Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 3rd, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a handful of games in the review spotlight. Say No! More, Mom Hid My Game! 2, R-Type Final 2, and Smelter all get their turns in the hot seat. There are a couple of new releases to look at, albeit nothing overly exciting. There are a ton of new sales as well, and some of those are very exciting. We’ve got a full list of those, along with the outgoing sales for tomorrow. Let’s get this started!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Say No! More ($14.99)
Say No! More is a quirky game with a late-90s presentation but a decidedly 2021 message. You play as a new intern at a company where the culture demands you say yes to everything. It’s all well and good until your new supervisor steals your precious lunchbox. Slamming your head on your desk, you jar loose a cassette tape player from a vent. On it is a motivational message that teaches you a powerful new ability: how to say no. Perhaps a little drunk on this power, you go through your office and the awful management saying no at every turn. All of this is presented in a very silly, over-the-top manner, but there is a real message to take from it.
The bizarre aesthetics, empowering story, and cathartic nature of saying no to everything makes for a very fun playthrough. There’s no real way to lose, but you have a variety of ways to say no to keep things amusing. It lasts a couple of hours, and the pace is fast enough that you probably won’t get too bogged down by the repetitive gameplay. But once it’s over, that’s all there is to it. Unless you feel like experiencing the story again, there’s no real reason to go back. It feels a bit thin for the price, especially when you can enjoy the same experience on your mobile device for almost a third of the cost. Still, if you enjoy oddball games or just need a pick-me-up, you should consider playing Say No! More on one platform or another.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Mom Hid My Game! 2 ($4.99)
Known on mobile as Hidden My Game By Mom, this series is always good for an hour or two of entertainment. They’re free with ad support on mobile, but the console ports opt for a low up-front price instead. You get fifty stages of puzzles drawn from the second and third mobile games, plus an extra music video and a “Mom Collection" feature that keeps track of all the different ways you’ve been caught by Mom. It adds a little extra replay value to a framework that doesn’t usually offer much in that regard. If you’re playing in handheld, you can use touch controls that mimic the mobile ones. Otherwise, you control a pointer to accomplish the same tasks.
The sense of humor is what drives this game. The puzzles are, broadly speaking, not too difficult to solve. You’ll have to think outside of the box occasionally, but once you’ve seen that trick the first time you probably won’t have too much trouble when it rears its head in future situations. One late-game puzzle can be a bit tricky due to relying on knowledge of a common Japanese word game called Shiritori, but otherwise Mom Hid My Game! 2 is a bit of light, silly fun. As usual for games from hap Inc., the ending is sweet in a sentimental sort of way. You probably won’t replay it often if at all, but that first go is definitely a nice slice of madcap joy.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
R-Type Final 2 ($39.99)
The Switch has some rough ports, technically speaking. Sometimes that barely matters. Sometimes it matters a whole lot. R-Type Final 2 leans more towards the latter, unfortunately. The fuzzy resolution makes it hard to make out critical details at times. The variable framerate can mess with your timing in critical moments. The lengthy loading times make each and every death that much more painful. It’s not that it’s unplayable or anything, but shoot-em-ups tend to rely on split-second reactions and learning through repetition, and these technical issues make both of those things more difficult than they should be. While it’s been some time since there’s been a new R-Type game, R-Type Final 2 is very much of the series. You certainly don’t need any added excuses for losses, in other words.
Indeed, that’s what makes these problems so annoying. This is a really good return for the series. It’s not the best R-Type game, but it certainly hangs with the rest of the series in terms of quality. As with R-Type Final, there’s an embarrassingly large selection of ships to unlock and use, and the stage designs and bosses are really cool. There are a lot of incentives to replay stages, particularly if you want to unveil every secret. I’ve been playing the game quite a bit, exploring all of the various options and features, and I get the impression I’m not anywhere near finding everything the game has to offer. Shoot-em-up fans without other platform options may still find the tech problems worth dealing with, but it’s too bad Switch owners are left with this kind of decision yet again.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Smelter ($19.99)
Smelter is a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t heard anything about it until it dropped onto the eShop, and even its detailed eShop description doesn’t do it full justice. This is a quality 2D side-scrolling action game in the vein of classics like Mega Man X, and that’s not the only trick it has up its sleeve. It also features some light strategy segments between stages, breaking up the action in a manner not entirely unlike the cult hit Super NES title Act Raiser. The core of the game is in the action stages, however. That’s where it shines the brightest, with enjoyable level designs and a constantly-expanding arsenal of moves at your disposal. The strategy segments are more of a palate cleanser than anything. You guide Smelter around attacking enemies, while directing your minions to build or attack various things.
