Hello again, readers! Welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024. Today's update starts with some breaking news, followed by a game review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales lists. 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 covered partner titles and indie games. No first-party announcements or Switch successor news, as expected. You can watch the archived stream above; we'll provide a detailed summary tomorrow.
Reviews & Mini-Views
EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)
These untranslated EGGCONSOLE releases always boil down to two key questions: Is the game enjoyable, and is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is intriguing, but not outstanding. Falcom blended adventure and side-scrolling shooter elements, neither of which is particularly polished. The adventure sections have appealing artwork, and the attempt to integrate a narrative into the shooter is unique. Gameplay involves interacting with characters, completing quests to earn money for ship upgrades, crucial for navigating the shooter segments.
The shooter gameplay, however, suffers from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in jerky scrolling. Even with smooth scrolling, it might not be exceptional. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader is more fascinating than truly good. This leads to the second question. The adventure parts are text-heavy, requiring player understanding for optimal progress. Without Japanese comprehension, you'll miss half the game and likely struggle in the other half due to insufficient credits. While brute-forcing is possible, it's not ideal.
Star Trader offers a glimpse into a developer's unconventional work, but the significant amount of Japanese text significantly hinders enjoyment for Western players. While some might find it engaging, a strong recommendation is difficult.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Select New Releases
Crypt Custodian ($19.99)
This top-down action-adventure follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for a mishap. Explore, fight with a broom, meet quirky characters, battle 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. Don't miss out on 1000xRESIST—it's a must-buy. Other noteworthy titles on sale include Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and perhaps some Tomb Raider titles. Check the lists below!
Select New Sales
(List of new sales)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th
(List of sales ending tomorrow)
That's it for today! We'll be back tomorrow with a Nintendo Direct summary, new game coverage, sales updates, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!
