Nintendo Direct Unveils Updates, 'Star Trader' Review and App News

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024! Today's update begins with some exciting news, followed by a game review and a look at a fresh release. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales reports. Let's dive in!

News

Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap

As predicted by some industry insiders, Nintendo surprised us with a last-minute Nintendo Direct, featuring a combined Partner Showcase and Indie World Showcase totaling 40 minutes. While primarily showcasing third-party titles and indie games, the presentation is now complete, and you can watch it above. I'll provide a detailed summary of the key announcements tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game enjoyable despite the language barrier? Star Trader is intriguing, blending adventure and side-scrolling shooter elements, but neither aspect shines particularly. The adventure segments feature appealing artwork, offering a unique narrative approach for a shooter. Players interact with characters, undertake quests, and earn money to upgrade their ship, a necessity for the challenging shooting stages.

The shooting sections, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limited scrolling capabilities, resulting in a jerky, less-than-ideal experience. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader is more captivating than truly great. The significant Japanese text in the adventure sections presents a major hurdle for Western players, hindering both enjoyment and progress. While some brute-forcing is possible, the overall experience is significantly diminished.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer's experimentation. However, the substantial Japanese text makes it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly. It might appeal to those willing to overcome the language barrier, but it's not a must-have.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat, banished from the afterlife for misbehaving. Players explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, I suggest looking at the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Don't miss out on 1000xRESIST—it's a must-buy! Other titles worth considering include Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider remasters.

Select New Sales

Return ($10.49 from $13.99 until 9/2)
Summer Daze: Tilly’s Tale ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/9)
Please Fix the Road ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/9)
Ticket to Ride ($26.99 from $29.99 until 9/9)
King ‘n Knight ($9.59 from $11.99 until 9/9)
Spiritfarer ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/9)
Harpoon Shooter Nozomi ($6.98 from $9.98 until 9/16)
Like Dreamer ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/16)
Cosmo Dreamer ($4.10 from $8.20 until 9/16)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($8.99 from $59.99 until 9/16)
Gluck ($5.59 from $6.99 until 9/16)
Love Love School Days ($4.19 from $10.49 until 9/16)
Ugly ($6.79 from $19.99 until 9/16)
Replik Survivors ($3.44 from $4.99 until 9/16)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

1000xRESIST ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Citizen Sleeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Genesis Noir ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Haiku, The Robot ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Heads Up! Phones Down Edition ($1.99 from $39.99 until 8/28)
Legend Bowl ($18.74 from $24.99 until 8/28)
MythForce ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/28)
Paradise Killer ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Battlefront Collection ($28.00 from $35.01 until 8/28)
Star Wars Bounty Hunter ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Episode I Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR II: Sith Lords ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Republic Commando ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Super Mutant Alien Assault ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Suzerain ($4.49 from $17.99 until 8/28)
The Pale Beyond ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Times & Galaxy ($17.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/28)

That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a Direct recap, new game releases, sales updates, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!