Good day light readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Spherical-Up for September sixth, 2024. Effectively, that is the final one. You’ll see yet one more particular from me subsequent week with a number of critiques which have particular embargo dates, however that is the ultimate common SwitchArcade Spherical-Up for TouchArcade by yours actually. We’ve been at this for a number of years and I want I might have seen the Swap by means of to its finish with these articles, however circumstances dictate one other course. We’re going out with one other chunky one, with a pair of critiques from our pal Mikhail, a pair of Shaun critiques, a handful of recent launch summaries, and the standard lists of recent and expiring gross sales. Let’s trip one final time!
Critiques & Mini-Views
Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU ($49.99)
After Imagineer’s success with the Health Boxing video games that led to the hilarious however good Health Boxing Fist of the North Star, I didn’t know what IP the group would work with for a brand new health sport. When Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU was introduced, I believed it was a wise collaboration, however was curious to see how the sport felt after Fist of the North Star. I’ve been taking part in it over the previous couple of weeks alongside Ring Match Journey and I’m impressed with Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU in some ways.
Should you’re new to the Health Boxing collection, these video games, because the title suggests, use boxing and rhythm sport actions to get you into form by means of each day workout routines, mini-games that additionally get you sweating, and extra. With Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU, everybody’s favourite vocaloid will get in on the motion and there’s even a separate devoted mode for her songs along with the conventional songs included on this launch. Understand that this can be a Pleasure-Con solely sport so you’ll be able to’t play it with a Professional Controller or any third occasion equipment so far as I’m conscious.
As with different video games within the collection, there are issue choices, a free coaching mode to do as you please, warmups, and monitoring with reminders and the systemwide alarm that may remind you even when your Swap is in sleep mode. There are cosmetics you’ll be able to unlock by means of the factors you earn by taking part in as properly. I can’t touch upon the DLC but, however as for the bottom launch, I preferred Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU greater than Fist of the North Star apart from one difficulty.
The audio in Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU is nice, however the principle teacher’s voice isn’t nice. I ended up turning this voice down as a result of it felt misplaced with the remainder of the sport, and simply sounded a bit weirdly directed.
Identical to the Health Boxing Fist of the North Star launch from Imagineer, Health Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU is a strong fitness-focused sport that does an awesome job of bringing Miku to the world of Health Boxing to attempt to enchantment to her followers. Whereas it’s a competent health sport with its each day exercise, customization, and monitoring, I really feel like it will be higher as a complement to one thing like Ring Match Journey or your individual different train routine reasonably than being the only real train you do in the course of the week. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5
Magical Delicacy ($24.99)
Magical Delicacy from sKaule and Whitethorn Video games is one I hadn’t paid a lot consideration to till a good friend of mine linked me to an Xbox Recreation Go announcement for it. Since then, I’ve performed it on Swap as properly, however really feel prefer it wants a bit extra time within the oven. I like Metroidvania-style platformers and cooking video games, but it surely looks like Magical Delicacy takes the nice bits of each genres whereas not placing them collectively in one of the simplest ways doable. This ends in a sport I like in components, however one the place the issues harm a bit extra.
You play as Flora who’s a younger witch in a narrative that’s equal components mysterious, magical, and healthful. Your purpose is to cook dinner meals and craft for numerous of us, and I used to be shocked at how properly the exploration was applied apart from the backtracking that irritated me generally. I anticipated it to be missing in comparison with the cooking and crafting, however the group nailed the Metroidvania components. There are some points with substances within the crafting and in how stock is managed. That is made a bit worse by the UI that I took some time to get used to with interplay.
Magical Delicacy makes an awesome first impression with its attractive pixel artwork visuals, beautiful music, and tons of settings. The latter consists of UI scale and textual content choices which can be each very helpful when taking part in on Swap in handheld mode. I really feel like Magical Delicacy would have benefited loads from an early entry launch or will from potential updates.
On the subject of the Swap model, it performs very properly apart from some seemingly body pacing-related hiccups. It has good rumble as properly. Having performed it on Xbox Collection X, that is undoubtedly a sport I’d play extra on a conveyable so a Swap or Steam Deck model could be greatest. I simply play the style extra on handhelds.
