Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for December 3rd, 2021. In today’s article, we’ve got a bit of news about an upcoming addition to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass before we head into today’s new releases. Quite a few games hit the eShop today, and we’ve got summaries of all of them as usual. Some really good ones today, especially if you like adventure games. We finish things up with the lists of new and outgoing sales, as ever. Let’s get to it!
News
‘Paper Mario’ Coming to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass Next Week
Nintendo typically adds more retro games to its Nintendo Switch Online apps in December, but with the Expansion Pack dropping in late October I wondered if the same would hold true this year. The answer is yes, kind of. Nintendo announced today that Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64 would be hitting the service next week on December 10th. That is the only game announced, however. No Genesis games, no NES Games, no Super NES games. Look, I like nostalgia as much as the next person, but getting one new game every few months is probably a little too faithful to that old Nintendo 64 experience. But hey, at least it’s an awesome one.
New Releases
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain ($29.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Nintendo closes out its schedule for the year with a new game in a series I didn’t expect to see again. Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain collects activities from the two previous installments and adds in some extra mustard. Perform a wide variety of brain-teasing tasks and see how you come up in the end with your Big Brain Brawn score. You can play alone or pull in other for up to four players via local multiplayer, or head online and compete against ghost data from other users. I may have a review of this one next week if I can get in enough time with my family.
Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition ($49.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This is an enhanced port of a Nintendo 3DS game whose main issue was the somewhat poor technical performance. That’s obviously not going to be a big problem here, so if you are a Disney fan or have a kid who is, you’ll want to look into this one. Your character interacts with tons of Disney characters and helps them out with various tasks that take the form of minigames. Doing so earns you stickers that opens up more of the world and its contents. You also run your own cafe, and much of the game centers around getting the stuff you need for it. I’d say it falls somewhere between Animal Crossing and Fantasy Life? Worth checking out, provided you are into the characters.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition ($14.99)
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition ($14.99)
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition ($29.99)
Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Whether you buy them separately or in a bundle, the Danganronpa games are must-plays if you haven’t tried them before. The main trilogy of these adventure thrillers has been ported to the Switch in reasonably good form. Follow the ups and downs of the stories of teenagers forced to kill each other by a sadistic bear named Monokuma. You’ll have to investigate murders before heading into trials, in a manner vaguely similar to Ace Attorney but not nearly as clean in terms of outcomes. Meanwhile, spin-off Danganronpa S is a grind-heavy board game of sorts that brings characters from all of the games together into one fanservice spectacular. I’ll have reviews of these games next week if you need more details.
Word Forward ($4.99)
Thalamus Digital has a new offering for us this week, and it’s a little different from its usual fare. You have to use all of the letters in the five-by-five grid to make words. The letters have to be connected, so you must think carefully about each move. You can use an assortment of power-ups if you get stuck, but the best option is to just assemble your words with caution. There are five hundred puzzles in all, so you’re paying a penny per. That’s not bad at all!
Paradise Lost ($14.99)
This is an adventure game set in an alternate history where World War II went on for an extra twenty years before raining nukes down on all of Europe. You play as a twelve-year-old boy who stumbles across a huge Nazi bunker while wandering around in the wasteland that was once Poland. He’s trying to find a man in a picture that his recently-deceased mother cherished. Explore the bunker, uncover its story, and seek out the help of a mysterious girl named Ewa who contacts you through the bunker’s amazing technology. In spite of the intriguing premise, reviews for this game were quite mixed on other platforms. Many of the complaints involved heavily baked-in elements, so I doubt this Switch version will turn the boat around.
Arcade Archives Liquid Kids ($7.99)
This week’s Arcade Archives release comes from the library of Taito. Liquid Kids was originally released in 1990 and sees a hippo hero named Hipopo on a mission to defeat the Fire Demon and save Woody-Lake. It’s a platformer that uses water as its main mechanic and theme. Pretty fun, and it certainly has that colorful pop that many games of that era sported. It has support for two players, too. Unfortunately, while the menus and options have multi-language support, the game itself is only in Japanese for this one. Otherwise, Hamster has done its usual fine job of bringing the game to Switch.
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders ($12.99)
A rather well-done point-and-click style adventure game set during the Tang Dynasty period of China. The puzzles are good, the story is excellent, and really the worst thing I can say about it is that it’s a bit on the easy side. You play as rookie detective Di Renjije as he investigates a series of brutal murders. Cards with riddles and warning about future crimes are left at each scene, and you need to try to catch up with the murderer before they strike again. Talk to witnesses, search for evidence, and find the answers in this pixel-art thriller. Good stuff.
6Souls ($7.99)
Ratalaika’s latest Switch conversion is another side-scrolling action game, with the gimmick being that you can play as both the sword-wielding guy and his faithful dog. There are more than eighty levels to play through, set across eight different locations. You’ll become more powerful as you go and gain access to new abilities. Seems very five-dollar Switch platformer, even if it is a few bucks more. If that is the itch you want to scratch, here you go.
Construction Site Driver ($13.99)
I’ve noticed the price of these near-weekly driving game things has gone up a couple of bucks. Inflation, eh? Not much to be done about it. Anyway, it’s the usual business. Ten different vehicles, lots of missions to complete, and an open space you can mess around with as you like. There will likely be another game very similar to it out next Friday, and this one will probably go on sale for half-price within a month or so. But if these are your jam, don’t let me dissuade you.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
It’s a long list of sales today, but what kind of interesting goodies are contained within? Well, retro gaming fans will want to look at picking up some of Hamster’s Arcade Archives games. Ten in all, and while five of them are part of the regular sales rotation (such as it is) for Hamster’s sales, the other five are from the ACA NEOGEO line and may not repeat for a very long time if at all. Beyond that, there are plenty of good games but not too many unusual ones. Check through the lists as usual, friends.
