Aeon of Ruin’, Plus Today’s Other Releases and Sales – TouchArcade

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for April 25th, 2024. In today’s article, we have a giant list of new releases to go through. Some good games, some bad games, some in between. I’ve summarized all the games worth summarizing, and it wasn’t a small job today. After that, we have a bunch of sales to check out. Golden Week is kicking off here in Japan, and that means a massive number of sales, many of which have trickled through to other regions. That’s the lot for today, but it’s plenty. Let’s dig in!

New Releases

SaGa Emerald Beyond ($49.99)

A new SaGa game is upon us! And it’s on pretty much every platform, too. There’s no guarantee any given SaGa game will be quite like the last, but for its part Emerald Beyond doesn’t seem like a wild departure from Scarlet Grace. That’s a good thing in my books, because that game was outstanding and I expect this will be in the same ballpark of quality. I’ll be reviewing this on one platform or another very soon, it’s just a matter of which. Look for it soon, but the short answer is that SaGa fans will be in heaven and those who don’t know or like SaGa might have a tough time with it.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin ($29.99)

Get your booming and shooting on in this first-person shooter that does that trendy thing of paying homage to the 1990s era of the genre. Three hubs, fifteen maps, fifteen different enemy types, a bunch of cool artifacts to collect, and a soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult of Dusk and Quake Champions fame. Our pal Mikhail will be doing a review of this game, since he’s been on a serious boomer shooter kick of late. If nothing else, it’s nice to see some Quake-inspired games now and then.

Another Crab’s Treasure ($29.99)

You know, I appreciate that someone is out there making Soulslikes that aren’t just Grimdark McShadow affairs. In this one, you’re a hermit crab that finds itself in need of battling creatures a lot bigger and stronger than it. Luckily you can find all kinds of things to use as shells, and each of them will offer their own specific benefits. Certainly an interesting approach to a well-worn genre, but we’ll have to see how it plays. I haven’t had a chance to go hands-on with it yet, so all I can say it that it looks good and I think the set-up is clever.

Arcade Archives Numan Athletics ($7.99)

Ah, now we’re getting to the choice cuts of the Bandai Namco catalog. This is 1993’s Numan Athletics, a track-and-field style multi-event sports games featuring superhuman athletes called Numans. As these button-slapping sports games go, this is a really fun one. It’s ridiculously over the top, and the gameplay is a lot of fun. Up to four people can play together, though since this is Arcade Archives it means you’re limited to local multiplayer. Still, a great game and I’m happy to see it in the Arcade Archives library.

The Epyx Collection: Handheld ($11.99)

Now here’s a deal of sorts. While the publisher can’t say the words, I can: Atari Lynx. These are Atari Lynx games, six of them in total, and they’re some of the games people most strongly associate with the hardware. The Lynx was a creation of Epyx before Atari bought it from them, and a large chunk of the launch line-up was developed by them before they went kaput. Well, this isn’t a history lesson. You get California Games, Todd’s Adventures in Slime World, Zarlor Mercenary, Electrocop, Blue Lightning, and Gates of Zendocon here, and while the wrapper itself is a bit lean on features, it gets the job done. This is a good value for an interesting assortment of games. Frankly, a better bunch of Lynx games than the ones we saw in Atari 50.

Library of Ruina ($39.99)

Arc System Works: it doesn’t just publish fighting games and riffs off of old Technos Japan releases. Sometimes it releases other things, like this Switch version of the well-regarded library battle simulation game by ProjectMoon. Follow the story but be ready to throw down library-style at any given moment, and by library-style I mean using a variety of pages to take down your foes. Can you complete the One Absolute Book that the mysterious librarian Angela has requested? And what will happen if you do? Our pal Mikhail will be doing a review of this one so stay tuned for that.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! ($59.99)

When you think of Demon Slayer, you naturally think of one kind of video game: a board game. What? I don’t know either, but here we go. This is pretty much Mario Party but with Demon Slayer characters, offering up some local multiplayer fun for up to four players. Roll the dice, traverse the board, play some minigames, and try to become the strongest Demon Slayer swordsman. I mean, in some sense, I get it. This brand managed to attract fans of all ages, and not all of them are going to be looking for standard action games. Maybe this one suits them better?

Adventure Bar Story ($19.99)

Now this is a bit of an oldie, isn’t it? The first time I saw this was via its mobile release, where it scratched the itch for an Atelier-style experience on a platform bereft of any official ones. Then it was on the Nintendo 3DS, where it also filled a particular niche. And now I guess it’s on everything. The price keeps going up with each release, too. That leaves us in a weird place. This is a charming little crafting RPG, but at twenty dollars this flip-phone era relic is creeping dangerously close to the price of far more fully-featured modern games. At any rate, here it is if you want it. Still just three bucks on mobile if you’re looking to save some money.

