Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 26th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a new batch of Mini-Views for you to enjoy. The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack, FEZ, Dragon Audit, and Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion all get their turns in the teeny-tiny hot seat. We also take a look at the sole new release of the day, along with the usual lists of incoming and outgoing sales. Let’s get going!
Mini-Views
Dragon Audit ($9.99)
Dragon Audit is very short. The graphics are really rough. There are only a handful of puzzles in the game, and none of them are that challenging. There are a few mini-games, but they’re brief and sometimes unwelcome. It’s not hard to think there were far greater ambitions here that simply couldn’t be realized, particularly when you hit the ending. A whole bunch of story scenes fly by that feel like they should have been part of playable sequences, but they’re just an all-too-fast wrap-up to bring the plot to some kind of conclusion. It feels so… unsatisfying.
Dragon Audit is very charming. The small cast of characters is likable, and the writing is really good. It’s genuinely funny, but also quite heartwarming in places. While the plot focuses on the relationship between the auditor and the dragon, there are plenty of hints at the greater world and events that have taken place in it. While the puzzles are simple, they’re not troublesome. There are a few optional achievements to complete that make it fun to poke at things off the beaten path. Even the roughness of the visuals is kind of endearing. While the hour or so of entertainment you get here isn’t going to be worth the asking price for everyone, I don’t regret picking it up and playing it.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack ($89.99)
With this release, the Switch has probably seen as much of the Atelier back catalog as it is going to. Still, it’s rather impressive to have so many installments in this line of quirky, cute RPGs available on the platform. While the Mysterious Trilogy doesn’t have the cachet with long-time fans that the Arland series does, nor the break-out popularity of the Ryza games, there’s a lot of fluffy fun to be had with any of these three games. The story starts with Sophie and runs through Lydie & Suelle, but each game can be enjoyed on its own merits. For those not fond of the time limit in some of the games, both Sophie and Lydie & Suelle don’t use it while Firis follows the more orthodox route of requiring careful time management. All games feature enjoyably complex crafting systems and decent, though not spectacular, turn-based battle systems.
One interest aspect of this particular release is that this isn’t the first time Atelier Lydie & Suelle has come to the Switch. While you might think this release wouldn’t differ terribly from that first one, it’s actually considerably improved. That’s a good thing, as that was a fairly rough port in a number of ways. Is it improved enough to recommend it if you already own the first release? Well, probably not. But all of the games do include most of the paid DLC available for the original versions, so if you chose not to dip into that particular well (and want to) you may find it better to buy the whole game here instead. In my opinion, the games in this trilogy get a little better with each installment, but they more or less fall into the same ballpark of quality. Perhaps less accessible than the Ryza games, but well worth diving into for RPG fans.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion ($14.99)
Do you like meme humor? Light takes on the Zelda formula? Fetch quests? If you, you’ll love Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. It has a goofy tone right from the start and runs with it all the way through. If you don’t like memes or absurd jokes, you’re going to have a bad time. Surprisingly, it’s not just humor. There’s a solid action-adventure here to enjoy behind all the jokes about taxes and YouTubers. The controls feel good, and you get an enjoyable spread of new items and abilities as you go along. While the core of the game involves going into areas and solving light puzzles, there are also a whole bunch of side-quests that feel like they came out of an older RPG. Go there and get this. Bring it over to this guy. You know how it works. You get a joke for your trouble in most cases, so it’s not as bad as it could be.
In terms of presentation, the game has a nice cartoony look to it with decent animations. The characters have simple designs, but they’re quite distinct and amusing. The wild series of strange folk you meet on your quest will make you laugh or sometimes disturb you, but the one thing they aren’t is forgettable. The goofy tone helps keep things moving along at a nice pace, but the gameplay itself is respectable enough even if it didn’t have that going for it. Really, the only reason to avoid this game is if you don’t like Zelda-style games or can’t deal with a game that can’t stop cracking jokes for even a split-second. In which case, I’m not sure why you’re even looking at a game called Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
FEZ ($14.99)
The most important thing I can say here is that FEZ on the Nintendo Switch is a fine port of the game. Not that you would expect otherwise, but we’ve seen balls dropped before. If you want to play FEZ on the go, this is a really great way to do it. Or if you want to play it on your TV. I guess the Switch does that, too. Otherwise, there are tons of reviews out there that go deep into what this game has to offer and nothing I say is going to add a great deal to them. Our own retired chief Eli Hodapp wrote a really nice one on TouchArcade for the mobile release.
