Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 9th, 2022. Well, we made it: it’s Splatoon 3 day! It’s also NBA 2K23 day, and I’ve seen enough sales charts to know that’s going to be exciting for some of you. What very few are expecting is that it is Haiku, the Robot day on top of that. If you like your Metroidvania-style games, you’ve got to check it out. After we go through all the new releases for the day, we’ve got a big list of new sales and a smaller list of expiring sales to look at as well. Let’s charge on in!
New Releases
Splatoon 3 ($59.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Remember in Disney’s Mulan when Emperor Miyagi said “the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of them all”? That’s how I see Splatoon. It took the lemons of the Wii U’s market failure and somehow made lemonade. Splatoon 2 was there early on in the Switch’s life and has been a pillar of its library. Splatoon 3 steps into a different kind of context. The Switch is a mature system and its install base is massive, but there is also more competition in this category now. By all accounts, this is more of an evolution than a revolution, but perhaps that will be enough for the many fans of the franchise. We’ll hopefully have a review soon.
Haiku, the Robot ($19.99)
SwitchArcade Highlight!
Haiku, the Robot is a fairly chill take on the Metroidvania concept where you play as a cute robot making its way through a mechanical world filled with rampant robots and machines. The reception to this game’s release on PC back in April was positively stellar, with fans of Hollow Knight in particular finding considerable praise for it. Which is interesting to me, because it’s definitely a more easy-going game than that one. Anyway, if you like the genre and have twenty bucks in your pocket, this is probably one to get.
NBA 2K23 ($59.99)
It’s the latest NBA 2K game. There’s some sort of new stuff involving a cruise liner, which is an odd flex for a basketball game. Otherwise, you probably know more or less what to expect from this.
Catmaze ($9.99)
Of course, Haiku isn’t the only Metroidvania-style game hitting the eShop today. For those looking for something a little more modestly-priced, Catmaze follows a sorceress named Alesta as she explore the world of the dead. The world design is inspired by Slavic folklore and mythology, helping the game stand out in a rather busy and competitive genre. I’ll have a review of this one early next week, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played so far.
To Leave ($19.99)
Hm. So this game sees you making your way through eighty rather challenging maps using a flying door as a means of conveyance. It is very, very easy to die. You will probably die a lot. At least you can enjoy the art style as you repeat sections. It’s creative and well-realized. The story, which touches on themes of mental illness, isn’t quite as solid. If you don’t mind a vague narrative that you may never end of, there’s something there. Reviews were middling on other platforms, with most of them mentioning the high level of difficulty as an issue. Something to consider before you dive in.
Windmill Engine ($0.99)
Yes, another one of these idle tapper/clicker games. The same as all the other RandomSpin games in this Engine series, but with a new skin. Yawn.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Yes, that’s a ton of new games on sale. Let’s pick out a few highlights. Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair is the cheapest it has ever been, and while the original game is very much hit-or-miss, Impossible Lair is a very good time. Kero Blaster is a fantastic little run-and-gun, Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! is a cool take on the classic gamebooks, and Gnosia is a very well-made adventure game. Nothing super-interesting in the weekend outbox, but have a look through both lists to see what catches your eye.