Magical Delicacy is a sport I ought to’ve liked given it’s mainly a mix of a Metroidvania and a crooking/crafting sport, but it surely feels somewhat undercooked (I couldn’t resist) in components due to some stock and backtracking points. Whereas it’s a superb sport proper now that feels at residence on Swap, a number of high quality of life updates and sharpening will make it a necessary. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5
Aero The Acro-Bat 2 ($5.99)
Plenty of corporations tried their hand on the entire mascot platformer factor within the 16-bit period within the wake of Sonic the Hedgehog‘s explosive success. Like, the sheer variety of them is simply baffling. Much more than I remembered. Not a lot of them managed to see sequels, however Aero The Acro-Bat is a part of that elite few. How every member of that membership bought there’s its personal story, however in Aero’s case it appears to have been a mix of the primary sport going over properly sufficient, and sheer pressure of will to attempt to make fetch occur. Sadly, fetch didn’t occur. Aero spin-off Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel launched a number of months after Aero 2, however exterior of that Aero was by no means seen in one other unique title once more.
Does that make Aero The Acro-Bat 2 a nasty sport? I don’t assume so. It doesn’t look like it was a sufficiently big success to benefit one other follow-up, on the very least. However then once more, Sunsoft’s mother or father firm had just lately misplaced a ton of cash on a nasty funding involving golf programs, and that actually put it in a fiscally conservative temper for some time. Both means, I don’t assume the fault might be positioned on the standard of the sport. It’s nearly as good as the primary sport was, with all that means. A extra polished expertise that in shedding a few of these tough edges loses a few of its character, however a good sufficient platforming romp.
I used to be absolutely anticipating this launch to be in Ratalaika’s traditional emulation wrapper, however a lot to my shock there’s been an improve within the presentation. This feels much more tailored for the sport, and when it comes to each choices and extras I feel this can be a much better expertise total. Field and handbook scans, achievements, a gallery of sprite sheets, a jukebox, a bunch of cheats, and extra. I frankly don’t have any complaints in any respect about how the sport performs and the suite of options right here. The one nit I’ll choose is that you just solely get the Tremendous NES model of the sport right here. I really feel just like the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive model ought to have been included too, simply to maintain everybody joyful.
Those that loved Aero The Acro-Bat ought to naturally give Aero The Acro-Bat 2 a shot. I even assume those that have been barely delay by the primary sport’s quirks might need a greater time right here. I actually need to commend Ratalaika for stepping up its sport with the emulation wrapper for this launch. Maybe I’m being grasping, however I’d like to see the primary sport up to date with the same interface only for consistency. A positive launch for Aero followers and people on the look out for 16-bit platformers to play, and one which makes me optimistic for the remaining reissues of this collection.
SwitchArcade Rating: 3.5/5
Metro Quester | Osaka ($19.99)
I bought fairly a little bit of enjoyment out of the unique Metro Quester when it launched some time again. It’s a little bit of a bear to get into, however when you perceive its guidelines and what it’s important to do, it’s an immensely satisfying dungeon-crawling turn-based RPG. Experimenting with occasion builds to attempt to discover the optimum group was a process I really loved taking up. With that in thoughts, I used to be very joyful to see that there was one other sport within the collection coming. Metro Quester | Osaka feels somewhat extra like an enlargement pack than a correct sequel, however I’m very happy with that given how a lot I bought out of the unique.
The story here’s a prequel to the unique sport, and we’ve moved to Osaka as a setting. You get a complete new dungeon to discover, and a few new character varieties to do this exploring with. Osaka is a a lot wetter location, so that you’ll want to make use of your canoe to journey over the water in locations. With the brand new dungeon comes new weapons, expertise, and enemies to cope with. Undoubtedly extra to chew on right here for individuals who have wrung out the unique sport, and if you happen to had fun there then you’ll get pleasure from this one, too.
That stated, this sport shares a lot of its broader mechanics with the unique Metro Quester. Should you want an evidence, please try my overview of that sport for extra particulars. Brief model: turn-based fight, top-down dungeon exploration, and a complete lot of inching your means outward somewhat additional every time earlier than having to go again to camp. , the good things. Those that are careless will discover themselves in scorching water in a short time, as planning and cautious play is virtually a necessity on this sport.
