Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 15th, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a bunch more new releases for you to look at. There are a few solid titles in today’s list, and we’ve got summaries of the works. You know, assuming you have any room in the budget after yesterday. We also have lists of new and expiring sales, though there’s nothing terribly surprising to be seen in them. The Animal Crossing Direct is scheduled for today, but I’ll be at home by the time it starts so I’ll have to leave that in your hands for now. Well, let’s get to the rest of the good stuff.
News
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct
Editor’s Note: Due to time zone differences this Direct aired after Shaun had already submitted today’s SwitchArcade article. But because the show is now available on Nintendo’s Youtube channel, I’ve embedded it above so you can check it out for yourself. I’ll leave it up to Shaun to comment on the announcements from the Direct in Monday’s article. – Jared
New Releases
The Good Life ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Swery’s Kickstarter project is finally ready for release, and it has that big B-game feel that most of his fans seem to enjoy. Described as “Debt Repayment RPG”, it sees you playing as a down-on-her-luck journalist named Naomi Hayward who moves from the big city of New York to a countryside English town named Rainy Woods. She’s there to solve a mystery, and she soon experiences its effects first-hand. At night, all of the people in the town turn into cats and dogs. And that means she does, too. Even worse, a murder has occurred. Lots of problems to solve, and this quirky open world offers plenty of opportunities to poke at all of them. I’ll have a full review of this one next week, but I can say right now that it’s really not for everyone.
Gleylancer ($6.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
One of the best shoot-em-ups on the Genesis and a long-time holy grail collector’s piece is now available to a much wider audience with this Switch release of Gleylancer. It’s a side-scroller where your ship can get extra weapons that fire in different directions from your main gun. Ratalaika has added some useful extra features and options, including the ability to direct your sub-weapons with the right analog stick. This is an excellent version of an outstanding shooter that has traditionally been pretty difficult to access, and if you enjoy the genre I can wholeheartedly recommend picking it up. I’ll have a review next week if you need more than that.
Murder House ($11.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
I am not a horror game guy, though I sometimes dabble. But I’ve heard from friends are into horror games that Murder House is a rather good one. It attempts to deliver a PlayStation 1-style survival horror experience crossed with an 80s slasher film vibe, and it hits the mark better than most attempts. Low-poly models! Tank controls! Fixed third person camera views! Limited saves that require a consumable item! If you’re one of those folks who can’t handle going back to the older Resident Evil games, this isn’t for you. But if you have nostalgia for that kind of thing and want something new in that vein, you won’t find many better choices than this.
Ancient Stories: Gods of Egypt ($6.99)
It’s a fairly generic Match-3 puzzle game with an Egyptian theme. Clear levels to make your way through the story, which is probably not Emmy Award-level stuff. It mostly follows the established rules of this genre, all the way down to the different kinds of level goals. But you can occasionally fire off some special moves, so I guess that’s something.
Puzzle 9 ($5.99)
Pix Arts has an assortment of nine simple puzzle games in what is almost certainly another template flip. It’s handheld mode only due to requiring touch controls. Not the worst thing they’ve released.
Wild & Horror Pinball ($14.99)
Another bundle of those so-so pinball games you see on sale for two or three bucks. This one has Jurassic Pinball, Safari Pinball, Shark Pinball, Halloween Pinball, Mummy Pinball, and Werewolf Pinball. Six tables for fifteen bucks puts them at two and a half bucks each, a price higher than they are often on sale for. Of course, this bundle will also likely go on sale. What I am saying is that in the unlikely event you are considering buying this, make sure you check first to see if you’re getting a deal or not.
Football Run ($9.99)
This is a soccer-themed auto-runner. It’s ten dollars, and I sure wouldn’t pay that much for it. The most interesting thing about it is that the eShop description takes pot shots at Pixel Head Soccer for whatever reason. Otherwise, it’s exactly what you would guess it to be.
Barbero ($4.99)
From the publisher that brought us Panzer Dragoon Remake comes this interactive dog-grooming simulator. Okay, it’s not a simulator. I just thought that sounded cool. You have this voxel dog, and it might have some dirt or what-have-you on it. You have to wash the dog, then cut off its excess hair. You know, spiff it up. There are lots of different dogs, so that’s nice. You can also play local multiplayer where you race against each other to see who can finish grooming their dog the fastest. In these modes, some items will drop down that you can collect to get an advantage over the players. Might be fun for a fiver, especially if you have friends or family members to play with.
