Reviews Featuring ‘We Love Katamari’ & ‘Maquette’, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales – TouchArcade
Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 12th, 2023. In today’s article we kick things off with a few reviews. Our pal Mikhail has his two cents on The Case of the Golden Idol and Maquette, while yours truly chimes in with an evaluation of the remake of We Love Katamari. After that, we have a handful of new releases to check out. Some of them just sort of dropped out of nowhere on the eShop, so that’s fun. After that, we finish things off with the new and expiring sales of the day. Let’s get going!
Reviews & Mini-Views
The Case of the Golden Idol ($17.99)
When I played The Case of the Golden Idol on Steam Deck last year, I was floored at how good it was, but knew it would truly shine on Switch or iPad with touch controls. Last year, I awarded it the best Steam Deck puzzle game in our genre awards as well. It wasn’t announced for Switch back then, but the deduction puzzler detective experience has arrived on Nintendo’s hybrid console with its paid DLC also available from day one. While it had a bit of a rough launch thanks to a save issue affecting some players, it has now been fixed. I was waiting for the patch to go live to do my Switch review.
The Case of the Golden Idol is a very unique experience and one that will likely make you get a sheet of paper or your device to start taking notes or planning things out as you work towards the eureka moment in your head where everything falls into place. I loved it on Steam, but was curious about how the game would look and feel on Switch with not only touch controls, but also traditional button controls.
If you, like me, had already beaten the game on PC, you can jump into the DLC directly through the main menu. I spent some time on the base game again to see how it controlled as I replayed puzzles finding murder weapons, suspects, and more. There’s a bundle with the game and DLC included on the eShop as well if you want everything from the start. There is also a hint system in-game very cleverly implemented.
While the touch controls are perfect, the touch targets can be a bit small on Switch Lite. On that system, I’d recommend playing with button controls. The developers have done a fantastic job with the controller support in The Case of the Golden Idol for zooming, moving the pointer, changing the object highlighted, and movement speed.
The Case of the Golden Idol is truly incredible. Not only does it respect the player’s intelligence, but it is one of the most rewarding games you will play. Combined with The Spider of Lanka DLC, The Case of the Golden Idol is absolutely essential, and it is a joy to play on Switch with touch controls. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 5/5
Maquette ($19.99)
Maquette was one of the first indie games I played on PS5 back in 2021 when I bought the console. The first person puzzler had a great aesthetic and lovely music accompanying the puzzles, but it was lacking in its technical areas on PS5. It was one of the first games I played on PS5 that had poor performance as well. That experience made me wonder how a potential Switch port would end up being. Two years later, Maquette is out on Switch, and the end result should’ve been better.
The elevator pitch for Maquette is What Remains of Edith Finch meets a puzzler. If you enjoy both of those things and like stories about love and relationships, Maquette is something you need to play. Maquette‘s puzzles vary in quality, but its aesthetic shines throughout. The narrative might not resonate with everyone, but I found it very touching, and worth the time investment. Maquette will take you about three hours to complete assuming you don’t get stuck in some of the more obtuse puzzles.
I’m glad that Maquette finally hit the Switch, but it needed a bit more optimization work. I usually prefer playing shorter one and done games on portables, and Maquette would’ve been a perfect game to recommend on Switch without caveats if it didn’t suffer from technical issues. In its current state, Maquette is a game I recommend playing, but be prepared for technical issues on Switch. It isn’t perfect on PS5 either, but the issues are more prominent here. -Mikhail Madnani
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie ($29.99)
I don’t think anyone really saw the success of Katamari Damacy coming, and that goes equally for its creator as anyone else. Keita Takahashi, a man who dislikes the very idea of sequels, soon found himself with a choice to make. Namco wanted a follow-up, the fans wanted a follow-up, and they were both going to get what they wanted with or without Takahashi. This would be the only time he would agree to such an arrangement, and the series rolled along merrily without him, and arguably its damashii, thereafter. We Love Katamari is Takahashi’s final word on his most successful creation, and given that it’s perhaps little surprise that it is the peak of the series.
The original Katamari Damacy was a fun, creative game that you could read all kinds of themes from because it wasn’t really about much in any overt sense. We Love Katamari is different in that sense. It’s about something. It has things on its mind. Probably because Takahashi had things on his mind. In the first game, the little Prince (and by proxy, we the players) had to meet the demands of his often unreasonable father. In the sequel, we’re now meeting the demands of the fans who loved the original game. Their requests are more challenging than even the King’s at times, but meet them the Prince must. In the end, the King will take credit for the Prince’s successes, and chide the Prince whenever he fails to satisfy.
