Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024. Already Thursday? Time flies! We're diving straight into reviews today, with in-depth looks at Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Mikhail also shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. We'll then cover the day's top new releases and round things off with our usual sales lists. Let's get to it!
Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage, mirroring Hollywood's trends. Nintendo's unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely known in the West through a brief Switch remake, is a prime example. This marks the first new Famicom Detective Club game in years – a significant event.
The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern appeal. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely retains the style of the recent remakes, staying true to the originals. The result is a curious blend. The visuals are top-notch, comparable to modern games, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared. However, the gameplay retains an old-school feel, significantly impacting enjoyment.
The game centers around a student found dead, a smiling face on a paper bag his only calling card. This triggers a re-investigation of eighteen-year-old unsolved murders with similar hallmarks, raising questions about a resurfaced killer, a copycat, or the existence of the legendary Emio. The police are baffled, leaving the case to the Utsugi Detective Agency. Through investigation and questioning, you uncover the truth.
Gameplay involves searching for clues, interrogating suspects (often requiring multiple questions), and connecting the pieces. Similar to the investigative sections of Ace Attorney, this gameplay style might feel tedious or frustrating to some. Certain logical leaps could have been smoother, and clearer signposting would have been beneficial. However, it's true to the genre's conventions.
Despite some story criticisms, I found it engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. While some plot points didn't resonate as strongly with me as others, I can't elaborate without spoilers. This is a mystery best experienced fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and the story's momentum is impressive when it builds.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, but any potential team rust is undetectable. While perhaps too faithful to the originals mechanically, the plot is largely excellent, though pacing occasionally falters. Nevertheless, it's a highly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club!
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
The Switch is seeing a surge of excellent TMNT games. From the Cowabunga Collection to Shredder's Revenge and Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, there's a title for every taste. Splintered Fate offers a more console-like experience.
It's a surprisingly solid title. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know what to expect. Essentially, it blends a TMNT-style beat 'em up with Hades. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Online multiplayer worked well in my experience. While enjoyable solo, it's significantly better with friends. Classic TMNT fun!
Shredder's mischief and a mysterious power put Splinter in danger, forcing the Turtles into action. Fight enemies, use strategic dashes, collect perks for your current run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a roguelite beat 'em up with Turtles – inherently superior. While not groundbreaking, it's well-executed.
Splintered Fate isn't a must-have, but TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take. The well-implemented multiplayer is a highlight. Those without a fondness for the Turtles might find better roguelites on Switch, but in a highly competitive genre, Splintered Fate holds its own.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Nour: Play With Your Food's initial PC and PS5 release surprised me by excluding Switch and mobile. It seems perfectly suited for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. While enjoyable on PC, it's not for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and love food, you'll likely adore it, but the Switch version has shortcomings.
For newcomers, Nour lets you play with various foods across different stages, accompanied by interesting music and playful elements. It blends an interactive app with food and art. You start with basic tools, but the extensive features allow you to truly "play with your food." This is where the touchscreen limitations become apparent.
The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also compromised compared to other platforms to maintain decent framerates. Load times are lengthy, both docked and handheld.
Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you appreciate food, art, and interactive apps. The Switch version isn't ideal, but its portability is a plus. Hopefully, it will succeed and receive more DLC or even a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a refreshing contrast to more complex titles. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released recently on Switch and Steam, is a long-awaited title. Before discussing the game, let me share my background. My journey with the Fate universe began years ago, leading me to import the Japanese PS Vita version of Fate/stay night Realta Nua. This remaster's English release is a dream come true. But is it worth it? Absolutely.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel, following Emiya Shirou, the Holy Grail War, and more. It's the ideal entry point into the Fate universe, perfect for those familiar only with the anime or other games. Even with quality-of-life improvements, it's a 55+ hour experience, making the price incredibly reasonable.
For those familiar with the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant enhancements. The addition of English is obvious, but the 16:9 support and visual improvements are noteworthy. The remaster's effort is evident. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, it looks great on modern displays.
The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition. I played extensively on both Switch Lite and OLED, finding it perfectly suited to Nintendo's hybrid system. Hopefully, it will see releases on other platforms like iOS and PS5.
It also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck. The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. Hopefully, its success will warrant one.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. Its availability in English on Switch and Steam is remarkable. The low price makes it an even easier recommendation. While not as visually impressive as Tsukihime's remake, it's a worthwhile experience. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
Having limited VR experience, I missed out on TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. My VR-owning friends praised their stories and immersive VR experiences. The Switch release of the TWIN PACK finally allowed me to experience them.
The TWIN PACK lets you choose between the two games. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories, killers, and more. While the narrative is somewhat predictable, it's well-executed, with good visuals. I'm curious to try the VR version after playing the Switch version.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It surpasses the typical visual novel format, enhancing the experience.
Despite some narrative shortcomings, the Switch version suffers from camera movement issues. While not game-breaking, they are distracting. Touchscreen support and rumble compensate for this.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, with touchscreen controls and rumble enhancing immersion. I'm glad I finally experienced these stories without needing a VR headset. If you enjoy sci-fi, download the demo. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
The title perfectly describes the game's content. It's Fitness Boxing with Hatsune Miku, featuring 24 Miku songs and 30 more from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to previous entries. A must-have for Fitness Boxing and Hatsune Miku fans.
A faithful sequel to the original, with enhanced presentation and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.
Combines rhythm game and bullet hell elements. A potentially appealing blend for Touhou fans.
Another Hydlide version for dedicated fans. May not offer much to those who played the PC-8801 release.
A gallery shooter from 1988. A decent example of the genre.
(North American eShop, US Prices)
No Man's Sky is a standout sale. Other notable titles are frequently discounted.
Select New Sales
Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th
That's all for today. Join us tomorrow for more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for additional gaming insights. Have a great Thursday!
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