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 some new releases. We'll wrap things up with our 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 showcasing third-party titles and indie games, it lacked any major first-party announcements or news about the next-generation Switch console. You can watch the full presentation above; a detailed summary of the key highlights will be available tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game enjoyable, and is it playable without understanding Japanese? Star Trader is an intriguing but not outstanding title. Falcom blends adventure game elements with side-scrolling shooter stages, but neither aspect fully shines. The adventure portion boasts pleasant artwork, and the shooter’s attempt at narrative integration is unique. Gameplay involves interacting with characters, accepting quests, and earning money to upgrade your ship—crucial for the shooter segments.

The shooting sections, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in choppy scrolling. Even with smoother movement, the gameplay might not be exceptional. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader proves more interesting than truly good. This leads to the second question: the adventure parts are text-heavy, requiring player comprehension for optimal progress. Without Japanese fluency, players miss half the game and hinder their ability to earn enough credits for ship upgrades. While brute-forcing is possible, it's not ideal.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer venturing outside their usual style. However, the significant amount of Japanese text significantly limits its appeal to Western players. While some enjoyment might be found through experimentation, a strong recommendation is difficult.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for misbehaving. Players explore, battle enemies with a broom, encounter quirky characters, fight 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 shooters with unique mechanics, I suggest looking at the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Also, don't miss out on 1000xRESIST—it's a must-buy! Other notable titles on sale include various Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider remastered collection. Check out the lists below for more details!

Select New Sales

(List of new sales)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

(List of sales ending tomorrow)

That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a more in-depth look at the Nintendo Direct announcements, along with new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!