Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 27th, 2024. It’s Thursday, and the ball seems to be rolling again on eShop releases for this day of the week at least. We’ve got a bunch of games to check out today, including titles like Tchia, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, and NeoSprint. After that, there are the usual lists of new and expiring sales for the day in case your wallet needs further lightening. That’s us, the Lightening Force! Thunder sounds cooler. I’ll workshop it. Let’s go!
Select New Releases
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD ($59.99)
More Luigi? Sure, I’m always up for Green Mario’s adventures. This is a port of the Nintendo 3DS sequel to the GameCube launch title, and it’s a good bit of fun. Go through the haunted spaces, catch the ghosts, solve some puzzles, and so on. There’s also an enjoyable multiplayer component that you can enjoy with four players via local wireless or online multiplayer. I’ll have a review of this one soon, but if you enjoyed Luigi’s Mansion 3 you might enjoy stepping back into this one. Tantalus handled the port, so it should be fine on that front.
Tchia ($29.99)
I heard a lot about this open world game when it launched on other platforms last year, and impressions were truly all over the place. Most seemed to agree that its New Caledonia-inspired island setting was refreshing and well-realized, but opinions were more split about whether or not the campaign actually kept the player interested enough to explore it. The main gimmick is that you can soul jump into various creatures and objects, giving you access to whatever abilities they might possess. I’ll have my review of this for you soon, covering both what I think of the game and the port.
NeoSprint ($24.99)
Another Atari brand gets revived with NeoSprint, a top-down racer for up to eight players via local multiplayer. There’s a ton to do here, with a campaign, grand prix, time trials, a course creator, lots of unlockables, and more. The gameplay feels very familiar if you’ve ever played any of the Sprint games or the many games inspired by them. I’m doing a review of this one soon-ish, but I think if you’re a fan of the series and aren’t expecting any radical changes to the formula, you’ll like what you get here.
Arcade Archives Jackal ($7.99)
It has been fourteen years since this game was last released in any form, and it gets far too few rereleases in general for its quality. Jackal is a top-down Commando-style shooter where up to two players take control of combat jeeps on a mission to rescue POWs and defeat the enemy forces. The NES version was particularly popular in the West. While there are a number of differences between the two, fans of that one will find plenty to like here. You get both the Japanese and Overseas versions here, with the former having the jeep’s machine guns fire in the direction it’s facing and the latter having the machine guns always fire forwards. I love this game and highly recommend it.
EGGCONSOLE Topple Zip PC-8801 ($6.49)
Another EGGCONSOLE release so soon? And it’s not an action-RPG with a lot of Japanese text and opaque mechanics? Well, neat. Topple Zip is an odd game all on its own, though. Certainly some opaque mechanics of its own. Part racer, part shooter, with plenty of Druaga-style hidden (but required!) nonsense, Topple Zip is a very distinct work. As ever, I will be reviewing this once I’ve put it through its paces.
Tsukihime -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- ($49.99)
And now let’s take a step into the visual novel wing of today’s new releases. First up, we have this remake of the 1999 classic Tsukihime, which collects the two stories of the Near Side of the Moon scenario. The setting has been updated to the 2010s, and there’s new art, animations, and music to go with that. Even this remake has been out for a few years in Japan, but this will be the first English release of the game in any form. Sure, it’s considered an important work among Japanese fans, but how does it hold up these days? Our pal Mikhail is looking into this one and will let us know his thoughts soon.
Radiant Tale -Fanfare!- ($49.99)
And here’s a fan disk add-on for Radiant Tale, offering up three new modes of play complete with new routes for two side characters. The usual fan disk rule likely applies here: if you enjoyed the original and want more from its world, give this a look. If you didn’t like the original, I can’t imagine this going over any better. And if you haven’t played the original at all, this is definitely not the place to start.
Planetarian: Snow Globe ($4.99)
We’ve had a remake and a fan disk, so how about a prequel now? See what happened with companion robot Yumemi Hoshino in her earlier days working at the planetarium, before things went completely ca-ca. One day she seems to malfunction and leaves the planetarium to walk around the town. One of the staff members is sent to go and bring her back. I don’t know if this will get the tears jerking like the main game does, but I can tell you this is like the main game in that you won’t be making any choices, just reading along. Don’t play this before the main game, of course.
How to Sing to Open Your Heart Remastered ($14.99)
And we close the visual novel portion of the show today with this, the third entry in the Story of Eroolia series. It follows on from How to Take Off Your Mask and How to Fool a Liar King, and follows the story of previous side character Princess Myana. Will her song finally settle the grievances between the humans and luccretias? Your choices will determine the outcome, but I have to believe the odds are good in one reality or another.
Frogue ($4.99)
It’s kind of a shame to see a cute name like that used on anything other than a traditional roguelike, but nothing can be done about that now. This is a procedurally-generated bullet hell platformer where you can use a quick dash and time manipulation to attack your foes and avoid their attacks. Title disappointments aside, this is an okay little five-dollar game.
Flying Tank ($14.99)
Ahh, this is one of those grindy shooters. Well, I know some people enjoy them. I won’t rain on their parades. And for whatever it’s worth, this does seem to have good reviews on other platforms. You play as a flying tank (like in the title!) and blast your way through the enemy forces to reclaim the Earth. You can play solo or pull in a friend for some local multiplayer fun, but either way you’re going to have a big job ahead of you if you want to complete all twenty-four missions in the game. You’ll have to properly build up and customize your tank to be able to handle the challenges ahead of you using more than thirty different upgrades. You can try it out for free on mobile if you like, where the full game unlocks with an IAP.
