Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for January 18th, 2023. Itās Thursday, and in a lot of ways it feels like the first proper Thursday of the year. We have a fairly hefty bag full of new releases to check out today, and only a few of them made me want to launch myself into the Sun. Not bad! After that, we have a gander at the newest sales and expiring discounts for the day. Letās dust ourselves off and dive into the pile!
The latest game in the Prince of Persia series brings things back around to 2D, taking on the mantle of a rather large Metroidvania-style affair. You play as a warrior named Sargon, and youāll need to use his skills and your wits to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets. Yes, there is time manipulation. Itās just part of the package with this franchise now, I suppose. Anyway, this game is genuinely great, and Iāll have a review of it very soon. If you canāt wait, thereās a demo available you can try out. The Digital Deluxe version came out earlier this week, but you can now buy the standard edition.
Yes folks, his crimes keep escalating. Not content to shirk on paying his taxes, Turnip Boy is now committing armed robberies. This follow-up leans a bit more into the action end of things, and features a number of roguelite elements as games of this sort tend to. Itās also still pretty funny. Iāll have a review of this one soon, but if you enjoyed yourself with the first game and its cheeky vibe, I think youāll like this game as well.
A clever little puzzle game where you need to piece together signs and figure out how the gimmicks work in this wordless adventure. Itās all quite pretty, too. The idea with each puzzle is to connect the pieces such that you can grab whatever you need and get out. As you go through, new gameplay elements are added in to keep things fresh. Its dedication to its wordless bit can make things a little frustrating at times, but when you sort out whatever has you stuck it sure does feel good.
Uh, so thereās an evil spider-train named Charles. And youāre hunting it, I guess. That seems ill-advised, but here we are. Hunting spider-trains. Youāre following Charles in your own train, a non-spider kind, and need to upgrade it by completing missions and collecting scrap. It all ends with a showdown with Charles, and youāre going to need everything you can gather if you hope to defeat it. This came out on other platforms a couple of years ago, and as near as I can gather from reading various impressions the concept is better than the execution. Do what you will with it.
The arcade follow-up to Contra, and a game you might already own as part of the Contra Anniversary Collection. Well, this is an Arcade Archives release, so you get a few more options that you wouldnāt have seen in that set, plus extra modes and online leaderboards. Iāve always preferred the NES versions of the first two Contra games, and I feel strongly that way about this one in particular. Still, even if itās not as good as the NES Super C, itās a fun run-and-gun game that you might want to add to your collection.
This is a Vampire Survivors-style game, and as that sort of thing goes itās decent enough albeit fairly unremarkable. Over on Steam, this sells for a few bucks. At that price or around it, I would say fans of Vampire Survivors should give it a shot. At five times that price? No. No, no, no. Lots of games of this genre that are as good or better than this at a much lower price on the Switch.
Time for another Kemco RPG, and this is another one from developer EXE-Create. That means itās a fairly orthodox take on the genre, though this time one of your characters has vampiric powers that can be used for various purposes. Not a huge swing or anything, but I suppose the good news is that if you like the previous releases from this team youāll get another serving here. With blood!
This game is about a young woman named Moon who works as an office worker in a big city. She suffers from depression, and while playing through the story you will see how that manifests for her and how she copes with it (or doesnāt). Not sure this is something Iām in the mood for right now, but someone will probably get something out of it.
Hereās the latest choice-based adventure in the Pixel Pulps line from publisher Chorus, novelist Nico Saraintaris, and artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel. It follows on from Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake, so if you had a good time with those then step on up. Youāre an undercover agent investigating the disappearance of a friend, a task which quickly ends up with you getting involved with a dangerous cult. Can you find the truth and live to tell the story? Your choices will determine that.
A fairly simple thirty-level puzzle platformer starring a little bird. The dining isnāt terribly fancy here, but I reckon at four dollars youāre not expecting a blockbuster. If you want a short little game to keep you busy for an evening and are looking to spend McDonalds Happy Meal money on it, this is as good a choice as any today.
A mystery game with three different cases to solve. For each of them, youāll travel to a particular location and explore it looking for evidence to photograph. After youāve finished your investigation, you head back to your office where youāll have to piece it all together. This publisher is also not known for fancy dining, but this genre tends to get by on spit and rubber bands most of the time so perhaps it will be fine.
I guess itās that kind of day. I donāt want to bin this because it appears to be an earnest effort, with a system where you gain new abilities from defeating bosses. Two dollars. Keep that in mind, I suppose. Is this two dollars good? What isnāt? Is this worth your time? Probably not much of it, but I could see having a bit of fun with it if youāre extremely forgiving of rough edges. Is this what sub-five dollar Switch platformer energy feels like?
