until 11/3)
SteamWorld Dig ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
SteamWorld Quest ($18.74 from $24.99 until 11/3)
Stick It to The Man ($2.99 from $11.99 until 11/3)
Streets of Red ($7.49 from $9.99 until 11/3)
The Padre ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Tokyo School Life ($8.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
Valrithian Arc ($8.24 from $14.99 until 11/3)
You Died But a Necromancer Revived You ($7.64 from $8.99 until 11/3)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ve dipped our toes into November, and this is going to be a wild month if the schedule is anything to go by. So what did you pick up this week? What are you playing this weekend? I’m going to be digging in to a few games for reviews, but I also want to play a bit more of the SEGA AGES Shinobi if I have some spare time. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