There are lots of secrets to find in the action stages, including special trial rooms where your skills are put to the test. The controls are tight, the presentation is excellent, and there’s a substantial amount of content to the game. While there are some moments that frustrate or drag a little during its runtime, Smelter is quite impressive on the whole. It’s not difficult to spot its inspirations, but it does its own thing well enough that it avoids the pitfall of feeling like a lesser copy. Fans of 16-bit action games will definitely want to give it a look.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Spirits of Xanadu ($4.99)
This is a sci-fi horror-themed first-person shooter. While it’s published by Nightdive Studios, the original game was made by a very small team. I think if you keep that in mind along with the relatively small price tag, Spirits of Xanadu isn’t too bad. In its best moments, I’d almost call it good. It’s short and very minimalist in style, and you can tell the developers were fans of games like System Shock. I’m not going to recommend it with a great deal of vigor, but I think it pulls its weight for the price it’s asking.
Jigsaw Tetra ($4.99)
This is similar to the Super Puzzles Dream games. It’s a jigsaw puzzle game with a twist. Instead of carefully taking your time deciding which piece goes where, you’ll have to make snap decisions as the pieces fall into the puzzle Tetris-style. There are a bunch of puzzles to play, a local multiplayer mode for two players, and a variety of images and background tunes to use. If you don’t like the action aspects, you can just do normal jigsaw puzzles if you like. Not much more to it than that, do with it what you will.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
So yeah, a lot of sales came in over the weekend. There are the usual Star Wars Day sales, but beyond those there are a few other interesting things to check out. Grand Guilds is more decent than it is good, but for two bucks you may find it worth your time and money. Black Bird and Dandy Dungeon are cheap as chips, and the excellent Moon also has a slight discount along with them. Ubisoft and Two Tribes are also having some sales, though those aren’t terribly uncommon. There isn’t too much worth worrying about in the outbox, but take a look anyway just in case something you were interested in is ending its sale tomorrow.
Select New Games on Sale
Levelhead ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/6)
Star Wars Episode I Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/7)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
High Noon Revolver ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/7)
Grand Guilds ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Gnome More War ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/7)
Towertale ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Drink More Glurp ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/7)
Sweets Swap ($4.49 from $5.99 until 5/8)
Star Wars Pinball ($17.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Instant Sports ($12.99 from $19.99 until 5/10)
Instant Sports Summer Games ($19.99 from $24.99 until 5/10)
AO Tennis 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 5/10)
Overpass ($27.49 from $54.99 until 5/10)
TumbleSeed ($4.94 from $14.99 until 5/10)
The Hong Kong Massacre ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/11)
Train Station Simulator ($14.29 from $21.99 until 5/13)
Solitaire Card Games ($4.49 from $5.99 until 5/14)
Dimension Drive ($1.99 from $12.99 until 5/14)
The Bug Butcher ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/14)
Back to Bed ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/14)
Inferno 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/14)
Lumini ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Rainswept ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Lost Wing ($2.79 from $7.99 until 5/14)
Batu Ta Batu ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/14)
Luckslinger ($7.99 from $9.99 until 5/14)
Moon ($17.09 from $18.99 until 5/15)
Black Bird ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Dandy Dungeon: Brave Yamada ($9.49 from $18.99 until 5/15)
Overdriven Reloaded: Special ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/15)
Assassin’s Creed III Remastered ($15.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
Rayman Legends Definitive ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Just Dance 2020 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Monopoly ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Trivial Pursuit Live! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
RISK Global Domination ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
UNO ($3.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Wheel of Fortune ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Jeopardy! ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
South Park: The Stick of Truth ($11.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
South Park The Fractured But Whole ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
Child of Light Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Valiant Hearts: The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Trials Rising Standard Edition ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Trials Rising Gold Edition ($8.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Starlink: Battle for Atlas ($14.99 from $59.99 until 5/15)
Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/15)