Oh boy. Based on the absolutely hilarious manga, this is a game that seems to have become popular among Japanese mobile gamers in something of an ironic way. All you do on each stage is draw a single line to try to protect Jashin from incoming objects or enemies. The presentation couldnāt be any cheaper, which almost makes it funnier. As you play youāll earn coins that you can use to get new outfits for Jashin. Thatās about it. You have to play in vertical mode with touch controls if youāre going handheld, but it also supports button controls and horizontal mode if youāre playing docked.
Hentai Girls: Office Romance ($6.99)
Downhill Driver: Extreme Racing Simulator ($9.99)
Super Sean 007 ($9.99)
Fastest Finger First! 3 Hint Quiz ($8.99)
DreadOut 2 ($24.99)
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some good sales here today. Born of Bread has its first post-launch sale, matching its pre-order discount. The Coffee Talk games are on sale, and courageous Batman fans can grab the 2/3rds decent Arkham Trilogy collection at its lowest price yet. Itās not a massive list, but worth going through. Not too much in the outbox, but give it a look too.
Select New Sales
Born of Bread ($23.99 from $29.99 until 1/24)
Rising Hell ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/25)
Coffee Talk ($6.49 from $12.99 until 1/25)
Coffee Talk Episode 2 ($11.24 from $14.99 until 1/25)
A Space for the Unbound ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/25)
Ultimate Chicken Horse ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/28)
HAAK ($12.28 from $18.90 until 1/29)
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
KungFu Kickball ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
YesterMorrow ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
Subdivision Infinity DX ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/29)
Enchanted Portals ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
Death or Treat ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
MADiSON ($23.32 from $34.99 until 1/30)
Batman: Arkham Trilogy ($35.99 from $59.99 until 1/30)
Skul: The Hero Slayer ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/31)
Rage in Peace ($2.59 from $12.99 until 1/31)
Vanaris Tactics ($5.99 from $9.99 until 1/31)
She and the Light Bearer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/31)
God of Rock ($8.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Ary and the Secret of Seasons ($3.99 from $39.99 until 2/1)
In Sound Mind ($3.49 from $34.99 until 2/1)
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/1)
Skully ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Afterimage ($14.99 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Override 2: Super Mech League ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Rustler ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Teslagrad Remastered ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/1)
Teslagrad 2 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/1)
Cris Tales ($3.99 from $39.99 until 2/1)
River City: Rival Showdown ($19.99 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Paleo Pines ($22.49 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Double Dragon Gaiden: RotD ($17.49 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Lost Words: Beyond the Page ($1.99 from $14.99 until 2/1)
Gordian Quest ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/1)
LASERPITIUM ($8.99 from $14.99 until 2/2)
Hyper-5 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/2)
Fluffy Milo ($2.99 from $4.99 until 2/2)
SETTRIS ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/2)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 until 2/5)
LEGO Jurassic World ($7.99 from $39.99 until 2/5)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($5.99 from $39.99 until 2/5)
LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga ($17.99 from $59.99 until 2/5)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($8.99 from $59.99 until 2/5)
Mortal Kombat 1 ($41.99 from $69.99 until 2/5)
Yokuās Island Express ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Overcooked Special Edition ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Overcooked 2 Gourmet Edition ($12.12 from $48.49 until 2/7)
Going Under ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
The Serpent Rogue ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Sheltered ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/7)
The Knight Witch ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Legend of Ixtona ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Heirs of the Kings ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Astro Miner ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/8)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, January 19th
Burning Secrets: A Bara Visual Novel ($3.49 from $4.99 until 1/19)
Chaos Galaxy ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/19)
Erogods: Olympus ($1.99 from $7.30 until 1/19)
Escape From Terror City ($5.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Excessive Trim ($3.49 from $4.99 until 1/19)
GyroBlade ($4.24 from $4.99 until 1/19)
Mugen Souls Double Pack ($48.99 from $69.99 until 1/19)
Super Woden GP ($5.99 from $11.99 until 1/19)
Sword & Fairy Inn 2 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/19)
The Forest Quartet ($3.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Toy Soldiers HD ($9.89 from $29.99 until 1/19)
Wall World ($7.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Thatās all for today, friends. Weāll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus whatever sales and big news items roll in during the next twenty-four hours. Iām going to the fancy hospital tomorrow for another blood test and to get the results of last weekās thing, but I should be home in plenty of time to prepare the article for you all. I hope everyone has a relaxing Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
New Releases
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown ($49.99)
The latest game in the Prince of Persia series brings things back around to 2D, taking on the mantle of a rather large Metroidvania-style affair. You play as a warrior named Sargon, and youāll need to use his skills and your wits to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets. Yes, there is time manipulation. Itās just part of the package with this franchise now, I suppose. Anyway, this game is genuinely great, and Iāll have a review of it very soon. If you canāt wait, thereās a demo available you can try out. The Digital Deluxe version came out earlier this week, but you can now buy the standard edition.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank ($14.99)
Yes folks, his crimes keep escalating. Not content to shirk on paying his taxes, Turnip Boy is now committing armed robberies. This follow-up leans a bit more into the action end of things, and features a number of roguelite elements as games of this sort tend to. Itās also still pretty funny. Iāll have a review of this one soon, but if you enjoyed yourself with the first game and its cheeky vibe, I think youāll like this game as well.