Select New Games on Sale
Graceful Explosion Machine ($4.49 from $12.99 until 9/16)
Sine Mora EX ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/16)
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/16)
Super Daryl Deluxe ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/16)
Narona Sports ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/18)
Christmas Tina ($18.89 from $26.99 until 9/22)
Slice of Life ($3.49 from $6.99 until 9/22)
KURSK ($7.49 from $9.99 until 9/23)
Vengeful Heart ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/23)
Forest Guardian ($1.99 from $10.99 until 9/23)
Into a Dream ($1.99 from $13.99 until 9/23)
Unbound: Worlds Apart ($8.99 from $19.99 until 9/23)
Merrily Perilly ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/23)
The Tenth Line SE ($2.59 from $12.99 until 9/23)
Venus: Improbable Dream ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/23)
Plunderer’s Adventure ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/23)
Drizzlepath: Deja Vu ($4.19 from $6.99 until 9/23)
Cave Bad ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/23)
Crime Opera: The Butterfly Effect ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9/23)
Spacewing War ($5.24 from $6.99 until 9/23)
Pretty Girls Speed ($4.49 from $5.99 until 9/23)
Pretty Girls Panic Plus ($3.59 from $5.99 until 9/23)
Mokoko X ($7.69 from $11.49 until 9/23)
Macrotis: A Mother’s Journey ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/23)
Wife Quest ($5.99 from $7.99 until 9/23)
Demoniaca: Everlasting Night ($9.74 from $14.99 until 9/23)
Kingdom of Arcadia ($2.39 from $5.99 until 9/23)
Queeny Army ($3.24 from $4.99 until 9/23)
The Sushi Spinnery ($7.00 from $14.00 until 9/28)
Biz Builder Delux ($7.00 from $14.00 until 9/28)
March to a Million ($8.40 from $14.00 until 9/28)
Pocket Stables ($8.40 from $14.00 until 9/28)
Dungeon Village ($7.00 from $14.00 until 9/28)
Record of Lodoss War DiWL ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
The Serpent Rogue ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Yooka-Laylee ($5.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Yooka-Laylee & the Impossible Lair ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Blasphemous ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Narita Boy ($8.74 from $24.99 until 9/29)
80’s Overdrive ($1.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Worms Rumble ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Worms Rumble: Digital Deluxe ($2.19 from $21.99 until 9/29)
Worms WMD ($5.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Neon Abyss ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Monster Destroyer ($4.99 from $7.13 until 9/29)
Gigapocalypse ($7.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
My Time at Portia ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Moving Out ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked All You Can Eat ($19.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked Special Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked 2 ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Overcooked 2 Season Pass DLC ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Going Under ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Raging Justice ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Yoku’s Island Express ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Super Magbot ($1.99 from $17.99 until 9/29)
The Escapists Complete ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
The Escapists 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
The Survivalists ($6.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Okinawa Rush ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Legend of Keepers CoaDM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Banners of Ruin ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
As Far As The Eye ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Arrest of a Stone Buddha ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Mercenaries Blaze: DotTD ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Mercenaries Wings: The False Phoenix ($7.79 from $12.99 until 9/29)
Rabi-Ribi ($20.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Metaverse Keeper ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Maitetsu: Pure Station ($20.99 from $34.99 until 9/29)
Runestone Keeper ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Tanuki Justice ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula ($5.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
LiEat ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Mighty Goose ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Tasomachi Behind the Twilight ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Noel the Mortal Fate ($21.24 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Potato Flowers in Full Bloom ($14.39 from $17.99 until 9/29)
Sherlock Holmes: Devil’s Daughter ($14.99 from $29.99 until 9/29)
Dream ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Heroine Anthem Zero Ep. 1 ($3.89 from $12.99 until 9/29)
Vertical Strike Endless Challenge ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
Orangeblood ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Astebreed ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Legal Dungeon ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Hakoniwa Explorer Plus ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/29)
Kero Blaster ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
Angels of Death ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
TorqueL Physics Modified ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/29)
One Way Heroics Plus ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/29)
Replica ($2.49 from $4.99 until 9/29)
The Good Life ($27.99 from $39.99 until 9/29)
Mad Father ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/29)
The Sealed Ampoule ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
DEEEER Simulator ($11.99 from $19.99 until 9/29)
Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Gnosia ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/29)
Sales Ending This Weekend
A Case of Distrust ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Cultist Simulator ($5.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
Cyanide & Happiness Freakpocalypse ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
Doki Doki Literature Club+ ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Down in Bermuda ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
Frightence ($2.39 from $5.99 until 9/10)
Lifeless Planet PE ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
NeonLore ($2.39 from $5.99 until 9/10)
Neversong ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Quell Reflect ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/10)
Regular Factory: Escape Room ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/10)
The Demon Crystal ($2.99 from $9.99 until 9/10)
Urban Trial Playground ($2.24 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Urban Trial Tricky ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9/10)
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/10)
Crysis 2 Remastered ($17.99 from $29.99 until 9/11)
Crysis 3 Remastered ($17.99 from $29.99 until 9/11)
Demon’s Rise: Lords of Chaos ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9/11)
Dungeons of Dreadrock ($4.00 from $10.00 until 9/11)
Furi ($6.99 from $19.99 until 9/11)
Furi Modore Edition ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/11)
Haven ($12.49 from $24.99 until 9/11)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back next week with more new releases, more sales, some reviews, and some news. I will be attending the Tokyo Game Show next Thursday so I’m not 100% sure how the schedule will shake out, but we’ll do our best. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!