Those that discovered themselves absolutely absorbed in Metro Quester will discover loads to get pleasure from in Metro Quester | Osaka, and new gamers ought to most likely simply skip proper to this sport. It’s extra of an enlargement pack than a sequel, however that on no account needs to be taken as a nasty factor. Relatively, it simply looks like the designer needed to ship gamers on one other journey that pushes out the prevailing techniques in some fascinating methods. It’s actually a sport you’ll need to be affected person with to get probably the most out of, however these prepared to take a position the time will benefit from the dividends.
SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5
Choose New Releases
NBA 2K25 ($59.99)
NBA 2K is again… in 25 type! , I discover myself questioning one thing. What occurs to the title of this collection after we hit the yr 2100? NBA 2K100? Simply feels bizarre. We’ll have to speak about that when the scenario arises, I suppose. Apparently this yr’s model has improved gameplay, a brand new characteristic referred to as Neighborhood, and a few nonsense about MyTEAM. I’m not going to fake to know what’s occurring right here, so as an alternative I’ll simply toss out the quantity of house you’ll want in your reminiscence card for this sport after which transfer on. Right here we go. 53.3 GB!
Shogun Showdown ($14.99)
Bought room in your coronary heart for one more riff on Darkest Dungeon? This one has a Japanese-inspired setting, and there are a number of bits in right here that change issues up somewhat. Setting all of that apart, that is very a lot a well-known fashion of sport and I feel it’s a good sufficient instance of such to be of curiosity to these on the hunt for one more one.
Aero The Acro-Bat 2 ($5.99)
Effectively, there’s a overview up above this part, however in case you’re within the behavior of skipping down the web page, let me fill you in. That is the considerably extra polished sequel to the profitable Aero The Acro-Bat, all completed up in Ratalaika’s emulator wrapper. Mentioned wrapper was given extra effort for this launch, and it appears good! The model of the sport included is the Tremendous NES one, and you’ll play the North American launch or the Japanese one. I want the Genesis/Mega Drive model was in right here, however I can’t think about Aero followers being sad with this total exterior of that.
Sunsoft is Again! Retro Recreation Choice ($9.99)
Sunsoft is again! Okay, Sunsoft has been again for some time now, and also you most likely don’t want a trio of heretofore non-localized Famicom video games to promote you on that. So as an alternative let the video games promote you on themselves, as you get a trio of distinctive and assorted titles on this bunch. A side-scrolling motion platformer, an journey sport, and an action-RPG of types. I reviewed this set a few days in the past, so I counsel checking that out if you happen to want extra particulars. Brief model: if you happen to like bizarre previous video games, this can be a good pick-up.
Gross sales
(North American eShop, US Costs)
Some enjoyable stuff within the inbox right this moment, together with a very good value on the Cosmic Fantasy Assortment. Somewhat expensive at its regular value, however at 40% off I feel it’s price contemplating for retro RPG followers. I’ll additionally name out the pleasurable platformer Tinykin, which is at its lowest value but. Have a great look by means of these lists and see what catches your eye.
