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 shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll explore the day's new releases and round up the new and expiring sales. Let's get to it!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)

Resurrecting dormant franchises is the latest trend, mirroring Hollywood's habits. Nintendo's unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, primarily known in the West through a fleeting remake, is intriguing. This millennium marks the debut of a brand-new Famicom Detective Club adventure!

The challenge of reviving an old brand lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern updates. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club leans towards the style of the recent remakes, closely mirroring the originals. The visuals are excellent, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay remains old-school, significantly impacting the overall enjoyment.

The game begins with a student found dead, a smiling face on a paper bag his only calling card. This unearths unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, raising questions about a resurfaced killer, a copycat, or the existence of Emio, a killer from urban legend. The police are stumped, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency to step in! Through investigation and questioning, you'll uncover the truth.

The gameplay involves searching for clues, interviewing people (often requiring repeated questioning), and connecting the dots. It's reminiscent of the investigation sections in Ace Attorney. Depending on your preference for this style, you might find it tedious. While some aspects could be smoother, the logic chains sometimes lack sufficient signposting. However, this is a classic style, and Emio doesn't stray too far.

Despite some story criticisms, I found it engaging, twisty, and well-written. Certain plot points didn't resonate as strongly with me, but discussing them would spoil the experience. This is a story best enjoyed fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and the game truly shines at its peak.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical for Nintendo, but any potential team rust is imperceptible. The mechanics adhere closely to the originals, which might be a drawback for some. While the plot is largely excellent, the pacing occasionally falters, and some resolutions feel less satisfying than hoped. These are minor gripes 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 accumulating a fantastic collection of TMNT games. From the Konami classics in the Cowabunga Collection to the modern arcade beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, and now Splintered Fate, offering a home console experience. So, how does this one fare?

Quite well, actually. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the drill. Imagine a TMNT-style beat 'em up blended with Hades. You can play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Online multiplayer worked well in my experience. The solo experience is fine, but multiplayer enhances it.

Shredder's mischief unleashes a mysterious power, endangering Splinter. The Turtles must save him. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, dash strategically, acquire perks, and collect 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, but TMNT fans will appreciate this twist. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus. Those unfamiliar with the Turtles might find better roguelites on the 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 PC and PS5 release surprised me by skipping Switch and mobile. It felt perfect for touchscreens. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game. If you enjoy playful sandbox experiences and food, you'll love Nour, but the Switch version has shortcomings.

Nour lets you play with food in various stages, featuring interesting music and over-the-top elements. It's a blend of interactive app and art experience. You start with basics, but the content expands surprisingly. However, this richness makes touchscreen control less ideal.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also compromised compared to other platforms, with noticeable load times.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing for food and art enthusiasts, despite the Switch version's flaws. The portability is appealing, and hopefully, it will do well enough to warrant DLC or a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper are great complements to larger RPGs. -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. It's the best entry point into the Fate universe, ideal for those only familiar with the anime and other games. The 55+ hour experience offers incredible value for the price.

For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements. English language support, 16:9 support, and visual enhancements for modern displays are notable additions. The remaster's visual quality doesn't match Tsukihime's recent remake, but it's a significant upgrade.

Touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition. The game performs well on both Switch Lite and OLED models, and it also works flawlessly on Steam Deck.

The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. Hopefully, its success will lead to one.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it even more appealing. Despite not matching Tsukihime's visual quality, it's a worthwhile experience. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)

Having missed out on VR gaming, I was excited to experience TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos on Switch. Both were praised for their VR stories.

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 and killers. The narrative is predictable in parts, but the visuals are good. I'm curious to try the VR version.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, boasting better production, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the visual novel format, enhancing the experience.

Camera movement issues affect the Switch version, but touchscreen support and rumble compensate.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience. The touch controls and rumble enhance immersion. I recommend downloading the demo to experience it. -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 a polished presentation 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, appealing to 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.

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!