Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 19th, 2023. It’s the day before the new Mario game, and while there are many games in the new release list today, it’s a decidedly mellow bunch. We’ve got summaries of all the new releases worthy of one, plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales for you to consider. There’s a lot to get through, so let’s get to business!
New Releases
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged ($49.99)
Hot Wheels Unleashed is back, this time packing more cars, more tracks, more challenges, new moves, and new systems. The developers have left what works alone and fixed up things that had room for improvement, making this game even more fun than the first in just about every way. Sure, it’s almost certainly going to be another DLC festival, but as long as the main game feels complete then there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, so do look forward to that.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 ($34.99)
Here’s a tenth pack of party games to play with your friends and/or family members. This one includes Tee K.O. 2, FixyText, Hypnotorious, Timejinx, and Dodo Re Mi. Grab your phones and get playing with up to nine players at once. By this point I’m sure everyone knows whether they’re into the Jackbox Party Pack games or not, so I’m really just here to inform you that a new one is out. Do with it what you will.
Spirit of the Island ($24.99)
Oh hey, another farming game. It has all of the usual stuff we see in games like these, with a few distinguishing points. First, you can play the whole game in co-op with a second player via online multiplayer. Second, there’s a system wherein you’re trying to attract tourists to the island. The more that come, the better the economy will be, and the more money you’ll bring in. You’ll need those funds if you want to explore all fourteen islands in the Archipelago. I don’t think it’s going to melt anyone’s face off or anything, but it seems fine for what it is.
Bish Bash Bots ($19.99)
A quirky blend of tower defense and more direct action, Bish Bash Bots can be enjoyed alone or with up to four players via local or online multiplayer. There are thirty-two levels to play set across eight worlds, giving you lots of places to smash rampant robots in. As you go through the game, you’ll unlock new tech that will give you additional ways to deal with the hordes of enemies trying to overwhelm you. This isn’t really my genre of choice, but if you get into this kind of thing you might want to give this a closer look.
Mail Time ($19.99)
A little bit of wholesome 3D platforming based around delivering the mail to various creatures. There are eight different areas to explore, and some optional hidden goodies to collect. This is a relatively short game, only taking a few hours at most to completely clear, but whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is going to depend on the person. It’s cute and low-pressure, and that might be what you’re after today.
Witchy Life Story ($19.99)
You’re the youngest member of a family of famous witches, and you’re kind of the black sheep of the bunch. Your grandmother has given you an ultimatum: go to the village of Flora and help them with the harvest festival in two weeks if you want to continue your witch training. Design your witch, grow and harvest ingredients in your garden, brew up the needed potions, and just do whatever you can in general to help. There are three potential romantic partners in there, too.
Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue ($49.99)
Good news! You’re on a tropical island. Bad news! You were abducted and brought here. Good news! You’re not alone on the island. Bad news! You are going to be competing against all of those other people. Good news! You can win $500,000. Bad news! If you don’t win… well. Sure, this kind of set-up is hardly new these days, but you might enjoy yourself with this new visual novel from Aksys anyway.
Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express ($39.99)
Here’s the latest Microids game based on the works of Agatha Christie. This time, it’s one of her more famous works. A murder occurs onboard the Orient Express, and Hercule Poirot must gather clues, question witnesses, and solve the crime. This version of the story adds a second detective, Joanna Locke, so you can’t necessarily expect things to play out the way you remember from the book or its many adaptations. If you’ve enjoyed the previous Agatha Christie games from Microids, you’ll probably have a fine enough time with this one too.
Gargoyles Remastered ($14.99)
Hmm. Look, I like the Gargoyles as much as any Gen X latch-key kid, but I wonder if this is going to find an audience? This looks to be a very passionate remake of the 16-bit Gargoyles game, which was decent but nothing I’d run up and down the street shouting about. It does that neat thing where you can change between the new graphics and the old graphics with the push of a button, in case you find the new visuals too clean or something. Well, it’s always good to see a licensed game from the old days make it out of the vault again. I genuinely wish it luck and hope it paves the way for more.
