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 the reviews today. I've got two for you: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our friend Mikhail is also contributing, with his takes on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll cover the day's noteworthy new releases and round things off with the new and expiring sales lists. Let's get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)
Sequels to long-dormant franchises seem to be all the rage lately. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series primarily known in the West through a fleeting remake of the first two games on Switch a few years ago, is a prime example. This millennium marks the debut of a brand-new Famicom Detective Club adventure!
The challenge with reviving an old IP lies in striking the right balance between faithfulness to the original and modern appeal. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely retains the style of the recent remakes, which themselves closely followed the originals. This creates a unique blend. The visuals are on par with contemporary games of its type, and the narrative pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay remains firmly old-school, a key factor in determining your enjoyment.
The game centers around a student found dead with a smiling-face paper bag over his head, triggering a re-examination of similar unsolved murders from eighteen years prior. This introduces the urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles to his victims. Is an old killer back? A copycat? Or is Emio just a legend? The police are baffled, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency to step in! You'll use classic detective methods – investigating locations and questioning suspects – to uncover the truth.
The gameplay involves searching scenes for clues, interrogating characters (often requiring multiple attempts to get the information you need), and piecing together the solution. It's reminiscent of the investigation segments in Ace Attorney. Depending on your tolerance for this style, you might find parts frustrating or tedious. Certain logical connections could have been clearer. However, by the standards of the genre, Emio doesn't commit any major offenses.
While I have some minor story criticisms, I generally enjoyed the game. It's engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Certain plot points didn't resonate with me as strongly as they seemed to with others, but detailed discussion would spoil the experience. This is a mystery best experienced fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and when the story picks up, it really picks up.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, but any potential team rust is undetectable. Its mechanics might be too faithful to the originals, and while the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing occasionally falters, and some resolutions aren't as satisfying as hoped. Despite these minor flaws, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club! Don't stay away so long next time.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)
The Switch is building a nice collection of TMNT games, isn't it? We have the Konami classics in Cowabunga Collection, the modern arcade beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, the modern arcade experience Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-style experience. So, how does this one fare?
Pretty well, actually. If you've played it on Apple Arcade, you know the drill. It blends a TMNT-style beat 'em up with the Hades formula. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tried online multiplayer, and it worked flawlessly. The solo experience is decent, but adding players significantly enhances it. That's TMNT for you.
The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, putting Splinter in danger. The Turtles must save him. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, use tactical dashes, collect power-ups for your current run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a roguelite beat 'em up, but with the Turtles, making it inherently better. It's not groundbreaking, but it's solid.
Splintered Fate isn't a must-have for everyone, but TMNT fans will likely appreciate this twist. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus, demonstrating that a crucial TMNT element wasn't overlooked. Those without a Turtle affinity can find better roguelites on Switch, but given the platform's competitive roguelite scene, Splintered Fate holds its own admirably.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)
Nour: Play With Your Food's initial PC and PS5 release surprised me with its absence on Switch and mobile. It seemed perfect for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and love food, you'll likely adore Nour, but the Switch version has some shortcomings.
For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with various food types across different stages, set to interesting music with over-the-top elements. It's a blend of an interactive app for food and art enthusiasts. You start with basic tools, but the developers have added a surprising amount of content, allowing you to truly "play with your food." This highlights why touchscreen control might not be ideal.
The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Additionally, the game's performance on the Switch is noticeably reduced compared to other platforms, resulting in long load times, both docked and handheld.
Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you're a food and art lover and enjoy interactive apps. The Switch version isn't ideal, but its portability is a plus, and hopefully, its success will lead to more DLC or even a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a welcome contrast to more complex RPGs and narrative-driven games. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched recently on Switch and Steam. This remaster of the 2004 visual novel is the best entry point into the Fate universe, offering a chance for those familiar only with the anime and other games to experience the series' origins as intended. The extensive text makes the low price incredibly appealing.
For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements. Beyond the addition of English, it includes 16:9 support and a visual upgrade that makes it look good on modern screens, though it doesn't reach the visual heights of Tsukihime's recent remake.
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 perfectly 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. The low price makes it an even easier recommendation. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, it's still worth your time. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)
Having limited VR experience, I missed out on TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. This twin pack brings them to Switch.
TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories, killers, and more. The narrative is somewhat predictable, but the visuals are good. I'm curious to try the VR version after playing the Switch port.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the visual novel format at times, enhancing the overall experience.
The Switch version has some camera movement performance issues, but touchscreen support and rumble compensate.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, enhanced by touch controls and rumble. I'm glad to have experienced these stories without needing a VR headset. 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.
Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)
A faithful sequel to the original, with improved visuals and challenging gameplay.
Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)
Combines rhythm game and bullet hell elements.
EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)
Another Hydlide version for dedicated fans.
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 all for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming insights. Have a great Thursday!
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