Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 14th, 2022. In today’s article, I’ve got a bunch of reviews and Mini-Views for you to check out. The list includes The Cruel King and the Great Hero, Young Souls, The Last Cube, Dungeon Color, and Ashwalkers. We’ve also got some new games to look at, though they aren’t a terribly exciting bunch. Finally, the sales. A whole lot of them came in over the weekend, and we’ve also got the usual list of expiring discounts to mull over. Let’s get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
The Cruel King and the Great Hero ($29.99)
I love so much about The Cruel King and the Great Hero, but regrettably little of that involves the gameplay. The premise is positively adorable. A Dragon King has adopted a human child, allowing her to live among the monsters in the forest. Her human father was a hero, and after hearing bedtime stories about him from her adopted father, she seeks to follow in his footsteps. The Dragon King wants to nurture her dream, and he does so in the most hilariously doting way you could imagine. It doesn’t always stay as sweet as it starts off, but overall this is a very heart-warming tale.
The game’s style also shines. It feels like a picture book come to life, complete with a narrator for the story segments. Protagonist Yuu is ridiculously cute and expressive, waving her little weapon at the enemies she comes across. The Dragon King is almost as easy to love. He watches from the backgrounds as Yuu goes on her little adventures, beaming at her successes and wincing whenever she runs into trouble. He’s trying to hide, and not doing a very good job of it. Fortunately for him Yuu doesn’t seem to notice, even when he breathes fire on her weapon for her special attack.
So what’s the problem, then? Well, this is an RPG. And I wish I could say it was a good one, but unfortunately the combat mechanics here are incredibly basic and never really build out in any meaningful ways. That’s a problem, because there are a lot of battles ahead of you as you play through this story. Lots and lots of random battles especially. Yuu doesn’t have many options for dealing with her enemies, and even adding in some friendly partners only slightly improves matters. Yuu and the Dragon King’s lovable mannerisms can only do so much, and eventually the repetition sets in hard. The Dragon King isn’t the only one afraid to remove the training wheels, sadly.
Ultimately, The Cruel King and the Great Hero is still worth playing for those who are attracted to its cute storybook stylings. RPG fans will likely find less to be enthused with here, thanks to its plodding pace and somewhat banal battling. I can’t help but feel there may have been a better vehicle for this charming little fairy tale, but I’m nevertheless happy I got to experience it.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Young Souls ($24.99)
It’s that old refrain again, friends: I really wanted to like this game a lot more than I did. I’ve been on a beat-em-up kick the last couple of years, and I’m always excited to see a new one. Young Souls puts in a strong effort, with a nice presentation and some cool RPG mechanics to chew on. The fighting is pretty fun, too. It’s also shockingly substantial, running several hours in length. There’s even a story to pay attention to should that be something you’re looking for in a beat-em-up. Oh, and minigames. Some people like those. All up, in terms of mechanics it feels like something from the era before the current trend of purer brawlers. Those with fond memories of Scott Pilgrim or Castle Crashers will want to pay it some heed.
Young Souls is a very thoughtfully-designed game with a lot of satisfying systems to engage with. Taken together with its attention to making the game feel like a proper adventure, it’s almost enough to carry it all the way through. But at least for me, it felt like the game dragged on a couple of hours longer than I would have preferred. There are also some performance issues plaguing this game, and it even crashed on me a few times. None of this was enough to put me off of Young Souls, but it certainly curbed some of my enthusiasm for it as a whole.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Dungeon Color ($3.99)
Dungeon Color is a simple game, but it’s earnest and works well enough. You have to use different-colored flames to open doors in order to reach your goal, planning each step carefully to ensure you can actually get where you need to go without blocking yourself in. Toss in a couple of other mechanics and you have a tangy yet mellow set of puzzles to chew on. It doesn’t take long to get through the game, the controls could be a bit more precise, and it starts to get a bit tiresome by the end, but you’ll get your money’s worth.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Ashwalkers ($19.99)
This game has a really interesting presentation and a decent story, married to some middling survival mechanics. The coolest thing about it is the branching narrative, giving you reasons to replay it at least a few times. The survival part of the game was a bit too rudimentary to really hold my attention, but it wasn’t actively pushing me away either. What really hurts this one is in its performance in this Switch version. The system struggles to keep the game running smoothly, which hurts the impact of the visuals. There’s a decent enough game here, but one that is perhaps best enjoyed on another platform.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
The Last Cube ($19.99)
I can confidently say that if you like rolling cube puzzle games, you’ll have a great time with this one. You play as a cube and you need to make your way through a rather enormous amount of stages and puzzles. The gimmick is that you can pick up abilities by rolling over stamps and sticking them to your cube. You’ll come across these abilities one by one over the course of the game, slowly ramping up the difficulty and complexity in a satisfying way. At the most basic level, this is a game about managing which side of your cube is facing down, something that seems simple but can sometimes be very tricky.
