Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024. Thursday already? Time flies! We're diving straight into reviews today, with two covering Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Mikhail also contributes mini-views of Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll cover the day's new releases and round things out with our sales lists. Let's get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)
Resurrecting dormant franchises is the latest trend, it seems. Nintendo’s unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series mostly known in the West through a fleeting remake, is a prime example. This new millennium marks the first brand-new Famicom Detective Club adventure in years—a welcome surprise!
The challenge in reviving an old brand lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern appeal. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club opts for a style similar to the recent remakes, closely mirroring the originals. It's a curious blend. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay retains a distinctly old-school feel, significantly impacting the overall enjoyment.
The game begins with the discovery of a deceased student, a paper bag bearing a smiling face over their head. This chilling calling card echoes unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, raising countless questions. The urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, resurfaces. Is it a copycat? A resurrected killer? Or just a legend? The police are baffled, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency to step in! Through investigation and questioning, you'll uncover the truth.
Gameplay involves searching for clues, interrogating suspects (often requiring multiple questions to get the information you need), and connecting the dots to solve the case. It's reminiscent of the investigation sections in Ace Attorney. Depending on your tolerance for this style, you might find parts frustrating or tedious. While some aspects could have been smoother, and clearer signposting would have been helpful, it's still within the established conventions of the genre.
While I have some story-related criticisms, I enjoyed the game overall. It's engaging, twisty, and well-written. Some plot points may not resonate with everyone, but discussing them would spoil the experience. This is a mystery best experienced fresh. The highs outweigh the lows, and when the plot intensifies, it really captivates.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, but any potential team rust is certainly not evident. While perhaps overly adherent to its predecessors in mechanics, the plot is largely excellent, though the pacing occasionally falters, and some resolutions feel less satisfying than hoped. Still, these are minor gripes in an otherwise enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club! Don't disappear again so soon.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)
The Switch is building a nice library of TMNT games. We have the Konami classics in Cowabunga Collection, the modern arcade beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. Several more are on the way! So, how does this one fare?
Quite well, actually. If you've played it on Apple Arcade, you know what to expect. It blends a TMNT-style beat 'em up with the roguelite elements of Hades. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Online multiplayer worked well in my experience with Mikhail. While enjoyable solo, adding players enhances the experience. Classic TMNT fun!
Shredder's mischief and a mysterious power put Splinter in danger, forcing the Turtles into action. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, strategically dash to avoid attacks, collect perks, and earn 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 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. For those unfamiliar with the Turtles, better roguelites exist on Switch, but Splintered Fate holds its own in a highly competitive genre. Not bad at all.
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 the uninitiated, Nour lets you play with various food types across different stages, accompanied by interesting music and over-the-top fun. It feels like an interactive app for food and art enthusiasts. You start with basic tools, but the game's depth unfolds as you explore the possibilities. This is where the touchscreen limitations become apparent.
The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also impacted, with noticeable load times, both docked and handheld.
Despite these issues, Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you appreciate food, art, and interactive apps. While the Switch version isn't ideal, its portability is a plus, and I hope its success leads to more DLC or even a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a welcome contrast to more involved titles. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released a month ago on Switch and Steam, has been long-awaited. Before reviewing the game, let me share some background. My journey with the Fate universe began years ago, and this remaster is a dream come true—the definitive English-language release. But is it worth it? Absolutely.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel, following Emiya Shirou, the Holy Grail War, and more. It's an excellent entry point into the Fate universe, perfect for those familiar only with the anime and other games. Even with quality-of-life improvements, it's a 55+ hour experience, making the price incredibly reasonable. The remaster's enhancements, including English language support and 16:9 support, are significant.
For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers considerable improvements. The visuals are enhanced for modern displays, though not as stunning as Tsukihime's recent remake. The addition of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome feature, making it exceptionally well-suited to the hybrid console.
The only real drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. It also works flawlessly on Steam Deck.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it even more appealing. While not as visually impressive as Tsukihime, it's still a worthwhile experience. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)
Having missed out on VR gaming until now, I was eager to experience TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, both praised for their VR presentation and stories. This twin pack brings them to Switch.
Upon launching the game, you choose which title to play. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories, killers, and more. While the narrative is somewhat predictable, it’s still enjoyable, with good visuals. Playing it in VR after experiencing the Switch version would be interesting.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, however, is superior, boasting better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It expands beyond a simple visual novel, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite some narrative shortcomings, the Switch version includes touchscreen support and rumble, enhancing immersion. Camera movement issues exist but are not game-breaking.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touch controls and rumble. I'm glad to finally experience these stories without needing a VR headset. -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 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, featuring improved visuals and challenging gameplay. For fans of clever platformers.
Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)
Combines rhythm game and bullet hell shooter elements. For Touhou fans.
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 highlight among the sales. The other titles are frequently discounted.
Select New Sales
Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th
That's all for today! We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming thoughts. Have a great Thursday!
