Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 16th, 2020. In today’s article, we’re once again focusing on the new releases and sales lists. There are a bunch of new games today, though not nearly so many as yesterday. The headliner is of course Nintendo’s newest experiment, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. There are a few other cool games to consider as well, like the excellent Crown Trick. As usual for a Friday, the list of new sales is rather large, with discounts on games like Burnout Paradise Remastered and Bioshock: The Collection among many others. Nothing to it but through it, so let’s get into it!
New Releases
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (Free, But Not Really)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
The latest Mario Kart is here, and it’s free to download! But you can’t really do anything with it unless you or someone you know owns the necessary equipment to play it. That means you have to have at least one of those cute little remote-controlled cars and the necessary pieces to build your track in your living room or whatever. You also need room to lay it all out. In the end, is it worth it? I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard mixed things about it. I’m sure it’s an amusing gimmick, but how much that’s worth to you is going to vary wildly from person to person.
Crown Trick ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Okay, I know most of the roguelite fans out there in Switch Land are probably still happily chewing on Hades. I understand completely. But when you’re ready to dig into another roguelite, I would heartily recommend Crown Trick. It’s a very well-made example of the genre with some interesting tricks to help it stand out. You can pick up new skills from elite monsters, for one thing. Another cool thing is how you can make use of the environment to help you defeat enemies. See some oil at the feet of the monsters? Light it up with some fire. Are the baddies stupid enough to stand in some water? Zap it to give them a massive shock. Playing around with combinations of elements and environments is really satisfying.
Two Parsecs From Earth ($7.99)
This is an exploration-heavy platformer where you play as a robot who has crash-landed on a hostile planet. You have to search the planet to find what you need to repair your ship and escape. So yeah, Metroidvania shenanigans. The unusual twist here is that to gain a new ability, you have to give one up. You’ll end up with three abilities no matter what, but which abilities they are depends on your choices. Naturally, the abilities you pick will determine how you can get around and what you have to do to clear the game. And if you beat the game and get tired of all of those limitations, there’s a New Game+ mode that lets you have it all. Seems fine for what it is, and as is usually the case with Ratalaika’s releases the price is certainly right.
Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed ($39.99)
Hmm. Well, the Zoids are back again, it seems. Personally, I never really got into these things but I certainly admire the designs. I think this might be the first Zoids game made by a Western developer? Oh wait no, there was that one in the 1980s by Martech, wasn’t there? Well, this is the first one in quite a long time anyway. While many Zoids games lean into RPG elements, this one is just straight-up action. One-on-one battles, fighting game style. I can’t speak to the game’s quality, but I’m sure if you love Zoids you’ll appreciate the obvious effort that has gone into this. I’m not so convinced it has much to offer non-fans, however. Lack of online play is definitely going to hurt it, but you can play against another player locally at least.
Bright Paw ($12.99)
This is a pretty chill puzzle game, but I like what it’s laying down. You play as a cat whose owners have been killed. You need to solve the crime and bring the murderers to justice, which feels like a pretty big ask of a house cat. Well, whatever. The gameplay involves moving around on a grid, with your movements dictated by cards that you play. You have to choose the right cards in the right order to finish the stages and find all the secrets. It’s not very difficult, but it’s enjoyable all the same. The only thing keeping me from giving it a stronger recommendation is the fact that you can get it on the App Store for less than half the price, and it plays just as well there. If you prefer to play on Switch and don’t mind paying the extra cash, by all means.
Postal Redux ($9.99)
Ah, for the innocent days where this was seen as being so outrageously offensive that politicians and anxious parents considered it a threat to well-adjusted minds everywhere. Playing it now in 2020, this game is actually kind of quaint. A little try-hard at times but it really shows how context is the biggest factor in these kinds of controversies. Geez, remember when people were so worried about Dungeons & Dragons that they even made a Tom Hanks movie about its risks? You’re probably noticing I’m writing about anything but the game. That’s because this is just a revamped version of the original Postal, which is a pretty plain twin-stick shooter that really has little to offer in the modern age save a history lesson.
Death Race 2020 ($5.99)
You know, there are lots of examples in gaming history of games biting off of the 1975 B-movie Death Race 2000, but most of them at least have the courtesy to use a different name. Oh well. Death Race 2020 seems to have drawn inspiration for its mechanics from mobile titles like Dashy Crashy, where the object is to play as long as you can without crashing your ride. Pick up coins, shoot other racers that get in your way, and so on. Get enough coins and you can unlock an assortment of new rides. Beyond the shameless appropriation of the Death Race brand, this doesn’t seem particularly terrible. But it doesn’t seem very good, either.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin ($29.99)
As much as the screenshots for this one might stoke the imagination, this is actually just a straightforward scrolling beat-em-up. Move from left to right, beat up some people, then move on. But hey, that’s fine. The beat-em-up is having a very good time of late, after all. And 9 Monkeys of Shaolin has really fun combat, which is perhaps one of the most important elements for a game like this. Other aspects do not fare as well, unfortunately. The way co-op works makes it more fun to play alone, and at the very least this Switch version has a lot of technical issues. Sometimes it crashes. Sometimes it glitches and you have to restart the level. It’s unfortunate because there’s a decent brawler buried in all of this, but the issues really stand out, especially with the price tag it’s carrying.
