Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for January 3rd, 2023. We’ve got an unusual case today, friends. There are absolutely no new releases whatsoever. Not even anything for the bins! Worry not, however. I have found a way to give you something fun to read. Indeed, that will be the bulk of today’s article, though the outgoing list of sales is quite hefty due to the Holiday sale wrapping up. Let’s get to the games!
Reviews & Mini-Views
EGGCONSOLE Review Spectacular
It’s a quiet day today, so I thought I would do something interesting. Recently, D4 Enterprise started releasing some vintage Japanese computer games on the Switch eShop. These titles are all quite famous in Japan, but most of them are either barely known in the West or not known at all. I figured I’d throw a little life preserver out into the water for those who are curious but not quite convinced. All of the games have the same set of features. You can make use of save states, read a bit of a quick guide to how to play the game, remap the controls, peruse a gallery of art and other goodies, and in some titles start from one of several pre-set save states that will allow you to see the game without playing through it yourself. There are also a couple of screen settings to choose from, plus rewind and speed up functions.
Here are Mini-Views for all five of the current EGGCONSOLE releases. Oh, and the letters and numbers after the title refer to the specific computer platform they were released on.
EGGCONSOLE RELICS PC-8801 ($6.49)
The first release in the series is something of a good luck charm for D4 Enterprise’s various retro game initiative. Relics was originally published by Bothtec in 1986, and it’s a relatively awkward action-adventure game that I would perhaps compare to things like Another World or Prince of Persia in how it plays. There’s a whole back story here that is unfortunately only presented in Japanese, but once you’re in the game everything you need is in English. There are multiple endings based on the actions you take while exploring the world, and if you want the true one you’ll have to figure out what walking the path of justice entails. Oh, and you’re a shade or ghost of some kind. You possess creatures you find along the way, giving you access to their abilities.
Relics is a very clunky game by modern standards, but if you’re patient with it there’s definitely something here to enjoy. The combat is terrible but you should be trying to avoid getting in fights anyway. Exploring the game world and trying to solve the various mysteries you’ll come across are fairly compelling, and the visuals have a real vibe to them that I’m into. I really appreciate the pre-set save states in this game, because it gives curious players a way to experience various parts of the game without having to deal with the cumbersome controls. Not bad on the whole.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
EGGCONSOLE THEXDER PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)
Depending on your age, you might remember this one. It got a release in the West by Sierra back in the day, and I think it was somewhat popular for the era. There was also a reboot of sorts on the PlayStation 3, but I think that one was somewhat less successful. I have a lot of nostalgia for this game, albeit not in this PC-8801 form. I think it’s actually better here than it was in the version I played as a kid. Anyway, it was 1985 and robots that could transform into vehicles were about the coolest thing around. In comes Game Arts with Thexder, an action game about a robot that can transform into a spaceship. It can also shoot these super-cool homing laser beams. You’ll have to use your various abilities to make your way through labyrinthine stages filled with dangerous traps and enemies.
Thexder is certainly one of the easier games in the EGGCONSOLE line to pick up and play. Learning how to handle the transformation and flying the ship takes some practice, but that’s really the only tricky part of the controls. With that said, the game is very hard. Enemies will glom on to you and chew through your energy at rapid speeds if you let them get close, and it can be hard to shake them off. You’ll have to be very patient and make careful use of save states and rewind if you want to see the game through. If you’re okay with that, this is worth trying.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
EGGCONSOLE XANADU PC-8801 PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)
Xanadu is an extremely important game in the history of the medium. This 1985 Nihon Falcom release is not only an ancestor to many of Falcom’s subsequent releases like Ys, but also a major influence on the whole side-scrolling action-RPG genre. The exploration component of the game features side-scrolling gameplay, while battles take place on a separate top-down screen. There are a lot of systems in this game, and it’s difficult to learn how they all work. Your goal is to explore a huge underground dungeon and defeat the evil that lays within. You’ll have to battle monsters, solve puzzles, avoid traps, and manage your food if you want to survive. This is a very primordial action-RPG, and it plays like it.
Is Xanadu worth playing today? Only for a certain type of player. You’re going to have to do some research and spend a lot of time learning how things work before you can really enjoy yourself. The ability to make use of pre-set save states helps you see more of the game if you can’t wrap your head around it, but I think this particular EGGCONSOLE release is only for students of gaming history and those who like to chew around complicated, merciless games. It’s presented as well as it can be, but there’s only so much you can do to make a game like this appeal in the current year.
SwitchArcade Score: 2.5/5
EGGCONSOLE HYDLIDE PC-8801 ($6.49)
This 1984 T&E Soft game is another one with a lot of historical importance, but it’s sadly likely best-known among Western players through the absolute evisceration of the NES port by the Angry Video Game Nerd. It’s unfortunate that the first chance Western players had to play this game was via the localized NES game in 1989, leading it to be compared to the games that wouldn’t have existed without it. This was one of the first action-RPGs ever made, and it influenced all kinds of games, from Ys to Metal Gear Solid V. Your goal is to rescue a princess who has been transformed into three fairies by an evil wizard. You play as a knight named Jim, and he’ll have to bump, bump, bump his way to a high enough level to save the day. There are a few puzzles to solve, one of which is completely obscure nonsense, but you’ll mostly be exploring the world and grinding.
