Nintendo Direct Highlights, EGGCONSOLE Star Trader Review, New Releases on SwitchArcade

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 review and a look at a new 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! The 40-minute presentation featured a Partner Showcase and an Indie World Showcase. While primarily focused on third-party titles and indie games, it lacked any major first-party announcements and, unsurprisingly, no news about the next-generation Switch console. You can watch the full presentation above; a detailed summary of the key highlights will be available tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game enjoyable, and is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is an intriguing but not outstanding title. Falcom blended adventure game elements with side-scrolling shooter stages, but neither aspect shines particularly. The adventure sections boast appealing artwork, and the attempt to integrate a narrative into a shoot 'em up is unique. Gameplay primarily involves interacting with characters, accepting quests, and earning money to upgrade your ship – crucial for navigating the challenging shooter sequences.

The shooting segments, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in jerky, choppy scrolling. Even with smoother movement, the gameplay might not be exceptional. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader proves more interesting than genuinely good. This leads to the second question regarding language. The adventure sections are text-heavy, requiring player input for optimal outcomes. Without Japanese comprehension, players miss half the game and struggle to earn sufficient credits for ship upgrades. While brute-forcing progress is possible, it significantly diminishes the experience.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer experimenting outside their usual genre. However, the significant amount of Japanese text severely limits its appeal to Western audiences. While some enjoyment might be derived from experimentation, a strong recommendation is difficult to justify.

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. Pluto's eternal punishment? Cleaning! Players explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, defeat bosses, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely give it a try.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, I recommend checking out the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Don't miss out on 1000xRESIST – it's a must-buy! Other notable titles on sale include various Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider remasters. Check out the full lists below!

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!