SwitchArcade Round-Up: Today’s Nintendo Direct, Full Review of ‘EGGCONSOLE Star Trader’, Plus New Releases and Sales

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 fresh release. We'll wrap things up with the 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, the Direct was devoid of any major first-party announcements or news about the next-gen Switch console. You can watch the full presentation above, and we'll provide a detailed summary of the key highlights tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game itself enjoyable, and is it playable without understanding Japanese? Star Trader is an intriguing, albeit not outstanding, title. Falcom blended an adventure game with side-scrolling shooter elements, but neither aspect fully shines. The adventure portion boasts appealing artwork, offering a unique perspective on narrative integration within a shoot 'em up. Players interact with characters, accept quests, and earn money to upgrade their ship – crucial for progressing through the action sequences.

The shooting stages, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in choppy scrolling that detracts from the experience. The game's structure remains unclear, but Star Trader's overall intrigue outweighs its technical flaws. This leads us to the language barrier. 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 enjoyment.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing Falcom experimenting outside their usual genre. However, the extensive Japanese text severely limits its appeal to Western audiences. While some enjoyment might be gleaned from experimentation, a strong recommendation is difficult to offer.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game stars Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for a mishap with the Afterlife Guardian. His eternal punishment? Cleaning! 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 check it out.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

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

Select New Sales

(List of new sales)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

(List of expiring sales)

That's all for today! We'll be back tomorrow with a full recap of the Nintendo Direct, plus new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!