Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024! It's Thursday already – where does the time go? We've got a batch of reviews for you today, starting with 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 cover the day's hottest new releases and round things off with our usual sales lists. Let's dive in!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)
Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage, it seems. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely known in the West through a brief Switch remake, is a prime example. This new entry, the first in the series this millennium, presents a unique challenge: how to honor the original while updating it for modern players.
Emio – The Smiling Man maintains the style of the recent remakes, sticking closely to the originals. The result is a curious mix. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay remains very old-school, which will be a make-or-break factor for many.
The game centers on a student found dead with a smiling-face paper bag over his head, echoing unsolved murders from eighteen years prior. This introduces the urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles. Is it a copycat, a resurfaced killer, or pure myth? The police are baffled, leaving the case to the Utsugi Detective Agency. Using classic detective methods – investigating locations and questioning suspects – you'll uncover the truth.
The gameplay involves searching for clues, interviewing characters (often requiring repeated questioning), and connecting the dots. It’s reminiscent of the investigation sections in Ace Attorney. While engaging, some aspects feel cumbersome, and the game could benefit from clearer guidance in certain logical leaps. However, this is par for the course in this genre.
While I have some minor criticisms of the narrative, I found the story engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Certain plot points might resonate differently with individual players, but I won't spoil anything. This is a mystery best experienced firsthand. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and the story really picks up the pace.
Emio – The Smiling Man is atypical of Nintendo, but the developers show no signs of rust. The adherence to the original game's mechanics might be a drawback for some, and the pacing occasionally lags, but 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 getting a fantastic lineup of TMNT games. We have the Konami classics in Cowabunga Collection, the modern arcade brilliance of Shredder’s Revenge, the arcade action of Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. So, how does this one stack up?
Quite well, actually. If you've played it on Apple Arcade, you know what to expect. Imagine a TMNT beat 'em up blended with Hades. You can play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tested the online multiplayer, and it worked flawlessly. The game is enjoyable solo, but multiplayer significantly enhances the experience.
The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, leaving Splinter in peril. The Turtles must save him. Expect classic TMNT action: slicing, dicing, and bludgeoning enemies, tactical dashing, collecting perks for current runs, and earning currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a roguelite beat 'em up, but with the Turtles, automatically making it better. It’s not groundbreaking, but it delivers.
While not a must-have for everyone, TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus. Those without a fondness for the Turtles might 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)
I was surprised Nour: Play With Your Food didn’t launch on Switch and mobile alongside its PC and PS5 releases. It felt like a perfect fit for touchscreens. While I enjoyed the PC version, it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and love food, you'll likely adore it, but the Switch version has some shortcomings.
For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with various food types across different stages, accompanied by interesting music and over-the-top fun. It's a blend of interactive app and food art experience. You start with basic tools but unlock more options as you progress. 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, resulting in noticeable load times.
Despite these issues, Nour is worth experiencing for fans of 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 a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a nice contrast to more involved titles. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released last month on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. This is arguably the best entry point into the Fate universe, offering a chance for those familiar only with the anime or other games to experience the series' origin. The sheer volume of content justifies the price.
The remaster adds English language support and 16:9 support, along with other quality-of-life improvements. The visuals are enhanced for modern displays, though not to the level of Tsukihime's recent remake. The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition.
The game works flawlessly on Switch and Steam Deck. The lack of a physical Switch release is the only real downside, hopefully rectified in the future.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it an even better deal. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime, it's a worthwhile experience. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)
Having missed the VR releases of TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, I was excited for their Switch port. The twin pack lets you choose which game to play. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories and murder. While the narrative is somewhat predictable, the visuals are good, and I'm curious to try the VR version.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, boasting better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the typical visual novel format, enhancing the story.
The Switch version has some camera control issues, but the touchscreen support and rumble compensate.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience. I recommend downloading the demo to see if it suits your preferences. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
Select New Releases
Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)
A Fitness Boxing game 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 platforming.
Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)
A blend of rhythm game and bullet hell shooter, appealing to Touhou fans.
EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)
Another version of Hydlide for dedicated fans.
Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)
A gallery shooter from 1988.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Notable sales include No Man’s Sky. Check out the full lists below.
Select New Sales
(List of new sales)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th
(List of expiring sales)
That's it for today! We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Thanks for reading!