The puzzles are built around this mechanic and the special powers to create some truly devious set-ups. The kinds of things where you can feel completely stuck one day only to have a lightning bolt revelation the next day and keep progressing. There’s something to be said about a puzzle game that knows exactly what kind of row it wants to hoe and focuses on doing it as best as it possibly can, and that’s just what The Last Cube has to offer.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Cyber Fight ($6.99)
Gosh, this is one generic-looking beat-em-up. Play as one of six undercover agents and head to the mean streets to pound on punks and take down their terrorist boss. There are eight stages and an assortment of weapons you can pick up and use. No multiplayer of any sort, so this is strictly a solo affair.
Drag Clash Pro: Hot Rod Racing ($7.99)
Yes, it’s another CSR Racing-style deal from T-Bull. Play through the career, collecting and tuning cars. Push buttons with proper timing to pull ahead of your opponents and win races. This is something like the sixth one of these they have released this year, and I’m running out of ways to paraphrase the same essential concept.
Secret Kiss is Sweet and Tender ($8.54)
This is a yuri-themed visual novel about a romance between a student teacher and one of her students. They live in the same dormitory at an all-girls high school. While doing her training internship, Konami Izuho is suddenly kissed by one of the students, Ema Serizawa. Adding another twist, it turns out that Ema is actually a popular artist that Konami is a fan of. Weird power dynamics here, but I think it’s all just a backdrop for a fairly light romance story. Do what you will.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Well, that is a whole pile of games, isn’t it? Those looking to flex their vocal chords should find plenty to be happy with today. Otherwise it’s a lot of usual or semi-usual sales, with lots of interesting games that you’ve probably already made a decision on one way or the other in a previous sale. It’s more or less the same story with the outbox today too. I just can’t find much to get excited about, but you should check the lists and see if something grabs you differently.
Select New Games on Sale
Torchlight II ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/18)
Torchlight III ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/18)
Levelhead ($12.99 from $19.99 until 3/18)
Crashlands ($9.74 from $14.99 until 3/18)
Battleship ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/18)
Clue: Classic Mystery Game ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/18)
Circa Infinity ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/18)
The Last Survey ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/19)
Monster Truck XT Airport Derby ($5.99 from $11.99 until 3/20)
Haustoria ($1.99 from $12.99 until 3/20)
Let’s Sing 2018 ($21.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing 2019 ($21.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing 2020 ($24.74 from $44.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing 2020 Platinum ($46.79 from $77.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing 2021 ($21.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing 2021 Platinum ($44.99 from $74.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing Queen ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing Country ($24.74 from $44.99 until 3/21)
Let’s Sing Country Platinum ($46.79 from $77.99 until 3/21)
Metro 2033 Redux ($7.49 from $24.99 until 3/21)
Metro Last Light Redux ($7.49 from $24.99 until 3/21)
Red Faction Guerrilla RM ($5.99 from $29.99 until 3/21)
Transformers Battlegrounds ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
Hotel Transylvania 3 MO ($17.99 from $29.99 until 3/21)
Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Crayola Scoot ($5.99 from $29.99 until 3/21)
My Friend Peppa Pig ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
PJ Masks Heroes of the Night ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Blaze & the Monster Machines: ACR ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
The Addams Family Mansion Mayhem ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Trollhunters Defenders of Arcadia ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Ice Age Scrat’s Nutty Adventure ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
DreamWorks Spirit Lucky’s Adv. ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Jumanji the Video Game ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
Adventure Time Pirates ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Fast & Furious Spy Racers ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Last Kids on Earth & Staff of Doom ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Gigantosaurus the Game ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
Ben 10 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
Ben 10 Power Trip ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($15.99 from $19.99 until 3/21)
PAW Patrol Mighty Pups ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
PAW Patrol the Movie Adv City ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
DreamWorkds Dragons DoNR ($23.99 from $39.99 until 3/21)
Johnny Bonasera Full Season ($10.49 from $14.99 until 3/21)
Pato Box ($2.24 from $14.99 until 3/22)
BeatTalk ($11.79 from $17.99 until 3/22)
Madorica Real Estate ($8.99 from $14.99 until 3/22)
Stellar Interface ($1.99 from $12.99 until 3/24)
Run the Fan ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/25)
Brotherhood United ($1.99 from $8.99 until 3/26)
Hero-U Rogue to Redemption ($7.99 from $19.99 until 3/27)
Moon Raider ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Elden Path of the Forgotten ($3.99 from $15.99 until 3/28)
Monster Hunter Rise ($39.59 from $59.99 until 3/28)
Jack Axe ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/28)
Skautfold: SiS ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/28)
Detective Case & Clown Bot: MitHL ($2.99 from $5.99 until 3/29)
The Suicide of Rachel Foster ($7.99 from $19.99 until 3/31)
JARS ($5.99 from $14.99 until 3/31)
Fire: Ungh’s Quest ($3.99 from $9.99 until 3/31)
Battle Princess Madelyn ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Battle Princess Madelyn Royal ($3.74 from $14.99 until 4/1)