Last 4 Alive: Escape From Zombies ($10.99)
Back 4 Blood probably isn’t coming to Switch, but you can always rely on some small publisher or another to try to piggyback on a trend. Here’s Last 4 Alive. It supports four players via splitscreen local play. Pretty much just a modest top-down shooter with several modes to play. It doesn’t seem all that good to me, but you may feel differently about it.
Tetra for Nintendo Switch International Edition ($11.49)
This is a puzzle-heavy adventure game that sees you traveling through four magical doors that each lead to a different world. Is there a connection between them? There’s a good chance, but you’ll have to solve the puzzles and locate all of the hints to solve the mystery. Some decent art, with puzzles that look like the type of fare we tend to see in escape room games.
Halloween Jigsaw Puzzles – Puzzle Game for Kids & Toddlers ($14.99)
Another jigsaw puzzle app, this one aimed at kids and using a Halloween theme. Thirteen different pictures that can be tackled with as few as twelve pieces or as many as eighty. You have to use touch controls to play it, so it’s handheld only.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Naturally, some new releases have launch discounts going on. Beyond that however, the list of new sales includes a lot of familiar faces. Some great stuff, like FDG Entertainment’s line-up and the Torchlight games. Bandai Namco’s games are also quite solid. Puzzle game fans will surely want to get in on the deep discounts on the Piczle series games. Generally speaking, it’s a list worth scanning yourself to see what strikes you. I can’t really say the same for the outbox, but if you’re doing one you might as well hit the other, right?
Select New Games on Sale
Torchlight II ($5.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
Torchlight III ($9.99 from $39.99 until 10/19)
Hob: The Definitive Edition ($2.99 from $19.99 until 10/19)
Instant Sports Paradise ($27.99 from $34.99 until 10/20)
Inspector Waffles ($12.59 from $13.99 until 10/21)
Semispheres ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Slender: The Arrival ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/21)
Graveyard Keeper ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Streets of Rogue ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Mr. Shifty ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Graceful Explosion Machine ($3.20 from $12.99 until 10/22)
Phantom Trigger ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Defend Your Castle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 10/22)
Wildfire ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Aegis Defenders ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
The Final Station ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Clustertruck ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Wandersong ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Dragon Ball FighterZ ($9.59 from $59.99 until 10/22)
My Hero One’s Justice ($9.59 from $59.99 until 10/22)
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 ($17.99 from $59.99 until 10/22)
Captain Tsubasa: RoNC ($19.79 from $59.99 until 10/22)
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! ($9.99 from $49.99 until 10/22)
God Eater 3 ($11.99 from $59.99 until 10/22)
Ni no Kuni: WotWW ($12.49 from $49.99 until 10/22)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth ($19.99 from $49.99 until 10/22)
Forager ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Totally Reliable Delivery ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
StarCrossed ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Party Hard ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Party Hard 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Akihabara: Feel the Rhythm ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)
Garage ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Wizard of Legend ($6.39 from $15.99 until 10/22)
Symmetry ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Community Inc ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Newt One ($4.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Where the Bees Make Honey ($2.00 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Bombfest ($2.00 from $12.99 until 10/22)
Hello Neighbor Hide & Seek ($20.99 from $29.99 until 10/22)
Secret Neighbor ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Punch Club ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
One Step From Eden ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Slay the Spire ($12.49 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Vosaria: Lair of the Forgotten ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Guts & Glory ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Road to Ballhalla ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
SpeedRunners ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Robbotto ($2.49 from $9.99 until 10/22)
Void Bastards ($14.99 from $29.99 until 10/22)
Ikenfell ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Hardcore Mecha ($17.49 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Ring of Pain ($11.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Supraland ($13.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
We Should Talk. ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/22)
Creaks ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/22)
Evan’s Remains ($4.89 from $6.99 until 10/22)
Kholat ($3.74 from $14.99 until 10/22)
We Are Doomed ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/22)
Aground ($11.24 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Crying Suns ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Kill It With Fire ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Dodgeball Academia ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/22)