Echolocaution ($5.00)
This is really cute. It’s a score attack game where you play as a bat, and your goal is to catch as much prey as you can in each hunt while using your echolocation to avoid incoming threats. You can also find little treasures and baubles to bring back home with you, and each has its own little description. All the little different bats hang out together in a cave with a bat-mom between hunts, and you’ll get to see conversations unfold among them. It’s only an hour or two long, and there is certainly fancier dining to be had today, but this game has a lot of charm and that’s not nothing.
A Street Cat’s Tale 2: Outside is Dangerous ($13.99)
Lots of games recently about cats falling out of their owner’s window and having to try to find their way back home while making their way through an unfamiliar concrete jungle. Here’s another one, and it’s a sequel to a game that I seem to remember as a bit of a sad one. Anyway, you’re a former housecat who has to cope with life on the streets as you try to find your owner. There are puzzles to solve, battles to fight, and fine garbage can cuisine to chow on. I sure hope this one has a happy ending, no one needs sad cat stories in 2024.
Fortress Challenge – Fort Boyard ($39.99)
It is only now, this late in the game, that I realize Fort Boyard must be some kind of licensed property. With Microids handling it, I’m sure it will be of dubious quality. But hey, who knows? This game is for up to four players via local multiplayer, and it features multiple game modes and what I presume are various elements from the… is it a TV show? I’m going to search it now. Okay, yes. TV show. Microids is usually pretty good about making these games look the part and pass on paper, but the execution is where things typically fall apart and that is the one part I can’t speak to as I haven’t played this yet. Proceed with caution, if you must.
Cape’s Escape Game 9th Room ($9.80)
This time around, Cape is escaping to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism… SPACE!
Make It! Yakitori ($3.00)
You have to hand it to SAT-BOX. When they find a concept that works, they keep at it until there isn’t a speck of meat left on the carcass. Make some yakitori with your friends!
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
The main sales I want to call out from the inbox today are for Dave the Diver and Megaton Musashi W: Wired. Both great prices for games our pal Mikhail has raved about, so if you’re feeling the inclination to follow in his footsteps, why not hop in? Some decent games in the outbox too, so make sure you have a look at that before moving on with your adventure.
Select New Sales
Brotato ($3.99 from $4.99 until 7/8)
Space Gladiators ($11.99 from $14.99 until 7/8)
Hardcore Mecha ($14.99 from $24.99 until 7/8)
Time Trap: Hidden Objects ($10.49 from $14.99 until 7/11)
Neko Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 7/12)
Pretty Girls Rivers ($2.39 from $5.99 until 7/12)
The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo ($9.99 from $19.99 until 7/12)
Space Mercenary Defense Force ($3.74 from $4.99 until 7/12)
Megaton Musashi W: Wired ($24.99 from $49.99 until 7/12)
Yonesawara Hospital ($9.00 from $18.00 until 7/12)
Saga of the Moon Priestess ($3.89 from $5.99 until 7/12)
Dave the Diver ($13.99 from $19.99 until 7/15)
KORG Gadget ($24.00 from $48.00 until 7/16)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party ($35.99 from $59.99 until 7/16)
Dragon Prana ($7.49 from $14.99 until 7/18)
Masquerade Kiss ($17.49 from $34.99 until 7/18)
Finally, in Love Again ($14.99 from $29.99 until 7/18)
Love Letter from Thief X ($7.49 from $24.99 until 7/18)
Our Two Bedroom Story ($7.49 from $24.99 until 7/18)
Metro PD: Close to You ($20.99 from $29.99 until 7/18)
Knights of Grayfang ($11.24 from $14.99 until 7/18)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, June 28th
9 Years of Shadows ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Alpha Particle ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Burrow of the Fallen Bear ($6.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Cozy Hamlets ($4.23 from $5.29 until 6/28)
Cyber Shadow ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Danmaku Unlimited 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Dark Deity ($6.24 from $24.99 until 6/28)
Diorama Dungeoncrawl ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/28)
Dream Tactics ($14.39 from $17.99 until 6/28)
Empires Shall Fall ($9.74 from $12.99 until 6/28)
Euphoria ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Freak Crossing ($2.49 from $4.99 until 6/28)
Ginnung ($2.24 from $5.00 until 6/28)
Golazo 2: Soccer Cup 2022 ($3.19 from $15.98 until 6/28)
Inertia 2 ($2.85 from $4.39 until 6/28)
Make It! Ikayaki ($1.99 from $3.00 until 6/28)
Monster Outbreak ($11.99 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Monster Tribe ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Mugen Souls Double Pack ($45.49 from $69.99 until 6/28)
Rider’s Spirits ($4.79 from $5.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Dig ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
Shovel Knight Treasure Trove ($19.99 from $39.99 until 6/28)
Siralim 3 ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Siralim Ultimate ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/28)
The Sorrowvirus ($3.74 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Thunder Ray ($8.24 from $14.99 until 6/28)
Until the Last Plane ($3.49 from $9.99 until 6/28)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus whatever news and sales roll in over the course of the day. Phew, I’m exhausted again today. These early mornings I’ve been doing lately are going to be the end of me if I’m not more careful about my late nights. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!