Rock ‘N Racing Bundle Grand Prix & Rally ($19.99)
Pretty much what it says on the tin. This bundle includes Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing and Rally Rock ‘N Racing, a pair of middling racers tackling two very different styles. This bundle is even less exciting than the usual ones we see, since the two games normally sell for $9.99 each and frequently go on sale. As such, it is actually one cent cheaper to buy the games separately and depending on when you choose to buy taking that route will often cost even less. Presumably this bundle will be on sale as well, but for the moment this is not a great way to get these games even if you happen to want them both.
Arcade Archives Super Cobra ($7.99)
Coming in just a few months after Scramble in 1981, Konami’s Super Cobra is extremely similar to its more well-known predecessor. It’s a very early side-scrolling shoot-em-up where you navigate a helicopter through a number of levels with the aim of carrying away some treasure at the end. As in Scramble, you need to keep your fuel levels topped off by hitting targets on the ground as you go. For its age, it’s quite playable. If you’re doing historical spelunking, however, you’re better off playing Scramble. Those looking for a fun classic shooter would do well to look at later Konami titles instead. One for the collectors, then.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Quite a lot to consider today, including sales from Bandai Namco, Electronic Arts, 2K Games, and more. You should check the list yourself, but if I were to throw out a couple of recommendations they would include Cat Quest at $1.99 and Aggelos at $5.99. Both great games that are more than worth those discounted price tags. Not too much in the weekend outbox to worry about, so you can probably save your money in that section if nowhere else.
Select New Games on Sale
Deadlings ($0.49 from $4.99 until 10/19)
Sports Party ($4.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Liberated ($13.39 from $19.99 until 10/21)
Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Gear.Club Unlimited ($9.95 from $14.90 until 10/21)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/21)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 10/21)
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/22)
Urban Trial Playground ($2.24 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Ring of Pain ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Super Daryl Deluxe ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Space Crew ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Headsnatchers ($1.99 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Dynamite Fishing: World Games ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Chasm ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Naruto: Ninja Storm Trilogy ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/23)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ($33.49 from $49.99 until 10/23)
My Hero One’s Justice ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/23)
My Hero One’s Justice 2 ($35.99 from $59.99 until 10/23)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/23)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 10/23)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($50.99 from $59.99 until 10/23)
NBA 2K21 ($38.99 from $59.99 until 10/23)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 10/23)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/23)
Borderlands GOTY Edition ($23.99 from $29.99 until 10/23)
Borderlands: Handsome Collection ($31.99 from $39.99 until 10/23)
Borderlands: Legendary Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 10/23)
XCOM 2 Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 10/23)
Bioshock: The Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 10/23)
Bioshock Remastered ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/23)
Bioshock 2 Remastered ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/23)
Bioshock Infinite: Complete ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/23)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($29.99 from $59.99 until 10/23)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/23)
Raji: An Ancient Epic ($22.49 from $24.99 until 10/23)
Spider Solitaire F ($2.50 from $5.00 until 10/23)
President F.net ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/23)
Clumsy Rush ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/23)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($2.99 from $4.99 until 10/23)
OMG Police ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/23)
Perfect Traffic Simulator ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/23)
Alchemic Dungeons DX ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/23)
Unravel Two ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/25)
Burnout Paradise Remastered ($34.99 from $49.99 until 10/25)
ibb & obb ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/26)
Farabel ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/26)
Mushroom Quest ($0.29 from $2.99 until 10/26)
Mad Carnage ($0.29 from $4.99 until 10/26)
Dark Burial ($1.99 from $3.99 until 10/27)
Dead Dungeon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/27)
Atomic Heist ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/27)
One Person Story ($2.00 from $2.99 until 10/27)
Carto ($17.99 from $19.99 until 10/27)
Stikbold! Dodgeball Adventure ($2.09 from $14.99 until 10/28)
Infectious Madness of Dr. Dekker ($6.49 from $12.99 until 10/29)
Brave Dungeon + Dark Witch Story ($7.19 from $8.99 until 10/29)
The Legend of Dark Witch ($5.59 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Inversus Deluxe ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Vostok Inc ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Never Breakup ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Flood of Light ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
AngerForce: Reloaded ($6.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
DayD: Through Time ($2.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Super Tennis Blast ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Destruction ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Rotating Brave ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
64.0 ($1.49 from $2.99 until 10/29)
99Vidas – Definitive ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
Flatland Vol. 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Mushroom Heroes ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/29)
