Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 22nd, 2020. With it being Friday, we’ve got a lot of new releases to check out today. That includes surprise release Journey to the Savage Planet and the latest release in the Five Nights at Freddy’s series among many others. We’ve also got a ton of new sales to dig into. Let’s have a look and see what’s what!
New Releases
Journey to the Savage Planet ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This humorous exploration game hit other platforms a few months back to a decent if not overwhelmingly positive reception. It’s a first-person game but don’t come in expecting a shooter. You’re meant to explore as much as possible and find secrets while navigating the often-hostile creatures that inhabit the planet. It’s a bit rough around the edges but the writing is sharp and at its best moments it really is excellent. Even the clunkier bits can sometimes elicit a chuckle depending on your frame of mind.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted was originally a VR game, and it was an extremely successful one. It got a re-release as a non-VR game on some platforms, and that version has now made its way to the Switch. This is a collection of mini-games involving the locations and characters from several of the FNAF games and as such gives you a new perspective on some very familiar sights. It’s surprisingly quite good, and if you have any love for the series at all you’ll probably love it. As everyone thinks it’s funny that I get scared from FNAF games, I have of course been assigned to review this one. Please look forward to it.
Monstrum ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Oh, weird. Another first-person horror roguelite game. I think we had one of those yesterday. Oh well. Monstrum is a pretty cool game if you like first-person roguelites. It’s not as action-packed as some similar games, instead having more of a survival-horror vibe to it. There are three different monster types, and you won’t know which one you’re facing each time until you start the game. The whole thing takes place on a ship, though it obviously changes each time you play. You’ll have to learn the layout and escape routes in a hurry if you want to keep one step ahead of whatever monster you’re up against. Make a mistake and it’s all over. Good stuff.
Concept Destruction ($4.99)
Sort of Destruction Derby crossed with cardboard crafting, Concept Destruction is about as enjoyable as that game is now. The cars break apart as you go, and there are four different modes where you can crash to your heart’s content. You’ll earn points when you play, and you can use those points to unlock additional cars. Two players can play together locally, but there’s no online mode. I don’t know. It’s really shallow, but it can be fun. For the price it’s going for, I could see some people being happy with it.
Animal Up! ($2.99)
Uh… well, this has some big “early iPhone game" energy, and that could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you’re looking for. The idea here is that your character runs back and forth holding an animal and you have to press the button at the right time to toss it up to another character on the next floor. Repeat until the animal is up to the top floor, at which point the stage is cleared. Water rises up from the bottom to add a bit of pressure, so you have to move quickly. You can play with up to four players locally, where you’re racing to see who can rack up the highest score. Perhaps too simple for some, but for three bucks I feel like it gives a fair bit of value.
Arcade Archives Raiders5 ($7.99)
Hamster digs deep yet again and pulls out UPL’s 1985 maze shooter this week. I suspect a lot of people haven’t heard of this game and there’s probably a good reason for that. Navigate narrow passages and destroy targets while you search for the exit of each stage. It’s… fine, I guess. Not something I’d drop a second quarter into, which probably means I wouldn’t spend eight bucks on it. But if you would, you’ll be happy to know that Hamster has treated it with the usual class.
Jigsaw Masterpieces ($0.99)
Well, this is an interesting way to sell a jigsaw puzzle game. For your ninety-nine cents, you get three pictures that you can play in three different puzzle sizes. Additional pictures are available as DLC, and I’d imagine it could get awfully expensive if you want it all. I mean, this is probably a good way to test if video game jigsaw puzzles are for you or not. Assuming you can’t figure that out without putting your hands on a game, that is. The last time I actually did a jigsaw puzzle was right after I came to Japan. My internet wasn’t going to be hooked up for a few weeks and I was bored as heck. The jigsaw puzzle… did not help.
Crypto by POWGI ($7.99)
It’s another word game from the nice folks at Lightwood Games. As you may guess from either the name or the screenshot, this is a game about cracking ciphers. There are 180 inspirational or famous quotes that you’ll have to reveal by breaking the code for each of them. These kinds of things were a staple of the puzzle books I used to buy when I was a kid, and although they aren’t my favorite, I can’t deny that they pass the time quite well.
