Hello light readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for October 18th, 2022. In at present’s article, we’ve acquired a number of extra opinions so that you can get pleasure from. Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief, Atari Mania, and Aquarist are the titles in query at present, and they’re actually an odd combine. There are a few new releases to take a look at, plus the same old lists of incoming and outgoing gross sales. Let’s get into the good things!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief ($39.99)

Do you could have a passion for quirky PlayStation 2-era B-grade video games? If your reply is not any, then you definately’re all performed right here. You’re not going to love this remake of the 2006 PlayStation 2 sport any greater than you’ll have preferred the unique. This sport was made by Acquire, a developer finest identified for creating the Tenchu and Way of the Samurai collection. Kamiwaza leans much more in the direction of the latter than the previous, regardless of it centering stealth mechanics in its gameplay. You play as a former thief who returns to a lifetime of crime with the intention to assist his sick daughter, and which means you’re going to do a number of looting.

It has janky, sophisticated controls. The digital camera is a ache within the neck. It’s not all the time clear what you need to do or the place you need to go. The enemy AI is de facto silly. The visuals could have been up to date but it surely’s not onerous to establish what technology it comes from. This sport is PlayStation 2 as hell. That’s simply the type of temper I’m in, nonetheless, so it really works nicely for me. Naturally, by trendy requirements, this sport is de facto awkward. Stealth video games have come a good distance over the previous few generations. Heck, that they had come a good distance even earlier than this got here out. It wasn’t localized again within the day however I can nearly odor the middling opinions if it had.

In its favor, Kamiwaza is extremely novel, and I assume sixteen years is about lengthy sufficient for me to have a little bit of nostalgia for its vibe. See an enemy guard in your method? Put down your sack stuffed with loot and soccer kick it at his melon to knock him on his butt. Everyone’s rotated? As lengthy as you’re sneaking you may just about graze their butts with out anybody noticing. Ideally you wish to keep away from fights, however for those who get into one you may decide your opponent’s pockets when you beat them down. You’re just about attempting to steal every thing that isn’t nailed down, and something that’s nailed down can normally be coaxed from its moorings with sufficient time. All of it goes into your sack, which slowly will increase in dimension as you fill it up with comically massive objects.

Don’t take my rating to imply that is a median sport. It most decidedly just isn’t. It’s very area of interest in each its gameplay and enchantment, and I believe you’ll must be simply the precise individual in simply the precise temper to get pleasure from it the best way I did. There are most likely extra tough edges than clean edges right here, however for those who’re in search of a stealth sport that does issues very in a different way from the norm, this can actually suit your wants. It even has a good story connected. I’m glad this remake exists and I’m glad NISA localized it, even when I believe it will battle to seek out an viewers much more than its stablemate Way of the Samurai.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Atari Mania ($24.99)

I’ve been tremendously having fun with Atari’s mini renaissance of late, and as such I used to be wanting ahead to Atari Mania. Part of the corporate’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations, the sport presents a bunch of WarioWare-style microgames impressed by Atari’s well-known classics. The fundamental thought right here is that you simply’re a caretaker working at Atari’s headquarters, reporting in for one more day at work. Some useless pixels have appeared within the constructing and are sucking within the varied Atari characters. It’s as much as you to assist them out and unravel who and what’s behind all of this.

There are two parts to this sport. One is a free journey sport of kinds. You wander across the constructing and use gadgets to unravel puzzles that can uncover secret collectibles or open the trail ahead. You can unlock cowl artwork and manuals for quite a lot of Atari video games, and it’s fairly enjoyable. I want you can additionally unlock the unique video games, however I suppose now we have a treatment for that coming in a number of weeks. You’ll meet varied Atari characters as you discover, and it’s enjoyable to see some characters who had little or no characterization by necessity get infused with personalities.

The different a part of the sport, and possibly the meant important course, is in taking part in the microgames. You’re tasked with finishing a sure variety of them in a row with out failing too many, which is analogous to the construction in a WarioWare sport. Some of those sequences are necessary, whereas others function further challenges for unlockables. As talked about, all of those microgames are impressed by Atari classics. Most of them go so far as to mash up a number of video games directly, with Pong paddles battling Millipede or the Asteroids ship navigating a hall of Super Breakout blocks. It’s a cute thought, particularly for many who know these video games nicely.

