Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 25th, 2023. In today’s article, we’ve got a full review of Inside System’s Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- to kick things off. After that, we look at an assortment of new releases including Trinity Trigger, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, Magical Drop VI, and more. After that, it’s time for the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Let’s get to business!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- ($29.99)
I’m a bit of a fan of Inside System’s games, or at least the ones I’ve played. The Legend of Dark Witch games on the 3DS were rather creative fusions of Mega Man run-and-gun platforming and a Gradius-style power-up system, and the original Brave Dungeon was an oddly compelling Japanese-style roguelike. When I saw Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- pop up on the new release list, I knew I had to give it a go. The only troubling thing was the price. It seemed like a pretty big hike over the first Brave Dungeon, and it wasn’t immediately apparent to me as to why.
Well, it took all of five seconds of playing to understand. This is more like three different games bundled together. One of them is a really straightforward follow-up to the first Brave Dungeon. You explore each floor of the dungeon, battle monsters in turn-based battles, and try to make it to the end. Setting the pattern for the whole set, this isn’t very difficult. At the same time, it’s surprisingly difficult to put down. Just a nice smooth way to pass the time. You’re mainly juggling keys for doors, and you need to be careful which ones you decide to open first. Even if you mess up, you can knock down doors with enough force.
In the second game, you’re again exploring dungeons. This time they’re libraries, and in addition to battling enemies in turn-based battles you’ll also engage in puzzle battles. In these, you’re given a target and need to find the matching pieces on the board before the timer runs down. You can use skills when you build up your meter, but so can the opponent. Make enough successful matches and you’ll win. You can pick up treasures that will give you gear to equip to augment your stats and other properties. This is probably the hardest of the three games due to the challenge of the puzzles, but you might fare better than me on those.
The third game sees you trying to build a town. You have to gather a variety of materials and use them to craft various structures and items. As your town grows, more characters will be drawn to it. They’ll offer you quests, items, and recipes. You’ll have to venture out into the dangerous wilderness to get all of the materials you need, and some of them can only be found by defeating monsters. Another breezy little adventure, but as with the other two it’s one that is very easy to lose track of time with.
All three games share assets, characters, and so on. So while you get some different flavors of game here, they’re not fully distinct. If I earnestly ask myself what I would pay for each of them as separate games, the total probably doesn’t fall that short of what the price tag is here. But you really have to be ready to fasten your seatbelt for three Inside System games that have a lot of things in common, and I know that isn’t going to be for everyone. Those looking for a challenge aren’t going to get what they need from this. They’re also not very interesting games in terms of gear and such. They’re simple, comfy games, and nothing more than that.
It’s best to think of Brave Dungeon -The Meaning of Justice- as a bundle of three games from one series, each with their own stories and distinct mechanics. All three of them are fairly enjoyable as long as you’re not looking for something too deep or difficult. With cute characters, gameplay that doesn’t throw out a whole lot of obstacles to just zoning out, and just enough to chew on to keep things from getting boring, this package is every inch the follow-up to Brave Dungeon you would expect it to be.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Trinity Trigger ($49.99)
FuRyu’s at it again, friends. If you’re not familiar with the company, they tend to grab a couple of known names from classic games and have them make some kind of facsimile, one that typically ends up paling in comparison. This seems to work, so what can I say? In this case, the names are Nobuteru Yuuki, Hiroki Kikuta, and Atsuko Nishida. The former two are known for their association with the Mana series, while the latter with Pokemon. And indeed, this game is set on giving you those Mana feelings, something that it may or may not achieve depending on what you’re after. Impressions have been all over the place on it so far, with some saying it hits the spot for Mana fans and others saying it’s a clunky imitation.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord ($49.99)
The original Fairy Fencer F is one of those games that I felt slowly crawled its way to success through lots of discounts and sales. Not really a top-shelf RPG by any stretch of the imagination but if you got it for a tenner you probably weren’t too upset about it. We’ll see how things go for this sequel, which takes things in a decidedly more traditional turn-based tactics route. The story has multiple routes, allowing you to run into fresh things on your second or third replays. You know, if that’s a thing you’re going to do.
