Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024. Already Thursday? Time flies! We're diving straight into 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 cover the day's hottest 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)
Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage, it seems. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely unfamiliar to Western audiences except for a fleeting remake a couple of years ago, is a prime example. This is the first brand-new Famicom Detective Club game in years, a welcome addition.
The challenge with reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern sensibilities. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely sticks to the style of the recent remakes, which themselves closely mirrored the originals. The result is a curious blend. The graphics are top-notch, and the narrative pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, but the gameplay remains firmly rooted in the past. This old-school feel is key to whether you'll enjoy it.
The game begins with the discovery of a deceased student, a paper bag bearing a smiling face over their head. This triggers a re-investigation of similar unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, raising questions about a killer known as Emio, a figure of urban legend who promises eternal smiles. The police are baffled, so it's up to the Utsugi Detective Agency to unravel the truth.
Gameplay involves exploring scenes for clues, interrogating suspects (often requiring multiple questions to get the full story), and connecting the dots to solve the case. It's reminiscent of the investigation segments in Ace Attorney. Depending on your tolerance for this style, you might find it tedious at times. Certain logical leaps could use clearer signposting. However, this is a classic visual novel style, and by those standards, Emio doesn't disappoint.
While I have some minor story criticisms, overall, I found Emio engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Certain plot points may not resonate with everyone, but discussing them would spoil the experience. This is a story best experienced firsthand. The highs outweigh the lows, and when the plot picks up, it really picks up.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical for Nintendo, but any potential development rust is certainly not apparent. The mechanics might be a bit too faithful to the originals, and the pacing occasionally falters, but these are minor flaws in an otherwise enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club! Don't take so long next time.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)
The Switch is getting a fantastic selection of TMNT games. We have the Konami classics in the Cowabunga Collection, the excellent modern arcade beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, the modern arcade feel of Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. And more are on the way! So, how does this one fare?
Quite well, actually. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the drill. It's a blend of TMNT-style beat 'em up and Hades-style roguelite gameplay. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tested online multiplayer, and it worked flawlessly. The solo experience is decent, but multiplayer significantly enhances it.
The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, leaving Splinter in peril. The Turtles must save him. Expect plenty of Foot Soldier slicing, dicing, and bludgeoning, tactical dashing, perk collection, and 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, a crucial TMNT element not overlooked. Those unfamiliar with the Turtles might find better roguelites on Switch, but given the genre's intense competition, 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 by skipping 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, accompanied by engaging music and playful absurdity. You start with basic tools, but the game's depth is surprising. The developers have added many features that allow you to truly "play with your food," as the title suggests. This is where the lack of touchscreen support becomes apparent.
The Switch version's lack of touchscreen support is disappointing. Furthermore, performance is impacted, with noticeable load times both docked and handheld.
Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you enjoy 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 delightful 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, released a month ago on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. This is arguably the best entry point into the Fate universe. For those only familiar with the anime and other games, this is a chance to experience the series' origins as intended. Despite its age, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers a 55+ hour experience, making its price incredibly reasonable.
For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED boasts significant improvements. The addition of English is obvious, but the 16:9 support and overall visual enhancements are welcome. The developers have done a remarkable job making it look good on modern displays, though it doesn't reach the visual polish of Tsukihime's recent remake.
The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a significant advantage. 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.
I also played it on Steam Deck, where it runs flawlessly. Get it on whichever platform you prefer; it's that good.
The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. I hope its success warrants one.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. Its affordability makes it even more appealing. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is well 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. Both were praised for their VR storytelling. The Switch release finally lets me experience them.
The 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 lost memories, killers, and more. The narrative is somewhat predictable, but the visuals are good, and I'm curious to try the VR version.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It goes beyond a typical visual novel, which enhances the experience.
The Switch version has some camera movement performance issues, though not game-breaking. Touchscreen support and rumble are welcome additions.
TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touch controls and rumble. I'm glad I finally experienced these stories, and I hope to see more from this team. 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. Get it if you want Fitness Boxing with 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)
A blend of rhythm game and bullet hell shooter. The Touhou theme unites the two modes.
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. Many other games are frequently on sale.
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 thoughts. Have a great Thursday!
