{"id":1759956,"date":"2022-08-09T17:41:29","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T21:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/?post_type=station&p=1759956"},"modified":"2022-08-09T18:41:58","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T22:41:58","slug":"switcharcade-round-up-a-splatoon-3-nintendo-direct-is-incoming-plus-the-latest-reviews-releases-and-sales","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/switcharcade-round-up-a-splatoon-3-nintendo-direct-is-incoming-plus-the-latest-reviews-releases-and-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"SwitchArcade Round-Up: A \u2018Splatoon 3\u2019 Nintendo Direct is Incoming, Plus the Latest Reviews, Releases, and Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 9th, 2022. In today\u2019s article, we\u2019ve got some news about a Splatoon 3<\/em> Nintendo Direct, a review of QUByte\u2019s Thunderbolt Collection<\/em>, a single new release summary, and the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Not the biggest of articles today, but sometimes things are like that. Let\u2019s get to it!<\/p>\n

News<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Check Out a \u2018Splatoon 3\u2019 Direct Tomorrow<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

With Xenoblade Chronicles 3<\/em> released, Nintendo has started to more heavily market its next big release, Splatoon 3<\/em>. The game is scheduled to be released on September 9th, so we\u2019re only a month away now. Perhaps with that in mind, Nintendo has scheduled a special Splatoon 3<\/em> Nintendo Direct for tomorrow. I hope you\u2019re an early riser, because it starts at 6:00 am PT and 9:00 am ET. In all, the presentation should run for about thirty minutes and will offer a deep look at Splatoon 3<\/em>. Only Splatoon 3<\/em>. Don\u2019t go getting excited about other games showing up. Splatoon 3<\/em> only<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Reviews & Mini-Views<\/strong><\/h3>\n

QUByte Classics: Thunderbolt Collection by PIKO ($7.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I take no joy in giving a game a negative review. I know the lane that QUByte works in, and I try to keep my expectations at the appropriate level. Similarly, I know the kinds of games that PIKO has absorbed into its catalog. They\u2019re typically not the cream of the crop, but just because a game is mediocre it doesn\u2019t mean it should be forgotten. With all that in mind, it\u2019s with a heavy heart that I say Thunderbolt Collection<\/em> is absolutely dreadful.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Classics<\/em>\u2018 in the title has rarely done as much heavy lifting as it is doing here. The only sense in which these games are classic<\/em> is in that they are a few decades old. This collection contains two Taiwanese bootlegs, originally released for the Famicom (NES) and Mega Drive (Genesis). They\u2019re both vertical shoot-em-ups, and both went under a title that could translate to Thunderbolt 2<\/em>. The kanji used for their shared title was exactly the same as Raiden 2<\/em>, however, and I doubt that was a coincidence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018Bootleg\u2019 is not a term I use lightly either. What we used to refer to as bootlegs are essentially the same as today\u2019s homebrew games, and given the negative connotations of the word I tend to avoid it. But it fits the two games in Thunderbolt Collection<\/em> perfectly, I\u2019m afraid. The 8-bit game included here is nothing more than an attempt to make a Famicom version of Hudson\u2019s TurboGrafx-16 game Super Star Soldier<\/em>. The 16-bit game is even worse: it\u2019s a marginally modified, possibly hacked, version of Namco\u2019s Dangerous Seed<\/em>. Neither game runs, sounds, or plays as well as the game it\u2019s knocking off, so even if you\u2019re okay with the lack of originality on display here, the games really aren\u2019t worth playing.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t blame the publisher here. It\u2019s just republishing a couple of old games it licensed from a company that should probably be vetting their acquisitions a little better. QUByte has put the games in its usual emulation wrapper, and that all works fine as usual. While the poor quality of the games was immediately evident when I started playing, it took even me a little bit of time to realize they were biting so hard off of pre-existing titles. But whoever you want to blame, at the end of it all this really isn\u2019t a collection worth buying unless you have a bizarre fascination with the history of poorly-made copies.<\/p>\n

SwitchArcade Score: 1\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

New Releases<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Two Point Campus + Bonus Content ($39.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The folks behind the rather charming Two Point Hospital<\/em> are back with a follow-up focusing on building a university. Much like how that game had a wide array of silly made-up illnesses, so too does this have a variety of made-up fields of study. This is an early release for people who preorder, but it seems like the regular release coming next week is the same price. So\u2026 I guess get this one? It also includes some bonus content for Two Point Hospital<\/em> if you happen to own that.<\/p>\n

Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n

(North American eShop, US Prices)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you want to stock up on Witcher<\/em> games or some of the DLC for Bandai Namco\u2019s anime-licensed fare, today is for you. The Contra<\/em> homage Super Cyborg<\/em> is at its lowest price yet, and both Horizon Chase<\/em> and its DLC are on sale again. Over in the outbox, the latest batch of discounts from Arc System Works are ending. Check those lists as usual, chums.<\/p>\n

