Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024. Already Thursday? Time flies! We're diving deep into reviews today, with in-depth looks at Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our contributor, Mikhail, also shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll highlight the day's best new releases and round up the latest sales, both new and expiring. Let's get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)
Resurrecting dormant franchises is the latest trend, mirroring Hollywood's practices. Nintendo's unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, primarily known in the West through a brief remake, leads to a brand-new entry – a significant event. The challenge lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern appeal. Emio – The Smiling Man maintains the style of recent remakes, resulting in a unique blend. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries compared to 90s Nintendo titles. However, the gameplay retains its old-school feel, significantly impacting enjoyment.
The game begins with the discovery of a deceased student, bearing a signature similar to unsolved murders from 18 years prior. This introduces the urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles. The investigation unfolds, tasking players with finding clues, questioning individuals, and connecting the dots. The gameplay is reminiscent of Ace Attorney's investigation segments, potentially frustrating for some due to its old-school mechanics and lack of clear signposting.
Despite some minor narrative criticisms, the story is engaging, full of twists, and well-written. The pacing occasionally falters, and certain plot resolutions may not satisfy all players. However, these are minor drawbacks in an otherwise enjoyable mystery adventure. A welcome return for the Detective Club, hopefully not for another long hiatus.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)
The Switch is accumulating a solid collection of TMNT games. Splintered Fate offers a different take, blending beat 'em up gameplay with roguelite elements reminiscent of Hades. Playable solo or with up to four players locally or online, the multiplayer enhances the experience. The core gameplay is straightforward but effective: fight enemies, use tactical dashes, collect perks and upgrades, and repeat after death.
While not groundbreaking, Splintered Fate is a solid entry, particularly for TMNT fans. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus. Those unfamiliar with the franchise may find better roguelite options, but this title holds its own in a competitive genre.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)
Nour: Play With Your Food is a unique interactive food art experience. It’s a playful sandbox perfect for those who appreciate food and art, but the Switch version has some shortcomings. The core gameplay involves interacting with food in various stages, featuring engaging music and creative elements. However, the Switch version lacks touchscreen support and suffers from lengthy load times, impacting the overall experience.
Despite these issues, Nour remains a worthwhile experience for its unique concept. The lack of touchscreen functionality is disappointing, but the core appeal remains. Hopefully, future updates or a physical release will address these limitations.
-Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a welcome addition to the Switch and Steam libraries. This remaster of the 2004 visual novel provides an excellent entry point into the Fate universe. The game is a lengthy experience (55+ hours), offering exceptional value for its price. Improvements include English language support, 16:9 widescreen support, and enhanced visuals.
The remaster enhances the original experience with quality-of-life features and updated visuals, making it suitable for modern displays. Touchscreen support on the Switch is a significant advantage. The game also runs smoothly on Steam Deck.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a must-have for visual novel fans, offering a compelling narrative and excellent value. The lack of a physical Switch release is a minor drawback.
-Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)
This twin pack offers two visual novels, TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. ALTDEUS stands out with superior production values, writing, voice acting, and characters. Both games offer engaging narratives, but the Switch version experiences some camera movement issues. The inclusion of touchscreen support and rumble functionality enhances the overall experience.
Despite minor narrative and performance quirks, the twin pack is a worthwhile purchase, particularly for fans of sci-fi stories. The demo is recommended to assess the controls and gameplay.
-Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Select New Releases
(Descriptions of Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku, Gimmick! 2, Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost, EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX, and Arcade Archives Lead Angle are similar to the original, with minor wording changes for variation.)
Sales
(Sales information is similar to the original, with minor formatting adjustments for clarity.)
That concludes today's round-up. Join us tomorrow for more reviews, new releases, and sales. Thanks for reading!