Choose New Gross sales
Zombie Military Trilogy ($8.74 from $34.99 till 9/12)
Zombie Military 4: Useless Struggle ($14.99 from $49.99 till 9/12)
Wild Seas ($2.49 from $4.99 till 9/12)
Chants of Sennaar ($14.99 from $19.99 till 9/13)
The Home of Da Vinci 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 till 9/13)
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun ($15.39 from $21.99 till 9/13)
Toziuha Night time: Dracula’s Revenge ($1.99 from $4.99 till 9/16)
Monkey Barrels ($7.49 from $14.99 till 9/19)
Banchou Ways ($15.99 from $19.99 till 9/19)
Transiruby ($10.49 from $14.99 till 9/19)
Picontier ($19.99 from $24.99 till 9/19)
Kamiko ($1.99 from $4.99 till 9/19)
Fairune Assortment ($3.99 from $9.99 till 9/19)
Alchemic Dungeons DX ($3.19 from $7.99 till 9/19)
Ninja Smasher! ($6.39 from $7.99 till 9/19)
Ninja Striker! ($1.99 from $3.99 till 9/19)
Nice Ambition of the Slimes ($9.59 from $11.99 till 9/19)
Shinobi Non Grata ($11.99 from $14.99 till 9/19)
Let’s Construct a Zoo ($7.99 from $19.99 till 9/20)
Owlboy ($8.74 from $24.99 till 9/20)
Hakuoki: Wind & Blossom ($44.99 from $49.99 till 9/20)
Omen of Sorrow ($7.99 from $19.99 till 9/20)
Dungeonoid 2 Awakening ($4.49 from $8.99 till 9/20)
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt CE ($23.99 from $59.99 till 9/22)
Knights of Grayfang ($10.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Gale of Windoria ($7.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Justice Chronicles ($7.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Armed Emeth ($7.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Jinshin ($10.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Alphadia Genesis ($7.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Grace of Letoile ($10.49 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Tinykin ($6.24 from $24.99 till 9/26)
Despot’s Recreation ($4.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Cosmic Fantasy Assortment ($29.99 from $49.99 till 9/26)
Cosmic Fantasy ($15.90 from $26.50 till 9/26)
Cosmic Fantasy 2 ($15.90 from $26.50 till 9/26)
Spirittea ($15.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Punch Membership 2: Quick Ahead ($9.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Railway Empire 2 ($37.49 from $49.99 till 9/26)
Lil’ Guardsman ($11.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Potion Craft Alchemist Simulator ($11.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Euphoria ($1.99 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Of The Purple, the Mild, & Ayakashi ($25.06 from $50.13 till 9/26)
Trendy Fight Blackout ($1.99 from $7.99 till 9/26)
The Buddies of Ringo Ishikawa ($8.99 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Arrest of a Stone Buddha ($8.99 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Fading Afternoon ($16.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Astor: Blade of the Monolith ($14.99 from $24.99 till 9/26)
Tamarak Path ($8.99 from $14.99 till 9/26)
Inflexible Pressure Redux ($3.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Yaga ($6.24 from $24.99 till 9/26)
Rabi-Ribi ($13.99 from $19.99 till 9/26)
Gross sales Ending This Weekend
Useless in Vinland: True Viking ($2.79 from $27.99 till 9/7)
Gunslugs ($4.79 from $7.99 till 9/7)
Gunslugs 2 ($4.79 from $7.99 till 9/7)
Heroes of Loot ($4.79 from $7.99 till 9/7)
Heroes of Loot 2 ($5.99 from $9.99 till 9/7)
Meganoid ($5.39 from $8.99 till 9/7)
NOISZ re:||COLLECTION G ($19.99 from $24.99 till 9/7)
Phoenotopia: Awakening ($6.99 from $19.99 till 9/7)
House Grunts ($8.39 from $13.99 till 9/7)
Stardash ($5.99 from $9.99 till 9/7)
Superhot ($9.99 from $24.99 till 9/7)
Dormitory Love ($24.49 from $34.99 till 9/8)
Dying Mild: Definitive Version ($9.99 from $49.99 till 9/8)
Fur Squadron ($2.79 from $6.99 till 9/8)
Tchia: Oleti Version ($23.44 from $34.99 till 9/8)
That’s all for right this moment, this week, this month, this yr, and perpetually, pals. I haven’t been very loud about this, however this isn’t solely the tip of the SwitchArcade Spherical-Up, but additionally of my eleven and a half years at TouchArcade. I’ll nonetheless be writing right here and there at my weblog at Submit Recreation Content material in addition to placing up unique articles on my Patreon, however aside from that I feel I’m hanging up the ol’ webs on this particular type of work. Twenty-six years on this finish of the enterprise is an efficient run, and I’m prepared for brand spanking new challenges. Do search for me at one of many aforementioned locations, hit me up on BlueSky and say hello, and if you happen to’re a elaborate govt trying to rent a really seasoned author, I’m your man.
With that stated, I’ll lengthen the best doable gratitude to all of TouchArcade’s readers for being with me on this leg of my life’s journey. I treasure all of you greater than you’ll be able to know. I want you all of the sincerest happiness in your lives, and perpetually and all the time – thanks for studying.