World for Two ($9.79 from $13.99 until 5/15)
Dungeon Warfare ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/16)
Half Dead ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/16)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/16)
Lily of the Hollow: Resurrection ($4.89 from $6.99 until 5/17)
Soulslayer ($5.49 from $9.99 until 5/17)
Tower Inferno ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/17)
CrunchTime ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/17)
Gaokao.Love.100Days ($6.99 from $11.99 until 5/17)
Caves & Castles: Underworld ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/18)
Glittering Sword ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/18)
My Little Ice Cream Booth ($1.99 from $3.00 until 5/20)
Soul Searching ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Lydia ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/21)
EQQO ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/21)
Journey of the Broken Circle ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/21)
Infini ($1.99 from $12.00 until 5/21)
Angels With Scaly Wings ($7.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Vampire: The Masquerade CoNY ($8.99 from $19.99 until 5/21)
Vampire: The Masquerade SoNY ($8.44 from $12.99 until 5/21)
Werewolf: The Apocalypse HotF ($11.99 from $14.99 until 5/21)
Table Soccer Football ($2.99 from $4.99 until 5/21)
Ultimate Racing 2D ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Down in Bermuda ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/21)
Suicide Guy ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/21)
Suicide Guy: Sleepin’ Deeply ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/21)
RIVE: Ultimate Edition ($2.09 from $14.99 until 5/21)
Toki Tori ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/21)
Toki Tori 2+ ($2.09 from $14.99 until 5/21)
Swap This! ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/21)
Lazy Galaxy: Rebel Story ($5.27 from $7.99 until 5/21)
Swords & Soldiers ($1.99 from $7.49 until 5/21)
1912: Titanic Mystery ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Faircroft’s Antiques: ToT ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Faircroft’s Antiques: HfC ($6.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Where Angels Cry ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Where Angels Cry: TotF ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Myths of Orion: LftN ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Tales from Dragon Mountain ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Tales from Dragon Mountain 2 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
The Man With The Ivory Cane ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Caveman Tales ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Kingdom Tales ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Kingdom Tales 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
Zotrix Starglider ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/21)
WildTrax Racing ($3.19 from $7.99 until 5/21)
Kropki 8 ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/21)
Wordify ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/21)
Kakurasu World ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/21)
Sudoky ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/21)
Merchant of the Skies ($9.89 from $14.99 until 5/21)
Lines XL ($1.99 from $3.99 until 5/21)
Chess Minimal ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/21)
Liberated: Enhanced ($14.99 from $19.99 until 5/21)
Futoshiki Math ($3.49 from $6.99 until 5/21)
Shikaku Shapes ($3.49 from $6.99 until 5/21)
Dungeonoid ($2.79 from $3.99 until 5/21)
Unrailed! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/22)
Sir Eatsalot ($3.24 from $12.99 until 5/22)
Baby Puzzle ($9.74 from $12.99 until 5/22)
X-Morph: Defense ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/23)
Zombie Driver Immortal ($2.99 from $14.99 until 5/23)
LocO-SportS ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/23)
#womenUp, Super Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $6.19 until 5/23)
#NoLimitFantasy, Puzzles Dream ($1.99 from $6.19 until 5/23)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4th
Dwarf Journey ($6.39 from $7.99 until 5/4)
Event Horizon ($1.99 from $5.99 until 5/4)
Farabel ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/4)
FunBox Party ($1.99 from $2.49 until 5/4)
Hyper Sentinel ($1.99 from $7.99 until 5/4)
JackQuest: TTotS ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/4)
Minesweeper Genius ($2.69 from $5.99 until 5/4)
Mushroom Quest ($1.99 from $2.99 until 5/4)
Siegecraft Commander ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/4)
Silk ($2.59 from $12.99 until 5/4)
Sky Rogue ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/4)
Street Cleaner: The Video Game ($12.75 from $15.00 until 5/4)
SUPERHOT ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/4)
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($3.99 from $12.99 until 5/4)
War Tech Fighters ($8.99 from $19.99 until 5/4)
YesterMorrow ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/4)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with summaries of all of the new releases, whatever news and sales come along, and perhaps another review or two. Right now I’m playing New Pokemon Snap, so that’s at least one review you can look forward to in the future. It probably won’t be tomorrow because the game is surprisingly lengthy, but it will come. I hope you all have a great Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