Myths of Orion: Light from the North ($9.99)
An adventure game where you need to defeat an evil wizard who seeks to use magic books to rule the world, or something like that. You’ll explore three kingdoms and use a lot of items on things to try to make progress. Apparently there are also some mini-games, and some full-motion cinematics. This is not an Artifex Mundi game, but it sure reminds me of one. Not my scene, but ten bucks seems like a reasonable price for this kind of thing. Reviews on other platforms seem okay but not great, so I suppose it depends on how much you need a fix.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Tons of new sales today, though the bulk of it is just the usual stuff we see practically every week. The big deal today is the violent beat-em-up Mother Russia Bleeds, which you can pick up for a ridiculous ninety-nine cents. Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair has a nice sale going on, and Flashback is back to a buck again. Fans of logic puzzles and word games should find something to like in Lightwood’s catalogue, many of which are now half-price. There’s quite a bit in the outbox today, so have a good look at everything to make sure you’ve got what you want.
Select New Games on Sale
Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair ($20.99 from $29.99 until 5/31)
Mother Russia Bleeds ($0.99 from $14.99 until 5/25)
Arrest of a Stone Buddha ($13.49 from $14.99 until 5/28)
Game Tengoku Cruisin Mix ($23.99 from $29.99 until 5/28)
Red Wings: Aces of the Sky ($17.99 from $19.99 until 5/29)
MotoGP18 ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/4)
The TakeOver ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/4)
Destruction ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/4)
Vortex Attack ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/4)
Monkey Wall ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/4)
Rotating Brave ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/4)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($4.99 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($11.99 from $59.99 until 6/3)
Crash Dummy ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Slain: Back From Hell ($3.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Valfaris ($14.49 from $24.99 until 6/3)
Horror Bundle Vol.1 ($6.09 from $30.49 until 6/3)
Bleed ($3.59 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Bleed 2 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 6/3)
Slayaway Camp ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! ($0.98 from $8.99 until 6/3)
Three Fourths Home: Extended ($0.98 from $8.99 until 6/3)
Flashback ($0.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
INK ($1.34 from $8.99 until 6/3)
Hacky Zack ($0.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
INK & Hacky Zack Bundle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 6/3)
Pipe Push Paradise ($3.73 from $10.99 until 6/3)
Contraptions ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human ($3.89 from $12.99 until 6/3)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Shikhondo – Soul Eater ($4.19 from $13.99 until 6/3)
Nefarious ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Vertical Drop Heroes HD ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Reverse Crawl ($4.41 from $12.99 until 6/3)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 6/3)
1979 Revolution ($3.59 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Unexplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 6/3)
Spectrum ($2.39 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Horizon Shift ’81 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Skelly Selest ($3.39 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Straimium Immortaly ($5.99 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Skelly Selest & Straimium Immortaly ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
XenoRaptor ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Tamashii ($5.99 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Demon Pit ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Underhero ($10.19 from $16.99 until 6/3)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 6/3)
Omega Strike ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Paranautical Activity ($1.03 from $7.99 until 6/3)
Vegas Party ($10.99 from $21.99 until 6/3)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Super Blood Hockey ($5.09 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Chicken Range ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($3.39 from $9.99 until 6/3)
Odallus: Dark Call ($4.07 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Oniken & Odallus Bundle ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/3)
Glass Masquerade ($3.59 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Glass Masquerade 2 ($8.03 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Snakeybus ($8.99 from $11.99 until 6/3)
Animated Jigsaws Collection ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/3)
Black Paradox ($5.09 from $14.99 until 6/3)
Pic-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Pic-a-Pix Pieces ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Block-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Link-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Just a Phrase by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Word Sudoku by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Word Search by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Word Puzzles by POWGI ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/10)
Word Wheel by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Word Sweeper by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Fifty Words by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Tic-Tac-Letters by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Adventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