How did the King get like this? That’s something We Love Katamari answers via some story segments that play as you work your way through the main campaign. Royal Reverie drills deeper on that, giving you five missions to play that put you in shoes of the young soon-to-be King as he tries to please his overbearing father. As bonus content goes it’s perhaps not the most significant, but it’s something. Various other improvements have been along the lines of the previous Reroll, and like that game it runs at 30 fps on Switch versus the 60 of other platforms. Well, something to consider. Everyone loves to talk about those framerates in video games these days.
Despite the added fan demands, We Love Katamari is still a fairly relaxing game to play through. Dreadful to fully complete, mind you. You just roll your katamari or what-have-you around in the levels, scooping up bits that are smaller until your katamari gets bigger, which allows you to pick up bigger bits and grow more. The game has a unique control scheme that uses both analog sticks in a tank-like fashion. It takes some getting used to if you’re new to it, but once you do you’ll be rolling around with ease. The humor and absurdity of the situation is something the game leans into hard, and part of the fun is seeing what kind of wacky thing is waiting around the next corner. If you liked Katamari Damacy, you’ll like We Love Katamari. If you never played it, you’ll probably like We Love Katamari. If you hated Katamari Damacy, and I am not certain why you are reading these words if so, you will probably not like We Love Katamari.
In this writer’s personal opinion, there are two Katamari Damacy games worth keeping around. We now have both of them on the Nintendo Switch, and I’m quite happy with that. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie isn’t a perfect experience, but it’s a more than acceptable way to experience a sequel that could have phoned it in but chose to do more. And yes, the soundtrack once again rules. A good version of a great game, and still just as fine a wine as it was back in 2005.
SwitchArcade Score 4/5
New Releases
Smushi Come Home ($19.99)
This shadow-dropped as part of the Wholesome Games Direct presentation, and it’s a wholesome 3D platformer with some wholesome light puzzles about a wholesome little mushroom trying to find its way back its wholesome home. You get to do lots of gliding, so all those skills you’ve built up playing Tears of the Kingdom will come in handy. It’s only a few hours long, but it’s cute and the chill vibes are certainly real. Might be just the tonic for some people reading this. Maybe you?
Sqroma ($8.99)
A puzzle action game with sixty-nine nice levels where you need to reach the exit by any means possible. That includes using your own deaths to clear the field of hazards, or dipping yourself in different colors to absorb bullets and the like. It’s kind of chill and most of the levels have multiple solutions, so it’s not a bad choice for those who just sort of want to cruise through a game in a night or two. On top of clearing the stages, you can also aim to complete forty-two extra challenges. Not bad.
Flannel Amethyst ($9.99)
This is a 3D platformer with ten different levels to explore. It feels really floaty and relies on an awkward air dash for a lot of its challenges. Not really to my tastes, but perhaps you’ll enjoy it more. I think there are better games in this genre available on the eShop, even at this price point.
Bloo Kid ($6.99)
The second Bloo Kid has been available on the Switch for a really long time, but now you can experience how it all started. I mean, provided you didn’t play this elsewhere before. Rather than the scrolling platformer action of the second game, this one uses a fixed-screen elimination format that will be familiar to anyone who played games like Bubble Bobble or Rodland. There are ninety-six levels spread across eight different worlds, so you get pretty good bang for your buck.
The Sin ($5.99)
This appears to just be a pure kinetic visual novel, which means you’re really just reading the story and taking it in without making any choices. The topic is certainly not the usual fare, however. It’s a horror tale set in a Russian village and deals heavily in folk lore. Reviews are positive on Steam, with the main negative point mentioned being a somewhat questionable English localization that I think must have been improved upon for this Switch release. If you dig the premise and want to read a short story, here you go.
Zero-G Gunfight ($4.99)
Pretty much just a simple arena shooter for up to four players via local multiplayer. There appear to be multiple arenas to do battle in, adding a bit of variety to the proceedings. Not a whole lot to it, but for the price I suppose there doesn’t need to be.
Anime Beauty Girl Puzzle: Love Game History Adventure ($14.99)
An absurdly overpriced puzzle game with thirty-three stages for fifteen bucks. Each one is a picture that gets chopped up into jigsaw puzzle pieces or tiles, and you have to put them back together properly. Junk.
