Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November 11th, 2021. It’s Pocky day here in Japan. I’m not sure what that means beyond the fact that the shops put all their Pocky up-front today and you can sometimes get some branded bits and bobs. I suppose more relevant to most of our readers is that it is Thursday, and there are a bunch of new Switch games to look at. We’re partying like it’s the first half of the 00s today thanks to the arrival of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definive Edition and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and I am all for it. There are plenty of other games to check out today, plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Let’s have a gander!
New Releases
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
At last, Grand Theft Auto on the Switch. Come to think of it, I think this is the first time Grand Theft Auto has been on a Nintendo home console at all. Anyway, let’s get on with the summary. In case you’ve been living under a rock, this contains remade versions of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. All of the games have been given a number of enhancements and improvements to present these influential classics in a whole new style. Note that the same music tracks that were removed in the mobile versions are still gone here, but there doesn’t seem to be any further cuts. If you consider them to be twenty bucks apiece for actual (albeit modestly-budgeted) remakes of the three games, it’s a pretty good value.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ($14.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Compared to the Shaun of 2003, the Shaun of 2021 isn’t so big on Star Wars or Bioware anymore. It only took about fifteen minutes for Knights of the Old Republic to suck me back in again, and that speaks to just how great this game is. Given that the game was originally designed to work on the Xbox controller, the rather cumbersome controls of the other Switch ports of Bioware’s games aren’t a problem here. If you haven’t played this game before, do it. If you have, I probably don’t have to twist your arm much to get you to play it again. I’ll have a full review of this one soon.
TIMINGooo! ($12.00)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Oh, this is delightful. It’s a rhythm game with a really bizarre sense of humor, and it reminds me of games like Rhythm Heaven. You play as a guy who accidentally falls into hell and must show his sense of rhythm to pass through five unique circles, each based on a different music genre. Just push the buttons to the beat and you’ll be fine. Nothing too fancy as games of this genre go, but it’s both fun and funny, and that is enough for me.
Arcade Archives Libble Rabble ($7.99)
Back into the Namco classics again this week, but it’s a relatively lesser-known one. Libble Rabble came out in 1983 and was actually co-designed by Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man. This was his first game following that benchmark title, and it didn’t quite have the same impact. The idea here is that you control both Libble and Rabble and try to carve out portions of the screen by making closed loops with them. You control each of them with their own stick, and trying to get them both going where you want them, when you want them to go, is a lot like trying to have two telephone conversations at the same time without messing up. It’s pretty fun once you get the hang of it, and Hamster has done their usual high-quality work in bringing the game to the Switch.
American Hero ($14.99)
Well, this is certainly something. For a brief span in the early 1990s, some absolute fools who made more money in an hour than most of us make in a year thought that FMV games were the future of the medium. It didn’t take too long for them to be disabused of that notion, but for a short period a whole lot of mid-tier talent had its chance to light up some kind of screen again. Towards the tail end of this era, Atari released its last console, the incredibly cursed Jaguar. It was followed by the even-more-cursed Jaguar CD-ROM add-on. This game was originally filmed and planned for release on that unholy device, but after the peripheral failed so hard that it made the Virtual Boy look like a rousing success, someone clearly thought better of the idea. And now it’s back! And finished! They even brought back one of the actors to do new voice-overs. So yeah, for a mere fifteen bucks you can enjoy some real-butt history that never was, all on your Nintendo Switch. Bon appetit!
Pups & Purrs Animal Hospital ($39.99)
Here’s a new job for you: veterinarian. Unless you, dear reader, are already a veterinarian. I’m sure some of you are, statistically speaking. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. This game presents a fun version of the job where you give cute animals check-ups and treat their various problems. Lots of little mini-games for all of these things, as you might expect. Perhaps unexpectedly, you also get days off in the game. You can go hang out at the cafe, go shopping for new outfits, get your hair done, go the amusement park, and more. This seems to be of good quality for something within this particular niche, at least. Animal-loving kids especially may take to it well.
Epic Chef ($24.99)
Get ready to show off your cooking skills as you aim to become the top chef in Ambrosia. Gather materials and ingredients, grow what you can, and use your imagination to create the tastiest dishes ever seen. In theory, anyway. You’d best get it right, as you’ll soon find yourself in competitions with other chefs. The judges all have different tastes, and it’s up to you to present meals that please their palates. Between the battles, enjoy the story and explore the world in this light-hearted life-sim. This developer’s previous game, Zenith, didn’t quite live up to its potential, but I’m hoping things turn out differently with this one.
Joojee’s Journey ($8.99)
A narrative adventure game about a rabbit who has lost her memories, Joojee’s Journey sees the titular character on a quest to remember herself. Luckily, she has a magical brush that allows her to enter the minds of others, which she will use to help solve their problems. You’ve got a mix of puzzles and platforming here, but you can use the assist mode if you’re finding any of it too tough. It looks cute.