Epic Word Search Collection ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/10)
The Keep ($8.99 from $17.99 until 6/10)
Jim Is Moving Out! ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Strikey Sisters ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/10)
Desktop Basketball ($5.04 from $7.20 until 6/10)
Car Mechanic Simulator ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Harvest Life ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($2.99 from $5.99 until 6/10)
Super Chariot ($1.49 from $14.99 until 6/9)
Mugsters ($1.49 from $14.99 until 5/31)
Robbie Swifthand ($8.99 from $17.99 until 5/28)
Spencer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 6/1)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.64 from $2.99 until 6/1)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/1)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.64 from $2.99 until 6/1)
Marble Power Blast ($1.64 from $2.99 until 6/1)
Balance Blox ($1.64 from $2.99 until 6/1)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.64 from $2.99 until 6/1)
Super Star Blast ($1.49 from $4.99 until 6/1)
Sales Ending This Weekend
3000th Duel ($10.49 from $14.99 until 5/23)
Adventure Time: Pirates ($13.99 from $39.99 until 5/23)
Ben 10 ($6.99 from $19.99 until 5/23)
Caveman Chuck ($1.19 from $3.99 until 5/23)
Crayola Scoot ($5.99 from $29.99 until 5/23)
Dark Tower ($1.49 from $4.99 until 5/23)
Dreamworks Dragons ($13.99 from $39.99 until 5/23)
Hotel Transylvania 3 ($10.49 from $29.99 until 5/23)
Magic Nations ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/23)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/23)
UglyDolls ($7.99 from $39.99 until 5/23)
A Normal Lost Phone ($2.99 from $5.99 until 5/24)
Anarcute ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Another Lost Phone ($2.99 from $5.99 until 5/24)
Away: Journey to the Unexpected ($4.99 from $16.99 until 5/24)
Blood Will Be Spilled ($10.49 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Bomb Chicken ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Bombslinger ($4.99 from $11.99 until 5/24)
Brakes Are For Losers ($1.49 from $4.99 until 5/24)
Bury Me, My Love ($0.99 from $4.99 until 5/24)
Cast of the Seven Godsends ($1.29 from $12.99 until 5/24)
Children of Zodiarcs ($15.99 from $17.99 until 5/24)
Dead in Vinland – True Viking ($19.59 from $27.99 until 5/24)
DragoDino ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Dragon Pinball ($1.19 from $2.99 until 5/24)
Dungeon Rushers ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Galaxy of Pen & Paper +1 ($9.99 from $12.49 until 5/24)
Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Hover ($9.99 from $24.99 until 5/24)
Indie Games Bundle – Nonograms ($13.59 from $16.99 until 5/24)
Indie Gems Bundle – Explosions ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/24)
Indie Gems Bundle – JRPG ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Instant Sports ($19.99 from $24.99 until 5/24)
Instant Tennis ($2.98 from $9.95 until 5/24)
Jurassic Pinball ($1.19 from $2.99 until 5/24)
Kill The Bad Guy ($2.79 from $6.99 until 5/24)
Lethis – Path of Progress ($14.99 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Lost in Harmony ($1.99 from $6.99 until 5/24)
Lost Phones Stories ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Melbits World ($7.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Momonga Pinball Adventures ($2.99 from $5.99 until 5/24)
My Arctic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
My Exotic Farm 2018 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
My Farm ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($1.29 from $12.99 until 5/24)
NeuroVoider ($5.99 from $13.99 until 5/24)
Pankapu ($2.99 from $11.99 until 5/24)
Pen & Paper Games Bundle ($22.49 from $29.99 until 5/24)
PictoQuest ($5.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Piczle Cross Adventure ($8.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Shape of the World ($4.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Skelittle: A Giant Party! ($6.65 from $9.99 until 5/24)
Splasher ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/24)
Steredenn: Binary Stars ($4.99 from $12.99 until 5/24)
Super Arcade Soccer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 5/24)
Super Rocket Shootout ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/24)
The Escapists 2 ($6.79 from $19.99 until 5/24)
The Escapists: Complete ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
The House of Da Vinci ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/24)
The Last Door – Complete ($9.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
The Long Reach ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
The Next Penelope ($1.99 from $12.99 until 5/24)
The Walking Vegetables: Radical ($1.94 from $12.99 until 5/24)
Titans Pinball ($1.19 from $2.99 until 5/24)
Tower Inferno ($4.79 from $7.99 until 5/24)
Transcripted ($1.49 from $7.99 until 5/24)
White Night ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/24)
World Soccer Pinball ($1.19 from $2.99 until 5/24)
Yono & Celestial Elephants ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Zombie Night Terror ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/24)
That’s it for today and this week, friends. Next week has a lot of great titles lined up, with the headliner being the remake of Xenoblade Chronicles. Besides that, there’s Minecraft Dungeons, Shantae & the Seven Sirens, Bug Fables, the Bioshock and Borderlands Collections, XCOM 2, and… well, you know what? Just be there, friends. Be there, or be square. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