Oh, okay. A few thoughts. FEZ is an interesting game because it takes the 2D side-scrolling platformer format and adds a few twists to make it something completely different. The most obvious of the bunch is the ability to shift perspectives, rotating the world around you in 90 degree turns to reveal new area and paths. Only slightly less obvious is its structure that encourages exploration to go along with the careful platforming. It’s very much a post-Super Mario 64 game, with lots of mysteries to discover alongside the more typical and “in plain sight" challenges. Some of those mysteries are unbelievably well-hidden, to the point that you may never find them. But it probably won’t bother you that much, because even without digging into the depths of its madness FEZ has an awful lot to give.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
New Releases
Happy Hoarder ($1.99)
When a game is only two dollars, it’s probably not going to be the deepest or most polished thing around. And Happy Hoarder lives up to that expectation, unfortunately. The idea here is that stuff falls from the sky and you need to catch the good stuff while avoiding the bad stuff. The bad stuff is outlined in red in case you’re not sure. Go for a high score, unlock new stages, and get new cosmetics for your character to wear. It’s only a couple of dollars, but you could also get a couple of delicious Snickers bars. I leave it up to you which will make you happier.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
That’s a lengthy list of new sales, but there isn’t too much in there that I’m terribly excited about. I suppose you can pick up the BIT.TRIP games for low prices (again), if nothing else. The outbox is similarly lacking in punch. Most of the big games that went on sale a couple weeks ago saw their discounts expire today, so tomorrow’s batch is looking a little thin as a result. Well, check them out anyway. Just because I’m not excited, doesn’t mean you won’t be.
Select New Games on Sale
Detective Case & Clownbot ($2.49 from $9.99 until 4/28)
Carnage: Battle Arena ($2.99 from $14.99 until 4/30)
Element ($5.99 from $11.99 until 4/30)
Clue: Classic Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 4/30)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 4/30)
EQI ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/1)
Tangle Tower ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/1)
Fall Gummies ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/3)
Mech Rage ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/3)
Mad Carnage ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/3)
Hidden Through Time ($5.35 from $7.99 until 5/3)
Dead Dungeon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/3)
Atomic Heist ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/3)
Dark Burial ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/3)
One Person Story ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/3)
Event Horizon ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/4)
Farabel ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/4)
Mushroom Quest ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/4)
FunBox Party ($1.99 from $2.49 until 5/4)
Push the Box – Puzzle Game ($4.44 from $8.89 until 5/6)
Jacks or Better: Video Poker ($3.74 from $7.49 until 5/6)
Dominate: Board Game ($2.47 from $9.89 until 5/6)
Infection: Board Game ($2.47 from $9.89 until 5/6)
Hexxagon: Board Game ($2.47 from $9.89 until 5/6)
Horned Knight ($4.79 from $5.99 until 5/6)
Doug Hates His Job ($4.89 from $6.99 until 5/7)
Braveland Trilogy ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Niffelheim ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
The Tiny Bang Story ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Spaceland ($6.49 from $19.99 until 5/9)
BIT.TRIP Series, Assorted ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Door Kickers ($5.99 from $11.99 until 5/10)
DungeonTop ($6.99 from $13.99 until 5/10)
Timothy & Mysterious Forest ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/10)
Genetic Disaster ($3.49 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Postal Redux ($5.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Mana Spark ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Koloro ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Utopia 9 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Blazing Beaks ($3.99 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Death’s Hangover ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Escape Doodland ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Jumping Joe & Friends ($1.99 from $2.49 until 5/10)
Twister Road ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Robonauts ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/10)
One Strike ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Drawngeon: DoI&P ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Breathing Fear ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/11)
Shisen-Sho NIKAKUdori ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/13)
The Demon Crystal ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
UORiS DX ($4.50 from $9.00 until 5/13)
Grand Prix Rock ‘N Racing ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
Super Arcade Soccer ($2.02 from $6.99 until 5/13)
Moon Raider ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Island Maze ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/14)
Descenders ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/14)
Trails & Traces: Tomb of Thomas Tew ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/14)
Cabela’s: The Hunt Championship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/14)
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike Championship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/14)
Doodle God: Evolution ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Tiny Racer ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Midnight Evil ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
#Halloween, Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/15)
#Xmas, Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/15)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27th
Archaica: Path of Light ($3.97 from $14.99 until 4/27)
Beat Cop ($2.24 from $14.99 until 4/27)
Children of Morta ($10.99 from $21.99 until 4/27)
Croc’s World 3 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/27)
Half Past Fate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/27)
Half Past Fate: Romantic Distancing ($4.49 from $5.99 until 4/27)
Leisure Suit Larry: WDDD ($7.99 from $39.99 until 4/27)
Moonlighter ($6.24 from 24.99 until 4/27)
Puddle Knights ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/27)
Some Distant Memory ($3.89 from $12.99 until 4/27)
Spirit Roots ($2.09 from $6.99 until 4/27)
This War of Mine: Complete ($7.99 from $39.99 until 4/27)
Vostok Inc. ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/27)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more Mini-Views, summaries of all of the new releases of the day, and whatever news and new sales pop up as well. I hope you all have a good start to your week, and as always, thanks for reading!
