Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for November 14th, 2023. In today’s article, we’ve got a few more reviews for you to enjoy. Our pal Mikhail has his thoughts on World of Horror, while I take quicker looks at FX Unit Yuki and Berzerk: Recharged. There’s a bit of news that I’m temporally ill-equipped to advise you on, a handful of new releases of note, and the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Let’s get to it!
News
Check Out Today’s Indie World Presentation
Announced yesterday after I went home by Nintendo, the latest Indie World Showcase will show off twenty minutes of indie games for your viewing pleasure. I’m sure there will be one or two shadow drops to go along with it, but I am in the past writing this at the moment so I can’t say for sure. By the time you read this, the presentation will likely be over. We’ll go over the big news tomorrow, hopefully. Feel free to cut out the middle Shaun and go watch it now if you like.
Reviews & Mini-Views
FX Unit Yuki ($8.99)
FX Unit Yuki is not the most original of games, nor is it the best-playing 2D platformer around. Playing as Yuki, you slice, punch, and blast your way through eight levels, each of which is inspired by a classic PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 game. You’ll get in numerous battles with your rival Geni from SG Corporation, tackle some nasty bosses, score, some upgrades that unlock new abilities, and even occasionally get to mix it up with different gameplay styles in a pair of auto-scrolling shooter stages based on Cotton and Lords of Thunder. The passion of the developer for the PC Engine/TG-16 is clear, and you probably won’t be surprised when I tell you that this game initially launched on that platform.
If your love for NEC and Hudson’s plucky platform burns equally bright, you’ll probably get a kick out of FX Unit Yuki. Sure, the dialogue is terrible, the level layouts are bland, the controls are often awkward, and the shooting levels are genuinely bad, but it’s still kind of worth the trip to see all the parodies and homages. On the other hand, if you don’t have any warm fuzzies for that system and its library, I’m not sure it’s worth putting up with FX Unit Yuki‘s more annoying aspects. The presentation is nice, but everything else falls just short of the bar.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
World of Horror ($19.99)
The wait for World of Horror to leave early access and hit consoles has been long, but it has given us a masterpiece of a horror experience that feels like a rare ambitious blend of genres that delivers in spades. I’ve been playing World of Horror on both Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck over the last few weeks, and have come away mostly impressed by it, but the controls need work on both platforms right now.
World of Horror combines point and click adventures, cosmic horror, roguelite-style games, and more to be one of the most memorable experiences of the year. I’ve owned it for ages in early access, but didn’t dig into it much while waiting for proper controller support. It turns out even in 1.0, I’m not too happy with how it plays on a controller, because it very much feels like a mouse-focused experience, which is fine, but it doesn’t translate too well to Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
If you’ve watched a trailer for World of Horror, you already know how unsettling it can get. The screenshots do not do it justice. I initially didn’t understand what made it special, but with any RPG that has some roguelite elements, a few runs through of getting my bearings made it click, and I went to Amazon Japan to order the physical release.
Your aim in World of Horror is to solve mysteries, fight various sorts of horrors in turn-based combat, explore, and learn. There are multiple playable characters, locations, endings, and more, in this experience that will not waste your time. Despite the 1 or 2-bit art style, there are a ton of systems at play here, and it almost is shockingly deceptive with how deep things can go.
Now let’s get to the state of the game on Switch. I always thought World of Horror would be perfect on Switch thanks to its aesthetic, and that shines on the OLED screen. It really is the perfect game to play at night in handheld mode, but the controls aren’t as smooth as they should be. Two different cursor options through the analog sticks, a fast navigation option, and tab switching don’t feel as good as native touch would’ve been. Right now, tapping on the screen anywhere just registers as a click, but doesn’t actually move the cursor. I also ran into a few issues with the d-pad fast navigation not responding to multiple quick inputs. I hope these can be fixed in patches.
World of Horror would’ve been an easy 5/5 if it had touchscreen support on Switch or had better controller support on the platform. Barring that, I have no hesitation in calling this a must-play horror game if you enjoy the genre and are up to try something interesting. Right now, World of Horror is amazing, but I really wish it controlled better. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Berzerk: Recharged ($9.99)
Berzerk is the first of the Recharged line to be based on a non-Atari game, instead looking to a Stern classic that Atari recently acquired the rights to. Still, I think the game is near and dear enough to the hearts of Atari fans that it doesn’t feel too out of place here. With that said, I had some concerns about this one from the minute I saw the first screens. Berzerk had a very particular vibe, and I don’t think this game captures its look or even feel very well. It’s better than I was expecting, but I don’t know if it really does proper justice to Berzerk. Moving to a twin-stick shooting format removes a lot of the difficulty of the original concept, and the visuals look a little too goofy.