At one of the best of occasions, these microgames will be simply as intelligent as those seen in WarioWare. Sometimes, they’re simply complicated, overly sophisticated, too prolonged, or don’t management the best way you’ll anticipate. Broadly talking, Atari Mania hits greater than it misses with its microgames. There are moments of frustration while you get a bunch of microgames you may’t determine and find yourself having to begin the entire chain over once more, however such is how this type of factor goes. After finishing a set of microgames and toppling the boss stage, you may play them once more at your leisure on an arcade machine that can pop up.

It’s a great sport, significantly for followers of Atari. Unfortunately, this Switch port has a number of points that may make you wish to take a look at the sport on one other console. Response will be sluggish at occasions, with noticeable lag within the controls. Loading occasions are simply lengthy sufficient to be uncomfortable, and typically it doesn’t let it’s loading and makes it really feel like the sport is hanging. I’m undecided if that is one thing that might be fastened in an replace or not, however I hope we see some type of enhancements right here if solely to make transitions much less awkward.

As a WarioWare-inspired affair, Atari Mania falls a bit of in need of that collection whereas nonetheless being ok to be of curiosity to these get pleasure from quick-fire gaming. If we take a look at it as a celebration of Atari, it’s very nicely performed. There are plenty of little particulars in right here for the true-blue followers, and the humorousness hits the precise spot so far as I’m involved. The Switch model has some technical points that imply you’re most likely higher off taking part in it elsewhere until moveable play is vital for you, but when the Switch is your solely (or most popular) possibility, it’s playable sufficient to get into.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Aquarist ($9.99)

There’s a sure sample to releases from Ultimate Games, and it’s considerably vexing. Most of the video games the writer releases on Switch are ports from the PC, and whereas the titles in query aren’t the cream of the crop they aren’t with out advantage both. The drawback is that Ultimate’s ports come off as greater than a bit of careless, and that’s in full impact with Aquarist. As close to as I can inform, this can be a completely agreeable sim that tackles its subject with satisfying thoroughness. Not the fanciest factor round, however high quality. But the sport’s interface was clearly constructed for PC use, and which means this Switch model has teeny-tiny textual content and extremely awkward controls. Fiddling round attempting to choose up objects I can barely see with a finicky cursor just isn’t my thought of enjoyable.

Aquarist might be a very pleasurable sport on PC. On Switch, its extreme interface issues mixed with a number of technical points makes it actually tough to only relax and benefit from the easy pleasures of constructing the aquariums of your goals and caring for your fish. Nearly unreadable textual content, particularly in handheld mode, combines with clumsy controls that had been clearly designed for a mouse, and the consequence may be very onerous to advocate.

SwitchArcade Score: 2.5/5

New Releases

Them’s Fightin’ Herds ($19.99)

Gosh, that Friendship is Magic period of My Little Pony certain was an entire factor, wasn’t it? The followers actually acquired into it, and it’s no shock a few of them went on to make some actually cool issues. For instance, this preventing sport. Indeed, this was initially a My Little Pony fan sport, however someplace alongside the road I assume they realized that they had one thing ok to promote. Swap out the Mane Six and firm for a brand new solid of animals designed by Friendship is Magic producer Lauren Faust and, increase, you’re all set. The sport features a story mode, native and on-line multiplayer, tutorial and coaching modes, and extra. Reviews have been optimistic, so for those who just like the look of it, leap on in.

Sigma Theory ($17.99)

A turn-based technique sport with a cool cyberpunk-ish vibe, Sigma Theory has you recruit a staff of brokers and commit acts of candy espionage, diplomacy, exfiltration, and extra. Think of it like extra of a story board sport than the rest and also you’ll be in the precise head area to get pleasure from it. I’m going to go forward and assume this model contains some or the entire DLC that was bought individually on PC, or else that value doesn’t make a number of sense.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Oh hey, a sale on King’s Bounty II. That doesn’t come round too usually. What else is in there? New Super Lucky’s Tale, Death Road to Canada, Space Raiders in Space, Bear’s Restaurant, and the entire assortment of Thalamus video games. Well, that’s not dangerous for a Tuesday in any respect! The outbox has a number of goodies in it too, so you should definitely give each lists a great scan.

