Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 26th, 2020. In today’s article, we’ve got a full review of NIS America’s Giraffe & Annika, summaries of both of today’s new releases, a little slice of news, and some cool new sales to check out. Not the biggest one today, but there’s a lot of variety. Tomorrow will be a lot bigger in terms of new releases, but you can’t sneeze at the quality of today’s titles. Let’s dig in!
News
Get Crafty in the Latest ‘Super Smash Bros.’ Event
Hey, it’s a special one this time around. Some new spirits are being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and there’s a five day event kicking off this Friday to welcome them. Three spirits from Paper Mario: The Origami King will be available: Olly, Olivia, and Origami Peach. The three spirits will be appearing during the event, so take advantage of this chance to add them to your spirit collection.
Reviews
Giraffe & Annika ($29.99)
This game is so cute that I really wanted to love it. There are parts of it that ended up winning me over, but ultimately it’s just a bit too sleight and rough around the edges to give it too strong of a recommendation. Still, for a certain type of player, I could see it being a pleasant experience. If nothing else, it has an interesting story and an enjoyably relaxed feel to it. For those tired of staring into the dark and dingy, Giraffe and Annika might provide some relief.
You play as a catgirl named Annika who wakes up on the Island of Spica without much in the way of memories. She wanders into a nearby house that is seemingly abandoned and after leaving it meets an enigmatic fellow by the name of Giraffe. He appears to know Annika, and he needs her help to retrieve some special trinkets in order to save the island. Those treasures are located in dungeons located at various places on the island, and they’re well-guarded.
Annika isn’t much of a fighter, so she’ll be spending a lot of time slinking and sneaking about, trying to avoid being spotted by the patrolling baddies. Getting caught doesn’t have a whole lot of consequences, thanks to liberal checkpoints and means of healing. But theoretically, you want to avoid running into enemies. The dungeons offer some light puzzles and platforming challenges, and waiting at the end is a boss of some kind that you’ll battle in a rhythm game.
Clearing dungeons will often give Annika new abilites that she can then use to reach new areas of Spica Island. It’s not a massive space by any means, but it’s enjoyable enough to navigate around and see where you can and can’t go. It’s also quite stress-free, as it’s all bright, cheery, and generally peaceful outside of the dungeons. Moving about is fine, but any time you have to do any platforming you’ll likely feel the game’s modest budget. It just feels really rough and loose, with jumping in particular coming off like an early 3D PlayStation 1 game at times. The game is gentle so precision is hardly necessary, but it hurts the overall enjoyment a bit.
Giraffe and Annika takes about five or six hours to clear, which is about as long as it should be. The story is engaging enough that you may well want to see it through, and while there are a lot of parts of the game that are too easy or dull, it’s not an unpleasant experience on the whole. It’s colorful and imaginative, and I like that its pace and difficulty make it more approachable for young or inexperienced players. In the end, I find myself wishing that there were a bit more to do, and that the things that are in here already had been done just a little better.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
Jets’n’Guns 2 ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
It’s the same horizontal shoot-em-up action you may or may not have experienced in Jets’n’Guns, but with the mayhem turned up a notch. It’s safe to say that if you enjoyed the first game, you’ll want to buckle up and dive into this one. These folks know how to craft a good shooter, and this is another fine example. Amazing weapons, wild bosses, and a solid couple of hours of over-the-top action await, and for those who enjoy a good score attack that’s just the beginning of the good times. Just as with the first game, you can pull in another player for some local co-op multiplayer as well.
Jenny LeClue – Detectivu ($24.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Jenny LeClue – Detectivu, now on the successor to the Wii U. Kind of… kind of a rhyming thing there. Never mind. Here’s another game available on Apple Arcade that has made its way over to the Switch. I’ll give my usual speech here: it’s way cheaper to play this on Apple Arcade, given you can pay for five months’ worth of the service for the price of this one game alone. And Jenny LeClue in particular plays very well on mobile devices. That said, wherever you choose to play the game, you should play it. It’s a really well-made and charming adventure game that hits all the right notes.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
With the Devil May Cry sales finished, it looks like Capcom’s called up Mega Man to take Dante’s place. You can load up on great Mega Man titles at some great prices, and also some bad Mega Man titles at great prices. Seriously, friends don’t let friends buy Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2. Ubisoft and 505 Games are also throwing sales on a number of their titles, which isn’t a rare occurrence but always a welcome one. Make sure to check out the outbox while you’re at it. It’s relatively large, so there may be a title or two in there you’ll want to buy.