But hey, let’s take it as its own thing. This is a twin-stick shooter where you go room by room, battling robots and other machines that are trying to kill you. The key to earning a high score is to keep your combo going, which requires you to keep those kills coming in. Clearing a room will give you an extra bonus, so you’ll want to do that where you can. You aren’t required to do this and can exit a room whenever you like. Indeed, you will sometimes want to. Hanging around in any room too long will cause Evil Otto to appear, and you don’t want to cross paths with that bouncing ball of doom. You’ll also need to be careful about walls, as they’ll sometimes be deadly to the touch. Lots of things can kill you, basically.
In your favor, you can take a few hits if you aren’t playing with the Iron Man modifier. You can also pick up some power-ups that will restore your health or give you a cool weapon or item for a while. Your goal in the main mode is simply to survive as long as you can and get a big score. You can use some modifiers to give your score a boost and make the game more challenging if you like. There is also the typical Recharged Mission Mode, but here it sends you through hand-built mazes rather than procedurally-generated ones. Clear the maze and you win. There are twenty of these missions, and they’re fun to play.
Despite it not being very Berzerk-like, I enjoyed Berzerk: Recharged. But there’s one big problem here, and that’s in how buggy the game is. Sometimes the action would seize up for fifteen to twenty seconds, and I almost thought it had locked up the first time it happened. But then it started going again, so I have no idea what’s up with that. It happened fairly often, and I did all the usual things like rebooting my Switch and reinstalling the game, but nothing stopped it. This is the first time I’ve seen such bugs in a Recharged game, and I was frankly quite surprised by it.
I’m hoping those bugs get patched, but I can only review the game in front of me right now. Berzerk: Recharged is an interesting twin-stick shooter that might not feel much like the Stern classic, but has a lot of appeal of its own. Unfortunately, given the bizarre lengthy lock-ups that happen randomly during gameplay, I can’t really give it a very strong recommendation. I also think it missed a trick by not trying to be more faithful to the source material, but it’s the buggy nature of the game that really drags it down.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
New Releases
Super Crazy Rhythm Castle ($39.99)
A puzzle game/rhythm game hybrid for up to four players via local or online multiplayer. Published by… Konami? Hunh. That’s odd. Well, okay. This is something of a follow-up to Super Crazy Guitar Maniac Deluxe, which was a pretty popular Flash game series back in the day. It features more than thirty songs to play, plus lots of bizarre scenarios and quirky puzzles to solve. If you have fond memories of SCGMD then you’ll probably want to dive into this as soon as possible. Those who enjoy rhythm games and are on the hunt for something a bit different will find a lot to like as well.
KarmaZoo ($9.99)
This is an interesting one. It’s a multiplayer cooperative platformer with a heavy emphasis on helping each other out. Up to eight people can play together locally, or ten online. The levels themselves adjust based on how many people are playing, so in theory there is plenty of variety here. I’ll have a review of this one soon, so stay tuned if you need more details.
Rogue Glitch Ultra ($11.99)
A roguelite platformer with an auto-fire mechanic that allows you to focus on moving around. You upgrade your character as you go, unlocking tons of stuff to keep it all fresh. There are more than one hundred and fifty weapons and power-ups to play around with, eighteen different character types each with their own stats and skins, and a whole lot of mayhem as you make your way through the packs of enemies. You can go it alone or pull in some friends for up to four-player local multiplayer. Reviews over on Steam are very sunny, so if you like the sound of all of this I imagine you won’t go away unhappy.
Astral Ascent ($24.99)
Take a little Hades and a little Dead Cells and you might end up with something like Astral Ascent, a game that has more than a few people singing its praises over on Steam. This kind of game tends to go over well with the Switch crowd, so I imagine it won’t be long before it finds a happy home with this version as well. Choose one of four unique playable characters and set out on a mission to defeat the twelve Zodiacs. You don’t have to go it alone, either. You can bring a friend along via local multiplayer to double your fighting power. If you like your roguelite action games, you’ll want to check this out.
Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! 2 ($24.99)
Some licenses seem to be able to elevate an otherwise mediocre experience, and Asterix is one of them. Slap Them All! wasn’t the greatest of beat-em-ups, more decent than good, but the presentation, sense of humor, and co-op gameplay helped it a lot. It seems to have gone over fairly well, because here’s a sequel. You get a new story to play through with new enemies, new moves, and so on. Once again you can play with a friend or family member via local multiplayer, and that’s probably the best way to enjoy it. Those without any attachment to the license can probably find better brawlers to play, though.
Hogwarts Legacy ($59.99)
I have zero interest in Harry Potter, so I’ll just throw this one over to the eShop description rather than pretend I do. It reads: “Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Make allies, battle Dark wizards, and ultimately decide the fate of the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.”
The Bin Bunch
Brawl.io 2 ($2.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Lots of Taito and ININ games on sale today, so if you’ve been waiting for some deals on those do take a gander. Not too much outside of that, but the list isn’t terribly long so I will encourage you to take a good look yourself. Over in the outbox, Koei Tecmo and Marvelous are wrapping up some of their recent sales. Check ’em out!
Select New Sales
Japan Train Models: JR East ($11.19 from $13.99 until 11/24)
Draknek & Friends Puzzle Bundle ($44.99 from $74.99 until 11/25)
A Building Full of Cats ($1.99 from $2.99 until 11/27)
My Little Universe ($11.99 from $14.99 until 11/27)
Xiaomei & the Flame Dragon’s Fist ($10.49 from $14.99 until 11/28)
The Company Man ($4.99 from $19.99 until 11/28)
WitchSpring3 Re:Fine ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/28)
Ultracore ($1.99 from $19.99 until 11/28)
Cannon Dancer: Osman ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/28)
Spelunker HD Deluxe ($4.99 from $24.99 until 11/28)
Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! ($2.99 from $29.99 until 11/28)
Clockwork Aquario ($2.99 from $19.99 until 11/28)
Cotton 100% ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/28)
Panorama Cotton ($2.99 from $14.99 until 11/28)
Cotton Fantasy ($9.99 from $39.99 until 11/28)
The Ninja Saviors ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/28)
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends ($15.99 from $39.99 until 11/28)
Taito Milestones ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/28)
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade ($17.99 from $44.99 until 11/28)
Darius Cozmic Collection Console ($23.99 from $59.99 until 11/28)
G-Darius HD ($14.99 from $29.99 until 11/28)
Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ ($11.99 from $39.99 until 11/28)
Space Invaders Forever ($8.99 from $29.99 until 11/28)
Space Invaders Invincible Collection ($17.99 from $59.99 until 11/28)
Ninja JaJaMaru: Great Yokai Battle + Hell ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/28)
Ninja JaJaMaru: Retro Collection ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/28)
Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs ($3.89 from $12.99 until 11/28)
Commandos 3: HD Remaster ($23.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Dungeons of Dreadrock ($1.99 from $10.00 until 12/4)
VELONE ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/4)
Children of Silentown ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga Galactic ($23.99 from $79.99 until 12/4)
Life of Delta ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes ($2.99 from $14.99 until 12/4)
Warpips ($3.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Blackguards 2 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/4)
Huntdown ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Sable’s Grimoire: Man & Elf ($4.01 from $5.99 until 12/4)
Godlike Burger ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/4)
Edna & Harvey Bundle ($2.99 from $29.99 until 12/4)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, November 15th
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle ($29.99 from $59.99 until 11/15)
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/15)
Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers ($2.99 from $9.99 until 11/15)
Death Squared ($2.24 from $14.99 until 11/15)
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires ($35.99 from $59.99 until 11/15)
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires DE ($65.99 from $109.99 until 11/15)
Fall of Porcupine ($11.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)
Fate/Extella Link ($19.99 from $49.99 until 11/15)
Kao the Kangaroo ($12.89 from $29.99 until 11/15)
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX ($20.99 from $29.99 until 11/15)
OTTTD ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/15)
Rune Factory 4 Special ($19.49 from $29.99 until 11/15)
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life ($29.99 from $49.99 until 11/15)
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town ($15.99 from $39.99 until 11/15)
Super One More Jump ($1.99 from $7.99 until 11/15)
Tiny Metal ($4.49 from $14.99 until 11/15)
Tokyo Dark Remembrance ($5.99 from $19.99 until 11/15)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new releases, more sales, and some news. Maybe a review or two? We’ll see. I have to go to the hospital for a follow-up appointment, so fingers crossed that I don’t have to go back in. If that happens, you might have to wait a bit for the next article. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
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