Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for July 16th, 2021. I’m not sure if everyone was just trying to get out of the way of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD or what, but there really aren’t that many new games to look at today compared to the usual Friday. Nevertheless, there is at least one game worth considering outside of Link’s make-up test. There are are also a bunch of new sales to look at, and this time I’ll even remember the date properly and not put expired sales in the incoming list. Who does a one-day sale these days? Honestly. Well, that’s how it is. Let’s get to the main course!
New Releases
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
One of the more controversial installments in the Legend of Zelda series makes its return in this HD remaster. With new optional button controls, improved visuals, and a whole bag full of quality of life improvements, Skyward Sword HD seeks to make the game more enjoyable for existing fans while hopefully winning over some of the folks that bounced off the Wii original. While fixing some of the game’s issues were far beyond the scope of a project like this, a lot of sensible adjustments have been made to at least cut down on some of the more annoying and/or tedious bits. I might be doing a review of this one to let you know where I fall on it, but we’ll have to see how things shake out. At the absolute worst, this is still a mainline Zelda game and if you haven’t played it yet it’s worth rolling the dice on.
Within the Blade ($10.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Ninja action games used to be what video games were all about. Okay, it was a pretty short window, but the window existed! If you would like to relive those days, you’re going to want to check out Within the Blade. Slice, dice, and bomb your way through feudal Japan in this side-scrolling quest to assassinate an evil warlord. You’ll battle against ten different bosses, craft tons of items and weapons to use against your foes, and generally spill a whole lot of blood as you go. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this one, but I found myself pleasantly surprised with its speed and depth.
Restless Night ($4.99)
This game touts itself as “an electronic interactive fun", so… yeah, do with that what you will. It’s a top-down twin-stick shooter that seemingly takes place on single-screen stages. You battle against undead forces and try to stay alive using an arsenal of weapons. The most unique thing about this game is its presentation, and I’m hesitant to call it an unambiguous positive. It certainly doesn’t strike me as a bad game but I’m not sure that’s really enough in one of the more crowded genres on eShop.
Lost Grimoires 3: The Forgotten Well ($14.99)
The popular Lost Grimoires series by Artifex Mundi sees its third installment ported to Switch with this latest release. King Raphael has returned the winner from a battle against the army of the elf Sylvanheir, but something isn’t quite right with him. Suspecting a curse, his sister seeks the truth about the history of the elves and a way to unravel this latest plot that threatens peace in the realm. Guide her in this hidden object adventure, searching for items to solve puzzles and playing the odd mini-game to break things up. I’m sure most of us are familiar with Artifex Mundi’s work by now, so if you’re into it you probably don’t need my word on this particular game. And that’s a good thing, because I really don’t have much to offer.
Squeakers II ($2.99)
I suppose the first Squeakers game must have done well, because here we are with what Carter would call 2 Squeak 2 Live. Just as in the first one, you play as a boar who has to outrace impending doom by building a precarious tower as quickly as possible. Up to four players can join in on the fun via local multiplayer, and you can choose to cooperate or mess with each other as you like. Probably not the fanciest catch around, but for three dollars you probably don’t need to get that much amusement out of it to get your money’s worth.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
So there appears to have been a snag with the new DLC for the Switch version of Streets of Rage 4, and I have no idea how long it’s going to take Dotemu to sort it out. Don’t let that stop you from picking up the game for the bonkers price of $14.99, however. That DLC will come sooner or later, and you can enjoy the magnificent core game until then. Apart from that, the list of new sales is largely made up of games that constantly go on sale. Doesn’t mean there aren’t good pick-ups to be found in there, but if you’re a regular sales hound you won’t be seeing many happy surprises in there. Make sure you check it anyway, of course. Have a quick look at the weekend outbox too, such as it is.