There’s a certain compelling quality to Hydlide, but I think it comes down to whether or not you enjoy the grind. It’s kind of fun to wander around the world and see what there is to see, but you’ll find yourself in trouble very quickly if you aren’t adequately leveled. Still, I think this is a game that a person could jump into and have a decent enough time with. It’s tedious and finishing it can feel like a chore, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in climbing the rungs of power and taking on stronger and tougher monsters.
SwitchArcade Score: 3/5
EGGCONSOLE SILPHEED PC-8801mkIISR ($6.49)
This one will also probably ring a bell for some of you. The Silpheed series has popped up a few times over the years, but it got its start with this 1986 release. I suspect most Western players know it from the SEGA-CD remake, but the DOS version and PlayStation 2 sequel are other ways you might know it. This Game Arts-developed shooter uses a lot of nifty tricks to make it seem advanced well beyond its years. There’s an almost 3D quality to the game, and it’s very cinematic considering the limitations of the hardware. It’s funny, because at its core this is almost as basic as it gets. It’s a vertical shooter, complete with power-ups, enemy formations, and boss battles. Apart from the presentation, the main gimmick Silpheed offers is the ability to equip different weapons to your ship between stages.
That familiar shooting gameplay and cool presentation make Silpheed the perfect choice for those looking to dip their toes into the EGGCONSOLE waters. Sure, it doesn’t hold a candle to a modern shooter, but it doesn’t look bad by any means and it plays quite well. The difficulty is smooth enough that you probably don’t even need to use save states and the rewind feature, but those are there if you want. A very cool game for its era and I’m glad we’re able to play it on the Switch.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As far as the inbox goes, the main item of note is the latest sale from Inti-Creates. I personally recommend the Blaster Master and Bloodstained games, but you won’t really go wrong with anything there. As for the outbox… well, a lot of sales are ending. Gather the goodies while you can, because the holiday sale is just about done.
Select New Sales
Garden Buddies ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/9)
Clumsy Rush: Ultimate Guys ($1.99 from $6.99 until 1/9)
Sprout Valley ($4.99 from $17.99 until 1/9)
Tiny Dragon Story ($1.99 from $12.99 until 1/10)
Gum+ ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/10)
Cat Tales ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
Cave of Past Sorrows ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/10)
To Leave ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
It’s Kooky ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)
Fluffy Horde ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)
The Companion ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)
The House of Da Vinci 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)
Gal Guardians: Demon Purge ($17.49 from $24.99 until 1/15)
Yohane The Parhelion: BitD ($26.99 from $29.99 until 1/15)
Dragon Marked for Death: AA ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/15)
Dragon Marked for Death: FF ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/15)
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/15)
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 1/15)
Mighty Gunvolt Burst ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Blaster Master Zero ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Blaster Master Zero 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Blaster Master Zero 3 ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/15)
GC: Luminous Avenger iX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/15)
GC: Luminous Avenger iX 2 ($12.49 from $24.99 until 1/15)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/15)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/15)
Demon Gaze Extra ($23.99 from $59.99 until 1/18)
X-Force Under Attack ($2.00 from $10.00 until 1/23)
Game of Dragons ($13.93 from $19.90 until 1/23)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, January 4th
A Juggler’s Tale ($2.15 from $17.99 until 1/4)
AEW Fight Forever Elite Edition ($63.99 from $79.99 until 1/4)
Agatha Christie: The Orient Express ($27.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Akka Arrh ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Among Us ($3.00 from $5.00 until 1/4)
Andro Dunos II ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Aragami: Shadow Edition ($5.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Astronite ($10.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration ($27.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & Secret Hideout ($23.99 from $59.99 until 1/4)
Axiom Verge ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Banner of the Maid ($4.24 from $16.99 until 1/4)
Big Pharma ($3.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
BlockQuest Maker Complete ($4.99 from $24.97 until 1/4)
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk ($31.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
BROK the InvestiGator ($14.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Cape’s Escape Game 3rd Room ($2.00 from $9.80 until 1/4)
Castle on the Coast ($2.24 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Catlord ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Cats on Streets ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/4)
Corpse Factory ($7.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Createscape Town Nyanzou & Kumakichi ($2.00 from $4.90 until 1/4)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion ($29.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Cult of the Lamb: Cultist Edition ($17.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Dangerous Relationship ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Dark Deity ($6.24 from $24.99 until 1/4)
DC’s Justice League Cosmic Chaos ($13.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Destiny’s Princess: A War Story, A Love Story ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Diablo III Eternal Collection ($19.79 from $59.99 until 1/4)
Dicey Dungeons ($1.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
DoDonPachi Resurrection ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission ($23.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
DOOM 2016 ($7.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Doraemon Story of Seasons ($9.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Dream Park Story ($7.00 from $14.00 until 1/4)
Dreamscaper ($7.49 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Dungeon and Gravestone ($4.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Dungeon Village 2 ($6.00 from $12.00 until 1/4)
DUSK ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Effie ($2.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Ephemeral: Fantasy on Dark ($18.99 from $37.99 until 1/4)
Escape from Mirrorland Nyanzou & Kumakichi ($2.00 from $4.90 until 1/4)
Espgaluda II ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection ($47.99 from $79.99 until 1/4)