Eastern Euro Truck Simulator: Real Offroad Car Driving Game Sim 4×4 Mud ($11.99)
Some more absolute junk from INSTAMARKETINGANDGAME, a company that appears to love nothing more than shoveling out trash title after trash title. Touch controls only, because this is a mobile game flip and they can’t be bothered implementing button controls. You know the words: leave it in the bin where it belongs.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
Some interesting things in the list today. IGS Classic Arcade Collection has its first post-release sale, and it seems as though it has been updated at least a few times since its rocky launch. NIS America is also running a few sales, with a do-or-die discount for The Lost Child as it will be delisted on June 18th. Over in the outbox, an assortment of RPGs and other fun titles are wrapping up their latest sales. Check those lists!
Select New Games on Sale
IGS Classic Arcade Collection ($23.99 from $29.99 until 6/17)
The Lost Child ($4.99 from $49.99 until 6/18)
La-Mulana 1 & 2 Bundle ($17.49 from $34.99 until 6/19)
Labyrinth of Galleria: Moon Society ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/19)
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/19)
Touhou Genso Wandered Reloaded ($9.99 from $49.99 until 6/19)
Makai Kingdom/ZHP: Unlosing Ranger ($29.99 from $39.99 until 6/19)
Void Terrarium ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/19)
Void Terrarium 2 ($24.99 from $39.99 until 6/19)
Penny Punching Princess ($4.99 from $39.99 until 6/19)
Lapis x Labyrinth ($9.99 from $29.99 until 6/19)
Labyrinth Legend ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/19)
Saviors of Sapphire Wings/SoSC ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/19)
Harlow ($6.49 from $12.99 until 6/19)
Super Glitch Dash ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Super Impossible Road ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/19)
Super Mega Zero ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/19)
Pupperazzi ($14.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
Boyfriend Dungeon ($12.99 from $19.99 until 6/20)
The Shrouded Isle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 6/20)
JellyCar Worlds ($5.59 from $7.99 until 6/20)
Worms WMD ($5.99 from $29.99 until 6/25)
Overcooked 2 ($6.24 from $24.99 until 6/25)
Neon Abyss ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Monster Sanctuary ($5.99 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Hokko Life ($13.39 from $19.99 until 6/25)
Worms Rumble ($2.99 from $14.99 until 6/25)
Smushi Come Home ($15.99 from $19.99 until 6/26)
Duggy ($3.49 from $6.99 until 6/26)
Panic Porcupine ($5.99 from $7.99 until 6/30)
Rigid Force Redux ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/30)
Windscape ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/30)
Vambrace Cold Soul ($2.49 from $24.99 until 6/30)
Slime-san ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/30)
Outbuddies DX ($1.99 from $17.99 until 6/30)
Pixel Heroes: Mega Byte & Magic ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/30)
Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/30)
The Inner World ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/30)
The Inner World: The Last Wind Monk ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/30)
Colt Canyon ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/30)
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield ($1.99 from $11.99 until 6/30)
Gigapocalypse ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/30)
Scarlet Hood & the Wicked Wood ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/30)
Cat Souls ($3.99 from $4.99 until 6/30)
WRC 10 Deluxe ($5.99 from $59.99 until 7/1)
Bee Simulator ($7.99 from $39.99 until 7/1)
Train Life Railway Simulator ($17.99 from $29.99 until 7/1)
Session Skate Sim ($29.99 from $49.99 until 7/1)
Cannibal Cuisine ($2.59 from $12.99 until 7/1)
Warp 7 ($5.50 from $11.00 until 7/2)
Triangulate ($3.50 from $7.00 until 7/2)
Mind Jab ($3.50 from $7.00 until 7/2)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 13th
Ampersat ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Atelier Ryza ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/13)
Atelier Ryza 2 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 6/13)
Atelier Ryza 2 Deluxe ($35.99 from $71.99 until 6/13)
Atelier Ryza 2 Ultimate ($54.99 from $109.99 until 6/13)
Atelier Ryza Deluxe ($35.99 from $71.99 until 6/13)
Chrono Cross Radical Dreamers ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion ($34.99 from $49.99 until 6/13)
Danmaku Unlimited 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Drift Legends ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Everdell ($16.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Game of Dragons ($13.93 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Gold Crusader ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/13)
Hola! Reversi ($4.89 from $6.99 until 6/13)
Moonrise Fall ($2.49 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Pandemic Shooter ($1.99 from $4.99 until 6/13)
Push the Crate ($1.99 from $7.99 until 6/13)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
Super Soccer Blast ($3.99 from $7.99 until 6/13)
Super Tennis Blast ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/13)
To Hell with the Ugly ($17.99 from $19.99 until 6/13)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new games, more reviews, more sales, and perhaps a bit of news. I’m going for lunch with some friends, a rare delight these days. I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