Select New Games on Sale

King’s Bounty II ($13.99 from $39.99 till 10/24)
Road 96 ($9.98 from $19.96 till 10/24)
Bear’s Restaurant ($9.74 from $12.99 till 10/24)
Fishing Paradiso ($13.49 from $14.99 till 10/24)
Oxide Room 104 ($14.99 from $24.99 till 10/24)
Timothy vs the Aliens ($3.90 from $16.99 till 10/24)
Naught ($2.99 from $19.99 till 10/24)
Lotus Reverie First Nexus ($4.79 from $15.99 till 10/24)
Space Raiders in Space ($1.99 from $12.99 till 10/25)
Little Bug ($1.99 from $12.99 till 10/25)
Syndrome ($1.99 from $24.99 till 10/25)
Gum+ ($1.99 from $7.99 till 10/25)
Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 till 10/31)
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Deluxe ($37.49 from $74.99 till 10/31)
90″ Soccer ($1.99 from $4.99 till 10/31)

Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia ($1.99 from $12.99 till 10/31)
Eldest Souls ($7.99 from $19.99 till 10/31)
Quest Hunter ($8.99 from $29.99 till 10/31)
Roki ($5.99 from $19.99 till 10/31)
Tails of Iron ($9.99 from $24.99 till 10/31)
New Super Lucky’s Tale ($14.99 from $29.99 till 10/31)
Rogue Star Rescue ($9.89 from $14.99 till 11/1)
Death Road to Canada ($5.99 from $14.99 till 11/2)
Halloween Forever ($4.99 from $9.99 till 11/2)
Elli ($1.99 from $7.99 till 11/7)
Cardful Planning ($1.99 from $4.99 till 11/7)
Millie and Molly ($1.99 from $4.99 till 11/7)
Lumo ($1.99 from $19.95 till 11/7)
Cecconoid ($1.99 from $19.99 till 11/7)
10 Second Ninja X ($1.99 from $11.99 till 11/7)

Love: A Puzzle Box ($1.99 from $19.99 till 11/7)
Destructivator SE ($1.99 from $4.99 till 11/7)
Death Ray Manta SE ($1.99 from $10.00 till 11/7)
Rainbow Laser Disco Dungeon ($1.99 from $9.99 till 11/7)
Bezier: Second Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 till 11/7)
Rogue Aces ($1.99 from $12.99 till 11/7)
Word Forward ($1.99 from $4.99 till 11/7)
Gamedec DE ($14.99 from $29.99 till 11/7)
Vambrace Cold Soul ($6.24 from $24.99 till 11/7)
Doomsday Vault ($1.99 from $19.99 till 11/7)
Truberbrook ($7.49 from $29.99 till 11/7)
Windscape ($4.99 from $19.99 till 11/7)
Bridge Constructor UE ($3.74 from $14.99 till 11/7)
Bridge Constructor Portal ($3.74 from $14.99 till 11/7)
Bridge Constructor Walking Dead ($2.49 from $9.99 till 11/7)
Fury Unleashed ($5.99 from $19.99 till 11/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, October nineteenth

Castle on the Coast ($5.99 from $14.99 till 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATHWL ($2.99 from $5.99 till 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATSWE ($2.99 from $5.99 till 10/19)
Choices That Matter: ATSWO ($2.99 from $5.99 till 10/19)
Effie ($5.99 from $19.99 till 10/19)
Garden Story ($12.99 from $19.99 till 10/19)
Inukari Chase of Deception ($1.99 from $7.99 till 10/19)
May’s Mysteries: TSoD ($8.99 from $14.99 till 10/19)
orbit.industries ($12.99 from $19.99 till 10/19)
P.3 ($1.99 from $4.99 till 10/19)
South of the Circle ($9.09 from $12.99 till 10/19)

Table of Tales: Crooked Crown ($14.99 from $19.99 till 10/19)
The Amazing American Circus ($6.99 from $19.99 till 10/19)
The World Next Door ($2.49 from $9.99 till 10/19)
This is the Zodiac Speaking ($2.98 from $12.99 till 10/19)
This War of Mine: CE ($1.99 from $39.99 till 10/19)
To Be Or Not To Be ($3.49 from $6.99 till 10/19)
Warlock of Firetop Mountain: GS Edition ($2.99 from $29.99 till 10/19)
West of Loathing ($5.50 from $11.00 till 10/19)
West of Loathing DLC ($2.49 from $4.99 till 10/19)

That’s all for at present, mates. We’ll be again tomorrow with the same old mixture of stuff. New releases? Check. Sales? Check. News? Uh, perhaps use pencil on that one. Reviews? That field will most likely stay empty. I hope you all have an important Tuesday, and as all the time, thanks for studying!