Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 1st, 2020. It’s a new month, and we’ve got lots of new goodies to keep us busy while we wait for Nintendo to do whatever it’s going to. In today’s article, we’ve got a full review of the amazing moon, Mini-Views of Gemini Arms and Death’s Hangover, summaries of the latest releases, and a couple of hefty lists of sales to check out. Not too much news going on, but we’ve got lots to read about anyway. Let’s get to it!
Reviews
moon ($18.99)
moon is more than twenty years old. It’s not hard to figure that out by looking at it, with its slightly blurry sprites and 4:3 aspect ratio. Yet its gameplay is as fresh as the day it was released, and its message resonates now perhaps more than ever. Originally scheduled for an English release back in the PlayStation 1 era, things happened. We didn’t get it then. But we get it now, and unless you happen to be fluent enough in Japanese to have made your way through it in its native language, it’s all new.
moon was made by developers who had worked on a lot of RPGs. It bills itself as an anti-RPG. That may make it sound antagonistic towards the genre, or perhaps even its players. It’s not. In actuality, it’s hard to call it antagonistic towards anything. moon is a game about love. It’s a game about making the world a better place. It’s about making a better person of yourself. It’s about kindness. Conscientiousness. Noticing the little stories and tragedies happening around you. Noticing the beautiful things happening around you. If there’s anything moon takes issue with, it’s a lack of love.
But what kind of game is moon, really? It’s not an RPG. It’s more of an adventure game than anything. After playing a very familiar JRPG, our main character gets sucked into the world of the game. He’s not the hero, but the hero is there and is more or less behaving as they did when you were controlling them. Of course, from an outside perspective, the hero isn’t that heroic. They’re leaving a path of destruction in their wake, and it stings all the more because it’s not just what you were doing in the brief prologue, but also what we all do when we’re playing JRPGs. All you can do is try to clean up the mess.
You do that by generating love. There are a lot of ways to do that. You can help people with their problems. You can reunite the souls of monsters with their bodies. You can treat animals with kindness. As the amount of love you generate increases, your level goes up. That’s crucial because your movement is limited by your endurance. You won’t be able to go all that far at the start, but as you gather more love and become stronger, you’ll be able to go farther and find more ways to help people. Some of the problems are easy to figure out. Others take more thinking. Be attentive and caring, and you’ll eventually figure everything out. Don’t forget to save by sleeping in your bed, though. That’s one RPG trope moon isn’t willing to cross.
There’s more I could probably say about moon, but I’d rather leave the experience to you to enjoy. I’ve explained the premise and the basic gameplay, and beyond that all I really feel right about saying is that this is a very special game that expresses a strong message without being too preachy. It’s a game I genuinely think everyone should play, and RPG fans in particular will likely get a real kick out of it. Go on… we all could use a little more love these days, don’t you think?
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
Mini-Views
Death’s Hangover ($4.99)
I’m a sucker for a good Breakout-style game, and that’s just what this is. The premise is goofy and the bizarre sense of humor pervades the whole experience. Most importantly, the gameplay is excellent. The variety of stage layouts and targets makes progression enjoyable, and the power-ups add a nice bit of spice. You can bring in a buddy for a cool two-player mode, but it’s just as good as a solo experience. The pixel art graphics are detailed and well-done, giving you a clear view of the action and everything you need to see. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the price is so low. If you like brick-breakers, give this one a shot.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Gemini Arms ($9.49)
It’s a well-known fact that transforming robots are better than most things in this world of ours. It’s equally well-known that combining robots are pretty awesome, too. Gemini Arms doesn’t make you choose between these two popular types of robot, and that’s part of what makes it so beautiful. This is a horizontal shooter that lets you switch between space fighter and flying robot whenever you like. The robot can fire in all directions using a twin-stick set-up, and the fighter has a more focused shot. The CPU or another player control the other robot, and you can combine for extra fire power. You can battle through eight stages or take on a caravan mode to see how high a score you can rack up. It’s an awesome shooter with some good gimmicks, one well-worth checking out for those who enjoy a bit of action.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Ary and the Secret of Seasons ($39.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
This game kind of surprised me. It’s a Zelda-ish action-adventure game where you play as a plucky young girl trying to find her lost brother. It looks great, plays well, and feels like a full-fat experience. The only problem, and one that I hope is resolved in in future updates, is that there are a lot of bugs in the current version. It’s too bad because this is otherwise a charming, enjoyable game with a lot to love in it. I’ll have a proper review of this game before too long if you need more details.