Select New Games on Sale
Torchlight II ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
Torchlight III ($14.79 from $39.99 until 7/22)
Hob: Definitive Edition ($11.99 from $19.99 until 7/22)
We Are Doomed ($3.99 from $7.99 until 7/22)
Project Warlock ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Darkwood ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Graceful Explosion Machine ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/22)
Madorica Real Estate ($9.89 from $14.99 until 7/22)
Through the Darkest of Times ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/23)
Crying Suns ($19.99 from $24.99 until 7/23)
Late Shift ($7.79 from $12.99 until 7/23)
Hidden Through Time ($5.35 from $7.99 until 7/23)
Warparty ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/23)
Townsmen: A Kingdom Rebuilt ($7.99 from $19.99 until 7/23)
Riverbond ($9.99 from $24.99 until 7/25)
Hidden Folks ($4.79 from $11.99 until 7/26)
Hexagon Defense ($1.99 from $3.99 until 7/26)
Streets of Rage 4 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 7/29)
Snakeybus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 7/29)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 7/29)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/29)
Valfaris ($11.24 from $24.99 until 7/29)
Glitch’s Trip ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 7/29)
Verlet Swing ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Super Blood Hockey ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Skelly Selest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/29)
Straimium Immortaly ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/29)
XenoRaptor ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/29)
UnExplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 7/29)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/29)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($3.59 from $11.99 until 7/29)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Fall of Light: Darkest Edition ($4.49 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 7/29)
Bright Paw ($6.49 from $12.99 until 7/29)
Under: Depths of Fear ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/29)
Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition ($11.24 from $14.99 until 7/29)
Sea King Hunter ($7.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Real Heroes: Firefighter ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/30)
Close to the Sun ($12.49 from $24.99 until 7/30)
Headsnatchers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/30)
Still There ($8.99 from $14.99 until 7/30)
Lost Artifacts: Soulstone ($3.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Galak-Z: The Void: Deluxe ($3.74 from $14.99 until 7/30)
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
AstroWings: Space War ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Rotating Brave ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/30)
MathLand ($5.39 from $5.99 until 7/30)
My Little IceCream Booth ($1.99 from $3.00 until 7/30)
Destruction ($5.99 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Johnny Turbo’s Arcade, Assorted ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/30)
Johnny Turbo’s Heavy Burger ($2.49 from $9.99 until 7/30)
Tiny Troopers Joint Ops XL ($3.24 from $12.99 until 7/30)
MXGP3 ($2.99 from $29.99 until 7/30)
Conarium ($4.99 from $19.99 until 7/30)
Akinofa ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/30)
Guild of Darksteel ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/30)
Crayon Shinchan Kasukabe Runner ($5.99 from $9.99 until 8/1)
Aery: Broken Memories ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/3)
My Little Dog Adventure ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/3)
Life of Fly ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/3)
Air Bounce: Jump n Run Challenge ($2.99 from $5.99 until 8/3)
Flying Hero X ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/3)
Wizodd ($4.24 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Spy Alarm ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Cube Blast: Match ($9.00 from $18.00 until 8/5)
Rainbocorns ($2.59 from $12.99 until 8/5)
Mystic Fate ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Reknum Cheri Dreamland ($4.89 from $7.99 until 8/5)
Rodent Warriors ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
My Universe: Cooking Star ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/5)
My Universe: Fashion Boutique ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/5)
My Universe: School Teacher ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/5)
Street Racer Underground ($2.99 from $5.99 until 8/5)
Office Lovers ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/5)
Secrets of Me ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/5)
The Wanderer: Frankenstein ($4.79 from $15.99 until 8/5)
Dangerous Relationship ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/5)
Max & the Book of Chaos ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/5)
My Secret Pets! ($10.49 from $14.99 until 8/5)
She Sees Red: Interactive Movie ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Piano ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Emma: Lost in Memories ($3.99 from $7.99 until 8/5)
Snakes & Ladders ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Ploid Saga ($8.39 from $11.99 until 8/5)
Ploid ($2.09 from $2.99 until 8/5)
Reknum ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Bowling ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Story of a Gladiator ($3.29 from $10.99 until 8/5)
DreamBall ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Sudoku Relax 2 Summer Waves ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Omega Labyrinth Life ($23.99 from $59.99 until 8/5)
Furwind ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Shakedown: Hawaii ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/5)
Robox ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Homo Machina ($2.09 from $2.99 until 8/5)
Vandals ($1.99 from $3.99 until 8/5)
Dark Quest 2 ($3.29 from $10.99 until 8/5)
Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling ($4.94 from $14.99 until 8/5)
Guess the Character ($2.00 from $2.99 until 8/5)
Super Hyperactive Ninja ($1.99 from $8.99 until 8/5)
Escape Trick: 35 Fateful Enigmas ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/5)
The Golf ($3.49 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Strikey Sisters ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Vectronom ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
The Number Puzzle ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Party Trivia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
The Amazing Shinsengumi ($5.99 from $11.99 until 8/5)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Pool Billiard ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/5)
Pool ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
The Card: Poker Etc ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Spot the Difference ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Air Hockey ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/5)
Earthlock ($5.98 from $29.90 until 8/5)
Enchanting Mahjong Match ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/5)
Caveman Warriors ($1.99 from $12.99 until 8/5)
The Men of Yoshiwara ($9.79 from $19.99 until 8/5)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Hyper Sentinel ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/17)
Puzzle Box 3 in 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 7/17)
Silk ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/17)
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain ($3.99 from $12.99 until 7/17)
Bargain Hunter ($8.74 from $12.49 until 7/18)
Fancy Solitaire ($1.99 from $8.99 until 7/18)
Firework ($1.99 from $14.99 until 7/18)
Haunted: Halloween ’86 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/18)
Hero Express ($2.49 from $4.99 until 7/18)
Spheroids ($1.99 from $7.99 until 7/18)
Super Toy Cars ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/18)
Tachyon Project ($1.99 from $9.99 until 7/18)
Time Tenshi ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/18)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. I’ll be back next week as the wild month of July rolls on. Titles like Cris Tales, Akiba’s Trip, Cotton Reboot, and many more will be vying for your gaming dollars before the absolute storm that is the last week of July. I’ll hopefully be spending the weekend catching up with Groose, but I’m not sure yet. I just finished my replay of Metroid: Zero Mission last night, and started my replay of Metroid: Samus Returns today. So I may well sink my free time into that over the next couple of days. Whatever you’re playing, I hope you all have a great weekend. As always, thanks for reading!
