Reviews Featuring ‘El Shaddai’ & ‘Class of Heroes’, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales – TouchArcade
Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 6th, 2024. In today’s article, we start off our week with a few reviews. I take a look at Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition, El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster, and Armed and Gelatinous: Couch Edition, three very different releases that each have their own quirks. After that, we head into the new releases of the day, and as usual for a Monday they’re bin-heavy. We finish things up in the usual fashion with the lists of new and expiring sales, and they’re not too shabby this time. Let’s get to it!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition ($34.99)
Despite the bright and fluffy anime vibe the Class of Heroes games give off, it behooves one to keep in mind that these games were developed by Zero Div, a company most known for porting arcade shooters and making some of the Japanese entries in the Wizardry series. The shooter thing isn’t too important here, but that Wizardry bit is vital. These games are just as ruthless and brutal as Wizardry, and about as cumbersome to navigate as the Zero Div-developed Labyrinth of the Lost Souls. Indeed, there’s a solid chance you’ll get yourself killed in the tutorial dungeon if you’re not careful, and recovering from death isn’t an easy process. If that doesn’t turn you off, then you might be ready to attend these classes.
You get two games here, essentially the newest versions of the first two games in the series. These were originally PSP games, and they certainly feel like it. The first game was localized by Atlus back in the day while the second came to the West in its PlayStation 3 guise via the short-lived Gaijinworks, and it seems like those scripts weren’t available to PQube because we have new localizations for both games. Unfortunately, they’re a little on the poor side, with lots of typos and generally awkward phrasing throughout both titles. Well, these games aren’t really known for their stories anyway.
If you’re patient enough to digest all of the tutorials and can tolerate some serious setbacks at times, both of these games offer a deep and satisfying dungeon-crawling RPG experience. The second game expands even further on the already rich character building options from the first, and figuring out how to make a winning party is a decent time in both games. But I must again caution that these games aren’t for the tame of heart. A single bad-luck encounter can leave you in a position that can be very difficult to dig out of, and there are a lot more ways to fail than there are to succeed. If you want a friendlier dungeon RPG experience, I’d recommend the Etrian Odyssey games instead.
A certain type of player is going to love Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition, but it’s important to keep in mind what these games are and aren’t. They’re fundamentally not all that different from their original PSP incarnations, and the new localizations aren’t great. Beginners will want to proceed with caution, as despite the colorful look and school theme these are extremely unforgiving experiences. If you feel like modern dungeon crawlers aren’t nasty enough or just miss the friction of the classic Wizardry games, this is going to be right up your alley.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster ($29.99)
El Shaddai is a hard game to review because the things that make it good are largely intangible. I mean, yes, it is artistically gorgeous. Even all these years later, with the polygon models looking a lot less impressive, this game is a looker. Its team was led by a former Capcom artist who worked on Devil May Cry, and you can feel the artist’s eye on every scene of the game. The story is way out there, with just enough ideas packed into it that it’s both fascinating and constantly in danger of falling up its own hindquarters. The gameplay is merely adequate, like a watered-down take on Devil May Cry.
On paper, I shouldn’t have enjoyed this as much as I did. But there was just something about the way all of its quirky aspects came together, and I ended up playing through the whole game in just a few (admittedly lengthy) sessions. I wanted to see what happened next in the story, but more than that I wanted to see what interesting visual treats were waiting for me next. I was less excited to see what gameplay challenges awaited me, and in that regard my lack of enthusiasm was a wise choice. El Shaddai never really finds its footing with its action mechanics, cruising through with the bare minimum. And I think how you feel about that is ultimately going to be where you come down on El Shaddai, which even in its Switch form feels very much like the plucky 2011 passion project that it is.
El Shaddai has always been a game that divided opinions, and that’s just as true of this HD remaster as it was for the original version. The beautiful presentation carries a lot of the load here, and the story certainly has its charms. The repetitive gameplay is the biggest issue here, as it fails to offer both the diversity of moves and expanding arsenal of many of its peers in the character action genre. For me, the good outweighed the inadequate here, and nothing was really outright bad about it. But if you think a game needs to get by on its mechanics, you might want to pump the brakes on this Ascension.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Armed and Gelatinous: Couch Edition ($14.99)
First up, I’ll say that if you don’t have ready access to other players for local multiplayer, don’t bother with this. Those playing solo will only have access to a small fraction of the game’s content, and there’s no online play here. It’s a shame about the latter in particular, because it really does narrow the audience for this one. Anyway, you have a variety of modes to play here, but in the main the gameplay mechanics are similar across them. You’re a little blob without much offensive skill but a fair amount of speed and agility. You pick up weapons that stick to you, and they’ll make you bigger and slower. The more weapons you grab, the better armed you are. But you’re also a larger target for everyone else, so you need to keep that in mind. Again, various goals across various modes, but blowing up the other players won’t go wrong for you.
