Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for January 5th, 2021. As predicted today is kind of Tumbleweed City. There’s a really interesting bit of business news, a single new release that isn’t exactly a thrill ride, a rather small handful of new sales, and a giant list of outgoing sales. I looked through the pile of games I’ve played recently and nothing really leapt out as something I wanted to review, so here we are. Don’t worry though, tomorrow is going to be a fair bit busier. Let’s go!
News
Nintendo Plans to Acquire ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ Developer Next Level Games
Nintendo announced today that it has begun the process of acquiring Next Level Games, the Vancouver, Canada-based studio behind titles like Mario Strikers, Punch-Out!! for Wii, and both Luigi’s Mansion sequels. Oh, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force, of course. This is effectively cementing a very long relationship between the two, as Next Level has worked exclusively with Nintendo since the 2013 release of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon on the Nintendo 3DS. Provided all goes well, Nintendo will complete the acquisition in March of this year. It’s rare for Nintendo to buy an outside developer, and I believe this is the company’s first Canadian investment.
New Releases
Travel Mosaics 7: Fantastic Berlin ($8.99)
I miss the days when the least plausible thing about this series was the Walker Family being made up of completely different animal species. Now the most fantastical element of it is that they’re constantly traveling around the world for nice vacations in other countries. Well, that’s how things are right now. Anyway, it’s more Picross-style puzzles mixed in with some trivia, giving you 140 new puzzles to solve along with some bonus levels if you meet the right stipulations. Other than the setting and the fresh set of puzzles, there doesn’t seem to be anything new here, so you probably know what to expect with this.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
I’m not sure how it is in every country, but in Japan today feels a bit like the first day back to work after the holidays. And gosh, does that list of new sales echo that feeling. Not much of note in there, but if you see something that catches you eye, by all means. The outbox is more interesting, with a lot of games that may not see a sale again anytime soon, like Blair Witch, Octopath Traveler, or Donut County. Make sure you check that one carefully, friends.
Select New Games on Sale
Pet Shop Snacks ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/11)
Reflex Unit 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Sushi Time! ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/24)
Castle of Heart ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/25)
Scarlett Mysteries: CC ($2.09 from $14.99 until 1/25)
Destrobots ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/25)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/25)
Jet Kave Adventure ($13.39 from $19.99 until 1/25)
Spider Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 1/25)
S.N.I.P.E.R.: Hunter Scope ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/25)
Siegecraft Commander ($2.99 from $19.99 until 1/26)
Minesweeper Genius ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/26)
JackQuest: TTotS ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/26)
YesterMorrow ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/26)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 6th
Air Hockey ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Akihabara Feel the Rhythm ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/6)
American Ninja Warrior ($7.49 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Animal Up! ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/6)
Ashen ($15.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
Azuran Tales: Trials ($1.99 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Azure Reflections ($12.49 from $24.99 until 1/6)
Big Buck Hunter Arcade ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Blair Witch ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Bowling ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Bright Paw ($7.79 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Cartoon Network Battle Crashers ($2.49 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Cel Damage HD ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Chalk Dash Carnival ($1.99 from $7.09 until 1/6)
Chess ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Cryogear ($9.94 from $19.89 until 1/6)
Crypt of Serpent King ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/6)
Desktop Baseball ($2.91 from $7.29 until 1/6)
Desktop Basketball ($2.88 from $7.20 until 1/6)
Desktop Bowling ($2.95 from $7.39 until 1/6)
Desktop Dodgeball ($2.98 from $7.45 until 1/6)
Desktop Rugby ($1.99 from $7.43 until 1/6)
Desktop Soccer ($2.84 from $7.11 until 1/6)
Desktop Table Tennis ($2.96 from $7.41 until 1/6)
Desktop Volleyball ($2.97 from $7.43 until 1/6)
Dokuro ($1.99 from $8.99 until 1/6)
Donut County ($3.89 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Dragon Blaze ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
DreamGallery ($2.39 from $5.99 until 1/6)
Ellen ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Emma: Lost in Memories ($3.99 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Fate/EXTELLA LINK ($29.99 from $49.99 until 1/6)
Fate/EXTELLA: Umbral Star ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
Florence ($2.99 from $5.99 until 1/6)
Freakout: Calamity TV ($2.49 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Game Tengoku CruisinMix ($20.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
GensokyoDefenders ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Gensou Skydrift ($19.19 from $23.99 until 1/6)
Gone Home ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/6)
Goosebumps the Game ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Gorogoa ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/6)
Gunbarich ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Gunbird ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Gunbird 2 ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Half Dead ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/6)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/6)
Hot Gimmick Cosplay-jong ($14.00 from $20.00 until 1/6)
Hypnospace Outlaw ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
I Am Dead ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
If Found ($9.09 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars ($31.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
Indiecalypse ($6.49 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Kakuro Magic ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/6)
Keen: One Girl Army ($4.99 from $15.99 until 1/6)
Kentucky Route Zero ($14.99 from $24.99 until 1/6)
Kropki 8 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/6)
Lines XL ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/6)
Lost Ember ($23.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Moto Racer 4 ($2.08 from $14.90 until 1/6)
My Riding Stables ($8.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Neo Atlas 1469 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 1/6)
Neonwall ($2.49 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers ($7.49 from $29.99 until 1/6)
No More Heroes ($17.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
No More Heroes 2: DS ($17.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Observer ($8.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
Octopath Traveler ($29.99 from $59.99 until 1/6)
Our Flick Erasers ($5.18 from $12.96 until 1/6)
Paint ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Party Trivia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Perfect Angle ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Piano ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Piffle: Cat Puzzle Adventure ($4.98 from $19.95 until 1/6)
Pool ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Pressure Overdrive ($3.89 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Rack N Ruin ($6.49 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Rapala Fishing Pro Series ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Regions of Ruin ($2.49 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Robox ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Samurai Aces ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Sayonara Wild Hearts ($7.79 from $12.99 until 1/6)
Snakes & Ladders ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Sol Divide ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Spartan Fist ($3.74 from $14.99 until 1/6)
Spot the Difference ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Street Outlaws: The List ($9.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
Strikers 1945 ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Strikey Sisters ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/6)
Telling Lies ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Tengai ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Toolboy ($6.24 from $12.49 until 1/6)
Unto The End ($19.99 from $24.99 until 1/6)
V.O.I.D. ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/6)
Voxel Galaxy ($1.99 from $7.43 until 1/6)
Voxel Pirates ($1.99 from $7.28 until 1/6)
Voxel Shot ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Voxel Sword ($1.99 from $7.00 until 1/6)
What Remains of Edith Finch ($5.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Widget Satchel ($8.99 from $14.99 until 1/6)
Wordify ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/6)
Working Zombies ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
WorldNeverland: Elnea Kingdom ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/6)
X-Morph Defense ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)
Zero Gunner 2- ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)
Zombie Driver Immortal ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/6)
Zombieland Double Tap ($9.99 from $39.99 until 1/6)
Zombies Ruined My Day ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/6)
That’s all for today, friends. As mentioned in the intro paragraph, there are a handful of new releases scheduled for tomorrow. We’ll also have some news to look at, with the usual Smash weekend event announcement at the very least. Naturally, whatever sales roll in will be included as well. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
