Whats up light readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Spherical-Up for December twelfth, 2023. In right now’s article, we get issues began with a pair of evaluations from our pal Mikhail, who’s having a look at Snakebird Full and Vogue Dreamer. I’ve acquired one assessment myself, for the tactical RPG Arcadian Atlas. After that, we’ve acquired the record of latest releases together with Hammerwatch II and extra. Then we transfer into the lists of the latest gross sales and expiring reductions, as we at all times do. Let’s get to the video games!
Opinions & Mini-Views
Snakebird Full ($14.99)
Over right here at TouchArcade, we’ve been followers of Snakebird ever because it hit iOS in 2016. You’ll be able to learn our assessment of Snakebird on iOS right here. Since that launch, Noumenon Video games launched Snakebird Primer in 2019, a extra accessible follow-up that constructed on the unique with many extra ranges. Quick ahead to now, Snakebird Full has arrived on Nintendo Swap bringing each Snakebird and Snakebird Primer collectively in a seamless package deal for Nintendo’s hybrid system.
I’ve been chipping away at it since getting assessment code, and it has actually made it onerous to play my different assessment video games. Once I get sucked into a superb puzzle recreation, I spend an excessive amount of time fascinated with ranges and the sport once I’m not enjoying. The truth is, I spent 2 hours on it this morning once I wished to complete writing about 4 different video games then. Snakebird Full is so good, I wish to hold enjoying extra of it as an alternative of writing about it. Put that on the field.
In the event you’ve by no means heard of Snakebird earlier than, your goal is transferring such as you would within the basic recreation, Snake, whereas gathering fruit to develop in dimension, but in addition attempting to succeed in a particular goal or location within the fantastically designed ranges. The development in Snakebird Full is non-linear. You slowly begin unlocking extra of the map, opening up a number of puzzle choices for whenever you inevitably get caught and have to attempt one thing else or want a break. As you progress additional, new mechanics and extra birds be part of the motion.
Past fantastically designed ranges and intuitive ranges, I like the eye to element within the little issues. The animations are pretty, and the birds’ expressions as you attain the objective or are close to a fruit are issues most wouldn’t even take note of. That is all complemented by a soothing soundtrack and charming sound results.
In the event you do get caught, there’s an fascinating trace system, however I’d actually advocate doing what I do once I get caught in a puzzle recreation like this: go and do one other puzzle or take a break. The answer will come to you. Give it time.
On Nintendo Swap, the sport seems to be nice, and I used to be very joyful that touchscreen assist is included. I performed most of it with contact controls in transportable mode, but in addition tried it docked. The controller assist is well-implemented.
Snakebird was superb on iOS, however Snakebird Full feels good on Nintendo Swap. In the event you benefit from the likes of Baba is You and even A Monster’s Expedition, Snakebird Full is important. They nailed the contact controls and it seems to be so good on the OLED display screen. In the event you nonetheless aren’t offered on it, attempt the demo. Snakebird Full is the true deal. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Rating: 5/5
Vogue Dreamer ($49.99)
Vogue Dreamer‘s announcement left me conflicted. I used to be tremendous joyful to see syn Sophia again, however it didn’t look like a brand new Model Savvy recreation. Since that reveal, Xseed Video games has been slowly revealing extra of what you truly do in Vogue Dreamer, and it lastly hit me that this can be a creativity centered costume up recreation with some on-line parts somewhat than a real comply with as much as Model Savvy, and that isn’t a nasty factor, however the recreation’s present state leaves quite a bit to be desired even after its first main replace.
Vogue Dreamer has you enjoying as a Muse in a world stuffed with Muses. Your goal is to develop your affect with followers, your individual model, your individual showroom, and extra. There’s quite a lot of customization doable right here, however I loved interacting with random Muses to decorate them up by way of what the sport calls Lookits. You too can work together with a Muse to soak up the brand new garments and equipment.
Talking of garments and equipment, the extra you progress into incomes extra followers and doing Lookits, the extra in-game objects you get. These can be utilized to make use of the gacha machine or bingo tickets to unlock extra objects and principally the extra you give Vogue Dreamer, the extra you get out of it, however there isn’t actually a narrative as I hoped when it was initially introduced. One of the best analogy I’ve is Vogue Dreamer is the Joyful Residence Designer to Animal Crossing‘s Model Savvy.
The web mode is kind of good as effectively, however you may play Vogue Dreamer offline fully. Day one, I had complaints with the sorting and plenty of facets of the particular costume up half since you couldn’t even zoom in save units correctly. These have been fastened, however the largest non-performance associated subject I’ve is the dearth of with the ability to use any equipment and garments on any physique sort. I don’t get why a recreation about dressing up limits this. As of this writing, I haven’t been capable of take a look at the time-limited occasion because it was taken down quickly after the replace hit.