MX vs ATV All Out ($39.99)
You know, I didn’t realize Rainbow Studios was still around, let alone that they were still making games in the ATV series. Uh, another thing I didn’t know is that this is more or less the successor series to the PlayStation ATV Off-Road Fury games. That raised some expectations, and I’m afraid to say this game couldn’t live up to them. There’s still a bit of fun to be had here, but this game had problems on far more powerful hardware than the Switch and they’re even worse in this version. The screenshot up there is from the page on the eShop, but it’s not indicative of how it looks running on Switch. Feature-wise it’s complete, down to the online multiplayer, but with this kind of performance it’s not really worth it unless you’re an absolute fiend for the sports involved.
UBERMOSH: SANTICIDE ($0.99)
Another UBERMOSH game. If you don’t know what these are all about yet, they’re basically twin-stick shooters that focus less on delivering a lot of content and more on just the fun of each 90-second run. Certainly not the best or most fulfilling games in this particular sub-genre, but it’s hard to argue with the value for the price. If you want something to hold you over until the next big game or enjoyed the previous UBERMOSH games, tossing a buck at this probably wouldn’t be the worst decision you made all day.
BallzOut ($2.50)
This is one of those games like curling or shuffleboard where the idea is to try to place as many of your objects (balls in this case) in a marked zone while preventing your opponent from doing the same. In this game, each player shoots from a different side. There are apparently some power-ups in the mix as well. There’s support for up to two players via local multiplayer, and I’d imagine that’s the way you’ll want to play as I can’t see it being fun for very long against the computer player. It’s simple and probably won’t stay entertaining for long, but at least it’s cheap and presents all kinds of opportunities for juvenile ball-related jokes.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some interesting games in today’s inbox. Another great sale on Klei’s selection of games, including the relatively recent release Invisible, Inc. and the excellent Don’t Starve. We’ve also got the first sales on the recent slate of ports from 2K Games, including XCOM 2, the BioShock games, and Borderlands. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is on sale and so is its expansion. The outbox is pretty big as well, so make sure you have a look and see if there’s anything in there you want before it’s too late.
Select New Games on Sale
Invisible, Inc. ($14.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)
Mark of the Ninja Remastered ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)
Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)
Solo: Islands of the Heart ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)
Vaporum ($8.74 from $24.99 until 9/13)
RIOT – Civil Unrest ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/13)
Battle Group 2 ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/13)
The Count Lucanor ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/13)
UNBOX: Newbie’s Adventure ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/13)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($3.99 from $7.99 until 9/21)
Dreamwalker: Never Fall Asleep ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/21)
Destrobots ($6.69 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Gravity Rider Zero ($1.39 from $6.99 until 9/21)
Space Pioneer ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Castle of No Escape 2 ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/21)
Get Me Outta Here ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/21)
REKT! ($0.99 from $5.99 until 9/21)
Shipped ($0.99 from $5.99 until 9/21)
#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Wreckin’ Ball Adventure ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/21)
Geki Yaba Runner ($0.99 from $2.99 until 9/21)
Unit 4 ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Utopia 9 ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Odium to the Core ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/21)
Super Hero Fight Club ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Koloro ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Wondershot ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Escape Doodland ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/21)
Castle of Heart ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/21)
Jet Kave Adventure ($13.39 from $19.99 until 9/21)
The Outer Worlds ($47.99 from $59.99 until 9/14)
A Case of Distrust ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/14)
XCOM 2 Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 9/14)
BioShock: The Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 9/14)
BioShock Remastered ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/14)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/14)
BioShock Infinite: Complete ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/14)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($39.99 from $49.99 until 9/14)
Borderlands: Game of the Year ($23.99 from $29.99 until 9/14)
Borderlands: Handsome Collection ($31.99 from $39.99 until 9/14)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 9/14)
Distraint: Deluxe ($3.89 from $5.99 until 9/14)
Neversong ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/14)
Himno ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Legend of the Skyfish ($5.19 from $7.99 until 9/14)
Super Destronaut: Land Wars ($3.74 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Syrup & the Ultimate Sweet ($3.74 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Football Game ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Ganbare! Super Strikers ($7.49 from $9.99 until 9/14)
Knightin’+ ($4.49 from $5.99 until 9/14)
One Night Stand ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/14)
Scheming Through Zombie Apocalypse ($2.99 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Delta Squad ($3.89 from $5.99 until 9/14)
Deep Space Rush ($2.99 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Lifeless Planet: Premiere ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/14)
