Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 3rd, 2021. There are a few exciting news items to look at today, including confirmation of the long-rumored Switch release of Apex Legends. I’ve got a Mini-View of the recently-released Olija for you to check out, and there’s one solid new release today in the form of Habroxia 2. We round things out with a look at the new and outgoing sales of the day. Let’s have a look at it all!
News
‘Apex Legends’ Comes to Switch on March 9th
Long rumored, the smash hit online game Apex Legends has now officially been announced for a Nintendo Switch release. It will arrive on March 9th with cross-platform support, the latest season content, and full feature parity with other versions. While many thought the game would come at the same time Season 8 kicked off, it’s going to be a few weeks late. To make up for that, Switch players will be given 30 free levels for their Season 8 Battle Pass. You’ll also get double XP for the first two weeks after launch by playing on Switch. Oh, and if you’re wondering how the port might fare, it seems that Panic Button worked on it. You can probably expect it to be of similar quality to other ports it handled like Doom Eternal and Warframe.
‘Atelier Mysterious Trilogy’ Launches April 22nd
Gust and Koei Tecmo have been finding great success with Switch versions of the various Atelier games. Following close on the tail of the recently-released Atelier Ryza 2, Koei Tecmo has announced plans to release Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack on the Switch on April 22nd. Originally released across the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, this trilogy includes Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX, and Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Painting DX. While the latter saw release on the Switch a couple of years ago, the other games in the trilogy are new to the platform. The trilogy will be sold in one bundle, and will most likely follow in the footsteps of previous releases by offering the games a la carte as well.
Watch Out for Flying Objects in the Next ‘Super Smash Bros.’ Event
Another week has gone by, and we now know what the first February weekend event for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be. It’s a tournament event kicking off on Friday and running for three days through the weekend. The focus is on projectiles. Specifically, characters who use at least three different types of projectiles. You’ll have to use one of the characters that fits the bill if you want to join in on the fun, but it’s a surprisingly good assortment. I guess when you have something like 80 characters that kind of thing is easier to do.
Mini-Views
Olija ($14.99)
Olija is extremely stylish, has very peppy pacing, and finds a lot of interesting ways to make use of its core mechanic. There’s a decent story here, but the real storytelling comes from the game’s visuals and audio, which lend the game a powerful atmosphere that is incredibly absorbing. What really drives the whole package forward is that the gameplay is fun and engaging as well. The combat is solid and constantly changing up what it asks of you, the platforming is enjoyable and at times surprising, and the use of quieter moments helps to accentuate the action. I wish the ending was up to the standards of the rest of the tale, and the game feels like it could have pushed on just a little bit longer than the couple of hours it lasts. Still, as criticisms go those are minor ones.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Habroxia 2 ($9.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
The original Habroxia was a solid shoot-em-up that paid homage to the classics while adding in a couple of little quirks of its own. It was somewhat overshadowed by more impressive efforts, but on its own merits it was a lot of fun. Habroxia 2 turns up the heat a bit, making for an even more enjoyable slice of action than the original offered. Once again it doesn’t venture very far from the standards of the genre, so it’s unlikely to convert anyone who doesn’t already enjoy this sort of thing. That’s fine, though. If you do dig shoot-em-ups, you’ll find plenty to like in this game. Not quite as difficult as many of its peers, but that could be a good or bad thing depending on your tastes. I really appreciate the step up for the sequel, and it makes me excited to see where things go from here.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A small list at the moment, as we’ve been seeing often of late. There are a few things of note in there, however. Raji: An Ancient Epic is a pretty cool game, so grabbing it at a discount is a treat. Also note upcoming release Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption‘s pre-launch sale, allowing you to grab this excellent-looking adventure from the makers of Quest for Glory at a reduced price. The outbox is quite large, with lots of good items like the 2K Games line-up, Panzer Dragoon Remake, and The Wonderful 101: Remastered to consider. Keep in mind there will likely be a bunch of new sales on Friday, so don’t blow all of your cash. Or do, if you want. I’m not the bargain police.
Select New Games on Sale
Raji: An Ancient Epic ($18.74 from $24.99 until 2/9)
Broken Lines ($16.24 from $24.99 until 2/10)
Rainbows, Toilets & Unicorns ($4.89 from $6.99 until 2/15)
Cultist Simulator: Initiate ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/17)
Water Balloon Mania ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Birds and Blocks ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Cel Damage HD ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)
Fobia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)
Croc’s World ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Jewel Fever 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Airfield Mania ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/22)
Pacific Wings ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Yellow Fins ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/22)
Jewel Rotation ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/22)
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption ($15.99 from $19.99 until 2/23)
Apocryph: Old-School Shooter ($7.47 from $14.95 until 2/23)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Thursday, February 4th
Animated Jigsaws: Japan Scenery ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/4)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
BioShock Infinite: Complete ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
BioShock Remastered ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
BioShock: The Collection ($24.99 from $49.99 until 2/4)
Black The Fall ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/4)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($24.99 from $49.99 until 2/4)
Borderlands: GotY Edition ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/4)
Borderlands: Handsome Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/4)
Bossgard ($14.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
Bunny Adventure ($2.10 from $6.00 until 2/4)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 2/4)
Citizens Unite!: Earth x Space ($26.99 from $29.99 until 2/4)
Clue: The Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/4)
Clumsy Rush ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Conarium ($16.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
Construction Machines Sim ($20.64 from $29.49 until 2/4)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/4)
Disjunction ($14.39 from $15.99 until 2/4)
Down in Bermuda ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
Evoland Legendary ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
Farm Expert 2018 ($20.99 from $29.99 until 2/4)
Farm Mechanic Simulator ($20.64 from $29.49 until 2/4)
Ghost Grab 3000 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Gnomes Garden: New Home ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Gradiently ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Gunslugs ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/4)
Kwaidan: Azume Manor Story ($12.49 from $24.99 until 2/4)
Lust for Darkness: Dawn ($10.49 from $14.99 until 2/4)
Lyrica ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
MindSeize ($19.19 from $23.99 until 2/4)
My Magic Florist ($4.19 from $6.99 until 2/4)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($7.49 from $29.99 until 2/4)
NBA 2K21 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 2/4)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($2.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Northgard ($13.99 from $34.99 until 2/4)
Odysseus Kosmos & His Robot Quest ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/4)
OMG Police: Car Chase Simulator ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Panzer Dragoon Remake ($6.24 from 24.99 until 2/4)
Parking Madness ($2.10 from $6.00 until 2/4)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 2/4)
Saboteur II: Avenging Angel ($4.00 from $8.00 until 2/4)
Saboteur SiO ($7.69 from $10.99 until 2/4)
Saboteur! ($4.00 from $8.00 until 2/4)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($19.79 from $59.99 until 2/4)
Singled Out ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Space Elite Force ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/4)
Space War Arena ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Switch ‘N’ Shoot ($2.29 from $4.59 until 2/4)
The Office Quest ($4.19 from $10.99 until 2/4)
The Wonderful 101: Remastered ($27.19 from $39.99 until 2/4)
Through the Darkest of Times ($9.99 from $14.99 until 2/4)
TOHU ($13.49 from $14.99 until 2/4)
Tower Climb ($2.10 from $6.00 until 2/4)
Up Cliff Drive ($2.10 from $6.00 until 2/4)
WWE 2K Battlegrounds ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/4)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 2/4)
XCOM 2 Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 2/4)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a whole bunch of new releases for you to consider picking up. You can look forward to summaries of each and every one of those games, along with whatever sales roll in. I hope you all have a great Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