Select New Games on Sale
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($22.49 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man 11 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.89 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Jump King ($8.70 from $12.99 until 9/9)
Paradise Killer ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/12)
Hardcore Maze Cube ($0.87 from $2.49 until 9/14)
Time Tenshi ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/5)
Book of Demons ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/30)
Dogurai ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Knight Swap ($0.19 from $0.99 until 9/14)
Arcade Fuzz ($0.39 from $1.99 until 9/14)
Two Point Hospital ($23.99 from $39.99 until 9/1)
Last Encounter ($3.99 from $14.99 until 9/8)
Spider Solitaire ($0.99 from $8.99 until 9/14)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ($14.99 from $59.99 until 9/8)
Mario + Rabbids KB Gold ($19.99 from $79.99 until 9/8)
Assassin’s Creed III: Remastered ($14.79 from $39.99 until 9/8)
Assassin’s Creed: Rebel Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/8)
South Park: The Stick of Truth ($11.99 from $29.99 until 9/8)
South Park: Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 9/8)
Trials Rising Standard ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/8)
Trials Rising Gold ($8.99 from $29.99 until 9/8)
Starlink: Digital Edition ($14.99 from $59.99 until 9/8)
Starlink: Deluxe Edition ($23.99 from $79.99 until 9/8)
Rayman Legends Definitive ($9.99 from $39.99 until 9/8)
Child of Light Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/8)
Valiant Hearts: The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/8)
Pizza Bar Tycoon ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Aldred Knight ($0.39 from $1.99 until 9/14)
Fin & the Ancient Mystery ($0.89 from $4.99 until 9/8)
Terraria ($20.99 from $29.99 until 8/30)
Bloodstained: RotN ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/30)
Brothers: Tale of Two Sons ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/30)
Spellkeeper ($0.29 from $5.99 until 9/8)
Bargain Hunter ($7.49 from $12.49 until 9/5)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($11.99 from $39.99 until 9/9)
ABZU ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/30)
Last Day of June ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/30)
Portal Knights ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/30)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, August 27th
Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron ($3.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Adventures of 00 Dilly ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Aer Memories of Old ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Animal Up! ($0.99 from $2.99 until 8/27)
Another Sight ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Asdivine Kamura ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Ball Attraction ($4.79 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Balthazar’s Dream ($1.60 from $8.00 until 8/27)
Bastion ($2.24 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Black Bird ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Butcher ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Cel Damage HD ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Chaos on Deponia ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Dandy Dungeon ($11.39 from $18.99 until 8/27)
Deponia ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Deponia Doomsday ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Doggie Ninja Burning Strikers ($5.00 from $8.99 until 8/27)
Doggie Ninja Golden Mission ($1.00 from $8.00 until 8/27)
DragonFangZ ($12.49 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Edna & Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Elden: Path of the Forgotten ($10.71 from $15.99 until 8/27)
Felix the Reaper ($8.49 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Fight of Animals ($7.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Fight of Gods ($10.39 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Flip Over Frog ($0.99 from $7.50 until 8/27)
Fluxteria ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Forest Home ($3.74 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Ghoulboy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Gnomes Garden 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/27)
Goodbye Deponia ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Goonya Fighter ($0.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Graceful Explosion Machine ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Hair Mower 3D ($3.59 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Hayfever ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Ivanych vs Eared Beast ($2.09 from $2.99 until 8/27)
Jigsaw Abundance ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/27)
Jungle Z ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Kakuro Magic ($0.99 from $2.99 until 8/27)
Lichtspeer: Double Speer ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Mad Games Tycoon ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Marenian Tavern Story ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Miles & Kilo ($1.59 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Monochrome Order ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Monster Energy Supercross 3 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 8/27)
Monster Viator ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Mousecraft ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Mushroom Heroes ($1.19 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Pachi Pachi On a Roll ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Perception ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Quarantine Circular ($4.79 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Rolling Sky ($6.59 from $10.99 until 8/27)
Rolling Sky 2 ($7.79 from $12.99 until 8/27)
Runestone Keeper ($8.99 from $9.99 until 8/27)
Sephirothic Stories ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Silence ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Sky Ride ($0.99 from $7.00 until 8/27)
Soap Dodgem ($0.99 from $1.99 until 8/27)
Soccer, Tactics & Glory ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
State of Mind ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/27)
Swallow Up ($4.79 from $7.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack ($13.74 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 ($13.74 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 ($16.24 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 5 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 ($19.49 from $29.99 until 8/27)
The Long Journey Home ($11.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
Transistor ($2.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Urban Trial Tricky ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
War-Torn Dreams ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/27)
Yes, Your Grace ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow is Thursday, and that means a ton of new releases. There are more than a dozen new games hitting the eShop tomorrow, and we’ll have summaries of all of them. We’ll also have whatever new sales pop up between now and then, and maybe even some news if it’s big enough. I hope you all have a good Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
