Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 7th, 2024. In today’s article, we’ve got a relatively active Wednesday slate of stuff to look at. First up, a review. Just in time for the release of the second game in the line-up, we’ve got our review of JALECOlle Famicom Ver. Pinball Quest. After that, we have a handful of new games to look at. A real mix of genres today, too. Finally, the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Why break with tradition? Let’s get to today’s business!
Reviews & Mini-Views
JALECOlle Famicom Ver. Pinball Quest ($7.99)
City Connection is officially kicking off a new line of releases with this game, and it has announced a few more already. The idea is to get some of Jaleco’s lesser-known titles back out there, and even localize some titles that only released in Japan back in the day. It has chosen Pinball Quest as its opening punch, apparently due to the game being somewhat popular among Western respondents to a poll the company did. Sure, I remember this one from back in the day. Let’s see how it holds up.
While this is technically the first release in the JALECOlle series, regular customers of City Connection’s Switch releases will find a lot of its wrapper familiar. Abarenbo Tengu & Zombie Nation and Hebereke Enjoy Edition among others used an earlier version of what we see here, and the options and extras are more or less in line with those. One feature from Hebereke has evolved here, however. Translated dialogue now appears on the screen as the Japanese text comes up, so you don’t have to go into a gallery to see it. You also get both the Japanese and overseas versions of the game to play. They’re almost the same, but I appreciate the choice.
Pinball Quest is a pinball game that came out on the Famicom in 1989 and the NES the following year. Being an 8-bit game, its physics are a bit rough, and I think that’s going to be the deciding factor for most people who are buying it with a mind to play it. Are you okay with a pinball game that feels really weird in its raw mechanical nuts and bolts? If so, you might find this intriguing for its quirkier aspects. If not, then you’re just going to get frustrated as the ball careens wildly around, flagrantly disregarding any sense of reality.
If you just play the first few tables on offer in Pinball Quest, it might seem like a normal pinball game. Sure, a few twists on display, but nothing unusual. It’s the RPG Mode where things go a little strange. Suddenly instead of earning points you’re earning gold, and you seem to have an attack power meter. You’re working your way through six multi-level tables, trying to defeat enemies and bosses to open the route forward. If you fall off the current table, you’ll end up on the previous one with your attack power halved. Between tables you can use your gold to buy some items from a shopkeeper, and you can even try your luck with trying to steal from him. Finish all the tables and you’ll rescue the princess, completing your pinball quest.
As a game, Pinball Quest is just mediocre in my books. It’s interesting to be sure, but the physics make things really annoying. Still, it’s nice to see games like this given a shot at capturing a new audience with rereleases like this. City Connection has done a good job with this wrapper and its suite of features, even if it’s not the prettiest thing around. If you have an interest in this game or have happy memories of it, this is a good way to explore it. Just keep in mind that the featured game is one with plenty of rough edges, so if you want a sick game of pinball you may want to look to Zen Studios instead.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
Select New Releases
Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)
Oh hey, it’s Fate/stay night, in English. What?! It’s Fate/stay night in English! This visual novel was Type-Moon’s first commercial release, and of course served as the basis for a franchise that is still going strong to this day. This remaster is based on the PlayStation Vita remake that came out in Japan over a decade ago. So yes, if you ever wondered how the story went in its original game form, you can now scratch that itch. The price is even quite reasonable for this kind of release. Mikhail might be looking at this one, but I’m not too sure. I’ll have to check.
JALECOlle Famicom Ver. Yokai Club ($7.99)
Here’s the second in the JALEColle line, and this one is interesting because we’ve never seen it released outside of Japan before. Not exactly a text-heavy affair, but it’s still cool. Expect the same suite of features from the wrapper as the above Pinball Quest, minus the choice of regional versions since there’s only one for this game. It’s an action-platformer, one that seems to take a few cues from Castlevania. I’ll probably review it, so watch for that.
I Want To Go To Mars ($4.99)
A child-friendly point-and-click style adventure game about a boy who wants to go to Mars with his teddy bear pal. It’s probably going to be a bit too easy for the adults in the room, but they can at least enjoy the decent presentation. If you have any kids you want to ease into the adventure game genre, this might provide one route.