Magical Drop VI ($29.99)
Well, let’s hope this goes better than the last French-developed years-later sequel in the series. Magical Drop VI brings back Data East’s classic matching puzzle game with a full array of modes and features. It has support for local and online multiplayer, and six different solo modes to mess around with. I’m a big fan of the Magical Drop games, so I’m hoping for the best on this one. After I’ve put it through its paces I’ll swing back with a review for you all to let you know if it’s worth the bite.
DoraKone ($4.99)
Here’s a visual novel about a trendy new AR game that has quickly become all the rage. Everyone’s playing, even the protagonist of this game. She finally gets her hands on a new phone to play the game, and soon begins meeting all kinds of people who are also playing. This includes three young women who can be befriended or romanced depending on your choices. There are thirteen different endings to find based on what you do.
Strayed Lights ($24.99)
One of those Souls-inspired “little fella battles big fellas" action-adventure games. It has its presentation credentials in order, to be sure. The art style is bold and attractive, and the music has been handled by the talented and decorated Austin Wintory. I find myself saying this a lot with today’s batch of new releases, but I’ll have to spend some time playing it to see if the mechanics line up with the quality of the visuals and audio.
Afterimage ($24.99)
Another Metroidvania for the Metroidvania pile, but if you’re going to do one of these you might as well make it look gorgeous, right? Right. And this certainly does have an impressive, distinctive look to it. Will the gameplay match up? I’m going to be doing a review of it, but it shows a fair bit of promise from what I’ve played already. There are lots of enemy types and bosses to battle, lots of different characters to meet and help out, and hundreds of equipment pieces. Fingers crossed that it nails the gameplay, because the rest of the package is solid.
Drop – System Breach ($9.99)
This game’s description describes itself as an “action-strategy hacking simulator with puzzle and roguelike gameplay elements", and I wish it was clearer about what that meant. It could really be anything, and I can’t seem to sort it out. I even watched a couple of videos. But what I can say is that the reviews for its computer version seem to be good, so if you’re willing to take a leap with your ten bucks you might just be rewarded for your boldness.
CMSR ($14.99)
A basic car mechanic simulator mashed up with a basic racer. There are forty-two different fictional cars to fix and drive, and more than a thousand car parts to mess with. You’ll unlock new skills as you play, too. It seems fine for what it is. I don’t think it would be anyone’s first choice for a racing game, so think of that more as a bonus on top of the serviceable simulation component.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Cult of the Lamb recently got a nifty update with new content, and I reckon that’s why it’s on sale. Capcom has also put pretty much all of its non-Monster Hunter games on sale today, and that’s always nice. Beyond that, there are a handful of indies to check out. Take some time to look through the list, safe in the knowledge that the outbox is only three or four games.
Select New Games on Sale
Cult of the Lamb: CE ($19.49 from $29.99 until 5/2)
Mixolumia ($7.50 from $15.00 until 5/2)
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Phoenix Wright AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Shinsekai Into the Depths ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Dragon’s Dogma: DA ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Onimusha Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Devil May Cry ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Devil May Cry 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Devil May Cry 3 SE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $14.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man 11 ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 0 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 2 Cloud ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 3 Cloud ($19.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 5 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 6 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Cloud ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil Village Cloud ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Capcom Beat Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/8)
Ultra Street Fighter II ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/8)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($24.99 from $59.99 until 5/8)
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1+2+3 Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle ($29.99 from $39.99 until 5/8)
Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
OPUS: The Day We Found Earth ($3.75 from $5.00 until 5/15)
OPUS: Rocket of Whispers ($6.74 from $8.99 until 5/15)
OPUS: Echo of Starsong ($18.74 from $24.99 until 5/15)
State of Mind ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
The Suicide of Rachel Foster ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Anna’s Quest ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Edna & Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
AER Memories of Old ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
The Long Journey Home ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Crypt of the NecroDancer ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Scar of the Doll ($5.59 from $9.99 until 5/15)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 26th
Forklift Extreme ($2.99 from $9.99 until 4/26)
Insert Before Flight ($2.37 from $12.49 until 4/26)
The Atla Archives ($10.49 from $14.99 until 4/26)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more sales, probably another review or two, and maybe even a bit of news. I don’t have too much else to report today, so I’ll leave it there. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
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