Beyond Blue ($19.99)
The makers of Never Alone are back with this undersea adventure. Take the role of Mirai, a scientist who also doubles as a deep sea explorer. You’ve been outfitted with the latest tech that allows you to see and experience the ocean like no one has before. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and story as you explore the depths. You can unlock sixteen mini-documentaries about the ocean as you go, and they are quite well-produced. I know a lot of people can’t get enough of this kind of setting, and they’ll surely be happy to have another game that uses it so well.
Treasures of the Aegean ($19.99)
From Undercoders, the developers behind the very cool SuperEpic, this is an exploratory platformer with a time loop twist. You’ll have to pull off a lot of tricky challenges to find all of the puzzles and clues you’ll need to solve the mystery behind the volcanic island of Thera. I haven’t had a chance to play this one yet, but based on the details and developer it’s certainly one I’ll be taking a closer look at.
Retro Highway ($5.99)
While your first impression of this may be that it is some kind of retro-style racer along the lines of 80’s Overdrive, Retro Highway is actually a variation on the behind-the-back auto-runner model. Weave in and out of traffic, take jumps, collect coins, use power-ups you find along the way, and see how far you can go. Complete missions to earn more coins and open up new locations, and use those coins to buy new rides or upgrade your power-ups. It’s fine for what it is. If you want a taste, it’s available for free on mobile devices. You’ll have to deal with an ad or two, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.
Panmorphia: Enchanted ($3.99)
LKMAD has another value-priced port of one of its mobile adventure games for us today. This time, it’s the follow-up to Panmorphia. Evolve your powers and use the various elements to solve tricky puzzles as you explore the Lost Temple. This one is handheld mode only, as it uses a touch interface. A hint system and auto-saves make this a nice option for those who just want to chill out and poke at some puzzles at their own pace.
Zombie is Planting ($10.99)
We’ve seen zombies doing all kinds of things, but this might be the first game I’ve seen where the zombies are farming. Your goal is to try to revive the polluted Earth by building a farming village using zombie workers. Other than the gimmick, there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual about this game. Farm, harvest, fish, cook, explore, and build. Just with zombies instead of people. Sure, why not?
Island Farmer ($2.99)
The idea here is that you are given a picture of how the island is supposed to look, and you then have to swap tiles around until it matches that picture. No timer, no pressure, and really not much to think about at all. Just a chill little way to keep your hands busy, I guess. There are twenty islands in total to fix up, which I imagine won’t take a whole lot of time. I mean, it’s three bucks. Just make sure you know what you’re getting into.
Air Strike: WW2 Fighters Sky Combat ($6.99)
T-Bull doesn’t shovel as much nonsense as some publishers, but the eShop description for this game calls it “one of the most compelling and satisfying experiences in the world", and that right there might be one of the most egregious lies I have seen all week. This is a very bog-standard WW2-themed vertical shoot-em-up. It has multiple characters and forty levels set across four different stage themes. There are also upgrades you can buy with the coins you collect, because this is pretty obviously a repurposed mobile game. You can get far better shooters at around this price point, and that’s just what you should do.
Box That Ball ($2.99)
No, we’re not getting away today without something from Benjamin Kistler, I’m afraid. Another probable Android template, and handheld only as is usually the case with Ben’s stuff. Launch the ball into the target box. Do it for more than one hundred levels. There are tons of free games like this on mobile, but what makes this one special is that it costs three bucks and makes zero attempts at originality.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Let’s see what we’ve got in the lists today, friends. I suppose the first and most obvious thing to point out is that The World Ends With You: Final Mix has been discounted to coincide with its Game Trial on Nintendo Switch Online. Beyond that, we’ve got a couple of launch sales, a few unusual things like Metal Unit, and a whole lot of the usual suspects. I don’t have much to say for the outbox, but make sure you check it as you do your usual scan of both lists in case you find something more interesting than I did.