Visually, Vogue Dreamer can look wonderful, particularly whenever you’re doing poses to point out off your Muse and take photographs. The remainder of it seems to be a bit fundamental however good and colourful. This isn’t a difficulty by itself, however the efficiency isn’t good. Scrolling by way of objects and even strolling throughout the realm leads to stuttering or freezing. I examined this on 2 Swap consoles to make certain. I hope this may be improved over patches, however proper now some parts remind me of Pokemon and never in a great way.
After its first replace, Vogue Dreamer nonetheless wants work. Whereas the efficiency is my largest drawback with it, some design choices should be addressed like letting any physique sort put on any garments or equipment. I’m going to revisit it by way of every replace, however proper now this feels extra like what we acquired in Animal Crossing: Joyful Residence Designer somewhat than a real Animal Crossing expertise for example. There’s quite a bit I like, however this wanted extra time. –Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Rating: 3.5/5
Arcadian Atlas ($19.99)
You already know, typically I believe Ultimate Fantasy Ways doesn’t get its full due when it comes to its significance in gaming historical past. It’s definitely well-loved and significantly revered, in fact. But when we think about that one angle of a recreation’s place in historical past is how influential it’s, Ultimate Fantasy Ways is beginning to appear to be it’s on some form of brief record. You don’t see many video games within the turn-based tactical RPG style lately that aren’t paying a debt to it in some kind or one other, and plenty of of them are outright doing their finest to succeed it. Sadly, like with its Sq. Enix stablemate Chrono Set off, most of those love letters fall a bit flat in some kind or one other. Imitation often is the sincerest type of flattery, however flattery will solely get you up to now.
Arcadian Atlas actually has Ultimate Fantasy Ways on its thoughts, and in some ways in which performs out very well. The sprites are implausible, and certainly may be much more expressive and enjoyable to take a look at than these of the sport it pays homage to. The soundtrack is kind of good, even when it doesn’t fairly stay as much as one of many best efforts of Hitoshi Sakimoto. The story has loads of intrigue and is kind of well-written. The battles are smaller in scale than these in Ultimate Fantasy Ways, however nonetheless sufficiently big to be fascinating. There’s a satisfying variety of character lessons to mess around with and a good variety of abilities to utilize. Certainly, I believe it does its job effectively sufficient that followers of the style shall be sufficiently entertained for his or her cash.
However there are issues right here, too. Options and parts that Ultimate Fantasy Ways had that might be welcome right here however are nowhere to be discovered. The maps have quite a lot of particulars on them that make them look pure, however typically that stuff blocks your view. Sadly, you may’t change the perspective on this recreation so that you simply form of must take care of it. Similar if any elevated elements of the terrain are in the best way. There are specific complexities to the fight you’d anticipate finding that aren’t in right here both, and it’s all very unbalanced and never within the great way. I additionally really feel prefer it’s far too content material to be an homage, not likely doing something to succeed in past what the style was doing twenty-five years in the past. It jogs my memory quite a lot of the Mercenaries Saga video games, for higher or worse.
I believe if you happen to love Ultimate Fantasy Ways, Arcadian Atlas will provide you with one thing to chew on. It would additionally seemingly irritate you in a wide range of methods. It’s each bit the sport it’s attempting to be, a passionate expression of adoration for one of many style greats. It’s only a disgrace that it’s content material to solely be that, for the reason that sparks that do mild up correctly right here present such promise. Maybe we’d see a few of these turn out to be correct flames within the subsequent recreation from this crew, however for now that is actually only one for these closely thirsting for any tactical turn-based intrigue they will get.
SwitchArcade Rating: 3.5/5
New Releases
Hammerwatch Anniversary Version ($19.99)
This can be a remaster of Hammerwatch, which has been accessible on the Swap for lengthy sufficient that we now have a remaster to purchase. It makes numerous enhancements on the unique model, however is that sufficient so that you can drop twenty bucks if you happen to already personal that one? I’m not the man to let you know sure or no on that, however I believe if you happen to actually loved Hammerwatch you’ll most likely recognize the enhancements right here to some extent. You might, nonetheless, wish to avoid wasting cash for the subsequent merchandise on our record.
Hammerwatch II ($24.99)
Hey, it’s Hammerwatch II. Go on some new adventures by yourself, or crew up with different gamers on-line in a bunch of as much as 4 gamers. Discover an open world, full quests, and construct up your hero as you push again the forces of darkness. This has been out for a minute or two on different platforms and the final consensus appears to be that if you happen to favored the primary one, you’ll have a fairly good time right here too.