Shalnor Legends 2: Trials of Thunder ($14.99)
This looks like a very ambitious sequel, and I can certainly applaud it for that much. It’s one of those Zelda-inspired top-down action-RPGs, with dungeons to explore, puzzles to solve, and enemies to battle. It’s about as average as it gets for this genre, but if you’re hungry for something of this sort it will moderately sate your cravings.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition ($19.99)
The asymmetrical multiplayer Ghostbusters game makes its way to Switch in this Ecto Edition that includes the base game plus all four of the DLCs from 2023. One player is the ghost, and four other players take the role of Ghostbusters. The ghost has to evade capture and do the best haunting they can, while the other players have to use their various gadgets to stop the spirit. I kind of love that Dan Aykroyd reprises Ray in this game. I don’t think he’ll say no to any Ghostbusters project. Ernie Hudson is here too, which is nice to see. Winston rules. Bill wasn’t picking up the phone, but I’m sure he totally wanted to do it. Maybe next time!
Makoto Wakaido’s Case Files Trilogy Deluxe ($12.99)
That title is somewhat annoying. You see, this game has four cases in it, not three. Sorry, I’m weird. At any rate, this series has a basic design goal in mind. Players should be able to complete each case in about an hour. With four cases included, that means you get about four hours’ worth of pixel-art detective work. Good for those looking for a slightly lighter yet still satisfying bite in this genre.
Gungrave G.O.R.E Ultimate Enhanced Edition ($39.99)
Gungrave wasn’t the most polished or deep game back in the PlayStation 2 days, and this new game feels very much like a sequel to that one in terms of scope. This is shooting action at its most straightforward, setting aside things like fancy combos or, you know, aiming in favor of sheer brutal blasting. Shoot, shoot, shoot, and bonk your enemies on the head with your coffin if you need some variety. There’s a very particular flavor to this game that is going to hit just right with some people, but I’d imagine most will want to steer clear at this price.
Dinosaurs: Mission Dino Camp ($39.99)
Another game with the Schleich toy license, eh? To tell the truth, Schleich’s dinosaur toys are the main thing I know the company for. In this game, they’ve come to life and find themselves in the Amazon Jungle in need of rescue. I… I wonder if a T-Rex would really need humans to rescue it? Okay, fine. You’re meant to explore the jungle and do some little puzzles and mini-games to save the dinosaurs, I think. It’s all a little vague and I’m not going to drop forty bucks on the game to find out the ins and outs. Sorry.
Arcade Archives Blandia ($7.99)
I generally believe in trying to find the good even when it’s hard to spot, but there’s no sugar-coating this one: Blandia is a terrible game. It came out in 1992, and I’m not sure to what extent it might have been influenced by Street Fighter 2‘s release the year prior but it probably needed to do more homework. It’s a one-on-one fighter that looks of its era but plays like something several years older, with extremely clunky gameplay and stiff action. This one is really just for the Arcade Archives completionists, in my opinion.
Jujubos ($4.99)
A relatively simple puzzle game where you need to rescue all the creatures on each stage using the tools you have at your disposal. There are sixty stages in total, which is a fine enough amount for the concept to stretch its legs. There’s also a level editor here in case you feel like exercising your creative impulses.
Revenge of Banana ($3.99)
This isn’t going to be anyone’s first choice for a first-person shooter on Switch, but if you want to kill fruit monsters all while being so weak you’ll be taken out with a single hit. Well, it’s a thing.
The Bin Bunch
Choice Clash: What Would You Rather? ($2.29)
Tales of Mathasia ($7.99)
Hidden Cats in London ($2.99)
Super Ultimate Fighters ($2.23)
Hentai Tales Vol. 1 ($3.99)
Soviet Project ($3.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
A healthy list of new sales, to be sure. Take note of Radiant Silvergun, which is hitting a new low price of just under ten bucks. That’s an amazing deal for a great shooter. I’ll also call out The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, which has reached a rock-bottom price of two bucks. It’s definitely worth it. Otherwise, I’ll let you poke around and see what strikes you. Don’t forget to check the outbox while you’re at it, as it has its own treats to offer.
