Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024. It's Thursday already! Time flies, doesn't it? We're diving straight into our 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 things off with our usual sales updates. Let's get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)
Resurrecting dormant franchises seems to be the latest trend in gaming – mirroring Hollywood's practices. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely known in the West through a brief remake, is a prime example. This marks the first new Famicom Detective Club game in years, a significant event for fans.
The challenge with reviving an old IP lies in striking a balance between staying true to the original and modernizing the experience. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely maintains the style of the recent remakes, which themselves closely resemble the originals. The result is a curious blend. The visuals are on par with modern games, and the narrative pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have attempted. However, the gameplay feels very retro, a key factor in whether or not you'll enjoy it.
The game begins with the discovery of a deceased student, a paper bag bearing a smiling face over his head. This links to unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, prompting investigations into the urban legend of Emio, a killer who promises eternal smiles. The police are baffled, leaving the Utsugi Detective Agency to unravel the truth. The gameplay involves searching for clues, interrogating suspects (often requiring multiple questions), and connecting the pieces to solve the case. It's reminiscent of the investigation segments in Ace Attorney. Depending on your preference for this style, you might find parts tedious or frustrating. Specific logical connections could have benefited from clearer guidance.
While I have some minor story criticisms, I found the game engaging, suspenseful, and well-written overall. Certain plot points didn't resonate as strongly with me as they apparently did with others, but discussing those would spoil the experience. This is a mystery best enjoyed fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and when the plot picks up, it really does.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical for Nintendo, but any potential team rust is certainly not apparent. The adherence to original game mechanics might be excessive for some, and while the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing occasionally falters. Nevertheless, these are minor flaws in an otherwise enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club!
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)
The Switch is building a solid collection of TMNT games. We have the Cowabunga Collection, the superb Shredder's Revenge, Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a different style of gameplay.
This one is quite good. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know what to expect. Essentially, it's a TMNT-style beat 'em up blended with the roguelite mechanics of Hades. You can play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Online multiplayer worked well in my experience. While the solo experience is fine, adding more players significantly enhances it.
The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, placing Splinter in danger. The Turtles must save him, battling Foot Soldiers along the way. Gameplay involves combat, tactical dashing, collecting power-ups, and earning currency for permanent upgrades. Death sends you back to the lair to start again. It's a familiar roguelite beat 'em up formula, but the TMNT theme elevates it. It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-executed.
Splintered Fate isn't a must-have for everyone, but TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus. Those without a fondness for the Turtles can find better roguelites on Switch, but Splintered Fate holds its own in a competitive genre.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)
Nour: Play With Your Food's initial absence from Switch and mobile surprised me, as it seemed perfect for touchscreens. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and food, you'll likely love it. However, the Switch version has some shortcomings.
For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with various food types across different levels, accompanied by engaging music and playful elements. You start with basic tools, but the game gradually unlocks more options, allowing you to truly play with your food. This is where the lack of touchscreen support on Switch becomes apparent.
The lack of touchscreen support is disappointing. Furthermore, the Switch version shows performance compromises compared to other platforms, resulting in lengthy load times, both docked and handheld.
Nour: Play With Your Food is a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate food, art, and interactive apps. While the Switch version isn't ideal, its portability is a plus. I hope its success leads to more DLC or even a physical release. Games like Nour offer a refreshing change of pace. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released recently on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. This is an excellent entry point into the Fate universe for those unfamiliar with the series. The sheer volume of content justifies the price.
For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements, including English language support, 16:9 widescreen, and other quality-of-life enhancements. The visuals are well-updated for modern displays, though not as stunning as Tsukihime's recent remake.
The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition, making it very playable on the Switch Lite and OLED models. Its performance on Steam Deck is also excellent.
Aside from the lack of a physical Switch release, there's little to fault in Fate/stay night REMASTERED. It's a must-have for visual novel fans. The low price makes it even more appealing. It's a fantastic experience. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)
Having missed out on VR gaming previously, I was eager to experience TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, praised for their VR presentation. The Switch version allows for this experience without VR hardware.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK lets you choose which game to play. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with memory loss, murder, and more. While the narrative is predictable at times, the visuals are good. I'm curious to try the VR version for comparison.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, boasting better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It goes beyond the typical visual novel format, enhancing the experience. This is the highlight of the pack.
The Switch version has some camera movement issues, but the touchscreen support and rumble features compensate for these minor flaws.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touchscreen controls and rumble. I'm glad to have finally experienced these stories. If you enjoy sci-fi, try the demo. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Select New Releases
Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)
The title says it all. Fitness Boxing featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 songs from Miku and friends, plus 30 more from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to other games in the series. Pick it up if you're a fan of both Fitness Boxing and Hatsune Miku.
Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)
A faithful sequel to the original, with improved visuals and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.
Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)
Combines rhythm game and bullet hell elements. The Touhou theme should appeal to fans of the franchise.
EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)
Another Hydlide version for completionists.
Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)
A gallery shooter from 1988.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
No Man’s Sky is a notable sale. Other games are frequently discounted.
Select New Sales
Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th
That's it for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming thoughts. Have a great Thursday!