Select New Games on Sale
Cozy Grove ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/17)
Space Otter Charlie ($10.44 from $14.99 until 11/17)
Fracter ($3.34 from $6.99 until 11/17)
Breakpoint ($2.38 from $4.99 until 11/17)
Deleveled ($3.90 from $9.99 until 11/17)
The Ambassador: FT ($5.86 from $14.99 until 11/17)
#Funtime ($5.17 from $14.99 until 11/17)
Roundguard ($8.63 from $19.99 until 11/17)
Gurgamoth ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
Almost There: The Platformer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
Tumblestone ($1.99 from $14.99 until 11/17)
The Bridge ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/17)
Muse Dash ($20.99 from $29.99 until 11/18)
Neverout ($1.99 from $7.49 until 11/18)
Epic Chef ($22.49 from $24.99 until 11/19)
The World Ends With You: FR ($34.99 from $49.99 until 11/24)
Metal Unit ($12.79 from $15.99 until 11/24)
Ultra Foodmess ($1.99 from $3.99 until 11/24)
Project Starship ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/26)
Takotan ($2.79 from $6.99 until 11/26)
Hellbreachers ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/26)
Drunken Fist ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/26)
GLO ($3.49 from $4.99 until 11/26)
Macrotis: Mother’s Journey ($7.79 from $11.99 until 11/26)
Poker Pretty Girls Battle Fantasy ($3.89 from $5.99 until 11/26)
Kingdom of Arcadia ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/26)
My Universe: My Baby ($11.99 from $29.99 until 12/1)
My Universe: Pet Clinic ($19.49 from $29.99 until 12/1)
Gunkid 99 ($5.24 from $6.99 until 12/1)
890B ($3.99 from $4.99 until 12/1)
From Shadows ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/1)
This is the Zodiac Speaking ($3.99 from $12.99 until 12/1)
Roarr! Jurassic Edition ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/1)
Apocalipsis Wormwood Edition ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/1)
Evoland Legendary Edition ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/1)
Skyhill ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/1)
We. The Revolution ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/1)
Fobia ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/1)
Golazo! ($3.99 from $14.99 until 12/1)
Northgard ($13.99 from $34.99 until 12/1)
Big Pharma ($5.99 from $29.99 until 12/1)
Help Will Come Tomorrow ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/1)
Super Impossible Road ($16.99 from $19.99 until 12/9)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, November 12th
A Day Without Me ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/12)
Adventure Time Pirates ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Amazing Princess Sarah ($4.80 from $8.00 until 11/12)
Ball Attraction ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/12)
Ben 10 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/12)
Ben 10: Power Trip ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Bishoujo Battle Cyber Panic! ($3.59 from $5.99 until 11/12)
Bot.vinnik Chess ($2.39 from $2.99 until 11/12)
Car Driving Simulator ($3.99 from $19.99 until 11/12)
Chess Royal ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/12)
City Stunt Driver ($8.99 from $11.99 until 11/12)
Crawlco Block Knockers ($4.49 from $8.99 until 11/12)
Crayola Scoot ($5.99 from $29.99 until 11/12)
Crime Opera: The Butterfly Effect ($5.99 from $9.99 until 11/12)
Crossbow: Bloodnight ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/12)
Demon’s Rise: War for the Deep ($1.99 from $6.99 until 11/12)
DreamWorks Dragons: DoNR ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Family Tree ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/12)
Gigantosaurus The Game ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Grizzland ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/12)
Hair Mower 3D ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/12)
Hotel Transylvania 3 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 11/12)
Ice Age Scrat’s Adventure ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Jetboard Joust ($6.99 from $9.99 until 11/12)
Jumanji: The Video Game ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Jungle Z ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/12)
Knights & Guns ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/12)
Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey ($5.59 from $7.99 until 11/12)
Lost Artifacts: Golden Island ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/12)
Mina & Michi ($2.99 from $4.99 until 11/12)
Nerf Legends ($39.99 from $49.99 until 11/12)
OctaFight ($1.99 from $5.99 until 11/12)
Offroad Driving Simulator 4×4 ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/12)
PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
PAW Patrol: On a Roll! ($29.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Power Racing Bundle 3 ($7.49 from $24.99 until 11/12)
Puzzle Box 3 in 1 ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/12)
Rally Racer ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/12)
Reminiscence in the Night ($3.99 from $4.99 until 11/12)
Rogue Explorer ($5.59 from $7.99 until 11/12)
Rolling Sky ($5.49 from $10.99 until 11/12)
Rolling Sky 2 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 11/12)
Shieldwall Chronicles: SotN ($4.49 from $7.99 until 11/12)
SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off ($7.49 from $14.99 until 11/12)
Swallow Up ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/12)
The Last Survey ($5.99 from $14.99 until 11/12)
The Town of Light: Deluxe ($1.99 from $9.99 until 11/12)
Transformers Battlegrounds ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Trollhunters: DoA ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
Truck Simulator ($5.99 from $11.99 until 11/12)
Tunche ($16.99 from $19.99 until 11/12)
Vectronom ($3.99 from $9.99 until 11/12)
Waifu Uncovered ($4.89 from $6.99 until 11/12)
Wild Pinball Bundle ($5.39 from $8.99 until 11/12)
Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/12)
That’s all for today, friends. The week isn’t over yet, so I hope you saved some money. Tomorrow will see the release of the amazing Shin Megami Tensei V, plus other cool stuff like Gynoug. We’ll have summaries of all of the releases, plus a hefty new list of sales to consider. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
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