Greetings, fellow gamers! Welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for August 27th, 2024. Today's update begins with some noteworthy news, followed by a game review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with the usual sales updates. 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, featuring a combined Partner Showcase and Indie World Showcase. The 40-minute presentation focused primarily on third-party titles and indie games. A summary of the key announcements will be provided tomorrow.
Reviews & Mini-Views
EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)
This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game enjoyable despite the language barrier? Star Trader, a blend of adventure and side-scrolling shooter elements, is intriguing but not exceptional. The adventure segments feature appealing artwork, while the shooter aspects, hampered by the PC-8801's limited scrolling capabilities, result in a choppy experience. The game's structure is unclear, with neither element fully supporting the other.
The adventure sections are text-heavy, requiring player interaction for optimal progress. Without understanding Japanese, players miss significant gameplay elements and struggle to earn sufficient credits for ship upgrades. While some brute-forcing is possible, the overall experience suffers.
Star Trader offers a glimpse into a developer's unique approach. However, the abundance of Japanese text significantly limits its appeal to Western audiences. While some enjoyment might be gleaned through experimentation, 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 tasked with eternal cleaning after a run-in with the Afterlife Guardian. Exploration, broom-based combat, quirky characters, boss battles, and skill progression are all part of the formula. Overall, this is a solid entry in the genre.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics should check out the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. For those looking for something different, 1000xRESIST is highly recommended. Other noteworthy titles on sale include various Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider remasters. See the lists below for details!
Select New Sales
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th
That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a deeper dive into the Nintendo Direct announcements, along with new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday!