Petit Petit Petit ($12.99)
A Vampire Survivors-style recreation that takes place inside a physique and duties you with utilizing antibodies to defend in opposition to invading pathogens and ailments. It’s a intelligent premise, however evaluations of the sport on different platforms have been pretty lukewarm. Proceed at your individual threat, in different phrases.
Tremendous Bear Journey ($9.99)
I believe this got here out on cellular a number of years again, the place it discovered an viewers due to the comparatively low variety of 3D platformers round. I… don’t assume it can get pleasure from such advantages right here and now, however who is aware of? Possibly there’s some hidden appeal to it that I’m simply not selecting up on.
Twin Thoughts: Energy of Love Collector’s Version ($14.99)
Why sure, it’s one other hidden object journey recreation. The dual detectives want to remedy one more case. I’ve nothing a lot to say about any of those video games at this level, however if you happen to’re in search of considered one of them, right here it’s.
Wooden Man ($9.99)
That is absolute borderline Bin Bunch stuff, however it looks like it might be an precise earnest effort so I’m not going to stay it in there. But. Anyway, it’s a fairly clunky motion recreation with lots of of ranges and an area co-op function if you wish to train it. There’s additionally a battle mode in there in order that they will technically say the sport is for as much as 4 gamers.
The Bin Bunch
SNQZ ($1.49)
Gross sales
(North American eShop, US Costs)
There are a bunch of video games hitting new low costs right now, and whereas I don’t know that any of them are extremely barn-burners, the costs are low sufficient that you just may wish to chunk anyway. Over within the outbox, there’s nearly nothing occurring. Some days are like that. At any price, test each lists equivalent to they’re and see what catches your eye.
Choose New Gross sales
RiMS Racing ($4.99 from $49.99 till 12/27)Taking pictures Star Island ($1.99 from $4.99 till 1/1)Earthen Dragon ($4.00 from $9.90 till 1/1)Coronary heart Chain Kitty: All Screwed Up ($1.99 from $4.99 till 1/1)Hidden Gems: Quantity One ($3.49 from $6.99 till 1/1)Sixtar Gate: Startrail ($19.99 from $24.99 till 1/1)Function Now: Hospital ($1.99 from $9.99 till 1/1)Railbound ($8.99 from $12.99 till 1/1)Figment 1 + Figment 2 ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/1)Homicide Thriller Machine ($1.99 from $9.99 till 1/1)Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo ($5.99 from $19.99 till 1/1)Syberia ($1.99 from $12.99 till 1/1)Metamorphosis ($1.99 from $24.99 till 1/1)Agatha Christie Assortment ($11.99 from $29.99 till 1/1)The Quest for Excalibur: Puy du Fou ($8.99 from $29.99 till 1/1)
Smurfs Kart ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/1)The Gardens Between ($2.99 from $19.99 till 1/1)My Universe: Vogue Boutique ($2.49 from $24.99 till 1/1)My Universe: Cooking Star Restaurant ($2.99 from $29.99 till 1/1)Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars ($9.99 from $39.99 till 1/1)Arkanoid: Everlasting Battle ($2.99 from $19.99 till 1/1)Vampire: TM – Shadows of New York ($2.59 from $12.99 till 1/1)Survivor Castaway Island ($20.99 from $29.99 till 1/1)Everdream Valley ($12.49 from $24.99 till 1/1)WRC Assortment ($9.99 from $99.99 till 1/1)The Smurfs 2 ($27.99 from $39.99 till 1/1)Bang-On Balls: Chronicles ($14.99 from $24.99 till 1/1)Grand Mountain Journey: Wonderlands ($10.49 from $34.99 till 1/1)Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch ($15.99 from $39.99 till 1/1)TT Isle of Man RotE 3 ($19.99 from $49.99 till 1/1)Cabela’s The Hunt: CE ($4.99 from $9.99 till 1/1)Cricket 22 ($19.99 from $49.99 till 1/1)
Gross sales Ending Tomorrow, December thirteenth
Soccer Cup 2023 ($2.99 from $9.99 till 12/13)Glitch’s Journey ($1.99 from $12.99 till 12/13)
That’s all for right now, buddies. We’ll be again tomorrow with extra new releases, extra evaluations, extra gross sales, and maybe some information. This was one other a kind of days the place I didn’t get as a lot executed as I might have favored to, however I suppose there isn’t a lot you are able to do about that. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as at all times, thanks for studying!