Everybody’s Home Run Rush ($2.00 from $5.00 until 1/4)
Fall of Porcupine ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
FAR: Changing Tides ($5.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Far: Lone Sails ($2.09 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Firewatch ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Forest Golf Planner ($7.20 from $12.00 until 1/4)
Forklift Simulator 2023 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)
Game Dev Story ($2.80 from $14.00 until 1/4)
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ($19.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Ginsha ($14.95 from $17.80 until 1/4)
Gloomhaven: Gold Edition ($39.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Gunscape ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Hana Awase New Moon ($29.03 from $36.29 until 1/4)
Hashihime of the Old Book Town Append ($30.82 from $61.64 until 1/4)
Heist Force ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)
Hello Goodboy ($9.89 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Hypnospace Outlaw ($6.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Inspector Gadget: MAD Time Party ($27.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived ($2.07 from $12.99 until 1/4)
It Takes Two ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Itorah ($5.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Jack Jeanne ($39.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Kingdom Eighties ($8.99 from $11.99 until 1/4)
Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series ($9.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Kung Fury: Street Rage Ultimate ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Let’s Get Changed! Nyanzou & Kumakichi ($9.80 from $19.80 until 1/4)
Mail Time ($15.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Marco & The Galaxy Dragon ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
May’s Mysteries: Secret of Dragonville ($4.94 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Mercenaries Rebirth: Call of the Wild Lynx ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Minute of Islands ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Monster Harvest ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Mushihimesama ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
MythForce ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Neighbours Back From Hell ($4.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
NEO: The World Ends With You ($23.99 from $59.99 until 1/4)
NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa ($23.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Nobody Saves The World ($9.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Nowhere Prophet ($2.49 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Oaken ($5.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Office Lovers ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
One More Island ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Orbital Bullet ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Ori & the Blind Forest: Definitive ($6.59 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Ori & the Will of the Wisps ($9.89 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Pizza Possum ($5.59 from $6.99 until 1/4)
Pizza Tycoon ($2.09 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Pocket Academy 3 ($7.00 from $14.00 until 1/4)
Prepare the First RPG Village Nyanzou & Kumakichi ($2.00 from $4.90 until 1/4)
Projection: First Light ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Pub Encounter ($6.79 from $16.99 until 1/4)
Punch a Bunch ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Rad Rodgers Radical Edition ($4.49 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Radiant Silvergun ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Rakuen: Deluxe Edition ($19.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Regency Solitaire ($2.99 from $11.99 until 1/4)
Return to Monkey Island ($14.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
River City Girls ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Rogue Legacy 2 ($14.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 CE ($8.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Romancing SaGa 2 ($4.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Samba de Amigo: Party Central ($23.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Samurai Maiden Deluxe Edition ($44.99 from $74.99 until 1/4)
Secrets of Me ($5.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Shantae ($6.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)
Shantae & the Seven Sirens ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Sifu ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)
Sonic Superstars ($41.99 from $59.99 until 1/4)
Spidersaurs ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Spiral Memoria ($13.74 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Spirit of the North ($4.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Spitlings ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Star Renegades ($6.24 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Steam Prison ($32.74 from $65.49 until 1/4)
Struggling ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)
Super Bomberman R 2 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Super Planet Life ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)
Tactics Ogre: Reborn ($24.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
THE Bass Fishing ($2.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
THE Card Perfect Collection ($8.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)
The Creepy Syndrome ($3.49 from $4.99 until 1/4)
The Crimson Flower that Divides ($23.44 from $46.89 until 1/4)
The Rumble Fish 2 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes ($8.74 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line ($29.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Timelie ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Ultimate ADOM: Caverns of Chaos ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Unpacking ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Valkyria Chronicles ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Voice of Cards Trilogy ($34.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
War Tech Fighters ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Warm Snow ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Watch ($4.19 from $5.99 until 1/4)
Weedcraft Inc ($14.99 from $24.99 until 1/4)
Whispike Survivors ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/4)
Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection ($24.99 from $49.99 until 1/4)
Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)
Zoo Park Story ($7.20 from $12.00 until 1/4)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with an unsurprisingly quiet Thursday, but we’ll at least have some new releases to look at. We’ll also have whatever sales and big news roll in, and if that’s not enough to make it all hang together, I’ll find another review in the couch cushions. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
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