Calico ($8.99 from $11.99 until 10/22)
Beasts of Maravilla Island ($7.49 from $9.99 until 10/22)
The Low Road ($5.99 from $14.99 until 10/22)
Tetra International Edition ($9.19 from $11.49 until 10/22)
Naught ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/25)
Flying Soldiers ($4.85 from $17.99 until 10/25)
Get Ogre It ($3.95 from $11.99 until 10/25)
Lotus Reverie: First Nexus ($8.95 from $15.99 until 10/25)
Timothy Vs the Aliens ($9.85 from $16.99 until 10/25)
Pianista ($19.99 from $24.99 until 10/28)
Barbero ($4.49 from $4.99 until 10/28)
Dollhouse ($26.99 from $29.99 until 10/29)
Red Ronin ($5.99 from $7.99 until 10/29)
Half Dead ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Ruin Raiders ($15.99 from $19.99 until 10/29)
Infinite Golf 2 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Henchman Story ($12.74 from $14.99 until 10/29)
Titan Chaser ($3.74 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Happy Animals Bowling ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Gnomes Garden 2 ($2.49 from $4.99 until 10/29)
Unepic ($2.99 from $9.99 until 10/29)
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 ($11.24 from $24.99 until 11/2)
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 ($13.74 from $24.99 until 11/2)
DreamGallery ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/3)
Path: Through the Forest ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/3)
Crazy Oce ($2.99 from $5.99 until 11/3)
Summer Sweetheart ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/3)
Evil Tonight ($13.49 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Overcooked! All You Can Eat ($23.99 from $39.99 until 11/4)
Narita Boy ($12.49 from $24.99 until 11/4)
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Yooka-Laylee & The Impossible Lair ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/4)
King of Seas ($14.99 from $24.99 until 11/4)
Monster Boy & the Cursed Kingdom ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/4)
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Worms W.M.D ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/4)
Galactic Defense Squadron ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Balthazar’s Dream ($2.40 from $8.00 until 11/4)
Dungeon Nightmares 1+2 ($1.99 from $12.00 until 11/4)
Goblin Sword ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Kuukiyomi 2: Consider It More! ($3.74 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Neon Abyss ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Greak: Memories of Azur ($14.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Blasphemous ($8.49 from $24.99 until 11/4)
Golf With Your Friends ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Monster Prom XXL ($6.39 from $15.99 until 11/4)
Piczle Puzzle & Watch Collection ($3.99 from $7.99 until 11/4)
Piczle Lines DX ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Piczle Lines DX 500 More Puzzles ($2.49 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Piczle Lines DX Bundle ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Piczle Colors ($3.00 from $12.00 until 11/4)
Piczle Cells ($2.49 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Slayin 2 ($2.99 from $11.99 until 11/4)
Oceanhorn: MoUS ($5.24 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Oceanhorn 2: KotLR ($22.49 from $19.99 until 11/4)
Monster Sanctuary ($9.99 from $19.99 until 11/4)
She Sees Red: Interactive Movie ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/4)
Venture Kid ($2.50 from $10.00 until 11/4)
39 Days to Mars ($10.04 from $14.99 until 11/4)
My Time at Portia ($7.49 from $29.99 until 11/4)
Rollin’ Eggz ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/4)
Omvorm ($1.99 from $4.99 until 11/4)
Magic Potion Millionaire ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Hextones ($2.39 from $2.99 until 11/4)
Soulblight ($3.74 from $14.99 until 11/4)
Cake Laboratory ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/4)
BallzOut ($2.00 from $2.50 until 11/4)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Girls Tank Battle ($8.79 from $10.99 until 10/16)
Gunslugs 2 ($1.99 from $7.99 until 10/16)
Liberated: Enhanced Edition ($9.99 from $19.99 until 10/16)
New Star Manager ($4.99 from $19.99 until 10/16)
Werewolf: The Apocalypse HotF ($7.49 from $14.99 until 10/16)
99Moves ($2.00 from $2.99 until 10/17)
99Seconds ($2.00 from $2.99 until 10/17)
Abyss ($2.00 from $2.99 until 10/17)
CMS ($2.99 from $14.99 until 10/17)
Curious Cases ($7.99 from $9.99 until 10/17)
Despotism 3k ($2.19 from $10.99 until 10/17)
Escape 2088 ($3.20 from $4.00 until 10/17)
Escape First ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/17)
Escape First 2 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/17)
Escape First 3 ($3.99 from $4.99 until 10/17)
Get 10 Quest ($2.09 from $2.99 until 10/17)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($2.69 from $8.99 until 10/17)
Landflix Odyssey ($10.49 from $14.99 until 10/17)
Path of Giants ($3.59 from $5.99 until 10/17)
Purrs in Heaven ($2.02 from $6.99 until 10/17)
Rally Rock ‘N Racing ($1.99 from $9.99 until 10/17)
Super Arcade Soccer 2021 ($4.20 from $7.00 until 10/17)
The Experiment: Escape Room ($3.19 from $3.99 until 10/17)
Touchdown Pinball ($2.01 from $2.99 until 10/17)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with lots of new games including Regency Solitaire, Dying Light, Evertried, The Caligula Effect 2, and more. Of course, next week also brings Sora to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate along with one of the last big updates for the game. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