Select New Games on Sale<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt<\/strong> <\/em>($19.99 from $39.99 until 8\/15)
\nThronebreaker: Witcher Tales<\/strong><\/em> ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8\/15)
\nNi no Kuni: WotWW<\/strong> <\/em>($9.99 from $49.99 until 8\/15)
\nNaruto Ninja Storm Trilogy<\/strong><\/em> ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8\/15)
\nNaruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4<\/strong><\/em> ($9.99 from $49.99 until 8\/15)
\nThe Adventure Pals<\/strong> <\/em>($1.99 from $14.99 until 8\/15)
\nArsty Pixel<\/strong> <\/em>($4.89 from $6.99 until 8\/16)
\nMr. Prepper<\/strong> <\/em>($7.74 from $15.49 until 8\/16)
\nIgnatius<\/strong> <\/em>($2.49 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nDemon\u2019s Residence<\/strong> <\/em>($3.49 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nViki Spotter: Shopping<\/strong><\/em> ($3.49 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nViki Spotter: Camping<\/strong><\/em> ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nViki Spotter: Around the World<\/strong><\/em> ($3.49 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nCar Mechanic Simulator PE 2<\/strong><\/em> ($4.64 from $15.49 until 8\/16)
\nHundred Fires: TRoRS<\/strong><\/em> ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8\/16)
\nLudo Game: Just Chill Out<\/strong> <\/em>($1.99 from $4.99 until 8\/16)<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHorizon Chase Turbo<\/strong><\/em> ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8\/16)
\nKatamari Damacy Reroll<\/strong> <\/em>($7.49 from $29.99 until 8\/22)
\nThe Company Men<\/strong> <\/em>($14.99 from $19.99 until 8\/22)
\nSuper Cyborg<\/strong><\/em> ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8\/22)
\nFates of Ort<\/strong> <\/em>($7.49 from $14.99 until 8\/23)
\nSkateBIRD<\/strong> <\/em>($12.99 from $19.99 until 8\/23)
\nImmortal Realms: Vampire Wars<\/strong> <\/em>($13.99 from $39.99 until 8\/25)
\nGrim Legends 2: SotDS<\/strong><\/em> ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8\/29)
\nAbyss: TWoE<\/strong><\/em> ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8\/29)<\/p>\n

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10th<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alternate Jake Hunter DAEDALUS<\/strong> <\/em>($4.80 from $39.99 until 8\/10)
\nAry & the Secret of Seasons<\/strong> <\/em>($7.99 from $39.99 until 8\/10)
\nBlazblue Centralfiction SE<\/strong> <\/em>($19.50 from $49.99 until 8\/10)
\nBlazblue Cross Tag Battle<\/strong><\/em> ($5.00 from $19.99 until 8\/10)
\nBrigandine: The Legend of Runersia<\/strong> <\/em>($29.99 from $49.99 until 8\/10)
\nChaos Code New Sign of Catastrophe<\/strong><\/em> ($6.69 from $9.99 until 8\/10)
\nClan N<\/strong><\/em> ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8\/10)
\nCode Shifter<\/strong><\/em> ($4.50 from $14.99 until 8\/10)
\nDemon Gaze Extra DDE<\/strong><\/em> ($48.74 from $64.99 until 8\/10)
\nDouble Dragon<\/strong> <\/em>($3.49 from $4.99 until 8\/10)
\nDouble Dragon 4<\/strong> <\/em>($3.50 from $6.99 until 8\/10)
\nFishing Star World Tour<\/strong><\/em> ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8\/10)
\nGuilty Gear<\/strong><\/em> ($6.89 from $9.99 until 8\/10)
\nGuilty Gear XX Accent Core+R<\/strong><\/em> ($9.74 from $14.99 until 8\/10)
\nInferno Climber Reborn<\/strong><\/em> ($4.76 from $13.99 until 8\/10)<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nKill la Kill -IF<\/strong><\/em> ($10.00 from $19.99 until 8\/10)
\nLost Words: Beyond the Page<\/strong> <\/em>($2.99 from $14.99 until 8\/10)
\nMononoke Slashdown<\/strong> <\/em>($4.19 from $6.99 until 8\/10)
\nNinjala Story Pack: Chapter One DLC<\/strong> <\/em>($0.99 from $9.99 until 8\/10)
\nNinjala Story Pack: Chapter Two DLC<\/strong> <\/em>($0.99 from $9.99 until 8\/10)
\nOf Mice and Sand<\/strong> <\/em>($6.69 from $9.99 until 8\/10)
\nOverride Mech City Brawl<\/strong><\/em> ($5.99 from $29.99 until 8\/10)
\nRemothered: Broken Porcelain<\/strong> <\/em>($5.99 from $29.99 until 8\/10)
\nRock of Ages 3<\/strong> <\/em>($5.99 from $29.99 until 8\/10)
\nThe Missing JJ Macfield<\/strong><\/em> ($7.50 from $29.99 until 8\/10)
\nWorldend Syndrome<\/strong><\/em> ($10.00 from $39.99 until 8\/10)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all for today, friends. We\u2019ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more sales, and perhaps some news. I\u2019ve been cheekily adding more affordable Game Boy cartridges to my collection of late, particularly since my son can change the batteries now. Today\u2019s mail had the Game Boy Color version of Donkey Kong Country<\/em> and the ever-awesome Wario Land 2<\/em> in it. I\u2019ll play them when I need a Xenoblade<\/em> break. I hope you all have a great Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!<\/p>\n

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