Just Ignore Them ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Super Box Land Demake ($2.99 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Reed Remastered ($3.74 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Pinstripe ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/14)
Zero Zero Zero Zero ($3.74 from $4.99 until 9/14)
Milo’s Quest ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/14)
FoxyLand ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/14)
FoxyLand 2 ($4.19 from $5.99 until 9/14)
Red Bow ($3.49 from $4.99 until 9/14)
2048 Cat ($2.67 from $2.97 until 9/7)
Zumba Burn It Up ($27.99 from $39.99 until 9/7)
Stela ($8.99 from $19.99 until 9/7)
Galactic Defense Squadron ($1.24 from $4.99 until 9/4)
Omvorm ($1.24 from $4.99 until 9/4)
Touchdown Pinball ($1.50 from $3.00 until 9/20)
Horror Pinball Bundle ($4.49 from $8.99 until 9/20)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($29.99 from $59.99 until 9/12)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 9/12)
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ($5.09 from $29.99 until 9/12)
WWE 2K18 ($19.79 from $59.99 until 9/12)
Gone Home ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 2nd
Agony ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
ATV Drift & Tricks ($4.89 from $34.99 until 9/2)
Bad Dream: Coma ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Bad Dream: Fever ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Bedtime Blues ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Biolab Wars ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Bloo Kid 2 ($2.24 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Clock Simulator ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Dark Devotion ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Dark Veer ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Dead End Job ($7.64 from $16.99 until 9/2)
Deployment ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Diggerman ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Dots 8 ($0.69 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Dungeons & Aliens ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Estiman ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Fishing Universe Simulator ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Fly O’Clock ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Frederic ($0.59 from $5.99 until 9/2)
Frederic 2 ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Glaive: Brick Breaker ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Goetia ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Grab Lab ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Grave Keeper ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Gunpowder on the Teeth ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Hard West ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Hollow ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Hyperide ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Hyperide: Vector Raid ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
IHUGU ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Interrogation ($9.74 from $12.99 until 9/2)
Kunai ($8.49 from $16.99 until 9/2)
Liberated ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mask of Mists ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man 11 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.89 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($22.49 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Merchants of Kaidan ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Millie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Mr Blaster ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
My Brother Rabbit ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Necroworm ($0.99 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Nice Slice ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
No Thing ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
NoReload Heroes ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Omen Exito: Plague ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
OmoTomO ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Persian Nights: SoW ($1.49 from $14.99 until 9/2)
Phantaruk ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Phantom Doctrine ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Piffle: Cat Puzzle Adventure ($13.96 from $19.95 until 9/2)
Q-YO Blaster ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Qbik ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Realpolitiks ($2.49 from $24.99 until 9/2)
Reventure ($1.59 from $7.99 until 9/2)
Risky Rescue ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Roll’d ($0.49 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Shut Eye ($0.39 from $3.99 until 9/2)
Sinless ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Skelattack ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle 2 EVO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle 4 Tales ($2.49 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Sparkle ZERO ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Star Story: Horizon Escape ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Startide ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Strikey Sisters ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Surfingers ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Tap Skaters ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Teddy the Wanderer: Kayaking ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Teddy the Wanderer: Mountain Hike ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Terrorhythm ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
The Childs Sight ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
The Mahjong Huntress ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
Timberman VS ($0.19 from $1.99 until 9/2)
Tiny Hands Adventure ($0.79 from $7.99 until 9/2)
Truberbrook ($13.49 from $29.99 until 9/2)
Violett ($0.99 from $9.99 until 9/2)
Warhammer 40k: Space Wolf ($11.69 from $17.99 until 9/2)
Wonder Boy: Dragon’s Trap ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/2)
Zombillie ($0.49 from $4.99 until 9/2)
That’s all for today, friends. Tomorrow will see a few more new releases before the big end-of-week deluge. We should have some news to check out as well, and probably a sale or two to round things out. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!