Get the requisite people in place for the four-player local multiplayer, and Armed and Gelatinous is pretty fun. It gets a little repetitive after a short while, but as long as you play it in managed bursts there are good times to be had here. I feel like the core concept isn’t quite as balanced as it should be, but growing to be a giant blob with guns sticking out of every bit of your bloated body is enjoyable enough that you might not care. Popping another player who has hit that size and stealing all their artillery is definitely a good feeling. There’s something to this game, even if it doesn’t quite stick together the way one might hope.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Adventure Field Remake ($4.99)
Well, I suppose it’s exactly what it says on the tin, isn’t it? A remake of the modest 2008 indie RPG, it offers 3D visuals and a new difficulty setting to play on. Not the fanciest of dinners, but I’m sure for a fiver you’re not expecting a roast turkey with all the trimmings. It might entertain you for an evening or two, and I think that’s sufficient for what it’s asking.
Blood Lines: Magicians’ Chase2 ($11.99)
This sequel to Magicians’ Chase: Missing Curry Recipe is another side-scrolling action game, but this time it leans more heavily into being a Castlevania parody. You’ve got the same cast of characters more or less, with a few new faces joining them. Swap between them as needed or preferred to deal with the enemies in your way as you battle your way through the Vampire Lord’s castle. If you enjoyed the first, you should have a good time with this game.
Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack ($19.99)
Here’s another point-and-click style adventure game with its Lucasarts love boldly positioned upon its sleeve. It’s a decent one, too. Time travel plus multiple playable characters obviously evokes the likes of Day of the Tentacle, and it’s always risky to invite comparisons to legends like that. Justin Wack isn’t as good as that game, of course, but it carries itself well outside of a few pacing issues. Fans of the genre will want to give it a look.
The Bin Bunch
Ninja Shuriken Master ($5.99)
Coconut Farm 3D ($9.99)
Yacht Haven Tycoon: Marina Port Parking Simulator ($11.99)
Simply Snakes ($0.99)
Corgi’s Travel ($9.99)
DungeonSmash – Medieval Dungeons ($9.99)
Hentai Dating Stories: Brazil ($9.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
May the sixth be with you! Over the course of the weekend, some Star Wars sales popped up. Most of the Star Wars games on the Switch are pretty good, so pick up whatever you think looks good. Beyond that, DotEmu is having another sale on its excellent games, and there are other assorted goodies like Horace, Infernax, and Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider to consider. There isn’t too much in the outbox, but take a look at it anyway.
Select New Sales
Star Wars: Episode I Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: Republic Commando ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II ($7.49 from $14.99 until 5/10)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/10)
Crypt Stalker ($1.99 from $6.99 until 5/10)
Doctor Cat ($3.99 from $4.99 until 5/11)
Star Wars Pinball ($10.49 from $29.99 until 5/11)
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster ($20.99 from $29.99 until 5/11)
Stupid Cars ($2.99 from $5.99 until 5/12)
Horace ($5.99 from $14.99 until 5/12)
Indivisible ($7.49 from $29.99 until 5/12)
Terraria ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/12)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ($11.99 from $39.99 until 5/12)
Infernax ($13.39 from $19.99 until 5/13)
Pang Adventures ($2.99 from $9.99 until 5/13)
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/13)
Windjammers 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/13)
Blazing Chrome ($6.79 from $16.99 until 5/13)
Streets of Rage 4 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 5/13)
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge ($16.74 from $24.99 until 5/13)
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Bundle ($22.25 from $29.68 until 5/13)
Ys Origin ($5.99 from $19.99 until 5/13)
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes ($12.59 from $17.99 until 5/13)
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider ($11.04 from $16.99 until 5/13)
River City Girls ($14.99 from $29.99 until 5/17)
River City Girls Zero ($8.99 from $14.99 until 5/17)
Assault Suits Valken ($9.99 from $24.99 until 5/18)
Toy Rider ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/20)
Aery: Stone Age ($4.99 from $9.99 until 5/20)
Slaughter: The Lost Outpost ($3.75 from $7.50 until 5/21)
Ampersat ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/21)
The Sisters 2: Road to Fame ($20.09 from $29.99 until 5/24)
Dino Ranch: Ride to the Rescue ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/24)
Cyber Citizen Shockman 3 ($4.79 from $5.99 until 5/24)
Inkulinati ($19.99 from $24.99 until 5/24)
Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 5/24)
Children of Silentown ($7.99 from $19.99 until 5/24)
Noob: The Factionless ($19.99 from $39.99 until 5/24)
Garfield: Lasagna Party ($15.99 from $39.99 until 5/24)
Tractor Farming Simulator 3D ($1.99 from $6.99 until 5/25)
Corgi’s Travel ($1.99 from $9.99 until 5/25)
Kao the Kangaroo Well Good Bundle ($9.89 from $32.99 until 5/26)
Kao the Kangaroo Anniversary Edition ($14.79 from $36.99 until 5/26)
The Forest Quartet ($2.49 from $9.99 until 5/26)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, May 7th
Burnout Paradise Remastered ($5.99 from $29.99 until 5/7)
Crash Drive 3 ($1.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Fe ($3.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Highwater ($9.99 from $19.99 until 5/7)
Sigi ($1.99 from $4.99 until 5/7)
Soulvars ($8.49 from $16.99 until 5/7)
Super Mega Baseball 4 ($19.99 from $49.99 until 5/7)
The Hand of Glory ($4.74 from $18.99 until 5/7)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more reviews, more new games, more sales, and perhaps some news. The holidays are finally wrapping up here in Japan, but I worked the whole way through anyway so it doesn’t matter much for me. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!