The Pedestrian ($19.99)
A clever little puzzle game where you need to piece together signs and figure out how the gimmicks work in this wordless adventure. Itās all quite pretty, too. The idea with each puzzle is to connect the pieces such that you can grab whatever you need and get out. As you go through, new gameplay elements are added in to keep things fresh. Its dedication to its wordless bit can make things a little frustrating at times, but when you sort out whatever has you stuck it sure does feel good.
Choo-Choo Charles ($19.99)
Uh, so thereās an evil spider-train named Charles. And youāre hunting it, I guess. That seems ill-advised, but here we are. Hunting spider-trains. Youāre following Charles in your own train, a non-spider kind, and need to upgrade it by completing missions and collecting scrap. It all ends with a showdown with Charles, and youāre going to need everything you can gather if you hope to defeat it. This came out on other platforms a couple of years ago, and as near as I can gather from reading various impressions the concept is better than the execution. Do what you will with it.
Arcade Archives Super Contra ($7.99)
The arcade follow-up to Contra, and a game you might already own as part of the Contra Anniversary Collection. Well, this is an Arcade Archives release, so you get a few more options that you wouldnāt have seen in that set, plus extra modes and online leaderboards. Iāve always preferred the NES versions of the first two Contra games, and I feel strongly that way about this one in particular. Still, even if itās not as good as the NES Super C, itās a fun run-and-gun game that you might want to add to your collection.
Hero of Fate ($14.99)
This is a Vampire Survivors-style game, and as that sort of thing goes itās decent enough albeit fairly unremarkable. Over on Steam, this sells for a few bucks. At that price or around it, I would say fans of Vampire Survivors should give it a shot. At five times that price? No. No, no, no. Lots of games of this genre that are as good or better than this at a much lower price on the Switch.
Knights of Grayfang ($14.99)
Time for another Kemco RPG, and this is another one from developer EXE-Create. That means itās a fairly orthodox take on the genre, though this time one of your characters has vampiric powers that can be used for various purposes. Not a huge swing or anything, but I suppose the good news is that if you like the previous releases from this team youāll get another serving here. With blood!
Room of Depression ($9.99)
This game is about a young woman named Moon who works as an office worker in a big city. She suffers from depression, and while playing through the story you will see how that manifests for her and how she copes with it (or doesnāt). Not sure this is something Iām in the mood for right now, but someone will probably get something out of it.
Bahnsen Knights ($9.99)
Hereās the latest choice-based adventure in the Pixel Pulps line from publisher Chorus, novelist Nico Saraintaris, and artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel. It follows on from Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake, so if you had a good time with those then step on up. Youāre an undercover agent investigating the disappearance of a friend, a task which quickly ends up with you getting involved with a dangerous cult. Can you find the truth and live to tell the story? Your choices will determine that.
Vigour ($3.99)
A fairly simple thirty-level puzzle platformer starring a little bird. The dining isnāt terribly fancy here, but I reckon at four dollars youāre not expecting a blockbuster. If you want a short little game to keep you busy for an evening and are looking to spend McDonalds Happy Meal money on it, this is as good a choice as any today.
Detective ā Stella Porta Case ($10.49)
A mystery game with three different cases to solve. For each of them, youāll travel to a particular location and explore it looking for evidence to photograph. After youāve finished your investigation, you head back to your office where youāll have to piece it all together. This publisher is also not known for fancy dining, but this genre tends to get by on spit and rubber bands most of the time so perhaps it will be fine.
Fairytale Theatre-Momotaroās Adventure- ($2.23)
I guess itās that kind of day. I donāt want to bin this because it appears to be an earnest effort, with a system where you gain new abilities from defeating bosses. Two dollars. Keep that in mind, I suppose. Is this two dollars good? What isnāt? Is this worth your time? Probably not much of it, but I could see having a bit of fun with it if youāre extremely forgiving of rough edges. Is this what sub-five dollar Switch platformer energy feels like?