Select New Games on Sale
Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/8)
Clumsy Rush ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/9)
OMG Police: Car Chase TV ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/9)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/9)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/9)
Spencer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 12/13)
Swamp Defense 2 ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/13)
M.A.C.E. Space Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/13)
Super Star Blast ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/13)
Marble Power Blast ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/13)
Balance Blox ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/13)
Perry Pig Jump ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/13)
Bubble Shooter DX ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/13)
The Magister ($12.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition ($11.24 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Snakeybus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Guild of Darksteel ($11.99 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Fall of Light: Darkest Edition ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Georifters ($1.99 from $29.99 until 12/16)
Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/16)
Marbelous Animals ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/16)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/16)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 12/16)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 12/16)
Odallus: The Dark Call ($3.59 from $11.99 until 12/16)
Oniken: Unstoppable Edition ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/16)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Super Blood Hockey ($7.49 from $14.99 until 12/16)
Valfaris ($11.24 from $24.99 until 12/16)
UnExplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 12/16)
Jettomero: Hero of the Universe ($6.00 from $12.00 until 12/17)
Awe ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/17)
Mars: Chaos Menace ($3.39 from $9.99 until l2/17)
Dead Synchronicity: TCT ($5.09 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Ginger: Beyond the Crystal ($6.79 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Nightmare Boy ($3.39 from $9.99 until 12/17)
Freaky Awesome ($3.24 from $12.99 until 12/17)
Monster Energy Supercross 2 ($5.24 from $34.99 until 12/17)
Leopoldo Manquiseil ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/17)
Runner3 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Zenith ($7.49 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Willy Jetman: Astromonkey’s Revenge ($5.09 from $14.99 until 12/17)
MathLand ($3.59 from $5.99 until 12/17)
Magic Twins ($7.79 from $12.99 until 12/17)
Onirike ($10.49 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Pecaminosa: A Pixel Noir Game ($10.49 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Death Crown ($9.74 from $12.99 until 12/17)
Jigsaw Fun: Wonderful Nature ($9.99 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Oniria Crimes ($11.99 from $19.99 until 12/17)
Lost Artifacts: Time Machine ($3.99 from $9.99 until 12/17)
Demon’s Crystals ($5.09 from $14.99 until 12/17)
Legrand Legacy: TotF ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/20)
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption ($4.74 from $18.99 until 12/20)
Lost Castle ($2.99 from $9.99 until 12/20)
Arcade Archives Armed F ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Arcade Archives Moon Cresta ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Arcade Archives Atomic Robo-Kid ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Arcade Archives Ninja-Kid ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Arcade Archives Crazy Climber ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
ACA NEOGEO Ninja Master’s ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug 4 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
ACA NEOGEO Crossed Swords ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
ACA NEOGEO The King of Fighters ’97 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
ACA NEOGEO Power Spikes II ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Solitaire Klondike Black ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Super Star Path ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Bot Vice ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Welcome to Hanwell ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Goblin Sword ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
2URVIVE ($3.49 from $6.99 until 12/23)
Nonograms Prophecy ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/23)
Football Battle ($2.39 from $2.99 until 12/23)
Kirakira Stars Idol Project Memories ($19.60 from $28.00 until 12/23)
If My Heart Had Wings ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Dream Alone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Brutal Rage ($3.49 from $6.99 until 12/23)
Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story ($2.24 from $14.99 until 12/23)
OMNO ($13.59 from $15.99 until 12/23)
Ego Protocol Remastered ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Kids: Farm Coloring ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
The TakeOver ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/23)
Tanuki Justice ($6.99 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Lovekami -Divinity Stage- ($9.74 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Lovekami -Healing Harem- ($11.24 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Lovekami -Useless Goddess- ($10.49 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Bob Help Them ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/23)
Splashy Cube ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula ($6.99 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Creepy Tale ($3.49 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Creepy Tale 2 ($7.49 from $14.99 until 12/23)
Body of Evidence ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Supersonic Tank Cats ($2.49 from $4.99 until 12/23)
Classical Logical Bundle 4in1 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 12/23)
Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire: Green ($4.79 from $5.99 until 12/23)
Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire: Blue ($4.79 from $5.99 until 12/23)
Sales Ending This Weekend
Chameleon Run Deluxe ($1.99 from $5.99 until 12/4)
Chaos on Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Cooking Festival ($3.29 from $10.99 until 12/4)
Dancing Dreamer ($2.09 from $6.99 until 12/4)
Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Deponia Doomsday ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Goodbye Deponia ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Jim is Moving Out! ($4.49 from $14.99 until 12/4)
Press A to Party ($2.09 from $6.99 until 12/4)
Ramp Car Jumping ($3.14 from $10.49 until 12/4)
Rise: Race the Future ($9.89 from $16.49 until 12/4)
Shiro ($4.24 from $4.99 until 12/4)
The Keep ($5.39 from $17.99 until 12/4)
Under Leaves ($2.99 from $12.99 until 12/4)
Anna’s Quest ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/5)
Castaway Paradise ($7.99 from $19.99 until 12/5)
Harvest Life ($3.99 from $19.99 until 12/5)
The Forgotten Land ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/5)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new releases including Beyond a Steel Sky, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 Deluxe, Loop Hero, Super Impossible Road, and more. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!