Hello gaming enthusiasts, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for August 27th, 2024! Today's update begins with some exciting news, followed by a review and a look at new releases. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales reports. 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! The 40-minute presentation featured a Partner Showcase and an Indie World Showcase. While primarily showcasing third-party titles and indie games, it lacked any major first-party announcements and, as expected, contained no information about the next-generation Switch console. A detailed summary of the key announcements will follow tomorrow.
Reviews & Mini-Views
EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)
This EGGCONSOLE release presents the usual dilemma: game quality versus the language barrier. Star Trader is an intriguing but not exceptional game. Falcom blends adventure game elements with side-scrolling shooter stages, but neither aspect fully shines. The adventure portion boasts appealing artwork, and the shooter's attempt at narrative integration is unique. Players primarily engage in conversations, accepting quests to earn money for ship upgrades, crucial for navigating the shooting sequences.
The shooting segments, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in jerky, choppy visuals. The game's structure is unclear, with neither gameplay style clearly supporting the other. Ultimately, Star Trader is more interesting conceptually than it is enjoyable to play.
The significant hurdle is the Japanese text throughout the adventure sections. Without understanding Japanese, players miss half the game and struggle to progress due to the inability to understand quests and earn sufficient credits. While some brute-forcing is possible, the experience is significantly hampered.
Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing Falcom experimenting outside their usual genre. However, the extensive Japanese text severely limits its appeal to a Western audience. While some experimentation might be worthwhile, a strong recommendation is difficult to make.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Select New Releases
Crypt Custodian ($19.99)
This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat, banished from the afterlife for misbehaving. Players explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, defeat bosses, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, consider the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Also, don't miss out on the sale for 1000xRESIST – it's highly recommended! Other noteworthy sales include various Star Wars titles, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider remastered collection.
Select New Sales
(List of new sales)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th
(List of sales ending tomorrow)
That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a full recap of the Nintendo Direct, along with new game releases, sales, and possibly more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!