The Lullaby of Life ($14.99)
Those looking for something to satisfy the urge for some chill musical puzzling might find it with this game. Set during the origins of the universe, you play as a particle that uses musical notes to wake up other organisms. You have to play the notes in the right order with the right timing, a mechanic that keeps you engaged without demanding too much of you. It’s been out on other platforms for a while now, and I expect the same sunny reception on Switch that it got everywhere else.
Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona ($14.99)
Add another Soulstroidvania to the pile. This one has a fairly distinctive art style, and that seems to be its main differentiating point. I don’t have much else to say about this one, but those who are less tired of this particular strain of Metroidvania than I do may want to check into it on their own.
Cattie ($4.99)
Sure, why not another monochrome precision platformer? At five bucks, these make nice filler between the bigger games. This one stars a cat, and that certainly gives it extra points. You probably own a lot of games like this already, but if you want one more, this is here and not very dear.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Not the most exciting batch of new sales today, but if you’ve been eyeing up those Front Mission remakes then it’s probably better to get them on sale than at full price. The rest of the inbox is filled out with a lot of the usual suspects, but maybe today is the day for one of them to slide into your collection? Over in the outbox, it’s your last chance to get those Telenet collections at a reasonable discount. Check those lists!
Select New Sales
Space Tail: Every Journey Leads Home ($6.99 from $9.99 until 8/13)
The Blind Prophet ($1.99 from $24.99 until 8/13)
Sky Caravan ($1.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
Deflector ($1.99 from $22.99 until 8/13)
Nora the Wannabe Alchemist ($1.99 from $19.99 until 8/13)
They Know ($1.99 from $6.99 until 8/13)
Garden Guardian ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/14)
kuso ($2.49 from $4.99 until 8/14)
Gamedec: Definitive ($2.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
Arise: A Simple Story ($2.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Red Wings: American Aces ($1.99 from $11.99 until 8/27)
Badland: GotY Edition ($1.99 from $5.99 until 8/27)
Descenders ($4.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Tools Up ($1.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
SuperEpic: The Entertainment War ($1.99 from $17.99 until 8/27)
Front Mission 1st: Remake ($17.49 from $34.99 until 8/27)
Front Mission 2: Remake ($23.44 from $34.99 until 8/27)
Aeterna Noctis ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/27)
Summum Aeterna ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
Everdream Valley ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
LOUD: My Road to Fame ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/27)
Terra Flame ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/27)
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Flame Keeper ($3.99 from $11.99 until 8/27)
Xiaomei & the Flame Dragon’s Fist ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Blazing Beaks ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Ready, Steady, Ship! ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Bang-On Balls: Chronicles ($9.99 from $24.99 until 8/27)
Bus Driving Simulator 22 ($2.99 from $27.99 until 8/27)
War Titans ($1.99 from $14.99 until 8/27)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 8th
7 Days Heroes ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/8)
Ancient Islands ($3.12 from $12.49 until 8/8)
Euphoria ($2.24 from $14.99 until 8/8)
Fishing Break ($6.39 from $7.99 until 8/8)
JDM Racing ($1.99 from $4.99 until 8/8)
Path to Purge ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/8)
Psychic 5: Eternal ($15.39 from $21.99 until 8/8)
Scars of Mars ($17.99 from $19.99 until 8/8)
Snow Bros. Special ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/8)
SWAN Chernobyl Unexplored ($3.12 from $12.49 until 8/8)
Telenet Shooting Collection ($31.49 from $44.99 until 8/8)
TEVI ($26.24 from $34.99 until 8/8)
Valis The Fantasm Soldier Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/8)
Valis The Fantasm Soldier Collection 2 ($22.49 from $44.99 until 8/8)
Valis The Fantasm Soldier Collection 3 ($27.49 from $54.99 until 8/8)
Witchy Life Story ($11.99 from $19.99 until 8/8)
Xaladia Rise of Space Pirates X2 ($8.99 from $17.99 until 8/8)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the big-pants Thursday slate of new games, which will as usual take up the bulk of the article. We’ll also have whatever sales or major news items roll in over the course of the day. I’m really sleepy today. Didn’t sleep well last night at all. This happens now and then, I suppose. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and as always, thanks for reading!