Nintendo Direct Highlights and 'Star Trader' Review: Essential Gaming News

Hello again, Switch fans! Welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024. Today's update starts with some breaking news, followed by a review and a look at a new game. We'll wrap things up with the usual sales information. Let's dive in!

News

Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap

As predicted by some, Nintendo sprung a surprise Nintendo Direct on us! The 40-minute presentation covered partner and indie titles. No first-party announcements or Switch successor news, as expected. The showcase is likely over by now; you can watch the recording above, and we'll cover the highlights tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

These untranslated EGGCONSOLE releases always boil down to two key questions: Is the game itself any good? And is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is intriguing but not outstanding. Falcom blended an adventure game with side-scrolling shooter elements, neither of which is particularly polished. The adventure portion boasts some nice artwork, and the attempt to weave a narrative into a shooter is unique. Gameplay involves conversing with characters, undertaking quests to earn money for ship upgrades, crucial for the shooting sections.

The shooting stages, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limited scrolling capabilities, resulting in a very jerky experience. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader is more curious than compelling. This leads us to the second question. The adventure sections are text-heavy, requiring player interaction for optimal outcomes. Without Japanese comprehension, you'll miss half the game and likely struggle in the other half due to insufficient credits. While brute-forcing is possible, it won't be enjoyable.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into a developer's unconventional work, but the substantial Japanese text severely limits its appeal to Western players. While some might find it interesting to experiment with, a strong recommendation is difficult.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game features Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for misbehaving. Explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, fight bosses, and upgrade abilities. A familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, I suggest the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Also, don't miss out on 1000xRESIST. Other notable sales include Star Wars titles, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and some Tomb Raider games. Check the lists!

Select New Sales

Return ($10.49 from $13.99 until 9/2)
Summer Daze: Tilly’s Tale ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/9)
Please Fix the Road ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9/9)
Ticket to Ride ($26.99 from $29.99 until 9/9)
King ‘n Knight ($9.59 from $11.99 until 9/9)
Spiritfarer ($7.49 from $29.99 until 9/9)
Harpoon Shooter Nozomi ($6.98 from $9.98 until 9/16)
Like Dreamer ($5.99 from $11.99 until 9/16)
Cosmo Dreamer ($4.10 from $8.20 until 9/16)
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate ($8.99 from $59.99 until 9/16)
Gluck ($5.59 from $6.99 until 9/16)
Love Love School Days ($4.19 from $10.49 until 9/16)
Ugly ($6.79 from $19.99 until 9/16)
Replik Survivors ($3.44 from $4.99 until 9/16)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

1000xRESIST ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Citizen Sleeper ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Genesis Noir ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Haiku, The Robot ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Heads Up! Phones Down Edition ($1.99 from $39.99 until 8/28)
Legend Bowl ($18.74 from $24.99 until 8/28)
MythForce ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/28)
Paradise Killer ($5.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Battlefront Collection ($28.00 from $35.01 until 8/28)
Star Wars Bounty Hunter ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Episode I Racer ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Academy ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Jedi Outcast ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars KotOR II: Sith Lords ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars Republic Commando ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Super Mutant Alien Assault ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Suzerain ($4.49 from $17.99 until 8/28)
The Pale Beyond ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Times & Galaxy ($17.99 from $19.99 until 8/28)
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/28)

That’s it for today! Join us tomorrow for a Direct recap, new game coverage, sales updates, and more. Have a great Tuesday!