Rescue! Dropkick On My Devil!! ($8.99)
Oh boy. Based on the absolutely hilarious manga, this is a game that seems to have become popular among Japanese mobile gamers in something of an ironic way. All you do on each stage is draw a single line to try to protect Jashin from incoming objects or enemies. The presentation couldnāt be any cheaper, which almost makes it funnier. As you play youāll earn coins that you can use to get new outfits for Jashin. Thatās about it. You have to play in vertical mode with touch controls if youāre going handheld, but it also supports button controls and horizontal mode if youāre playing docked.
The Bin Bunch
Hentai Girls: Office Romance ($6.99)
Downhill Driver: Extreme Racing Simulator ($9.99)
Super Sean 007 ($9.99)
Fastest Finger First! 3 Hint Quiz ($8.99)
DreadOut 2 ($24.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some good sales here today. Born of Bread has its first post-launch sale, matching its pre-order discount. The Coffee Talk games are on sale, and courageous Batman fans can grab the 2/3rds decent Arkham Trilogy collection at its lowest price yet. Itās not a massive list, but worth going through. Not too much in the outbox, but give it a look too.
Select New Sales
Born of Bread ($23.99 from $29.99 until 1/24)
Rising Hell ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/25)
Coffee Talk ($6.49 from $12.99 until 1/25)
Coffee Talk Episode 2 ($11.24 from $14.99 until 1/25)
A Space for the Unbound ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/25)
Ultimate Chicken Horse ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/28)
HAAK ($12.28 from $18.90 until 1/29)
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
KungFu Kickball ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
YesterMorrow ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
Subdivision Infinity DX ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/29)
Enchanted Portals ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
Death or Treat ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/29)
MADiSON ($23.32 from $34.99 until 1/30)
Batman: Arkham Trilogy ($35.99 from $59.99 until 1/30)
Skul: The Hero Slayer ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/31)
Rage in Peace ($2.59 from $12.99 until 1/31)
Vanaris Tactics ($5.99 from $9.99 until 1/31)
She and the Light Bearer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/31)
God of Rock ($8.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Ary and the Secret of Seasons ($3.99 from $39.99 until 2/1)
In Sound Mind ($3.49 from $34.99 until 2/1)
Bear With Me: The Lost Robots ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/1)
Skully ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Afterimage ($14.99 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Override 2: Super Mech League ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Rustler ($2.99 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Teslagrad Remastered ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/1)
Teslagrad 2 ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/1)
Cris Tales ($3.99 from $39.99 until 2/1)
River City: Rival Showdown ($19.99 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Paleo Pines ($22.49 from $29.99 until 2/1)
Double Dragon Gaiden: RotD ($17.49 from $24.99 until 2/1)
Lost Words: Beyond the Page ($1.99 from $14.99 until 2/1)
Gordian Quest ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/1)
LASERPITIUM ($8.99 from $14.99 until 2/2)
Hyper-5 ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/2)
Fluffy Milo ($2.99 from $4.99 until 2/2)
SETTRIS ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/2)
LEGO City Undercover ($5.99 from $29.99 until 2/5)
LEGO Jurassic World ($7.99 from $39.99 until 2/5)
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame ($5.99 from $39.99 until 2/5)
LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga ($17.99 from $59.99 until 2/5)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($8.99 from $59.99 until 2/5)
Mortal Kombat 1 ($41.99 from $69.99 until 2/5)
Yokuās Island Express ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Overcooked Special Edition ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Overcooked 2 Gourmet Edition ($12.12 from $48.49 until 2/7)
Going Under ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
The Serpent Rogue ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Sheltered ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/7)
The Knight Witch ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Legend of Ixtona ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Heirs of the Kings ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Astro Miner ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/8)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, January 19th
Burning Secrets: A Bara Visual Novel ($3.49 from $4.99 until 1/19)
Chaos Galaxy ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/19)
Erogods: Olympus ($1.99 from $7.30 until 1/19)
Escape From Terror City ($5.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Excessive Trim ($3.49 from $4.99 until 1/19)
GyroBlade ($4.24 from $4.99 until 1/19)
Mugen Souls Double Pack ($48.99 from $69.99 until 1/19)
Super Woden GP ($5.99 from $11.99 until 1/19)
Sword & Fairy Inn 2 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/19)
The Forest Quartet ($3.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Toy Soldiers HD ($9.89 from $29.99 until 1/19)
Wall World ($7.99 from $9.99 until 1/19)
Thatās all for today, friends. Weāll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus whatever sales and big news items roll in during the next twenty-four hours. Iām going to the fancy hospital tomorrow for another blood test and to get the results of last weekās thing, but I should be home in plenty of time to prepare the article for you all. I hope everyone has a relaxing Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!
![[DK]](/data/avatars/s/57/57999.jpg?1720990206){kind=avatar}