WRC 8 Deluxe FIA ($17.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
WRC 9 The Official Game ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
AO Tennis 2 ($17.99 from $59.99 until 4/1)
The Unicorn Princess ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Go Minimal ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Bee Simulator ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Dyna Bomb ($1.99 from $3.99 until 4/1)
The Skylia Prophecy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/1)
Bloo Kid 2 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 4/1)
Colt Canyon ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Outbuddies DX ($5.99 from $17.99 until 4/1)
Bridge Constructor Ult. ($5.99 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four ($7.49 from $14.99 until 4/1)
Metaloid Origin ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/1)
Rusty Spout Rescue Adv. ($3.49 from $6.99 until 4/1)
Ghost Sweeper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/1)
The Hong Kong Massacre ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Golf Club Wasteland ($3.49 from $9.99 until 4/1)
Beautiful Desolation ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/1)
Overpass ($16.49 from $54.99 until 4/1)
Emergency Driver Simulator ($6.99 from $13.99 until 4/1)
Monster Truck Arena ($6.99 from $13.99 until 4/1)
Driving World: Aspen ($5.99 from $11.99 until 4/1)
Aspire: Ina’s Tale ($6.49 from $12.99 until 4/1)
Hunting Simulator ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
Hunting Simulator 2 ($11.99 from $39.99 until 4/1)
The Dark Eye: Memoria ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/2)
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/2)
Hope’s Farm ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/2)
Edna & Harvey The Breakout ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Edna & Harvey Harvey’s New Eyes ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Felix the Reaper ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/3)
Unrailed! ($4.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Shift Happens ($1.99 from $14.99 until 4/3)
AER Memories of Old ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
State of Mind ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
.cat Milk ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/3)
Silence ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
The Long Journey Home ($1.99 from $19.99 until 4/3)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($2.69 from $8.99 until 4/3)
Touchdown Football ($1.99 from $3.00 until 4/3)
Speed Truck Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 4/3)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 15th
.cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition ($5.99 from $29.95 until 3/15)
Amazing Breaker ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/15)
Banner of the Maid ($10.19 from $16.99 until 3/15)
BDSM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Boris the Rocket ($10.04 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Braveland Trilogy ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Castlestorm II ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Conga Master Party! ($1.99 from $9.95 until 3/15)
Curious Expedition ($5.24 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Curious Expedition 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Decay of Logos ($6.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Depixtion ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/15)
Doom & Destiny ($5.99 from $11.99 until 3/15)
Doom & Destiny Advanced ($5.99 from $11.99 until 3/15)
Doom & Destiny Worlds ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Drawngeon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/15)
Escape Game Fort Boyard ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/15)
Flaskoman ($2.99 from $499 until 3/15)
Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Galaxy Squad ($7.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Giga Wrecker Alt. ($8.74 from $24.99 until 3/15)
HardCube ($2.10 from $7.00 until 3/15)
Hello Kitty Kruisers ($8.98 from $29.95 until 3/15)
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space?! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Holy Potatoes! What the Hell?! ($6.00 from $15.00 until 3/15)
Lonely Mountains: Downhill ($10.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Mainframe Defenders ($8.39 from $11.99 until 3/15)
Mana Spark ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Mech Rage ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Miner Warfare ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/15)
Mushroom Savior ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/15)
My Hidden Things ($4.68 from $6.99 until 3/15)
Mystery Mine ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/15)
Niffelheim ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Ninja Shodown ($2.99 from $14.95 until 3/15)
One Dog Story ($5.99 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Operencia: The Stolen Sun ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/15)
Pocket Mini Golf ($1.99 from $2.49 until 3/15)
Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again ($349 from $4.99 until 3/15)
REKT! High Octane Stunts ($1.99 from $5.99 until 3/15)
RICO – Breakout ($3.24 from $4.99 until 3/15)
RICO ($6.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Robonauts ($1.99 from $3.99 until 3/15)
Say No! More ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/15)
Spaceland ($5.99 from $19.99 until 3/15)
Spirit Roots ($1.99 from $6.99 until 3/15)
Steampunk Tower 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Stick It To The Man ($2.39 from $11.99 until 3/15)
Sweet Witches ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Swords & Bones ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/15)
The Great Perhaps ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
The Tiny Bang Story ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/15)
Traffix ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/15)
Trailblazers ($5.99 from $29.99 until 3/15)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases including one of the games I reviewed today, The Cruel King and the Great Hero. We’ll also have at least one more review, plus the latest sales and news. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
