Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 17th, 2023. In today’s article, we’ve got several new releases to check out including Tales of Symphonia Remastered, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Retro Collection, and more. After going through the summaries of those games, we move on to the massive list of new sales and the teeny-tiny list of expiring discounts. Let’s get to it!
New Releases
Tales of Symphonia Remastered ($39.99)
Normally this release would be something to celebrate, as Nintendo fans in particular have a strong affinity to this chapter of the long-running series. Unfortunately, this is a port of a rather poor port of a not-so-great port of the game, and when you questionably photocopy something three times the result isn’t going to be pretty. Long load times are the most obvious issue here, but there are a lot of other technical problems that frankly shouldn’t be plaguing a remaster of a twenty-year-old game. Let’s hope Bandai Namco patches it up, but I imagine there is only so much that can be made of something with this many fundamental issues.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Retro Collection ($9.69)
Kind of dropping in out of nowhere, but okay. Here is a collection of a couple of Bill and Ted‘s video game adventures courtesy of Limited Run Games. You get the… interesting NES game, which is an isometric action-adventure game of sorts that you’ll probably need a guide to finish, and the far more agreeable Game Boy game that is just a nifty little arcade-style platformer.
Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart ($39.99)
Outright Games has opted to use the Gigantosaurus license to create a kart racing game, which seems like a reasonable thing to do. Up to four players can join in on the races via local multiplayer. You get fifteen tracks and eight characters to play with, which I suppose is fine enough for what this is. I feel that there are so many genuinely great kart racing games on the Switch that middle-of-the-road fare like this is going to have a hard time making a splash, but if you have a little one who loves Gigantosaurus I am sure they will appreciate this a lot.
4×4 Offroad Driver 2 ($12.99)
It’s another BoomHits driving game. This time it’s a follow-up to the offroad driving game the publisher put out a while back. Pretty much the same kind of thing as most of its other games. You get a number of vehicles and a list of missions to complete, plus a decent-sized area to roam around in. Highly likely to be discounted heavily within a matter of weeks.
Rise of Fox Hero ($4.99)
I still can’t quite get over 3D platformers that are sold for as low as five bucks. This one has thirty-two levels to hop and bop through, with the titular fox hero swinging his sword to battle enemies all the way. It looks quite vibrant and shiny, but I haven’t had a chance to play it yet so I can’t comment on how the game plays. Still, for the price it’s hardly a big risk if you’re a fan of the genre.
Rooftop Renegade ($17.99)
This is a slick-looking auto-runner-style platformer where you play as someone on hover blades who is being pursued by an evil corporation. It kind of reminds of Robot Unicorn Attack in terms of the basic gameplay. One twist here is that the game features a multiplayer mode for up to four players via local play. One person plays as the runner while the other three try to mess with them. There’s also a seed-based random generator that you can plug words into to create fresh levels to play. The price is the only thing making me pause on this one. I’ll have to investigate further to see how much it offers.
FirstQueen1 NEXT ($19.99)
Kind of hard to fully explain this one in a short paragraph, but it’s a remake of a 1988 real-time strategy role-playing game from Kure Software. The original was a rather noteworthy game as the creator of Fire Emblem credits it as one of the inspirations behind the series. Its battle system is certainly unique, and it’s worth investigating for fans of strategy games if only to explore a major piece of the history of the genre.
Heirs of the Kings ($14.99)
The latest KEMCO/EXE-Create RPG is here, and it’s exactly what you would expect it to be. These folks clearly know their audience and just keep coming back to it. A hero rescues an amnesiac girl from unknown soldiers and gets wrapped up in a plot with the world at stake. You know how it goes. Do what you will.
Big Adventure: Trip to Europe 2 Collector’s Edition ($14.99)
More hidden object fun for those who enjoy such things. The predecessor to this game just came to Switch last week. I’m all out of things to say about games like this, so I’ll leave it there.
Mosaic Chronicles Deluxe ($12.99)
So, this is more or less a jigsaw puzzle game. You get fifty pictures and need to arrange the pieces properly to recreate them. Each completed picture will reveal another part of the story. I appreciate that it’s at least a slightly different spin on the usual fare.
Dr Smart Space Adventure ($14.99)
This is pretty much just a little piece of educational software for kids. The little kitty astronaut, who I guess is Dr Smart, gives information about the various planets in our solar system. There are some simple games to play like jigsaw puzzles, but for the most part this is closer to an interactive picture book than anything else.
CyberHeroes Arena DX ($4.99)
Here is another attempt to bring a Vampire Survivors-like experience to the Switch. Take your robot into battle and customize it with a variety of skills to see if you can take out the cyber monsters and survive. There are seven different robots to unlock and play as, each with their own properties, and a ton of different items you can use to create your own unique build. Could be good for a fiver.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
This is actually a highly curated list of the new sales that popped up today, so do check the eShop and see if anything from your wishlist popped up. One thing I will mention is that SEGA of America has most of its DLC for its games on sale, and that is notable because the DLC for some games like Valkyria Chronicles 4 is practically never on sale. Otherwise, I’ll leave it to you to comb through that list and see what grabs you. Not much going on in the weekend outbox, so at least that one will be brisk.
