Hello again, readers! Welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024. Today's update starts with some breaking news, followed by a review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales summaries. Let's dive in!
News
Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap
As predicted by some industry insiders, Nintendo sprung a surprise Nintendo Direct on us! The 40-minute presentation covered partner titles and indie games. No first-party reveals, and definitely no Switch successor news. The showcase is likely over by now; you can watch the recording above, and we'll offer 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 itself any good? And is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is intriguing but not exceptional. Falcom blends an adventure game structure with side-scrolling shooter elements, neither of which is particularly polished. The adventure sections feature decent art, and the attempt to weave a narrative into a shoot 'em up is noteworthy. Players primarily interact with characters, take on quests, and earn money to upgrade their ship – crucial for the action sequences.
The shooting stages, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in jerky scrolling. Even with smooth scrolling, it's questionable whether these sections would be truly enjoyable. The game's design is unclear, but Star Trader is more fascinating than genuinely good. This leads to the second question: The adventure segments are text-heavy, demanding player comprehension for optimal progress. Without understanding Japanese, you'll miss half the game and likely struggle in the other half due to insufficient funds for ship upgrades. While more manageable than some EGGCONSOLE titles, it's still a frustrating experience.
Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer venturing outside their usual style. However, the abundance of Japanese text severely hinders its appeal to Western audiences. It might offer some limited enjoyment, but a strong recommendation is difficult to justify.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
Select New Releases
Crypt Custodian ($19.99)
This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat, who's banished from the afterlife for a mishap and sentenced to eternal cleaning duty. Explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, fight bosses, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but surprisingly well-executed. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
For fans of colorful shoot 'em ups with unique mechanics, the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi are worth considering. I've enjoyed all three. Also, don't miss out on 1000xRESIST – grab it! Other noteworthy titles on sale include Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and some Tomb Raider titles. Check the lists below!
Select New Sales
(List of new sales)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th
(List of expiring sales)
That’s all for today. We’ll be back tomorrow with a Direct recap, new releases, sales updates, and potentially more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!
