Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024! Today's update starts with some exciting news, followed by a review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with the usual sales updates – both new and expiring. Let's dive in!
News
Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap
As predicted by some industry insiders, Nintendo surprised us with a last-minute Nintendo Direct! The 40-minute presentation featured a Partner Showcase and an Indie World Showcase. While no first-party titles were revealed, and there was certainly nothing about the next-gen Switch console, it still held some interesting announcements. You can watch the full presentation above; a detailed summary of the key highlights will be available tomorrow.
Reviews & Mini-Views
EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)
This untransalted EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game itself enjoyable, and is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is an intriguing, albeit not outstanding, title. Falcom blends a Japanese-style adventure game with side-scrolling shooter elements, but neither aspect truly shines. The adventure sections feature appealing artwork, and the attempt to integrate a narrative into a shoot 'em up is noteworthy. The gameplay primarily involves interacting with characters, accepting quests, and earning money to upgrade your spaceship. This is crucial for progressing through the action sequences.
The shooter sections, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in choppy scrolling. Even with smoother movement, the gameplay might not be exceptional. It's unclear which game element is meant to take precedence, but ultimately, Star Trader is more fascinating than it is fun. This leads us to the language barrier. The adventure sections are text-heavy, requiring player input for optimal outcomes. Without understanding Japanese, players miss a significant portion of the game, hindering progress due to the inability to earn enough credits for ship upgrades. While brute-forcing might be possible, the experience won't be ideal.
Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer experimenting outside their usual genre. However, the substantial amount of Japanese text significantly limits its appeal to Western audiences. While some enjoyment might be gleaned from exploration, a strong recommendation is difficult to give.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Select New Releases
Crypt Custodian ($19.99)
This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat, who's banished from the afterlife and tasked with eternal cleaning duties. Explore, battle enemies with a broom, encounter quirky characters, defeat bosses, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely give it a try.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, check out the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Don't miss out on 1000xRESIST – it's a must-buy! Other notable sales include Star Wars titles, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and some Tomb Raider games. Check out the lists below!
Select New Sales
Return ($10.49 from $13.99 until 9/2)
Summer Daze: Tilly’s Tale ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/9)
Please Fix the Road ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/9)
Ticket to Ride ($26.99 from $29.99 until 9/9)
King ‘n Knight ($9.59 from $11.99 until 9/9)
Spiritfarer ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/9)
Harpoon Shooter Nozomi ($6.98 from $9.98 until 9/16)
Like Dreamer ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/16)
Cosmo Dreamer ($4.10 from $8.20 until 9/16)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($8.99 from $59.99 until 9/16)
Gluck ($5.59 from $6.99 until 9/16)
Love Love School Days ($4.19 from $10.49 until 9/16)
Ugly ($6.79 from $19.99 until 9/16)
Replik Survivors ($3.44 from $4.99 until 9/16)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th
1000xRESIST ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Citizen Sleeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Genesis Noir ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Haiku, The Robot ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Heads Up! Phones Down Edition ($1.99 from $39.99 until 8/28)
Legend Bowl ($18.74 from $24.99 until 8/28)
MythForce ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/28)
Paradise Killer ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Battlefront Collection ($28.00 from $35.01 until 8/28)
Star Wars Bounty Hunter ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Episode I Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR II: Sith Lords ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Republic Commando ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Super Mutant Alien Assault ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Suzerain ($4.49 from $17.99 until 8/28)
The Pale Beyond ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Times & Galaxy ($17.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/28)
That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a Direct recap, new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!