Whisker Waters ($24.99)

A fishing RPG starring your own custom cat character. I mean, it could work? This one is meant to be a lighter game, so expect a generally whimsical tone as you chill out and fish up a bunch of fish. You’ll have to make friends with the locals, and it would behoove you to assist them with their requests. It looks cute, but I haven’t had a chance to play it yet so I can’t speak to its quality. I will say that we can always use another fishing RPG, though. Where did River King go, Natsume? Get me another one of those sometime! For now, I’ll wade into the Whisker Waters and see what’s what.

S.O.L. Search of Light ($19.99)

That… that is quite the title, isn’t it? This is a narrative exploratory puzzle platformer with some base defense elements. Quite the word salad, but hopefully you can get the gist of it. The dining doesn’t look particularly fancy here, but looks have been known to deceive at times. This is yet another one I haven’t had the opportunity to play yet, so I can’t speak to the most important stuff. Yes, if you were looking for any experienced opinions on this game, I’m afraid you’re… S.O.L.. Ha! Nailed it.

Romance MD: Always On Call ($34.99)

It is 2024, and there is time for smooching! The latest visual novel dating sim release on Switch from Voltage follows the story of a young doctor who is starting work in the ICU at Seimei University Hospital. As if getting to grips with the job isn’t enough, she soon finds herself surrounded by a bunch of hunky doctor weirdos. Which one, if any, will she smooch? The power… is yours!

Our Field Trip Adventure ($14.50)

You know, I’ll at least grant that this is both a fun theme for a minigame collection and one that you don’t see often if at all. Up to four players can join in via local multiplayer, and there are ten different events to play. Pillow fights! Taking pictures! Hiding from the teacher! Gathering deer! Okay, that last one is pretty specific to Japanese field trips, but still… cute. If you’ve enjoyed SAT-BOX’s other releases or just want to try something a little different for your gaming nights, this might be worth looking into.

Doctor Cat ($4.99)

There’s an interesting framing device here about cats seeking therapy, but it’s all in service to a rather plain puzzler. You can probably gather from the above screenshot what the gameplay consists of, and it’s basically a very simple matter of arranging tiles to make the pictures. Perhaps that is what you want? I’m not the duke of your bank account.

Mine Sweeper Millon ($3.99)

Even the title screen says “Million“, but the shop entry says “Millon” so I am going with that. At any rate, this is Mine Sweeper. Exactly Mine Sweeper. But it has one extra gimmick up its sleeve, and that’s the alternate board you can play on. The basic 16 x 16 grid is available here, but you can also play on a 1000 x 1000 grid if you want. Yes, that is one million cells. No, you don’t have to do it all in one sitting. If you can finish the big board, you have my respect and concern.

Purple Slime Production Line ($1.99)

Your goal in this little game is to manipulate gravity to guide the slimes to their destination. Try not to get too many of them splattered in the process. Might be okay for two bucks.

Escape Game The Dr. Mouse’s Lab ($9.99)

Solve the puzzles and make your escape… from the lab of a mouse who graduated med school!

Cape’s Escape Game 8th Room ($9.80)

Solve the puzzles and make your escape… from gaming!

The Bin Bunch

Teared ($7.99)

World War: Battle of the Bulge ($14.99)

Hentai Girls: Steamy Maid ($5.99)

Timberdoku ($7.99)

Cats Hidden in Italy ($0.99)

The Eerie Surroundings ($3.99)

Hidden Cats in New York ($2.99)

Home Office Simulator – Ayame Life Sim ($9.99)

Five Nights of Nightmare: Escape Horror Story ($4.99)

Dash & Roll ($9.99)

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

As mentioned in the intro, Golden Week is about to start here in Japan. Not every sale from the Japanese eShop has activated in other regions, but enough of them have to give us a very large list of new sales indeed. I’ll leave it to you to comb through that list, along with the more svelte list of outgoing sales.