Select New Sales
No Place Like Home ($16.74 from $24.99 until 10/25)
Fur Squadron ($5.24 from $6.99 until 10/26)
Stellar Interface: Deluxe Edition ($1.99 from $15.98 until 10/30)
Death or Treat ($19.99 from $24.99 until 11/1)
Quick Race ($2.74 from $5.49 until 11/1)
Cupid Parasite ($17.49 from $49.99 until 11/1)
SENSEs: Midnight ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel ($8.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Infliction: Extended Cut ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Charade Maniacs ($29.99 from $49.99 until 11/1)
HAAK ($14.17 from $18.90 until 11/1)
Daemoniaca: Everlasting Night ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/1)
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/1)
Nine Witches: Family Disruption ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/1)
Dead by Daylight ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/2)
Dead by Daylight: Sadako Rising DLC ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/2)
The Guise ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/2)
Acceptance ($3.59 from $5.99 until 11/2)
Trenches ($4.99 from $9.99 until 11/2)
Distraint Collection ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/2)
Chasing Static ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/2)
Daardoa ($2.44 from $3.49 until 11/3)
Parasomnia Verum ($2.44 from $3.49 until 11/3)
EchoBlade ($5.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Daemonum ($3.14 from $4.49 until 11/3)
Timore Redo ($13.29 from $18.99 until 11/3)
Timore 5 ($9.09 from $12.99 until 11/3)
Giant Wishes ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/3)
Boo Party ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/3)
Touhou Spell Bubble ($27.49 from $54.99 until 11/6)
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain ($1.99 from $29.99 until 11/8)
To Be Or Not To Be ($1.99 from $6.99 until 11/8)
Choices That Matter: ATSWO ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/8)
Choices That Matter: ATSWE ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/8)
Choices That Matter: ATHWL ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/8)
Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/8)
Wylde Flowers ($19.99 from $24.99 until 11/8)
Baila Latino ($3.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Forklift Simulator 2023 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 11/8)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 Collection ($1.99 from $12.00 until 11/8)
Radiant Silvergun ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/9)
Moving Out 2 ($20.09 from $29.99 until 11/9)
DoDonPachi Resurrection ($12.99 from $19.99 until 11/9)
Espgaluda II ($12.99 from $19.99 until 11/9)
Mushihimesama ($12.99 from $19.99 until 11/9)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, October 20th
A Plague Tale: Innocence – Cloud Vers. ($15.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
A Plague Tale: Requiem – Cloud Vers. ($32.99 from $59.99 until 10/20)
A Tiny Sticker Tale ($8.49 from $9.99 until 10/20)
Albacete Warrior ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/20)
Another Sight ($3.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Bee Simulator ($3.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Call of Cthulhu ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/20)
Chef Life – Al Forno Edition ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
Dordogne ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/20)
Dorfromantik ($13.49 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Fluffy Milo ($3.49 from $4.99 until 10/20)
Golazo! 2 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Hunting Simulator 2: Bear Hunter Edition ($4.99 from 449.99 until 10/20)
Kao the Kangaroo Anniversary Edition ($22.19 from $36.99 until 10/20)
Kao the Kangaroo Well Good Bundle ($14.84 from $32.99 until 10/20)
Monster Truck Championship Rebel Edition ($9.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
My Fantastic Ranch ($19.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
My Heart Grows Fonder ($7.99 from $9.99 until 10/20)
My Little Riding Champion ($2.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Othercide ($11.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
Premium Pool Arena ($2.39 from $11.99 until 10/20)
Rims Racing: Ultimate Edition ($13.99 from $69.99 until 10/20)
Rogue Lords ($7.49 from $24.99 until 10/20)
Roguebook ($7.49 from $24.99 until 10/20)
Session: Skate Sim ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
Slime Girl Smoothies ($11.24 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Suhoshin ($9.49 from $18.99 until 10/20)
Tennis World Tour 2 ($9.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
Tennis World Tour Legends Edition ($3.49 from $34.99 until 10/20)
The Unicorn Princess ($3.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Time of War, Arkano ’90 ($3.14 from $14.99 until 10/20)
Train Life: A Railway Simulator ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/20)
TT Isle of Man ($4.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2 ($11.99 from $59.99 until 10/20)
V-Rally 4 Ultimate Edition ($6.99 from $69.99 until 10/20)
Vampyr ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
Wargroove ($7.99 from $19.99 until 10/20)
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun ($16.49 from $21.99 until 10/20)
WRC 10 – Deluxe Edition ($11.99 from $59.99 until 10/20)
WRC 8 FIA World Rally Championship ($4.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
WRC 9 The Official Game ($3.99 from $39.99 until 10/20)
WRC Generations Fully Loaded Edition ($24.99 from $49.99 until 10/20)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, which consist of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and some other things. Mario! There aren’t a lot of games that get these old bones genuinely excited, but a new Mario will always do it. I hope you all have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