Select New Games on Sale
Slime Rancher: Plortable ($12.49 from $24.99 until 2/23)
Right and Down ($6.49 from $9.99 until 2/23)
Super Gravity Ball ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/24)
Kraken Smash: Volleyball ($2.50 from $5.00 until 2/24)
Black Bird ($13.29 from $18.99 until 2/26)
Mon Amour ($6.29 from $8.99 until 2/26)
moon ($13.29 from $18.99 until 2/26)
Dandy Dungeon: Brave Yamada ($13.29 from $18.99 until 2/26)
Potion Permit ($16.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Dragon Ball The Breakers ($14.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Ace Angler Fishing Spirits ($27.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher ($34.99 from $49.99 until 2/27)
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
BeeFense BeeMastered ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Ancestors Legacy ($7.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Disney Dreamlight Valley ($22.49 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Alan Wake Remastered ($20.09 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Kingdom Two Crowns ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Shadow Gangs ($17.99 from $23.99 until 2/27)
Eschatos ($18.89 from $26.99 until 2/27)
Risk System ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Minimal Move ($8.39 from $11.99 until 2/27)
I dream of you and ice cream ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/27)
I am Ball ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/27)
The Kids We Were ($8.63 from $15.99 until 2/27)
13 Sentinels Aegis Rim ($35.99 from $69.99 until 2/27)
The Complex ($5.84 from $12.99 until 2/27)
Pac-Man Museum+ ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Colors Ultimate ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Forces ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Origins ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Mania ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Frontiers ($41.99 from $59.99 until 2/27)
Sonic Frontiers Deluxe ($48.99 from $69.99 until 2/27)
Team Sonic Racing ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
SEGA Genesis Classics ($8.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
SEGA AGES, Assorted ($2.79-3.99 from $7.99 until 2/27)
Shin Megami Tensei III HD ($22.49 from $49.99 until 2/27)
Shin Megami Tensei III HD Deluxe ($31.49 from $69.99 until 2/27)
Shin Megami Tensei V ($29.99 from $59.99 until 2/27)
Shin Megami Tensei V Deluxe ($42.49 from $84.99 until 2/27)
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Persona 5 Royal ($41.99 from $59.99 until 2/27)
Persona 5 Strikers ($23.99 from $59.99 until 2/27)
Catherine Full Body ($14.99 from $49.99 until 2/27)
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Winter Games 2023 ($24.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Tallowmere ($1.99 from $6.99 until 2/27)
Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ($29.99 from $59.99 until 2/27)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete ($12.49 from $49.99 until 2/27)
Valkyria Chronicles ($5.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Valkyria Chronicles 1/4 Bundle ($11.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania ($17.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Gang Beasts ($16.49 from $29.99 until 2/27)
My Life: Pet Vet ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Very Very Valet ($4.99 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Alwa’s Awakening ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Alwa’s Legacy ($8.99 from $17.99 until 2/27)
Cathedral ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Arcade Spirits ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Arcade Spirits The New Challengers ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Tormented Souls ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Beacon Pines ($15.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Citizen Sleeper ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
My Life: Riding Stables 3 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Evergate ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls? ($5.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Nexomon ($5.49 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Kitiara Fables ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Inertial Drift ($8.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Metal Max Xeno Reborn ($27.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Root Film ($13.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Rush Hour Deluxe ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Night Book ($7.79 from $12.99 until 2/27)
Tales of Vesperia DE ($7.99 from $49.99 until 2/27)
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School ($23.99 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Modern Combat Blackout ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
art of rally ($8.65 from $24.99 until 2/27)
Castle Morihisa ($5.24 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Never Again ($3.91 from $13.99 until 2/27)
Colossus Down ($5.39 from $17.99 until 2/27)
Gleaner Heights ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
Snake Pass ($2.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Horse Club Adventures 2 ($24.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
SongPop Party ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Maglam Lord ($23.99 from $39.99 until 2/27)
Super Bullet Break ($15.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
Bus Simulator City Ride ($24.49 from $34.99 until 2/27)
A Little to the Left ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Once Upon a Jester ($11.24 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Wobbledogs Console Edition ($14.99 from $19.99 until 2/27)
New Super Lucky’s Tale ($9.89 from $29.99 until 2/27)
Two Hundred Ways ($8.03 from $11.99 until 2/27)
Crazy Chicken Xtreme ($12.49 from $24.99 until 2/27)
Golf Story ($6.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Legends of Amberland TFC ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/1)
DREAMO ($2.24 from $14.99 until 3/1)
Demon’s Tilt ($9.99 from $19.99 until 3/1)
Biker Garage Mechanic Simulator ($11.24 from $24.99 until 3/1)
Seven Pirates H ($31.99 from $39.99 until 3/3)
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection ($23.99 from $29.99 until 3/3)
MotoGP 22 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 3/3)
Sea Horizon ($11.99 from $14.99 until 3/3)
Hot Wheels Unleashed ($12.49 from $49.99 until 3/3)
Raiden IV x Mikado remix ($14.99 from $29.99 until 3/3)
Raiden V Director’s Cut ($8.99 from $29.99 until 3/3)
Rise: Race the Future ($6.59 from $16.49 until 3/9)
The Flea Evolution ($1.99 from $6.99 until 3/9)
Future Aero Racing S Ultra ($1.99 from $6.99 until 3/9)
Skyland Rush ($1.99 from $6.99 until 3/9)
Defentron ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/9)
Sales Ending This Weekend
.cat ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/18)
.dog ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/19)
Buissons ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/19)
Ethan: Meteor Hunter ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/19)
Inside My Radio ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/19)
Iris.Fall ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/19)
New Terra ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/19)
That’s all for today and this week, friends. We’ll be back next week with more reviews, new releases, sales, and perhaps some news. I’ve pretty much decided to spend my weekend playing Theatrhythm. It seems like a good plan. I won’t hear any objections. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!