Select New Sales

Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game ($39.99 until $49.99 until 5/4)
GTA The Trilogy Definitive Edition ($29.99 from $59.99 until 5/6)
Red Dead Redemption ($34.99 from $49.99 until 5/6)
LEGO 2K Drive Awesome Edition ($29.39 from $69.99 until 5/6)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($9.99 from $49.99 until 5/6)
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition ($29.99 from $59.99 until 5/6)
New Tales from the Borderlands ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/6)
BioShock: The Collection ($9.99 from $49.99 until 5/6)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($4.49 from $29.99 until 5/6)
Dragon Marked for Death ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Blaster Master Zero ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Blaster Master Zero 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Blaster Master Zero 3 ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)

Luminous Avenger iX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Luminous Avenger iX 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 5/9)
Gunvolt Records: Cychronicle ($11.99 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Bloodstained Curse of the Moon ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/9)
Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 2 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Gal Guardians: Demon Purge ($14.99 from $24.99 until 5/9)
Yohane the Parhelion: BitD ($22.49 from $29.99 until 5/9)
GRIP Digital Deluxe ($6.44 from $42.99 until 5/9)
Capcom Arcade Stadium Bundle ($15.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Capcom Fighting Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Capcom Fighting Bundle ($24.99 from $59.99 until 5/9)
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)
Onimusha Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)
Monster Hunter Generations Ult. ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Monster Hunter Rise ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Phoenix Wright AA Trilogy ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles ($15.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ($19.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)
Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $14.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $29.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection 1 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Mega Man Battle Network Collection 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/9)
Resident Evil ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)

Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/9)
Arcade Archives Pac-Man ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/9)
Arcade Archives Galaxian ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/9)
Arcade Archives Ordyne ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/9)
Arcade Archives Dig Dug ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/9)
Arcade Archives Rolling Thunder ($5.59 from $7.99 until 5/9)
ACA NEOGEO Real Bout Fatal Fury Special ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/9)
ACA NEOGEO Puzzled ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/9)
ACA NEOGEO Prehistoric Isle 2 ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/9)
ACA NEOGEO Last Resort ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/9)
ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug ($3.99 from $7.99 until 5/9)
Little Noah: Scion of Paradise ($4.49 from $14.99 until 5/9)
SETTRIS ($2.99 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Ikkarus & the Prince of Sin ($6.49 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Alpha Particle ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)

Shepherd’s Crossing ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/10)
Froggie: A Retro Platformer ($3.49 from $4.99 until 5/10)
The Red Exile Survival Horror ($2.49 from $4.99 until 5/10)
Kasiori ($3.50 from $7.00 until 5/10)
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party ($35.99 from $59.99 until 5/13)
Aragami 2 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Garfield Kart Furious Racing ($1.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Cloudpunk ($3.74 from $24.99 until 5/15)
Operation Wolf Returns: 1st Mission ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Sparklite ($3.74 from $24.99 until 5/15)
The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf ($9.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Hercule Poirot: The First Cases ($5.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Murder on the Orient Express ($23.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
My Universe Puppies & Kittens ($2.49 from $24.99 until 5/15)
My Universe My Baby Dragon ($10.49 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Warm Snow ($11.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! ($6.24 from $24.99 until 5/15)
Octahedron: Transfixed Edition ($1.99 from $12.99 until 5/15)
Scrap Riders ($6.99 from $19.99 until 5/15)
Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission ($17.99 from $29.99 until 5/15)
Inspector Gadget Mad Time Party ($23.99 from $39.99 until 5/15)
Overrogue ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/16)
Cross Tails ($20.99 from $29.99 until 5/16)
Raging Bytes ($9.74 from $14.99 until 5/16)
Marenian Tavern Story ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/16)
Blacksmith of the Sand Kingdom ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/16)
RPGolf Legends ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/16)
Lazriel The Demon’s Fall ($9.10 from $11.47 until 5/16)
Harpoon Shooter Nozomi ($6.98 from $9.98 until 5/16)
Metro Quester ($14.99 from $19.99 until 5/16)
Silver Nornir ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/16)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, April 26th

Alive Paint ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Burning Secrets ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Diorama Dungeoncrawl ($4.99 from $9.99 until 4/26)
Freak Crossing ($2.99 from $4.99 until 4/26)
Horatio Goes Snowboarding ($2.44 from $6.99 until 4/26)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 4/26)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Deluxe ($34.99 from $69.99 until 4/26)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Legendary ($44.99 from $89.99 until 4/26)
Magic Exposure ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)
MotoGP 23 ($9.99 from $39.99 until 4/26)
Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire Plus ($4.19 from $5.99 until 4/26)
Ravva & the Phantom Library ($5.99 from $9.99 until 4/26)
Rick Henderson ($2.79 from $7.99 until 4/26)
Slime Girl Smoothies ($8.99 from $14.99 until 4/26)
Takotan ($2.37 from $6.99 until 4/26)
Thunder Ray: Origins ($11.98 from $19.98 until 4/26)
Tricky Thief ($2.49 from $4.99 until 4/26)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus whatever sales and major news items roll in over the course of the next twenty-four hours or so. I started work early today so that I wouldn’t have to stay late, and I’m going to be staying late anyway. I guess that’s just how it is on Thursdays now that sales have started popping off a day earlier than usual. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!