Hardcore Maze Cube ($1.99 from $2.49 until 10/29)
Dogurai ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Wenjia ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/29)
What Remains of Edith Finch ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Spy Chameleon ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Candleman ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Self ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Heaven Dust ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Cruel Bands Career ($2.79 from $3.99 until 10/29)
Pic-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Pic-a-Pix Pieces ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Fill-a-Pix: Phil’s Adventure ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Block-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Link-a-Pix Deluxe ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Epic Word Search Collection ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Epic Word Search Collection 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Sudoku by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Search by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Puzzles by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Word Wheel by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Wordsweeper by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Fifty Words by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Tic-Tac-Toe by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Just a Phrase by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Alphaset by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Crypto by POWGI ($3.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Sudoku Universe ($3.49 from $6.99 until 10/29)
Grip ($7.99 from $39.99 until 10/30)
Arcade Spirits ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/30)
Songbird Symphony ($11.38 from $16.99 until 10/30)
Aggelos ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/30)
Cat Quest ($1.99 from $12.99 until 10/30)
Cat Quest II ($10.04 from $14.99 until 10/30)
Danmachi: Familia Myth Infinite ($29.99 from $39.99 until 10/30)
Aokana: 4 Rhythms Across Blue ($25.49 from $29.99 until 10/30)
Evergate ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/30)
Piczle Colors ($3.60 from $12.00 until 11/1)
Piczle Lines DX ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Piczle Lines DX 500 More Puzzles ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/1)
Piczle Lines DX Bundle ($7.50 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Roki ($15.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
MazezaM – Puzzle Game ($4.12 from $5.50 until 11/1)
They Bleed Pixels ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Tachyon Project ($0.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Leisure Suit Larry: WDDD ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/2)
The Keep ($1.99 from $17.99 until 11/2)
Archaica: Path of Light ($4.94 from $14.99 until 11/2)
The Great Perhaps ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Spheroids ($0.79 from $7.99 until 11/2)
Spirit Roots ($1.98 from $6.99 until 11/2)
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/2)
SuperEpic: Entertainment War ($8.99 from $17.99 until 11/4)
Starship Avenger: Take Back Earth ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Shinobi Spirits: Legend of Heroes ($4.89 from $8.99 until 11/4)
Flat Heroes ($6.69 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Jewel Wars ($3.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Toolboy ($9.99 from $12.49 until 11/4)
Ankh Guardian: TotDT ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/4)
Hyperlight Ultimate ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
GoNNER ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern ($0.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Soulblight ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Here Be Dragons ($11.69 from $17.99 until 11/4)
Alder’s Blood ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/6)
Detective Driver: Miami Files ($4.79 from $11.99 until 11/6)
Postal Redux ($8.99 from $9.99 until 11/6)
Arc System Works Sale, US Shop Only
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Bundle ($20.00 from $39.99 until 11/3)
Code Shifter ($4.50 from $14.99 until 11/3)
The Missing: JJ Macfield ($10.20 from $29.99 until 11/3)
Alternate Jake Hunter: Daedalus ($4.80 from $39.99 until 11/3)
River City Melee Mach!! ($4.80 from $13.99 until 11/3)
Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san! ($5.60 from $13.99 until 11/3)
Double Dragon IV ($3.50 from $6.99 until 11/3)
Assorted NES Games ($3.50 from $4.99 until 11/3)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Feudal Alloy ($3.39 from $16.99 until 10/17)
Monica e a Guarda dos Coelhos ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/17)
No Heroes Here ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/17)
Squidlit ($0.19 from $1.99 until 10/17)
140 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
2048 Battles ($0.09 from $3.99 until 10/18)
AeternoBlade ($4.99 from $14.99 until 10/18)
Apocryph: Old-School Shooter ($7.47 from $14.95 until 10/18)
Aragami: Shadow ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/18)
Defend Your Castle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Doom & Destiny ($8.39 from $11.99 until 10/18)
Halloween Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/18)
Hyper Sentinel ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/18)
Klondike Solitaire ($0.49 from $9.99 until 10/18)
Milkmaid of the Milky Way ($2.39 from $5.99 until 10/18)
Miner Warfare ($5.59 from $7.99 until 10/18)
Mummy Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/18)
Neon Abyss ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/18)
Pirates Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/18)
Sparklite ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/18)
Stranded Sails ($14.99 from $24.99 until 10/18)
The Low Road ($5.99 from $29.99 until 10/18)
THOTH ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/18)
Werewolf Pinball ($0.98 from $2.99 until 10/18)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. It’s been an exhausting one, and we’re barely even into the busy season. I’ll have to keep my wits about me if I’m going to make it through. This weekend, I’m going to relax and play some Robotics;Notes Elite. What are you going to play? Feel free to comment below. I hope whatever you play, you have a wonderful weekend. Oh, and as always, thanks for reading!
